Uncle Leo knew how to cook, really well. Not that Papa didn't, Echo loved her Papa's cooking, but Uncle Leo's food was always top notch.

But the best part about the Valdez house was Gareth Valdez, Leo and Calypso's son. He was about a year older than her, maybe a little more, and hot. Like, he got the best of both of his parents, somebody give him a freaking modeling job.

Her dad joked that puberty would probably hit the kid like a truck.

Echo didn't think it was possible for anything to make Gar less handsome. He was funny, too.

He also treated her and her siblings like they were his siblings, since he only had Maggie, who was five years old and nine years younger than him. He doted on her, but he like hanging out with Echo and her siblings too, since they were a little close to him in age.

Echo knew she was being ridiculous, she was twelve, he was fourteen, he was unattainable. Not to mention she wasn't even allowed to date until she was sixteen and by then, he would be leaving for college.

"Echo? Hey, oh my gosh, it's been so long!" Melina Jackson gave Echo a hug, "How are you?"

Echo grinned, "I'm good, how are you?"

"I am so ready for summer! I can't wait for camp. It has a real beach and I can get some real practice in without my Dad worrying that he's going to hurt me." She rolled her eyes, "Seriously, Dad, I've been training since I could lift a weapon and attacked by monsters since before then."

"Oh, you too? So it's not just my parents."

"Definitely not. Even Leo is a little protective of Gar. They're our parents, it's their job to worry about us. So, are you coming to camp this summer?" Melina asked, looking hopeful. That was one of the things Echo loved most about the older girl, she didn't care about ages.

"I wish. Dad used to say that they would let me go when I was twelve, saying it was the age normal demigods would go to camp. But…" Echo sighed, "My brother is getting worse, and I have a feeling that they're going to need me to be home to help with the twins. There's always next summer."

Melina's eyes held understanding, "I know it's been hard. I'm sure they really appreciate having a sweetheart like you."

Echo smiled and rolled her eyes, "You're teasing me."

"Get used to it, I don't have sisters. Ooh, it's Tali!" She waved.

Talia Grace came over, she had turquoise streaks in her brown hair this time, "Oh my gosh, that car ride never ended!" She hugged Mel, then Echo.

"It wasn't that bad." Her brother, Felix, objected. He was the same age as Echo, but quiet. When he was around, he normally hung out with Melina's little brother, Nolan.

Talia rolled her eyes, "Maybe because you weren't the only girl aside from the mothers in the van."

"Awe, you love us and you know it!" Sammy grinned at Talia, then hugged Echo tightly, "Hey, little cousin. How's everything in Echo valley?"

Echo rolled her eyes, "Fine. How's everything in Sammy land?"

"Sweet, I finally mastered that double feint." He ruffled her hair and then looked around, "Where are my other cousins?"

Echo pointed, "Rory is talking with Nolan, Ana is probably checking her reflection in a mirror somewhere and Declan—"

"Echo!" He appeared and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" She asked, peeling him off.

He looked up at her, he looked scared and confused and overwhelmed.

Mel put a hand on her shoulder, "Why don't we take him out front, it's quieter."

Echo nodded, glad her friend could see that something was wrong. And that Mel had the idea of going somewhere quiet.

They went up front, guiding a shaky Declan.

He kept glancing up at her, as if to make sure she was still there.

She kept squeezing his hand to reassure him that she was.

Finally, they were out front, in the quiet open air.

Mel said she would keep watch for monsters and went a little ways away.

"What's wrong, Declan?" Echo asked in a calm, soothing voice, imitating Dad when he was treating their cuts. She gently stroked his cheek.

He started crying, "I don't know! I can't remember! There's too much!"

She shushed, and pulled him into her arms. She didn't know what to say to him. How to comfort him. She didn't even know what was wrong. Well, she had an idea about what was wrong and what caused it, but nothing was they saw the tests, nothing was certain. "It's okay, just take a breath and try to tell me."

He pulled away, rubbing his eyes, "I was with Ana, and then I wasn't and I don't know where we are!"

Echo felt like she would cry, "Shh, shh, it's okay. You're 're at Uncle Leo's. I'm right here." She pushed his hair out of his eyes, meeting them. She could see how terrified he was, how much he was trusting her. Her quiet, thoughtful little brother, was looking at her as if she was the only line to his whole world.

"Uncle Leo's?" He asked, glancing toward the house, he still looked confused.

"Yeah, we're just down the road from home." She rubbed his arm, trying to comfort him.

He looked up at her, gaze somewhat blank, "I…don't…"

Echo gave him a smile, "It's okay, we'll just find Papa and I'll take you home, okay?"

He nodded, sniffling. He held on tightly to her hand.

"Mel, we're heading back."

Melina nodded, following them back through.

They found Dad first, and he looked at them both with concern when she said she was taking him home. "You feeling alright?"

"Declan got a little confused, I think it's best if I take him home. Don't worry, it's not that far." Echo told him, holding Declan in front of her while some people passed by.

Dec pressed back against her leg, and her Dad's. He looked terrified.

Dad looked down at Dec, then at her, then out into the crowd, "At least let me walk you home."

"I've already volunteered for that, Mr. Solace." Gareth appeared at Echo's elbow. "Your husband said the kids could go and hang out in your yard, since everyone's already eaten."

Almost everyone, Echo sighed to herself.

Dad nodded slowly, "Alright, just…"

"I'll keep an eye on Dec, promise, Dad." She kissed his cheek.

"And we're taking the extra snacks so that we don't have to raid your kitchen." Gareth held up a dish, winking at Echo.

Dad nodded again, giving Echo a hug, then hugging Declan, kissing the boy's forehead.

Echo led Declan back out front, where their siblings were waiting with their cousins, and friends. She realized quickly that Mel had been behind this, especially when she realized that Gareth had two dishes, one of which had the regular food for Echo.

And when Papa appeared to give her a few instructions, and to make sure Declan was at least mostly okay. He then thanked her for offering to take him home. He knew how much she had been looking forward to today. That was probably why he had allowed the other kids to go to their house to hang out.

She loved him for it.

They made the short walk home, Ana and Aurora trying to cheer Declan up.

Their friends kept their talk to a minimum, obviously having been warned to be a little quieter than normal.

Echo could kiss Mel for thinking to threaten them.

When they got to the house, the twins led the way to the backyard with most of them, while Echo took Declan, followed by Gareth and Melina, into the house.

"Just put the food in the kitchen," Echo said softly, then gently led Declan to his room.

He still seemed confused. He didn't seem to recognize their home, and it hadn't changed since Echo was little. Like, since she was four. Their fathers only redecorated because they had to do fix up the nursery for Declan, and…Echo had a vague memory of finger-painting on the walls that she was pretty sure had led to them repainting the hallway, living room and kitchen. Either way, the house hadn't changed since Declan was practically a newborn, but he didn't seem to recognize it.

"Echo?"

"It's okay, I'm right here." She said in a soothing voice, then started humming just so he would know that she was still with him. She guided him to his bed, and sat on it with him.

"This is my room?"

She did her best to hide her fear, "Yeah, it is. Papa painted that for you before you were born." She gestured to the mural. Hers was a sunny ocean view, with a bluebird. Declan's was a serene forest, with a couple deer and other animals. The twins had murals on opposite walls of dawn and dusk over mountains.

Declan looked at it really hard, then pointed to the turtle on a log, "I called him Fred."

She grinned, "Yeah, you did."

He slowly nodded, blinking, and looking around, then looked up at her, "How did I forget that this was my room?"

She shrugged, "Sometimes things happen that we can't explain. You hungry?"

He nodded, "Please don't make me eat the tacos."

She laughed, "I'll heat some leftovers up for you. Though you know that Uncle Leo's tacos are the best."

"They're too spicy."

She kissed his cheek and led the way back out. She was just glad that he remembered now. She didn't care if he decided Taco's were the worst food in the world, whatever was wrong had passed at least for the moment. She just hoped that whatever it was, it was fixable.