Carlos was nervous, it was kinda his thing. Like right now, this was his sixth time this month getting sent to Fairy God Mother's office for sneaking Dude into class with him. His fingers nervously curled into the fur on Dude's chest as he pressed the warm body of the dog against his own. Dude gave the boy a sniff and lick, providing him comfort as the anxiety was starting to melt away.

The door opened and Carlos practically hid his face in the dog's (Evie handmade) hoodie. Carlos brought Dude to his chest and looked around the room with hesitation. Fairy God Mother stood by her desk with a small smile and next to her stood Doc, the royal medical consultant and head of the Medical unit at the school.

"Hey." Carlos said softly, sitting down in the all too familiar wood chair.

"Hello Carlos! This is Doc, you remember he did your guys entrance physicals?" she introduced and Carlos nodded. The short older man smiled warmly at the boy and sat in the chair beside him.

"I've heard that you've gotten into so trouble over this dog here, correct?" Doc asked and Carlos sighed but nodded.

"Yeah..he...he gives me some comfort in the classes I don't have the others in. Also with some of the tests. I'm smart, I really am but sometimes those tests are just really...um...they're really...scary." Carlos explained and Doc nodded with a hum.

"Welp! I think you are absolute correct Godmother." Doc announced with clap and Carlos gave a confused look to the woman in blue.

"Fairy Godmother?" Carlos asked and she sighed and propped on the edge of her desk.

"I read the reports from when you were sent out of class along with just the relief you had with the dog, then I read about your...past with your mother and decided that you may need therapy and from the comfort a therapy animal. You won't be out of norm, there are plenty of student who have therapy or guide animals, mostly birds but still." she explained and Carlos felt cold all over with the icy dread the filled his stomach an the dryness of his mouth at her declaration.

"I'm not crazy though! Crazy people go to this therapy stuff, I know I read my mother's journals, when I ran out of books. Crazy people get pills and therapy, and all that stuff and I'm not crazy! I don't heard voices or have an urge to hurt people. Yeah I was hurt but I'm alright...okay a little alright but I'm all there in my head! I'm a DeVil but I'm not insane I swear!" Carlos rambled in a upset defense. His hand pulling Dude tight to his chest and the dog squirmed and licked at Carlos's unnoticed tears as he tried to defend that he wasn't his mother.

"Oh dear, Carlos. We didn't mean to upset you. We know you are not crazy...but we do know you were hurt and are still hurting now. We want to help you." FGM explained and Carlos sniffed and rubbed roughly at his eyes, to hide his tears away.

"She right. Almost all the princess and heroes of this land have went to therapy or had companions in order to cope with their traumas of abuse and more. To be honest therapy should have been the first thing we put you kids in instead of a school but this openness and understand has only been recent." Doc explained and Carlos swallowed but nodded in understanding. Both adult smiled.

"Okay Carlos, so Doc here will give Dude a temporary therapy collar so you are allowed him in class for the next two weeks and by then we will have set you up with a trained therapy dog and get you in sessions with a therapist.

"What!? You mean, you'll replace Dude?" Carlos cried but smiled at the little growl Dude gave in protection of his master.

"Well yes, there is a place here in the kingdom the specialized in training guiding, therapy and security dogs. To have a therapy animal here in Aurdon Prep the animal must have been trained with them. It's for safety you see, especially if you will be in therapy, it can get very rough and real for you and the animal must have the proper response to situations where you may be in harm." Doc explained and Carlos shook his head.

"But I want Dude."

"You can still have dude and the other animal." FGM tried to break but Carlos shook his head.

"No I'm...I'm still scared of dogs..to-to an extent. Dude and calm small dogs are all I think I can handle." Carlos admitted and Doc hummed before putting a hand on Carlos's shoulder.

"Okay, we can have Dude trained for you. You'd have to meet with the trainers and work with them but..."

"But what?" Carlos asked and Doc almost hugged the puppy eyed boy.

"They are the Radcliffes. Anita and Rodger. I fear it may backfire by...some for the reactions previous people have had to you guys. What you want is important but also not stoking the fire of this situation."

Carlos was stunned he swallowed down a lump in his throat to scream . He went ridged, his hands trembled as quiet tears formed in his eyes and his heart banged in his chest like it was wanting to release. A few minutes went by but he finally spoke.

"I...I..can we possible go now. Like right now, while I still have the nerve." Carlos asked in a whisper and it made FGM want to punch Curella and turn the woman into a dog like fairies used to do in the olden days.

"I don't recommended it. You just froze for three minutes straight with a fast pulse and you're shaking." Doc observed but Carlos shook his head.

"Sorry but...I won't be able to do it later. Please?" he asked and the room grew silent as both Carlos and Doc looked at FGM for further direction and she sighed and grabbed his phone.

"Let me call a car."

"I'm fine E...I know Mal wants an update but I can't say...No I wasn't kidnapped. I just...I gotta do this thing alone. I'll explain when I get back. Okay?...Alright..yes I'll be safe. bye." Carlos hung up the phone and stared out the window at the passing city. They had been driving for about an hour when Evie called him. Fairy Godmother noted the high tone of worry from Evie but commanding lip from Mal through the phone. (Fairies hear quiet well after all)

"We're they worried when you didn't meet for lunch?" she asked noting it would be 12:30 pretty soon. Carlos nodded but didn't look at her.

"Yeah...They want to know what I'm doing and they are pretending they aren't panicking. We don't have phones on the isle you know. So I made Walkie Talkies and almost every hour we'd call in on another. It became less over time, cause we were together more often but we picked the habit back up when we came here and you guys separated us." he muttered, starting to tense up as they went into the country side and started going up a hill. Dude was perking up and sticking his face out the window, feeling the presence of the other dogs.

"You know Anita had expressed some interested in meet you." FGM said and this caused Carlos to perk up and give her a rasied eyebrow.

"As soon as it was announced she called us. She wanted to come to the family day to meet you but she had some prior engagement."

"Why didn't you say!?" asked Carlos and Fairy God mother gave him a tight smile.

"Rodger had some complaints. Said she was just forcing herself too much, emotionally, Curella and Anita were best friends, practically sisters, at one point. Rodger said she would have been doing it out of guilt and not because she was ready. Then Family day happen and the Maleficent attack and now...well things are calm now. But I am sorry for not telling you." She told him and Carlos nodded, as he petted Dude again. It did make him feel a bit better.

Soon they pulled up to a big ranch where some dalmatians, German Shepards and Great Danes played in the front yard. Dude was getting excited and danced a little circle in Carlos's lap.

"Calm boy...please...just stay calm pup." he whispered nervously and he started to shake again at the loud and sharp barks.

The sun was suddenly too sharp and made him squint, the pop of rocks under the tires made his skin itch. Was someone watching him? Were the giant black white demons going to hop the fence and latch their sharp, gleaming white teeth into his neck. Barks and growls would be the back ground music as he'd be out raced in a hunt by their long legs and hellish speed- oh god stupid boy, useless scrape of a boy- mother was rig

"CARLOS!"

Carlos gave a small yelp as Doc's hand was on his back and Dude was giving him small whines of worry and trying to cuddle into his shaking arms. He suddenly noticed how his was forcing every pant to breath and his head was bowed down between his knees. He was on fire it felt, but it was quiet outside, someone put the demons Dalmatians up.

"We should go back." Doc offered and Carlos swallowed down the nausea and uncertainty shook his head.

"Sorry it was...it was just." Carlos trailed off and pressed his nails into his hands, the pain brought him back a bit but caused Dude to get a determination to get in his lap and occupy his hands.

"I want this." Carlos said a minute later and FGM patted his shoulder.

"Brave boy." she encouraged quietly and he gave a dry and tired chuckle and they finally left out the car.

Carlos hurried onto the porch with Dude in his arms and nervously rubbed Dude's ear as Doc knocked and FGM stood behind him.

The door opened with a soft click as the tall older woman opened the door. She looked soft and slender, with her hair a mix of both blond and gray in a medium bob and glasses on a chain around her neck. Her blue eyes went wide in a mix of suprise, familiarity and excitement with a small hint of guilt.

Carlos felt raggedy

He was dressed a bit to casually, with only black jean shots a red and black long sleeve shirt and a white vest. He had let his hair grow and didn't straighten it today so it was a mess of black and platinum curls that met his chin.

"Wow." is all Anita breathed and she took his face in her hands to admire his eyes.

"I haven't seen those eyes in ages." she said and Carlos wanted to cry. She must have senses how her comment stirred up a mix of feeling and let him go to step aside.

"Please come in. I made some sandwiches, encase you hadn't got the chance to eat. We can discuss while we eat." she said hurrying away and Carlos had to be led over by Doc.

They sat down in a uneasy but not dangerous silence. Carlos pulled his sandwich in half and dropped bits to an edger Dude.

"So," Anita started, "You sent ahead to me that I'd need to train a therapy dog?" she asked and Doc nodded.

"Yes, Carlos has gotten into so trouble for bringing Dude into class and from observations and my professional option he needs therapy itself and a comfort animal. We talked about just getting a pre-trained one but Carlos insisted on Dude here." Doc explained and Anita nodded. She pulled out a pad and paper and started to write.

"Okay, that's fine! What are some triggers that we can use to train with Dude?" she asked and Carlos cringed and looked up to see the question directed at him.

"Well...I ...um...Cigarettes. Someone on campus must smoke them around the time after lunch cause I smell it when I head back to classes. It makes me sick and jumpy." He rushed out and cringed at the click of Anita's pen but continued.

"When crowds are too big or I'm in a really small place. I freak out a little bit and really want to get away or out. Also I hate tests, I'm really smart but test are scary, we never tested on the Isle we applied what we learned to something. Also big dogs and big noises coming out of nowhere. That's all I can think of." he says and Anita forces herself not to cry out and want to hug him.

"Okay, good. Have you ever had a sensory overload or panic attacks?" she asked and her huffed.

"I don't know what that stuff is!" he defended like she was calling him crazy.

"That's fine," she reassured. "Have you every been doing something and it was suddenly too much?"

"Oh...yeah." he said.

"Alright. I think I have enough for now. Any questions for me...or I can ask you something?" she said and Carlos swallowed and looked at Doc and Fairy Godmother.

"Can we have some privacy?" he asked and the two went still.

"Are you sure?" FGM asked and Carlos gave a small nod and click his tongue down at Dude. The dog perked up and made Carlos smile.

"Go out boy!" he said and Dude tore off in a flurry of small barks after the other two adults, leaving only Anita and Carlos.

"Okay...Let's talk." he said and she sighed and leaned her head on her arm and look over the boy.

"Oh gosh. You look just like her when we were young. Before the cigarettes and the fashion of fur. But those freckles? Those are all his and I bet Ella was steaming!" Anita rambled and Carlos surprised look.

"You know my dad?" he asked and Anita nodded.

"I don't know for sure but I am positive it is who I'm thinking of. Curella often called him lover, the two meet in a city on the Ivory Coast. I didn't know it until the Isle decree was stated that he was a poacher and diamond thief. Anyway, when she brought him back to London with her, the two were basically as one. Every fashion magazine that she was featured on had him at her side. His name was Cameron Wash, a nobody in the villain world I guess. I don't know what happen to him, but those freckle and I think your nose, those are his for sure. I can't think of Ella every loving anyone else but Cameron."

"What happen?" Carlos pushed and she sighed and one hand started to doodle an eye.

"I don't know. It was one thing she never did tell me, but it made them break apart and her snap. Now, that I think back to it it was about a four or five months before she tried to steal all the puppies. The two went in Rome for a year and in that Curella changed. When she came back to London she just moved herself into my apartment. She was really distraught,, depressed even, she only spoke in yells or sobs. A week after that, she was sent a big black coat made of Mink with emeralds sew into the sleeves. It came with a note saying they he never wanted to see her again and she lost herself. The two may have re-meet on the Isle, but I never saw him again and I never saw Ella give a real smile or take her meds again. She threw herself into fashion and only caring of herself, even I barely fit into her heart. " Anita confessed and Carlos sniffed and rub roughly at his eyes.

"Whoa...It makes some sense...but it doesn't excuse... Was...was mother always...sick" he whispered and Anita went still but gave a small nod.

"Yes, to a small extent. I think it came from her mother and father, your grandparents. Charles DeVil was an oil tycoon and never really around much and Miss. Chanel was a cruel woman, she treated Curella and the house workers like the were nothing! She'd lock Curella in their attic a lot, make Ella do paintings of her or make her jewelry and dresses for hours on end. She trained Ella to be a model to excuse starving her. I later learned, when we were in our own flat and Miss Chanel died, that it wasn't until I moved in house next door and me and Ella would talk through the windows did that treatment let up. Then the school bullies, well they didn't last long with the way she tore into them, but it made her a very isolated person outside of me and some stooges she paid. I truly believe however...that growing up in such a place of hurt and loneliness is what and her mind so sick and heart so cold." Anita explained and Carlos went stoned faced.

"Then why did she treat me like she once was?" he thought

"How...how is she or I guess was she on the Isle?" Anita asked, taking Carlos out of his reflections.

"She still smokes. She still only cares for only herself, she didn't want me to leave cause then she wouldn't have someone to take care of her. She...she hurt me. I guess because she's still hurt." he deadpanned, trying to push down the burning in his chest to cry and not go back in his mind to that house, to that closet and under her hand. Anita stared at him in a quiet somber, tears started to flow out her eyes and Carlos grew stiff but allowed her to place her soft, and long hand on his.

"I'm your God mother!" Anita blurted out and Carlos almost jumped back and his lips shook with a sob at the tears running down Anita's pale face.

"When we graduated we made the pact, we promised we were going to stay together forever and raised our families together. Be mothers for each other children and I failed you! I just...I just. When her mind went so wild I though she would never have a relationship intimate enough for a child to come from it! Then I had Rodger and our family just starting that I didn't think of her anymore. I forgot my chosen sister! I should have fought for her. But I didn't...now you're here...but you're hurt. She even wrote me in jail before the Isle but I let Rodger get rid of the letters...please forgive me...let me try and...and be in your life...let em help." she begged and Carlos jumped up.

The chair he sat in clattered to the wood floor and he yelped as it set off dogs that were in the house to start barking and he felt like he was falling into a dark whole full of nothing but growls barks and the sting of cigarettes on his collar bone.

"Carlos!" Anita called out and reached for him, he curled in on himself but Anita held firm through her tears and brought the boy in a bone crushing embrace.

"I know you aren't Ella...that's something I will never get back. But you are Carlos, you're a good kid who came from a bad place and if you'll let me. I want to be part of the family you make here." Anita cried and Carlos didn't hug back but bury his head hearth in the crook between her shoulder and neck.

"..okay." he whimper and pulled back, started to feel the shaky and hot feeling over his body again.

"I want to get to know you more but...whats that stuff you said...too much right now? This is too much right now." He said softly and Anita nodded and sniffled.

"Fairy Godmother! Can we go back to the school?" Carlos yelled out the door and the shuffle of feet on the floor told him she was coming back in. Furious clicks of nails hit the wood and Dude barreled in before he stood at a shaking Carlos's feet and was trying licking at Carlos's balled up hands.

Anita came over and Carlos hissed in pain as he let his fist open and sure enough the nails had just pushed through the skin and was becoming red.

"Oh dear, let me get some bandages." Anita said as she ushered the numb boy over to the sink and let water wash over his hands.

"I think Dude is well on his way if he can recognize panic signs like that." Anita rambled trying to comfort Carlos and succeeded and him giving a shaky laugh as he let Dude pat his paws on his thigh and smell over him in protective comfort.

"Yeah, he's a good dog."

"Talk. Now." Mal said and Carlos groaned but opened his eyes to see them level with Mal. All four of them laid on the combined space of both boys' beds pushed together. Evie currently used Jay's stomach as a pillow while Jay half rest on Carlos's back.

Only Mal and Carlos were awake.

"I met my God mom today. It was Anita. Dude's gonna be my therapy dog and I'll start therapy sessions in a few weeks. I think we all should go." Carlos rasp and moaned as Mal nervously ran his hair back and look over his body for injury. because old habits die hard

"Only good kids need that junk."

"We are good kids...remember? You're technically the queen." he teased but the under tone was there, there were neither good nor bad.

They were hurt and learning to heal.