Choosing Family

Chapter Fifteen

Mal woke up the next day feeling slightly nervous, though she quickly tamped down that feeling. It wasn't like she could guarantee success; if Hades...if her dad said no to Jay getting a free meal, they wouldn't have any way to tempt Jay into joining the crew.

Scurrying out of her room and quickly leaving Maleficent's castle, Mal made her way to the Underworld. It was early enough to assume that Hades was still there rather than at the restaurant.

I'll try there if dad's not in the Underworld. Gods, it's strange...referring to someone as 'dad' even if it's in my head. I mean strange in a good way though. Like days when the cloud cover isn't as dark.

The only reason she had spent the night in her 'room' at Maleficent's castle was because she didn't want to raise the dragon's suspicions in case she had heard about her confrontation with Evie. The last thing Maleficent would want would be to be made to look bad and her daughter having a confrontation with the child of someone under her control?

Mal held back a shudder at the thought of what kind of 'lesson' Maleficent would teach her for that.

I should have just stayed the night in the clubhouse, Mal thought as she walked the streets of the Isle. Sure we don't have a bed or heat there but it's better than getting almost no sleep because you don't know when the dragon'll strike.

Thankfully, a somewhat tired Mal meant a scowl was presented to the other members of the Isle. Meaning she wasn't stopped by anyone on her way to the Underworld. Shaking her head as she opened the door, Mal couldn't help the small feeling of relief she felt as she stepped inside.

"Hello?" Mal called softly, walking further in.

"Mal?" Persephone called, walking out to greet her. "Hello sweetie."

"Hi Lady Steph," Mal said, using Persephone's proper title. Maleficent still insisted that her lackeys call her 'her excellency' sometimes, Mal didn't know if she'd be required to do the same with Persephone. Better safe than sorry.

"Just 'Steph' is fine, Mal," Persephone said, giving the young girl a sad smile. "Your father's in the den. Just go on in, he'll be happy to see you."

Mal nodded and made her way to the den. Hades, it seemed, was deep in thought as he hadn't even heard Mal come up.

"Fath...dad?" Mal asked softly, correcting herself mid-word as she was prepared to call Hades by the old title. Saying it out loud for the first time, dad was definitely the better choice. No reaction seemed to come from Hades, and Mal assumed that the God hadn't heard her. Summoning all the confidence she could that came from strutting around the Isle like she owned it (one of the few perks of being Maleficent's daughter), Mal walked into the den and plopped on the sofa next to her dad.

"You know, you really need to serve something different at your restaurant," Mal said, her topic choice surprising her but she decided to roll with it.

"Oh really?" Hades asked, looking over at her. If he was surprised to see her, it didn't show on his face. "Well what did you have in mind? There's not much available to us other than fish and I'd rather not feed the people of the Isle stuff sent from the boat. I'm cruel but not that cruel."

"What about chicken?" Mal asked, a seemingly innocent tone to her voice. "Then people wouldn't constantly be comparing yours and Ursula's food. For the record, Uma would like that—apparently, your food's better."

That was a total lie, no one on the Isle would risk irritating the daughter of the God of the Sea but Hades would never know. Besides, there was no harm in stroking the ego of a God; even if that God was one's dad.