Uma held back a shudder as the breeze blew across her face. She knew if she showed any sign of discomfort, Harry would insist they head back to the mainland and Uma wasn't about to do that.
With the weather getting colder, Mal and Uma had decided that it would be best if they delivered blankets and cold weather gear to the people still remaining on the Isle. And of course once Harry and Ben heard about their plan, they insisted on coming along. Harry more so than Ben as Uma was growing closer and closer to her due date.
Uma was sure she'd end up murdering her husband before the baby was born with his constant hovering.
"Hey Uma, why don't the two of us go take a walk around?" Mal suggested as they dropped off some supplies to The Lost Revenge.
Harry looked over at them. "Is that such a good idea? With how close Uma is to her due date?"
"Harry, if the baby's going to come, they're going to come no matter where Uma is. Emma pretty much proved that when Ethan was born," Mal pointed out. "At least if we're walking around the Isle, Uma's closer to a hospital than she is on the ship."
"Not to mention most of the Isle is back in Auradon," Ben said as he walked over. "Harry, trust me, the girls will be fine. You need to relax or you'll be burnt out on day one when your kid comes...what's with the look?"
Harry was, in fact, giving Ben a look that wouldn't have been remiss on Emir or Akiho's faces. "You, the man who gets tense if he's away from his kids for more than an hour, are telling me to relax?"
"And I'm relaxed right now because the twins are asleep in the Captain's Quarters, with their Uncle Hadie looking out for them alongside Estelle while we drop off and hand out the supplies," Ben said, shaking his head.
Let's go now while Harry's distracted, Mal thought to Uma who nodded slightly and the two cousins made their way down the gangplank.
"Remind me to thank your husband," Uma said as they made their way from the docks and into town. "Gods, I love mine but sometimes he can be a bit..."
"Clingy?"
"You said it, not me," Uma said with a small chuckle. "Gods, if I wasn't about to burst, I'd suggest we see if we couldn't check in on Geene's brother. Make sure Zevon and Maddy haven't accidentally poisoned him."
"Yzla wouldn't let them do that, remember Carlos said that's why Diego was single at the wedding?"
"Yeah, to be honest, I kinda zoned out when DeVil was talking about his cousin's love life."
Mal shook her head in amusement. "Come on, the Spell Palace has some low windows; according to Strat at least so I don't know how accurate that information is but I doubt he wants to go back into doing all that physical therapy he had to do after he came to Auradon."
"And he would have to if he angered you," Uma said with a slight chuckle. "I mean, even Gaston could have told Strat it would be a bad idea to anger you after the demonstration you gave to Freddy at Cotillion. Best Dragon transformation you've ever done by the way."
"And here I thought you would have said that my best dragon transformation was when I transformed to execute Freddy boy," Mal said with a small chuckle of her own.
"Hmm, yes, that one does come in a top second," Uma nodded. But after everything The Gazelle and Nat Bat put you through back then...to the point where you stopped wearing your jacket of all things and put contacts in your eyes...that's why the Cotillion transformation is higher. Because it marked the true return of my cousin and I knew you'd be alright.
...Gods this baby needs to get out of me, they're making me mushy!
Mal couldn't help but give Uma a small smile, as if she knew exactly what her cousin was thinking about. She also knew that some things could be left unsaid, even on the Isle. They weren't stupid after all, they weren't about to give someone something to use against them.
Even if one of them was a Captain of their ship and the other was a Queen.
"You know Akiho would probably be freaking out if he knew you were walking around without a guard," Uma said.
"But I am," Mal told her. "I've got you cuz."
"I don't think he'd count your heavily pregnant cousin as a guard." Uma snorted in amusement.
"We're on an Isle surrounded by water, you've got your water magic," Mal said, shrugging slightly. "But on to happier topics. You know mom dyed her hair?"
"She did?"
"Yep. Apparently Rea drew a picture of the family but her brown crayon broke so she thought she was grabbing red to get as close to brown as she could but actually drew mom with pink hair," Mal said, chuckling slightly as she thought of the antics of her little sister. "Mom apparently liked the concept of it and so went to Dizzy to see about getting it dyed."
"Wow...good for the fireball," Uma said with a small smile. Not that she was surprised; Dizzy used to do Uma's braids when they were all on the Isle and sometimes Uma would stop by the fireball for a touchup if she wasn't busy. "I'll have to stop by at some point, see Aunt Steph's hair for myself."
"It's really good, though the fact that Evie's paying for Dizzy to go to beauty school probably helps," Mal said. "It was Dizzy's idea actually; Evie said that Dizzy had told her that even though she loves designing with Evie, she also wanted to get back into hair but the chemicals Auradon had intimidated her."
"Hard to imagine the fireball being intimidated by anything considering she once threw a glue gun at Audrey when Sleeping Brat had the Dragon's scepter," Uma chuckled before pausing in shock.
"Uma?" Mal asked, looking over at her cousin in concern. A very pregnant woman growing silent was never a good sign.
"Well...this is awkward," a familiar voice said and Mal turned in shock to see Locklyn standing in front of them. A slightly pregnant Locklyn at that. "Would it be bad form to ask when you're due Uma?"
"...December," Uma said, a hand resting on her stomach though whether that was because the baby kicked or as a way to warn Locklyn not to think about messing with her, Mal honestly didn't know. "...You?"
"I've still got a ways to go...I'm only about three or four months," Locklyn said, her hand going to her own small bump. "And obviously congratulations are in order for you, Mal, on having a healthy birth. Especially with twins..."
Mal couldn't help but blink in surprise, that had probably been the last thing she expected Locklyn to tell her.
"Thank you," she said, working hard to keep the surprise out of her voice. "I hope you have the same."
Locklyn nodded slightly. "The thought's appreciated...thought it's...it's more of a guarantee now that we have the hospital. I...I know we've had our differences Mal but if there's one thing I can't deny that the Isle owes you for...it's you and your Beastie boy getting the hospital here..."
I don't think I would have survived giving birth to my first child...my daughter...my stillborn...my Blake...if we hadn't had the hospital, Locklyn thought.
"It's what the Isle should have had for twenty years," Mal said with a small nod of her head, unaware of Locklyn's thoughts. "Ben and I weren't going to let it go twenty more."
Locklyn nodded again and an uncomfortable silence fell over the group of three women. After all, what did you say to the person who used to be your enemy? Especially when that person also used to be someone you trusted with your life?
Uma bit her lip slightly before speaking up. "Locklyn, I...I know we were never close but I feel....I feel the need to ask. From one expectant mother to another...was...was it consensual?"
Locklyn nodded slightly, any shock she felt at getting the question never visible on her face. "Yeah...yeah it was. I mean the...the pregnancy itself was unexpected but the act that created the pregnancy was consensual. And...and I know Hook...I mean Harry would rather hook himself than harm you but I...I feel I should return the question..."
Mal snorted slightly as Uma chuckled and shook her head. "Locklyn, you can be assured both parties consented to this pregnancy," she said.
"Ah, so you're truly out of your denial then," Locklyn said.
"Only took them about ten years or so," Mal said with a small snort.
"We were never in denial!" Uma said and shook her head.
"Keep telling yourself that cuz," Mal chuckled.
Locklyn couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips before sighing. "Well...watch your back you two...I'd better go."
Mal nodded slightly. "....Watch your back too Locklyn...and...if you need anything, let us know? Oh! And do you want us to tell your sisters, Brooke, and Gil?"
"I doubt they'd care but...go ahead," Locklyn said, her voice soft as she gave a small shrug.
Mal and Uma looked at each other, a little unsure of how to proceed.
"Even...even if they don't, you still deserve to have the chance to have someone hold your hand at the birth," Uma said after a moment.
"I think being over the bridge has gotten to you two," Locklyn said though her small smile negated any negativity from her words. "None of them wants anything to do with me."
Uma shrugged slightly. "If Piper didn't want anything to do with you Locklyn, I doubt she'd still write to you," she said before turning to walk off.
"We'll let them know...you deserve to have family by your side Locklyn," Mal said before going to to walk off with Uma. Harry wold have her head if she let Uma out of her sight so far into her pregnancy. Especially when they were on the Isle with Zevon still around.
"Well...that was unexpected..." Uma said, her soft voice breaking the silence once they were out of Locklyn's earshot.
"Yeah..." Mal said softly. "Who do you think Locklyn's child's dad is?"
"Well I can tell you who it's not," Uma told her.
"The fact that Locklyn's still alive is clear proof it's not Zevon," Mal nodded.
"And it's not her brothers'...or at least I hope it's not," Uma added as she shook her head.
"I doubt it," Mal sighed. "That would require the Gastons to acknowledge she existed. Well...at least today went well...we didn't get hit with any potions."
"Day's still young," Uma said. "Besides, didn't we want to make sure Geene's brother hasn't been poisoned?"
"I'm not going to lie, it's odd thinking of Geene having a brother other than Ben," Mal said as they continued to walk around the Isle. "I mean I know she does have one but..."
"I get it," Uma nodded. "Let's just hope she still has another brother... but I mean Yzla's here too, hopefully she'll stop Zevon and Maddy before they go too far...Okay this guppy really needs to come out. When was the last time I defended Yzla?"
"Eh, looking back, she wasn't too bad," Mal shrugged. "Compared to her brother?"
"True," Uma nodded. "And really Yzla might be that kid's only chance. Especially with Quinn in Auradon...did she marry Brenden yet or are they still dating?"
"Ben would know more than I would," Mal said. "He keeps up to date with everyone from the Tourney team."
"And you don't keep up with the VKs who've come into Auradon?"
"I mean of course I do but...I've had bigger things to worry about since the twins were born," Mal said. "And soon you're going to have a guppy of your own."
Uma couldn't help but smile as she put her hand on her stomach. "Can...can I tell you a secret Mali?"
"Of course, Um," Mal said. "We're cousins, practically sisters. If you can't tell me your secrets who can you?"
"...I'm worried about Harry."
"What do you mean?"
Uma sighed. "He acts like nothing's bothering him but I think I know my husband and First Mate by now. I don't know if it's because we're getting closer to CJ's birthday along with my due date or what but Harry's been...tense."
"He's still going to his therapy sessions?"
"Of course, I don't think he'd stop going to those. Not with the guppy on the way," Uma shook her head. She still remembered the text conversation she'd had with Harry the day she'd told Mal, Macaria, Elle, and Melody about her pregnancy. About how Harry was worried he'd somehow flip like the Captain had with him and somehow hurt the guppy.
Of course Uma knew Harry would never do anything to hurt their child—he'd throw himself off the gangplank of The Lost Revenge and into the shark infested waters below before he did something to hurt their child, even by accident. But Uma also knew that admitting feelings was a struggle for VKs so Uma wasn't going to diminish her husband's fears.
That being said...she wished she knew what was bothering him now.
"Come on," Mal said; her soft voice pulling Uma out of her thoughts. "We still have to make sure Zevon's kid hasn't been poisoned and then we should get you back to the ship before Harry tracks us down."
"Even though he knows we both know our way around a sword," Uma shook her head.
"Of course he does, he taught us after all," Mal chuckled as she also shook her head and the two cousins continued to make their way through the Isle to check on Genevieve's brother. Thankfully they were able to confirm that the little boy was okay without any incidents or accidents and before they knew it, they found themselves back on the ship.
"...Is it weird that I thought Maddy would have named her kid something more interesting than Matt?" Uma asked.
"Truthfully I haven't thought about Maddy since we left the Isle," Mal said before pausing. "No wait, that's a lie. I did think about how it was a shame Melody's kid would have the same nickname as old green hair but other than that..."
"How'd she get the green hair again?" Uma asked.
"She ditched me because she didn't want to be in my shadow back when we were three, I poured a bunch of lye on her head and turned her purple hair green," Mal said before looking at Uma. "You knew all this."
"I know. I just love hearing you say it, cuz," Uma said with a smirk before shaking her head as Harry came rushing over. "You know, I'll be very thankful once this guppy's born if it gets Harry to relax."
"You and me both, Uma. You and me both," Mal said. "You and me both."