#poweredgentlegiants

That seemed to be a theme with them. They had shitty childhoods that spat out angry teens. Only Jess didn't think her solution or Nico's solution was going to work for Eden, she was pretty sure Eden needed to sit and have a very long talk with their father but she refused to see him so they were working on that. She was hoping that getting everything out in the open with Hades would help and they could go from there. Maybe get her to see someone who helped with this sort of thing for a living. For now, she was content with her drugs which. . .both Nico and Jess protested very heavily to but she kept managing to sneak them in so they'd both kind of given up on that front.

Jess had travelled to Camp to see her, Nico and Will were hanging out in the Apollo cabin which after dinner, left Jess and Eden sitting in the Hades cabin alone. Jess was studying while Eden was flicking through her music, seemingly settling on a song before she mumbled a vague excuse and went out the front, lighter and a pack of cigarettes in hand. She left the front door open and Jess let out a quiet sigh and got up and followed her out. Not because that was an offer, Eden just wanted to listen to her music while she smoked but because Jess was picking up on Eden's mood and she was worried.

It was a little chilly out but not cold enough that either of them were very bothered, going and sitting on the bench they'd recently put near the door. Some space between the two of them while Eden lit a cig up and had a puff.

“Those are going to kill you” Was all Jess said and she gave Eden a look when the other blew a mouthful of smoke at her, wafting it away with her hand as best she could.

“You could just take them off me” Eden said and Jess sighed

“I could but I know you probably have spares hid all over the place, Neeks and I don't see much point anymore” Jess said

“That's annoying, what am I going to do with the ten packets I have hidden around the cabin now?” Eden said with a sigh, a joking tone to her voice and Jess quirked a grin

“Guess you'll have to give them to the satyrs, what a shame” She joked, the two looking at each other before they laughed “We really shouldn't be joking about this, those will kill you”

“Would you prefer these or the hardcore stuff?” Eden asked and Jess just gave her a look “That's what I thought!”

“Don't sound so smug” Jess said, gently flicking Eden's arm “You're still an idiot”

“You're still trying to help, what do you call the person who tries to help the idiot?”

“Someone who cares even when she wishes she didn't”

“Why do you care? I'm just some person who happens to share half your DNA. That doesn't mean anything” Eden said and Jess shrugged

“To you it might not. Family is important” Jess said and Eden just rolled her eyes “Come on, don't act like you don't like having a brother and sister around”

“Only because you guys are useful and grab me things”

“You say please, how can we say no?”

“Fuck you”

“Little Madam! Language!”

“I hate you”

Jess just laughed and grinned, giving Eden a playful shove which earned her a shove right back

“I'm sure you do, you small little ball of anger” Jess teased and Eden kicked her leg “A little harder, I think I almost felt that”

“Bitch” Eden grumbled, letting out a huff before seemingly remembering something and shuddering, her next words a mumble. “Jisu is scary”

“Only to people who piss him off” Jess said, looking up at the cloudy night sky “You just happened to piss him off, he's protective”

“And doesn't have the weird thing about family that you do” Eden added and Jess made a noise that could have been a noise of agreement or one of disagreement, even she wasn't sure.

The song Eden had put on inside faded out and another started up and Jess glanced at Eden, she knew this song.

Begging for contagion These hospitals won't save us And when these toxins leave us It's sad when we'll be bleachless

“Didn't take you as an Elizabeth Grace fan” Jess said, listening as the chorus filled the air outside. Eden just shrugged

“I like this song” She said quietly, the two falling silent again

I'm not sick with depression I just have all the symptoms And all the questions My thoughts can't stabilize Feelings I can't verbalize

And all you have to say is that it's gonna get better It's gonna get better But it never does And all you have to say is that it's gonna get better It's gonna get better But it never does It never does It never does

“Depending on what your other demons are Eden, somethings don't get better” Jess said, Eden turning to look at her sister who was still staring up at the clouds still “Death doesn't get better, it just gets easier to ignore, the pain of someone leaving doesn't get better, it just makes you hold tighter to the people you have left. Even when that person comes back, even if you never got to meet them. The hole is still there. For some people they're lucky and they end up growing and not caring, some of us don't get that. We get pain and anger and sadness and silent wonderings if we weren't good enough and if we were the reason they left years later. Even in our case where it's for our protection, there's those feelings of 'things would be different if dad was here' that don't go away”

“I'm beginning to think you need to see Zack more than I do” Eden said and Jess just shrugged

“Maybe but you're still young and don't have healthy ways of dealing with things, I do. You're more important here”

And all you have to say is that it's gonna get better It's gonna get better But it never does And all you have to say is that it's gonna get better It's gonna get better But it never does It never does It never does

The song trailed off on its last note and Eden snuffed out her cigarette, shifting to face Jess and Jess turned her head to look at her

“Do you really have moments where you think that?” Eden asked, causing a sad smile to appear on Jess's face

“I do, mostly when I'm really not doing okay. I have moments where I hate Dad for the pain, It's not his fault. It's the stupid rules that our Uncle has in place but when I think about how much pain we've all been through. Nico and Bianca, Hazel, Jisu, Nick, Volant, Haven, Op-” Opal's name caught in Jess's throat and she found her vision swimming with tears and she was quick to wipe them away, there was still a lot of guilt when it came to Opal. Guilt Jess was still trying to process and get past, she was sure she wasn't the only one who had that. “Op-Opal, you. Every one of our siblings that died before us. We've all been through shit and it was painful and it's left scars. I have moments where I think that if Dad were around for all of us, we could have been able to help each other. Our sisters would be alive, Nico and Jisu wouldn't have such big burdens on their shoulders. We'd be better off but. . .then I remember that Dad tried so hard to have that for Bianca and Nico and their mother payed the price.”

Jess let out a slow breath and held her hands out, shifting to face Eden on the bench. Eden gave her a suspicious look before she put the lighter and the packet of cigs into her jeans pockets and gave Jess her hands. Jess just gave her a small smile and gave her hands a squeeze.

“I'm going to be the last person you believe with this as I'm very much pro-dad but. . .he does love us. He loves our mothers, he tries to protect us. Admittedly he fucks up, he's not perfect but he's trying.” Jess said quietly, giving Eden's hands another squeeze “Shit happens because it happens, the fact we're demigods and have a higher percent of shit going wrong is just something we have to deal with and it sucks. I have my moments where I hate dad and then I have moments where I remember he's our dad and I remember how much he's helped me and how many times he's stuck his neck out to help protect me. He's a dad, dads protect their children, keep them safe. Keep away dangers that we don't always see”

Jess looked and saw tears slipping down Eden's cheeks and pulled her younger sister into a big tight hug

“I didn't get that” Eden whispered, her arms wrapping around Jess and she buried her head into Jess's chest. Jess just held her close and tightly, rubbing her back

“You have your mother Eden, who is so smart and so brave. She sought out people and made deals to protect you, worried about what would happen to you with who dad is. You didn't get dad but you got someone so much better” Jess said, letting out a coo as she heard Eden hiccup. “I've met your mother remember? She loves you so much, she just wants you to be happy. You have your mother and now you have us. Even if you stick to never wanting to see Dad. Your mother and us? We'll still be here, we'll still want to help. Your mother especially. She worries about you Eden, she isn't sure what will push you further away. That's why she's so flighty, she doesn't want to lose you.”

“I don't want to hurt her, I just get so mad and I yell and she just takes it and I feel so bad after and I hate it. I don't want to hurt her” Eden whimpered out and Jess cooed, tightening her arms

“I know, I know you don't but you need to tell her that sweetheart. You need to tell her that and try to work on it. Things aren't going to magically happen as much as we wish it would” Jess said softly, rubbing her back still “Things take time and while not everything gets better. If you work at it. This will. This will get better. . .do you want me to take you home tonight so you can see her?”

“Please?” Eden asked quietly and Jess smiled softly, nodding

“Of course. Come on, let's get you home” She said before she shadow travelled them off. The two appearing in the living room of Eden and her mother's house. Jess pulled away from the hug and wiped at her sister's cheeks with her sleeves, giving her a reassuring smile as the quiet singing from the kitchen was a dead give away where Eden's mother was. Jess stood and held out her hand, giving Eden's hand a squeeze when she gave her, her hand and Jess led the way towards the singing. The two of them got to the doorway of the kitchen before Eden rushed over, her mother turning just in time to catch Eden giving her a tight hug.

Her mother looked shocked before she saw the tears in Eden's eyes and she wrapped her arms protectively around Eden, giving Jess a look that could only be described as 'pissed off mother bear' and Jess just held her hands up