Chapter Eight: Hunter Interlude

Jason knew that Andi was a wildcard on this quest, her focus was split between Percy and the orb she needed to retrieve. Her distrust of Hera also made him doubt that she would help if push came to shove. Though he hoped that she would keep helping them even once the orb was retrieved.

She had handled everything that had come her way with a smile, sarcastic comment or both. Falling out of the sky from Festus the second time? She claimed that now she could cross skydiving off her bucket list. Her response to Leo's devastation at the dragon's destruction was to go up the teen and silently hug him. With Lit and King Midas, she offered a sweet smile to the royals a split second before trying to stab them with her dagger, before being turned to gold. The words she had spoken after being dunked in the lake to return her too normal couldn't be repeated, without Jason threatening to wash her mouth out with soap. In the battle against Lycaon Andi had summonsed skeletons to keep space between them and the wolves, especially focusing on keeping the injured Piper safe.

It was when the Hunter's made their appearance, that he got a clearer image of who the blonde really was. He watched how easily she fell into conversation with Thalia, how she teased Phoebe, how worried his sister was about her. For their entire journey he hadn't been able to get a clear read on her, now he could see that she was just a teenager girl who was trying to stay afloat in a world where she was in constant danger.

He kind of wanted her to stay with him and Leo while he talked to Thalia, but from what he had gathered, Andi needed to be checked out as well. Something about overuse of her powers and reopening wounds from Manhattan so she had gone with Piper and Coach Hedge to see the Hunter's healer, Phoebe.

…..

"Any new injuries I should be aware of Andi?" Phoebe asked the blonde once she finished fixing up Piper's ankle.

"Nope. Made it through falling out of the sky and a few fights without getting hurt." Andi smirked as she sat next to her friend.

"Any old injuries causing you grief?"

"No."

"Old injuries?" Piper chimed in looking curiously at the daughter of Hades who had brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms them.

"Occupational hazard. Lots of monsters that want to kill us."

"Have you been badly injured before?"

"She has." Phoebe spoke up, giving the blonde a sharp look. "I need to check some of them Andi. I heard that you stopped visiting your doctor friend to check on some of them from Thalia, if you are going to fight you need to be checked out."

"Fine." Grudgingly the demigod unbuttoned the black shirt she was wearing and slid it off her body, giving the two females a clear view of the scars that littered her back, arms and torso. Phoebe didn't say anything as she checked over her sort-of-friend, while Piper muttered 'Oh Gods'

"Are they all from monsters?" Piper brought up, as she tried to tear her gaze from the injuries painted Andi's pale skin.

"In one form or another." The way she said that one statement made the Cherokee girl realise that there was a lot more to the girl than it seemed. "Piper, you can't tell anyone about what you've seen on my body."

"I won't, Andi who hurt you?"

"My stepfather was a lousy drunk, Phoebe and Will are the only ones who know which wounds aren't from fighting monsters. I really want to keep it that way, so you need to keep it a secret Piper. Please. No one else can know. Not Jason, not Leo, not Coach, not Thalia, not Annabeth and when they get back to camp, definitely not my brothers. Promise me Piper"

"I promise Andi. I won't tell anyone"

"Thank you"

"You're fine. Just stop doing reckless things Andrea. I am completely serious or I will shoot you" Phoebe threatened as the blonde slid her shirt back onto her body and redone her buttons, earning a chuckle from the two demigods.

…..

While neither of the boys had known what they girls had spoken about, they could both tell that it had a positive effect on their relationship, as did travelling along a non-corporal bridge with the threat of death if they fell.

Waiting for the boys to come across the bridge was nerve wracking for the two females and satyr, they had made it safely across but were worried about their friends. When the bridge started to disintegrate and the two demigods were climbing up the edge, using Jason's winds to stop them from falling to their deaths.

"Oh Gods. Are you two alright?" Andi asked after they were pulled up onto solid ground, wrapping her arm around Leo who was still slightly smoking.

"What happened? Leo, why are your clothes smoking?" Piper demanded when she saw the two, trying to keep the smirk of her face when she noticed how cute the blonde looked with her arm around Leo's shoulders.

"I got a little heated," he gasped before turning to Jason "Sorry, Jason. Honest. I didn't –"

"It's all right" Jason said, before turning his attention to the next stage of their quest. "We've got less than twenty – four hours to rescue a goddess and Piper's dad. Let's go see the king of the winds."