This is going to be one big one-shot. I might have used parts of it in the Random One-shots one, but I'm adding in extra bits from an old one-shot that I didn't post. Lots of stuff happening, so if it's confusing, I'm sorry, but it's all from different one-shots and not originally written to match up :P
Percy Jackson and co aren't mine, but Louisa is my OC and blah blah blah…
"Oh gods, I'm so dead." Percy chuckled. Annabeth glanced over her shoulder. It looked like Percy's younger twin sister had spotted him and she had decided to break up the Percabeth reunion. "Have you got your hat?" Percy asked quietly.
"She's your sister!" Annabeth scolded good-humouredly.
"She's violent." Percy paused. "Very violent- did I tell you what she did to that Ares kid?"
"No… tell me later." Louisa had reached them.
"Hey, sis, how're you doing?"
"I hate you." Percy bit his lip, smiling. "Ya left for eight months 'n' had Blondie here cryin' her eyes out every bloody night, basically been a complete pain in the arse 'n' all ya have ta say is 'hey sis, how're ya doin'?"
"Uh, yeah pretty much." Louisa fixed him with a mild glare. Percy shrugged. "What'd you want me to say?"
"Ow."
"Ow?" She lunged. "No, bad Lou!" The twins started fighting, Percy laughing while Louisa called him every name under the sun in a mix of Ancient Greek, Latin and English. Annabeth stood back and grinned. As much as their constant fighting annoyed her, it was good to see them together again.
The demigods Percy had been standing with, a dark-skinned girl with curly hair and a muscular boy with a bit of baby face, stared at the twins in amazement and disbelief. The girl looked at Annabeth, struggling to form a question.
"Are- are they OK? Do they need medication or something?"
"Um, no, they're good. Just a twin reunion."
"They're twins?" The boy asked. "I never knew Percy had a twin."
"I thought he'd be taller." Annabeth looked round and saw Leo watching the bickering Poseidon siblings with interest and curiosity. "Hey." He grinned, noticing Annabeth watching him.
"I thought you were staying with the ship."
"I was. But I thought I'd be nice and come say 'hi'. Oh, and Jason got lost too." Leo turned and pointed. Jason and Piper had just climbed off the ship and were now walking towards them.
"Jason?" Frank said. "No way."
"Yes way, uh… what's your name?"
"Frank."
"Leo." Leo extended his hand, grinning cheekily. Frank shook it warily, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Hazel was torn between awe and fear while staring at Leo. Leo noticed too, his grin faltering. "Have I seen you before?" Hazel shook her head. Leo frowned in thought, but was distracted by Annabeth suddenly deciding to break up the twins.
"Twins! No, Lou, put the knife away!" Leo went to help as well. Frank looked at Hazel.
"Do you know that guy?"
"Um… I- Sammy…" Hazel twisted her fingers in her hair. "Ooh, this is confusing." Frank stared at her blankly, but there was a glimmer of worry in his eyes. "I'll tell you later." She said, but she didn't sound too promising.
"Hey, that's mine!" Louisa protested. "Leo, get off, I want ma knife back."
"Well, you're not having it back."
"But it's mine."
"You tried to stab your brother in the face. You are not having it back." Louisa glared at Leo over her shoulder as he tried to pull her away from killing Percy.
"Well, that's his fault."
"You attacked him."
"He disappeared!"
"Technically, no. Hera kidnapped him."
"Don't ya start gettin' technical with me, Valdez!" Hazel tensed. Sammy Valdez… Leo Valdez… oh gods…
Jason and Piper finally turned up. Romans started pointing at Jason and a few started cheering, which encouraged the rest of them. Jason smiled sheepishly, but he seemed relax, finally home.
Reyna appeared on Scipio, glancing at Jason and Piper's joined hands with a brief look of disgust.
"Welcome home, Jason."
"Hello, Reyna." He smiled. She returned it, but it seemed forced.
"No, Lou!" Louisa had broken free of Leo's arms and had run at her brother again. "Oh for… I give up." But instead of tackling her brother, Louisa attempted to break his ribs in a hug. Percy seemed a bit surprised at first, as did everyone who knew Louisa, but he grinned and hugged his sister back.
"See, there was no need for violence." Louisa smirked. Annabeth noticed and a sense of dread and humour washed over her. Percy seemed to realise his sister was plotting something and shifted his arms so that hers were pinned to her sides.
Louisa squirmed.
"Damn you!" She protested.
"You are not flooring me." Percy smirked. Louisa got an arm free and punched him in the chest. Instantly she was free and triumphant. "Annabeth beat you to it."
Annabeth sighed and stepped between the two. Reyna was watching bemusedly.
"Don't even ask." Annabeth sighed, smiling. Reyna just nodded, casting a wary eye over the twins.
The Greeks had settled in well. Leo seemed to get on with just about everybody except that weird guy who carried teddies everywhere. It wasn't Leo's fault he had an ADHD moment and asked if the guy was going on a teddy bear picnic.
Hazel was another issue too. She kept saying 'Sa-Leo', starting to call him one name and then quickly switching to his proper name or she would be really awkward around him. See, Leo was a nice guy. Da ladies didn't need to feel awkward around him.
Roman food wasn't as good as his tofu burgers or his tacos, but it was nice. He, Percy, Louisa, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Hazel and Frank sat around one table with Romans popping over to say 'hi' or 'welcome back' to Jason occasionally.
Unwisely, the twins were sitting next to each other and started having a chicken leg fight. Annabeth just rolled her eyes and continued eating. There was no stopping the twins- she had found them earlier hurling water and ice spheres at each other and that was a fight she didn't want to break up.
Annabeth sat on Percy's left with Leo on her other side. Piper sat next to Leo on the adjoining, low down sofa, Jason tucking into food next to her. Frank and Hazel sat next to the newly reinstated praetor- Percy said orange suited him better than purple. Jason wore the praetor's cape while Percy had returned to a new Camp Half Blood T-shirt.
Reyna dropped by at some point, just in time to see Louisa disarm her brother of his chicken leg sword. Percy looked at the chicken leg as it lay miserably and lonely on the floor.
"That was my lunch."
"Should've thought 'bout that before ya started fightin'."
"You started it."
"No, you started it." Annabeth cleared her throat pointedly. She did not want to listen to one of those arguments either.
Percy and Louisa looked at her before noticing Reyna hovering to the side.
"Reyna, what's up?" Louisa asked casually.
"Just checking that everything's OK." She looked round at them all.
"I'm here. Of course everythin's gonna be OK."
"Yeah." She said disbelievingly. Reyna moved off again.
Ten minutes later, Leo declared that they should see who could come up with the most cringe-worthy thing to say. He looked at Frank and said, "Uranus is a planet."
"That's not cringe-worthy, that's mean." Louisa grinned. "Attaboy, Valdez."
"I don't get it." Frank frowned.
"Uranus is a planet." Leo repeated calmly. Percy and Louisa sniggered. Even Annabeth and Hazel smiled.
"Stop being mean, repair boy."
"Oy, that's Supreme Commander of the Argo Two to you, beauty queen." Piper glared at him.
"I've got one." Louisa smiled.
"Oh gods…" Percy sighed.
"I'll tell you first, bro."
"Please don't."
"Ya don't have a choice. Come 'ere." The twins put their heads together and Louisa quietly told Percy, whispering behind her hand. Percy's smile slowly faltered, turning into a sickly look of disgust.
Louisa sat back proudly, smirking as her brother pushed his lunch away.
"Oh my gods, what did you tell him?" Percy shook his head.
"You don't wanna know." He mumbled.
"Oh, Lou, you've scared him." Annabeth smiled.
"Oopsie."
"Tell me what it is!"
"No, don't." Louisa got up and forced her brother to budge over so she could sit next to Annabeth. Again, she told Annabeth quietly, hiding what she was saying with her hand. Annabeth closed her eyes and shook her head. "I told you so." Percy laughed nervously.
"Who does that?"
"I know right?" Louisa smirked. "Shift ya ass, I'm gonna tell Leo."
"No, don't tell Leo."
"Yes, tell Leo." Leo said. Louisa got up again and Annabeth reluctantly moved over. She and Percy looked tortured.
Unlike Percy and Annabeth, Leo kept his face mildly amused, even after Louisa had sat back. He didn't move, staring off into space.
"I'm sorry; I'm having a hard time believing that." He said as casually as he could.
"Move." Louisa went around the group and told all of them, leaving them all pushing their lunches away and feeling sick.
"What's going on?"
"Octavian!"
"Don't tell him, Lou!" Percy demanded.
"No, it's Octavian. Tell him." Hazel insisted. Louisa jumped up and stood next to Octavian, talking to him in low tones.
"That's messed up."
"So is your face." Louisa said instantly. Octavian scowled. It was clear he was expecting some form of apology, but Louisa missed that memo.
Octavian stalked off, quickly being replaced with Reyna.
"What did you say?"
"Don't tell her!" Many of Louisa's friends ordered.
"Don't tell me what?"
"You don't want to know." Jason said.
"Try me."
"Alright then." Louisa took Reyna aside. "Right, in high school, there was this girl I hated. She did the latest craze thing 'n' watched this film called Teeth. Uh, basically, it's a film 'bout this woman that's got teeth in her…" Louisa made a downward gesture and Reyna looked horrified. "I'm gettin' to the worst bit- uh, this girl said that havin' teeth down there would be a good protection thingy against, well, rape." She mouthed the last word.
"She wanted teeth… down there?" Louisa nodded. Reyna looked pale. "Why?"
"I don't know. But it was great fun ta pass on ta others 'n' she got the piss taken out of her big time." Reyna shook her head and walked off. Louisa grinned. "I love bein' me."
Leo leant on the railings of the Argo II, staring down at the fields and the odd small house passing by beneath them. Everyone else was sitting in the room behind him, their laughter drifting through the open door.
Everything below him looked so peaceful and otherworldly. It didn't seem right. Then again, nothing had seemed right since his mother had died.
A lump rose in his throat and his eyes stung. He shook his head and sniffed, getting a mild control over his emotions. He noticed that his hands were shaking and decided to focus on his ship instead. It was brilliant. Everyone loved it.
"Leo?" Leo glanced round.
"Hey, Lou."
"What're ya doin' out here?"
"Just getting some air."
"You OK?"
"Fine."
"Bull. What's the matter?"
"Tired." Leo lied. She hummed disbelievingly and stood next to him, folding her arms across the railing. Leo was aware that her shoulder was very near his, confusing him slightly. Louisa was his best friend and he did like her, obviously, but there was also Calypso…
"What's the matter?"
"I'm tired."
"'N' I'm the president."
"Gods help us." They stood in silence for a short while. Leo sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. "Ever feel lonely in a crowded room?"
"Mm-hm." Louisa nodded.
"Why does that happen? So many people, but you feel lonely anyway." Louisa didn't answer, chewing her lip. "I know I'm not the easiest person to be around, but some recognition or something would be nice."
Recognition? What, like recognition for your mother's murder? By your hands?
Louisa must have noticed him bunching his fists, flames curling from his fingers.
"There's somethin' else. What's the matter?" Leo shook his head and closed his eyes. "I'm here if ya need ta talk, Valdez." He felt arms go around him in a friendly hug and opened his eyes, hugging her back. He didn't say anything, trying as hard as he could to not cry, but one traitorous tear made its presence known to him.
He closed his eyes again and just focused on Louisa, a solid being that was here and not a ghost of his past.
Nico was stabbing a demon warrior in the face when someone collided with him. Seconds later, there was a loud, thunderous and consecutive thuds; rocks crashing to the ground and dust swirling up around him. He coughed and swatted away the dust, turning to face a large tumble of rocks, a mini mountain.
"Lou!" Percy shouted. He darted forward, the others dispatching the monsters around him. He hurriedly started removing rocks. Nico mentally shook himself and started helping. Percy kept calling his sister and they found her a few minutes later.
She was unconscious, blood staining the side of her head and deep scratches covering her arms and hands.
They hurriedly removed the last of the rocks and Percy picked his sister up in his arms. "Lou?" Her head lolled onto his shoulder, but she was breathing.
Percy looked up at Nico. The son of Hades saw sheer desperation on his cousin's face. "Can you-?" Nico nodded, putting his hand on Percy's arm and shadow travelling them back to the Argo, straight to the infirmary.
Nico grabbed some ambrosia, nectar and the first aid kit and hurried back to Percy, who had set Louisa on one of the beds. They patched her up as best as they could. Nico carefully poured nectar into her mouth and then they were just sitting at her side, unable to do anything further.
Percy was obviously worried, Nico could tell. Percy always worried about his family getting hurt and, although Louisa hated it, he was always doing the 'protective big brother thing'.
The others returned to the ship about an hour later. Annabeth managed to calm Percy down while Piper checked Louisa over and Hazel hugged her brother.
"I thought you both went under the rocks." She mumbled. Nico patted her awkwardly on the back and she let him go.
Leo found himself finding company with Louisa. He didn't talk much, which was a first, and she didn't either. They just partnered up to play pranks on the others and he showed her how to control the ship, which probably wasn't the best idea, but she seemed happy with that. He also tried to explain how the engine worked, but when he started using mechanical terms, her eyes clouded over and it was clear she wasn't listening.
He noticed that she would do her best to include him in group conversations, even simple ones, like the one the other day:
"We need to get tonight's night shift sorted." Annabeth said. "Who's up first?" Obviously, nobody volunteered instantly, more interested in the food and drink in front of them.
"I will." Louisa said.
"Percy?" Percy looked up. "Want the night shift with Lou?"
"I don't want Percy. He's smelly. 'N' borin'."
"Am not." Percy muttered.
"You are."
"Twins!" They fell silent. "Are you doing the night shift together or what?"
"How long?"
"A couple of hours."
"Leo, what'd ya think?" Leo looked up, having been pulled from his own little bubble. Everyone was looking at him now. Louisa smiled.
"Night shift… uh…"
"Leo could do the night shift with Lou and then they could swap with two others." Hazel suggested.
"Fair enough." Annabeth nodded. "Who's second then?"
"I'll go." Frank offered.
"Me too." Hazel smiled at Frank.
"I want more cake. Valdez, where'd ya keep it?" Leo and Louisa got up and left the rest of them to deal with the night shift.
"Why'd you do that?"
"What? Add you in what they were goin' on about?" Leo nodded. "It's your bloody ship, Valdez. You should have a say in what's goin' on."
"Thanks." Louisa smiled and bumped him with her shoulder.
"Talk more, Leo."
"And you lot normally tell me to shut up."
Leo pulled himself from his daydreaming to remember that Louisa wasn't there. After the landslide, there had been a few issues…
But she was in good hands, which gave him time to focus on finding Calypso again.
"Leo, you're going the wrong way."
"No I'm not." Percy frowned at his friend.
"Where are you going then?" Leo didn't reply, tapping his fingers on the new mapping device he had installed. It had a crystal in it, which confused Percy. "Leo?" The son of Hephaestus just hummed and waved a Wii remote in the air.
Footsteps scuffing across the floor caught Percy's attention and he turned to see Annabeth strolling in, munching on a packet of chocolate digestives. She waved at him, a chocolate biscuit between her fingers. "Hey, Wise-girl. Any idea where this nutjob is going?" Annabeth stopped on Leo's other side and poked his cheek.
"Oy." She said through a mouthful of chocolate biscuits. Leo glanced at her, taking a biscuit for himself. "Where are you going?"
"There's something I've got to do."
"Can we help?" Percy asked.
"Um… no, I think I've got it. Thanks anyway, bud." Percy just nodded, turning to his girlfriend.
"How's Lou?"
"Oh, that's why I came in here. She's awake and she's asking for you and Nico. Piper and Hazel are making sure she doesn't get up." Percy nodded and followed her out. Leo watched them go before adjusting the tracking device to Ogygia. Everything was over and he was now on his way to fulfil his promise to Calypso.
Yes, he was worried about Louisa, but dare he intervene when Percy and Nico were keeping an eye on her? They wouldn't let anyone near her, except Annabeth, their main medic. But now Louisa was awake, maybe he could see her later.
The crystal suddenly started pulsing a warning red, slowly, but getting quicker as seconds passed and he shouted out to Festus. A series of clicks and clanks reported an island in the distance.
Percy was talking to his sister and monitoring how much ambrosia she was eating. Annabeth was searching the ship for Nico.
"How are you feeling?" Percy asked.
"Can I get up yet?"
"No."
"Why?" She protested instantly.
"'Cos I said so."
"But I'm fine."
"You've got two broken legs, Lou."
"Meh. I'm fine. Lemme up." Louisa's legs were indeed broken. She knew that, while she was unconscious, her friends had taken her to a mortal hospital, where her legs were patched up. They Misted the medical staff and took her away to heal on the ship. Leo had promised to make her some crutches, but he seemed really busy, according to the others, as if he had something important on his mind. "Has Leo made those crutches yet?"
"No…"
"Liar."
"You're staying there until your legs heal."
"Ya ain't keepin' me bed-bound. Busted legs or not, I'll kick ya ass to Hades 'n' back." Percy smiled thinly.
"I'd like to see you try, sis." Louisa glared at him.
"They ain't that broken anyway. All this bloomin' ambrosia I'm eatin' I'm gonna be up 'n' about in no time."
"Stay." Percy ordered. Her glare hardened and she folded her arms stubbornly. "You're like a toddler, you know that?" She continued to glare at him.
They were interrupted by Nico and Annabeth walking in.
"What'd you want, Lou?" Nico sighed. He looked as if he had just been woken up. His hair was messier than usual and he had apparently dressed himself hastily in the dark.
"Oh, that's nice. Smack him for me," She gestured at her brother, "he ain't lettin' me up." Annabeth bopped Percy ever so lightly on the head, which annoyed Louisa even more.
"You," Louisa pointed at Nico, blanking her brother and his girlfriend. "We need ta talk."
"Oh gods…" Nico suddenly seemed even more exhausted. Percy laughed mockingly.
"You in trouble!" He teased.
"Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth scolded good-naturedly. "Be nice to Nico."
"I am."
"No, you're not. Be. Nice." Annabeth repeated firmly. Percy pressed his lips together and made himself look as innocent as possible.
Louisa kicked the covers away.
"See, told ya they ain't that broken." Before Percy could do anything, Louisa forced herself to her feet. For the briefest moment, pain flared across her face, but she steeled her nerves and stood tall, clenching her fists stubbornly. She smirked triumphantly at her brother, who was now on his feet. "I'm fine." Louisa insisted. "I can walk, leave me alone."
"Why are you so stubborn?" Nico sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"The sea." Annabeth answered. "Practically impossible to control." Louisa stumbled forward, Percy walking at her side with his hands out in case she fell. She glared at him, but he didn't react or move away.
Louisa reached Nico and put an arm around his shoulders, half-supporting herself and half-pushing him out. Percy made to follow, but Louisa glowered at him and Annabeth called him back.
"So, why are you so bloody unsociable?" Nico stared at her, doing his best to keep her on her feet. "I was gonna talk to ya, but then there were rocks everywhere 'n' somethin' smacked me in the head."
"You didn't have to do that."
"Well, everythin' was screamin' 'save Nico, he's bloody idiot!'"
"You saved me because I'm a bloody idiot?"
"Apparently." She looked at him, twirling a hand by her head. "Not sure how it works up here myself." Nico gave a small smile. "Ooh, I can achieve the impossible. You smiled."
"Shut up."
"Nope."
"Where are we going?"
"Uh, my room. I need ta get somethin'." Nico nodded and helped her walk to her room. She bunked with Percy, seeing as Percy wouldn't let her bunk with Leo. Nico smiled grimly at the bickering the twins had had after Percy said sharing a room with Leo, Louisa's best friend, was a no-no. Louisa was insistent that Leo was a friend, but Percy put his foot down. Whoever was on night duty often checked on the pair, making sure that they hadn't killed each other.
Louisa pushed the door to her and Percy's room open and Nico helped her collapse on her bed. She was pale and grimacing, but stubbornly refused nectar or ambrosia, taking water instead.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Louisa motioned for him to sit next to her. The determined gleam in her eyes told him he didn't have a choice. "Right, talk."
"About what?"
"I figured somethin' was up when ya started talkin' ta Jason 'bout stuff 'n' not Percy." Nico looked away. "Unless it's got somethin' ta do with Percy? Did ya break his iPod?"
"No."
"No, that was me…" She hummed thoughtfully. "You broke somethin' of his?"
"No."
"Uh, borrowed somethin' 'n' lost it?" Nico shook his head. "Ate his secret stash of blue cookies?" Nico looked at her quizzically. Louisa pointed at Percy's bed before continuing. "Am I anywhere near?" He shook his head and she looked defeated, her shoulders slouching. "Gods dammit, Nico, just tell me!" Nico stayed quiet. "Oh, I get it. Ya play Mythomagic still 'n' don't want anyone ta know."
"No."
"What? Why? Bad Nico!" He managed a small smile, but it fell seconds later. "OK, OK, you, uh, you…" Nico had a feeling she would keep him here for the rest of his life if he didn't tell her anything.
But he couldn't think of anything to say to divert her attention other than the truth.
He mumbled it at first, but she didn't understand him, frowning and grabbing his shoulders, shaking him warningly until he told her in a steady, monotonous tone, staring her out.
But she didn't seem surprised at all. Her only response was:
"OK." He must have given her a funny look because she pulled a face at him. "Ya gay. Big deal."
"I'm not-"
"Bi then."
"You're not helping."
"I ain't tryin'." Nico sighed, looking away. He made to get up, but she grabbed his arm and, with surprising strength, made him sit back down. "Ya stayin' here." She scowled at her legs. "Itchy." She mumbled. "Right, under ma bed, there's a box."
"It's not going to blow up in my face, is it?"
"No." Nico bravely knelt on the floor and pulled the required box out from under her bed. It had his name on the lid with a smiley face next to it.
"Took me ages, that did." She told him as he removed the lid. Inside were a dozen or so godly Mythomagic toys and stacks of cards. "I could make a fortune off the bloody doubles I got."
"You-"
"Figured ya needed somethin' ta smile about." She gave him a warm, friendly smile and Nico was genuinely surprised at how calm she was. Normally, she went around threatening to break people's legs and faces- giving Coach Hedge a run for his money- but she was now kind and considerate, something uncommon with Louisa.
"I… you didn't…" She waved it off.
"No worries." She smiled. "I used ta collect the figures as well, but never really understood the bloomin' game." She put her hands on the bed and shifted herself carefully to the floor, wincing as her legs twinged with pain. "So, yeah. How about a game?"
"You don't know the rules." Nico smiled.
"Meh." She shrugged. "Poseidon punches Zeus in the face-" She threw her hands up. "Win!" She beamed.
"It's actually really easy once you get used to it." Louisa snatched up the Poseidon figurine before he could even pick it up to hand it to her. She was watching him carefully, all smiles gone. There was no taking her Poseidon toy from her. He held his hands up in surrender, picking out all the other characters and lining them up.
Leo stopped above the island. Below him, somewhere, was the crash site where he had landed the first time he was here. Had Calypso tidied that up?
Jason walked in. Piper, Hazel and Frank were with him and they all looked confused.
"Where are we?" Piper demanded.
"Um…" Leo hadn't told the others about Calypso, not too keen on how they might react. Frank would probably be relieved now that Leo wouldn't hit on Hazel. "There's, uh…" A pineapple splattered on the windscreen, making them all jump. "There's a pineapple." Jason shot him a 'no duh' look and Leo gave an elfish grin.
"Is someone here?"
"Mm-hm." Leo hummed. Piper and Jason shared a look.
"Oh." Piper said. She stood aside, taking Jason's hand and moving him away as well. Leo smiled gratefully at her and ran past. He was sure they were following, but he didn't care. Calypso was down there somewhere and she was hurling pineapples at the unrecognisable battleship hovering over her island.
He threw down a ladder and scrambled down it. A peach whistled past his head, making him jump. He quickened his pace and dropped to the ground. Calypso was five feet away, armed with a basket of fruit.
"How far can you throw?" He grinned. She stared at him, her anger fading into incredulous disbelief, before she dropped everything and ran at him. Leo met her halfway and they collided. She hugged him fiercely, laughing and tangling her hands in his hair.
"You came back!"
"I did promise." Leo smiled. She kissed him then and nothing else mattered.
Percy walked into his room to see his sister and his cousin sat on the floor and laughing. Louisa threw something at something in Nico's hand and Percy realised that they were playing with dolls.
Action figures, he hastily corrected quietly.
"Knock knock." They looked up. Louisa smiled at him, but Nico looked like a rabbit caught in the head lights. "Hey." Percy shot him a reassuring grin. Nico glanced at Louisa, who mimed zipping her lips shut. Nico looked relieved. Percy just felt confused. "Everything OK?"
"Smashin'." Louisa smiled. "The only problem bein' stuck on the floor is ya legs go numb 'n' ya get a dead butt." Nico snickered.
"Is that the collection you built up for Nico?" Louisa nodded proudly.
"'N' he loves it, don't ya, Nico?" Her tone implied that he really had no choice other than to love the set.
"Lots and lots." Nico affirmed. Louisa gave a content nod and waved her brother out of the room, insisting he was ruining an epically cool game with his presence.
Nico waited for Percy to be out of earshot before turning to his cousin.
"Thanks."
"Anytime. Now, I think I was winnin'."
"You need your eyes tested, Lou. I was so kicking your butt." She laughed mockingly.
"Ooh, is that a challenge, di Angelo?"
"Damn right." Nico grinned.
Calypso gathered some belongings and variations of seeds for all the plants of her island. Leo promised that, if she wanted to, he would do his best to bring her back for a visit.
Then he got to take her aboard the Argo II without any hitches. He introduced her to the others, smiling at the dubious looks on their faces. Percy walked in and did a double take when he saw Calypso. She just glowered at him, storming forward and ready to attack.
Thankfully, Annabeth and Leo were on hand to stop Calypso throttling Percy.
Percy could take on gods, armies of monsters, Titans and evil, but being frowned at or attacked by girls, (Annabeth), really made him freak.
At some point, Louisa and Nico walked in, Nico holding his cousin up.
The Seven weren't sure what was more shocking- the fact that Leo had a girlfriend or that Nico di Angelo was smiling.
Nico hesitated, but Louisa bought him to his senses, pointing insistently at the table.
"Chair." She ordered, watching her cousin sceptically. Nico nodded dutifully and helped his cousin over to the dining table chairs.
"How are you doing, Lou?" Leo smiled.
"I can't feel ma legs 'n'- who's she?"
"Lou, Calypso. Calypso, Louisa. She's a bit cuckoo."
"Who?" Louisa and Calypso said together. Louisa laughed maniacally.
"You." Leo replied, smiling lopsidedly.
"Oh, I ain't a bit cuckoo, Valdez. I'm friggin' insane."
"And don't we know it…" Percy sighed, rolling his eyes. Louisa snatched up a knife from the table and launched it, lodging it in the wall a centimetre from her brother's head. "Yup. Insane."
"I won't miss." She threatened, arming herself with another dinner knife. Percy just stared at her, unimpressed with his arms folded.
Instead, he turned to Nico and they all saw the concern in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something when the second knife embedded itself on the other side of his head. Louisa pointed at him warningly. "Ya ain't allowed ta talk to Nico unless I say so."
"What? Why?"
"'Cos you're a major pain in the ass."
"I'm not!" Percy protested. They all made noises of disbelief. "Oh, I see how it is." He tugged the knives from the wall, passed them to Hazel- his safest option- and left.
"Ugh, Seaweed Brain…" Annabeth complained, smiling. She followed him and they could hear Percy laughing seconds later.
Jason moved over to Nico, cautiously putting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Nico startled all the same, whirling around with wide, raven eyes. Jason held his hands up in innocence.
"You OK?" He asked quietly.
"Lou knows." Nico mumbled.
"Lou knows all!" Louisa grinned from where she sat.
"Shut up, Lou." Piper, Hazel and Leo smirked. Louisa made a face at all of them and they laughed.
"Oy, you ain't given Calypso the tour!" Leo smacked himself on the forehead.
"Duh! Come on." He grinned, taking Calypso's hand and leading her out.
"Piper, Lou wants food 'n' no get up with ouchy legs."
"Really?"
"Yes. Get me food."
"Ugh…" Piper rolled her eyes and left, muttering to herself about annoying children of Poseidon.
Louisa looked at Hazel and Frank.
"We're going." Hazel smiled. "I've got the feeling you're getting rid of people."
"Yes. I am. Don't take it personally." Hazel and Frank soon left, Hazel hugging her brother and closing the door behind her. "You two," Louisa pointed at her cousins. "Over here 'cos I can't get up." The boys hastily obeyed, sitting on the other side of the table.
"I take it you made him tell you?"
"In a way, yeah, I did. I'd find out sooner or later." Louisa shrugged. Nico studied the wooden surface of the table top, his eyes tracing along grooves and grains. "Nico, look- if ya need ta talk about anythin', but ya feel like ya can't go ta Percy, ya come ta me, OK?" Louisa grinned at him. "I got ya back, cuz."
"Thanks Lou."
"Anytime. But don't act funny around Percy 'cos ya know what he's like."
"I'll… I'll try not to." Jason bumped him with his shoulder.
"At the end of the day, you're still human. You're allowed emotions and you're allowed friends. We're here whenever you want about whatever you want, OK?"
"Unless it's a three in the mornin'." Louisa said. "If you've got food or coffee, you're good. If ya don't- run."
"Yeah, I got that bit." Nico smiled weakly. Jason ruffled his hair.
"Smiling is good for you. You should do it more often."
"Hey, he sticks around me 'n' he'll end up like Joker."
"Shut up, Lou."
Louisa's legs healed within the week and she was back to kicking ass without mercy.
But she had also developed an annoying habit- if Nico accidently landed himself in an argument with somebody on the Argo or if somebody was trying to pry too much information from him, she would appear out of nowhere nine times out of ten and protested that no-one picked on Nico without going through her. Hazel and Jason were the same, Frank to some extent. Leo pitched in from time to time with a joke, but Nico's sister and cousins were the main 'Nico Defence Squad', as Percy had dubbed them.
"Seriously though, what's going on?" Percy asked. He was relaxing on his bunk and studying the Mythomagic figures. Nico was sat next to Louisa on her bunk and talking her through the cards, different points and battle strategies. "Lou knows, Jason knows… does Hazel know?"
"No." Louisa said, frowning at the Poseidon card. "They've got his hair wrong."
"Maybe he had a haircut when that one was made."
"Shut up, di Angelo."
"Can I know?" Louisa glanced quizzically at Nico, who gave the slightest shake of his head.
"It's a need-ta-know basis, bro." Percy propped himself up on his elbows and shot them a mild glare. He looked at Nico.
"C'mon, bro, this is me. I won't tell anyone, promise." Nico just stayed quiet. Percy stared him out and Nico eventually looked down at the stack of cards in his hand. Percy sighed and Nico thought he detected a wounded hint in that sigh, as if Percy was upset that Nico was suddenly not confiding in him.
Nico glanced at Louisa, who smiled reassuringly. Leave it to me, her eyes seemed to say.
Percy had slightly cornered Nico, well out of earshot and sight of the others.
"What's going on with you?" He demanded. Nico was mildly shocked to see genuine annoyance in his cousin's otherwise cheeky and gleaming eyes.
But there was also a layer of concern and that was what worried Nico the most.
"What-? I don't-" Nico felt himself becoming quickly flustered and his eyes darted about, looking for an escape of some- any- form.
"What can't you tell me, but can tell Jason?" His angry look and bitter tone had Nico take an involuntarily step back. At this, Percy's expression softened and he sighed miserably, running a hand through his hair. "Look, if I've done… if I've done something…" He suddenly looked as desperate as Nico felt. "Nico, if I could go back and change time, I would…" Percy caught his eye, biting his lip nervously. "I'm… I'm sorry…" He sighed again, dropping his gaze. "It's no wonder why you hate me." He turned to go, but Nico found his voice then."
"H-hate you?"
"Yeah… for Bi-"
"Don't say her name." Nico's sudden fierce tone made Percy wince and Nico realised, with horror, that the turmoil of emotions brewing in his chest had sparked his son-of-Hades-powers. Not good.
Maybe it was his turn to explain and apologize. "I don't… I don't hate you. I hate me." Percy frowned. Nico chewed his lip for a moment, looking down at his shoes as his eyes burned. "After B- after everything that happened… I was angry at myself for not hating you. I-I felt… I felt like I should have, but I didn't. I don't."
"Is that why you ran?" Nico gritted his teeth. "Because you were angry." Percy's tone was soft and brotherly, but that only made Nico feel worse. He could only nod. "You shouldn't have run." Nico flashed a glare at him, but Percy defiantly met his gaze. "You were just a kid." He paused. "You still are."
"I'm not a kid!" Nico snapped, bunching his fists and squaring his shoulders. Percy didn't react to this challenge, remaining neutral with a glimmer of hurt in his eyes.
"No." He eventually said. "You should be, but you've grown up too fast." Percy rubbed his hands together nervously. "That's… kind of my fault, I guess…" He caught Nico's eye again. "Well, my fault entirely. It's OK to be a kid, Nico. While you still can. You don't have to be carrying this… this burden around with you." Nico was ready to shout at Percy when he noticed something.
There was a look in Percy's eyes.
It was there, amongst the devastation, the guilt and the grief.
It was fear.
Why was Percy scared? He was Percy flipping Jackson for crying out loud!
But then Nico realised why.
Percy wasn't scared for himself- he never was and never will be.
He was scared for Nico.
The son of Poseidon hesitatingly started talking again, unnerved slightly by his cousin's dark stare. "You have every right to be mad at me, hate me. Just… don't run away. Please." There it was again. That brotherly concern. He had been more concerned with Nico since returning from Tartarus, but it wasn't with the interest Nico had for him.
Not that Percy knew.
"No more running." Nico mumbled weakly, his voice hoarse. He wasn't sure what made him agree, but it felt… right. Percy relaxed slightly and gave a relieved smile.
Then he proceeded into dangerous waters.
He wrapped Nico in a brotherly hug.
Nico hated physical contact and he felt heat rise in his cheeks, unsure how to respond.
He saw a flicker of movement past Percy and Louisa shot him a reassuring, slightly cheeky grin. She held her arms out in front of her, clearly motioning for him to return the hug. Nico glared at her, but her smile only brightened and she was gone.
Nico followed her advice anyway, curling his fingers in the back of Percy's hoodie and hiding his face in his shoulder, mumbling a single word:
Sorry
"Was there really any point in that?"
"There's a point in everythin' I do."
"Considering somebody gets hurt."
"Oh, ya ain't dyin'. Shut up." She smiled, readying herself with a second pillow. Leo picked up the one she had thrown at him and grinned.
"This is war, Lou."
"Bring it." They had a full-out pillow fight for ten minutes before she tackled him, disarmed him of his pillow and smacked him continuously with both. Leo pushed her off and ran out of the room, laughing with her on his tail.
He ran past Calypso, who seemed a bit shocked at first but saw Louisa with the pillows and then laughed.
Leo made it to the control room, where Coach Hedge was driving and humming his version of the Pokémon theme song again.
"What are you doing in here, cupcake?"
"Um, crazy demigod that wants to kill me."
"Oh, nothing new then." The satyr went back to steering the ship.
"Leo, where'd ya go?" Leo kept quiet. Coach Hedge smiled.
"He's in here, cupcake!"
"Coach!" Leo protested. Louisa ran in and chucked a pillow at him. Leo ducked but was only tackled again, being beaten up with the other pillow.
"Say it!" Louisa grinned menacingly.
"Never." Louisa reached out with her free hand and pressed two fingers into the joint between the neck and shoulder. Leo squirmed- his pressure point. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"No, not that one. The other one."
"Other one?" She dug her fingers in pointedly. "Ow. Mercy." She shook her head, smirking. "Uh, uncle?"
"Like ya mean it…" She warned, grinning devilishly.
"Uncle! I'm sorry, ow, mercy and uncle!" She laughed and got up, pulling him to his feet. "Ow." He complained, rubbing his neck.
"Oh, you'll be fine." She slammed the pillow into his chest. "Come on, Valdez, I'm hungry."
"Can't starve poor old Lou now, can we?" Leo laughed.
"You're friends are really nice." Calypso commented. She stood next to Leo in a simple T-shirt and jeans, watching him tinker and occasionally passing over a required tool. "I like Louisa. She seems like a nice partner-in-crime." Leo grinned.
"We're always pulling pranks on the others. Frank mainly, but he's a big lug and you can't blame us really."
"No, Frank's adorable. Leave him alone. Pick on Percy."
"Way ahead of you." Leo smirked. Calypso smiled. "So… what happened between you and Percy then?" Her smile faltered.
"He was just another hero washed up on my shores. I remember him falling from the sky and landing in the water- he didn't make as much mess as you did."
"Sorry."
"That was a nice table."
"Was it mahogany?" She shot him a blank look. "Oh gods, you haven't seen that yet. I'll put it on later."
"What?"
"The Hunger Games. It's this film and it's so cool!" She was still staring at him in utter confusion. "OK, sorry, carry on."
"He had completely drained himself- caused a massive explosion in a volcano- woke up Typhon." It was Leo's turn to shoot her a blank look. She thought for a short while. "Big bad guy." She eventually said.
"Ah." Leo said, as if it had made all the sense in the world. Calypso laughed softly.
"Yes, anyway, I nursed him back to health and he left, just like all the others." She sighed miserably. "Stupid men…"
"Yes, stupid men." She laughed again. They fell into a comfortable silence, Leo making a small, remote control car that turned into a helicopter before either of them spoke.
"Thank you." She said gently, covering his hand with hers. "For coming back for me." He smiled.
"My pleasure." She laughed again and kissed his cheek. "Hey, you haven't met Festus!" He dropped everything, lacing his fingers with hers and dragging her out and to the control room.
Coach Hedge stood at the helm, humming to himself. He looked round as they entered and he frowned at Calypso.
"Who's she? Do I need to whack her with my bat?"
"No, no whacking anybody. Coach, this is Calypso." Coach looked at him disbelievingly. "What?"
"Don't tell me you got yourself a girlfriend, Valdez?!"
"Uh…" He glanced at Calypso, who smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes I did."
And done! :D