Half and Half

Chapter Twenty Eight

Mal sighed softly as she walked through Demeter's field. She didn't mind getting to leave the Isle (okay maybe that wasn't one hundred percent true but she'd fake it for Steph and Benny), but she missed Uma and Harry.

Ben was great at times but ever since they got back to Auradon, he hadn't left Belle's side. Mal was almost positive that the only times Ben left his mother's side was to either be with his sister, Chip, or Emir and Akiho.

Thankfully those last two were so insane that they insisted on including Mal in their mayhem as well. It was like having her own Harry and Uma in a way, even if it did make her miss her friends even more.

"Mal?" Persephone's voice broke through Mal's thoughts and the purple haired girl looked over at the Goddess. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Mal nodded with a small sigh.

Persephone couldn't help but give a small smile as she knew what Mal wasn't saying. After all, you could take the girl out of the Isle but you couldn't take the Isle out of the girl.

"I was thinking we could go do something fun today," Persephone said. "What do you think?"

"Like what?"

"Like...maybe see about getting you a pet?" Persephone offered. It hadn't escaped her notice that Mal had been the only person to attend Evie's party without a pet of her own. Yes, Prince Ben had come home without a pet as well but he had still received one.

And yes Persephone was aware that the invitation was last minute but still! She finally had the chance to spoil her step-daughter...spoil her daughter and she wasn't going to let the opportunity slip through her fingers!

"...Really?" Mal asked, looking excited despite her best attempt to hide it.

"Of course," Persephone nodded. If she was honest, she needed a break from all the Gods. Especially after the half hour rant Artemis had given her regarding a dimwitted man on the Isle stealing her idea to send chickens to the Isle to help increase the meat the VKs had available to them.

The fact that Gaston even had the brains to try to bribe the guards was one thing, the fact that the guards of the food barge actually went for it and provided chickens so that the Gastons could have eggs was another thing all together. Then again, Persephone had definitely dealt with odder things on the Isle.

"Can...can we go now?" Mal asked, pulling Persephone out of her thoughts.

"I wouldn't have offered if we couldn't go right now," Persephone told her. "Come on, adventure awaits us!"

Mal couldn't help the small giggle that slipped out of her lips but Persephone didn't mind. She loved the fact that she could provide Mal a chance to be a regular kid and not just a pawn or plaything on the Isle.

"Alright Mal, I just have one rule for this pet," Persephone said.

"You...you do?"

"I do," Persephone nodded. "You have free rein to pick whatever you choose but they have to be sturdy enough to survive the Isle. I want you to be able to have your pet with you no matter where you are."

"Wait...I get to bring the pet to the Isle with me?" Mal asked, more than a little taken aback. She thought for sure she'd have to leave the pet with Demeter or one of the other Gods when they went back to the Isle.

Persephone gave her a small smile. "Harry and Uma get to keep their pets, and I know Queen Belle is looking for a pet for Prince Ben to replace the hyena cub from his baddie bag and she has the same stipulation as the one I listed, so why shouldn't you be able to keep your pet the whole year?"