After the funeral pyre (Rose insisted, everyone else held their tongues) had burned itself out, the trio performed a quick head count. A grand total of twenty-eight demigods stood on Carol's doorstep in the care of fifteen satyrs. Most of the demigods were unclaimed, but three had been claimed during their time here, a pair of ten year old twin girls, children of Persephone, and a fourteen year old son of Apollo. By unspoken agreement they had all decided it had grown too late in the day to start the trek back to New York, so they all gathered in the living room to rest for the night.
Alexa had found Carol's office and after doing some light digging in shipping manifests with names like the San Diego zoo, Triumvirate Holdings and BC Birthday Bonanza, she found a small safe stuffed with Golden Drachma and a huge stack of mortal money. Seemed dinner and the trip back would be on Carol's dime.
Jazz put in an order for a few pizzas and Alexa returned to the living room. Most of the kids were just enjoying the novelty of having hands and the ability to speak again. Some were snoozing, some were talking, one rather loud group was playing some sort of weird mix between rock paper scissors and thumb wrestling. Only Jeff sat alone near a window, staring out forlornly.
Alexa quietly made her way through the crowd, getting a small amount of admiration and slaps on the back as she walked. She couldn't help but feel that little bubble in her chest swell with pride. She had saved them! Her! She was a hero, a real one!
She quietly sat next to Jeff, not speaking to him or even looking at him. This was another trick she had learned from Jazz, if he wanted to talk, he would. She just had to provide him with the opportunity. Jeff didn't take too long.
"So what? Are you waiting for me to apologize or beg for forgiveness or something?" Jeff asked gruffly, not looking at her as he spoke.
"No." Alexa answered "You just seemed like you had something on your mind."
Jeff was silent for several minutes, watching the sun slowly dipping towards the tree like I'm the distance.
"You screwed me. You know that, right?" He huffed quietly.
"If you think they won't accept you after what happened-"
"Don't." Jeff cut her off. "Don't sugar coat it. I know what I was a part of, and I know what I am. I'm selfish, cowardly, and a backstabbing piece of garbage. I know they're going to hold a grudge as long as I live...but that's not at all what I'm worried about."
Jeff turned to face her and the emotions in his eyes shocked her. There was anger and even some guilt there, that much she had been expecting but what nearly bowled her over was an impossibly deep amount of shame. It radiated out from his gaze like heat from a fire, so strong and intense that it made Alexa physically recoil.
"I've been working for that woman, that stupid, insane, self obsessed, parody of a cartoon villain, because I needed her." Jeff hissed, anger momentarily overtaking shame. Building like steam in a boiler. "And then you come waltzing in, kill her, and made me put in over a year of work for no pay off! Do you have any idea what I've been through just trying to get to that point?"
Jeff, in an uncharacteristic amount of self control breathed out hard through his nose and turned away from her again.
"Why couldn't you have just killed me too? Put me out of my misery."
Alexa was taken aback. She hadn't really considered the reason behind Jeff working for Carol. If she were being completely honest with herself, she had thought that it was for revenge or out of spite.
"What did you want from her…?" Alexa asked softly. She didn't offer aid, that would've come off as condescending, even to her, and she didn't want to push him away.
That particular decision was made for her, however with the untimely arrival of Jazz, still holding the house's phone. She didn't say anything as she entered, didn't even really do anything, but as her eyes fell on Alexa sitting there with Jeff, her body stiffened. Alexa knew why, she was afraid that Alexa was being taken in under Jeff's spell, just like she had been. Just like most of the room had been, in fact. Jeff had noticed too. He saw the look that Jazz was giving him and the stares of distrust coming from everyone else and his own eyes hardened.
"I don't need to explain anything to you." He muttered, returning his gaze to the window "Why do you even care? I'm just the guy that tried to get you turned into a donkey or something. Why should it matter why I did it?"
Alexa pondered her answer while she waved Jazz down. It wasn't a bad question, all in all.
"I think...well...you remind me of someone. One of my brothers, he had a bright future ahead of him, and more worries than he should've, and because he didn't really know himself or what he was capable of he died young. I don't want to see that happen to another Jeffrey with so much to give to the world." Alexa explained.
Jeff stiffened again. He turned to glare at Alexa with unexpected ferocity.
"Oh, so I need to get to know myself?" He asked, his voice straining to stay at a reasonable volume. "Tell me something, Alexa. Do you ever look in the mirror and see a monster? Do you ever struggle to get out of bed because you know you'll have to deal with other people and their expectations? Do you ever feel like you're being pulled in thousands of different directions, by yourself, by your family and everyone around you? Do you ever have the cravings to do things so...so…" He fell silent then, realizing in that moment that a few of the people nearby had stopped talking to listen to him. Alexa felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked back to find Jazz had made her way through the crowd. A faint red flush creeped up Jeff's neck and into his cheeks as he glared at Alexa.
"I know myself." Jeff continued in a low tone. "I know Jeffery Griffith, and I hate him with everything I have!"
"And maybe that's the problem!" A new voice said from the doorway. They all turned as one to find a woman standing in the door. She was short and almost pixie like, with her curly chocolate colored hair in a ponytail and tucked through a baseball cap, though even from here Alexa could see a baby blue stripe running through it. Her features were sharp and there was something about her grin that set off an alarm of familiarity in Alexa's mind.
She wore the red and black uniform from the local pizza place and, balanced in her right hand was no less than nine boxes of pizza, in her left was several plastic bags stuffed full of sodas. Hanging from her right hip was a gun holster that was currently holding an old clay jug.
The newcomer noticed Jazz staring at her and winked.
"Freaky fast delivery is a family guarantee!" She said jovially as she set the pizzas down on the coffee table. With her burden now set out in front of the half starved children and satyrs, she turned back to the argument in progress.
"Who are you?" Jazz asked immediately, her eyes narrowing and a hand inching towards her wrist.
"Just call me H, everyone does, my name's gotten a few negative connotations nowadays. Damn Romans. Anywho, I'm just here to help out some family." The shorter woman said as she crossed the room. She plunked herself down between Alexa and Jeff, turning her back on the girls to look Jeff full in the face.
Jeff glanced into her pale blue eyes, then quickly away again. He cast his eyes down at the floor, the anger deserting him with one look.
"I...I don't want to talk to you. What are you even doing here anyway?" Jeff muttered.
"That's the thing, sib, you're the one who called me here, and I think you need to talk to me!" H responded, digging a finger into Jeff's ribs.
"Ow! No! I don't!" Jeff hissed. H watched him for a long time, the smile disappearing.
"This is always the hardest part." She sighs "Jeff...look at me."
Slowly, Jeff raised his eyes to meet her. Alexa could see the pain in them again. The anger and disgust directed inwards. H gently took his hands in hers.
"Jeff, you're not a monster. You're not a freak. You're not something that needs fixing. You're you." Her voice radiated sincerity, and love. There was so much love in her voice that it felt as if Alexa's heart would burst. Jeff wasn't totally convinced, however.
"But...dad…" he said softly, trailing off. H scoffed, momentarily returning to her more flighty behavior.
"Your father. Honestly if it wasn't obvious mother likes the bad boys...no offense meant." She directed the latter part of her sentence toward Jazz before returning her attention to Jeff. "Jeff, your father is an absolute piece of human garbage. He doesn't deserve you, your respect, or love. Since I have some say in that last one, let's just be clear that I know what I'm talking about."
H paused to give her little brother's hands a gentle squeeze with one hand, using the other to wave back at Jazz and Alexa.
"You know what I'm talking about. These girls helped you, they accepted a quest, given by Aphrodite, to save you. You might not think you deserve it, but mom thinks you're worthy of love, or at least that you could be, and the first step to that is to learn to love yourself. Love who you really are, and to hell with what anyone else says!"
Jeff had started to shake, and H gave him a gentle, sad smile.
"Look at you...a father is supposed to love and protect you, but the only thing he's done is tear you down and make you hate yourself. It's alright to let go of him. You don't have to be what he wants you to be anymore. You don't have to fix yourself just because he can't love the real you."
Jeff bowed his head, his body shook and he began to sob. H gently wrapped him in a hug and politely informed the rest of the room that it might be a good time to start on the pizza.
Most of the gathered crowd took her advice, but not Jazz or Alexa. The duo just stood by, ready to show some support despite what had occurred between them and Jeff. Rose quietly made her way through the crowd to stand by Jeff. All the while, H continued to hold him, gently whispering in his ear, her voice masked by the crying.
After some time, Jeff nodded his head, his sobs dying into sniffles. H gave him a little squeeze before pulling back, watching him expectantly. Jeff took a shaky breath, and turned to Jazz and Rose.
"I'm...sorry for what I did to you. Both of you. You both deserve way better than what I did...I have no real excuse for it. I was just...I was lost, and angry...and more than a little jealous if I'm being completely honest. That still doesn't excuse what I did. So, I'm sorry."
Although it did raise a few more questions, neither girl thought it was a good idea to ask when Jeff was in his current emotional state.
"It's alright. It happened years ago. Water under the bridge." Rose said gently, placing a hand on Jeff's shoulder. There was a slight pause then Jazz pointedly kicked Alexa.
"Ow! Okay, okay! I guess I'm sorry too for putting you in that outfit!" Alexa grumbled. Jeff smiled sadly.
"Don't be. I had it coming" Jeff said.
"Alright kiddo, you ready?" H asked chipperly "It's a bit of a change, speaking from experience. But if it's really what you want…?"
Jeff didn't hesitate, he bobbed his head. H smiled and gently led him from the room and down the hall into what Alexa knew was a bathroom. The trio who had rescued him and the rest of the captives shared a glance, then wordlessly resolved to wait in the hall for him.
A minute passed...then two. They could hear the water running, a smell like fresh flowers wafted up from under the door, a soft blue light...and then nothing. Seconds ticked by, Alexa could've sworn she heard a faint sob. The door opened slowly and H stepped out, smiling her oddly familiar smile.
"Well" she said, replacing her clay jug in the holster. "I've done enough damage here!"
She paused, smiling mischievously. Suddenly Alexa realized why the look was so familiar. She had seen it on the faces of several people at Camp, in Cabin 11.
"If you're ever on Olympus, look me up. I'll always make time for my little sister!" With that, H disappeared in a flash of blue. Behind her, slowly making her way out of the bathroom was a girl, about Jazz's age. She still had the dark blonde hair, but now it was shoulder length. She still had the tanned skin, but it was pulled over soft curves rather than chiseled features. She stood with a new confidence despite having shrunk an inch or two. Her eyes were just the same shape and color as before and held just as much emotion, but the bitterness had been replaced with joy. Her clothing had been replaced, a stylish dark blue top paired with slightly faded jeans. She glanced at the trio and offered a small sheepish grin.
"Holy shit on a skillet" Jazz half whispered. "Jeff?"
"Kinda...this is how...well...what I always was inside. Now the outside matches." Explained the new girl.
"Okay...that explains a few things," Jazz mutters "A couple of conversations make a bit more sense now."
Jeff nodded, her cheeks turning a bit pink.
"I don't think Jeff really fits you anymore." Rose points out gently. Jeff considered her words.
"I think...I'd prefer it if you called me Sonya. I always liked that name." Jeff, or now, Sonya requested. Alexa smiled, and led the party back to the living room.
"One thing I don't get, who was H, really?" Jazz asked.
"Oh that's easy" Alexa half laughed.
"For you, maybe! Nerd that you are" Jazz chuckled right back. "Well go on, Spits, share your wealth of knowledge upon us ignorant fools!"
Alexa paused, long enough to get a slice of pizza before the ravenous hoard of former creatures could polish off the pie.
"Easy." Alexa said again, turning to face Jazz. "Hermaphroditus, daughter of Hermes and Aphrodite, goddess of...umm…" Alexa cast her gaze at Sonya. She really didn't know a polite way to put what she was about to say. Sonya smiled and swooped in to save her.
"She's the goddess of people like me. People who feel, in their heart of hearts, that they were born as the wrong gender; Feminine men, masculine women, and so much more."
The group stood there, considering her words for a few seconds. After a time, however, a positively devious grin spread across Sonya's face.
"Don't think I'm going to just sit back after all this" she declared, her eyes shifting to each girl in turn.
"Huh?" Rose asked, taking a tiny step back.
"You three made me, me. The real me. I doubt H would've shown up without what you did. So I need to show my appreciation." She suddenly reached out, snaring all three girls in a tight hug.
"I'm going to give all three of you make overs!" Sonya all but squealed. Jazz and Alexa both paled.
"Umm while that's really nice…" Jazz began to say.
"We'd like a rain check!" Rose quickly said. "At least until we get back to camp. I can't really speak for these two, but I'd rather have a shopping spree and makeover after we're home and safe."
Praise be to Rose's quick thinking. Jazz and Alexa mutely nodded in agreement while Sonya's eyes sparkled at the words "shopping spree"
"I'll put you both down on the list, then. Whenever you need it, whenever you have to change your look, just ask me or one of my siblings, and one of us will be there. Promise!" Sonya said eagerly. Alexa had the sense that, of the three of them, Rose would be the only one taking that deal anytime soon.
Author's Note: It's at the bottom this time so I don't spoil anything! I myself am not transgender so I'm sorry if I hit a bit short of the mark here. I just wanted to let you all know, if any of you reading are trans, I support you, I love you, and you inspire me! On an unrelated note, however, before I get comments about it, when Alexa says that she doesn't really know how polite terms for trans people...keep in mind the story is set in the late 90s/early 2000s. The lingo back then was not as nice as it is now, particularly in the main stream.