Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nighttime- Isle of the Lost
Mal’s room/Mal’s POV
Everything hurts. So so bad.

Hangout spot/Evie’s POV
Always a disappointment. The mirror, while dirty and fragmented, never failed to highlight the clear imperfections that my mother wanted to beat out of me. I’ll always be ugly. *clang* I turn my head sharply towards the hideout’s entrance to see Mal. An unconscious mess on the floor, bloody and bruised. Her fierce purple hair, now dull, going every which way. What the hell.

I crouch down to try and get her attention, “Mal!” I nudged her gently, getting rougher the longer her bout of unresponsiveness lasted. I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do, ignoring the unconscious fae below me, I was completely alone here. No one was going to help me or Mal.

I began to break down, I hated the fact that I was reduced to a sobbing mess on the floor besides my best friend's unresponsive form. I hated the fact that this happened to her and was going to continue to happen to her. And I hated the fact that I hated myself for crying here on the floor and going against my mother’s wishes. “A lady never cries” she says. It will only make me uglier.

“E?” I was stirred out of a devastating haze by the person that caused all my worry. “What’s wrong?” I hated her for doing that. For pretending that everything was okay and that everything was going to be okay when it wasn’t and never will be. But I knew I couldn’t take that from her, her hope. Hope of the fact that we would get out of her, or at least away from the people who hurt us. So I threw on a mask. For her.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” I said with the most comforting grin I could muster. Never a smile though, “it will cause wrinkles!”, she says. “Let’s get you cleaned up, huh?”

“That sounds like a good idea E.” She tried to smile but I could tell it hurt. As I tried to discretely scan her to avoid her embarrassment I noticed she only had one black eye, but a growing bruise on her right cheek that resembled a hand print. She had a cut on her forehead that hints to Maleficent having gone for something other than her hands. One of Mal’s sleeves were rolled up and I could see that she had cuts big and small all the way up her arm, indicating that she tried to shield herself from her mother’s incoming onslaught. It hurt me to see her like this, or any of them like this. *ahem* I was knocked out of my daze as I heard her clear her throat, feeling ashamed as I realized she had caught me staring.

“I’m ok Evie.” A genuine look on her face, to an emotion I couldn’t assign. I nodded my head resolutely and pointed at my old seat in front of the mirror and dresser. She went to sit down while I went to the cupboard near the back farthest from the entrance and began to gather what I needed. A bowl, a bottle of alcohol, cotton pads, gauze pads, and bandages. I brought it to the dresser that supported our one and only dirty and fragmented mirror within the hideout. I noticed Mal staring at herself in the mirror, once again with an emotion I couldn’t assign.
She seemed to jump but only slightly as I unceremoniously laid all the supplies down before her.
I uncapped the bottle of alcohol and poured a bit of it into the bowl. Lightly dabbing a cotton pad with the alcohol in the bowl I began to clean Mal up. Starting with her right arm. She grimaced but never flinched as her cuts were dabbed with the alcohol. Upon reaching the top of her arm I fetched the bandages and covered her newly clean cuts all the way down her arm.

Moving to the other side I rolled up her sleeve, I assessed that there was damage there too and I should have been gentler as Mal snatched her arm back out of my grip. “Mal, it’s ok.” Reaching my hand out slowly so as to indicate for her to give me her arm again. A slow calculated breathe was taken in and then out by her and she rolled her own sleeve up and gave me her arm again. I followed the same process as the other arm, thankful that it wasn’t worse. Until I reached the hardest part.

Her face. Her damaged porcelain skin. Blemished by the actions of her mother. Grabbing her chin and tilting her head up to get a better angle at the rather large gash on her forehead. Tutting at it I grabbed another alcohol soaked cotton pad and gently dabbed the cut. This was when she broke.

She painfully creased her features, and tears started to roll down her cheeks. Dripping onto the dresser. The tears increased and the dam broke as Mal broke out into a sob. She grabbed onto me and I only stood there and held her. Knowing that was the best I could do to offer my friend comfort, it made me feel weak and vulnerable alongside her.

I rocked her back and forth and her tears eventually ceased, she was exhausted and I revised to hurry up as I dabbed the gash gentler than ever before until it was clean and I was able to grab a gauze pad for it. The bruises only needed ice and we didn’t have that.

*Sigh* Wanting to clean up but deciding it wasn’t worth it, I ended up leaving the stuff on the dresser and grabbing Mal instead. She was half asleep as I dragged and heaved her down onto our old and stolen mattress. In bad condition like everything and everyone else on the Isle. I laid down next to her and fell into what I wish was a dreamless sleep. Only hoping it was different for Mal.

Chapter Text

The Docks/Gil’s POV

I wish I wasn’t such a disappointment. How can I get him to be proud of me?

Inside Hook’s Ship/Uma’s POV

It was a peaceful night. The ship rocked serenely in the sinful waters of the Isle as Harry and I lay beside each other on a painfully hard wooden bench, the pain ignored as we took in the stars through the grid above us.

We had been expecting Gil to arrive for our weekly meeting for over an hour at this point. Our worries are nearly disposed of by the peaceful moment but not quite as they lay at the back of our minds. We knew not to expect too much of Gil by now, always off on business for his sleazy father. Even then, it was still hard to watch him walk or sometimes limp onto the ship or into my mom’s restaurant. He didn’t deserve it, none of us did.

*thump* *thump* *thump* My thoughts were interrupted by the footsteps above deck that I interpreted to be Gil’s. He stomped over us as he made his way to the deck below. 

As he arrived through the door of the room we were in, Harry shot up from his place beside me and whispered, “It’s ‘bout time! Where the hell ‘ave you been?!” I sat up and thought about how I never understood why Harry felt the need to ask him such a dumb question. The bottom line was that we knew where he was and why, but Harry was always more prone to avoiding such a dark truth in favor of an easier to swallow lie that was formulated by Gil’s lazy excuses.

So as usual Harry proceeded to give Gil an interrogating -barely managing to stand above him- as he waited for his anwer. “Well?” Harry said.

“Um…so you see.” Gil’s starting statement was an indicator of the horrible excuse we were about to hear, “You know how I love eggs. And- and the yolks -OH the yolks how’re they so creamy?”

Staying passive on the bench behind them I watched as Harry prodded further for the point in the boy’s excuses, “Where is this going?!” He whispered.

“Ok, so um I-” *clap* Gil lightly claps his hands together as I can see gears turn in his surely empty head. “...saw that there were eggs on sale at Uma’s shop and I just couldn’t resist the temptation of the eggs. And you know what while I was there I saw one of my siblings -you know how many of those I have being who my dad is and everything- and I decided to talk and ask how they’ve been and what not and I found out that they had-” He gets quieter and quieter as he rambles eventually formulating sentences that didn’t make any sense.

Although I knew my mother hadn’t gone on sale as she would have never done that and never will due to her stinginess. I let it slide as I should once again mention that I knew exactly where he was, and so did Harry.

“Well, alrighty then! Let’s get to work eh?” Harry says enthusiastically, grinning dangerously, an extreme change in tone from the quizzical and serious look he had sent Gil’s way previously.

Harry waves his hand behind him in my direction and turns around grandly. Having been one for dramatic actions I wasn’t too surprised by this or his sudden mood change as I nodded in his and Gil’s direction.

Gil nodding back while the drama queen decided to curtsy before me and further lean down to retrieve his hat from below the bench we were laying on to star gaze.

“Well m’lady, what are we doing?” Harry asked.

Although this wasn’t a meeting I had scheduled but instead our traditional weekly meeting to see how we were all doing, he and Gil saw me as their captain so I decided to answer him. And anyway repeating such a thing to him would never work. A trait that he shares with Gil is that it’s always in one ear and out the other.

“We’re just talking Harry, you know this. Who wants to go first?” I say.

A rustling has me looking behind Harry to see Gil who had blended into the background behind the drama queen’s antics. He had his hand raised and said, “Can I go first today?” Although his looks were that of a big buff bear, he was nothing but a teddy bear, his voice was meek and he looked down at his shined work shoes as he said it. He was quite used to being in his father’s shadow on a daily basis and his actions presented as such.

Given that I answered anyway, a passive sure gliding off my tongue. And so he started. He talked of nothing but his day, he didn’t say much given that a large part of it was him working for his father and he chose to leave that out. Then it was Harry who humbly bragged of his ongoings with a girl who frequents my mother’s restaurant, then it was me. I had no idea what to say, just content to listen to my best friends talk. But still I attempted to come up with something as I recapped an incident with a drunk at the restaurant. They all laughed lightheartedly, losing the burdens of everything above deck. We loosened up and partook in conversation until we all drifted off. 

I drifted off into a dream that seemed euphoric but unsettling in its own way. It all felt so real. As if drifting off into this dream was me waking up in a new place.

Chapter Text

Jafar’s shop/Carlos’ POV

What the heck is he doing here? This is wrong.

Back alley near the hideout/Jay’s POV

I wish father hadn’t forced me to close up the shop tonight. He had to leave early due to “business” which usually alludes to dealings with Gil’s dad. Because of that I couldn’t get to the hideout immediately when I heard what happened to Mal.

Theo was regular at my father’s shop that comes to turn stuff in for money told me about how he saw Mal stumbling through some back alleys. He didn’t know where she was going, but I had a clue of where she could have gone. He said she had looked badly injured and extremely weak.

Which was why I was now pacing through grimy and barely lit back alleys at a time when only the shadiest figures roamed tightly gripping onto Carlos’ small hand so that he would keep up with me. It had been a few hours since I heard the news but I knew I had to get there and see her. The way that guy described her was worse than anything her mother had ever done to her. I didn’t know if she was alone or even if she made it to the hideout, so I had to find her and help her.

Carlos had stopped by the shop close to closing time to get cigarettes for his mother and I was so glad to see him and quickly informed him of what I had heard from Theo. Still aware of his mother’s wrath though I gave him a pack of cigarettes and aware of my father’s wrath I took the money Carlos had for the ridiculously overpriced pack. After closing we hauled ass out of there. All I could see was red and I could barely hear Carlos’ begs for me to calm down and stop gripping his hand so tight. 

As we finally arrived to the hideout entrance and I found a rock to throw for the passage to open I was starting to calm down. I turned around and gave him a serious glare motioning to be quiet so as to not scare Mal if she was in the hideout.

“Dude, that hurt. I have bruises!” Carlos whined.

“SHUT UP!” I whisper yelled, “Mal could be up there scared and in pain! Keep it down. That’s the last time I’m going to ask Carlos.” 

His silence and the somber and hurt look he painted on his face was something we could talk about later, but for now all I could get myself to care about was Mal and if she was okay. I turned around from Carlos and ran frantically up the stairs even skipping a few to get up to the hideout. 

As I made my way up the stairs I couldn’t help but think about what she could look like right now. What if she never made it here? What if she did make it but nobody was there to help her so she is just bleeding out on the floor as I think of this? Why are there so many stairs?!

Finally making it to the top and going through the true entrance my worries and thoughts dissipated to nothing as I saw Mal and Evie laying beside each other on our dirty and dinged up mattress. I had stopped so suddenly that Carlos had backed into me from behind.

“Oh thank God.” I muttered under my breathe.

“What was that?” Maybe I muttered that a bit too loud.

Motioning towards the girls I said, “Look.”

He hmm’d and went silent while I walked further into the area, getting closer to the girls and feeling more assured by seeing their chests rise and fall, feeling saddened by the pained expression that Mal’s face held even as she slept. Thankfully she was cleaned up and bandaged by Evie, the evidence of that prevalent on the dresser holding a fragmented blurry mirror. 

Carlos had followed very close behind me bumping into me once again as I decided to turn around and go towards the ripped and stain covered overstuffed couch that we had. I didn’t mind though, because she was okay and that’s all that mattered for now. 

I slipped off my boots, leaving them strewn every which way and threw my jacket off and onto the floor as I got closer to the couch. Finally I sat down and the tiredness fully hit me once again. Going to lay down I then saw Carlos just standing there and remembered that he was there in the first place, “Sleep or go, but the watching is creepy dude.” 

He mumbled a sorry and went to go recline back on an overstuffed chair positioned by the couch, he slipped his jacket off and used it as a blanket as he laid back as far as he could in the chair and closed his eyes.

Now I’m staring. I thought as I laughed to myself and slipped my beanie over my face finally closing my eyes and falling into sleep. Falling deep into a dream.

It was there I saw somebody so beautiful and heard a faint, “Who are you?!”

Chapter Text

Cinderella’s Castle/Chad’s POV

I can’t wait to see her! She is the girl of my dreams!

Fairy Godmother's House/Jane’s POV

Tonight mom is being the farthest from fair. She won’t let me hangout with my real friends and is making me stay home tonight for this stuffy dinner she is the hostess of. Everyone I hate and everyone who hates me will be there. Audrey, Chad, and least sufferable Ben. Ben isn’t so bad but the others make me want to rip my hair out when I am around them. Sometimes though, Ben can be like a mini Chad, always talking about how he is going to be King of Auradon. His dad this or his dad that, his dad can do whatever he wants! He, Audrey, and Chad are all perfect for each other to be around alone, cut from the same silk royal rag.

Chad is always the meanest to me though, at times Audrey has had to pull him back and Audrey is almost the worst of the worst. If you ask me they all belong on the Isle, not in my house attending a stuffy dinner where the adults talk about nothing interesting.

* Ding Dong* The doorbell dragged me out of my thoughts. Wish I could’ve stayed there forever. But now it doesn’t matter as I stand there at the end of the hall staring at the front door pretending like I didn’t hear a thing.

“Jane, did you not hear the bell? Go get the door will you!” My mother yelled from the dining room. She is finishing setting up, which was supposed to be my job but it didn’t matter now.

“Jane, did you hear me? Get the door!” Mother yells once again.

As my feet start to move, my heartbeat picks up and my hands get sweaty, “Yes Mother!” I sound back in confirmation. Arriving closer and closer to a door that held back the bullies and stuffy royalty from invading my home, I finally reached it and laid my sweaty palm on the doorknob. My heartbeat resonated so hard within me all the way in my ears and down to the pit of my stomach. After staring at my hand taking place on the doorknob for a while, eventually I was able to twist it. It took all my strength and willpower and now it couldn’t be undone, as I pulled the door open further by my firm but sweaty grasp on the doorknob.

Behind the door on my doorstep stood the worst of the worst. Chad Charming. But he did something that surprised me, and was very far out of the normalcy that boring old Auradon usually provided. 

He jumped onto me in a tight and embracing hug that would have been comforting coming from somebody that I actually like and care about, but with Chad it felt like I was trapped. So, I pushed him off of me and watched as he fell to the floor on his butt with a resounding ‘oof’.

On the ground mini Charming looked quite sad, and disappointed.

“Aren’t you excited to see me Jane?” He asked somberly, almost looking and sounding like a kicked puppy. Yet, I really didn’t feel bad for him as he got up still holding the kicked puppy expression and began to dust himself off.

“Tell me why I would be excited to see you Chad?!” I hissed at him, “You have done nothing but make my life a living heck! So, I don’t know what this sudden 180 is nor do I care for it. Where are your parents?”

I kept expecting a smug grin to appear on his face and to hear something that was along the lines of ‘it’s just a prank bro’, but he just looked sadder and deep down in my heart, I felt something for Chad, but pushed it away quickly because he so did not deserve anything from me.

He motions to their rich people's car and says, “They’re at the car getting their stuff, they’ll be up here shortly.” His head was hung low for whatever reason, as he slid past me to go into the dining room and take his place at the table. Wherever it was, it better not be next to my regular seat or so help me.

I looked outside and saw two more cars appearing, wanting to slam my face into the wall a couple hundred times to make all of this stop. Why did Chad hug me and why is this happening to me?! * Slam* Audrey had gotten out of the backseat of her parents car and slammed it before she started yelling at them about something. I could faintly hear her say something about how this wasn’t fair, while I felt the same. I really didn’t want her having a tantrum at my house so I hoped she sucked it up like me by the time she got to the door. In the car behind the charming’s was King Beast’s car, Ben got out of the backseat but unlike his girlfriend with much more grace and not a sign of tantrum. Quite characteristic of him.

Audrey eventually noticed her ‘Benny Boo’ had gotten out of the car and she ran up to him and grabbed his hand. An action that greatly surprised Ben as he jumped up and shrieked! No way, Florian just shrieked! They walked up to the door together with all the kings and queens slowly getting out of their car behind them and coming up to the door as well. 

She arrived at the door and shoved me to the side then made a motion to wipe her hand off on her ugly pink dress. Thankfully her mom happened to see this, “Audrey play nice! I mean it!” She yelled from behind her.

“Ugh! Goody two shoes is already getting me in trouble and I haven’t even done anything. Yet.” She grinned evilly at me, “Come on Benny Boo she’s not worth our time.” She and Ben walk by me while I can hear them both lightly snickering.  They make their way into the dining room and disappear behind the wall. 

Eventually King Beast, Charming, and Phillip. As well as Queen, Belle, Ella, and Aurora make their way up to the door all talking to each other about something I could care less about. I turned on my mini hostess mode and cordially welcomed them into my home.

I closed the door behind them and followed them into the dining room before taking my seat, which was dreadfully next to mini Charming. He finally had the smug grin I was expecting as he patted his hand on the seat I was supposed to sit in, “Come on Janey. This is your seat isn’t it?” 

Ugh why me? With a grimace I sat down in my seat next to the Devil’s spawn. My mother stood at the head of the table and made a toast about how far we have come and some other garbage that had nothing to do with me. Then, she sat down and the adults began talking with each other as I was left to converse with the royal brats. I looked to the side that had no mini Charming and saw Audrey and Ben whispering to each other and giggling like idiots about something. Then Chad wrapped his arm around me and said in my ear, “So, how have you been?”

Not wanting to make too much of a scene I gently- more than he deserves- grabbed his arm and put it right back at his side before hissing at him, “Why do you care?” 

“What’s wrong Janey? Don’t you like me? I thought we liked each other.” He said dejectedly.

Not believing the bull crap I was hearing I turned to him and said, “You thought wrong Charming.”

Honestly what was wrong with him today, I would much rather he bully me than whatever had gotten into him tonight. This dinner was only supposed to be a stuffy silent one where I could mind my business, not this mess. What was wrong with everybody! 

I looked back at the lovebirds to see that they were practically on top of each other, with Audrey halfway on Ben’s lap and his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. From the corner of my eye I could see Chad looking at them with a yearning expression and I could only hope that he wouldn’t get any ideas.

The rest of the dinner passed with me being able to mind my business in my seat eating a dinner that actually wasn’t half bad. Until crap hit the fan. This wasn’t supposed to happen!

Close to the end of the desert Audrey had asked her parents and my mother if she could have a sleepover with me tonight, which had my eyes bulging out of their sockets at her request. I then saw Chad and Ben have a conversation with their eyes before Chad spoke up asking if he and Ben could sleepover here too.

I almost face planted right onto my unfinished slice of chocolate cake right then and there.

Why is this happening to ME?!?! Their parents agreed and asked my mother what she thought before she also agreed.

“I don’t see why not. It would be a great opportunity for the kids to bond even more!” She gushed. She always thought we needed to bond more. But personally I think absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Their parents made arrangements to have an overnight bag dropped off by their servants and left me with their Devil spawns. 

This was going to be a long night.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Jane’s Room/Audrey’s POV

I don’t really hate this girl, actually she is kind of cute up close.

Jane’s Room/Jane’s POV

After the royal brats parents left me with their Devil spawns my mother sent us up to my room while she said she would clean up. Usually I prefer not to be the one doing the dishes after dinner, but right now I would kill to be doing them.

Chad had stupidly proposed that we play spin the bottle, probably just to kiss me. His chances of that were high given that our game consists of 4 people. So, now we are sitting in a circle in front of my bed with a glass bottle Chad had snuck from the fridge downstairs and he and Audrey were relentlessly staring at me and Ben was staring at Audrey.

I could slightly understand why mini Charming was staring at me from the way he had been acting all night but I failed to understand what Audrey wanted in her relentless staring. Something better not be getting into her too because Chad alone is annoying enough and I don’t need the both of them trying to jump on me all night. Ben was unsurprisingly the most tolerable all night.

Even though I still don’t like him I could agree that at all times he was better than the other two. We all seemed to be enveloped in our own thoughts as I was eventually dragged out of mine to notice that the bottle in the middle of our somehow poorly made circle was lacking a spinning hand and we were all awkwardly staring at someone instead. I didn’t mind though, since I was bullied into playing this stupid game in my own home, actually not a stupid game just a game with stupid people.

*ahem* My luck eventually ran out as Chad cleared his throat in a way that resonated throughout the room catching everyone’s attention.

“Alright!” *clap* He claps his hand together and says, “Let’s get this show on the road!” There goes that smug grin again, and of course he was directing it towards me! Once again why me!?

He reached out to the bottle with no hesitation and spun it. My heartbeat sounded loudly in my ears for the second time that night, while sweat built up on my palms. As the bottle continued spinning, I nervously rubbed my hands again my dress several times over until the bottle’s spinning began to slow.

It got slower and slower.

Until it stopped.

And thank God it didn’t land on me for his turn, and I hoped it would continue to happen like this for the rest of the game.

It landed on Audrey’s ‘Benny Boo’ but neither Ben nor Audrey seemed to care too much. Chad as well. In fact all three of them looked at each other and laughed as if it were some funny inside joke while also looking slightly nervous. What the heck! It kind of freaked me out and I hoped they would get on with it and spin the bottle again.

Finally mini Charming kissed mini Beast and it seemed kind of intimate for both of them and while once again looking at Audrey she didn’t seem to care too much. What did suck was that she was once again staring at me, and smirking. What’s with all of them tonight? We were going counter clockwise and with Chad in front of me, Audrey to my left, and Ben to my right it was now Audrey’s turn. She also had no hesitation as she reached for the bottle and spun it. 

I wasn’t so lucky this time as it landed on me. But at least it wasn’t Chad. As I looked at him he was sporting a look of disappointment almost like he wishes that could’ve been him, and when I looked at Audrey she was still smirking at me, kind of like this was what she was hoping for instead of maybe hoping for it to land on her boyfriend. 

They all laughed weirdly again, but it felt less maniacal while still holding an air of inside joke between them. 

The kiss was soon to come as she leaned towards me and eventually her lips met mine. It was short but still longer than what I would’ve preferred.

She leaned back to where she was sitting, smiling the whole time. All of them were actually. Seriously what is wrong with these dingbats tonight. I would rather them be mean to me than this! 

Now it was my turn and I had been unlucky enough to land on mini Charming. End me now. I took a big and deep breath in and hung my head down. When I looked up shortly after Chad’s head was held high and he looked just as excited as when I ‘welcomed’ him into my house earlier tonight. 

Once again they laughed less maniacal as it seemed to have calmed down from when they originally laughed. I would much prefer that they didn’t act creepy at all, but I see I have to take what I can get.

He hastily leaned forward and his lips almost crashed into mine. This kiss lasted slightly longer than the one with Audrey yet felt like another eternity before I decided to pull away as it was clear that mini Charming was enjoying this too much.

Then it was Ben’s turn to spin and it dreadfully landed on me. This is the worst game ever. Ben was also smiling and the laughing ensued again. I was about to leave my own home if these three kept it up. 

This kiss, unlike the others, felt more nervous and simple. It was definitely much shorter than with Chad and Audrey. 

We played for two more rounds before I decided to wrap it up and went downstairs to put the bottle in the recycling bin. I considered smashing it for its poor choices, then I remembered whose fault that really was.

When I made it back upstairs and to my room the three weirdos were huddled in the corner whispering and snickering about something that I would’ve ignored before tonight but after their behavior I could admit that I was the slightest bit curious about their newest antics. Audrey who was faced towards me in their cult-y huddle alerted the others to my appearance in my own room and they broke up quickly before the boys left to go to the guest room and I was left in here with Audrey. 

She once again stared at me while smirking and I felt almost unsettled but decided to just ignore her unless she explicitly said something that should elicit worry. 

I went to my closet and got some navy blue night shorts and a loose fitting band tee then went to the bathroom and changed in there while also brushing my teeth and washing my face. When I exited the bathroom Audrey had already changed and was standing in front of my bed staring at the door. No smirk this time, she just looked dazed, which I could work with as I moved around her to unmake and get in my bed. I was completely drained after tonight’s peculiar events. 

She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face as well before getting into bed beside me. Of course. I could understand this though, as I had one small couch in my room and it most certainly wasn’t a pullout. Audrey would never lower herself to sleeping on the ground either. Even if she went camping, which would never happen. 

I didn’t even care too much at that point as I scooted over further away from her and fell into a deep sleep. Before that though, I heard the slight rustling of what I believe to be her sliding into my space. Still didn’t care.

What I did care about was this weird dream I had fallen into. I saw somebody I had never seen before. He had a fake hook on his hand and heavy mascara as well as dark black hair and lots of leather on. He looked like somebody who would be on the Isle. 

But that didn’t matter as I took in more people around me and my surroundings. It all felt so real.

Chapter Text

End of Jay’s chapter/Jay’s POV

It was there I saw somebody so beautiful and heard a faint, “Who are you?!”

Flashback/Lonnie’s POV

I was peeved that I couldn’t hang out with Jane tonight because her mother is hosting a stuffy dinner with the bratty trio in attendance. She tried to appeal to her mother many times to let her hang out tonight, since it wasn’ Jane herself that was hosting the dinner. But that didn’t work since Fairy Godmother was all about principles.

We were originally going to go to the mall to shop and walk around a bit, then have a sleepover at my house. Instead a night with my best friend was exchanged for a night alone. Which wasn’t too bad for me than if I was actually at the dinner, because unlike whatever they were doing right now I could watch TV and do a number of other things.

So that’s what I opted to do rather than mope around in my room. First, I went to the mall just like I was going to do with Jane, but alone. I find that it is good to have alone time every once in a while so this seemed to be unknowingly just the night I needed for that.

Stopped at all my favorites, including but not limited to, Ella’s rags to riches, Belle’s books, and Original Italian Bakery. It was my favorite place to get confectionery treats, in which this time I got a glazed donut and a cake pop to keep it simple rather than a decadent cupcake or cake donut that I usually slobber over.

After all the shopping I was getting kind of hungry so I decided to go to the food court for lunch and ordered from Chick Fil A, just an 8 count nuggets meal with like 4 packets of polynesian on the side and a medium frosted lemonade. I started with their perfect sea salted waffle fries which were honestly heaven on Earth, then moved onto the nuggets using the polynesian sauce for all of it and savoring my drink as I ate. Eventually I finished and ate the glazed donut I got from earlier, opting to place the cake pop in my purse and save it for later.

Once I had thrown away my food and gathered up the stuff I bought in the mall I left and went to go mini golfing at Jane and I’s favorite place. It was just a five minutes walk away from the mall so it wasn’t too hard for me to carry all my stuff there and stow it into the lockers once paying for a ticket. It also helped that I didn’t buy excessively while at the mall and had only scored a nice skirt, some fuzzy socks, and two moderately sized books.

My mini golf ticket was for 18 holes, the 2nd highest, because I wanted to knock out some time but not as much time as with 24 holes. I was doing pretty good, and wish I had somebody here to vouch for my score as it usually wasn’t too good and convincing people of what I consider to be an epic victory would be like trying to convince them that pigs can fly. Given that they did at one point when magic use was rampant, I suspect it wouldn’t be too hard to do.

I would’ve gone to the spa to get a mani pedi and a facial after that, but I was tired and it was getting kind of late so I called it a day after the last hole, got my stuff from the locker I rented and headed home.

As I was heading home I reflected on the fact that I didn’t run into anybody I knew today, or at least if I did I didn’t notice it. Which felt refreshing to be honest. Even though I was upset at the beginning about not being able to hang out with Jane I didn’t consider this to be too bad of an alternative to what could have been and I would definitely love to have days to myself more, which were going to get more and more limited as I grew up to take over my mother’s duties.

Upon arriving home I put my stuff up, took a shower, brushed my teeth and headed to bed. Not feeling quite tired enough to pass out upon hitting the pillow I turned on the TV and put on Chef’s Table. An annoying but addictive show that I couldn’t get myself to stop watching. Without noticing I fell into sleep and deep into a dream.

The dream was realistic and almost felt like a real world, but not my world, this world looked boring, like there was some sort of filter over it. Colors didn’t seem to pop like in mine with all the annoying blue and yellow. The worst shades of it too.  

I was in a forest, and the sun was setting. I saw several people, including people I was familiar with, but the person ahead was someone I had never seen before. It was a guy who wore a red beanie, lots of leather with toned down and mixed colors and no sleeves, and redesigned work boots. He looked like someone who would be on the Isle but he was also kind of hot and looked at me like he was thinking the same thing.

Not understanding anything that was going on I finally got the courage to say something in this unnerving dream world.

“Who are you?!”

Chapter Text

Storybrooke/Blue Fairy’s POV

Yes. They’ll  do just fine. 

Dream World/Weird mix of POV’s(just kind of hopping in an out of everyone’s mind and somewhere in between)

“Who are you?!”

“I am Jay son of Jafar.” The boy said smugly and with an almost goofy grin while curtsying to Lonnie.

In her surprise Lonnie screamed back “JAFAR!! He’s on the Isle of the Lost. I don’t understand what’s happening here!” Lonnie hates being right sometimes, of course this incredibly cute boy was from the Isle. She backed up(jumped back really) in an attempt to get away from the villain’s son. Although now that she thought about it she didn’t really know why, he was only Jafar’s son not Jafar himself. There was nothing he could’ve done wrong on the Isle, especially with no magic. But then again…there was nothing he could’ve done right on the Isle either.

Seeming confused at Lonnie’s jump and pause he asked, “You okay babe?” Still with the goofy grin on his face.

That was when Lonnie came out of her thoughts to close in on Jay’s smugness, “I’m not your babe!! Or anybody else’s for that matter! Is that understood!” Her final sentence came in as more of a statement than a question for Jay. She felt stupid standing there in her pajamas but obviously Jay didn’t seem to mind.

He seemed to get the message as he backed up hands in the air as a sign of surrender. “You got it babe.” The last thing he said before high tailing it away.

Lonnie growled back at the boy’s final statement before looking around again, and this time with no distractions. 

The forest was mossy and damp, full of stones and tall, thick trees with branches that seemed to arch a self made path just perfectly. The setting sun shone golden on the scenery, also serving to highlight the other people around her that she hadn’t seen in such detail before.

Before me the people I could recognize were the bratty trio scattered around, and Jane. A seemingly low amount compared to the other 7 kids here with us. They all looked around just as confused as me which soothed my nerves in a small way but no further. 

Jane had disregarded the boy in front of her in favor of her surroundings. Previously she had seen a boy with a fake hook on his hand, heavy mascara, dark probably dyed black hair, and lots of leather. A boy who she believed belonged to the Isle. After all, nobody her mother let her be around in Auradon would roam outside looking like that, in a way her mother disapproved of that is. 

All that still didn’t matter in the face of her dream situation, it felt so real and looked so surreal but almost not, that description made sense to her and only her. The trees were covered in green moss, a shade of green that irritated her for she couldn’t find a name for something so pretty. The branches of those moss covered trees arched out over the other people in her predicament ,or the ones who she thinks put her there, like it was going to snatch them up, but at the same time like it was leading the way over a moss covered stone path. Just as the trees arched over the people the sun’s light arched over everything just perfectly, like a scene from  a movie or something. From where Jane stood she could see her best friend Lonnie which was a relief, and the royal trio, which was not a relief. 

“Harry Hook at your service. It’s an honor to meet you, milady. Hello? Milady?”  Why was Jane thinking that, who the hell was Harry Hook? “Harry Hook here. An honor to meet you.”  Jane came out of a daze to see the same fake hook from before waving in front of her face, a little too close perhaps, trying to get her attention. 

“Harry Hook? Are you from the Isle?” Jane was less surprised about this turn of events given the way this Harry Hook is dressed.

“Sizing me up are we now? Pretty bold for somebody in night clothes huh?” Harry questioned in response to Jane’s eyes slyly bobbing up and down to look at his attire.

Once again Jane came out of her thoughts about her current situation, “No, sorry I’m just- you shouldn’t be here actually.” She was plunged back into thought after Harry reminded her of what she was wearing.

Not too taken aback at her statement given she shouldn’t be here just as much, he put out another statement, “I’m going to take a wild guess and say you are from Auradon, ms?”

“Godmother. Jane Godmother, daughter of the Fairy Godmother. So, yes you would be right that I am from Auradon, and I guess I was  right that you are from the Isle. But really what are we both doing here, together with each other in a place that resembles neither Auradon or the Isle?”

“I don’t quite know Jane, but maybe the others would.”

Jane almost questioned who the others were before she remembered they weren’t alone, she had Lonnie and unfortunately the royal trio and Harry had the 5 other kids who seemed to be from the Isle. “Let’s go ask them then.” She said before walking ahead of Harry as he followed close behind. They walked together to her friend Lonnie just as Jay was retreating from her towards another group. “Is that one of your friends Harry?”

“No! Why would you think that?” He exclaimed taking offense at her profiled question.

“My bad I just thought that-”

“You thought that everybody on the Isle is all buddy buddy with each other didn’t you? Well you’d be wrong. Do you know the other kids here?” Harry said in reference to Lonnie and the royal trio since they appeared to be from Auradon.

“Well yes actually. Before waking up here I had a sleepover with the other three kids, and Lonnie here is my best friend.” 

“Oh. I guess I can excuse your way of thinking for now, but don’t let it happen again. I do know him but friends is far beyond a generous title compared to what we actually are. That’s Jay son of Jafar, he is friends with Mal daughter of Maleficent, Carlos son of Cruella De Vil, and Evie daughter of the Evil Queen. And believe it or not they would all happen to be here, just as my friends are. I’ll introduce you to them after you introduce me to this beautiful flower.” Harry punctuated his last statement with a sly grin towards Lonnie.

Lonnie and Jane gasped at the big names he dropped, people he knows but isn’t acquaintances with. But just who is he friends with? Are they here?

Lonnie took the initiative to introduce herself while Jane was still in shock, “Well I’m Li Lonnie, daughter of Mulan. Who would you be?” She already knew the answer to her question given the fake hook on his hand, but still wanted to confirm it anyway.

“Harry Hook, son of Hook. Pleasure to meet you.”

Jane finally came out of her shock, rolling her eyes at the pirates shot towards her best friend, “Lonnie do you know what the hell is happening or even what we’re doing here?”

“No, I was hoping you or your friend here would know, but I guess if you’re asking me you have no such luck.”

With the three well acquainted with one another they silently made the decision to follow up on the question with the other people there headed towards a group of about 4 people that had formed ahead of them, the mixture of people wasn’t looking good though.

“Jane, do you know them?” Harry asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice in reference to their earlier conversation.

“You know I do stupid. The people I know in that group are Audrey, daughter of Sleeping Beauty and Chad, son of Cinderella. Be careful with them, their parents' status has gotten to their heads and they’re anything but delightful.”

Lonnie murmured in agreement behind them. “By the way how did the dinner go Jane?”

Annoyed at having that fiasco brought up again she responded, “I’ll tell you all about it later. Harry I know you’re probably not friends with them but can you at least tell me who they are?”

“Mal, the one with the purple hair, and Uma, daughter of Ursula. Uma is my friend actually, we were just together along with our friend Gil, son of Gaston before ending up here. All these coincidences are leading me to believe it’s not just a dream and I know you feel it too.”

Jane didn’t respond this time, knowing he was right. Instead they continued to walk towards the group further down the mossy stone path getting closer and closer until they could hear the conversation about to burst into an argument between the 4.

They were finally close enough to be considered a part of the group when Chad noticed Jane and leapt onto her, “Janey bear. I was worried for you since everyone else at the sleepover is here. Where were you and who is this hooligan?” Chad was looking highly jealous and suspicious of Harry at the moment and held onto Jane tightly backing away with her in his arms. “Lonnie, get behind me I can protect you from these thieves!”

Everybody including Audrey was rolling their eyes at Chad’s antics. “I assume he is one of them.”Audrey said annoyed at their situation with her head pointing towards Mal and Uma. “I also assume that they know what’s going on here.”

“Good one Audrey!” Chad said finally letting go of Jane to high five Audrey, which she did not return instead responding with a very heavy eye roll.

Jane was fully fed up at this point and wanted to get all of the introductions and confusion over with, “This is Harry Hook, son of Hook, the one with the purple hair is Mal daughter of Maleficent, and the other one is Uma daughter Ursula. Yes they are from the Isle. No they do not know what the hell is going on or where we are. Are we good now?”

“Thanks firecracker.” Mal said pleased with what she saw, while Uma and Chad seemed jealous. 

 Lonnie finally spoke up, “So should we check on the other group? Since nobody knows what’s going on and they’re the only other people here from what I can see.”  

Without actually agreeing on anything out loud Mal went off on her own, Uma walked to Harry and followed Mal, while Audrey followed Chad who went to Jane who was beside Lonnie and they followed Mal, Uma, and Harry.

The scattered group of 7 eventually reached the other group of 5 when.

Uma and Harry went towards who Jane assumed was Gil and Mal went towards who she also assumed was Carlos, Evie, and who she knew was Jay. Ben came to her, Lonnie, Chad, and Audrey.

All three groups were formed like the three points of a triangle.

“Do you guys know what’s going on here? I was talking to the others and did you know they were from the Isle? Their names are Gil, Carlos, Jay, and Evie and they’re the children of villains our parents worked hard to put there.”

“Well we know who they are now, but we still don’t know what the hell is going on.” Audrey responded annoyed.

Ben’s expression at Audrey’s answer resembled that of a kicked puppy, “Oh. Then who were the other people you guys were with before?”

Everyone looked towards Jane to answer that, which she did.

“Harry, Mal, and Uma. They’re also from the Isle and they know just as much as us.”

They all got quiet, displeased with the information or lack thereof. Until a vortex opened up between the three groups in triangle formation. All at once the mossy stone of the path fell into the vortex with foliage getting sucked in as well. The vortex was a harsh green color with lighter green sparks flying up from it, into the faces of the kids. A strong wind whipped at the teens around the vortex, splaying their hair and clothes every which way with the remaining leaves flying about.

Everybody jumped back at seeing the imminent danger in front of them, but it just kept getting wider and wider until it stopped at the 5 minute mark of its appearance. It was loud like crashing ocean waves and the teens could barely hear their own thoughts, which meant they could barely hear Ben screaming over them.

“WHAT SHOULD WE DO! DO WE JUMP IN SINCE IT’S JUST A DREAM?! MAYBE WE’LL WAKE UP WHERE WE WENT TO SLEEP!” He exclaimed over the vortex.

“OR MAYBE WE’LL DIE!” Someone else’s voice chimed in over the crashing noise. 

“AAAAHHHH!” The wind of the vortex had hit its first victim into it, their identity was revealed by a friend of the victim.

“CARLOS!!” Mal screamed as she and Evie held Jay back from his temptation to jump in after their friend.

“WE HAVE TO GO AFTER HIM! YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW IF IT WILL KILL US WE CAN’T JUST LEAVE HIM! AAAHHH!” Jay’s last words as Mal and Evie lost their grip on him and he jumped in after Carlos.

“UGH FINE!” Evie and Mal followed after their friend. Gil decided to follow them with Uma and Harry coming shortly after.

The Auradon teens were just left standing there holding each other in their night clothes desperately in a defense against the strong winds.

That was until Lonnie let go of her hold of Jane and grabbed her hand instead jumping into the vortex with great but idiotic bravery.

“JANEY BEAR! AHH!” Chad unsurprisingly followed as did Ben until Audrey was left standing there annoyed at her friends' antics.

After noticing the portal was closing on her and she would be left behind, she stomped her feet and jumped in right before the portal closed.

WHOOOOOooooosshh

The portal had finally closed and the wind steadied until it was like they were never there.

Chapter Text

“Dreamscape”/Henry Mills’ POV 

NO! I can’t be here again?!

In Storybrooke Forest/Emma Swan’s POV

“Mom do you see anything up there?”

I can’t believe I let that kid drag me out in the middle of the woods again just to check on a hunch of his. That’s what I would like to say but I do believe it because he is usually right. Well more specifically, I do believe he believes this, how he got this hunch has my superpower going off though.

“No kid” The last part I chose to mutter under my breathe, “ for the umphteenth time.”

“What was that last part ma?” Crap! Maybe I wasn’t quiet enough.

“Nothing Henry, nothing.All I see is the same mossy, stony forest that has been here since Regina cast this curse.” sigh “Probably even before.”

WHOOOOOSH

“ AAAGHHHH!!”

“AAHGHHHGHAH!!”

“AAAAAGHGHGHGGGGHHH!!!”

What the hell! “HENRY, ARE YOU OKAY?!”

“YEAH, I’M FINE MA! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?!!”

The wind had picked up around us, brutal and unforgiving as it swept around the foliage of the forest and shook the trees to their roots while at the same time shaking Henry and I to our core. Thick and thin branches from trees fell around us as the heavy wind continued to agitate more trees. A few more screams sounded, then it was just the deafening wind.

Something had bumped into me that caused me to drop my flashlight and almost had me reaching for my gun until I realized it was Henry.

“Stay close to me kid!” 

“I WILL MA! BUT DID YOU HEAR THE SCREAMING?!”

“YEAH! I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU KID! BUT NOW I REALIZE WHERE IT MAY HAVE COME FROM!” I trudged in the direction the screams might’ve come from through the wind, which was probably in relation to them, with my grasp tight on Henry’s forearm.

The strong winds fought us as we moved forward until finally the cause of the wind began to come into sight. It was a bright light emanating from the ground ahead resembling the colors of northern lights. The closer we got the more deafening the winds became and the brighter and clearer the source of it was.

“MOM DO YOU SEE THAT?!”

“YEAH I DO! STAY WHERE YOU ARE I’M GONNA GET A BIT CLOSER!”

“BE CAREFUL MOM!”

The light became increasingly brighter as I approached it until I realized it was a portal. It looked like a magic bean portal and I knew I should step back because the wind was dangerously close to knocking me right in. 

SHAZAM

Someone came out of the portal and landed right on me, knocking me back a good couple feet close to where Henry stood behind a tree. As we both got up I was able to take in the appearance of my attacker who kept yelling for somebody named Janey Bear. He was wearing pajamas and had curly blonde hair that waved around messily in the harsh winds.

He turned around when he realized I wasn’t whoever Janey Bear was as another person came through the portal before it closed.

WHOOOOOooooosshh

The wind ceased immediately and everything that was disturbed by it fell to the ground just as abruptly. We were all stuck standing in the dark of the night with rampant worry and confusion that was only increasing until Henry handed me my flashlight.

I was quick to turn it on the people who had come through the portal and caused such a disruption in the forest. 

To my surprise they were all kids, some in pajamas, others in all leather for whatever reason. The curly blonde haired kid seemed to have found Janey Bear as he jumped on her, while she seemed much less enthused about his discovery of her whereabouts. That entire ordeal was the least of my worries though.

“Henry called your grandfather.” 

“Which one?”

“Both of them.”

Chapter Text

Forest in Storybrooke

Carlos’ POV

Wow. This is the most greenery I’ve seen in my entire life. This whole thing is weird to be honest but at least I get a break from my mom.

Gold’s mansion

Gold’s POV

BZZT BZZT BZZT THUD.

My phone falling off the nightstand woke me up. What in the actual hell could my grandson want with me this late at night. I was in bed and I very much wanted to stay there but it was clear this night had other plans. I picked it up.

“Hello Henry, is everything all right?”

“Hey grandpa! We kinda need you out here right now!”

Really, what the hell was happening now?!

“Son, I need you to calm down and tell me your location, please.”

“It’s by the toll bridge. Well somewhere close to there I think . I’m not really sure. Here, I’ll put my mom on the phone.”

This really couldn’t be good.

“Which one-”

“Hello?”

Emma.

“Why hello Ms. Swan. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She was usually quick to dispel the basic info of a situation and if she was with Henry out in the forest at this time of night it must be important so I put her on speaker and started to change out of my nightwear into the usual suit.

I was tightening my tie as she finished explaining the situation, no details spared. Thankfully. 

“So, you’re saying some random kids appeared out of a portal that looked like it came from a magic beans when there are no more magic beans and there haven’t been since Regina burned the last of them?”

“Yes!”

“That’s nice and all but why should that matter to me. Leave them out there to sort their own mess out. I'm really too old to be dealing with all of this Ms. Swan. You’re the savior after all why don’t you figure it out?”

I really don’t know why she felt that I needed to be included in any of this nonsense. And I know even less why they were included in that nonsense.

“Also, why were you out there?”

“...”

“Hello?”

“Henry, had a hunch, okay Gold. Why does any of that matter to you?! I think this might be serious and it’s going to affect us one way or another.”

“You might be right on that one Swan but tell me why you had even half a mind to listen to dear Henry’s hunch?”

I was becoming exasperated at the situation and even more with the fact that my grandson and his mother were out there for no apparent reason except for a stupid one.

“He’s the author now. And they’re not usually wrong about stuff like this Gold.”

She had sighed into the phone twice before the end of her statement but at least she was starting to make sense now, so I’ll let her do whatever she needs to do to get herself together.

“Fine. Say I go out there. Just what the hell do you expect me to do?”

“I just want you to get a diagnosis on the situation, please.”

Her voice sounded pleading and I gave in just this once to her as she was my grandson’s mother and he happened to be out there. That’s all.

“Ok.”

“Really!”

“ Yes. Don’t push it now Savior. Did you tell anyone else about this?”

“Yes. But just David.”

Great. 

Chapter Text

The Mayor’s Mansion

Regina’s POV

The savior…what does she want now…

The Loft

David’s POV

BZZT BZZT BZZT BZZT

I rushed to get my phone before it woke Neal up. Getting him to sleep let alone sleep through the night was proving to be quite the trouble these days, so I’m not going to let anything get in the way of the little sleep that he does get and the break I get from that.

Looking at the screen though, all of that fell from my mind as I saw my grandson’s face on the screen. He should be with Emma right now.

Immediately I accepted the call.

“Henry? Are you ok?”

“We have some newcomers in town right now dad. Can you get down here with the truck soon?

Emma? She sounded so frantic and rushed, and why was she calling through his phone?

“Alright alright, slow down kid. I don’t understand you. Where are you, and what do you mean visitors?”

“This huge portal opened up and some kids a bit older than Henry popped out in PJs and leather and they’re acting admittedly weird right now. They seem weirded out by being here but not by the portal so I figure they know what magic is.”

What in the hell was going on in this town now??

“I know it’s your night with Henry. Is he with you right now?”

“Yeah dad, what’s with the 20 questions? Can you just get down here?! They’re starting to congregate and I don’t know how to handle this many kids let alone random ones!”

“Alright alright, I’m headed your way. Let me just tell your mother and I’ll be there in a bit.”

I hung up and rushed to put my jacket on by the door before holstering my gun and rushing to the bed to let a freshly woken Mary Margaret know about the newest situation in town.

It seemed to have woken her up immediately and her hand went to her chest as the worry became evident on her face when it sunk in we had new people in town and they’re out there in the woods in the dark with our daughter and grandson.

I could tell she was overwhelmed with thoughts and feelings but all she could sleepily get out was a, “Stay safe David” as I grabbed the keys and rushed out of the loft, hopped into the truck and headed for the toll bridge.

I drove there on autopilot as I was strictly worried about what was going on in this town and the safety of my family. So much so that I barely even bothered to park the truck as I swerved into the shoulder on the side of the road and hopped out slamming the door behind me in pursuit of the trouble ahead.

I picked up speed as the bright glow of my flashlight alerted me to the sticks and foliage that must’ve been recklessly blown around the forest from the portal.

Finally I caught sight of Emma’s leather jacket and Henry’s coat, but unfortunately along with that came the trouble.

Who were these kids?

“Emma, are you okay?!”

“Yeah dad, put that away!”

She had noticed the gun by my side and I began to feel guilty as I noticed the scared look on the kids faces. This wasn’t like the other threats we’ve faced in this town. These weren’t the lost boys. They were truly just kids.

The ones in leather even looked beaten and bruised which I hadn’t noticed before. Their eyes held less innocence than the kids in pajama sets, and I noticed that they were grouped up separately from each other as if they knew that. They both looked warily at each other as if one of them had caused the other’s predicament.

I quickly holstered my gun again and rushed to Emma’s side.

“What’s going on here?” I whispered to her here.

But the voice that answered wasn’t Henry or Emma or any of the kids in front of me.

“I was hoping to find that out myself Dearie.”