Leo slipped by the cabins and snuck into the Ares cabin. He was clothed in long pants and for once had no belt around his waist. He snuck over to Frank's bed and poked him. The older boy rolled over onto his back and grunted. Leo jabbed him in the stomach and Frank sat bolt upright in bed.
"What the-" Frank began, but Leo hushed him and pointed to the door. He looked panicked so Frank slid quietly from bed and crept to the door behind Leo. Once they were outside Leo said in a hushed voice, "Follow me" and he sprinted off to the water's edge. Frank stood for a moment, wishing he had longer pants, yawned before jogging off after his terrified friend. When he got to the beach Leo was pacing by the water and muttering to himself.
"Dude, what's wrong?" Frank asked the now nineteen year old boy. Leo pulled at his hair and sucked in air.
"Hazel is going to have a kid!" Leo spat out. Frank was dumb founded and just stood there staring at the elf boy. His eyes narrowed after the thought finally sunk in.
"Your kid," Frank guessed and Leo sank to the sand and covered his head with his hands.
"I never thought, she just, I'm so sorry!" Leo stuttered and tears tracked down his face. Frank sucked in some breath. He had broken up with Hazel last year and yet he still felt a sting when he had found out Leo and Hazel had struck it up. Now that Leo had slept with her he felt rage boil in his stomach until he looked down at the scarred boy. Hazel was seventeen, too young.
"Leo, suck it up, how do you think that kid would feel if it knew you were crying?" Frank said trying out Leo's usual jokes. Leo cried harder and shook with fear. Not working, Frank thought. I suck at this!
"Why did you tell me? Why not Percy? You remember Annabeth is pregnant too right?" Frank reminded his friend about the announcement made a few months before. It was weird seeing Annabeth walk around with a swollen belly. To imagine Hazel like that… Frank shut the idea out of his head. He would see it for himself soon enough. Leo mopped up his face with the bottom of his shirt. He then blew his nose on the end and gave a disheartened laugh. Frank rolled his eyes. No matter how old he was Leo's humor never got old.
"Because you know her best and Percy would not be serious. I hoped you would help me think it through." Leo moaned between tears. Frank slapped the back of Leo's head and pulled him to his feet.
"Get it together man, Annabeth is the one who helped me out with the brick, maybe you should go talk to her." Frank said while shaking Leo by the shoulders. Leo tensed and looked up at the hill. Hazel was standing there in long Pajama pants and a T-shirt. Frank, thinking quickly, threw Leo into the water to cover up for the tear tracking his face. Hazel raced down to the water, past Frank, and to Leo. Frank sighed and stood back to watch as Leo fumbled his way out of the water.
"Frank Zhang, what in the world do you think you're doing! He could freeze from the cold!" There it was, thought Frank, good old motherly Hazel. He brushed his fingers through his hair and thought for a moment.
"The kid needed bath, can you smell him? Smells like fish." You're so dumb, Frank told himself. Fish, of course he smells like fish you threw him in the ocean! But Leo laughed and smelled his arm pits. He made a grossed out face and winked at Frank. Hazel looked at them with serious curiosity.
"You told him, didn't you?" She asked Leo in an offended voice. Leo stopped laughing and lowered his head.
"Hazel, I love you and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I came to ask Frank what he thought." Leo tried explaining to the girl bathed in moonlight.
"I told him be brave, and stay with you no matter what, you guys are stuck together now." Frank said while trying to hold back threatening tone. Hazel broke down and cried. Leo rushed to her and wrapped her in an embrace. They stood there silently as Frank counted the minutes in pain.
"Hazel? Leo? Frank? What are you guys doing out here?" Piper asked as she and Jason came from around the rocks. Frank gaped; this night was just too weird for him.
"If you were doing what I think you were doing," Frank could not finish his thought because both Piper and Jason were blushing so badly. NO, this was just too wrong! He ran to the Poseidon cabin where Percy and Annabeth slept and knocked on their door. Percy came to it only wearing pants and holding Riptide in his fist. He gave a look to Frank that said 'Where are the monsters'. Frank choked on his words and ended up walking past Percy and into the room. Annabeth sat up right in bed thankfully wearing a shirt and shorts; she sprung out of bed and towards Frank with her danger in her hand. They must always be ready for something awful to happen to them. Frank grabbed them by the arms and towed them towards the beach.
"Dude, we can run by ourselves you know!" Percy argued and pulled free of Frank's iron grip. Frank let them both go and breathed "They are all doing it!" Percy's eyes widened and he rushed down to the ocean, riptide in hand, hair flying, and leaped onto the beach. Annabeth came slower, since she had more than herself to protect. Frank groaned, he should have been clearer. He ran down to Percy, who was standing confused next to Leo and Hazel who were still holding onto each other for dear life, and Piper and Jason who were trying to sneak away.
"What is going on here?" Percy shouted at them. Hazel and Leo pulled away at the rough voice and stammered for words. Jason stood in front of Piper as if he had to protect her.
"I'm pregnant," Hazel stammered, tears still slowly sliding down her dark face. Percy took a double take and then dropped his sword. Annabeth came up behind him and glanced at Hazel before going over to her and giving her a hug. Hazel took it thankfully and tears escaped her eyes again. Leo stood there looking guilty and strong at the same time. Frank was almost proud of him for standing there and not crying like he would have an hour ago. Piper looked down at herself in fear and moved away from Jason without him noticing. Frank walked up to Percy and sighed, "Sorry, I meant this when I said 'it'" He regretted saying that though because it seemed to make no sense, but Percy just nodded.
"We were a bad influence, we should have moved into the city." Percy said to himself. Annabeth turned around and shook her head, "No because then we would not have been here tonight to help."
Everybody looked at each other, family, that's what they were.
"We will make it through this, I will always be there for you guys," Frank found himself saying.
"Me too," Jason said and looked around to see Piper teary eyed. He went to her and kissed her on the nose, "Always," He told her. Annabeth and Percy pulled everybody into a big embrace and for a moment they were a true honest to good family.
"We'll be alright," Leo told Hazel and placed a hand on her tummy, "I promise."