Hey Lovies!!
Here is the next chapter of Missing Pieces! I hope you like where I am going with this story! The next chapter will be the one that I posted in my one shot, though it will be edited to fit what I have written now and there will be more added to it!
If you have any questions, please ask them and I promise to answer them as best as I can.
ENJOY!
"Sophie?" Mal called from the couch.
She was 8 months pregnant and she was huge. She could barely walk around the house, let alone get up by herself. She was not on maternity leave from the art shop, which was technically just Sammy working like he did before Mal was there. She had told him that she could hold out for a couple of more weeks, but he demanded that she take the time off to rest for her and her babies.
"Do you need help up again?" Sophie asked as she walked around the couch to see Mal pouting up at her.
"Yes, please," she said as she held her hands up for Sophie to grab. "I need to pee… again."
Sophie laughed and shook her head, before she helped Mal up to her feet and helped her steady herself. Sophie had been taking some time off, and Ethan had been filling in for her, while she was at home helping Mal. Mal had told her that she did not need to do that, but Sophie insisted and told her that she and her mother were going to help her as much as they could when the babies finally came.
"I can't believe that they are going to be here in a couple of weeks," Sophie said as she put her hand in Mal's belly.
"I know," Mal said as she rubbed the side of her stomach. "It feels unreal."
One of the babies kicked, making her groan in pain a little.
"Okay, baby girl," Mal said as she rubbed where her daughter kicked her. "I get that you are active, but can you please not kick mommy so hard?"
"She's feisty like you," Sophie said, making her laugh.
"I guess she is," Mal said. "And I guess her brother is calm like their daddy."
Sophie smiled to herself. She wished Mal would just tell Ben about the babies, but she also knew that Mal was having a hard time and she shouldn't stress about anything right now. She had to focus on her babies. They were all that mattered right now.
"I know I have said this so many times, but thank you again for talking Marnie, Aneesa, and Gwen out of throwing me a baby shower," Mal said as she waddled toward the hallway. "I just know that Abby would have made it all about her if she came."
"Mal, I cannot handle 3 minutes with that witch," Sophie said as she followed Mal. "I would never invite her over to our home."
"She would have found a way to show up," Mal said with a laugh. "I just can't wait until they are here. I want to see them so badly."
"They will be here sooner than you think," Sophie said as Mal walked into the bathroom.
Sophie walked back into the kitchen and started to make lunch for her and Mal. Mal had been on a kick of eating strawberry cake cookies with marshmallow fluff frosting, and whenever the kids came over, they knew that those were Mally's special cookies. She placed a grilled cheese on a plate for Mal with a side of sour cream and onion chips, and a couple of strawberry cookies.
"Oooooo," Mal said as she walked into the kitchen. "I smell cheese and onions."
"And your cookies," Sophie said as she passed Mal a plate.
"Aw," she said as she took the plate from her. "You know me so well."
"I know," Sophie said with a laugh. "It's like you have lived here for half a year."
"I know," Mal said with a smile. "I could never thank you enough for taking me in and being so good to me."
"And you don't have to," Sophie said as she and Mal went to sit on the back porch. "I'm glad you came into my life."
The two enjoyed lunch on the porch, both unaware that someone was watching from deep in the forest, waiting for their time.
"Hello, Hadie," Hades said as Hadie opened the FaceTime call from his dad.
"Hey, dad," Hadie said with a small wave.
It had been five months since Hadie moved to Auradon. He had avoided calling his dad, after he found out Mal had left, but knew he would have to talk to him sooner than later. He called a month after leaving the Isle and he did not know how his dad was going to take the news. He was lucky to have Ben there with him, and loved all the support he was getting from the king. The two had grown close over the past couple of months and they thought having each other was making them feel like a piece of Mal was still with them.
Hades thought it was a joke when Hadie said that Mal was not there anymore. He was laughing so hard that he was crying. He asked Hadie to be serious and tell him where Mal was, but when Hadie started crying that was when Hades knew his son was telling the truth. His hair flamed up and he started screaming and throwing things around his cave. Ben walked over and called for Hades to come back and sit down. Ben put his hand on Hadie's shoulder and they both waited for the grid to take a deep breath and sit back down to talk to them. When he finally sat back down, Ben told Hades everything that he knew and everything he was doing to bring her home. Hades asked why she left, and Ben told him that he didn't know. The conversation was short and before Ben or Hadie knew it Zeus was in Ben's office, asking what had happened to his niece. He said that he was going to find Mal, and that he was going to bring her home to them. Hadie smiled at his uncle, before diving at him and thanking him. This was giving them hope, hope that Mal would be home soon.
"How are you?" Hades asked with a grim smile.
The godly search for Mal was not going well. Zeus and the rest of Olympus were trying everything in their power to find Mal, but none of them had any luck. Hades was losing sleep, trying to figure out a way to find his daughter, but it was hard with him being trapped on the Isle.
"I'm fine," Hadie said as he slowly nodded his head. "Tourney is going well and family day is coming up soon."
"That's great," Hades said, trying to be happy to hear his son's experiences.
"Yeah," Hadie said with a bright smile. "There was something I wanted to ask you, but I feel like it would be better coming from Ben and I," he said before he moved the screen to show Ben sitting at his desk. "Ben?" Hadie called, making Ben look up to see Hades.
"Oh. Hello, Lord Hades," Ben said as he capped his pen and Hadie settled his iPad on the desk.
"Heya, Beastyboy?" Hades said with a kind smile. "How's it going?"
"Busy," Ben said as he ran a hand through his hair. "So much to do, hardly any time to breathe."
"Don't stress yourself so much," Hades said. "Auradon needs their king."
"Auradon could be patient," Ben said as he shook his head and laughed. "I have other things to focus on and I'm not delegating my responsibilities to anyone else," he said. "I am still running the kingdom, I just have more on my plate than others."
Hades knew what Ben was talking about. He was not the only one who was still worried about Mal. Everyone was. Evie had not stepped foot into Mal's room at her castle, and told everyone else not to, Jay called everyday, and would come every other week to try and find new ways to find her, Carlos tried hacking into anything and everything, Ben was still keeping in touch with the other kingdoms, hoping to hear some news about her, and Hades and the rest of the gods were still doing everything they could.
"I know you do," Hades said with a nod.
He had to admit that Ben was an amazing guy. He was lucky that Mal loved him, and he wished he would have been able to see them together.
"What was it that Hadie was telling me a while ago?" He asked, making Ben sit up straighter.
"Oh! Yeah," he said, trying to contain his smile. "I was going to extend an invitation for you to attend family day."
"What?" Hades asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Would you like to come and spend family day with Hadie?"
Hades smiled at Ben, before nodding his head. He was not expecting this at all.
"We are inviting the kids' parents, but I thought that this might mean more to you than you know," Ben said, making Hades nod his head. "I know we would all love for you to come."
"I'll be there," Hades said. "When is it again?"
"Micheal will pick you up tomorrow afternoon, and Family Day is on Thursday," Ben said.
"4 days in Auradon," Hades said with a nod. "Finally get another glimpse at the sun."
Hadie held his breath, hearing what his dad said. It reminded him of the letter Mal wrote to him. Their dad used to tell them about his adventures under the sun. He had always wanted his kids to have a good life, but he hated that he would only see one of them.
"Anyway, Ben and I are going to get your room ready, and I'll see you tomorrow," Hadie said as he waved and smiled at his dad.
"See you tomorrow," Hades said, before the screen went dark and he sat back in his chair.
He started to rack his brain, trying to think of where Mal could be. They had looked everywhere and had done everything to find her, but they always came back empty handed. She was a 19 year old girl, how hard would it be to find her? He spent most nights not being able to sleep, and he didn't care if he was tired. All he wanted was to see his daughter.
The next day, all of the kids were waiting in front of Auradon Prep, eagerly waiting for their parents. As the limo pulled up to the front of the school, Ben put his hand on Hadie's shoulder for support. Dr. Facilier was the first to step out of the limo, and was tackled by his daughter the second he was in her reach. Lady Termaine was the second to exit and Dizzy Squealed when she saw her granny. Squeaky and Squirmy sprinted over to their dad the moment he got out of the limo, and Smee kissed them so much when he had his boys in his arms. Finally, Hades stepped out of the limo, standing tall and firm as he made eye contact with Hadie. He thought he was going to be able to keep himself together, but it was harder than he was anticipating. He walked over to Hadie and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Gods, kid," Hades said as he tightened his hold on his son. "I have missed you so much."
"I missed you too, dad," Hadie said as he held on tight to his dad.
Ben and his parents were standing behind Hadie, waiting to meet the god. He looked up and made eye contact with his daughter's boyfriend and cleared his throat.
"Hello, Ben," Hades said as he walked over to Ben and his parents. "It's nice to finally meet you."
"You too," Ben said as he held his hand out to shake Hades' hand.
"Thank you for taking care of my boy," he said as he pulled Ben's hand and pulled him into a tight hug. "I could never repay you for everything you have done for him and my Mally."
Ben relaxed and returned the hug, almost crying, hearing Hades thank him.
"You don't have to thank me," Ben said over his shoulder. "This was Mal's dream, and I am just making sure that they come true."
Hades pulled away and looked down at Ben with tears in his eyes. He could never imagine someone so perfect for Mal, someone who would do anything for her.
"These are my parents," Ben said as he held his hand out to Belle and Adam.
"Lord Hades," Belle said as she walked up to the god. "We are so happy to have you here."
"So am I," he said as she clasped Hadie on the shoulder. "Thank you so much, again, for allowing us to be here. It means more to us than you know."
"Hades?" Evie called, making the god turn to see his daughter's best friends standing behind him.
They had small smiles on their faces, but he could tell that they were just trying to stay strong for the kids. He walked over and hugged them tightly, trying not to cry again.
"How have you three been?" He asked as he pulled away to
"We are taking things day by day," Evie said as she looked up at her best friend's dad.
"Me to kiddo," he said as he brushed some hair behind her ear. "But hey, I am so happy to see you three and to know that you are all living the lives that you deserve."
They all nodded their heads, knowing that the god of death was only looking on the bright side of things, but they also knew how much pain he was in.
"Why don't we head back to the castle?" Ben asked. "We can get you all settled in and Evie, Jay, Carlos, and the others can meet us after they get the other parents settled."
"Okay," Hades said with a nod as he started to follow Ben and Hadie toward the limo.
"Now, Facy," Audrey said as Hades passed by. "We need to talk about Cece's attitude."
Hades laughed and saw Facilier laugh, because he knew Audrey was only joking. He had heard so many things about the princess, and was very pleased to see that she has come a long way from where she used to be.
The drive to the castle was quick and Ben and his parents showed Hades to his room.
"We hope you are comfortable here," Adam said as he held the door open for the god.
"Anything is better than the hole I live in," Hades said with a laugh.
Hadie, Belle, Adam, and Ben all shared a look, making Hades look at them in confusion.
"What?" Hades asked skeptically.
"We were going to wait to ask," Ben said as he held his hands out. "But I don't think we could actually wait that long."
"What were you going to ask?"
"Do you want to stay?" Hadie asked with a pleading look.
"Stay?"
"Do you want to stay in Auradon? With me?" He asked, trying to hold back his tears.
Hades stared at his son in shock. He was not expecting this. He looked back at Ben and his parents and they had smiles on their faces, knowing that the question was true.
"Dad?" Hadie called softly, waiting for an answer.
Hades walked up to his son slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder, before giving him a smile.
"Of course," Hades said, before Hadie launched at his dad, consuming him in a bear hug. "What about the other parents?" He asked. "I don't want them to think you are playing favorites here."
"They know," Belle said. "The invitation was for all of you to stay, but Lady Tremaine has Anastasia, Drizella, and her grandkids, Smee has Sammy, and Facilier has Freddie and Uma," she said. "Your family is here."
Hades smiled at the former king and queen, holding Hadie as tight as he could. He thought he could never thank them enough for everything they have done for his kids, but here they are, being just as amazing as Mal and AHdie told him they were.
"Thank you," he said, trying not to sound choked up. "Thank you so much."
"There is no need to thank us," Adam said. "We just want Hadie to be happy."
"You are also welcome to live here, if you would like," Belle offered.
"Thank you, but I think I am going to live in the underworld," Hades said.
"Am I going with you?" Hadie asked, confused.
"No," Hades asked. "You may come and go as you please, and I can come to you whenever you need me, but I want you to stay here with Ben," he said. "I want you to finish school."
Hadie nodded his head in understanding.
"Now, before we meet with everyone else, I want to pay my little brother a visit," he said, before he pulled away from Hadie and stood in the middle of the room. "Scootch over, baby brother! I'm coming up!" He yelled, before he consumed himself in blue flames, leaving Ben, Hadie, and Ben's parents standing in the room.
"Why did he leave?" Adam asked.
"He's going to try to find Mal," Hadie said, leaving the three royals quiet, not knowing what to say.
Two weeks after, Mal woke up to a sharp pain on the side of her stomach. She bolted up to sit up straight and clung to the blankets covering her.
"Ah!" She yelled as the pain continued to grow.
Gwen, Marnie, and Sophie barged into the room, scaring Mal as they did.
"What's going on?" Gwen asked as she ran over to Mal's bed and put her hands on Mal's shoulders. "Tell me what is going on, sweetheart."
"It hurts," Mal said as she started to cry. "I feel like I'm being stabbed!"
"Hey. Hey," Gwen said as she dressed Mal's face. "It's okay. It's okay. You are just having a contraction," she said in a calm and soothing voice. "Just breathe in and out slowly, and it will pass."
Mal did as she was told and the contraction started to ease in pain. The pain finally subsided, but she was breathing hard.
"Was that the first time you felt one?" Marnie asked.
"Yeah," Mal said as she reached over to try and grab her water, but Sophie beat her to the punch. "And it hurts like a bitch."
"You're telling me sister," Marnie said with a small laugh. "Let's get you up and we can go to the living room. Walking around and moving made my contractions less… painful?" Marnie questioned and she and Gwen helped Mal up out of bed.
They slowly walked her down the stairs and before she leaned against the couch and another contraction hit her. She clenched down on Sophie's hand, making her his in pain.
"I know you are in much more pain, but fucking shit, this hurts," she said.
"Oh you have no idea," Mal said as she tried to catch her breath.
Are these those Braxton Hicks contractions, Dr. D was telling us about?" Mal asked, before a gush of water fell between her legs. "Go gods."
"These are not Braxton hicks contractions, Mally," Gwen said with a bright smile. "They're coming."
Mal stood frozen. She was afraid now.
"Come on, sweetheart," Gwen said as she wrapped her arms around Mal's waist. "Let's get you into the car and we can drive you to the hospital."
Mal shook her head. "I'm afraid," she said as she looked at Gwen. "I am so afraid."
"Don't be," Sophie said as she squeezed Mal's hand. "We are going to be there for you every step of the way."
Mal stood there for a moment, before she nodded her head.
"Okay. Come on sweetheart," Gwen said as she kissed the side of Mal's head. "Let's go."
"I'll tell Ethan that we are going," Marnie said, before she ran upstairs to grab Mal's bag and to wake up her husband.
Mal, Gwen, and Sophie all walked out of the house and toward the gate and toward Gwen's car when a yellow cab pulled up in front of them.
"Benny's cab, at your service," Benny said as he put his head out of his window.
"Benny? What are you doing here?" Sophie asked.
"Eh… I have been sitting outside of the manor for the past two weeks just in case Mally went into labor," he said.
"Benny," Mal cooed as she smiled, breathlessly, at the skeleton. "That is so… AHHHHHH!" Mal yelled as she hunched forward as another contraction hit.
"Well, let's get in and speed before they are born in the back of the cab," Benny said as Gwen opened the door and Marnie caught up with them and got into the front seat.
"Step on it, Benny," Sophie said as she closed the door behind her and Mal leaned her body against Sophie's front.
"On it, madam mayor," the skeleton said, before he put his foot on the gas and sped off toward the hospital.
When they got there, the doctor examined Mal and told her that she was only 2 centimeters dilated and told her that she was going to be admitted into a private room and wait until she was dilated 10 centimeters before she started to push. Her contractions were 8 minutes apart and to quote her, they hurt like hell.
It was morning now, and Mal was nine centimeters dilated. Her contractions were every 2 to 3 minutes and she was breathing hard and heavy.
"Gods," she groaned as she clenched onto the side of the bed. "I do not understand how some women can go through more than a day of labor!"
Dylan, Ethan, Aneesa, and the kids came to the hospital early in the morning, and Bri was looking at Mal with a worried look.
"Mommy?" Bri said as she tugged on Marnie's arm. "Is Mally going to die?"
Mal huffed a laugh as her contraction passed. She had grown close to the kids since she first met them and she loved them dearly.
"No," Mal said as she leaned forward, trying to stretch her side. "The babies are just trying to come into the world, and in the process, it hurts a lot."
"Will, why don't you take Luke, Bri, and Tay out to your dad, uncle, and aunt?" Marnie asked. "The babies are going to be here soon, and that is something none of you kids are going to want to see."
"Why?" Luke asked as he looked up at his mom.
"Because you are 8 years old and because I said so," Marnie said, before her eyes widened and she looked at her mom who was trying to hold in her laughter. "Gods, I sound like you."
"Come with the job of being a parent," Gwen said as she sat on the edge of Mal's bed and started to rub her back. "Now, listen to you mom and go find your fathers," she said as she gave her grandkids a pointed look.
"Yes, Grammy," Luke said as he ran out of the room with William, Briana, and Taylor following him, quickly, out of the room.
"I don't get how they love you so much, and how they are so scared of you," Marnie said as she shook her head.
"It's all a part of my magic spell," Gwen said as she wiggled her fingers.
The four women laughed at Gwen's remark as Mal leaned into Gwen's hold. Mal loved that she grew close to Sophie's family so quickly, but she loved even more that they treated her like a part of their family.
"I just wanted to say thank you to you all," Mal said, making Marnie, Gwen, and Sophie look at her. "I could never thank you enough for all of the care and love you have given and shown me since I came to HalloweenTown."
"You are a part of our family now, Mal," Gwen said as she rubbed the 19 years old's back. "We love you so much and we cannot wait to meet the new additions."
Mal smiled at the words, remembering the love she had in Auradon and how much she missed her friends and family at home too. She wished Ben was here with her for this moment, but she knew that keeping this from him for such a long time would make him hate her.
"Well," Dr. D said as he came into the room. "Let;s see how far along you are and see if we can start pushing."
Mal leaned back against the bed, while Gwen kept her grip tight on Mal for support. The doctor looked and smiled before he looked back up at Mal.
"It's time to push," he said, before the nurse went over to move the monitors closer to the bed.
Mal started to breathe heavier. She was starting to get even more scared. This was going to be a big change in her life, one that she was excited and scared about, but also one she wanted Ben to be a part of too.
"Are you ready?" Gwen asked as she sat in a chair next to Mal and grabbed onto her hand.
Mal managed to nod her head, before Dr. D told her to push.
"On three Mal," he said. "One, two, three, push."
"Aahhhh!" Mal groaned as she clenched onto Sophie and Gwen's hands.
"There you go, Mal. Good," the doctor said. "Let's go again. One, two, three, push."
Mal pushed again and she felt a bunch of pressure.
"Are you sure you guys did the epidural right?" Mal asked. "This really hurts."
"There," Dr. D said. "Yes, but with you being magical, it could have worn off fast."
"Great," Mal said as she panted. "Doing this, mama style."
"Mama?" Marnie asked.
"My step-mother," Mal said, trying to catch her breath. "She's… AAHHH!"
"Why don't we talk later," Gwen said. "Maybe now is not the best time."
"Agreed," Marnie and Sophie said.
"Again, Mal," Dr. D said. "One, two, three, push."
Mal pushed again and groaned as the pain writhed through her body. She pushed and pushed, hoping that it would end soon, but neither child came into the world yet. She started to think about her friends and family back home and wished that they could be here.
"One more push, and we will have your first baby out, Mal," Dr. D said. "One, two, three, push."
"AAHHHHH!" Mal yelled as she pushed as hard as she could. "I. WANT. BEN!" She yelled, before she heard a cry, making her freeze and her eyes widened.
"Here is your son," Dr. D said as he held up Mal's gorgeous baby boy.
"He's beautiful," Gwen said as she kissed the side of Mal's head. "Great nod, mom."
Mal started to cry, before Dr. D put her son on her chest. She had never seen such a beautiful baby, and he was hers.
"Ready, Mal?" Dr. D asked. "His sister shouldn't be that far behind."
She nodded her head, but kept her eyes on her son who was peeking up at her with one eye.
"Let's push again. One, two, three, push."
Mal pushed again, but this time the pain was not as excruciating. She pushed two more times and heard another cry, making her look up from her son just to see her daughter being held up by the doctor.
"Here she is," Sophie said as the nurse grabbed the baby and placed her on Mal's other shoulder.
"Oh my gods," Mal said as she started to cry. "You're here," she said as she looked back and forth at her kids. "You're really here."
Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would have kids, but here she was. Two beautiful babies.
"Mommy? Do you mind if I take them to get them cleaned up?" The nurse asked, making Mal look up at her.
"Yeah," she said, before the nurse took one baby at a time and went to clean them up.
"Congratulations, Mal," Dr. D said as he stood up. "You are all cleaned up and there was no need for any stitches."
"You lucky lucky goddess," Marnie said, making Mal laugh.
"Do you want us to get everyone?" Sophie asked.
"Please!" Mal said as she looked from where her babies were to Sophie. "I want everyone to meet them."
"Okay. Mom, do you want to come with me?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow up at her.
"Um… okay," Gwen said. "We'll be right back."
Gwen followed Sophie out of the room and when they rounded the corner, Sophie turned to look at her mom.
"Should we try to find Ben?" She asked, making her mom look at her with wide eyes.
"What?"
"You heard her when she was pushing," Sophie said. "She wanted Ben. Should we or I try to find him?"
Gwen thought about it for a moment, before she put a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"I know you want her to be with her family, but I also know how close you two have gotten," she said. "She is a part of our family too, and I also know how hard it is to make this decision."
"I know, mom," Sophie said. "But I also know if roles were reversed I would want her to find you guys," Sophie said.
"Why don't we give her a little time," Gwen said. "She is going to be very busy with the twins and we don't want to overwhelm her."
"Okay," Sophie said as she nodded her head. "I know I have things to do for the town, but I want to help Mal out as much as I can."
"And that is where I come in," Ethan said as he walked up with Bri on his back and Luke and Taylor were hanging off of Dylan. "I will handle all of the hard stuff and handle meetings, and you stay home with Mal and do the very minimum."
"You are literally the best brother ever!" Sophie said as she smiled at her brother-in-law.
"Hey!" Dylan said as he looked at his little sister.
"Oh, shut up. You know I am kidding," she said as she swatted his shoulder. "Come on," she said. "The babies are here."
They followed Gwen and Sophie back into the room. Mal looked up from holding one of the babies and Marnie was holding the other.
"Hey," she said as the kids gathered around her bed.
"Heya, kiddo," Ethan said as he walked over to the head of her bed. "How are you doing?"
"Amazing for them being here for 15 minutes," Mal said with a laugh.
"Who is this?" Aneesa asked as she looked over Ethan's shoulder.
"This is Violet," Mal said as she looked down at her daughter. "Violet Isabelle Anderson."
"And him?" Dylan asked as he walked over to his sister.
"He is Greyson Cameron Anderson."
"Violet and Greyson," Gwen said as she walked over to the other side of Mal's bed. "Such beautiful names."
"Such beautiful babies," Sophie said. "Welcome to the family," she said, before she leaned down and kissed Violet on her head.
Later that night, Sophie just stepped out of Mal's hospital room to grab something from the cafeteria, while Mal and the babies were sleeping. Just as the door closed a puff of smoke appeared in the room and Kyle was standing in front of the babies' beds. He held his hands out and his hands started to vibrate over them.
"So much power," he said as he moved his hands and smiled down at the sleeping babies. "Just wait until you get older," he said. "I know most powers developed by the time you are at the age of one, so I will wait, and then everyone will pay."
With that said he heard the door creek and he disappeared before Sophie came into the room and closed the door. She felt off when she closed the door. She checked on the babies and they were fine from what she could see. She checked the rest room and found no one there, but couldn't shake the eerie feeling she had.
Hades was pacing in front of a map, wondering how hard it was to find a 19 year old girl. He had been searching for two months. Hades even thought to check different realms, but there was no way for them to do so. He was supposed to be meeting with Hadie, Ben, and everyone else, but he didn't want to leave his work. Finding Mal was important.
"Brother," Zeus said, making Hades turn to look at him. "Go see your son. We are doing everything we can rto find Mal, and we will. We just need to have faith and never give up."
"I know," Hades said as he shook his head. "I just… I want my girl back."
"And we will find her, love," Persephone said as she walked around her brother-in-law. "We will find her and we will bring her home."
"I have been here for two fucking months and there has not even been an inching of finding her," he said. "I know we have to be patient, but I can't stop."
"We are not saying to stop," Persephone said. "We are saying that it may take longer than two months."
"It has been longer than that," Hades said. "She has been missing for 9 months."
"I know, dear, but the more you worry the more you are going to distance yourself from everyone," she said. "I miss Mally so much, but we have to think of Hadie too. He is hurting just as much as we are."
Hades knew his wife was right. He knew he wanted nothing more than to find Mal, but he could not neglect his son.
"Okay, let's go," he said as he held his hand out for her. "They're going to be waiting for us."
He consumed them in blue flames and when it was cleared, they found themselves in Belle's library.
"Mom! Dad!" They heard Hadie yell.
They turned just as he wrapped his arms around them.
"Hello, my baby," Persephone said as she hugged her son tightly. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing good," he said, before he looked up at his dad. "Anything?"
Hades shook his head, making Hadie hang his in sadness. He had missed his sister so much, and was hoping his uncles and dad would be able to find her.
"No!" They heard Ben yell, before he barged into the room.
"Ben," Adam said as he followed Ben into the library. "It's only…"
"I said no!" Ben yelled again.
He looked red in the face, and that was something he never was. Ben was a softy. He would never yell at anyone. He saw Hadie and his parents standing there, and tried to calm down, before walking over to them.
"Sorry for that," Ben said as he walked over. "Hello, it's very good to see you Lord Hades and Lady Persephone."
"You as well," Persephone said.
"Ben…"
"Not now, dad," Ben said as he turned to look at his parents. "We have to be at Evie's soon, and I don't have time to talk to you about this."
"Fine," Adam said as he nodded his head. "It was just a suggestion and I can see that you are not ready," he said before he looked at Hadie's parents. "We will see you at dinner," he said before he walked out of the room.
"What was that about?" Hades asked.
"Nothing," Ben said as he shook his head. "Nothing you need to worry about. Are you ready to go? They should be waiting on us."
"Hold on tight, Bennyboo," Hadie said.
Hades consumed them in his blue flames and when it cleared up, they were standing in Evie's living room and everyone was staring at them.
"We have done this a couple of times," Hades said. "This should not be shocking to you."
"It's fire," Jay said. "It's always going to be shocking."
"Okay. Fair point," Hades said. "So, what is on the agenda today?" He asked before he walked over to Evie, Dizzy, and the twins.
"Hey," Jay said as he nodded Ben's shoulder. "How ya been?"
"I would be lying if I said I was doing okay," Ben said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Come on," he said as he nudged his head toward the door. "Let's talk outside."
Jay followed Ben outside and they sat at the small table that Evie had outside.
"My dad asked me if I would have dinner with Anastasia's daughter, Annabelle," He said as he rubbed his hand down his face. "He said that it would be good for me."
Jay didn't know what to say and just sat there with a shocked expression on his face.
"I told him that I did not want to go on any dates, but he was persistent," Ben said. "Though I was more persistent. I don't want to be with anyone else. I want to be with Mal. Whether that be in a day or 20 years," Ben said. "I do not want anyone else but her."
Jay smiled at hearing that. He knew Mal loved Ben with all of her heart, but hearing Ben say it, after all of this time, made him very happy.
"I know we will find her," Jay said. "I don't know when or how, but I just know that we are."
"I hope so," Ben said. "I just want her home."
"So do we," Jay said as he shoved Ben's shoulder. "But have you heard anything from HalloweenTown? I remember you saying you emailed the mayor."
"Yeah," Ben said as he nodded his head. "I emailed her a couple of months ago, and she said she would be more than glad to show me around, but she said that she has something happening and she would email me when she is free," he explained. "I get it and I would love to see this place. I could wait. I mean, I don't have much going on either."
"Yeah, you're pretty boring," Jay said, making Ben laugh. "I hope you get that email soon," he said. "It's a really cool place."
"I bet from the way you described it," Ben said with a smile.
3 months later, Mal was on the floor with the twins, visiting Sophie's office with Ethan and Sophie. The twins were 5 months old and were rolling around everywhere.
"Grey," Mal said as she reached for her son. "Can you stay in one sport for mommy please?" She asked as she picked him up, making him giggle as she rubbed her nose against his.
They had grown so much in the past 5 months, and Greyson looked just like Ben. He had dark purple/blue hair that reminded Mal of her dad, and he had her green eyes. Violet on the other hand looked just like Mal, though she had Ben's sandy brown hair and had a mix of Hades and Adam's blue eyes.
"Hey, Soph," Ethan called, making Sophie turn her attention to her brother-in-law. "Do you want to plan a tour with this king?" He asked. "I saw an email from him a couple of months ago."
"Oh, yeah," Sophie said as she walked over to her desk where Ethan was sitting. "I should probably set that up, but I don't have time soon, maybe in another couple of months, especially with the babies. I don't want them to get sick."
"Thank you," Mal said as she picked up Violet, and put her in her bumbo chair.
"Is this from Auradon?" Ethan asked in excitement.
Mal froze in her spot. Auradon? She thought.
"It is," Sophie said in excitement. "After that tourney team left, their king emailed me and asked for a tour of the town. If I remember, his name is king Benjamin," she said.
Mal started to sweat, not knowing what to think. Ben was going to be coming here, and Sophie was going to show him around. What if she finds out that this was her Ben? What if he sees her? What will he do? She needed to get out of the office, before Ethan and Sophie started asking why she was acting weird. She gathered the kids toys and got up, making Ethan and Sophie look at her.
"Are you going somewhere?" Sophie asked.
"Yeah," Mal said as she picked up Greyson from the floor. "I forgot I had to run to the grocery store before making dinner. I'll meet you at home if that's okay?" She asked.
"Yeah," Sophie said as she bodddd her head. "I won't be long, but you may be home before me."
"Okay," Mal said as she put violet in her seat on the stroller. "Say by to Uncle Ethan and Auntie Sophie," Mal said.
With that said, Mal left the office and started to walk down the streets of HalloweenTown.
"So…" she said as she looked down at her babies. "Your daddy is going to be coming to HalloweenTown, and I don't know what to do," she said.
The babies cooed, and Mal smiled at her babies as they chewed in their hands.
"You're right," she said. "What are the chances that Sophie even remembers I talked about Ben," she said. "Alright, let's go to the store and find something to buy so we can go home and I can put you down for a nap."
When they got home, Sophie was not, and Mal was a little thankful for that. She quickly put the grocery bags on the counter, before picking up both babies and carrying them up to their nursery. She changed them and put them in some pajamas, before sitting with them in a roaming chair and opening the photo book that she kept under her bed. She flipped through the pages, live she had always done, and showed Violet and Greyson the pictures of her friend and family back in Auradon. Violet put her hand on Ben's face from one of the pictures and cooed, making Mal smile.
"Yeah, that's your daddy," she said as she rocked the chair back and forth. "I bet he would love the both of you so much."
Greyson slapped a picture of Jay, making Mal laugh.
"And that is your uncle Jay," she said. "He is just a big goofball."
She went through all the pictures, telling the babies who was who, and this was an ongoing thing she had been doing since she and the babies got home from the hospital. She was talking and didn't know how long she was talking until she heard Greyson's tiny little growl. She slowly and quietly closed the book and placed both babies in the double bassinet. She turned on the baby monitor and attached the other on her hip, before leaving them to nap in their room. She went downstairs to start making dinner, hoping she could act normal if Sophie talked about Ben coming to HalloweenTown and hoping Sophie would forget Ben ever existed.
Ben was going through some emails, before he went to bed and saw that he had one from the mayor of HalloweenTown. He opened the email, in hopes that he would be able to visit the town soon.
Dear King Benjamin,
I am so sorry for not emailing you earlier, I have had a lot going on in the past couple of months, but I would love to extend an invitation for you to come and visit our quaint and spooky town. Though, I would have to extend the invitation to not be for another couple of months because we are getting adjusted here. We would love to have you, and I am sorry for the inconvenience. If you would like to accept the invitation, please email me back and we can set something up.
Sincerely, Mayor Sophie Piper
Ben sat back in his chair and smiled. This was something new. Something exciting, and he couldn't wait to visit, and he was hoping Hadie could go with him too.
Until next time my Lovies! xoxo GM