The base pub buzzed with life—a much-needed reprieve after the grueling mission. Maddie took it all in: the clinking glasses, bursts of laughter, and the steady hum of conversation that filled the air. From the corner, the jukebox played a lively tune, its melody cutting through the din of soldiers crowding the bar. The crowd called for drinks faster than the overworked bartenders could serve them.

  In the booths lining the walls, couples sat close together, talking in hushed tones. Larger groups gathered at communal tables, swapping stories and toasting to another successful operation. Toward the quieter end of the room, families with children laughed over board games and puzzles, the clatter of rolling dice mixing with excited banter.

  Near the center, Chiron and Major Chang sat across from each other, deep in concentration over a chessboard. Chiron, patient as ever, studied the pieces before making his move. Chang rubbed his chin thoughtfully, already planning his counter.

  At another table, Veronica sat huddled around a precarious tower of wooden blocks, Phineus beside her, Terry and Euryale across from her. Each took turns pulling one from the stack and stacking it on top. Veronica smirked as Phineus hesitated, his fingers twitching slightly while he gauged the safest move.

  "Come on, we don't have all night," she teased.

  Terry giggled while Euryale leaned in, her wings twitching in anticipation.

  Across the room, Jim and Maddie sat tucked away in a booth near the wall, sharing a rare quiet moment amid the chaos. Maddie's bandaged tail curled beneath the table, its smooth, scaly length winding toward Jim's side. He cradled it, his fingers moving in soothing circles. Maddie let out a soft sigh, her eyes half-closed.

  Jim chuckled, giving a gentle squeeze. "Tired?"

  Maddie hummed in response, the corners of her lips tugging into a small smile. "Exhausted. But I find this quite pleasant."

  Jim smiled back. "Good. You deserve to relax."

  For a moment, they simply sat together, enjoying the warmth of each other's presence as the night carried on around them.

  "Not the tip, understand? I'm sensitive there," Maddie said.

  "You mean here?" Jim teased, grasping the very tip of her tail and giving it a playful wiggle between his fingers.

  Maddie squealed, her arms flailing as she squirmed in her seat. "Ah! I told you! No more of that, or I won't let you massage it anymore!"

  Jim laughed, releasing the tip and resuming his gentle, rhythmic squeezes along the sides of her tail. "All right, all right—no more messing around."

  As he worked, Maddie studied him carefully. Something in his expression seemed off. A quiet tension replaced his usual ease.

  "You've seemed bothered since we got back," she noted softly. "What's on your mind?"

  Jim hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "The whole leadership thing."

  Maddie tilted her head. "How so?"

  "I'm sure Veronica's told you what I did before all this," Jim said.

  Maddie nodded.

  "That's a big part of it." Jim took a long drink from his ale, then set the mug down with a heavy thud. "I never led people before—let alone a powerful squad with so many... talents and powers. I worry about everyone. People trust what I tell them, and I couldn't live with myself if someone got hurt or killed because of my mistakes. That last mission—that really scared the hell out of me."

  Maddie reached across the table, her fingers briefly touching his hand. "I understand. If it helps, we're all still alive because of you. You're a much better leader than you think."

  Jim leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair as he glanced around the crowded pub. "I suppose." He turned back to her, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "I know you're trying to make me feel good, but you know as well as I do—saving us was mostly you, right?"

  "Well, it was you who rescued me from the cave. Which I never thanked you for."

  "Sure, but I never wanted to think of it as rescuing. You made the decision to leave with us on your own." Jim smiled as he held her hand. "Why did you want to help Theseus so badly? I'm glad we were able to—it's just, I almost called it quits then and there."

  "I felt I had to," she said softly. "I couldn't live with myself if I didn't."

  "Something about your past?" Jim asked, his tone curious but gentle.

  "Yes... I killed someone." Maddie fidgeted with her hands, unable to meet his eyes. Just tell him. He needs to know the horrible thing you've done.

  "You mean like all those people outside your cave?"

  He thinks it's just about the statues. "Yes, but not in the same circumstances," Maddie replied, her voice quieter now. She forced herself to look at him, needing to see his reaction. "You made a good point about those people. But I also killed an innocent boy, sometime after I was turned. I didn't know what powers I had yet."

  I can still see his face. Always his face. Her throat tightened, but she pushed through. "As I fled the temple, I ran into him—and suddenly, he became a statue before I realized what had happened."

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  Before I could stop it. Before I could warn him. Before I could do anything but watch the life drain from his eyes, replaced by cold, unfeeling stone. Her hands trembled slightly. That's the moment everything changed—when I truly understood what I'd become.

  Jim stiffened. His brows lifted slightly, his mouth parting as if to speak, but nothing came out. He exhaled sharply, shifting his weight, fingers twitching at his side before he finally managed, "Oh shit. I'm sorry."

  Maddie sighed deeply. "It's all right, not your fault."

  Jim ran a hand down his face, the tension still visible in the tight set of his jaw. "And it's not entirely yours, either."

  "I understand that," she admitted. She met his gaze, searching for any sign of judgment—but found none. Just something complicated flickering behind his eyes. "But it doesn't make me feel any better about it."

  "I get it. You wanted to atone for that one boy. But what about Argos, and the boy who almost fell? What about Andromeda? That's thousands of lives you saved. Don't those count?"

  They should count. Why don't they feel like they count? Maddie's chest tightened. "I know what you're trying to say. But Argos was part of an agreement with Perseus. He was supposed to be the one to save them."

  "You're being way too hard on yourself," he said, his voice low and urgent. "You carry the weight of one loss like it defines you, but it doesn't. Not even close. Think about the thousands of people who are alive today because of you—because of your courage, your choices, even the ones you didn't plan for."

  Courage. The word landed strangely in her chest. Is that what it was? Or was I just running from one crisis to another, trying desperately to outrun my guilt?

  His eyes searched hers, willing her to see herself the way he did—not as a failure, but as a savior.

  "That one accident, that single moment, doesn't erase all the good you've done. It never could."

  Something shifted inside her, just slightly. Maybe Jim's right. Maybe I've been drowning in one failure while refusing to see anything else.

  Maddie's lips trembled slightly, her eyes glistening as she swayed, overcome by the depth of his words. The burden she had carried alone for so long felt impossibly heavy—yet in this moment, his kindness was like a steadying force, grounding her when she felt like she might collapse under the weight of her guilt.

  A soft, shaky breath escaped her. "You're too kind," she whispered, her voice edged with a fragile warmth.

  Even if she wasn't ready to believe them yet, she wanted to—because for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel so alone.

  "It's not just about having powers—it's about what you do with them. And you've made a real difference in this world. You're a genuine hero, Maddie. "

  Maddie ducked under the table, slipping up beside Jim before wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace.

  Jim smiled. "So, you ready to return to Athena and change back?"

  "I've been thinking about that," she admitted.

  "Oh?" Jim raised an eyebrow, surprised.

  "Yes. I used to be certain I wanted to change back. Now... I'm not so sure."

  "Why not?"

  "Because changing back means going back to the temple—with Mother. Forever." And forever suddenly feels so much longer than it used to, she thought.

  "Does it have to? If Athena restores you, does that automatically mean you have to return?"

  "It's expected. Mother wouldn't give of herself and just let me go my own way—I'm her favorite." Favorite. The word that once filled her with pride now felt like a chain. "And honestly... I couldn't just walk away. I belong to her, and that's how she sees things."

  Jim studied her carefully, his gaze searching hers. "It almost sounds like you don't really want to go back."

  Maddie hesitated, her expression flickering with uncertainty before softening into something more vulnerable.

  "I don't know," she admitted, her voice quieter now. Ever since she left the cave, everything changed. She'd met so many wonderful people who had shown her such amazing things... It was overwhelming, and yet she loved all of it. She looked up at Jim. "For the first time, I feel like I belong to something bigger."

  Jim nodded, "I think I get it."

  Maddie turned to him then, her gaze locking onto his. Something in his expression shifted—just the faintest hitch in his breath, a flicker she couldn't miss.

  "Do you remember what you said to me in the helicopter?"

  He offered a small smirk, trying to look casual, but she could see the effort behind it. "I said a lot of things."

  She didn't let him dodge. "When you told me you didn't want to lose me."

  His smirk faded. His shoulders stiffened, and though he said nothing, Maddie saw it—the subtle tension in his jaw, the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. He remembered.

  "Well," Maddie continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "I don't want to lose you either."

  Out of nowhere, two kids zipped up to the edge of their table—wide-eyed and full of curiosity. A boy, maybe seven or eight, and a younger girl, likely his sister, hung close to each other as they approached. Maddie's snakes immediately took notice, swiveling toward them with quiet interest.

  "Hi, Maddie! Hi, Jim!" the kids said, eyes fixed on the serpents atop Maddie's head.

  "Well, hello there, you two," Maddie said with a warm smile. Her snakes shifted gently, clearly just as curious. "And who do we have here?"

  The boy puffed up proudly. "I'm Richie, and this is Jasmine."

  Jasmine gave a shy wave but didn't say anything—still totally captivated by the wiggling snakes.

  "Nice to meet you, Richie. And you too, Jasmine," Maddie said sweetly. "So, who do you belong to?"

  Jim raised an eyebrow and gave the kids a friendly grin as Jasmine pointed across the room to another table, where Veronica was laughing with her group.

  "You're Veronica's children?" Maddie asked.

  They both nodded at the same time, like they'd practiced it.

  Jasmine leaned in a little closer, eyes wide. "Do your snakes ever, like... fight each other? Or get all tangled up in a big knot on your head?"

  Maddie chuckled. "Only when they're bored or jealous. Sometimes they fuss over who's getting more attention. So much drama, the whole lot of them."

  A couple of the snakes flicked their tongues as if they agreed.

  "Can I pet one?" Jasmine asked, eyes sparkling.

  "Of course," Maddie said. She tilted her head slightly and glanced upward. A small, friendlier-looking snake peeked out, then slowly reached out toward Jasmine's hand.

  Jasmine held out her finger like she was meeting a tiny dragon. "This one is sooo cute!"

  "Althea likes you," Maddie said, smiling.

  Jasmine paused for a moment. "How do you know if it's a he or she?"

  "He, she, they—doesn't matter. They're a part of me and I love them all."

  "What are you two doing?" Jim asked, still grinning at the scene.

  "Nothin' really. Just walking around. Bored," Richie replied with a shrug. "The grown-up talk is boring."

  "Well, we can fix that," Maddie said with a playful grin. "Would you like to hear a story?"

  Their faces lit up like someone had flipped a switch.

  "Yes, please!" Jasmine said. "What story?"

  Maddie tapped her chin dramatically. "Hmm... how about the tale of Jason and the Argonauts? Have you ever heard that one?"

  Richie's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I think so... but not from someone who probably knew them."

  Jim laughed. "He's got a point."

  Maddie laughed too. "All right, fair enough. Come, sit with us and I'll tell you."

  She scooted a little closer to Jim, their fingers still gently laced together, as the kids climbed into the seats across from them, practically bouncing with excitement.

  "All right," Maddie said, her voice shifting into that perfect storytelling tone, "once upon a time, there was a ship called the Argo..."

  And just like that, the room faded into the background, and the night wore on as Maddie wove the tale of heroes, monsters, and the Golden Fleece—while everyone around her, snakes included, watched on, quiet and content.