Tyson is sitting on the end of the dock looking out over the water trying to decide what he should do. This entire thing with Bubbles has been a complete disaster. Thalatta almost died, well no almost about it, she did die. If Nico's dad hadn't been able to bring her back, well he doesn't really want to think about that.
"General," Shelly says softly, as she surfaces at his feet.
"Hi," he says trying not to sound depressed but failing at it.
"May I sit with you?" she asks. He nods his head without speaking.
"Lord Dionysus was looking for you earlier," she says, when she sits down next to him.
"He found me," he says still looking over the water.
"Have they made a decision, the Council I mean?" she asks.
"No they are going to have a hearing," he says, "I have to go tell them what happened."
"None of this is your fault," she says with a gentle smile.
"All of it is my fault," he tells her, "If not involved with Bubbles, if faster getting to Thalatta today, if faster getting her to camp…"
"No one could have gotten her here any faster, and Bubbles is responsible for her decision and her actions," she tells him.
"But I am the one that made her mad," he insists.
"Do you wish you had not met me?" she asks getting a little afraid to hear the answer.
"Everyone would be better off if I had not. I should have gone home after the wedding," he says still looking out over the water.
"I would not have been better off," she says, as tears run down her cheeks. He doesn't respond to that. "Are you thinking of leaving?" she asks.
"Yes, I want to stay and be with Percy a little longer, but I made such of mess of everything," he says.
"No one else at camp blames you. Percy and Annabeth will be sad if you go. I will be sad if you go," she tells him softly.
"You will be better off when I am gone," he insists.
"So you will not see me any longer?" she asks now crying.
"I am sorry," he says finally looking at her, "But that is the way it has to be."
"Goodbye then General, please always remember how much I love you," she says then stands and walks away from him still crying.
Shelly doesn't know what to do. She hopes that maybe Percy and Annabeth can talk with Tyson, get him to change his mind. When she gets to the door of cabin three, she is still crying. After a soft knock, Annabeth is the one that opens the door.
"Shelly, what is it? Has something else happened?"
"Lady Annabeth, Tyson says we cannot see one another any longer," Shelly says now sobbing in Annabeth's arms.
"Why?" Annabeth asks, as she caresses the naiad's head.
"He blames himself for everything that has happened. He is planning to return to Lord Poseidon's palace and says we cannot continue to date," she tells Annabeth.
"Percy," Annabeth calls out softly, since he's in the bedroom putting the baby down for a nap.
"What is it?" he asks coming out into the main area.
"Tyson broke it off with Shelly. He says what happened to Thalatta is his fault, and he's planning to return home.
"Where is he?" Percy asks anxiously.
"On the dock," Shelly tells him then continues to cry in Annabeth's arms.
Percy heads down to the dock, but Tyson is no longer there. He worries that Tyson might have left but then decides his brother would never leave without saying goodbye, so he starts to look for him. He decides to head to the stables first. Sure enough, Tyson is there feeding the pegasi sugar cubes. They still aren't all comfortable around Tyson, but that doesn't stop them from taking his sugar.
"Hey big guy," Percy says, as he joins his brother.
"I am leaving Percy," Tyson says looking at the horse he's feeding instead of his brother.
"No you're not leaving," Percy tells him, as if it's his decision not Tyson's.
"I have caused too much trouble."
"The only trouble you've caused is the heartbreak you're putting Shelly through right now," his brother tells him.
"It is for the best," he explains.
"Just because you're last girlfriend is a psycho does not mean you need to break things off with Shelly. She's a good person or nymph or whatever," Percy says.
"She is a good person and I only brought her pain. That is why she is better off," Tyson insists.
"Look, I can't force you to keep seeing Shelly, but Annabeth and I want you to stay a little longer. We love you and Sophia needs her Uncle Tyson," Percy tells him.
"Sophia has you for a dad. She doesn't need me," Tyson says pulling more sugar from his pocket.
"She needs everybody Tyson, especially her favorite Uncle," Percy says putting his hand on his brother's elbow. Tyson shrugs his huge shoulders.
"I guess I can stay a little longer, but it's over with Shelly," he tells his brother then brushes the sugar from his hand.
"I think you're making a mistake there, but it's your decision," Percy says then leads him back toward home.