chapter fifty-five

─── juno hates me, and the feeling is decidedly mutual

          ℭold water shocked my senses. Everything around me was freezing to the touch, my heart rate speeding up as I took a deep breath trying to reorientate myself.

It was so dark.

Ice was shattering around me, and I yelped, dodging as a large chunk of ice went rocketing past me, almost catching me and dragging me down to the depths of the bay. I could hear the ice cracking around me, the sound amplified beneath the water as I took another shaky breath.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty." I spun, looking for the voice, the eerily familiar voice as my panic grew. It was cold. It was too cold. "Take a deep breath."

"Luke?" There was no reply, but I knew the voice. "Luke!"

Still there was nothing, as something went flying into the back of me, a slab of ice pushing me towards the bottom as I tried not to panic. I knew I couldn't drown, I couldn't drown at all, but this was feeling very much like drowning and I hated it.

I twisted once more, trying to orientate myself and work out what way was up. Looking around, I caught sight of the bottom of the bay, glints of gold catching my eyes and staring back up at me. It looked like Imperial gold.

"Andi...?" The nickname was so right in that voice. It was the only voice that could call it. "Andi!"

There was a call of my name again, and I could recognise who shouted for me. I knew it was Luke, and it felt so real even though I knew it wasn't. I looked up at the surface, a hand was in the water, reaching out for me, and I swam towards it. Grasping on, I closed my eyes and waited to be pulled up. 

"Gods above, Andi, I think you're trying to give me more grey hairs."

It's not the dark skies of Alaska that greet me when I open my eyes, but bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds. The sun is beating down on me, warming my skin, as a hand squeezes mine and hauls me upwards. 

I come face to face with soft blue eyes, a large scar running across one of them.  It's pale against his skin, but faded as if it was some time ago. A warm smile accompanies the soft eyes, and for a moment, everything fades around me as I stare at him. 

I'm home.

"Sometimes I think you live to give me stress." Luke's standing on a wooden pier, dressed in shorts and an orange shirt that I know belongs to the other camp, my camp. "Come on. We've got dinner."

"Where are we?" I didn't know the exact location, but I needed to know it if I was going to get back to him.

"Now, you're messing with me." Luke pointed over at me, pulling trainers on as I padded after him. There was a set of clothes by another pair of shoes, and I was quick to pull it on over the bikini that I had been in. Was this a dream? Was this my life flashing before my eyes as I drowned? "I know you ran into a tree during Capture the Flag, but I don't think it was hard enough for you to lose memories. Five cleared you."

I ran into a tree? Five?

"No I didn't." I began to protest, thinking back on it. How could I have run into a tree? Surely I would have seen that happening. "I wouldn't run into a tree."

"The tree had some strong words to say about you." Luke's teasing, a grin on his face as I follow him, starting to protest already. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger."

"I wouldn't run into a tree." I scoffed, folding my arms as Luke doubled back. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, the weight familiar as I attempted to roll my eyes. "I have eyes."

"You weren't using them."

"Who's side are you on?"

"The tree's." Luke shot back, grinning as I shoved him off of me, scowling. "No, I'm joking. Come on, Sleeping Beauty, you know I'm always in your corner."

"Yeah right."

"Always, always, always." Luke wrapped me back in his arms, smiling as I huffed. His grip was tight, but not in a constricting way. It felt safe and warm, and I was more than happy to let my head fall against his chest as he chuckled. His heart beat was strong and steady, and his skin warm. He was here and I could breathe again. 

"You weren't on my side when you set a hellhound on me." My tone was teasing, and I began to giggle at the thought of it. He hadn't known how to deal with his feelings and fears, and he'd shot-

Oh.

My head snapped up as Luke began to roll his eyes and tease me. It was like something had clicked in my mind, emotions and memories of things that I'd forgotten rushing over me. I could remember it all now. Reaching up, I grabbed his cheeks, pulling him back down until I could kiss him. I didn't know if this was real, or a dream, or a memory. Everything was confusing me, but I needed to kiss him. I needed to tell him what I hadn't been able to in the last dream.

I kissed him until my oxygen ran out, pulling back and looking up at him with wide eyes.

"I love you." I panted, tears filling up in my eyes as my emotions overwhelmed me. All of them, all the pain, all of the misery. "I love you, I'm so sorry, I didn't want-I didn't want to-to go. You have to believe me. I didn't want to leave, Luke, I did-"

"Hey, hey." Luke cut me off, stopping me, a soft smile on his face. "I know. It's alright."

"I-" 

"It's alright, Andi, darling." He kissed the side of my head. 

"Is this real or a dream? Are y-"

"I was wondering when you'd clock. Didn't want to freak you out if you hadn't got them all back yet." He tapped my head as I clung to him. I didn't want to let him go and be taken from him again. "I take it you didn't stay put."

"I couldn't." My nails dug into his shoulders, fighting back tears as I took a deep breath. He smelled so familiar, like home and an aching feeling settled deep in me. I knew it well enough, now realising my memories and dreams far more. I could put a name to it.

It was grief. Pure grief. 

For all the children that had been lost, for Puck, for Tys-

"He's dead, isn't he?" I whispered as Luke's arms tightened around me. My brother's laugh and smile played in my head, as my nails left crescent moon marks on his shoulders. I dreaded the next words, even though I knew they were true.

"Yeah."

"I thought he was alive." I felt tears well up, my voice cracking. "I thought I was going to get back to him."

"I'm so sorry. I'll be there soon, I promise."

"This is a dream. How can you even promise that? You're a figment of my imagination." I pulled back, the place around me fading away as I started to go back to reality. I needed to get out of the water. "You're telling me what I want to hear."

"It's still me." Luke ran his hand through my hair, detangling it gently. "You've got to wake up now. They need your help."

"I don't want to go."

"I'll be here." He kissed my head. I knew he would be. He was in every key memory of mine from the last five years, every milestone and achievement, he was stood by my side. I had months and years of memories to look back on, containing the both of us and our friends. "It's alright, Andi. I promise."

"You won't leave?"

"Never." Luke began to fade, the edges of him becoming blurry as I felt his warmth and touch disappear. My hands slipped through him as he disappeared. Coldness surrounded me, ice crackling in my eyes. My eyes snapped open.

I was Andromeda Jackson. I was twenty-one years old. Hera had stolen my memories and my brother was dead.

∘☽༓☾∘

It took me a while to get the key points of my memories into categories. I had to work everything out, sort out who I was again, my emotions and how I was feeling. I was so angry, sad too, but mainly angry.

Looking up, I caught sight of two familiar figures rushing towards me.

"Alright?" I forced a smile onto my face.

"You're alright!" Frank beamed, not slowing down. He tackled me, his entire weight going into me as I went crashing backwards. Hazel joined too, both of them clinging onto me as I laughed.

"That fall? Please, that was nothing." I grinned at them, hugging them back as I looked for any obvious injuries. "I fell twice that far from the St Louis Arch."

"Your memories are all back, aren't they?" Hazel pulled back, grinning. "You know who you are!"

"Pretty much."

"I'm so glad you didn't drown." She hugged me tightly once more, and I pretended not to see the tears in her and Frank's eyes. "I thought-"

"Probably meant that a Daughter of Neptune will drown a shit ton of ghosts." I laughed, before turning to Frank and nudging him as he helped me up. "I got a bone to pick with you though, Zhang."

He looked terrified for a moment.

"You can turn into an eagle? A bear?"

"And an elephant!" Hazel piped up.

"And an elephant. You've been holding out on me." I laughed, hands on my hip as he blushed. "That's pretty cool, kid. Family gift?"

"Yeah." He blushed harder, scuffing his feet. "My ancestor, Periclymenus, the Argonaut. He could do it, and he passed it to me. Got the gift from Poseidon."

"Damn, thanks dad." I laughed, teasing Frank as he blushed more. "I wish I got the turning gene."

"You can breathe underwater, and you like, summoned an earthquake!"

"Yeah, I'm a bit too overpowered. It's why they took the memories." I winked.

"If you two are done, we need to go." Hazel explained. "Camp Jupiter is under attack. They could really use that gold eagle."

"Just one more thing." I turned back to the glacier edge. "There's about a ton of Imperial gold weapons and armour at the bottom of the bay, plus a really nice chariot. Now, I just think that might come in handy."

It took us a while, but these weapons were essential and the difference between victory and defeat. Hazel used her abilities to pull them out of the mud and locate them, whilst Frank and I hauled things up from the silt. It took all three of us to get the chariot ashore, using Frank's rope to strap down most of the gold weapons and the best pieces of armour.

"It looks like Santa's sleigh." Frank pointed out. "Can Arion even pull that much?"

Can Arion even pull that much? Shut up! Course I can! What are you, an idiot?

"Come on man." I turned to the horse, throwing my arms out as he huffed. "Dude, be nice."

Fine, I can pull it, but feed me first. Happy?

"Very." I nodded. "He wants some food."

"Here you go, Arion." Hazel held out an old Roman dagger, bent and dull so wouldn't be very good in a fight. "High-performance fuel."

The horse chewed it up like an apple as Frank and I shot each other concerned look.

"I'm not doubting Arion's strength-" Frank began carefully, as Arion shot him a glare. "But will the chariot hold up? The last one-"

"This one has Imperial gold wheels and axle." I pointed out. "It should hold."

"If not, this is going to be a short trip." Hazel beamed. "But we're out of time. Come on!"

"Wait! What about death?" I called, looking between the pair.

"He let us go." Frank and Hazel turned to me, grinning nervously on the back of the chariot. "He decided we'd done him a favour and my name wasn't on the list, so he let us go."

"What? Really?" They both nodded. "You're not lying to me? Cause if you are, this is a terrible joke."

"No, the truth, 100%." Hazel laughed at me. "I'm staying."

I wrapped an arm around her, swinging her around as she giggled.

"Romy!"

"The Romans can wait for a few seconds more." I pulled back, grinning. "I'm so happy for you and proud of you for defeating that giant. You did incredible."

"Thanks Romy." Hazel smiled, as I squeezed her shoulder. She climbed onto Arion's back as Frank and I scrabbled into the chariot and began to get ready. We banged the side of the chariot, before Arion took off, and we left our stomach back in Alaska.

All I knew was that I was going home.

∘☽༓☾∘

Hiya,

I just thought, since everyone's been so patiently waiting, we could have a slight Luke and Andi reunion now. There is more Luke and Andi, promise, but hopefully everyone enjoyed this little snippet of them. Andi, Hazel and Frank are such a cute trio, and I love them all so much.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx