KATERINA WAS RUDELY awakened by her alarm going off. She let out a groan and blindly reached out her arm to probably slap her phone off of the nightstand.

However, her hand met something else, and someone said, "Rina, can you not?"

Katerina opened her eyes and yawned, her gaze meeting Piper's. After a few moments, Katerina registered that was leaning against Piper, and probably had for the majority of the night. And that her stupid alarm was still going off.

"Shut up, I don't wanna be awake," Katerina sat up, reaching for her phone and turning off the goddamn alarm. She glanced around, frowning. "Where's Jason?"

"What time is it?" asked Piper, still half-lying down against the armrest of the couch. That should not have been a comfortable position. Katerina wondered how she slept like that. "He's probably awake. Y'know, Roman camp schedule."

"Right . . ." Katerina said, replying to Julia, who had agreed on the ride situation. She'd have to ask them how the date went. Admittedly, Katie Gardner was a steal. "It's, like, ten."

Piper sent her a slightly disappointed look. "And you're supposed to leave at eleven?"

"I was not anticipating on being here for New Year's," argued Katerina. "I thought I was going to be alone at my house, hungover and having extra time to sleep before getting my way to the airport. Apologies, your majesty."

"Well, are you glad you're not?" a new voice appeared, and Katerina and Piper looked up to see Jason opening the door with his body, holding two plates.

Katerina frowned. "Have you always had glasses?"

Jason shut the door and walked over to them. "You were there when I got them, Rina."

She remembered that, actually. A machine-powered snake goddess monster . . . the vial that brought her best friend back from the dead . . . being told that she would be heartbroken. At the time, she'd thought that that was because of Leo. That his death would break her heart so badly that the healing god had to warn her about it himself. But she now realized that he'd been talking about everything. Leo's death, the breakup, the argument with mama, running away.

Nothing was clear in that world until you got older. Until you realize the unfair treatment that the gods give just because they're all-knowing and immortal. And complete jerks.

Katerina shook off those thoughts. She was not going to think about this now. Maybe on the plane she would. "I haven't seen you wear glasses since I've been in New York," she said, looking down at the plate of food he slid over to her. "You made us breakfast?"

Jason shrugged. "Yeah, I know it's not avocado toast, but I wanted you to have something to eat," he said. "Contacts exist, you know."

"Thank you," she said quietly, starting to eat quickly because she was on a time crunch. "I know. I was just surprised. You look good with your glasses."

"And he doesn't look good without?" teased Piper, digging into her own food.

"You're putting words in my mouth, malyshka," Katerina declared, finishing her food surprisingly quick. Well, maybe not, considering she had to go. She always ate faster on a time crunch. "Shit, if I get to the airport late Kiki's gonna kill me. And then Jules is gonna revive me and kill me again for not being there."

"Let's go then?" Jason said in his confused golden retriever way.

"M' not finished," Piper said, her mouth full of food.

"And I have to go to the bathroom," added Katerina, standing up and speed walking to the door, opening it and walking into the apartment. Then she realized she didn't know where the bathroom was. "Wait, where's—"

"Don't worry, I can show you," Jason walked in basically right after she had, steering her to the nearest bathroom. "There you go."

"Thanks," she smiled at him before walking in, closing the door behind her.

After doing her business and quickly washing her face and fixing her outfit and hair so it didn't look like complete shit, she hurried out of the bathroom and back to the balcony, mainly because she left her phone there. But also because she didn't know where to go. Eventually she could probably find her way out of the house, but one thing Katerina's learned is that you outsource the hard work. And if they were still at the balcony . . .

And sure enough, they still were. And Piper had finished her breakfast! That's a rare win for Katerina.

"Is it time to go?" asked Piper.

"Uh huh," answered Katerina, picking up her phone and sighing at the amount of Julia texts. She sent her stfu, I'm almost out the door before shutting it off. "You know, I could just take an Uber. Or run. I'm fast."

"You said you'd never take a taxi again," noted Jason.

"Taxis aren't Ubers, milaya," Katerina corrected.

"And if you ran, you'd probably get hit by a car," added Piper helpfully.

"I haven't gotten hit by a car in a long time," Katerina rolled her eyes, but relented. "Not even in a car chase. And I've been on many of those."

"Oh yeah?" asked Piper as they started heading out. "Car chases something you do often?"

"I literally was in one just before I got here, malyshka," Katerina said, letting Piper's arm wrap around hers as she led her inside the apartment. "What do you think?"

"I think that you get into too much danger for your own good," said Piper.

"Pipes, it's literally in our bloodline."

"Yeah?"

"My demigod abilities have gotten me into more trouble than it's gotten me out of trouble," Katerina snorted. "And it shows."

"It's definitely not obvious," drawled Piper, a small smirk on her face.

"You're so mean to me," Katerina pouted. "Jason, make her stop."

"I don't know," said Jason, walking so he was in front of them, the keys in his hand. "I'm enjoying this."

Katerina scoffed. "Unbelievable," she muttered, but followed them out the front door anyway, because she's a massive simp.

* * *

They'd finally made it to the car and started driving to Julia's apartment. Piper had stolen Katerina's phone so Jason could drive to JuJu's address, so Katerina was suffering in the back.

"Of course Jason drives like an old man," Katerina huffed, staring out the window.

"Hey! I do not!" protested Jason. "I'm just trying to get you there safe."

"I won't be safe if I'm late and JuJu chops my head off," muttered Katerina, but she was perfectly loud enough so they could hear her. "I'd even take Piper driving over you."

Piper snorted. "Last time you drove, you were in a car chase. Sit down."

"I am sitting down, malyshka."

Piper sent her an unimpressed look. "That is not what I meant and you know it."

Katerina gave her one of her winning smiles in response.

They made it to Julia's apartment ( which was lowkey close by? Damn, that taxi ride was really fucked up ), where she was standing on the sidewalk with two suitcases in hand. Jason parked in front of them, unlocking the doors and opening the trunk.

Julia walked over and opened the trunk, loading the suitcases in. "Katya, you're so lucky I didn't leave your heavy ass suitcase up in my apartment for you to grab."

Katerina shrugged. "I have super speed."

"In front of the mortals? How rebellious of you."

Julia slammed the trunk closed and hopped in the car next to Katerina, Jason driving off to JFK.

"Fuck the mortals," declared Katerina. "Besides, Calypso got me this suitcase, remember? And I need to use it. She has
good taste."

"She does have really good taste," agreed Piper.

"See, Piper gets it," Katerina said to Jules. "Good taste."

Julia snorted at that. "Uh huh."

"How is Lover Girl, anyway?"

Jules glared at her. "Do not."

"It's an innocent question, JuJu! I'm just curious."

"She's doing well," Julia told her. "And how are you three?"

Katerina sent them a glare before making eye contact with Jason in the rearview mirror and Piper over her shoulder.

"It's going pretty well, I'd say," Katerina said softly. "Though that might just be my opinion," she added quickly.

Piper grinned at her. "It's not just you."

"It's definitely not just you," agreed Jason.

Julia gagged, effectively ruining the moment. "Eyes on the road, hotshot," she ordered.

"You don't even like boys, why are you flirting with my — with Jason?" Katerina shoved them, though the mischievous smirk on her face made Katerina think uh oh and they were definitely talking about this later.

"It's fun to anger you," replied Julia.

"I hate you."

"Aww, love you too, big sis."

They got to the airport, where Katerina ordered Jason to drive a different way. Thank the gods that Kiara was FBI and she automatically got them in a private airfield. Jason drove them up to a stand where Katerina gave him her and Julia's badge of clearance to let them in.

As Jason drove closer to the plane, Katerina felt a weight pressing down on her. This was it. She was leaving. And who knows what would happen when she comes back. Would Jason and Piper still want her? Did they want to have her?

Did they want to be an item?

Julia noticed this as she told Jason to stop close to the plane. The doors unlocked, and they started getting out of the car. Jason and Piper went to help them with their suitcases.

"Thanks for the ride," Julia said to Piper and Jason. Then they turned to Katerina. "I'll tell Kiki you'll be up in a moment."

Katerina nodded, figuring out how the fuck to use the handle of her suitcase as Julia left, leaving the three of them. Alone.

"Here, let me help." Jason stepped in, working his magic and suddenly the suitcase handle popped up.

"Thanks," said Katerina, grabbing it and testing it. Jeez, this really was heavy. "For everything."

Piper smiled at her, though it was a bit wobbly. "Of course, Rina."

An awkward silence stretched between them, the roar of the plane starting in the background. Katerina stared up at it. For once, she didn't want to hop into the plane and leave.

But she had to. This was her job, her life. And even if she stayed, she'd get the itch again and leave. That's just who she was.

Someone grasped her hand, and Katerina was pulled out of her thoughts, looking to see Piper.

"Come back to us, alright?" she pleaded. "I'd prefer if you were alive. And uninjured."

Katerina sent her a small smirk. "I can't guarantee the latter," she said, "but I can assure you that I'll come back alive. I haven't died yet."

"Those two things don't correlate in the way you want them to," said Jason.

She shrugged. "It's true," she said, feeling herself soften up because of them. Gods, she was down bad. "I'll come back to you. I promise."

She kissed Jason and then she kissed Piper for what Katerina hoped wouldn't be the last time.

"Don't miss me too much," she said. "I might have time to call, but we'll see."

She smiled at them, and then she dragged her heavy ass suitcase to the plane, where someone took it away as she walked into the plane.

"Alright, Mikhailova?" asked Kiara with a knowing look.

"Yeah . . ." Katerina sighed as she plopped into a chair, strapping herself in and staring out the window at the two little blobs she knew were her malyshka and milaya. "Yeah."

The plane took off, and soon enough she couldn't see them anymore. She shook her head before locking in on her mission. She actually had to, you know, do her job now. She couldn't get too distracted.

But as they gained altitude, Katerina missed them more and more. Damn it, what were they doing to her?

okay guys school ended for me a couple of days ago so i'm gonna actually try to finish by the end of the summer but we'll see bc tbh i have no concrete plans for this fic i'm just yoloing it lmao

<3 maybel