A/N: This is my first fanfiction, so any reviews would be greatly appriecated. I accept all constructive critism as long as it is just that- constructive. Sugestions would also be welcome. Sorry if the characters are OCC. I tried to capture the characters as well as I could. I particularly made sure Leo would be annoying. Please, Please, Please, submit feedback. Now, without furthur ado, enjoy.

Annabeth stood at the prow of the grand ship, lost in thought and unseeing stared at the blue, majestic crashing waters. Cautiously, Leo crept forward, fearful to interrupt her train of thought. He would never admit it, but Annabeth kind of scared him. She was strong, smart, and really powerful. He knew that if it came to it, she could easily beat him in… well, almost anything.

Still, he needed her help. She was the only one of all of them who had ever sailed before. Even if Leo had built the ship (with his cabin, of course), he didn't completely grasp how to run it; he could operate in the engine room perfectly fine, but when it came to the abundance of ropes and pulleys… he was desperately lost.

As Leo observed Annabeth's steady gaze wash over the waves, he could tell she wasn't thinking about the quest. She was probably thinking about the other times she sailed, with her boyfriend, Percy Jackson. He could also tell that she wasn't normally like this, so constantly depressed. The last six months, just a dream she was waiting to wake from. Well, more like a nightmare. Assuming the other campers' accounts of her were true, she was a completely different person when her boyfriend, Percy, was around.

Quietly, Leo neared Annabeth and spoke, disrupting the serene vision. "Hey, um… Annabeth?"

"Hmm?" her voice was thick, as if her throat was very, very tight.

"Do you think you could help me dock the boat on that island, there?" he pointed to a distant shore. "So that we can regroup and sort of rest a little bit?"

"Why that island?"

Leo frowned, "What do you mean?"

She shrugged, "I was just wondering if you had a reason for choosing that specific island."

"Well, it's the only island around for several miles."

She shook her head, and pointed to a much closer shore. "There's one right there."

Leo squinted, and found she was right, again. Gods, Leo thought, even all depressed she's smarter than me. He couldn't understand how he had missed it, it right it front it front of them!

Feeling stupid, but still trying to cling to his breezy image, Leo continued. "So, will you help me?"

She nodded, "Sure." Her voice broke, and she tried again. "I mean, absolutely." This time her voice was much stronger. Leo was starting to see glimpses of the person she used to be, but that scared him even more. At least she was on his side.

Annabeth led him to the wheel and studied it. "Well," she began, "Percy would always…" she trailed off deep in thought, and gently laid one hand on the firm wood as Leo flinched. Gods, he thought, Piper is going to kill me. Piper and Annabeth had grown pretty close these past six months, and even more so on this quest. Piper was helping Annabeth deal with Percy's disappearance (along with Rachel, and all of Annabeth's other friends), and Annabeth was helping Piper train so as to meld perfectly into the demigod society. Leo also had a sneaking suspicion that Annabeth was helping Piper with Jason.

That thought depressed him. Leo had always felt like a third wheel around Piper and Jason, and more so every day. Even if they weren't officially a couple, the two of them were clearly more than friends. Man, Jason is lucky, Leo thought, all the girls go for him. Not that Leo like Piper, it wasn't like that. But Jason had girls practically falling over him, much to Piper's dismay. And, though Jason had never said it, Leo perceived that there was a girl at the Roman camp, too, possibly girls. Yet, Leo couldn't even get Thalia. He'd tried talking to Jason about Thalia, but clearly Jason wasn't comfortable with Leo hitting on his sister. And there wasn't really anyone at camp who knew Thalia all that well, except Annabeth, so Leo never asked. He could ask Annabeth, but something told him it would be better not too. Maybe I could ask that Percy guy, once we've found him, Leo thought, it sounds like he knew her pretty well, too.

Leo observed intently as Annabeth expertly guided the ship over the rocky outcropping and brought the hull to a gentle halt in the ceramic bay along the sandy shore with barely a hitch. Well, there was a slight bump on the way in, but it was still the best landing Leo had ever seen.

"Percy could have done so much better." Annabeth muttered, but before Leo could contradict her, Piper's voice cut through the tranquil afternoon quiet like a knife.

"Hey, guys. Why'd we stop?" she asked, coming up from below decks.

"We're just going ashore to regroup and get our barings," answered Leo.

"Why don't you find Jason and tell him we're stopping for a few minutes?" Annabeth put in, smiling playfully. Yet, the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Leo had to physically stop himself from rolling his own eyes. Real subtle, Annabeth, he thought sarcastically.

Piper blushed, but replied "Okay!" brightly, "I don't suppose you know where he is?"

Piper would kill him, he was sure of it, but he couldn't resist. Pretending to be exasperated, he said, "C'mon, Piper, can't you trust him? There aren't even any other girls on the ship, besides Annabeth here." As Leo expected, he was thanked heartily for his ingenious comedy by being punched by Piper. Hard. "Ouch." Leo muttered under his breath, rubbing his arm, and the girls both rolled their eyes.

"He's up there," Annabeth said, pointing to the top of the masthead where Jason was perched on the edge of the crow's nest, controlling the winds for better sailing. Jason caught sight of the trio and flew down.

Piper caught her breath. She didn't think she could ever grow accustomed to the grace Jason exhibited when he took to the skies. As he neared them, his eyes grew wide.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THEY WERE HERE?" Jason screeched in surprise.

Annabeth stumbled back as Jason landed with a gentle thud. "We're here?" She asked in a mix of amazement, wonder, curiosity, and… fear?

"Yeah," Jason confirmed morosely, "We're here."

Annabeth, Piper, & Leo looked closely at the island, and found the mist parted easily under the demigods' gaze to show an army awaiting them.

Like it? Love it? Hate it? Confused? Send me a review! (But only if you want to, I'm not gonna hunt you down if you don't.) Peace, Love, & Life.