A/N: Thanks for sticking with me for all this time, y'all! We are getting towards the end of this story, I may take a break from this to continue another story of mine.
Hadley was sitting in her and Elyse's dorm room on the floor. Black leather clad back pressed up against the door to keep it closed. Despite the door being locked anyways. Her knees pulled up to her chest. Holes being in the knee area of her dark blue jeans, exposing her knees to the chilled air. "I know that you're out there, Elyse. Can you just leave me alone?"
"No. I'm not leaving you alone, no matter how stubborn you are. You can always count on me being here for you," Elyse says sitting down on the other side of the door. Leaning her head against the door. "I care too much about you to ever leave you," she whispers as Herkie walks past the pale girl.
The red haired teen stops next to the princess after hearing not just what Elyse said, but the soft sobs coming from inside the room. "I'm guessing that my grandmother did something. She wasn't happy about Hadley thinking that dad or grandpa would hurt her."
"She forbade any communication between Hades and Hadley. Hadley really misses her dad and brother, despite her fear of Zeus and Hercules… Hades cared about her," Elyse says as she hear the door unlock behind her.
"If I knew that, my grandmother would try something like that, I would have tried to talk her out of it. I'll talk to her on Family Day. Dad and I may be able to get her to change her mind," Herkie says as he pats Elyse's shoulder. "Thanks for being there for my cousin," he adds before giving the white haired a grin and leaves.
The second the son of Hercules left, the door clicked open. "So I get to come inn now?" Elyse asks as she gets up off the floor, brushing dirt off of her white skirt. As she looks into the room, the only signs of her roommate was a wiggling pile of blue blankets on the bed closest to the fireplace. The princess closes the door behind her after entering the room. She sits down next to the pile of blankets. Placing her pale hand on the bed, not being surprised when a slightly less pale hand reaches out and grabs hers. "I can help you avoid your family on Family Day. Join me with showing my moms around the city. We'll even go to the arcade you love so much."
"Don't you want some alone time with your moms? I know that you miss them," Hadley says starting to uncover herself from the blankets Looking away to try to avoid looking Elyse in the eyes. Her eyes still red and puffy from crying.
"I'll just tell them what happened. They'll understand," Elyse promises as she pulls her friend into a hug.`
"You promise?" Hadley asks as she leans into Elyse's embrace. Tucking her head under her chin.
"Yeah. So a bit off topic… what are we?" Elyse asks before kissing the top of her friend's head. After a week or so of secret kisses, the princess was confused as to what they are.
"I don't know. More than friends? Friends who just talk very close together with tongue?" Hadley jokes. Giving her friend an innocent little grin as her friend falls back onto the bed laughing.
"So just see what all happens?" Elyse asks once the giggling stops. Looking up at the blue haired teen who was still sitting up with an innocent grin.
"I like that plan," Hadley smiles before laying down next to the fair haired girl. Curling up next to the chilly teen. "Gives us a chance to figure everything out… want to play Mario Party? I call Goomba if we do."
Elyse giggles and kisses Hadley's nose. "As long as you stop targeting my stars," she jokes as she leans up to grab the tv remote from Hadley's nightstand. She turns on the tv before getting up and grabbing the blue and red joycons off the Switch. "Let's skip our classes tomorrow. Relax before you meet my moms Saturday."
"You're willing to cut classes for me? Awww you do care about me," Hadley teases as she sits up and pulls a dark blue blanket up around herself. Opening the blanket for her kinda sorta more than a firne sat back down. Instantly going into a snuggle before the betrayals ensue due to star stealing.
A couple days later, Hadley was hanging out by the chocolate fountain. After being told that semi-formal was necessary, the demigoddess dragged Mal shopping on Friday for a new dress shirt and pants. Something that really peeved off Evie after the daughter of the Evil Queen spent a week sewing Hadley a knee-length dark blue ombre dress. The fourteen-year-old didn't ask for the dress, why would she when she despises skirts? She decided that a dark blue button-down shirt with black dress pants would be better. The lack of a skirt wasn't the only reason why she loved her outfit. After she folded up her sleeves, Elyse couldn't stop looking at her. Maybe the new half shave haircut has something to do with it. Which she totally didn't do to annoy Hera. That definitely was not her reason for chopping off her hair to her chin before shaving the right side of her head.
As the teen was trying to find a way to 'rescue' the chocolate fountain from the cruel service of Auradon, a queen with long, curly, red hair walks up to stand next to the teen. "Love chocolate, lass?" the queen asks, Scottish accent thick despite all the time in Arendale.
"No, my friend loves chocolate though," Hadley says as she grabs a strawberry out of a passing bowl.
"Your friend has a sweet tooth then," the queen chuckles as she looks at the teen, noting all of the blue. "I am Queen Merida of Dun Broch and Arendale. Would you be Hadley, by any chance Lass?"
"Yeah, I'm Hadley. You're one of Elyse's moms?" Hadley asks as she snags a strawberry from another passing bowl. Tapping her painted black nails against her leg, a nervous habit of hers since early childhood. Only slowing done since coming to Auradon.
"Mum, please don't grill Hadley. A lot has happened over the past few days for her," Elyse says as she walks over to Merida with a smile. Pale blue cocktail dress glittering in the sunlight as she pulls one of her moms into a bear hug. "I missed you, mum."
"I missed you too, snowflake," Merida smiles as she hugs her daughter back. "I won't question your friend too much. More of your mum's thing. She did add an extra seat to our lunch reservation for Hadley."
"Thanks mum," Elyse smiles before kissing her mother's cheek. As she was about to speak again, she sees Hadley walking off to join Mal, Carlos, Evie, and Jay in front of Chad. "Chad is so going to get his butt kicked," she chuckles watching as Hadley stands next to Jay, fists clenched ready for a fight.
"Looks like the loner freak is here too now," Chad sneers as he sees the bright blue haired teen join the crew. The sneer becoming more prominent as he notices the boyish clothes the daughter of Hades is wearing. "Do you shop in the little boy's section? No wonder you tricked Elyse into liking you. Wannabe lesbian," he laughs looking to his friends around him for support, only Audrey laughing along with him.
Pale fists clench up even more as the words hit Hadley's core. Tears starting to build up behind her eyes. As the teen started to pull back her fist, she heard a melodic voice not that far off. One that she recognized to be her aunt. Her fist instantly drops as she takes off at a run back towards the dorms.
"Elyse, go to your friend. We will move the lunch reservation if needed," Merida says after watching the scene unfold. Knowing that her daughter is wanting to help the daughter of Hades.
"I'll call you later," Elyse says seconds before taking off after her friend, taking off her white heels as she runs. Not noticing the green-skinned goddess following behind Hadley as well.
Back at the dorms, Hadley sits in the shared closet. The button up shirt discarded on the floor, leaving the teen in her dark blue undershirt. "Hadley, you here?" Artemis calls out as she enters the dorm room. After days of not hearing from her little cousin, the goddess of the hunt was worried about the teen.
"Go away, Artie! I'd rather not deal with you or the others," Hadley says from her hiding spot. Not budging even as she hears footsteps approaching the door.
"I get that you're mad… but Artie? Really?" the goddess asks as she opens the closet door. Seeing her cousin hiding in the furthest corner. The green-skinned maiden sits in the closet on the other side of the teen. "We didn't realize how close you are to Hades. If at least one of us knew… maybe Hera could have been convinced to not forbid you from talking to your father in the first place."
"Why do it in the first place?" Hadley asks looking down, refusing to meet her cousin's eyes. Not wanting to expose the redness from crying. Chad had been bullying her since the beginning. Until today, she's been able to ignore him. Ignore him teasing her for being behind in school. This was just the last straw. It's one thing to tease her about her clothes, which she did actually find in the child's section of a tuxedo store. However… she would never leave Elyse on.
"We thought Hades would use you to take over Olympus. That you would only ever be a pawn to him," Artemis admits after a few minutes of silence. It wasn't an easy decision for the Olympians to make. Especially with Hercules fighting his parents the entire way. After being separated from his own parents as a baby, he didn't want his cousin to lose her father. "Hercules fought for you getting to speak to Hades more often. Apollo and I told them to talk to you about it. To include you in the conversation."
"Why didn't she? I miss my dad," Hadley says as she pulls her knees closer to her chest. Finally looking up at her cousin. Red, puffy eyes exposed. Once bright emerald eyes now dim.
"You're a kid. She figured that you wouldn't know what could be best for you," Artemis says after a moment of intense thought. Hera gave another reason to not consult her little niece. The goddess of family and marriage lost her son to Hades, so she took his heir as revenge. If she could have, she would have taken Hades' son as well.
"She just wanted revenge. Thankfully dad still has Hadie. Mom and dad still get to keep their youngest kid," Hadley says as she leans back against the wooden walls of the closet. "Can I be left alone now? And tell Hera to not bother trying to contact me again. I don't want to see or ever talk to her again."
"I'll tell her. Bye Hadley," Artemis says before leaving the closet. As she leaves the room, she takes out her phone and calls Hera. The second her step-mother picks up, she states "We need to talk about Hadley. I'll see you at home tonight. 6 o'clock."
