A/N: Sorry I'm late with this. A lot has been going on, and this chapter was really hard to write. I think I've rewritten it at least 3 times. Anyways, its extra long, and I'm not entirely happy with it. I hope you feel differently, though!

-Cas-

Cassia did not see that coming, which was not something she was accustomed to.

"What?"

"I don't like to repeat myself, Cassia. I assume you have a plan," he countered. He leaned forward over her bowl, making a face at the contents. "What in the gods are you making?"

She heard him, but her mind, too tired and surprised, wouldn't let her respond. She grabbed another ingredient to throw in the pot while she collected her thoughts. "Um, a block, I think."

"A block?" he questioned, his tone etched in disbelief. "On an immortal? You really think that is the best solution?"

"No, I don't," Cas spat, her agitation getting the best of her. She grabbed the other pot, pouring the boiling contents into the one on the table. "I don't even know if it will work. At best, it buys my parents a few minutes."

Her visions almost never showed her the absolute future. She'd learned over the years which ones were more concrete than others, which ones to trust. Right now, everything was jumbled, chaotic. One thing was for certain: if she didn't act, her parents would be dead. "I'm winging it, which is better than nothing." The potion had turned into a sort of paste. Hopefully, when she spread it on the outside of the house, it would give them a few minutes to escape. She could deal with the immortals while they got away. But what if she wasn't there? What if Set or some other immortal got to her parents before they came home from work? He could just snap his fingers and end them all, blow the house up, make them slaves…

Cas closed her eyes, willing that warring and constantly moving part of her mind to come forward. She didn't often purposefully call her visions. When she did, they weren't the most reliable. Mostly it consisted of brief flashes of different possibilities, quick glimpses that were often misconstrued. She had to know though, and the flashes she saw didn't look promising. There was one improvement compared to the last she saw: at least this time, there were more possibilities her parents would make it.

"I've got to warn them," she realized.

Cas looked around for her phone. Calling her parents at work was the last thing she wanted to do. Their first thought would go to her being in some kind of trouble, which would make them less than eager to hear what she had to say. She grabbed her cell from the table, quickly noting the time. Her Dad would be free to answer his phone, as he was between classes. She was pretty sure her mother had a meeting at the financial firm she worked for, something that she would be furious her daughter interrupted. Well, her mom was already angry at her for this weekend. If it wasn't for Actaeon covering for her, she would have been royally screwed.

"And what are you going to tell them?" Apollo wondered. "They are going to want to know why-"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Cas screamed as she hit the table in frustration. She was so tired of the lying, of never having anyone believe her. The weight was too much, the burden too heavy to bear anymore. She threw the books from the table, wanted to smash everything in her sight. It wasn't like this pathetic attempt would help. All it would do was buy her more miserable time to hopefully find a solution. Right now, it was just stalling her impending death. Maybe she should turn herself in, let them catch her, end it on her terms. Death would free her from the curse, from the agony, at least.

But it wouldn't save Orion. It wouldn't help anyone other than herself. Which was selfish as hell. But by all the gods, she wanted to be selfish. She wanted one moment to be weak, to act like the overwhelmed sixteen year old she was.

She closed her eyes, only to be assaulted by another glimpse into her future.

Cas stood in the now empty house, a layer of dust covering her father's books, her mother's records. It had the musty smell of a place closed up for a long time. There was a letter in her hand, from her father, pleading with her to come back. She explained that she couldn't, that even though her curse had been partially lifted, she'd made her bed. Until everything cooled down, she was alone.

She opened her eyes, the urge to cry even stronger. Alone...she was so very tired of feeling alone. How could she ever have a friend, ever have a relationship with anyone if she could never tell them the truth? Damn it all, even her two friends were held at a distance and doomed to die soon. She was a walking disaster, a harbinger of nothing but death and deception.

Cas slid to the floor and leaned her head against her knees before wrapping her arms around them. She knew better than to yell at a god. Part of her hoped Apollo would just put her out of her misery and smite her, which only fueled the attitude. An apology was expected, but there was no way in hell she was uttering those words. She couldn't, even if she felt like she should. After all that she'd endured, she had a right to yell, to scream and fight. She should be able to lose her cool.

"I don't know," she whispered this time.

"Cas."

He'd knelt down beside her, his voice a lot calmer than expected. She glanced up, her eyes just peeking over her arms. Apollo's expression was…sad.

"You can't know everything," he murmured.

"I know," she answered, a wry smile peeking through the worry. Even Apollo's lips turned up slightly.

"If I'm going to help, I need to know what you know." Apollo offered his hand to her. He wanted to see what she saw, to use her as a conduit, as he had before. Cas really didn't want to relive her visions, especially the myriad that had flowed through her mind today. Once was by far enough. Apollo seemed to sense that. "It'll help, I promise."

His words rang with sincerity. Cas eyed his hand warily. It couldn't get any worse, could it?

"Okay."

Cas took his hand. She could still see Apollo's face, his brows furrowed in concentration, but like a day dream, all the relevant visions floated through her mind: the blood, the death, the small chance of victory, her parents, the Egyptian gods…all the chaos, all the possibilities. There was a flash of Orion helping her with a bow, of her house covered in flames. Her parents kicking her out, both dead at her feet, chains attached to her wrists and ankles, the dark chuckle of Set behind her. Her latest vision took its place, the loneliness held at a distance thanks to the god who held her hand. There was a flash of Apollo, cradling her face in his hands, his own just an inch away.

Cas snatched her hand away, fury and embarrassment flooding her. There was no way she was willingly letting him see that. It would never be a possibility, as far as she was concerned. She had a choice, didn't she? Apollo looked away before running a hand through his hair.

"I think I get the picture," he murmured. His brow furrowed. "There's a lot of possibilities."

"And a lot end in death."

"You are right about warning them. They'll have a fighting chance, at least be prepared. The safest place for them to be is under the protection of another pantheon. You know what you have to do, don't you?"

Cas knew. It was the only possibility she saw that saved them, that kept them safe. Convincing them was a long shot, one that would cause her a lot of pain. After all she'd caused them, she could endure it. "My parents aren't going to believe me," she countered. Apollo gave her a grim smile.

"No, but they will believe me."

-Apollo-

Demigods, especially the Roman ones, never questioned it when a god gave orders. It came from the militant background, the need to follow orders. Two quick appearances to them at work and forty-five minutes later, the Woodards sat at their kitchen table, staring at the god before them.

Apollo didn't change much when the Romans came to power. It was the easiest of all the Olympians to transition for him. He was a little more responsible, a little less foolhardy, but other than that, he pretty much stayed the same. What could he say? He was pretty awesome.

Cas stated that she didn't want to be around them while he spoke with her parents. Instead, she was coating the house with the potion, painstakingly covering every inch she could. Even from the kitchen table, Apollo could hear the anxious pounding of his diviner's heart.

"Lord Apollo, how can we be of service?"

Marcus Woodard's voice was smooth and confident, a lot like his immortal mother, Bellona. Apollo even recognized the swift knowledge that lurked behind Mrs. Woodard's eyes, just like Mercury's. They were calculating, deep in thought. His half-brother's alter ego was a little calmer in his Roman days compared to his Greek.

"I'm here because of Cassia."

They looked briefly at each other, their expressions carefully controlled. Mrs. Woodard took a deep breath. "My Lord, we must apologize. She's troubled. We've tried everything we know to correct her behavior. I don't know what she did to offend you so early in life, but please, don't let it mar your opinion on us."

"Excuse me?" Apollo countered, the anger apparent in his biting tone.

"Beth," Marcus admonished his wife. She crossed her arms and sat back, her eyes narrowed slightly. Marcus turned towards Apollo, his expression contrite. "I think what my wife meant to say, my Lord, is that we know you cursed her. Whatever caused you to do it, we are deeply sorry you were offended. Whatever we can do to counter it, to make amends, we will."

"Your daughter has done nothing to offend me, not in the slightest. In fact, she's been an invaluable asset recently," Apollo informed them. Both looked surprised. "What you can do for me is listen."

"Of course."

"First, I never cursed your daughter."

"Did another immortal use your mark?" Beth questioned.

"No, but that curse was never meant for her. It was meant for her ancestor. Cassia has the sight." Apollo briefly explained the whole fiasco. "I thought the line had ended, that another would never have to suffer what Cassandra suffered. Someone made sure that the line continued, despite my best efforts."

"She sees things? And no one believes her?" Marcus breathed.

"No mortal will," Apollo reminded him. Mr. Woodard shook his head.

"It just doesn't make sense," he whispered. "This whole time, the lying and rebelling…It was this curse?"

"You doubt my words?" Apollo questioned with authority. Both of the Woodards shrank at his tone.

"No, my Lord. We always assumed her curse was her bad attitude, that we were sentenced to raise a dishonorable child," her mother explained.

Apollo sat back and crossed his arms. "And what has she done to be dishonorable?"

"She is the reason we left New Rome, why we are no longer welcome there."

"I'm well aware."

"She went against direct orders from a Commanding officer. She challenged him in front of the whole legion! Her punishment was to fight in the pits, and as soon as the Praetor saw her scar, that was it. She lies all the time. Not everything that comes out of her mouth pertains to a vision. She's deluded herself into thinking she knows what's best," Beth explained. "If she knew, she should've kept her mouth shut. She would have listened to us."

"She was a child," Apollo spat.

"And children should listen to their Elders! She knew that what she was doing was wrong, and yet she continued."

"Beth, maybe she wasn't wrong," Marcus countered. His wife looked ready to argue. Apollo held up a hand, silencing further comment.

"Cassia has done the best she could with the hand fate has dealt her. I know some of her decisions were probably not the wisest, but she made them with good intentions. If there is one thing I know about her, she does things because she thinks it is the right thing to do, the just thing. The point of this conversation was not to incite argument over her condition, but rather to warn you of something she cannot tell you herself: you are in danger."

"Danger?" Beth scoffed. "What kind of danger?"

Something in the air shifted, a quiet ripple that Apollo wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't become so attuned to it. Cas appeared in the hallway, standing where Apollo could see her but her parents couldn't. Her eyes were wide, fearful. She shook her head.

"Yes. Immortals covet what your daughter can do. They've sought her out, and some will do anything to capture her and use her gift. Cursed or not, she is a valuable weapon. She's seen that they will come after you to attack her."

"Roman?" Marcus questioned. "Greek?"

"At the moment? Egyptian," Apollo explained. Marcus looked down at the table, his thoughts consuming him.

"And what does she want? To uproot our lives again?" Beth snapped. "She destroyed this family. Her father lost his position in the Senate. I lost my guild. Everything we built was taken away by our daughter."

"I'm so sorry."

Cas stepped into the kitchen as both her parents turned towards her. Her voice was thick with despair, the unshed tears brimming at the edge of her eyes. "I didn't understand. I never wanted this, never wanted to be a disappointment to you. Trust me when I say that the only thing I want is for both of you to be safe."

"Safe," Beth repeated, her tone wrought with irony. "We haven't been safe since we left New Rome. All you had to do was fall in line, and none of this would have ever happened."

"I couldn't, Mom." Tears slowly fell down her cheeks. "People would have gotten hurt. They would have died."

"People were hurt anyway, Cas. People die every day! That is the nature of war! You disobeyed us when we asked you to stay quiet, to ignore whatever fantasies you entertained."

"They weren't fantasies!"

"You fought against your commanders, turned your back on your brethren. There is no greater dishonor than treason, and you committed that against your own parents."

"I tried to tell you. I wanted to," Cas urged.

"Not hard enough, Cassia. We told you that you had one last chance. One more lie, and we were done."

"I'm not lying!"

"And how long have you been involved with the Egyptians?" Beth asked. Cas opened her mouth, once, twice, at a complete loss for words. "Years, I'm guessing. Leaving at all hours of the night, ignoring our every order. Even when you had the chance to tell us some of the truth, you didn't."

Cas took a step back, her head shaking in disbelief. "It's not that simple, Mom." She wiped away her tears. "I want to be honest with you."

"You must prove that. How are you involved with him?" Beth pointed at Apollo.

"She didn't seek me out, I assure you," Apollo answered before Cas could. "The Fates have crossed our paths. She did me a great service, and when I found out about her curse, I promised to remove it."

"And what are we supposed to do with your warning? We cannot hope to survive encounters with immortals, no matter our demigod gifts," Marcus added.

Cas took a deep breath, her expression resigned. "I want you to disown me. You both should go back to New Rome. It's the only way."

The defeat in her voice was heartbreaking. Marcus looked blankly at Cas. Beth, despite her anger and grudge against her daughter, looked obstinate.

"After the investment we put into you, after all we've sacrificed," Beth fumed as she rose from her chair. "You want us to just let you roam around doing whatever you please?"

"Beth," Marcus snapped as he stood. He was just slightly taller than his wife, staring down at her with all the authority of a Roman general. Apollo recognized the authority in his blue, almost indigo, eyes. It was the exact same way his daughter looked. "Let me handle this. You are letting your anger get the best of you."

Beth eyed him for a moment, her fury simmering. She took one look at Cassia and Apollo. As proper, she waited for Apollo to dismiss her. He nodded his head, knowing that if she stayed much longer, he'd probably smite her out of aggravation.

"I'm sorry for my wife," he murmured as soon as they all heard the door down the hall close. "She is dealing with her own demons."

"She hates me," Cas whispered.

"She doesn't hate you, Cassia," Marcus promised. Cas shook her head before tucking her hair behind her ear. "She hates what you represent, the fallout from your curse, but not you."

"I don't blame her for that. I know you don't believe me and what you want to say," she laughed weakly. "I'm a burden, a really heavy one. I've ruined so many things for you and Mom. I don't want to ruin anything else. This isn't some teenage rebellion. I really do know."

"Is this another vision?" Marcus began disbelievingly. Apollo looked at Cas, at the unshed tears in her eyes.

"She knows," Apollo swore. "Every word has been true. This is what's best for you."

"But is it what's best for her? Especially now that we know the truth? Will we be able to remember?"

"Probably not, without someone constantly there to tell you differently. Even now, I can tell you doubt her words," Apollo explained. Marcus bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes reddening.

Cas looked down at the ground. Fresh tears dripped from her nose, but she didn't make a move to wipe them.

"Cassia?" Apollo called. She turned her head slightly towards him. Apollo rose and walked over to her, brushing his hand against her arm. She looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen, her sorrow threatening to overtake her. The poor girl was at her breaking point. He gave her arm a quick squeeze in comfort. "Go to your room and pack a bag." Her eyes narrowed just a bit, confusion washing over her features. "Please? I need a moment alone with your father."

"Okay," she whispered. Cas stole a look at her father, who was watching the both of them with carefully concealed interest. Cas left the room, the soft echo of her footsteps fading as she walked up the stairs.

"You care for her, for more than just a weapon. It's not even an act of guilt."

Apollo turned back towards the girl's father. The anger he'd felt at her parent's reaction, restrained for Cas's sake, was threatening to burst at the seams.

"You are right. I've met a lot of mortals in my existence, and that girl has one of the purist heart's I've ever witnessed. None of this is her fault," Apollo snapped.

"I'm starting to understand that. But it doesn't change things," he whispered to the god. "You said it yourself that we'd forget again. Besides, the years of lying and deceit, even for a good reason, can't be washed away in a night. Her curse has scarred us, too."

"I get that. But your wife's reaction is abhorrent," Apollo spat. "She is her child."

"Beth was warned that any child she gave birth to would be difficult, would live a cursed life. She never wanted children, but when she found out she was pregnant," Marcus explained with a sigh. "She didn't give up hope. It was tarnished the minute the mark appeared."

"And when was that?"

"When Cas learned to talk. We thought we'd bypassed the bad, that maybe the Fates had changed their mind, that we were giving a blessing instead of a curse," Marcus explained.

"Maybe the only reason it changed was due to the fact that you both saw her as a curse," Apollo admonished. "She is a blessing, in every way, a gift that should be cherished instead of thrown away."

"Maybe in time, we will both see that." The man stood. "I hope you free her because I'd like the chance to get to know the daughter you described. We'll get packed. I assume the sooner we leave, the better?" Apollo nodded his head. He walked to the doorway, placing his hands on the molding before turning back to Apollo. "Will she be okay?"

"I don't know. I'm going to help her," Apollo promised. "She will be taken care of."

Marcus nodded his head. He left the kitchen, following the path his wife took earlier. A door opened and closed, the sound drifting through the hallway. Apollo vanished, reappearing right outside Cassia's bedroom door. He eased it open, the setting sun gleaming brightly through the window. Cas stood with her back to him, her mark just discernible through her thin cotton shirt. A packed bag sat on her bed along with her sweatshirt. Apollo's heart stuttered and grew heavy. Being around mortals made these ridiculous human emotions more prominent. He didn't like remembering what this felt like, didn't like the fact that this poor girl was suffering so much.

Apollo walked over to her and gently grabbed Cas's arm. He turned her to face him. Her cheeks were stained with tears. Wet, dark lashes framed those brilliant violet eyes, the breaths leaving her labored. He reached forward and brushed a falling tear from her cheek.

"I-I can't do t-this," she stuttered, her voice thick.

Apollo pulled Cas into his arms, wrapping her into a tight hug. A part of him was surprised Cas did the same, her arms tightly clinging to his torso. One of his hands laced into her hair, holding her head against his chest. Her sobs were soft, her body shaking with exhaustion. He buried his face into her hair, her jasmine and lavender scent filling him. He held her, wishing that he could protect her from what was to come, from the pain. If Apollo could, he would have kept her safe in his arms, blocking her from harm. He, of all beings, knew that it was impossible. The Fates were at work here, twisting this girl's string into the immortal's own harried thread. There was one thing he could do. He gave her another squeeze before placing his lips softly in her hair.

"You can, Cassia. This time, you aren't alone."

Poor Cas. This chapter was kind of fillery, but we needed to address her parents and set up Cas's future role in the Olympic world. We'll get back to more Ortemis soon, because they will have a big part to play!

I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review or PM me with what you think. Thank you for taking the time to read my story!