Jus In Bello.

CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHT , JUS IN BELLO

*CONTENT WARNING* MENTIONS OF Sexual Assault (Athena will be talking about Victor sexually assaulting her at the end of the chapter. Please skip if you don't want to read it—your comfort and mental health are far more important than a book!)

━━━━━━━━━━

Every entrance was salted.

As an extra precaution, Sam and Athena spray-painted a devil's trap at every door.

All they could do now was prepare every shotgun with salt rounds while waiting. Athena hated waiting, it made her stir crazy.

"You guys never say how much this hurts your fingers," Athena grunts as she pushes the bullet into the shotgun.

Sam chuckles, "Yeah, you get used to it." He sighs. "And your hands get stronger."

He holds out his palm, revealing the calluses. Athena chuckles, "More like your hands get uglier."

"My hands aren't..." Sam presses his lips together, revealing that 'Sam' look of his. Athena chuckles and pushes another bullet into the barrel. A pain twinges in her fingers, and she softly winces. "How old were you when you fired your first gun?"

Sam blows air out of his mouth. "Uh..." his eyes wince as he thinks. "8? Dad tried to keep it away from me as long as he could."

Athena presses her lips together. "You guys did good then." She looks at the sawed-off shotgun in her hand.

"Good with what?"

"With me." Athena meets Sam's confused gaze. The confused expression quickly changes to a shocked one. "I was 10."

Sam's eyes soften, "Thena, I was at school." He says. "I...I wish I were there for you, but I wasn't."

Athens purses her lips, "So, what you're saying is Dean was the one who protected me."

"He tried." Sam softly speaks. Athena bites the inside of her cheek, "Yeah, he did..." She looks at her gun.

The walls begin to shake, causing the siblings to look at the ceiling. "They're coming!" Dean's voice echoes through the station.

"Hurry!"

Sam and Athena stand up from their chairs and run to the lobby, where everyone else is. The smoke covers each window and entrance, causing everything to grow dark. Athena's hands tighten around her sawed-off shotgun. The rattling from every wall somehow caught up to her chest, and her entire body began to shake.

Suddenly, the smoke disappeared from the windows and the station fell still. A breath of relief comes from Athena's mouth and her tense body loosens.

"Everybody okay?"

"Define 'okay'." Henriksen huffs.

Dean rummages in his bag, "All right, everybody needs to put these on." he pulls out the charm necklaces. "They'll keep you from being possessed."

He hands them each a charm.

Nancy looks at the Winchesters with worry. "What about the three of you?"

Sam and Dean slightly pull their shirts down, revealing the anti-possession tattoo on their chests.

"Smart. How long you had those?"

"Not long enough."

"And what about you?" He asks Athena.

"She has a charm just like—"

"Here." Athena pulls her jacket sleeve up, revealing the small anti-possession tattoo on her wrist. Sam and Dean's eyes blow wide. "When did you get a tattoo?!"

"It's not really a tattoo. It's a stick and poke." Athena smiles. "I did it myself."

Athena looks at her brothers, their eyes still wide. She rolls her eyes, "What? You two thought you could get tattoos and I wouldn't be influenced by that decision?"

Dean deadpans, and he looks at Sam, who has the same look.

...

A crash is heard in the next room, causing Sam and Athena to stand up. They run into the room, quickly meeting Henriksen and Dean as well. Henriksen and Dean aim their guns at the window, but Dean sighs when he notices the blonde.

"How do we kill her?"

"We don't." Sam answers.

Henriksen looks at Sam. "She's a demon."

"She's here to help us." Sam lowers Henriksen's gun.

"Are you kidding?"

Athena sighs, "Sadly not."

Ruby looks down at the Devil's trap. "Are you gonna let me out?"

Sam scratches the paint off the Devil's trap, deactivating it.

"And they say chivalry's dead." Ruby scratches at her head. "Does anyone have a breath mint? Some guts splattered in my mouth while I was killing my way in here." She brushes past everyone and exits the room.

Everyone follows Ruby out of the room. "How many are out there?" Dean asks.

"30, at least. That's so far."

"Oh, good. 30." Dean scoffs. "30 hit men, all gunning for us."

"Who sent them?" Athens asks.

Ruby cocks her head over to the middle Winchester. "You didn't tell them?"

Athena and Dean look at Sam, who shifts with shame.

"Oh. I'm surprised." Ruby hums.

"Tell us what?" Athena and Dean simultaneously speaks.

"There's a big new up-and-comer." Ruby answers. "Real pied piper."

"Who is he?" Dean asks.

"Not he."

Athena raises her brows, "They?"

"Her." Ruby sighs. "Her name is Lilith."

"Lilith?"

Ruby looks back at Sam. "And she really, really wants Sam's intestines on a stick."

Athens's eyes widen, "What?"

"And she's got her eyes set on Athena."

Athena's eyes widen more than before. "What?!"

"Guess she sees him as competition." Ruby clicks her tongue. "And you..." she looks at Athena.

The girl pulls her brows together. Ruby quirks her neck. "She sees you as an obstacle. A powerful one."

Athena pulls her brows together. Dean's stomach tightens. A part of his deal was for the demons the stay away from Athena. Why the hell was this Lilith still coming after her?

Dean turns to his little brother. "You knew about this?"

Sam glances away from Dean, not answering. Dean then scoffs, a feeling of betrayal finds his chest. "Well, Gee, Sam, is there anything else I should know?!"

Athena holds her hands up. "Why are we brushing past the fact that this all-powerful demon wants to kill me too? What did I do?!"

"How about the three of you talk about this later?" Ruby sighs.

Athena looks at the demon. "Says the demon who told us this—you could've just kept your mouth shut!"

"And miss this meltdown?" Ruby smirks. "Not a chance."

A pained smile finds Athena's lips, and she flips the demon off.

"We'll need the colt."

Athena tenses and looks at her brother's. Ruby noticed the three siblings all shift and look around as if they had something to hide. "Where's the colt?"

"It got stolen." Sam answers.

"I'm sorry." Ruby cocks her head to the side. "I must have blood in my ear. I thought I just heard you say that you were stupid enough to let the colt get grabbed out of your thick, clumsy, idiotic hands."

Athena slightly opens her mouth. "Safe actually..."

"Fantastic." Ruby pushes herself off the desk and paces the room. "This is just peachy."

"Ruby—"

"Shut up." Ruby holds her hand up.

Athena raises her brows and turns to Sam, who closes his mouth. She then snorts, "Down boy—"

"Athena."

The girl holds her hands up and chuckles.

"Fine." Ruby turns back to everyone. "Since I don't see that there's any other option, there's one other way I know how to get out of here alive."

"What's that?"

"I know a spell. It'll vaporize every demon in a one-mile radius—myself included." Ruby seethes.

Athena lets out a breath of content. It's about damn time.

"So, you let the colt out of your sight, and now I have to die." Ruby snaps. "So, next time, be more careful."

"How's that for a dying wish?"

Athena frowns, "Pretty good. I have to say."

"Okay. What do we need to do?" Dean asks.

"Aww," the demon clicks her tongue. "You can't do anything. This spell is very specific. I calls for a person of virtue."

Dean holds his hands out, "I got virtue."

Ruby then chuckles, "Nice try. You're not a virgin."

Dean rolls his eyes, "Nobody's a virgin."

Ruby's eyes shift, and Dean's eyes widen. "Hey--leave her out of this!" he takes a step forward.

The blonde scoffs, "Please. I'm not talking about Athena." She looks at the girl. "She's needed for something else. Something more important."

Athena pulls her brows together and looks at Sam for any context, but he is just as confused as her.

Dean holds his hands out. "Then who are you...?" he trails off when he follows the demon's line of sight. He looks at Nancy, and the girl quickly looks away from them.

"No." Dean chuckles. "No way. You're kidding me, r--You're..."

"What? It's a choice, okay?" Nancy defends herself.

"So, y-you've never...Not even once? I mean, not even...wow."

Athena wrinkles her nose, "Dude. You're getting weird." She shakes her head.

Dean closes his mouth, "Sorry." he holds his hands up. "Like you said, it's your choice and I respect that."

Athena smiles at her brother's quick apology. Nancy looks at the demon. "So, this spell. What can I do?" she smiles.

Ruby returns a smile, "You can hold still...while I cut your heart out of your chest."

"What?" Nancy and Athena speak.

"What? Are you crazy?" Dean snaps.

Ruby turns to Dean, "I'm offering a solution."

"You're offering to kill somebody," Athena emphasizes.

"And what do you think's gonna happen to this girl when the demons get in?" Ruby retorts.

"We're gonna protect her. That's what." Henriksen says.

Nancy softly murmurs, "Excuse me--"

"Very noble." Ruby's voice overlaps Nancy's.

"Ex-Excuse me--"

"You're all gonna die," Ruby states. "Look, this is the only way."

"You're fucking crazy if you think we're gonna let you do that." Athena bites.

"There's no way that you're gonna--"

"Would everybody please shut up?!"

Everyone in the room turns to the shaken girl. Nancy exhales softly and looks back at Ruby. "All the people out there...will it save them?"

Athena rubs her forehead.

"It'll blow the demons out of their bodies," Ruby says. "So, it their bodies are okay...yeah."

Nancy takes a moment, her body shaking. She then nods her head. "I'll do it."

"Hell no." Henriksen's voice was firm.

"No, no." Dean shakes his head.

"Hell no." Henriksen seethes.

Athena lightly tugs at Nancy's sleeve. The girl looks down at the 13-year-old. Athena's eyes were wide with sincerity. "You don't need to do this."

"All my friends are out there," Nancy says.

"We don't sacrifice people," Henriksen states. "We do that, we're no better than them."

"We don't have a choice." Ruby's voice was filled with urgency.

Dean's hard eyes land on Ruby's. "Yeah, well, your choice is not a choice."

Ruby turns to the Winchester, who was quiet with his choice. "Sam, you know I'm right."

Athena and Dean both expected Sam to side with them. Dean knows both his younger siblings as the voices of reason. Without him, most of his choices would be the wrong ones. But Sam was quiet.

"Sam?" Athena's voice was soft, but there was firmness--she could see the hesitance across his face.

"What the hell is going on? Sam, tell her." Dean's voice was the opposite of Athena's. It was brazen and loud.

"It's my decision."

Ruby nods her head and begins to walk towards Nancy. "Damn straight, cherry pie."

Athena stands in front of Nancy, and Dean stands in front of Athena. "Stop! Stop! Nobody kill any virgins," he turns to the middle Winchester. "I gotta talk to the two of you."

Dean walks into the hallway with Sam and Athena following. Sam was immediately greeted with Dean's look of disbelief and Athena's look of disappointment.

"Please tell me you're not actually considering this." Dean sighs.

With her arms folded, Athena scoffs. "Of course, he's considering it. I thought you were just going to ask him where the fuck his morals went?" she snaps her eyes over to Sam. "We're talking about holding down a girl and cutting out her heart--do you really want to do that?"

"We're also talking about 30 people out there, guys--innocent people who are all gonna die, along with everyone in here," Sam states.

"It doesn't mean that we throw away the rule book and stop acting like humans." Dean snaps. "I'm not gonna let that demon kill some nice, sweet, innocent girl--who hasn't even been laid."

Athena rolls her eyes. "She said it's a choice," she looks at Sam. "If you want to win wars this way--killing the people we're supposed to be protecting, then I don't want to win." Her eyes hardened. "Not by your side."

Sam's eyes widen from Athena's statement. She admitted she didn't fight by him as the man he is now--the way she is looking at him like he was unrecognizable. It made Sam hesitate with his decision. But he couldn't imagine there being another choice.

"Then what? What do we do?" Sam desperately asks.

Dean looks away for a moment. He stares at the exit sign and then looks back at his siblings. "I got a plan."

"I'm not saying it's a good one." Dean sheepishly smiles. "I'm not even saying that it'll work. But it sure as hell beats killing a virgin."

"I agree with no killing virgins." Athena holds a hand up. "So, I would definitely like to hear you out."

"What's the plan?" Sam asks.

"Open the doors,"

Athena's face drops.

"Let them all in...and we fight."

Dean looks between his siblings, sensing their disbelief. "That...is a very stupid plan." Athena presses her lips together. "But, you're right. It does beat killing virgins."

☆

Ruby had left after she heard the terrific plan the Winchesters came up with.

Sam was worried about her not being there to help, but Athena couldn't care less. They were better off without Ruby's snide remarks and her mysterious reasons for helping Sam.

The entire police station was filled with a thick silence. Besides the three hunters, everyone had a feeling of fear deep in their bones. They had no idea what these demons could do. How powerful they were. And yet, they had no choice but to fight.

Sam and Dean were currently in the Sheriff's office, going over every exit and making sure they had secured every single one. They had to be attentive to every single piece of the plan. Even if that meant going over it 100 times.

"Athena got all the windows." Sam points at the blueprint.

Dean nods his head, "Okay, good. And the doors?"

"I got those," Sam says.

"And the saw off?"

"She's shot one before with Bobby," Sam states. "But there'll still be a backfire when she fires it."

"I can stay with her, make sure she stays on her feet when she shoots," Dean suggests.

Sam pulls his brows together. "Why do you get to go with her?"

Dean frowns, "Brother sister bonding."

"What if I wanted that bonding?" Sam questions.

Dean rolls his eyes, "Sammy, I'm dying. I can't even have extra time with my sister?"

Sam deadpans, but he looks away, surrendering. Dean smiles in triumph. Sam's eyes land on the desk they had placed the map on top of, and his eyes catch a photo underneath it.

"Shit."

Dean turns to see Sam picking up a photo. Curiosity got the better of him, and he peeks over Sam's shoulder. Dean didn't know what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't a body that was attached to an unrecognizable face.

"Shit is right." Dean exhales sharply and shakes his head. "Who the hell did this to..." he trails off when his eyes look at the corner of the picture. "...Victor?"

"Jesus Victor?" Dean exhales. "He might as well be a villain with that name."

Sam lifts up the map, and his jaw goes slack. "This guy was...stabbed a lot."

"Yeah?" Dean hums and looks at the pictures littered across the desk. He's seen his fair share of hunting and dead bodies, but those bodies had nothing on the one in these photos.

"I am so glad I'm running on an empty stomach, right now." Dean dry heaves. He hits his chest and swallows. "Dude, and I thought we had tough jobs. Look at these photos," he picks up one and holds it up to Sam's face. Sam grimaces and pulls his face back, "Dude, I've been looking at them." he pushes the photo out of his face.

Sam groans and looks down at the photos. His eyes shifted to the name on the file, and Sam was sure he was going to vomit after this. He picks up the manila folder, his stomach turning. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean could see the folder shaking in Sam's hand. He looks at his brother, noticing his slack jaw and wide eyes.

"Sammy?"

Sam glances at Dean, "The folder these photos were in..." he looks at his older brother. "Dean--" his voice gets caught in his throat.

Dean pulls his brows together, "What is it?"

Sam swallows and glances at the labelled folder. "It's Athena's."

...

"Uh oh, someone's talking about me."

Nancy looks at the young girl with furrowed brows. Athena points at her ears. "My ears started to ring."

Nancy doesn't reply, she just continues staring at Athena. The young girl blinks, "Are you okay?"

"Not really," Nancy mutters. "But I'm just wondering how you're so...normal about all this?"

Athena raises her brows. She wasn't shocked by the question, it was normal for someone to look at the 13-year-old and wonder if she was truly okay.

"Oh. Well, I've grown up with this." Athena shrugs. "The demon part is fairly new by three years, but everything else is kind of...like home?"

Nancy gulps, "Everything else?"

Athena notices the fear on Nancy's face. "Yeah, I'll spare you the details, but my brothers and I have been doing this for a long time."

"But you're thirteen," Nancy whispers, horrified that she's even speaking those words.

Athena clicks her tongue, "Then I'll be 14." An excited smile finds her face. "Crazy."

"Have you ever been to school?"

Athena hums, "Yeah, but it's never for a long time." She looks down at the sawed-off shotgun in her hands. "We're always on the road."

"That sounds exhausting," Nancy says. "I'm sorry."

Athena's gaze softens. "It's okay," she presses her lips into a small smile. "I've got my brothers. I've got Bobby, Jo, and Ellen." She bunches her shoulders. "I'm good."

Nancy cracks a smile, "You're strong, Athena." She nods her head. "I admire that."

Athena pulls her brows together from the tone Nancy used. Over this past year, Athena's gotten better at reading others' emotions. She could even read a room every now and then. Maybe it was the couple of months she was with Jo, or maybe it was how much she's matured. But, right now, she could see how much Nancy looked up to Athena's strength. She was older than Athena, and yet she saw how strong she was. But Athena saw the same thing in Nancy.

"You're strong too."

Nancy looks at the young girl. Athena gives Nancy a gentle smile, hoping she can reassure her in any way. The brunette softly smiles, "Thank you."

Athena's walkie clicks and she looks down at it. "We're all set on our end. Over."

Athena grabs the walkie and speaks into it. "Okay, we're set in here."

"I didn't hear an over."

Athena rolls her eyes, "That's stupid." She speaks.

"Huh. That's so weird. I could've sworn I heard someone say something." Dean says. Athena tilts her head to the ceiling and growls.

"But everyone knows that you're supposed to say 'over' when you end your sentence."

"How about this? You're being an immature ass. Over." Athena huffs and looks at Nancy. The girl's jaw goes slack. "Uh, sorry for the language." Athena eyes the cross around Nancy's neck.

Athena looks back at the walkie and grabs it. "Good luck and don't die...over." She glances at Nancy and the brunette gives Athena a thumbs up.

Athena smiles at her approval. Soon, the deputy makes it onto the roof with Nancy and Athena. "They're opening the doors."

Athena nods her head, "Good, then it's almost our turn."

Nancy lets out a breath. "When this is all over I'm going to have so much sex."

The deputy looks at Nancy with interest. "Not with you."

Athena peaks over the roof and sees the demon's rush into the building. "Okay, they're all in." She turns to Nancy and the officer. "We should move."

The three rush down the ladder on the side of the building. Each with a bag of salt in their hands, they pour the salt on each door entrance and every window.

The building begins to furiously shake. "Is it happening?" Nancy asks.

Athena nods, "Yeah, yeah. Or...an earthquake."

They both look at Athena. She thinks about her words and shakes her hands and head. "It's definitely the first one."

"Better call in." Henriksen says. "Hell if a story I won't be telling."

"So, what are you gonna tell them?" Sam asks.

"The least ridiculous lie I can come up with in the next five minutes." The agent states.

Dean chuckles, "Good luck with that. Not to pressure you or anything, but what are you planning to do about us?"

"I'm gonna kill you."

Simultaneously, the three siblings raise their brows.

"Sam, Dean, and Athena Winchester were in the chopper when it cause on fire." Henriksen states. "Nothing's left. Can't even identify them either dental records."

Athena frowns, "That sucks. I take pride in my teeth."

Henriksen chuckles, "Rest in peace, guys."

Sam shakes Henirksen's hand and Dean is next. Athena salutes Henriksen, "It's been a pleasure, agent."

Henriksen then sends Athena the same salute. "Same to you, Athena."

"Now you guys get out of here."

Athena gives him a soft smile then she waves at Nancy and the deputy before leaving.

☆

Everyone at the police station was killed. It was immediately after they had left. Athena saw that demon escape from the station and she did nothing.

Then that demon went and told Lilith where they were. Athena knew she should've stopped him, but with her mind on the plan and making sure Nancy was okay. Everything got too mixed up.

The Winchesters were sitting in the motel room, soaking in Ruby's words. Athena hated to admit that the demon was right, but she was. At the end of the day, their plan costed everyone their lives.

Athena was too busy with her own reprimanding thoughts that she didn't even realize Sam and Dean were looking at each other—another thought weighing heavily on their minds.

The brothers didn't know if this was the right time. They didn't know if there ever would be a right time when bringing this topic up. But that folder with her name on it and those photos...

Neither of them have been able to stop thinking about them.

"Athena...who's Victor?"

Athena keeps her eyes on the wall, silence settling between the siblings. There was always this tightness in her when she thought about Victor. It was such a heavy weight she had to carry on her own. It felt like she couldn't breathe when she thought about him. He was still hovering over her--on top of her. Athena never felt safe enough in her life to say the words out loud. She couldn't. But Athena looked at her brothers now, and there was no longer a hesitation or fear of their reaction.

She trusted them.

"I was 8."

Sam and Dean look at Athena, her eyes already filled with tears. "I ran away after an argument with Dad." she looks at Dean. "The night...I was gone for a few weeks."

"I went to a bar to try and snag someone's wallet, like how I used to." Athena's leg begins to bounce and her mouth grows dry. God, she could feel herself slipping. Was this even real?

Then she felt a soft hand touch hers and she looks at Sam. The feeling in her hand came back and she was breathing steadily again. Athena looks at both her brothers, they were both waiting patiently for her. So, she took her time to get herself together.

After a few minutes, Athena spoke again. "Victor was the bar tender and he was nice. He gave me food and strawberry milk. He listened to me. I thought...he was my friend." She looks at the ground. "I didn't have a place to stay and I knew that if I decided to go back to the motel, dad wouldn't pick me up. I had just come from Bobby's a couple days ago and I didn't want to burden him—and..." she looks at Dean. "I thought you hated me."

Dean kept his eyes on Athena as she looked down at the ground again. His own eyes fill with tears of regret. Regret for ever taking his father side. Regret for ever treating Athena like she was a burden. She wasn't. She was his little sister.

"Victor offered me a place to stay. And I trusted him." There was a twinge of anger deep in her voice when she spoke the last few words. Athena was upset that she couldn't read Victor for the monster that he was. "I was there for a week when I decided I wanted to go home. I was ready. But Victor, he wasn't ready to let me go."

Sam and Dean had already been tense since the beginning of the story. But now, it felt as if their bones would break if they clenched any harder.

"I told him I was leaving. That was that." Athena curls her hand into a fist. "He told me okay. He just had something to show me..." she shakes her head and the tears she had been holding back move forward. "I should've known he couldn't be trusted. You and Dad taught me how to read people—but I was so desperate and weak for an ounce of attention that I followed him down into that basement."

"Athena—"

"There were chains and a bed. And I was ready to leave but he locked me in the basement and drugged me." Her breathing quickens and she pulls her knees toward her chest. "He hurt me."

Dean felt anger flare in his chest. But Anger wasn't what Athena needed. What she needed was for them to be there for her.

Athena's told Jo before. Hell, she's even told Gordon. But she's never actually said it out loud. Athena didn't want Victor to have control over her anymore. But, if she could take in a cat that became her best friend after Victor tried to manipulate her interests to his needs. She could do this.

Athena sits up and looks at her brother's fully. Tear streaks mixed with running mascara ran down her face, but there was a strength across her face as well. "Victor, raped me."

The air in the room grew thick while the air in Sam and Dean's lungs disappeared. Athena scratches at her wrist. "I've only told a couple people." She exhales. "I've been scared of telling you guys because...I didn't want it to be real."

"You guys make things real." Athena exhales. "And as much as I refuse to say it, you guys are my brothers—my family and I didn't want Victor anywhere near you guys."

"You wanted to protect us?" Dean's voice is soft with disbelief hanging at the end of his question.

Athena rubs her eyes, her eye makeup smearing. Dean manages a small smile, despite his tears. He grabs the tissue box and hands it to Athena. "Kid, our job is to protect you." His guilt begins to rise and his tears finally fall.

"I...I don't think it's just about protecting, if I'm being honest." Athena's face reddens. "I was scared to say it out loud but now I'm ready to...move on." she nods her head. "Seeing those pictures and it being brought up again. I don't want Victor hanging over me anymore."

Athena clenches her fists. "I was protecting myself when I..." she looks at her brothers. "I was protecting myself."

"Of course you were." Sam says. "You got yourself out of there and you saved yourself."

Athena slowly nods her head, her lower lip quivering. She looks back at Dean and notices his shaky

"Please don't apologize." Athena softly whimpers and wipes her eyes with the tissue. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"I can apologize for not being a better big brother." Dean says. "I shouldn't have pushed you away that night."

Athena hands the tissue box to Dean.

"Dad hurt you and the first thing I did was side with him." Dean clenches his back molars. He hated himself for that. "Athena, I am so sorry I added to your pain."

"Stanford was important to me."

Athena turns to Sam. "But, you guys..." Sam lets out a breath, his tears now falling. "...you guys are everything."

Dean hands Sam the tissue box and Sam chuckles. He grabs the box and wipes his tears.

For 12 years Athena has felt this tight pain in her chest and it's only grown tighter as years passed. But now, that tightness sprang loose lets out and a choked sob escapes her lips from the words she has wanted to hear for so long. She covers her face and her sobs come out more harsher than before. Sam and Dean immediately scoot closer to their little sister but they don't touch her. They just hope she knows that they were right there for her. She did.

All of her unresolved emotions began to spew out and despite her hysterical sobbing...

And Athena felt 100 times lighter.

━━━━━━━━━━

author's note.

Sooooo how we feeling about the ending??

This chapter took me soooo long to write, I wanted to do justice for the ending scene. I didn't want it to be rushed and I definitely didn't want the portrayal of the siblings' feelings to be inadequate. They've had too much development for that.

words : 5041