Damnit... damn it all! I thought bitterly after dropping into a chair in the kitchen. Echo had bounded around my legs for a few moments and decided to go trotting off through the rest of the room, sniffing and licking at various parts of the floor. What can I do about this? First Hercules, now Alex, who next? I was startled out of my thoughts by a sudden bang, causing me to flinch, only to realize it was Hercules slamming his fist onto the table,

"Wonderboy!" I snapped, running a hand through my hair trying to calm my sudden intense anxiety, but he hadn't seemed to notice my startle. He was rubbing the bridge of his nose, his fist on the table to tight his knuckles were white. "Wonderboy?" I repeated,

"I'm the strongest person in all of Greece and I can't protect my own home," He shouted, finally turning to look at me, anger twisting his features. "Your burns, Alexina beaten half to death," He shook his head. "What kind of hero am I?" He asked as his eyes dropped. I frowned, walking up to him to place a hand under his chin, forcing him to look at me. His head tilted up, but his eyes avoided mine,

"A true hero," I reminded him, suppressing the grimace that tempted my face at the hackneyed words. "Being the most famous face in Greece is bound to draw attention. And we've been over this! Instead of breaking your table and scaring the life out of me, why don't you go grab that guard by the scruff of his neck and have him explain to Jason just why he let Helen through the doors?" I offered, "I'd do it myself if I could," I added, "In fact why don't I get Jason and tell him just who-"

"I can't resort to that," Hercules argued. I shook my head at him, my usual admiration for his sense of nobilty drowned out by overwhelming annoyance.

"Then at least drag him to the city guards. What he did wasn't a mild inconvience, people got hurt." I insisted. I didn't care that Helen was young, that she had been manipulated by Hades, that she was clearly ill. I wanted to see repercussions for what she did. Hercules looked about to protest, and I bit down on my lip to keep myself silent long enough to hear his retort. He opened his mouth uselessly several times before breaking eye contact with a deep sigh, sitting back in the chair.

"You're right. Boy won't this make me look heroic. Dragging my personal guard to the city guard to say he didn't protect me from a teenager,"

"Was... was that sarcasm?" I asked, momentarily stunned out of my anger.

"I can't show weakness Meg... or more of this crap will happen," He covered his eyes with his hands, rubbing at them roughly

"Then show that guard you mean business." I insisted. "This won't stop unless you make it stop," I stood up, tired of the argument and left the room, letting whatever words he was trying to amble at me roll off my shoulders.

*.*.*

My sleep was fitful for the next several nights. A thick headache had settled in, and would probably not leave until I managed to successfully rest. As dawn rose on the fifth (or was it the sixth?) morning I rolled out of bed knowing that further thrashing in the sheets would accomplish nothing. The villa was still dark, the sun not having risen high enough to strike the villa windows. The building always felt so eery when I was the only one awake. I ventured into the kitchens to grab a piece of fruit, more to try and pass time than to satisfy hunger. The headache was doing a fairly good job at suppressing any hint of an appetite. To my surprise I found that I had some company.

"Alex," I addressed, surprised.

"Morning," She replied simply. "Or is it still night?" She pondered,

"What has you up to early,"

"Up still," She replied with a grimace.

"Guess I'm not the only one Orpheus doesn't seem to like," I joined her at the table, sitting across from the girl after grabbing us each something to nibble on. She gave me a small smile of thanks, sitting up straighter so she could eat. We ate in silence, until I began to grow too restless. "Feeling better?" She certainly looked better, the bruises fading to a yellow-green rather than the deathly blue-black.

"Much," She replied, nodding. "Was getting sick of being in bed. Had to trick Jason into going fishing just to get him to stop fussing long enough for me to stretch my legs,"

"Guess I know what to expect for dinner tonight," I chuckled. Alex smiled back,

"I couldn't take lying down much longer. But it looks like you're having the opposite problem. What has you up so early?" She asked. I shrugged, breaking eye contact.

"Nighmares," I settled was a simple enough answer. It wasn't entirely a lie. "Can't really fall back asleep after one. Never have been able to,"

"Hercules will worry himself sick if he knew you weren't sleeping. You need a good night's rest," She replied. I lifted a brow at her,

"It's just one night," I lied.

"The circles around your eyes say otherwise," She shrugged at me a little. "You haven't seemed yourself. Just because I was laid up in bed doesn't mean my brain stopped working," I wasn't sure what surprised me more; the fact that I was having such a lengthy and wordy conversation with her, or that she could gather my sleeplessness from sick visits.

"Don't tell-"

"I won't," She interrupted. "You're not the only one he annoys when he worries too much,"

"Am I a bad person if I'm glad someone else gets to share the joy of that?" I chuckled, getting one out of her in return. "Want to join me for a walk? I'm guess you're restless after a week in bed. I sure would be," I wrinkled my nose at the thought.

"Jason may faint when he finds out... so, perfect," She smirked.

The summer heat hadn't dissipated much overnight, so the morning was already growing humid. We decided to simply venture the grounds, to ensure a short route back to the villa if Alexina grew too tired from her first adventure out of bed. Dew had formed on the flowers, and within minutes my very skin felt like it was wet from the oppressive air.

"I hate summer," I confessed, "Too hot all the time,"

"Reminds me of home," Alexina confessed, and I was caught off guard by the intimate confession. "Warm all year round. Though, I have to admit, seeing snow for the first time was a shock," She laughed, seemingly lost in a memory.

"Must have felt like the end of the world," I probed, wondering what it must have been like to come from a place of yearlong summer and be greeted by a land that knows cold and ice falls from the sky.

"It was beautiful,but I never got used to the cold. I still can't get used to it,"

"What's it like, where you came from?" I probed. I recalled the story Hercules had told me, of how the girl was abducted by spice traders. I still could not understand why she had accepted a Greek name, why she had stayed in the land that had stolen so much from her. But I knew those were not secrets I would learn today.

"Oh, beautiful." I could hear the longing in her voice, but despite her saddened tone a genuine smile tugged at her lips. "The days are long, and hot. I mean you think today is hot? There were days I would want to live in the rivers, but even those grew hot in the thick of summer," She broke off onto a tangent as we walked. She told me tales of enormous and exotic animals, of the food and drink of her home. Of their songs and stories, myths of their Gods and Goddesses. I let her carry on, smirked to myself that this girl I was beginning to consider a friend was finally opened up. She seemed to avoid talking about the people of home. Any friends or family. I never talked about those either, and could understand her avoidance.

"I wish I could visit it," I answered after several seconds of silence.

"If you hate summer, you probably wouldn't like it much," she chuckled, "I'm not joking about the heat," I chuckled, admitted she was probably right.

"Tired?" I asked, noting our paced had slowed.

"Guess I need more exercise," She admitted. We head back to the villa.

This was short, sorry... writer's block... and like in my author's excuses chapter my ribs friggin hurt from sitting at my desk.