Chapter I

It was a normal day at Camp Half-Blood. Well, as normal as it could be considering they had teamed up with the Romans for the first time in history and defeated Gaea only about three months ago. Needless to say, there was still some things that the demigods were working on getting fixed from the battle, and Leo Valdez was right in the middle of it.

As the head of Cabin Nine (A.K.A. Hephaestus cabin), he was unofficially in charge of most of the physical rebuilding process, though he delegated a lot to the heads of the other cabins based on who would best at fixing certain things. Apollo kids were the healers; the Ares kids were working on rebuilding the defences and armory; Annabeth Chase and some of the Athena kids were designing and drawing up blueprints for the building that were going to have to be rebuild, etc.

"Hey, Valdez, you know where the specs for the training arenas are?" Someone shouted as Leo walked by on his way to Thalia's pine.

"Um, I think Miss Architect's guys still has them," he called back. "Something about making adjustments."

"Thanks!"

Leo sent them a thumbs up. "Any time." He looked at all the bustle around him and smiled. So much to do. So much to build. As a son of Hephaestus, he loved building things, although he definitely prefered mechanics to architecture. However, all the building projects were not the reason for Leo's current excitement as he practically skipped to his destination.

His best friend, Jason Grace, along with Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang, was arriving at camp today as part of an exchange program the two camps had set up to help foster good will and peace. Percy, Annabeth, and Nico had left a few days ago to visit Twelfth Legion and New Rome.

When he arrived at the designated meeting place, he was not surprised to find Piper, his other best friend and Jason's girlfriend, already there. "Hey there, Beauty Queen."

"Hi, Repair Boy," she winked back.

He just grinned and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Excited to see our blonde Superman again?" he teased.

"You are too!" she defended herself.

"Never said I wasn't," he answered. Just then, shouts echoed from the woods.

"Jason?" Piper called worriedly. As if answering her shout, a group of demigods burst from the tree line. Hazel and a satyr (Leo thought his name was Grover) were supporting a pale girl on either side. Jason and Frank were a few paces behind them, acting as rear guard. Three emposa out the woods and tore after the demigods.

Ah, so that's what they're running from, Leo thought. Piper ran forward to help Jason and Frank. Leo quickly took the girls right arm from Hazel and pulled it across his own shoulders. "Go help the others; we've got 'er," he said.

Leo and Grover quickedly headed for the Big House. "Medic!" The satyr shouted over his shoulder. "We need a medic over here!" Right about then, the girl, who had been doing her best to trudge between the two of them, sagged, her knees giving out. Leo looked down at noticed the bleeding gash on her forehead and the growing red spot around a tear in her white T-shirt. He quickly eased her down to the ground.

"We've got a demigod down, Solace!" Leo cried. "Get your sunshiney healer butt over here!"

"It's okay, Miss, it's okay," Grover soothed the girl, who was whimpering in pain. "You're safe now; you're gonna be fine." They girl's eyes fluttered open and revealed pale ice blue orbs filled with pain and confusion.

"No worries, Señorita," Leo said. "Solace will have you fixed up in no time flat." Her eyes wonder to him and locked onto his chocolate brown ones for a moment. Leo forgot how to breathe until her eyelids fluttered closed.

Finally, Will Solace arrived with stretcher and medical supplies. Leo and Grover backed up and let Will and two of his siblings do their thing. In moments, they had her wounds temporarily bandaged and were carrying her on the stretcher to the Big House.

Jason, Piper, Hazel, and Frank, having finished off the emposa, trudged up behind Leo, watching the medics taking away their patient.

"Is...she gonna...be...okay?" Jason gasped, still out of breath from running.

"They didn't say she wouldn't be," Leo answered.

"Leo!" Piper and Hazel gasped at the same time.

"What?" Leo shrugged innocently. "They didn't say. Honest!"

"Nah, she'll be fine, guys," Grover answered sagely. "Those Apollo kids know their stuff. She's probably be down with for campfire tomorrow night."

"Who is she?" Hazel asked.

"Yeah, what happened to you guys?" Frank added.

"First off, she wouldn't tell me her name, but I know she's a half-blood," Grover said. "She not exactly...the nicest person I've ever met."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"She's not mean or rude, really...just kinda...cool. Aloof."

"And the emposa?"

"Oh, yeah, them," Grover shook his head. "Found Miss cool up near the Canada-US border. Thought we lost 'em back in Michigan, but apparently not. They caught back up with us near the New York State line. Been on the run for the last two days."

Frank winced. "Glad we happened to run in to you guys, then."

"Yeah, thanks for the help, man," Grover patted the Roman's shoulder. "Listen, I gotta give a report to Chiron. See you guys at dinner, okay?"

"Later!" The demigods chorused as Grover headed up the hill to the Big House.

Piper immediately threw her arms around Jason, causing him stumble in surprise. Leo, Frank, and Hazel chuckled at the pair.

"Easy, Beauty Queen, don't crush your Sparky knight in shining armor," the son of Hephaestus teased.

"Leo!"

Author's Note: This is going to be slightly AU because Leo and Calipso are not romantically involved at all. Their relationship will be more brother/sister. Leo went back and rescued her because he loves her like a sister and could not bear to leave her alone on that island. Savy? ;)