Family Reunion ((Lara Willis & open to one))

Even after mustering the courage to write that letter and evetually posting it, Matthew Lee still felt guilty. No matter how many ‘sorry’ and ‘I apologize for my behavior’ he put into that 3-page papers, the annoying feeling still lingered under his skin. Ditching his family a few months ago turned out to be the biggest mistake that boy demigod could ever make. Turned out, there were many more people that was having heavier and impossible problems besides family issues. Well, of course every demigod had problem with their godly parent, but other than that… Starvation, chased by monsters (and sometimes almost get eaten), negligence… Matt’s problem was microscopic compared to them. Especially Lara Willis, the girl she helped about a week ago, so she could build her cabin. Man, did that girl had some stories to told. And to tell the truth, Matt wanted to say thank you. Because if it wasn’t for Lara, Matt would not have the courage to say sorry in the first place. So now he was standing just beside the borders of Camp, anxiously waiting for his parents and his little sister Hillary, came by just to say hi. Oh, and so he could apologize to them properly. Plus, if Lara would show up, introduced them to the girl that made all of it happen.

To tell the truth, Matt didn’t know how to feel about that particular girl. Lara was no doubt the nicest person he knew in Camp, even though her legacy was not very friendly. She’s the daughter of Nemesis after all, the goddess of Revenge. But as far as he concerned, no matter what relationship he could have with her later, Matt would always protect Lara with all his power. They’ve been so close is such short amount of time. Nothing can break their friendship now. However, Matt could use some help at this moment. After leaving his own house without even saying good-bye, the boy didn’t knew how to react properly towards his family now. Hug? Too much. Just a simple handshake? It would be awkward. Tapping his feet, Matt recheck her attire once again: a simple light-blue shirt and tattered jeans, since he was too lazy to change them. Oh dear. He could only hope that it would be good enough…

Still standing awkwardly on the camp border, Matthew Lee occasionally glanced on the street. A few cars stroll pass by, but none stopped yet, which made Matt even more nervous. Gosh, how he wished Lara was here. But just when he formed that hope in his head, he heard footsteps coming towards him from the Camp. Not wanting to shifted his sights from the street, Matt whispered: “Lara? Is that you? Did you get my message?” Matt did left a note in front of her cabin, since he can’t find her since morning. And now it’s past one, just after lunch. Biting his lips, Matt anxiously waiting for an answer from whoever walked behind him… hopefully Lara. But then again, it could be anybody else.

((sorry for being so late!! Number one, we haven't have internet at all for the past little while, and now that we finally have internet, it keeps refreshing the page, making this the third time I have typed this reply. anyways, here it is!))


Lara had been enjoying her time in her new cabin over the past week. The day after the building was finished the furniture had arrived and she had moved in that night. Ever since then she had been soaking up her new freedom. It was so nice to have her own cabin, and she had noticed herself being happier. However, she suspected that it was mainly for two reasons: one, being claimed and finally having her own cabin, and two, Matt.


Matt, her newfound friend. She couldn't believe her luck at having befriended Matt. He was the best person she had ever met, and she knew they had a strong friendship that would last a long time. He had recently taken her suggestion and written to the family he had left behind upon discovering he was a demigod. In the letter he had arranged for them to meet him at Half Blood Hill later that very day. Thinking of Matt always made her confused, as she still didn't know how she felt about him. He was sweet, and funny, and talented, and well, he somehow managed to break through the shield that kept others from getting close to Lara.


Speaking of which, Lara glanced at the clock and sucked in a sharp breath. The clock read 1:10, and the note she had received on her doorstep that morning had informed her to meet Matt at Half Blood Hill at one. Rushing, Lara glanced down at her clothes. She was wearing a simple deep violet fitted T-shirt, black jeans, and her usual knee-high laced hiking boots. Her hair was down, but she didn't feel like putting it up. As a quick after thought, Lara grabbed her belt, which her two daggers hung from, her black fish net gloves and ran out the door. She dashed through the camp, dodging the startled campers and towards the hill. Upon getting closer, she slowed and began to half jog, half walk the rest of the way. Her wild inky black hair swirled around her shoulders, the combonation of the sun and her violet shirt bringing out the natural dark violet highlights in her hair. She tried to calm herself from her run, but her rosy cheeks and bright eyes gave her away. As she got closer to Matt, he called out.

“Lara? Is that you? Did you get my message?” he asked.


"Yeah, I'm here. Sorry for not coming sooner, but I lost track of time. Have they arrived yet?" she asked, scanning the road and subconsciously touching the necklace at her throat which she knew in a moment would transform into two gleaming black swords. She turned her attention back to the road, and saw a little car, one that would fit maybe four or five at the most, slowly coming down the street, as if it were scanning for something. "Matt, could that be them?" she asked excitedly, pointing at the little blue car.

When Matt realized that it was Lara after all, he gave out a little sigh of relief. Finally. He needed a friend at a time like this, when Matthew Lee felt unsure and all. Even though he hadn't met his own family in just a short time, but he didn't have enough confidence in the first place. Matt was the one who left them, after all. And without any meaningful explanation as well. For most people, that could be just plain rude... and that's what Matt doing to his entire family. But trying to shake that thought aside, Matt answered Lara's first question. "No, they haven't arrived yet." He kept peeling the streets to any kind of cars that resembled his family's car. Matt frowned when Lara pointed at a blue car. "No, that's not them. My family's car is a silver sedan. At least... last time I checked."

Just to be friendly, Matt nudged the girl. "Thanks for being here, Lara. You're support... means the world to me." He gave her a subtle smile. They were not friends for very long, but they already help each other with their own critical situation. Matt helped Lara with her cabin situation, and though he might not be the best planner, Matt's first blueprint gave the Athena kids idea on how the cabin should be. And now, Lara was here, to support Matt on his family issues. That was enough for him. But speaking on the Nemesis cabin... Matt still wanted to ask some questions about it. It was his first project ever in this Camp, so to speak. "So, how's that Cabin of yours? Still having trouble settling in?"

((Edited! XD Thank goodness I didn't type your name as Nephele ))

((LOL!! I'm sorry, but I just have to laugh, especially since I know who this is...you might want to edit this sentence 'Bryan': "But trying to shake that thought aside, Bryan answered Lara's first question." ))

Lara felt a little deflated when Matt revealed that no, the car coming down the road wasn't his, and it was confirmed when the car, hosting an old man, drove on passed. Still, according to Matt his family had a silver car, so at least she knew what she was looking for.

"Thanks for being here, Lara. You're support... means the world to me." Matt said. Lara looked down, red creeping into her face. She had no idea what to say. No one had even come close to saying something like that to her before. It was a totally new and foreign place, but it was one that Lara found she was liking more and more.

"You're welcome..." she mumbled, still not sure if that was the right reply. Should she add something? Maybe, 'thanks for being there for me too?' No, that was way too corny. It sounded like a line from some chick-film horribly romantic movie that seemed to so often play in the theaters near her old orphanage. Whoa. Lara thought. Did I just compare our situation to a...a..a chick-flick?! That thought just made Lara blush even harder, but her dark hair covered up her face, or at least she hoped it did. However, it didn't take long for the blush to go away, and she looked up again.

"So, how's that Cabin of yours? Still having trouble settling in?" Matt asked. Lara couldn't wait to tell him about it.

"Oh. My. Goodness. You seriously need to come see it. It's amazing, it really is. Everything is ten times better than I could ever have imagined it. You should see it at night. The door practically glows, and I swear that the emblem of Nemesis does. Oh, and the furniture really fits in. I'm really glad that some of the Aphrodite kids chose it, because I would never have been able to coordinate it that well. And the light dimmers are really helpful when..." Lara's voice trailed off as the sun shone off of something shiny coming ever so slowly down the road. Lara tugged on Matt's arm and pointed.

"Is that...?" she asked, suddenly very, very nervous.

When Lara replied back to his thank you, Matthew Lee glanced for a bit and catch the girl blushed. Matt could only giggled in response. He never wanted to make Lara do such a thing, but then again… He was a boy. And Lara was a girl. However, Matt didn’t regret what he just said, for that is what he truly felt. After that, the boy decided to ask about her cabin, which she answered with a very fast pace and excited tone. “oh, glowing doors?” he mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows as he spoke. Matt didn’t remember installing those in her cabin, but then again he already seek help to the most amazing cabins around: Athena, Hermes, Hecate… even Ares for man power. So maybe that was a gift from one of those kids. Or Nemesis was generous and enchanted the door herself, since it was a new cabin after all.

But before Lara even finished her story, suddenly a silver sedan stopped in the bottom of the Hill. Matt’s mind gone black for a moment, and he didn’t even realize that Lara was tugging his shirt and pointing at that direction. He squinted his eyes to check the license plate, but apparently it was a waste of time, because what Matt waited was already in front of him minutes later. There they were: His parents and Hillary. His mom, with her hair cut shorter than before Matt left without saying goodbye, was patting her coat nervously. His father was locking the car, then hold his wife’s hand afterwards. Hillary, dear young Hillary, seemed to grow a few centimeters even though Matt only left his home for a short time. Everyone seemed different. And only now that Matt realized… He missed them so much.

His feet was ready to run, but when Matt almost got out, a pair of guards suddenly stopped him. “Sorry, dude. Not allowed to go outside, unless you have special permission.” His eyes gone wide hearing this ridiculous reason. “What? But I need to go! You… just… look at them!” Matt pointed to his own family, who still looked confused. Matt only told them to wait in front of their car, so he could go to them instead. The guard boy looked uneasy, but the other guard, who was a girl, tried to explain. “You know it’s not safe outside. Monsters are roaming. Even your family could get hurt if you’re not careful.” This made Matt bit his lips. He knew that, of course. But he must see his family again… and explain the situation properly. Not to mention saying how much Matt missed all of them. However, the girl guard seemed to soften up. She unstrapped one of the sword she had, than gave it to him. “Here. I’ll be here while you go to do… whatever it was you need to do outside. Just be prepared and protect yourself.” Without even thinking, Matt grabbed that weapon, whispered his thank you, and began to walked outside the border. Unfortunately, the boy guard still reluctant to let Matt go, since his hands still on the boy’s arm. “Wait. Who are those people anyway?”

Matt’s eyes were going crazy now, darting back and forth between his family and this guard. With a desperate face, he turned to Lara instead. “Lara, could you do me a big one and explain it? Please?” And with that, the unclaimed ran to his family, hoping that Lara could do her best to explain the situation.

A slight giggle made Lara look up, and she tried very hard not to let her face go to an even deeper red. However, Matt made no other comments. He seemed a little surprised at the glowing doors and such, but then again, so had Lara. She supposed it was a little gift from someone, whether a camper or a certain goddess she didn't know.

When Lara saw Matt's response, her suspicions were confirmed. The silver sedan did in fact hold Matt's family. Three people got out; a woman, a man, and a little girl. Though they didn't exactly look like Matt, there was something in the way that they moved which reminded her of him. One look at Matt's face and Lara knew that he truly missed them. She was so glad that he had decided to write the letter and invite to come to the camp. The family looked around, confused, and Lara knew that they only saw strawberry fields.

Matt moved forward to cross the boundaries and go to them, but suddenly two of the camp's guards materialized, telling Matt that he couldn't leave. Matt looked torn, and Lara could feel his pain. His family was so close, and these bozos were blocking them from him. Lara marched up to them, but it seemed that the girl guard at least had one kind bone. She gave Matt her sword and told him to get going. The boy tried to stop him, asking exactly who the people were, and Lara wanted to scream at him for his insolence. Couldn't any dunderhead tell that they were Matt's family?! Matt turned to her, pleading. Then he ripped free of the boy and ran down towards his family. Lara rounded on the boy.

"That's his family, you idiot! Can't you tell? He hasn't seen them in months, and he never got to say goodbye to them before coming here," she said, almost letting her anger boil over. However, she cooled down just in time. "Go do your guard duties or whatever. He's fine." Lara stared at the boy, and she knew that he recognized her from around camp. His eyes spied her necklace, which held four beads from the four summers she had lived there, and he nodded his consent. He started off in one direction, and after Lara watched him leave, Lara gave a small smile to the girl. The girl shrugged.

"I'll go ahead and leave you guys. I'm sure you're capable of handling anything," she said, gesturing at Lara's daggers and necklace. Lara smiled a small smile of thanks, and the girl left. Lara glanced down the hill towards Matt's family. He had just arrived, but she couldn't really tell what was going on. Feeling a little uncomfortable with the whole thing, Lara didn't know whether or not she should descend from the hill and join Matt. After a few moment's hesitation, Lara quietly made her way down, stopping a few feet away from the family. She didn't dare go any further, lest she interrupt a tearful greeting.

A cool wind blew downhill, but there was something off about it. Lara paused, not really knowing what it was. Remembering the girl's warning about monsters, Lara touched the necklace at her throat. She didn't take her swords out just yet, as she didn't want to frighten Matt's parents. However, one hand rested on one of her daggers while the other stayed near her throat.

This was it. The moment of truth. Would Matthew Lee be forgiven? Or would it be the other way around? Nervous as a bull in a bull-ride, the unclaimed demigod ran his fingers through his hair, and straightened his shirt afterwards. Now he regretted on not changing his jeans… It’s not polite to wear the same thing for a few days now. Where was Matt’s manner? While meeting his own family, no less.

But when Matt’s first locked eyes with his sister, all of his doubts gone elsewhere. Hillary suddenly smiled and screamed to their parents: “Matt’s here!” And rushed her way to her brother’s arm while yelled, “Oppa!” A single tear dropped from his face, as he whispered to his sister. Something he hadn’t tell to her in a while. “jeoneun dangsin-i geuliwoyo.” Now, since they are Korean, each member of the family could speak and write that particular language. But they rarely used it, except on a very special occasion, like family meeting… and like this. Matt’s mom quickly wrapped her soft arms around her kids, followed by their dad, who gave out a huge relief laugh. “We miss you too, son.”

And just like that, the tension broke. All of them were laughing and hugging, Matt wanted it to be that way forever now. He missed this: they way his father giggled with that bariton sound, the way his mom closed her mouth while trying to suppress her tears, the way Hillary hugged him like he was the biggest teddy bear she got. “So what did you do in this so-called Camp, Matty?” His father asked, still laughing in between. Matt’s eyes twinkled with delight. “Oh, Dad, you should’ve seen it! Lava walls, the armory, the cabin where I lived in…” He could go on and on. Before this, Matt didn’t even pay attention to the courses that he took. But after he sent that letter, the boy quickly memorized everything there was to be memorized: the cabins, the weapons, the stories… so he could tell them in person when he met his family. And now they were here, making Matt very anxious to tell his story. But first thing first, he must say his apology.

However, Hillary decided to chime in with her oh-so-famous pouty face. “But when will you come home, Oppa? We want you back!” This made Matt stroked his sister cheek gently while letting out a soft smirk. “Oh I would love to be back, Hillary. You know that. But the camp policy stated that I couldn’t… not until I got special permission from the camp directors or something like that.” Suddenly, he heard a twig snapped. Matt’s mood changed from uber happy to deadly serious. “In fact… I shouldn’t even be here right now.” He whispered. “There’s magic around the border. With me going out, it could be like shooting bullets to open air… making me vulnerable, as well as others around me.” Matt heard another thing snapped. His mind went to panic mode: uh-oh.

And just like that, one of his worst nightmares jumped forward: a giant scorpion with extra-large claws, hissing and clacking his way abruptly towards Matt and his family. Ignoring Hillary’s high shrilling voice, Matt instinctively shouted, “Get back in the car! NOW!” Of course his parent were protesting, but one shot to his sister eyes made Hillary knew this was not some sort of game. Even though she was little, Matt could trust his life to that girl. With Hillary pushing her parents to the car, Matt quickly parried it’s claws once, kicking it’s head just to make it dizzy for a bit, then run back to the border. However, the monster was stronger. It chased and block Matt’s way. Desperate and afraid, Matt screamed one name that came to his mind: the person that he knew would be nearest. “LARA! LARA, HELP!”

((translation: Oppa--> brother, jeoneun dangsin-i geuliwoyo.--> i miss you. Yesh, even I didn't know it would be that long. The power of google translate. O_O))

Everything was going perfect as far as Lara could see. Matt was excitedly telling his family about Camp Half-Blood, and there was a few tears. Anyone could tell just by looking that his parents, and his sister especially, loved him. There were a few things said in a different language, but Lara didn't try to pry. This was his family meeting. Watching them, seeing them interact, a happy little family; well, it pulled at Lara. She turned away, her eyes watering. She was so happy that she had been claimed, and that she knew her mother at least cared for her in some respect, but she had never seen or felt that kind of family bond.

Lara felt like an intruder. Slowly, she began to back up the hill until she was in the tree's shadow. She sat down, having to wipe her eyes every few minutes. Lara didn't know if she should just leave since they were having a wonderful family reunion, but something stopped her. Instead she settled for watching them from above, out of sight.

Suddenly though, it seemed that fate had another plan. The off-smelling wind took up again, and this time it brought something with it. A giant scorpion raced out from around the border, bearing down on the reuniting family. Matt began ushering his family into their car, and Lara leaped up, her necklace melting into two wickedly curved and black swords. Matt tried running towards the border, knowing that the monster couldn't cross, but the scorpion appeared to be smarter than it looked. It blocked Matt after a knock from the head by him, and leered down at him.

“LARA! LARA, HELP!” Matt cried out. Lara took of at a surprisingly fast sprint, blocking the scorpion's deadly stinger before it could get to Matt. She caught the stinger between her two swords, but the scorpion pushed against her, trying to break through.

"Matt! Run!!" She yelled, not daring to look behind her. The scorpion drew back it's tail again, and she dove out of the way. That was when she noticed the other one. It bore down on Matt's family, blocking the path to the road.

"Family! Monster! Matt!!" she gasped, trying to regain her breath. She could only watch as the monster got closer to the car. However, her attention was diverted when a giant stinger flashed towards her, and thudded into the ground only millimeters from her head. Acting fast, Lara whipped her sword around, and sliced into the meaty flesh of its tail. Black liquid flowed down from the cut, the stinger holding on by a few tendons. The scorpion let out a screech, and fixed its beady black eyes on Lara.

She scrambled to her feet, and stood facing the monster. A second later, a pain wrenched through her whole body, and she realized that it had claws, and that one of them was currently clamped onto her leg. Without thinking, she slashed downwards. The sword reverberated with a clang, but the shock must have been enough because the monster let go and withdrew its hold on her. Lara scuttled backwards, nimbly leaping out of reach of the damaged stinger. She heard a scream from behind her, and turned around. To her horror, the second scorpion had reached the car, and was rearing its stinger to bash in the windows.

Thankfully, the girl heared Matthew Lee’s plead for help. Since the scorpion blocked him, the boy stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. He instinctively winced and hide his face, for he knew he wouldn’t survive if the thing attacked him in this position. Luckily Lara stepped in with such a quick pace, deflecting its stingers from him and yelled for him to run. He didn’t have to be told twice. Even though he’d been in the Camp for a few weeks, Matt never paid attention to the fighting class, simply because… he didn’t see the need for it. Hey, the boy knew that walking outside that place was forbidden. But after sending that letter, and when the anxiety to meet his family washed over… now Matt realized how important the sword-fighting class was. Especially when a monster like this popped up out of nowhere.

When Lara ordered him to run, Matt instinctively paced himself towards the border. But his feelings suddenly darkened when Lara yelled again, only this time… it was about his family. He abruptly turned around, only to find another scorpion practically hissing and hogging to the car, trying to reach to Matt’s parents and sister. Hillary let out a piercing scream, making the boy growled in disgust. Nobody messed with his family. Nobody… especially a monster that was as ugly as this one.

Now, Matt knew about the Mist. Even though he might hate combat class, the unclaimed spent a decent amount of time in books when he was alone, and found a lot of stuff that connected to current happenings, such as the Mist and how the monsters plus gods still lingered around, even though their place of living shifted from time to time. Matt understood that whatever Hillary was screaming about, she didn’t see a giant scorpion. Maybe she just saw an extra large wild lion, roaring and clawing its way inside the car. But whatever it was, Matt could see the pure fear on her and his parents face, even for just a millisecond. So that was why, ignoring the fact that he didn’t know anything about how to use a sword properly, he wildly swung the weapon towards that scorpion and tried to hit as best as he could. “Leave my family ALONE, you insect!”

Sadly, the first swing just bounced of the scorpion’s hide, making it even angrier. Its body quickly shifted towards Matt, those beady eyes stared at him with such hunger that Matt would just curled up on the spot if it wasn’t for his family. The only way to get them safe was for him to kill this monster. He tried to signal his parents so they would just drive away, but the intensity of his father glare made Matt sighed in return. Yes, his family could be pretty stubborn. With that, the boy’s brain went to overdrive. He slashed, he dodged, he tackled… everything that Matt thought he couldn’t do, he’d done it now. The scorpion hissed and clapped its pincers together, but it didn’t do much. Matt just met his family for quite a long time, and now this dang insect was in the way and threatened them. Any kid would be mad at this… particular incident, if they ever occur.

Suddenly, Matt found himself lunging towards the scorpion’s back, resulting in protest hisses and loud clacks. This is it. Now or never. And finally, he punctured his sword to the monster’s brain, dissipated its essence back to Tartarus. Kicking the dust away, Matt ran back to his family. “Are you guys okay?” But judging from their pale faces, all three of them were still in shock. At least now Matt could breathe easily, knowing his family were safe. However, there was one more issue: Lara. Signaling Hillary to stay put, the boy dashed around, tried to search for her. “Lara! Lara, where are you?” A lump of fright resided on his head. Please, don’t be dead, Lara. Please.

Lara had time to glimpse Matt attacking the monster near his family's car before the scorpion in front of her started to attack again. The damaged stinger was still hanging on, and was still deadly. Thinking fast, Lara knew she had to somehow get a good shot at its head. She rolled out of the way of another jab, and rose to her feet. She steadied herself, took a step,

and promptly fell flat on her face. Her leg screamed in pain, and a gasp tore itself from her lips. The claw had done more damage than she had initially thought. Blood now seeped through her jeans, making the black material gleam wetly. She groped in her pockets, knowing she had ambrosia on her. Triumphant, she pulled out a little square. She popped it in her mouth, and not a moment too soon.

Again the monster was upon her. This time, she welcomed it. It coiled for a leap, and sprang up into the air. Bracing herself, she crouched down and aimed both swords straight up. The scorpion came down, landing on top of her. For a moment, she couldn't breath. Then, in a big cloud of ash, it disappeared back to Tartarus. Lara stayed stock still, not believing it was dead. Only Matt's frantic yells broke her out of her trance.

She got up, her mind feeling like it was detached from her body. She strode forward, noticing that her leg still hurt but not really registering it anymore. I'm in shock. She thought numbly. She walked up to Matt.

"I'm here," she said, pointing to herself. "And um, I think I'm in shock," she added.

Matthew Lee managed to caught a glimpse when Lara was smothered by the second scorpion. But when he reached out, the thing dissipated into dust and gone elsewhere, back to Tartarus. Apparently both of her swords punctured the insect’s body and managed to kill it for now. Matt breathed out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Lara was okay. But when he realized that she didn’t walk right, the boy exclaimed. “You’re hurt!” He gritted his teeth in desperation. All of this was his fault: asking Lara to come even though he just wanted to meet his family… If she didn’t come, she would not get hurt. But then again, Matt probably won’t survive for a second fighting those scorpions if it wasn’t for Lara. His instincts shouted for him to helped Lara, but he must say something to his family first. “Stay put,” Matt whispered, then walked towards the car.

His parents and Hillary already outside, with Matt’s sister throwing her arms around him once again, but she was sobbing now. “Where’s the giant panther…? Where did it go, oppa…?” Matt let out a soft chuckle. So that was what she saw. To calm Hillary, Matt stroked her hair lightly and then stare her with soft eyes. “The mean panther is gone now. So don’t worry, okay?” He hugged her. “Nothing will ever hurt you… as long as I’m not around.” Matt added that last sentence with a hurt voice. However, that was the truth. With him knowing he’s a demigod now, Matthew Lee would be much more danger towards his family. So with that, he turned to his father and decided to tell the truth, then finally… apologized. “Dad… I have a confession.” He took a deep breath. “You know I was a demigod. You were the one that had to be surprised, but I was the one leaving and not saying anything. I felt that all my life, my school, my friends… all of it was a lie. But after meeting some people and learned about their past-“He smirked while glancing at Lara for a second,” I know I’m the one that was wrong. I shouldn’t do that in the first place, leaving all of you just because of my unexplained past. You were the only family that I’ve got, and you are my family now. I’m sorry for even acting like I was back then. I… I truly am.” Matt couldn’t hold his tears anymore. “But now that I know who I am, I must dig deeper. Find out things about demigods, train, explore more about my past, and the most important thing… find out who my godly parent is. So even though I call you here, I can’t go home. Not yet.”

His father was about to answer, but Hillary broke to tears so suddenly. “No, oppa! Come back! I miss you so much!” Her hug became even tighter. Matt couldn’t help but laugh, even though tears were still falling from his eyes. “I will, Hillary. I will. But not now. I will send another letter if I ever want to come back, but not for a while. You could wait, right? Be a good girl for mom and dad?” Hillary paused for a bit, pouted, but eventually nodded slowly. Matt smiled. “Good girl.” Then he gave a kiss on her forehead, and then switched his sight to his dad. The man cleared his throat while blinking, then said what was on his mind. “I understand, son. I mean, this is beyond my-our- world, but we will do our best to let it sink in our thoughts. Just remember, if you ever-“ He chocked and started to sob. “-if you ever got homesick, or you didn’t feel comfortable, or you want to eat your mom’s cooking… just inform us. There’s always a place in our home for you. No matter what might come… you will always be my son.”

After a few more tears and hugs, Matt’s family finally drove away, with Hillary waving until him and Lara couldn’t see that silver sedan anymore. Wiping his tears while exhaling loudly, Matt helped Lara walked towards the border. With everything that she had done for Matt, it was time to repay his dues by getting the girl patched up. “So? Should I bring you the infirmary? Or do you want some ambrosia or nectar instead?” He smiled lightly. Whatever Lara’s answer might be, he would obliged. Matt owed her almost everything for today, after all.