"Hey Percy!" He turned to see the daughter of Demeter walking up to him with a friendly smile.

He grinned,"Hey Katie! Have you seen Annabeth? She owes me a sparring match." He glanced around before turning back to the shrugging girl. Katie Gardner was a pretty fourteen year old, with ebony colored hair, and vivid brown eyes. She was a head shorter than him and had light freckles on her cheeks.

She was working with Annabeth to help Percy learn Greek and she was rather patient and kind. Though she argued a lot and was rather bossy, Percy really liked Katie.

"No clue, but hey, I'll spar with you." She offered readily and Percy grinned.

"Sounds good, but I really do need to find Annabeth. I'm curious about this thing I read about the Romans...called a Golden Eagle. I figured if anyone knew about it then it'd be her." He shrugged, trying to play off his interest for Roman objects as just natural curiosity.

Going back and forth between camps wasn't as bad as he expected. Going to Camp Halfblood was where he belonged and being in such a friendlier environment kept him from getting into depressions. The only problem was that he could only go to the camp twice a week. Nico and Percy had easily lied about Percy's home life, saying he was taking care of his father and mortal sister so that's why he didn't stay at camp, and no questions were asked.

Everyone knew the struggles of being a demigod and no one pried for more information about Percy's whereabouts. It was a common understanding, don't push for the past. Typically demigods came from an extremely broken home and harbored a bad childhood that they'd rather not broach. They all saw Camp Halfblood for a fresh start, and they all saw the other campers as their family. The past didn't define them and they all knew that.

Katie smiled and grabbed the sleeve of his jacket,"Sure Percy, just follow me." She instructed as she led him to the Athena cabin.

-Line Break-

Percy was unbelievably nervous. The ocean seemed never ending and it drove him mad. He gripped the boat railing tightly as his breathing came out raggedly, he hated being out at sea, he couldn't feel the earth beneath him and it made him feel incredibly anxious. He felt alienated in a sense, he was away from his element, and he was incredibly fearful.

He felt arms wrap around his waist and a smaller body pressed against his back,"I forgot how much you hated the ocean." A soft voice mused and Percy let out a shuttered breath as he released his death grip from the rail.

He turned around slowly and fell into his girlfriend's arms,"I can't feel the earth, baby doll." He murmured into her neck as he held her tightly to him,"I hate this." He breathed and Hazel rubbed his back comfortingly while planting a chaste kiss on his temple.

"I know, but you've got me, I won't let you drown." She promised and he pulled back to kiss her forehead affectionately.

With a teasing smile he said,"As if you could drag my deadweight from the bottom of the ocean. You know I can't swim that well Miss Levesque." He chuckled as she rolled her eyes and leaned against his chest. The only way he was able to get across the Tiber was because Thea was the daughter of Neptune and helped him get across. He knew the basics of swimming but he still didn't like it too much.

"Well excuse me for trying to make you feel better." She huffed and her golden eyes brightened as Percy crushed her to his chest once again.

"Thank you." Hazel didn't like the ocean either. Her father was tied to earth much like Percy's mother, maybe not as much, but she felt uncomfortable without the earth beneath her feet like Percy.

The two stood silently in their parkas as they watched the boat dodge large chunks of ice in the water. The wind was still and it was completely quiet. Percy couldn't help but glance nervously at the water beneath them as he fiddled with Hazel's curls that were pulled back into a ponytail.

Worried, golden eyes met his forest green ones,"I...I never thought we'd have to come back here." She whispered fearfully and Percy thought back to when their parents, against their will, had dragged them to Gaea who was awaiting them. He shivered at the thought before smiling gently at Hazel.

"It'll be okay, Gaea is sleeping." He assured and Hazel looked at him blankly.

"Gaea?" CRAP! Percy had been jumping back and forth between the Roman and Greek camp. Nico had suggested the idea since Percy refused to leave Hazel. Percy trained with both camps, his friends grew in numbers at Camp Halfblood and shrunk at Camp Jupiter. Percy was speaking both languages, Greek fluently, and Latin decently. The Romans had easy days where they lazed about and sparred on occasion, every easy day Nico would take Percy to Camp Halfblood.

Percy had befriended Annabeth, Will, Silena, Beckondwarf, Travis, Conner, and Katie. They were becoming a rather tight nit group. Annabeth was the one who loved teasing him about his "lack of intellect" and the two constantly took jabs at each other playfully.

Will was trying to teach Percy archery and the two were rather closer friends. Both of them were cheerful and optimistic and Percy enjoyed listening to Will sing. The son of Apollo had a brilliant voice and Percy knew it was from his father.

Silena was nice and she was very friendly towards him, he confided in her about relationship problems. He confessed his estranged relationship with Hazel (though he had lied and said she was a mortal) and Silena was constantly helping him with such issues.

Beck and Percy worked on mechanics together, Percy's father had taught him quite a bit about machines and engines and Percy found that with Beck he enjoyed working on inventions.

Travis and Conner were Percy's prankster friends. There wasn't a moment that the three of them weren't causing mischief around the camp.

Katie was always eager to hang out with Percy. She had the biggest crush on him, not that the oblivious boy knew, and it was somewhat a rare occurrence to see the two apart. They spent quite a bit of time together and Percy enjoyed Katie's company. She was nice and was trying to teach him to garden, he wasn't very good, he manhandled the plants. Percy thought he'd be good at gardening because it was on the earth but he was terrible at it. Both were tied to the earth in their own ways making them more compatible.

Percy didn't talk about his past much. He listened to his companions pasts, if they were ever willing to talk about it, and was fairly fascinated with their life stories. Percy couldn't help but think that Thea would love it at Camp Halfblood...but he knew Hazel wouldn't be so fond of the place like he was.

Hazel liked Camp Jupiter and she had various amounts of friends there. She tried to introduce them to Percy but none of the them liked the son of Terra. Hazel fit in well with the Romans, because she actually was one, and Percy wished that she was Greek. Then he, Hazel, and Thea could leave the Romans and go to the more accepting Greeks. Thea would have been adored if she were a daughter of Poseidon rather than a daughter of Neptune.

Percy grinned at Hazel,"Slip of the tongue, I meant to say Terra." He mumbled as he pressed his lips against hers, distractingly. She smiled into the kiss and Percy nearly sighed in relief as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He placed his hands on her waist and deepened the kiss, she buried a hand in his hair causing Percy to pull away with a smile.

He really loved Hazel Levesque. And sure, it sounded ridiculous, rushed, and corny since they were only fourteen. But they had been together for centuries now. They were together the entire time in Elysium and they knew each other better than anyone. Percy and Hazel's bond was strengthened especially due to the fact that Percy had stuck by her side in the forties. He never left Hazel and that wouldn't change anytime soon.

Hazel was amazing. She was funny, intelligent, intuitive, and an astounding fighter. She always put him in a better mood. She knew when he needed a hug or a kiss or a joke to cheer him up, and at the same time she knew when he needed silence. Hazel was supportive of Percy and never tried to Romanize him like the other Romans. She admired his strength and he admired hers, she never gave up, that's why they were so good together.

They balanced each other out. Whenever Hazel got too down, Percy was there to keep his optimism alive. Percy was always the more positive one of the two but sometimes his heads was in the clouds. Hazel was the realist, seeing things for what they truly were, but this also caused her to be a bit more pessimistic and worrisome. Hazel brought Percy down to earth and Percy took Hazel off of it. He always made her look at the bright side of life and she appreciated it, he was always there to make her smile.

"I love you." Percy whispered and Hazel smiled brilliantly at him. It was a rare occurrence that they said that to each other, and it wasn't because they didn't love each other, it was because they rather showed their unconditional love for each other instead of saying it. It was shown in their actions, smiles, kisses, embraces, touches, and eye contact. After all these years they were still crazy about each other.

Even though they weren't around each other as much at Camp Jupiter. Hazel's time was eaten away by her other friends, leaving Percy by himself. It was frustrating but he knew that she was happy. She tried to make time for him, she really did, but children of Pluto were adored by all Romans. He and Hazel didn't see as much of each other as they used to and it bothered Percy. But as she beamed widely at him, he quickly pushed the unease from his mind.

"I love you too." She kissed his nose before pulling away and grabbing his hand,"Now let's go below deck." She shivered,"It's freezing!" She exclaimed and Percy chuckled before allowing himself to be dragged below deck. Before they got down there a white man appeared in a yellow raincoat.

Percy instinctively stepped in front of Hazel protectively. Typically when a white man approached the two it was bad news. Percy had it ingrained him that he was Hazel's protector, even at Camp Jupiter he found himself standing in front of Hazel when males came up to them, no matter the race. Blacks and whites used to always be hostile towards the two so Percy was always on guard.

"We'll be docking at Anchorage, Alaska in about ten minutes." The sailor informed them as he scratched at his scruffy beard.

Percy relaxed slightly before nodding,"Thank you." He grumbled before hesitantly moving to Hazel's side. She squeezed his hand in reassurance, he knew she was still rather fearful about the real world, he was too. It felt surreal to them that racism was actually over...well it was for the most part. Hazel shot Percy an appreciative smile at his protectiveness before continuing to drag him to the bottom of the ship.

Jason and Frank were sitting on the beds below deck and both sat up when the two appeared.

Jason grimaced apologetically, knowing that Percy was terrified on the ship,"I would have gotten us a plane but I can't afford all the tickets and-"

Percy brushed him off,"No it's fine, I don't like flying either." He shrugged indifferently as his eyes quickly darted to the bruise on the boy's jaw. Percy had forgiven Jason...they just weren't on the best of terms. Percy was still miffed about Jason's little stunt in the arena and Jason was still beating himself up about his actions towards the son of Terra.

Frank looked at Hazel worriedly,"You look cold-"

"I have my boyfriend to keep me warm, I'm fine." Hazel cut him off and narrowed her eyes at the boy angrily. Percy raised an eyebrow at the hostility Hazel displayed.

Frank looked miserable and shot Percy a guilty glance before looking down at his feet. Percy noticed that Hazel's grip on his hand tightened and he looked at her questioningly but she just shook her head and mouthed "later" to him before tugging him to her cot. The two sat down and Hazel snuggled into his side and he in turn wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You know...I just realized that we really don't know much about you two." Jason broke the silence as he looked at them curiously,"Where did you too live before Camp Jupiter?" He asked and the two stiffened.

Hazel cleared her throat awkwardly before shrugging,"Louisiana." That explained their southern accents, Jason mused, but he frowned when the two exchanged worrisome looks and remained quiet.

"Uh...did you guys like it there?"

Percy shrugged,"It wasn't bad." That was a lie, Louisiana was a dangerous place, but the jazz music had been nice and upbeat. Despite the hardships, Louisiana would always be their home.

Jason was running out of ideas for questions,"Favorite singer?" He knew it was a weak question but he was confused as to why the two were so closed off about their past.

Hazel and Percy grinned at each other,"Bing Cosby." They said in unison and Jason smiled slightly.

"So you guys are into the oldies?" Jason asked and they nodded,"I'm a rather big Michael Jackson fan." He shrugged and Percy frowned as did the daughter of Pluto.

"Who?"

Jason raised an eyebrow,"You guys don't know who Michael Jackson is?" They shook their heads,"He's a legend! How don't you know-"

"Arriving at Anchorage, Alaska!" A man barked and Percy rose to his feet quickly before dashing out from under the deck. Hazel was right behind him and the two watched the boat pull in.

"YES!" Percy cheered as he stared at the grassy ground near the dock,"LAND!" He whooped and Hazel laughed at his enthusiasm before they watched the men tie the boat up. They were quick to get off the boat whereas Jason and Frank were a bit slower.

When Percy's feet his solid earth, he smiled broadly. He had felt so fearful without the ground beneath him. He closed his eyes as he felt the vibrations of multiple people walking and running around. It felt so good to be back on the ground. Letting out a relieved sigh he finally realized that it was much warmer than he had expected. With a frown he ripped off his jacket and grinned as cold air cooled his overheated body.

Anchorage was a beautiful, large city. Behind it was a large snowy mountain and he heard a sigh. Jason and Frank appeared, carrying both giant bags on their back.

"We'll be climbing that tomorrow to find the Golden Eagle." Jason said grimily,"Before going through a network of tunnels created by whatever took the Golden Eagle." He sighed and Percy grinned before punching Jason's shoulder gently.

"C'mon man! You forget who's on the trip! You can fly up there right? Hazel can shadow travel! I can take Frank up there with my earth powers. We'll be fine!" He assured the son of Jupiter and Jason relaxed slightly before giving Percy an appreciative smile.

Frank on the other hand felt terrible that Percy was so nice to him. Frank had been horrible to the boy and the son of Mars knew his actions wouldn't go unpunished. He could understand why Hazel now hated him, he just wish he hadn't done what he did.

"You're right. We'll begin the climb tomorrow, today we're staying at a hotel to rest up-"

"We were on the ship for a a long time you, fuddy duddy, I think we've rested enough." Hazel chuckled and Jason frowned at her.

"You and Percy talk like you guys are from a million years ago...I swear." Jason smiled slightly making Percy and Hazel tense up uncomfortably,"Anyways, let's get moving. We have a little walk aways from the hotel." Jason took the lead and the other filed in behind him.

Percy and Hazel had rarely spent time in outside world so everything was still so bizarre to them. Seeing people in such strange attire and seeing all races intermingle so well was uplifting to the two. Seeing a black and white couple walk by made Percy grin and interlace his fingers with Hazel's. She smiled broadly at him and instead of the glares that the two were accustomed to, they got smiles instead.

When they arrived to their hotel room there were only two beds. So of course Percy and Hazel shared one and Frank and Jason, after a lot of bickering, decided to share the other bed. Of course, both boys awkwardly laid as far away as they could from each other.

As the night dragged on Hazel found it difficult to sleep. Yes, being entangled in Percy's arms was comfortable, and yes she was happy being with him but something was keeping her awake. Ever since she arrived at the Roman camp she felt something within her awaken. It was primal and fierce and she was rather terrified yet enthralled by it at the same time.

There was an amazing rush that came with such merciless fighting. The roar of the crowd filled her with satisfaction and excitement as she defeated her enemy with no hesitation. Hazel squeezed her eyes shut, a part of her was disgusted with her desire for blood and her new brutalization. She shuttered at the thought of her enjoying harming others. She had never felt such an urge to fight and she's never such bloodlust before and it scared her.

Moonlight shown through the window and cast over Percy's face. His nose was buried in her chocolate curls and his eyes were closed. His face was scrunched up in worry, Hazel let out a soft sight and gently ran a hand through his hair, the Roman camp wasn't good to Percy and it was negatively affecting him. At the touch from Hazel, the son of Terra's worried brow melted away and he hugged her tighter to him. His pale skin seemed to glow as Hazel's golden eyes traced his face.

What would Percy think of her insatiable thirst for bloodshed? She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. He never wavered in his ways, he always showed compassion and mercy and she envied his self control...she envied his sense of humanity. The Roman camp was distorting her personality, her inner Roman was breaking free and she hated it. She would have never struggled with this when they were back in the 1900's.

Hazel couldn't forget his face when she knocked out the people in the arena. Each time she did so she would look at him, expecting to see him beaming proudly at her, but instead his gaze was downcast and his hands were fiddling anxiously with the hem of his shirt. Yes, he cheered her on whilst she fought but he never encouraged her to 'show no mercy.' His face was emotionless but she could tell he was disturbed by her actions.

He worried about her. Hazel felt anger consume her, the Romans adored her, the daughter of Pluto...yet they still shunned Percy. It was ironic, the Romans boasted of strength but they were disgusted of Percy's strong moral compass. He never bent to their unyielding pressure, he did things his way and didn't once doubt his own actions, and this only angered the Romans even more.

Hazel felt guilt begin to devour her, Camp Jupiter was no place for Percy and they both knew it, but he never asked to leave. He took on the stress, anger, harassment, and sadness because he knew that she loved it here. At times he would disappear for hours during the day and she had no clue where he went. He always said he had to go decompress and she worried about him. Whenever he came back from his mysterious place he was jovial and upbeat. However when he didn't decompress at time he would go into depression. He always played it off and spent his free time with her and Thea but Hazel knew he was struggling.

She didn't know what to do and tears pricked her eyes. Camp Jupiter felt like home to her but how could she be happy if Percy was suffering? She felt unbelievably conflicted tears rolled down her cheeks as she gave her sleeping boyfriend a watery smile.

"I'm sorry, Percy...I'll fix this I promise." She whispered as she closed her eyes. She fell into a fitful sleep and nightmares plagued her mind, nightmares of her sparring with Percy, and killing him.

Morning came and Percy jumped when he felt a hand poke him. He blinked rapidly and saw Jason standing over him. The blonde was dressed for and Frank was at his side.

"We're going to get some breakfast, meet us down when you're ready, we'll eat then take off." Jason explained and Percy nodded groggily as they both left the room. When the door slammed shut Hazel shot upwards. She was breathing heavily and hugging herself fearfully while a cry escaped her lips. Percy's eyes widened, now fully awake, and quickly squashed her to his chest.

"Hazel it's okay!" He murmured gently with a grimace. Typically they both had extremely bad night terrors of the past. Being an interracial couple in the 40's was a scarring experience. They never regretted dating but they were always attacked for it.

Hazel let out a sigh of relief when she realized Percy was holding her,"Oh thank gods." She mumbled as she flung her arms around his neck. He kissed the top of her head and held onto her even tighter. It was clear she didn't want to discuss her nightmare as she clung onto him desperately. He understood, there were some dreams that neither could even think of mentioning...some were too dark.

Trying to get her mind off the nightmare, Percy spoke up,"Jason and Frank-" He felt her stiffen and she pulled away. Guilty, dull eyes looked up at him as she gently reached out and grabbed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder,"What's wrong?" He murmured as his worry increased. He knew tensions between Frank and Hazel had been high for a couple days now but he didn't know why.

"Percy...Frank kissed me before we left for the quest...I swear I didn't kiss back-" Percy didn't hear anything as he got out of the bed and stomped out of the room. Rage consumed him as he marched to the lobby.

He was so sick of the Romans taking advantage of him. Frank could have done anything and Percy would have brushed it off. The son of Mars could have beaten him, called him names, and treated him like all the Romans treated him and Percy would have just ignored it. But Frank kissed Hazel...the son of Mars touched HIS girlfriend.

And it wasn't that Frank didn't know that they were dating. He obviously knew that Percy and Hazel were together. Percy felt betrayed, he thought Frank was his friend, but the boy had kissed his girlfriend.

The Romans had taken Percy's dignity, his joy, his laughter, and his peace of mind. Now they were trying to take Hazel from him? Was he seen as so weak that he didn't deserve happiness? They clouded Hazel's mind with bloodlust and desires of war and fighting, and now they were trying to woo her away from the "weak" and "pathetic" kid who didn't have the guts to knock out his weaponless competitors.

"Hey Perce." Frank greeted him with a friendly smile and Percy's rage grew. He wasn't a pushover and he was tired of being the nice guy. No one took him seriously, no one cared about him or how he felt, no one treated him with respect and he was done with being seen as a joke. Frank was just like all the others and Percy was absolutely livid.

No one else was in the eating area and Percy couldn't restrain himself any longer. He walked right up to Frank, grabbed him by his throat and lifted him out of his seat. Frank yelped and Jason shot to his feet as Percy dragged the boy outside. Frank struggled and attempted to smack Percy's hand from his throat but the son of Terra wasn't registering the hard hits whatsoever. He was too consumed by rage and animosity to care for the slight pain that was inflicted on his arm.

"Percy!" He heard Jason yelp as he rushed after them. It was still dark out but the sun was making it's appearance from behind the mountain. No people were out because it was too early and too dark to be doing anything productive. Birds were silent, the earth trembled slightly once Percy set foot upon it; and any animals who were in the area fled, knowing there was trouble afoot.

Usually when Percy stepped outside he became more rational in his decision making. Cooler weather tended to help him calm down as well, so did the feeling of earth beneath his feet. But even as the cold air enveloped Percy's skin and despite the feeling of the solid of earth beneath him it did nothing to quench the insatiable rage and hatred he felt for Frank.

With his free hand he punched Frank hard in the nose and a loud snap followed. Frank screamed as Percy punched him once again, the son of Terra's hits were sharp and precise and Frank's face felt as though it was on fire. His nose throbbed painfully and he could taste his own blood as he struggled in Percy's tight grip.

"Percy!" Jason barked again as he tackled the son of Terra,"Stop it! That's an order!" Jason snarled as he pinned Percy down. The blonde straddled the raven haired boy's waist and held his arms down. Tension was thick between the two as the familiar wave of dominance and control washed over them. They both knew a fight was inevitable and that they'd be fighting to see who was the more powerful demigod.

Percy's eyes flashed with rebellion and a grim smile appeared on his lips,"An order?" He growled as he stared murderously into Jason's electric blue eyes. Romans took orders, not Greeks. Defiance burned within him and he finally snapped. Percy brought his legs up and with his feet grabbed around Jason's throat.

Reyna had taught him that move the hard way.

Jason gagged and brought his hands up to move the feet away, thus freeing Percy's arms, without missing a beat Percy slammed his fist into Jason's face making the boy recoil. Jason was stuck between Percy's feet and the son of Terra punched him repeatedly in the face. All of Percy's pent up anger was becoming unleashed and the ground trembled in his rage.

Tiring of Jason, Percy shoved the blonde off of him. Rolling to his feet Percy encased Jason's body in earth so the son of Jupiter couldn't attempt another attack on him. Jason's face was covered in blood and bruises but he was still struggling feebly in the earthly binds.

Walking back over to Frank, who had gotten to his feet and was pointing his weapon at Percy, Percy bared his teeth and earth shot upwards and caught Frank's wrists and ankles. The Asian trembled in fear as Percy approached him.

"W-What's the matter with you!" Frank yelped as blood continued to flow from his nose.

"Percy!" He heard Hazel yell as she rushed over to him but he ignored her.

"What's the matter with me!" Percy snarled in disbelief as he shook his head,"I thought you were my friend!" The earth trembled again as Percy roughly grabbed Frank's chin so the boy had no choice but to stare at Percy,"Tell me what you did." He hissed and Frank glared at him but Percy could sense his fear.

"I-I didn't do anything." Frank growled and Percy shook his head in disgust.

"Percy stop this." Hazel grabbed his shoulder and Percy ignored her as he continued to glower at Frank.

"I'm so tired of you Romans taking advantage of me!" Percy spat as he cranked his fist back and slammed it into Frank's face making the boy groan. Frank tried to hang his head but Percy grabbed his chin again and looked at him in disbelief,"I'm a nice guy! I don't do anything to anyone!" Percy yelled in near hysterics as angry tears pricked his eyes,"But you all think I'm a joke! I thought you were different, Frank, but you kissed Hazel!" Percy roared and he brushed off Hazel who was attempting to pull him away from Frank.

Frank lowered his eyes in guilt and Jason chose a terrible time to speak up,"Percy! I order you to stop this! As your superior-"

"Shut up, fathead!" Percy whirled on him angrily and Jason gritted his teeth at the boy's disobedience.

"Percy, I'm angry at Frank too but please, Jason gave an order and you have to follow it." Hazel whispered, trying to diffuse the tension. She would never have guessed that Percy would snap like this. He was usually so kind and caring and she knew he'd be mad but she didn't think that he would attack Frank in such a way.

Percy looked at her with unfathomable sadness as he shook his head in betrayal,"Stop it! Stop pretending you're one of them!" Percy cried out in anguish as he pointed at her accusingly,"They're changing you, Hazel-"

Hazel's face flashed with slight anger and sadness at his words but Percy was too angry to register it,"Percy-"

"No! You're becoming more like them! And it's maddening!" Percy felt himself start to break down as all the pent up rage, sadness, and confusion began to crush him. He couldn't bottle up the pain anymore,"They're taking you from me and it's like you don't even care!" He blurted out as he looked at her with watery eyes. His hands, that were caked with blood, were balled into fists and his jaw was clenched in anger.

It was hard for Percy to be so separated from Hazel all the time. In the 40's and in Elysium they had always stuck by each others side. Now they rarely saw each other during the week. It was selfish but Percy was used to Hazel depending on him for a good chunk of her happiness but now she was completely independent and rarely sought him out anymore. He was happy she was so carefree but it felt like she didn't need him anymore.

He found that they were becoming estranged and he hated it. He wanted Hazel to be with him more. He knew that he grew too dependent on her but he couldn't help it. She had always been there with him and now she was content without him and it hurt.

Hazel bristled,"They're not changing me, Percy! We're Romans! We need to live by their rules to survive, and you can't seem to understand that!" She snarled and Percy's bottom lip quivered as more anger and sadness surged through him. Golden eyes looked at him with rage,"And you've got some nerve to yell at me, you're the one who disappears to 'decompress' and don't come back for hours! I'm tired of your secrecy...have you ever thought of that? You never tell me anything anymore!" She accused and Percy gritted his teeth.

"You're never around anymore! I only have Thea and Reyna! Everyone else hates me, and you're too swept up in your new position, and your new friends that you can't make time for me-"

"So I can't have other friends besides you?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Percy snapped and Hazel crossed her arms over her chest.

"Then what do you mean?"

"I..." Percy trailed off when he noticed the immense rage that Hazel harbored,"Forget it." He shook his head bitterly,"You won't listen to me anyway." He scoffed as he turned his attention back to Frank who looked extremely guilty and uncomfortable for causing the two so much trouble.

"No! Don't you dare shut me out again Percy!" Hazel growled and Percy tensed as he kept his back to her,"Since you have so much on your mind why don't you just tell me!" He was so close to breaking,"You didn't hold back earlier!" He trembled as more tears pricked his eyes,"So why are you holding back now?" He kept his mouth sealed shut, he was trying to do it for Hazel's happiness, she enjoyed the camp and he didn't want to keep ruining it for her...but on the other hand he couldn't hold back much longer,"Talk to me! Please! What can I do!" He broke.

He whirled around to face his girlfriend,"I can't keep doing this!" He screamed as he gestured to himself,"Being with the Romans is...it's too much! I can't keep pretending that I'm happy when everyday I'm being singled out for thinking and acting different! All I am is nice! And all they are...is cruel! It hurts!" He snarled as he clenched his hands into fists once again,"It hurts so much! They've taken everything from me! It's even hard for me to sleep, knowing that I have to repeat this cycle of abuse and depression again and again and again with nothing to show for it!" Percy choked out and Hazel looked at him in horror.

She hadn't known it was this bad. She knew Percy was struggling but not to this extent. He was on the verge of having a mental breakdown and she hadn't paid close enough attention to realize it. Guilt gnawed on her as Percy angrily brushed his stray tears away. She finally found the root of his problem. He thought he was weak for not being able to withstand the Roman's cruelty.

"You're the only thing I have left...I can't...I'm not strong enough to keep this charade up." Percy deflated and Jason and Frank's bonds melted back into the earth,"I'm not strong enough to do anything." He spat bitterly as he glared down at his feet. He wasn't strong enough to remain happy, he couldn't find the strength to be happy for Hazel's happiness, he wasn't even strong enough to fight against the Roman's negativity and hateful comments and glares.

It was different than when he was in the 40's. Percy had Hazel to back him up and make him realize that what others thought didn't matter. They were a team, they fought off the negativity together, they found happiness together. And now that all the hatred was focused on Percy, he had never felt so alone. Hazel tried to help but she was rarely around whenever he was harassed.

The whites and blacks attacked Percy because he was in love with a black girl. It was all superficial and it didn't bother Percy because he knew that looks didn't matter, and they were judging him from what they've seen.

But the Romans attacked him because of who he was. They persecuted him for his personality, they spat upon him because he was too different, they judged him not just from what they've seen...but from what they knew. Despite all his hard efforts to be nice, caring, and understanding it was futile. They knew him, but hated him regardless and it bothered Percy. He wasn't a people pleaser by any means, but when thousands hated him because he was different, really put a toll on Percy.

"Oh Percy..." Hazel wrapped her arms around Percy and he buried his face in her shoulder,"I had no idea." She whispered and she whispered more reassuring things to him but Percy wasn't listening. Hazel wasn't supposed to see him like this...he had wanted to be strong enough for her, he had wanted her to continue to be happy in Camp Jupiter with his sadness burdening her. He was supposed to keep his emotions bottled up to ease her worries but he couldn't even do that.

"I had no idea." You weren't supposed to.

AYE: Now before some of you guys freak, lemme explain. We've seen a lot of happy go lucky Percy in this and, while it's refreshing, even he has a breaking point. Percy wouldn't be, at all a fun and flawed character if he was happy all the time. This chapter was strictly for character development and let's be real, an actual relationship isn't all rainbows and unicorns. Things between Hazel and Percy ARE STILL tense. Because perfect relationships suck so why not add some problems?

AND CHECK THIS OUT YO: There was a lot of confusion with the last chapter. No Percy didn't abandon Hazel. I even said, in the chapter that he didn't, Nico said that Percy would be back...but it's whatever.

This is taking place during the Titan's Curse...sorry that wasn't as cleared up either but it'll be more cleared up in the next chapter hopefully. Also expect so more fighting next chapter...everyone's just plain pissed so this quest got more interesting.

AND FINISHED! Sorry if it sucked. Sorry I was gone for so long. I just had a lot going on and I haven't been able to write in forever...I've been in a bit of a slump but I think I'm out of it now.

InfiniteCosmos: I was having a crap day. Until I found this story, that is. Loved reading it so far, can't wait to read on!

I'm glad I improved your day! I hope I can continue doing so! Glad you like the fic, and your pen name rocks!

iheartpickles: YAY PERCY IS AWESOME SCREW CHILDREN OF ZEUS/JUPITER!

YEAH! ESPECIALLY THALIA CUZ SHE'S A BABE! Oh...you didn't mean it like that...erm...YEAH! THEY SUCK! BOO! I'm so sorry...I just...I just couldn't help it. It's late and I'm laughing at my own little joke thing...sorry you had to read that.

Monkey dragon: Great story! Although I am wondering, you have Percy talk southern and everything, but are YOU from the north or the south?

Haha! Neither! Midwest is the best!

Jo:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Your stories are so good
I want to marry you.

Your awesome. Like, Percy awesome ;) I loved he finally found somewhere he fits in, even though it's without Hazel. I love her and all (btw AWSOME pairing) but I feel she kinda drags him down because he always cared about her firstly, and it's good he's finally semi happy. Thalia just HAD to ruin the mood didn't she? Thnx Thals! Anyway, thanks for the update!

*Sniffles pathetically* YOU THINK I'M PERCY AWESOME! BEST REIVEW EVER! HANDS DOWN! THIS IS THE GREATEST! YOU'RE PERCY AWESOME TOO MY FRIEND! Prazel is life TBH. I did this pairing as an experiment but I've grown to really like them because...mixed babies...they'd be adorable and super powerful. I'm a mixed baby so I'm biased but...where's the lie!

I really wanted to get to get to more reviews and I thank everyone for your patience. I hope everyone's school year is going decently well and I'll try to update more frequently now that my schedule has opened up more. Love you guys!