Ben sighed as he straightened his beanie once more. This was pretty much proof that he was out of his mind but he knew he needed to go through with it. He was going back to the Isle. Ahead of Mal and the other VKs. Because he needed to ask one person there a very important question.
"Are you sure you don't want me coming with you?" Akiho asked as he sat on Ben's bed.
"I've got Lonnie coming with," Ben said. "Besides, you've got classes if you got captured? I'm not going to be the reason you don't graduate on time."
"Couldn't you just call Lord Hades?" Emir asked, leaning against Ben's wardrobe. "I mean, didn't Carlos say there were phones on the Isle?"
"He did but he neglected to point out that there was no cell service there which I discovered on my first trip to the Isle," Ben told him. "Courtesy of my father. If I want to ask Lord Hades anything, I need to go in person. And besides, at least I'm telling you two. Plus Mal and the others are going to be meeting me there anyway—we're cutting the ribbon on Mal's hospital and Carlos' safe house today."
"And what do we do if Mal asks where you are?"
"Don't tell her," Ben chuckled as he put on his jacket. "Come on guys, I'll be gone for an hour. Two tops. Besides, Mal's off with Evie and Snow looking at castles for Evie before they all go over to the Isle. She won't even know I'm gone until I meet her there."
"Be careful okay?" Akiho told him. "You said that they mentioned rules the last time you went. What are they?"
"Rules one and two, I don't leave their sight, rule three, I don't talk to anyone unless they talk to them first, rule four no going off on my own, rule five don't get too 'touchy feely', rule six, no thank you's, please's or sorry's and rule seven, don't go near Jafar's shop, the Evil Queen's place or Hell Hall."
"So you're breaking about all of those rules by only taking Lonnie and going on ahead of them," Emir nodded.
"Pretty much," Ben chuckled as he grabbed his keys. "Think you two can avoid any major, king worthy disasters until I get back?"
"Who do you take us for?"
"Hopefully people who make good choices," Ben said.
"You'd need new friends if you think that," Emir chuckled and Ben shook his head as he headed out. Quickly meeting Lonnie by the car, Ben grinned.
"You gonna tell me what was so important I had to leave school on one of my only free weekends?" Lonnie asked.
"We're going to the Isle," Ben told her as he put the car into gear.
"Without Mal, Jay or the others?"
"Exactly," Ben nodded, smirking a little as he heard Lonnie mention Jay by name but Evie and Carlos got regulated to 'the others'. Lonnie could deny it all she wanted but Ben knew there was something going on between her and Jay. "Well, more like ahead of Mal, Jay or the others. There's something I need to do and I can't risk Mal finding out about it just yet."
Lonnie looked at him questioningly before giving Ben a small smile. "You're going to ask for permission from Lord Hades aren't you?"
"...was it that obvious?"
"Ben, we've been friends how long?" Lonnie asked as Ben made his way to the Isle. "While I don't always know what goes through your mind, I can very easily guess. Besides, you love Mal—anyone with eyes can see it, and she loves you. Truthfully the whole needing to ask for permission thing rings a bit old fashioned for my taste."
"I know, and honestly if this was any other parent I'd probably consider not doing it," Ben told her. "But this is Lord Hades. I mess this up and not only could he say no but also my soul becomes his plaything when I die. Plus, you know, I'm not exactly in his good books after he saw my fight with Mal in the last viewing we had."
"I'm sure he's gotten over that," Lonnie told him.
"You tell yourself that Lonnie. I'm erring on the side of caution when it comes to Lord Hades," Ben said as he parked the car, the two of them having arrived on the Isle. "Okay, so we've got at least two hours before Mal and the others get here for the hospital and safe house unveiling."
"Ben, you wouldn't happen to know how to get to the Underworld do you?" Lonnie asked and Ben paused. Whoops. Lonnie shook her head in amusement at the look on Ben's face.
"Come on, there's got to be someone who knows—"
"Why hello your majesty," a higher than normal voice sounded out and Ben looked around, slightly on guard. After all, while the hospital and safe house unveiling was an officially sanctioned visit, Ben's visit wasn't.
"Um...down here," another voice said and Ben looked down to see two purple and green demon like creatures.
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Ben said.
"Quite alright," the green demon said. "I-I'm Panic a-and this is Pain."
"Lord Hades sent us to you," the purple demon spoke up, and Ben had to assume he was Pain.
"Wait, Lord Hades knows we're here?" Lonnie asked.
"Of course he does," Pain nodded. "But we're wasting cloud here so come on!"
Ben looked over at Lonnie, who shrugged in response. What did they have to lose by following these two creatures?
Okay, so they probably had a lot to lose—Ben didn't blame Lonnie for grabbing her sword out of the back seat of his car. Nor did he blame himself for doing the same with his own sword. Hey he was optimistic—not stupid. Those were two very different things.
Ben and Lonnie followed Pain and Panic to the Underworld, and Ben fought to keep his heart out of his throat the way there. What would he do if Lord Hades said no? Like he had told Lonnie back in the car, this wasn't a regular parent. This was a God. A God who had already been mad at him.
"Don't worry Benny boy, I won't feed you to the Cerberus just yet," Hades' voice brought Ben out of his thoughts and Ben blinked as he realized he had arrived in the Underworld. Lonnie apparently had elected to wait in the kitchen with Pain and Panic as to give Ben some privacy.
"So. How can I help our king today?" Hades asked, sitting down and draping his legs over the arm of the chair. "Oh, are we to attend another one of those viewings?"
"No Lord Hades, if that was the case the Blue Fairy would have surrounded us all in a beam of light," Ben said and took a breath. "Lord Hades, I...I wish to ask you something. Something regarding my relationship with Mal."
It might have been Ben's imagination but Hades seemed to have stiffened a bit at that. At the very least the Lord of the Underworld seemed to sit a bit straighter.
"What about your relationship with Mal?" Hades asked in a would be casual tone but Ben could hear the warning in the God's voice. A very clear 'be very careful about what you say next' warning.
"I love your daughter with all my heart. She's...she's amazing and witty and so many other things that if I listed them out, we'd be here for an eternity. Lord Hades, what I'm asking or at least what I'm trying to ask is...I would like your permission to propose to Mal."
Hades didn't say anything at first, only looked Ben up and down. It was as if he was saying 'that is how you chose to dress to ask that question' but Ben knew there was no other choice. HIs suits would have made him too recognizable and bringing Lord Hades to Auradon just to ask the question and then put him back on the Isle seemed cruel.
"How old are you?"
"Pardon?" Ben asked, not expecting that question.
"How old are you?" Hades asked. "I'm not in the habit of repeating myself but for royalty I guess I'll make an exception."
"Oh! I...um I just turned seventeen," Ben told him. "My birthday's only a few days away from Mal's."
"So you're not even eighteen and you think it's okay to propose to my daughter?" Hades asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm perfectly fine with a long engagement," Ben said quickly. "I just know I love Mal and want to spend the rest of my life with her."
"And you know with her Fae and God background, she'll most likely live longer than you?"
Ben nodded. "Whatever amount of time we have together would be perfect."
"Good answer. My limited faith in your limited intelligence is momentarily restored," Hades said and Ben had to bite back a chuckle. Even if it was funny, it probably wouldn't be the best idea to laugh at the insult your hopefully future father in law was giving you.
Hades sighed. "While I'm not entirely convinced this is a good idea, Persephone would probably kill me if I said no. Alright Beastie boy, you can ask Mal to marry you on one condition. Understand that if you hurt her, if you make her cry anything other than tears of happiness, I will hurt you. And I don't mean just insult you. I mean a 'rip out your throat, chuck it to Cerberus, burn your remains and dance on your ashes' kind of hurt you. Understood?"
"...you make your point quite vividly Lord Hades," Ben said, nodding his head vigorously.
"Good," Hades smirked. "So, you got a ring picked out?"
"Yes," Ben said, taken aback at the shift in tone. "I'm using my grandmother's engagement ring as a base and then tweaking the design to suit Mal's style. The only thing I need now though is the gem."
"Purple, right?" Hades asked.
Ben nodded, not wanting to ask how Lord Hades had known. It was pretty much a safe bet with Mal that purple would be the gem of choice. "Having a fancy sapphire would be nice to match the necklace I gave her for cotillion but I didn't want the dwarves to mine for too long."
Hades shook his head. "I don't normally make a habit of this but I owe Mal a birthday present anyway. Give me a second."
He got up and walked out of the room, much to Ben's confusion. What...what just happened?
"Well?" Lonnie asked as she walked into the room. "What'd he say?"
"He said I could propose to Mal," Ben said softly, a small smile starting to grow on his face. This was official now—there was no backing out of it. He'd have to tell his parents now too, plan out how he was going to propose...get the ring all set up.
Before Lonnie could respond with anything other than a smile, Hades walked back in and tossed a gem to Ben. Catching it without fail, Ben couldn't help but stare at the gem in shock. It was a deep purple, almost the same shade as Mal's hair.
"It's beautiful," Lonnie said softly, looking at the gem from over Ben's shoulder. "You realize you're not going to be able to wing this one Ben."
"I don't 'wing' anything Lonnie. I over-prepare and then act like I'm winging it," Ben said with a small chuckle as he put the gem into a hidden pocket on the inside of his jacket. It had been Evie's idea when she had been designing the jacket. She had come up with it by the viewing, watching Jay steal Ben's wallet out of his pant's pocket.
Having a hidden pocket on the inside of his jacket prevented that from being a thing. After all if no one knows there's a pocket, they can't pick it.
"We should head out," Lonnie said. "After all, if we're late meeting Mal and the others, Mal'll get worried."
Ben nodded. "Lord Hades, thank you for your hospitality. Please pass along my thanks to Lady Persephone," he said and the Lord of the Underworld nodded his head in response. Lonnie and Ben made their way out of the Underworld and quickly traversed to the area where the ribbon was going to be cut for the safe house and the hospital.
While they weren't going to be right next to each other, the powers that be thought it would be a better idea to have just one ribbon cutting than trying to get people to come to two areas in one day.
Ben couldn't help but smile as he saw Mal standing next to Evie and Jay, Carlos standing a bit off to the side holding a cat.
Well Dude's not going to be happy to smell that cat on Carlos, Ben thought as he walked up behind Mal.
"Gods, I'm exhausted. I didn't get any sleep last night," Mal grumbled.
"You know what they say. That means someone is thinking about you," Evie said with a small smile.
"Who the hell was thinking about me at three in the morning?!"
"Hi Mal," Ben said and chuckled as Mal jumped a little, whirling around to look at him.
"Why am I not surprised?" Mal shook her head in amusement. "Where were you? I thought we were going to come here together."
"How'd you know I was here?" Ben asked.
"Your shadows can't keep a secret."
Ben shook his head. "One job, I gave them one job!"
"Anyway, where were you?" Mal asked. "You...you weren't in Pirate's Cove were you? Trying to get information as to where Uma is?"
Ben shook his head. "Trust me Mal. If I ever had to go to Pirate's Cove, I'd make sure you were with me."
Mal smiled softly and Ben knew that if they weren't on the Isle, her hand would be resting on his cheek. But Isle Mal was different than Auradon Mal and Ben knew it was a question of safety rather than a question of Mal's feelings for him.
Thank Gods for the viewings is all Ben would say to that.
Taking a small breath, Ben walked up to the center of the stage. There weren't a lot of people in attendance but after what Mal and the others had told him, Ben wasn't all that surprised. Hopefully word of mouth would be able to spread and more people would use the resources available to them.
"Hello everyone!" Ben said with a smile. He knew he didn't look 'kingly' but he honestly didn't care. If looking kingly meant his safety would be in question, he knew which was more important.
Besides, Mal seemed to like his Isle look, if the small appreciative glances coming his way were any indication.
"Thank you all for coming out. I know that these two services have been sorely missing from the Isle and there's nothing we can do to fix that fact. But we can provide them now and move forward as a united peoples. So...without further ado, the Carlos House and Hatchling Hospital are now open."
Ben cut the ribbon and went back over to the group as the crowd seemed to dissipate.
"Good speech. Nice and short," Jay chuckled.
"Leaves more time for drinking," Ben joked as he wrapped an arm around Mal. "Carlos, you okay?"
The younger boy had in fact not stopped looking at him with a look of dismayed shock.
"...the Carlos house?"
"Yep," Ben nodded. "Well the full name is 'The Carlos House: A Safe House for Lost Boys and Lost Girls'."
"But—"
"Next time pay attention to what you're signing," Mal said with a smirk. "Jane suggested it. She said since it was your idea, kids should know it was you who was looking out for them."
"Speaking of names, Hatchling Hospital?" Jay asked.
"Yes?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow. "It was my idea and everyone on the Isle knows I'm Maleficent's child. It just makes more sense."
"Okay, okay," Jay nodded.
"Speaking of which, I should go and see how the opening day is going," Mal said. "Meet back here in an hour?"
"Fair enough," Evie nodded as Mal and Ben made their way over to the hospital. Ben immediately went over to Dr. Sweet and the other Atlantians Milo and Kida had loaned to them. They were the only medical professionals who felt that they would be fine on the Isle without the need for additional guards.
Mal shook her head and watched as some of the lesser known villains began to trickle in. She knew it would take a while before the hospital got to the point where it was overflowing but Mal was happy to see at least some people were using it.
Though she didn't know if happy was the right emotion. If people were using the hospital, something new to the Isle, on the first day it arrived, they had to be desperate.
Mal couldn't help but give a small smile as she watched what looked to be a father and daughter sitting on one of the beds. He was holding what looked to be a coloring book that had been delivered on one of the prior barges judging by the ripped cover and the broken nature of the crayons in the girl's hand.
"Dad?"
"Yeah Mali?" Hades said, looking at a five year old Mal.
"I"m trying to get my tags to stand out on the walls of the Isle but the paint I use doesn't stay on," Mal said. "It keeps running—Steph said it's due to the humidity but other kids have tags that don't run."
"Oh really?" Hades chuckled and picked Mal up, setting her on the counter.
"Yeah, they do! So it's got to be an issue with the paint I get from Boreadon! They're handy because they're always in a little case but they're good for shit when it comes to making tags."
"Watch your language," Hades warned. "Who taught you that anyway?"
"Harry."
"Why am I not surprised?" Hades sighed and shook his head. "Come on kiddo. I'mma teach you something."
"Oh?" Mal asked. "Teach me what?"
"Teach you how to make your own spray paint," Hades said as he took her off the counter. "The cans that show up in the barges would barely have enough to last you one tag and there's no guarantee that they'll be in every delivery."
Mal grinned as she trotted after her dad, ready to learn what he was going to teach her.
"Hey, you okay?" Ben asked as he walked up to her, pulling Mal out of her thoughts. She shook her head slightly, as if to rid herself of the memory that had come unbidden. She hadn't thought about her past with her dad in a while, especially the pre-Hadie days as she used to call them. While she was close with her little brother now, she hadn't been so much when she was younger.
"Yeah," Mal nodded. "Just thinking. Everything okay with the medical team?"
"So far no issues," Ben said. "Granted it's only the first day but I told them that if they ever find themselves low on supplies or anything to feel free to reach out to me."
"Or me," Mal said. "It's my project after all. I don't want you dealing with more than you need to."
Ben gave her a small smile. "How about us? You've still got classes and homework to deal with too."
"Not for long," Mal told him as the two of them walked back out to meet up with the rest of their group. "And then Auradon Prep's going to get four new VKs running wild through its halls."
Ben chuckled. "Auradon Prep will be looking forward to their arrival."
"Like they were looking forward to our arrival?"
"Learning curves are a thing Mal," Ben told her and Mal couldn't help but chuckle as the group began to make their way off the Isle. Gods she couldn't wait to see who the next group of kids would be.