Family Maintenance

Author's Note

Hello, lovelies! It is the chapter you have all been waiting for... Este's background is revealed! I rewrote this about six times because I just couldn't get it right, and well, I ended up with this. It's a bit short, but it'll extend to the next chapter where... No spoilers, but we are all going to get annoyed with Maleficent. Anyways, enough of my rambling, here is chapter ten of Family Maintenance!

Leave those reviews, please, they give me seratonin.

Mal rounded the corner of the alleyway, followed by Jay, Carlos, and Evie, the four of them laughing softly. It was late, the slight crescent of the moon just barely glistening through the heavy grey clouds that draped the Isle in a gloomy blanket.

"Did you see that guy's face when Mal threw the smoke bomb? Hilarious." Jay snorted as he fist-bumped Carlos.

The core four liked to cause chaos, no matter what time of the day it was. Earlier in the afternoon, Carlos had escaped the clutches of his mother, mostly unscatched except for a few cuts on his face. After Evie had patched up his scraped cheeks, to cheer him up, Mal and Jay ran to Lady Tremaine's to make smoke bombs to throw at various people

Then, they had dropped by the marketplace to make a mess of things there and also scrounge around for food. Jay, being the master thief of the group, had been able to score a few apples and a bit of bread.

Now, as full as they could get being on the Isle and pleased with how their afternoon had gone, they were stalling as they took the long way back to their clubhouse.

"Hey, Los," Mal nudged the younger boy's shoulder. "Are you feeling bet-" She was cut off by a loud wail.

"What was that?" she murmured and Evie pointed to a moving bundle inside of a woven basket acting as a crib that was situated in a darker area of the alley.

"Look there, it's a baby."

The four approached carefully, Jay looking around apprehensively. After all, while it was just a baby, it could've been set as a trap.

"Oh, it's a little girl." Carlos whispered as he saw the pink tattered onesie that had been haphazardly placed on the baby. The little human had a few bruises on her chubby legs and wisps of dark brown hair. Her brown eyes were bright as she stared up at the four, who were looking down at her. She cooed, her cries fading away.

"She's pretty cute." Jay admitted as the baby started wriggling, reaching her hands up.

"Yeah. She's got hair!" Carlos marveled as he gently placed his hand on the baby's head. "So soft."

"She is adorable, aw, I wonder who her parents are?"

"Eh." Mal shrugged flippantly. She blinked in surprise when the baby grabbed her finger and gurgled, her attention falling onto Mal.

"She likes you!" Evie gushed and Mal frowned.

"Well, I don't like her." Mal tried to pry her finger away, but once she did, the baby started crying again.

"Make her quiet! Someone's gonna hear!" Carlos exclaimed and Evie grabbed Mal's hand, shoving it back in the basket for the baby to hold again. She quieted down almost immediately.

"Aw, M, isn't she swee-"

"Oh!"

The sudden noise caused their heads to snap up, Jay immediately taking a protective stance in front of the other three.

It was a young woman, with black hair cut messily cut into a bob. Her face was speckled with dirt and she was thin, so very thin, and she was shivering. She gaped at Mal with fear-filled eyes, scanning over the purple hair, the green eyes, the dragon symbol on her jacket.

"Who are you?" Mal asked, her eyebrows raising. Mal may have only been thirteen, but she was Maleficent's daughter. She ranked higher than literally anyone on the Isle, even if they were much older than her. The girl straightened, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"O-oh, you're M..Maleficent's daughter." she whispered, her brown eyes, which were almost identical to the little baby's, flitting across the four. Mal pried her hand away from the baby, who had turned her attention to the other woman.

"I asked," Mal gestured to the woman. "Who are you?"

"M-my name is Amie," the woman said softly. "This is my daughter."

"Your daughter."

"Yes," Amie sniffed. "I'm seventeen."

Mal stared at Amie, her brain wracking for the familiarity of the name. Then she nodded in realization. "I know you. The Wicked Witch of the West's eldest daughter. You're one of my mom's servants."

Amie shook her head. "Yes," she rubbed her face with her hand, sighing as she peered at the baby. "I dropped one of her things and it broke. Your mother doesn't like accidents, but I've always been a bit of a klutz. She punished me with one of the henchmen and the baby was the result of it."

Evie looked a bit scandalized while Carlos's face took on a confused expression. "What does she mean?" he murmured.

"My mom is looking for you," Mal said, her tone bland. "She's been searching for you since you broke out of the cell. You had your baby and ran off and she's furious about someone being able to escape from her."

Amie let out a choked sob. "Oh, I know, it was a terrible idea. But I just… I just didn't want her to be there anymore. She'd cry day and night because she was so hungry, but I can't produce milk because I barely have nutrition for myself. It's a miracle she's survived this long. Anyways, the stationed guard would take her away and I just knew they were hurting her. Call it mother's tuition. I'm trying to find someone to take her in, I'm desperate now," Amie rushed out. "I'm planning on turning myself in. I feel so guilty, and I just know that if the baby comes with me, Maleficent will punish her just as hard as she will me."

"Does she not have a name?" Evie asked.

Amie wiped her eyes. "Oh, no. I couldn't find a name for her, and well, I didn't want to get too attached to her," she stared at Mal, the gears in her head turning. "You have to bring her with you."

"What? Why me?" Mal jumped back in surprise and Jay caught her arm to steady her.

"Because I know you can handle your mother. You have the ability to protect the baby. Please, take her."

"I don't.. I don't want to. I'm thirteen! I can't just-"

"You have your friends to help you. I have no one, Mal. I just want her to be able to live her best life, and I know I can't give that to her," Amie scooped up the baby into her arms, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She handed the baby to Mal, who stared at the child like it was a bomb waiting to explode. The baby looked back up at her innocently. "Please."

Mal huffed. She gave the baby to Evie, who immediately took to rocking the baby. Mal turned to Amie.

"Fine."

Amie let out a watery laugh. "Oh, thank the Gods. Thank you, Mal, thank you so, so much."

Mal raised her chin towards the others, who took the baby off to the clubhouse, understanding that Mal wanted a moment alone with Amie.

"Amie-"

The older girl cut her off. "Mal, I have a request. One more."

"What?"

"Don't tell her about me."

Mal tilted her head slightly and Amie sighed.

"I know she'll never get the chance to meet me. I don't want her growing up knowing about me and.. Well, not being able to even have met me. You don't even have to tell her, but you're a smart girl, Mal, no matter what Maleficent says about you," Amie took Mal's hands in hers and Mal fought the urge to pull away. "You don't have to love her, Mal, just take care of her until she's old enough to fend for herself. And even when you let her go, please, keep an eye on her?"

Mal wanted to say no. The baby wasn't her responsibility! She could barely take care of herself when it came to Maleficent.

But something in Amie's eyes… Mal didn't want to admit it, but she felt bad. She felt guilty. She always thought that it was unfair that they were being punished for things that their parents did. And now, the baby girl was in danger, exactly for that reason.

Because of her mother.

Amie didn't wait for another response from the purple-haired girl. "Go now. It's getting dark." She watched as Mal ran off, not even looking back. Amie sighed as she stared at the now empty basket, a hole in her heart. She glanced back up to where Mal had gone, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Good luck, Mal. I know you'll do the right thing."

"So… What now?"

Mal stood next to Carlos as they stared at the baby, who had been laid onto the couch by Evie and was gurgling happily. The blue-haired girl had immediately taken to fixing the baby's bruises, applying the cream she had mixed together. Jay was making funny faces at her to distract her from Evie's hands.

"Well, first she needs a name," Evie said, slightly amused at Mal's expression, a mix of disbelief and surprise that she had agreed to this. "Mal?"

Mal hummed as she approached the baby girl. She held out her hand for the baby to hold apprehensively and her eyebrows scrunched as she thought about it.

She hated her name. Mal was short for Malinda and her middle name was Bertha. It was a terrible combo, but Maleficent hadn't been wanting a child. Why put thought into the name at all?

"Este." she decided.

"Este?"

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

"It's cute. What about a middle name?" Carlos asked.

"I think it's perfect just the way it is. Sweet and simple." Evie piped up and Mal let the corners of her mouth turn up.

"Okay, then. Este it is."