A/N: Here it is at last, the final chapter, and it only took me eight years. Yeesh. Well, enjoy.

Chapter Seven
Model

Neil's mother had always known he was born to be a famous model. From the day he was born, and everyone kept talking about what a beautiful baby he was, she knew. She entered his photo in a cute baby contest a few months later, and he won! After that, she entered him in every competition she could find. Neil always won, too, which fuelled her desire to enter more contests.

When Neil was a little older, she started having him audition for commercials as well. She figured it couldn't hurt and she didn't want to limit his exposure to modelling. She was certain that he was destined for greatness and the best way to ensure that he had a bright future was to get his face out there as much as possible. After a while, however, it became clear that Neil really excelled at modelling. He was gorgeous and the camera loved him. He only did freelance jobs right now, but one day soon, she knew the right agency would come along, and Neil would become a supermodel.

Neil's father wasn't so sure about this modelling business. He'd indulged his wife's passion for entering Neil in competitions when he was younger because it seemed like a harmless enough hobby. Now that the boy was older, though, he thought that maybe it was time Neil took an interest in something besides himself. He could not fathom how he had ended up with a son who spent most of his time preening in front of a mirror. He agreed that Neil was good-looking, but so were many other people. He worried that perhaps he'd let the modelling go on too long, and that Neil had developed an unhealthy fixation with his appearance.

He remembered the time he'd dared to suggest that Neil take a break from modelling for a while. His wife and son had both gone ballistic at that suggestion, and he'd quickly relented. After that, he'd stayed out of any decisions involving Neil's career. He had learned the hard way that his wife and son weren't interested in his opinion.

That was the situation when the envelope from the New Olympia Modelling Agency arrived.

"Did you send Neil's resume to another modelling agency?" Neil's father asked.

"No. Why?" his mother queried.

Instead of answering, her husband handed her the envelope. She opened it and took a quick look at the contents.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Listen to this, honey. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont, I was very impressed with a recent photograph I came across featuring your son, Neil. I could tell instantly that he is perfect for a series of freelance jobs here in New Olympia. I'm not sure how long he'll be away from home since it is possible that additional jobs could come up while he's here. Of course, I will be happy to provide Neil with an apartment and pay for his education while he is working for me. I would like Neil to come to New Olympia as soon as possible, so I have enclosed a first class plane ticket for him. Please contact me at the e-mail address below with any questions or concerns and let me know when Neil is on his way. Sincerely, Ms. Aphrodite, Director New Olympia Modelling Agency."

Neil's mother looked at her husband with shining eyes.

"Isn't that fantastic?" she gushed. "What a wonderful opportunity for Neil! We need to act on this right away in case they change their minds."

She hurried to the home office she'd set up to handle Neil's modelling career, intent on sending an e-mail as soon as possible.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" her husband questioned.

"What are you talking about?" Neil's mother demanded. "Of course it's a good idea! This is Neil's career we're talking about; we have to do everything we can to ensure his future."

"I'm thinking about his future, too," Neil's father protested. "I know Neil's good-looking, but what if something happens to take those good looks away? What will Neil do if he can't be a model anymore? He doesn't know how to be anything else, right now, and that worries me. Good looks don't last forever, after all."

Neil's mother just shook her head.

"Not this again," she muttered. "Neil's good at modelling, and he loves it. I just don't understand why you can't be more supportive."

Neil's father sighed heavily. Once again, he'd failed to derail the runaway train that was his wife's ambition, and he didn't want to get into a full-blown argument with her.

"I'm sorry, honey," he apologized. "Of course I want to support Neil. You do whatever you think is best, and I'll stand by you one hundred percent."

"I knew I could count on you," his wife beamed.

She gave him a quick kiss, and then, hurried off to send her e-mail.

Hermes glanced over at his computer as a chirpy voice announced, "You have e-mail."

Thank Zeus I had Odie show me how to work this thing, he thought as he brought up the message.

He read it and blinked in surprise. It seemed that Aphrodite's plan to get Neil to New Olympia, which he hadn't had much faith in, had worked. Neil would arrive at the airport the next day, which meant Hermes had work to do.

He headed straight for Aphrodite's room, pausing just long enough to print off a copy of the e-mail for her.

"Hermes," she greeted as soon as he walked in the door. "What brings you here?"

"I just received an e-mail from Neil's parents," he explained handing her the printout, "and I need to know if you've arranged to have someone meet him or if I need to do it."

"Not to worry," Aphrodite assured breezily. "I've taken care of everything."

Satisfied, Hermes headed back to his office, and the seemingly endless pile of work that awaited him there. Later, he would regret trusting Aphrodite to handle this situation.

"I can't believe you sent a photographer to meet him!" Hermes exploded when he found out what had happened.

"What's the big deal?" Aphrodite huffed. "Neil's fine."

"The big deal is that Cronus got his hands on Neil," Hermes snapped. "What if something had happened to him?"

"Nothing happened to him," Aphrodite sighed.

"I should have gone to get him myself," Hermes muttered.

"So Neil decided to have a little fun," Aphrodite grumbled, "what's wrong with that?"

"He should have come straight here," Hermes told her, "not gone off to some photo shoot."

He glanced over at Hera who had been listening to their conversation without comment, his eyes pleading with her to help him get Aphrodite to understand the seriousness of her mistake.

"The most important thing," Hera said after a moment, "is that all seven of the young heroes are here and safe. Our responsibility now is making sure they stay that way. They all have families waiting for them to come home and we need to make sure that they do."

Hermes and Aphrodite both got up to leave, but before Hermes made it to the door, Hera called him back.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Neil," he apologized hastily. "If I'd known…"

"Never mind that," Hera interrupted. "I want you to write down whatever you told the young one's families to explain their absences. One day, this business with Cronus will end and when that happens, they'll need to know about these cover stories, so they can maintain them."

"No problem," Hermes assured her.

A/N: This chapter was interesting and somewhat challenging to write since, as with Archie, we know nothing about Neil's life prior to the team finding him at a train yard in New Olympia. Add to that the fact that I had to come up with a reason for him to be there when the other heroes went looking for him, and you can see why this chapter was a little trickier than some of the others were. I will now post an epilogue to wrap things up.