Chapter 1: Home Again.
Summary:
It’s been a long time since Carina Rossi saw her precious son.
So very long.
Notes:
Trigger warnings: Kidnapping, implied violence, child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, mourning, etc.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It had been a year, six months, eight days, and two hours since Carina Rossi had seen her son.
A year, six months, eight days, and two hours since her son had last come waltzing in through the front door of their home with an apple he’d picked from Farmer Giordano’s orchid on his way home from school and a wild story that he’d heard from Old Grauerbart on the tip of his tongue.
A mischievous look in his eye that screamed trouble and an excuse for whatever trouble he, Pete, and Alexander had gotten into that day.
It had been a year, six months, and seven nights since she had last wished her son goodnight.
A year, six months, eight days, and two hours since anyone in their small village and even smaller family had seen Carina’s dear boy.
There were rumors that he had died.
But the truth was worse than that.
So much worse than that.
Carina’s darling boy had been stolen away along with Alexander Carmelo and many other of the boys in Villaggio and other surrounding villages by the Coachmen.
The Coachmen.
A man Carina had only heard about in whispers. A man Carina had dismissed as nothing more than a myth. A man who, along with two others, had stolen her son and many others’ sons and took them to the forbidden Pleasure island.
The Coachmen had stolen Carina’s son and had turned him into a donkey, selling him into a life of involuntary servitude to some poor unsuspecting souls who didn’t know where the donkey had come from.
And Gideon and "Honest" John Worthington Foulfellow had helped him do it.
Carina’s older sister, Gia, had punched them in court when they’d found out.
Carina would have done it herself if she hadn’t collapsed to the floor sobbing. Filled with dread over the fate of her son who may be long gone by now.
Her dear Romeo was gone.
Stolen away by an adult who had lied and manipulated him. Telling him that he could roughhouse, smoke, drink, and eat as much junk food as he wanted—telling him that he could skip school and play games all day and stay up past his bedtime until he wanted to go home.
The little baby who used to cry whenever Carina set him down and who used to toddle around after her when she worked was gone.
Had cried for her when he’d been transformed into a creature against his will.
All because Carina hadn’t been there.
(As her mother had screamed at her more than once since Lampwick had disappeared).
“Ma!”
Carina nearly dropped the plate she’d been holding, her head spinning around to face the highchair where her son had been quietly playing.
“What did you just say?”
Surely Carina hadn’t heard right. Surely her seven month old hadn’t just said—
“Ma!”
This time the brunette did drop the plate.
"ROMEO GET OUT OF THE PIZZA COOKER!"
How did two year olds manage to get into absolutely everything?! Why was Carina's son insistent on giving her such a heart attack?
"No! No! Don't eat the crayons, Romeo!"
Why were three year olds so weird?!
Carina didn't remember being this weird when she was a kid.
"Mommy, I made you a picture!" Romeo said, beaming at her as he waved it around it excitedly in the way he usually did to get her attention.
It was probably a bad habit to have but since the red head was only five, Carina wasn't all too worried about it.
"Aw thank you sweetheart."
"Mama, can I play with Alexander afterschool?"
"Of course, La mia piccola candela. Just be back before dinner."
"Here ma, I got you an apple."
"Oh thank you, Darling."
Lampwick gave her a hug as he always did before school. "Bye ma, I'll see ya after school!"
Carina smiled and ruffled his hair. "Stay safe, sweetie."
Neither of them knew then that he wouldn't.
People loved to talk.
Talk about anything and everything.
The weather, who was having an affair with who, the secret to Granny Smith’s beloved apple pie.
People lived to talk and gossip and—
Carina didn’t remember what had made her snap.
Had someone claimed that she deserved to lose her son for not being attentive enough again? Or had someone been spreading that nasty rumor about her being behind his disappearance once again?
She didn’t remember.
Maybe someone brainless had once again spotted that nonsense about her son and the other children getting what was coming to them again.
Carina didn’t know.
She didn’t remember.
Her mind had gone blank. Her ears were ringing. Her fists hurt and her throat was sure, and someone was screaming. Who was screaming? Why was someone screaming—oh. It was her.
There was a hand on her shoulder. Someone was leading her away. No, not someone: Geppetto. Geppetto from Merlin Academy was leading her away. Geppetto, Pinocchio’s father, was leading her away from the marketplace—whispering to her to ignore them and that they didn’t know what they were talking about, and that Lampwick was out there somewhere. Out there and alive and said they would find him and bring him home.
But Carina barely heard any of it.
Barely registered anything that was occurring around her as Geppetto walked her home. Her groceries in his arms and a hand on her shoulder.
Pinocchio had been the one to tell everyone about where the lost children had gone.
Was the reason the Coachmen was currently rotting in jail at the moment.
He was the reason Carina knew her son was still alive.
Carina was thankful for that. Even if it was only a small comfort.
Because at least she knew her son was alive.
A year, six months, nine days, and four hours after Lampwick had disappeared King Beast walked into the Coachmen’s cell at the prison he was being held in and four hours later he walked back out with the locations of all the missing children.
With the location of every lost boy and girl.
No one knew how he got the information.
No one but Beast and the Coachmen.
A year, six months, and ten days after Carina had last seen her son, the mother of two was notified that her son would be coming home and that the Coachmen along with his accomplices would be going to a new state of the art prison Beast, Belle, Merlin, and Fairy Godmother were drawing up.
Where he would never hurt anyone again.
It was a dream come true.
A year, six months, and sixteen days after Lampwick had left for school one early Monday morning to never return he finally came home.
“I’m sorry mama. I’m so, so sorry—” Lampwick was paler than he was when Carina had last seen him.
Paler and so heartbreakingly thinner.
Carina didn’t even want to imagine what he had looked like before the three days he had spent in the Encanto after the bus to Auradon had broken down. How dirty he was, how filthy and matted his hair had been, or how many injuries he had had before Julieta Madrigal (bless her) had gotten hold of him.
“I’ll never do it again, I promise. I didn’t mean to—” her dear, darling Romeo’s dark brown eyes were so haunted now. It was easy to see, even when they were full of tears.
Her baby was haunted by the things he had seen and experienced.
And yet he was apologizing to her.
“I’m so—” Carina cut off Lampwick’s frantic apology by yanking him into a bone crushing hug.
“Oh La mia piccola candela, don’t apologize to me. I’m just happy that you’re okay.”
Notes:
Be kind in the comments.
Stay safe.
Have a good day.
Hope you enjoyed!
Chapter 2: Marriage.
Summary:
Carina tells her son that she's getting married to Pinocchio's father, Geppetto.
Notes:
Trigger warnings: none that I can think.
LMK if I should add to the list.
Chapter Text
"You're getting what? " Lampwick asked his mother with amusingly wide eyes, clearly stunned.
Carina was worried for a moment that her son's reaction wasn't going to be a positive. "I...Geppetto and I are getting married, La mia piccola candela. When you were...gone... the two of us grew close while we were looking for you."
The brunette didn't know what she would do if her son wasn't happy with the idea. She loved Geppetto, she did: really she did. He was the kindest, sweetest, hardworking-est, and most non-judgiest man she had ever met and she loved everything about him: his smile, his laugh, that soft look he got in his eyes when he looked at Pinocchio and the picture of his deceased son, Gustavo—the same look he now gave her children. He was goofy and clumsy and smarter than people gave him credit for, and he was always going out of his way to do things for her and her family, and their children's friends. She loved him more than she had ever loved Frankie or Apollo and she wanted to be his wife.
Carina wanted to wake up next to him every morning.
She wanted to grow old with him and get a house with him that they could decorate, and have a small but beautiful wedding that all the people they adored could attend.
She wanted to be Pinocchio's mother. She wanted Geppetto to be the best stepfather he could be to her Lampwick and her Bella, and she wanted to have more children with him if he wanted to.
But she couldn't do that if Lampwick didn't approve.
Because Lampwick was her oldest baby and her piccola candela, and she just couldn't marry someone her son (or Bella, her piccolo fuoco) wasn't comfortable with. They were her babies. Her life, her priority. They were the best things in her life and two tiny little humans who were relying on her to keep them safe, happy, and protected.
(Something she had already failed at when that bastard man had stolen her son and many others' sons away to that horrid island).
She couldn't fail Lampwick again. Couldn't fail Bella.
Couldn't fail that precious little boy who used to toddle towards her with flowers clenched in his tiny fist or that tiny little girl who used to glare at people when they tried to take her from Carina's arms.
It would break her heart to tell Geppetto she couldn't marry him but she would if Lampwick wasn't okay with it. Even if it would hurt her. She'd do it for him.
Luckily her fears were proved to be unfounded as Lampwick flung himself at her, throwing his arms around her with a grin. "Ma, that's great!"
casinotrio1965 on Chapter 2 Fri 16 May 2025 11:49AM UTC
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hannahhook7744 on Chapter 2 Sat 17 May 2025 03:28AM UTC
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casinotrio1965 on Chapter 2 Sat 17 May 2025 10:50AM UTC
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