Work Text:
Mal was walking home after a long day of arguing with the royal council about what to do with the worst villains, her own mom included. She left a little later than normal because Jasmine wanted to speak with her after the meeting about how proud she was of Mal and all the work she was doing.
Mal was glad she and Ben had decided to live in their own little house away from the actual castle to separate work and home, but right now, she might have regretted that decision. Lumiere had offered to have a guard walk her home since it was already dark, but she politely declined, saying she would prefer getting a little fresh air and some time alone to think by herself.
“Well, well, well,” a voice spoke from the shadows. “What do we have here? A little queenie who’s out past her bedtime! Well, I’ll have to do something about that!”
Mal turned, trying to find the source of the voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place her finger on who it was.
Boots stomped on the ground to Mal’s left, causing her to turn toward the alley. She was now really regretting the decision to walk home alone.
A man, really a boy, no more than 18, stepped out into the yellow glow of the street lamp.
“Jackson,” Mal muttered.
“Of course, who else would it be, dearie?” the boy replied. The glow from the lamp cast an eerie glow on his face, giving him a dark expression.
“What do you want?” Mal retorted. She stood a little taller, not wanting to show Jackson that he had actually frightened the queen of Auradon.
The boy walked forward a few steps, stepping out of the soft yellow glow into more shadows before stopping right in front of Mal.
“What I want,” Jackson paused, licking his lips, “is for you to know what it feels like for the rest of us. Those who hold no power, who have no perfect little fairy tale life, who didn’t find the love of their life at 16 and fall in love and become ruler of the kingdom.”
Jackson paused for a moment, and for a second, Mal could see the split image of his father, the Mad Hatter, from the glint in his eyes. Mal’s heart beat a little faster, nervous about what he might do. Sure, she might be a VK and could bring terror with just the mention of her name, but Jackson was a whole other story.
Because the Mad Hatter had technically never been a villain, he hadn’t been sentenced to live the rest of time on the Isle. But, because the Mad Hatter was mad and a little insane, he had been sentenced to live out half his time on the Isle and half his time in Auradon, which did nothing to help with his sanity. Being treated like a villain for half the year, and still being shunned for the other half while in Auradon because he had been on the Isle, did nothing to help one’s sense of self.
Once the Mad Hatter had a child, though no one knew who the mother was, just that she was on the Isle, the Beast granted the same privileges to the child; he would spend half his time in Auradon and half his time on the Isle.
Of course, because his father was the Mad Hatter, he inherited a few traits.
“You know, growing up an outcast doesn’t really help with one’s sanity,” Jackson continued. “Of course, I did get to see Auradon, unlike the rest of you VKs, but that was no perk when I was forced to be a paria all year round. On the Isle, everyone was jealous because I got to go to Auradon for half the year and never saw me as a VK. While here in Auradon, that’s all anyone ever saw of me. I could never fit in. I was always the other . I was always the outcast.”
Jackson continued walking toward Mal, backing her up against one of the buildings that was now empty for the night.
“Now, I’m going to show you what it feels like to have no power, queenie. How do you feel when you big, bad king isn’t around to protect you? How’s it feel to not have your knight in shining armor around to fight your battles?”
Mal had never been more terrified in her life. She knew how to fight. She knew how to defend herself, and yet here she was, with her back against a brick wall, just waiting for Jackson to make his move and she felt like she could do nothing to stop it.
Jackson smiled, reminding Mal eerily of the Cheshire Cat.
“What’s the matter, my dear?” Jackson chuckled, finally pushing Mal’s back into the wall. “We’re all quite mad here.”
______
Mal stumbled up the stairs of her and Ben’s house, biting her lip to keep from crying and alerting Ben that she was home. All she wanted to do was get in the shower and then get into bed and never think of this night again.
She couldn’t let anyone know. She just couldn’t. What would Ben think? What would her friends think? What would the other VKs think once they found out she didn’t fight back? That she didn’t kick and scream and bite and claw her way out? That she didn’t call for help?
What would Hades think? Oh god, he could never find out. They had just started forming their relationship, and she couldn’t stand to ruin that.
The lights in the bedroom were off, which Mal was grateful for. Ben must be in the office downstairs on the other side of the house, Mal thought. She could take her shower in peace and Ben would never be the wiser.
Mal carefully peeled her torn and bloody clothes off, mindful of all the scrapes and bruises that were now forming all over her body. Everything was sore.
She threw her clothes in the hamper and practically ran into the bathroom, locking the door quickly behind her. No one could see her like this. No one.
Running the water as hot as it would go, Mal stepping gingerly into the shower, knowing the cuts and scrapes would burn, but at least she could get them clean so they wouldn’t get infected.
Standing under the steaming water, Mal finally let herself go. Tears mixed with the water rolling down her face, and her body shook. She slowly sank to the floor, wrapping her arms around herself.
After a few moments, Mal sat up, wiped the tears off her face, and stood back up. That’s all I get. I’m not weak. VKs don’t cry.
Mal then grabbed the loofah and soap and scrubbed until her body was red and raw all over. Satisfied that should had no trace left of Jackson on her, Mal finally shut the water off.
Stepping out of the shower, Mal dried off quickly, grabbing her pajamas, never more grateful that their closet was in the bathroom so she wouldn’t have to go back into the bedroom without clothes on where all her cuts and bruises would be on display.
Mal was grateful that the mirror was fogged because she couldn’t dare look at herself and see what damage had been done. She just hoped nothing would be too noticeable by morning because she had no idea what she would tell Ben.
Unlocking the door, Mal stepped back into the bedroom, ready to slide into bed and not ever think of tonight again.
“Mal?”
Her head shot up, her heart began racing.
“Mal? What is this?”
Ben was standing next to the hamper, looking at the clothes Mal had thrown carelessly in there earlier. He hadn’t looked up yet, too busy looking at the tears and is that blood?
The king finally looked up at his wife, dropping the clothes when his eyes landed on Mal.
“Oh my god, what happened?” Ben asked, rushing forward.
Mal just glanced down at her feet. She really had no idea what to say. She hadn’t been prepared for him and she certainly wasn’t prepared for him to see the clothes.
“Mal?” Ben whispered, placing his hand gently on Mal’s face, trying to get her to look at him so he could see her clearly.
Mal finally looked up, and Ben gasped.
Different colors were all over Mal’s face. She had a black eye, a few cuts on her cheeks, a cut on her lip, and another bruise looked to be forming on her jaw.
Ben gently grabbed Mal’s elbow and pulled her slowly toward the bed, sitting them both down.
“Mal? Please, tell me what happened,” Ben pleaded. He had no idea what to do. Nothing like this ever happened on Auradon, and certainly not to Mal. If she had been in a fight, he would know because she would be all keyed up and yelling about whatever idiot decided to say something stupid that got him punched. This was totally different and Ben was not prepared.
Mal sniffled, trying to keep from crying again. He can’t know. He can’t know. He can’t know.
“Whatever it is, we’ll get through it, like we always do,” Ben said. “I love you, Mal, and nothing could ever change that.”
Tears burst from Mal’s eyes, unable to stop them.
“I couldn’t- I tried- And I didn’t- I didn’t want- He just- I-” Mal got out through her tears, her breathing labored.
Ben grabbed Mal’s hand, placing it over his chest.
“Breathe with me, Mal,” Ben said, taking slow and deliberate breaths. “Come on, you got this. In for four, out for four.”
The two continued to breathe together until Mal was finally able to take in a slow, deep breath on her own.
“Are you hurt anywhere else? Do we need to call the doctor-”
“No!” Mal cut him off. “Please, don’t make me!”
Ben squeezed her hand gently.
“Hey, shhh, it’s okay. We don’t have to if you don’t want to. But, if you’re seriously injured, I need to know so I can at least check it out and make sure you’re going to be alright,” Ben said, carefully choosing his words so he wouldn’t scare Mal again. He was really out of his depth here, and he had no idea what to do or what was going on. Mal was starting to scare him, but he couldn’t let it show. He needed to be strong so he could get this fixed.
Mal collapsed into Ben’s arms, tears still slowly falling down her face, but her breathing was steady.
“Can you start again?” Ben requested. “Just take your time and tell me what you can. We have all the time in the world for you to tell me; I’m not going anywhere.”
Ben pulled the two farther up the bed so they could be more comfortable against the pillows and headboard. He then tucked Mal under his arm, her head laying on his chest. She placed a hand on his stomach, listening to his heart beat for a few moments before finally taking a breath to speak.
“Our meeting this evening ran a bit late, so I was already late leaving the castle,” Mal began. “I decided to walk back by myself, even though Lumiere offered to find someone to walk with me. I really just wanted a few moments to myself to think about all the new information that we had discussed in the meeting.
“I was probably about halfway home when I was stopped by Jackson, the Mad Hatter’s kid,” Mal then stopped to take a breath and calm her heart. She could do this. The voices in her head telling her to keep this a secret were wrong. Ben loved her and would always love her, no matter what.
“Jackson stopped me,” Mal repeated. “I couldn’t do anything. I just froze. You would think after growing up on the Isle, I would fight back, or scream, or do something, but I just didn’t. I don’t know why. My body just froze and then he…”
Mal trailed off, unsure of how to word the next part of the story. Tears now soaked the front of Ben’s t-shirt, but he didn’t seem to mind. Mal was grateful that she didn’t have to look Ben in the face when she said the next part, because she didn’t think she would be able to if she had to see all the love and affection that glowed off of Ben’s face when she still felt so dirty.
“He went on about how he wanted to take my power away and show me how he felt. And then he backed me up against the wall, and he just-” Mal paused.
“And then he just raped me, Ben,” Mal said, surprising herself by pushing herself up and looking at Ben’s face. “And I didn’t do anything. I didn’t fight. I didn’t scream. I didn’t kick and claw at him. I just sat there and took it.”
A growl rippled through Ben’s chest before he could stop it. Mal flinched, which made Ben’s heart twist. He never wanted to be the cause of her pain, even though the growl was not directed at her. He was angry and wanted the rip Jackson to shreds, but he couldn’t right now. Mal needed him, and he wouldn’t abandon her when she was in such a vulnerable state. He could take care of Jackson in the morning, with the help of the other VKs and maybe even Hades. Jackson would regret the day he was ever born after they were done with him.
Ben took Mal’s face in his hands and took a deep breath to calm his beast before speaking.
“Mal, you did nothing wrong. The piece of slime is entirely to blame. It doesn’t matter that you think you didn’t fight. I say you did fight because you’re right here telling me about it instead of bottling it up inside and hiding away from the world.
“You’re so strong, and I can tell you that Jackson thought that, too, or you wouldn’t be covered in all those cuts and bruises. He knew that you’re one of the strongest VKs out there, so he decided that he needed to prove himself by attempting to beat you up. But guess what? It didn’t work because you’re right here and you’re still fighting and you’re going to continue fighting until you’re better.”
Mal didn’t know what to say. The voice in her head had been silenced by Ben’s words. Ben leaned in and kissed Mal on the forehead.
“Get some rest,” Ben said, situating them again where Mal was laying on Ben’s chest.
Not long after, Mal gave into her exhaustion, her body and mind greatly needing the rest.
Ben carefully pulled himself from under Mal, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and quietly snuck out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He made his way back toward his office. The beast in him was still right under the surface, but he needed to be in control right now.
The phone rang twice before being picked up.
“I need you to do something for me.”
The next morning, Mal woke to voices downstairs. She turned over in bed, and for a split second, she forgot everything that had happened the previous night. The memories flooded in and brought tears to her eyes again. Her whole body was sore, and she could tell there would be more bruises now than there were last night.
Mal slowly sat up and pushed herself off the bed. She needed to get dressed and see who was downstairs, but first, she needed to take some medicine to help with the aches and pains.
Ten minutes later, Mal was walking down the stairs, still trying to figure out who was at their house this early in the morning.
“Please, be discreet,” Mal heard Ben say. “We don’t need word of this getting out.”
Mal heard someone hum a yes , but she couldn’t tell who the voice belonged to. The front door then closed.
“Mal!” Ben said, surprised when Mal made it to the bottom of the stairs. “You’re up!”
Mal glanced around the room, surprised to see her father there. The second Hades’s eyes landed on Mal’s face, his hair lit up, brighter than Mal had ever seen. The god quickly pushed himself off the couch and practically ran toward his daughter.
“I am going to kill that boy,” Hades growled.
Hades placed a hand gently on Mal’s cheek, rubbing his thumb under her black eye.
“Are you okay?” he questioned, his hair dimming only slightly.
Mal couldn’t bring herself to actually speak, so she only nodded. She was grateful Ben had already told him because she didn’t think she could bring herself to tell the story again, especially to her dad.
Hades grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the couch. Ben quietly excused himself, and Mal thought she heard him say something about making tea.
“Ben told me everything, Mal, and I just want to say, none of this is your fault. You did nothing wrong, and he is going to pay for what he did to you, you hear me?” Hades said.
Mal nodded.
“But, I didn’t fight-”
“It doesn’t matter,” Hades cut her off. “You didn’t want it. And anyways, you’re fighting now. He assumed you wouldn’t say anything, that he held all the power over you. But, you’re fighting now by telling us what happened so he can pay for what he did. You did nothing wrong, and you didn’t deserve any of this, Mal.
“Believe me, I’ve known some pretty bad people. You tend to when you run Hell, but no one has ever deserved this, no matter what they did. He is the scum of the earth and deserves everything that is coming his way.”
The kitchen door slowly opened, and Ben stuck his head out. Getting a slight nod from Hades, Ben fully entered the room again, holding three cups of tea.
Ben sat down on the other side of Mal, effectively surrounding her with people who loved her, and handed her the warm mug. He placed his arm around her shoulder, and she wasted no time in snuggling into his side, hands wrapped around the mug.
“We’re going to be okay, Mal” he whispered into her hair before kissing the top of her head. “You’re the strongest girl I know, and we’ll get through this.”
And Mal knew she would when she was surrounded by people who loved and believed her, and would stand up for her, no matter what.