Chapter Twenty Nine

A/N: I do not own anything other than my OCs when they come out to play. Everything else belongs to either Disney or the Greek Myths!

Woo hoo! Another chapter done! And soon we'll have 30 chapters! Considering this fic is outlined to be about 70 chapters, that would mean there'd only be 40 chapters to go! It truly doesn't feel like it's been that long!

AmethystDragon14: Oh yay! :D And yeah, things are heating up but like you said, EQ has an argument as to why she should rule as opposed to Maleficent! Always trust your gut!

OceanBlueSeaEyes: Hades' parent club is truly something that has developed organically, not something that was first planned lol!

danifan3000: Aww, Virgil with Evie as his surrogate sister would be so cute!

Guest: It's entirely possible for Cassandra to appear!

Guest: Ooh, don't tempt me!

Flaresouth: Oh I'm so glad you liked it!

jedblack1997: Anything's possible!

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think! :D

"Who. Keeps. Allowing. Gaston. To. Breed?!"

"Well, that's not exactly the thing I expected to hear as you three walked in," Milah said, shaking her head as Harry cooed in her arms. "And watch the language, the girls are in the other room."

Hook sighed. "Apologies love, but Lord Hades, Smee, and I were just…ambushed by Gaston and his mindless celebrating at the taverns."

"Is he still doing that?" Milah shook her head. "I mean, I can appreciate that he's finally excited about a birth of a daughter but—."

"Nope," Hades shook his head as Smee walked over and wrapped his arms around Mollie in a welcoming hug. "It's a boy this time."

"A boy?" Persephone asked, having just gotten back from putting their daughter down for a nap. "But according to Henrietia, the last child fathered by Gaston was Locklyn. Poor thing, Madam Medusa didn't even bother naming her before she just chucked her into the alleyway like trash. Had Gaston's eldest not found her…"

"You're referring to the girls as Gaston's on purpose, aren't you Steph?" Hades asked.

"If he won't acknowledge that he sired more than three children, then I'll acknowledge it for him and maybe some sense will get knocked into him. Cause Olympus knows there's nothing between his ears!"

Hook shook his head. "Honestly, the limited interactions I have with his lasses makes me think they inherited their mothers' brains."

"Piper's nice papa!" Harriet called from the den. "So's Georgia and Gillian!"

"I know that love, and come in here if you're going to be part of the conversation," Hook said. He didn't want to risk the volume getting too high and potentially waking up Mali.

Yes, all of the adults had gotten into the habit of referring to the youngest dweller of the Underworld by the nickname bestowed on her by High King Eric. It was a lot easier to say than her full name was!

"How often are you talking to Henrietia?" Hades asked as the girls made their way into the kitchen. "I mean…you don't often go to the taverns, Steph."

"I know," Persephone nodded. "But I check in on Vanessa and Panic now on my walks and they live near the taverns. Remember, minions don't exactly get prime housing here."

"I know Steph, I know," Hades shook his head. "Daniel's sunspot doing alright?"

"She seems to be as happy as a clam, but then again she's only a few months old," Persephone said with a small sigh. "To her, likely life hasn't changed much other than gaining a few new friends."

"Allies," Hades, Hook, Milah, Smee, and Mollie all said in unison.

Persephone blinked but nodded. "Right, right allies. Guess my Auradon side was popping out there for a moment…speaking of which, how is Gaston only now talking about Gil? Leith told me about Gil back when he was born and I was in Auradon. You'd have thought it'd be a tired topic by now?"

"For anyone with brains? It would be," Hades said, shaking his head. "But, as we've established, Gaston is not the aforementioned ones gifted with more than one brain cell. I mean you remember what he named his twin sons, right?"

"How did Gil escape the 'Gaston' curse?" Milah asked.

"Gaston wasn't at the actual birth, apparently," Hook told her. "Claudette was the one who named the lad, apparently she likes fish and fish have gills so she named her son after fish."

"Well…I've heard of worse names to give your kid," Mollie said after taking a minute too process what Hook had told them. "And…and how did you hear that?"

"Gaston's spreading it around, as if to deflect blame for his son's name," Hades said, rolling his eyes. "Honestly why we got stuck on the same Isle as him I'll never know."

"I mean…he is a villain…"

"Yes but that doesn't mean that the few of us with braincells to rub together should be subjected to him for the rest of our lives!"

Sammy frowned slightly from her spot next to Harriet, the girls having continued their coloring at the kitchen counter. "That's not nice, Unca Hades."

"You can be mean to stupid people, Sammy," Hades said.

"Hades…" Persephone sighed, shaking her head. "I don't think Mollie and William want us teaching that to their daughter."

"That would be appreciated, Lady Persephone," Mollie nodded. While yes, she was aware of the rules of the Isle and that her daughter would have to grow up faster than she'd like to avoid being made a target, she still didn't want her sweet girl to grow up too fast.

Hades shook his head. "Well regardless of what we are or are not teaching the sunspots, we can still agree that Gaston talks far too much about his son."

Harry cooed from Milah's arms and everyone seemed to pause, as if they hadn't realized Milah was still holding her son.

"…Doesn't he need to nap too? I know Steph just put Mali down…"

Milah shook her head as Hades trailed off. "Apparently, he has learned from his sisters the lesson of not taking a nap," she said. "However…he will sleep through the night so I don't know if I should be impressed or worried."

"He's rather young to be sleeping through the night already isn't he?" Persephone said, tilting her head.

"He is," Milah nodded. "Though…is Mali sleeping through the night? There's only a few months difference between the babies—."

"Milah?"

"Hmm?"

"Mali's a Godling," Persephone said gently. "It wouldn't be fair to compare the two to see if they were hitting milestones at the same time because they'll be different developmentally."

"Sides mama, we tire Harry out!" Harriet said with a proud smile.

Milah sighed and shook her head. "If I didn't know your brother was a baby, I'd think he was taking after you with his 'no naps' business," she told her daughter.

Jess shook her head. "Harri tells Harry not to take naps 'times, mama," she said.

"Jessie!"

"Well you do!"

Milah shook her head. "Why would you tell your brother not to take naps, Harriet?"

"…Cause I want to play with him mama," Harriet said softly. "I can't play with him if he's napping."

"Oh…my sweet girl," Milah said. "I know you want to play with him but Harry's not big enough for you to play with him just yet. And naps are good for him, it helps him grow so he can become big enough to play with you."

"So then I no nap! Then I won't be bigger than him!" Harriet said proudly.

"Oh no missy," Hook said, shaking his head. "You and your sister need to take naps."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, then mama and papa will lose their sanity."

"What's sanity?" Sammy asked softly as she looked over at her mom and dad.

Hades snorted. "Something none of us truly have," he said.

"Hades…" Persephone sighed.

"What? Am I wrong?"

"He's not too far off," Mollie said. "I mean, you'd have to be insane to want to set up an alliance with the hyenas after all."

Hades paused before shaking his head in amusement. "Okay, that's fair, I deserved that."

"Yeah, you did," Mollie chuckled. "But it's been to our benefit at the very least, it's a lot more relaxing to walk around the Isle later than it used to be. Plus it's nice knowing the kids have more allies."

"I'll drink to that Mollie," Hook nodded, jumping into their conversation.

"I think you 'drank' enough over at the tavern," Hades snorted.

Milah rolled her eyes. "Really James?"

"I didn't go there to drink! Gaston kept pressing alcohol into our hands and wouldn't let us leave until Smee, Hades, and myself had all finished a pint. All while yammering about his son!"

"He really did ply us with drinks," Hades nodded. "Well he tried to."

"Why does that leave me feeling uneasy?" Persephone asked.

Hades shook his head. "Honestly we didn't do anything major. Hook just knocked him out using his hook. It's not like Gaston has anything in there to damage anyway."

"But…he's Piper's papa right?" Harriet asked. "And Piper's nice! We should be nice to Piper's papa then!"

Hook sighed and crouched down so that his daughters could look in his eyes. "You know how we say we have allies, loves?"

"Uh huh," Harriet and Jess nodded at the same time.

"Well normally, you'd be right, we'd be nice to our allies but Piper's papa…he's more neutral than an ally," Hook explained. "He's not an enemy so we don't have to worry about him being a threat to our safety but at the same time, he's not someone you'd want to enter into an alliance with. Understand?"

"I think so papa," Jess nodded.

"But…does that mean we have to be mean to Piper? And Georgia? And Gillian?" Harriet asked.

"Harriet, love, you'll run out of oxygen if you keep going," Hook said, shaking his head. "And no. If those lasses are allies to you, then of course you don't have to be mean to them. But I want you to understand that I don't want you around their papa alone okay?"

Or the Gaston boys for that matter, word around the Isle is that they're just as bad as their papa…well maybe not as bad since they're only lads but they walk around the Isle like they're better than the other kids, Hook thought. He knew it wouldn't be a good idea to judge the kids based on their father but he couldn't help it!

Plus, Hook had a feeling that if the girls were alone with the Gaston twins, then there might come a moment where they would run into the elder idiot.

"Okay papa," Harriet said.

"We won't be alone with Piper's papa," Jess promised.

Hook smiled and nodded his head. "Good lasses, thank you."

"But…does that mean we can't be alone with Piper? Or even Henry?" Jess asked. "His mama works at the taverns and…and that's where Piper's papa likes to go."

Hook sighed. "No, lass. I'm not going to stop you from being with your crew. But you need to be careful is all I'm asking. Gaston is an idiot but he's an idiot who managed to rally a mob of people."

"James…" Milah warned.

"I'm not going to tell them too much but they still deserve to know," Hook told his wife.

Harriet's eyes lit up. "Are we getting to hear grown up things?"

"Well…yes I guess you are lass," Hook nodded. "If your mama agrees, that is."

"Why can't you just tell us papa? Why do you and mama always have to say yes?"

Hades chuckled. "Oh that'll be an interesting answer," he said.

"Because," Hook said, quickly giving Hades a look before turning back to his daughter, "you and Jess are both your mama's and my kids. Therefore it's a partnership in raising you so we should both agree on how you're raised or what we tell you and when we tell you it. Some 'grown up things' as you put it are too much for four year old ears, even if they are the ears of one of the best big sisters on the Isle."

"Oh nice deflection," Milah chuckled as Harriet seemed to puff out her chest with pride at being told she was one of the best big sisters on the Isle.

"Why thank you," Hook said with a chuckle of his own. "Being a pirate captain, one has to be good with deflection you know."

"It's true," Smee nodded. "And the Captain's one of the best there is!"

Sammy shook her head softly. "No one's better than you though papa," she said, though she quickly looked over at Harriet and Jess; as if to make sure she hadn't upset their alliance by defending her papa.

"Thank you Sammy," Smee said with a smile as he gave his daughter a hug.

"And here I thought Harriet would loudly declare that no one was better than Hook," Hades said with a small chuckle.

Harriet bit her lip. "I mean…no one is…but I don't want to make Sammy sad…and her papa is a good papa…"

"That's alright young Mistress Harriet, I know you mean no offense," Smee said.

Milah shook her head. "You know you don't have to give the girls titles, William."

"But how will I show the young mistresses or young Master Harry the respect I owe to the children of my captain?"

Hades shook his head. "How did we get here from ranting about Gaston's newest sun spot?"

"You know I really don't know," Mollie said. "Did you all have more to drink than you said you did?"

"Hand to Olympus, we only had one pint each and I think Henrietia watered it down. At least for Hook and Smee so they could come home relatively sober and help with the insanity that is your sunspots."

"She didn't water down yours?"

"If it's not nectar, it ain't impacting me," Hades told her. "Trust me, mortal alcohol is cute but you all would keel over if Dionysus got his hands on you. Which would just leave more work for me so please don't let him."

Persephone shook her head. "Please don't encourage him Mollie," she said. "You and Milah will have your hands full enough as it is with James and William, you don't need Hades adding to the insanity."

"But think of all the stories we'll have for you when you come back, Persephone," Mollie said with a small chuckle before shaking her head. "Don't worry Lady Persephone, we will make sure the insanity is at a minimum."

"Thank you," Persephone said with a grateful smile.

"Insanity? Papa, what's insanity?" The two women heard Harriet ask and paused. How did she…?

"Why insanity is when you go and have a lot of fun," Hook told his daughter.

"Come on Jessie, come on Sammy! Let's go get Henry and Piper and Virgil and have some insanity!" Harriet cheered, grabbing the aforementioned girls before dragging them off.

"…Should we be worried about whether or not the Isle'll be standing?" Mollie asked.

"Nah," Hades shook his head. "The girls are four…plus they'll have Sammy and Virgil providing some common sense."

"Dear, I love you but you know Virgil is as timid as they come," Persephone said.

"…Right. Hook, Smee, let's go corral your sun spots so they don't sink the Isle!"

"Right," Hook and Smee nodded and the three men quickly chased after the girls; never noticing the look of amusement on their wives' faces or the storm clouds that seemed to be off in the distance threatening to dampen their joy.