The Child of Hera

Chapter 22-Luke

So apparently, this is what happened.

Jason, who is Birdie's cabin neighbor, heard her screaming.  He tried to calm her down, but she was still asleep, and thrashing.  She wouldn't wake up.  So he did the only logical thing: go get Piper.  When her attempts didn't work, she got Annabeth, who got Percy, who got Frank, who got Hazel, who got Calypso, who got Leo, who was the only one smart enough to say that they needed Luke.  So Luke woke up from his particularly good dream, to find out that something was wrong with Birdie.

He rushed with Piper to cabin 2, in fuzzy pants and a t-shirt, and found Birdie thrashing in her bed.  Her wings were out, and ripping the sheets as she struggled.  She was screaming as tears poured down her beautiful cheeks.  

Luke walked over, careful to dodge her new limbs.  She looked terrified.  He looked over at the other demigods, but found that they were already gone.  Wow, thanks for the help.

He grabbed her arms and pulled her up.  She was kicking him and trying to escape his grasp.  Her screams echoed off of the marble walls.  He felt her wings slap his sides.  He pulled her into a hug and she stopped thrashing.  Her wings settled down, and she gasped.  Then he felt the wetness on his shoulder as she cried into it.  

"Hey, hey," he said softly, "It's ok.  I'm here."

Her tears poured down her face as she hugged him.  She wiped her eyes on his shoulder and cried some more.

"Do you wan't to talk about it?" he coaxed.

"No." she whimpered into his sleeve.

He sat her down on the edge of her bed, and then sat down next to her.  

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"No."

"Talk to me," he insisted.  

Birdie hesitated, but then she started, sobbing between the words.  "I inherited so much pain and memories from so many people.  Tartarus, times three.  Plus all the guilt people carry.  Reading minds is a blessing, but being forced to carry the pain of thousands is my curse."

Blessings and curses.  Poor Birdie.  Luke thought about how horrible he felt about betraying everyone.  Birdie had to carry that around, with all the messed up stuff that had happened to other people.  Tartarus.  He couldn't remember it.  When the giant had kidnapped him, he knocked him unconscious. 

"What were you dreaming about?"

"A lot of it was from my own life.  My dad dying.  The hunger I felt as a homeless eight year old.  Getting captured by monsters.  My first kill.  Hurting innocent people.  It all felt so real, all over again."

"Do you dream about this stuff very often?"

"All the time."

"Do you usually thrash like that?" he coaxed. 

"No," her voice was a whisper. 

"What was different about tonight?"

"You know, the regular.  Creepy future and stuff."

"Oh."  Luke didn't push it.  He hated sharing his demigod dreams.  He hadn't told anyone that Kronos had been talking to him.  He wondered though, what possible future could make Birdie scream like that?  She was tough, and even the most disturbing of dreams didn't make half-bloods act like that.

"Luke?"  Her voice was so small and sweet, that he felt like he was talking to Annabeth when she was seven again.

"Mhm?" he answered.

"Thanks."

He was confused.  "For what?"

"For being here.  For helping me.  For listening."

He smiled.  His sleeve was still wet with tears, and Birdie kept sniffling, but she appeared to be calming down.  He squeezed her closer, and she smiled, her breathing becoming steady.

Luke looked at her alarm clock on the dresser.  1 am.  Birdie was asleep now, so he tucked her under the torn sheets.  He stroked her bronze colored wings.  Her pale face had a ghost of a smile on it.  Her dark brown hair fell around her closed eyes like curtains.

He kissed her forehead and walked outside.  The seven demigods and Calypso were all waiting outside.

Luke raised an eyebrow.  

"So," said Piper excitedly, "how'd it go?"

"You ask me that as if it were a date."

"Good job staying calm.  I was kind of panicking," said Jason.  That guy creeped Luke out more than Nico did.  He was just so...perfect.  Not the way Birdie was, but like a model, with humility.  The only distinction between him and perfection, was the glasses he wore, and the little scar on his lip.

"I still say Birukie," said Leo.  "It just... works."

"Leo, that is the worst. Ship. Name. EVER." said Piper.

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked.  They were kind of freaking him out.

"...Ship name...for you and Birdie?" said Piper cautiously. 

Luke blushed.  

Hee...Hee...Hee!  Yay!  More Luke and Birdie!  But seriously, help meeeeee.  I need a ship name, and my cousin's suggestion was Birukie.  Heeeellllp.  No offense falconwing1212.