Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter 23

The moment they saw him, they pushed past the pirates to surround their recently dead friend with way-too tight hugs.

"You're okay!" Aja exclaimed, squeezing Carter against her, ignoring his squeak of pain. "Seklos and Gaylen, we thought you'd be out for hours!"

"Maybe chill it with the bear hugs," Jim suggested uneasily. "He died like literally ten minutes ago."

"Sorry," Aja said, releasing the demigod.

"I'm not!" Steve declared, yanking Carter into a hug. "Are you okay? Aw, you poor little baby."

Jim fought to hold in his laugh. "He also can't hear you, Steve."

"I know," Steve said, petting Carter's tangled hair. Much to the annoyance of the half-blood, who looked half a second away from kicking him in the nards. "But geez, Lake! Can't you show him love and sympathy! He just died!"

Carter shoved him off, glaring. "I'll rip your hands off if you do that again." He signed.

"I love you," Steve said, signing as he talked. "I love you, man."

Carter's glare lessened. Jim was surprised. Usually when Steve annoyed him like that, he'd drop him to the floor.

"Love you too," Carter signed with a resigned sigh.

Toby, at least, had the decency and self-awareness to not crush Carter in a hug. But still, he looked relieved. He signed, "You okay, dude?"

Carter nodded, signing back, "Yeah, I am now." His hands, Jim noted, were still shaking.

Gently, he laid his own over Carter's, giving him a look, silently asking if he was really okay. Carter gave a subtle shrug. Jim made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

"Don't gag him," Toby complained, batting at Jim's hands. "Let the man speak."

Carter cracked a smile at that, glancing at the two ships bobbing in the cove. Then something else caught his eye.

He scooped Pantelis into a hug as the kid was in mid-run, holding him closely.

Parentally, Jim thought, eyeing the way Carter was cradling the back of his head. I've got to make sure these kids make it back to Arcadia or Carter might actually lose it.

Carter pulled back from the hug just enough to ask his kid if he was alright. Pantelis responded with a look that screamed, "Me?! What about you!?". Carter waved off the basically question in a much too casual way, very obviously checking the demigod over for injuries. Finding none, or at least none that were serious, Carter hugged him again then told him he was grounded. Pantelis didn't laugh, obviously unamused at how Carter was trying to make light of the situation.

"Hey, guys!" Claire called. "We should keep going. We don't want to waste anymore time."

Jim nodded. "She's right." Then he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Trollhunters, move out!"

Together they moved back towards the rowboat.

"We'll have to make a few trips," Will said. "Injured and young ones first, please." He held a hand out to Carter as the pirate stepped into the boat. "That means you, Mr. Howard."

Carter glowered, but didn't argue, stepping into the boat. Harley went next, eyeing the pirates suspiciously.

"You next, young lady." Will said, beckoning to Olivia. "Then our North Wind's son."

Olivia and Jamie both got into the rowboat, eyeing each other distastefully. Fenris, without hesitation or any sort of signal, joined them. He sat next to Carter, and even this close to land the boat swayed unsteadily.