Alex smiled gratefully and held up her fist too with her pinky sticking out, "I promise I'll never leave you- As long as you don't leave me"
"Never"
The two went back to cooking and soon it was done.
"And bingo!" Leo announced.
He went over to Jason and Piper with two plates while Alex followed.
"Leo," Piper said in amazement staring at the tacos. "How did you-?"
"Chef Leo's- and Lex's Taco Garage is fixing you up!" he said proudly. "And by the way, it's tofu, not beef, beauty queen, so don't freak. Just dig in!"
After they had eaten, the boys encouraged the girls to get some sleep so Piper curled into a ball with her head on Jason's lap while Alex lay next to Leo. He took off his jacket and lay it over her, to protect her from the cold and before Alex could sleep, she heard Jason say.
"You like her don't you?"
She couldn't stay awake for the answer though and slipped into deep sleep.
---
When Alex woke up, Leo had an arm around her waist and she was curled into his chest. They had had this sleeping arrangement as long as they remembered, she smiled to herself when she realised how close they were but started when Jason chuckled.
"Gods you both are dense"
"Jason- did you sleep?"
"No... and it's better this way" Jason admitted, then to lighten the mood he added, "So I called you Jackson in your memories huh?"
"Yeah... it was nice that way, that everyone had a different name for me" Alex got up. "It made me feel special"
"But you are special- Jackson"
"Am I? I have a brother with the exact same powers as me, and I haven't used my powers once on this stupid quest"
"This is you proving yourself without your powers, and as for the brother thing- I have a sister, she probably has the same powers too."
"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask you. Was it the girl with the spiky black hair?" Alex raised her eyebrows.
"Yeah, her name is Thalia Grace. I can't explain it but I know that she's my sister"
"Ooh, at least now I know your last name- Grace" Alex smirked, "Calling each other by last names buddies?"
"Calling each other by last names buddies" Jason agreed.
"Come on, we should probably keep moving" Alex said as she woke Leo and Piper up.
Finally they broke camp and started down the tunnel.
It twisted and turned and seemed to go on forever. Alex wasn't sure what to expect at the end-a dungeon, a mad scientist's lab, or maybe a sewer reservoir where all Porta-Potty sludge ends up, forming an evil toilet face large enough to swallow the world.
Instead, they found polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive letter M. Next to the elevator was a directory, like for a department store.
"M for Macy's?" Piper guessed. "I think they have one in downtown Chicago."
"Or Monocle Motors still?" Leo said. "Guys, read the directory. It's messed up."
Parking, Kennels, Main Entrance: Sewer Level
Furnishings and Canute; M: 1
Women's Fashion and Magical Appliances: 2
Men's Wear and Weaponry: 3
Cosmetics, Potions, Poisons & Sundries: 4
"Kennels for what?" Alex said. "And what kind of department store has its entrance in a sewer?"
"Or sells poisons," Leo said. "Man, what does 'sundries' even mean? Is that like underwear?"
Jason took a deep breath. "When in doubt, start at the top ."
The doors slid open on the fourth floor, and the scent of perfume wafted into the elevator. Jason stepped out first, sword ready.
"Guys," he said. "You've got to see this."
Piper joined him and caught her breath. "This is not Macy's."
The department store looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling was a stained glass mosaic with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washed everything in a thousand different colours. The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so they could see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glittered so brightly, they were hard to look at.
The carpeting was a riot of oriental patterns and colours, and the racks of merchandise were just as bizarre. There was too much to take it at once, but Alex saw normal stuff like shirt racks and shoe trees mixed in with armoured manikins, beds of nails, and fur coats that seemed to be moving.
Leo stepped to the railing and looked down. "Check it out."
In the middle of the atrium a fountain sprayed water twenty feet into the air, changing color from red to yellow to blue. The pool glittered with gold coins, and on either side of the fountain stood a gilded cage-like an oversized canary cage.
Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. Somebody had imprisoned the storm spirits, and the cage shuddered as they tried to get out. In the other, frozen like a statue, was a short, buff satyr, holding a tree-branch club.
"Coach Hedge!" Piper said. "We've got to get down there."
A voice said, "May I help you find something?"
All four of them jumped back.
A woman had just appeared in front of them. She wore an elegant black dress with diamond jewelry, and she looked like a retired fashion model-maybe fifty years old, though it was hard for Jason to judge. Her long dark hair swept over one shoulder, and her face was gorgeous in that surreal super-model way-thin and haughty and cold, not quite human. With their long red-painted nails, her fingers looked more like talons.
She smiled. "I'm so happy to see new customers. How may I help you?"
Leo glanced at Jason like, All yours.
"Um," Jason started, "is this your store?"
The woman nodded. "I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stores are, these days. I decided it would make the perfect place. I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods at a reasonable price. So this seemed a good... how do you say... first acquisition in this country."
Clearly she wasn't hostile, though. Alex started to relax. Her voice was rich and exotic. Alex wanted to hear more.
"So you're new to America?" she asked.
"I am... new," the woman agreed. "I am the Princess of Colchis. My friends call me Your Highness. Now, what are you looking for?"
Alex had heard of rich foreigners buying American department stores. Of course most of the time they didn't sell poisons, living fur coats, storm spirits, or satyrs, but still-with a nice voice like that, the Princess of Colchis couldn't be all bad.
Piper poked Jason in the ribs. "Jason..."
"Um, right. Actually, Your Highness..." He pointed to the gilded cage on the first floor. "That's our friend down there, Gleeson Hedge. The satyr. Could we... have him back, please?"
"Of course!" the princess agreed immediately. "I would love to show you my inventory. First, may I know your names?"
Piper started to say "Jason, I wouldn't-"
"This is Piper," he said. "This is Leo and Alex. I'm Jason."
The princess fixed her eyes on him and, just for a moment, her face literally glowed, blazing with so much anger, Alex could see her skull beneath her skin. Alex's mind was getting blurrier, but she knew something didn't seem right. Then the moment passed, and Her Highness looked like a normal elegant woman again, with a cordial smile and a soothing voice.
"Jason. What an interesting name," she said, her eyes as cold as the Chicago wind. "I think we'll have to make a special deal for you. Come, children. Let's go shopping."
YOU ARE READING
Home|| Leo Valdez
Fanfiction"After all those years on the streets, I finally feel like I'm home" "You're lying" Leo didn't even have to look up, he knew her better than anyone. "You're right, I was always at home with you" In which there's an unlikely friendship (... and ma...
