Having people in her home wasn't an unusual thing for Mal. Dizzy was there more often than not. The same went for Jay and Carlos, although the boys were over less and less as they had gotten busier with their careers in recent years. People weren't the strange thing.

It was Uma. Uma specifically that was so strange a sight to be greeted with, late at night, when she walked into her kitchen.

"Sup," She greeted casually. Like she was meant to be there.

Mal fought the need to reach the staff, currently sitting on her wrist in its bracelet form.

"Any luck with the research?" Uma asked.

Mal only sighed in response. After getting Fairy Godmother back, they'd hoped her knowledge would help find something to break the sleeping curses. But two days and a dozen spells later there were still two dozen people under the effects of the curse. Most of them had no next of kin or they couldn't locate them.

"We're having a meeting tomorrow, but at this point, we're talking last resort kind of scenarios."

"Have you considered letting the fairy use the staff and the gem? For once, I don't mean this as a dig at you, but she's obviously better with magic than you are."

"The staff would flat out reject FG. I'm still fighting into submission. And I doubt the gem would respond to her. It was forged purely from Hades' magic."

"It seems to be responding to you well enough."

Mal touched the bracelet, the blue gem, falling out onto her palm. She rolled it between her fingers but didn't respond to Uma's statement. Instead, she said, "You've sure made yourself at home."

"I'm enjoying this stuff," Uma said, holding up a carton of ice cream.

Mal snorted, a small smile on her lips, "Next time you'll be buying your own."

Uma shrugged, "After you open the barrier I don't see myself returning to Auradon."

"What? Why?"

"The Isle is where I belong."

"Uma, that's not true."

Uma chuckled, "You've got it wrong. I belong there. But not as a prisoner. As a protector. Even when the barrier comes down, someone needs to be there for the kids still under their parents' thumbs."

Mal sighed, "As much as I hate to admit it, you've done much better running the isle than I did."

Uma shrugged, "Are you surprised by that?"

"I'm trying to be nice to you. Don't make me regret it."

Uma smirked, finished off the carton, tossing it into the garbage, "You've done an alright job with the kids here in Auradon. You didn't completely ruin them at least."

"I gave you an actual compliment you know."

"We both care about the kids, Mal. You just show that in different ways."

"You're really not going to try to make a home in Auradon?"

"Why would I want to? No one from here is ever going to accept us."

"That's not true. There's plenty of people."

"Maybe. But it's not enough."

"You really going to let someone influence how you live yourself, shrimpy?"

Uma's brow twitched at the name. She sighed, "I'm never going to escape that stupid name."

"I'd say I was sorry if I meant it."

Uma actually laughed at that, "Just admit you were jealous of me back then."

"Me, jealous? Of you? Please, Uma, don't over-sell yourself."

"More likely she was into you."

Mal jumped out of her skin at the new voice. She whipped around to see Ginny leaning in the doorway.

"Oh for fuck's sake. You did that on purpose."

"Obviously," Ginny said as she pushed off the wall and brushed past Mal, opening the fridge.

"Question, why are you still in my house? You can go home now. The danger is over."

"Eh. We figured we'd hang around a while. Catch up with some old faces. Might attend a wedding." She winked at Mal.

"Funny, that you think you're getting invited."

"Funny that you think I need an invitation." She pulled out a yogurt cup, "You're out of ice cream by the way."

"Can we go back to the part where Mal was into me?" Uma asked, placing a hand on Ginny's shoulder.

"Didn't you know?" Ginny asked as she ripped the yogurt cup open.

"I will kill you both and say someone broke in and did it. Everyone will believe me."

"Yeah, but then you'd miss us."

"Unlikely."

"Then why did you send the littlest sidekick to warn us about VKs being targeted," Ginny smirked around her spoon.

"Dizzy warned everyone we had a location on. You're not that special."

"Pretty sure I am." She hopped onto the counter.

Mal rolled her eyes and got herself the glass of water she came for in the first place.

"How do you know Mal was into me?" Uma asked Ginny.

"Because, I, like you, was also on the list of women in Mal's heart who were just replacements for the Blue Princess."

Mal snorted at that.

"Oh?" Ginny arched a brow, "Do you deny it?"

Mal turned to face them both, "No one was ever a replacement for anyone." She looked at Uma, "I was too repressed to figure out what I felt for you back when we were kids." To Ginny, she said, "And you and I could have never worked out. You wanted fun and light when I wanted something more. And nothing I could have said would have made you stay in Auradon and nothing you could have said would have made me leave my friends."

Ginny only cocked her head to the side.

Mal sighed, "Okay, yes, I was very hung up on Evie when we had our thing."

"Even that's an understatement."

"I can't wait for you both to be out of here."

"Why'd you get a castle if not to have your friends over?"

"Because the woman I love wanted a castle."

"It's almost disgusting how soft you've gone Mal," Ginny said in a mellow voice.

Mal rubbed her brow, but she chuckled, "I'm having a conversation with two former enemies who just raided my fridge. I think my feelings for Evie have the least bearing on how soft I've gone right now."

"Enemies is such a harsh word, Mal," Ginny said with a pout.

"Nah, enemies sum us up pretty well," Uma said, "But now I got to know. I get why you're into the princess. I can sorta see why you'd be into this one," she pointed at Ginny.

"Sort of? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Obviously, I know why you'd be into me."

"Certainly wasn't for your humility." Mal cut across her.

Uma's smirk just widened, "The King, now, he just seems like a step down from the three of us."

Ginny snorted at that, bursting into laughter.

"Now I know you're just trying to get a rise out of me. Ben was wonderful. We just realized we had vastly different expectations from what we wanted from our relationship."

"Okay. Sure. He's was wonderful. Whatever. He's so clearly not your type."

"I have a type now?"

Uma pointed at herself and then at Ginny.

"Was that meant to clarify something?" Mal asked.

"I'm with her on this one," Ginny said, "I don't like the insinuation that you and I have anything in common."

"Face it, Mal, you like the bad girls. Benjamin is neither bad nor a girl."

"Firstly, bisexuality exists. Secondly, neither of you are as bad as you like play at. And thirdly, you think Evie's bad?"

"Oh, shemight be the worst of us. She was the most cunning on the Isle. You think I didn't know it was her plans that you used against me?"

"Plenty of my plans worked against you."

"Sure," Uma drawled, "But let's not pretend any of us would have stood a chance if she'd decided she wasn't content being your second back on the Isle. Really, it's nothing short of a wonder she hasn't made herself queen of Auradon by this point."

"You make it sound like it's easy."

"I almost did it."

"You spelled Ben. You would have to put in a lot more work to take over a kingdom."

"And what has Evie been doing working with Ben all this time?" Uma asked.

"What I don't get about your princess, is how she's been on the council and playing nice with the uppities of the kingdom for as long as she has. I would have taken over at this point just so I could kill them," Ginny said.

"Ruling isn't all it's made out to be. Far too much paperwork." It was Evie's voice who cut in this time. She walked into the room, wrapping her arms around Mal's waist from behind, "I was just coming to get you. I didn't want you pulling another all-nighter in the basement. But I see something already pulled you out of there."

Mal leaned her head back against her shoulder, "I was coming up. But got sidetracked by stopping them from eating us out of house and home."

"And doing to the spectacular job of it, I see," Evie said.

Ginny hummed as she took another spoonful of yogurt to underline that point. "It's not like Mal ever had control around us anyway," She said, making her voice deliberately huskier. She even winked.

"Ginny," Mal said with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh, I know," Evie said easily.

"You're not jealous, with this one flirting with your girlfriend in front of you?" Uma asked.

"My fiancée," Evie corrected, "And why would I be jealous? I know my Mal's desirable. And I also know whose bed she's going to be in at the end of the night."

Mal blushed, covering her eyes, "E," She said in a low whine.

Both of Uma's brows shot up.

Ginny laughed. "Mal, if you're ever stupid enough to let this one go, I just might go for her."

Evie slipped her hand into Mal's, gently leading her out of the room, "Wash your dishes," She threw over her shoulder at Uma and Ginny.

"Enjoy that?" Mal asked once they were alone.

"A little," She said with a smirk. "What's with that look on your face?"

"I get this feeling things would be less awkward between Uma, Ginny and me if they were actually my exes."

Evie burst into laughter at that, "I'm sorry, but I'm not the kind to share." She pulled Mal in, kissing her brow.

"I wouldn't have any it other way."

"There must be someone who can undo this. FG, if we have all the fairies working together?"

"Undoing a curse this primal? It's not just about magical power. It's about understanding magic on the deepest level. And there is the unfortunate fact that in the last three decades or so magic hasn't been thought like it used to."

"So the very thing we did to try to protect the people is coming back to haunt us."

They were into their second hour of discussion, Mal, Jane, Fairy Godmother and Ben. Ben's frustration with the lack of results was growing more and more evident.

"But there are still people who know magic like you do mom," Jane said, "Merlin. Hecate."

"Merlin is well versed in human strains of magic. But since this was created by Maleficent's staff, I don't know how versed he'd be in this and Hecate would be a great boon to our efforts. But the Olympians are very fickle. She might help. But who knows where she is at the moment. It could take weeks to get in contact with her."

Ben rubbed his brow, "We can't wait that long. Mal are you sure there isn't a spell you haven't tried yet? You were able to reverse the stone curse."

"The stone curse was different. The magic worked differently. That's why we were able to undo it with another spell. But the sleeping curse is exactly that, a curse. And outside be able to undo the very fabric of magic I don't what we can try."

"I understand the theory," Fairy Godmother, "But even I'm still decades away from having the kind of control needed for this. If I attempt something more complex than the things we've already tried and I make a mistake, those people might never wake. Hecate is our best option here."

"That's assuming we can get a hold of her."

Mal realized she was toying with her bracelet. She looked down at it, touching the blue gem set into the wood. "I might have an idea for an Olympian who could help us. And we know exactly where he is."

"What? Who?" Jane asked.

Mal lifted the gem for everyone to see.

"Hades?" Ben asked, getting to his feet, "Mal, a villain? Are you really suggesting we ask a villain for help?"

"Dear, I know you mean well, but he's not someone that can be trusted," Fairy Godmother said.

"I know this is a crazy idea. I know. But Hades gave me his gem so I'd have a way to fight against the staff. I'm not saying we trust him fully, obviously. We'll take precautions."

"Hades gave you the gem? Didn't you steal it?" Ben asked.

Mal gave a nervous laugh, "That was the plan. But I got caught. And he gave it to me anyway."

"He must have had some ulterior motive. And if we ask him for help, he'll only have more leverage," Ben said.

"He didn't have an ulterior motive. Or maybe he did but it's not what any of you might be thinking,"

"How can you be sure?" Jane asked.

"Because he's my father."

The room grew dead silent. No one spoke until did, "That doesn't change anything he did in the past, I know. But Hades had a grudge against his brother, Hercules and a lot of innocent people got caught in the fallout. I don't think he'll try anything if we bring him here to undo the curse. He's not the kind to attack randomly."

Ben still didn't say anything.

Fairy Godmother steepled her fingers in front of her as she thought. "Mal, do you think he'll do this if you ask?"

"Honestly. I don't know. But he gave me his emerald. I want to hope he'll do it."

Fairy Godmother looked at Ben, "I can send out feelers to find Hecate. But it can't hurt to ask Hades. If he refuses then we know that path is closed off for us."

"And if he says yes but it's only a ruse for him to escape?"

"If that happens I'll find him and I'll stop him," Mal said.

Ben sat back, rubbing a hand down his face. After a moment he nodded, "Okay. I'll arrange it."

When Mal suggested going to Hades for help, she hadn't actually considered that it would mean seeing him again. But not even 24 hours after that conversation she was waiting outside the castle for him to be brought in by the royal guards.

"You told me didn't know your father," Ben said in lieu of a greeting as he stepped into the space next to Mal.

"That wasn't a complete lie. I didn't know him. I knew he was Hades. But I never got to know him. Mom raised me. He was never in the picture. She didn't even tell me he was my father until I was 10."

"But you could have told me."

"I didn't tell anyone. Not even Jay and Carlos know."

"But Evie did?"

"Evie did," Mal confirmed.

Ben nodded slowly.

The transport carrying Hades pulled up and Ben didn't say anything more.

Mal really didn't know how to feel about the way he grinned at her when he saw her.

"Kiddo, I hope you didn't drag me here for your wedding. I didn't get the chance to put on something formal."

Mal get her face neutral. "We need your help. Breaking a sleeping curse."

"That's your mother's specialty. I don't know much help I could be."

"Don't give me that."

He smirked, "Alright, but only because your king looks so desperate. I'll take that as payment enough."

Ben bristled.

"Take me to sleeping beauty."

They took him to the wing they'd put those affected by the sleeping curse. Fairy Godmother was there, but Mal noted Jane wasn't the room. Evie was next to her instead. Belle and Adam were there too, looking on uneasily.

"Sleeping Beauties." Hades said when he stepped into the room, "Well this really is a fine mess. No wonder you need help. I guess your mom was more concerned about teaching how to create curses, not undoing them. If I'm going to do this, I will need my emerald."

Mal's hand hovered over the bracelet, "If you try anything, I will end you myself."

"I'm almost tempted to try, just to see what you would do."

Mal only frowned, transforming the staff back into its original form. The wood flexed to release the emerald. Hades grimaced as he took it.

"Have you been using it with your mother's staff?" He shuddered, "Urgh, her magic must be all over my emerald."

"It's not her magic. It's mine."

Hades did a double-take at that, and gave a small smile, "Damn right it is. Alright, take a step back kiddo."

The air around Hades grew hotter when the gem touched his hand. Mal stepped back but still had the staff at the ready. Evie moved next to her, slipping a hand into hers.

Hade's magic flooded the room, looking like blue flames that radiated out from him. It made Mal's skin prickle, but not in an unpleasant way. Hades worked for several long minutes. He didn't say any incantations but just by looking at him, Mal could see he was completely focused.

Then the magic from the air faded. All was still.

The first person's eyes opened. Then another and another.

"Yeah, I still got it."

Fairy Godmother was already by a bedside, checking on people. And Hades was being escorted out.

"I don't even get to revel in it a little?"

Mal watched for a moment, her jaw tense. Evie squeezed her hand. Mal put the staff in Evie's hands and ran after him.

"Wait," She said, catching up to them in the hallway.

The guards looked a little surprised. But not as much as Hades.

"Would you give us a moment?" Mal asked.

The guards hesitated, but then one, who Mal remembered well from when she and Ben were dating nodded. The guards retreated a few steps, just far enough to be out of earshot.

"Thank you," Mal said.

Hades shrugged, "It was fun. Getting to stretch me legs for a moment."

"You helped those people."

"I didn't do it for them."

Mal didn't know how to respond to that.

Hades chuckled, "So, I happened to notice a familiar ring on the finger of Grimhilde's daughter."

"Her name is Evie."

"Evie. Of course. Congratulations." He smiled and Mal felt like it was genuine, "Looks like you're all set here, kid. Oh," He tossed her the gem. "If you ever need to make some trouble." He winked and turned around.

The guards stepped again. And all too soon he was out of her sight.

Nardragon- until the next page.