For Danie via GGE (Thaluke, blind!au) Enjoy, darling!

Word Count: 3,442

Before Thalia has a chance to even register what's happening, something sticky and smelling of soured milk covers her face. A moment later, strong hands push her down. "Quiet," Luke says softly. "Stay here. I'll take care of it."

Thalia doesn't understand what's happening or why he won't let her fight. She wipes furiously at the substance over her face, wrinkling her nose. Whatever it is, it's disgusting, and she doesn't know how she keeps from throwing up.

She looks around, her confusion deepening. Has Luke pushed her into a cave? They had been in the woods, but she doesn't remember a cave nearby. Still, it's the only explanation. It's pitch black, not even a sliver of light to be found.

She hears scuffling, Luke grunting. If she's in a cave, why does it sound so close, as though she could reach out and touch him so easily?

Her heart pounds, panic gripping her.

Stay calm, Thalia. Just relax. Everything is fine.

But the words she tells herself don't help at all.

A loud, anguished shriek rings out, followed by the unmistakable sound of a monster turning to dust. Everything is fine. Luke will come back and get her out of here, and they'll carry on like they always do.

"Thalia? Thank the gods. Are you okay?"

"I'd be better if you'd get me out of this stupid cave," she grumbles. "I could have fought, you know."

She can't see his expression, but she can hear him swallow. "Thalia, you're right where I left you. No caves around."

Thalia shakes her head. "Don't be stupid, Luke. I can't see anything. I-"

She lets the sentence die. A block of ice seems to rest in her stomach as her mind works frantically to understand what's happening.

"I'm sorry, Thalia. Gods, I'm sorry," he whispers.

She shakes her head. "No."

His hands find hers. She can feel them trembling, confirming her fears.

"I'm… I'm blind? Well, what was that thing? There has to be a way to reverse it!"

"I don't know. I'm not exactly a giant encyclopedia of things that want to kill us," he says dryly.

There's that panic again, eating at her insides. Thalia wants to cry, but she forces herself to stay strong. Now is not the time for emotions to get in the way.

Luke guides her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her. Part of her doesn't mind. The other part hates it. She doesn't want Luke to have to carry her. Being close to him like this is nice, but the circumstances are all wrong.

"Oh…"

"Oh? Oh, what?" Luke asks.

Thalia feels heat rising in her cheeks. She doesn't want to tell him the truth. She might die if she has to admit that she's afraid that she'll never see his stupid face again. "Nothing. Not important. We have to keep moving."

"Keep moving? Thalia, you're blind."

"Yeah, but my legs still work. You guide. I follow."

Luke laughs. She's never noticed how lovely that sound is. Deep and rich, laced with warmth. It makes her think of what home should be like. "Have I told you lately that you're stubborn?"

"Not in the past few hours. Move."

…

She hates feeling helpless. She's had to look after herself and Jason for so long that she doesn't know how to cope with not being in control. She grips Luke's hand tightly, staying close.

"Careful," Luke says, slowing his pace. "Exposed roots."

Thalia sweeps her feet awkwardly over the ground. Each step she takes is cautious, but she finds each root and manages to avoid them.

"What would I do without you?" she asks.

Luke doesn't answer, and she doesn't blame him. Really, the answer is terrifying. If she had been alone, she would be dead by now. She hadn't even seen the monster attack her. If Luke hadn't been with her, she would have been torn apart.

"What?" Luke asks. "You've got that look on your face. What's bothering you?"

"Nothing. Just that I wouldn't mind a cheeseburger right now," she laughs.

She still remembers the first time she met Luke. She hadn't trusted him, and she was prepared to just walk away and continue on her own. Now, she's grateful that she didn't do that.

"I can see a road."

"Cool. I can't."

"Sorry," Luke mumbles.

Thalia smiles to herself. "Where there's a road, there are probably cheeseburgers," she says.

…

They don't find cheeseburgers, unfortunately. But Luke does manage to steal them a small picnic from a convenience store. Beef jerky, snack cakes, chips, and sodas. It isn't the healthiest meal, but Thalia doesn't mind.

Luke guides her to the ground.

"Where are we? Is it still daytime?" she asks, feeling around and closing her fingers around the closest bag of chips.

She opens them, smelling the contents. Something cheesy.

"We're in a park," he answers. "And it's night."

"Is it clear out? Can you see the stars?"

"I can."

Thalia bites into a chip, moaning. She can't remember the last time she's eaten. The darkness is disorienting, and everything seems to blur together.

"Describe them to me," she whispers.

Her heart aches. What if she can never see the starts again? She used to watch them with Jason, and she's always felt peaceful whenever she looks at them.

"Uh… Well… They're bright. And there are a bunch of them. Um…"

Thalia laughs, almost choking on her jerky. "Bright and a bunch of them? Yep. I can see it clearly in my head," she teases. "Don't you know your constellations?"

"That never really seemed important to learn."

Thalia smiles, shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you?" she asks softly. "Maybe, when I can see again- if I can see again- I'll teach you to read the stars."

Luke's fingers brush over her hand, but he quickly pulls away. "I'd like that," he says, and Thalia wonders if it's embarrassment that she detects in his tone. "We'd better get some sleep. We can ask around tomorrow, see if anyone knows something that can cure your vision."

"Not a god," Thalia says quickly.

Luke laughs. "Definitely not."

…

Thalia wakes with a start. For a moment, she is confused by the darkness, but it quickly fades as she remembers it wasn't just a bad dream.

She feels around, her fingers connecting with Luke's shirt. She shakes him gently. "Hmm? Wha?" he grumbles.

"Did you hear that?" she asks.

She hears a shuffle and assumes that Luke sits up. Several moments of silence follow. "Hear what?"

"An animal? A bird, maybe. I thought I heard wings," she answers.

She listens as Luke climbs to his feet. Soft footsteps fall. "Nothing here. Probably just a bird passing by. Anyway, we'd better-"

Her body tenses as his sentence trails off with a note of confusion. Thalia holds her arms out, ready to fend off an attack if necessary. "Luke?"

"There's a note. Correction. A poem. Oh, gods, a haiku," Luke says.

"What's it say?"

"Dear, blind Thalia

Let him guide you to the east

Help is waiting there."

Thalia climbs unsteadily to her feet. Within seconds, Luke's arms are around her. "Careful!" he warns.

Thalia scowls. She doesn't do careful, and she hates that she has to now. "What kind of note was that?"

"A vaguely helpful one," Luke says dryly. "By someone with no taste in poetry, obviously."

"At least it wasn't a limerick."

Luke laughs. "Fair point. Should we go?"

Thalia frowns. As helpful as the note sounds, it makes her uneasy. Luke is the only one who knows that she's lost her vision. Is someone following them?

The thought makes her shudder. So far, anything that takes interest in a pair of demigods hasn't been particularly friendly. She and Luke have been doing this enough that everything feels like a potential trap. Still, part of her, against all hope, wonders if it could be true. "What do you think?"

She feels his shoulder move upward in a shrug. "The message is clearly meant for you. I say it's your call," he answers.

Thalia tugs at her hair, frowning. Following a mysterious summons could be the biggest mistake they'll ever make. But she feels like she has to try. "We were heading east anyway," she decides. "Wouldn't hurt to keep going. If our mystery guest shows up, that's just a bonus."

Luke is silent. Slowly, her movements almost shy, Thalia reaches up, her fingers exploring his face. She can feel the tension is his jaw. He's just as worried about this as she is. "I suppose, if there's a chance that this person can cure you…"

Thalia drops her hand away from his face. "Yeah. I really don't want to be a burden for you."

He takes her hand gently in his. "You're not a burden, Thalia. I actually- I- You're just not, okay?"

Thalia wonders what he was going to say. She wants to press him, but she decides against it. "We'd better get moving," she says.

…

Thalia doesn't know how long they walk. Without her sight, even minutes feel like hours. She can feel the sun's warmth, but without seeing its light, it feels like she's stuck in an endless night.

"Anything? Any crazy healers, slips of terrible poetry, bloodthirsty monsters?" she asks.

"Nothing," Luke reports. "It's actually pretty boring."

Thalia laughs. She doesn't remember the last time they've had a boring day. There's always something out there to ruin whatever peace she feels.

Still, it isn't enough to make her relax. Quiet is rarely a good thing in her experience.

She presses closer to Luke, breathing him in. He smells like earth and sweat, and it amazes her how calming that is.

"Maybe I can steal you a cane," Luke says. "Set you up on a corner so people donate. I wouldn't mind a hotel room."

Thalia snorts. "Are you really trying to exploit my blindness?"

"You're right. Slow process. Pickpocketing would be easier," he murmurs. "Not enough time, though. The sun is starting to set. Another convenience store dinner?"

"It's a date."

…

She hears a flutter of wings again as she waits for Luke outside the store. A moment later, talons fall lightly upon her shoulder. Thalia reaches for her knife, but something stops her. Not physically, but just a feeling. Whatever has found her doesn't mean her any harm.

She reaches up, finding a piece of paper. With a loud caw that startles her, the bird departs.

"Time to go," Luke tells her, gripping her shoulder and helping her along.

"I have another note. It was a crow, maybe a raven," she says.

"Another poem?"

"How should I know? I can't see to read," she reminds him dryly.

"Right. Sorry."

She finds his hand, slipping the paper into it. "What does it say?"

"An apple a day

Plucked directly from the tree

My child awaits you."

Thalia frowns. The first message was clear enough. Go east for help. But this one is a bit vague. "An apple a day?"

"Keeps the doctor away," Luke says. "It's supposed to be a nice, healthy fruit."

"I know the old saying," Thalia sighs. "Plucked directly from the tree? Whose child?"

"You said it sounded like a crow, didn't you? Do you still have that book of myths?"

Thalia plunges her hand into her bag. Her fingers grip the book, and she pulls it out. "Here," she says, pushing it into his hands. "Does it sound familiar?"

"Could be an animal sacred to one of the gods," Luke says. "We'll find somewhere to rest for the night, and I'll look."

Thalia makes a face. The gods. They've been horribly silent in the months that she and Luke have been on their own. Why would one pop in now and try to help? Where were the gods all the times that they needed them?

…

"Another park?" she asks, though she can tell that it isn't. The grass is longer here, not neat and low. Fresh earth fills her nostrils, but it's different than the way a park smells.

She almost wants to laugh. She had read somewhere that when you lose one sense, the others work overtime to compensate. She had never really believed it until now.

"A field. We're in farm territory," Luke answers.

She feels around, grabbing the first thing she finds. Soft, and she can smell the meat and cheese. "You stole sandwiches this time," she notes.

"Well, we can't just eat junk food all the time."

"We're kids. Sure we can," she laughs, biting into the sandwich. "Have you started looking at the book?"

"Not yet. Let's see… I mean…"

She hears him shuffle around, then the gentle creak of a book opening.

"You really think it could be a god?" she asks, finishing the last of her sandwich in one quick bite.

It seems strange. They've spent so much time cursing the gods. Maybe she can understand why they've been so quiet. Still, it doesn't make sense to her.

"Could be. Not Zeus. Or Hera," he says, and she hears distant thunder.

"Maybe read quietly," she suggests, taking another sandwich. It isn't a cheeseburger, but it's almost as filling.

Luke is quiet for several seconds. With her free hand, Thalia reaches out, tracing her fingers over his cheek. She can still remember his face, but it isn't as clear as she'd like it to be. Once again, she's hit with the fear that she'll never really see him again.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

She drops her hand, clearing her throat. "Nothing. Just… Have you found anything yet?"

"If I had, I would have told you," he says gently.

Thalia nods, returning her attention to her sandwich.

The silence is maddening. She finds herself shifting restlessly just to hear the rustle of grass.

"Apollo," he says at last.

"Makes sense," Thalia says. "But why would he want to help?"

"I don't know," Luke admits. "Maybe Apollo is just a cool dude? He seems the type."

"A cool god?"

"There has to be one, right?"

Thalia opens her mouth to answer, but stops. Something, somewhere, cuts through the air. She can hear a faint whistle, then a thud within inches of where she sits. "What was that?"

"An arrow."

Thalia tenses. "Are we under attack?"

"I don't think so. Another note," Luke says.

"Apollo is starting to sound like a bit of a stalker," she says dryly.

"Yes, I am awesome.

The coolest of all the gods.

Be glad I'm so great."

"What is with the haikus? You would think the god of poetry would try a few other styles," Thalia says.

Another whistle, another thud. "Another haiku?" she guesses.

"Couplet. I guess he heard your request for a different style."

Thalia snorts. Maybe the gods aren't so bad. Or, at least, Apollo isn't.

"Nearly there, just one day more

You will be healed, of this I'm sure."

Thalia smiles to herself. Not much longer.

…

"Farm country. Still heading east," Luke says as they start their journey again the next morning. "An apple a day could mean that we're looking for an apple orchard."

Thalia nods to herself, keeping a tight grip on Luke's arm. The road is bumpy and uneven. She can only guess that they're on a dirt road. "See any apple trees?"

"Nope. Just corn," he answers.

"Not the popped kind," she says grimly.

Luke laughs, wrapping his arm around her. Thalia feels her heart flutter and her cheeks burn. It isn't fair that a boy can make her feel like this.

"Guessing there aren't too many apple orchards around," she says. "Well, hoping."

"Doesn't look like it. Maybe we'll find some popcorn," Luke offers.

Thalia laughs, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'd like that."

…

She doesn't know how long they walk, only that her legs begin to burn. She's about to ask Luke if they can stop when she notices the air change. It smells sweeter now. Almost like….

"Apples!" Luke says, clapping his hands together. "An orchard of apples!"

His pace quickens, and Thalia feels unsteady as he guides her along. Her heart races. She's been going slow since losing her vision, and the sudden rush is pretty terrifying. And yet, she realizes that she trusts Luke more than anything. He would never let her get hurt.

"There's a house up ahead," he tells her. "Nearly there."

"Thanks, Apollo," she whispers.

Luke begins to slow down. Thalia nearly crashes into him at the sudden change of pace.

"My father said I'd have company," a voice says.

Thalia listens, smiling. The voice is kind with a slight drawl.

"My name is Lynn Perry," the woman tells them.

"Can you cure my blindness?" Thalia asks.

Lynn chuckles. "I've never tried something so big before. But I get the feeling Apollo will guide me. I think y'all had best come inside."

Luke keeps a tight grip on Thalia's hand as he guides her up a set of stairs and through a door. Thalia feels her heart beat rapidly, almost painfully. Can this really be happening? She's spent the past few days so sure that she'll never see again. And now…

She reaches out, touching Luke's face gently. She can feel the corners of his lips tugging upward into a smile, and she wonders if he has guessed why she keeps touching him.

"My father sends wounded demigods to me from time to time," Lynn says as Luke helps Thalia onto a couch.

"Sounds like you have a good relationship with him," Luke says bitterly.

"Not the best. The gods are supposed to keep their distance. They say it's for the best," Lynn says. "It used to bother me. But, as time went on, I got used to it."

Thalia rests her head against Luke's shoulder. She listens as Lynn moves around, wondering what exactly the woman is doing. There's a lot of soft banging and shuffling that she doesn't understand.

"Any idea what got you?" Lynn asks.

"No. I didn't see it."

"I just stabbed it," Luke adds.

"Right. Well, let's see then. Apollo, Dad, I call on you. You have guided these young souls here for a reason. Let your healing powers flow through me," Lynn says, and Thalia smells something sweet and smokey. "Guide my hands so that they can do your work."

The words are beautiful. Thalia wonders if she could ever talk to her own father like that. She doubts it. Too much anger and bitterness there to even think of praying.

She feels thin, cold hands over her face, and she shudders. But the cold quickly fades, and something bright and golden flashes, piercing through the darkness that has surrounded her. Warmth floods her body, and she feels at peace for the first time in a long time.

Lynn moves her hands away, and Thalia opens her eyes. At first, everything is blurry and grey. She blinks rapidly, shaking her hand until the woman before her comes into focus. It takes her several seconds to register that she can see again.

"You… You've done it," she says, laughing. She turns to Luke, grinning. "You really do have a stupid face. I've missed it."

Luke smiles and holds her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Good to have you back."

…

Thalia licks her lips as Lynn sets the cheeseburger before her. "I've been dying for one of these," she says excitedly.

"My father seems to think that you'll need your strength when you reach Virginia."

"Virginia?" Luke asks, raising his brows.

He and Thalia exchange confused glances. Neither have made plans to go there.

"Yes. He says it's critical. Says that your journey as only just started," Lynn answers.

Thalia doesn't like the sound of that. She bites into her burger, trying not to scowl. She's only just got her sight back, and already the gods are setting up her path. Still, after all that Apollo has done for her, she feels that she has little choice.

"You can rest here for the night. Looks like it's been awhile since you've had a proper bed to sleep in," Lynn notes. "Bless your hearts."

…

Luke and Thalia sit on the front porch. She smiles. She can see the stars again, and she can't remember ever feeling so happy.

"My face is stupid?"

"Of course it is," she laughs, turning her gaze to him. "That's why I like it so much."

"Just my face?"

Thalia leans in. "No," she whispers, pressing a kiss to his lips, her heart pounding painfully against her chest. "Everything."