~ ☼ ~

I'll spare you all the details you've already heard.

Hm... what should I focus on instead? I'll go back to the beginning and try to remember what I first brought to your attention.

Well, there were my parents. They ended up being fine; they got caught in traffic before they even hit the city limits. I never did explain everything to them. I was okay keeping some things between my friends and I.

I decided to keep Liakada, because it was my sword. And because Apollo was always going to be a part of me. And most of all, because, I loved Cabin 7. Cabin 7, who, when they found out about Alec and I's relationship, was... across the board... supportive. Like, not even, "Oh, that's weird, but I'll accept it." Straight up supportive. And they weren't the only ones; short of a few naysayers, everyone from the Stolls to Nina and Ashley were excited we were together.

Maybe it was the plot twist of Silena being the spy (and possibly bisexual) that had everybody in an open-minded mood. Maybe it was the romance of it all. After all, we weren't the only couple that got together.

(In fact, after we helped everyone throw Percy and Annabeth in the lake, Nina turned to me and said love came in threes, and it was because of Alec and I getting together that Percy and Annabeth had been brave enough to act, too. Even if they didn't know it. I found it hard to believe, but I did start wondering who the third couple might be...)

We had shrouds. A lot of shrouds.

I cried as we burned for Michael, Matt, and Aaron. I cried more when Imani was finally able to be up and walking again, giving a eulogy for our siblings at their funeral. I leaned into Alec's arms and felt it all around us. The utter loss, but in the wake of it, the connection between us all. Both at Camp and in the city, where real emergency services were doing their best to fix all the wreckage.

There may not have been a god of reconstruction, but at this point, I had a feeling we might just generate one ourselves.

~ ☼ ~

Aria decided to stay with the Hunters - for now.

"I just don't want to leave yet," she told me, when they were preparing to leave camp. "I'd like to hang out for a few more years. But - I don't think I want to stay forever. Eventually, I want to get out and start a family."

I watched Thalia Grace as she talked to Percy and Annabeth nearby, saying goodbye. At least I wasn't the only one temporarily losing a friend again.

"The problem," I said, "Is that, once you get out, you'll - you'll be 15 still. And I'll be, what, 21?"

Aria looked like she'd already thought of this. She smiled.

"I'll still be me," she said. "Everyone will know how old I am. I'll just look really young."

"I can get the Stolls to make you a really good fake ID," said Alec, suddenly coming up beside me. Aria laughed, and I savored my - asfjdkaksdak, my boyfriend - as he slung an arm across my shoulders casually.

"There we go," Aria said. "I'll be-"

Suddenly, there was a noise, and all three of us turned. It was Thalia Grace, gasping happily. Somebody had just come up to her, asking if she could join the Hunters. I'd heard the conversation from here, but it hadn't dawned on me who it was.

It was Lacey.

People connected to Lucas just loooved to join the Hunters, apparently.

"Well, then," Aria said, blinking. "I - uh, I guess I have a new peer in the Hunters."

I looked at Alec, who looked at me. We were both thinking the same thing. Between Lacey's argumentative personality, the bond she and Aria now had - both because of Lucas and that last day of the war we spent together - and Nina's comment about love coming in 3s...

Well, then, indeed. I felt a little giddy.

Then I felt sad, thinking of Kiera. Who'd died so young, and who'd never been claimed. They were building a Hecate cabin right now, as part of Percy's deal with the Olympians, and Aria and I had skirted around the topic ever since it went into construction. But now, I was thinking...

"Here," I said. "Before you leave."

Before Aria could react, I grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the cabin common area, where we were hanging out.

The closer we got to the Hecate cabin, the more I could see how clearly these were Kiera's vibes - the darkness that wasn't quite death, the magic that sparkled but did not shine so bright it gave you a headache. The Hephaestus kids and nymphs who were working on the cabin looked at us as we approached.

"Can we go in?"

Jake Mason, who was more supervising than anything thanks to the injuries he'd sustained in the war, looked sideways at Nyssa Barrera. Then they both shrugged.

"Just don't break anything."

Inside, the cabin was misty and smelled of magic and perfume. I wondered if the first Hecate kids would be claimed soon, and who'd be counselor. With the years Kiera had had, it should've been her.

Aria sniffled, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"You know," she said, "I thought it would go away, but it doesn't."

"It doesn't have to," I said. "She was your best friend. She's always going to be with you."

The beds were empty and devoid of blankets right now, and there was no decor. But there was a brazier in the center of the room, already lit with a sweet purple fire. This was the best I could do.

I held out my hand and summoned a Primanti Brothers' sandwich, overflowing with fries and coleslaw. Aria immediately grinned.

"Take a bite," I said, and she took it and did as I told her to. Then I decided to take a bite too, feeling a bit like I was enacting some insane ritual. Kiera would've liked it.

Finally, I threw the half-eaten sandwich into the brazier, and it lit up gold.

"Lady Hecate," I said. "Please keep your daughter Kiera Bane's spirit safe, and if she is still out there - tell her we love her."

The fire got stronger and stronger, until suddenly it fell to a pile of ashes. In its wake, I swear I heard a whisper on the air from the goddess of magic, who apparently cared the most about her children than any other god. I wonder if she hadn't claimed Kiera in hopes to keep her safe, or if she was just, like all the gods, too nuanced for me to understand. Ever.

"She's in Elysium," the voice said. "Waiting."

Then the spirit was gone, and the fire was once again violet.

For a moment, Aria and I just stood there. Then, when I knew I had to be the one to do it, I turned and pulled her into a hug. She was smiling, her eyes aglow with tears, as she hugged me back.

"You'll see her one day," I said. "It's all up to you when and how."

~ ☼ ~

Finally, the Hunters left, with Aria swearing she'd IM me on the regular so we didn't fall out of touch again. Then it was just us, the campers. Injured and falling but happy. Gods, so bizarrely happy. Like when you finally stop feeling nauseous after the stomach bug and you think you know all the secrets to life's mysteries now.

That just left the three of us to figure out how to keep that feeling going.

What was at the source of it? Was it the particulars of camp - capture the flag and archery practice, arts and crafts and the campfire? Was it specific campers? Or was it just the three of us being in the world together?

I didn't know the exact answer. I just knew it was love.

As Alec and I left the infirmary, we ran into an injured Chiron, who was talking to Argus. He stopped to wave to us, and I paused.

"Chiron," I said. "I - I have a weird question."

He chuckled, a deep, rumbling noise. "It can't be much weirder than the things we've faced these past couple months, child. Go ahead."

I took a deep breath, then said, without any pretense or pre-thinking - seriously, I had just thought to ask this as we were leaving the infirmary - I said, "Why do we have no old half-bloods here? Why do we have to leave when we're 18 and never come back?"

Chiron looked aside, out into the golden light that was filtering through the late afternoon, over the pines and Long Island Sound.

"Many of them do not survive," he said, after a moment. "Those that do... they often choose not to return. Though we have had several former half-bloods come back over the years to be trainers, it is a rarity to have a half-blood who is both successful enough to survive, and loyal enough to camp to return."

A shiver went down my spine. I understood what he was saying. And I guess I couldn't blame those half-bloods who didn't return, especially if so many of their friends died. Camp probably looked like a graveyard to them. Or a weird child soldier cult.

Well, like I'd said my first summer, that part was kind of true.

I still felt like Chiron was hiding something. He wasn't exactly a good trainer, despite what he might want to say. Maybe it was that; maybe it was the gods.

"We should have a place for them," I said. "Like, a hotel. Or something. Affordable apartments. A little suburban neighborhood. They'd be good mentors, and for those of us that don't want our time at Camp to end once we hit 17... we could come back more often."

Alec was smiling. He nodded in agreement.

"I don't know about other years," he added, "But I think with the whole war, thing, this generation's gonna be pretty loyal to camp and want to come back."

Chiron considered us for a moment. Then he smiled, gently.

"I'm not opposed to the idea," he said. "Bring me funds and plans, and I'll approve of it. There's a project for you all to work on next summer."

Next summer. I was so excited for next summer.

"Got it," I said, thinking already of where it could go and how much Annabeth would like it - if she agreed to help. I really think she would. After all, her boyfriend was child general #1, and he still seemed to love Camp.

After saying goodbye to Chiron, Alec and I headed down to the cabin. Move out day was tomorrow, and everybody was packing up - everybody that remained, at least. The cabin felt so lonely with Michael, Matt, and Aaron's empty beds, but Lucky's chattering, Misha's dry comments, and Will's sunny disposition made it easier to bear.

"You're back!" Riley exclaimed as we entered. She was sitting on top of her suitcase, trying to get everything to fit. "I thought you'd be up there forever."

"Had to finish cleaning up," Alec said. "I'm just glad no one's gonna be left there over the winter."

"I'll be here if they are," Will reminded him from the other side of the cabin, where he was trying to figure out how to best utilize the empty bunk above him for the winter. Right now, he'd just put a bunch of Star Wars plushies up there, so now Darth Vader and Chewbacca were staring down on us. Gods knew where they'd come from.

We all worked in content silence for a few minutes, Lucky asking for advice on one thing or another and me telling everybody about my idea for CHB alumni - which they loved.

But even though I felt content - even though there was always next summer - there was a twinge of sadness in the back of my mind. Alec and I would be returning to different schools, Riley too of course, and I was scared that something might change. That he'd decide the distance was too much, or being back around normal people would make him realize how crazy it was to date your former sister.

No, the voice in my head said, finally working for me. That's stupid.

The anxiety didn't go away when I reminded myself of this, but consciously, I did feel a little better. Alec was my best friend, and that would never change. Apollo himself had foreseen it. I think Riley might've, too. But still... still, I didn't want to be separated from him. For the pure reasoning that I would miss him.

He looked up from across the room at that moment, as if he'd known I was thinking of him. He gave me a gentle smile. I smiled back.

"Gods," Riley said. "I don't wanna go back to Kentucky."

"Aww," I said. "But you'll get hot browns!"

"That's true." Riley thought about it for a moment, clutching one of her party dresses to her chest. "Actually, I do want to go back to Kentucky. I just don't want to go to school. I wish my life consisted of camp here in the summer, and camp there in the winter."

I laughed. "Maybe you should drop out and become a potter who sells your wares."

Riley pulled one hand away from her dress, looking at it thoughtfully. She hadn't made anything in a while, between the broken kiln and the war, but there were still calluses on her fingers from all the projects she'd done before.

"Maybe," she said. "Maybe I'll join the Hunters of Artemis."

I threw my pillow at her, and she laughed.

After we were done packing, as Will, Misha, and Brynn began filtering out the door to go to a final dinner, Riley and I sighed. I could hear Lucky still forcing her own suitcase closed, and Alec talking to Austin.

"I'm gonna miss you," I said, tears suddenly coming to my eyes. "So much."

Riley gasped. "Oh, AJ."

She immediately pulled me into a hug, my one reassurance. She smelled like her, floral deodorant and cheap perfume. She hugged me tightly, so tight that we began to rock back-and-forth in that I know I have to let you go but I really don't want to way.

"I'll miss you too," she said, her voice shaky as she shoved her face into my neck. "But we'll IM all the time. We should make a forum just for talking about New Athens."

It was the name she'd given, just a few minutes ago, to the whole hotel-suburbia-whatever project. I grinned.

"We totally should," I said. "We'll show up on the Big House porch next summer with the whole thing already figured out. Chiron will be so impressed."

She pulled away. "Yes!"

For a moment, we just looked at each other, then she cocked her head.

"We'll be fine," she said.

"Is that a vision?"

"Just a vibration," she said, smiling. "But I believe it."

~ ☼ ~

Finally, Alec and I were the only ones left. I think my siblings had done this on purpose, to give us a moment to ourselves. We wandered out to the front porch to watch as everyone filtered down to the dining hall. The conch blew, and I was reminded of the same place we'd been - just on the Big House porch instead of the Cabin porch - 2 summers ago, after our quest.

I didn't know what to say now. How to wrap it up better - how to make it clear that, in this one way, I didn't want to wrap it up. not even for a few months.

"So, prom," Alec said. "What color are we thinking? Should we do two different outfits for both, or just one?"

I snorted. "My parents do not have the money to afford two prom dresses."

"My grandparents do," he said. "I'm sure they'd love an excuse to spend their doctor money on something for me. It's not like I'm exactly up on the fashion."

I chuckled as he showed off his skate shoes, the same ones he'd been wearing since 2006.

I hadn't even thought about how rich his grandparents must be, with them both being doctors and their only responsibility being a kid in no expensive sports or clubs. I wondered how they'd feel about buying something for me, whom they'd only met once - and even then, it was just his grandma.

"Let's do two different ones, then," I said, biting back the thing I really wanted to say, which was just I'll miss you over and over again. "Silver one place and gold another."

He looked sideways at me, smiling. "Theia and Hyperion vibes."

I groaned. I hadn't even thought of that.

We'd talked a few times about the two of them. I'd told him about my dream of them in Tartarus, and he'd shown off the cooler, less violent parts of his powers now that he had them under control. Like using it as a flashlight so we could sneak out to the bathrooms to kiss long after curfew

So I think we were okay with it. Where we'd left them. Where we'd left off. That was a question I did not want to answer yet. Right now, I just wanted to be our own version of the couple here on Earth. Which required us to be together!!!!

I looked down, kicking the porch post. We really should be getting to dinner. Alec thought it too.

"Come on," he said. "We'll talk more about it on the way down."

"Wait," I said, grabbing his hand before he could fully leave. "Alec, there's something I want to ask you."

As he paused, his hair glinting gold in the late sunlight, I took a deep breath. I saw his eyes soften, like he already knew what was coming.

"I want to be with you more often than prom," I said. "I don't want to be away from you. We should come up with a schedule. No - that sounds stupid-"

"I've been hoping you would say something like that." He gave me a lazy smile, but there was the smallest bit of fear in his eyes. Or maybe bashfulness was the better word. "I - I IM'd my grandparents, and-"

He let out a breath.

"If you want, AJ, so we could both be a little less lonely at school, and so we could finally explore the city outside of war..." He shrugged. "You could come live with me. Like an inter-county exchange student."

I didn't know what to say.

After a moment, he added, "You don't have to. I mean-"

"No," I said, immediately. "Of course. Are you sure?"

But I already knew the answer; as the second conch blow sounded through Camp like the most beautiful song in the world, he smiled at me.

"Of course," he said. "Are you?"

He said it in a way that told me he already knew the answer, too. Like he was just trying to remind me of how I felt. Of my confidence in myself, and in him.

"100%," I said. "Let's do this."

~ ☼ ~

A/N: My heart <3 <3 <3 <3

Gonna write a full author's note to end this, so stay tuned for that :)