LEO

Leo sat on deck next to Frank. Normally they wouldn't be out here together in the middle of the night, but today had been anything but normal. So while Leo studied his Archimedes scrolls, wishing Annabeth was there to help him figure them out, Frank absentmindedly played with his Chinese handcuffs and turned into random animals using his shape-shifting power. That annoyed Leo. What annoyed him more was that Frank probably wasn't even trying to annoy him.

Earlier that day, Caicias-the god of the northeast wind-had abducted Hazel and Piper. Obviously Frank was thinking of Hazel, wondering if she was safe or even alive. Leo had been thinking the same things.

"I feel so helpless." the words seemed to spill out of Frank's mouth, like he'd been holding them in and couldn't keep them to himself any longer. The big guy blushed and muttered, "I couldn't save her."

"Nobody could, Frank. Don't beat yourself up." Leo tried to reassure him.

"Gone with the wind, huh?"

Leo and Frank jerked around to see Nico di Angelo standing over them. "They're not dead, you know."

Frank sighed. "Thanks, Nico. But that doesn't keep me from worrying."

Leo had been a little afraid of Nico ever since they'd rescued the kid from the twin giants. Not many twelve-year-olds had the power to summon living skeletons, go into a death coma, or tell if people were dead or not. He had already told them that Annabeth and Percy had survived their fall into Tartarus, not that that made anyone feel much better. Leo was still really worried about them. He turned to Nico.

"That's great, Nico. Uh, are, um-"

"Percy and Annabeth are still alive," Nico confirmed. Poor kid must have been pretty tired of people asking him that question, but nobody could get it off their minds. "You guys should try to sleep. I'll take over watch from here."

"But Hazel-" Frank protested.

"And Piper!" Leo added, his ear bursting into flame. He quickly put it out as Nico looked at him strangely.

"I'll wake you guys if they return before dawn. Go rest, okay?" Nico looked troubled, and it occurred to Leo that maybe Nico needed some time alone too.

"Come on, Frank. He's right." Leo hauled Frank to his feet.

When they got back to their cabins, Leo laid on his bed, expecting to lay awake for the rest of the night. His eyes had different ideas however, and he drifted off almost immediately, the world fading to blackness.