THE HOUSE OF MEMORIES [J. GRACE]

FORTY-TWO

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ THE HOUSE OF MEMORIES ༉‧₊˚.[THE HEROES OF OLYMPUS]

p i p e r 

chapter forty-two: aunt chan & uncle leo takes us for a small ride

AIR TRAFFIC control didn't want to let an unscheduled helicopter land at the oakland airport.

well, that was until piper got on the radio. then, it turned out to be no problem. they unloaded on the tarmac, and, well, everyone looked to piper. it was jason to actually speak up, the hephaestus demigods only offering inquiring glances, "what now?"

piper felt uncomfortable. she didn't like being in charge, and it was the last thing she wanted. for her dad's sake, she wanted to appear knowing, and confident, but she had absolutely no plan. of course, she remembered he'd flown into oakland, which meant his private plane would still be there. but, it was the day of the solstice. they still had to save hera. they had no idea where to go, or even if they were too late, or not. but, piper was torn; afterall, how could she leave her father in that condition?

"first thing," she said, feeling guilty as their postures perked up, clearly waiting for whatever master plan she'd managed to throw together on the fly. "i. . . i have to get my dad home. i'm sorry, guys." she hated the way she felt as if she had disappointed them, their faces falling immediately.

"oh," leo said, then corrected his tone quickly, trying to sound more upbeat for her sake. but for the first time, piper seen through the act. "i mean, absolutely. he needs you right now. we can take things from here."

"pipes, no," her dad had been sitting in the helicopter door way, his fingers clasped tightly around the emotional support blanket daped over his shoulders. overhearing their conversation, mr. mclean stumbled to his feet, making his way over, "you have a mission, a quest. i can't–"

"i'll take care of him," coach hedge volunteered, unintentionally cutting off the movie star. piper stared, surprised. he'd been the very last person she expected to offer to step away from the fighting, and to take care of her father. "i'm a protector," hedge reminded them, his eyebrows raised, "that's my job, not fighting." he sounded a bit crestfallen, and piper realized, a bit embarrassedly, that maybe she shouldn't have recounted the way he'd gotten knocked unconscious in the beginning of the last battle. in his own way, the satyr was just as sensitive as her father.

as if he could read her thoughts, coach hedge straightened, locking his jaw, "and of course, i'm good at fighting, too." he glared at them each in turn, as if he was daring them to argue, or deny his attribute to the team.

"yes, jason said simply.

"terrifying," leo tacked on.

"you scare the living daylights out of me," chandler said finally, her tone a bit dry in amusement.

coach hedge grunted, as if he could sense they weren't being entirely genuine, but appreciated the sentiment all the same, "but i'm a protector, and i can do it. your dad is right, piper. you need to carry on with the quest."

the aphrodite demigoddess' eyes stung, as if she were back in the forest fire. she blinked, trying to rid the sensation, "dad. . ." mr. mclean held out his arms, and they hugged tightly. he felt frail, and was trembling so much, it scared her.

"let's. . ." chandler paused, turning her eyes away from the scene, "let's give them a moment." at her suggestion, the hephaestus demigoddess guided them, and the pilot a couple yards down the tarmac.