Truth Or Fiction

Chapter Twenty Four

Naveen quickly grabbed a scroll and unfurled it, smiling a little at the sight of Harry with Milah. It reminded him of his own relationship with his parents and he was happy the young boy was able to get a second chance with his mother.

Persephone couldn't help but smile softly as she watched Mal try to get Estelle to sit on the floor in Mal's room, the training book she'd purchased for Mal propped against a pillow so Mal could see the pictures inside.

"I remember training my dog Sultan," Beast said, a fond smile forming at the memory. "Of course all that training went out the window when he became a footstool."

"And who's fault was that again?" Chip asked, a grin on his face as Beast turned to give him a look.

Normally they would have done this in the den but Estelle still made Virgil nervous and the now nine year old was spending more and more time here rather than at Vanessa's.

I don't blame him, Carlos thought thought it was a lot less nerve wracking being around Estelle now that he had put himself on guard duty rather than sniffing around everyone.

Not that it was a bad thing. Persephone couldn't help but smile at the thought of her home being a safe place for the children of the Isle.

Thank you Lady Persephone, Milah thought as she held Harry close to her. Yes she knew her son was sixteen, nearly an adult. That didn't matter—and despite the want to appear tough in front of the Auradonians, it didn't matter to him either.

Plus she welcomed the privacy Mal's room provided. A conversation like the one they were about to have required a bit more privacy than a regular conversation.

"I wouldn't have eavesdropped," Hades said, shaking his head.

"And Pain and Panic?" Persephone asked, raising an eyebrow.

If Mal took the news of Persephone's pregnancy the wrong way, Persephone wanted to be sure Mal felt safe to let her emotions out rather than bottle them up.

Yeah, I failed at that didn't I? Mal thought. Gods, I'd've had weeks with my brother if I didn't have the stupid thoughts that he was replacing me.

"Hey Steph," Mal said, looking up and giving her step mother a small smile. Persephone returned it. Lately she'd noticed that Mal had been calling her 'Steph' instead of the title of 'Lady Steph'. That, plus the hug she'd gotten her first day back, never failed to make Persephone smile.

Then again, pretty much everything Mal did made Persephone smile.

"Spoken like a true mom," Rapunzel said softly, smiling as she looked at her brood.

How could she not? If it wasn't for that stupid registry, she could refer to Mal as her daughter rather than by the pointless title of 'step-daughter'. A daughter was a daughter, it didn't matter that Mal wasn't genetically Persephone's.

Snow White and Cinderella both couldn't help the sad smiles that formed on their lips as they heard that. How they wish they could have had the same relationship, but they wouldn't begrudge Mal her relationship for anything.

"Hey Mal," Persephone said, pulling herself out of her thoughts. "How's the student?"

"Great!" Mal said with a grin. "Watch!"

Looking back at Estelle, Mal cleared her throat. "Estelle, sit! Sit!"

Estelle gave Mal a little puppy grin before sitting down.