The Beginning of the End (J. Grace)

XVIII: Brownies with... peach preserves

My back hurt like hell. I'm surprised it didn't break.

The moment Shrimpzilla had been blown up, Wise Girl, Coach, the table Buford and I rushed around repairing things to prevent the ship from sinking. Despite being exhausted, Seaweed Brain searched the ocean for Hazelnut, Iron Man and Teddy Bear while Lightning Boy flew around the rigging putting out fires from the green explosion. He looked like a blonde superman. Dove was staring at her knife, willing it to show her where the others were, but so far there had been no luck.

The night come and passed, but none of us slept.

Guineapig continued scouring the sea floor for any sign of them, Jason flying around over the ocean and myself running atop it, trying in vain to locate them. Meanwhile, Bethy Baby and Piper had sent a message to Chiron, warning him of the danger which is to come (aka: the Romans).

The whole ordeal was driving me to insanity.

I can't lose both my kids.

I won't lose both my kids.

After ages and around a hundred wide laps of the ship, probably spanning a few miles, I started screaming at the sky. Screaming at the Gods. Lightning Boy had flown down to me when I started that. He managed to calm me down enough to run back to the ship so that I could be still for a moment while we all waited there, hoping for a miracle.

Only, I couldn't stay still. Somewhere in those waters is my daughter. Somewhere in those waters there may be another one of those Shrimpzilla things.

Finally, a miracle did happen: three pink bubbles bursting at the surface of the starboard bow and ejecting the three. I think I cried a little at sight of them, relief flooding through me.

Dove dived straight into the water, her nervous pacing forgotten in that instant, and she paddled over to Leo, giving him a kiss on the cheek and hugging him tightly. Those two remind me so much of siblings.

"Miss me?" I could hear him laugh as I darted over the water to meet them, pulling my daughter up onto the ship and hugging her tightly to my chest, letting a couple of tears spill before finally composing myself and helping the others out of the water while Jason took his turn embracing Hazelnut.

"Where were you?" Piper demanded, suddenly angry with them. "How are you guys alive?"

"Long story." He sighed as I hauled Frank out and a picnic basket bobbed to the surface next to him. "Want a brownie?"

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We all gathered on the quarterdeck for a celebratory breakfast -apart from Hedge who complained about the cuddly atmosphere- after they'd changed into dry clothes (and poor Frank had to borrow a pair of Lightning boy's too-small trousers). They told us about some fish-centaurs and their training camp which actually sounded really cool. Why did I land on deck and not in the sea?

"Incredible." Jason nodded his head once they were finished and I went in for a second brownie. "These are really good brownies."

"That's your only comment?" Dove demanded while Annabeth and I burst out laughing.

"What?" He feigned hurt. "I heard the story: fish-centaurs, merpeople, letter of intro to the Tiber River God. Got it. But these brownies- "

"I know." Teddy Bear agreed after swallowing his mouthful. "Try them with tinned peaches."

"That," Hazelnut decided. "Is incredibly disgusting."

"Pass me the jar, man." Jason held out an expectant hand.