Truth Or Fiction

Chapter Seventy Eight

Mal looked around the private room she, Persephone, and Hades had sequestered themselves into; Malinda and Benji slipping in after them. In their hurry, they hadn't realized that the room they'd chosen was the same room where Hades had let loose his rage and worry.

"Gee dad, think you might have worried a bit too much?" Mal asked, smirking slightly as she saw the scorch marks. "I mean...I know the Fates have the rooms protected and all but still..."

Her parents didn't say a word but instead both of them rushed toward Mal and scooped her up into their arms.

"You know, I'm a little surprised younger you didn't make a comment about that," Benji muttered to Malinda.

"She was probably too stunned," Malinda muttered back.

"She's known your parents for how long and didn't expect them to hug her after reading all of what Natalie put you through?"

"Good point....where's Hadie? Speaking of family members, I would have thought he'd be here too."

"Did you all forget someone?!" Hadie's voice called from the other side of the door, causing Hades' and Persephone's heads to pop up like meerkats poking their heads out of their tunnels to check to see if the coast was clear. "I mean...super secret family meetings are cool and all but they're not family meetings if the whole family isn't there!"

Malinda shook her head and opened the door for Hadie and Estelle to trot in. "See you've included another member of the family?"

"Of course," Hadie nodded. "You honestly thought Estelle would be happy being left out of the family meeting?"

Estelle snorted, as if agreeing with Hadie's question.

"I'm sorry boy, I don't know what I was thinking," Malinda said with a small chuckle. "Clearly, having you here makes the most sense."

Especially since it's likely going to get emotional, she thought as she held back a small sigh at the memories that were threatening to come flooding back. All the meetings with Natalie, all the times where she felt like there was no one she could turn to because her mother was back on the Isle with her father...

"Mal...honey," Persephone said, her voice soft as she broke from the hug and looked at her daughter. "You know you can always turn to your father or me if you need help, right?"

"Yeah," Mal nodded. "You've made that clear mom."

"Clearly not enough though," Hades said as he too broke from the hug though it was more reluctantly than his wife. That wasn't to say that Persephone didn't want to hug Mal, but more that as long as Hades was hugging his daughter, he was less likely to flame up.

The last thing he wanted to do was potentially hurt his daughter.

"Mom...I don't think I'm the one who needs the talk," Mal said as she glanced over to her older self before looking back at Persephone. "I mean, I know who I am. I'm your daughter and I always will be. And yeah, I won't lie, hearing what those idiots came up with hurt somewhat but I didn't believe them for a second. And I wasn't tempted to change anything...but...you guys saw what reading the scroll where Harry broke his ribs put Harry through. You don't think older me needs some comfort right now?"

"Nice deflection," Hadie said as Estelle trotted over to Malinda and gently licked her hand.

"Good boy," Malinda said softly as she scratched Estelle behind the ears. "You're always my good boy aren't you? No matter what time we're in..."

Persephone couldn't help the sad smile that tugged at her lips as she saw the sight before her before turning back to her daughter. Err...the younger version of her daughter.