Hey everyone, huge apologies for the delay and thank you for sticking around. It's been hard to update as I can't seem to find the right time to write but I can assure you that I'm not giving up on this story. you've given me too much support for me to be able to do that to you so thank you. Seriously, because at this moment, we've surpassed 200 follows, 200 favourites and 100 reviews, so I can't begin to thank you guys enough. Anyway, onto the reviews.
Reviews:
1) DragonEmperor999:
a)I'm glad Mal will be ok.Is Carlos next?
-- I am too and maybe he will be. You'll just have to wait and see.
b) Wow Mal sure is wow
-- She sure is.
2) andjelija.nenic: Update more chapters about this story,because it's the best,extra and the great story that I was reading about it,and I am also starting to love and to like reading to this story. So can you please write more chapters,because I want to know what happens in the next chapters about it. THANKS SO MUCH FOR WRITTEN TO THIS STORY,thanks so much about it.£££%%%$$$
-- Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope you enjoy the next two chapters.
3) ButterflyBaby30:
a) Poor Mal!
-- I know right.
b) Great!
-- Thank you so much.
c) Excellent chapter!
-- Aww. Thank you.
d) Awesome chapter!
-- I'm glad you like it.
4) cecelia.dryan: Update
-- Here you are. I hope you enjoy it.
5) JEN-M:
a) The necklace is magic!? And wow, two guys are gonna be sore after Hades is done with them. I felt so sorry for Jay. He was so afraid for Mal. And Evie! You're our little heroine! And I'm so glad the Evil Queen's being a decent parent.I love this chapter SOOOO MUCH!
-- Yes it is and they will be. He definitely was and Evie's a princess that's a hero in disguise. In my opinion, EQ is one of the more caring parents as she wanted Evie to live a happy and comfortable life with her prince. She also taught her basic mannerisms that are useful.
b) YES! Hades came back to his baby. Mal, forgive your Daddy. And, ooh...the magic necklace once belonged to Mal once...Interesting chapter. Can't wait to see how this turns out.
-- I'm so glad you thought it was interesting and I hope you like how the rest of this part plays out.
Thank you once again everyone for the reviews. And out of curiosity, what country is everyone from? I'm from Malaysia, a small country in Southeast Asia.
I hope you guys enjoy the last installments of this small section called 'Mal's Hurt'.
PMs:
1) Dark Serpent Cat: Hi sorry for bothering you but I was reading your descendants fic where Mal is raised by Hades and I am getting confused as it looks like sone chapters follows Mal raised by Hades but others are where Hades leaves her and Maleficent and this is kind of confusing to me
-- It's fine. You're not bothering me. In this story, the odd numbered chapters are if Mal lived with Hades instead of Maleficent while the even numbered chapters are more canon with her living with only Maleficent. I post them side by side for easier comparison. Thank you for your message.
Hades' POV
These few days have been the longest days of my life. From dawn to dusk, I refuse to move away from her side. The only time I do actually move is when nature calls or when Evie, Jay and EQ practically push me off my seat and tell me to take a walk. Even then, I don't go far, just within the house compound so I can be there when Mal wakes up.
Right now as I wait, I hold her hand, gingerly rubbing circles over blue tinged knuckles. Her skin is still pale but colour has started to return over the past few days. EQ has also been over to change the bandages twice. She says it's healing nicely but I beg to differ. The bright pink wound makes me gag each time I see it and it's not only out of disgust, not at Mal of course, but also put of guilt. I'm her dad. I should've protected her more.
I lightly kiss the bruised knuckles and I feel her twitch. I turn towards her. Her eyelids are fluttering. I see the hitch in her breath. Her small mouth parts in an O.
Her eyelids open and I'm face to face with her enchanting emerald orbs that I have longed to see. She whimpers a bit and I try to soothe her. Eventually she calms down and tries to curl into me. Without releasing my grip on her, I move on to her bed and pull her head into my lap, gently caressing her purple locks.
After a while, her breathing evens and I'm about to leave her to sleep once again when she asks a question that makes me melt and worry at the same time. "What happened? Is Jay ok?" She tried to look around for him, but seeing as it is night time, he had to go home.
"You got hurt Mal. You injured your side. But don't worry about Jay, he's completely fine." Her eyes pierce mine, trying to find any sign of untruthfulness but finds none.
"Ok." She sighs before pointing to her throat. I quickly grab a pitcher of juice from her bedside table. For the past few days, I had been pouring drops of juice down her throat to take least make sure she got some water as well as some nutrients. The lack of food has definitely made her thinner, but not obviously so.
"Are you hungry?" She shakes her head. "You've got to eat at least something. How about some soup?" She frowns, shaking her head once again. "Please. For me?" She contemplates it for a while before finally nodding.
"I'll get you some soup. Just hold on for a minute ok?" She nodded and I carefully shifted myself off the bed, being wary to not accidentally hit her wound. I then quickly make her a bowl of soup, bringing it before she falls asleep once again. Once I reach her room, I put the bowl aside to help her sit up first.
The movement jars her side and she whimpers, sending knives through my heart. I kneel down beside her, rubbing circles in her back before telling her what I'm about to do. She agrees and I pick her up before softly setting her down against the wall on her bed.
By then, her eyes are teary and it takes my strength to stop myself from going over and finding those two idiots who dared to lay a hand on my princess. I quickly set up her food and she sips it slowly. Her movements are slow and wary, as if she's afraid of the pain her usual quick and random movements would bring.
After she's drank half the bowl, she says she can't eat anymore. I try to persuade her but my efforts are futile. So I help her slide back into bed and kiss her goodnight. As I move to leave her room, her unusually timid voice breaks through the silence of night. "Are Jay and Evie coming over tomorrow?"
I smile at that. "Yes baby. So you have to go to sleep now so you'll have the energy to play with them ok?" She nods and I give her a final kiss on her forehead. "I love you."
"I love you 3000." My smile grows wider and I switch off her lights, happy that after so many days, my princess has finally woken and I can talk to her once again. Once everything is cleared up and she's fast asleep, I climb into her bed, wanting a cuddle and to feel the warmth that's starting to return to her body. I finally fall asleep in peace and contentment at knowing my baby girl is going to be ok.
DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO
I awake to the bed trembling, albeit lightly, and hear the saddest whimpers in the world. My thoughts immediately turn to my beautiful baby girl by my side.
Tears are streaming down her face like a waterfall. Her hands start moving sporadically and so did her feet. More whimpers release themselves from her throat, each one louder and more painful than the last.
I gather her in my arms, pulling her close while being wary of her wound. Despite being 8 years of age, her frame is still quite small, definitely smaller than the rest of the isle children her age. Holding her close, I rock us back and forth, humming soothing tunes into her ears in the hope that she will at least be free of the nightmare.
A few minutes later, her breathing evens and her eyes snap open. The gorgeous emeralds are watery and filled with pain as well as fear. My heart shatters once again despite having shattered many times before. I reposition her, apologising when the movement jars her wound, and let her cry on to my shoulder as I gently pat her back, hoping to prevent the onslaught of hiccups sure to come after.
After a while, she has finally calmed down and I offer her some juice from which she takes a few sips before promptly placing it back down. "Want to tell me what the dream was about princess?" I ask her, trying to figure out what caused her nightmare.
"We... we were back at the market with those bad guys... They wanted to hurt Jay and I... He almost got me... but Jay saved me and got hurt instead... Then the guy wanted to hurt daddy... Daddy died." Mal managed to get out between sobs and my temper flared. How dare these people traumatize my daughter so badly. As soon as Mal gets better, I'm going to have a talk with Maleficent about her goons.
"Mal... Baby." I cooed and she turned towards me. "Nothing is ever going to hurt me. Ok princess?" I look her straight in the eyes, making sure she sees the truthfulness and seriousness in the matter.
"Daddy will always protect you. Ok Mali?" She nods but I can still see the apprehension in her body. "Try to get some sleep." I move her under the covers and start to leave when she clings onto my shirt, refusing to let me go. "Are you still scared?" My little angel nods her head. "Don't be scared. Daddy will protect you."
I moved over slightly to reach my gramophone and placed in a disc, letting the music slowly play. As it played, I gently rubbed up and down to calm her, and sang along.
Come stop your crying
It will be alright
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
I will protect you
From all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry
I hold her close, not wanting to let her go or be afraid anymore. I stroke her long purple locks, enjoying their soft downy feel as they pass through my fingers. I can tel its helping her to calm down so I continue singing.
For one so small,
You seem so strong
My arms will hold you,
Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry
Her small frame shakes with occasional sobs but she's so strong. The fact that she's still here, breathing, alive, makes me so relieved and not want to let her go into the real world ever again, even though I know I have to. Even if I let her go however, I'll still be here forever and I will always love her.
'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart always
Why can't they understand the way we feel?
They just don't trust what they can't explain
I know we're different but deep inside us
We're not that different at all
I don't care if she isn't like the other villains. Evil isn't stronger than love and it never will be. Part of me regrets all the evil I've done but if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have the greatest thing in my life, my girl. I wish other villains would see that. I wish the Auradonians would see that some of us aren't that bad and are actually like them, is they'll release us. Mal doesn't deserve to be here. Neither do the other kids.
And you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
Don't listen to them
'Cause what do they know (what do they know)?
We need each other
To have, to hold.
They'll see in time
I know
When destiny calls you
You must be strong (you gotta be strong)
I may not be with you
But you've got to hold on
They'll see in time
I know
We'll show them together
Maybe one day we'll get out of here. And even if I don't while she does, she'll never truly be alone because no matter what, I'll be here for her. I hope she never listens to what the other villains say to her because all she needs to be is herself, because that's all that matters.
'Cause you'll be in my heart
Believe me, you'll be in my heart
I'll be there from this day on,
Now and forever more
Oh, you'll be in my heart (you'll be here in my heart)
No matter what they say (I'll be with you)
You'll be here in my heart (I'll be there) always
Always
I'll be with you
I'll be there for you always
Always and always
Just look over your shoulder
Just look over your shoulder
Just look over your shoulder
I'll be there always.
By the time the song's finished and another one began, she's fast asleep with a smile on her face and as she sleeps, I can't help but be thankful that my baby is still alive and I get to hold her in my arms.
As I watch her sleep, her chest rising and falling rhythmically, her hands clutching the bear I gave her all those years ago, her soft snores sounding like purrs lull me to sleep, and I lie against the headboard in a happy slumber.
DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO
Later, I'm awoken by the sound of children rushing into my house. That sound is also soon accompanied by shushing sounds. I ease myself out from under Mal and try to get to the door, only to be stopped by her whimpers.
"It's ok Mali." I gently caress her face. "I'll only be a minute." Her whimpers die down and I head towards the living room to meet the kids and EQ. Surprisingly, after so many days, their enthusiasm on Mal finally waking up hasn't died down and today, it will not be for nothing.
"Shh." I tell them, trying to get them to be quiet so they can surprise Mal. "She woke up last night-" before I could finish, Jay and Evie ran ahead, wanting to see their best friend again. I sighed and EQ just sent me a grimace. I understand their excitement though. It's been days and nights of worrying so waiting another moment seems illogical. I just chuckle as I watch them trying to wake up Mal and cheering when they finally succeed.
Jay's POV
Words can't even express how relieved I am that Mal's finally woken up. The guilt that's been building up in my chest goes away and I feel like I can breathe so much easier now that I don't feel the weight of the world is no longer on my shoulders.
I jump on Mal's bed, being extremely cautious of her side and hug her. Evie does the same as well on the other side and we both capture her in our warmth. I see the corners of Mal's mouth turn up in a smile and her arms try to snake themselves around us.
Finally, her eyes open. Evie and I smile. "Hey sleeping beauty." I tease, making her groan. "About time you woke up from your 100 year nap." Mal just wriggles her arm out from under me and tries to push me off the bed, only to fail seeing as she has barely any strength left after so many days.We just chuckle at her attempt, making her pout in the adorable way that no one can resist her.
At that, Evie and I get up, sitting beside her while Hades helps her up. Evie and I scoot closer to her once she's comfortable and she leans her head on my shoulder, making me lean slightly to accommodate the height difference.
"How about lunch?" Hades suddenly asks, making me realise Mal was probably really hungry since she hadn't eaten for the past few days. However, she surprises me by shaking her head.
"Just a little." I plead and Evie gives her best puppy dog eyes as well. Mal finally relents and we give a slight cheer before watching her eat while refusing Hades attempts to feed her even though the spoon is quivering in her hold.
After she's finished the bowl, Evie and I really wanted to play but Mal was already getting tired again. We knew Mal would take some time to recover so we decided to just sit there and talk.
A while later, she shifted a little, wanting to lie down as her side was starting to hurt and be uncomfortable. Hades, who had been just watching us and talking with EQ the whole time, quickly helped her lie down before resuming his position at the side of the room, beside EQ.
Mal then shifted her head into my lap as we continued to talk, allowing me to play with her long purple hair. I mindlessly began to fiddle with it while Evie ran her hands up and down Mal's arms, allowing her own warm hands to warm the latter's colder ones. Eventually Mal fell asleep and so did we.
A few days later, Mal decided she couldn't stay in bed any longer despite Hades' protests. So rather than letting her wait until his back was turned to try it on her own, like he knew she would, he waited until Evie and I were there with her to encourage her and help her.
Mal's POV
"Whoa. Easy girl." Jay whispered in my ear as he helped me stand up, only for me to nearly fall back onto the bed, taking him with me. My vision grew blurry from the head rush and I had to wait for a few moments for my vision to clear. "You ok?" I heard Jay ask beside me as he held onto my waist, preventing him from falling again.
"Yeah." I quickly replied as soon as my vision cleared, my voice barely a whisper. He nodded and took my arm, slinging it over his shoulders.
"We'll walk to Hades then back ok? If it gets too tiring or if you feel like you're going to fall, just say so and we'll stop." I nod and looked towards daddy, barely five feet away. Internally, I laugh at the whole point of this. I can easily walk five feet. I don't get why we need to make such a big fuss of me walking again after about two weeks of lying in bed.
"Let's do this." I say and take the first step. The minute one foot leaves the ground however, I almost crumple to the ground. Luckily Jay managed to hold me up.
"You sure you're ready for this?" He asks and I nod, being more certain of it than of anything else before in my life. "Take it easy ok?" I roll my eyes. "One foot in front of the other." I nod and take my first step once again, cheering when I don't fall and get to take another step.
"Slow down." Both Jay and daddy immediately say and I can't help but roll my eyes. They're both being drama queens. I remove my arms from Jay's shoulders and try to walk on my own, only to fall once again, causing frustration to build up within me.
Daddy immediately pulls me towards him and sits me in his lap. "Its ok Mali. This takes time." I crossed my arms. "You'll need sometime to recover. You can't expect to get better after a few days." I refuse to look up even though he's using his fingers to try and lift my chin up. "Do you want to go back to bed or try again?"
I'm silent for a while, making daddy pick me up and almost lie me on my bed when I make up my mind. "Fine. I'll try again." Daddy just smiles.
"That's my girl."
Over the next few days, daddy starts to let me walk around more but not on my own and not without supervision, which I think is totally ridiculous since I'm already 8 years old and not 8 months old.
Finally, the day I'm supposed to remove the stitches arrives. EQ comes along with Evie that day and first makes sure there's no sign of infection or anything like that. Daddy gives a huge sigh of relief when she says there's none, making Evie, Jay and I laugh.
Then she takes out a huge pair of scissors and I freeze in my place. As she edges closer, I try to scoot myself away from her but Evie and Jay are preventing my escape.
I hear the loud snipping sounds of the scissors as she checks for any rust and I feel my whole body going rigid. Daddy eventually notices my fear and crouches down beside me, his head leveled with mine despite being at different angles.
He gently pushes my hair away so I can clearly see his blue eyes. Then he presses his lips to my forehead. "You're my girl ok. You're daddy's beautiful, smart and loving princess. And you will always be ok? Don't be afraid. Daddy's here." I nod. "That's my girl."
"We're ready." Daddy tells EQ and she nods. "Jay, Evie, do you want to go outside?" I look towards my best friends and I can see the apprehension in their eyes.
"Go. I'll be fine." They shook their heads.
"We left last time, but we won't this time." Jay states as Evie nods in agreement. "We're here for you Mal and we've got your back." I smile at my best friends, who are the neatest friends you could ever have in the whole world, and thank them.
They then hold my hands as EQ starts removing the stitches. The knife is cold as it is pressed against my skin. I try my best not to flinch with every snip the scissors make and keep myself still.
Daddy whispers words of comfort in my ear as he watches them being removed. Evie and Jay rub circles on the back of my hands in their own pattern as I grip their hands in a death grip.
Finally, the scissors stop cutting and I feel something being pulled out from me. It tickles but it's also a creepy and scary sensation at the same time. I squirm a little each time I feel it being removed and I'm thankful we're no longer using the scissors.
At last, it's all over. EQ asks if I want to see the thread but I refuse to, knowing if I did I'd gag out whatever I ate since I've woken up and that wouldn't be good.
Since its getting late, daddy sends everyone home but asks EQ to come watch over us tomorrow as he has things he needs to do. I try asking him what but all he does is whisper to EQ and keep me in the dark.
Hades' POV
Now that Mal is finally better, I can leave her for a while to settle some things with Maleficent. As I walk towards the castle I never thought to return to, I think of what to say. My preparation is futile however as once she opens the door, my plans go out the window.
"HOW DARE YOU SHOW UP HERE?!" She screams and it takes all my willpower not to scream back. "AND WHERE'S OUR DAUGHTER?!" She looks around me Mal, clearly wanting to pull her inside and take her away from me forever. Good thing Mal isn't here because I couldn't bear to be away from my girl for long.
"DON'T SPEAK ABOUT HER AS IF YOU CARE FOR HER!" I yell back, finally losing my patience. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR MINIONS DID TO HER?!" Maleficent's glare shrunk and she looked confused, so I decided to clarify for her. "THEY ALMOST KILLED MAL!" She looked shocked then afraid. Suddenly her eyes were filled with the most fire and anger I've seen in years.
"BOYS!" They came running and she immediately pushed them to the ground. For a petite woman, she sure has a lot of strength, just like her daughter. "YOU ALMOST KILLED MY DAUGHTER?!" Their eyes went from confusion to understanding to fear. "ANSWER ME!!!" She started to hit them.
"Yes your evilness. But we didn't know it was her." The taller of the two replied, earning himself a swift kick to the stomach before I punched him in the face.
"YOU'RE BOTH DOOMED TO ETERNAL BANISHMENT FROM THE MAIN ISLE INCLUDING THE MARKETS AND THE DOCKS!!!" Maleficent proclaimed and they looked like they were about to object before thinking otherwise. "Anything you'd like to add husband of mine?" She took on a sickeningly sweet tone that made me want to barf.
"No." I said softly, shocking everyone. "Just know that you'll both have hell to pay when you're dead." They seem to freeze up at that point and I take it as my cue to walk away.
"Wait!" Maleficent's shrill voice pauses me in my tracks. "How's she doing?" Internally, I smiled at her concern but I made sure to not let it show. Showing my emotions would make me weak and that wouldn't be good for me or my girl.
"She's fine now." I throw over my shoulder and walk away, leaving her to do whatever she wants with the minions that hurt our daughter. Speaking of Mal, I wonder what she's doing as I walk back to the forest.
Maleficent's POV
As I watch him walk away, I sigh before sending the minions to their punishment. How dare they hurt my daughter?!
As I'm left alone however, I can't help but wonder how she is now. She should be at least 8 years old so I'm pretty sure she's no longer in diapers. She's probably also grown a fair bit. Her hair's probably longer as well.
I know I seem cruel but that doesn't mean I'm concerned about my daughter. All I know is that Hades has been raising her on his own and she is sheltered beyond belief. No one has ever seen her step into the main areas of the isle and that thought sends me reeling. She won't know how to protect herself if she had too.
My thoughts are pointless however as I don't know where she lives and I can't train her myself. All I can do is hope that she will be able to grow up strong and independent like her not so old lady.
Mal's POV
As soon as daddy leaves and I know he's far away enough not to see us, I decide what I want to do for the day.
"Let's go outside." I tell Jay and Evie when EQ's back is turned. "Its been forever since I've left the house and I miss my freedom." Their eyes bulge at that, knowing my daddy wouldn't let me out until he was completely sure I was ok, which I am but he doesn't want to admit it.
They turn to each other and seem to have a sent conversation before agreeing. "Ok. But just for a short while. No crazy stunts or climbing trees. Just walking around the house." I pout but I know it's that or nothing so I take my chances. Maybe I can do it while their backs are turned.
As Evie tells her mom, Jay helps me up because he thinks I'm still too weak to do it on my own. I want to push his arms away but I know if I disagree, he could decide that we just stay in for the day.
Once we walk the long tunnel out into the forest, I finally feel my lungs expand as I take in the semi fresh air only found here. "What do you want to do now Mal?" Jay asks and I contemplate for a while.
"Cops and robbers?" I suggest and he looks towards EQ for approval. She looks unsure but finally agrees with the condition of not being too rough or running too fast. I want to tell her 'way to take the fun out of it', but hold my mouth because technically she's in charge and I don't want to get into any trouble.
After a few rounds, we're all tired out and just lay on the grass, staring at the trees and the skies. I'm almost asleep when I hear familiar footsteps and jump up from where I was lying. I then run to daddy, shocking him, and allowing him to pick me up and spin me around. "Feeling all better now princess?" I nod and his smile grows wide, knowing that I don't feel the pain anymore and I'm back to myself.
"That's my girl."