Chapter the Fourteenth

Theresa sighed sleepily as she slowly moved her arms through the warm waters of the hot spring. She had spent the last few days drifting in a haze, uneasily crossing between sleeping and wakefulness as Archie watched over her. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back, a tiny smile flitting across her lips. He had plopped her down into the spring and told her to stay put while he went to make her some tea; his tone implied that she shouldn't contradict his orders. She knew he was worried, even though he tried to hide it behind a gruff, impatient sort of coddling.

And she had given him cause to worry. In fact, she was surprised that he had yet to really tear into her, aside from a mild scolding about overdoing things. He was right, she had overdone it. She could appreciate Ares' reasoning: they wouldn't always be rested and fit when an attack came, and she should be able to respond. But, what the gods sometimes (mostly) forgot to take into account was the fact that they were all human. And they had limits. Theresa knew she was pushing too far past those limits each time it was asked of her, and she knew that Archie hated it.

But would he be so very angry if he knew the only reason she pushed so hard was to be able to ensure his safety? And the safety of their team. They were her best friends, the closest thing to family she had had in years. She loved her father, but the older and more involved in this war she got, the more distant he became until she felt like he was almost a stranger. She supposed it was safer for him, but that didn't stop the hurt.

Her melancholy thoughts were interrupted as Archie came back with her tea. Blearily opening her eyes, she smiled up at him as he lowered himself into the water beside her, setting the tea tray down behind them. Handing her a cup, he eyed her carefully. She playfully rolled her eyes at him, earning a halfway derisive snort. Giggling, she sipped at her tea carefully, enjoying the way the heat of it mingled with the heat of the water. Her toes curled in delight and she closed her eyes once more, shifting slightly to lean against Archie.

Looking down at her, Archie held back a sigh and moved to wrap his arm around her. Tugging her against his side, he held her snugly lest she fall back to sleep and slip into the water. Water, after all, was not to be trusted in his book. It was right up there with Cronus and teen pop idols. Taking a sip of tea, Archie let his chin rest against Theresa's hair, absentmindedly stroking his thumb against her arm.

"So. We gonna talk about this?" he murmured. He felt her pause before relaxing further against him.

"What's there to talk about? I pushed too far. You're angry," Theresa shrugged gently. She clumsily reached out to set her cup aside, grateful when Archie took it from her grasp. She sluggishly turned and slipped her arms about his waist, snuggling into him. He raised an eyebrow as he gazed down at her. Leaning back slightly, he cupped her chin and tilted her head back to look at him.

"That's it? I'm angry?" he scowled down at her. "I'm a helluva lot more than angry at you Theresa. I'm angry, and worried, and terrified that one of these days you'll go too far and nothing Chiron does will save you. It's getting worse every time this happens. This time it was blood in your lungs and a ruptured spleen. But next time? Who knows."

Theresa sighed wearily as she let her gaze fall away from his. He was right of course, but what could she do? They were in too deep to stop this all now. She closed her eyes as his hand brushed against her cheek, slipping back to nestle in her hair. He tugged her forward to rest his forehead against hers, softly rubbing their noses together. He caught a faint smile on her lips, making him sigh. She shivered as his breath wafted over her, a small noise vibrating in her throat. He swallowed hard.

"I just don't want to lose you," he muttered roughly. Her eyes darted up to meet his gaze as her throat tightened, her lips trembling.

"I know. I don't want to lose you either," she whispered, leaning into the palm of his hand, his thumb stroking her cheek. Her brows pinched together worriedly, eyes soft. "Archie..."

Her eyes fell closed as he leaned forward to close the gap between them, his lips pressing gently against hers as his arm slipped more snugly about her waist. Lips parting, she sighed into him as their breath mingled, tongues meeting tentatively. Slipping her hand up his chest, she wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling herself closer to him as she felt her toes curl tightly.

And immediately wrenched herself away from him as pain shot up her calf.

"Ah! Damn it!" she cried, reaching down to rub out her cramp seized leg. Her body had mostly recovered from her latest bout of self-inflicted torture, but she still had occasional muscle spasms and cramping. She cursed the bad timing of it.

Archie sighed and reached down, batting her hand away.

"Here, let me," he rumbled, his voice husky and low. Theresa shivered as he began rubbing her leg, his face still tantalizingly close to hers. Biting her lip, she let her head fall to rest on his shoulder, raising her hand up play with the hair plastered against his neck. It was getting long.

"Sorry," she murmured softly. He shook his head and dug his fingers into her calf.

"Don't worry about it. Not like you're going anywhere, now are you?" he gave her a sly grin. He was rewarded with a soft laugh, and bent to press a kiss to her cheek.

"So. We gonna talk about this?" Theresa grinned, her eyes twinkling mischievously. Archie smirked down at her.

"What's there to talk about? I'm a good looking guy. You're a gorgeous woman. Clearly this was meant to happen," he winked at her. She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay there, Neil," she scoffed. He pulled back, hand resting lightly on her leg, to give her a look of horror.

"Bite your tongue," he exclaimed. Theresa gave him a smirk of her own, digging her fingertips through his hair. She pulled his head down, brushing her lips against his.

"I'd rather bite yours," she murmured. Archie's eyebrows shot up, slightly surprised and definitely intrigued by her forwardness. Giving her lips a small nip, he let his hand slide up the length of her leg.

"Well alright then," he muttered and got back to the serious business of kissing the sense out of Theresa. She hummed in appreciation of his efforts and wrapped her arms tighter about him.

It was some time later when they finally left the hot springs, mostly owing to Theresa's leg cramping up once more and Archie complaining of his skin pruning. Theresa smiled as she changed into her nightgown. She would have to remember that kissing was a very good distraction when it came to keeping Archie immersed in a body of water. Though she supposed the principle could be applied to most situations, barring any that were life or death of course. She snorted, imagining them fighting Cronus and pausing to dramatically share an embrace. A giggle swiftly turned into a chuckle, and before long she was doubled over helplessly, unable to fight back the giddy laughter. Idly, she wondered if she wasn't more than a little exhausted, if this was causing her to laugh to the point of tears.

"You alright over there?" Archie called, a bemused look on his face. Theresa was still behind her changing screen, and all he could hear was her hysterical giggling. Wandering over to her side of the room, he tapped on the screen. "Are you decent?"

This earned him another snort of laughter and he peeked around the edge of the screen. Theresa was sat on the edge of her vanity stool, doubled over and shaking with laughter. Her hair tumbled around her, obscuring his view of her as it trailed along the floor, her head resting against her knees. Luckily though he could see the strap her nightgown peeking through the clouds of hair. Shaking his head, he moved around the screen to lean against her armoire. Watching her, he fought a laugh of his own, wondering if she knew how adorable she looked in that moment.

"Archie...it...you," she wheezed, finally lifting her head. Taking one look at his face set her off again though, and she waved her hand at him. She didn't want him to think she was laughing at him, but she just couldn't stop. Rolling his eyes, Archie stepped forward and reached down to tug her up onto her feet. Stumbling into him, her limbs feeling like jelly, she shook her head helplessly. With a put upon sigh, he reached down and swung her up into his arms.

"Come on then, you. Clearly, you're beyond exhausted. Bed time," he stated as he carried her to their bed. Her giggles slowed as he plopped her down on the mattress, and she gasped for breath. Settling down beside her, he tucked them both under the blankets and clapped his hands, plunging them into darkness. Laying there, Archie listened as Theresa calmed herself, moments of silence punctuated by random giggles and snorts. Rolling over, he reached out, groping around until his hand brushed against hers. Sliding closer to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and dragged her against his body, spooning behind her.

Theresa fought to control herself, breathing slowly through her nose in an attempt to stop laughing. Her stomach and face were burning with pain, but she still couldn't keep the giant grin off her face. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, she wiggled back against Archie's chest and tangled her fingers with his. She felt him nuzzle the nape of her neck as he squeezed her gently, earning him a different type of giggle. He smiled and did it again, enjoying the way she squirmed against him.

"Mmm, Archie?" she yawned softly.

"Yeah?" he whispered, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Tilting her head back, she bumped her nose on his.

"Thank you. For taking care of me," her voice was slurred with sleep now, eyes falling heavily shut. Archie smiled softly and kissed her once more, savouring the petal softness of her lips.

"I'll always take care of you," he whispered, listening as her breathing evened out and deepened as she fell asleep in his arms.

It was strange, this turn of events between them, but Archie couldn't help but feel that it wasn't completely unexpected either. Rather, it felt calming and comfortable, like finding shelter amidst a raging storm. And how else could he think of this war that had overtaken their lives for the past two years, but as a storm that had swept them up and carried them into something far greater than just themselves? He had started this journey believing his purpose to be what the prophecy had decreed. That he would be one of the Seven that would defeat Cronus and send him back to Tartarus. Now though...

Now he wondered if his purpose wasn't more directly tied to Theresa herself. Ever since their dreams had begun, he had felt as though it were his purpose to protect her. Like he was the only one who could, and that that was far more important than battling Cronus ever could be. He had vowed to keep her safe, and he would see that through to the bitter end, if that's what it took. He held her tighter as sleep started to fog his thoughts. Only time would tell what would become of them; what the Fates decided on. And even though they had been chosen to fulfil the prophecy, even Archie knew that nobody outran the Fates.

Not even the gods themselves.

Drifting down into sleep, Archie could not shake the remembrance of a dream, Theresa's eyes despairing as they pleaded with him. But he couldn't understand why...

Archie sighed and shifted on his cushion the next morning in Persephone's solarium. Peeking one eye open, he glanced over at Theresa. Her features were calm and smooth; serene, with only a hint of lingering weariness brought about by her latest injuries. She had been right, that night, when she claimed meditation wasn't that easy. He had never thought it would be so difficult to just stop thinking. And while he had made great progress, he was nowhere near her level. Persephone said it would take time and effort, and that he needed to concentrate. So far he had met with marginal success.

He glanced over at his partner again, wondering how she could be so calm. They had shared another dream last night, and while this one had not been as ominous as previous ones, there was still a sense of foreboding. Archie shivered in remembrance. He had fallen asleep thinking of one dream and had quickly drifted into yet another that featured Theresa being afraid. It had been blurry as well, not as clear and vivid as he was used to. He thought they had been fighting Cronus, but Theresa was watching him instead of the god. She had been saying something, but he wasn't sure what. And then everything had exploded in a shower of blue light.

They had woken, breathless and tangled up in one another. Theresa's body trembled as she held him desperately, gasping as tears rolled down her cheeks, whispering over and over to him.

I'm sorry, so sorry...

"Archie."

He winced and tore his gaze from Theresa as Persephone sighed and sat before him.

"Ignore Theresa. She has been doing this much longer than you have. It also comes much more naturally to her. You're doing well so far. Just remember to concentrate, and to breathe. Clear your mind," she chided him softly.

Archie sighed as his eyes fell closed, shifting with a grumble as he tried not to think about anything. Easier said than done, especially with that dream in the forefront of his mind. He also wasn't sure exactly why he needed to do so much mental training; Theresa was the psychic after all, and they had been sharing dreams just fine without him concentrating on it all. Or even being aware of it. Last night's dream had been fuzzier than any of the others, and this was after weeks of meditation and mental focus techniques. Maybe this was making their connection worse?

A bolt of fear lanced through him at that thought. His one greatest fear was to lose her, whatever form that came in. He didn't want anything to stand between them, especially now. He could finally admit to himself that he wanted this woman, Theresa, in every way he could have her. A partner, a lover, a friend. Letting out a shaky breath, he focused his thoughts on her, on all the wonderful things that made her who she was. Everything that made him love her.

A tingling sensation ran down his spine.

Theresa sat, calm and still, her mind deeply centred within herself. She had pushed away all thoughts of the dreams, all other conscious thoughts held at bay. Her body went about its machinations: her breathing was steady, her heart beating normally, blood pumping through her veins.

All was quiet. All was dark.

Centred.

Peaceful.

She lingered there in that in-between state for a time, content with the reprieve from reality. Here there was nothing but the mechanics of her body separated from her being. Here there was no thought, just existence. Allowing her to disconnect from her body temporarily so that she could properly explore and expand her mental realm. Allowing her to focus her powers and direct them.

Her body registered the slightest of touches, her mind noted with some detachment; Persephone was signalling for her to return. Everyday she was going deeper and deeper in a bid to keep her powers from overwhelming her body. Waking became more and more difficult every time. She sighed and prepared herself for the ascent that would bring her back from the mental plane she was resting on, and fully return her to her body.

She paused.

A spark skittered through her mindscape.

Curious, she waited...

Another spark, sharper this time, fading faster.

Beckoning.

She turned and followed.

Archie felt himself getting closer to that elusive state of being Persephone kept coaching him to find. Though he had a feeling she might disagree with his methods. Concentrating on his breathing, he kept his thoughts in check. His mind was focused on Theresa, rather than being blank, but he felt calmer and more peaceful than he usually did in these sessions.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

So far, so good.

Persephone smiled briefly at Archie before her brows furrowed tightly. Theresa had yet to respond to her touch. Sitting in front of the girl, she watched worriedly as her face went blank, body freezing as her mind went deeper and deeper. Miniscule sparks skittered across her skin as it paled. All Persephone could do was wait.

Lightning flickered and crashed, yet all remained eerily silent as Theresa ghosted through this strange plane of existence. She could feel that she was still somewhat within herself, within partial confines of her own mind. And yet she felt she was also somewhat apart, set adrift upon a wave of pure mental energy. There was a dislocation, a sense of wanting to go further, but an inability to perceive the distance.

Was she at the source of her powers? Was this raw magick she was touching?

...was it Chaos?

Another spark skittered along her, warming her even though she had left her physical body far behind.

Behind...

...Persephone...hadn't she called?

Theresa hesitated, torn between going back and continuing on. A tantalizing whisper, a promise of power, but she could not comprehend. A heavy wrench of foreboding weighed her down suddenly.

A dark promise.

Not yet, not yet.

Soon.

Fear stole through her then, and she retreated blindly, eager to get back to what she knew to be herself. She understood suddenly that she had gone too far, and she was horribly reminded of her dreams and all they represented. Theresa felt herself stumbling, flailing in the darkness. She could feel something beckoning, chanting her name. A consciousness from her reality.

Grabbing hold, she surged forward.

Persephone watched Theresa anxiously as the minutes ticked by with no discernible change in her outward appearance. She fretted, wanting to dive in and retrieve her student, but knowing that she couldn't. For all that Theresa's mind expanded far further than any other human's, the fact remained that she was still just a human. Persephone would tear her mind to shreds.

Her eyes flickered worriedly to Archie as he stiffened with a hoarse groan, clutching his head in pain as he fell backwards. Turning back, she gave a cry as Theresa's body toppled lifelessly to the floor. Scrambling over to the boy as he writhed on the floor, her hands wavered uselessly about her. Taking a deep breath she lay a hand gently on his arm and leaned down.

"Archie. Archie, come back. Tell Theresa to come back," she called out, commanding him.

"Come back."

Archie felt as though he were doing the mental equivalent of smashing into a tree and then rolling off a cliff into a lake of fire. Memories, thoughts and feelings crashed into him, tearing apart any flimsy mental barricades he had constructed over the last few weeks.

The pain was tremendous, searing through his skull, rendering him momentarily witless. The assault was overwhelming, and he clenched his teeth as he willed it to subside. Begged for it to stop. He caught a flash of a memory, of a father that wasn't his; felt a stab of panic and fear separate from his own flash through him.

Theresa?

His call was desperate and the overwhelming presence subsided somewhat, confusion replacing the panic. Archie's breath caught in his throat as he gasped shakily, pain creating tiny bursts of light in his eyes even as he pressed his palms against them uselessly. What was she doing to him?

A distant murmur reached through the pain and confusion, familiar and commanding.

"Come back."

Persephone. She was calling them back from...well from wherever and whatever was happening to them. Him and Theresa. She was still there with him, still frightened and confused.

...Archie?

He felt a violent shudder rip through him as her consciousness calmed and connected with his, forcing a ragged scream from his throat. The panic flared up again, and he felt close to blacking out. Gritting his teeth as he panted harshly, he called out to her again.

Theresa. GO BACK!

Theresa quailed momentarily, overwhelmed by the enormity of what she had just done. Instead of retreating back to her own body, her own domain, she had forced herself into Archie's! She panicked again as she tried to figure out how to leave, and leave fast. She was hurting him, badly.

A spark fluttered against her again, pulling away. Archie shuddered again as his being flinched away, unable to house such power as hers. Theresa jolted, feeling suddenly caged in as oblivion closed in, looming over her. Walls were closing in, a trap set to spring. One last defence from Archie's ravaged mind. Her sparks beckoned once more, leading back to familiarity.

She fled.

And fell, screaming, back into herself as the walls crashed down upon her, severing a wisp of her retreating mind. Spinning endlessly, she crashed down into unconsciousness, welcoming the empty, blank darkness with relief.

Persephone wrung her hands in dismay as she watched the two teens, Archie crying out and spasming in pain. The moments seemed to drag on for an eternity before his body finally went limp as he blacked out. She held her breath, fearing the worst.

Something moved in the corner of her eye, and she glanced over to Theresa to see her fingers twitch once, twice. Both of their chests moved gently, steady with each unconscious breath. Persephone slumped over in relief, heaving a tremulous sigh. She wasn't sure what had happened, what went wrong, but they were alive. It was the only thing she could be certain of at the moment. They had been doing so well for the last few weeks, and now this...

It seemed like an age before she heard them start to stir from their impromptu slumber. Archie groaned as he moved slightly, reaching up with one hand to cover his closed eyes. His head felt like he had drunk a forty of tequila and then head butted a steel door. Though he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. He was pretty damn certain he hadn't had anything to drink in far longer than he cared for. And it smelled to him like he was in...Persephone's solarium? There were roses and...lavender?

A soft whimper sounded next to him, and he forced himself to roll onto his side, cracking his eyes open painfully. Persephone quickly dimmed the lighting in the room, for which Archie was grateful. His vision blurred, and stayed no matter how much he blinked. He was fairly certain Theresa lay beside him, and he stretched out a hand toward her.

Theresa opened her eyes slowly, a queer sense of dislocation still settled about her. Pushing herself up, she moved shakily over to Archie. His eyes were open, she saw, but she knew he wasn't seeing her. Or much of anything. She bit her lip and grasped his hand, pressing it against her cheek. Archie sighed in relief and closed his eyes again, trying to ignore the pounding in his head.

A notion of apology brushed distantly through his mind, causing him to frown severely. Theresa was still there? Why was she still there? The searing pain was gone, but he still felt acutely uncomfortable. Just what the hell had she done?

Theresa felt her eyes begin to sting as she 'heard' Archie's thoughts and felt his confusion. She hadn't been able to leave completely. There was a connection forged between them, and she had a feeling it was going to remain permanent. She should have paid closer attention to where she was going! Or, even better, to the premonition she'd had in the bath those weeks ago, after graduation. She had felt something coming, something that would throw their fates together, but she had never thought-!

Archie sighed as he felt tears drip onto his hand and forced himself to sit up beside Theresa. Vertigo made him groan as he felt he world spin around him, even with his eyes closed, and he fought not to be sick. Winding his other hand through her hair, he rested his aching forehead against hers and simply breathed her in for a moment. The scent of lavender was soothingly familiar.

Her small hands slid to support his boneless, trembling body. Clearly her little foray into his mind had taken a far greater toll on him than it had on her. She could feel him there, in the back of her mind, and she tried to pull as far back as she could. She didn't want to risk overwhelming him again and causing him any more pain. Theresa glanced at Persephone as the goddess sat at Archie's other side, helping to keep him propped up.

"What happened?" she whispered softly. It didn't escape her that Archie still winced at the volume. Theresa shook her head.

"I don't know, I...I think I got lost?" she muttered quietly, rubbing Archie's back as he groaned.

Think quieter, he commanded. It's twice as loud when you think it and speak it.

Sorry.

"And somehow I wound up in Archie's mind, and well. I think I'm stuck," Theresa whispered, trying to stay as quiet as possible. "Is there any way to fix this?"

"How far down did you go?" Persephone sat, stunned by this development. Worry brewed within her and she tried to remain calm.

"I don't know. All the way? I know what he's thinking, what he's feeling. There are memories..." Theresa shook her head slightly, trying not to intrude on Archie's privacy, even as thoughts flashed through her mind. Persephone hung her head a moment, taking a deep breath.

"There's nothing I can do to fix this that would not kill you both. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid this is permanent," Persephone murmured. Letting out a sigh, she stood. "I'm afraid I have to go let Hera know of this development. This...this could be more than a little troublesome."

"Of course," Theresa agreed faintly, watching as Persephone left. She had never seen the goddess so flustered, and it was a bit worrying to see her so. She could only imagine what Hera would have to say on the matter. Knowing the goddess, it would not be complimentary. She sometimes wondered if the she didn't consider them little more than pawns on a board rather than their saviours. A scowl crossed her face.

She blinked.

Those...were not her thoughts.

She glanced down at Archie who rested quietly in her arms. He cracked open an eye, and was relieved when his vision cleared somewhat. A nap would probably help even more...

Theresa rolled her eyes and helped him stand, walking slowly to their rooms. This sharing of thoughts would take some getting used to. So far it seemed that they didn't necessarily need words in order to communicate; simply notions and whole ideas would suffice. She just hoped she wouldn't hurt him anymore.

With a sigh, he flopped down onto their bed, dragging her along with him. He wanted to be comfortable while he rested, which meant having Theresa wrapped up in his arms. He managed a weak grin as she flushed prettily. A memory came to him then, of a promise made on a beach so many nights ago...

Whatever becomes of us...I will always be at your side...

Theresa raised an eyebrow at him. Well, of course he would, now. She had pretty much ensured that he could never be with anybody else for the rest of his life, whether he wanted to or not. Archie rolled his eyes at her and tugged her closer, tucking her against his side. Like he even wanted to be with anybody else. Or hadn't she figured that out yet?

She scowled at him. The principle of the matter was that it all came down to choice, which she had effectively taken away from him. Archie sighed, then blinked. Neither of them had spoken a word, but they were definitely arguing. His lips twitched in amusement, and he let out a snort as Theresa whacked him with a pillow. Rolling over, he pinned her down and kissed her fiercely.

Really? You're gonna try distracting me like this?

Worked for you in the hot spring.

Theresa shoved at his chest, demanding to be let up. Archie groaned and buried his face in the crook of her neck, refusing to move. She huffed and squirmed around beneath him, trying to get more comfortable. His hand caught her hip, squeezing tightly as he tried to still her. Interesting thoughts were starting to meander through his mind, ones involving a lot more squirming and a lot less clothing. Theresa bit her lip and stopped moving, a whimper escaping her as a bolt of desire lanced through her belly. Her fingers dug into Archie's arm as her breath went ragged.

Ohhh, this could be troublesome indeed...

Archie agreed, though at the moment it seemed the pain in his head was going to win out. As much as he wanted to pursue this train of thought with her, she really had done a number on him when she gate crashed his brain. Theresa frowned, feeling horribly guilty about the whole mess. Archie shrugged and moved off to the side so they could sleep more comfortably. They could argue about this when he was better rested. They also needed to let the team know what was going on.

Jay was not going to be happy...

Theresa sighed and gently stroked Archie's still aching forehead.

Sleep now.

She watched as Archie drifted off, feeling a strange lethargy creeping over her. She herself was not tired, but she felt her mind slow and become unfocused. It seemed as though this merge affected her more than she would have thought, her being the dominant partner in this. She wondered if Archie would even be able to stay awake if she fell asleep, even if he was completely rested. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she fought back a yawn. She couldn't afford to sleep just then; she had spent enough of the past week doing just that.

Archie was right, she was sure Jay would not be happy. But she had a feeling that something more was happening with the gods, that they weren't sharing with the Seven. And that just might upset him even more. Clearly a team meeting was definitely in order. They had been out of touch with the others for far too long, and it was time for that to change. Hopefully before Hera got to them.

Theresa glanced down at Archie again, contemplating the sleeping man. She would let him rest for a short while, but they could not afford to lie abed all day. Things had been set in motion today, important things that would dictate what was to come.

Her eyes narrowed and burned as she tried to force a vision to come to her, hoping that since Archie was asleep, he wouldn't be affected. The edges of her vision went blue and she got that familiar sense of foreboding. She knew with a sudden certainty that this was an important development; perhaps the catalyst for a change in the Fates design.

Theresa cursed silently as the vision faded away without properly coalescing. Whatever was happening, it seemed like they would remain in the dark for the time being. She just hoped they could continue to work things in their favour, for a little while longer at least. She didn't trust the Fates one bit; they could so easily change everything with one snip of their scissors. Cronus could win and they could all be killed. As nice as Elysium was, she had no desire to go there just yet.

Settling in to watch over Archie, she let her thoughts drift and tried not to worry overly much.

A/N: So, here we see the newest development between our erstwhile heroes. How will this effect them? What will Jay's reaction be? And just what do the gods have planned for them? All will be revealed in good times, my dear readers, as we come closer to the end of this journey. I'm thinking there are between 3 and 5 more chapters left before this story is finished. I'm going to try and wrap it up as quick as I can. I have, after all, been working on this fic for something like, 5 years? It's time for it to be done. Well, if you liked what you read in this chapter leave a review and let me know. All feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks everybody!