To 8Ball3- I don't know how you missed it, but I was wondering where you were :P Yes, that is perfect! XD And thank you, I took much joy out of those insults ^_^ That is a Terminus I won't mess with, but I do like that idea :D

To An-Unnamed-Goose- Hehehe, we shall see :3

Reyna sent Guido to fetch Jessica. Pegasi could fly fast when they needed to. She tied a note to his neck- Lou's stupid, can't find her, please help so I can kill her. Reyna x

Within half an hour, Jessica was there. Reyna had met Louisa's mother maybe two or three times. Enough to know this mortal woman had more sway and authority over the most wayward demigod in existence than any immortal.

Jessica dismounted, blonde hair in a braid swinging over one shoulder, patting Guido's neck in thanks. Her other hand was crushing Reyna's note.

"Stupid how?" She demanded, blue eyes ablaze with fury.

"Don't know all the details, but she destroyed everything fighting zombies, took on an undead Roman king with Jason, who is now grounded, and gone AWOL yet again." Reyna huffed. Jessica looked her up and down.

"What happened to your leg?"

"Crashed into a Target parking lot fighting a ghoul."

"Are you OK?"

"I'll be fine."

"OK." Jessica nodded. "You go rest." She told Guido. He nuzzled her and took off. "Who saw Lou last? And where?"

"This way." Lavinia instructed. She led them through the streets. Jessica walked between Reyna and Thalia, observing the aftermath with a solemn sternness.

"Lou did this?"

"She did a lot." Reyna sighed. She explained everything from the first battle, the power she wielded against the ghouls, the quarantine, her escape, her launching a daring rescue on Caligula's yachts and saving Jason, her volunteering to go on the front lines in the first place, her loopy, scatter-brained condition from over-exertion and then risking herself more attacking the fleet, and then everything they had heard from legionnaires and citizens, the events of the latest battle. Jessica did not interrupt once, scowling and clenching her fists where appropriate.

They had reached Louisa's last known location- the street leading to the bookshop- about halfway through Reyna's retelling. Jessica waited until she was done before looking around.

"I'm glad Jason is OK." She said to Thalia. "He's a good boy, and he seems to put up with Lou." She shrugged. "Don't know why."

"Didn't you adopt her?"

"That's different."

"How so?"

"A god melted through my window and told me I had to. Anyway, you said Storm was gone too?"

"Yes, ma'am." Reyna said.

"No. No 'ma'am'. I'm not a ma'am."

"Sorry."

"Thank you." Jessica squinted up at the sky. "If Lou's hurt, Storm won't go far. She'll take her somewhere quiet, somewhere with water."

"There's the house she was quarantined in." Lavinia suggested.

"Gardens of Bacchus." Reyna added.

"Bottom of the Bay." Thalia deadpanned. "Storm could just throw her in."

"Well, none of us can breathe underwater, so we'll have to come back to that. You," she pointed at Lavinia, "check that house. Thalia, check the gardens of… whoever Reyna said."

"Bacchus." Reyna supplied.

"Yes, that. Reyna, you sit. Don't argue with me, sit." Jessica jabbed a finger down. Reyna blinked at her, plonking herself down on a pile of masonry as though charmspoken. "Now, stay and rest." Jessica demanded, glaring down at her with the fabled Mom Look. "If I see you move from that spot, you'll be in big trouble, young lady. Understand?"

"Yes." Reyna said quietly. Lavinia was looking between them like this was the best thing she had ever seen, a grin running from ear-to-ear. Jessica turned on her before Reyna could even summon a glare.

"Check that house," Jessica ordered, "or you're next."

"I genuinely love you." Lavinia beamed. Jessica raised an eyebrow at her. Lavinia saluted and sprinted off.

Jessica turned to Thalia. The Hunter held up her hands.

"I'm going, I'm going."

Not all of Apollo's bedside visits had been as happy and as relieved as Frank. As the morning stretched on, he tried to visit as many of the wounded as he could.

Sometimes he could do nothing but watch as the bodies were prepared for an anti-zombie washing and final rites. Tarquin was gone and it seemed his ghouls had dissolved with him, but no-one wanted to take any chances.

Dakota, long-time centurion of the Fifth Cohort, had died overnight from wounds received fighting in the city. It was decided by consensus that his funeral pyre would be fruit-punch scented.

Jacob, the legion's former standard-bearer and Apollo's former determined-to-blind-himself archery student, had died at the Caldecott Tunnel, having taken a direct hit from a myrmeke's acid spray. The golden eagle had survived, as magic items tend to do, but not Jacob. Terrel, the young woman who had recovered the standard, had been at Jacob's side until he passed.

There were more, many more. Apollo knew them by face, but not by name. He felt responsible for every single one. If he had just done more, been quicker, just that little bit godlier…

His hardest visit was to Don the faun. He had been brought in by a squad of Nereids, who had recovered him from the wreckage of the imperial fleet. Despite the danger, Don had stayed behind to make sure the sabotage was done right. He had not been given a miracle, like Frank. The Greek fire had ravaged his body, burning off most of his fur, charring his skin. Despite the best healing music from his fellow fauns and being covered with glistening healing goo, he must have been in terrible pain. Only his eyes were the same- bright and blue and jumping from spot to spot.

Lavinia knelt beside him, cradling his left hand, which was inexplicably the only part of him unscathed. A group of dryads and fauns stood at a respectful distance, with Pranjal, who had already done everything he could.

"H-hey, Apollo." Don managed a grin upon seeing him. "Got any… spare change?"

"Oh, Don." Apollo sniffed, blinking back tears. "Oh, my sweet, stupid faun." He knelt opposite Lavinia, scanned the horrors of Don's condition, desperate to find something, anything, he could fix. Of course, there was nothing. The fact that Don had survived this long…

"It's not so bad." Don rasped. "Doc gave me some stuff for the pain."

"Jarritos cherry soda." Pranjal informed. Apollo nodded. The stuff was powerful pain medicine indeed for satyrs and fauns, only used in the most serious of cases lest the patients became addicted.

"I just… I wanted…" Don groaned, his eyes becoming brighter.

"Save your strength." Apollo pleaded.

"For what?" Don croaked a warbled laugh. "I… I wanted to ask. Does it hurt? Reincarnation?"

"I hear it's peaceful." Apollo smiled, vision too blurry to see properly. "It's beautiful." The nature spirits nodded and murmured agreement. Lavinia cupped her hands around Don's fingers.

"You're a hero, Don. You're a great friend."

"Hey… cool." He seemed to be having trouble finding Lavinia's face. "I'm scared, Lavinia." She kissed his fingers, tears sliding down her face.

"I know, babe."

"I hope… maybe I come back as a hemlock? That would be like… an action-hero plant, right?"

"Yeah." Lavinia nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it would."

"Cool. Hey… Apollo? You- you know the difference between a faun and a satyr…?" He smiled a little wider, as if ready to deliver the punchline. His face froze that way. His chest stopped moving. Dryads and fauns began to cry. Lavinia pressed her lips to his hand again, squeezing her eyes shut. She pulled a piece of bubblegum from her bag, slipping it into Don's shirt pocket.

A moment later, his body collapsed like a relieved sigh, crumbling into fresh loam. In the spot where his heart had been, a tiny sapling emerged from the soil. Apollo recognised the shape of those miniature leaves. A laurel- the tree he had created from poor Daphne and whose leaves he had made into wreaths. The laurel, the tree of victory.

"Did you do that?" One of the dryads asked quietly.

"No." Apollo shook his head, swallowing the bitter taste in his mouth. "The only difference between a satyr and a faun is what we see in them. And what they see in themselves." He looked up, blinking, vision clearing as his tears finally fell. "Plant this tree somewhere special. Tend to it, see that it grows healthy and tall. This was Don the faun. Our hero."

Reyna had sat for a while. Louisa had told her about the Mom Look, but having not had a mom, Reyna had scoffed at the impact Louisa claimed it had. Now, she understood. She just needed to crash land in a Target parking lot first.

She became antsy, sitting around, doing nothing. So, after about twenty, thirty, forty minutes- she honestly could not tell- she got up and hobbled as quickly as she could after Jessica's dulcet tones.

"LOUISA!" Jessica bellowed, kicking open the door to the stables. "LOU! YOU IN HERE?" Five no-longer-weaponised unicorns stared back at her. Guido stuck his head from his stall, chewing on feed. He snorted in greeting. "If you see her," Jessica pointed at the pegasus, "come find me." Guido nodded, retracting for more breakfast.

Jessica turned to leave, nearly bumping into Reyna. "What the-? What did I say to you?" She demanded hotly.

"You said to sit, stay and rest. You never specified how long for."

"I don't specify. I tell you when and only then are you allowed to move."

"I have to help." Reyna persisted. Jessica fumed. Reyna met her gaze steadily. The unicorns watched the Stare, incredulous and hooked.

"Fine." Jessica eventually decided. "But if you trip me up with those crutches, I'll impale you on one."

"I'll bear that in mind." Reyna nodded, seeing no humour in this scary woman's words.

Jessica studied Reyna's face for another minute, piecing something together in her head.

"Let's go." She eventually instructed, leading the way. She continued to march off, shouting for her daughter. Reyna managed to keep pace. She had an odd feeling to prove herself to this woman, a feeling she had not had since Circe's Island. It was not for means of survival though, as it had been back then- this was her girlfriend's mother, she had to make a good impression. "LOUISA!" Jessica raged. "I SWEAR TO GODS! SHOW YOURSELF OR YOU'RE GROUNDED FOR A YEAR!"

A year?" Reyna echoed.

"Good point. THREE YEARS! DON'T MAKE IT TWENTY!" Reyna decided against questioning that grounding method. They were headed towards the barracks. "What will you do?" Jessica asked out of the blue.

"Do?" Reyna repeated, brow furrowing.

"With Lou." Jessica's blue eyes fixed on her. It was not a question of how much Reyna was going to tear strips from Louisa if- when- they found her. Jessica wanted to know what Reyna thought of Louisa now, having seen her capabilities on a vast canvas, and what her reaction was.

"She needs help." Reyna replied evenly. "Her father asked me, years ago, to help her. And I will. I owe her that much." Jessica turned away, thinking.

"OK." She said after a few minutes. "Thank you." Reyna made to respond, but "LOUISA!" Jessica shoved open the door to the First's barracks. Then the Second, Third, Fourth, yelling each time and making the three occupants- three, grand total- jump near out of their skin.

Hazel was in the Fifth. She was sat on her bunk, staring listlessly into space. So many bunks had to be cleared. But not yet. Not now.

"Hazel?" Reyna called softly. Jessica had barged in unnoticed, but stopped herself from shouting upon recognising Hazel. Reyna hopped her way over. Hazel started, blinking quickly, trying to place the visitors.

"Oh. Reyna." Hazel was quick to stand and salute.

"No need." Reyna assured. "I'm off-duty." She turned, nodding at her companion. "This is Jessica, Louisa's mother."

"The best one." Jessica smirked, shaking Hazel's hand. "You're Nico's sister, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ah. Don't call her 'ma'am." Reyna advised.

"You learn quickly." Jessica approved. "Hazel, some said you were the last to see Lou. What happened?"

"She and Jason made a mess." Hazel replied simply. Her brain had not fully loaded into the conversation just yet. Jessica simply nodded. She motioned for them all to sit. Hazel and Reyna sat on Hazel's bunk. Jessica sat on the edge of the bunk opposite, making as little indentation as she could. This bunk would be empty for a while.

"Go on." She encouraged gently, inclining her head to Hazel.

"Well, we were clearing the streets of zombies and… and the only way I can… figure it is that Lou was too, uh… too effective against them. She brought down buildings and- and the sewers-"

"We saw." Jessica said.

"Nico told me she was powerful, before I met her. But today, uh… last night, she…" Hazel shifted uncomfortably. "What she was doing, to the city, to the zombies… it was too much. She was… the amount of power she was using… looking back on it, I'm sure she was… she was pulling on her own life force, to stop Tarquin's forces." Jessica's expression darkened. She bit the inside of her cheek, said nothing. It was only when she rolled her hand did Hazel continue. "Tarquin came to take her on. He said he had a simple mission and she was getting in his way. He has- had- this ability: he could throw a person with his mind."

"I could do with that ability." Jessica mused. "Go on." She waved their stares away.

"He threw her around. Into the street, into buildings. She tried to attack him, but each move she made was cut short. He… he threw her again, through a wall. I… I didn't think she would get back up."

"But she did." Jessica shook her head. "She's hard to keep down."

"She was injured. Bleeding. Something was wrong with her shoulder. Tarquin said she caused too much trouble to not die on her feet. He wanted her as part of his army. She told him she wouldn't do it. He- he threw her again. Further this time. I…" Hazel swallowed. "I prayed to Neptune."

"You did?" Reyna marvelled.

"He answered."

"Mmph." Jessica scowled. "I'm still waiting on child support."

"What?" Hazel blinked. Jessica raised her hands, shaking her head.

"That's a different argument. What happened next?"

"Well… Jason was there."

"Where'd he come from?"

"No idea. He was just… poof, there." Hazel hunched her shoulders. Jessica gave a nod. "Maybe Neptune dropped him in, I don't know. Jason helped Lou up, I didn't hear what he said to her. But then they turned on Tarquin together." Hazel's eyes clouded at the memory. "It was something to behold. I mean…" She shook her head. "I know I'm Big Three, but… but they're older and- and some of the stuff I've seen Lou do, just by herself, it's… it's insane." Jessica hummed in agreement, although she looked a little irritated. That was understandable enough, having put up with years of 'insane'. "But with Jason, and the lightning, Tarquin…" Hazel paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"Jason's grounded." Jessica informed. "Thalia grounded him."

"Good." Hazel nodded. "I'm in half a mind to ground Frank."

"Lou is definitely grounded."

"For twenty years?" Reyna inquired.

"No." Jessica stared her down, blue eyes steely and unyielding. "Until I die."

"Oh." Reyna said. "That's fair."

"Anyway, what did they do, Hazel?"

"Jason threw a bolt at Tarquin and it ripped through him, like he was a lightning rod or something. It cracked his skull, burnt his armour. He tried to throw them. Lou just laughed at him, blasting him with that green stuff." Hazel threw out her hand, as if imagining tendrils of said green stuff racing from her fingertips. "It got so bright, they just kept-" Hazel mimed throwing things and making zapping, pew pew sounds. When Jessica looked amused, Hazel sheepishly smiled and tucked her hands between her knees. "I lost track of Tarquin. I didn't see him again until the bookshop." She described his condition, how it worsened, how he lost fingers and the deterioration of his skull until Diana put an arrow in it.

"I like Diana." Jessica nodded. "She seems like she has her head on straight. What next, Hazel?"

"The yachts fired. Most of them went straight up and fell again, destroying where they had come from. That was Lavinia and her team."

"The pink girl that looks like a baby giraffe?"

"Yes."

"I like that kid."

"That's 'cos she said she loved you two minutes after meeting you." Reyna countered.

"For good reason." Jessica stuck her tongue out, revealing exactly where Louisa got her immaturity from.

"W-what?" Hazel's attention flipped between them. Reyna sighed.

"I got a Mom Look."

"Oh. Oh. Oh, wow, you're in trouble." Hazel snickered.

"Yes, she is." Jessica agreed. "What happened after the ships fired?"

"Three of them came towards the city. Lou and Jason got rid of them. He shot the first one and it exploded, no damage. Then they caught the other two with the lightning and the green stuff… well, the lightning bent back on itself," Hazel tried to demonstrate with her hands, "and threw them back. Two of the ships were destroyed with that and then there was one left. Lou got that one and it just… came apart." She motioned like tearing paper and then opening a book. "Then… I don't know where they went."

"They both just disappeared?"

"Sort of. The green stuff… it kind of exploded outward, like Lou was done with it. I couldn't see anything for it. When I could look, they weren't anywhere."

"Huh." Jessica huffed. "OK." She stood, straightening her jacket. "Well, Jason was found in a chimney, and Thalia's looking after him. Are you free to help us look for the other idiot?"

"I am for a bit. I have to get back to Frank."

"How is he?" Reyna inquired.

"Exhausted, but alive and unhurt. I don't… I don't know how; his firewood burned up, but…" Hazel smiled. "But he's OK."

"Frank's the one that turns into a dragon, right?"

"Among other things, yes."

"Cool, I'm adopting him too."

"Um-"

"And you, Hazel. Maybe you, Reyna, but that all depends."

"Depends?" Reyna was a little offended. "On what?" Jessica leaned in, staring her down.

"On how you treat my daughter."

"Ma'am." Reyna countered, going a little cross-eyed to stare back and forgetting Lesson One- don't call her 'ma'am'. "Your daughter causes more trouble in a day than I would in my entire life."

"I am well aware of that. I live with a permanent migraine because of her. But she has been my world and if you upset her, I am getting my bat and you will be sorry."

"I would never-"

"I think I know where she is." Jessica interrupted, standing straight in surprise. She smacked herself in the forehead, cursing. "Idiot!" She chided. "Come on, Reyna, let's go and strangle her. Hazel, give Frank my best and my adoption papers."