When I woke up again I felt warmth all around me and huddled against this warmth.
"You´re tickling me, baby girl." I heard Dad saying and opened my eyes immediately.
Where were we? Why was I able to move again? What had happened?
"You are in the Camp again. Don´t worry. I did what you said but I took you with me." he told me gently and I looked at him in surprise.
"Dad... I..." "Don´t. Just relax, baby girl. You have used everything you were able and even more. You´re just a really stubborn person." he told me a little bit worried and I wasn´t sure about laughing or crying...
"Why am I still in your arms?" I asked a little puzzled and he laughed.
"You had gripped my shirt and unless I wanted to rip it I wasn´t able to lay you in your bed and you were damn cold." he explained and I shook my head.
"Thank you, Dad..." I whispered silently and avoided his gaze.
I really had been such an idiot...
"You´re welcome. But I think there is somebody really worried about you out there. He tried 4 times to get in but Will sent him away. Do you know who it might be?" "Connor!"
I never had moved this fast before.
When I arrived the door I noticed that everything was turning and that I really felt dizzy.
"Slow down, Dria." Dad laughed and hold me straight.
"But I don´t want to slow down ever again!" I told him chuckling and he rolled his eyes.
"I noticed by now." He said and opened the door where we saw Will in a discussion with Connor, Travis and Katie.
"You will step away or I swear I will fight my way through!" Connor growled really angry and I couldn´t help but smile.
"Sweet but there is no need in fighting my siblings." I told my boyfriend and he relaxed immediately.
Will sighed in relief and looked at Dad and me with a really annoyed look.
"Maybe a minute or two faster next time, mh?" he asked and I chuckled.
"Sorry." I tried really to look excusing but I just wanted to go to Connor.
What I did the moment Dad let go of my arm so I could run to him.
Connor stumbled a few steps back when I had thrown myself at him but Travis and Katie caught him more or less.
"Don´t do this ever again, Adriana! Do you know how scared I was?!" He asked me angrily and I just kissed him.
"Obviously she feels great again. Great job, Dad." Will laughed and I blushed.
I really forgot about everybody around me...
"Sorry..." I mumbled embarrassed.
Connor just laughed and kissed my cheek.
"I love this shade on your cheeks." He teased me and I rolled my eyes dramatically.
"You are so mean, Will!" I told him pouty and he grinned.
"It´s living with you making me mean." he answered and I shook my head.
"Dad! Will is a meanie!" I whined and Dad laughed.
"Can´t help. You know I haven´t educated him." he told me and I sighed.
"Unfair!" "Connor, please..." Will sighed and Connor grinned at him before kissing me.
Great! My brother and my boyfriend worked together...
But I would bet I get my brother red like a tomato!
And Connor would help me without knowing it.
"Bad influence..." Somebody whispered when I kissed Connor perfervid and his grip tightened around me.
When I looked at my brother again he had red ears and had his gaze dropped.
Dad only laughed and Katie and Travis shook their heads.
"Bad girl." Connor laughed and I chuckled.
"No, I just love you." I answered with gentle voice and he smiled at me.
"And who said "bad influence"?" I asked curiously and everybody looked behind Katie and Travis where my aunt stood.
"Your father or maybe your boyfriend are bad influences for you, Adriana." "No, I think I have been like this for ever." I answered and huddled against Connor.
I loved his warmth.
I really never wanted to be anywhere else!
"Don´t know if this is true... You have been quiet shy when you arrived." "Haven´t been. I threatened my brothers to poison them or told you I had only nightmares about you." I answered Connor and he laughed.
"Now I know it has been a lie, my sun princess."
Dad chuckled when he heard this pet name and I glared at him.
"By that time it was true. You have been so arrogant! And I think I should have poisoned at least Will!" I said eyes rolling.
"She really wanted to do it... It was scary." Will explained.
"That had to be the moment I thought my head would explode!" Dad said and I chuckled.
"Sorry for that?" I asked trying to look innocent.
Well in the arms of the sweetest, hottest guy in camp it really was difficult to look innocent...
"You´re not sorry, Dria." Dad sighed and I nodded.
"Right but I tried to look like I were." I said smiling and sighed relaxed.
"Don´t forget how surprised everybody had been when she was able to fight with a sword... All of us thought that had to be a nightmare." Will told me amused and I blushed.
"Was luck, okay? Percy was better then I was after this one fight." I answered and Dad couldn´t help but laugh.
"Was it?" Dad teased me and I glared at him again.
"Connor..." I whined and my boyfriend sighed.
"Against your father I won´t say a word, my heart." he told me apologetic.
"He loves his life." Dad laughed and Artemis shook her head.
"The only thing he loves is your daughter, stupid." she told him with an strange shimmer in her silver eyes.
"baby sis, maybe the two of us should go hunting." Dad said with a dangerous shine in his eyes and Connor tensed.
"First time I really agree with you, brother." Artemis said and a second later both gods were gone.
"Hopefully they don´t hurt Gabriel..." I mumbled a little worried and noticed just to late that Connor tensed even more.
"I hope they cut him into pieces." he growled but let go of me.
"Connor?" I asked puzzled why he let go.
He shook his head and went away...
What was wrong now?
Travis sighed and ran after him while Katie stayed by my side.
"What´s this about?" I asked her puzzled and she sighed as well.
"He is jealous... And I think he will go get Gabriel. Your father took him as well. He is now with Percy in their house..." Katie told me and Will looked at me.
"What are you about to do, baby sis?" "I will go and don´t let Connor hurt Gabriel. It wasn´t his fault!" I answered and ran as fast as I could.
When I arrived the house Percy and Gabriel lived in I heard the screaming of at least 4 voices...
I ran inside and was very surprised.
Annabeth was here too...
Why this?
Oh, yeah, Percy... Got it!
My attention turned to Gabriel and Connor again.
Travis seemed to distract Percy but I ran between Connor and Gabriel.
"Connor! Don´t!" I called him and stood between them.
But I cowered a little bit when Connor wanted to beat Gabriel with me in the way.
"Dria?" he asked surprised and I nodded slowly.
"Don´t hit me?" I tried to calm him down.
"Go out of my way, Dria." "No, he hasn´t done anything! Okay, he hurt me but he had no choice... Please, Connor!" I begged him to stop and didn´t move at all.
Gabriel had cowered behind me.
His lip was bleeding...
"He hurt you. That´s enough for me. Why your Dad didn´t kill him I will never understand but I won´t forgive him!" "But I forgive him. It was my pain so it´s my choice to forgive. Let it go." I told him again firmly.
I struggled when he tried to push me aside.
"If you hurt him once more you never need to talk to me again!" I said serious before I had an other idea.
It was really the best I had...
Showed a lot of my ideas, didn´t it?
"What?" Connor asked me with wide eyes.
Travis looked at me as well and even the sons of Poseidon and Annabeth were staring at me...
"Wow catching your attention would be checked by now..." I whispered silently and became a little uncomfortable.
"Why are you protecting him this much?!" Connor asked me angry and I cowered.
"Connor... Nyx forced him to hurt me... You..." "Don´t! I would never hurt you! She could have killed me but I never would have hurt you!" "What if she threaten to kill Travis?! You would obey!" I answered forcefully and dropped my gaze.
"I... Dria..." Connor really tried to search the fitting answer by now but he wouldn´t find one...
"Everyone has something he would kill for. Being twins is about this. Nothing can separate you. Not love, life or death. That´s the way it works." I said silently and Connor kept quiet...
Now I understood the words my aunt said...
Travis and Connor would always be connected and the most important person for each other...
Even if I didn´t like it it would always be like this.
"You would have done the same for Micha, right?" Annabeth asked me silently and I nodded.
"Nyx knew this... That´s the reason why she attacked us... Why she let me bring him here again although nobody would be able to help him anymore..." Gabriel told us with thin voice and I hated this goddess!
If Dad and Artemis won´t find her I would! I would kill her!
By the river Styx I swear I would kill her!
"Dria..." Connor tried to get my attention again and I looked at him.
"I will search her. I will kill her. She took my brother. She is the reason I had a fight with my father! She tried to take my father as well. I will kill her!" I told him seriously and he sighed.
"But not today, Dria... you need to rest." he said gentle.
I shook my head and stepped away when Connor tried to take my hand.
"Dria, please. I will come with you, okay? I won´t hurt Gabriel again until you allow me to do." he promised and I looked at him in research.
When I didn´t found any hint of a lie I went with him.
But when he wanted to leave again after bringing me to my room I stopped him.
"Stay...", I whispered softly and his eyes soften.
"I will never go anywhere you don´t want me to.", he promised silently and kissed me gentle.
It was just a real soft touch but it was all I needed.
I needed him by my side.
I kissed him tenderly back and he seemed to be very surprised.
"Are you alright, Dria?", he asked me worried when I didn´t let him go.
"Sure..." "You are a bad liar, my heart.", he told me and stroke my cheek gentle.
"Just don´t go, please... Stay...", I asked him again and he sat next to me on my bed.
"Your father probably will kill me if he ever will get to know this." "No, he will be just fine with it. Please, Connor... I am scared.", I admitted and he sighed silently.
"Nobody will harm you while I am by your side, Dria. I promise.", he said and I nodded slowly but I only could relax the moment he had his arms around me and lay next to me.
I huddled against him and was just thankful to have him.
"I love you." "I love you too, Dria. More than my life.", he answered and both of us fell asleep.