AN: A slightly early update because I am too tired to study tonight...Keep guessing on my major! And Elephants Deserve Love Too will update on Saturday, and the drama is heating up!

And 60 reviews! Thank you very much you guys! It means a lot!

Reyna, Head Chef of The Argo, a small but highly acclaimed New York restaurant, resisted the urge to curse as she paced the dining room floor.

Octavian was coming.

The fussy, mean, ludicrously-hard-to-impress, devious, manipulative and cruel food critic was visiting their restaurant tonight.

Annabeth (the manager) had informed her only minutes ago, after she'd received a tip-off from Dakota, the wine critic from Octavian's newspaper.

Damn it, what was she going to do?

If he didn't like their restaurant (which he probably wouldn't), it'd probably spell doom for it and her career. At the very least, it would be extremely harmful.

She clenched her fists, but kept her face impassive.

'Reyna.'

She turned.

A blond man in gold-rimmed glasses and chef whites stood behind her. Jason, her Sous Chef, and one of her closest friends.

He walked over and patted her on the shoulder.

'It's going to be okay.'

She snorted. Her normal composure was absent.

'It's Octavian.'

Jason nodded.

'But we're going to be okay. We've got a great team, a strong team.'

Reyna took a deep breath. Then another. Then another.

Jason was right. They did have a strong team, a wonderful team.

In the kitchen, there was her and Jason, as well as Leo Valdez, their Grill Chef, who also handled anything fried and roasted meats, Frank Zhang, pastry chef (though, you really wouldn't guess it looking at him), and Hazel Levesque, who handled absolutely everything else as their kitchen was too small to have more staff. (Reyna swore that girl was magic, sometimes.)

They were a good and well-oiled team. It was tricky at first, sorting out the dynamics and getting to know each other (as well as that mess with Leo's resemblance to Hazel's first boyfriend from when she was thirteen who'd died a tragic death), but they were good now. They were more than good.

In the dining room, they had Piper, their Front of House manager. Reyna smiled wryly. Piper was the most charming, persuasive person she'd ever met. She could probably make Octavian like her. There was Calypso, who was kind and sweet, but also surprisingly tough and feisty. She could handle Octavian, definitely.

There was Nico, the best sommelier this side of the Atlantic (at the very least- he was Italian-trained, and apparently had quite the reputation there too), and Percy, the barman, who had a surprising knack with drinks and his own brand of charm.

And behind-the-scenes, there was Annabeth, who could probably balance anyone's books.

She took another deep breath.

'It's going to be okay.'

She took yet another deep breath, and continued.

'It's going to be better than okay. Way better. We're going to impress him. We're going to make him give us an excellent review.'

Reyna straightened, feeling the steel in her spine, her strength, somehow return. (Piper had once told her that she felt that Reyna could lend the others her strength. Somehow, it seemed as if she was getting some back now.)

Jason grinned.

'We are.' His grin grew slightly more mischievous. (It was a look that she wasn't used to seeing on him, her previously incredibly serious partner. But he'd changed since they started working at The Argo. Not in a bad way, really, but he'd changed. He was happier really, but it'd cost them whatever they'd had. Reyna let go of those thoughts. Yes, it had hurt at first, but she was strong and independent and didn't need a man, and Jason was first and foremost one of her dearest friends and her kitchen partner.) 'Besides, we could always get him drunk.'

She smiled, shaking her head.

'You've been spending too much time with Leo and Percy.'

They shared a smile, and walked towards the little staff break room. They had to share the news.

Reyna took another deep breath, willing herself to be strong before the others. While she knew that the others (her friends) would not ridicule her, she still felt the need to be strong for them. A leader's mood was important.

They entered.

Only Leo, Frank and Hazel were inside.

Jason turned to Reyna.

'I'll go fetch Piper and the others.'

Frank and Hazel looked up from the corner, where they'd been sitting, talking with their heads close together.

Leo waggled his eyebrows, playing with a strange metal contraption (that he'd doubtlessly made himself) that he held in his hands.

'Of course Sparky volunteers to fetch Beauty Queen. How long do you reckon it'll be before they're back? Any bets, Frank, Hazel?'

Leo's words caused Hazel to blush and start fanning her face (though, she wore an affectionate smile for the couple), while Frank was bright red and staring at his feet. (He'd walked in on Jason and Piper last time.)

Leo turned to Reyna.

'What about you, Rey?'

Normally, she would have scowled at him. (Leo refused to call her chef, even in the kitchen, which was the proper thing to do.)

But she was too occupied with Octavian's impending visit to do so.

Hazel, the most perceptive of all her chefs by far, picked up on her mood.

'What's wrong, Chef?'

That drew Frank's attention to her and a moment later, Leo's too.

Jason returned then with Piper, Calypso, Nico and Percy, as well as Annabeth.

Reyna raised her voice slightly.

'Octavian's coming. Tonight.'

There was silence for perhaps half a minute.

Piper looked worried, but determined.

Nico was scowling, while Percy was subdued, unusually.

Calypso's eyes grew fiery, while Leo's hands stilled and he ceased fiddling with his contraption.

Annabeth's eyes were stormy.

Hazel looked very worried (Reyna knew she'd had a nasty run-in with Octavian at the place she used to work), and Frank rubbed her back, looking rather nervous himself.

Jason gave Reyna an encouraging glance, while Reyna herself did her best to keep her composure (and succeeded).

She stood up straighter, and gathered the team into a huddle.

'Yes, it's going to be a challenge. He's going to test us and push us. But we're going to succeed. We're going to do great. We're going to do excellent.' She glanced around at all of them. 'We are.'

They all nodded and exchanged determined looks.

Piper spoke up, her voice gentle yet strong and persuasive.

'It's all going to go excellently.'

Something washed over them all, and somehow, they all knew it would go excellently.

Reyna took another deep breath, and they all spent a few more moments standing in that huddle.

She felt strength flow into her as they all stood together.

They were a team.

They were a great team.

They were an excellent team.

And they would get an excellent review.

They would.

(And they did.)

AN: You may have realized that baking-Frank is a bit of headcanon of mine, to date, I think I've written about 4 things (some not yet published) in which he bakes. (I think it fits in with the whole Frank-and-Hazel-as-Papa-and-Mama-bear of the Seven interpretation I have.)