The Aftermath

(Funeral for the fallen half-bloods of the engagement now commonly referred to as the "Battle of the Labyrinth")

(Drew)

So this is what the aftermath of a real battle looks like. It was a sobering thought for Drew as she stood in the crowd for the grim funeral proceedings, which had taken up most of the day. Casket after casket was presented - each handmade by members of the deceased's own cabin - close friends delivered eulogies, and one by one, the caskets went up in flames. Chiron presided over the whole dreary affair, he himself had been injured in combat, but fortunately had survived.

In truth, that was all Camp Half-Blood had done, survive. The Battle of the Labyrinth was a pyrric victory, and no one felt like celebrating. Families would have to be informed, iris messages would have to be placed...

Drew found herself wondering what would've happened if she had died. Would anyone from the outside world care? Would they even notice she was gone? She wondered who would speak at her funeral. Silena Beauregard certainly, but who else? Michael Yew? The thought somehow gave her comfort, and then she remembered.

It had been such a shock to see Lee Fletcher, a boy she'd known since her first day at camp who had generally been nothing but kind to everyone, lying on the ground, life fading away. How much more of a shock for Michael, who had known him even longer and been his half brother? The Fates were cruel indeed, and for what purpose? There didn't seem to be any grand, noble scheme to it, just more senseless death. Michael stood off to the side, away from his cabin mates. Maybe they had tried to console him, maybe they had told him this was just the will of the gods, and there must be a reason for it. Platitudes only offer so much comfort, Drew thought. A simple action would speak louder than any words could. So Drew did what came naturally to her. She followed her heart.

"You shouldn't be alone at a time like this."

Michael tilted his head towards her when he heard her voice, then went back to staring at the ground. "I'm not alone," he said quietly.

"You know what I mean."

"They want me to eulogize Lee."

Drew wasn't surprised, they had been very close, after all. "You'll do great, trust me."

"I trust you- it's...it's me I don't trust. I can't do Lee Fletcher justice, not in the state I'm in. I- I'd break down...I wouldn't find the right words to say."

Drew then surprised herself, she leaned in and hugged him. She could practically feel all the built up tension in his body, the doubt crushing him like the burden of Atlas. At first he didn't seem to know how to respond, then he squeezed back, and they just stood like that for what felt like an eternity.

"You knew Lee better than anybody. It doesn't have to be an academy award winning speech, it just has to be you."

Michael looked up at her. "What if that's not enough?"

Drew shook her head emphatically. "That could never be. Look at them, Michael," she pointed to the despondent group Apollo campers. "They look up to you, it was obvious to me from the first day I got here. They'll rally around you, but they need their leader, they need you."

Michael ran a hand through his hair. "And what if I feel overwhelmed, like I can't go on?"

"When you feel like that, just look for me in the crowd, and you'll know that I'm here for you."

"Are you sure you're not charmspeaking me right now?" Michael asked, almost cracking a smile in spite of himself.

Drew shook her head as she tried to strike a more playful tone. "I can give my own pep talks, thank you very much."

This time Michael did smile, and he hugged her again. "You're a lifesaver, you know that?"

And right on cue, Chiron's somber voice announced that the proceedings for Lee had begun. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to bid a mournful farewell to Lee Bartholomew Fletcher, counselor of cabin seven, a true hero in every sense of the word..."

One year later
(Yew)

Somehow, Lee's absence had turned into a presence all of its own. No matter what Michael did, those final words from his deceased half-brother always found their way back into his mind. "I could stand death- worst punishment in Hades...knowing that you found happiness."

Lee had spoken those words just before he died, now it was a year later, and the war's end was still nowhere in sight. In fact, Apollo and Ares cabins were apparently supposed to conduct a raid on some Titan outpost in a few days. The details of that would be discussed today. Lee and Michael had survived everything the world had thrown at them, and then just like that, Lee was gone. Most campers would consider themselves lucky or blessed by the gods to have survived as many combat engagements as Michael had. What if this was the time when his luck ran out? Then he would depart to the afterlife having never told Drew how he really felt about her.

"Hey Mike," a voice cut through his thoughts, it was one of the other Apollo campers. "We're dismissed right? Morning inspection is over."

He'd been lieutenant for so long, it felt strange now being cabin counselor, having others look to you for direction and guidance...

"Uh, yeah. Apollo dismissed. Meet up here in half an hour, we have archery practice, double session today."

Nobody in the Apollo cabin was going to complain about extra archery, and they all cheerfully filed out. Only one lingered behind, as if he had noticed something was off. It was Will Solace, of course. That boy could pick up on the slightest shift, the most subtle complexion.

"Everything okay, Yew?" Will asked.

"It's fine, Will, don't worry about me. Enjoy your free time."

"I miss him too, but we have faith in you, you're our leader now." And with that, Will walked out the door leaving Michael alone. Better to let him think it's still Lee that's got me down. And of course, he still mourned Lee's passing, but what really weighed on him was much bigger than that. Sooner or later he would have to make the decsion he had tried for years to avoid.

(Counselor conference on the coduct of the Titan War)

Later that day, there was another meeting at the Big House of the cabin counselors - these were becoming more and more frequent as the war continued to escalate. Michael remembered how his younger self had often felt left out, like the counselors were getting all the good info and leaving everyone else in the dark. Now he understood the true gravity of what was spoken of in here, and now he longed for those days of blissful ignorance and wished he'd never become counselor of cabin seven.

The current topic at hand was this raid that he was supposed to lead with Clarrise La Rue (technically, since she was slightly older, she was in overall command, a point Michael had a feeling the hotheaded daughter of Ares would not hesitate to bring up again and again).

"The Titan Army is preparing for its final assault on Olympus. They've been setting up bases in western and upstate New York, so they have Manhattan cut off completely. To do this however, they had to spread out their forces, this means that small groups of half-bloods can do a lot of damage if we hit in the right spots." Anmabeth was explaining.

"Yeah? And what's so important about this particular base? It's out in the middle of nowhere! This is a waste of the Ares cabin's time. Call us when you want us to put our lives on the line for something that actually matters." Clarisse replied hotly.

"I'm getting there, Clarisse. Intelligence reports indicate that this particular base is holding a very important item, something that could prove valuable to the war effort: a winged chariot."

"A winged chariot," Clarisse repeated flatly, unimpressed.

"Yes, I know it doesn't sound like much, but...well, you guys know how my dad is a professor of military history? One of his favorite periods to teach is World War One, and he would never waste an opportunity to remind people of the potency of air power and its ability to change the whole complexion of a battle. Let's face it, Kronos's army is larger and better equipped, this chariot could be just what we need to level the playing field a bit."

There was silence for several moments as the counselors contemplated Annabeth's words.

"It's an awfully big risk, Annabeth," Beckendorf, who had been completely silent up to this point, noted somberly.

"I know," Annabeth acknowledged. "And normally I would never recommend making a move like this before being reasonably certain of victory, but given the current situation we're in, I think it's a risk we have to take."

"Shall we put it to a vote then?"

"Fine," Clarisse grumbled.

"Hang on a sec, how come only Ares and Apollo get to go?" Travis Stoll interrupted. "You're supposed to be stealing something from the Titans...you know our dad is the god of thieves right? We were made for this, baby!"

"Oh honestly, Travis, this isn't one of your little pickpockets, it's not a game" Katie Gardner cut in. "this is real life, they'll kill you!"

"Whatever, Katie. You're no fun anyways," Travis grumbled.

Michael observed that Katie looked a lot more hurt than angry at Stoll's brush off. "All I was trying to say is-"

"The point is," Annabeth said quickly, hoping to defuse the awkward situation, "we can't afford to send too many half-bloods at one time. It's best to go in small groups, so we have the element of surprise. Out of all the cabins, Apollo and Ares are the closest to full battle readiness. Hermes is just too chaotic and disorganized at this time, Travis, I'm sorry."

Travis didn't look too happy about that, but he raised no further objections.

"What about you," Clarisse wheeled her accusing gaze over to Michael. "You're awfully quiet for someone who's supposed to be leading your cabin into battle."

He had been quiet, but it was because his mind was elsewhere. This loud, hectic meeting was the last place he wanted to be right now. Lee's last words kept running through his head over and over...

"Don't worry about us, we'll be ready."

Clarisse still looked skeptical, but finally nodded. Then Michael noticed Silena Beauregard, eho normally talked quite a bit in these conferences, had been totally silent, and was writing something down in a journal. Taking notes wasn't against the rules or anything but...it was odd for someone who wasn't even going on the mission. Wait, what am I doing? Michael thought. Silena Beauregard was an old friend and a trusted ally. She must've had a good reason for whatever she was doing. So he tried to think no further of it. Apparently no one else had noticed or cared, and the conversation went on until the late afternoon.

He hadn't planned any of this. Not finding out he was a half-blood, not coming to camp, not losing Lee, not falling for Drew. And now he was going on a raid, not even one of the glamorous ones, but for a mere winged chariot. Annabeth had tried to assure them of it's usefulness, but Clarisse had raised a good point, and Michael didn't often agree with Clarisse. Was this really worth risking the lives of two cabins? Yet Drew's words to him on that dreary day a year ago never left him. They need their leader, they need you. She was right then and she was right now. So for better or worse, he would lead his half brothers and sisters into the fray once more. And that left just one decision to make, but he wasn't sure he was ready yet. He just needed some time to think.

The canoe lake was beautiful at sunset. It was also calming, a place to get away from everything and everyone for a while and just clear your head. Which was why Michael was surprised to see that someone was already there, sitting by the shore. Her deep brown hair shone golden in the fading orange light, which also illuminated her delicate features. It could only be her. Drew Tanaka. The fates had interfered with his plans once again.

"Hey," he said quietly as he sat beside her.

She replied with the same simple word, nd they sat there, in silence, just staring out at the sunlight-bathed water, neither seeming to find the words they wanted to say. It's now or never, Michael thought to himself. This was the moment.

"Drew, I need to-"

"There's something I-"

They'd both spoken simultaneously. "You first," Drew said.

Michael nodded, took a deep breath and started again. "Drew...there's no way around this. From the first time I met you- there was something I just couldn't explain. And no matter how much I've tried to rationalize it, or ignore it, or run from it, I realize now that I can't, and I shouldn't. It took me far too long to realize that, but someone once told me...well, let's just say this person made me realize that my happiness mattered too."

He stopped momentarily and looked up at her, but she was waiting for him to go on.

"I like you, Drew. I really like you. I think I might love you. And before anything else happens, I just want you to know that."

"I know," Drew said quietly after several anxious seconds. "I mean, I guessed, it's an Aphrodite thing I suppose. I feel the same, I always have, but I tried to run from it. I wanted to know that you liked me and weren't just using me. And...that kiss you gave me during the capture the flag match was like a flashing neon sign."

Michael blushed and grinned sheepishly. She was the only one who could do that to him, and it never ceased to amaze. She never ceased to amaze.

"That was kind of spur of the moment though, I never got to kiss you properly."

Drew leaned closer. "Then you should ask me now."

"May I?"

"Yes," she whispered softly as their lips brushed and finally met for a long, passionate kiss. It had taken years, but Michael had at last found where he belonged. It was here with Drew, and nothing, not the fiercest monster nor the mightiest Titan, was going to stop him from coming back to her.