Okay guys, here you go - Chapter Two! I'll add Chapter Three as soon as I'm finished, promise.

Also, thank you Bluedragon32 for your wonderful comment! It's nice to know their are people like you that make writing fanfics worth it. Enjoy!

Piper

"Camp is doing good. Camp is fine. Everything's okay." Piper thought as she surveyed the demolished buildings and blackened strawberry fields. Because maybe, just maybe, if she kept telling herself that, it would come true.

Yeah. Right.

The truth was Camp Half-Blood was a mess. Over half of the cabins were incinerated beyond repair, and the other half weren't much better. Even Percy's cabin, which had always withstood fire, was missing its roof. Wounded campers were piling up in the Big House. More were dying each day, from various causes. And Leo…

"Don't. Don't think about him." Piper just missed him so much. He was always laughing, always telling his stupid smart-aleck jokes that annoyed her to the point of no return. Just one more thing to add to the ever-growing feeling of despair that cloaked camp. Piper would've bet anything that if Leo was there, almost all the campers would have smiles on their faces.

There was a noise behind her. Piper whirled around, a sorrowful look on her face. She had been so absorbed in her thinking that she hadn't even noticed Jason approaching. He smiled wanly, wrapping his arm that wasn't in a sling around her.

"What are you thinking?" He asked quietly. Piper sighed, putting her head on his shoulder.

"I was thinking about Leo. How he sacrificed himself for us. All of us." Jason nodded. They needed no words to communicate. All campers felt the scars of Leo's death.

"Maybe he's still out there. Maybe Festus was able to heal him," He suggested hopefully, but his eyes were sad. They both knew there wasn't much hope for that. Even if the bronze dragon had managed to give Leo the physician's cure, Festus would have to be critically damaged, making it hard to fly. But they had to hold onto the hope. It was the only thing they had left.

Later that night, campers watched the sunset from the dining pavilion. It was time to burn Leo's shroud.

Every able camper gradually made their way to the fire. Even Apollo's sons and daughters, overworked and sleep deprived, came. SOme were helping injured demigods, pushing wheelchairs and occasionally carrying those who didn't get a wheelchair. Everyone wanted to say their own goodbye to the hero who saved camp, Leo Valdez. In the past two weeks, Piper had put off the burning, clinging to the hope that somehow, Leo would come back, possibly with Calypso, and everyone would be happy again. But a little of the hope vanished every passing day, until Piper had none left.

It was time to say goodbye.

Half-Bloods gathered around the fire. Chiron galloped toward the campers in centaur form, looking down. A mournful silence fell over the crowd.

"Today we will be burning the shroud of Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus. He-" Chiron broke off, sighing. Piper took the time to quietly brush her tears away. Looking around, she knew she wasn't the only one. Even Clarisse looked sad.

"He was a brave and noble hero, sacrificing himself to save camp. He will live in our hearts forever." Chiron bowed his head. Everyone copied him, closing their eyes. Piper stepped forward, breathing heavily. It was time for her speech.

"I just wanted to say," She murmured,"Leo was probably one of the best, if not the best friend I've ever had." She spoke quietly, forcing her words out. "He saved all of us. If it wasn't for him, we would probably all be dead." Looking up, she saw that everyone was crying. Piper stepped away and joined her friends. Jason grasped her hand. Then Hazel took her other hand. Frank was already holding Hazel's other hand anyway, but Percy took Jason's, Annabeth following behind them.

The remaining six demigods of the great prophecy stood hand in hand, mourning their lost friend as his shroud went up in flames.

Percy

That night was full of hush whispers, blank looks, and crying. Lots of crying.

It's not like he was crying. No way. he was an ultra macho man. Men didn't cry. Neither did Percy. Percy was the ultimate specimen of a man.

Yeah, he then fell asleep next to Annabeth in the Poseidon cabin, which he had finally managed to repair. Mostly.

Annabeth was the first to wake up. Supposedly, she'd tried to wake him up by shaking his arm. Percy couldn't tell, he woke up to a face full, of pillow with Annabeth saying, "Get up, Seaweed Brain!" And whacking him with the pillow again.

He landed on the ground with an "Oof." Annabeth stood over him, pillow in hand.

"WhadoyouwanAnnabet?" Percy asked sluggishly. She rolled her eyes, exasperated. Percy just figured he had forgotten her birthday or something. He tended to do things like that.

"Do you have any idea what the other campers would think if they found out i had stayed in your cabin all night?" She hissed, grabbing Percy's arm and pulling him up. He groaned.

"You're right. It would totally ruin my street cred." Annabeth shook her head.

"You're impossible." She started, walking out of the cabin. Percy trailed after her.

"Come on, Annabeth. I'm just-" He tried and failed to stifle his yawn. "-tired." Annabeth ignored him, trying to walk away. Unfortunately, Percy had other ideas. Grabbing her hand, he spun her around quickly. He then proceeded to pick her up and run towards Canoe Lake.

"Percy, let me go," She shouted, trying to sound serious, but laughing. "where are we going?" She asked between fits of laughter, giggling uncontrollably. Percy let her down on the docks.

Annabeth glared at him sternly. "Why," She asked, "Did you do that?" He responded by pulling her face towards him and kissing her. They tipped over into the water and stayed how they were, In an underwater bubble. When they ended their kiss, Percy took her hand.

"Now you can go." He told her. She smiled.

"Not a chance, seaweed brain." They kissed again, neither of them noticing the blue eye of Horus hieroglyph appearing on Percy's hand.