~A Street~

‘Millie,’ Frank whispered. It felt so good to use his voice. ‘Millie, I’m so sorry-’

The girl ran up to him and wrapped her little arms around his waist. Frank stared to her, to shocked to even hug her back. Millie clung to him tightly and didn’t seem eager to let go any time soon. Hazel exchanged a look with Jacob, both proud of their boyfriend and daughter respectively.

Millie finally let go and Frank squatted down in front of her. He put her hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes, frowning. She smiled happily back, her hands linked  behind her back.

‘Millie,’ Frank started, but he didn’t seem able to continued. ‘Millie-I don’t know what to say.’

‘Why say sorry?’ she asked confusedly.

Frank blinked, ‘Why did I say sorry? I scared you, didn’t I? You thought I was a freak. You thought I was … strange.’

Millie shook her head so furiously Frank was afraid it would fall off.

‘You saved me,’ she told him. ‘I’m strange too. We can be strange together.’

Frank smiled, but continued to frown; he still couldn’t believe it. Did Millie really think he wasn’t a freak? Did she really believe he just saved her?

Millie wrapped her arms around Frank neck and he fell back without support. Millie collapsed on top of him, giggling. The confused, dubious expression slowly left Frank’s face and he sat up, engulfing little Millie in a hug that could’ve drowned her. Their laughter echoed down the street, attracting the attention of a woman who ran out from Millie’s house.

‘Jacob,’ she wheezed breathlessly as she approached. She caught sight of Frank and Millie and her eyes widened. ‘Jacob, what-what’s going on?’

‘Uh, does she know you’re-’ Hazel trailed off, not wanting to say more. But Jacob laughed.

‘Yes she does,’ he assured. ‘Cara, Honey, the rabbit you bought Millie today was actually that boy,’ he gestured to Frank who looked up with Millie sitting in his lap. ‘These demigods were trying to find him.’

Cara blinked a few times, ‘They’re all demigods?’

Jacob nodded and said to Hazel, ‘She’s a clear sighted mortal.’

Hazel smiled at Cara, ‘Pleased to meet you. My name’s Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto.’

‘Are we introducing ourselves?’ Leo piped from the back of the group. He pushed his way forward, ‘Leo Valdez, ma’am. Son of Hephaestus and fire user.’

‘Don’t show her your powers,’ Piper shoved Leo aside. ‘It’ll freak them out even more. I’m Piper, daughter of Aphrodite.’

‘And charmspeaker,’ Frank added. ‘We wouldn’t have been in this mess if she weren’t.’

Piper pouted as Jason laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders, ‘Jason Grace, son of Jupiter.’

‘Annabeth Chase,’ Annabeth introduced. ‘Daughter of Athena. This is my boyfriend Percy.’

‘Son of Poseidon,’ Percy slurred.

Annabeth apologized, ‘He hit his head. He’s a bit dizzy.’

‘I’m fine,’ Percy insisted as he removed Annabeth’s arm from around him, but the moment he did, he nearly fell over.

‘Real fine,’ Annabeth rolled her eyes. ‘And that’s Nico, son of Hades.’

‘I could’ve said that myself, you know,’ Nico scowled.

Annabeth shrugged, ‘You could’ve, but you wouldn’t have. Don’t even begin to deny.’

Nico paused then started whistle an innocent tune. The demigods, Cara, Jacob and Millie all laughed. Then Nico remember the final member of their group and pushed her forward.

‘I’m Calypso,’ she said with an old fashioned curtsey. ‘Daughter of Atlas, and sole inhabitant of Ogygia. Well, I was the sole inhabitant of Ogygia.’

‘I thought you were cursed never to leave,’ Jacob recalled with a frown.

‘I was,’ Calypso agreed. She wound her arm around Leo and lay her head on his shoulder. Leo grinned like he couldn’t believe his good luck. ‘But Leo freed me.’

‘You sound like a good lad,’ Jacob complimented the fire user.

Leo thought about that, ‘Yeah, I am!’

Calypso laughed and shoved him playfully, ‘Don’t go getting a big head.’

‘Several years too late,’ Jason commented.

The night was silent for the space of about ten heartbeats. There was no wind to rustle the trees lining the path, nor any owls calling to each other in the darkness. No one actually knew what to do next. The demigods and Calypso had to get back to camp, and the Lances needed to go home, but no one was willing to separate Frank and Millie who quite clearly adored each other. Frank admired the resilience and determination of the young girl, and Millie saw the son of Mars as her hero and friend.

‘You could come with us,’ Annabeth blurted without thinking. Everyone in the street turned to stare at her, so she elaborated. ‘You could come with us, to camp. You’re a demigod and Millie’s a legacy. You’d be able to make it past the borders. And if Cara is clear sighted Chiron might let her in.’

Cara and Jacob exchanged a look, ‘I don’t know.’

‘Look at them,’ Annabeth said, gesturing to Millie still in Frank’s lap, both of them with their arms around each other. ‘How devastated is Millie going to be when Frank leaves? If you come to camp, they could spend some together and see each other in the summer.’

Jacob glanced at his wife, ‘She does have a good point.’

‘Jacob,’ Cara shook her head, unsure. ‘I’m a mortal. I’m not welcome at camp.’

‘That’s not entirely true,’ Piper broke in. ‘Rachel, our Oracle, she’s a mortal, and she visited camp before she was the Oracle too. Well, that was only once to become the Oracle, but that’s not the point. I think Chiron could let you.’

Cara sighed, ‘I really don’t know. Jacob, your shop.’

‘I can call in,’ Jacob volunteered. ‘Wendy can run the shop for a week or two. Think about Millie, Honey. She deserves to be with people like her, with the same abilities. And I’d love to see camp again. It’s been so long.’

Cara felt a tugging on her pyjama pants and glanced down. Millie looked up at her with bright green eyes.

‘Please, Mama,’ she whispered.

Cara closed her eyes, then opened them and smiled at the demigods, ‘Let us pack a few things. We’ll come back with you.’

Piper, Jason, Annabeth, Percy, Nico, Calypso and Leo high-fived in a big circle. Millie ran back to Frank and leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Frank held the five year old close, silently promising to never let anything happen to her.