Well here's chapter 11! I've finally had time to sit down and get all the chapters I was writing on my phone and put them on my PC to upload so thats why you've gotten 3 chapters in 48 hours.

Oh Erato guide my hand, help me honour your craft.

~Chapter XI~
Bedsheets, Bums and Bath houses.

Will

Camp Jupiter, best bed sheets. Ever. Soft, smooth, cool, comfy, not itchy. That's all I have to say about that! I could say more, but I'm sure you'd all rather hear about what does on BETWEEN my sheets than what they're made of. I thought I'd obviously be the first up in the morning, but turns out the only thing that rises before a child of the Sun god, is his Oracle. Walking into the shiny granite kitchen I was greeted hilarious sight. Rachel was trying to get the kitchen's coffee machine working.

"Good morning?" I asked as I slipped in beside her.

"Oh hey." Rachel didn't even look at me as she kept fiddling with the machine's switches and buttons.

"What're you doing?" innocent enough question.

"Trying to get this gods forsaken machine to make a cup of coffee." she began to rage.

"I didn't know you drank coffee." I made small talk as I got one of the glasses of the shelf and poured a glass of water from the tap.

"I don't. Only on vacations." Rachel kept fighting with the machine. "I stayed with Percy a week before the final battle of the war. Sally Jackson got me hooked." In an unusual show of rage Rachel gave the machine a thump... Nothing happened.

"Um Rachel..." I looked at the machine then her warily.

"Don't you dare say it Solace. I'm working for your Dad remember, don't make me say you've been bad." she furrowed her brows, still not breaking eye contact with the machine.

Deciding pissing Dad off would be unadvisable, I just reached over and flicked on the power switch, remaining silent the whole time.

"Oh you're kidding me." she rolled her eyes. I gave her a sheepish innocent smile. "Fine I'll give you and Aa++ for being helpful." Rachel sighed.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you're secretly nice." I laughed as Rachel became focused on the machine again. If I was telepathic, which I'm not, I'd read her mind and probably get the image of her mind being a blank void with only a hamster running round on its wheel chanting "It rubs the coffee on the skin...Coffee coffee!" or something like that. Chuckling to myself I walked to the front door and out into the front garden.

New Rome was a level of busy I'd only seen when visiting my 'Dad' back in Lindsay, Canada (Step Dad). People walked to and fro in Toga's, tunics, clothes from Banana Republic and Hot Topic, people of all ages, from children chasing each other holding pin wheels to elderly couples strolling along.

"Hey." the short tubby baby faced kid from last night came up to me, he wore normal clothes.

"Hey Frank." I smiled and shook his hand.

"Reyna asked me to find you." Frank lent on the low stone fence.

"That's the other Praetor right?"

"Yeah. She said we're having a welcoming ceremony for you guys this afternoon." I noticed Frank was eyeing me up a bit, in retrospect it was the total opposite.

"What's the matter?" I asked innocently.

"Uh... We're um... More... Conservative here." Frank stuttered amongst some awkward coughs.

"Oh?" I looked down and realized I was just in my briefs. Talk about embarrassing, not that I'm not fond of my body or think it's bad, just thought I was wearing more.

"That's ok for the Baths... But uh." Frank scratched his brow.

"Right well do you want to come in and tell us when and where while I get something on?" that was more a statement than anything.

"Sure." Frank followed me inside where we found Rachel lying on couch sipping coffee from a fruit bowl, quick death glares let us know nothing need to be said.

"Just wait here I'll throw something on."

I returned 2 minutes later in denim shorts and yellow singlet.

"Much better." laughed Frank as I sat down opposite him. "Anyway, we Romans always have celebrations when important people come into camp." we'll come get you about 1130 and take you to Temple Hill for the formal stuff." Frank went over the details with me, saying Jason would cover the finer points later. "So you gotta make sure you're all ready to go." Frank reiterated as he was about to leave.

"Yeah, yeah. See you then." I shut the door and sighed. Rachel was now up and about, as were black short shorts and t shirted Nico, and flannel PJ'd Malcolm. The two younger demi gods sighed as they sat at the table and slowly with no heart began to chew their cereal.

"Yawn morning all." shirtless Percy walked in and took a seat next to Nico.

"Here ya go handsome." Rachel put a plate of cornflakes in front of him and a glass of juice. Apparently coffee made her all matron like, who knew!

"Here guys, this should take the edge off." I pulled out a small hip flask from my pocket and poured a dribble into the 3 sleepy's glasses.

"It's a bit early for more booze isn't it?" asked Malcolm with his usual care.

"Calm down, its only Nectar." I smiled, they smiled too. Without any more words the three skulled their glasses and seemed ready to go almost instantly.

"Well that's a neat trick." Rachel blinked as she sipped her upteenth cup of coffee followed by the sound of the door opening.

"Hey guys." Jason made his way into the kitchen, all sunshine and smiles. He was in cream shorts and a purple Camp Jupiter shirt.

"You're very chipper." I commented as Jason sat down at the table and poured him a glass of juice from the jug.

"It's been like a month since I was able to go the Baths, so naturally I'm excited!" he smiled.

"The Baths?" we all knocked up our eyebrows.

"You'll see soon." he grinned like a puppy, he grinned at Percy... Subtle.

When we were all fed, burped and changed we headed over to the Baths facility. I thought the expansion to the shower units at Camp Halfblood were impressive until I saw these Baths, a 3 story building of solid marble, granite mosaics lined the floors, frescos on every wall, Michael Angeloesque paintings on the roof... Posh as. After we'd Sauna'd, gone through the plunge pools and hit the sauna again we ended up in the main pool.

"Oh I don't think I could move even if I wanted too." Nico leant against the side of the pool and sighed contently.

"Its like all the tension from the war is just being washed away." Malcolm let out a happy sigh as he sat on one of the steps, water up to his elbows.

"Look who turned into quite the water baby." I laughed kneeling neck deep in water at the bottom of the steps.

"Yeah suppose I have." Malcolm chuckled and glanced over at Percy who was on the side of the pool next to Nico. "I can only hope to imagine how good this feels for you."

"Fucking. Amazing." Percy was succinct as possible, usually not a swearer though.

"So you all like?" Jason smiled as he waded over from where he was talking to a hot blonde, who had a familiar air about him.

"By all our fathers and mothers... YES" Nico's voice piped up, but true to his word his body didn't move.

"Calm down Nico." I laughed as I patted him on the back rather firmly.

"Oh do that more." he pretty much purred. Slightly awkward.

"Um ah." I stammered.

"Here let me." Percy pushed me aside gently and cracked his knuckles.

Leaving Percy to do his thing with Nico's back, I floated over to Jason. "So who's the hot blonde." I made head motions to the boy now sitting on the side of the pool.

"You mean the slim kinda scrawny blonde who looks like he hasn't slept in a few days?" Jason asked without changing his tone or taking a breath.

"Yeah him," I nodded eager to get his name.

"You think he's hot?" asked Malcolm, dumb founded.

"Well more enchanting than hot." I defended my point of view. I wasn't unused to it, people at camp always thought my tastes were weird, I had a thing for skinny boys, pecks and big muscles weren't REALLY my thing, they are hot don't get me wrong haha.

"You've got funny tastes. Not what I expected at all." Malcolm laughed.

"Really? What did you expect?" I asked, floating over to Malcolm. "Hmmm?"

"I dunno, something more along the lines of Jake Mason or James Smith." he shrugged his shoulders.

"So the big buff guys?"

"Yeah."

"Hey you seem pretty open to talking about this type of stuff.". With those words Malcolm went all red. "I like that about you." I leaned forward up the steps to get close to Malcolm, our faces were just over a foot apart and he was only getting redder.

"I-ah-um." he stammered away.

"Maybe you're my type ay?" I raised my hand to stroke Malcolm's face, but splashed a handful of water on it instead.

"Gah! Bleh. *Spat*! What was that for?" he protested.

"Because I could." I chuckled. "Now Jason, hi-" I turned back around to see Jason GONE. Nowhere to be found. "What? Damn it!" I pounded the water, splashing it on my face in comedic style.

"I can't believe he just ran off." I continued my 'woe is me' act all the way through the locker rooms, getting into our dress tunics and even marching up temple hill.

"Ugh." Nico sighed as we walked side by side. "I'm sure you'll see him again."

"I hope so." I kept looking at the Camp Jupiter kids, keen to see if I could find my prince. I kept an eagle eye out through the welcoming ceremony, through the speech by Jason and the one by Percy. Even Reyna's announcement of a series of Games didn't really break my focus, must have looked like a spazz. But everything crashed back to reality when Reyna announced the oracles were to be consulted at once. Out from a side door walked a medium build, lanky blond... That boy from the Baths... The memories from last night flooded back too... Octavian, their pontefix.

Hope you enjoyed that, well here's hoping you did.