A/N: Thank you for sticking with me over the long periods of time between updates. I'm definitely getting there with mapping out this entire series so hopefully the ideas in my head will make their way here quicker and quicker now that I've got a clear path for Series Three.

Thank you for the lovely reviews and to my beautiful friends at fyeahclassofthetitans for harassing me to get back into writing this. I've done my best to add a little bit of your OT3 into this chapter as a small thank you. Also a big thank you to AngryOlympian; without your friendly competition, I'd still be procrastinating this chapter. Thank you!

Chapter Three

The next morning was mercifully quiet when Atlanta tiptoed down the stairs, but she figured that it might have had something to do with the sun not being up. She stopped at the foot of the stairs to fix the laces on her running shoes, pull up the zipper of her jacket, and then bounded out the door into the streets for an early morning run.

New Olympia was only stirring itself awake when she closed the door behind her. Pale, pre-sunrise light lit the streets in a calm glow. She set the timer on her watch, and started running. She was determined to beat her best time on her usual jogging route.

Running past the school quickly, Atlanta turned onto the street that eventually lead to the park. The air around her was cool, even for February, but it woke her up, drove her onwards. She ran the length of the main street of the city, past small cafes that were just opening for the breakfast crowds, past the school, and into the park.

Easily her favourite place within the city, the park offered a sweet reprieve of trees and grass away from the glass and concrete and brass statues that seemed to hold New Olympia together. A green heart in a steel world. She breathed in the air, and while it was still the same polluted air of the rest of the city, at least here she could pretend the trees were doing some, marginal difference.

She did a lap of the park with ease, and dropped into a bench overlooking the stream. Taking a few moments to get her breath back, she checked her watch, and smiled.

"New record," she said to herself, grinning.

"Congratulations."

Atlanta jumped up and span around, her hand instinctively forming a fist. She launched herself onto the form that stood behind the bench, knocking it to the ground. From beneath its hood, purple hair spilled out.

"Damn it, Arch!" she yelled. "Don't creep up on me like that!"

"Don't let me creep up on you, then," he retorted. He shifted awkwardly beneath her. "Do you, uh, want to get off me?"

Atlanta's eyes went wide. She quickly rolled off him, getting to her feet and pulling him up with her. Archie towered over her, easily a head taller. Had he had another growth spurt? At this rate, he'd reach Herry's height by the end of the year. He was too wiry to reach the brawn's muscular, broad shouldered build, though, but Atlanta supposed that none of that really mattered to Archie.

"Why are you staring at me?" Archie demanded.

"You've grown," she told him truthfully.

Archie shrugged. "Haven't we all?"

Atlanta rolled her eyes. "I thought you weren't jogging today," she said, changing the subject. "I would have waited for you to get up, you know."

The warrior shrugged. "I wanted to be alone."

"And how's that working out for you, Arch?"

Archie didn't respond. He was thinking about the almost enforced separation between the two of them that had sort of manifested in the past few weeks - Atlanta was sure he was thinking about it, because it was what she was thinking about too. All the walls that she and the warrior put up between themselves - all the weird feelings they danced around and conversations and touches they ignored - she wondered if they'd ever get past it. Or had they become so accustomed to being alone that even the idea of being together was so completely foreign, it wasn't worth considering?

But Archie looked down at the ground the way that he used to look at her - the same steel grey eyed intense concentration - and she realised that perhaps she wasn't the only one with too much on her mind.

She stood up. Archie's eyes flickered upward. "Come on," she said. "I'm here to jog. Bet I can beat you back to the dorm!"

Atlanta sped off. She didn't look back - she didn't have to. Archie was, unquestionably, at her heels.

The sun was rising when Odie stumbled up the stairs and into the kitchen. Athena stood by the kitchen island and, as he rubbed sleep from his eyes, wordlessly handed him a bowl of cereal. He made a noise of gratitude and took a seat at the table.

"Late night?" Athena asked as he crunched his cereal.

Odie nodded. "Movie finished late," he said, his first words of the morning sounding dull in his mouth. "Sorry."

Athena shrugged. "I don't mind. I'm not your babysitter." With that, the goddess turned her back to him. Odie watched as she cut a six-piece high tower of toast in half with her sword, and made an executive decision not to speak until the goddess' weapon was out of sight.

Footsteps thundered down the stairs, and a sleepy Herry tumbled into the seat next to him. Athena placed the entire plate of toast in front of Herry, and he mumbled his gratitude as he ate his breakfast, one slice at a time.

"So," Herry said, spraying Odie with crumbs. "Are you seeing Penny today?"

Odie shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe."

"Penny?" Athena asked, placing a carton of orange juice on the table.

"A girl Odie likes," Herry said, pouring himself a glass.

"A girl?" Athena shook her head and put her sword down. "Relationships are complicated. You should focus on other things right now. Hera said the prophecy may have been fulfilled. You can no longer hide behind the Oracle from Cronus. These are dangerous times."

"No offense," Odie said, looking warily between Athena and the sword on the bench, "but I don't need advice about the prophecy or girls from you."

"Advice about girls?" Three heads swiveled towards the doorway as Neil strode in. The teen selected a chair opposite Odie. "You should have just asked. I'd be glad to help you finally get some."

"Gross," Odie said, looking into his cereal bowl, wishing it would open a hole straight into the Underworld and swallow him whole.

"I'm just saying, I'm obviously the best person to ask about relationships. My mentor is the goddess of love. Just say the word and I'll swipe you a vial of love potion."

"I don't need or want Ancient Greek roofies, Neil."

It was at that moment that Archie and Atlanta entered the kitchen. The huntress frowned and looked between Neil and Odie. "I came in at the wrong end of that conversation, right?"

Odie spluttered. Neil just shrugged and pulled out his mirror and admired his reflection. The corners of Archie's lips curled upward but he made sure not to let Atlanta see.

Atlanta rolled her eyes and sat at the table, grabbing the last piece of toast from Herry's plate. The brawn stared at her in dismay; she gave him a small grin and turned back to Odie. "So, is this about the girl from last night?"

"Well, yes, but it's not a group discussion-"

"Zip it," Atlanta instructed him. "And pay attention. As the only teenage female present, I am your number one resource. So here's what you're gonna do."

"Oh boy," Archie muttered. "Atlanta giving relationship advice. This'll be good."

"Shut up, Archie," five voices echoed.

"You need to figure out if she likes you first," Atlanta explained, helping herself to a glass of juice. "And that's pretty easy to work out. Does she blush in your presence?"

"What?!"

"Does she speak really quickly and not make much sense?"

"Uh…"

"Does she talk about things she knows you like?"

"I have literally spoken to her twice."

Atlanta groaned and threw her hands in the air. "Useless," she moaned to the boys around her. "I thought you were good with recognising even basic signs. Guess we'll need Plan B… mind reading. It's quicker but a bit less morally right." Atlanta looked around. "Where is Theresa, anyway?"

"Still asleep?" Herry suggested. "Jay's not up yet either."

The huntress frowned and checked her watch. "That's not like either of them. I don't think Jay even knows what a sleep in is."

"I'll go and wake him up," Archie said, the faintest trace of a smirk still lingering in his face. "And I'll tap on Theresa's door."

Atlanta shot him a look of gratitude before turning back to Odie. "So. When are you going to ask her on a date?"

In the hallway, Archie laughed under his breath. He'd had the third degree from Atlanta on more than one occasion. He climbed the flight of stairs leading up to the first floor. Making a quick detour into his room, he pulled of his hoodie and grabbed his towel. Might as well have a shower, he figured. He sniffed his armpit experimentally. Definitely going to have a shower, he thought to himself.

He trod up the next lot of stairs. Theresa's was more or less opposite the top of the stairs, with Jay's the next along. He rapped his knuckles on her door a few times and proceeded to Jay's door. He went to knock, but the door opened.

Theresa stood in the opened doorway, her orange hair in waves around her shoulders. She wore only a oversized, white cotton shirt and ridiculously pink underwear. Her green eyes were bright and shining. A few paces behind her, a very tousle haired, very shirtless Jay stood in nothing but blue boxer shorts, looking very much like a Greek god, glorious and proud, and just a little bemused.

"Ah…" was all Archie could manage.

"Morning," Theresa murmured, brushing past him as she darted into her room. Archie swallowed and met Jay's eyes, trying (unsuccessfully) to ignore the weird feeling at the bottom of his stomach.

"Something on your mind, Arch?" Jay asked.

Archie shook his head dumbly.

Jay's dark eyes, impossible to read as ever, scanned him for a moment. "I'll see you later, then." He closed the door, leaving Archie alone in the hallway, almost frozen in place. He stared at the door for a few moments, and then looked down at his towel.

"Time for a cold shower," he muttered to himself, and headed for the bathroom.

A strange sense of deja vu washed over Odie as he sat down at the gang's usual table in the cafeteria. He tried not to take it as a bad sign, but as he quickly scanned the lower level, he felt a sadness creep into him - the horrible, lonely feeling of a lost possibility. And as he watched his friends around him - Theresa and Jay with their hands held under the table, Neil explaining to Archie about the importance of the right hue of blue, and Atlanta and Herry having a conversation so quiet he couldn't hear - he felt, not for the first time, like the seventh wheel.

"She'll be here," Theresa murmured from across the table, quietly, so that only he could hear.

He shot her an appreciative glance. "How do you know?"

"I always know." The psychic tapped a finger to her temple and smiled knowingly. "She'll be here."

Almost on cue, Herry nudged him. "Over there," he said, pointing over Odie's shoulder.

Odie slowly turned his head. He saw her - the unmistakable glasses and braid combination - sinking into a seat at an empty table, a laptop already in front of her. Quickly, he turned back to his table, where his friends were now staring at him encouragingly.

"Go on," Herry said, giving Odie a little push. Odie nearly fell out of his seat. He gave Herry an indignant glare but stood up anyway. Herry was well intentioned, after all. They all were.

With an almost audibly palpitating heart, Odie approached the table. His hands swung awkwardly, and for a moment, he searched for something for them to do. Deciding on sticking them in the deep pockets of his jacket, he stopped, just a few steps from the table. Her eyes were intently focused on the screen of her laptop. He took one last deep breath of air, and opened his mouth.

"This seat taken?" he asked.

Penny looked up and, after seeing him, smiled brightly and closed her laptop. "Odie!" She gestured to the seat. "Of course not. Sit down."

He sat down, wondering what to do with his hands. He settled on placing them on the table, but, after seeing the faded bruises from his latest training session, put them in his lap.

"Hi," Penny said, her brown eyes glittering.

"Hi," he replied.

"Sorry about last night," Penny said quickly. "Ben seemed really nice, but the movie was awkward and he wasn't all that interesting so that's not going to be a thing. I mean, he doesn't even watch half the TV shows I watch."

"Definitely won't happen," Odie agreed.

Penny nodded. "So, what can I do for you?"

Odie blinked. His mind had gone blank. Think, Odie, think. "I, uh…"

"Yeah?" Penny drawled. It took Odie a moment to realise that she was teasing. He shook his head, trying to find the right words.

"I was wondering, well, if it's not too weird, we could hang out. After school. For dinner. With me."

"Yes," Penny said, locking eyes with him. Her lips had parted slightly.

"Really?" Odie asked, not sure that he'd heard her correctly.

Penny's lips curled upwards. "I would like to hang out. After school. For dinner. With you."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Odie's eyes went wide. He straightened up, mostly out of shock, and smiled. "Great!" he began, going to stand up. "I will see you-"

"Tonight, seven o'clock?" Penny suggested.

"Sure!" Odie agreed breathlessly. "It's… a date?"

"Yes," Penny said, firmly. She grabbed a book from her bag, tore out a page and handed it to Odie. "Could you write down your address? I'll meet you there at seven?"

Back at the gang's table, Jay watched the unusual proceedings out of the corner of his eye, as Neil told a (likely false) tale of how he had been scouted ("on a family vacation in Paris, on the sidewalk of the Champs-Élysées"). His eyes narrowed as he saw Odie writing something on a piece of paper.

"Can you see what's happening over there?" he murmured to Theresa, making sure none of the others heard him.

Theresa closed her eyes for a moment. "He's writing the address of the dorm… they're going on a date tonight… he's very excited." She opened her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

Jay shrugged. "Probably nothing. But we should be careful. We don't know anything about this girl."

"She's not a danger, Jay." Theresa reached for his hand and held it. She looked up at him, into his eyes. "I would have seen. Don't you trust me?"

Jay sighed. "Of course I do."

"Then trust me when I say, Penny is just a girl that Odie likes. She is good."

He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back. "You're right," he said, turning away from Odie, who was now handing back the piece of paper to Penny. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so on edge."

They turned their attention to Neil, who was still describing how his agent had practically fallen into the Seine after Neil had graciously accepted his modelling offer. They both watched as Odie slid back into his chair beside Herry, and said nothing.