Author's Note: Well, we've reached the end of this story. I was surprised by how many people loved this story, especially when you consider that Chard Charming isn't one of the more liked Descendants characters. But then again, I firmly believe that people do like to see some characters redeem themselves, and I hope that what I've done here redeems Chad, even if it is just here on this site.

I appreciate everyone who read this and commented. It made writing this easier and more fun.

Please enjoy.

"You want me to do what?" Drizella snarled as she looked across the table at her step-sister.

It had been two weeks since she'd spoken with the four villain children, and Cinderella couldn't get the conversation out of her head. Hearing how they'd grown up had made her feel terrible. The mother in her couldn't believe that anyone could subject their children to the things they'd been exposed to. It was almost unthinkable to her that any parent could willingly force their children to lie, cheat, steal, and maybe worse. But what hurt the most was listening as they told her how her own step-sister was upset, and embarrassed, that her own daughter wasn't, for lack of a better term, a little terror.

So, after a week and a half of sleepless nights where she found herself racking her brain on how to help her niece, she went to King Ben, and pleaded with him to bring Dizzy over from the Isle. And while he sympathized with her, he reminded her that for someone Dizzy's age, it wasn't as simple as him ordering it. With Mal and her friends, they were old enough that they only needed a new guardian while here in Auradon. His own parents had stepped up and filled that role, so they were allowed to be on their own at the school.

"Since she's only ten, Dizzy requires someone to stay with since she'll be attending a school where she'll have to go home every day," he explained. "That means that her mother has to sign off on this person."

"So, if I could get Drizella to sign over guardianship to say…myself, I could bring her to Auradon?"

Ben nodded.

So, after some careful arrangements, especially with security, Cinderella found herself sitting in Anastasia's dining room with her, Drizella, and her step-mother across the table from her.

"I would like you to allow me to bring Dizzy to Auradon," Cinderella said, a repeat of her original request.

"That crown must have made you either crazy or stupid – or stupider," Drizella spat, her glare shooting daggers. "What? Your think you can just come over from your castle and take my kid?"

Cinderella shook her head. "I have no intention of taking her. I'm asking you to let me give her a better life than this island."

"And why would I let my daughter do that?" Lady Tremaine asked much more coolly than her eldest daughter. "After all, this island is good enough for us."

"You earned your sentence here, that girl didn't," Cinderella replied.

"Not totally wrong," Anastasia said without much thought. Lady Tremaine glared at her youngest. "What? It's not like I turned her into the maid," she chuckled.

"Oh shut up," Drizella barked at her sister. Suddenly, Drizella smiled, a crooked tooth smile that made Cinderella very uncomfortable. "While we're on the subject of taking children, will you be taking Anthony along?"

"Anthony's older…almost an adult."

"Huh, that's what I thought. You want my kid, but to hell with Ana's," Drizella gloated.

"That's not true, but if what I've heard is true –"

"And just what have you heard?" Lady Tremaine questioned.

"Probably that Anthony is a stuck up brat," Anastasia cut in. Drizella and Lady Tremaine turned toward her. "Don't look at me like that. I know what I have. Anthony lies, cheats, steals, and uses his looks and charm to string along any number of girls. Sound familiar…Cindy?" Cinderella looked at Anastasia in compete shock. "Your son's exploits make the news. I especially loved the part about him seeing 15 girls at once and making them do his homework. Bang up job, there."

Cinderella almost wanted to get up and leave. But she knew if she did, that little girl would be in much worse shape.

"Which is why she's not here for Anthony. No one needs two problem children on their hands," Anastasia continued. "Unlike your daughter, who's as sweet as the Queen here."

"She can't take her," Drizella said.

"Why not?" Anastasia prodded. "Dizzy obviously doesn't have a mean bone in her body, despite your best efforts. You keep her here, she'll get eaten alive. At least with her, Dizzy will get what Mother always ranted we should have – the finest and the best."

Cinderella watched as her youngest step-sister engaged in a stare down with her older sister and mother.

"Still trying to be Dizzy's mother are you?" Drizella asked.

"Well someone should be. Besides, she's here with me more than she's with you because at least I don't force her to be something she's not."

Drizella stood up and walked over to Anastasia. She leaned down until there were nose to nose.

"Fine, you can make the decision, but when this backfires, just wait to see what I do to you," Drizella threatened. "Come, Mother."

Lady Tremaine rose from her chair. "And you wonder why I always favored Drizella," she sneered at Anastasia. "Gold digger," she glowered at Cinderella. As she walked out, she turned her nose up and followed her eldest daughter out of her youngest daughter's home. They heard the door slam shut a moment later, leaving the two women alone.

"Hag," they said simultaneously. They each stated at each other with a raised eyebrow.

"Drizella?" Cinderella asked, at the same time revealing who she meant that toward.

"Mom," Anastasia disclosed. "So you really want give Dizzy a better life? Or are you just trying to stick it to Driz?"

"Better life," Cinderella told her. "You said it yourself, she'll –"

"I said what did to make them leave," Anastasia cut her off. "After all, one can only take so much of those two. They're so bitter," Anastasia tried snidely. "Truth be told, I'm still not sure I want to let you take Dizzy."

"Weren't you the one who said she'll get eaten alive if she stays here? That she's too nice for this place?"

Anastasia stared at her step-sister, an appreciative smirk on her lips. She was mildly impressed to see Cinderella using her own words against her. That, and just seeing her here on the Isle, it proved that she was taking this seriously, not just phoning it in and making King Ben have Dizzy yanked away.

"I did say that. I've also said that that little girl is like a daughter to me. So you'll understand my reluctance to let her leave with someone whose own child acts like someone who was raised here," Anastasia confessed.

"I raised Chad to be a good person."

"And yet, you didn't dispute it when I compared him to my own son. A stuck up brat, despite being raised by someone who was supposed to the epitome of all that is good and humble and wholesome. You want me to let Dizzy leave with you, give me a reason to believe that she won't end up just like him – or worse, Sleeping Beauty's daughter."

Cinderella realized with that challenge that she'd been wrong all these years. Drizella was the mean one. The one most likely to stab you in the back and walk over – or even on – you to get what she wants. But now she knew: Anastasia was the one you should fear. Where Drizella was just a bully acting with the approval of the person who probably bullied her and taught her to act the same way, Anastasia was the one who stepped back and waited. She wasn't going to waste her time trying to beat you down anymore; not when she could just cut you to size and into pieces by looking into you, and seeing what you tried to hide, and forcing you to acknowledge it.

The Isle hadn't mellowed her at all. It had made her more perceptive to motivations and drives, and gave her something that her mother and sister didn't really have and never truly would – real power over those around them. The Isle had made her the most dangerous one in the family.

"I raised Chad to be a good person. I taught him to be proud of who he is. But what I didn't do, and this is my regret, I didn't tell him not to believe everyone else around him when they reminded him what a prince should be. I didn't stop them from filling his head with the trapping of privilege and power. I'm trying to break through to him, and bring back the good boy I raised. I can't guarantee that Dizzy might not be seduced by that. But I promise to try my hardest to protect her from it."

Anastasia just stared at Cinderella with a stern, unnerving glance. It made Cinderella almost call for the guards that had accompanied her here. Suddenly, Anastasia turned toward the back of the house.

"Dizzy, sweetie, can you come here?" she called.

"She's been here the whole time?" Cinderella asked in disbelief.

"You did here me say that she's here more than she's at her own house, right?" Anastasia smiled.

Out walked a girl that Cinderella realized was being under-hyped by Mal and Evie. Dizzy wasn't just adorable, she was flat out heartwarming to look at.

"Yeah, Aunt Ana?" Anastasia knelt down until she was level with her niece and proceeded to explain what had been going on that afternoon. Dizzy looked concerned at the thought of being taken away from the Isle, especially with a relative she'd never met.

"Now you know that Auntie Ana would never let anyone hurt you, right?" Dizzy nodded. "This is your Aunt Cinderella," she introduced. Cinderella watched as Anastasia turned toward her and smiled wickedly. "Until you're comfortable, you can just call her Cindy."

Dizzy nodded and turned to wave.

"Hi, honey," Cinderella said.

"You know how I've always said I'd find a way to get you off this island and into Auradon where you belong?" Dizzy nodded. "Well, I need you to go with Cindy when she goes back to Auradon. You're going to live with her and your cousin, and her husband," she told her, her voice going sardonic at the mention of Charming.

"Are you coming?"

Cinderella watched the way Anastasia flinched at the question. It broke her heart to know what was coming next.

"I…I can't come sweetie. This is where I have to stay. But I want you to promise me something," she asked the young girl, her voice breaking as she fought the urge to start crying. "No matter what happens, or what anybody tells you, you stay the same sweet, big dreaming girl you are. Can you do that for Auntie Ana?"

Dizzy nodded, tears running down her face as she realized this might be the last time she saw the woman who was more of a mother to her than her own mom.

"Okay, go pack you things. You won't need to worry too much about your stuff from your house, Cindy will make sure you get anything new you might need."

Dizzy nodded and walked back to where she came from; the room Anastasia had given her when she realized that Dizzy preferred staying here whenever she could. Once she was gone, Anastasia stood back up and walked over to Cinderella.

"If anything happens to that little girl, this island won't protect you from me. I'll find a way off it, and you and I will have…words," she warned her step-sister. Even though Anastasia had said it would be "words", Cinderella knew that talking would be the last thing that would happen.

"I'll protect her like she was own daughter," Cinderella said just before, in a showing of both approval and heartbreak, Anastasia collapsed into Cinderella's shoulder and began crying at the thought of losing what she'd come to think of as her own little girl.

Chad was lying on his bed, listening to his phone ring as he waited for his mother to answer. It was late in the evening on a Friday. School was done for the day. So was practice. And so was dinner. His day was done. He planned to do some homework later, but he wanted to catch up with some things back home, namely the castle's newest resident.

It had been almost a month since his mother had brought Dizzy home from the Isle, and less than one month away from his grounding being officially over. While he still wasn't allowed any other electronics, his mother and father did allow him his phone back because, much to their surprise, upon their meeting, Chad and Dizzy completely hit it off. Dizzy said that Chad reminded her of a "less mean Anthony" and Chad, well, even Cinderella knew that deep down, whether he'd admit it or not, Chad was a natural born big brother and he constantly called to see how she was doing.

"Chad, how are you, honey?"

"I'm good – bored – but good," he told her.

"I know, sweetie, but you only have one month to go. You're a big boy, you can take it," she joked with him. "Am I guessing you're calling about…?"

"How's Dizzy?" he smiled.

His mother didn't answer right away. In fact, she was silent for longer than Chad liked.

"Mom?"

"She's not okay, Chad." No, he thought, what happened. Immediately the worst case scenarios started running through his head.

"What's wrong?"

"She came home from school crying again."

"Are the kids at school still…?"

"Yeah," he heard his mother answer. The sound of sadness in her voice was crushing to him.

"Can I talk to her?" he asked.

"Sure."

The line was silent, but he could hear his mother walking through the castle. He figured that she must be in one of the libraries or family rooms because she probably wouldn't want to be too far away in case Dizzy needed her.

"Dizzy, sweetheart, it's Chad," he heard his mother say, her voice sounding like the phone was away from herself. "He wants to talk to you."

"Chad?" he heard a small, sad voice say seconds later. She wasn't crying at the moment, but it was clear that she had been, her voice sounding muffled like she was doing her best to hold back tears.

"Hey, Diz," he said softly. "Mom says you were crying?"

"The kids at school are mean. They keep making fun me because of how I dress, and saying that I'm bad because –"

"Because you're from the Isle." Chad finished for her. He heard her sob a "un-huh" before beginning to sob. Each sob he heard made Chad want to smack each of the little kids that made fun of her. "Diz, you still there?"

"Mhm."

"I don't want you to listen to the other kids, okay? You're not bad, and there's nothing wrong with how you dress. Just ignore them and keep acting like you do, okay?" He heard Dizzy muffle a yes. "Can you put my Mom back on?"

"Yes, Chad?" his mother said a second later.

"I hope you raised hell down at that school of hers," he practically barked down the phone.

"First off, don't raise your voice at me, I'm not the one who made her cry. Secondly, yes, I did. But short of talking to their parents, there's really not a lot the school can do since no one is hurting her."

"No one's hurting her? This is like the tenth time those brats have made her come home crying. I mean who the hell do they think they are? Making fun of her just because…"

His voice trailed off. Maybe it was having to see the situation from the outside. Or maybe it was seeing someone he was quickly becoming close to being made to feel like they didn't belong. But something suddenly clicked. Some sense of conscious or morality that something was really wrong and he, maybe not here, but in the same vein, was part of the problem.

"Chad?" he heard his mother say when she became worried when he didn't say anything else.

"I'm gonna call you back, Mom," he said hanging up.

The VKs were hanging out in the common room of their dorm hall. They had just come back from dinner and were trying to decide what to do later that night. Joining them were Ben, Doug, and Jane. Jay was waiting on Lonnie to show up so he didn't feel like sixth wheel amongst the other couples. He kept eyeing the door and almost stood up when he saw Chad walk in.

"Oh God," Evie said in mild disgust. "What do you want Chad?"

"Good all three of you are here," he said.

"What?" Mal asked confused.

Chad didn't answer right away. Instead he just stood there, his gaze going from Mal to Evie to Jay and back.

"Spit it out, Chad," Jay ordered him.

"I'm…I'm sorry," he said softly. All three of his targets, plus Carlos and the AKs just stared at him, caught off guard.

"Sorry?" Evie finally asked.

"For what I did on Family Day to you three. I'm sorry. And Evie…I am so, so sorry for hitting you. I shouldn't have done that."

"Practically months after and you finally say sorry?" Mal inquired. "And we're just supposed to what, forgive you?"

"No," he answered quickly. "But I needed to say it because…I shouldn't have put your through that. And I need your help," he said to Evie and Mal, motioning them over to where he was standing. After waving Jay down, they walked over to him. The others watched as he whispered to them, and then watched as seconds later Evie covered her mouth in horror and then they nodded.

"We've gotta go," Evie said quickly kissing Doug.

"Go where?" Jay asked apprehensively.

"Chad's house," Mal answered kissing Ben. "We'll tell you later. Jane, you're coming too."

"Okay," Jane said cautiously before following Chad, Evie, and Mal out.

"Dizzy, sweetheart," Cinderella said as she gently knocked on Dizzy's door. "I just wanted to see if you're feeling better?"

Dizzy was lying one her bed and looked up from the book she was reading. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were still puffy from all of the earlier tears. "A little Aunt Cindy."

"Someone's here to see you," Cinderella told her niece. Dizzy turned toward the door, and Cinderella watched her smile for the first time since she'd gotten home.

"Chad!" she jumped from the bed, giving him a hug as he walked in the room. Cinderella turned to the hallway and saw the look on Evie, Mal, and Jane's faces at the sound of Dizzy's reaction. She nodded her head proudly when she saw Evie mouth the word "Really".

"Hey Diz, how you feeling?" he asked her as he picked her up and sat her on the bed. He sat next to her and put his arm around her.

"Fine…I guess. But Aunt Cindy says I have to go back to school on Monday," she said dejectedly with a look toward Cinderella.

Chad chuckled. "Yeah, well, you need to go to school," he told her.

"But they hate me," she said loudly.

"They just need to get to know you, sweetheart," Cinderella told the young girl.

"Yeah," Chad agreed. "They just need to get to know you, and pretty soon, you'll start making friends there. Until then, I brought you some friends you already have," he comforted her.

"All the friends I have are back on the Isle," she cleared up for him.

Chad shook his head. "Not all of them," he corrected him. He turned toward the door. "Come on in."

Dizzy looked at the door and her eyes lit up when she saw two familiar faces walk in. "Evie! Mal!" she screamed as she ran to the two older VKs. "I missed you guys," she said as she threw her arms around both of them.

"Oh, we missed you too, Dizzy," Evie said as she hugged the young girl to her.

'Definitely," Mal added.

"You I don't know," Dizzy told Jane as released her hold on Mal and Evie.

The girls laughed and pulled her toward Jane. "Dizzy, this is Jane," Evie introduced. "Jane this is –"

"The Jane?" Dizzy said in surprise. "Cool. I'm a big fan."

"What do you mean The Jane?" Mal asked skeptically.

"And that you're a fan?" Evie asked.

"Jane's a little bit of a role model for some of the villain kids on the Isle since she broke open the barrier after stealing her mother's wand," Dizzy explained. "A lot of us started looking up to her after she tried to break us out."

Mal and Evie started laughing hysterically at that news and even Cinderella couldn't hold back some laughter at the way Jane looked completely horrified at that news. Chad wanted to laugh, but figured that later would be better for that.

"Hear that Janey," Cinderella started, "you're a hero to an entire Island."

Evie and Mal broke out laughing even harder.

"But I…I didn't…I wasn't trying to break anybody out," she stammered embarrassingly. "Can we please not tell my mother about this?"

"Why are you all here?" Dizzy asked, changing the subject. She had finally noticed that all three of them had backpacks and sleeping bags.

"Well," Evie began, "Chad told us that you were having a rough time right now, and thought that maybe a surprise slumber party weekend might cheer you up."

"Really?" she asked, her eyes once again lighting up. She ran over to Chad and threw her arms around him. "Thank you," she gushed. Once she released him, she started looking around. Her new room here at the castle was pretty big, way bigger than the room she had her mother's or her aunt's. "Do you think we'll all fit in here?"

"Why don't you all go into one of the family rooms," Cinderella suggested. "Jane, you remember where most of them are, right?"

"Yes, ma'am Aunt Cindy," Jane said, surprising everyone with her name for Cinderella. "What? I spent a lot of time here growing up," Jane clarified as she started leading the other three girls out.

Once they were gone, and Cinderella and Chad were alone, she smiled at her son. "This was a nice surprise for her," she told him.

"I couldn't stand the thought of her being so unhappy," he said.

Cinderella felt a swell of emotion hit her. This was the Chad she loved to see. The Chad that took care of those closest to him. It was almost like seeing him with Jane as they were growing up when she'd cry and he'd practically come to the rescue, not stopping until he'd cheered her back up.

"See, I told you that you didn't hate them just because of where they're from."

"I told Evie, Mal, and Jay that I was sorry," he confessed.

"Really?" Cinderella asked, her heart warming at that reveal.

Chad nodded. "Maybe it was hearing from Dizzy how she was getting bullied, and seeing it from the outside, like you did with me, but…I don't know. Something just clicked and everything you were telling me just made sense and I felt horrible. I still won't say we're friends at the moment, but you don't have to worry about me going after them anymore, Mom."

Cinderella felt her eyes water and she fought the urge to cry tears of joy. She cradled her son's face and blinked away the tears. "Now there's the sweet boy I raised."

The End