Right. So this chapter is late, I know. Extremely late. But don't worry! This chapter is also, extremely long and has extra feels in it. If I wasn't naming each chapter with the location, I would name this chapter, "The Pain that comes with Hair". Haha. But in all seriousness, happy new years! Enjoy this chapter! And review!

Speaking of reviews...

: I think they should too! Perhaps they will. Hopefully. If Uncle Rick wishes it. :P

Rosemary1234: It would be a three quarters god and a demi god! Haha. I'll try putting more adorable Nico, but I'm afraid it's going to become very angsty from here on out. Sorry. :S

yuMeNami: It was what I thought would happen. It is probably the farthest thing from the truth, but I used some creative license since we know almost nothing about Reyna's background.

djinfiend: It is actually from Roman Mythology. She is a super minor goddess, the Wikipedia page had almost nothing on Dea Tacita. But she is a goddess of the dead and she is very much real [in Mythology].

teamleo4: Haha! There will be a second installment for Raoul's tale, but its a bit different from what you had in mind. Not to worry, it will come in one of the following chapters. :D

valiantgirl: Thank you! Being able to make people laugh through my writing has been a goal since FOREVER! So, thanks for that!

Guest: Thank you!

Chapter Seven

Their next camp was amidst tall lanky trees. To the north they could hear the soft sound of water lapping against the shore and to the south, they could hear the muffled sounds of cars honking and people laughing.

The Athena Parthenon, for the first time their entire trip, stood upright, reaching the height of the tallest trees. The mortals, if any happened upon them, would probably think it was a tree too.

How Nico had done it, Reyna couldn't figure out. At the beginning of the trip, he could barely stand after shadow travelling, much less keep a giant statue standing. That wasn't the only thing that had changed about him, Reyna mused. He had a different air. After laughing together for some time at their last location, they spoke more openly to one another.

Reyna was hesitant at first. He was a son of Pluto—sorry, Hades. He couldn't be trusted. Plus, he was a Graecus. She had forgiven him for lying to her earlier, but that rift wasn't completely bonded. Not yet.

"'Kay Cupcakes, what would you like for lunch. Berries or soda cans?" Hedge said gruffly, shaking Reyna out of her thoughts. Reyna sat on the ground with her legs crossed, rubbing her forearms, Nico sitting to her right. They hadn't made a fire to avoid attracting any humans. It was the closest to a city they had landed near for a while.

"Do the soda cans still have soda in them?" Nico asked attempting a joke, but his voice was clipped and monotone. Reyna was almost startled to hear him speak that way, but she quickly remembered their conversation yesterday. He still wondered where Hedge disappeared to all the time. He didn't trust him.

Looking offended, Hedge replied, "Of course! I'm not a monster."

Reyna quickly covered a snort, as she saw his shagging legs and hooves, but it wasn't quick enough to go unnoticed.

"What are you laughin' at?" Hedge asked.

"I wasn't laughing." Reyna said her face completely straight. "I just sneezed." She said smoothly, hoping her lie wouldn't be detected.

"Sneezed?" Nico said innocently, although Reyna could hear the sneaking grin in his voice. "I have the worst allergies known to mankind and I don't have the urge to sneeze."

"Stop exaggerating Son of Pluto," Reyna said using her best Praetor voice, "You do not have 'the worst allergies known to mankind'."

"You'd be surprised at how much the air has changed in the past couple decades." Nico bantered back.

"Very true! And…" Hedge made a point at sniffing the air, "Nope. Not so much as a drop of pollen."

Reyna narrowed her eyes at the two, she would not be defeated. "It's my hair. It tickled my nose."

"Please. You're using your fur as an excuse for everything. It can't be that bad." Hedge said. Just as Reyna was about to protest, he held up a finger. "If I could braid your fur, cupcake, I would. It's just that I'm all hooves and can't handle all that." He gestured to the mop on Reyna's head. No matter how hard she had tried to pat it down, her hair was just so thick and long, it refused to be tamed.

"Maybe Mister 'Raise the dead' can." After a moment of thought, he added, "I bet my bat he can." Hedge laughed and looked at Nico waiting for him to immediately protest. However, Nico just sat there with an uncomfortable look on his face that Reyna immediately recognized.

"Nico." She ordered. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that you can't braid my hair."

With as much attitude as he could muster, Nico looked over at her and scowled.

"Nico…" She warned.

Sighing he murmured, "I know how to braid hair."

"When? How? What?" Reyna demanded, sitting up straight.

"My sister." He mumbled inaudibly. The thought crossed Reyna's mind that she had never seen Hazel with braided hair, but she waved it off. She had more important things to do.

Reyna stood up and sat in front of him. "Braid. My. Hair. Now."

"Prosso provare?"

Can I try?

The small boy fit his chin on his mother shoulder and watched her nimble fingers lift and twist Bianca's hair.

"Of course, come." His mother said. She stopped braiding and motioned for him to sit in her lap. Smiling he fit himself between his mother's arms and held Bianca's hair just as his mother had been holding it.

"Nico, don't pull too hard." Bianca said, her voice a little fearful. Nico made a sound of acknowledgement and allowed his mother to lift his hands.

As he got the hang of it, his mother let go.

"Does it hurt?" Nico asked Bianca, reveling in the fact that he was actually braiding.

Bianca let out a laugh, "No Nico, it doesn't hurt."

As he tied the last elastic about her hair, she stood up and looked at her hair in the mirror. "It's beautiful. Mamma, from now on, Nico will braid my hair!"

"Certo Tesoro." Of course sweetheart. Their mother smiled and ruffled Nico's hair, pulling him and Bianca into a hug.

"Nico! Stop pulling so hard." Reyna said, wincing as Nico took another strand of her hair.

"I am not pulling hard, you are just sensitive." Nico replied, continuing with the braid. As he took another strand of hair, Reyna made another sound of pain.

"I don't think that is how it's supposed to feel." Hedge commented as he glanced at Reyna's contorted face. For a second, Nico's fingers stopped working, but just as quickly he finished the braid.

Nico tied the elastic around the end of Reyna's hair and watched as she felt the intertwined rivulets of hair.

"That's much better." Reyna said, swinging her hair over her shoulder after aptly deciding that the braid was adequate. "Thanks Nico." Reyna smiled at him, but that smile made Nico's heart hurt.

All he could imagine was the pain Bianca felt every single day when he braided her hair.

"Please Clarisse? Please, please, pleeeaaasseee?"

Clarisse stormed through the aisles and found Hedge wrestling with several soda cans in one hand and bags of chips in the other. "Hedge!" She shouted, causing the middle-aged satyr to let go of the soda and chips and take out a bat, swinging it wildly.

"What happened Clarisse? Where is it? What is it? What do I kill?"

"Oliver." Clarisse said, crossing her arms and pouting.

"What happened to him?" Gleeson said, his eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"He wants to braid my hair!" Clarisse said exasperatedly, throwing her hands in the air. "Why would he want to do something like that? Why?"

"Because your hair is beautiful!" The young blond said, jumping out from behind Hedge. "The highlights in your hair would be more prominent and your cheekbones would look gorgeous and it would accentuate your jaw line and bring out the fury in your eyes?" Oliver squeaked the last part out as Clarisse stared him down.

Rolling his eyes, the satyr bent down so he was in level with the two children, "Clarisse, let Oliver make your fur."

"No way! I would rather strangle a—" Clarisse protested

"Did you know that the best female Greek warriors always kept their fur in braids? It helps keep you focused." Hedge said, lying through his teeth.

"Really…?" Clarisse said, frowning slightly. Seeing that she wasn't convinced, Hedge continued, making things up off the top of his head.

"It also was a symbol of ranks in Greek military. Only savages keep their fur undone." Hedge gave a meaningful look to Oliver.

Quickly, Oliver nodded furiously, "I remember reading about that somewhere."

Huffing, Clarisse relented. "Fine."

Oliver smiled wide and hugged Clarisse as she made a strangled noise. But for all the moaning and groaning was worth, she didn't push him off. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but the three of them knew that Oliver and Clarisse were best friends.

When Oliver was satisfied with the hug, he let go, but kept a hold of her shoulders. "What about a facial? Your pores are huge."

"...and that's how I got past Hercules." Reyna finished, leaning back into the bark of a tree. Hedge had tears streaking down his face after laughing so hard and Nico's expression was priceless. Reyna was glad, for a moment, to have gotten Nico's mind off of... whatever he had been thinking about.

"Well, that was riveting. Really. But I got to go." Hedge said, effectively excusing himself from the conversation that had ensued after Nico had finished Reyna's hair. Reyna glanced over at Nico who narrowed his eyes at the faun. Before he could say anything, Reyna spoke up.

"Where exactly are you going?"

"To get…water?" The faun said, suddenly very nervous.

"We have enough." She said, gesturing to his backpack.

"You can't ever have too much water." He said, backing away slowly.

Closing her eyes, Reyna rubbed her forehead. "Coach, just tell us."

Glancing over at Nico and then back at Reyna, he sighed and dropped his backpack. "Fine. I'll tell you."

Nico leaned forward as Gleason fumbled with his thumbs.

"I… well you see cupcakes, I'm going to be a father." The satyr looked around nervously as Nico and Reyna just stared at him in shock.

Reyna was the first to regain her senses. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Before we left Camp Half Blood… and that's why I'm going back home. So I can be there when he... or she... is born. I keep Iris messaging my wife to check up on how she's doing."

"But, but…" Reyna sputtered.

"And I didn't tell you kids because no one ever asked." Hedge slowly picked his backpack up again. "Can I go now?"

Reyna nodded and looked over at Nico.

Nico, this entire time, had been staring at the satyr, his mouth agape. As Hedge left, Nico blinked and managed, "He's going to be the worst Papa-satyr. Ever."

Clarisse tossed and turned in her bed. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she got up and left the Ares Cabin.

She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she remembered a certain son of Aphrodite in his torn sneakers and plaid shirt. His dark rectangular glasses covered his dark eyes. Eyes too dark for his golden hair and playful smile.

As she walked through the forest, she made sure to be as quiet as possible as she whispered, "Hedge? Hedge?"

After a few minutes, the sleepy satyr stumbled out of the woods and grinned as he saw the daughter of Ares. "Hey cupcake, what's up?"

"I wanted to speak to you before you go tomorrow." She sighed and sat down near the stump of a tree. "Chris is still missing and I know a war is going to start. Ever since Jackson and Chase came back…"

"Kiddo, I'm not going to lie to you. A war is coming, but you're a daughter of Ares. That's not the reason you are upset." Hedge said, sitting down next to her.

Clarisse looked away from the satyr and chuckled to herself. He knew her too well. Quickly her grin turned into a somber expression.

"I remember him. Oliver. I can't sleep because he's always there with his stupid smile. And during the day I hear his voice. 'Tie your hair Clarisse' or 'it's a fork, not a weapon' or 'Don't be a bully—'" Clarisse's voice cracked.

Sniffing, she wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand. "It's worse now. He haunts me all the time."

Hedge sighed and put an arm around Clarisse. "Look kid, I miss him too. I hate myself for not being able to save him—"

"It wasn't your fault."

"—and the Council has punished me for that. But whenever I remember him, I don't feel upset. I don't feel like he's angry with me or haunting my dreams. I feel like a protector. I smile because I remember his smile. I laugh because I remember you two laughing together. You were inseparable, the two of you.

And you still are. He's with you in spirit. He won't leave until he finishes his business."

"I'll ask Selena to braid my hair for me tomorrow; maybe then he'll go to Elysium."

"I was thinking more along the lines of you finally being happy instead of angry with the world, but that's another thing I'm sure he would enjoy."

Smiling, Clarisse returned Hedge's half hug and stood up. "Thanks Hedge, you always know what to say."

"Yeah, yeah." The satyr said waving it off.

"No really. One day, when you become a father, I'll be there." She said smiling, "Because you are going to be the best Papa-satyr. Ever."