When MYTHS Become Real

We all waited around with bated breath. Even the monsters were too stunned to do anything. My brothers, Annabeth, and Grover came to crowd around me and Nico. "I hope it worked," Percy mutterer weakly as Tyson supported his weight, "because if not, he's going to be pissed at you for trying to wipe his memory."
I could barely breathe but watched as the shadow became slowly more substantial. "Not like I could've made it too much worse."
The darkness around Kronos faded until a grey-haired man stood stooped with his eyes closed. He reminded me of my great grandpa Raymond, the only relative that had ever visited my mom and me. When his eyes opened they were dark brown, almost as dark as Nico's eyes. There was some mean spark within the depths but he looked more confused than anything. "What is this?!" he boomed.
"Oh crap," I hissed, arming myself with whatever liquid was spilled on the floor and was ready to send out a tidal wave if need be.
"Who are you people? Get out of my house," he growled like every crotchety old man Clint Eastwood ever played.
"Oh wow, it worked," Annabeth mumbled. I would've been a little insulted if I wasn't just as stunned.
"Now what?" Percy asked. "What do we tell him?"
I shrugged. "I have no clue. I stuck at improv. Why do you think I got a D in drama?"
"Because you can't read," my obnoxious brother retorted.
I expected Annabeth to come up with a brilliant solution to this new mess, but it was a surprise when someone else spike up. It was an even bigger surprise when I realized who'd stepped forward. "This isn't your house," Clarisse said gently. "We were just on a
field trip to the city and you started feeling bad. You're having an episode. Alzheimer's."
Kronos blinked. He seemed to be buying her story. Hell, she nearly had me convinced. The only time I'd seen Clarisse act even remotely kind and not like a warrior was when she was with her boyfriend so it was weird to see her step up like this.
The Titan nodded once solemnly.
"We need to discuss this," Zeus demanded. I jumped and realized that all the monsters were gone, probably fled, except the Medusa I've sculpture. The gods looked weary and it seemed even they didn't know what to do about the new Kronos. I guess it wasn't as easy to kill your farther when he was a little old man with no memory. "Children, if you would follow the nymphs and take him to lie down, we will convene here."
I turned to leave, really hoping I could
lie down, too. A nap sounded beyond awesome. I started walking with the others but Zeus's commanding voice stopped me. "Everyone except the cabin leaders and Naida."
I leaned exhaustedly on Nico while the gods deliberated. My heavy eyelids stated to close and I was practically napping on my boyfriend's shoulder.
"Naida," my father's deep voice pulled me from my near slumber, "you stopped Kronos. What do you think?"
All eyes turned to me. Poseidon gave me a tentative smile. My lips dried up and my mouth tasted like sand. I swallowed back the lump that clogged my throat and tucked a strand of red hair behind my ear nervously. "He has no idea who he is. As of right now, he's harmless. But I know better than anyone that forgetting isn't necessarily permanent. I say find somewhere for him to go where you all can keep an eye on him."
"You want us to take care of Kronos?" I'd never met Queen Hera, but she was easy to pick out in her marble throne and the pompous attitude Annabeth talked about.
"I already have to watch out for the parent I actually care about and-"
Nico's hand slapped over my mouth before I could say anything even more stupid.
"Excuse her," Annabeth said quickly. "It's been a long day for everyone, but Naida especially."
Annabeth's mom looked a lot like her when she studied me for a second. A small smile curved her mouth. "We will consider that. My Lord Zeus, perhaps this should be decided amongst ourselves."
The king of the sky nodded once. "You may go."
I was grumpy and tired and after the week I had I figured I could afford a little leniency. Instead of going to the
Olympus waiting room with the others, Nico and I took a cab back to my apartment. Mom wasn't home and as much as I wanted to let her know I was alive, I was in desperate need of some sleep. Nico took a spot on the couch and opened his arms to me. I smiled and curled up into him and before long I was asleep on his lap.
Mom’s shrill voice pulled me from a deep sleep. “Naida Hale! What is going on here?”
I bolted upright while Nico rubbed sleep from his eyes. It didn’t take long to realize what a compromising position my mom found us in. And judging from the murderous look on her face, I was probably safer in the Fields of Punishment. “Mom, don’t freak out.”
She threw her hands up in the air and let out a harsh laugh. “I don’t know which I’m more angry about, the fact that I just walked in with the two of you sleeping together-“
My eyes widened and I put my hands up defensively. “Not like that, Mom. I swear. It was purely innocent.”
“Or,” she continued as if I hadn’t’ spoken, “the fact that I’ve been worried sick about you and you didn’t call to tell me that you’re okay. Poor Sally has had to deal with me and my crazy for the last week.”
I got up and wrapped my arms around my mom to stop her ranting. She squeezed me tightly and sobbed into my hair. “Mom, it’s okay. I’m okay.”
She cried against me for another minute before taking a steadying breath and pulling away. Her eyes were as red as her hair but her lips curved into a smile. She glanced over my head at Nico who was waiting out of the way of anymore tears, just like a typical boy. “Nico, it’s good to see you again. I’m glad that you’re both safe. That being said, however, I will not tolerate finding you two in this predicament ever again. Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” my boyfriend answered and I could hear just a hint of fear at my mom’s obvious outrage.
She’d been my age when she became a single teen mom so I could understand how angry she was to find me so close with Nico. But her eyes softened after a minute and she smiled. “Good. I’ll get dinner started.”
Not even a minute passed since my mom went into the kitchen before the doorbell rang. I ignored it, choosing instead to nestle next to Nico with my feet tucked under my rump. That was a bad idea. Half a second later, my father stood blocking the TV with a scary stern look on his face. “You were supposed to wait on Olympus. Instead I find the two of you uncomfortably close.”
Nico stiffened beside me, which was understandable. All girlfriends’ dads were scary, especially of the godly variety. I however didn’t care what Poseidon thought. One thing that Mnemosyne had right was that I hated the gods trying to control me, including him. “My mom just gave us the third degree. We don’t need it from you.”
His eyes, the same shade as mine, narrowed but he didn’t comment. I think he realized he couldn’t win this fight against me. “I just thought you should hear the verdict. Kronos will be staying at Camp Half-Blood for the time being. It seems that Clarisse and the Apollo healers have made quite the impression on him. We gods, however, will be keeping a very close eye on things. I’m going to talk to your mom but I am going to try to work things out so that nothing from our world bothers you, at least for the remainder of the school year. We’ll send a protector to take care of things for you if anything happens.”
“So you’re saying I get to be normal for the next few months? I don’t have to worry about monsters or quests or gods until summer?”
He nodded. “That’s the plan. But I will be keeping watch over the two of you. I am still your father and I will be having some contact with you. I have to say that I don’t much approve of all… this,” he said with a gesture in our general direction.
I wiggled closer to Nico and laughed. “Sorry, but you’re not the parent I’m afraid of.”
He grumbled something about daughters and dating as he turned and walked toward the kitchen. I doubt he was looking forward to dealing with my fiery mom who’s temper flared up as red as her hair. But that was his problem. For the time being, I just enjoyed spending a normal evening with my amazing boyfriend.

Notes

Thanks goes out to Blackjack Tempest Here ya go, guys