stollen things || c. stoll

3.9~ Family Reunion

"I want to hear what my daughter has to say."

I slowly turned my head to look at the voices. Aphrodite and Demeter.

Oh, right. I was planning on strangling Aphrodite. It didn't seem like the best time. More importantly, my mother had stuck up for me. She was just as beautiful as I had expected. We had the same eyes, and the same nose.

"Fine," Zeus said, snapping his fingers. "Stand, demigod. Let's hear your story."

A pool of water appeared next to Poseidon's throne, and I reached out to the Ophiotaurus, hoping he would hear me. It worked. The pool of water filled with bubbles and Bessie appeared. I bowed again to Zeus and hurried over to the water. And so I explained. From the beginning of the quest to San Francisco. It had to be around sunset in California. I hoped that my friends had made it into the garden with little difficulty.

Bessie was frantic, so I stayed next to her, petting her head. The gods ignored me after I finished my speech, apparently convinced that this was the best place for the Ophiotaurus for the time being.

Demeter approached me. I dropped to a knee. "Mother."

"Relax, child. Stand."

I did, and looked into her eyes. "Hey."

"Oh, Madeline," She looked down at me with a sad smile on her face.

"It's Maddy, actually," I said, trying to decide how I should be feeling.

"Right. How's your father?"

"He's well. He's found a girlfriend." I wasn't sure if that was something I should mention to her, but I never really paid attention to what I should or shouldn't do regarding monsters or gods.

"That's wonderful," She said. It looked like she meant it. "Eating enough cereal lately?"

"Of course."

"Good, good. Keep doing that." And she left without another word.

I sat down next to the pool. "Just you and me, Bessie. Until Percy and the others return, whenever that may be."

"Not quite," A female voice said from above me. I looked up to see the owner. Aphrodite.

"Oh! Lady Aphrodite." I knelt again. All this bowing to the gods was tiring me out.

"Stand, hero. I just came to warn you of something. After finishing your little quest, Artemis will return and ask you to join her Hunters because of your honorable actions and powerful blah blah blah," She said.

"She will?" I asked, standing again.

"She will. I want you to refuse her. It means no boys. We both know you don't want that, and I certainly can't lose another love story plot line to that woman. She's already close to cutting off Perseus Jackson's."

"I don't want that? And who said anything about a love story?"

"Wow, you demigods really are naive. It's so tragic! You left him to go across the country on a quest, almost dying multiple times, almost drowning, and now you will return to him alive! For now. Though please go see one of the muses to fix your hair."

I reached up to touch my hair, and realized the fishhook was still in the braid. It must have broken off the fishing pole and gotten caught up in our travels. I bowed to her as she left, leaving me to think about the tragic love story she had planned out for me, and ducked out of the throne room. I was in Olympus after all, might as well make some use of it. I figured I had a good few hours before midnight, and I could explore for a bit. Bessie was safe with the gods, so my job was done. I wandered back down the open marketplace and met a few minor gods and goddesses. I got a nymph to redo my hair as Aphrodite had advised, and I made friends with a few of the satyrs as well. I told them about the Wild we encountered in New Mexico. This excited them, and they told me that I was welcome to contact them at any time for anything I wanted.