Morrigan watched as the boy left their presence. Her anger was a cold kind of intolerance that made her want to set something ablaze. She had never considered herself prone to aggression. When it came to herself and Dareios working as a team she always considered herself to be the calm to his raging storm. She tended to be the one who sat back and urged diplomacy while he tended to raze the ground from any and all threats. They worked well together. Today, however, she felt the fire burning inside her and the need to punish the legionnaire until it went away. Donovan's voice pulled her thoughts back and she forced herself to focus on him instead. To ignore the tenseness in her shoulders and hear what he was saying.

Regret was clear on his face and she listened quietly as he told her what happened. Graecus. The word had come out of her lips quite a few times. She had never thought there would ever be a time where hearing it made her wince though. Her face softened slightly at the mention of him not sleeping well. She understood the feeling and only hoped the sleeplessness wasn't clear on her face as well.

Morrigan moved over to where he was leaning against the wall, her hand reaching out to carefully remove a small piece of gravel out of his hair. "Why haven't you been sleeping well?" The question came out soft, her voice almost hesitant to continue, not sure if she would be ready for the answer he was going to give. "Is it something to do with your father?" She didn't let herself go there. She restrained her thoughts from the possibility. Surely he wouldn't be taken from her so soon. The fates couldn't be that cruel could they?

Donovan touched his lip, the skin broken and bleeding. She didn't think it was serious enough to need medical attention but it did need cleaning. Without any hesitation, Morrigan removed her pugio from her side and pulled the bottom of her purple camp shirt away from herself, cutting a strip off the fabric. She walked to where the fountain was, just a few feet away, and dipped the fabric in it before moving back to where he was.

Carefully she dabbed the blood off of his chin as she listened to him speak. She didn't say anything as he spoke of his powers and losing control. It was something every child descended from a deadly god dealt with on a daily basis. She knew he was capable of deadly things, but she also knew him. The boy who had patience, determination, and the will power to bring her back from the underworld. She didn't worry about him losing his patience and harming anyone. She had more faith in him than that. "You wouldn't have." Morrigan spoke the words softly while gently dabbing the rest of the blood off of his chin and lip, pausing only when he asked what his punishment would be.

A small hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips before she replied, "Hmm. I'll have to think of something good." She had no plans of making him do any of the chores that he had spoken of. As far as she was concerned, he was defending himself. Her legionnaire should have known better, should have held more honor than name-calling. There was no room for that kind of behavior. "Maybe sentry duty in the praetor's quarters or something equally scary." She had a small playful grin on her lips, that grin vanished when he said that he shouldn't have come here though. Her heart stopped beating for half of a moment, she was sure of it.

Did he want to leave? She knew, somewhere in the back recesses of her mind, that he wouldn't want to make a life here. She knew that this place wasn't exactly hospitable to him, the brawl was clear proof of that. But she had let herself lock that thought away, she had told herself that she would cross that bridge when she got to it. Looking into his icy blue eyes she feared that the day had come a lot sooner than she had hoped.

Then he spoke again, and Morrigan felt the uneasiness vanish. He hadn't meant that he wanted to leave, he simply didn't want to make her job any harder. Morrigan shook her head, "You are not making anything harder for me." She moved closer to him, her body against his, her arms going around him as her head rested against his chest. "You're the only one around here who doesn't make life harder for me actually." A wry grin came across her lips as she closed her eyes, letting the soft rise and fall of his breathing to soothe her. Only a few moments ago she had been ready to call lightening and vengeance down. Now that feeling seemed utterly foreign. That was what he did though, soothed her. In a way that nobody ever had.

Morrigan's days had blended into one another. When she had first gotten back, Donovan had spent the first few nights with her. She hadn't let herself think about the repercussions of something like that. She didn't think about how that might look to others because she honestly hadn't cared. She had been stabbed. She had gone to the underworld. She had found him. The only person who understood what she was thinking and feeling. The two had survived an impossible situation together and she hadn't been ready to let him go. She had needed him in a way unlike anything ever before. She never needed anyone or anything. It was a fact that kept her sane and alive since she was a child. It made her who she was today and she hadn't thought that would ever change.

Then he had shown up and her world had been rattled, shaken down to the very foundation and built up back again by him. It wasn't that she wanted him nearby, which she obviously did, but more than that she needed him near. She hadn't realized exactly how much until he had left her. During the day she could fill her schedule with things to do, things that demanded all of her attention. At night, however, she couldn't ignore his missing presence. Her sleep had taken a nosedive, unable to shut her mind off at night. She began volunteering for late night guard duty, anything that kept her occupied and busy. Lately she was running on a mere two or three hours a night and she knew it would catch up eventually. Until it did though, she had no other choice. Meetings and duty. Duties and meetings. The schedule never seemed to change.

She had stopped by the mess hall, grabbing a black coffee before beginning her trek to the barracks. She had wanted to check on the fourth cohort, to see if there was any news with the border malfunctions. She had barely made it a few feet outside of the doors though as her attention was pulled in another direction. A skirmish had apparently broken out and Morrigan swore to herself as she set the coffee cup down on the nearest bench and jogged over to where a small group of campers were. "Cut it out." Her words carried over the shouting, anger clear in her voice. A few campers and legionnaires moved aside and she recognized the purple-shirted soldier, on top of none other than Donovan himself.

All at once Morrigan felt heat coursing through her. The urge to grab the legionnaire and shove him away a burning desire that begged to be unleashed. "Off. Now." There was no sense of asking or pleading to her words. Demand and the promise of pain a threat laying much too near the surface but she couldn't tamper it down. The boy moved from Donovan, standing up, "He started it." the legionnaire spat out. Morrigan's face remained hard, "Did I ask who started it?" She kept her eyes on the other boy as he shook his head.

She was very aware that the air around them was charged, she could smell it in the air but she couldn't push it down. Not as the legionnaire turned and glared at Donovan, as she saw his split lip and his blood on the ground. Her eyes remained on the two as she addressed the small group that had gathered. "Go back to your training before I find you all something else to occupy your time with." She didn't bother watching them as they left. Refusing to take her eyes from the pair before her. "Go clean your barrack. Your Centurion will inform you what your punishment will be."

The soldier began walking away from her, and as he passed she heard him mumble something about Greek lapdog and Morrigan struck out, quick as a viper. One hand caught the boy's wrist, wrestling it easily enough behind his back as she forced him down onto his knees. "What was that?" her voice level and cold. She was vaguely aware that lightning cracked nearby. The boy should thank his godly parent that the barrier was intact enough not to let a bolt in, at least not one brought on carelessly. If she focused though, if she truly had wanted to, the boy would be heading to the infirmary.

"Nothing. Sorry Praetor." the boy managed to get out and she forced the position just a moment longer, the electricity in her veins begging to come out and play. "Go." She let loose his wrist and watched as he stumbled forward, catching himself before heading towards his bunks. Still thoroughly angry, she turned her attention to Donovan. Her icy blue eyes meeting his. "Want to tell me what happened?"

Morrigan shifted her weight as she waited for the other person to say something. The small gravely rocks underfoot shifted along with her and she tried to will some patience into her brain. At the very least, she expected this person to say something in response to her question. She would much prefer them to actually turn and address her, but if it was a Greek she prepared herself to face the very least of those expectations. Thankfully, that patience hadn't been needed as the female turned towards her, the moonlight illuminating her features.

Morrigan recognized the other Roman girl. She was a child of Trivia, and in the Fourth Cohort along with almost all of the other children of the goddess. Her first name was out of her grasp but she knew for certain that her last name was Johnson. She prided herself on knowing the members of her Legion. It wasn't just personal, it was strategic and necessary for the safety of them all. Faces to names and then lineage and then cohort. It was a system that had served her well. It was currently proving itself invaluable as the flooding of new faces filtered through their ranks. She relied on it to discern through stranger and ally. 

She couldn't fathom the way the Greeks sorted themselves by godly lineage. It didn't make sense to her and she would have wagered that it had been part of the issue in their camp burning to the ground. There was no way to control that chaos and panic unless you had trained for it. Unless you had order and commands in place. Things which the Greeks most assuredly not do.

Morrigan listened quietly as the girl spoke about having a nightmare. She walked closer to the fountain, where the other girl was perched and sat down near her on the ledge. "Ah. This would be the spot to go for some peace and quiet." The concrete was nice and cool, small sprays of water caught on the wind and landed gently against her face and arms. It was calming and serene. She could see why the other girl had made it to the spot. "I don't encourage breaking curfew, especially with how many strangers we have running around camp, but I think we can let it pass this time."

They had all been under so much stress, more than she could have ever anticipated. It wasn't just the strangers and the fear of a traitor among them, but also the barrier malfunctioning and terrifying visions that had seemed to be plaguing Kade. They were all dealing with a mountain of issues and problems and that was all on top of the ones that teenagers normally dealt with. Being a demigod was never easy. She could forgive one infraction due to it all. She glanced over at the other girl, slightly hesitant to ask, "Do you…need to talk about it?" She was the last person who should be offering a shoulder to lean on, but she was a Praetor after all. She couldn't just ignore the other girl's pain.

Morrigan's smile turned into a grin when he commented about the time they had. It was a good feeling. More than a good feeling truthfully, but it was still all so new. There was so much that had changed and she was still trying to find her footing. A fact that was glaringly obvious as Donovan apologized to her. She shook her head, "Oh. No, you didn't, you couldn't embarrass me. That's just something that doesn’t exactly get said a lot around me." Halfway because she was Praetor and the other half she had always assumed because she had been very keen on shocking someone who didn't toe the line. She didn't mind it coming from his lips though.

Donovan asked if she wanted him to stay and she laughed lightly. "Of course." She had turned, expecting to see him grinning as well. It hadn't been a joke that she had, but she had said it with a mostly humorous tone. Instead, as she had turned back to give him a smile, her eyes were met with his serious face. His words piercing her heart in a way that was just as deadly as it was welcomed. She met his eyes, "I won't." At least not tonight. She didn't let herself think further than that. The weight and responsibilities of her position, all of that would have to be addressed, but tonight wasn't the night.

She had been prepared to show him to the Greek bunks then, her face burning with heat. She had never been good at this. Then he said her name shortened. Mor. A little turn of phrase that she had never liked before. Coming from his lips, however, her heart softened. Donovan paused, gently pulling her hand back, urging her to stop.

She turned to face him, his hands moving on either side of her. She looked into his eyes, blue meeting blue. She didn't have the words to reply. Her heart overwhelmed. "I want that too. All of it." Donovan held his hand up to her and she put her hand against his, palm to palm. "I don't know how we're going to work in this place, but I know that we can and I'm willing to fight for it."

Donovan's hand caressed her cheek and she closed her eyes for a moment, listening to him speak. She hadn't thought she would hear his voice again. At least not on this side of the Underworld. But he was here, with her. The two of them in the place that she called home. "Let's pretend tomorrow isn't coming. Just for tonight. In the morning we can sort out where we belong in all of this, but can we just let ourselves enjoy tonight?" Her eyes met his again, wanting to take off the role of Praetor just for one night with him.

Donovan put his head on hers and she was certain she had never felt this at peace in her entire life. She had never let anyone get this close to her, physically nor emotionally. Sure, physically, she had letting the opposite six get close to her in a literal sense, but it was nothing like this. It was open and unguarded. It was a certain level of vulnerable that she had thus far never allowed herself to come near. She couldn't help it though. It was done. As if it had always been destined to happen. She hated thinking in terms like that, but there was no other explanation for it all.

She listened quietly as he spoke about camp and as he bit his lip, commenting that he was rambling she gave a soft laugh, "You can ramble as long as you'd like. We have nothing but time." She let the thought sink in to her own stubborn head. They were not immortal beings, but there was no threat of being stuck in the underworld too long. There was no deadly force that was constantly trying to keep them in its cold grip. They were safe, at least relatively speaking.

He called her beautiful and a humorless small laugh came out of her lips, her cheeks immediately beginning to get warm. That hadn't exactly been something that she heard a lot of around here. She hadn't even considered it a thing in regards to herself. She was a soldier. She was a fighter. She was not a simpering child of Venus who preened herself all day long. She playfully gave him a soft push with her hand, "You can't say things like that here."

The two had begun to walk together, still firmly holding onto his hand. She didn't glance to her left or right though she could feel the sea of eyes that were upon them. She couldn't blame them of course. She had never showed any sort of openness with anyone and yet here she was clutching hands and kissing a stranger. A Greek stranger at that. Let them think what they wanted, let them say what they wanted, she didn't care.

Donovan spoke about not wanting to leave her and she glanced over, a small smirk on her lips, "Who says you will be?" Morrigan was thankful that he didn't require medical attention. She didn't like the unfamiliar pressure in her chest that came about when she had thought that he might need one. The idea of him harmed unsettled her more than she was comfortable admitting. She managed a nod as they walked along.

When he asked what the Principia was, a small smile came to her lips. Her poor Graecus boy was very much not in his element. As he asked if that was where the other Greeks were staying at Morrigan paused, the heat in her cheeks now radiating. "No, it's where the Praetors, Dareios and I, work and sleep. Where we live I guess you could say. I .. It's kind of second nature to go there, sorry." The blonde tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, the sheer idea of embarrassment being a foreign feeling that she did not enjoy. Of course he would want to stay with his friends and his family that he had been missing from. She had made an assumption that she was the only one who wouldn't want him to leave her sight and that had clearly been an error. She hadn't even put his feelings into consideration. "I can show you to where the Greeks are staying. We can stop at the Mess Hall first though. We'll pass right by it." She tried recovering with a cool and collected smile. 

Morrigan felt numb. Since she had awoken in the infirmary without him she felt as if a part of her had died. A part that she hadn't known had even been there. Almost as if someone gave her a puzzle piece that had been missing. A piece that made her feel alive for the first time. A piece that made her feel happy, understood, and quite possibly even loved. A piece that had begun to feel like home. Then it was taken from her. Taken before she could do anything about it. Ripped from her as cruelly and quickly as it had been bestowed.

The accidental stabbing hadn't left any permanent damage, other than a scar that now graced her abdomen. Physically she was fine. She wished the emotional damage had been as easy of a fix. She had jumped into her work, not allowing any downtime. The Olympics had needed her attention and she had been happy to dive in. Happy to think about anything other than the hole in her chest.

The day passed by with nothing important to note. She had oversaw what competitions she could. Had checked on the guard rotations and given a small speech. The day had been a success, she supposed. There were no casualties which was always a win. It had gone by uneventful enough and she had managed. Then the lantern ceremony commenced. She had taken one and written his name on it. She didn't want to let it go. It was a stupid thought, she knew that. Holding onto a lantern or letting it go made no difference. He was gone and he would remain gone. Yet she found it hard to let go. She didn't want to release his name and watch it leave her all over again.

Morrigan said a silent prayer for him. The rest of the lanterns rising into the air. She stared at the name once, then twice more. Slowly she let it go, wiping the tears off her face.

Morrigan was certain her heart stopped. She turned in shock to see him. Donovan. Standing in front of her, those blue eyes meeting hers. He touched her cheek and the shock gave way to a happiness, relief washing over her. Her name came out of his lips and she swore she had never heard anything more perfect. Before she could say anything he kissed her. 

She put her hands around his neck, returning the kiss. The world had vanished. Even after the kiss ended her arms remained around his neck, unwilling to let him go, wholly unaware of anyone around them anymore. "How? Where did you go? I woke up without you and thought for sure your father had decided to keep you." 

Morrigan found herself studying the Greek boy. He seemed to earnestly and honestly be speaking the truth, or at least what he believed to be the truth. There was no hint of un-honesty in his features. Her eyes paused on the slight hint of red that grew on his cheeks. It looked so oddly out of place on him. He was tall, handsome. What he had to be embarrassed about she couldn't fathom. The idea that it could possibly be due to her escaping all avenues of reason in her mind.

The conversation moved to things she could actually talk about without feeling like she was suffocating. She knew that was probably very telling, but she didn't allow herself to dive into that little piece of self-internalization. She nodded when he asked about the Greek Oracle and their Auger position. "Yes, they're very similar. Your camp's Oracle has not made it to Camp Jupiter yet. At least not before I came down here. So we're assuming Kade will continue to receive the visions until they both arrive." She hadn't thought about what might happen when the two were placed in the same camp. If she had to wager on it though, she'd say that Kade would more than likely still be the one receiving visions, they were after all, in Camp Jupiter not Camp Half-Blood.

Donovan spoke about her life not being over, that she shouldn't be down here and she almost challenged him. Then she remembered who his father was and realized that he more than likely did know precisely how much life she had ahead of her. A thought that she couldn't imagine enduring. She didn't bother asking him how he survived the burden. She knew better than most that sometimes there simply was no other option.

When something was handed to you, you either handled it or you didn't. She didn’t pity him, he was strong, clearly a fighter and he even somehow managed to keep his sense of humor intact. She didn't fear him either. After all, she was already dead. Her eyes moved to his, blue meeting blue and she realized that perhaps what she was feeling was a mutual understanding. If there was another person who could understand the loneliness and pressure that a life of such responsibility and expectation brought it would be him.

A thought crossed her mind then and she let the words come out before her brain could stop her. Opening up to a Greek stranger in the underworld was a glaring red flag. Though it would be one of a million since she had died so she supposed none of that really mattered right now anyway. "Can I ask you an absolutely ridiculous question?" She moved closer to where he was. "When I arrived at the Wolf House there was a child of Pluto there. One night she had sworn to all of us that she could read our life lines in our palms. I, of course, found the notion ridiculous but had challenged her to read mine." Morrigan opened her hand, palm side up between the two. She touched the third line, "She said that this was my life line and that it was long, but that it intersected with this one which apparently was very bad." She touched the line in the middle before looking up at him, a small grin on her lips. "She said that was my love line and that the intersection was confusing but overall meant almost certain catastrophic doom."

Morrigan couldn't help but give a soft laugh, "I never believed her of course. In fact at the time I remember thinking that if she thought that something as stupid as that would rattle me she was more of an idiot than I had guessed. Now though, I wonder if she had been onto something." She held up her hand to him, a grin still on her face, "So, can you see anything? Am I truly doomed? Although I suppose being down here should have been my first clue that maybe she was right." She didn't honestly and truly think that the lines in her hand meant anything. Sure she technically had something terribly dooming happen to her, but both lines continued after they intersected so she mused that it couldn't be all that bad.

Donovan had assured her that he was fine and she only nodded in return. When he told her that she didn't have to be so strong she truly didn't have the words. Of course she had to be strong. What else was her purpose if not to be strong? In all of the ways that mattered. She had people who relied on her strength. Asking her not to be so strong was like asking someone not to breathe.

Then he had found out how long he had been down here. A whole month gone in a blink of an eye. She had placed her hand on him, reacting instinctively and she felt a small amount of relief as he repeated the words back to her. Good, that was a good sign. She nodded, her eyes still on his, affirming the words. They would get out of this together. They had to. Then without warning he had leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers.

There were rarely moments that passed in Morrigan's life where she wasn't in control. That just wasn't a thing she allowed. Ever. She had never had a boy kiss her without some inkling of an idea that it was coming. Whether they feared her retaliation, which was justly so, or whether they simply found her un-kissable she didn't know but that action had never taken her by surprise.

He did though. Her eyes had closed, her body utterly still. It was a soft kiss, gentle. His lips barely a brush against hers before he moved from her, apologizing profusely. Morrigan opened her eyes, her thoughts running wild in her mind as her brain tried to regroup. She, again, tried listening to her gut. The same gut that usually told her when to instinctively duck or attack. He was apologizing again as her mind was made up. She moved forward, leaning towards him, pressing her lips back to his. No light butterfly softness. No barest of touches. Like to like. His lips to hers.