With a million thoughts racing through her head, Annabeth pulled into the gym's parking lot. It was no surprise that the lot was empty, excluding the lone car that belonged to the owner and their mentor. It was parked near the front door, which was where Lupa had first parked that morning. Annabeth was sure that she didn't move. It was possible she had just left the car and walked away, but it was more likely she was still at the gym. Alone and reflecting on what happened.

Annabeth parked her car and slowly got out of it. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Now, her mind needed to be settled. It had been racing for far too long. It started with Reyna getting arrested and then got worse after Reyna revealed that Lupa knew her mother and completely broke down in Annabeth's arms.

Nico had been at their side only a moment later, but Reyna still didn't let go of Annabeth. She held onto her like a newborn would cling to their mother. Annabeth didn't know if it was because Reyna physically couldn't let go or because she wanted to hold onto her.

So, Annabeth just held Reyna. She let her cry it out, only moving to rub Reyna's back gently. Eventually, Reyna pulled away enough to be crushed into a hug by Nico. He led her towards her car, and Annabeth told them to call if they needed anything.

Then, she watched everyone else filter out of the gym. Hazel had looked distressed and confused. Frank was oddly quiet. No one saw Lupa for the rest of the day. When Annabeth left the gym, she wanted a stiff drink. Instead, she went home and reflected on what had happened.

Just watching Reyna punch that man and then be arrested caused her stress to skyrocket. She just didn't understand it. Her mind toiled and processed for the entire drive to the gym. Not only from what had happened with Reyna but also because Percy seemed to be on the edge of a breakdown. Annabeth did her best to comfort him and keep the others calm.

After getting back to the gym and getting everyone settled enough to eat, she managed to catch Will long enough to ask if Nico had left upon hearing about Reyna. Frank didn't know, but Will was able to confirm that Nico had hurried away upon hearing the news. And how scared he looked. Will mentioned that it was more than just a regular fear that came with worrying about Reyna's job. It was much more intense.

That made Annabeth look up the man named Bryce Lawrence. Most articles were about how he was arrested. His crimes made him seem like a violent, brutish monster. Bryce was arrested before he could finish high school, and it looked like he was supposed to be in jail for longer than he had been. He was also already in trouble not long after being released from prison.

The story didn't name any victims of his violent crimes, but Annabeth could hazard a few guesses. It explained a lot about Reyna's reaction. Now, they just needed to navigate this landmine. Did Lupa know about this? Or, did they keep it from her? It would be absolutely stupid to, but Annabeth knew Reyna well enough to assume the woman just swept it under the rug.

Annabeth walked into the gym. The only two sounds were the humming of the air conditioner and her shoes pattering on the marble floor. She made her way right towards Lupa's office. Keeping everyone calm and collected when Reyna had been arrested was hard, but it was going to get harder to keep everyone calm and collected during the aftermath.

Part of Annabeth knew this wasn't her business. It was something between Lupa and Reyna, but at the same time, it involved everyone at the gym. If it spiraled out of control, it was going to tear the gym apart. Reyna could leave the gym, and while the others wouldn't leave, it would create a divide between Lupa and the others. They wouldn't trust her as much.

Annabeth stopped outside of Lupa's office. The door was cracked open, and Annabeth could hear the crumpling of paper. Annabeth raised her fist and gently knocked on the door. The crinkling of paper stopped. There was no sound for a few moments.

"Come in."

Annabeth placed her palm to the door and gently pushed it open. She stepped into Lupa's office. Lupa was sitting back at her desk and had a notebook in front of her. There were papers scattered around the office. Some were crumpled into a ball, and the others were scribbled all over. A bottle of whiskey rested near a shot glass. Half the bottle was gone, and the paper seal that initially secured the top was near the full glass.

A surprised look came to Lupa's face as she saw Annabeth. Then, she wordlessly grabbed a second glass and filled it with whiskey. Annabeth closed the door behind her and walked towards the chair across from Lupa. She sat down and grabbed the glass that Lupa had poured for her.

Annabeth maintained the silence as they both nursed their drinks. Lupa's eyes were bloodshot and red from crying. Tissues were buried beneath the papers that littered her trash. Annabeth's eyes glanced over the notebook that Lupa was writing in, and she only saw one word.

Reyna.

"Did you come here in Nico's place?" Lupa finally asked. Her voice was thick with grief. She looked at Annabeth. "I know he wanted to kick down the door as soon as he found out."

"No," Annabeth answered. "I haven't talked to or seen Nico since Reyna broke down crying. I came because I wanted to check on you."

"Check on me," Lupa repeated. She raised an eyebrow but otherwise remained silent.

"I can't imagine what you're going through," Annabeth began. "I also know that Reyna has Nico to comfort her. You don't have just anyone that you can turn to."

"Not at the moment," Lupa agreed. She used another tissue to wipe her face. A deep breath left her, and she finished the rest of her glass. Lupa rubbed her forehead. Annabeth leaned back in the chair and allowed Lupa to collect her thoughts.

"What time is it?" Lupa questioned as she glanced at her phone. A frown touched her face.

"Almost eight," Annabeth replied. "Do you need me to drive you home after this?"

Lupa didn't answer as her eyes became unfocused. She finally sighed and hung her head, "Is Reyna.. okay?"

"I don't know," Annabeth admitted. "I caught her after she fled from the gym, and she broke down in my arms crying. Nico took her home, and I went back to my own place. I know she didn't take it well."

"How could she?" Lupa muttered. "I should have told her sooner."

"Why didn't you?" Annabeth questioned. Lupa scowled. "If you don't mind me asking."

Lupa remained silent and looked like she was lost in thought. Before she could respond, the door opened. Annabeth turned her head, and surprise sprouted on her face as Nico walked into the office. His face was set into a determined scowl.

"Nico," Lupa began. Nico took a deep breath and closed the door behind him. He walked towards the desk and stared down at Lupa. "I know you're upset."

"I am furious," Nico agreed. "But, you can't suspend Reyna. Or kick her out of the gym."

Lupa frowned slightly. She opened her mouth, but Nico held up his hands, "If we start talking about that bitch that is Reyna's mother, I'm going to start yelling at you. That's why we're starting here. I am not going to allow you to kick Reyna off the team for punching Bryce in the face."

"Nico," Lupa began. She looked surprised and off-balance by the subject Nico had picked. Annabeth was surprised that he was trying this tactic, or did he really mean it? Annabeth didn't want Reyna to be kicked off of the Wolves either, but she was on her last chance.

"Bryce tried to assault me," Nico interrupted. He choked on his words and took a deep breath. "Sexually. He tried to sexually assault me in high school, and Reyna stopped him."

Lupa's frown deepened, and the confusion came back to her face. Nico closed his eyes and continued, "We lied to you about what happened in high school."

"Why would you lie?" Lupa questioned, and frustration seeped into her tone. "Why wouldn't you tell me that?! I would have helped you!"

"Because I'm..."

Nico swallowed painfully, and his entire body tensed, "...gay."

"I didn't want anyone to know," Nico muttered. He looked down and crossed his arms. "If Reyna or I told you the truth, you would have questioned us and found out about it. I wasn't ready to reveal that then. Hell, I'm still not ready to reveal it now, but Bryce forced my hand."

Annabeth stared at Nico. She had never really thought about his sexual orientation before, and she wasn't sure why he would want to keep it a secret. It wasn't like anyone at the gym would treat him differently. Then again, if Bryce tried to assault him, it made sense why he would be hesitant.

"Reyna saw Bryce and his buddies trying to do that to me," Nico slowly continued. He tensed. "And, Reyna punched him in the face. The fight would have dragged out if a teacher didn't happen to hear the yell and run in to pull everyone apart. Reyna made sure I was okay, and we didn't mention it again. Until a few days later when Reyna didn't come to school, and Bryce taunted me that my protector wouldn't be there to help me the next time."

Lupa brought her hand to her mouth, and it looked like a realization had hit her right in the face. Nico forged on, "I remember that day too well. When Reyna didn't show up to school, I went to the gym because I knew she worked there. No one knew where she was. Octavian thought she just ran away."

"But, I didn't," Lupa said softly. "We went to her place."

"And found her near death," Nico continued. Annabeth slowly looked between the two of them, and Nico met her gaze. "Bryce and his stupid buddies jumped Reyna, and they almost killed her. Reyna made it back to her place and passed out in a pool of her own blood."

Nico spoke like he was trying to make Annabeth understand what kind of monster Bryce was. Annabeth didn't need anyone to tell her. She knew that Bryce had fought in those underground circuits and that he enjoyed it. Only someone screwed up could enjoy those.

"We took care of Reyna, and when she woke up in the hospital, she told us that Bryce had jumped her because she punched him. Because she lost her temper," Nico said. "I begged her not to tell anyone about what Bryce tried to do to me, and she took that to heart. She never did."

"Nico, you could have told me," Lupa began.

"I watched what happened to gays when I was a child," Nico said in a harsh tone. "The first time someone at school learned they tried to assault me. I wasn't going to tell anyone. Reyna just happened to see me kissing another boy. So did Bryce."

"If you have just told me," Lupa insisted.

"Like you told Reyna about her mother?" Nico snapped back harshly. Lupa recoiled. "Because it's not an easy thing to admit!"

"And there's another thing, Lupa. Reyna and I weren't friends at the time. We hardly knew each other. But, Reyna still defended me: a guy she barely knew. You can't fault her for that. It wasn't her temper getting the best of her. She was just trying to help me," Nico whispered. He closed his eyes tightly.

Lupa buried her face in her hand and seemed to be staring down at her desk. Nico took a deep breath, "Bryce threatened to find me and bend me over. He told Reyna that her career would stop her from punching him again because she had too much to lose. Reyna is willing to throw away her entire career for me, but I will not let her do that. That is why you can't suspend her."

"She protected Percy too," Annabeth added in a quiet voice. "Reyna is loyal to an absolute fault, and she will do everything she can to protect her friends and the people she cares for."

"And, she cared for you, Lupa. She saw you like a mother," Nico stated. "Why didn't you tell her?"

"Because I promised not to," Lupa muttered. She ran her hands down her face, and tears were welling in her eyes again. "I didn't know about Reyna until her mother told me. I was just supposed to take her in for a few months. Just enough for her to not be on the streets. Her mother was supposed to come back into her life, but... she didn't."

"Reyna isn't going to want to come back here," Lupa muttered.

"This place is home to her," Annabeth stated. Nico nodded his agreement. "She'll come back. It will take time."

"You need to talk to her," Nico said in what sounded like an order. The furious look was back on his face, but it looked like he was containing himself if barely.

"It's the only way to work this out," Annabeth added on. Lupa studied the two of them. She finally looked down.

"I know," Lupa said softly. "If she'll listen. Is she at home?"

Nico nodded. Lupa wiped her face once again and stood. Annabeth took that as their cue to leave and slowly stood. The door opened once again, and Annabeth turned her heel. She froze as she saw the woman at the door. It was a face that she barely recognized.

It was the same woman that had been there when Reyna got into her car wreck. The one the police officer talked to. The woman was not wearing sunglasses, revealing her black eyes. Those eyes looked just like Reyna's when she was angry.

Nico tensed next to Annabeth. He had no doubt already connected the dots. Annabeth gently placed a hand to his back. The woman spoke, "Lupa, we need to talk."

"I'm not the one who you should be talking to," Lupa spat coldly. Annabeth moved her hand to Nico's shoulders and gently gripped his shirt. "You need to talk to your daughter, Bellona."

The tension in the room tripled, and Nico completely tensed. The woman, Bellona, lifted her chin and continued, "We are going to talk alone. Now."

A small look from Lupa gave Annabeth an instant message. She led Nico out of the room, and thankfully, he didn't try to attack Bellona or even say anything to her. The two of them made their way outside, and Annabeth could see that Nico was seething in rage.

"You going to be okay?" Annabeth asked softly.

"I want to go back and punch her," Nico muttered. "I know better, though. I'm going to go back home and see if Reyna needs me."

"How is Reyna?" Annabeth questioned.

"She's been with her sister for a while," Nico said. He walked towards his car but stopped to look back at her. "Please don't tell anyone about me being gay. Mostly everyone at the gym already knows, but..."

"You want what little agency you can get," Annabeth assumed. Nico nodded. "I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you," Nico breathed. He fully turned and walked towards his car. Annabeth glanced back at the gym. Then, she made her way toward the car. Annabeth needed a good night of sleep, and they would all see what the next day would bring.