A/N: I don't own CotT, but that would be so cool, yea? I totally would've made it have another go, like two years later or something!

A shriek followed closely by a scream alerted them that, yes, Neil found another spider in his room. "NO IT CAN'T BE!" Alright. So maybe it wasn't a spider.

"Hey, Golden Boy, you alright in there?" Atlanta knocked at his partially open door. "Hellooo?" She leaned against the wall, eyes half closed. "Hey, if it's a spider, just crush it with a—" The door slammed against the wall as Neil stood there, his hair messed up and eyes wide and red. "Hey, Neil, is everything—"

"SHE QUIT!" Atlanta stared at him as he wrung a magazine in his hands, eyes watering as he bit hard at his lip. She looked away at the wall across from her. A photo of a meadow was framed there. "You aren't upset! Why aren't you upset?! This is a disaster!" He wailed, retreating back into his room and collapsing on his bed. "My life is ruined!" Atlanta rolled her eyes, walking away. Neil was being a drama queen, as usual. There was nothing uncommon about that. So a model or some sort of magazine person quit. Big deal. "I HAVE NOTHING TO LIVE FOR!"

"Now you're just being dramatic," she muttered, knowing full well he could hear her as she made it to the steps.

Herry smiled, amused, as Neil sprawled onto the couch, a huge stack of magazines laid out on the coffee table before him. A few weeks later, and he finally asked, "Are you really going through all of them?" Neil shot him a dark look and Herry held up his hands. "Alright, alright. Calm down."

"Yes, I'm going through all of them! For her!" He held one open, showing a pretty blonde girl with brown eyes. Herry tilted his head to the side, eyes squinted.

"Hey, she looks familiar…"

"Yeah, she's only been in like every magazine I own and has been on TV so many times," Neil scoffed, pulling the glossy pages of his love away from the brawn of their operation. Herry rose, leaning over and peering at the girl once more. "Hey! You're blocking my light!"

"She looks like my cousin Sophie. What's her name?"

"As if she's your farm girl cousin! This is Lulu Lovelace!" Neil held the paper protectively against him and Herry pulled back, a hand under his chin in thought.

"No… No, it really does look like her… And she lives here, in the city. My Uncle owns a pizza place, best one in town." Herry returned to his seat as Neil peered at him from over the top of his current magazine. "Well, I mean, it'd look like her if she wore make-up. She doesn't a lot, says it feels weird." Herry tilted his head to the side once more. "Actually, I can't say I've ever seen her with makeup on, but I bet she'd be really pretty!" He grinned and Neil rolled his eyes.

"Obviously you know nothing about the world of modeling."

"Hey, Uncle Henry!" The little bell jingled as Herry opened the door. Neil followed after him, arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey, why do I have to come?" Atlanta and Archie rolled their eyes, nudging at each other. "I mean, I gave up a shoot for this! It better be good!" Archie mimed Neil's ranting, exageratering them.

"Herry? Herry, is that you?" A girl called out form the back and Herry grinned.

"That's my cousin, Sophie. Yeah, it's me! Hey, I brought a few friends!" Neil looked pointedly away from where she would emerge, taking in the pizzeria. Something barreled out from the kitchen and Neil had a second to even register it before it attacked Herry, the both of them tumbling out into the street.

"Herry!" And Neil begrudgingly followed after the two lovebirds called Atlanta and Archie.

"See? See? This is why I should have a…" Neil slammed a hand against his forehead. "You're wrestling?! This is what you drag me out here to see? You wrestling? As if I don't get enough of that at school!" To say he was upset was an understatement. "Ugh!" Yes, Herry currently had a suspiciously similar looking boy in a headlock, a grin on his face.

"Give it up, Mark! I learned wrestling from Granny and Hercules!" Archie hissed as that little tidbit was let go.

"As if you're better than me!" The boy gasped out, reversing Herry's hold and sitting on him, strapping his arms at his sides. "We all learned from them, you dork!" Mark was laughing and Neil had to admit the boy looked too similar to be unrelated. This must be another one of his cousins.

"Mark! Herry! Come on! Break it up!" And Neil looked at the girl pulling at them, trying to tear them apart. "Hey!" Mark let go, the two of them laughing as the girl crossed her arms over her chest, huffing out a breath. "That wasn't funny! One of you could've gotten hurt!" They laughed harder and she turned, giving the remaining three a sad look. "I'm sorry, customers shouldn't have to see that!"

Eh. Herry was right about her, he supposed.

"Oh, no, it's fine, common, really." Neil waved a hand and Sophie blinked.

"I'm… sorry, you look familiar. Have you come before?" He waved her off once again. Herry rose, grabbing Mark and Sophie, hugging them tightly.

"These are my friends! Neil, Archie, and Atlanta! Guys, these are my cousins, Mark and Sophie!" Sophie struggled for breath and Mark elbowed Herry harshly in the stomach. Herry breathed, letting go. "You wanna go at it again, Mark?"

"Try it." Sophie stood between them, her small hands braced against their chests. "Sorry."

"So! What can I get you guys today?" She gave a strained smile to their guests and Neil tilted his head. Yes, she did look and awful lot like Lulu Lovelace, but…

"Pizza!" Sophie rolled her eyes at Herry's answer.

"So you're into modeling? How cool is that!" Neil enjoyed bragging about his success to someone who was more than willing to listen. It had always been his dream to meet Lulu Lovelace and when he found out she quit, well… It wasn't a good time. She had been the reason for him to actively pursue modeling: he saw some pictures of her in a magazine and that's when he decided to continue. To meet her, to do a set with her… It had all been crushed in an instant.

"I know, right?" He examined her nails while she smiled at him. "Maybe you've seen some of my work?" His friends say the only person Neil loves, is Neil. Not true. He loved Lulu Lovelace. But now…

"Probably. You're famous, after-all." He beamed and Archie snickered while Atlanta held in her snort. "Ah, I'm sorry! Back to work!" And she hurried off. Herry nudged him, a slice of his Uncle's pizza in his hand.

"What I tell ya, hmm? Looks like that model girl, right?" Neil shrugged, wary of the pizza so dangerously close to his designer satin shirt.

"Move back about three—FOUR—inches, okay?" Herry complied, biting into the meat topped pizza. "And no. She doesn't." Herry shrugged, as if it didn't matter to him one way or another. Which it didn't. "I mean, come ON! She's pretty, yeah, but she doesn't have that—" Neil broke off, snapping his fingers in thought, "—that extra little bit that says 'Wow, look at me!'. I see girls like her all the time." Herry stopped chewing to look at his blonde haired friend.

"What?" Atlanta poked at Archie, who tuned in from people watching. "What do you mean, Neil?" Atlanta shot Neil a look, warning him off this course of action with her eyes. Neil wasn't very good at indirect communication.

"She's just—common, nothing extraordinary or special. I mean, take me, for instance! Do you ever see such good looking men like me juss out on the street?!" Atlanta hissed, smacking herself in the forehead as Herry slowly put down his slice of pizza. From what little Archie had observed, he was taking this remarkably well and handling it very calmly.

"Come again?"

"Hey there guys." And something squeezed in next to Herry, pushing Neil towards the window. "Whatcha up to? Ooh, pizza!" And Mark took a slice, biting off most of it in one gulp. "Hey, you're that model guy, right? Nate?"

"Neil!"

"Yeah, whatever. Soph told me about you." Neil leaned around Herry and Atlanta let out a silent breath. For now, Neil's comments were forgotten. "Said you were really up and coming. Said something about suggesting you to Ms. Banner. I dunno." He shrugged, biting off the rest and Herry picked up his forgotten slice.

"Ms. Banner? Therese Banner?!"

"Yeah, that's her." Neil practically dived at the boy, sitting on him as he clung to Mark's shirt. "Woah, hold up there, I don't—"

"HOW DOES SHE KNOW THERESE BANNER?!" Mark looked to Herry for help. "TELL MEEEE!" Herry pulled his friend off his cousin and Mark edged away slowly, sitting on the edge of the booth. "WELL?!"

"Calm down, Blondie, get it? Look, Soph knows her from when she did some of that modeling stuff. The two get along, so they're still on good terms, even though Soph quit."

"I didn't know she did modeling, Mark." Herry seemed a little upset he wasn't in the loop with his family. Mark shrugged, leaning back, still wary of Neil gazing at him with huge eyes.

"Eh. How else do you think Dad opened this place and sent Mom halfway around the world?" Herry looked as if such a thing had never occurred to him, pondering the thoughts of his Aunt and Uncle.

"So, she was pretty successful?" Atlanta ventured, wondering why Neil wasn't shrieking about not being the only special one yet.

"Yeah. Did it for like most of her life. Mostly small stuff in the beginning, but then it picked up." Mark shot another look to Neil before standing. "Well, this has been great and all, but I'm gonna—"

"Is this her?!" Mark stepped back when Neil shoved a magazine in his face. He blinked, focusing his eyes. "Well?! Is it?!"

"Yeah, that's Soph." Mark peered a little closer and whistled. "Wow, it's amazing what make-up and photoshop and all that fancy computery stuff can do. She looks—ah, I'd say 20ish. See ya." He waved to Herry, who waved back, and disappeared into the back of the little restaurant, hands behind his head. Herry leaned over Neil's shoulder, looking at the picture.

"See? I told you it looked like my cousin!" Neil's hands shook as he held tight to the magazine. Atlanta looked at him curiously.

"Hey, Neil, everything okay?" Neil's form was trembling as he stood.

"I-I gotta go!" And he ran.

"Wait, Neil!" Archie held her back, shaking his head. "What's gotten into him, Herry?" The descendant of Hercules looked confused.

"Hi, welcome to—Oh! Neil! Hi!" Sophie smiled at him and he looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Hey." It had been a week since he had been here and since then, he's run into eight doors, dropped three books on his hand, ran into two walls, messed up in practice six times(common mistakes he shouldn't make), and failed a test. It seemed, to him, the rest of his team, and the Gods, that his luck had finally run out. They were just lucky Cronus hadn't decided to make any appearances. "C-can I… talk to you?"

"Sure. Anything in particular?" Mark stuck his head out of the kitchen, two other boys looking startling similar joining him.

"Hey, be careful 'round him, Soph. He pretty much attacked me last week." The two boys looked to him questioningly, then set their sights on Neil, eyes narrowed. Neil was reminded sharply of Herry when he was angry. No doubt more of the cousins. "True story." Sophie rolled her eyes, waving them off.

"I think I can handle myself, thank you, Mark." Mark shrugged.

"Hey, just giving you the head's up." He disappeared but the boys remained.

"Brady? Craig? Shoo. I'm a big girl." They sent another dark look to Neil, but followed after their brother all the same. She smiled at him and Neil felt light headed. How could he have missed it before? The girl he had loved for most of his life, how could he meet her and say she was, he almost couldn't believe he said it, common? "Over here fine?" She motioned to a booth and he walked numbly toward it. She sat across from him, undoing her apron and smiling at him softly. "Neil, are you okay? You don't look good. Are you sick?" He nodded slowly, not sure to which of her questions he was answering. "School's not too hard, right?" He stared at her and she blinked. "But, I wouldn't know about that… I'm homeschooled. It's not too bad, right? Is that what's up? School?"

"My… my job."

"Oh, how is modeling?"

"You should know." She quieted, gazing at him silently, leaning back against the booth. "Lulu." A moment and she smiled.

"Ah, know about that, do you? Herry told you? Yeah, I used to. Quit a few months ago." He reached across the table, taking hold of her hands, something he would never do. At-least, not on the first date. Not that he had a lot of second ones either… Apparently he was vain.

"Why? Why did you quit? You're the best! You were the reason I even started! I wanted to be in a shoot with you, the Lulu Lovelace!" She looked down at their hands. "Everyone wanted to be you, to be in a shoot with you. Why would you throw all that away?"

"Because it wasn't me." She pulled away. "You wouldn't understand."

"Tell me!" She rose, tying her apron back around her waist. He stood with her. If only he could make her understand how important this was to him!

"Modeling… I wanted to do more with my life. Once I hit 25, poof, I'm gone from the papers. I'm too old, there's more young talent." She tilted her head to the side, giving him a smirk. "I didn't want to be thrown aside, like my mom was. I got out before it fully ruined my life. You know how much school I missed? I'm homeschooled to catch up. I'm almost caught up now. If you want to continue, go for it. You can make it big. Me? There's so many other beautiful girls out there. Sorry, I have to get back to work."

"Wait, Sophie! You can't just give up! You can't just quit! You were a star! You would have made it, major!" She waved him off, disappearing into the kitchens.

And Mark was there, his arms crossed and glaring at Neil. Craig and Brady stood on either side, copying their brother. "We're closed." Neil hung his head, leaving the little pizza place, the bell jingling over the doors.

"You made her pretty upset." Herry remarked at lunch. Odie blinked.

"I did what?"

"No, not you. Neil." Odie shook his head.

"That's not unusual. Neil gets every girl he meets mad." Neil said nothing, holding his chin in his hand while he poked at his salad. Odie shot Archie and Atlanta a look and they waved him off, mouthing that they would tell him later.

"My cousins were pretty mad. Said I should keep you away from her."

"No reason to go back…" Theresa smiled gently. She knew something about their little trip to Herry's family's restaurant, but not all the details.

"Neil, did she turn you down?" Neil wasn't used to being shot down and he seemed to really like this girl. Neil let out a sigh, stabbing at a piece of lettuce. Herry wrinkled his nose at her.

"Neil didn't want to ask her out. He was upset because she quit modeling." Theresa looked at Neil in confusion.

"But, why would that matter to you, Neil?"

"Apparently, she was the whole reason he started modeling." Archie quoted, shrugging at the look she sent him. "His words, not mine."

"I see." In reality, she didn't. Neil let out another sigh, standing up and closing the lid on his salad. "Neil?"

"I'm not really hungry. I'll see you guys later." He strolled away, dropping his uneaten salad in the trash on his way out of the cafeteria. Theresa held at her head as he left, clutching at the table.

"Theresa? What do you see?" Jay wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she slumped forward.

"I-I don't know! It was faint, blurred! There was too much light, but, Neil was there!" Jay looked to where Neil had left, gauging whether they could catch up to him or not. "I'm sorry, Jay."

"No, no, it's not your fault. Was Cronus there?" If so, they would have to leave immediately. A place with a lot of light, huh? Nothing came to mind off the top of his head, but maybe Hermes would know.

"No, no he wasn't."

"You sure?"

"I couldn't sense him. Just, Neil, and someone else. But, I didn't sense anything dangerous from them, no evil… I think…" She shook her head. "All I really sensed was confusion." She held up a hand, straightening. "I'm okay now, thanks." Jay looked to the rest of his friends. They gazed back at him, waiting for his decision.

"We'll keep an eye out, but it doesn't look like there's any danger. Atlanta, you have class with him next. Watch out for him, okay?" Atlanta nodded. Neil had been acting strange for a few days now and she was already concerned.

"Sure thing, Jay."

"Hey, Sophie." Sophie looked up at the dark haired man standing before her. He smiled. "I've been looking for you."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He chuckled lightly. "Sir, I have to ask that you—"

"You gonna kick me out like Neil? I'm hurt, really I am." She took a step back and he took a step forward. "We're gonna have some fun, Sophie. You can even call your boyfriend if you want." He tossed her a phone and she stared up at him, inching towards the kitchen where the rest of her family was. "Go on. Call him."

"I don't—"

"Sophie!" Neil crashed through the doors of the old theater. What greeted him was something he hadn't expected to see. Up on the stage, the spotlights flooded the worn wood, lights shining on the figure seated there. Her head was bowed and Neil noted the dark figure in the shadows, something glinting in the light. "Cronus?" Yes, of-course, what a wonderful time for Cronus to show his face. And to kidnap Herry's cousin? No, their brawn wouldn't appreciate this in the least. "Let her go!"

"Neil, Darling!" The man stepped forward, grinning at him. "Jeez, it took you long enough! What, did you walk here?"

"Jon? Jon, what the heck is this?" Neil stormed towards his photographer. "What're you doing?!" The man looked surprised at Neil's hostility and a little offended.

"What does it look like? A photoshoot! I saw you with her the other day –ah, inspiring!—and I just had to have the two of you on film! Sophie agreed!" Neil looked up at the girl peering down at them curiously. Her blonde hair was curled, brown eyes gazing at him, heightened by the makeup around them.

"Uh, what?" Jon let out a heavy sigh, as if it pained him to deal with Neil on a daily basis.

"Neil, Dahling, we're doing a photoshoot. I know you soo wanted to do one with Lovelace, but she's out of the picture now and Sophie here is just the girl for your image! I mean, look at her! With that hair, that face? She's absolutely perfect!" Sophie blushed and Neil couldn't help but stare.

What was wrong with him? This wasn't like him at all. Being unlucky and falling for a girl—admittedly, the one he had a crush on practically his whole life—right after he met her, then moping around when she got upset with him? That wasn't him. That was… some average guy. "Come on, Neil! This will make you!" Jon hurried toward him, pulling him aside and toward a hastily set up area where he would change.

"Wait, Sophie, you're okay with this?!" Neil looked back at her before the curtain closed around him. He saw her smiling and he let Jon pull him away.

"Passion, kids! I need to feel the passion!" Jon clicked away frantically as Neil held her close, the both of them gazing at the camera. "Come on! You two are in-love, make me feel it!" Neil faltered at Jon's words, realizing he meant to 'imagine' they were in-love. Sophie stepped back, holding his hands, leading him down the stage, Jon scrambling to follow after them, clicking furiously. Neil stumbled over one of the cables for the lights, pushing her against the back wall, his hands on either side of her head. "That's it! That's it!" She gazed up at him, eyes dark, a small smile on her lips. "We're on the right track! Just a little more and we're there!" Her eyes flicked over to where Jon danced, hopping around them, trying to get a better angle as Neil stared down at her. "Come on!" She looked back up at him, then leaned forward, their faces mere centimeters apart. "YES! YES YES YES YES!" Neil leaned his forehead against hers, smiling.

He supposed being average just this once wouldn't be such a terrible thing. Not if he got a girl like this.

"Aw, come on! What's with the lovey-dovey?! We're in an abandoned theater for Christ's sake! Channel some darkness, will ya?!" She inched up, pressing her lips against his, her eyes closing. He felt her smile and he couldn't help the warmth that spread through him. He always wanted someone to love him, to think he was the best, but no one could ever seem to put up with him. But, with her… he wasn't that guy that all the girls hated. He was someone else. It was like everything he knew had been thrown out of his head and he was left with just a deep sense of vulnerability. If Persephone was here, or Aphrodite, they would tell him that his subconscious was resisting those girls, that it was secretly lying in wait for 'The One' and made him act that way to ensure he would be with her. But they weren't, so he told himself that. He had been in-love with Lulu Lovelace, but that was the old Neil, the one that only wanted to be seen with the most beautiful girls by his side. What had really wanted, was someone like Sophie. He pressed closer, deepening the kiss, his hands going to her waist. "THAT'S PERFECT!"

Of-course, Herry and her brothers would kill him when they saw these pictures in all their glossy, printed, perfected glory.

Daaaaw~

I was working on this for like two weeks and this is the final draft~! (I went through like six) I hope you guys liked this, it was just a little bit I thought up after finishing the series~ Originally, it was supposed to be HerryXOC, but then I was like 'Neil needs love!' so I switched it up~