Author's Note

Just before you read!

So like... I don't know any prisons New York, and I'm not all that excited to look up prisons in Google.

Onto the story!

"I miss that rickety old cab," Valerie sighed as the cab sped away.

"Off to prison we go," Cameron joked, poking his elbow at Elanor. Elanor looked at him, blinking. He got the message. She didn't think it was funny. "Right," he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, as they neared a map.

'New York State Prison' was written on the map, and Elanor looked at to the setting sun. She was honestly absolutely exhausted, and wanted to sleep. She had hoped to have slept on the cab, but there was no way she was ever going to get some peaceful rest on that ramshackle old taxi with those three crazy ladies and a slimy eyeball. Cameron looked to Elanor, he noticed her tired expression. Her eyes were glazing over, as if she was going to collapse into deep sleep at any moment.

"I think we should get some rest," he beckoned towards Elanor, who was lost in her own world, staring at the sun, and Valerie understood.

"There's a motel nearby, we should have enough money."

"Money? All we have are a few drachmas I found in the nooks and crannies of the Gray Sisters' car. They're everywhere," Elanor said, pulling out a few drachmas out of her bag.

"But what kind of hotel accepts drachmas?" Valerie said, rolling her eyes.

Cameron instantly got an idea, "I think I can solve our problem."

Whatever this brilliant idea of Cameron's was, Elanor wasn't so sure. When the arrived at the motel, Cameron whispered something in the concierge's ear, and the lanky man snapped into form, his eyes clouded and glassy.

"Son of Hermes," the mans voice seemed not human- unworldly, even, "How may our humble service assist you?" Cameron and the concierge had a quick conversation, and Elanor and Valerie exchanged looks of surprise.

Once Cameron stopped his conversation with the man, Elanor walked up and asked, "How...?"

"I guess it's a Hermes thing. The other Hermes kids taught it to me, use it all the time."

"Why would the Hermes kids need hotel rooms all the time, anyway?" Valerie asked, scratching some peeling yellowed paint off the wall. At this, Cameron's face turned beet red.

"They... Uh... Travel a lot I guess..." His reply sounded more like a question than a straight answer.

A staff member shuffled forward, his black uniform shoes squeaking on the marble floor, the same glassy expression in his eyes, just like the concierge. He held out a key in his gloved hand, "Your room, children of the gods." he spoke in the same unworldly, mystical voice as the concierge had spoken in earlier, droning like a sleepy lullaby.

Elanor gingerly plucked the key from the bell boy's stiff hand, nodding her head to say thank-you.

"Let's go, guys. These people are kind of freaking me out here," Elanor mumbled to Cameron and Valerie. Elanor walked up the stairs, her feet growing heavier with each step. Cameron turned to go follow Elanor, and noticed Valerie still at the lobby, watching the staff members go about their business, the cloudy look slowly draining from their eyes, their natural look restoring slowly.

"I've got an easy solution," Valerie smiled coyly muttering to herself, pounding her right fist into her left palm.

"That is not a good idea," Cameron said, and he lugged Valerie up the stairs.

Valerie was the first to fall asleep. Their hotel consisted of two rooms and a main common room, much like an apartment. It reminded Elanor of home. Of her family. She didn't like that about the place, so she walked out of the room that she and Valerie were sharing, and lay herself on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

She couldn't sleep with thoughts stirring in her head. (That, and Valerie's thunderous snoring) She was nervous. What would happen if she met her mother? Her guilt for running away from home all those years ago will only increase once she sees her mother. But what if her mother refuses to see her? Mr D. had told Elanor that the way to restore light to Camp Half Blood was to solve the problem that she had with her mother, but how could that problem be solved if her mother won't see her in the first place? Or what if her mother doesn't even recognize her?

"No sleep, I see," Cameron sighed, walking out of his room. He was wearing his pajamas, which were a pair of extra-extra large sweatpants that could encase his feet, and a big t-shirt. His hair was messy, as always, ruffled and poking out in all directions. Elanor's hair, too, was a mess. All the tossing and turning had moved more than a few hairs out of place, and, to her at least, her head could be compared to a lions' messy mane, and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Elanor answered Cameron, "What's keeping you awake?"

Cameron sat by Elanor on the couch, propping Elanor's head up on his lap. "All your tossing and turning." Elanor, stumped, rolled to her side, facing Cameron's body. I'm not that loud. she thought.

"I just... Can't sleep," Elanor's eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, could make out the outlines of his face. The pale moonlight on his face, highlighting his smiling eyes, straight jawline, and the expression on his face that was halfway between his usual smiley self and an apologetic, empathetic look.

"Then I'll tell you a story," Cameron offered, taking Elanor's hand.

"Oh, please, spare me." Elanor rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Oh shut up, I'm a great storyteller," Cameron wrinkled his nose, sticking out his tongue.

"Fine." Elanor's voice lowered to a hush, as she closed her eyes.

Cameron began, "Once Upon a Time, there lived a totally cool dude named Cameron-"

Elanor gave him a good slap across the face. He yelped.

"You big bully," he ruffled Elanor's hair.

"Just tell me a real story." She ran her fingers through Cameron's hair.

"It's hard to find a story to tell you that won't result in a great big slap to the face."

"Think of it as a high-five," Elanor laughed, a clear chiming laugh.

"Yeah. A high-five. To the face. Hard."

"Tell me the story of..." she yawned, "what was it? The girl in the tower?"

"Rapunzel?"

"Yeah. The one named after that vegetable."

Cameron clicked his tongue, "Of course. The one named after the vegetable. Right."

"Just get to the story you big oaf," Elanor squeezed her eyes shut, curling into a ball on Cameron's lap. He sighed.

"Once upon a time," his voice was like honey, a warm, heart-warming voice, "there lived a family that lived next to a witches cottage. As the woman was about to give birth to her child, her appetite had changed drastically. She had began to crave vegetables of all types, and quite conveniently, the witch next door..." Cameron began his story, as Elanor drifted off to sleep.

About halfway through the story, Cameron fell asleep as well, one arm wrapped around Elanor, his cheek resting on her head.

Author's Note

Yay done!

This was a pretty cute fluffy chapter. Please tell me what you think about this chapter! I hope everybody liked it! I'd love to hear what you think about the whole Elanor-Cameron thing. I honestly think it's actually kinda cute, but, I mean, that my opinion.

Until next chapter!

PennPowers