Powers were great, only nothing came close to how amazing a bathtub of hot water, Vanilla Brulee body wash and bubbles truly were. A simple think and swipe was not going to cut how yuck I felt about spending that much time in the Underworld and dawn peeked on the horizon, I lazily tilted my head back and slipped under the water. Even in the echo silence beneath the bubbles, my mind was racing.

Cain was now stuck with Hades in the Underworld.

I have to make peace with my ex so hopefully, we can team up for another fight together, that we might actually not win if we don't do it together.

I also had to rely on my boyfriend breaking himself out of the Underworld in time to save my best friend, and in doing so get accepted back into society.

And all of this was because of a note, a now missing goddess left for me to find in her little cottage of death.

Resurfacing with a gasp, the cold air filtered through the steam making everything about this moment even more refreshing. I was never getting out of this tub. Ever. I live here now. Only one thing was trying its hardest to ruin my moment of peace.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The banging echoed through the whole apartment, and despite how I tried to ignore it, it was killing my mood.

"If it isn't the Furies, I am going to make whoever that is wish it was them answering the damn door!" I grumbled, skipping through the bedroom as I wrapped a towel around me and stopping at the door, groaning as I realised who it was. "I'm not home."

"Open it," Kara demanded.

"You're not the Queen of me. I don't have to."

"Elise!"

I open the door part of the way. "What?"

"Let me in."

"No. I'm busy, come back later when you learn the word please." I shut the door and hear her curse a bunch of times before opening it again all the way. "Kara, hi. What a surprise! I see you met my door."

She looks at me, and I look at her until she looks down and following her gaze a pool of water is gathering on the carpet.

"What are you doing?" Kara looks me over, apparently completely confused about my current state.

"I was having a relaxing bath until some demanding lunatic started banging on my door." I yawned. "It's been a long night, I'm exhausted. Why are you here?"

I motioned for her to come inside and followed the puddles back to the bathroom. Giving up on the bath, I quickly rinsed off in the shower and doing everything the long, manual way gave her time to sit on my bed and list of a bunch of reasons why she thought what she and Cain had planned was the right thing to do, how sorry she was and could I ever forgive them.

"Forgiven, not forgotten," I tell her as I head into the wardrobe. When I come out in my pyjamas, she only looks confused.

"Why aren't you using your powers?"

"Because I want to feel normal for five minutes. Washing, dressing into actual clothes, brushing my teeth. I find it soothing." I stopped in front of the mirror and ran my hand over the satin of the nightie, inspecting the hard little bulge. "It's too soon right? I ate like, four and a bit, ok it was practically five doughnuts when I got home. This is a doughnut baby isn't it?"

"Probably. You ate five of them?" She frowned.

"Do not judge me. I was stress eating and catching up on dessert because I didn't get to eat anything last night because I was too busy being trapped in the underworld by the people I trust the most."

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be?"

"Pretty much. You know where the door is now so feel free to leave if you don't like it." I laid down and she moved to lay beside me. "I'll try to stop, sorry and there's so much to do, but I have to sleep."

"You have time," she yawns, as I put my hand on the doughnut baby and wonder what it will be like to feel Blueberry there instead. "You know he's more human than blueberry now."

I smile, I can't even try to stop it.

"His first scan is in like, two weeks. Think we can wrap all this up by then? I want to go into the second-trimester nemesis free."

"Oh, it'll be over by the weekend for sure." She yawned again.

"That suits my schedule a lot better actually. Damn, I nearly forgot about dinner!" I grab my phone and send out a group text rescheduling our plans for tonight. "Crisis semi-diverted."

Looking over at Kara, she's asleep and the next time I see her she's suddenly above me, bopping my nose.

"What are you doing?" I shove her back, and rub my nose before throwing an arm across my eyes. I was not ready to be awake.

"Waking you up. I figured eight hours was long enough."

"You're wrong. A year's worth of sleep will not be long enough." I groan, stretching before attempting to roll over and go back to sleep.

"Plus Art is here, freaking out as she lost Apollo."

"Is she awake?" Artemis calls, right on queue and as the bed bounces with her sudden arrival, I kind of wished I had stayed in the Underworld. "Elise? Are you awake?"

"Wait, what?" I sat up, nearly headbutting Kara while being blinded by the sunlight as she'd also opened up all the curtains. "He's gone?"

"Hermes is still looking, but I wondered if you'd seen him since, you know? He got drunk last night, to be honest, we both did, and when I woke up, I couldn't find him."

"No, I only got back this morning." A sinking feeling took over in my stomach and despite how she tried to hide it, Artemis was worried. "How was he?"

"Drunk? Obnoxious. Angry. Really I think he just hates Cain and thinks it's all some kind of personal vendetta against him. Apollo can hold a grudge, I mean he still refuses to even look at Eros after the whole fiasco with him and Daphne. They were barely your age at the time!" I just looked at her, while Kara just nodded along.

"I don't remember what I did two weeks ago and you remember a fiasco, he had that occurred well, I don't even know how long ago?"

"It's a time, realm, Power thing." Artemis dismissed me quickly. "Speaking of, have you and Cain guessed the baby's powers yet?"

"Baby powers? I'm more concerned about finding out he's actually in there and like, growing and stuff." I frown.

"Oh, right. Of course. You were mortal first, so naturally ensuring your babe is following the correct growth patterns would be more of a priority." Artemis sighs. "It is exciting though, isn't it?"

"It is, but back to more important topics, such as your brother's disappearance." Kara took control, and I pulled the blanket up with my legs like a shield not liking the look Artemis was giving me. "I sent Deimos out after him too. I would have sent others, but since we don't know what he's thinking right now we can't risk anyone else finding out Cain lives."

"It won't be a secret for long, not now. We may accept you as the Queen and God Killer, but the Powers are not like the Others. They know Elise, her past. She's either going to have to hide here and avoid everyone else that isn't in on the secret, or she's going to have to come up with a new story on what's growing inside her." Artemis looked thoughtful for a second. "If I didn't know better and others will think so too, it could be presumed to be Apollos. Hades is a known associate and he has sired babes before. Deimos follows you all around which is odd for him so? Already something is different about your presence so we all know it has to be one of us, not a man from this world. If not Apollo, then I would suspect the former King and I know I wouldn't be alone there either."

Great, Artemis came up with that in about thirty seconds. What would the rest of them gossip about given more time to analyze my apparently thriving love life.

"Never mind the time discrepancy, they all think Cain's dead." I point out weakly. "Can I not have guy friends?"

"Of course, but we've all had a friend with benefits from time to time and you're so new to our world. Also, you've been to the Underworld. Going down to see your lover, or whatever he actually was to the former God Killer, and coming back with his child is not something to be ruled out." I had no idea what to say to that, but Artemis wasn't done. "Aphrodite went through a stage of affairs with dead heroes. Her obsession with Achilles was unexpected"

I really don't know what to say to any of that.

"Let's stay focused. Did he give off the impression he was planning anything, like he would reveal Cain?" Kara asked.

"A couple of times. He considered it, thinking everyone should know the truth." She sighed. "All he would have to gain from it is hurting Elise with the fallout that would follow. It's not like he is prepared to lead a rebellion against you if that's what you're worried about."

I didn't blame Artemis for getting defensive, and I also didn't care if Kara was looking out for herself either. There was a threat coming. I didn't think it was Apollo though.

"I'm not," Kara quickly answered. "But it is something to think about. It's a good way to gain allies."

"We talked about it after Elise crowned you, but neither of us wanted the burden it would bring to our lives. I've also grown used to you, Valkyrie and well, you're one of the team now aren't you." Artemis smiled at me, yet I couldn't make myself feel comfortable around her now and prayed she didn't notice as I forced myself to smile back. "Part of the family."

There was too much I didn't know and still don't understand about them, their world and their ways. Any mention of babies, pregnancy or Blueberry from now on made me want to put on the armour I'd seen in Medusa's treasure cove.

"Are you certain he even left our realm?" Kara continued.

"No. I think he got something from some nymphs to hide himself. They were at the bar last night, making bets on card games no one could win. He talked to them, which I thought was great. You know, putting himself back out there, but then he was wearing this weird, feather necklace after going outside briefly with one of them. He wouldn't talk about it, or where he went."

"Well, I think we can safely assume he is hiding now then." I sighed. "Maybe he just wants some alone time. I know you're his twin, and you guys are close, but maybe give him some breathing space."

"Elise, I forget how young and naïve you are sometimes." Artemis patted my leg, apparently now ready to treat me like a child. "Leaving him alone never ends well."

Kara sighed. "And you really can't think of where he might be?"

"No. I've even gone to the places we went as kids. That's why I came here, and to find you of course."

She nodded. "Well, keep looking. We'll see if we can think of anywhere else and check in with Deimos. I have to be back soon, Frigg is coming for another meeting, and I want to talk with her about the Furies too."

"Don't worry if you can't find him. He does this from time to time. He'll wander off, pick some small, insignificant fights to win to make himself feel better and come back with a few new stories to tell. I know my twin." Artemis declared.

"With the Furies around, we can't take any chances. If they found him alone, he might not make it back with those stories." Kara warned. I saw Artemis swallow, a hint of fear appearing in her eyes, and with a nod, she was gone. "I'm sure she's right about Apollo. I just want to make sure she is taking this seriously and if she doesn't think he is a concern, I'm willing to trust her. You know, I once heard a story of him killing a Cyclops that made Zeus's thunderbolts as revenge for Zeus not permitting him to come to this world for an Olympic Games. Brace yourself for the teenage years."

All I wanted to brace myself for the third trimester.

"I guess I really don't know Apollo. What are a few years compared to history?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" She started.

"I know. It's fine." I loosen the blanket and sit up straighter. "It's weird for me. Everyone has stories from the good old days that I might get a glimpse of if I google the right words. Even then I know it's not always true. When he was Logan he got to be someone else, and then he could be Apollo, only it still wasn't really him."

"We're all just trying to find our way. You could be a thousand years old or ten. I don't think we ever stop trying to make sense of it all." Kara slowly got up. "I do have to go, come with me? You can meet Frigg and then we can work out what to do next"

"I'm just going to check in with the crew here. Oh and Kara, stop. You need to read this." I hand her Hecate's note and watch her face as she reads.

"What does this mean?"

"I don't really know, maybe it would have been different if you didn't bail on me?"

"Really Elise?" She handed it back. "I don't think it would have mattered. She knew you were coming, not me. Do you think it's the Furies?"

"Maybe. I'm pretty sure knowing we were facing them would get Cain forcing his way out of the Underworld pretty quick."

"Then don't come. Stay in this realm."

"What about Apollo?"

"Fuck." She groaned. "I feel for the guy, but of course he'd be over there, which would bring you over there, which would have the Furies turning up and why couldn't she just tell us everything instead of whatever that was?"

"Free will? It's like the wet paint test."

"The what?" Kara looked at me as though I was speaking another language.

"You see a wall, and it's got a 'wet paint don't touch' sign in front of it. Are you going to touch it or keep walking?"

"I always touch it, I try not to." She frowned. "So what does that mean?"

"You're terrible at following rules."

"What do you do?" Kara smirked.

"Me? I keep walking. I don't want any wet paint messing up my day."

She throws a pillow at me laughing "You do not."

"Fine I don't, but Hecate's note feels like a really big do not touch warning that needs to be obeyed."

"I know. I felt it too." Kara stood up, losing her jeans and t-shirt to her more formal royal attire. It was still slightly strange to see her in a dress, with hair styled around that piece of silver that stood for so much. "I gotta go. Let me know when you arrive, and I'll help find Apollo. And Elise, just be careful. Maybe try eating some vegetables instead of the doughnuts? "

"Even my Mum isn't as annoying as you are."

She smirks. "So is Cain putting a ring on it now he's knocked you up?"

"Funny. Ha. Ha. Get out of here Queenie." She blows me a kiss and then once again, I'm alone.

Kind of.

"So little one, did you want some vegetables? Maybe an omelette? Oh, that sounds good, doesn't it." I pat my stomach and get dressed, before going to sit in front of the TV with my brunch.

I'm nearly finished when the show changes to a teen drama which is full of my favourite creatures; werewolves. And then it hits me.

Abandoning my living room, I am now miles from home and look at the overgrown yard. The front of the house is starting to remind me a lot of Hecate's shack. The paint is worn and peeling and carefully checking the rest of the street, it's definitely a case of the worst house on the street. The steps groan as I go onto the porch, and I'm careful to step over the areas where the wood has bowed and needs replacing. Part of the fly screen has curled off the door and now hangs on the floor like a badly designed doormat, and I remember the first time I had come here.

I remember the girl I had been. I was so unimpressed and disgusted by what Logan had brought me to, and I realised there was not a lot that mattered to me then, that mattered to me now. That girl wouldn't be caught dead standing on this porch, it had been bad enough the first time, yet she'd still followed him inside. I don't think she would have if it had been like this. I wasn't sure I wanted to, and this time I knew what was on the other side.

I knocked, almost regretting it as the cheap security door rattled as if it was about to fall down. Through the gaps of the missing fly screen, I knocked instead. The wood felt just as fragile and seeing the doorbell, I pushed the button. I didn't expect it to make a sound, and it didn't disappoint yet the clunk of a lock rocked the door, right before Apollo swung it open.

And then he closed it.

No, he slammed it in my face and the screen door popped open as it banged. The hinges groaned as it moved, I think the whole house did.

Holding it open, I knocked again, and again, and again and he finally opened it.

"Why bother knocking?" He growled.

"Call me old fashioned."

"How did you even find me?"

"I had a feeling you'd be here," I looked up and met his gaze, wishing I hadn't. "Can we talk? Please."

"There's nothing to say." He went to close the door again and I stopped it.

"I know, but can I try?"

Apollo looked behind me, not so subtly searching the porch and looking towards the driveway. "Where is he?"

"Um, technically, trapped in the Underworld." I cringe at how it sounds, and Apollo doesn't hide his surprise.

"What?" Then he just looks angry. "Now? He's down there, right now, and you're here, alone?"

"He started it by trying to keep me down there first." I shrugged.

"You put him down there?" Why would that be so hard to believe? "And Hades just let you."

"There's more to the story, let me in and I'll tell you about it?" I hold up a pizza box, trying not to hurl as soon as I smell it and a couple of bottles of beer. "Please?"

He looks at me, and then at my offerings before giving the yard another look over. "Did Art follow you?"

"No, she's in the other world with Hermes trying to find you. I think. It got confusing by the end." I pass over the pizza, and step inside as he moves out of the way. "Did you actually kill a Cyclops?"

He groaned, locking both the doors as if it meant something and they weren't just going to fall down with a strong gust of wind. I froze in the corridor as this wasn't the house I came to last time. While I had been expecting it to be as bad as the outside, clearly Apollos standards were different to Logan's.

The floors had been replaced with marble and lush, colourful carpets covered the living room. There wasn't a broken, fold out futon or mouse to be seen and if I hadn't just come in the front, I would have thought I was in another one of his rooms at the castle.

"I don't have to pretend anymore. You didn't like it before Princess. What would she think now?" He casually headed over to the overfilled sofa and sunk into it with a sigh.

If I didn't know better, I'd almost think he'd been here for weeks and he looked like he hadn't bathed for a week. His hair was a mess, clumps twisted every which way and his face was darkened with a hint of stubble. I saw him yesterday morning, and he was not like this. He'd been normal, angry, but normal and with the stains on his singlet and sweatpants, it was very unlike him. Worse of all, that tanned, warming glow that was distinctly his, was gone. It's like the house and the person had swapped wardrobes.

"Well, it's an improvement, though clearly that doesn't also apply to your cleaning skills." I look at the empty bottles all over the table, and he holds out his hand for one of the new ones I'm holding. "I'm too scared to look at the kitchen."

Apollo smiles, though he quickly hides it behind his hand as he takes a drink. I take a seat beside him, curling up on the lounge that I was already contemplating stealing and take in the explosion that lights up the dark room. The TV is bigger than one I'd been watching minutes before, and it's a welcome distraction from the pizza that sits between us mocking me with how good it looks and how bad it smells.

"What kind of trouble am I in?" Apollo asks after a while.

"You're not in any."

"You were pretty pissed off at me. I felt your anger, though maybe your powers always fucking hurt like that. I've never had to fight you before."

"You crossed a line."

"I know." He shrugged. "But honestly, are you here to make me face our beloved Queen, or lock me down in the Underworld for a time out?"

"Neither. I came to say I'm sorry for yesterday morning," I looked at him, leaving the tragic war time love story we'd been watching. "Why would I do either of those things unless you've done something else?"

"Haven't I? What has Art been telling everyone? Oh and to answer your earlier question, yes I did kill a Cyclops and only because I wanted to fuck with Zeus." He took a long drink of his beer. "It's what I do, isn't it? Overreact. I'm surprised they're not all here before I can fuck everything up."

"Artemis called me young and naïve, and to be honest, the others were all following a similar train of thought. I know you're hurting, but I didn't think you would do anything to hurt us. I keep hearing that I don't know the real you, and maybe I don't, but neither do they."

"You are young and naïve."

"Work with me here, okay?" He glances my way and shakes his head before letting out a long breath.

"I'm sorry too." Apollo adds the bottle to the growing collection and opens another. "You're not hungry?"

"It makes me want to throw up." I confess. The pizza vanishes and slowly I can breathe easier without it messing with my senses. "Thanks."

"That must suck for you. Isn't pizza its own food group?" He teases.

"None of this was to hurt you, Apollo. I was planning on telling you, and we hadn't told anyone, not directly. I mean Kara knew but only because she found me having a mental breakdown in a pile of pregnancy tests so I couldn't really get out of that one."

"You didn't tell him for three weeks?" I hear the judgment and deserve it.

"No." I sighed. "I didn't handle it well, like at all. If Kara hadn't found out when I did, there is a chance it may still be my little secret. I'm not proud of myself. I just, I am so fucking scared, and that was before the Furies, and we only had the stupid Fates to worry about. We were going to tell my family tonight, but now Cain's stuck and Hecate's missing and I do really want us back on the same team and not because of her stupid riddles."

I take a deep breath as he puts down his drink and shifts around to face me.

"Purely platonic hug?" He offers, and I nod, wiggling an inch closer to him. "What happened was on me, not you. You're right. It's your business, and I crossed a line. I hate him, I'm sorry, and I can't change that. I tried, and I'm okay with everything, but your big reveal, it just, it just really hit me where I wasn't okay."

We part, and I feel better about things.

I think he does too.

"You still believe in me then? Turning up here, alone, after who knows what they've all been saying." He pouts, a familiar shadow of doubt coming over him and it's then I realise how alike he and Cain actually are. "Always taking those big risks."

"It wasn't a risk. One day you'll get that and realise I know what I'm doing, without you telling me otherwise." I sit back in the chair. "I am going to throw the biggest fucking party when you stop thinking you have to tell me what to do, and trying to hold me back."

"Someone has to." He shrugged. "Besides, I'm older and wiser."

"My point exactly."

"You want me to apologise to him?" It wasn't a question.

"Yes. No. He's trying Apollo. He's not who you think he is, and I don't know why you two have this feud and well, that's your business. If you think you're hurting, well guess what? He is too, and if you want people to see you, or at least, who want to be you need to give others the same chance." He slowly nods along. "It would be easier if I'd found someone else, but here we are. I can't say I regret it, I really love him Apollo."

"I know. I always knew, so really I can say I told you so now." It was meant as a joke, but it didn't quite make it. "When I got back, and you weren't there when I woke up, I knew we were over. If there was a chance of us trying again, you would never have left. I hate that I had it all, I could have had it all, like him,  but I fucked it all up. You made me feel like I didn't have to be the person I was. That maybe I could be more, or at least something else and now it won't matter what I do, or say or at least try to do. I'm just stuck here. Alone. Hating everything."

"None of that was me though, Apollo. You decided to not be the old version of yourself. It was only your decision to make. I still am here, supporting you as a friend, but it's not up to me what happens next. I mean, look at Deimos. He has changed, and he did it all on his own because he wanted to."

"No one believed he'd changed though. Well, except for you, but you didn't know him like us, his past." He pointed out. 

"True, but I had just faced his twin when he showed up, which hadn't been great and honestly, I had my doubts. I didn't let them stop me, and neither did he, but still he decided to keep showing up, again and again, proving me right and you all wrong." I thought about Deimos, and our chat from earlier. "I don't want you to apologise to Cain simply because I want you to. Do it because you do feel bad about it, and want things to change."

"I don't feel bad about it." He huffed.

"Okay. Maybe one day you will." I couldn't stop my smile. "Change doesn't happen overnight."

We watch more of the movie, and when the army guy is handed a letter I snap out of the trance we'd fallen into and show him Hecate's letter.

"I need your help."

"What is this?" He asks, reading it over.

"Hecate left it for me."

"And Cain actually agreed to Hades trapping him down there because of this?" He didn't believe it. "This is the part I hate. He's just as reckless as you are, even now with so much more to lose! You should be the one down there. If the Furies can't get into Hades' kingdom, why the hell would he let you go, alone, with clearly something bad about to happen?"

"He trusts me, and it took a lot for him to believe in you too. Especially after yesterday, with a little uncertainty over what our part in all this would mean."

Apollo thinks about this, handing me back the note and sinks into the chair. "If the roles were reversed, I don't think I could have done it. She definitely doesn't spell it out does she?"

"Are we good?" Had this been enough for whatever was next? "Feeling reignited?"

"Yeah, we're good Bunny. But I'm mostly feeling a little drunk and enjoying my pity party for one." He shrugged. "Well, there's two of us now. Hopefully no one else decides to drop in."

"I promise I won't tell Art about this place."

"Thank you." He stopped watching the movie, looking back at me as I stood up. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah. Kara's expecting me, and I want to get there in time to hopefully meet Frigg"

"Oh. Did you want to finish the movie? There's only half an hour to go and then I'll sober myself up and come with you."

I did want to see how the movie ended, and clearly he realised I was considering the offer as Apollo patted the spot on the sofa beside him.

"Please?"

"Fine, I'll take the deal."

"Good decision, now ssh, it's about to get really good."

He smiled as I sat back down and got comfortable; so did he as he stretched out like he didn't have a care in the world. Then as I watched out of the corner of my eye, ever so slowly, the sun returned to his skin.

____________________

I'm starting to understand why Kara doesn't date other Powers...