LEO

Although riding into the sunset with his hot girlfriend on a fifty-ton bronze dragon sounded like a pretty cool ending, Leo knew it wouldn't stop here. He still had plenty of other things to do. Like getting back to his friends to tell them that he's not... you know... dead.

A few hours after leaving Ogygia, the Atlantic Coast came into view. It turned out that they were right on the coast of New Jersey, not far from Camp Half-Blood at all, so he and Calypso decided to make a pit stop to do some quick repairs on Festus so he could take them the home stretch. Then they'd fully repair him in Bunker 9 once they reached Camp.

Gods, Camp...

How would they react to seeing him? Although it hadn't been very long since he'd died, it still felt like he'd been away from his friends for an eternity.

But for some reason, he was scared of returning. Would they be angry with him for scheming a plan to beat Gaea without them? Would they be indifferent to his death, as if his passing was a forgettable blip in their time?

Would he still be the odd one out, the seventh wheel?

Leo scolded himself for thinking such things. His friends loved him strong and true, so of course they'd be overjoyed when he returned. They'd be proud that he took down Dirt Face, even if he did end up killing himself. And besides, he had Calypso now, so he really wouldn't be a seventh wheel anymore.

Right?

He pondered this as he worked on Festus' broken leg, tinkering away at his emotions as he knelt over the damaged limb.

He must've been scowling in his deep thought, because Calypso laid a hand on him, and he looked up to see her reassuring face, somehow reading his mind and telling him it'd all be okay with a soft smile.

He sighed. He leaned into Calypso's leg and closed his eyes, and she ran her hand through his grease-soaked hair. Her cinnamon scent comforted him and he didn't want to budge from that spot for the rest of his life. But he still had things to do.

He took a deep breath and sat back up, and resumed working on Festus's leg.

Why was he so nervous about returning? He didn't have any justified reason anyway. It's not like his friends absolutely hated him, or that they'd be glad he had died.

So no, his friends were not the source of his newfound anxiety.

He'd still have his cabinmates and his Bunker to do all his Hephaestus stuff. He'd still have delicious barbecue at dinners and sing-alongs and Camp games. So it wasn't that either.

With a start he realized going back to Camp Half-Blood meant returning to the rest of the world as well. That meant going back to responsibilities, problems, hardships, monsters, quests, and all the other crap demigods dealt with.

He wished he could just stay alone with Calypso forever, with Festus to fly them around and guard them. He wouldn't have to return to actual life or reality, both of which absolutely sucked. He could just roam free with no one to bother him about things threatening the thrones of the gods, or monsters he needed to fight, or machines he needed to build in impossible timeframes.

He immediately felt guilty for thinking such things. He was being selfish, not wanting to return to his friends just because he didn't want to deal with his life anymore. They deserved to know that he was alive, after all the mourning and grief they'd probably gone through.

"It'll all be okay. The war is over, Gaea is defeated... that doesn't leave too many things to worry about. Yes, life will be challenging, but that's part of being a demigod. I'll be with you every step of the way, and I'm sure your friends will too."

Leo had been so preoccupied with his thoughts he'd forgotten Calypso was standing over him.

"How do you always read my mind?" He chuckled, but it was halfhearted. He was still worried.

"I only have to look at your face," she replied, smiling down at him. She cupped his face with one hand, tracing her thumb across his cheekbone, smearing the thick soot caked on his skin.

"I know you're scared. And it's okay to be, because life can be pretty frightening. But you have to trust in your friends to help you through. And from the way you described them to me, I'm positive they'll have your back no matter what. I will too."

He looked down. "You're right..." He muttered.

He patched up Festus' leg well enough to make it to Camp Half-Blood without various parts falling out of the gash in his Celestial Bronze armor. He stood, shoved the tools back into his magic tool belt, and mounted the dragon. Then he offered Calypso a hand and pulled her up to sit behind him.

He turned to look back at her before lifting off. He gave her a mischievous smile, some of his humour coming back. She quirked an eyebrow at him, the question of What exactly are you planning this time? written all over her face.

"Can we at least prank them when I get back?"

A/N: So just today I finished the Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus series. I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending, so I'm going to continue their story by writing this. Enjoy, and review dudes!

~Unique Pines