Rather Be With You - Sequel to Not Set in Stone - Descendants 2

Chapter 9

Ben carried me through the pipe that we saw when we first got to the Isle as I stopped struggling to break free. It was pointless. Harry was gone from my life, for now at least. Having Ben carry me brought me back to my roots a bit.

I'm Rapunzel's daughter. I am Rapunzel's daughter. I am Maria Fitzherbert. I am not a villain. I am good. I am me, the real me.

I kept telling myself that over and over again as Ben carried me back to the limo and placed me down right outside of it. "Hurry and get in," he told me holding the door for me as I rushed in and saw Carlos sitting with Dude and Evie. They were safe. My actual best friends were okay.

"Ria, oh my god, are you alright?" Evie questioned as she hugged me tightly as Carlos and Ben joined as well.

"I'm fine, thanks to Carlos," I smiled, knowing that if it wasn't for him I'd still be threatening to fight all of them at the moment. Mal finally came into the limo hugging me as well which warmed my heart. She tries to stay like a rock but she's got a heart a gold. I'm so glad that I can consider her my friend.

"Oh thank god you're okay, I couldn't risk you getting hurt too," Mal said hugging me individually as Evie and Carlos sat back in their seats and Ben sat next to Mal.

"Do you still love him Ria?" Ben questioned as I took my seat on the other side of him as we started driving off. I felt all eyes on me as I sighed and nodded my head.

"For me, I spent sixteen years with him. We were friends since we were babies. I know it's not real but it feels real to me. That's what would have happened if I lived there. That's the type of person Harry was and I got to experience that, no else can say that about him," I admitted avoiding eye contact with Carlos.

"Do you... not love me then?" Carlos asked with hesitation fearing the worst.

"Carlos, of course I love you still. I... it's... You... He..." I started to say not knowing how to word how I was feeling on the inside. If only someone could see and feel everything I was experiencing they'd be able to understand my extremely complex feelings.

"Hey, it's okay Ria. That doesn't matter right now. What matters now is that you're safe. We can deal with the effects of the spell later, I'm just glad you're not hurt," Ben told me as he wrapped his arm around me kissing the top of my head. "You had me terrified. I thought you were gone for good."

"About that, I'm sorry for everything I said to you and for the basically sexual harassment," I responded as he cracked half a smile.

"Like I said, that doesn't matter. It wasn't you," he answered as Mal sighed. "I'm really sorry that things didn't go the way you wanted them to," Ben told her.

"I mean as long as you're safe, that's..." she responded out of breath as we were all able to calm down since the huge battle.

"Well, I mean, at least I got to see the Isle. They're my people, too. Uma helped me see that," Ben told her as I nodded in agreement. Ben didn't go full on villain like I did but I could tell he understood where Uma and them were coming from.

"Ben, Uma captured you," Mal said taken back a bit by Ben's comment.

"She's an angry girl with a bad plan," Ben stated.

"I mean from what Harry told me, my morals never changed from the spell and they had me totally on board to capture Ben. I couldn't kill someone for it, Carlos is proof of that but all we, I mean, all they wanted was freedom and to some, they just want to make their parents proud by having a better life," I interrupted knowing that my memories were so screwed up at this moment but I knew what I felt.