Chapter Twenty Seven
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.
Welp, I really don't have much to say here other than special thanks to AmethystDragon14 for helping me get through this chapter. Literally, it was as if someone had just turned off my brain every time I looked at the word doc. So thank you so much! I know, I know, not necessary—but given all the same! :D
If there's ever a comment you all want to see, let me know! Suggestions are always welcomed! :D
Marcus Emrys: I agree, they all need therapy and a hug! Oooh that's definitely a possibility!
Tracie Adams: Yeah Mal and Hadie really need to have a talk don't they?
AmethystDragon14: Yay! Yeah but it's probably hard on Hadie too…he's never been raised with a member of his family hating him like Mal did with Maleficent. And yeah, Ben, Abby loves you!
shortanamx: Something tells me they'll have a conversation soon!
Katt Kiki: Glad you liked the chapter!
Guest: It is a pretty emotional chapter isn't it?
Hufflepuff24: One can only hope—and I'm so glad you liked the chapter and that you're enjoying the story!
CrystalKaouri: I agree, the family needs to sit down and have a talk especially since Mal doesn't think like that anymore and Hadie shouldn't hate his sister for something she thought when she was seven!
Urmimala Hazra: I know it's not Mal's fault but to Hadie, who's only ever known love, affection, and acceptance, it's a bit of a blow. Especially coming from his sister of all people! Glad you liked the chapter!
danifan3000: Hmm, that's interesting to think about honestly! Be nice if either the books or the movies addressed that!
EllaBSinging: I agree, poor Hadie.
AthenaArtemis25: Yeah I don't think anyone thought there'd be a riff in the sibling dynamic here.
Guest: I can certainly see if I can do that!
AnniexLove: I'm an only child so I can't really relate but I can't help but feel bad for Mal too.
Dance love 2007: Thank you so much!
billyandkimfan1994: No worries!
quil . theimperial: I have to say I like all the fire nicknames you came up with! As for the update, I thought I'd be slowing down too—and then my brain was like 'lol jk let's do nothing but write' and thus that chapter was born! Well I'd still love to read it so whenever you do, I'll be sure to check it out! :D
TR Lara Croft: One can hope Hadie won't stay mad at Mal for long…
Rory: Are…are you cringing because of the embarrassment to Mal and Ben or…? Glad you're loving the story!
Anonymous Reader: It really was awkward wasn't it? The Fates may be able to see all but they couldn't see this. Glad you liked the chapter!
medical ranger: You really can't help but feel bad for Hadie.
JaclynnM: I'm sure they'll make up soon!
Flaresouth: The way I see it, since Ursula and Vanessa split it's like they're twin sisters—so Uma and Virgil would be cousins.
TheGirlofManyFloods: In Mal's defense, she was seven…
Guest: Agreed!
Guest: I agree!
LOST MUSES: Yeah the previous one and this current chapter are going to hurt! And I was a c-section baby too! I could probably recite the story of my birth better than most kids since my mom always told me it!
twilightgirl587: Yep, they literally just got to Auradon. Ah but Quasi was also raised by Frollo and he was Frollo's opposite! You my friend have just asked the question of the ages—if Henry VIII thought like that, he probably wouldn't have had six wives. Estelle's the best isn't he? I have plans on bringing in Abby don't worry :D
Hope you all like the chapter! Let me know what you think! :D
Phoebus unfurled the scroll and hoped that the contents would be more uplifting than the previous one had been.
Mal groaned as the little storm cloud's cries continued to ring through the Underworld.
Great way to start, Hadie thought with a small sigh. He just loved hearing about how Mal hated him.
Sure it might have been irrational, to be upset about something that Mal used to feel, but if she could be upset that he hadn't been a girl then as Zeus as his witness he could be upset about this!
It had only been about three weeks or so but the little brat was as obnoxious as could be. What was worse was the fact that he seemed to take up all of Steph's time.
"Younger siblings always do at that stage," Robin nodded.
Mal hardly got to see or spend time with her step mother since the little storm cloud was born.
What did you expect? She's his mother! Mal thought as she tore yet another page out of her sketchbook, balling it up and tossing it in the corner where it joined the growing pile of pages containing ruined tag idea after ruined tag idea.
"I am also your mother Mal," Persephone said, her voice soft as she knew her son was also upset. "You could have said you wanted me honey."
The constant crying was making it hard to concentrate, and the interrupted sleep made drawing difficult since Mal kept messing up making it so the drawing didn't turn out right.
Oh sure, that's my fault too. Guess I'm just to blame for everything that goes wrong in Mal's life now, Hadie thought as he rolled his eyes.
She hated wasting the paper but at least it could be used as fuel if they ever needed to make a fire. Plus the page had been filled to the brim with tag attempts, there was almost no white space remaining. If she could find a spot to attempt a tag, it wouldn't have the space needed to be good.
Rose shook her head and looked over at Rowyn. "Are you sure you didn't die or something and take over Mal's body for a time? Because that sounds exactly like you with your sketches."
"If you're going to have a good sketch, you've got to have the proper amount of room on the page," Rowyn stated. "Mal gets it."
Uma was right after all, little siblings were useless. At least Uma didn't have to worry about Celia replacing her though.
"I don't know if I'd call them 'useless'," Aziz said, looking over at his brother and sister. "Strange? definitely. Annoying? Without a doubt. But never useless."
Dad did try though, Mal thought as she started on a fresh tag. The day the storm cloud was born.
Of course I did, Hades thought with a small frown as if the scroll had implied that he had just ignored Mal in favor of Hadie.
Mal shook her head. She hated thinking about that day...the day her life got turned upside down and not in a good way.
"Mali?" Hades called, knocking lightly on Mal's closed door a few hours after Hadie was born. Mal laid on her side, her back facing the door. She really didn't want to see her dad right now. She didn't want to hear the news that she'd been replaced.
This brings back memories, Kit thought as he remembered how Lucy had pouted for days after they had told the kids that Cinderella was pregnant.
Honestly he'd been surprised Chad hadn't done the same considering he had when Cinderella was pregnant with the twins but then again, it wasn't Chad's first rodeo so to speak.
It'd been bad enough just seeing her replacement, she didn't want to have it said out loud.
"Mal, come on. I just want to talk. You were so excited when Steph was pregnant, what changed?"
"Good," Meg said, nodding her head. "At least you're trying."
"My daughter was upset, of course I was going to try," Hades told her.
Hadie scoffed and rolled his eyes. Of course, Gods forbid Mal have her little feelings hurt over something stupid like thinking I'd replace her because I was a boy!
"You promised me a sister," Mal muttered under her breath. Later on, when Mal looked back on this time of her life, she would realize that neither Steph nor Hades ever actually said the storm cloud would be a girl.
I know the feeling Mal. But you should take it up with the Fates, not your dad, Harry thought as he unconsciously curled up next to his mom. He may have been sixteen but the last time he got to cuddle with his mom like this was when he was two. Sure Uma might give him grief but Mal and Jay were in Boreadon—none of the other crew would even know.
But in the moment, all Mal cared about was the fact that her dad had a son all his own.
Hades sighed. "I'll leave you alone for now Mal. But I do want to talk to you. I'll see you in the morning okay?"
"I know sometimes it's better to leave kids alone when they're upset but in this case you probably should have pushed more," Meg said with a soft sigh.
Mal stayed quiet as she listened to his footsteps grow softer and softer, the only noise other than Estelle's scratching at the door. She knew her boy wanted to go see her dad, she did too.
"And you always can Mali," Hades told her. "No matter what I'm doing, you and your brother can always come see me if you want to."
But...she didn't want to get hurt twice in the same day.
Is this what Maleficent meant by love is weakness? Could...could the dragon actually be right about something? Mal thought as the storm cloud's cries broke through her thoughts and Mal grabbed a pillow to cover her ears.
"Okay, past me was clearly sleep deprived or something to ever think that the Dragon was right about something," Mal declared.
"Stormy please...rest your head. Now it is, time for bed. Please stop, don't you see? I want Steph and dad for me," Mal sang softly, pressing the pillow to her ears to block out the wails and closed her eyes as she imagined a world where it was just her, her dad and Steph.
Elle couldn't help the small sigh that escaped her lips as she heard that. She wasn't going to lie, the same thoughts had found their way into her head after Melody had been born. Elle had been so worried that her parents would love her sister more because Melody could walk and Elle couldn't.
A world where it hadn't been the worst day of Mal's life-and considering how many bad days she'd had in the seven years she'd been alive that was saying something. After all, good days weren't exactly common with Maleficent as your birth giver.
"That feels like an understatement," Akiho muttered to Emir.
Estelle whimpered as the little storm cloud's cries seemed to grow louder. Mal rolled her eyes—she knew what that meant.
Mal sighed and shook her head. "All babies cry, past me. You never rolled your eyes at Celia when she cried after all."
Here comes dad, with another attempt for me to bond with my replacement, Mal thought with an inward scoff as she brought her sketch book higher and closer to her face as if to act as a shield. No thank you! I can stay in this room for as long as I possibly can dad! One of the only good things about growing up around Maleficent: hunger doesn't bother me!
Uma rolled her eyes as Jay and Harry looked at Mal in looks of shock and exasperation on their faces. "The day you actually pass up Uncle Hades' cooking is the day we need to get you tested for some sort of illness!"
After all, was skipping lunch really all that bad when the other option was spending time with…him?
Gods, a sister. All I wanted was a sister and you couldn't even do that! Instead dad had to have a bouncing baby brat! Was this some punishment from Zeus, for being part Maleficent?
"Zeus controls many things but he has no control over a baby's gender," Hera spoke up.
"Mal?" Hades' voice came from the other side of Mal's closed door, and Mal was surprised not to hear the usual crying. She hadn't even heard the cries fade as her dad walked away from the door the first time he'd come by. Guess she'd been in the zone so to speak. "Hadie's gone down for a nap if you'd like to join us for lunch?"
"Uh no. What you do when the baby goes down for a nap is take a nap yourself," Eugene stated.
"He's not wrong," Phillip Sr. and Kit nodded.
"You sleep when the baby sleeps," Shang added.
Mal grinned and hopped off the bed, putting her sketchbook away as to avoid it getting ruined somehow. While she had been prepared to skip lunch to avoid spending time with the storm cloud, she wasn't a complete fool. Nothing was worth skipping her father's cooking.
"Told ya," Uma said with a smirk.
"Yeah, yeah, you're a genius," Mal said and rolled her eyes.
The little beastie might have replaced her in the family but there was no way she was missing out on lunch because of the little demon. Wait no demon would be a compliment to him wouldn't it? Because of his connection to her father. Mal would have to revisit that particular insult.
"For the record, I do consider 'demon' to be an insult," Hadie said with a small sigh.
"Don't worry storm cloud, you're only a demon when you and I want the same bit of garlic chicken. Then you really don't know what 'no' means," Mal told him with a small smile.
"Don't call me that," Hadie snapped and the smile slid from Mal's face.
"There she is," Hades grinned as Mal opened the door.
"Dad, you saw me this morning," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "You know, at breakfast?"
"Doesn't matter. Every dad likes to see their kid," Phillip Sr. said, grinning at both Audrey and Phillip Jr.
"Yeah well that doesn't mean I don't like seeing my daughter," Hades told her as the two of them made their way to the kitchen. "Hey, Steph brought this stuff back from Boreadon—it's a type of paste that they put on food. Supposedly adds flavor to whatever they put it on. You want to try it out for lunch today?"
"Wait, so you were eating unseasoned chicken before this?" Alexandria asked.
"She does know we were eating practically garbage before we started catching the chickens for Uncle Hades right?" Uma asked, looking over at the other VKs.
Mal shrugged. Food was food after all, and why would her dad want to mess with stuff that was already good?
"Just because something works does not mean it can't be improved upon," Lonnie stated.
"I'm taking that as a yes," Hades said as he picked her up and sat her by the counter. Despite being seven, Mal still hadn't grown all that much.
"Don't you say a word!" Mal snapped at Uma, who smirked in amusement. Neither girl noticed a small smile tugging at Hadie's lips at the familiar banter.
That being said, she wasn't going to complain. Not when it meant a rare bit of attention from her dad in this post storm cloud era of her life.
"Mal could ease up a little. Hadie didn't ask to be born," Dizzy muttered to Celia.
"Give me fifteen minutes and then lunch will be served."
"Okay dad," Mal said with a small nod as she swung her feet, trying to find a way to amuse herself without her sketch book since she had left it in her room. She could try to practice her magic but what was the point?
"At least you've got a parent who teaches you magic," Jane pointed out. There was no malice in her tone yet Fairy Godmother couldn't help but frown as she heard it.
Her fireball never got any bigger and she couldn't practice any of the advanced stuff, not with the barrier around the Isle.
Besides, she hadn't had a private lesson with her dad in weeks. Not since the little storm cloud came around and blotted out her sun.
"Hmm, maybe because magic gives you an edge over Freddy?" Uma told her. "Did you suddenly develop a want to not lob a fireball in his face?"
"Hello Mal," Persephone said as she walked into the kitchen, a tired smile on her face upon seeing the young girl.
"Ah, the face of every new mother—tired yet exhilarated," Jasmine said.
"Especially a mother with more than one child," Aurora added.
"Hey," Mal nodded. She always seems tired lately, though with the storm cloud always crying I guess that's to be expected. Gods why couldn't he have been born in Boreadon? Then I could have both of them all to myself and nothing would have to change. After all I'm sure Uncle Zeus or Uncle Poseidon would watch the storm cloud in the six months Steph was here-or any of the other Goddesses.
So…there was once a time I was 'Uncle' Zeus to her? Zeus couldn't help but think, feeling a stab of guilt at what could have been the relationship between uncle and niece.
Plus she was sure that the Gods of Olympus were scrambling to make sure he was brought off the Isle. They probably started as soon as they saw the registry get updated.
"No, no they weren't," Mal said softly as Hadie looked away from her. "But if they won't then I will."
After all, the storm cloud was the son of one of the Big Three. Perish the thought of the son of Hades living amongst villains, and in squalor!
"Ease up on the sarcasm there Mal," Macaria said, trying to ease the tension that was building in the room.
Never mind the fact that Mal was Hades' daughter; the Gods didn't know that.
To them, she was just Maleficent's daughter. Someone who probably deserved to be on the Isle.
"You're only Maleficent's daughter to those without brains," Persephone stated as she looked over at Zeus.
"I beg your pardon!" Leah exclaimed.
"Oh right, forgot about her," Persephone muttered as Estelle growled at Leah.
"Steph, where'd you put the garlic paste you brought back from Auradon?"
"In the pantry dear," Persephone said and Hades went to go grab it but paused upon hearing Persephone's voice again. "No, wait, it should still be in my bag. Sorry, I meant to unpack it but with all the excitement—"
"Excitement would be one word for it," Ariel nodded, a small smile on her lips.
"No apology necessary Steph," Hades said, gently kissing the top of his wife's head. "Let me go and grab it. Be right back girls."
Hades left and an awkward silence grew. Truthfully, Mal hadn't really said much to Persephone since Hadie had been born. She didn't mean to, she just wanted to punish Hadie for coming and snatching her spot as dad's child.
Hadie couldn't help but wince slightly as he heard that.
"I'm sorry Hadie," Mal whispered as she lightly bit her lip. "That was cruel."
"Yeah well we're VKs, we're supposed to be good at that or has Boreadon already made you soft?" Hadie shot back.
"Hadie!" Persephone scolded.
"No, mom, don't. He's got a right to be upset," Mal told her.
Persephone shook her head. "That may well be Mal but he shouldn't take the fact that he's upset about something you thought when you were seven. If your brother needs to blame someone, he should blame your father and me for not talking to you before he was born."
But Persephone was almost always with Hadie. Mal honestly hated the sight, hated the look Persephone would get whenever she looked at Hadie.
The look a mother should have when they see their kid, Mal thought bitterly. Not the look of indifference or hatred Maleficent usually has. If I'm lucky, it's just a look of distain.
Mom looked at you the same way she looked at Hadie. You were just forcing yourself not to see it, Mal thought with a small sigh.
One gained an extensive vocabulary quickly when one had a God and the Mistress of All Evil as their parents—though Maleficent usually used hers when ranting about Auradon, Hades, the Isle, Mal and the Evil Queen; usually in that order.
"Boy does she need a hobby," Chip said with a small chuckle.
Hades used his when berating Pain and/or Panic or ranting about Maleficent or Zeus.
"Mal, sweetheart," Persephone said softly, "is something bothering you?"
"Thanks for trying mom," Mal said, her voice so soft it was almost like a whisper.
"I'm fine," Mal said quickly, making sure her walls went back up.
"Are you sure?" Persephone asked, giving Mal a kind smile. "It's just, we haven't really talked since Hadie was born. I want to make sure you're not feeling neglected. I remember you were so excited when I told you I was pregnant."
"I wasn't neglected, I was just being stupid," Mal sighed.
Yeah well you led me to believe I was going to get a sister, someone who'd look up to me, Mal thought bitterly. Not someone who was going to replace me.
"Actually, past me, that was you," Mal sighed. "No one said for sure Hadie would be a girl, in fact mom tried to remind you of that."
"I'm fine Lady Persephone," Mal said softly, making sure to face forward and therefore missed the slight look of shock and hurt that flashed over Steph's face.
Mal couldn't help but wince as Phoebus read that part. "I'm sorry mom, that was harsh."
"I know sweetheart. You were hurting and you lashed out," Persephone said, giving her daughter a small smile.
She hadn't been 'Lady Steph' in ages and she had never been called Lady Persephone by Mal. Mainly because Mal had had difficulty pronouncing it when they had first met.
Milah leaned down so that she was close to Harry's ear. "Reminds me of how you had trouble pronouncing Harriet's name when you were first starting to talk," she whispered.
"Mal—"
"Found it!" Hades said, walking back into the kitchen and holding up the jar of garlic paste, unknowingly diffusing the tense atmosphere that was building in the kitchen. "Why was it in your toiletry bag of all places?"
All the moms in the room smiled knowingly as they heard that—they'd all been there.
"Didn't one of the trade agreements wind up in Ashaki's changing table when Emir was a toddler?" Aladdin asked as he looked over at Jasmine.
"Yes," Jasmine nodded. "Comes with the territory of having more than one kid when there's an infant involved."
Rapunzel sighed and looked at Eugene. "Don't even start."
"I wasn't going to, Blondie," Eugene said with a grin.
"I don't know," Persephone said, shaking her head as she turned to look at her husband. "I'm going to say going into labor might have been the main cause."
"That would be a more pressing matter," Hades nodded. "Mal, are you ready to try this?"
Hades shook his head. "Damn. I should have taken longer to find that garlic paste!"
"It's not your fault dear. You didn't know what Mal and I were talking about," Persephone sighed.
Once again Mal shrugged though a small part of her couldn't deny the joy she felt in this. It was something the storm cloud couldn't replace her at. No matter what, she would always be her dad's food tester.
"Hey, now I've got two food tasters," Hades said with a grin.
"Um, you mean five right Uncle Hades?" Uma asked as Jay and Harry perked up at the thought. Milah couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips as she saw how excited her son was.
"Actually six," Mal corrected. "Virgil will sometimes taste test too."
Just you wait though. Babies get older and soon dad will be using him for testing items for the restaurant. After all Ursula has Uma help out at the Chip Shoppe, why wouldn't dad have his precious son help at his restaurant? You'd be lucky to get the scraps off the brat's plate. That's if dad doesn't take back the deal and you have to go back to scrambling for food. At least you'd have Ursula's Chip Shoppe as an option. That's better than what most kids have on the Isle.
So that's why she got so defensive about her role as a food taster, Neal thought.
"I don't mind, we sometimes switch off now unless dad's making something he thinks Hadie won't like," Mal said, shooting her brother a small smile; trying to get him to at least look at her.
Sometimes, she really hated her thoughts. She was having a good time with her dad, why did they have to show up now?
Sometimes thoughts like that…they don't come when you want them to, Ben thought with a small sigh. After all, he was well familiar with thoughts that were almost similar to Mal's—a voice in his head that pointed out everything he was doing wrong as Crown Prince. How he'd be a horrible King. How his dad was going to come to regret stepping down.
"Hey Mali, do you know why eggs don't tell each other jokes?" Hades asked as he began to cook the chicken, the sizzling sound music to Mal's ears.
"Dad, it's probably because eggs can't talk."
"Nope. It's because they'd crack each other up," Hades told her and Persephone groaned.
"I thought it was good!" Phillip Sr. said with a chuckle.
"You did?" Phillip Jr. asked, looking as if he was questioning his own genetic makeup.
"It's my own fault. I got him that book of 'dad jokes' the last time I was in Auradon and he's been non stop with them," she said, shaking her head.
"Why would you encourage those jokes?" Jasmine asked Persephone, who just shook her head.
"What do you get from a pampered cow?"
"Who pampers their cow?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Spoiled milk!"
"Good one!" Eugene said with a grin.
Rowyn shook her head. "Only other dads appreciate a dad joke," she sighed.
"I'm with Mal though. Who pampers their cow?" Ashaki asked.
Mal shook her head but she couldn't avoid the small smile that began to creep onto her lips. She couldn't help it; the joke was just so…bad that it was hard not to find it funny in some regard.
"Hence why they're called 'dad jokes'," Kitty said, grinning from ear to ear. "Their sole purpose is to make you smile when you're feeling down and the best person to do that is a dad!"
"Oh really?" Cinderella asked, raising an eyebrow.
"After a mom of course!"
"Ah there it is!" Hades said, smiling at the sight of his daughter's smile. "Haven't seen that around these parts in a while. I have to say it's a welcomed sight."
"Your child's smile is always a welcomed sight," Belle said softly, giving Ben a small smile of her own.
Mal rolled her eyes but the smile stayed on her lips.
"Hey dad?" Mal asked softly as Hades continued to work on lunch. She didn't want to push her luck with how great everything had been the past hour or so but she really wanted to know the answer to her question. "Do you…do you think we'd be able to have one of our private lessons after lunch?"
"You never have to ask for a private lesson Mal," Hades told her. "I've always got time for my kids."
Mal gave her father a small smile. I know dad. You'd break out of the Isle if you thought I needed you, she thought to him.
Count on it Mali. Hades thought back.
"Of course Mali," Hades nodded and Mal's smile turned into a grin. Finally, she'd be able to spend time with her dad—just her and him. No annoying little beastie to ruin anything.
Hadie rolled his eyes. "I get it Mal, I ruined your life! Stop harping on it!"
Mal flinched slightly and nodded slowly. She wanted to apologize, to let Hadie know that those thoughts were a thing of the past but she knew her brother didn't want to hear it. She shook her head slightly as Hades opened his mouth to scold Hadie, the last thing she wanted was for him to think their parents were playing favorites.
We need to talk to them, Persephone thought to Hades. I don't like the fact that Hadie's upset—he has every right to be of course but he's punishing Mal for something Mal couldn't help from living with Maleficent for years.
"Dig in!" Hades said, handing Mal her lunch. "Garlic crispy chicken, for your enjoyment. Let me know what you think, Mal."
Mal eagerly dug in and she couldn't help but be amazed at how much better it was than her dad's regular chicken. It was hard to explain, maybe it was the garlic?
"It's the best meal in the world, it doesn't need an explanation," Mal stated.
"You like it?" Hades asked and Mal nodded, too focused on eating every last bit of chicken to answer.
"So like every time Mal has the garlic crispy chicken at the restaurant?" Uma asked with an amused smirk.
"I think that's a yes dear," Persephone said with a smile. "You should put that on the menu in the restaurant."
"I think I just might. The other patrons might think I'm trying to poison them but then again, they thought that when I began offering chicken in the first place," Hades nodded as he and Steph dug into their lunch as well.
"I'm pretty sure they still think that if I'm being honest," Hades added.
Before long, the lunch had been consumed and one seven year old was eagerly waiting for her private lesson with her dad.
"Alright Mali, let's—"
"Excuse me, Lord Hades?" Pain spoke up, interrupting Hades and earning a glare from the Lord of the Underworld.
"And the award for worst timing goes to…" Akiho said, shaking his head.
"What?"
"L-L-L"
"Speak quickly," Hades said with an eye roll. Pain wasn't typically the kind to stutter but it could happen occasionally and it was more annoying than Panic's. Panic's at least had a reason, he was panicky. When Pain stuttered, all it served was fuel for Hades' urge to throw Pain out the window.
"Fatherhood's really changed you huh Tex?" Meg said with a small smile. "There was a time when you would have incinerated Pain or Panic for annoying you."
Hades shrugged. "Pain was telling me my son needed me. Not really an incinerate worthy offense nut-Meg."
Not to mention but before Mal and Hadie came along, Pain and Panic were my only company when Steph was in Auradon, he thought. I could never really hurt them.
"Lord Hadie is up," Pain said and Mal's heart sank as Hades nodded. Persephone had gone down for a nap so Hades was the only parent available for Pain to go to.
"That is generally how that works," Audrey scoffed.
"Says the girl who was probably raised by servants," Uma shot back, glaring at Audrey.
After all, Hades had threatened to chuck his minions into the cove if they even so much as coughed while Persephone was napping.
"Didn't Uncle Hades actually do that to Pain when we were eleven?" Uma asked with a small chuckle.
"Yeah he did," Mal nodded.
"Thankfully Pain floats," Hadie added with a small chuckle of his own.
"I'll go get him," Hades said.
"Dad, what about—"
"We can still do it Mal. I just need to take care of Hadie first," Hades said and he walked off to the nursery where the little sun spot resided.
Hades winced as he heard that. He'd been so distracted that he hadn't realized what he had said at the time.
Mal stared at his retreating form, not knowing what to do.
"Go after him," Melody suggested. "He can't know you're upset if you don't tell him."
First. He actually said first. See? The storm cloud's not even a month old and he's already replacing you in your dad's eyes.
Yep, I should have worded that differently, Hades thought with a small sigh.
Mal sighed and went back to her room, Estelle trotting behind her as usual. If this was going to be the new normal, Mal wasn't going to stick around for it.
"Okay, now you're just being overdramatic," Uma sighed, shaking her head.
"Guess by now I ought to know my place," Mal began to sing under her breath as she grabbed a small bag. She didn't know why she was singing but it felt...right. It must be an Olympus thing. "But I won't stand by and watch myself get replaced. Dad knows how much I love him, but now he's got more important things. So I'll keep waiting in the wings."
"You're not an understudy Mali, you never were," Hades whispered to his daughter.
I know the feeling, Ruby thought with an inward sigh as she glanced at Evan. I know it more than you think Mal. After all, mom and dad stopped having kids after they had Evan. What else was I supposed to think?
Quickly, she tossed some clothes and her sketch book into the bag along with Estelle's supplies (food and water, dog treats, toys) before closing up the bag and tossing it over her shoulder. The lone food bowl and water bowl would have to stay behind-they were located in the kitchen and Steph and dad would definitely notice them missing. She had to get out of here before her dad came back and caught her.
"Or I could have found you," Persephone reminded Mal. "I wish I had."
Though maybe that would just be the reason he needed to kick me out. Make more room for his precious son, Mal thought as she made her way to the front door; Estelle by her side as always.
"I would never kick you or Hadie out," Hades said firmly. "The Underworld is your home, Mal. You always have a place there as long as you want it."
"Come on boy," she said, clipping the leash to Estelle's collar. "It's clear we're not wanted here. Let's go see if the clubhouse would be a better home."
"You do that again young lady and you're grounded," Persephone said firmly.
"At least she had Estelle with her. Plus Uma, Jay, and Harry knew where the clubhouse was so she wasn't completely on her own," Hades pointed out.
Estelle gave a small yip and the two of them slipped out of the Underworld, making their way to the clubhouse that had quickly become a second home to her and her crew.
"He probably knew you were upset," Ben said, his voice soft.
"Guess we're going to have to get you a food and water bowl for here huh boy?" Mal asked as she sat down on the bed. The crew wasn't likely to show up today, which was good. As much as Mal cared for her crew, she didn't really want to be around anyone right now.
"Hopefully those bowls were still useable," Lil' Shang said.
"They were," Mal nodded.
"You know we probably should have had a food and water bowl for Estelle there anyway," Jay said and Mal gave him a small smile as she realized he wasn't drawing attention to her emotional display.
"Why didn't we?" Harry asked.
"You stepped in Estelle's makeshift water bowl when sparring Uma and complained for a month about your wet sock," Jay deadpanned. "We never replaced it since it broke when you stepped in it."
Sighing softly, Mal conjured a small fireball and stared into the lilac flames before vanishing it.
She'd be alright. After all, she'd stayed in the clubhouse plenty of times before she found out that Hades was her dad.
"What were you thinking?" Emma asked. "When you conjured the fireball?"
Mal shrugged. "It's been over nine years, I couldn't tell you if I wanted to."
Wait, what about stopping by the restaurant? Mal thought. Dad'll probably start working there more often now that I ran off, as an excuse to talk to me.
"Did you? Poseidon asked, looking at his older brother.
"Of course," Hades nodded.
Persephone shook her head. "He practically wore himself out trying to juggle both the restaurant and being home to help with Hadie. I almost pulled a Queen Rapunzel and knocked him out with a dented frying pan that showed up in one of the barges just so he'd sleep."
With his bouncing baby brat? You heard him, the storm cloud comes first.
Harry bit his lip as memories came flooding back to him, about how he had said similar things about CJ. The only difference was, his sister deserved them for taking his mother. Sure Leah had been mainly responsible for the food situation causing his mother to grow weaker but if she hadn't been pregnant with CJ, she'd have still been alive—Harry knew Mal was just upset because she wanted a sister.
"You don't mean that," he said softly, looking over at Mal.
Besides, you can just send Jay or Uma to make the order and bring it back to the clubhouse. Get yourself involved in a sparring match with Harry, that way you've got a believable excuse why you can't go.
"Why Harry?" Emir asked.
"He can spar for hours," Uma said, shaking her head. "I already know that's why Mal picked him. Every move has to be perfect."
"I'm a Hook. We can't be bad at sword work," Harry stated.
Mal nodded before patting the bed for Estelle to hop up. The Cerberus did just that and rested his heads on Mal's leg.
"Have I told you guys before that Estelle is one of the best gifts you ever got me?" Mal asked. "Well if I hadn't then I want to take this moment and say that he is and if I have then it bears repeating."
Of course Mal gets a Cerberus because she was upset that she wasn't invited to a party. Watch me not get one—and I wasn't invited to freaking Auradon! Hadie thought.
"At least you'll never leave me boy," Mal said softly, scratching Estelle behind the ears of his middle head as she looked at the barren walls of the clubhouse.
Estelle gave a soft yip at that, wanting to go and comfort Mali but knew he had to keep an eye on the mean older human!
Thankfully, she had plenty of spray paint here and two sketchbooks filled with designs. It was time to get to work.
"We left Mal alone with empty walls, spray paint, and her sketch books," Uma said, shaking her head.
"And we wondered why the clubhouse looked different the next time we were there," Jay added, chuckling slightly.
Phoebus cleared his throat. "That's the end of the scroll."
"I'll read next," Persephone stated.
"Steph, you already—."
"I'll read next," Persephone said, giving Hades a look.