Choosing Love

Chapter Thirty Two

While Ryan and Ben were having their time with their sisters, Mal smiled as she enjoyed some one on one time with her dad. Such time was rarer than sun on the Isle now that she was in Auradon and it would always be treasured.

"You know you can't always duck over to the Isle whenever you want, right Mali?" Hades asked as he started to whip up some of his garlic crispy chicken for her. He didn't need the Olympian mind link to know that's what she wanted. At some point, he'd have to talk to Beastie Jr. about possibly getting a delivery service set up so that Mal could have his cooking over there in Auradon.

But for right now, he'd savor the moments he got with his daughter. She certainly seemed happier than the first time he saw her, after all that handler nonsense got resolved. All he would say there is that that Natalie woman was lucky it had been Steph in Auradon and not him. She'd have gotten more done to her than just an inability to grow plants, that was for certain.

"Dad!"

"Whoa! Mali! What happened?" Hades asked as Mal rushed into his arms. Without thinking, he wrapped her up in a hug and frowned as it felt as if Mal's shoulders were shaking. Almost as if she was crying. But Mal didn't cry. The exception to that rule was obviously near death experiences but Hades didn't think Mal had any of those over in Boreadon. After all, all the villains were on the Isle.

His eyes looked over the other companions who'd rushed in with Mal, lingering on the newbie. "Explain," he growled, glaring at the new boy. Jay and Harry wouldn't have made Mal cry, and Uma would have killed anyone who even thought about it. That just left him.

"It's not Ben's fault Uncle Hades," Uma said immediately, as if to bring attention away from the guy.

"I thought we weren't going by that while we're on the Isle?" 'Ben' asked and Hades paused. Ben...Ben...wait, wasn't Mal dating a Ben?

"You wouldn't happen to be King Ben would you?" Hades asked, his voice still dangerously low. After all, Ben was a fairly common name and it was more than likely parents started naming their own brats after the Prince upon his birth.

"Yes, Lord Hades," Ben nodded and Hades had to give the little sunspot credit, he wasn't melting into a puddle of goo the way most mortals would at seeing an angered Lord of the Underworld. Then again, Beastie Jr. did have the advantage of the fact that Mal was still in his arms. Hades would never want to risk hurting Mal, no matter what happened.

"Then maybe you or one of Mal's minions here could explain why my daughter is currently crying in my arms?!"

"Why does he insist on calling us her minions?" Harry muttered.

"Because that's what we are in a way. We'd do anything for Mal and you know it," Jay chuckled.

"Aye Jay but the difference is this. Mal would also do anything for us."

Hades shook his head. "I'm growing ancient here!"

On that note, where was Persephone? She had gone to Auradon at King Ben's invitation but he knew there was no way she'd let their daughter just go back to the Isle without her. Or without their son. If Zeus had done something because it wasn't one of her six months in Auradon, heads were going to roll!

"You already were ancient Uncle Hades," Uma stated but then sighed as she started explaining everything that had happened. By the end of it, Hades had a pretty good list of all the tortures this Natalie would face once her soul came to be judged by him.

Persephone may have handled her punishment in life. But death was his playground.

"Hey, hey, Mali, it's okay," Hades said soothingly; gently rubbing Mal's back and ignoring Ben's wide eyed stare of astonishment. He figured it was probably a strange sight, the big bad Lord of the Dead being gentle. But Hades didn't really care right now. All he knew was that he had an upset daughter and he would do anything to make it so she wasn't upset anymore. "Hey, you want some garlic crispy chicken? And I'll fill you in on everything that's been happening here?"