The vibration against my leg was persistent and becoming irritating. Reaching down, I felt the box shape in my pocket and pulled it out. Forcing one eye open, bright white light had me flinching, and with the result happening on the second attempt, I gave up, and the vibrating stopped. Rolling onto my back, my shoulder aches while pins and needles flooded my hand and arm. When it started to vibrate again, reality hit me.

"Oh, shit."

Someone groaned beside me and forcing myself to sit, the taste in my mouth had my stomach rolling. Squinting, I looked around and took in the mass of sleeping women around me. Valkyries. Trying to look at my phone again, the light was still too brutal for my eyes, but the numbers on the screen were visible now.

19 Missed Calls.

8 Messages from Apollo

5 Messages from V

1 Message from Mum

It was nine thirty.

Feeling like a newborn deer, I manage to stand, sway, take a step, sway and then stumble over two people to get to the stairs. I know I made it to the steps because I fell down them and stayed there for a minute, while I prayed I wouldn't vomit.

"You're not a mead drinker are you?" The much too happy voice greeted me, right before a pair of hands and feet were in front of me. "Let me help."

"I didn't think I was supposed to get hangovers," I groaned. No, not hungover yet - still drunk.

"The brew is one from their homeland. It doesn't matter who you are, you drink that, and you're in trouble."

"Oh, you have no idea," I mumble, clinging to the back of a chair to stay standing.

I was in so much trouble.

"Did you stay here?" I ask him, stumbling my way to the bar where he sat with a laptop.

"I live here. I got a room out the back. It's nothing fancy but does the job. Coffee?" I nod, yet as he reappears with a hot cup of black liquid, I make it to the bathroom with new found agility and desperation. "Maybe try water first?"

Dropping beside the toilet, I take the glass he offers and then the napkin to wipe my face.

"This is so bad." I sigh.

"I've seen worse. Anna is like that if she touches tequila." He shrugs, only my current situation isn't what I meant. No, the time, the missing the debrief, everything was bad. "Then there are the local fox shifters that come in, and boy, they are one species that should never touch alcohol. It makes them crazy, and the reason why we fastened down the tables."

Eric doesn't shut up.

Not as I'm throwing up.

Not as I ask for more water.

Not even as I take off my vomit covered shirt and dump it in the waste bin.

"Eric, please. For love of any of the gods, shut the fuck up." I groan before washing my face, ignoring the vibrating phone on the counter. I need to be able to think a single thought before even attempting to face, that.

"Want me to answer it? Someone seems pretty worried about you?"

"I'll call in a second, once I can take the coffee. I don't know why they don't just, come here?" I manage to get some new clothes in front of me. Plus some new random guy answering wasn't going to help. "Any place for a shower?"

"The girls are pretty secretive about their whereabouts. Even now they still get paranoid they're going to be hunted down, so if anyone is using magic to locate you, they'll come up empty. I'll take you to the shower." He smiles, leading be down behind the curtains, past the stage and through another room before we're in what I guess is his place. He points to a door in the corner and hands me a neatly folded towel. "Go for it."

The whole time I'm under the water, I'm wishing it would drown me. Brushing my teeth three times, I finally stop throwing up, yet the anxiety that comes with having to face the music makes that an impressive accomplishment. If the water doesn't drown me, I'm pretty sure Apollo is going to kill me.

Clean, feeling a touch more sober, and ready to face my doom, I head back out into the bar to find everyone is still asleep and Eric back on his laptop. He catches me looking up there and smiles, trying again with the coffee which I happily take.

"They'll sleep to noon. Then do it all again." He shrugs.

"You seem to know everything, powers or not. Am I going to regret this?" I ask him, sipping the coffee.

"Last night was an initiation of sorts. Your deal and their promise of no harm to you, your people, or this world are solid. Kara is one of the most loyal, noble, fierce creatures I have ever come across. I mean, I'm only fifty-three, but I've seen my fair share." Eric winks, clearly catching my surprise at his age. I had him pegged at late twenties, but I forgot his kind don't age as we do. "I wouldn't betray them though. The term, die a thousand deaths, pretty much stems from one blow from their swords. If I were you, I'd trust my gut instincts."

"Thank you, for everything," I tell him.

"Don't make it sound like a goodbye; we will see each other again." His smile is big, warm and contagious.

"Oh, it might be," My phone rings again. "I am pretty much a dead girl walking right now."

He laughs, clearly not understanding what last night has done, and focusing on Apollo; I manage to get in the same room as him, only I appear facing a corner wall, holding the coffee, and slowly turn around to see he's in Ailin's office. V, Ailin and Apollo all sit, turning my way. The air is so thick with tension, it's a struggle to breathe, and I struggle to swallow the coffee as I take a sip.

"First of all, I can explain everything," I tell them.

Ailin's door swings open after one knock and another familiar sight walks in.

"So any luck with-" Drew stops, grinning as he sees me. "Hey! You're here."

"Drew!" I managed to avoid spilling my drink as I hug him tight, before whispering to him. "Please, help me!"

"Mr Van Helsing, if you'd please leave us. We are not to be disturbed until further notice." Ailin orders, making him tense as he lets me go.

"Please!" I beg softly, but he holds his hands up in surrender.

"Nice knowing you, Bunting!" He says, before slowly backing out the room.

On the other side of the door, I hear him telling someone out there not to go in, and all chances of being saved just went out with him.

"As I said, I can explain everything."

"Like this?" Ailin holds up my forged note.

"Yes, exactly like that."

"And what you took from V when the team arrived back?" She adds.

"Can explain that too."

"Promising to be here for debriefing?" Apollo speaks, his tone flat and void of emotion. "Then not turning up, answering your phone or being able to be located?"

"All on my list of things to tell you about." I nod, sticking to my corner. "I am going to start, with a huge apology. I am sorry for not being here this morning. I had completely planned on doing just that, but-"

"But? There is always a but with you!" Apollo huffs, standing. "Where were you?"

"At a Valkyrie's bar, very drunk on mead, which I didn't plan on, and I came here as soon as I woke up!" I answer semi honestly.

I needed a little time between waking up and coming here for obvious reasons.

"What?" The air leaves the room, and I even see Ailin flinch slightly while V covers his face his hands while shaking his head. "You have been with, Valkyries?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing?"

"Are we back here, again? The last week you've been your old self. I thought whatever happened between you and Hecate helped, I don't know, fix what's been going on, but yet again, you're making stupid decisions that could have deadly outcomes. They're not like your fae friends, and look how that turned out! These things are way out of your league! They are dangerous creatures!" Apollo exploded.

I felt about two inches tall.

"Then good thing they're on my side," I say calmly.

"They are not on your side. Whatever lies they told you, is what you wanted to hear. They have manipulated you the same way Ivy did. Why don't you ever learn?"

My mouth opens and shuts, but I need at least eight hours more sleep and another coffee to be able to get through this without one of us, well, both of us saying something we'll regret. How many times had we already had this argument, this talk. It was exhausting.

"I'm sorry. I came across another lead and just went with it. I should have told you, but-"

"But you didn't." He may as well of hit me as the look he gave me did twice as much damage.

"No, I didn't," Anything I say now isn't going to make any of this better. "I am sorry. I didn't know about their mead, and how it would affect me. It was never my intention to-"

"Of course you didn't know! Why would you? They're not exactly part of your area of expertise are they?" He snaps.

"No, they're not." I agree, submitting to whatever this was my head was pounding.

How angry he was scared me, had I missed something else? Me doing stupid shit wasn't anything new, but everything felt different. Trust my gut? Right now it was telling me to wave a big old white flag and shut up while backing out of the room slowly. No one said anything for a moment as maybe even V and Ailin got the same vibes I did.

"I'm going out for a bit. I'll catch up with you later."

Apollo vanished, and I looked at the other two. Ailin suddenly found my fake note very interesting, and V fussed with a button on his shirt. Taking the now spare seat beside him, I hung my head in my hands, wondering if I would lose the coffee in my stomach.

"I really fucked up, didn't I? Gods, I never even- I drank lemonade for the bulk of the night for crying out loud!" I groaned. "I've done a lot of stupid shit, and he's never been this angry before."

"Let him cool down; I'm sure he'll be fine later," V enthused, giving me a tiny smile. "How about you tell us what happened. What was with those sand things?"

"It's from their homeworld. They want it, as apparently if used by those with the know-how, it can open a portal to their world. The Valkyrie does not want that to happen." I tell them. "If it came to it, and we didn't stop them before it got to that point, I think, no, I know they will do what they can to make sure they don't open anything."

Ailin nodded. "Despite, everything, I am going to believe you and trust you will be liaising with them in the future to ensure they will assist?"

"That is what I get for them to get the dirt. No harm to me, us, as in the Treaty and it's keepers, and well, our world."

"They agreed to that for some dirt?" V asked.

"They really don't want the portal opened. Their home isn't exactly all sunshine and roses. They were banished here by King Odin. He was pretty much using them as his thugs and had enough. Their little overthrowing attempt went terribly, half of their kind changed their mind and for the ones nowhere, it ended with them being banished here. Frigg, Odin's other half, sent them here as a reward though, because she was kind of behind their whole uprising." I tell them. "Odin tried to torture who was responsible from them, but they never gave her up. She visits from time to time for a break from all of that world stuff."

"They told you this?" V seems intrigued.

"Yeah. They even have songs about it. Pretty cool I guess. Here they get to be a badass girl gang, and no one bothers them. Kara said they enjoy their life here too much to want it to change."

"Wel, for now, I guess they are an ally of sorts." Ailin sighs. "Yet, I can not allow you to act on your own accord while representing this Council. Elise, as punishment for your actions, I am removing you from your position here, effective immediately."

"Oh thank the gods!" I sigh, completely relieved.

Best punishment ever.

"You're not off the hook," She continued, and my mental celebration ends, "I've just created a new, secret, position of sorts, for you."

"What if I say no?" I frown, not sure where this is going.

"Then I may decide to prosecute you for forging a superiors signature, stealing valuable resources, and disobeying orders." She shrugs.

"What's the position?"

"It's an Ambassador role. Unofficial, off the records, so to speak. I want you to be our representation when it comes to these other world creatures. You seem to forge easy relationships with them, and all are aware of your name as it is."

"You just said I'm not to act as me while representing the council?"

"That's why it's unofficial. You report to me only, and I want to know about any other realm activity I need to know about. You have contacts, your reputation and have been out of this world. I know you can handle it, handle them. I've been thinking about it since our meeting with Genzo. I can not give any more of my time on these matters with everything else I already have to supervise. I am putting my faith in you, and hopefully, another war can be avoided."

"Are you serious?" I ask, unsure of what to say apart from accepting it because I am pretty sure all those charges she threw at me would stick.

"You are already doing this darling girl, not a bad get out of jail free card?" V shrugs.

"I'm not going to say no. You're right; I am already involved with it all anyway!" I agree. "But, you're letting me do this, on my own, unsupervised, only telling you super important things I think you need to know about?"

"You seem to work at your best this way and yes. I trust you." Ailin says sincerely.

"Ah, well, thank you?" I look between the pair, and Ailin smiles.

The moment is ruined as I grab the rubbish bin beside her desk and throw up.

______________

Waking up, I reach out only to find the bed empty beside and the last few hours come through as my brain slowly updates. I take a shower and spend an hour on the phone with Penny who has met, the guy. Not just a guy. All of my returned energy goes into that phone call. She deserves this, and if he isn't the one Portia hinted that afternoon at Raya's, well, he is going to have some big shoes to fill. After that's over, I check in on Olivia and her parents, and before conversation swings my way, Olivia starts to cry.

"I'm sorry, let me get her settled, and you can fill me on you guys!" Raya mumbles down the line.

"It's just the same old stuff. I'll visit soon," I promise.

From where I'm curled up in the armchair, I notice Mum and her not so subtle glances my way from the kitchen table. I make us both a cup of tea and sit beside her as she works on a crossword.

"I'm waiting," She says after I get the new three-down rows wrong.

"For?"

"You to tell me what's been going on," there is an order in her tone.

"Nothing much, I guess." I shrug.

"Denial," I look at her. "Twenty-five across. Come on, you're never too old to tell your Mum what's bothering you."

"I've screwed up, again. Apollo is super mad, and I don't blame him, not really. I promised him I wouldn't go to the covens party, and I did, which ended so well," I tell her, remembering I was keeping that little incident quiet from my parents until Jordan ends up blabbing. So, instead, I tell her now, and she takes it well, just nodding along. "And I promised I'd be at a meeting this morning, and I didn't get there because I got drunk with a group of Valkyrie."

"The same Valkryie that nearly got Apollo killed?" She asks, a cold edge to her tone.

"No, not the same. They're actually going to find out who did that, which is part of the agreement I set up with them." I end up telling her everything else, and when I'm done, she sips her tea while filling in more of her puzzle. "So, any motherly advice for me?"

"Well, had you been telling me about one of your friends or someone was telling me this about someone they knew, my first response would be, where are this girls parents, guardian, someone! You always keep everything in, have since you were a child, and then we either find out by accident, or you end up confessing how you are now. You do it because you don't want to worry us or to protect us, but no matter what has happened these last few years, that's our job for you!"

"I also do it to save the argument." I throw in.

"Well, your father isn't here, so I will work out what to tell him and when for minimal reaction." She sighs. "I'm still getting him used to Apollo staying in your room. Don't think we don't know!"

"I'm an adult. Come on!" I groan.

"Yes, but you'll always be our baby." She frowns then. "I don't know what you've gone through Elise. I have no experience with any of it. Sometimes I wish we were normal, just civilians and our biggest worry with you was dropping out of college. Even as far as our kind goes, we aren't normal. I have come to terms that we have no control over you. You're immortal. You have powers. You have seen, done and survived more than I ever have, so what can I do except for being here for you when you let me in."

I'd fought my parents for years. I blamed them, punished them and pushed them away for things they had no control over. Despite that, they were still always there when I needed them. I loved them, and they loved me, and even now, with everything how it is, they were still there and always would be.

"I'm a mess, Mum." I fall into her open arms and hold her as tightly as she holds me.

"No my darling. Despite all of, that, you are still human. We make mistakes. We learn. We grow. Life doesn't come with an instruction manual. We're all just getting through it as best we can." She rubs my back, rocking slightly as we hold each other and I feel the stress starting to melt away. "Your Dad and I, we're so proud of you. Every day, you get up, and you keep going. We may not always agree or like what you're doing or getting involved with, but we know with all that's happened, you are strong enough to survive it all, and get right back up, ready to go again."

We do the puzzle as though nothing just happened between us. Mum makes us breakfast for dinner and Dad gets home just in time for his eggs to still be soft. The pair end up going for a walk up to the Academy to see one of their friends who is staying up there and I clean the dishes; by hand the old fashioned way. Just as I'm about to go and see Alfie, I sense Apollo nearby and find him sitting on the bed in my room.

"Hey." He greets softly as I come in.

"Hey," I say back.

Neither of us moves, just stare at each other for a moment. There's no tension now, no anger. Everything about him seems neutral, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad. I close the door as I come into the room, leaning against it for a second.

"I'm sorry. I never intended-" I start only he shakes his head.

"I overreacted. After last week with the fae, I just, it got me. If they weren't so friendly, they could have really hurt, even killed you. They know our ways or weaknesses." He sighs, frustrations growing. "You know nothing about them!"

"I understand. I'm sorry. I made a mistake, but it's what I do. Act first, think later. I'll try to, plan more." I moved closer, and he reaches out and pulls me nearer by my waist, holding me there. "It was a reckless thing to do."

"Your recklessness has always terrified me." The hem of my shirt is lifted, a kiss placed just above my belly button. "Your confidence too."

"Isn't that part of my charm?" I tilt his face up to look at me.

"It was. Now I'm just scared I'll end up losing you because of it."

"Well, don't worry too much because I have no plans of going anywhere, anytime soon," I assure him.

"Good, I wouldn't let you anyway," He stands, closing the space between us with a kiss. 

What stress remained, vanished as I leaned into him. This felt right, felt good, and yet something wasn't the same as before. 

"Though, my Dad would prefer you to be staying into the guest room," I tell him quickly.

"I'll make sure he thinks that I did." He promises.

I shut off my brain, my thoughts, all of it, and this time when I wake up, reach to the space beside me; he was there. And just like that, all was how it should be once again.

___________

I did the ending for this chapter like three times and still not sure if 100% with it. Oh well... onwards we go!