Ruby had gotten back to the others a little while ago and they'd been discussing a plan ever since. Well, initially they'd been discussing whether or not they could even do something like giving the wand to Uma and they'd argued about that, but then Mal came up with the idea of giving her a fake wand using Carlos' 3D printer. By now, they'd come up with a plan and everything. They were going to make smoke bombs, using the chemicals at Lady Tremaine's. It was a solid plan, and as long as they were quick enough, they'd probably manage to get Ben out before Uma found out the wand was fake. They'd just have to park the limo at the other side of the tunnel that led to Pirate's Bay, giving them a quick escape route.

It was decided that Carlos and Jay would return to Auradon for the fake wand, while the four girls would go back to the hair salon to get the chemicals and create the smoke bombs. It was a good thing that Evie was great at chemistry, because she was already able to tell them exactly what chemicals they'd need, while Ruby couldn't even bring herself to remember the names she'd just said.

"Okay, so we've got a plan. Fake wand and smoke bombs." Carlos looked around at everyone else in the room, all of whom nodded. "That's it right?"

"Well, sort of." Mal gained a thoughtful look before looking over at Ruby, who already felt uncomfortable and annoyed with having her friend's eyes on her, and she didn't even know the reason. All she knew was that Mal was always quite perceptive and if anyone were to mention the strangeness of the deal, it was the purple-haired VK. Which was exactly what she did. "Am I the only one who finds it the least bit strange that Ruby, of all people, agreed to a deal like this? If anyone knows how to pretend not to care, it's her." Mal looked her way again. "How did Uma convince you to take such a rubbish deal?"

Jay nodded in agreement, "Yeah. You would've pretended you didn't care about Ben. How'd this happen?"

Ruby crossed her arms and glared at the two. "Really? You lot brought the King of Auradon to the Isle, managed to lose him within an hour, and now I've made a deal to get him back and your complaining?"

"Your deflecting," Rachelle pointed out. Ruby glared her way, making the blonde shrink and meekly mutter, "Sorry." Mal stepped in front of the blonde and glared right back at Ruby, shielding her ex-girlfriend. Or had they made up by now? Ruby didn't know. She just rolled her eyes at it and shook her head.

"Ruby..." Mal's voice held a warning and Ruby knew they wouldn't let this go. The deal wasn't that terrible, but Ruby usually did the negotiations with Uma and she always managed to get the upper hand with her. Compared to past deals the two had made, this was truly appalling. Ruby was much better than this and, now that they thought about it, they all realized how fishy this deal was. There had to be something else if Ruby agreed to it, and they needed to know what it was. For all they knew, Ruby had done something foolish, or was sacrificing something else for this deal.

At the looks she was getting, Ruby threw her hands up in the air. "It's nothing!"

"Ruby, please." Evie stepped up and grabbed her hand. "What's going on? What was the deal? The full deal." Evie was giving her one of those sad, pleading looks that made Ruby grumble. Evie was like her sister, and she knew full well how to use that look against her.

Ruby looked around at the rest of her friends, her eyes lingering on Rachelle as she shifted. Rachelle understood without anyone having to say a word and got up from the couch, "I think I'll go and get some fresh air."

The blonde knew the five of them needed a moment together, just the five of them. Despite the friendship she'd formed with the group, this wasn't for her to hear. The five of them had grown up together and Rachelle would never be able to share that with them, and she didn't feel the need to. She was content with her relationship with them. Mal and her had some issues to work out, but they'd get there, and she and Carlos had struck an unlikely friendship that she treasured. The same went for Jay, Ruby and Evie; she was their friend, but this was just for the five of them. Rachelle had long since realized that they were more like a small family than a group of friends, and she wouldn't force her way in. She'd been together with Mal long enough to know that forcing anything was the worst thing you could do with the VKs.

Mal caught her wrist, stopping her, "Go to the roof okay? Don't want anything to happen to you down there." Mal gave her a worried look, to which Rachelle gave a reassuring smile.

"Like get kidnapped by pirates?" She quipped. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." Rachelle headed to the roof nevertheless, much to Mal's relief. Once her footsteps fully faded, the four of them turned to Ruby.

Ruby shifted her weight again. Could she tell them? It was a silly question really, because she knew for a fact that she could trust them. They were her family. When she tried to think of reasons not to tell them, she drew up blank. The only thing echoing through her mind was that Uma had used it against her, even though Ruby had trusted her as well. Not that Ruby had really had a choice in the matter. Like Ben, Uma had found out by accident and swore not to say a word afterward. There were people that knew, but this would be the first time she'd ever willingly tell anyone. She could just as easily come up with a lie, but she knew that if she didn't tell them now, she probably never would.

She'd never told them before because emotions weren't what they did on the Isle. But all of them had been in Auradon for long enough that it wasn't out of place for them to be more vulnerable with each other. Going to Auradon, all of them had grown emotionally, and as she realized this, Ruby decided that they were all ready for this discussion now. She understood why a younger her never dared say a word, but she didn't have that excuse of 'not doing emotions' anymore.

It was time.

She let out a long sigh and hugged herself a little, not meeting any of her friends' curious and worried gazes. "Uma knows something. Something about me."

"And she's using it against you?" Mal filled in, all attention in her redheaded friend. Ruby pressed her lips in a thin line, finally meeting her eyes, and nodded.

"What is it?" Carlos asked tentatively. He didn't want to push her too much, but it was clear that there was no time like the present to have whatever discussion they were on the brink of having. None of them knew what Ruby was hiding, but the tension in the room and the way Ruby held herself clued them in on its seriousness.

"I'm sure you all know a bit about the way my mother treats me..." Ruby started with a heavy sigh. She shrugged off her red leather jacket, averting her eyes again to look past her friends instead of straight at them.

The other four all shared looks, not having expected that turn in the conversation. Ruby never spoke of how her mother treated her. She hardly ever even acknowledged the fact that she was mistreated—and that was putting it mildly. They'd all been to the Red Castle, often without the Queen of Heart's knowledge, which meant that they'd seen more of the way the Queen treated her daughter than she'd usually show in public. And even in public, the Queen was barely civil to Ruby. Yet, Ruby hardly ever spoke of it at all. For her to acknowledge it in some way was enough for all four VKs to know that Ruby was about to show a side she hardly ever showed to anyone. She was about to open up and be vulnerable and that wasn't something she ever did carelessly.

Ruby tossed her jacket towards the couch behind Mal and Evie and reached up to the collar of her turtleneck. None of her friends questioned what she was doing, though they gave her strange looks. That was, until Ruby managed to reveal her neck fully, showing the ragged, scarred skin underneath.

A gasp escaped Evie, her hands covering her mouth as tears sprung to her eyes. Mal and Carlos were looking at her with wide eyes, and Jay became angry, clenching his fists as he was seething. None of them needed an explanation. The Queen of Hearts still shouted 'off with their head' so often, that they all realized immediately that the Queen put it to practice on her own daughter. Or at least got a taste of it to satisfy her appetite.

Evie was the first to regain herself enough to step closer to Ruby. She reached out but paused when Ruby tensed up automatically. The blue-haired princess met her eyes, as if questioning, and with a tight nod from the redhead, Evie gently reached out to pull the collar down a little more and trace one of the scars. Ruby flinched when Evie touched one of the most prominent marks and Evie withdrew her hand, cupping Ruby's face instead.

"Oh, Rubes..." It were those words and Evie pulling her in for a comforting hug that did it for her. Ruby let a tear slip, and then another, and another, until she couldn't hold back the sobs that racked her body. Carlos joined the hug, soon followed by Jay and Mal as they held the redhead close in a secure hug.

Ruby felt a weight lift off her chest that she'd never realized was there. Her friends knew, her family. They knew and accepted her nonetheless. She didn't have to say a word, didn't have to explain herself or what had happened. They knew and they held her and they didn't judge. What Ruby probably appreciated most was that none of them looked at her with pity. There was sympathy, shock, sadness and anger, but pity never once crossed any of their faces.

She wore a sad smile and wiped her eyes. Pulling away, she readjusted her collar and gave a reassuring smile to her friends. They worried about her, she knew they would, but they didn't have to. Frankly, she'd talked a lot with Ben about most of it, and while she still winced and flinched away when someone reached for her neck, she was mostly okay. She knew for a fact that she wouldn't be able to face her mother again for a while, but she was okay enough. Still, she knew she had a long way to go, considering how she was still unable to show anyone else the scars, but she was quite proud of herself for finally taking the step and showing her real family.

The fact that she wished to tell Ben about this and have him beam at her with a proud smile made a pang of hurt flash through her. She'd ruined that, but the least she could do was save him from Uma's grasp. She'd do whatever it takes to get him back.

"So, Uma knows about it, does she?" Mal asked, there was anger behind her voice, but Ruby was pretty sure it wasn't directed at her.

She nodded, "Found out when we were still a thing. Swore not to tell anyone, but I guess that promise broke the moment it was convenient." A bittersweet smile graced her red lips and Ruby shook her head at the memory of Uma's words.

Jay put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "We'll make her regret it. She won't get away with a threat like that."

Ruby grinned and hooked her arm through Jay's, "Oh, I know. I already promised her. And unlike her, I keep my promises." The wicked grin that appeared was enough to evaporate the last of the tension that occupied the room. Mal grinned.

"Failing's not an option, guys. Because we're rotten,"

"To the core!" They all agreed.

Evie pointed between the guys, "But if we don't wanna fail, you two better get a move on."

The boys agreed and hurried off, while Mal went up to the roof to get Rachelle, though the two of them seemed to take their time.

Evie sat down on the couch and grabbed Ruby's hand to stop her pacing, gently pulling her down beside her. Ruby followed quietly and watched Evie, who looked like she was about to say something. The redhead wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but Evie took her by surprise when she said, "I'm so sorry, Rubes. I should've seen you weren't doing okay. I got so caught up in Auradon and designing, and I know that's no excuse, but I just... I should've seen it. With both you and Mal. You deserved a better friend than that."

Ruby shook her head immediately. "No, no, don't. We both know I hide my feelings. I've never been good at talking about them. The worst really." She scrunched up her nose in distaste and Evie chuckled quietly. They both knew it was true. "I saw you happy and I didn't want to bother you. That's on me. However hard it is for me to open up, you're like my sister and I shouldn't have shut you out."

Evie had her own opinions about that but she knew it would resort to a back and forth if she argued about it, so instead she pulled Ruby in for a tight hug that Ruby returned. After a few seconds, Evie couldn't help but joke, "I think that's the most insightful thing I've ever heard you say."

Ruby barked a laugh and pulled back, Evie laughing along with her.

"Yeah, I know. I had a pretty good influence." Ruby's smile saddened as her thoughts drifted to Ben. He'd taught her so much. He taught her to trust others and be vulnerable and how to open up. He'd showed her it was okay to talk about what was bothering her and he was patient with her whenever she got overwhelmed and couldn't figure her own emotions out. Ben was an absolute angel and she would never be able to thank him enough for all that he'd taught her. She felt more like herself because of him. More in control.

She would never forgive herself for repaying him by breaking his heart, but she knew she had to. Ben was born to rule Auradon. He wanted nothing more than to make it a better place. He was absolutely brilliant and she didn't doubt that he'd be a great King. Auradon needed him.

She knew that she would only complicate his role and the work he had to do. She would've been his liability and she would've ruined him one way or another. She'd ruin his reputation as King and thereby destroy his legacy. She could never do that to him and she'd never forgive herself if it happened.

But that didn't make the heartbreak any less painful for either of them. Ruby loved Ben, and Ben loved Ruby. But she was from the wrong side of the bridge, with too crude an upbringing and too little control. She had to pull the plug before she ruined him beyond repair.

"You and Ben were really great together." Evie looked at her for a moment, as if deciding whether to bring up the subject, before making up her mind. "What happened Rubes? I know the paparazzi were terrible, but Ben made you happy. He treated you right."

Ruby let out a long breath. She didn't really want to discuss it, but Mal already knew and Evie deserved to know as well. She was done hiding things from Evie. So, she gave a small shrug of her shoulders and explained,

"I wouldn't make a good queen, Evie. I'm too erratic, too unpredictable. The media has had it out for me since the start, and my magic... It's chaos magic, Eve, like my mother's. It destroyed my mother and in turn it killed my father. I could never do that to Ben. He deserves someone fit to be a queen. Someone stable and loving. Someone who doesn't cause earthquakes or sends reporters flying back ten feet. It'll only take so long until I screw it up so badly that not only my reputation is ruined, but Ben's as well. I..." She shook her head. "I'm not worth it."

Evie cupped her face, forcing her to look her in the eye. "Don't. Don't you dare ever say something like that ever again about yourself, you hear me?" Ruby was taken back by the fierceness in Evie's voice and the fire in her eyes. "You're right that you're erratic and unpredictable, but it's always been one of the qualities that I've loved most about you. We all love that about you."

Ruby was shaking her head, "You're just saying that. I've annoyed you guys with my erratic and unpredictable behaviour. I know I have. It's gotten us into so much trouble and fights. It's not a good quality, Eve."

Like Ruby, Evie was shaking her head in disagreement the entire time Ruby spoke, grabbing onto her hands. "Not always, no. But no quality is always a good quality to have. Kindness isn't always the best quality to have in certain situations, nor is forgiveness or bravery or any other quality. There will always be situations where a certain personality trait isn't ideal, but that doesn't necessarily make it bad. You being unpredictable and erratic is the reason behind half our adventures here growing up. Some of my best memories come from your impulsive decisions."

A small smile tugged at Ruby's lips as she remembered those adventures. She chuckled. "Do you remember that time we were cornered by Uma and her crew and she and Mal were arguing and Uma said something 'what are you gonna do about it' and—"

Evie burst out laughing, "And you kissed Gil out of the blue and no one knew what to do and we ran for it."

"Yes! Gil just stood there, grinning like mad."

"Uma was so pissed."

The two girls burst out in giggles and held onto each other as they kept recalling the faces everyone had made. They recounted all kind of stories from their childhood. At that moment, the two of them forgot all their worries and troubles and just continued laughing up until Mal and Rachelle found them gasping for breath from their laughter.

A/N: My baby Ruby finally opened up and shared her secrets with her friends/family! 

Can't deny that this chapter took some heavy editing and I'm still not fully happy with it, but it just won't work with me otherwise. To be quite honest, this is one of the chapters that made writing this story take as long as it did. I wish it was better, but oh well, it'll have to do. 

Also, side note, I just really love Rachelle as a character, even if she only has a minor role in Ruby's story. Honestly, I'm considering writing a story surrounding her and Mal, but we all know that'll probably not happen anytime soon *hides behind the excuse of being to busy*