Stronger Together chapter 230

Coming home was, in point of fact, amazing. I stepped in my door and  felt my stress just melt away. Admittedly some of it comes back as a  tiger cub comes sailing through the open door and slams into my chest,  but I catch Max easily enough and I can't help but smile and snuggle my  little buddy. Kara had called ahead and let Charity know we were on the  way, so she'd brought my kitty back. I snuggled into his warm fur and  gave a happy sigh, enjoying the warmth of my little tiger, before a wry  voice says. "Oh, of course, watching him was no bother, you're welcome  Cameron."

I glance up in embarrassment to see Charity  leaning against the wall with a smile, a fond look in her eyes as she  sees me snuggling the little furball. I grin back guiltily. "Sorry  Charity, didn't see you there. I've had a rough few weeks...or hours,  depending on your point of view. I missed the little monster." Max  nipped at me in annoyance as I stopped paying attention and I ducked  away with a laugh, avoiding his ridiculously sharp teeth and giving an  internal sigh of relief as I avoid getting my face ripped off, as  playfully as that ripping might be intended.

When I looked  up though Charity wasn't smiling anymore. Her eyes looked sad. She  grabbed my arm and pulled me over to the couch. Everyone else had gone  to their respective rooms to unpack before she had made her entrance  from the kitchen, though I suspected Kara had arranged it now that I  thought it through. My kryptonian could hear her adopted mother waiting  and clearly wanted me to talk. She sat down beside me, leaving Max in my  arms. "I recognize that look Cameron. My husband has worn it more than  once. You've seen things you wish you hadn't."

I sighed,  leaning back. "We fell through a portal when we were in Romania. We  ended up in hell. Not A hell, but literally hell itself." I took a  ragged breath. "It was...almost nice." I expected her to flinch, but she  just sat and watched patiently. "Not like I enjoyed it or thought it  was a good place, but like I didn't have to worry about all the problems  I usually have. It was simple. See a problem punch a problem. I always  had the option to just throw down if things went bad, just punch my way  out of any situation. That's not the person I want to be really but it's  just so...freeing."

She nodded. "You aren't the first  warrior I've heard that from. But I can tell that the things you saw  there bothered you. You want the simplicity I'm sure, but I know you  well enough to know you used that power wisely and helped who you could.  The act of wishing for more power to put to righteous ends is not in  itself wicked. You see problems in the world and wanting to fix them is  to your credit. I trust you to know when you're going to far." She  smiled. "And if not I trust my daughter to pull you back."

I  smiled at that, because it was true. Then I told her everything that  had happened. Charity lived here too, and she deserved to be ready for  what was coming. I expected her to be worried but she just smiled. "The  Lord doesn't give us more than we can handle. I have my husband and this  place is a safe place for my children, and yes that means you too. I  know everyone I love will do their utmost to protect those who can't  protect themselves and to watch out for each other." I thought that  would be it, but her smile became cold. "Besides. I'll be out there  helping too."

I  actually shuddered at that. Charity scared me. There were monsters and  demons aplenty, but Charity was the kind of person who would never stop  if she considered you a threat. She stood. "I left Bea with Molly so i'd  better get back. She can't way no to that little girl, and if I don't  stop her she'll ruin the little one's dinner by slipping her far too  many cookies. I'll talk to Michael when he gets home from the site. We  can go up to Graceland and take a look around. As a family." She kissed  my forehead and pecked Max on top of his fuzzy head and left.

Charity  had become such a big part of our lives. It was hard to remember not  having her around. After she'd all but adopted Kara she'd basically  adopted us all. I'd never been a religious person, so I expected dealing  with her to be uncomfortable of judgemental, but despite the side of  her Harry saw in the books Charity was nothing but accepting of all of  us. She was there to listen or talk things out, she came by to make sure  we were fed and invited us to family dinners. She was the kindest most  giving person I knew and we were lucky to have her.

Kara  came back into the room, the others still unpacking. "I recognize that  look. That's a mom special. She has a way of doing that, making bad  situations feel ok even when you know you should be afraid. You seemed  like you might need a bit of that." She plopped down next to me and  scritched under Max's chin. "Though I suppose you might just have needed  to snuggle this little fuzz ball. I heard your talk though. Of course.  I'm glad she could help. It'll be good to have her and dad along tonight  when we head to the graveyard. I was already planning to bring the  Sword of El, but fafs so much better with Ammorachius.Hopefully he can  even put a scare into Hel with it.Magic holy sword seems like a good  counter for her army of evil zombies."

I  couldn't argue that point. I leaned in and pulled her into a hug.  "Thanks Kare bear." She flushed at me using Inari's special nickname but  rather than complain she just pouted sulkily. She had a cute pout. I  laughed again. "Seriously though. You really saved my ass there. My head  hasn't been on straight since I got back, but I couldn't really see  that until Charity mentioned it. I'm surprised Rae didn't say anything,  but then she's had her own weird mental space to deal with I suppose.  Still, it's kind of sad that I'm so mixed up I need my girlfriend to  tell me when I'm upset huh?" It hadn't really hit me how out of it I'd  been until I talked to Charity.

Kara  hugged me back. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Everyone needs  help now and then. But you're right. You do seem a bit out of it. Go  take a nap Cam. Sleeping in your own bed will do you some good. We'll  call Harry and have him cover over so you can talk when you wake up. You  know he's going to be over the moon to see Yang and Barb anyway. The  rest of us too, but those two are his favorites. His precious  apprentices." I chuckled at the statement and raised an eyebrow and she  rolled her eyes. "And you don't count. You're basically invincible  anyway so he doesn't worry about you as much. Plus we all know Harry has  a soft spot for girls over guys, especially since Mags was born."

I  smiled at that because it was true and I couldn't exactly argue, but  she was right. Once she brought it up the thought of being able to go  sleep in my own bed for the first time in months after being in literal  hell was too good to pass up. I scooped up my squirming tiger cub and  carried him with me to my room, thumping down on the bed and pulling the  squirming ball of fuzz against my side as I kicked my shoes off and  slid under the blanket. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up to find out  my time in Romania was a dream, but I knew it wouldn't happen. Still  sleeping here would help me destress and recharge for sure.

I  was one of those people with social batteries. The longer I was away  from my home and my bed and my safe areas the more exhausted I got. With  my strength I could last indefinitely even on the verge of collapse but  this wasn't that kind of tired. It was an exhaustion of the soul, a  weariness of the mind and heart that only the slow mundane grinding of  the world around me could produce and no amount of power could stave  off. I fell asleep like that, with a warm cat against my side and my  breath slowing to an even cadence as my mind drifted off into  nothingness, truly blissfully at peace for the first time in far too  long.

When I  up I was in my room of course. But I could see through the window that  it was dusk already. It always made me feel strange to sleep during the  day and wake up at night. Like I got lost in my dreams and found my way  back a world that was just a little off. Too quiet and still and dark. I  got up and walked over to get dressed, leaving Max to continue his nap  ad I slipped my clothes out and headed out into the living room,  following the voices. I heard Charity again, and Michael, and finally my  mentor's voice. Harry was the loudest. "And I'm saying this is insane!  We can't challenge a death goddess in a cemetery, that's the fastest way  to get killed I can think of."

Micheal  responded calmly, his voice warm and reassuring. "It is not. The Sword  will be enough to handle Hel. I understand your hesitation my friend,  but please, trust me. I know what I'm doing, and you've followed me into  worse situations." His strong confident tone made it easy to want to  put your trust in him. Michael Carpenter was always something of a  reassuring presence, but when he was in full on hand of god mode it was  easy to see why one of the swords chose him. Something about his manner  and speech just made you want to follow him anywhere. I knew Harry did  trust him, but my mentor seemed adamant about not doing this.

Sadly  that wasn't an option. I stepped into the room. "If it helps you can  add me to the list. I know we need to go and I know how to take care of  Hel." He caught sight of me looking frazzled and freshly woken and  seemed worried, but I kept going. "I know it's a lot to take on faith  boss, pun intended. But I have a plan for dealing with her." That plan  was putting on my Archangel Armor and punching that bitch out, but hey I  never said it was a GOOD plan, just that I had one. "I get it if you  don't want to go though. You have Mags and that's a pretty big  responsibility."

He  stared at me for a bit, seemingly trying to read my mind, before he  shook his head. "Fine. I know you'll just go without me and I can't let  you do that so it's fine. I trust both of you, and with me there to  watch your backs it'll be fine." He glanced at Charity with a wry grin.  "I don't suppose you feel like lending me some kind of spear or halberd?  I like the whole staff aesthetic, but if we're fighting zombies having a  melee weapon might prove useful to me. Though I'd have to carve spells  into the spear so I suppose it wouldn't really be borrowing as much as  stealing." He gave her a hopeful grin which she promptly ignored. I  laughed as they bantered. It felt good to be home.