True Parentage

When Carlos gets the idea to use science to find out who their other parents are, everything they thought they knew about themselves are shaken up.

Tags: DNA matching, parentage reveal, post D1 but before D2

I blame Takaraphoenix for all of this because of our conversation about their missing parents.

Chapter 3: The Parents [Auradon & Agrabah]

"Wow... Wow... Just... Wow." Ben repeated as he leaned back in his desk chair as he stared at the others in his office.

"You've said that already," Mal said as she inspected her nails lazily while Evie fiddled with her charmed necklace. Carlos and Jay were petting Dude's fur as they lounged on the floor by the window.

"It's just so..." Ben trailed off.

"Wow?" Carlos offered up amused.

"This changes some things, nothing bad though!" Ben backtracked quickly when the four looked down in their own versions of distress.

"Hades we can keep under wraps with ease unless you two feel like visiting the Underworld anytime soon," Ben picked up a pen and began to twirl it between his fingers as he thought.

"Which we won't," Evie spoke up and Mal hummed her agreement.

"It's up to you Carlos if you want to tell my parents or not, it doesn't matter to me either way. I know you Carlos and you are nothing like either of your parents." Ben gave Carlos with a reassuring smile that was returned after a moment.

"Thanks, Ben... I'll think about it okay?" Carlos murmured and Ben nodded in understanding.

"With you Jay... This is not something we can really cover up... I'm not sure if the results have been sent to them or not. It's standard when a DNA match appears in the system. They may already know about you..." Ben said slowly as Jay looked up with his own thoughtful look on his face and the others looked at Jay.

"...What if they don't want me?" Jay swallowed we he looked down at Dude unable to make eye contact with the others.

"Their loss," Mal said simply.

"You're our's Jay and nothing will ever change that, royal parents, or not." Evie settled on the floor next to Jay, throwing her arms around the other teen hugging him tightly.

"I can be the one they talk to until your fully ready Jay," Ben said as he saw the thinly veiled distress on the teens face.

"I would like that... Thanks, Ben," Jay said from where his face was buried in Evie's blue hair.

"Of course," Ben smiled as he brought up a message that he just received on his computer and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it, Ben?" Carlos asked noticing the look on the King's face and Mal leaned forward to peer over Ben's shoulder.

"Messages from my parents and from... Aladdin and Sultana Jasmine regarding Carlos and Jay." Ben said slowly and both of them looked up startled.

"What do they want?" Mal asked her voice hard as she leaned upright with her eyes closed clearly hiding the green of her eyes as she fought against her magic and emotions as her feelings for Jay and Carlos flexed.

"Well, my parents want to meet with Carlos and myself... Aladdin and Sultana Jasmine are… Flying here to meet Jay as we speak." Ben said slowly as he twirled his pen absently as he read over the message again.

"Oh god," Carlos whispered as he lifted Dude up into his arms and cuddled him close as Jay paled and wrapped his arm around Evie's waist tightly and she stroked his hair soothingly.

"Hey, hey, what I said before still stands. Meeting them is up to both of you." Ben slipped off his chair and sat down next to them with his legs crossed and gently stroked Dudes fur as he smiled at the two of them.

"Mal and I will go with you Jay if you want to go of course," Evie crooned as she spotted Carlos and Ben exchanging smiles, mainly Ben to show Carlos he was still on his side.

"Thanks, I could use the backup," Jay said after a moment of thought, finally making his choice.

"So you're going to meet them?" Ben asked carefully and Jay nodded causing Evie to squeal in excitement and toss herself into the thief's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Good because thanks to a magic carpet and apparently being friends with a genie, they should be here any minute," Ben said after checking his email when it dinged again.

"What?" Jay gasped as Evie pulled him up from the ground, snatching his beanie off of his head to fuss with his hair.

"It seems that they are excited to meet you," Ben said kindly as Carlos stood up with Dude in his arms.

"Do you want us to stay with you Jay?" Carlos asked, feeling on-edge at the knowledge that the King and Queen wanted to talk with him as soon as possible. That he may be meeting his father sooner rather than later if they reacted badly.

"I've got Mal and E as backup, you and Ben go." Jay could see how the fears Carlos had expressed earlier were still plaguing him. He would have rather been at Carlos's side, but he had his own family drama to deal with and he trusted Ben and Dude to have Carlos' back.

"Thanks, good luck man." Carlos and Jay's fist-bumped in solidarity before Carlos and Ben left the office. Ben obviously allowing the three to stay behind and use that as a meeting place for when Aladdin and Jasmine arrived.

"I don't look like a Prince, I certainly don't act like one. What if they decide I'm not worth the effort?" Jay wasn't usually one for worrying and standing around, he was the one who took action but that wasn't an option at this moment in time.

"Nothing changes then, you will keep being the best damn Tourney player this school has ever seen and life will move on with us at your side," Mal promised, her eyes bright green and Jay felt relaxed at the familiar sight.

"You're right, I just got lost in my head I guess!" Jay laughed as Evie finished a quick braid to get one of his more straggly strands of hair out of his face.

"Just because yourself," Evie advised with a bright smile as she brushed off the shoulders of his leather vest.

"Thanks, E," Jay smiled back, never being able not to at the sight of her smile.

"Here we go," Mal murmured as her eyes faded down to a normal colour and Jay had a moment to brace himself before the door to Ben's office was swinging open.

"Jay?" Aladdin stood in the entranceway, chest heaving as he was clearly out of breath and Jay froze as he finally got a good look at his biological father and blinked at the same eyes that were staring back at him.

"Move, let me see him!" Jasmine all but shoved her husband out of the way making Mal snicker under her breath before falling silent.

"Oh, oh, it is you isn't it," Jasmine whispered, her hands pressed to her chest.

"Uh, hi? I'm Jay, but you already knew that I guess…" Jay waved awkwardly before rubbing the back of his neck just as awkwardly.

"Yeah we know, I mean, we saw, I mean… Hi." Aladdin babbled as he rubbed his neck in the exact same way.

"Oh yeah they're related," Mal whispered to her sister who giggled behind her hand while playfully elbowing her in the side.

"I'm sorry, I defiantly not what you guys were probably expecting." Jay ducked his head, wishing that Evie hadn't braided his hair as he really wished he had something to hide his face and his reactions. Jay gasped softly when a tender hand cupped his cheek and he looked up into Jasmine's expressive face. He could see his facial structure reflected in her softer one, even their cheekbones matched.

"You're so brave Jay and we are so proud of you. Parents or not, you and your friends chose to be good and stood up against Maleficent of all people. We are proud to be allowed to call you our son if you want that at least." Jasmine spoke softly but in a firm tone of a caring mother.

"I… I've never had a mom before, or a real dad…Well at least one who cared about me and not just what I could steal for him. I don't know how to be a Prince or a son really, but I'm willing to try?" Jay was unable to look away from Jasmine as a new kind of warmth settled in his chest at the open look of pure affection in her eyes as she looked at him.

"We can all try together," Aladdin piped up, carefully wrapping his arms around the two with a cheery if not tearful grin on his face. Evie locked arms with Mal in the background, leaning on her shoulder as the two watched Jay reunite with his biological partners.

~~/~~

Carlos stalled in front of the double doors that would lead him and Ben into the study where Belle and Adam were waiting.

"I don't think I can do this," Carlos blurted out as Dude licked at his chin, sensing the other's distress. Carlos absently scratched the dog behind his ear as he looked over at Ben.

"Carlos, hey, it's going to be fine. Mom and Dad won't care; they know you aren't your father. How could they get mad at you if you didn't even know who your father was until today?" Ben placed his hands on the smaller boy's shoulders in comfort and was rewarded with a smile grin.

"That's true," Carlos mused before he straightened his shoulders as his courage returned, letting Dude jump back down onto the floor. "Let's go see your parents,"

Ben grinned before he turned and opened the doors to the study, walking in first to embrace his mother who held her arms open to him the moment she saw him.

"Carlos," Adam nodded at the De Vil boy who shrunk slightly under the man's gaze.

"King Adam, Queen Belle," Carlos murmured, he knew that Ben was King now but Carlos didn't know what else to call the two, that sort of thing wasn't covered in goodness 101.

"Don't scare the poor boy dear, it's nice to see you again Carlos." Belle playfully whacked her husband's arm before embracing Carlos in the same way she did to Ben.

"You are not your father Carlos, you are far too kind and loving to be Gaston, trust me on this," Belle swore as she hugged the white-haired boy tight. Carlos relaxed at the words and hugged the Queen back, missing the way Ben beamed at the exchange.

"Belle is right as always, Gaston was a hunter who got his joy from hurting others. You are pure of heart Carlos, never doubt that." Adam set his hand on Carlos' shoulder causing Carlos to look up at him from where his face had been hidden in Belle's shoulder.

"Thank you, this means… It means a lot," Carlos swallowed hard, not willing to let himself cry at the words and praise coming from the two people his biological father had hurt the most.

"I told you so," Ben chimed in smugly making Carlos roll his eyes good-naturedly and he laughed when Adam wrestled his son in for a hug that mirrored the one Belle and Carlos were still locked in.