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i've found inspiration in this superrr old marlos story again!! going to push towards the end. it's been like 3 years i think so.. idk if anyone's still here. 😭😭

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WTH a creak and a groan, the cabin reveals itself amidst their silence. The porch outside of the broken window sagged slightly in the middle, and the wooden banister had a distinct creak that echoes with every step. The pervasive feeling of sad remorse hung heavy in the air. A hollow ache weighed on their chests, and Evie's eyes stung with unshed tears. Regret and longing intermingle, forming a potent cocktail that sapped her strengthened leadership.

She was sulkily staring down at her lap, a few of her glistened tears now stained her cheeks as she muttered to herself about leaving behind the kids, not fighting hard enough for the kids. It matched Jay's clenched jaws of frustration — aimed towards the situations themselves and the blame they're receiving for getting a better opportunity than the others did.

But Carlos' mind wasn't on the kids, nor was it on Harriet's vengeance. It was on her. Mal. He remembered what she told him that day he snuck into her room... about no one listening to her. How was this moment any different? They were deciding Mal's morality; they were placing the blame entirely on her. If he was Mal, he'd feel betrayed, maybe even the odd one out?

God, he wished Dude was here. He needed a joke. A laugh. Hell, anything that didn't feel like his mother's hand on a chilly Isle night.

Almost 'losing' Mal in Auradon killed him. The gnawing ache of longing ate away at his insides. It was a secret familiar feeling that spread like a slow-burning flame, aching in his crushed soul. He yearned for something— for someone—out of reach. He never wanted to feel that way again.

"I know where Mal is," He spoke up to the pair of sniffling and huffing VK's, "And I think we should split up. Okay," He sat up in his seat when he was met with two glances of despair, "We need her guys. Jay, you said it yourself, she would never leave us. We turned our backs on her once... no way I'm doing it again."

The two remained silent as they let his words settle in.

"What was the selfish reason?" Jay melancholily mumbled.

The question caught Carlos off guard for a brief second, "... Wha... what?"

"Earlier you mentioned something about helping her 'cause of a selfish reason, dude. What was it?"

"He did it a lot when we were kids," a tearful Evie softly chuckled, her glistening eyes holding a stare of fondness, "She told me. I remember... one night we held a sleepover: her, Jane, Ally, Lonnie, Ruby and I... and we, um, started talking about boys, do not give the stare," She let out another chuckle at Carlos and Jay's 'of course' deadpanning, "And Mal said that despite the bullying Carlos endured, he was always up to help her when she needed him. Harry hated it, but she loved it."

"There's a word for that, Evie, it's called a simp," Jay deadpanned, before smirking at Carlos' instinctive (and failed attempt, might he add) kick towards him.

"I'm not a simp," Carlos shot back at him, adjusting more comfortably in his seat, "I'm a good friend."

"What was the selfish reason?" Jay repeated the question a little louder. Carlos didn't like that.

He knew the selfish reason. He's known it since they arrived at Auradon. But was it the time? When both groups, them and Mal (because that girl counted as a group herself) were captured? There were bigger issues at hand, and it wasn't exactly a perfect opportunity to 'talk' to a... ready to leave Earth... girl.

But hopeless romantic Evie didn't share the same ideal clearly 'cause her eyes were gleaming rather than glistening, and her lips were smiling rather than quivering, and her body was leaning forward rather than scrunched away.

"Eeeee! I knew it! I knew it!" She happily squealed in her chair, silencing her lips shut when Jay shushed her.

Carlos' heart began racing in his chest, "You know what? You know nothing. You-.. you don't even know what you think you know! You're knowless!"

"I am not! I am not! It was written all over your forehead!" She teasingly mocked him back, playfully making a kissy face as she did so.

"Jay!—... tell her we have bigger problems!" Carlos desperately sputtered, slightly glaring at him when he only began whistling.

"She's going to be so happy!" Evie lightly breath out as she stared up at the leaking ceiling.

"She... she's gonna be what now?" He whispered out.

Evie's gleaming face quickly looked elsewhere as she softly giggled to herself, "Oops! Totally didn't mean to slip that out," But the glee in her eyes told another story.

A fond chuckle escaped Jay's lips as he watched the two bicker with one another like older sister and little brother. The moment reminded him of their times together before this situation, except Mal wasn't here. It didn't feel right. It wasn't right.

Harriet didn't know them. She wasn't there when they protected each other from Maleficent, Auradon's bullying, discrimination, and judgmental rumors. His one mistake was allowing outsiders to stick in their nose in family business, and he won't make it again. They needed to rescue their sister. And they will.

The coarse rope bit into his skin, binding his hands securely together. Jay took a deep breath, and with a surge of adrenaline, he thrusted his body forward, tensing his muscles as he used his weight to snap the rope.

"... Beauty and brawn," Evie said jokingly, sharing an amused glance with Carlos.

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"TICK tock tock! Tick tock! Tick tock!" Mad Maddy's unhinged, pitchy voice sung outside of the wrecked cabin, placing a rhythmic knock on the weathered, grimy door.

Evie stood behind the door holding a piece of the broken chair, gripping it as if it was the answer to their escape. Her heart began racing in her chest as she tried comforting herself. She didn't like hurting people, per se - if you asked her, a hug was better than a punch, but if said person was someone who couldn't wait to feed to you to a crocodile if the opportunity came up, you'd lose your passive hippy attitude, too.

A loud, knowing giggle escaped Mad Maddy's distanced throat, "And a-one... and a-two... and a-threeeee!" Like a loose canon hitting a fragile castle, Gil's body flew through the aged door in a dusty piece.

CRASH!

"aAaaah! Daaaad!"

The floorboards gave away beneath Gil's weight, plunging him into darkness as he tumbled through empty space. With a resounding splash, he crashed into the frigid waters below, surrounded by an eerie calm that seems to swallow all sound in its icy embrace.

It was just as Carlos predicted. Mad Maddy used Gil's body as bait to throw off their ambush in her clever little mind. He had to give her credit for knowing the four wouldn't remain tied forever. But they were determined to save Mal and the children on this Isle, she was going to have to think more ahead than that.

Without a sound leaving her glossed, plumps lips, she lunged forward, swinging the jagged piece of wood with surprising force, catching the other girl off-guard. The broken chair leg connects with a sickening crunch, sending Mad Maddy reeling into the wall, a gash opening on her chest as crimson blood wells forth to stain the air.

"... I.... I...." A breathless Evie began to sputter, her shaky hands gripping the piece tighter.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Jay calmly assured her, his hand slowly stealing the weapon out of her clean ones, "Let's get out of here."

"Harriet and Harry's at Uma's, no doubt about it," said Carlos, patting Evie on the back as he bypassed her to help Jay tie up Mad Maddy.

"Then so is Mal," Evie breath out, cleaning her hands on... nothing particular, they just felt dirty.

And the thought alone triggered an eagerness inside of Carlos that was briefly lost.

"Face is close to breaking, bro," said Jay, pinching Carlos' cheesing cheeks.

Giggling behind her finger-painted hands, Evie's eyes briefly glanced at the wide hole in the floor, "We should save him."

BITE! BITE! BITE!

"We should?" asked Carlos.

"Yes! We're better than evil," Evie rolled her eyes at him, although her tone itself wasn't giving off an 'I'm eager to do this' vibe.

Jay grunted as he stood up, flexing his arms in a long stretch, "Stand back, kiddos. Big bro has this," and without another word, he threw himself into the ocean, his body cutting through the air with the sound of a bird in flight. The water rushed up to meet him, giving way beneath the force of his dive as he disappeared beneath the surface with a splash.

Flushed with worry, Evie stood on her tippy toes and cupped her hands around her mouth, "Be careful!" She called out after him.

Carlos' eyes rested on Mad Maddy's unconscious, bruised figure in slight discomfort. Jeez, determined Evie was scary.

"Soooo... Mal talks about me during sleepovers?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She teased playfully, her own eyes focused on the body of water.

"I mean... she's a friend.. I'd like to..." he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

He wasn't good at lying.

"Carlos, you aren't fond of Ben, aren't you?"

The question made him blink a little. Was he fond of Ben? Truthfully, Carlos didn't have a huge opinion about Ben, nor feelings, really. They rarely talked to each other outside of a good morning or good afternoon, and they didn't share any good memories together outside of Ben helping him get over his fear of dogs, and allowing him to adopt Dude, but when it came down to Ben's character... he didn't like him with Mal. He didn't like the way Mal changed her personality to please Ben. He didn't like the way Mal hid herself to please Ben. Hell, he especially didn't like the way Ben put his lame king duties above Mal's well-being, and that was a strong opinion in itself witnessing first-hand what it did to her. Ben appeared good on the outside, but was he? He ditched Audrey, and Carlos secretly felt that girl had every right to blow the entire school, for Mal without second thought and he barely knew Mal. He didn't take the time to learn Mal's damage. And Carlos didn't like it.

Staring at the wall in a small trance, Carlos' head shook, "No... I can't say that I am..."

And with one small titter, Evie let out another breath of relief, "... I know," she knowingly smirked.

|Thank You For Reading|