Piper

Piper felt like she was in a painting of her mother. Tiffany spoke sitting on a picnic table while 15 MIP potentials, including Piper, sat around hanging on her every word. It was always the same. Boys, clothes, drinks and boys. Her sisters laughed at her jokes signaling the freshmen to join to. Piper was convinced the witch was related to Drew. Tiffany was halfway through her critiques on summer vs. spring color schemes when something pulled Piper focus towards the beach. She saw Aaron looking into the water, his aura getting brighter. She prayed the watches covered that up to. She let out a smile as she saw his back straighten out his walk changed. He moved like a Child of Aphrodite. He finally understood it was more than 'being pretty.' Piper knew Aaron was struggling with his own self-confidence, but she knew he would have to figure this out on his own. She watched the interaction between Aaron, Nico and Percy, and then Aaron running off. Nico looked like he had no idea what happened, and went back to drinking from his bottle. Her heart broke for her friend.

"Sorry, pee break." She said getting up from the table.

"Ew." Tiffany said with disgust, but Piper was already running toward the bench.

"Where did he go?" She interrogated Nico.

"Who?" He responded confused.

"I swear boys are idiots. ALL boys." She ran off behind bathhouse to find Aaron crying sitting with his back on the wall.

"Piper!" he said wiping his eyes. "I'm just-"

"Shut up." She cut him off and threw her arms around him. "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"Tell you wh-"

"Shut up!" She interrupted him again squeezing tighter.

"I can't talk, and shut up." He said able to laugh through tears. Piper kissed his forehead, then looked into his eyes. Aaron nodded and looked away. They understood without speaking words.

"I'm sorry. It's a new development." He said resting his head on her collar bone.

"So no one knows?" She asked.

"No, which is why it's strange you do." Piper sat down next to Aaron with her back on the wall.

"Daughter of Aphrodite remember. I pretty much felt everything from across the beach."

"I'm so stupid. He's in love with THE Percy Jackson. Cute and Charming Percy Jackson. Why would he want anything to do with me?" Aaron's voice cracked and tears started building up again.

"Because you're smart, and funny and hot"

"I'm glad you think so." Aaron rubbed his eyes again. "I can't believe I let myself fall for him." Piper frowned at him.

"We don't get to pick." She said brushing his head.

"The only time he ever paid any attention to me was when he was drunk." Aaron shook his head. "I really shouldn't be focused on his right now. We have a mission."

"Trust me, no matter how important a mission is, we need to recognize our feelings. They'll just come up later anyway." She put her arm around him. "Nico likes boys. Well that explains a lot." She laughed.

"No, Nico likes A boy." He replied matching her smile.

"I love you. You know that right?" Piper had grown very protective over Aaron. He answered by putting his head on her shoulder. "I don't care who it is. No one is messing with you, or your feelings." Aaron looked up at Piper with a childlike stare.

"No one ever cared before." It was Pipers turn to tear up as she hugged him again.

"You will never be alone again." She said into his shoulder. They just sat there for a while embracing each other. Piper pulled away and brushed the tears from Aaron's eyes.

"Don't let anyone take your strength from you. We define-"

"Who we are." He finished he sentence. The got up and brushed themselves off and walked back towards the beach hand in hand. As they reached the beech they saw Percy running at them stumbling, and without any color in his skin. When he was a few feet away he fell to his knees. The air turned thick and the lake started to stir.

'They took her. They got her." He mumbled with intensity.

"Percy, you need to calm down. You're summoning a hurricane." Jason looked around hoping no one noticed the root of the weather change. Percy shot up and grabbed Jason shirt at the collar. "They have Annabeth. They have my CHILD! Do not tell me to calm down!" Percy was vicious. A dark side Piper assumed he gained from his trip to Tartarus. Aaron went to grab Percy to break them up but Jason shouted for him to not.

"Aaron do not touch him! He's blind with rage right now. They have Annabeth. Who knows what would happen if you amplified it."

"What is he talking about?" Piper asked. Nico, who had walked over, looked equally confused.

"Later." Aaron replied. Percy threw Jason on the ground. He turned on his heels towards the table of witches. Tiffany was laughing at her own jokes, tossing her head back. Percy started walking towards them.

"Stop." Piper spoke but to no affect. Percy still slowly charged at the table. Piper looked to Aaron and grabbed his hand.

"Percy Stop!" they said in unison. The son of Poseidon's feet froze while his upper body twitched. Piper carefully walked over to him.

"I'm not going to tell you to calm down. I'm not going to force it. But you can't go over there and start swinging riptide. Even if you did kill them, we still wouldn't have any idea where they are keeping her. If we are to have any chance of saving her, we need them alive for now." Percy seemed to be coming back to his sense. "Once she's safe I promise you can have Tiffany's head on a plate." Percy's body dropped and Piper let his feet go. He sobbed in the sand with his friends around him.