Fall Into Me

..XIX..

Content Warnings:

Minerva's Rape is mentioned. It's not detailed, but they do talk about it.

"Before we start, I would like to check in with you all," Aphrodite said, "being on a yacht for two weeks isn't ideal, I know. Mona, how are you coming along?"

"I'm remembering more," Mona said, shifting to be closer to Minerva, who offered her hand to her. Mona took it and felt her heart rate calm slightly. Aphrodite was scary to look at and the aura she gave off made Mona want to crawl in a hole and never come out again.

"Very good. And you, Minerva? Is the baby situation dealt with?" When Minerva flinched, Helena winced and glared at the back of Aphrodite's head.

"Yes," she replied shortly, not elaborating. Mona squeezed her hand, raising it to her mouth and kissing the back of it to calm her.

"Are you well?"

"Do I look well?" Minerva snapped at her. "Do I sound well? People tried to kill my wife, tried to kill me, are still trying to kill us, and you're here to what? Ask us how our day is going? Check to see if we're ready to throw ourselves off the yacht yet? Get on with it, Aphrodite. I want to go home, I am sick of this fucking ocean."

A small smile tilted the corners of Aphrodite's lips and she nodded once, saying, "well, that didn't take as long as I thought it would. Fiona told me to egg you on, to see if you've come back to yourself at all. She'll be pleased to know that you're getting there."

"Oh, wonderful," Minerva grumbled, realising Aphrodite had laid a trap and she'd jumped into it willingly.

"I'll get to my points, but there is one other thing that we must deal with first. Helena," Aphrodite said her name so sharply it was like a whip crack. "Stop glaring at me and come here." Helena did as she was told. "Have you told Mona why you're so protective of her? Have you told Minerva, or did you spew the same bullshit to her that you did Fiona the first time?"

"What?" Minerva seethed immediately, and Mona squeezed her hand to keep her still, watching Helena's eyes widen a fraction.

"I don't know what you-,"

"Lie to me again, Helena," Aphrodite's tone was icy, a warning that promised only pain and suffering. Helena cast a wary glance over at Lorelei, but she hadn't taken her eyes off Aphrodite since they'd all come in, watching her every move like a very attentive hawk. "Lorelei won't help you. She wants to drown you, and I might just let her. The truth, now."

"It's not that simple," Helena deflected, "it's a delicate situation-,"

"Either you tell them or I do."

"Dr Bennett, you can't just-,"

"Helena is Mona's sister," Aphrodite said. "When their birth mother died in labour, Helena was left alone because Atlas didn't know she existed. She went into the system and bounced around several foster homes, until she clawed her way through med school, and ended up in a drug den."

"Wait, wait-," Mona began, but was cut off by Esme.

"You knew this whole time and you said nothing?!" She snapped at Helena who winced.

"It wasn't that simple, I didn't want to upset anyone."

"Wasn't that simple?" Diana frowned at her, then pointed at Aphrodite, "but she just said it pretty fuckin' easily?"

"Wait, wait," Mona tried to make their arguments stop, but it didn't work. Minerva didn't get involved in them, instead focusing on calming Mona.