Hello again, beautiful readers! This is Mandi, coming to you live from my new house!… My apologies for not having this up sooner (especially since I promised more updates), but I've been SO BUSY with unpacking and moving boxes and all of that great stuff. My poor aching back!

REVIEW REPLIES:

FestusTheFlyingMattress: Oh, that's a good idea! Thanks! :) Thanks for the cookies as well, they were very tasty! P.S.: I love you pen name! Both my sister and I LOLed at it!

DEP61: Haha, that's so cool! Why are you traveling (if you feel comfortable saying)? I'm so glad you liked how I captured the characters, because to be honest, I feel like I may have lost my creative spark, if ya know what I mean… Thanks so much for reading, and safe travels!

The Goddess of Myths: I'm so glad you liked the one-shot; your review really made my night! I'm also very grateful for your compliment; it really made my night! *hugs*

Blue yellow purple: Thank you very much!

Posideon'sDaughter-Percy'sSis: I'm so glad you're excited! By my calculations, I've got 7 more letters, plus the funeral scene and the epilogue, so that's a total of 9 chapters! Woot! Thanks for reviewing, and I hope the chapters to come don't disappoint!

DairenateNY: Aww, thanks a million! :P As for Julia's little plan, you'll have to see! YES! Totally send me Frazel fics! Pleeeaaaaseeeee? XD

SomewhatCrazyOwl: I am SO honored that you loved the story so much, and your review was very touching! Thank you, thank you! 3

Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: Aww… D':

AlittleOverwritten23: Thank you for the birthday wishes, haha! And yes, I think Jules will grow up to be fantastic. Check your PM's!

HPPJOandHGForever: Awh, thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy my writing!

Just so you know, I've decided to put Gwen and Dakota together in one chapter, since we really don't know a lot about either one of those crazy, crazy legionnaires. Also, I've taken creative license with this chapter, since (like I already said) we don't know a lot about these lunatics.

Okay, here you go! Chapter 10! Wooohoooo!

After a quiet, somber dinner, during which Dakota drank twice his normal amount of Kool-Aid, Gwen got into several arguments with Octavian and Leo accidentally set the table on fire, the thirteen trekked back to Jason's house.

"Okay," Gwen sighed, seating herself on one of Jason's couches, seeing as the other one was occupied by Reyna, Jason, Percy and Annabeth. Dakota and Thalia sat down next to her and Nico (rather reluctantly) sat on the opposite side of Thalia. "Should I read?"

Dakota tossed her the letter in indifference and Gwen peeled open the seal.

"Dear Gwen, I know you're probably not going to be able to live up to your reputation as "the optimist" this time. I mean, no one can really blame you, seeing as how camp's in ruins, lots of people have died and the Greeks are leaving. And, of course, this letter's not really helping moral, is it? I should've thought of that, I guess…" Gwen laughed drily, hearing Hazel's impish voice in her head.

"I really looked up to you when I first came to camp. You were like that cool, slightly hyper big sister that you read about in books. You are kind, respectful and can control Dakota during his Kool-Aid episodes. That's pretty valuable to the legion, by the way. Even though you knew that the Fifth Cohort could never win war games, you always encouraged us by promising us the Mural Crown if we emerged victorious. And look what happened!"

"Yeah, I showed up, so everything was all better." Percy said jokingly. Gwen smacked him upside the head with the envelope.

"No, everything was all better because Gwennie here left the legion." Dakota retaliated. Gwen told him to shut up.

"I was kind of disappointed when you left the legion, but I'm very glad that you're not dead. We're still not sure who stabbed you, but the important thing is that you're here, and just as crazy as ever!

"You are a very special person, Gwen. You and Dakota are good friends to me and I won't forget you for as long as I live. Which wasn't very long, but that point is moot.

"Your friend,

"Hazel."

Gwen tenderly folded up the letter and slid it back into the envelope. Bending over, she picked up Dakota's envelope and handed it to him.

"Dakota, do you want to read?" she asked her friend. After another swig of Kool-Aid, he took the letter and began to read, jiggling his leg in typical Dakota fashion.

"Dear Dakota. I actually owe you a lot. You were the one that stood for me at camp, even though I was a daughter of Pluto, a supposed bad-luck charm. I remember standing there, surrounded by all those legionnaires, and having tears well up in my eyes because, once again, this was a place where I wasn't welcome.

"Then you stepped forward and said (in a rather unorthodox manner, might I add), "I'll stand for the kid." Jason and Reyna didn't seem surprised at all with your lack of decorum, and I was just thankful that someone cared enough to welcome me into the legion and to teach me what they knew. So thank you."

"Jeez, Hazel," Dakota said, trying to make a joke. "What'd you think I was gonna do, leave you just standing there awkwardly?" In his head, he could almost hear Hazel's sarcastic tone. "Yes, Dakota, that's exactly what I thought you were going to do." Then she'd jokingly hit him on the shoulder before running off to train with Gwen or talk with Frank. Dakota sighed, turning his ADHD brain back to the letter. He was going to miss that kid.

"You showed me the ropes of camp life, and you made sure that I never sat alone during mess. You introduced me to the other members of the cohort, and threatened to pound them if they didn't like me. All of the sentiments were much appreciated. Even the threatening, though in the future, I wouldn't recommend it…

"You were a really great friend to me, Dakota, and I really appreciate it. I owe you one.

Your friend, Hazel."

Jason laughed. "Wait, so, you actually told people that they had to like Hazel, 'or else'?" he asked, making quote-fingers. Dakota nodded and all the Romans laughed even harder.

"Wow, dude, glad you didn't do that to me when I showed up," Percy joked. Dakota grinned.

"I thought about it, but Gwen kept slapping me…" he pouted mockingly. Everyone burst into laughs again, and Dakota couldn't help but think that maybe this is what Hazel would've wanted. For people to be laughing about her letters instead of being sad that she was gone.

After all, they'd all see her again eventually.

The Letters

Dear Gwen,

I know you're probably not going to be able to live up to your reputation as "the optimist" this time. I mean, no one can really blame you, seeing as how camp is in ruins, lots of people have died and the Greeks are leaving. And, of course, this letter's not really helping moral, is it? I should've thought of that, I guess…

I really looked up to you when I first came to camp. You were like that cool, slightly hyper big sister that I would always read about in books. You are kind, respectful and can control Dakota during his Kool-Aid-drunk episodes. (By the way, that's a skill that's pretty valuable to the legion.) Even though you knew that the Fifth Cohort could never win war games, you always encouraged us by promising us the Mural Crown if we emerged victorious. And look what happened!

I was kind of disappointed when you left the legion, but I'm very glad that you're not dead. We're still not sure who stabbed you, but the important thing is that you're here, and just as crazy as ever!

You are a very special person, Gwen. You and Dakota are good friends to me and I won't forget you for as long as I live. Which wasn't very long, but that point is moot.

Your friend,

Hazel

Dear Dakota,

I actually owe you a lot. You were the one that stood for me at camp, even though I was a daughter of Pluto, a supposed bad-luck charm. I remember standing there, surrounded by all those legionnaires, and having tears well up in my eyes because, once again, this was a place where I wasn't welcome.

Then you stepped forward and said (in a rather unorthodox manner, might I add), "I'll stand for the kid." Jason and Reyna didn't seem surprised at all with your lack of decorum, and I was just thankful that someone cared enough to welcome me into the legion and to teach me what they knew. So thank you.

You showed me the ropes of camp life, and you made sure that I never sat alone during mess. You introduced me to the other members of the cohort, and threatened to pound them if they didn't like me. All of the sentiments were much appreciated. Even the threatening, though in the future, I wouldn't recommend it…

You were a really great friend to me, Dakota, and I really appreciate it. I owe you one.

Your friend,

Hazel

There you go! I'm so sorry that this took so long to post… :/

Also, I've started a Birthaversary countdown (which you can read about on my profile)! I'm going to be posting one-shots for different fandoms that I like as a countdown to my birthday/my 2 year FF anniversary (which is April 17th, if you were wondering).

OH, annnnd…. If any of you like The Kane Chronicles, I just started a multi-chapter story for that fandom. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, if any of you are interested! :)

Thanks for reading and I'll see you (hopefully) soon!

-Mandi/WithPaperAndPen