Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light!
13. Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
Life is too short to worry about stupid things. Have fun. Fall in love. Regret nothing and don't let people bring you down.
Electra summoned hellfire around her hand and pressed it against the door to Bunker 9. She didn't know how and if the others would get in since the stone door required a flaming hand to open it. Unless of course they found another way while she was gone. "Permission to enter the bunker?" she called sticking her head in.
Leo heard the call and looked up in surprise a grin spreading across his face. "Granted," he called sweeping his latest project into a small box which disappeared into his tool belt. He ran to meet Electra halfway. Laughing, Leo picked her up in a hug and spun her around. He kissed her briefly before hugging her tightly. "You're safe. Thank Hades."
Electra chuckled and held Leo just as tightly as he was holding her. "It's good to be back."
"Please don't that again," Leo whispered. "I don't think I could handle it."
"There shouldn't be a need," Electra said quietly. "Unless it would be for a quest and even then I should be able to contact you more. It's just I was with my friends who had no idea about our world."
"You could always talk to your dad about letting you tell them because didn't you say that they were part of Hecate's pet world before you left?"
"I did," Electra confirmed before making a face. "This morning my dad told me that if I wanted to I could tell them."
"Well that's good," Leo said smiling at her.
"Is it?" Leo pulled back slightly to look his girlfriend of almost two years in the eyes. They were dull grey betraying the fear and sadness Electra was feeling.
"Yes they're your friends, right? As long as they are, they won't hate you for who your father is."
"Since when did you get so philosophical?"
"It happens on occasion." He poked her nose grinning.
"Even if I were to tell them I wouldn't know where to start," Electra said laying her head on Leo's shoulder. "Besides the war just ended a couple days ago. We're all still grieving."
"You lost people you were close to didn't you?" Leo asked moving over to a bench so that the two of them could sit down.
Electra nodded tears forming in her eyes. "Remus and Tonks, who'd just had a baby boy together, Fred and Severus."
Leo held her close as she cried. He rubbed soothing circles on Electra's back until she'd calmed down. "Well that certainly explains Nico's mood a few days ago," Leo said. "He looked like he was going to kill someone slowly and painfully, bring them back and kill them again."
Electra chuckled slightly at that. Leo wiped the remaining tears off of her checks with his thumb. "I'm so happy you're back." He kissed her and it quickly became more passionate.
When they separated for air Electra was lying on the bench, Leo above her leaning on an arm to keep his weight off of her. He gently traced her face with a fingertip and stopped on one of Electra's newest scars on the edge of her jaw. "What happened here?" he asked angry that someone had hurt her.
Electra brought her hand up to Leo's and moved it away from the fine scar. "Flying rubble from an explosion," she said quietly. "I'm fine." She smiled up at him. "If makes you feel any better the guy that caused the explosion is dead."
"It does," Leo said kissing Electra again.
"So what sort of projects have you been working on?" Electra asked as Leo played with a strand of her hair.
"This and that," Leo said not altogether truthfully. "I haven't been able to finish anything though. Lack of inspiration I think."
"Well then," Electra said getting an idea, "we'll have to fix that. Come on I'm going to take you to go see someone."
"Who?"
"You'll have to wait and see."
"As long as it isn't any of your family I think I'll survive."
"I said see, not meet," Electra said smiling as she got up. "I don't have any reason to take you to see my siblings."
"Well I can see that you won't tell me who it is," Leo said taking Electra's hand as they left the bunker. "Fine I'll get changed while you tell your brother where you're going since it's probably outside of camp." Electra nodded smirking.
Outside of the forest they went their separate ways. Fifteen minutes later they met up outside of Hades's cabin. "So where are we going?" Leo asked.
Electra's only response was to smile and pull her boyfriend into the shadows with her. They reemerged in front of Hades's palace. Leo didn't have time to do more than wonder what Electra was planning before she was again pulling him along this time out of her stepmother's garden and into the Fields of Asphodel. She didn't show until they were standing outside the gates to Elysium. Leo started to have an idea of who Electra was talking him to see and if he was right he would have the best girlfriend ever. Well he already did but this would be the icing on the cake. Leo doubted he would ever be able to get over Electra if something would happen.
Electra hesitated slightly before going through the gate only to stop on the other side. "Why did you stop?" Leo wondered.
"I haven't been charmed any random color have I?" She asked turning to look at him.
"No," Leo said.
"I didn't think they'd have jinxed the gates again so soon but you never know with them," Electra said smiling. "I didn't want either of us to be wandering around looking like a smurf again. Not fun." Leo snickered at her picturing the image. "Watch it Leo I might have to make it so you look like a smurf." Electra tried to look serious but it was ruined by the corner of her mouth twitching.
"You know you love me," Leo said grinning. "So who are these people you're talking about?"
"The six resident pranksters," Electra said. "Two are recent additions but we'll be lucky if Elysium remains standing when they have a prank war. Come on let's get going. You're not supposed to be here for too long."
"How long is too long?" Leo asked slightly worried. He didn't want to meet Hades if the god was upset with him especially after their meeting a few months ago.
"Several hours," Electra said reassuringly. Leo sighed in relief and put his arm around Electra's shoulders. She wrapped her arm around his waist as they walked through the streets.
