To RandomFanAuthor- YES. Storm is perhaps the only one to one-up Lou in terms of being a lil' shit!

To JasonGraceIsNAPPING- AGAIN AGAIN

To HoO Fan- No. She doesn't get her memory back. Mwhahaha, suffer.


Lucy-Jo had given her the address. She held it on a bit of paper in her hand, but hardly needed to look at it. She had it memorised.

The door was a mossy green, flecks of paint staining the bronze thirty-three screwed to the front. She pressed the doorbell, hearing a melodic chime ring through the flat. From inside, a girl's voice:

"Daddy!" The door was flung open. She saw Juni, about six or seven, beaming broadly, hazel eyes gleaming, her dark hair messily framing her face. Her pink T-shirt sparkled with sequins that read 'Princess' and her jeans had paint splatters on them. "You're not Daddy." She said, pouting. "Where's Daddy?"

"Um… I, uh… I'm Lou. I… I worked with your dad."

"Oh." The girl's thin shoulders slumped and she bowed her head. She turned back into her home, stopping only a few paces away. She looked at the photos on the walls, the coat rack with a man's leather jacket. She looked at the shoes, her school bag, she looked at the phone. A tremble passed through her shoulders and she looked down at her feet, squishing her toes together. "He's not coming back." She said quietly, facing Louisa. Her bottom lip quivered, sniffing. "Is he?"

"No. I'm sorry, Juni." Louisa moved in, crouching before the girl. Thick tears welled in her eyes, stubborn hiccups as she tried to keep them back. She rubbed clumsily at her face with her fists, sniffing and hiccupping. "He told me ta come 'n' get ya. I have ta take ya somewhere safe."

"I- don't- want- to- go!" Juni argued between sobs, stomping her foot on the last word. "This is my home! Daddy said he'd never go away again; this was his last one! He promised!" Louisa reached for her. Juni shoved her away, racing down the corridor and vanishing around a corner. A door slammed, only partially quietening her crying.

Louisa waited a few minutes, outside the door. She knocked, heard a small 'go away'.

"I can't." She said softly. "I'm sorry, kid, but I made a promise ta ya dad. Ya've gotta come with me."

"No!" Juni defied. Louisa opened the door a fraction, peering in. The girl was hiding under a mound of bedding and soft toys. "I'm not going, I'm not going! You sound funny, I don't know you!"

"I'm from America, it's an accent."

"Don't care! Not going, not going! Daddy said strangers were dangerous, I'm not going!" Louisa sighed. Lucy-Jo had warned it wouldn't be easy. She would have gone herself, had July not grounded her.

A soft toy fell to the floor. It was an octopus, lilac, with a smiley face and jangly limbs. Louisa picked it up by the top of its head, smoothing her thumb over its cheek.

"Your dad said I had ta take ya somewhere safe."

"No!"

"Lucy-Jo's askin' for ya."

"Lucy… Lucy-Jo?"

"Yeah."

"She wants to meet me?"

"She said I have ta take ya to her 'n' she'll look after you from there." A pair of tearful eyes squinted at her from somewhere under the bedding. Louisa crouched to be on level with them.

"I still don't know you." She sniffed.

"I'm Lou." She held up the octopus. "I can talk to these."

"You can talk to toys?"

"No. I can talk to real ones of these."

"Liar."

"Not lyin'."

"Can't talk to octopus… es?"

"Octopi. 'N' I can. 'N' sharks. Dolphins. Whales. Fish. Horses. Pegasi."

"Pegasi?"

"Mm-hm. Horses with wings."

"Horses don't have wings!"

"Some do."

"You're a witch!" Juni declared, throwing back her bedding and pointing in Louisa's face.

"Demigod."

"Daddy said he had a magic friend. Is that you? What's a demigod?"

"My dad's a god. I'm half god."

"What? Like Jesus?"

"Uh… I guess?" Louisa shrugged. She had not been compared to Jesus before. Maybe the Devil, but not Jesus. Juni squinted at her disbelievingly.

"Prove it." She challenged. Louisa sighed, holding her hand out. A miniature storm swirled into life over her palm, gently bursting with a small can of thunder. Rain splattered on her skin. Juni stared at it, wide-eyed, slack jawed. Louisa poked the water. It hopped up and floated away from her, bubbling in Juni's face. It took on the shape of an octopus, tickling the girl's cheeks with its watery tentacles. Juni giggled feebly, reaching for it. Louisa flicked her fingers, splashing the water in Juni's face, making her jump.

Juni dried her face on her T-shirt, shaking her head. "You really are magic!"

"I am."

"Better than Jesus!"

"I suppose?"

"Daddy said his magic friend would help me." She looked around her room, her good mood wilting. "Do I have to go?"

"I'm sorry, kid, but ya do."

"Will you be there?"

"I have ta get home, but I'll visit."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Can I bring Jelly?"

"Who's Jelly?" Juni pointed at the octopus in Louisa's hand. Louisa handed it over, nodding. Juni hugged it to her chest, squishing her cheek on its head. "Whenever ya ready, Juni. I'm with ya."


"I say we zap her."

"You are not zapping her."

"Why?"

"Um, when is it ethical to taser a comatose person?" Calypso raised a brow. Joel pouted at her.

"No-one said anything about ethics. It's for science!"

"Science still has ethics." Neville countered. "Sometimes." He added quietly. Joel gaped.

"I thought you were on my side!"

"With ethics!"

"Screw ethics! I wanna taser Lou!"

"You're not tasering Lou!"

"But she's been asleep for, like, eighty-seven million years."

"It's not even been a month, where are you getting your figures?"

"Science."

"Your science sucks."

"You suck!"

"Joel!"

"She's being offensive to my people!"

"You hardly count as people!"

"That is true, but still! I'm offended!"

"You're just sensitive." Lucy-Jo cut in. Joel inhaled sharply, outraged and struck speechless. She smirked and he floundered, spluttering nonsense in protest. This is what Louisa woke up to. They stood around her bed, in order of Leo, Juni and Calypso on her left, Lucy-Jo and July at the foot of her bed, and then Neville and Joel, still wordlessly ranting, on her right.

"Ya'll loud." She croaked. July beamed at her, hand shooting out to squeeze her shin in greeting. Louisa smiled weakly. Leo hugged her, Juni cheered and bounced, Calypso could only grab her hand, teary-eyed and smiling. Joel shushed and sulked that he couldn't taser her, but patted her head, relief in his eyes. Neville nodded at her, then straight back to shaking his head at his boyfriend.

"You've been asleep for eighty-seven million years!"

"About thirty days." July translated. "Don't worry, Joel hasn't been allowed anywhere near you. Until today. He brought cake." She shrugged. Joel clapped quickly, tapping Louisa's shoulder with just as much speed.

"You can bribe July with cake, it's fantastic." He beamed. Leo helped her sit up, Calypso already had a glass of water to hand.

"Now, you're going to be a bit wobbly for a while," July said, "but some basic exercises for the next two weeks and we'll have you moving about in no time." She drummed her fingers on Louisa's leg in thought. "I think we should take you to the pool."

"Ocean." Louisa requested, coughing. Calypso sidled around Juni and helped her sip from the glass.

"Mm. Try the pool first."

"Come on, Lou, you should know better than that." Lucy-Jo smiled lopsidedly. "July is a mother hen to all her patients; you don't get to leave that easily."

"If you start clucking-"

"Cluck."

"That's it, you're dead to me."

"You ain't the first to say that to me, sweetheart."

"First you cluck and then you call me 'sweetheart'. Do you want to die?"

"Kind of."

"Shit, you OK?"

"Mmmmmm-hhhmmmmmm." Lucy-Jo nodded slowly. July narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Aren't you supposed to be drowning her or something?"

"Oh, right, yes."

"So, July gets to drown Lou, but I don't get to taser her?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's just homophobic."

"Joel-phobic."

"None of you are coming to my wedding."


Louisa's legs were as effective as sponges in walking. July procured a wheelchair for her. Leo volunteered himself to push, which meant sprinting down the corridors, aiming at anyone they came past. July bellowed after them, but Louisa loved it. "Go!" She cheered. "That way, that way!"

"Haha, charge!"

"You don't even know where you're going!" Someone shouted.

"Where's the pool?" Leo yelled out.

"Go left!"

"Lou, indicate!" He laughed. She threw her left arm out and they careened around the corner. They began to see signs for the pool, not slowing down. The tires slid on the wet tiles; Louisa cackled, Leo found an airhorn in his belt, blasting it at the other swimmers. He turned the chair sharply, she swore at him, and then he unceremoniously dumped her in the water.

It was not salt-water; it wasn't even lake water. Chlorine water went up her nose and she kicked upwards, coughing. Leo folded his arms on the wheelchair handles, grinning at her. "Valdez Special Delivery, at your service." He bowed his head. "Speedy and direct!"

"I'll direct my foot up your ass!"

"Aww, I've missed you!" He turned the airhorn on her, smirking and squeezing it each time she tried to speak.

The others caught up a few minutes later. July smacked Leo.

"She's still in her pyjamas!"

"She doesn't care! Look!" Leo gestured at the water. Louisa had already done a few laps, diving and hiding at the bottom, pulling on the other swimmers' legs or popping up in front of them with a loud 'BOO!'

Juni laughed and cannonballed in, fully dressed. Louisa noticed immediately, making her way over for a hug. Calypso snuck her arm through Leo's, giving him a sweet smile that made his skin go cold. The next thing he knew, he was in the water as well. A white-out of bubbles beside him and she grinned, kissing his nose under the water. He resurfaced to see July crouching on the edge, head and hands combined in prayer.

"If any of you get colds, I am not helping you!"


For the next week, July, Breda and Jamal led Louisa through various techniques for muscle strengthening and rebuilding her endurance after a month of sleep. She swam every morning and evening, spent increasing time walking on the treadmill and then jogging. Leo was on the treadmill alongside her, to begin with, but only to see how fast he could go on it. He thought he was doing rather well, although he probably looked a bit mad- arms flailing, feet pounding, lungs about to explode.

Then his footing went, he shot backwards off the machine with a yelp, shoulder hitting the mat and spinning him over, and then straight into the wall. Naturally, this sent Louisa into peals of laughter. She stumbled and slipped, landing next to Leo in varying degrees of pain and giggles.

This was how Calypso found them.

"Seriously?" She demanded. "I left you for a minute." She frowned, not getting through their laughter. "What are you doing?"

"Ow, ow, ow…" Leo wheezed. Louisa swatted his arm, coughing through her giggles.

Calypso sighed. She helped Louisa up and left Leo to his idiocy.

"You're supposed to be recovering." She scolded. Louisa squeaked an apology, still laughing. Calypso shook her head and helped her sit to one side. "Honestly, you're like a pair of toddlers."

"I was the Flash!" Leo declared, pushing himself up onto his knees, wincing. "But now I am just the Bruise!" He threw his arms out either side, flexing and grinning when Calypso remained unimpressed. "That was not worth the added pain in my shoulder."

"You're just the Idiot." She decided, massaging her neck. Leo laughed.

"That too!" He beamed. "Aww, don't pout, sunshine. You love me."

"Mmm."

"That attitude calls for divorce, madam."

"You've been hanging out with Joel too much."


"Hey, L.J?"

"I am not tucking you in."

"No, I- what?" Louisa puzzled. Lucy-Jo pursed her lips at her. "No, no, I wanna ask you somethin'."

"I will not be clearing up sick either." She affirmed. Louisa assured her there was no threat of vomit. Lucy-Jo, reassured, perched herself on the edge of the bed. "What's up, Lou?"

"No-one… has really talked 'bout what happened."

"Well, you've not asked."

"I wasn't sure if I should. I mean… I've been out for a month, a month. How do I… bring up somethin' like that after so much time?"

"Fair point." The Keeper nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, Leo and Joel are now besties, 'cos Leo sat and listened to Joel talk about the casualties."

"How many?"

"Seventy-three."

"Seventy… L.J, I'm… I'm sorry."

"We're all sorry. Joel has put them all in the book though. And they're on the Memory Wall too. He's doing better, a lot better. He and Leo are bad influences on each other though, so… thanks for that." Louisa smiled sheepishly. "Cal has been given med training. July loves her. Boss does not."

"Why?"

"She stole his dessert. And called him a 'git'. And is trying to talk people into leaving so they can have normal lives."

"Good for her."

"Depends who you ask." She shrugged a shoulder. "The lake's still frozen over. Not sure what you did to it this time, but it's proper solid. Can't even get a drill through it. You… you slept through the funerals. But, if you're feeling up to it, I can take you to visit them, if you want." Louisa nodded, clasping her hands together. Seventy-three. "It's… not been easy. Leo and Calypso have both had someone to talk to. If you need someone too, I can sort that." Louisa nodded her thanks. "You three, you saved countless lives that day. We owe you. Again."

"Are you OK?"

"I'm working on it."

"Juni?"

"She was away from the action, don't worry."

"I had a dream about her." Lucy-Jo raised a brow at her. Louisa hesitated. "Had a lot of dreams, actually."

"Well, you didn't flood the place, so I'm assuming… good?"

"Good-ish?"

"I can work with ish. Oh, Nev's got your trident."

"What trident?"

"The green glowy one. Cal reckons your dad gave it to you. Please tell me you've not forgotten more stuff." Lucy-Jo sighed, rolling her eyes. Louisa pressed a hand to her head. She had been hurt, badly, really really badly. Then her father was there. He… made a promise? She furrowed her brow, pulling at her thoughts. He had made a promise. But it was null and void. Because she was still alive.

Lucy-Jo snapped her fingers in her face, startling her. "Aaand she's back. Gordon Bennet, Lou, please don't break your brain any more than it already is." Louisa stuck her tongue out. "You had a trident and you… did some rather cool stuff. Terrifying, but cool. Neville had it taken to his lab; he was examining it. I don't think you're going to get it back."

"That's fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"OK, so, what do you wanna do with the trident? Neville might marry it."

"What about Joel?" Louisa frowned. Lucy-Jo scoffed.

"It's a magic trident. What about Joel?" She shrugged a shoulder. Louisa gave a half-smile without humour. Lucy-Jo sat up straighter, shuffling round until she faced her. "We all know the risks, Lou. And, yes, it doesn't make it right, and yes, I'm in half a mind to rally behind Calypso. But do not even think for a second that any of those deaths are on you."

"I was supposed ta help."

"And you did."

"No. Glowy-Lou did." She bowed her head. "That's not me."

"It's some part of you."

"I don't want it." Louisa pressed her hands together. Lucy-Jo raised her chin a fraction, contemplative. Louisa shifted, grimacing. "Um, I was… told that, uh… this- this god-killer thing. They said I'd bow to a power beyond my control." Lucy-Jo inclined her head. "I don't wanna be like that again, I don't like Glowy-Lou. No more… no more lake days or Cacus or… anythin' like that."

"OK. Can you control it?" Louisa shrugged unhelpfully. "Mmph. Do you even know what it is?"

"No."

"Anyone you can ask?"

"Dad, maybe. He might not answer though."

"Try him." Lucy-Jo suggested. Louisa picked at her bedding, running the sheets between her fingers. For a few moments, neither of them bothered to speak. Louisa was aware she was being watched, knew Lucy-Jo was running numbers on her mental state. "Do… do you know if your brother ever had a… Glowy thing?"

"No, I- I don't know. I-" An idea crossed her features. She touched her fingers to her chin, brow furrowing in thought. Lucy-Jo leaned forward.

"What?"

"Where's the trident?"

"You're not stabbing yourself again."

"No, I- I think I can use it…" She trailed off, sliding her legs from under the linen. Her feet hit the cold tiled floor. She completed two steps before her knees gave out.

Lucy-Jo caught her, hooking her arm around her shoulders with a reprimanding sigh.

"You sure about this?"

"Yep."

"OK. Let's go. But if July gets mad… this was your idea."