#bdrpsimba

SIMBA: The decision to have his family leave town was not Simba’s idea. It had been Hades who had approached him quietly, a few nights after the Blackwells had announced their dreadful gala. They stood in the hallway of a darkened Town Hall, a board meeting having just finished, and Hades explained how he and Belle were planning to spirit away their children before the event began. At first, Simba hadn’t understood why Hades was telling him this until he realized that they needed someone else to help Toulouse, who was leaving with them.

And that person was Berlioz.

It had not been an easy pitch to convince Ber. Simba appreciated his husband’s stubbornness (because he wouldn’t call it bravery) to stay with him. In the end, that was not what this was about. It was about making sure that Ashlee, Opal, Aidan, and Bellamy were going to be okay. Simba’s safety didn’t matter half as much as that, Ber’s loyalty didn’t matter half as much as that.

The day had drawn closer, hanging above them like a dark cloud and now it hung above them: threatening rain. Quit literally. The sky was dark with clouds that looked about ready to split at the seams any moment. 

Inside the Acheron house, it was a bustle of activity as the parents darted around trying to find this thing or that thing. Juggling the children as they periodically cried or otherwise needed attention. When Simba and Berlioz arrived, they nearly collided with Belle coming out of the door, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, a folded up playpen dwarfing her as she struggled to pull it out of the house. 

“Oh!” she yelped as all three of them startled. 

“Sorry, Belle,” Simba apologized and reached out for the playpen, lifting it easily from her grasp. He had expected her to fight him on it, but she just let it go. He put it under his arm. “I imagine this is going to the car?” 

She nodded. 

“Alright, I’ll do that.” He hefted it up under his arm. “Put us to work. We’re here to help, aren’t we, Ber?” Simba smiled sunnily at his husband. This was slated to be a rather somber affair, so if he could make it even a little lighter, he wanted to. 

BERLIOZ: So this was a stupid fucking idea. 

Not the running away-- Berlioz was all about that. In fact, with the impending doom scheduled (right on time; Swynlake had to lob one at him and his family at least every other year or who knows what would happen), Berlioz thought it was time for an extended vacation, perhaps one where they didn’t come back. Well. Alright, maybe that was an overreaction. But Berlioz had been pissed when Simba sat him and Ashlee down and told him about Zira’s evil plan, and the risks, and then told them that he would be staying. Of course. Because he was the heir of this whole goddamn tour. 

Berlioz had tried to argue. He didn’t want to go without Simba; ideally, Simba would stick a finger up at this whole thing the way he had done with InterPride and they could find peace and safety somewhere else, even if it was only for a week or two until this all played out.

It had been pointless. Berlioz knew it was pointless. Simba remained steadfast, loyal, and true-- things that Berlioz loved about him, things that he hated. 

If it weren’t for Ashlee, he would have dug his heels in, punished Simba for his stubborn loyalty with Ber’s stubborn loyalty. Though not to a town or a character or Arthur Pendragon-- but to him. And their family. And the bands around their fingers. That wouldn’t work though. Ashlee didn’t know Lou all that well, and leaving her with three kids and too much to worry about seemed unfair. 

So Berlioz had packed a bag. And he was here. But it was still a stupid fucking idea. 

Ber fiddled with his wedding ring now as they greeted Belle. Er--Simba greeted him. Ber remained quiet, one step back, though he offered half-smile at Simba and then went for another one of the suitcases. 

“Everything goin’ okay in there?” he asked Belle, hearing a bit of commotion. That would be transferred into the car in a little under an hour. 

Right on cue: Opal, tearing through the house. “UNCLE SIMBA!” she cried out nice and loud before colliding with his legs. She wrapped her arms around and smiled up at him. She garbled a bunch of words that Berlioz could not make out.

Hades appeared with a sigh. “She’s asking for help picking out her ‘travel dress.’ She won’t settle on anything,” Hades said this to Belle with an annoyed crease in his eyebrow. “This is all Lou’s fault.” 

SIMBA: “Hey little demon,” Simba chuckled as Opal slammed into him, her little arms wrapping around one of his legs as she grinned up at him. Usually, Opal looked like a pretty even split between her parents, but that smile was all her own. (Maybe just because Simba didn’t see either Belle or Hades grin like that very often.)

He glanced over at Hades as he came up behind his wife, then back down to Opal with a smile wide enough to match her own.

“No, it’s not,” he heard Lou call from up the stairs.

Opal giggled.

“Are you giving your parents a hard time?” he asked the girl with a raised eyebrow. She shook her head emphatically.

“Opal, let go of Uncle Simba,” Belle said, holding out her hand for her daughter to take instead, but she clung stubbornly to him. He felt her arms tighten around his thigh. Jeez, when did the kid get so strong? With his hands full, he couldn’t peel her off of him.

“Hey, Opal,” Simba said her name to get her attention and she glanced up at him. “You know who loves picking out outfits?”

Her brow furrowed as she thought about it and then she shook her head.

“Your Uncle Ber.”

“Really?” She brightened up at once.

“Oh, yeah, definitely.”

Opal unattached herself from him but then threw herself on Ber’s legs. “Uncle Ber, Uncle Ber. C’mon, I will show you all my dresses! I have sooooo many.”

Simba gave Ber a smile at the look he shot him and then leaned in to kiss the side of his head before Opal dragged him off. Belle chuckled as she watched them, her arms around herself, holding her elbows tight.

“Well done,” she snorted.

Simba shrugged as he picked up the suitcase Ber left behind. “I figured distracting them both was probably a good idea. I’m gonna go put these in the car. If you bring down anything else the babies will need, just put it by the front door and I’ll pack it up. I am great at jigsaws.” He knew it was going to be a tight squeeze with three babies and three adults in the car.    

BERLIOZ:  Berlioz shot Simba a look, half-panicked. Not that he didn’t know how to handle Opal. By now he knew quite well, but-- normally it was always Berlioz and someone else tag-teaming her. If there was anything about Opal, it was that she was a handful. Took several handlers, unless you were a toddler whisperer, like Simba, so really the way this scene shoulda gone was Simba going off to convince Opal into her ballerina tutu and Berlioz would take bag duty, a much less complicated thing. Plus, he could use that time to complain to Belle about this whole thing.

Well. Actually. She was a knight too. She’d probably say the same stupid shit about keeping them all safe, and having to stay because of divine destiny, and because she believed in Swynlake and it was her home and her duty to protect it… 

Yeah, maybe Berlioz wanted to talk to Lou. Someone sane. 

So he went all the way up to Opal’s room. His eyebrows shot up immediately at all the clothes laid out. “So I see you’ve been workin’ on this for a while,” he deadpanned. Opal was not old enough to understand Berlioz’s humour, so she just giggled and skipped forward. She grabbed a dragon onesie and held it up. “Look, Uncle Ber!” 

Berlioz nodded. “Mm, yeah, that looks comfy.” She babbled something in incoherent toddler speak. He picked out something about “guarding” them from “baddies.” 

It made him frown. “Opal, you don’t gotta worry about that. We’re just going on a...a family vacation. A special one, for you and me and your TonTon. Right, Lou?” 

HADES: Hades watched Opal and Berlioz scamper off for a moment before he turned back to Belle and Simba. He went for another bag they’d brought down: one of Lou’s. Hades had told Lou he didn’t need so much shit, but it had been a pointless comment. Of course Lou was going to pack more ridiculous outfits than he needed, even if they’d only be gone… Hades didn’t know. He tried not to linger on that part of it. If he did, he’d start to worry and he’d want to do something he had never wanted to do before-- flee. It wasn’t like him at all. He wasn’t a coward. He’d grown up with more magic than most, understanding its responsibility. Obviously his place was in Swynlake and by Belle’s side. 

But he’d never been separated from his kids before. Not like this. Not for so long. Perhaps it would just be a week away, and it would be exactly what Opal needed to shake off the last of the nightmares from the Order’s attacks. He wanted that for her. She deserved a nice and normal holiday… to see the beaches, play some silly carnival games, go to a play, get a new pretty dress from her TonTon. But if things went wrong… it was hard to predict. Maybe he wouldn’t see Opal for much longer. He had this pit in his stomach that made him more uncertain. It felt like a premonition, telling Hades to go, to stay with his family. (He was staying with his family...his family was just split down the middle. And so was his heart). He knew that Simba understood all of that. As soft and sentimental as he was, he was going through the same thing. And so it was with that in mind that Hades headed out behind Simba with Lou’s bag and said, “So-- how’s Berlioz doing with all this?” 

TOULOUSE: Toulouse was glad to be leaving. He was pissed, of course. Thought that both Belle and Hades were idiots. It comforted him that, at least, Hades was only staying behind to protect Belle. (Really, that just made him angrier at Belle. Not because he cared about Hades’ safety more, but because she was being selfish.) He wondered if without the babies, he would make a different choice. To stay. (Part of him didn’t think he would. Was he a bad partner for that? Did he not love Belle and Hades enough?)

Thankfully, there were the babies and because of them, Lou could not dwell on the existential. He had to focus on the children. Getting them packed and put in the car. Protecting them, above anything else, even his own heart.

If only Opal would cooperate. He rarely lost his patience with her, but it was a near thing now. She was being impossible. And he was not the kind of parent to wrestle her into just anything and toss her in the car. (Was he really much of a parent at all? Or the indulgent uncle who let her get away with taking over an hour to pick out an outfit.) He was frowning at Opal’s bed, where her outfits were all laid out. They had already packed her favourite books and her favourite toys, Mr. Fox laying on top of the bag, so he wouldn’t be forgotten and could be cuddled in the car.

When Ber and Opal arrived, he wasn’t startled but he only looked up at his brother’s comment. He rolled his eyes, scoffing slightly.

His frown shifted even a bit deeper at Opal’s words. They were, of course, careful how they spoke about the situation when Opal was around, but sometimes—they did forget. Opal was growing so fast and she was curious, smart, and emotionally intuitive. She knew that something was going on. Could feel the tension in the air. And so soon on the heels of the Order—

Lou worried about her. Children should feel safe. He had spent most of his own childhood feeling the unsteadiness of his family. He had thought—if her parents were together and loved each other, why wouldn’t she feel safe? But for Opal, and the Acherons, it was much more complicated.

He knelt down when Opal looked over at him and she skipped over, leaning against his leg. “Yes, we’re going to the ocean.”

“Fish,” she said, though not as enthusiastically as she might have otherwise.

He smiled at her and nodded. “Yes, fish. And Maman and Daddy will be joining us in a few days. They just have some business to finish up here first. Uncle Simba, too.” Opal swung her head around to look at Ber for confirmation.

SIMBA: “Oh, uh—” Simba said, glancing over his shoulder. He was surprised that Hades had followed him. Well, okay, no. Not really. Out of everyone, the two of them were the ones who would actually get everything packed and put in the car. Berlioz would lollygag, Simba already knew that. And he couldn’t imagine Lou was much better. If it wasn’t Opal spending hours picking out a travel outfit, it’d be Toulouse. And Belle—well, he didn’t know where to put her, but she seemed a little subdued, so who knew.

Hades was practical. Like Simba. They were the de facto heads of their families. So, Hades actually putting bags in the car was not surprising. What was surprising was that he was talking to Simba.

“He’s pissed at me,” Simba said with a shrug as he waved his foot under the back of the car, so the boot would open automatically. “Thinks we are all a bunch of nuts but I’m okay with that. I’d rather him be pissed and safe than here and—” He trailed off as he shoved the pack-n-play up against the back seats.

“Only reason I could convince him to go was because of Ashlee. And helping with the babies, of course. So, thanks for that. I know Lou’s capable, but even he can’t juggle three babies on his own.” Simba chuckled as he tossed the other bag into the car as well and then stepped out of the way, so Hades had access.

“Er, what about Lou?”

BERLIOZ:  Opal looked at him, and Berlioz didn’t know what to say. 

That was often the case. He couldn’t talk to kids, not… the same way as Simba or Lou. There was this special mix you had to master-- personable, funny, easy to understand but not too babyish. Ber could barely talk to adults as is, so mastering that mix was next-level impossible. He would take Opal turning him into the pet golden retriever or enemy dragon or whatever anyday-- make him bark or growl, that he could do. 

But talk to Opal about going away without her parents? No, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t lie. Because...it might be a lie. Maybe it would be longer than a week.

Maybe her parents wouldn’t join them.

Maybe--

No. Berlioz slammed a wall down in his own brain, as his anxiety started to fester. He was catastrophizing. If he catastrophized, he’d send himself into a panic attack and he couldn’t do that in front of Opal, or with Ashlee coming in little under a half hour, or with Simba looking for him to be strong. If he had to focus on any of his shitty emotions, he had to pick anger. Anger was at least goddamn productive. It made him braver, albeit brash and bitchy. He’d just be pissed-- and hold onto it so he could lash out at Simba when they saw each other again. Because they would see each other again.

To Opal now? “Yeah,” was all he uttered at first. Then: “But don’t you wanna hang out with us instead, eh? We’re waaaaay cooler than your parents.” 

That made Opal giggle. “Waaaaaaaaaaay cooler,” she said, trying to mimic his accent. 

“Sooooo much cooler. Now c’mon, show us that cool dragon outfit!”

Opal squealed and instantly started to change, right then and there. Berlioz let out a sigh all his own that felt like the release of a fifteen-tonne weight. Except he still carried so much. This was only the beginning. There’d be more questions and moments like this one, Berlioz not sure what to do or say-- Opal and the twins missing their parents. He glanced up at his brother, and was so fucking happy he wasn’t doing this by himself. 

“Well, maybe that’ll be the hardest part of the trip, eh?” he half-joked, knowing it wouldn’t be. “You ready for this?” 

HADES: Well, if push came to shove, Hades thought Lou could handle three babies on his own. It would be a chore, but over the past few months, Lou had become so integral that he was like another set of Hades’s hands. Maybe that was his true magic-- along with his ability to know instinctively when Hades was getting overwhelmed and needed him. He always seemed to appear, a step ahead, intuition perfectly tuned, ready to take a twin or wrestle a difficult Opal into a better mood. 

Or sometimes, he’d appear and say just the right thing to make Hades laugh. And the whole day lifted. 

Hades would miss that. 

He didn’t want to send Lou away-- unlike Simba. Of course he wanted to keep his partner safe, but Hades always believed the best way to do what was by keeping him close. And hadn’t he and Belle always faced their demons together? He never pushed Belle to the side-- magic or no magic. He’d treat Lou the same if he could. 

But he had three children. He had three children, and Lou was not a warrior in the same way that Belle was a warrior, so Hades could crave Lou, could need Lou, but it would be selfish, not smart. Now as the time to be smart. 

“I think Lou’s happy to go. Well. Happy’s an overstatement. Or not the right word. He’s not in any rush to defend Swynlake against the forces of evil is all. Must be Bonfamille blood.” Not that Hades was doing any of this for this Swynlake. He was doing it for-- future Swynlake. For his children. For Belle. 

“But he knows this is how it works. And as long as I am who I am and Belle is who she is… things like this will happen.” Hades slammed a car door shut. “That’s why it’s called Fate.”  

TOULOUSE: Toulouse could hear his brother’s fluttering heartbeat. He could actually hear much more than that. Opal’s heartbeat too. The twins in their playpen next to him (he’d moved it in to Opal’s room so he could keep an eye on them). Belle downstairs in the kitchen moving cups around. He couldn’t hear her heartbeat from her, but still. And he could hear Simba and Hades’ feet crunching the gravel outside and the murmur of conversation, though not their words.

He was going to miss this all. The idea of it disappearing made him feel unsteady and angry. It was a good thing he had a perceptive toddler to take care of, otherwise, he was afraid he might breakdown. His family centered him. The balance was a delicate one, and losing Hades and Belle? Them putting themselves in danger? It felt unnatural and...frightening.

But, he didn’t have time to think about it, because his caillou needed him, and his little brother’s heart was pounding, despite his smile.

He helped Opal out of her clothes and then into the dragon onesie as his brother spoke. glancing at him, he just pursed his lips slightly. “Of course, I am,” he told him, even if it wasn’t true. Because it was what he needed to tell himself. And it was probably what Ber needed to hear. “It will be fine. Caillou is going to be a good big sister, aren’t you?”

Opal nodded seriously, glancing over at the twins before looking back at him.

“Going to entertain them in the car, hm?”

“Yeah!” She grinned big.

“See? No problem. It’s not too long of a drive. By the time we get to Bournemouth, they’ll all be knocked out anyway and I’ve got a full itinerary for the next few days.” After Friday, there was nothing on the schedule, but by Friday, the rest of the family was supposed to be joining them. Until then, he’d planned trips to the museums and markets and beach, to keep the children occupied and Ber’s mind off of things.

SIMBA: Simba wanted to joke about defending Swynlake from the forces of evil, but the words felt like ash in his mouth. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this was his fault. Somehow. Or, at the very least, his family’s true legacy. This long term, terrible curse. He still hadn’t been able to reconcile that with the history he had known. And he didn’t know how much was true. After all, Simba had never approached Zira. Partially because Arthur had told him to keep his distance, but partially because...well, he was scared to learn the truth. He wondered, if he had earlier, would they all be in this situation? His family unsafe. Hades’ family unsafe? All of Swynlake, potentially, unsafe?

And he wondered if the same thing Hades said was true for him too. If, for as long as he was who he was, his family would not be safe.

The idea didn’t sit right with him. How was he supposed to have children if he worried about things like ancient family curses? Or a responsibility to a taking care of a whole town? He already felt guilty enough, keeping Ber away, when his place was at Simba’s side.

His shoulders felt incredibly heavy.

“Maybe,” Simba agreed. Though, he still didn’t understand why Allah still felt the need to test him, over and over. Hadn’t he proven himself?

Simba sighed and let his armor drop, for just a moment, thinking about going home tonight to an empty house. An empty bed. At least Hades had the benefit of keeping Belle close. Though, he supposed, being separated from his children must be just as hard, if not harder. He wouldn’t be alone, though, and that—Simba was jealous of.

“Can I ask you something?” Simba turned to face Hades properly. “If something happens to me, would you just—look after them? I-I know Lou and Belle will look after Berlioz but...my mum. She’s got her sister in London but I dunno just...I’m all she has left. And Ashlee. She’s an adult now, but she isn’t ready to be on her own. I know you’ve got your own family but Nala is in Kenya and I don’t want to involve Kiara in any of this and I just—wanna make sure they’re taken care of. I’ve got money put aside for all of them, but...I’d just feel better if you were looking out for them.” 

HADES: At Simba’s question, Hades raised his eyebrows. 

The answer did not need to be spoken, necessarily. Naturally Hades would step in to help the Bonfamille-Lyons if the worse came to be. After all, in a way, they were Hades’s family too, through Lou. Lou would probably do most of the actual work...picking up after Simba, as Berlioz would naturally be a mess. He was also much better with Ashlee. They didn’t have much of a relationship but certainly more than Hades, and he knew enough about the girl’s trauma to know that a stranger stepping in would not be good for her.

But.

But all of that hypothetical thinking was a waste of his energy. It was a waste of Simba’s too. Hades understood the proclivity to worry as having three children made him more predisposed to it, but he was also practiced at keeping his worry in a separate place in his mind, or making it quiet when he needed to focus.

And now was the time for Simba and Hades to focus. 

“It goes without saying that I would,” said Hades. “But you can’t start thinking like that, Lyons. You make that future more likely if you speak it. Have more confidence, eh? That’s what your family needs from you. Don’t talk like you’ve already lost-- you need to think like that isn’t even an option. Because it isn’t.” 

That’s what Hades’s confidence-- some called it arrogance-- gave him. 

At this moment, the door opened again, and Opal came scampering out, Ber and Lou trailing behind. She nearly stumbled onto the rough steps of their pathway, but caught herself. Even if she did fall, Opal wasn’t one to cry these days. She would have just picked herself up again.

“Daddy! Uncle Simba! Look!” She stopped in front of them and made two claws out of her hand. “GRRRRRRR”

Hades reacted as a father should, clutching his chest. “Oi! A dragon’s eaten my daughter!” 

SIMBA: Simba was not a pessimist. No matter how much the world tried to make him one. He tried to be optimistic about things, to believe in fate, in Allah, in things happening the way they were supposed to. And if he thought like that, he thought that this couldn’t be the end for him. There was so much more that he needed to do. He needed to make it to his second wedding anniversary, his fifth, tenth, twentieth, fiftieth. He still needed to convince Ber to have a baby with him. (Well, he’d convinced him, but they hadn’t done it yet.) They hadn’t been to Asia or South America yet. Or taken their trip to Antarctica to see the singing penguins...

And, of course, in front of Ber, Simba wouldn’t let any of that worry wiggle its way in. With Hades, though, there was really nothing to lose. Hades would understand what Simba was asking. Would, maybe, understand that it wasn’t a weakness to think such a thing. Just—practical, born out of love more than anything. In front of Ber, Simba would be strong. All smiles and buoyed confidence. And he’d believe it enough that Ber would believe it too. But, for just a moment, it was nice to have someone else being the one to tell him it was okay.

Simba nodded and was about to say something else when Opal burst out of the house. Ber and Lou appeared in the doorway behind her, both carrying one of the twins and a suitcase. He couldn’t help but smile at Ber before looking down at Opal as she ran up to them.

He let out a breath of a chuckle and then leaned over to squint a bit at Opal. She bared her teeth at him. “Hades, wait—I think...I think the dragon is your daughter!” Simba reached out and scooped Opal up, nom-noming on her fuzzy stomach as she squealed and squirmed.

“Daddy help!”

Simba let Hades rescue Opal and grabbed the suitcase from Ber, pinching Aidan (Bellamy? Hell, he didn’t know they looked exactly the same) (it was Aidan for the record) on the cheek before leaning in to kiss Ber. He turned to put the suitcase in the boot. When he looked back over, Belle had appeared, Shuck following dutifully at his mistress’ side.

She wordlessly stood at Toulouse’s elbow and he handed a sleepy Bellamy over to her. Bellamy snuggled up against his mother’s collarbone and she pressed her nose into his hair. Simba glanced away, feeling something twist in his gut.

“Is, uh—that everything from the house?” Simba asked, clearing the sudden tightness in his throat. He slipped up next to Ber and touched his back, trailing his hand up until he rested it on the back of his husband’s warm neck.

“I believe so,” Lou said, looking perfect, not at all ruffled or distressed, though his hands hung a bit awkwardly at his sides now that he was not holding one of the children.

“Right, well—” Simba’s fingers clenched slightly at Ber’s neck “—should probably get the children settled in the car, eh?” 

BERLIOZ:  So this was it. 

No, it wasn’t it; it was the beginning. Berlioz knew that, and was both relieved and exhausted all at the same time, if that made any bloody sense at all. He was relieved that the beginning of this trip meant that he and Lou and the children would be safe. He was glad to be leaving Swynlake, for once ahead of its terrible storm. For a long time, Swynlake never afforded him that kinda luxury. And he really shouldn’t thank the town this time either, because it was Simba, not Swynlake, who was clearing the roads and makin’ sure they got out.

But he was exhausted because he didn’t know when any of this was gonna end. He was exhausted, knowing that for the next...so many nights, he’d be curling up alone without Simba’s familiar breath or his warmth against Berlioz’s back. Would he even be able to sleep? How the hell was he going to keep up this facade of a happy-go-lucky vacation for a bunch of smart kids, and Ashlee, who definitely knew shit was going down, and needed someone much stronger than Berlioz to reassure her. 

With thoughts like that turning themselves into knots in Berlioz’s mind, it seemed clear to him-- Simba should be the one to go. If some Lyons had to stay behind, well, he’d taken the name. Couldn’t he count? No, that wasn’t martyrdom, just plain facts. 

But he was a coward, and Simba was not. And he’d never follow that path of logic.

So this was it. 

There was a pause between Simba’s words, filled in a beat later by Hades, not Berlioz. 

“C’mere, lovely!” he exclaimed, and he lifted Opal into his arms. She squealed. Berlioz watched as he spun her once around, making her laugh again, before he zoomed toward the car, making noises like he was a giant spaceship. “Annnnnd she lands!” he exclaimed, tucking Opal into one of the seats.

Berlioz’s heart pounded hard, he could feel it like a fist in his throat. He turned to Simba. “What if you changed your mind and came with us anyway?” the words spilled out, useless, selfish. He knew the answer. He still had to say it. 

SIMBA: Simba sighed and glanced away from Berlioz, though he didn’t stop touching him. This was what it felt like—looking away, but still reaching behind. Simba wanted to go. More than anything, he wanted to go. 

“You know I want to,” Simba turned back to Ber, shifting his weight so he could swing around in front of him. He wrapped his arms around Ber. A bit awkward, because his husband was still holding a baby, but that didn’t matter much to Simba. 

He leaned in and kissed Ber, nose, then his cheek. “I love you. I just—I need to this. For me. I don’t know if it makes me selfish or—“ 

Belle cleared her throat a bit and Simba turned as she gestured to the baby. Simba leaned in and kissed the baby’s soft little head before letting Belle take him from Ber. When she was gone, Simba turned back to Ber and wrapped his arms properly around him, his shoulders, squeezing him tight. 

“We are gonna be together again soon, I promise. I will see you in a few days.” He squeezed him tighter, closing his eyes. 

BELLE: Belle was struggling. 

She didn’t think she would, but as the last one in the house, she realized how still it was. Not quiet, because the house was never quiet, but still. Empty. Once, only Belle and Hades were in this house together, and that had been enough. Then, there had been Opal and that had been enough. Then, the twins and Toulouse and all the animals and this house breathed. Going back just to Hades and Belle felt wrong. 

Having her children taken away from her made her feel like she was losing a piece of herself. 

She took Bellamy from Toulouse’s arms, crawled into the third row of the car, settling him into his car seat. “I love you,” she told her sweet, chubby faced baby. “I love you so much and I am going to miss you.” Bellamy blinked serenely at her, always so content. “Be brave.” 

Belle passed Hades buckling Opal into her car seat. Went out the other door and got Aidan from Simba and Berlioz. She buckled him into the seat next to his brother and gave him a goodbye too, her eyes watering as he started to squirm and twist his face. But Belle just kissed both of them several times and then switched spots, so she could say goodbye to Opal. 

“Maman loves you,” she told her daughter, crouching in front of her. 

“I know, Maman. I love you, too.” 

Belle smiled. “You’re going to be brave, oui?” 

“GRRR,” Opal lifted her hands and made claws. 

Belle laughed through her tears. “That’s my demon. You keep your Tonton in line.”

“Oui, Maman.”

“I will see you soon.”

“Bye-bye.”

Belle slipped out of the car and stumbled right into Toulouse’s arms. He squeezed her shoulders and she cried against him, hiding her face away from Opal. 

“You will see them soon,” Toulouse told her, rubbing her shoulder. She nodded and pulled away. She reached up and touched his cheek and then popped up on her tiptoes. She kissed his cheek and then his lips softly. 

“Take care of them, alright? And yourself. Don’t worry about us. I love you.”

Toulouse’s cheeks were pink and his eyes were glassy but he nodded and blinked quickly. “Oui, je t’aime. À bientôt.”

BERLIOZ:  Simba told him what Berlioz knew was coming. And yet it was still like swallowing a rock, a rock that fell through him and kept falling, and would keep falling, as long as Simba was away from him. 

In that moment, all he could do was hold onto Simba and trick himself into believing otherwise. 

The only comfort he had was turning back to the past. As he squeezed Simba back, he could see the edges of every obstacle they climbed over. There was a whole fucking mine field of them, his last five or six years a battlefield strewn with debris. But he was on the other side, or at least, nearly there. Simba had come back from worse, hadn’t he? Wasn’t Taka worse than this? (Debatable-- a different kind of evil than openly vengeful vampire relatives.) Wasn’t Hell opening worse than this? (Would Hell open again, this time without Berlioz to fetch him back?) 

And Simba promised. 

Berlioz didn’t believe in a lot of things--and there had been a time when Simba’s word had become a flimsy thing-- but these days, Simba’s word was eternal. It was wrapped in gold and pressed forever into Berlioz’s finger. If Simba promised, he promised. 

If Simba broke that promise, Berlioz would just have to open hell himself this time, and make him regret it. 

He pulled away, but only so he could kiss Simba gently, their lips as gentle as hands meeting in prayer. Then he pulled back again, but this time, for real. “I love you,” he murmured. “So don’t bloody die.” 

And then he climbed into the car. 

HADES:  Hades was struggling, too. 

Hades was a lucky man-- and wasn’t that a problem? As he helped his kids into the car, he could count all his riches with his own eyes. His daughter. His sons. His wife, who was stronger than him, even with tears in her eyes (or maybe because she had tears in her eyes, but was unafraid of them). And a partner in Lou, who was a different kind of strong-- maybe the best word was reliable, the way the moon was in its cyclical waxing and waning; it knew the art of both dark and light. 

He didn’t want to lose any of them. With Lou and the children gone, he felt crippled in a way-- like tourmaline had been laced around his neck or Zira would boast another one of those goddamn charms that shielded her from his power. For a brief moment, he worried he was the one who would let them down-- that he wouldn’t be strong enough, without them. 

But he did not hold onto that thought for long.

He would have to find a different strength, so he could meet them at the coastline the way he had promised. And perhaps that in itself would be Hades’s new weapon: a vision of himself arriving at sunset, gold tossed in Opal’s hair as she dashed through the sand into his open arms. He’d smell the sea, taste it on Lou’s lips, tuck himself into a holiday if only for a little while. But only once he earned it. 

He drifted toward Lou and Belle, and his hand instinctively moved to graze Lou’s back. “And don’t let Opal boss you around too much, eh?” he mentioned as a light joke, before leaning in to kiss Lou gently, and then whisper in his ear. “We’ll come for you.”