Choosing Family

Chapter Nineteen

Mal walked down the streets of the Isle a couple of months after the makeshift birthday party, Estelle's leash firmly in hand. It was a nice day, or at least as nice a day they got on the Isle. The cloud cover didn't seem as bad at the very least. Mal couldn't help but smile as people seemed to scurry out of her way. Sure she got a few odd looks but no one said anything. No one was insane enough to question the daughter of Maleficent walking down the street with a Cerberus.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?"

Okay scratch that. There was one person who was insane enough. Unfortunately, they were also the other pain in Mal's side.

Ugh, Blueberry can at least be intimidated into going away. Frollo's just a pest, Mal thought as Fred Frollo walked toward her. The nine year old strolled over to Mal, the purple haired girl glaring at him.

"Aww, does poor widdle Mally need a guard dog to protect her from the scary Isle?" Frollo taunted.

"Baby talk Freddy?" Mal shot back as Estelle looked at her in slight confusion before looking back at Frollo. "Seems beneath you."

Frollo scoffed. "What's with the dog anyway? Didn't strike you for the type to have a dog, witch. Thought your kind went more for crows and toads."

Mal glared at him. "He's my puppy. I got him because of a little princess' birthday just like every other kid on the Isle who got a pet. You got a problem with that Frollo?"

Frollo rolled his eyes. "Nobody likes a liar Mal. I have it on good authority that you weren't at Evie's party."

"Never said I got my dog at Blueberry's party," Mal told him, rolling her eyes a little. "I said I got him because of the party. You need to get your nose out of that bible and listen better."

Frollo glared. "You keep hanging around that heretic Hades and there'll be trouble Mal. He can't keep claiming to be a false God forever."

"Hey!" Harry and Jay exclaimed as they turned the corner to see the confrontation, Uma trailing behind them. To a casual observer, one would think Uma just didn't care but Mal knew better. Uma knew her cousin could handle herself against Frollo.

"Looks like your little crew is here," Frollo smirked as he slipped into the shadows, Estelle letting out a low growl as Harry and Jay reached Mal.

"You okay Mal?" Jay asked.

"Yeah," Mal nodded. "Freddy boy was just being a pest is all."

"Mal, I have to say I don't like the way he stares at you sometimes," Harry said, crossing his arms. "It's just creepy. Like he's planning something."

Mal rolled her eyes. "What do you expect? His father nearly burned down all of Paris because he got told no. Of course Freddy boy would have a creepy stare."

Harry and Jay still seemed unsure, staring in the direction that Frollo had gone as if the older boy was going to reappear. Uma, who had caught up to the group, shook her head.

"Boys, Freddy boy has hated me the minute he found out I existed," Mal said with a sigh. "He's just a pest. You two are acting like he's going to become like his father and hunt me down like Esmerelda. Chill, will you?"

"Mal, he may be a pest but he's a pest that stares at you," Harry told her. "It's just creepy."

"Yeah, we'll 'chill' when he does," Jay nodded.

Mal looked over at Uma and both girls shared an exasperated look as the boys continued to glare in Frollo's direction.

"Guys, unless he wants six sets of teeth in his hands, he won't do anything even when I'm alone. Now calm down," Mal told them.