Choosing Life

Chapter Twenty Two

Hades shifted in his seat in the waiting room. It had been a couple of months since Mal and Ben had announced the pregnancy to the kingdom and now the day had finally arrived.

Granted, Hades hadn't expected to be awoken around three in the morning by a frantic message on the mental link from Mal but being told that his grandchildren were arriving quickly removed any irritability he felt due to the rude wake up.

He even offered to pick up Beast and Belle, something that Persephone ended up doing since the thought of Beast and Hades alone in the same vicinity was almost asking for trouble. Not because they couldn't get along.

But because they kept trying to one up each other in terms of what they wanted to buy for the babies.

Hah, good luck Beastie, Hades thought even as he bounced his leg in worry. I'm the God of Wealth after all. Even if you were High King of Auradon, you don't have the funds to out-spoil me. Ooh I wonder if the grandkids would want a chariot...?

He shook his head slightly, he could almost hear Persephone's voice in his head and knew what her response would be. Not before the kids could walk Hades.

Kids...kids...why did that remind him of something?

Dad?

Oh great Gaia, he had other kids!

In his defense, finding out that Mal had gone into active labor had pretty much taken up all of Hades' thoughts so he could be forgiven for overlooking a couple of things who had been sound asleep in their rooms.

Yeah Hadie? Actually...what are you doing up? It's three in the morning!

Dad...it might have been three in the morning when you and mom left...but it's like two in the afternoon right now. Where are you?

...Mal's in labor.

And you didn't wake me up?!

Okay watch the volume kiddo, I'm here alone with Beastie and Belle since your mother's in the room with Mal and her sunspot. But no we didn't wake you up. We figured Mal would be exhausted after giving birth and she wouldn't want all of us swarming on her to see the sunspots of her's.

Damn, that's a good point...

Language!

Dad...since when do you care about language?

Since you have a four year old sister! And now that you'll have a niece and nephew at some point today!

Okay, okay, I'll watch the language. But you're sure you don't want me popping by?

Hadie, we trust you not to destroy the house while you watch your sister you know, Hades thought even as he made a mental note to reach out to Posideon, just to make sure Hadie had an adult should he need one.

And no, it definitely wasn't his way of making sure Hadie couldn't have the Charmette over while his parents were...actually what was he thinking? Posideon would definitely try to get 'cool uncle' points and allow that.

If only he'd taught Virgil the mental link though...he was so jumpy that there was no way he'd go against Hades' orders. Sure living in Auradon had calmed the half-imp down to the point where his stutter was almost completely gone, but he was still alert and jumpy enough that he made sure he was a good minion.

Dad...do you want me to text Virgil? Hadie thought, pulling Hades out of his thoughts.

What...no....