Luke reacted first and Luke reacted fast.

But Thalia Grace noticed her brother first. While Luke was staggering like he'd been shot just by looking at Thalia, Jason and Thalia embraced.

"Hey little bro."

"I look exactly the same age as you. Technically older since you swore off aging the day before you turned 16."

"I'm so old I should be retired." Thalia joked.

"You're still little to me." She added, ruffling his hair. When she did notice Luke Castellan she thought she must have been dreaming. Her face turned pale white, a look of fear and confusion that was rarely found on the fierce hunter's face.

"Is that? L-luke?" She asked, stuttering. Jason nodded, frowning. Luke stumbled over to Thalia.

"T-thalia? I thought I'd never see you again..."

"YOU DIED." She yelled at him. He frowned. Jason took his leave, going to stand awkwardly by Octavian.

Luke and Thalia argued heatedly for awhile, sometimes pushing and shoving. At one point Thalia slapped him, but by the very very end they were hugging.

Octavian turned to Jason.

"So... That's your sister? You two look nothing alike."

"Yeah. So that's your brother? You two look scarily alike, considering there's no real relation." Octavian laughed and nodded.

"Yeah. He's my brother. I'm glad to claim him as my brother."

"I'm glad you have a family now Octavian." Jason told him honestly.

"Thanks. Um... So you look really good with glasses I mean they make you look professional and stuff you kind of just looked really stupid before." Jason rolled his eyes at Octavian's attempt at a compliment.

"Thanks I guess." Luke and Thalia pulled away and Thalia was dragged over to Jason and Octavian.

"Thalia this is Octavian. He's family now too." Luke was beaming.

"We're not family anymore Luke. We're just friends." Luke's smile dropped.

"We're barely that after all you did."

"B-but we hugged." Thalia shrugged.

"I'm very forgiving."

"No you're not." Percy piped up.

"Shut up Seaweed brain." Thalia snapped at him, electric blue eyes glittering threateningly. Percy backed up. Luke was pouting like a puppy. Octavian felt very awkward in the tense situation. He offered a reminder.

"There are demigods that Piper is protecting who need to get to Camp." Everyone nodded and agreed and went about setting that into motion. Everyone BUT Luke and Octavian. Luke curled up in fetal position sad and dramatic as usual.

"She was your family before huh?"

"We looked out for each other..."

"Things changed. You made some bad decisions. Maybe she won't give you a second chance but hey. I will. Second chance, third chance, fourth chance... You can't possibly mess up with me."

"I liked Thalia..."

"Okay. Girls come and go..."

"None like her."

"Tons like her. People might all be different but different is good. You'll find someone else... Luke get up." Luke got up.

"There's a bug in your hair. This school is disgusting..."

"You're right."

"About the bug in the hair? I know. Get it out of your hair."

"No, well yeah but about the other girls out there and the second chance thing. We're family now. We won't give up on each other."

"Of course not. Should we catch up with the others?"

"I don't really want to see them again. Lets just take our leave."

"That is a great idea I've been suggesting that since yesterday."

"Hopefully this little quest will give us some hero points." Octavian laughed.

"Hero points? You make this sound like a video game." Luke looked mock surprised.

"This ISN'T a video game?"

"If it was a video game don't you think I would have googled the cheat codes already?"

"But cheat codes are so cheap you have to play the game for real to get any satisfaction from it!"

"Cheat codes aren't cheap they're convenient."

"No way. I bet you play creative on minecraft too."

"Its more fun!"

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

Octavian walked into the door frame. Luke burst out laughing.

"Serves you right for playing video games wrong."

"Its not wrong! I bet you don't even save your progress. You'd so be that kind of dude."

"I don't need to save my progress. I beat any and every game in an hour max."

"Wow impressive you should write a book." Octavian said dryly, giving him a slow clap. Luke punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! This isn't actually a video game you don't get points for that."

"Its called tough love little brother."

"I'm not that little! I'm 19!"

"I'm 26 so there."

"Well you're acting like a five year old."

"You're acting like a newborn."

"That's not even possible I wouldn't be able to talk." Octavian was pouting.

"Ah let it go and admit that its more fun playing survival on minecraft."

"I will never admit that." He said fair more seriously than the conversation deserved.

"Fine," Luke said smugly.

"No supper for you."

"What? No! Just because of a video game argument?!"

"No, because we don't have any food."

"Oh. Again?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow I promise. Maybe. Hopefully. We'll see." Luke said, brow furrowing in worry.

"Its okay. I'm not even hungry." Octavian lied in attempt to calm Luke down. Of course, Luke saw right through Octavian's lie. Octavian was just skin and bones. The more meals they missed the worse it got and he was getting even more worried.

"I might be able to scrounge something up." Luke offered.

"Its fine we can wait I'm not hungry." Octavian said firmly. Luke shook his head.

"This isn't acceptable. You're starving because I'm failing..." He fretted.

"You aren't failing! Stop getting so worked up we'll be fine... And if you are failing then I'm failing too because whatever we do we do together because we're family now okay? You can't carry all the worry alone." Luke nodded but couldn't believe him. Things had been easier just minutes earlier when they were arguing about video games.

But reality and easy were almost never synonymous, and Reality hit like a punch in the gut as Luke was consumed with thinking about just how much he'd failed recently.

With Thalia and Annabeth, then.

Now. With Octavian.

Failing himself didn't matter, but failing his family?

That hurt like Tartarus.