Frank stood shivering in the Long Island night with Hazel, but he was giddy with happiness.

Not even the barbed wire, spikes and landmines of Ares Cabin that reminded him of the worst aspects of his father could douse his spirits.

They had survived. Hazel hadn't been forced to go back to the Underworld. He hadn't burned up. None of his friends had died at the hands of the giants. He had spent the whole day in a daze, hardly believing it was real.

They were staying at Camp Half-Blood for a while, but as soon as they got home to New Rome and he could get a break from his praetor duties, he was taking Hazel on a very long date. It was time they enjoyed their reward for not beating around the bush anymore and admitting how they felt for each other. And for saving the world.

Hazel flashed a smile that contrasted beautifully with the darkness of her skin and the night.

"Goodnight, Frank." She said.

"Goodnight."

She kissed him and ran off to Hades Cabin where Nico was waiting for her.

He turned around and his smile left him at the sight of the ghastly foreboding cabin.

Now for the fun part.

He opened the door, snuck in and slowly inched the door closed again so as not to wake his brothers and sisters up.

"The freak's sister? Really?"

Apparently someone was still awake. He searched the room for the source of the voice and saw a girl sitting on her bunk with one leg crossed over her knee like a boy, sharpening a knife.

He recognized her as the Head Councilor, Clarisse la Rue. He had met her briefly when he had eaten dinner at the Ares table earlier that evening, but he still didn't know what to make of the girl.

Percy had told him some…interesting stories about her, involving swirlies, not quite legal capture-the- flag plays that resulted in Percy bleeding, a ship with a huge canon and manned by ghosts and an impromptu bath in the lake.

He also didn't know how to respond to her comment. He felt very offended at his girlfriend being insulted, and he even felt indignant for Nico. Sure, he didn't like the kid either, but that didn't give him the right to call him names. But he didn't want to start a fight with his sister, especially since he was bunking with her and the rest of their very violent and very armed cabinmates for the rest of the week.

So he shrugged passively in a way he hoped seemed manly and nonchalant.

"You mean Hazel? She's alright." He said, but it came out icier and more clipped than he intended. He wanted to make nice with his evil bully siblings and all, but that didn't make him any less put off by anyone who said anything against Hazel. "And Nico's not so bad either, if you give him the chance."

She raised her eyebrows either in surprise or respect and stabbed her knife onto the wooden bedpost.

"Eh, if you say so. I guess anyone who can stand the freak is brave at least. Welcome to Ares, man."

She jabbed her thumb above her to indicate her top bunk.

"Last bed open." She grunted. "Make yourself at home."

"You shouldn't call him that, you know." Frank said, climbing up to his bunk and looking down at her.

Now she definitely raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"But he is a freak." Clarisse informed him, staring up at him as if it was the most obvious thing. Clearly Frank's point had gone right over her head.

"Well…yeah." Frank's face burned with shame at not being able to defend Nico better. "But that doesn't mean you should insult him. He didn't do anything to you and he's is a sensitive kid."

Clarisse shook her head.

"You sure we have the same old man?"

"Unfortunately."

"You sure don't act like it."

"So I've been told."

Clarisse shook her head again, like she didn't believe what she was hearing.

Finally she said

"So the fr-er, di Angelo's sister, Hazel, what's she like? She's gotta be tough as nails." She decided with admiration. "Hanging around you and all. I mean you're an Ares, or uh, Mars kid and you gotta be like twice her size."

Frank laughed.

"Trust me, she is way scarier than me."

He smiled fondly.

"But before, when I first found out who my dad was, I was afraid she was scared of me, wouldn't want to be my friend anymore."

"Well, she'd have been smart to." Clarisse declared. "Violence is kinda in our nature."

"It doesn't have to be."

She eyed him with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

"I don't think I've ever met a kid of the old man who was anything like you."

Frank chuckled.

"Yeah. I get that a lot."

Was that a touch of bitterness he had sensed in her voice? Was there someone she hadn't wanted to be afraid of her?

For the first time he saw the only photograph she had pinned to her wall.

It was taken at a campfire night. Clarisse was listening complacently and even smiling as a Hispanic boy sitting next to her talked her ear off. They were obviously trying to hide it but Frank could see they were holding hands.

Clarisse's eyes turned from him to the photo and she blanched. She looked up at him in horror to see him smirking.

"Really?" He mimicked.

He dodged the pillow she threw at him, grinning, and pulled his covers over his body.

Maybe all Ares/Mars kids were "big cuddly koala bears with muscles" at heart, he thought, nestling into the matress. It just took the right person to bring that out.

A/N: What's this? Me actually delivering on a promise? Impossible!