The first thing Aster saw when she shadow-travelled back to Mount Rogers was her father. Clearly, he wasn't listening to the various members of his team trying to get him to sit down. He was leaning heavily against the broken doorway, Rossi holding up his other side, looking frantically around the room.
When Aster took Jackie down to the underworld, her fog of darkness disappeared from the room, and Aaron immediately went into panic mode. Not that he wasn't before, his daughter was one-on-one battling a serial killer after all, but at least he had known where she was and from the sound of it, that she was winning. But then she was gone along with Jackie, and just like that he had lost her again. The demigods and his team tried his best to distract him by filling him in with what he and Nico had missed when they were captured, as well as reassuring him that Aster was going to be fine. They all seemed to have full confidence that Aster would "beat her psycho ass up" as Leo put it, but even they started to get antsy after 20 or so minutes. So when he heard the faintest of sounds coming from inside the building, he started to limp towards it immediately.
When he laid eyes on her, standing alone in the room and not visibly injured, he let out a breath of relief. It quickly turned into a hastily disguised moan of pain when she barreled into his arms a second later. His body, with the intense mix of emotions he was currently feeling and also the amount of pain he was still in, decided that standing was no longer going to be an option. He collapsed as slowly as he could manage to the ground, Rossi taking the hint and just letting the father and daughter fall to the ground together, Aster still wrapped firmly in his arms.
She held him as tightly as she thought she could without hurting him, her face pressed into his chest as she cried.
"Shh, it's okay Aster, I'm okay," he muttered, in response to his daughter's muffled apologies. "You have nothing to apologize for, nothing at all."
Aster couldn't help but feel like she did. She knew that Aaron would never dream of blaming her for any of this, but she couldn't help but feel like he would've been better off without ever being introduced to the world of a demigod. Nonetheless, that's a problem for another time. Aster wanted to stop thinking about it, because she really wanted to stop crying. She thought she had been done with the tears after dealing with Jackie, but clearly she was not.
Slowly raising her head from where she had it buried in her dads shirt, she looked out at the surrounding forest. In particular, at her friends and other demigods, a lot of them being head councilors, who were currently cleaning up the remnants of what had clearly been a battle. Demigods were walking around, checking in with their friends, dusting the gold dust off of their clothes and treating any injured. Luckily, Aster saw no one in need of serious medical attention.
She looked up at Rossi, who was still standing near them, and asked, bewildered, "All of them came here with you? For me?"
"Of course kid. They basically took over the BAU when we were still trying to get a lead on where you were. They all wanted you back and Jackie gone as much as the rest of us," Rossi replied with a smile.
It was then that her friends had decided that the private reunion between her and her dad was over, because Will basically told her to get off her ass. Okay maybe he didn't phrase it exactly like that, but he did tell her that some of his siblings were basically ready to spirit her dad away to the infirmary and that he wasn't letting her do anything else until he gave the all clear that she wasn't injured.
Despite her protests, her dad agreed with Will that she needed to get checked out, and the BAU wasn't going to let Hotch go any longer without proper treatment, so Aster reluctantly walked over to where Will had set up a temporary triage area. The second she got up, Leo was immediately at her side ready to help her if she needed, but she just hugged him tightly and gave him a kiss, reassuring him that she was fine. That didn't mean he planned on letting go of her hand anytime soon, but Aster wasn't complaining.
As she sat in front of Will as he did his check-up, which she insisted she didn't need but was promptly ignored, she filled all of her demigod friends in on what she did to Jackie. None of the BAU were there with them, despite JJ and Spencer both wanting to keep Aster company. Aster had told them that she needed to speak with her friends in private and that they should go and keep her dad company, and that she would be over as soon as she was done.
"So, she's probably dead by now, honestly. But I don't think I really regret it," she finished, "She would have killed so many more of us if she had the chance."
Her friends nodded in agreement. Sure, some of them maybe would have chosen different methods, but they could all understand why Aster did what she did. And technically, she wasn't the one to kill Jackie.
"We're just happy you're safe and that this is over," Reyna told her. That was met with more words of agreement, and more than a few hugs.
"Thank you, all of you, really. This was no one's problem but mine and the fact that everybody showed up like this, it really means a lot."
They looked at her like she was crazy, until Leo actually told her she was. "You're crazy babe, if you think anyone would have just let you be kidnapped and just sat back and said "nah, she can deal with that on her own, actually.""
She smiled and bumped his shoulder while the rest of them laughed, but her smile dropped after a second.
"Do you think my dad is going to be mad? I mean, he's in law enforcement, and I don't think I followed any kind of protocol by doing what I did. They were probably going to find some way to take her to trial or something, and that's definitely not possible now," Aster fretted.
"Aster, I'm pretty sure both you and Jack could do literally no wrong in his eyes. You should have seen him when you got kidnapped, he was a wreck. He's just going to be happy that you're home," Leo said. He could tell Aster was still pretty nervous about it, so he put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer to him, pressing a kiss on her temple. "Seriously, it's gonna be fine. I promise."
Aster relaxed a little, comforted by his words and his embrace, but changed the subject anyways. "How did you guys all get here, by the way?"
"Well, the we demigods took some eagles, pegasi, and Festus II over to Olympus. We did the same on our way here, but the team couldn't take the jet because the landing strip would've been too far away so..." Percy trailed off.
"You should have seen Rossi riding a flying horse," Leo grinned, "I don't think I had ever heard someone curse so creatively in my life."
...
The journey back home had been an interesting one. Gradually, more and more demigods began to leave with their rides, after some general well wishing in Aster's direction, until it was just the BAU, Aster's close friends, and a few Apollo kids left. The Apollo kids had done what they could for Aaron, but since he was mortal they said he should still be patched up at a mortal hospital.
So they had all gotten ready to go, Leo, Aster and Aaron taking Festus, and yes, it was absolutely hilarious watching 6 grown adults try to pretend not to be completely terrified riding on magical winged animals. They all touched down together on a secluded enough field where the BAU had left some SUVs that they could ride into the nearest town, and that was where Aster and the rest of the demigods split.
Aster shared a particularly emotional goodbye with Nico, not that the boy would ever admit it. "Thank you for coming to save me, Nico. I love you. And I know what our time in the jar is going to bring up for us, and I know that it's going to be hard, but please promise me when the nightmares and the memories are hitting us in full force that you're not going to try to get through it alone. I am only ever a phone call away."
"Okay, Aster, I promise. And I love you too." Nico pulled away from the embrace they were in to give her one last small little smile, before grabbing Will's hand and disappearing in the shadows.
Leo was the only one still left, and Aster was really not looking forward to saying goodbye. She knew the team was going to have questions for her, a lot of questions, and she also knew that her boyfriend was a person likely to defend her and what she did until his last breath. Having him with her would be a huge comfort, and there was also the fact that she was literally just after having been kidnapped and him just being there with her was a huge physical comfort. She had barely let go of his hand any more than necessary since he had grabbed it earlier.
The team had noticed that as well, and most of them thought it was quite sweet. Aaron, who had to witness it constantly due to the fact that Aster would not stop hovering over him and Leo would not stop hovering over Aster, found it less so. It was hard though, to play the overprotective dad when he actually quite liked the boy.
Anyways, after watching Aster wrap Leo in a vice-like grip for just a little too long to be comfortable, Morgan rolled down the window from his passenger side seat.
"Valdez," he hollered, "that dragon of yours have an auto-pilot mode?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"Then both of you get in, we have a long drive to the nearest ER."
...
Aaron got patched up pretty well, only limited questions being asked once the team had gone all 'official FBI' on them, and a day later he was limping his way into his living room, Aster and Leo with him.
Aster had managed to negotiate with his to have Leo stay with them for the two weeks Aster was taking off school, so Leo was setting up camp in his guest room for the time being.
Aster had tried to tell him that she didn't need that much time to recover, after all she only had a few scrapes and bruises, Aaron was in way worse shape than she was. But Aaron had told her he was taking the same amount, if not more than she was depending on when the doctor cleared him. He was more so concerned with the mental toll all of this took on her, hence letting her boyfriend stay for more of a support system, and he didn't want to put her back in school too quickly for fear of overwhelming her.
Gods, he hoped that she would agree to therapy.
The second Jack laid eyes on his dad and sister, he launched himself at them. Aaron was unstable due to the cast he was sporting, so Aster scooped Jack up, and then the family of 3 were standing in a group embrace only steps in from the front door. It was kind of adorable.
When Aster eventually put Jack down, he looked up at the both of them with the biggest grin. "I missed you guys! The next time Aster leaves to visit her friends, I wanna come too!"
"Of course, Jack, I would love for you to meet them," Aster said. The story they told Jack when Aster went missing was hasty, and didn't make much sense anymore given the fact that Aaron didn't really look like he just got back from a visit with friends. But Jack, the smart boy he is, didn't ask any questions.
Aster was surprised at the emotion Jessica displayed when she embraced her. The older woman had embraced her tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe, Aster," she whispered so Jack wouldn't hear.
All in all, Aster could not have been happier to be home.
It was easier than Aster thought it would be to fall back into a semi-regular routine. It was odd having Leo around the house (although it was great to be able to eat his cooking on a more regular basis), and it was odd to not really have anything to do during the day. She could tell her dad was struggling with that as well.
It was on the 5th day that Aster decided to finally address the subject that Aster had been studiously avoiding. Walking to the half-opened door to her father's room, she gave a knock.
"Aster? Come on in," her father replied.
"Hey, dad," she greeted, moving to sit next to him on the bed, where he had been attempting to read some random book. He wasn't making a lot of progress.
"Is something wrong?" he questioned.
Aster looked at him weirdly. "I didn't even say anything yet."
Aaron only shrugged.
"Well anyways, nothing is wrong necessarily. I just think it's probably time for us to talk about Jackie. And what.. What I did to her," Aster said, nervously.
Aaron struggled for words for a moment. Of course, he wanted to know what really happened that day. But it wasn't like it was particularly urgent, as Jackie wasn't on any official law enforcement radar, so no legal proceedings needed to be honoured. The cases of the missing demigods would likely be labeled as cold and filed away in the back of a filing cabinet for the rest of eternity. They would of course make sure to let the families know what really happened, but other than that Jackie didn't have much to do with the case any longer. If Aster wasn't ready to talk about it yet, Aaron didn't want her to rush herself.
There was also the fact that Aaron wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know. Himself and the team have figured out by now that these kids were skilled beyond their years, but still, facing the fact that your teenage daughter could probably easily take out an entire team of the best agents at the FBI was a little intimidating.
"If you're not ready, Aster, please don't rush yourself for my sake," he said, closing his book to give her his full attention.
"It's not that hard for me to talk about. It would be if I regretted what I did, maybe. But I don't. I gave closure to her victims, and to myself. But I just don't know how you're going to feel about it," Aster said.
"Nothing you could ever do would make me think of you any differently. You're my daughter, and always will be," he reassured.
Aster wasn't sure how his words would hold up if really put to the test, but they still comforted her to an extent.
"Right. I brought her to the underworld, showed her the Fields of Punishment, and then let Caleb, Jenny, Riley and Siobhan push her into Tartarus. I'm not even sure if she survived the fall," Aster rushed the words out.
"You..." Aaron starred as her for a second, his brain taking a moment to catch up to her words.
"Basically killed her? Yeah."
Aaron turned his head to look forward, his eyes blinking comically. Aster tensed, waiting for whatever his reaction was going to be. Based on that, it probably wasn't going to be good. But to her shock, after a few more seconds of tense silence, all he said was, "Okay."
"....Okay?"
"Yes. Okay. And are.. Are you okay? With what happened?"
"I'm okay. I can't say I regret it dad. I couldn't risk letting her hurt any more people."
He looked at her again, and saw the nervous expression she had been sporting since she had got in here was still on her face. Sighing, he held his arms open for her, and she immediately moved over to rest her head on his shoulder.
"I'm not judging you, Aster. I understand why you did it, and I can't say I'm disappointed. Would I have done it differently, probably yes. But like I said before, this doesn't make me see you any differently. I'm just glad you're safe. I love you, Aster."
"I love you too, dad. I'm so glad I found you."
...
Five Months Later
It was Asters' birthday, and a party was in full swing in the backyard garden of Rossi's house. Sorry, Rossi's mansion.
Aster was admittedly hiding. She had been at school all day, and while her friends were great, the endless amounts of birthday wishes (some from people she didn't even know) does get a little tiring after a while. But she was having a great time just people watching from her position on the porch.
To no one's surprise, JJ and Sally Jackson got on like a house on fire. Currently, they were sitting next to each other, heads close together as JJ showed Sally pictures of Henry and Micheal. Sally was reciprocating gladly, showing JJ her latest photo of Percy completely dead to the world on the coach, with Estelle drooling all over his chest. The women were cackling and cooing together, despite the protests from Percy, who had already tried to grab his mother's phone out of her hands a couple of times.
Across from them, Annabeth, Spencer, Jason and Nico were in some kind of discussion that Aster doubted she could have kept up with. She occasionally saw Nico and Jason send each other confused glances, so she figured they might have been a little confused at times too.
Garcia seemed to be having an absolute blast with Piper and Hazel, and Hazel seemed to be absolutely enthralled with the brightly coloured woman. Aster wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the night, Hazel was similarly decked out in neon pink accessories.
Aster was having a great time watching Prentiss, Morgan, Frank and Reyna play some weird modified version of soccer out on the grass. They divided the teams into boys vs. girls, and Aster was glad to say that Emily and Reyna were kind of kicking the boys asses.
Aster's favourite thing to watch at the moment though, was Will and Leo messing around in the yard with JJ's kids. Aster was glad she no longer had to worry about any one appearing in the bushes. Watching the two older boys pretend to be beaten by the younger ones was kind of adorable, and Aster was tempted to go and join them. She hadn't been able to see Leo as much as she would have wanted when he went home after those two weeks, and she missed spending time with him. She had called him weekly, obviously, but it wasn't the same.
Before she could join them however, Rossi appeared from the back door and called everyone in for dinner. Aster watched as they all went in with a smile, Leo kissing her cheek as he went past, before all who was left was herself and her dad.
Coming up to stand beside her, Aaron bumped her gently with his shoulder. "Are you doing okay?"
"Oh yeah, I'm great. Just a little tired."
"Understandable, you've had a pretty long day, turning 17 and all. They grow up so fast," Aaron said, cheekily wiping away a fake tear.
"Oh yeah, I'm an old maid already. But seriously, it's been great. I'm really happy, dad." Happier than she had been in a long time.
Before she knew Aaron, she had been content. She had her family, a wonderful loving boyfriend, and amazing friends. But she had wondered for so much of her life what it would've been like to know her dad. He was a huge unknown to her for years. But when she met him, she knew she wouldn't change a thing. The past few months of her life had been filled with new experiences, and she loved every second of it. Watching these two groups of people that she considered family interact with each other as if they had known each other all their lives made her heart swell with joy.
"That's good sweetie. I'm glad. Come on, let's go in. I'm not sure how much longer Percy is going to wait for the cake, do you know why it's blue, by the way?"
Aster laughed loudly. "Yeah, but it's kind of a long story. We have plenty of time to hear it though."
She looped her arm through her dads, dragging him inside. Sitting down at the table, her previous exhaustion was forgotten. She was here, with her family, no world ending events or crazy psycho's on anyones mind. Life couldn't get better than this.
Okay guys, this is the end. This was my first ever fanfiction, and while I definitely think it has some clear room for improvement, it is always gonna hold special place in my heart. I had so much fun writing this, and I cannot wait to begin writing my next one. I hope any fans of Finding the Sun go and check it out when I start posting the first couple of chapters. I am so, so thankful for all of the support and wonderful comments I have gotten on this work. I was so self-conscious posting it, as I had never publicly shared any of my writing before, and to see people enjoying it completely warmed my heart. Thank you all so, so much <3
On a complete sidebar I am once again asking for help, because what better place to ask for help in regards to fanfic writing than Wattpad? If anyone knows any apps or tools on which to make covers for fanfics, I would be really appreciative if you could just leave a comment. I really struggled with making the cover for Finding the Sun, as I am generally inept at anything involving computers. I would love to make one that's a little more eye-catching (i.e competently made) than this one lol.
Once again, thank you to everyone who's read this fanfic. Love y'all <333333