Once she had recharged her charms and spells she hiked her bag onto her shoulder and turned down the walkway, "Same place as last time?" she asked Hekate.
"Yes," the Crone said, "Find the same tree as before, same spell and all."
At least this time she knew what to do and what to expect but she wasn't looking forward to revisiting Hades. She hadn't given him a great impression of her when they met and now she was going to ask him for a favor.
"Hades doesn't hold grudges, he sees them as time-wasting," the Maiden assured her.
"Well that's good, at least one thing will go right for me, hopefully, he will be willing to part with his helmet without too much of a fight."
"About his helmet," the Mother pipes in hesitantly.
Kate groaned, she knew it all sounded much too easy, "What about it?"
"The thing is, Hades may not care about much, mainly he cares about the souls in his charge and Percy, but...." she trails off not wanting to finish her thought.
"But what Hekate?" she blew a curl from her forehead starting to get a little annoyed.
"The helmet was a gift, he and his brothers all each have one. Zeus has his lightning bolt, Poseidon has his trident, and Hades has his helmet. The helmet is a symbol of his ranking, his bloodline, and he won't just give it to you willingly. You will need to have something to exchange for it."
Kate stopped dead in her tracks, "Exchange? Exchange what, the most important thing I own, the most important thing to me was the cafe, and Aphrodite and her weird son trashed that. What do you expect me to exchange with him?"
"Calm down child," the Crone said sounding bored which did the opposite Kate could feel her temper rising, "He will find something he wants, that is one of his gifts, he will find what means the most to you and that will be what he asks for."
What means the most to her, was that she owned nothing worth anything. Shrugging she continued heading in the direction of the park. Everyone was silent the rest of the way until she was standing in front of the same tree as last time.
"Same thing as last time?" she asked studying the tree, it was still as creepy as she remembered.
"Yes, just slice your hand and place it on the trunk."
She pulled her blade out and sliced her hand and placed it on the tree, a few moments later she fell into the tree and landed next to the same river as she had before, at least this time she didn't land on her face. Steadying herself she looked around making sure there was no three-headed dog or angry souls ready to attack her.
"Nothing is coming for you, paranoid," the Maiden snarked.
"I am not paranoid, last time we were here the souls tried to drag us into the river, and a pissed-off goddess was more than happy to let me die here."
"We made up with Percy, and thank us for that," the Maiden snapped back, "With her on our side trying to get that helmet from him will hopefully be easier."
Kate walked towards one of the cave openings she took last time slowly making her way towards where Hades had been last time. She knew she couldn't sneak up on him but it never hurt to be cautious.
"Why are you here again mortal?" his voice boomed sounding more pestered than annoyed, like she was a fly he just couldn't get rid of. She stepped into his cave, office, and area hoping her attitude hid her nerves.
"Hi again Hades," she said casually stepping closer to where he sat still rifling through papers.
"I asked you a question, why are you in my realm again?"
"Beating around the bush isn't going work here Kate," the Mother warned.
"So I just come out and ask him for his helmet?"
"You need to do something, I can tell he's already not happy with us being here again."
"Oh you can can you?" Kate asked sarcastically. She leaned her hip against his desk and looked around hoping Persephone would be there, of course, she couldn't be that lucky.
"I need help getting to the Olympus throne room," she said casually. Her words had caught his attention, his pen stopped scratching and he raised his eyes to study her.
"And I was told you might be able to help me with that," she said trying to stay casual.
He set his pen down and gave her his undivided attention, he folded his hands on his desk and leaned back waiting for her to finish.
"Easy Kate," the Mother cautioned, "Asking for a favor will be harder than you think."
"I need to get in unnoticed, and I was told you have a helmet that will help me with that."
He was silent, studying her face so long she started to feel uncomfortable, finally, "You know of all her vessels you look the most like her."
Kate blinked trying to make sense of what he was saying. What did what she looked like have to do with what she was asking?
"Umm...thank you I guess."
"No thanks necessary," he said a small smile forming on his lips, "So you want to use my helmet to get to the throne room. Why?"
She blinked at him again thrown by his question, she supposed it would make sense he would want to know what his helmet would be used for. "I need to find a friend and we think that's where she might be."
"And Hekate wants to go back there after what happened the last time?" he asked raising his eyebrows in question.
"I need to talk to him," the Maiden said bitingly, "He needs to know what is going on."
"I am sure he has some idea already and you going at him won't convince him," the Mother said.
Hades cleared his throat bringing her attention back to him, "I can see the conversation going on in your head. Let Hekate speak for herself, if she wants my help she can ask for it."
Kate rolled her eyes and bit her tongue trying so hard not to let loose all the emotions she had been holding on to since this whole thing started but it was all just too much.
"You know what? She isn't the one asking for it Hades, I am. I need it to get my friend back, I know it may disgust you to speak to me, a mere mortal but this is what you get."
It was his turn to blink and look at her surprised she dared to speak to him in that tone, but she was over all of their high and mighty bullshit.
"I need your helmet to get into the throne room undetected, will you help me or not?"
He finally nodded, "What is your offer Kate?" he asked shocking her by using her name instead of calling her mortal. It surprised her so much that she froze unsure where to go from there.
"I asked what you have to offer me in return. You don't expect to get something for nothing surely."
"O-o-o-f course not," she stuttered out trying to come up with something he could want, "I have nothing of value except my cafe, and unfortunately it's trashed at the moment."
He shook his head, "That is not what I want Kate, it would be less than useless to me."
She glared at him, it may be useless to him but it was all she had, "It's not useless Hades, it's a large part of my life, but you are right it won't make a good bargaining chip." She clenched her fists, this was so frustrating.
Hades leaned back and crossed his arms, his eyes studied her closely making her antsy, "What?"
"Did you know Hekate and Persephone were once very close?"
Her eyebrows scrunched confused, "I mean yeah, I was clued in the last time I was here, what does that have to do with anything?"
"Ever since Hekate left Persephone has been...." he got to his feet and came around the desk raising his hand to his face and rubbing his chin, "Prickly is the best way for it I think," he came to a stop front of her. She had known he was tall and well-built for a god, but when he stopped in front of her she looked up at him feeling completely dwarfed by his presence.
"Don't let him make you feel small Kate," the Maiden said.
"Easy for you to say," she replied angrily, she turned her full attention back to the large god standing in front of her.
"Okay...." she said raising a brow at him.
"I think she gets lonely, I love her and would do anything to make her happy and Hekate made her happy."
"Oookay," Kate said again unsure where he was heading with this but pretty sure she wasn't going to be happy about it.
"So this is my bargain, in exchange for the use of my helmet you will take a week each month and come here to keep my wife company."
"Careful Kate," the Crone said, "You should always hear the full bargain with Hades, make sure he isn't hiding anything."
"So once a month, for a week, I will come here and keep your wife company....like a support animal?" she asked.
"You will be doing so for the rest of time," his dark eyes locked onto hers seeping deep into her soul.
"The rest of the time? You mean the rest of my life?"
He shook his head, "No Kate, even after you die. You will spend most of your time in the Elysian Fields but you will spend a week a month with Persephone for the rest of time?"
She took a step back, she knew he was going to ask a lot of her but she wasn't sure how she felt about being forced to be friends with someone. And what if Persephone didn't want to be friends with her would she still be forced to spend time with a goddess who doesn't like her?
"What does Persephone say about this?" she asked watching him for his reaction. He looked at her confused, it was as though no one had ever thought to ask what she had wanted before.
"You hit the nail on the head," the Mother said, "Hades may be deeply in love with his wife, to the point where he will make her happy above all else, the problem is he's never asked her what would make her happy."
"You have been married to Persephone for millions of years and never once thought to ask her what makes her happy?" she looked at him slightly disgusted.
"She is happy here, with me, I do everything to make her happy."
"Everything but ask her what she wants," Kate shot back.
Hades took a menacing step towards her but Kate stood her ground, he may be a god but he was still a man. And this man needed help understanding he didn't need to control everything in his wife's life to make her happy.
"You don't scare me Hades, someone needs to tell you this. I thought Persephone was angry because her best friend left, and yes that was a large part of it, but she has no control over anything in her life, what does she want?"
"It does not matter what she wants, I know what is best for her and what will best make her happy!" he slammed his fist onto his desk making Kate jump.
"What I want doesn't matter?" Persephone asked entering the cave/office, hurt written across her face.
"Oh crap," thought Kate, "This isn't going well at all."
"Maybe, but maybe your words will finally get them to actually talk to one another," the Crone said.
"That's not what I meant Percy," Hades tried to explain taking her hands.
"Then what did you mean Hades?" she asked pulling her hands away from him. He just stood there looking lost, his eyes searching his wife's for any kind of understanding.
"I only meant that I know best how to care for you, I know what makes you happy, I have only ever done anything to make you happy."
Kate stepped next to Persephone, "Does he make you happy?"
Persephone looked from Kate to her husband, slowly a single tear slipped out but before anyone could say anything Persephone took off through one of the cave's hallways.
"You better follow her Kate," the Maiden said, "If you don't you can kiss any hope of getting his helmet goodbye."
Kate groaned and with a glance at Hades, who was standing in the exact place he had been before Persephone had run away, she followed after the young goddess.