A Fire Burns Within Me Version 2

Back to School

Previously:
With a final 'Thank you', my mother herded us all upstairs. She sent Frank into one room and made me come with her into the other one.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight for a while, Percy, I've missed you," she said tearfully when I tried protesting.

Resigned to my fate, I just smile and let her take the bed.

Our stay at Jethro Gibbs' house was short, as it was only a few days. We didn't see him very much because it seemed like he got cases every day. When we did see him, he had us help on his boat in the basement and made steak over the fire in his fireplace.

It was great.

He seemed to sense that all of us had some kind of dad issue—or he was missing a kid (I saw a plate in the cabinet that must have been made by his kid or something).

It was when mom saw a Cyclopes wandering the neighborhood on her walk that we realized we might have stayed too long. Mom helped Frank and I pack the bags we both got from the gods and Zoe was on her way in a taxi. Gibbs and Bishop had already left for work.

"You have water? Ambrosia? Nector?" Mom riffled through the bags she packed for us. "Extra clothes? Drachmas? Frank, you have enough arrows? Percy, you have the weapons you need?"

"Yes, Mom," we both said in unison.

"Good," she sighed. "I am going to o call Jethro to tell him we're leaving and see about locking up the house too."

"Mom, he doesn't leave this place locked." I reminded her.

She paused. "Right, that's right. I'm calling anyways."

Frank and I smiled at each other as my mom left the room with the phone to her ear. I fell onto the couch with a sigh and took out Riptide to fiddle with. Frank joined me eventually.

"How long until Zoe gets here?" He asked.

"I am here, Zhang." Zoe said. There was no sign or indication that she came through the door at all. Her sudden appearance startled Frank so much he fell out of his seat.

"Boys?" My mom's worried voice came from the other room.

"Zoe's here, Mom!" I called, trying to hide my laughter. Frank frowned at me and half heartedly threw a punch at me.

"I'll be right there," she called back, sounding relieved.

A few minutes later, she came around the corner to embrace first Frank, then me, then Zoe. She looked at Zoe and laughed. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you are with these two." She said. "Keep an eye on them for me?"

Zoe's return smile was the first full one I'd seen on her in my entire life. "I will, Lady Sally."

My mom then gave me one last hug. "Say goodbye to McGee and Abby for me?" I asked.

"As long as you use your common sense." She said firmly. "I know I can't ask you to be safe, so promise me that."

I didn't know if I could even promise her that but I did anyways.

This being the first time in a while I've gone through a door calmly, I glanced outside just to make sure. Nothing. I'm getting paranoid. However, as I stepped through the door, holding onto Frank and Zoe's hands, I had an ugly feeling that it might be the last time we'd be going without having to fight someone.