The Enemy's Daughter

~The Date~

CHAPTER 20

"Would you like a hot hors d'oeuvre?" Gabby asks Ben with a smile.
"Yes, please," Ben answers with a returning smile before Gabby feeds him one.
"Mmm! This is the best thing I've ever had," Ben says as he finishes it.
"So, you like it?" Gabby asks him.
"I more than like it. I, uh...mmm..." Ben answers as he gets another one. "Double like it. Beef ragout?"
"Yeah," Gabby says with a smile.
"This is amazing," Ben says before taking a bite of the beef ragout.
"Did I surprise you?" Gabby asks.
"Oh, yeah, you surprised me. This is every single dish Mrs. Potts made for my parents," Ben answers her excitedly. "What did it take you? Three days?"
"You know, don't even ask me," Gabby says with a smile.
"Yeah," Ben says with a laugh before turning serious. "Well, it means a lot that you stopped and did all this for me. Especially with all the craziness you've been put through." Ben grabs Gabby's hand. "I've missed you." Gabby smiles big at him before Ben caresses her face. "We don't get much time to be just us anymore."
"I know," Gabby tells him sadly before wiping some food from his mouth.
"You can't take me anywhere, right?" Ben says causing Gabby to laugh since that was what she had said on their first date. "Do you have a... Do you have a napkin or something?"
"I do! I packed some," Gabby tells him before she starts looking for the basket.
"Oh, there is..." Ben says as he sees the basket.
"I think I stowed them away," Gabby says as Ben reaches into the basket. "I can grab them."
"What's this?" Ben asks as he pulls out Mal's Spell Book.
"Mal actually threw that in there super last-minute in case it rained or..." Gabby tries to explain before Ben starts going through the marked pages.
" 'Power transfer' Spell. 'Speed reading' spell. 'Blonde hair' spell. 'Cooking' spell," Ben reads before closing the book and looking at Gabby in shock. "And I was giving you props for fitting in so well, for doing your best."
"Take back this moment that has passed. Return it... Reverse it..." Gabby tries to remember a spell to fix everything but fails.
"Are you trying to spell me right now?!" Ben exclaims as he stands up.
"Ben, it has been so hard for me!" Gabby tells him.
"Yes! Some things are hard! Do you think learning to be king has been easy for me?" Ben explains.
"No!" Gabby says.
"I thought we were doing this together!" Ben says as he raises his voice.
"Ben, we are in this together," Gabby tells him as she stands up.
"But we're not, Gabby. We're not. Y-You've been keeping secrets and lying to me," Ben argues and Gabby tries to talk. "I thought we were done with that. This isn't the Isle of the Lost, Gabby."
"Yeah. Believe me, I know that!" Gabby tells him.
"Then why are you doing this?" Ben asks her.
"Because... I'm not one of those pretty pink princesses, Ben. I'm not one of those ladies from the Court," Gabby explains to him. "I'm a big fake, okay? I'm fake." Gabby then motions to the meal. "This is fake." Gabby grabs her hair before dropping it. "This is fake. Mal!" Mal walks out of the bushes causing Ben to look at the two girls in shock.
"Take this feast, this sumptuous meal, return it back to what is real." Mal reads front the spell book and moves her finger before the meal disappears to reveal a glass of milk and a peanut butter & jelly sandwich.
"This is who I really am," Gabby says as she's on the verge of crying.
"Gabby," Ben tries as Gabby starts to walk off.
"No. No," Gabby says as she moves away from him and Mal before keeps walking.
"Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite!" Ben yells after her causing her to run to her dorm.
"I don't belong here," Gabby says as she looks around her dorm room before she changes into her Isle clothes. "Let's blow this popsicle stand." She takes the bike that Ben gave her, before stopping by the waters edge. Gabby pulls out Mal's spell book. "Noble steed, proud and fair, you shall take me anywhere." Gabby puts the spell book away.  "Okay. Whew. Please work." The bike drives across the water before taking her through the barrier. Gabby drives through a lot of people making them dive out of the way before she comes to a stop. As she removes her goggles she sees a poster of her and Ben. She tears it down before wadding it up and throwing it. She then continues on to their old hideout. Gabby smirks before throwing a rock at the 'danger flying rocks' sign. This opens the door to the hideout.