Half and Half

Chapter Twenty Two

Mal was annoyed. No, she was peeved. No wait she was vexed. Which was a word she only knew because of her extremely happy and talkative shadow!

Ben had gone from hanging onto Beast like the former King would disappear if Ben took his eyes off of him to hanging onto her like she'd disappear if he took his eyes off of her. And what was worse? Uma and Harry would only spend time with her if Ben wasn't there. They said they didn't want to spend time with the 'baby'.

Which to be fair was an accurate statement when Ben was hanging onto Beast. But not when he was around her! Bad enough Ben had somehow managed to get a bad rep with her allies but now she was tainted by that rep?

"Mal, wait up!" Ben called as Mal continued to stalk ahead of him. A small part of her knew that leaving Ben of all people alone on the Isle was close to idiotic, and Harry would probably compare her to Gil had he been fond of Ben. Though considering Ben wasn't exactly Harry's favorite person either, Mal might have gotten praise for shaking him from her tail.

"Keep up!" Mal called over her shoulder, weaving through crowds. If she had to be around him, then she was taking him to the Chip Shoppe so Uma would still spend time with her. I mean, yeah, they could hang out around the docks with Uma and Harry but that would require Uma and Harry to want to be around Ben.

Uma had even told Mal that she would rather be around DeVil than be around Ben...and DeVil was three! Not to mention he was also the most timid VK known to man! He was even worse than Virgil if that was possible!

"Hey look boys, it's the new babysitter of the Isle!" An older VK called as Mal and Ben walked into the Chip Shoppe. "Though maybe we shouldn't be surprised, after all rumor has it she'll be going off to Boreadon with him."

"You want to taste fire, keep talking like that Gaston!" Mal growled. It wasn't the head idiot, but one of his vaunted sons. And yes, vaunted was another word she only knew because of Ben!

For a five year old, he had a rather extensive vocabulary. Mal didn't know if it was because he was a royal or because his mother gave him unfettered access to their library back in Auradon.

Her fireballs might not have been that impressive but they were better now that she had gotten a taste of life past the barrier. And the Gaston twin deserved it anyway, he could be helping his sisters instead of prattling on like an idiot!

Oh...speaking of idiots....

"Hi..." Ben said softly as he went over to Gaston Jr.'s table. "I'm—."

"I know who you are," Gaston Jr. sneered. "Everyone on the Isle knows who you are and who your worthless father is."

"Watch it Gaston," Mal growled with a glare as Ben paused slightly.

"Gaston?"

"The best hunter on the Isle!" Gaston Jr. said, puffing up his chest with pride. "And someone who wouldn't even be on here if it wasn't for your father."

Mal rolled her eyes. "I think you've been drinking your fair share of sea water, Gaston. Your dad has no one to blame for him being here. Other than himself, I mean."

"Shut it Mal, the men are talking! Don't butt in about matters you don't understand," Gaston Jr. snapped and Mal's eyes flashed causing the older boy to pause. Although word had gotten around the Isle that she was staying with Lord Hades and Lady Persephone, everyone knew who her 'mother' was.

And even the LeGume boys had enough brain cells to know that even if Mal might not have had access to Maleficent, Maleficent would still know if they hurt her. Maleficent knew everything that happened on the Isle after all. The only thing she didn't seem to know was that Mal was living with Lord Hades.