Marie had never been one for fairy tales.

She used to argue with her best friend and sister about it all the time.

"I want a hero not a prince."

"Prince Charming is a hero."

"No. He's a pretty boy in a suit. I want a hero. Someone who will do the impossible for me. I want a Hercules, a Perseus, someone who will go to hell and back for me."

"Prince Charming can do that."

"Would he go against a god for me?"

Anne would always be silent after that.

So when Marie fell, she fell hard for the man dressed in blue.

"Cory is a hero and I knew if I waited patiently enough I'd find a real one. Anne told me to look for Prince Charming. He doesn't exist. I found a Perseus and I don't think I could love anyone more than him."

Marie said in her vows and kissed her soldier in marriage.

So when Marie and Cory finally had a child, no one was surprised at her name.

Marie held the little girl tight in her hospital bed.

Her crystal blue eyes looked down at the little miracle in her arms with string hair from sweat falling into her face.

Cory had never seen as being as beautiful as her face flushed from pushing and skin sweaty from giving him his first born.

"Andromeda," she declared the little bundle of pink skin and round blue eyes.

Cory's finger stretched to her tiny pink hand and her grasp was tight as she hugged it close.

"More like Perseus," he joked as his finger reddened from the pressure.

As Andromeda got older, Marie and Cory told her the story of her name.

"A long time ago in Ancient Greece, there were gods. These gods came from Titans who were large and very hard to beat. The titans were bad though and one tried to eat all his children after hearing they'd be stronger than him."

"You wouldn't eat me, would you Mama?" A four year Andromeda asked with her own crystal blue eyes fixated on her mother's face.

"No baby," Marie reassured and squeezed the small hand in hers. "But the Titans were bad. One child escaped named Zeus and his brothers Hades and Poseidon created a creature named a Kraken to get rid of the Titans. The Kraken put all the bad Titans away."

"What happened next, Mama?"

"Zeus became king of the gods. Poseidon the God of the sea and Hades the God of the underworld. Zeus created people who rebelled after a time and tried to start a war with the gods."

"What'd he do?"

"The gods wanted to kill the people for being so bad but Zeus loved them like I love you. He couldn't hurt his children but he went to the people king and started it all. The king that started the war had a beautiful wife who loved him dearly and waited for him at home. Zeus took the form of the king and stole his wife's love."

"But Mama you're not supposed to steal."

"That's the bad thing Zeus did. From that love, came a baby that didn't belong to the king. He was so angered and betrayed he ordered his queen and the baby to be thrown into the sea."

"But they were okay, right?"

Marie shook her head sadly and saw her daughter's face fall.

"The queen did what all mother's do. She saved her son with her last breath. A fisherman found the son and named him Perseus. He grew up loved and happy but wanted to know where he came from."

Andromeda took a shaky breath and rubbed her eyes with her fists.

"You're okay, baby," Marie reassured before continuing. "After Perseus had grown, another king started a war with the gods. This time Zeus put his brother Hades in charge who didn't love people."

"What did Hades do?"

"He took away the king 's wife and told the king to sacrifice his beautiful daughter Andromeda to save their city."

"No, Mama! Why?"

"The queen Cassiopeia loved her daughter so much she declared her more beautiful than the goddess of beauty. All modesty was lost and so she paid the large of a large head."

"What do you mean?"

"The queen thought she was better than everyone else and it got her killed."

"Anyhow, Perseus had come to the city and they begged for his help so that they could save the princess. Perseus fought Medusa, a cursed woman with snake hair and eyes that turned people to stone. He fought the king who tried to kill him as a baby. Just in time, he fought the great Kraken who was more powerful than the gods and won. He saved Andromeda and the princess loved him so much for the sacrifice they married and were happy together for the rest of their lives."

"Mama?"

"Yes, baby?"

"I want to be a Perseus."

Marie kissed her daughter's forehead and slowly withdrew.

"Be Perseus but be my Andromeda too."

When Cory died, Marie didn't know what to do.

She stared blank eyed at the coffin that used to hold the hulk of her man, her hero and sniffles.

The small seven year old slid into her hers and Marie looked at Andromeda.

"Mama, we have to be a Perseus."

Marie half laughed and half cried as she hugged the greatest gift Cory had ever given her.

Her heart stopped when at twelve, she got that call from the school.

"Mrs. Shield, there was an accident with Andromeda today. We need your permission to take her to the nearest hospital."

"Is Andromeda okay? What happened?"

"She fell into the pool and was pulled out by another student. Her head hit the bottom of the pool and she was knocked unconscious. She's awake now but we think it's best she be checked out."

Marie had rushed to the hospital heart in her throat, eyes blurred with tears and chest so tight she couldn't breathe.

"Andromeda? Baby, talk to me."

Marie had half sobbed and finally breathed when her dark eyelashes fluttered open soothing her with their shared blue eyes.

"Mama, I saw an angel with red hair today."

Andromeda's voice was soaked with awe as she described he Angel to her mother.

"She was my Perseus."

That same awed tone stayed and Marie stayed quiet focused on her little girl.

"I want to be her Perseus too."