AN: Hi everyone, I'm back. Sorry about the wait. As I have stated many times, life likes to get in the way of my writing. On top of that I could not decide what I wanted to write. I have a few chapters planned, but could not get motivated to write them down. Then I decided I wanted to kind of continue Hush Little Baby, kind of pick up where it left off. I was originally going to skip ahead a month or so, but something about that story line felt like it was missing something.

So I thought maybe I would try to pick up directly where it left off. I thought about it a while and with the words, "Mal woke up happy" this story line was born.

So I see that people are still reading, following, favorite-ing, and reviewing this story despite it taking me forever to update. (I would like to apologize once again for that) I truly appreciate you guys sticking with me. I will try to do better.

Its review time guys, but first do you guys like me replying to you or would you rather I stop and just get to the story, let me know!

Anyway

: Thank you. I hope I don't disappoint you.

Guest: I hope I updated in time to sustain you!

story magic: Thank you! And I offer a way overdue update.

Guest: Like how abused are we talking?

Guest: Thank you!

Book girl fan: I hope I can live up to your confidence in me.

Invited: I can just about guarantee that this will happen.

Boris Yeltsin: You gave me some interesting prompts I'll see what I can do with them.

Boris Yeltsin: Will do!

the trash: Be on the lookout during this story arc there will be some major Ben and Jay protectiveness going on!

biankies: I am right there with you I am super excited for the second movie. I am all about their updates I am subscribed to the Descendants youtube channel, lol. I am planning a story arc that will address the other VKs past. It will be the "What He Knew" story arc. It will be posted at some point hopefully soon. As always I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the story

Mal woke up happy, that should have been enough of a warning, but happy was becoming something of a normality, so she thought nothing of it. Carlos was no longer a toddler, Evie said that he had even woken up last night.

She made her way to Carlos' room, hoping she would catch him awake as she made her way to relieve Evie from her post at his side.

Mal was disappointed when she found that he was still asleep when she entered the room. Then noticed that Evie was nowhere to be seen. She heard noise in the bathroom and figured that must be where her friend was. She then made her way over to Carlos.

While he still looked pretty bad, he did look better than he had when she first came to see him last night. Evie had told her that Fairy Godmother had managed to fix his lung and the nurse had popped his shoulder back into place, but his collar bone and arm had been left to heal on their own.

Mal hated that she breathed a sigh of relief, but these injuries would allow them to keep him away from people for a while longer. She was not sure she could handle him getting hurt again. This incident brought up to many memories and feelings. On the island she could do little to keep the youngest in their group safe after his mother had hurt him, he always had to go back or Cruella would only hurt him worse when he did return.

Mal winced at that memory, they had only tried to keep him from home one time. That was a hard lesson learned.

Evie chose that moment to come out of the bathroom. After a few minutes of explaining the schedule they had set up for Carlos, Evie then headed out to get some sleep.

As Evie shut the door Mal noticed that the blue haired girl had left her bag sitting in a chair and quickly followed after her to return it.

The sound of a door shutting jolted Carlos awake. He opened his eyes and found himself confused by his surroundings. This place was not where he was supposed to be…. it was not one of the places he was supposed to be. He found himself torn between feeling safe and terrified. The conflicting emotions left him feeling disoriented and if he was being completely honest with himself these feelings also left him with a churning nausea in his stomach. As quick as he could get himself out of the bed Carlos tried to make his way to the bathroom. But standing only seemed to confuse him more. He felt too big, but right at the same time. It was all wrong.

Why was he alone? What had he done now?

He moved in whichever direction felt right, and found himself in a bathroom. Carlos then stumbled over to the toilet, he was going to be sick. It was better to do that somewhere he would not have to clean later, he didn't think he had the energy for that. As it he leaned over his perspective began to shift. The toilet going from too big to the right size. But it still felt the same in his hands. He quickly pushed himself away from it, and shut his eyes. Maybe if he couldn't see what was happening it would stop.

It was then that he heard the door open and shut again. Someone else was walking to the door. He couldn't handle whatever was going on with his own body right, he doubted that adding another person to the mix was going to be any help. With that thought in mind he reached over and locked the door, just as someone grabbed the knob. With a shaky sigh he pushed away from the door and leaned against the wall.

"Carlos? You okay in there?"

Mal? No Mal would not talk to him, she was only mean to him. Except when they went to Auradon, then she was nice, and his friend. Auradon? He was in Auradon, he meet THE King Beast and he was nice, like that man he meet when he was little. Adam? Wait… Adam looked a lot like the former King.

What was happening? Where was he? Did his mom get him again? Adam promised he wouldn't get his mom. Ben promised that she would never get to him again… at the coronation… no Ben helped him with a puzzle. Ben was Adam's son. Carlos wished he could call Adam dad. He seemed like he would be a nice one, maybe Belle would be his mom. She wasn't scary like mommy. But they wouldn't want him. They must not because they were gone.

"Carlos!"

The noise startled Carlos Causing him to hit his injured arm against the wall. It hurt and brought tears to his eyes. He curled his body around the injured limb. They must have sent him back. Because that was Mal talking and Mal lived on the island like mommy. Where ever he was before was not the island because he knew everybody on the island, and he did not know Ben and his dad. He did not know Adam before… but he did meet him later… family day… King and Queen… Mal… Island… Mommy was on the island. He didn't want to be on the island.

Carlos let out a quiet sob, he wanted Adam.

Mal heard Carlos crying and it worried her. Had he hurt himself? How did he even get in there on his own?

No time for questioning the situation. Regardless of how it happened Carlos was in there on his own and he was crying.

She used the spell she had used at the museum to open the locked door.

The door opened and she quickly made her way into the bathroom. Carlos was sitting on the floor curled around his broken arm.

"Carlos?"

She knelt down next to the boy. He seemed completely unaware of her presence. She touched his cheek and lifted his face for a moment his eyes were completely zoned out, and when they did focus his eyes were full of confusion.

They seemed to flicker between fear and recognition. Eventually they settled on fear. Carlos pulled away from her and pressed himself into the corner of the room.

Mal quickly pulled away. She then had to force emotions to the side and examined the situation. She was puzzled by his posture toward her. He had never acted this way on the island. If you acted this way you were easy prey. Carlos was too smart to be anyone's prey. He started school with her and Jay and was younger….

Younger.

"Seriously." The anger in her voice caused Carlos to whimper and try to press himself further into the wall.

Mal was at a loss. She did not know how to handle this.

"Mal? You in here? We brought you something to eat."

"In here Ben." Mal noticed the hope in Carlos's eyes at the mention of his name.

She watched Carlos as Ben and his parents walked into the bathroom. He was skeptical, but recognition soon flooded his eyes. He visibly relaxed.

"Adam."

That quiet relief that was in his voice stung a little. He didn't feel safe with her. She quickly shook it off this was not about her.

"Hey, buddy. Why are you on the floor?"

Mal watched curiously as the infamous King Beast knelt on the bathroom floor next to Carlos.

"You went away." Was the quiet reply she heard.

"No. I didn't go away. I just stepped out for a minute."

Mal watched as Carlos absorbed the new information he was given.

"Hey, can you answer something for me?"

Carlos looked up and nodded he seemed eager to please the former King. It was something that would have been done out of fear on the island. Had she still been there she would have been confused, because there was not an ounce of fear in Carlos's face now that Adam had shown up. It was something that she had seen a lot with the kids here in Auradon. They wanted to make their parents happy because for some reason it made them happy to do so.

It was something she was beginning to understand herself. She liked that warm feeling she got whenever she did something that would get a goofy grin out of Ben.

"Can you tell me what happened to your arm?"

Carlos looked pensive as he thought. She knew he was worried about giving an answer that Adam might not want to hear.

"I… we were building a puzzle…. and it hurt."

Carlos was clearly confused he seemed to be struggling with something.

"Anything else that you can remember, buddy?"

Carlos shook his head for a moment and then he closed his eyes.

"I hurt here." Mal saw him gesture to he had punctured his lung two days earlier.

"And then I was alone…. I thought you sent me back to mommy"

Tears started to fall down his face, and everyone in the room took in a sharp breath as he confirmed what she had assumed. He thought he was three again.

What had she done wrong? Evie said that he had talked to her last night, and he was normal. Well as normal as anyone from the island could hope to be.

AN: And end….. just kidding. I have already started the second part to this arc. So what do you guys think is wrong

Residual effects from the potion?

A new curse perhaps?

Some type of PTSD from being forced to relive one of the worst experiences from his childhood?

Or maybe the author just wanted to do a mental age regression?

Leave your thoughts in the comments, and if you answer correctly, and if you are a member and I can message you lol, you can pick the next story arc I work on. I make no promises on when said story arc will be out, as life is currently kicking my butt and leaving me very little time to write.

Hopefully I can finish the next chapter soon.

Until next time

~Light's Lady