Wpov

I was lucky that Dave had an evening class on Fridays, so when I got home, Mom was the only one who was there.

"What happened to you?" she asked her eyes wide as I walked through the front door dirty, my clothes ripped, and covered in scratches. I caught my reflection in the mirror by the door. I looked as if I'd stepped out of a post apocalyptic video game.

"Monsters." I muttered waving it off and walking to the bathroom where we kept the first aid kit and I kept emergency ambrosia labeled as "Will's allergy medication," so Dave didn't accidentally eat it.

I pulled out a square and chewed it as I walked back into the main room. As always it tasted like my mom's homemade strawberry cake. I could feel the cut on my arm instantly start to heal.

"Is Cali alright?" she asked.

"Yeah she's fine." I said automatically then frowned. "Wait how did you-"

"Chris stopped by to drop off your book bag." She said gesturing towards the couch where it was resting. "He said you just took off with no explanation. And there's only one person you'd leave a team dinner for."

I didn't answer.

One of the many amazing things about my mother was that she was the only person who didn't question me about Cali. It was obvious she knew there was more going on than I was telling her, but she never asked me about it or brought it up. She just accepted it. Maybe she was trying to respect my privacy, but I think she'd realized that there were things in a demigod's world that mortals just weren't supposed to know about, and she trusted me to make the right decisions on my own. That being said, I knew she'd always be there if I needed her help.

"Well anyways I'm glad she's ok." She said returning to the kitchen to continue with dinner while talking to me over the bar. "That girl's been through enough as it is, the last thing she needs to worry about is monsters."

Much to Dave's disapproval, my Mom had developed a soft spot for Cali.

"You should probably change." She continued gesturing towards my torn and blood stained shirt. "He gets home in about an hour."

"Good thinking." I said walking to my room about to grab a change of clothes, then changing my mind half way and deciding to take a shower.

I walked to the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and pulled off my shirt. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the reflection of my tattoo and felt my stomach clench.

"It's over." I muttered to myself shaking my head. "You're not going back."

I looked away and tried to focus on other things as I stepped into the steaming water, but I couldn't get rid of a growing sense of unease.

This was ridiculous. It had been years. I didn't know why I was even thinking about this, but again my stomach tightened as I remembered Cali's curious expression as she'd asked about my past.

I closed my eyes and put my head in my hands. That was the last thing I needed, Cali asking questions and dragging up things I'd thought were settled.

If she kept asking question, what would I say?

I didn't know how long I stood there just thinking, but eventually there was a knock at the door and I heard my mother say.

"Will, Dinner's almost ready."

"I'll be out in a sec." I said and I heard her walk away.

I stepped out of the shower glanced at the tattoo again, then put on my towel and walked into the hall.

Because I was so distracted, when I first entered my bedroom, I didn't realize I was not alone.

"Hey."

"Gods Cali!" I said jumping and pulling my towel closer around me realizing she was sitting comfortably on my bed. "What in Hades are you doing here?"

"I came to talk." She said shrugging seeming to have as little embarrassment as her mother about being caught in a place she shouldn't have been at an awkward time. She'd obviously used the fire escape to get to my window, which must have meant what she wanted to talk about was important. Cali never wanted to talk to me, but if something was so urgent that she didn't delay bringing it up until a time she was forced to see me, it must have been big. "Though you might want to put on a shirt." She continued the kind of smile she gave people when she knew she had them in the palm of her hand. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Not that I'm complaining, but last time I saw your little tattoo you got so cranky."

"Not that you're complaining." I said sarcastically then I froze. "Wait, are you hitting on me?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Well we're a little self centered aren't we? Aren't you even going to ask what I wanted to talk about?"

"What makes you think I want to talk to you?" I asked her sourly.

"Don't you always?" she asked shrugging.

"And you call me self centered…" I muttered. "And no I don't want to talk to you actually. Not without clothes."

"Oh stop being such a prude."

"I'm serious."

"Don't be a baby."

"Come back in five minutes."

"I'm not leaving."

"Fine." I said irritated. "Then go in the closet."

There was a pause when she looked at me.

"You're kidding right?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not."

"I'm not going in there."

"Then leave." I said gesturing towards the window. "The window's right there."

She crossed her arms over her chest all traces of the seductive smile gone, and her eyes flashed green in anger.

"Fine." She said standing up. "But only because what I want to tell you is important."

"Whatever." I said pointing towards the closet.

She stepped into the dark close gave me an annoyed look as I shut the door on her. I twisted the knob and pressed in the button and there was a soft 'click'.

"What the hell? Was that a lock?" Cali asked.

I didn't answer.

"Did you just lock me in here?" she asked banging on the door and the knob shook. "Will you son of a bitch, open the door."

"Shut up." I said quickly.

"I will not! Open then door!" she banged harder.

"Cali," I hissed. "Be quiet my parents will hear you."

"Will?" my mother said and I heard her walking down the hall.

"Keep your mouth shut." I said quietly then walked to my bedroom turning on the my radio on the way.

"Yeah?" I asked trying to sound innocent as I opened the door and my mother looked inside the room.

"What was that banging?" she asked frowning.

"Oh, my closet door got stuck again." I lied quickly. "So I had to knock it a few times to get it unstuck. You know how it is."

"I thought I heard voices." She said still looking a little suspicious.

"Radio." I said.

"Alright." She said looking slightly unconvinced but after another glance around my room seemed to be reassured. "Well dinner will be ready in five, so get dressed and come out to eat."

"Alright." I said.

She shut the door behind her and after making sure she was gone, I put on the first pair of pants and shirt I could find then let Cali out.

"I'm going to kick your ass for that." She said looking remarkably unabashed for such a close call. Part of me wondered if this was her first time hiding from a suspicious parent in someone's shirts.

"Yeah you can do that later." I said shrugging. "Hurry up and tell me what you were going to say, I don't have a lot of time and if my Mom comes back here and sees you-"

"Don't want to upset Mommy?" she asked with a smirk.

"No." I said stiffly while crossing my arms over my chest. "So spill."

"We have a monster problem."

"You mean you have a monster problem." I said. "You're the trouble magnet. I haven't been attacked all week."

"No, I mean we." She said. "If you don't believe me look outside."

"What do you mean?"

"I just told you to look outside didn't I?" she asked annoyed.

I shot her a look but she didn't relent, only pointed towards my window. I crossed the room, kneeled on my bed, looked out the window, and swore.

"Yeah." Cali said her eyes glittering with amusement.

"Why in Olympus is a Hydra outside?"

"That's not all." She said hopping up onto my bed next to me. "From my room I counted three drakons, a griffin, and a Cyclopes. And according to Tyler, there were some freaky hag ladies were asking about us when he went to get a coffee this morning." She gave me a significant look. "Three of them."

"Furies?" I asked ignoring a stab of anger that had gone through me at the mention of Tyler's name.

"What else could they be?"

"What are they all doing here? And why haven't they come in?"

"No idea why they're here but I'm guessing so many humans live in this building they're not exactly sure where we are, but they know we're close. We're going to have some problems getting to school tomorrow, don't you think?"

"Assuming you go." I muttered without thinking and she laughed.

I stared at her.

"What?" she asked.

"You're in a good mood." I said suspiciously. "You're never in a good mood. What gives?"

Normally she would have hated being with me.

I expected her to say something sarcastic and scathing but to my surprise she grinned again. That same confident smile she'd given me earlier.

"I'm looking forward to this fight." She said her eyes, I noticed, were now a bright light blue. "It's kind of fun with you."

"Strange coming from a child of Aphrodite." I said amused.

"I'm not like my siblings."

"Don't I know it." I said shaking my head. "Well. Let's go."

I slid off my bed and started walking towards my bedroom door.

"Aren't you afraid your parents going to see me?"

"Well now that monsters are involved she won't care."

"What about Dave?" she asked looking genuinely concerned and I wondered if Max was right. Was I really important to her? At least enough for her to extend this small amount of courtesy.

"My Mom will come up with something." I said waving it off. "Worse comes to worse, a little charmspeak can't hurt right? Come on."

"Alright." She said also sliding off my bed.

I turned off the radio and we walked out into the hallway.

"Cali." My mother said in surprise when we entered the dining room and I saw Dave go stiff. "W-what are you doing here sweetie?"

"How did you get in?" Dave said looking at Cali suspiciously.

I ignored his question and looked at my mom, giving her a significant expression.

"Cali was just asking me for some help getting rid of the guys that was harassing her earlier. The ones I told you about. They're outside right now."

She nodded that she understood.

"Alright. Be careful."

Dave looked between my mother and I, obviously aware that he was missing something, but allowed us to pass and make it to the front door.

"Well that went better than expected." Cali said when made it into the hall and each readied our weapons.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"No screaming, no broken dishes," she said in what sounded like amazement. "Nothing."

"Why would they do that?" I asked frowning.

"That's what happens when I tell my Dad I'm going out." She said shrugging.

I didn't say anything to this, but it definitely raised some alarming thoughts.

I'd never been worried about Cali dealing with her father. She was a strong demigod and tough fighter, I'd never seen an opponent I didn't think she could handle. Surely her father wouldn't be a problem. But as she took off her jacket as the elevator arrived, obviously preparing for the fight, I noticed slight scratches where the cuts from the glass were just finally beginning to go away and what was obviously a healing bruise around her wrist. I found myself wondering if monsters were the only danger in Cali's life.