Chapter Nine: Gift from Chaos

Slowly, as though he was moving through a dream. Jay gathered Theresa up in his arms and began to carry her back to the school. The rest of the team followed with Archie and Atlanta picking up their fallen weapons. “Hera!” Hermes called out as he saw the heroes returning. “They’re coming back.”

“Good,” stated Hera. “Are they all there?”

“One, two, three, four, five, six…”

“Hermes?” asked Hera her voice filled with worry. “What is it? Who is it?”

“Theresa,” he answered sadly. “It’s Theresa.”

--

They laid Theresa out on Chiron’s couch. The same couch that Jay and Atlanta had laid upon when they were dying. Only this time there was no last minute cure that they would find. This time it was final. Theresa was really gone. “Is there nothing you can do?” asked Atlanta as she looked at the large Centaur. “There must be something.”

Hera shook her head. “She’s gone. Her spirit has left her body,” she stated as she pulled two coins from thin air. “She’s on her way to the underworld and we must ensure that she makes it there.”

“No!” Jay cried out as he stepped in front of Hera so sit at Theresa’s side. “Come on Theresa…” he pleaded. “…don’t do this. Don’t leave us…don’t leave me. You know that I love you…I love your more than life itself.”

And with that, Jay leaned down and placed a kiss on Theresa’s lips much like he had done the last time. Only this time when he did so, his entire world exploded in light. When he came to he saw Theresa standing before him. “Theresa?” he asked.

“Jay?” she asked back. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? I dunno,” he replied. “What are you-”

“-one minute I was passing Cerberus and the next I was here.”

‘I brought you here’ came a disembodied voice. Jay and Theresa stepped closer to each other and scanned the brightness. ‘You have no need to fear. I am not going to harm you. Then, before their very eyes the light manipulated itself into a being.’

“Who, who are you?” asked Theresa as she held onto Jay.

‘I am Chaos,’ the being answered. ‘And I am quite impressed with you both.’

Jay shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

‘You both have shown immense courage in the face of overwhelming odds. Both of you were willing to lay down your life for the good of your friends and the world at large. And while I normally do not meddle in the affairs of my idiot children, I feel that I should make an exception. Theresa, you foresaw your own doom and yet you continued forward with it. Jay, You would be willing to barter Hades himself for Theresa’s soul in exchange for yours. Both actions show that you are true heroes who have taken the highest risk and made the ultimate sacrifice. Because of that I am willing to grant you both a gift...use it well.’

And with that, the world of light suddenly exploded and Jay found himself back in the school with a very alive and awake Theresa in his arms. No words needed to be spoken; the tight embrace that they shared was enough. They had been given a second chance to be together- again. And as Theresa looked upon the thankful faces of her friends, her mentors and the man she loved- she knew that she was not about to waste it. After all, with Cronus gone she could finally begin living her life to its fullest, and there was nothing that she wanted to do more.

-THE END-

AN- There you have it beloved readers. 'After the Phantom' is now done. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I did... please leave a review if you haven't already and for those beloved readers of mine you have been reviewing this story- readers like lepidopteran, Becky Sky, IrishTable, Thunder-Goddess, Demenior, MichaellaLoe, Little Miss Illusional and photo41 I just want to say thank you. Your reviews made me smile and I'm glad that you all enjoyed this story as much as I did even though it has made me laugh, and cry in places...I hope it did the same to you.

-Anjirika