𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚒𝚊 (𝙇𝙚𝙤 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙯 𝙓 𝙊𝙘)

δεκαεπτά

***

ELENA DIDN'T REMEMBER MUCH after they got back. She remembered the other's retelling the story so much she could have repeated it off by heart, she remembered going to pick up Ere from Sally's who screamed so hard when Elena appeared in her room in the middle of the night. She looked like she was roadkill, she remembered as she apologised to Sally.

He was asleep in a small cradle while Paul rocked him gently.

"We loved having him here, it was almost like seeing Percy as a baby again, come back soon with him." Sally had said looking a little tired. She packed up his stuff and took a taxi back to camp.

She remembered putting Ere in his cot in the Hades cabin and then falling asleep herself. She passed out still in her ruined clothes, the fishnet stockings looking more net than stocking. When she went to feed Ere she took a glance in the mirror and blushed when she looked at her shirt. It was worse than Piper had described it, there was a hole that just barely exposed her breasts. If she put her hands anywhere other than below her shoulders, she was sure to flash a few people. She was glad Piper had lent her jacket. She sighed and went back to sleep.

When she woke again, she grabbed a new set of clothes that wasn't scorched or stained red and showered feeling considerably cleaner. She fed Ere who was wide awake and making little whimpering noises that told her he was hungry. Her heart felt fit to burst seeing her brother drink so hungrily. I would do anything to give this child a better life.

She fed him and burped him before heading out for breakfast. On her way to the mess hall, she witnessed Drew running from her cabins then a series of cheers. Piper became her cabin counsellor it seems. Then made a mental note to check up on Drew: Bereavement Counselling for Drew. Today at 3:00pm after the appointment with Travis.

Being the only Head Counsellor of the Hades and Thanatos meant she had different duties from the rest of the camp. This mainly meant being the unofficial therapist and bereavement counsellor of the camp.

She ate haphazardly as a bunch of people came to hold Ere. Connor held him making funny faces and even Clarisse melted at the sight of him. Belatedly she realised she no longer felt the strange sensation in her stomach when she was around Connor. Eh. It was never gonna happen anyways. She waited for Annabeth who turned up looking a little disappointed but was immediately cheered up by the sight of Elena. Since coming back, people had discovered she had died for a period of time and so they started fussing around Elena like she was the baby, Annabeth was no exception.

"Oh my gods. Ella you're back, I was so worried," She said, shaking as she came to hug Elena. "I heard what happened, I'm sorry, I should have been there on the quest with you, I'm sorry"

Elena said nothing but hugged Annabeth tightly, "I'm back Annie so don't apologise you have to find Percy for us so don't worry about me I'll help you if you want but first, want a sausage? You look worse than me."

"Sure."

"Help yourself- HEY!!! Travis you little- Ere is barely a month old, don't try to con him."

Annabeth smiled as Elena took her brother away from Travis, "he's not a toy guys, be careful with him."

***

LEO HADN'T FELT THIS JUMPY SINCE HE offered tofu burgers to the werewolves. When he got to the limestone cliff in the forest, he turned to the group and smiled nervously. "Here we go."

He willed his hand to catch fire, and set it against the door.

His cabinmates gasped.

"Leo!" Nyssa cried. "You're a fire user!"