Sweet Dreams (Aren't Made of These)

Break

Once again, Athena and her family were back in the car, with Apollo insanely caffeinated, imprisoned behind the wheel, and Courtney in the backseat alongside the cat in its carrier. Two thermoses of coffee had been secured inside the cup holders.

With the sunlight of the new day illuminating the road and the surrounding landscape, they were once again driving.

Athena idly stared out the window, watching the scenery pass by. Things had worsened since yesterday. Where buildings had once been desecrated, scratched up like substitution scratching posts, piles of rubble filled their spots. Metal pipes protruded sporadically from the wreckage like flags of surrender. Trees that once towered were now knocked over, cut up, mutilated. Grass was scarce.

"Why does it look so sad outside?" Courtney asked from the back.

"We'll find out soon enough," said Athena quickly.

She went quiet, accepting Athena's response. Then, "Does this mean I'm not going to school anymore and can't see my friends?"

"Not for now. You get a free break."

"I don't want a break," she pouted, "I want to see my friends..."

"Well, just hold in there for now, okay, sweetheart?" Apollo said. "What do you want to listen to?" His mood had drastically increased since yesterday. Maybe it was the caffeine or the rough draft of a plan he'd devised to carry them through the "apocalypse."

Courtney shrugged. "I dunno," she mumbled in the inarticulate, poorly enunciated way that only toddlers can.

"I could just sing for you," he offered.

Athena cocked an eyebrow. "When did you sing?"

"Darling, I've had so much caffeine that anything sounds like a good idea," he whispered before shifting his attention back to Courtney. " I already have one song memorized. Do you know how many times I had to hear "Guitar's Serenade?" So many times. It's genuinely ingrained into the folds of my brain."

"Ew... why does your brain have folds?"

"Yours does too."

"W-what?! No! Why?!"

"So it can hold all the information you need."

"What?!"

"I could give you a long explanation of how our brains work, or we could figure out the music situation, so I don't go crazy while driving. What'll it be, Courts?" Apollo asked with an amused smirk.

She shuddered. "Music."

"What CD should I be digging for now?" Athena sighed.

"If Courtney doesn't have any requests, it's the driver's dibs. Do you know where my Lamiroir CDs are?" Apollo suggested.

"Probably not, but I'll look anyway. Just for you."

"Love you."

One intense search later, Athena victoriously held up a CD case. "Take that!" she beamed. "I found it in that horribly organized mess you call a glove compartment!"

"Actually, I organized it last week. You're the one who messed it up," Apollo hummed with a smile, watching from the corner of his eye as Athena switched out the CDs.

She pouted. Her hand hovered inches away from the play button."You're so mean to me sometimes, and for what?" she whined melodramatically. "What do you gain from it?"

"Don't be mean!" Courtney chimed in from the backseat. "No fighting!"

"N-no, I'm not being mean. We're not fighting. I'm just teasing Ath-- Mommy. We're just playing around," Apollo quickly explained.