InsaneJournal

After kicking Hermes out of the house for his disgusting behaviour, Peitho had stalked around the apartment, feeling both furious and unsure of anything. Oh, not of the fight with Hermes. He'd deserved everything she said, but about Luna.

Eventually she'd gone to find Luna in her room. The mortal girl was sitting on the bed, with her knees tucked up to her chest.

Looking at her, Peitho felt the last of her anger fading away. "Oh my dear Luna," she said, coming in and sitting on the bed beside her, reaching out to stroke the cheek that wasn't bruised. "I'm so sorry this happened to you."

"It wasn't your fault," Luna assured her.

Peitho gave her a soft smile. "You're such a good girl," she said, leaning in and kissing her lips softly. "Michele has always been erratic, but I thought he was in a good place recently." She frowned at the lines on Luna's throat. "I see now that I was wrong."

With a deep sigh she drew Luna into her arms and stroked her hair. "It's alright now," she promised her acolyte. "You're safe, with me. I love you. I'm going to fix this."

She held Luna for a long while, rocking her gently as though she were a child, humming some one known song into her hair. Peitho wasn't very maternal, but she did know love.

Eventually she encouraged Luna into a shower and while the girl was in there, texted Hecate.

My love, Luna's been hurt and I would be eternally grateful if you would come see to her. I hate seeing her in pain, and I'm afraid that it's my fault that she is.

Then she put her phone aside and went to find Luna.

The girl was crying and sitting on the bottom of the shower, and Peitho peeled off her own clothes so that she could sit with her. "Come here," she said gently, drawing her into an embrace. "Here."

How dare Hermes suggest that Peitho would ever hurt Luna? She'd brought Luna here, she'd dragged her from poverty and sadness and given her the gift of their life.

Later, when they were sitting with takeaway, Luna picked at small pieces carefully, Peitho sighed. "I'd planned to send you to see Merlin tomorrow," she told the girl. "Before I saw what happened."

Luna looked up. She'd been told that Hecate was going to come and heal her injuries, something which she was immensely looking forward to. Peitho's lip was split, and Luna didn't know what to do with that right now. Didn't know how to process the violence that she'd heard outside of room from Hermes and Peitho. Didn't know how to process that it was because of her. Had she somehow destroyed a marriage that had lasted thousands of years?

"I can still go," Luna told her, voice quiet and rough "If you want me to."

Peitho shook her head. "I shouldn't have let anyone hurt you."

Peitho looked guility. Luna swore she had never seen that expression on her before, and Luna knew there was nothing she wouldn't do to remove it.

"Hecate is coming to heal me," Luna reminded her goddess, moving so that she could kneel at her feet in front of Peitho's chair. The talking hurt, but she wanted to reassure. "And then, after that, I'll be happy to go wherever you want me to." She smiled up at her. "Doing your bidding, it makes me happy. And if you think that it's safe for me to go somewhere with Merlin, then I'll happily go. For you."

Peitho smiled at her. Hermes was gone, but Luna was here. She leaned down and kissed you. "You are the sweetest girl, and you're a blessing."

Luna couldn't find the words to say that Peitho and Hermes had been her blessing.

The doors of the elevator opened with a ding and both women looked that way, Peitho smiling brightly at Hecate.

"My darling," she said to the witch. "I'm so glad you came."