AN: Last story in the Solangelo Family Adventures!

Ana:

I brushed Rory's hair away from her face, "It's a birthday party. We're cheering up Demitri. You could at least look nice. I've heard it said that pretty girls paying attention to you is good incentive to cheer up."

Frustration rolled off of her before she could even groan, "But I look ridiculous and every time I let you do my hair everyone stares and our fathers get all protective."

I rolled my eyes, "That's because I make you look gorgeous. Now, stop moving. Besides, it's not like they don't stare at me. I just handle it better." Not that I could get the guy I wanted to pay attention to my existence.

"Mercury really giving you that much trouble?" Rory asked aloud.

I winced, "Sorry."

"It's fine, Stasia. It's not like I don't already know. It's been the same guy for how long, now?"

"Too long."

"Papa! It's just a party! It's not like we're going to be making out on the couch!" Echo's protest carried into our room from the living room.

I giggled, twisting Rory's hair into something that made her drop-dead gorgeous. Especially with her darker hair. It wasn't too frou-frou, either.

Rory was smirking.

"I don't want you two alone!"

"We're not going to be! It's a party!"

"But he's driving you?"

"Yes. Me, Anastasia, and Aurora. He'd drive you and Dad too, except I told him not to even offer because I knew you would abuse the offer just to keep him away from me! We're dating Papa. I know you always said that we weren't allowed to date until we were sixteen, but it's not that much longer until I am."

I picked out jewelry for Rory and handed it to her, "Thank goodness she gets to fight those battles. I would cave."

Rory's thoughts drifted to the battle back in May.

I squeezed her shoulder, "There, now all eyes will be on you."

She stopped putting the earrings in, setting them back on the table, "I look ridiculous."

"No, you look hot."

"I don't care! I don't want you alone with him!" Papa's voice rose in pitch.

Dad ducked into our room and shook his head, "There are just some things being a doctor can't fix, girls."

I smiled at him, "Rory thinks she looks ridiculous."

Dad took her in, his eyes widening, "Whoa…you're not wearing makeup, are you?"

"We're not allowed to wear makeup until we're fourteen, I think you and Papa said. Other lip gloss, anyway." Aunt Cassie had gotten them to admit to the reality of us wearing makeup eventually and gotten them to agree to lip gloss. She had also given me some mascara that they wouldn't notice me using since they were, after all, men. I just needed it so people could tell I had eyelashes. I wasn't lucky like Echo, who had light brown eyelashes. Mine were such a pale blonde that they were basically invisible.

Rory was the luckiest, with her jet black hair and eyelashes.

Rory looked up at me, "She's in a mental rant about how jealous she is about me having dark eyelashes."

Dad shook his head, "Still freaks me out that you two know what the other is thinking."

"We're twins, Dad. It'd be a crime if we didn't have some sort of connection to one another." I responded, handing Rory a tube of lip gloss. "And I was actually taking a moment to be grateful for people like Aunt Cassie who help us inform our fathers about the needs of girls."

Dad laughed a bit, "You have nooo idea."

Rory grimaced, "Thank the gods for older sisters."

"Thank the gods and burn some incense." I agreed, shaking my head, "Bra shopping would be a nightmare with two fathers."

Dad shook his head, "Oh no, we don't go anywhere near that. That's what Calypso is for. And Annabeth. Melina. Hazel. Oh, your Aunt Hazel will be here with the gang in two days. The boys are coming to the school this year."

I paused momentarily from applying lipgloss, "Because Aunt Hazel and Uncle Frank want them at the school, or because they're moving closer? Or is it because they're worried about us?"

"A mix of the three. Jason and Piper still have no clue where Felix is. I know you guys have your friends and us to keep you safe and watch your back, but it never hurts to have more family around. And Frank got put in charge of the compound near here." Dad ran his fingers through my hair, "Your Papa is very excite—"

"FATHER! Would you listen?!"

I cringed with Dad and Rory.

The yelling match became indecipherable.

Rory put the earrings in, "Quick, do something to me that will distract Papa but that you can easily fix."

I shrugged and tugged her shirt down, then pinned her hair up just so, then put heels in front of her.

She glanced at me, then back at Dad.

Dad looked concerned, but he also looked a little speechless…or unsure about how to voice his concerns.

She put them on and I followed her as she walked out.

"Papa? How late can we stay out?" Rory interrupted.

Papa looked over and his eyes just about bugged out of his head, "What the hell are you wearing!?"

"What? Is it too much? You're right, I should ditch the overshirt and just go in my tank top." She started taking it off.

"No!" He yelled.

Dad came out, "Nico, when our daughters are purposely freaking you out to destroy the yelling match…there's an issue. Especially when I'm hiding with them in their room."

Papa looked at Dad, "Purposely…?"

I took the two pins out of Rory's hair and it fell back to an acceptable style, "Take the heels off, you look ridiculous."

"I'm just surprised I managed to walk this far in them." Rory muttered, fixing her shirt.

Echo was stifling her laughter.

She looked gorgeous. Effortlessly gorgeous. She was just wearing jeans and a cute top with some flats, her hair was half up and half down, and her makeup was simplistic but she definitely set the standard for beauty.

I could understand why Papa was reluctant to let her leave the house with Gareth, even if it was with me and Rory in tow.

"Look, Papa. Echo and Gareth aren't going to be alone at any point in the evening. We're going to be in the car with them. Then, we're going to be in the Grace's house with them and somewhere around twenty other people all celebrating Demitri's birthday and Echo has friends who won't let Gareth monopolize her time so relax. This is the least datey date they could possibly go on." I told him, putting my earrings in.

"She's right. We were up to no good at her age. At least we know she's a good kid." Dad said, gently pulling Papa into his arms, "She's getting older. These are decisions she has to make for herself."

The doorbell rang.

Echo walked casually toward it, opening it, "Hey Gareth, come on in. We're almost ready to go."

I darted back into my room and grabbed mine and Rory's present to Demitri.

Papa was playing nice with Gareth, just barely though.

Gareth…well, he looked hot. He wasn't particularly dressed up. He just…worked the clothing he had.

My sister had very good taste in men.

"I'm ready." I handed Rory her shoes.

"I can put these on in the car. Let's go before there's another panic attack." Rory said, then quickly kissed our fathers' cheeks, "Don't wait up."

"We will. Be home by ten."

"Yes sir." Echo answered automatically.

We went out and got into Gareth's car for the forty minute drive to the party.

—~~~

Will sighed after the front door closed, "There. Echo's the responsible one, Nico. Ana is the one we need to worry about. Her and Rory are…well…they're smart and trouble. Gorgeous. All of our daughters are gorgeous. Damn they have good genetics. They could be models."

Nico shuddered, "No."

"I said could be. Not that we should suggest it to them. Besides, Echo's looking into homeopathic remedies. It's become quite the hobby of hers." He smiled to himself.

Nico turned and looked up at his husband, "She's becoming a good cook too, though something tells me she'd feel more comfortable cooking over open flames."

Will felt his smile fade, "She still keeps that backpack packed. She says she doesn't think she'll have to go on the run again. But…"

Nico shrugged, "She knows the benefits of being prepared. Besides, we're demigods. I'd rather she was over-prepared than under. Thinking of preparation…if we're going to enjoy the absence of our children properly…"

Will grinned, "Oh man do I love you."

—~~~

Echo:

I gave Piper and Jason hugs, then led my group to where Demitri was.

He grinned up at us, "Hey, thanks for coming."

I smiled back and bent to hug him, "Of course we came!"

He backed his wheelchair up so I could get out of the way as Jason brought another tray of food through.

Ana kissed Demitri's cheek, making him turn a little pink, "Happy Birthday!"

Rory just waved, "Happy Birthday Demitri."

"Thanks," He laughed a bit, then gave Gareth a fist-bump.

I squeezed his hand, then gestured that I was going to go see who else was here.

They all nodded then started talking about the latest episode of some show or other.

Gareth followed me, "Still not in the habit of watching television."

"Me neither. I've been trying to focus on music and school and all."

"Yeah, trying to catch up on two years worth of school has been rough. But I'm finally catching up. How about you?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm caught up." I took his hand.

"So, there was some sort of panic before I got to your house?"

I nodded, "Papa's having trouble coming to terms with us dating."

"Ah, so, just as I predicted?" He gave me a grin.

I rolled my eyes, smiling in spite of myself, "Yes, just as you predicted. And it's far from over."

Melina found us, "There you are!" She hugged me tightly.

"Hey Mel, what's up?" Again I had the image of her getting stabbed come to mind. I hate my dreams.

"Well, I'm going to NYU soon."

I grinned, "Yeah, you're staying with your Grandparents. Are you excited?"

She nodded, "Yeah, except…I'm staying with my grandparents."

"You aren't?" Gareth asked.

She shook her head, "Linus has asked me to marry him. And I said yes."

I felt my eyes widen, "Are you serious?"

She held up her left hand so I could see her ring, "I haven't told my parents yet. We're doing a court wedding. I never wanted anything big, and my mom thinks I should. I would be happy with just going to the beach and having a minister meet us there, but I figure we can hit the beach on our honey moon."

I grinned with her, "That's amazing, Mel!"

Gareth looked like he was in complete shock, "Wow…aren't you worried that you're a little…young?"

She shrugged a bit, looking down, "I was. But…we're technically demigods. The likelihood of us living as long as our parents has significantly decreased with every year our parents have survived. I don't want to wait and then regret it. If it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out. But I love him. I mean, when he went on his quest I just about died of worry."

"That sounds like love to me." I told her, taking her hand, "But you really need to tell your parents."

"I know."

"Tell our parents what?" Nolan appeared.

Mel pasted on a smile, "I'll tell you when I tell them."

Nolan looked a little hurt, "Hey, sibling trust. Spill."

She winced, "I'm marrying Linus."

He blinked, "Okay. And? Are you, like, pregnant or something?"

"No! I'm just marrying Nolan."

He shrugged, "Then…I totally called it and Dad owes me fifty bucks. Court wedding?"

She nodded, looking confused.

"Then mom owes me four hundred bucks." He smiled, "Don't worry, some of it will go toward your wedding gift."

"You'll have some sort of celebration, right?" I asked.

She made a face, "Depends on how well telling Mom and Dad goes."

"Just make sure Linus is somewhere Dad won't go."

"An airplane?" Gareth guessed.

Nolan grinned, "Something like that."

Mel groaned, "Stop, you're making it harder to tell them."

"Time for cake!" Jason called out.

Everyone gathered around a thoroughly embarrassed looking Demitri to sing Happy Birthday and then cheer when he blew out all the candles.

Then Piper swooped in and started cutting the cake.

I had the briefest flash of Gareth lying in a coma in a hospital bed, making me a little dizzy. I had to shake these images from my head. It had been almost three months. The school year was just around the corner.

"It's time, Echo." Her voice seemed to echo through my mind and into my bones.

"Hello, earth to Echo? Come in, Echo?" Talia waved her hand in front of my face.

I shook my head, "Sorry, what?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost." She giggled.

"No, no ghosts." I gave her a smile.

It must have looked a little forced, she looked concerned, "Reliving the past?"

I glanced over at Gareth and Mel talking with the twins, "Glimpsing the future, I think."

She became completely serious, "Are you sure?"

"Well, Gareth isn't in a coma. Hasn't been in the past. So I can only assume that it's the future. If it's even real."

Talia unsheathed the knife at her hip, "Melina getting stabbed…Gareth in a coma…your fathers dying…I've seen those things in this knife. Katoptris. It was my mother's."

I felt my stomach drop, my head get light, "So it is real. It's the future."

Talia gave me a concerned look, "Echo? You're really pale."

I leaned against the wall, "I…"

"Echo? Can I talk to you for a second?" Demitri asked from behind me.

I turned and nodded, "Sure."

"Echo—" Talia started.

"It's fine. I'm fine." I cut her off and followed Demitri outside.

Demitri glanced nervously at me, "Did I interrupt something important?"

"No. What's up, Demitri?"

He got quiet, then glanced up at me, "It's something…that happened…back when the concert…"

"The night you got hurt." I prompted gently.

He nodded, "I couldn't remember until a little while ago. Felix told me that he was working for someone. He said they had been waiting for the proper time to reveal themselves."

I curled my hand into a fist, "Tell me."