Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and his friends are not mine. Never were, never will be.

Percy stared out over the lake, unsure as to what he was even doing out here. It wasn't like he would get any real answers from his father; he was wasting his time. He sighed, watching as the birds swooped low over the water, one snatching up a fish on its way. Staying away from the celebrations was better for everyone involved, Percy believed. Whenever he was around anyone lately, even Annabeth, he would feel an intense hatred well up inside him. He knew that if he stayed around that person, he could lash out and hurt them. So Percy stayed away, preferring to be alone than to feel that kind of hatred for his friends. He couldn't stomach the thought of hurting them.

He heard a twig snap behind him, and he jumped to his feet, pulling his pen from his pocket and clicking it. While it was unlikely that he would be openly attacked at Camp Halfblood, nothing was ever certain. Besides, he was always on edge, ever since the war. His time in Tartarus had left him always expecting the worst.

He lowered Riptide as he saw the fear in the eyes of Leo Valdez. While they weren't very close, Percy considered Leo a friend, and to cause true fear in anyone, especially friend… Percy turned away again, gazing once again at the lake. Leo came over to stand beside his friend, knowing that there was nothing he could say could help the other demigod.

"Annabeth's been looking for you. She's been to your cabin three times already this morning."

Percy didn't answer. He already knew that; his brother, Tyson, had already told him. The cyclops had confessed to Percy that everyone was worried about him, but Percy still couldn't bring himself to join in in the celebrations streaming through the camp.

"You shouldn't push her away. She… she really cares about you."

Percy looked at Leo, feeling the hatred welling up inside of him. "What's it to you?"

Leo blinked, clearly not expecting that. "Well…"

"I said, what is it to you?" Percy was shouting now, feeling all the anger and hatred consuming him. "What is it to you? What is any of this to you? You don't know anything!"

Leo's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong with you, Percy? This isn't you."

"How the hell would you know? You don't know me. You don't know anyone here, do you?" Percy clicked the pen again, and it lengthened again into Riptide. "You don't belong here. You don't belong anywhere."

Leo could see in the background four figures running toward them, but wasn't sure they would get there in time to stop Percy from killing him. He didn't know what was causing this, but knew that this wasn't Percy. Not really.

"None of us want you here, Valdez. Not McLean. Not Grace. And certainly not me."

Leo jumped back as Percy swung Riptide. He could see the figures coming closer, but still were too far away to do anything. He could just make out their identities: Jason, Piper, Annabeth, and Tyson. He had never regretted leaving his tool-belt in Bunker Nine more than he did right now.

"Percy, stop it! You don't know what you're…" He broke off as he jumped back again, just barely avoiding Riptide. He could feel the waves of the lake licking his feet and ankles.

"I will break you, Leo Valdez."

Leo flinched, jumping backward again; that wasn't Percy's voice. It was a female voice, and was repeating the words that had invaded his nightmares for the past seven years. It was Gaea.

Percy swung Riptide, and Leo dodged again. This time, he was knee deep in the water, and he could feel it pulling him deeper.

"You forget, Leo Valdez, who you're dealing with." The water started pulling on him, and Leo couldn't fight it. He was being pulled into the lake; he was in up to his chest as the others reached Percy.

"Leo!" Piper shouted, wading into the water. She, of all of them, was the only one who knew that Leo had never learned how to swim.

"No!" Percy screamed, swinging Riptide toward Piper now. But Jason intercepted the blow, his gladius meeting with Percy's sword.

The water was steadily pulling Leo deeper and deeper, and the air was filled with his screams. Every time Piper reached him, Leo was pulled in deeper. After another minute, Leo's head sank below the waves.

"No!" Piper screamed as her friend disappeared. She dove under, but couldn't see him. She was joined in the water by Tyson, who had made the connection between Percy's possession by Gaea and Leo's drowning.

"Go back," Tyson told her. "I will find your friend." Without another word, Tyson dove beneath the waves. Piper swam back to the shore, feeling like a failure at losing her best friend beneath the waves. But she knew that, as a son of Poseidon, Tyson would find Leo. He alone could undo what Gaea had done with Percy's powers.

When Piper reached the shore, she was met with the sight of the two most loved demigods of the camp in the midst of a fight: Annabeth and Percy. Percy was out for blood, but Annabeth was clearly trying not to harm her boyfriend too badly. Jason, Piper was shocked to see, was laying on the ground, blood pouring out from a deep slice on his arm. She ran to him, terrified for his life.

Just as she reached him, she heard Annabeth shout. She turned and saw as Percy knocked the blade from her hands. He held Riptide at her throat, but he wasn't moving to kill her.

"Yield, daughter of Athena."

"Never."

"I said, yield!" The blade touched her throat.

"I won't."

A huge wave came up from the lake, knocking Annabeth away from Percy and dragging the son of Poseidon back toward the lake. Piper could see Tyson stepping out from the water, Leo over one shoulder, while his other hand was evidently directing the wave. When the wave hit Annabeth and Jason, their wounds began to heal; Tyson clearly had some of the same powers as Percy.

The wave carried Percy into the lake, and Tyson, after laying Leo on the beach beside Jason, turned to his brother.

"You are being bad, Percy. Daddy will make you be good again."

Percy struggled against the water, but was unable to get free.

"Let me go, damn you," Percy shouted at his brother. "You can't hold me in water! You're not even a halfblood! You're nothing!"

Tyson sat down on the beach and watched Percy struggling against the water. Annabeth went over and sat beside him.

"Percy wouldn't…"

"I know." Tyson frowned. "But why did the bad lady pick Percy?"

Annabeth frowned and shook her head. She had wondered the same thing.

Leo sat up at last, feeling terrible. "What happened?" All eyes were on him immediately. "What? Is there something on my face?"

Piper laughed and pulled him into a hug. Leo could see a struggling Percy being watched by Tyson and Annabeth.

"Ah. So… he's still… Her?"

Piper nodded, turning back to the scene at the edge of the water. Percy suddenly stopped struggling, his head dipping under the waves. When he didn't reappear, Piper and Jason jumped to their feet, preparing to pull him out.

"Don't!" Tyson said, getting in their way. "Daddy will fix him."

"You sure he'll be okay?" Jason asked, clearly troubled at the idea of leaving a clearly possessed demigod sinking in the water.

"He'll be fine," Leo said, rolling his eyes. "He can breathe underwater."

Jason turned to him, anger in his eyes. "He's not himself! He's under Gaea's control! What if he can't? We can't just leave him to die, whatever he's done!"

"You mean like he did to me?" Leo's eyes flashed, but not with anger. Gaea's words to him echoed in his head again. None of us want you here, Valdez. Not McLean. Not Grace. And certainly not me. He knew it was Gaea, but the words still rang true. Jason and Piper spent all of their time together, and Leo was always alone, working on new projects in Bunker Nine.

"That wasn't him and you know it!"

"Calm down, both of you." Piper's voice, armed with a small amount of charm-speak, calmed both boys instantly.

"Percy is back!" Tyson called happily. The others turned and, sure enough, Percy was stepping out of the waves, his eyes downcast.

Annabeth stood up and went to him, apprehension on her face. Clearly, she wasn't as believing in the abilities of Poseidon as was Tyson.

"I'm so sorry, Anni." Percy's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry."

Annabeth threw her arms around him. "I'm just glad you're yourself again, Seaweed Brain." She pulled away and pulled her dagger, holding it to his chest. "But if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I won't hold back." She pocketed her dagger again, and turned away, walking back toward the camp.

Percy watched her go, and then turned to Tyson. "Thank you, brother."

Tyson smiled at him and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. "Daddy did it. I just helped."

When Tyson released him, Percy turned to the three remaining on the beach. He looked at Jason first, who had a new scar on his forearm. Tyson's water had healed him, but the mark would be there forever.

Jason grinned at him, and clapped him on the back. "No worries, Jackson. No permanent harm done."

Piper hugged him too, and the couple headed back to camp, leaving Percy and Leo alone on the shore.

"Look, man…" Percy started, but Leo waved his hand. The grin that found its way to his face was the most fake he had ever seen on the latino's face. "No harm done, you heard Superman."

"Bull shit, Leo. It may have been Gaea's voice and words, but I saw everything."

The grin fell from Leo's face instantly.

"You've met her before, haven't you."

It wasn't a question, and Leo knew it. He sighed. "Once. When I was eight. I… She…" He stopped, looking out at the water. He reached down as if going for his tool-belt, but remembered it was still in Bunker Nine, and closed his hand into a fist. "It's not important." He forced the grin back onto his face.

"It's important, you just don't want to tell me."

Leo frowned again and looked away from Percy and toward the water.

"Gaea lied, you know." Percy put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Piper went in the water the second she got down here to get you out, even knowing that it was my powers pulling you under. She could have died, probably would have if not for Tyson. And she did it for you."

Leo closed his eyes.

"She cares about you. So does Jason. You're his best friend." Percy paused. "All of us do. The seven are a family. You and me, Annabeth, Piper, Jason… even Frank and Hazel... we're family."

Leo met Percy's eyes at last. "You really mean that?"

Percy could see the fear of rejection clear in Leo's eyes; a fear he recognized as the same as when he had first come to camp. The fear that even in a place that was specifically for those like him, that he still wouldn't belong.

"Yeah, I do." Percy grinned at him. "Brothers?" He held his hand out.

Leo grinned back and shook his hand. "Brothers."

The two headed back to camp, catching up to the others and joining in on the after-war celebrations. And for Leo, there was even more to celebrate. As he sat with the others, he realized that what Percy had said was true. He had found a family.

Just an idea that popped in my head. Please let me know if it's any good? Please?

Sounds desperate, I know. haha :)