Author's Note: This takes place during the same universe as my Legacy of Youth story but about 2 years before the events of that story. I hope you enjoy and please let me know if you would like more one-shots or short stories based in this universe. I have quite a few ideas I've been playing with. I'm also really close to finishing the next chapter of Legacy of Youth: Descendants Unleashed and the next part of Fragile Flames: The Sick Baby Dragon both which should be out really soon.

Ages in this mini story:

Mal: Almost 2

Carlos: Turning 12

Evie: 14

Jay: 15

"Okay come on you have to tell us," Jay told Carlos who shook his head no refusing to answer the two older villain kids. Jay and Evie had been pestering him all day after finding out that Carlos' birthday was coming up. Carlos had been trying his best to keep it a secret. The younger boy didn't like his birthday and didn't need anyone pretending to care.

There was nothing to really celebrate and if anything his mother was even worse on his birthday. The punishments were harsher and the chores were too. The deep red scars from last year still burned through his skin. Her "payback" for the pain and suffering that he caused her by being born. At least that's what she would remind him of every single year.

Not one year has gone by in his almost 12 years of life that he hasn't been reminded of the fact that he ruined his mother's life by being born. How he had almost killed her with his selfish difficult labor and should be grateful that he is even alive right now.

Carlos had been keeping his birthday a secret for almost 12 years now. His friends would ask him about his birthday, but Carlos would always avoid the question. Normally this would work especially now that they had Mal as part of their crew. The small girl had definitely kept them busy and on their feet. This year though he had messed up. Evie had been even busier with Mal now that Mal was almost 2 years old.

She was no longer just some babbling baby. She was walking and talking and starting to form her own personality. It was an exciting time for the three of them to finally see Mal starting to become more aware and conscious. Her gibberish babbles slowly forming more and more into actual words and sentences, however it was exhausting especially for Evie. Evie was constantly chasing after Mal making sure the small girl stayed put and didn't wander off when they weren't looking.

Carlos hadn't meant to let it slip but it did. Evie had been trying to keep the small purple haired toddler entertained by playing games with her. They didn't have a whole lot to really play with on the Isle so the majority of the time Evie, Carlos, and Jay would play their own silly made up games to keep Mal occupied and stop her from wanting to go out and explore or to see her mommy again.

Now that Mal was a little older she was constantly wanting to see her mommy and gain her attention. She would follow Maleficent around like a lost puppy. This being something the evil fae couldn't stand. Mal was still learning how to really keep herself balanced and was always falling down or knocking into things making a mockery of Maleficent's name not to mention the burden Mal created.

If it wasn't for the fact that she needed an heir to keep her legacy alive the purple haired child would be another body in Maleficent's collection. The three older villain kids were very much aware of this and would always try their best to keep Mal in the hideout with them. The newest game that came from Evie's brain was a birthday game.

Evie would say a birthday from one of them or from others they knew and Mal would have to guess who's birthday it is. Of course Evie was pretty sure that Mal had no clue what any of it meant and was just saying random names but it did keep Mal entertained and helped her learn a little more about the months.

It also helped with her speech which was the main goal in Evie's games. Evie knew that Mal was at the age where she was starting to learn how to really talk or at least she should be by now.

Everything had been fine, that is until Evie had listed off a random date and Mal had guessed him. It had all happened so fast after that and before he could even really process what he was doing the words were already out of his mouth. "Close it's the right month but no." Carlos couldn't believe he had let those words slip out.

At first he had thought maybe she didn't hear him. Evie was pretty distracted with Mal right now. Surely she hadn't heard what he said, but it was obvious by her shocked expression that she had definitely heard his words.

Now here they were with the two older members of their crew pestering him about his birthday. "I'm not telling you," Carlos told the two of them, his voice raising in frustration. He just wanted them to stop. "Okay then we'll just keep playing our little game," Evie told Carlos, sitting down on the couch and picking Mal up to place her in her lap.

"No!" Mal cried out immediately pushing Evie away with her tiny hands. The small girl didn't like Evie holding her. Last time Mal had tried to do that with her mommy she had ended up with a red mark on her tiny cheek. She didn't want another one.

"Mal it's okay. We're just gonna keep playing our game. You remember the game right," Evie told the small girl in her gentle voice trying to calm her down. Evie smiled in relief when Mal seemed to calm down as she stopped pushing at her and she slowly nodded her tiny head. "Okay here we go. May 20th?" Evie called out her eyes carefully scanning Carlos' face.

Evie was good at reading people and she could tell when someone was hiding something. "Ebie!" Mal exclaimed excitedly, still not fully understanding the game but wanting to win anyway. "Nope my birthday is April 10th remember. Okay let's try again hm May twenty… hm… 8th yeah May 28th,"

Carlos could feel his body tense up as soon as those words left Evie's mouth. He could tell that she was reading him right now. Her eyes were locked on him of course she had gotten it he should have known she would. He didn't know how but Evie always seemed to know things.

"I knew it! It's May 28th!" Evie bursted out her eyes scanning Carlos again to see for his reaction. Carlos sighed knowing it was over at this point. Evie had figured it out. There was no point in hiding it anymore. "Wait, is she right, is it May 28th?" Jay asked Carlos. He slowly nodded knowing he had lost the battle.

"Cawos!" Mal called out having been somewhat listening to their conversation. She honestly had no clue what any of it really meant but Carlos seemed to be the words said the most. Evie smiled, holding her hand up. "Yay! You did it! High five!" Evie replied excitedly in her sing-song voice.

Mal giggled her tiny hand hitting Evie's. "Me win!" Mal said out happily with her squeaky baby voice. "Okay but can we please just let it go now," Carlos quickly told them. He still didn't want them to do anything for his birthday. He was fine with just forgetting it even existed.

"Fine," Evie responded back, her voice clearly not very happy at this request. "Good," Carlos replied before getting up and leaving the hideout. He had some chores he was still supposed to finish up and he knew his mother would be back any minute now.

Evie watched as Carlos left the hideout before looking back over at the other two. "Okay so here is what we're gonna do now. May 28th is today so we need to prepare and quickly," Evie told the two of them in her best authoritative voice.

"Okay but Carlos said he didn't want anything for his birthday," Jay said to Evie. He didn't like the idea of upsetting the younger boy and his wishes. "Well it's still his birthday. Now you're gonna go look for stuff we can use to decorate. Mal, your job is to make Carlos a card. Can you do that?" Evie ordered.

Evie knew that Carlos didn't want to make a big deal about his birthday and she didn't blame him for that. The Isle wasn't exactly the best place for celebration, but at the same time they were a family, the four of them. It was only right for them to celebrate, especially considering Carlos had been hiding his birthday from them for years now.

"Caw?" Mal asked Evie, her little head tilted in confusion. The small toddler had no clue what Evie was saying. She didn't know what a card was but she didn't want to upset anyone and get in trouble. "Evie she's not even 2. You're gonna have to show her what you mean," Jay told Evie who nodded realizing he was right.

"Right yeah okay I'll show her you just focus on getting stuff to decorate for him," Evie ordered again making her way over to Mal. "On it," Jay called out before running out. He knew it was better not to argue with Evie plus she did kind of have a point when it came to everything.

Once Jay left the hideout Evie carefully made her way over to Mal. "Okay now I'm gonna give you this paper and this paint. You're gonna put the paint on the paper with your hands like this see. Now you try," Evie explained to the small girl while carefully demonstrating to her what to do. Her hands now covered themselves in various colored paints as she carefully placed them onto the paper.

Evie didn't really like the idea of getting her hands all dirty with the paint, but she knew that Mal was little and needed to see her do it before she could actually comprehend what Evie was asking her to do.

Mal watched her, a little smirk making its way across her face. Before Evie could process what was going to happen the small girl dipped her tiny hands into the paint before placing them onto Evie's shirt.

Evie's eyes widened, a gasp escaping from her lips as she looked down at her now paint covered shirt. Her mom was absolutely going to kill her for this.