The fluff in this chapter is not an apology for my actions in the past few chapters.
(But Cyril and August are.)
4:10 pm, Monday, January 18, 2011
After about two hours of long and back stiffing driving on the bikes, the group pulled up to Camp Half-Blood, possibly going above the speed limit.
But, alas, the speed at which they travelled, and the amount to which they may or may not have been going above the speed limit is not important.
They pulled up, skidding to a halt in front of Thalia's pine. Percy and Annabeth were off their bike in an instant, rushing into the borders. Jason and Piper, Jason with a comforting arm around Piper, followed soon after.
"Grace!" Percy called. Jason looked at him, "Can I have my keys?" Jason tossed the keys to Percy.
They were running to the big house when they passed the Stolls. Percy tossed the keys to them, asked them to bring the bikes in, and threatened them if they so much as got a scratch on either bike. The brothers took off.
The group burst into the big house, where Chiron was talking to Mellie, who was nervously wringing her hands.
Mellie turned the second the door opened, and once she saw Piper in the doorway, with her tear-stained cheeks, leapt up and embraced her tightly. Piper, in turn, held onto Mellie as if her life depended on it.
Piper was starting to softly cry again into Mellie's shoulder, so the cloud nymph helped her sit down, handing her a glass of water. The rest of the group sat down as well.
As Mellie started to explain to mainly Jason and Piper that she had booked plane tickets for the two of them to Oklahoma, rightfully assuming that Piper would want to have Jason join her, Percy and Annabeth slipped out, saying they were heading back to the apartment to pick up some of the couple's belongings.
The group of four sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being Piper's small hiccups as she caught her breath again. Jason had a hand on her lower back, and Mellie was making sure that she was drinking the glass of water she had been given.
Chiron sipped on his coffee, deep in thought.
Mellies phone in her pocket buzzed, and she brought it out. Her face brightened slightly as she saw the phone number. She answered and put the phone on speakerphone.
"Hi," she said, "is this the Police Department?"
"Yes," came a man's voice on the other side, "And I'm assuming this is Mellie Hedge?"
"The very same. If I may ask, who am I speaking to?"
"I am Luitenant Quentin Wells. Can I also ask if Miss McLean is with you?"
"She is right next to me."
The man sighed, and muttered something about one less call to make, "We have caught the suspect," he stated simply.
The entire room perked up, and it was Piper who asked the question, halfway desperate in her words, "Who was it?"
"A 16-year-old boy, named Alex Green. I'll send you the mugshots to see if you recognise him at all. He confessed to the crime and will be tried in court soon enough."
Piper fell back into her chair, relief flooding her. Mellie ended the call, and smiled at Piper, "They've got him Pipes," she told her, "It's going to be okay."
Piper nodded, the smallest fire of elation igniting inside her. Mellies phone buzzed with the text, and she checked the photo. "Don't recognise him," she said. Turning her phone to Piper and Jason, she asked: "Do you?"
Piper was going to be sick.
In that photo, holding the placard with his name, was the boy who had tried to chase Piper and Jason onto the subway. The same black braces, the same maniacal grin.
Piper made a choked sound and swallowed down the bile rising. Oh dear gods, did she know this kid.
Jason was telling them about their run-in with him that Halloween night and Piper put her head between her knees trying to calm vertigo that was taking over her.
Mellie sighed. "I think Tristan mentioned it to me after you guys had told him. We didn't think it was that big of a threat but this kid…" she trailed off.
"Piper are you okay?" someone asked.
Piper tried to nod, but she felt tired and sick, and couldn't do anything to stop that.
Before she knew what was happening, her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out.
8:00 pm, Monday, January 18, 2011
She came to in her bed in the Aphrodite Cabin.
Groaning, she turned over, away from the faint light that was streaming through the windows.
The door opened, and she heard footsteps. Someone was standing near her bed, rummaging through a drawer of some sort. She heard a familiar voice curse, and then say, "Where is that damn thing?"
Piper groaned, "Drew?"
Her sister made a sound, before crying out, "You're awake!"
Piper, sitting up finally, blinked and looked at her sister. "I- what happened?"
Drew looked away, fiddling with the bracelet Piper had gotten her for her birthday. After a moment she cleared her throat and replied, "You apparently passed out in the Big House. Jason brought you in."
"Oh. Oops."
Drew laughed lightly, shaking her head. She grabbed a glass of water of Piper's bedside table, "Will said to make you drink this once you woke up."
Piper gratefully took it, and after taking a hearty sip, said, "You're not making me drink this. I'm doing it of my own accord."
Drew gave her a mysterious look, "Or are you?" she wiggled her fingers and both girls laughed.
"I hate you," Piper said, still laughing.
"Sure you do. I can really feel the hate." Drew deadpanned with a roll of her eyes.
Piper laughed before taking another long sip of the water. Drew sat next to her, her face becoming one of worry and concern. "Are you okay?" she eventually asked.
Piper looked down at her sheets. Being truthful, she replied, "I don't know. Like I think people expect me to be upset, but I don't even know how I feel. I just…"
Piper could feel Drew give her a soft smile, "Hey, no ones expecting you to be a ray of sunshine, okay? Your dad was attacked, and that upsetting. I think people are just worried because you passed out."
Piper smiled, "Glad to know people care."
"Oh, you think? Wynn, the poor girl, was about to cry, hell even Cyrus was upset." Piper looked at her sister in surprise.
"Cyrus?" she asked, somewhat surprised, "As in, punch first, ask questions later Cyrus?"
Drew rolling her eyes, "I suppose that's an accurate description of him. And yes, him."
Piper gave a surprised laugh, and Drew continued, "I mean I love him, but seriously, he's almost like an Ares kid sometimes."
Piper gave her sister a sidelong glance, "Be nice. Cyrus isn't that bad. He's just...impulsive."
"Aren't we all."
They talked for a few more minutes, and it was mainly Drew telling Piper about some of the events that had happened recently. "And guess what!"
"What?" Piper said, leaning her head against the headboard.
"August finally asked Cyrus out!"
Piper glanced at her sister, and a wide grin came over her face. Cyrus had been pinning for the child of Hebe for months, his tough-guy exterior melting whenever he talked about August.
Despite being confident and bold most of the time, Cyrus was completely lovestruck and a bumbling fool around August. Cyrus loved to talk about their golden blonde hair, and eyes that he described as glimmering in the sun.
In short; August had Cyrus wrapped around their finger.
Drew was telling Piper about some prank the Stolls had pulled on the Demeter Cabin when the door burst open and the rest of the Aphrodite cabin filed in, likely coming back from the evening activities, albeit early.
Cyrus was leading the group and was opening his mouth to ask where the hell Drew had gone to when he saw Piper. "Piper!" he said, delighted, "You're awake!"
"No I'm just a hologram of the real Piper McLean whose still asleep- yes I'm awake, Sherlock."
Cyrus snorted, "Wow thanks."
Piper winked, "Anytime."
Wynn, not only the youngest demigod in Cabin Ten but in Camp Half-Blood, leapt up onto Piper's bed, before hugging her tight!
"I was so worried!" she said, clutching her big sister tightly.
Piper patted her head, "Hey, I'm okay, see?" She smiled at Wynn as the young girl looked up at her.
"Well Miss Councillor, anything you want to say? Address the crowd?" Cyrus said, raising an eyebrow.
Piper sent a look his way but ended up talking anyway, "Before any of you ask, I'm fine. There's just a lot going on and…it's not necessarily easy. Campfire is in," she checked the clock on the wall, "Two minutes, so get anything you need and head over. I'm heading down to Oklahoma tomorrow, and for the love of the gods please clean up this Cabin by the time I get back."
"Hey!" Cyrus protested, "It's been a busy week."
"By busy week," one of the other daughters of Aphrodite, Issa said, "He means that he and August have been making out in her every day." The cabin exploded with laughter and Cyrus went red.
"That's enough," Piper said, shaking her head while trying not to giggle, "Go to the campfire, all of you. I'll be there soon."
The children of Aphrodite filed out, laughing and talking. Piper sat down in her bed, and closed her eyes and sighed. She ran her hands over her face, before slightly opening her eyes to look at her remaining siblings.
Drew was sat on her bed, looking at her, while Cyrus leaned against the door frame. It was Cyrus who spoke, "You weren't planning on going out, were you?"
"And if I wasn't?" Piper asked.
"Piper, hun, it would be good for you. I know your hurt, and we can't understand but your friends are out there. Let loose for a night, hand out with Percy, Annabeth, and Jason. I know you don't want to forget your dad right now, and I'm not asking you to." Drew said.
"I'm asking you to take a deep breath and remember your dad is going to be okay. He's in the hands of some great doctors, and he's going to be okay." Piper nodded along to Drews words, albeit halfheartedly.
"I just feel like I can't," Piper said. She could feel her siblings curious stares on her as she continued, "be happy, party, enjoy myself when he's lying in a hospital bed."
"Piper," Cyrus said, moving to sit beside her and take her hand, "I know that's how you feel. But sometimes what you feel, what your heart is telling you, it isn't right. The hearts a messy thing, we all know that. And you are allowed to enjoy yourself for one night if that's what is going to stop you from constantly worrying."
Piper sighed and nodded, "Okay." she said.
Cyrus grinned, and got up, helping her up a second later. Drew got up as well and smiled the sincere smile reserved only for these two, "And we're here for you Piper, always."
Taking a steadying breath, she grabbed her jacket, which had conveniently been placed on top of the bag Percy and Annabeth had picked up from the apartment and walked out the door to the campfire her siblings by her side.
HamiltonTrashPanda: has angst in multiple chapters, sometimes back to back
Also HamiltonTrashPanda: I'm going to make Drew a good guy bc I crave a soft and kind sister for Piper
I really, really want to write a short fic about Cyril, August (who in case you couldn't tell, is supposed to be non-binary), Drew, Piper, and the other kids of Aphrodite. Maybe I will. Who knows.