CHAPTER SIXTEEN
( FATHERS: THE WORLD'S
MOST CONFUSING BEINGS )

ACCORDING TO THE L.A. news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.

The kidnapper (a.k.a. Ares) was the same man who had abducted four adolescents in New York and brought them across country on a ten-day odyssey of terror.

Poor little Percy Jackson wasn't an international criminal after all, and Kali Beaumont wasn't his accomplice but rather a fellow victim. They teamed up and caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from their captor (and afterward, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather-clad man on the bus – "Why didn't I remember him before?"). The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St. Louis Arch. After all, no kids could've done that. A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo, and notified the police. Finally, brave Percy Jackson ("I'm starting to like this kid." / "Don't gain an ego, Percy.") had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-rifle on the beach, Kali Beaumont bravely taking his place when the kidnapper knocked him down ("She sounds badass." / "Don't gain an ego, Kali." / "Oh, shut up."). Police had arrived just in time. But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred. Percy Jackson, Kali Beaumont, and their two friends were safely in police custody.

The reporters fed the kids this whole story. They just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted, and played victimized kids for the cameras. It was hard to do so, given the circumstances.

Really, truly amazing how humans wrap their minds around things and fit them into their version of reality.

"All I want," Percy said, choking back his tears, "is to see my loving stepfather again." Kali snorted quietly into Annabeth's shoulder, her own shoulders shaking as if she was crying when in actuality she was silently laughing at Percy's acting. "Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew...somehow...we would be okay. And I know he'll want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store. Here's the phone number."

One of the reporters tried to question Kali once they were done speaking to Percy. Annabeth backed up with her still wrapped in her arms. "Back off! Give her some space! She's been traumatized!"

The police and reporters were so moved and filled with sympathy for them that they passed around a hat to raise money for four tickets on the next plane to New York.

There was no choice but to fly, Percy and Kali both knew that. They hoped Zeus would cut them some slack, seeing as though they were rushing to New York and not further away. But it was still hard for Percy to force himself on board the flight, and Kali's anxiety skyrocketed.

Takeoff was a nightmare. Turbulence was insanely worse than it had been on the flight from Hawaii. It was scarier than facing a Greek monster. The bumps in the air made her nauseous. The entire time, Kali squeezed her eyes shut and clenched a plastic bag she had asked for, and tried to think of anything but crashing and falling to their deaths. She couldn't get off the plane fast enough when they landed safely at La Guardia, literally running out of the terminal when there was space to do so. Percy wasn't that far behind.

The local press was waiting for them outside security, but they managed to to evade them thanks to Annabeth, who lured them away in her invisible Yankees cap, shouting, "They're over by the frozen yogurt! Come on!," then rejoined the others at baggage claim.

The four of them split up at the taxi stand. Annabeth and Grover were told to get back to Half-Blood Hill and let Chiron know what had happened. They protested. Kali didn't want them to go and wished they could come with, especially after all they went through together, but she and Percy had a silent agreement to do the last part of the quest themselves. If things went wrong on Olympus... Annabeth and Grover needed to survive to tell Chiron the truth.

She and Percy hopped in a taxi and headed to Manhattan.

+++

Thirty minutes later, they walked into the lobby of the Empire State Building.

Percy looked like a homeless kid, with tattered clothes and a scraped-up face. Kali knew she didn't look much better, if at all, especially with the cut on her temple. The fact that neither of them had slept in at least twenty-four hours definitely didn't help their appearances.

They walked up to the guard at the front desk. Percy said, "Six hundredth floor."

The man was reading a huge book with a picture of a wizard on the front; Kali tried to read the title but stopped immediately as her dyslexia screwed up the letters. The book must've been good, because the guard took a while to look up. "No such floor, kiddos."

"We need an audience with Zeus," Kali told him.

He gave a vacant smile. "Sorry?"

"You heard me."

Kali began to think this guy was just a regular mortal, and was ready to book it at any sign he thought of them crazy and called the police or a hospital or something. Then he said, "No appointment, no audience, kiddos. Lord Zeus doesn't see anyone unannounced."

"Oh, I think he'll make an exception." Percy slipped off the backpack and unzipped the top.

The guard looked inside at the metal cylinder, not getting what it was for a few seconds. Then his face went pale. "That isn't..."

"Yes, it is," Percy promised. "You want me to take it out and–"

"No! No!" He scrambled out of his seat, fumbled around his desk for a key card, then handed it over.

Kali took it with a too sweet smile. "Thanks!"

"Insert it in the security slot," he told them. "Make sure nobody else is in the elevator with you."

They did as told. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Kali slipped the key into the slot. The card disappeared and a new button appeared on the console, a red one that said 600.

Percy pressed it.

Then they waited, and waited...

Muzak played. "Raindrops keep falling on my head..." Kali sang along under her breath, which earned her a vaguely annoyed side eye from Percy. She sucked in a breath to sing louder. He slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Please shut up– ew!"

Kali snickered as he wiped his hand off.

"That's so gro–"

Ding! The doors slide open, and Percy cut himself off; Kali stopped giggling. They stepped out and simultaneously almost had heart attacks.

They stood on a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Below it was Manhattan, from the height of an airplane. In front of them, white marble steps wound up the side of a cloud and into the sky. Kali's eyes followed the stairway to its end, and her jaw dropped at what she saw.

From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, it's summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces – a city of mansions – all with white-collided porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. Roads wound up crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gardens bloomed with olive trees and rose bushes. There was an open-air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater built into one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other. It was an Ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins. It was new, and clean, and colorful, the way Athena must've looked twenty-five hundred years ago.

It felt...familiar, in a way, to Kali. Looked it, too. She couldn't really explain it. Just that it was familiar. An air of home that reminded her of Camp Half-Blood, or Hawaii, but more of in a nostalgic way.

Did her parents bring her here? Before she got kidnapped?

As they crossed the narrow path, Kali gripped Percy's wrist and didn't let go. Not until they got to the top of the steps that wound the cloud.

Their walk through Olympus was a daze. They passed some giggling wood nymphs who threw olives at Percy and Kali from their garden. Hawkers in the market offered to sell them ambrosia-on-a-stick, and a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the Golden Fleece, as seen on Hephaestus-TV. The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered – satyrs and naiads and a bunch of minor gods and goddesses. Nobody seemed worried about an impending civil war. In fact, everybody seemed in a festive mood. Several of them turned to watch Kali and Percy pass, and whispered to themselves.

Kali broke out of her dazed state and waved a few cautiously. Two waved back, friendly and less hesitant than her; another, a water nymph of some sort, had an expression of recognition and gave a small bow of acknowledgment instead. It made her falter a bit in surprise before continuing on.

They climbed the main road, toward the large palace at the peak. It was a reverse copy of the one in the Underworld where everything there had been black and bronze. Here, the palace was covered in glittering white and silver.

It was clear to her that Hades must have built his palace to resemble this one. He wasn't welcomed in Olympus except on the winter solstice, so he'd built his own underground. Sure, their experience with the god had been pretty bad, and Kali was definitely still mad at him for threatening to kill Percy, but she felt a bit sorry for Hades. To be banished from Olympus seemed unfair. No wonder he was so bitter and angry.

Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the house room.

Well. 'Room' was probably the wrong word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet. Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling that was gilded with moving constellations. Kali could have tilted her head back and watched them for ages. But she didn't. They had a master bolt to return.

Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at camp. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. The thrones were empty except for two at the end: the head throne on the right, and the one to its immediate left. It was obvious who the two gods were, who were waiting for them to approach.

Percy and Kali went to them, nerves at an all time high.

The gods were in giant human form, like Hades had been. It was almost hard to look directly at them, though – an uncomfortably warm tingle was felt through Kali's body, like there was a chance she might begin to burn.

Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, wore a dark blue pinstriped suit. He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum. His beard was well-trimmed, marbled gray and black like a storm cloud. His face was proud and handsome and grim, eyes a rainy gray. As they got nearer, the air crackled and smelled of ozone.

Poseidon sat next to him. Kali had to force herself to keep walking and not stop in her tracks. There were those same sea green eyes with wrinkles at the corners from her memories. His hair was black, like hers and Percy's, and he had a brooding expression that reminded her a lot of Percy. His skin was deeply tanned, hands scarred like an old-time fisherman's. The shirt he had on was a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots covering it, and he wore khaki Bermuda shorts and leather sandals.

His throne was a deep-sea fisherman's chair. It was the simple swiveling kind, with a black leather seat and a built-in holster for a fishing pole. In place of a pole, it held a bronze trident, flickering with green light around the tips.

The gods weren't moving or speaking, it there was a tension in the air, as if they'd just finished an argument.

Percy approached the fisherman's throne with Kali right behind him. He knelt at the god's feet. "Father."

Kali froze. She stared at her father with wide eyes and a parted mouth, not believing the situation she was in. Something flickered in his eyes – amusement and something else she couldn't quite understand. Then, it clicked in her mind what she was supposed to be doing. She hurriedly knelt and greeted him like Percy had done moments before.

To their left, Zeus spoke, "Should you not address the master of this house first, children?"

Percy kept his head down. Kali did too, but only because he warningly and subtly nudged her with his elbow before she could look up.

"Peace, brother," Poseidon finally said. The sound of it drew up old memories she didn't realize she still had – dramatic bedtime stories, sneaking sweets to her behind Mother's back, Triton complaining about something until Poseidon dropped her in his arms with a stern order to 'watch your baby sister.' "The children defer to their father. This is only right."

"You still claim the boy then?" Zeus asked, menacingly. "You claim this child whom you sired against our own sacred oath?"

"I have admitted my wrongdoing," Poseidon said. "Now I would hear him and his sister speak."

Kali frowned to herself at wrongdoing. She casted her eyes to the side to look at Percy, not liking the hurt expression on his face, hidden to the gods but not her.

"I have spared him once already. The girl twice," Zeus grumbled. "Daring to fly through my domain...pah! I should have blasted them out of the sky for their impudence."

"And risk destroying your own master bolt?" Poseidon asked calmly. "Let us hear them out, brother."

Zeus grumbled some more. "I shall listen," he decided. "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast these children down from Olympus."

Her anxiety spiked at that.

"Perseus, Kalliroi," Poseidon said. "Look at me."

They did. It was hard to read the look on his face. Just like an ocean – most of the time, it was unreadable, while there were some days it was clear whether or not it was angry or calm. It was, for all intents and purposes, mysterious. And Poseidon mirrored that in his expression.

As he looked at Percy, Kali got a strange idea that he didn't know what to think of him. Perhaps even vice versa. Then, he looked at her, and she saw nothing but relief. It occurred to her, then, that just like she hadn't seen him since she was four, it was the same for him. And a god or not, he's a parent, and her kidnapping affected him in ways Kali probably won't understand for years, if ever.

But the more she looked at him, the more some bitterness began to form in her chest. She refused to show it on her face.

"Address Lord Zeus, children," Poseidon told them. "Tell him your story."

So they told Zeus everything, just as it had happened. Percy took out the metal cylinder, which began to spark in the presence of the sky god, and laid it at his feet.

There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.

Zeus opened his palm. The lightning bolt flew into it. As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a twenty-foot javelin of arcing, hissing energy that made the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

"I sense the children tell the truth," Zeus muttered. "But that Ares would do such a thing...it is most unlike him."

"He is proud and impulsive," said Poseidon. "It runs in the family."

"Lord?" Percy asked.

They both said, "Yes?"

"You should know that Ares didn't act alone," he told them.

Kali nodded to back him up and said, "He's telling the truth. Something... Someone else came up with the idea."

That's when Percy began to describe his dreams, and Kali chimed in again about their shared one. They both talked of the feeling they felt at the beach, that momentary breath of evil that had seemed to stop the world, and made Ares back off from killing them both.

"In the dreams," Percy said, "the voice told me to bring the bolt to the Underworld. Ares hinted that he'd been having dreams, too. I think he was being used, just as we were, to start a war."

"You are accusing Hades, after all?" Zeus asked.

"No, Lord Zeus," Kali said. "I mean, we've been in the presence of Hades, and I think both Percy and I can agree that this feeling on the beach was different. It was the same one from when we got close to the entrance of Tartarus."

Percy nodded. "Something powerful and evil is stirring down there...something even older than the gods."

Poseidon and Zeus looked at each other. They had a quick, intense discussion in Ancient Greek, too fast for Kali to understand any of it. But she did catch one thing: the word Father.

Poseidon made a suggestion of some kind, but Zeus cut him off. Poseidon tried to argue. Zeus angrily held up a hand. "We will speak of this no more," he said. "I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."

He rose and looked at the two demigods. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. "You have done me a service, children. Few heroes could have accomplished as much."

"We had help, sir," Percy said. "Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase–"

"To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust either of you, Perseus Jackson and Kalliroi Beaumont. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you both live."

"Um...thank you, sir."

Geez. "Yes, thank you," Kali said. Fortunately, it didn't come out as sarcastic.

"Do not presume to fly again. Do not let me find you here when I return. Otherwise you shall taste this bolt. And it shall be your last sensation."

Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone. Probably a good thing, too – Kali could only hold back from talking back to someone who threatened a sibling of hers for so long.

And then it hit her.

She and Percy were alone with their father.

"Your uncle," Poseidon sighed, "has always had a flair for dramatic exits. I think he would've done well as the god of theater."

An uncomfortable silence followed.

"Sir," Percy said, "what was in that pit?"

Poseidon regarded him. "Have you not guessed?"

He looked at Kali. She nodded, then subtly motioned with her head for him to answer. He faced Poseidon again. "Kronos. The king of the Titans."

Even in the throne room of Olympus, far away from Tartarus, the name Kronos darkened the room, made the hearth fire not so warm on their backs.

Poseidon gripped his trident. "In the First War, children, Zeus cut our father Kronos into a thousand pieces, just as Kronos had done to his own father, Ouranos. Zeus cast Kronos' remains into the darkest pit of Tartarus. The Titan army was scattered, their mountain fortress on Etna destroyed, their monstrous allies driven to the farthest corners of the earth. And yet Titans cannot die, any more than we gods can. Whatever is left of Kronos is still alive in some hideous way, still conscious in his eternal pain, still hungering for power."

"He's healing," Percy said, and she nodded again to say she agreed with him. "He's coming back."

He shook his head. "From time to time, over the eons, Kronos has stirred. He enters men's nightmares and breathes evil thoughts. He wakens restless monsters from the depths. But to suggest he could rise from the pit is another thing."

Percy said, "That's what he intends, Father. That's what he said."

Poseidon was silent for a long time.

"Lord Zeus has closed discussion on this matter. He will not allow talk of Kronos. You have completed your quest, my children. That is all you need to do."

"But–" Percy stopped himself. "As...as you wish, Father."

Kali frowned, not liking this. But she kept herself from arguing as well. She didn't want to upset him, or even see what would happen if she did.

A faint smile played on his lips. "Obedience does not come naturally to you, does it?"

"No...sir."

She stayed quiet. Honestly, Kali didn't know if obedience came naturally or not for her. All she knew was that she's ready to fight someone if they threaten her siblings, and unfortunately that always happened by an adult.

"I must take some blame for that, I suppose. The sea does not like to be restrained." Poseidon rose to his full height and took up his trident. Then he shimmered and became the size of a regular man, standing directly in front of them. "You must go, children. But first, know that your mother has returned, Percy."

Percy stared at him, completely stunned. "My mother?"

"You will find her at home. Hades sent her when you recovered the helm. Even the lord of death pays his debts."

"Do you...would you..."

Poseidon's eyes took on a little sadness. "When you return home, Percy, you must make an important choice. You will find a package waiting in your room."

"A package?"

"You will understand when you see it. No one can choose your path, Percy. You must decide."

He nodded, but still looked a little confused.

"Your mother is a queen among women," Poseidon said wistfully. "I had no met such a mortal woman in a thousand years. Still...I am sorry you were born, child. I have brought you a hero's fate, and a hero's fate is never happy. It is never anything but tragic."

Percy said, "I don't mind, Father."

"Not yet, perhaps," he said. "Not yet. But it was an unforgivable mistake on my part."

Well, Kali thought, that's a bit harsh.

"I'll leave you then." Percy bowed awkwardly. "I– I won't bother you again." As he turned to leave, Kali stayed put.

He was five steps away when Poseidon called, "Perseus."

Percy turned.

Kali watched as a different kind of light formed in her father's eyes, a fiery kind of pride. "You did well, Perseus. Do not misunderstand me. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God." When Percy continued his way out, Poseidon looked down at her, a bittersweet smile on his face. "The same goes for you. I am proud to have you as my daughter, Kalliroi. But now, you should leave with your brother."

But she didn't move. She didn't think she could. Her emotions were swelling up, and there was a lump forming in her throat. She had so many questions, so many thoughts, running around in her head that she didn't know what to do.

"How– How's Mother?" came out of her mouth rather a parting word of agreement.

"Queen Amphitrite misses you every day. Her sisters love telling us stories and updates from Camp Half-Blood," he fondly yet sadly told her. "She wants you to visit Atlantis some day. It is why she decided to gift you that necklace."

Kali raised a hand and gently touched it. "I'll, um... My adoptive family doesn't know about," she waved a hand, "this. But maybe I will, someday, if I can."

He grinned. "She would love that. We all would." The grin faded a little. He carefully extended a hand and brushed the hair away that had fallen in her face; Kali forced herself to to flinch. He was careful of the cut on her temple. "You are growing to look so much like her. Our dear Princess of the Seas."

She tried for a smile, but was pretty sure it came off teary and wobbly. She took a step back, and her father's hand fell back to his side. "I should go... Um, but one more question."

"Yes?"

Kali had to ready herself mentally to ask it. "Do you ever watch over me in New York?"

Do you know? was the silent question. About Ralph, and the abuse? Any of it at all?

Poseidon shook his head. "Zeus has forbade us from interacting in any way with our children – unless, that is, you pray to us."

Slowly, she nodded. He didn't know. Was that worse or better than him knowing and not doing a thing? And Kali never really prayed, did she? She just did offerings and occasionally talked to the ocean.

"Okay," she whispered, and cleared her throat. She took another step back. "Okay. I... I should g- go catch up with Percy. Goodbye, Father."

Poseidon's face softened into that bittersweet look again. "Farewell, Kalliroi."

Kali turned on her heel, and walked. Then, broke into a jog once she left the throne room. She slowed down when she got into the city, but only because everyone was kneeling, faces filled with gratitude and respect. It almost felt uncanny.

She held back her tears some more and caught up with Percy, who seemed to be in a trance. Neither of them spoke until they got into the elevator.

"Are we heroes?" he quietly asked.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I don't feel like one right now."

He quietly sighed. "Yeah. Neither do I."

+++

They caught a taxi. Gave the driver directions to Percy's place, and then to Kali's. The entire ride there was a lump in her throat that wouldn't go away. It stayed as she got out and walked into her apartment building. And was still there when she knocked on her apartment's door, anxious with...anticipation? Fear?

Ralph opened the door not too soon after. He looked confused, then shocked when he saw Kali, and his face broke into pure relief. "Oh, Kali." She nearly backed up when he went to her, and before she knew it Ralph had picked her up in the tightest hug ever. Exclamations of relief and thankfulness in Hawaiian left his mouth, bringing her inside and shutting the door. "You're back!"

It was such a whiplash from when she'd last seen him. Then she remembered his interview in the newspaper, and her wonder at his worry for her and the anger that it probably wasn't true. But here he was, showing clear signs of relief that she was okay. That's when the lump on her throat became too much. When the tears finally broke free.

Kali hugged him back, arms tightly wound around his neck. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't– I didn't... We–"

Ralph shushed her. "I don't know what I would've done if we lost you like we did Auli'i. I am so glad you're okay, sweetheart."

She continued to cry. If she wanted to stop, she didn't know if she would be able to. All of her emotions had come to a head and the dam that held them back broke. In the back of her mind, confusion swirled around, wondering why Ralph wasn't mad or yelling or hitting. He was acting like his old self before Auli'i died, when he got worried for one of them for one reason or another.

Eventually, he set her down. Her feet touched the floor, and he let go, crouching in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. Kali wiped away the tears, hiccuping once or twice.

"Hey, look at me, Kali," Ralph said. She sniffled as she dropped her arms. His hands moved too quick for comfort, and she flinched as he cupped her face, eyes blinking rapidly before her sight finally focused on Ralph. "Do not scare Naia and Makoa like that again. Do you understand me?"

Her brows furrowed. "I didn't do it on pur–"

"Don't talk back to me," he lightly snapped. Her heartbeat sped up and she refrained from instinctively backing away from his touch. "I said, do you understand?"

Kali shut her mouth and nodded as fast as the hands cupping her face would let her.

Okay, so he was mad.

"Good." He breathed out, sounding relieved, then pulled her into another hug. She went along limply and only used one arm to return it. "I shouldn't have told you to stay gone when you left. I'm sorry, Kal. That won't happen again."

"It's okay," she whispered.

It wasn't, though. But what else was supposed to say? Besides, maybe he actually meant the apology this time. Maybe he actually regretted telling her that. After all, he seemed to have been genuinely worried about her these past ten days. Right? And he had a reason to be mad when she left; she flunked a class at school and left Naia and Makoa alone, it made sense that he got angry.

"Daddy? Who was at the–" The voice cut himself off with a gasp.

Kali pulled herself away from Ralph and smiled at the sight of Makoa. "Hi, Koa."

His little face broke into the biggest grin ever. "Kali!" he screamed. Then, there was a small body barreling toward her, and she stumbled back by the force of the hug.

"Kali's back?!" Naia yelled from down the hall. First Kali heard more running footsteps, and then her little sister was turning the corner and coming at her almost as fast as Makoa had been. "You're back, you're okay!" Naia yelled again. She hugged Kali as best she could with Makoa not letting go.

Kali laughed and hugged them back the best she could. "Of course I am," she said. "I promised."

"Don't do that again," Makoa mumbled into her shirt. There was a damp spot forming where his face was. "It was scary."

"I... I'm sorry. I won't, okay?" Kali hesitated, then. "But I need to go back to camp."

Immediately, Naia and Makoa protested, their voices mingling loudly.

"I– I need to," Kali said. "I do. They... The camp counselors need to know I'm okay, too. And my friends." She anxiously glanced up at Ralph, who now stood near them, and away again. "And I'll probably stay the rest of the summer."

Ralph crossed his arms. "Why should I let you go back? You were supposed to be at camp, but got kidnapped in the city."

"We, um, a group of us wanted McDonald's," Kali lied. "So one of the counselors decided to take us, but the crowds were really big and we got separated from the others. Our kidnapper got us before we could make it back to the counselor and the other campers. It wasn't on purpose, I swear."

He just stared at her, unhappy. She couldn't tell if he believed her lie or not.

"I will only allow it if you promise to stay at the camp," he said after a long stretch of silence. "No McDonalds trips. Nothing. I don't want to deal with you having gotten kidnapped again." His features softened. "You really scared us, Kal."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "But I'll stay in the camp this time. I promise."

Ralph smiled. "That's all I ask." He rested a hand on her head and ruffled her hair, just a tad too hard. "Why don't you stay for a bit before you go back, hm? Spend some time with your brother and sister."

Kali nodded, and he turned and walked away. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and looked at Naia and Makoa. "What do you want to do before I leave?"

+++

Three hours. That's how long she decided to stay at the apartment before saying her goodbyes; they even had lunch together.

Mostly it was to see if Ralph's mood was going to do a 180 while she was there. It never did. He didn't get overly mad once. He even asked to drive her back to camp, but she denied the offer, not knowing what she would do if he ever figured out where Camp Half-Blood was, even with the magical barrier that kept monsters and mortals out.

Luckily, Argus was in the parking lot waiting for her. She hopped in without a word; she didn't even ask how long he'd been waiting for her. The ride was silent, Kali stuck in her own head about Poseidon and Ralph. She had no idea what to think of either of them right now.

Poseidon seemed to care for both her and Percy. He seemed to have missed her over the years, and even though he called Percy a 'mistake' he never sounded like he hated his half-blood son. He seemed to genuinely care, in his own immortal way. But Ralph...where to start with him? The entire past three hours had her confused. He acted nice and like he had really been worried. She knew it wouldn't last, but that didn't stop from wondering if her 'kidnapping' made him have a change of heart. Maybe she was wrong about it not lasting?

Confusion swirled within her – so much that she didn't notice they arrived back at camp until Argus opened the passenger door.

She stared at him and blinked in surprise. "Oh. Sorry, Argus."

Kali tried to push her thoughts away about Poseidon and Ralph, and got out. She walked up the hill with crossed arms and her head down, only looking up when she heard a shout.

"Hey! There she is!"

Two figures stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill. She was disappointed that neither person was Percy, Annabeth, or Grover, or someone from her group of friends, but plastered a small smile on her face for Connor Stoll and Luke Castellan.

"Hi," she greeted when she got to the top. Argus passed them by after a nod of acknowledgment. "What are you two doing?"

"Chiron wanted someone to keep a lookout for you," Luke explained.

"And I volunteered to do it with Luke." Connor grinned, sword resting on his shoulder as if he was trying to look cool. "It's good to see you back in one piece!"

"Yeah, we were beginning to get worried after Percy, Annabeth, and Grover came back but not you. Everything okay?"

Kali nodded. "Yeah, totally. Just needed to tell my adoptive family I was alive and all, you know?" Before the conversation about that could go on she asked, "Where's Percy? And Annabeth and Grover?"

"They're speaking with Chiron in the Big House," said Connor. "Come on, I'll take you there."

Kali rolled her eyes with no real annoyance. "I don't need an escort. I can handle myself – especially now I'm back within the boarders of camp. Plus I don't trust you to have, like, a bucket of mud dumped on me or something along the way."

Connor laughed. "Now, that's a good idea. With worms, too. Maybe some bugs, or pegasus sh–"

Luke cut him off with a small laugh. "Alright, enough. Why don't you go tell Grant and Ari she's back, Connor? They'll want to know. I can take Kali to the Big House."

Connor paused and looked up at his brother. He shrugged after a second, expression shockingly unreadable as he did so. "Sure," he agreed. He began to walk away. "See you later, Kali!" He walked backwards with a wave and a smile, and only turned around once she waved back.

Then, she began the trek to the Big House with Luke.

"I seriously don't need an escort," Kali complained to him.

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you," Luke said and lifted a hand to ruffle the top of her hair. She ducked out from under it the instant he touched the top of her head, uncomfortable with the action with just having been with Ralph. If he found it odd, he didn't mention it. "I want to make sure you're okay. Quests are dangerous, and you look exhausted."

Kali said, annoyed, "Well, I'm fine. Just tired." And still sore from the fight with Ares, but she wasn't about to tell Luke that. "We're at camp, anyway. Not much danger can get to us here."

"Alright, alright," he said, and she glanced at him to see he lifted in hands in a surrender gesture. He wore a small amused smirk. "I'm sorry for being responsible and keeping an eye on you." There was a pause before he asked, "How did the shoes work, by the way?"

She shrugged with one shoulder. "They worked fine. But the shoes..." Kali trailed off. She kept her eyes trained on the ground ahead of her. That's the second time he's asked about the shoes. It almost made her suspicious, but that feeling went away just as quickly when she remembered they were his – a gift from his dad, Hermes. Of course he would ask about them. "They got lost in all the action. Sorry, Luke. But they did help from time to time."

"Oh, well that's too bad," he said. "But I'm glad you guys got some help from them."

Kali hummed and nodded. She stayed quiet the rest of the walk to the Big House.

————

A/N— before anyone says anything or asks about Ralph being "nice" and being worried about Kali, it's all part of the cycle of the abuse. in some instances, abusers are abusive nearly right off the bat like Gabe was to Percy & Sally, but a lot of the times there's a cycle were they start of nice for some time, then show their true colors and then apologize and/or guilt trip/manipulate the person they're abusing by acting nice and being like "look what you made me do, this may as well be your fault :(" and that's what is happening with Ralph and Kali. which, yeah, is probably very confusing for an 11 year old, especially after the week she's had

so, i'm not writing him out of character at all. there's a common cycle of abuse, and i'm doing my best to show that

btw, the next chapter is the longest one yet at almost 8k words, so get ready for a long read the next time i update lol