To HoO Fan- (Chapter 35) I will be as mean as I want to Louisa, I made her specifically to kick ass and have her ass kicked ^_^ (Chapter 36) They fight the chimera on Corsica, 'cos remember Leo said Festus got a bit dinged up in Corsica? They've just left there and are flying over the ocean to heal Lou and then CETUS, so yay!

To RandomFanAuthor- Love a bad dream! And thank you! I really enjoy this idea 3:)

To Ravimar- we are on 125 and you were the only one to ask a question, but unfortunately the answers contain spoilers! But I will give you this, because I love to torment you lot- the fourth path is wrong

They had circled back, landing on the shores they had left hardly a few hours before. Leo sat by the surf, cross-legged and staring unseeingly out to the horizon. Calypso pottered about behind him. She had to be busy- setting up camp, organising dinner, making tea. She had given him a brew, but it sat untouched beside him. His nervous habits were setting in, jiggling his leg, biting his nails, fire in his hair.

The sun was beginning to set when she took him over a fresh tea.

"Leo." She called gently, resting her hand on his shoulder. He jumped, as if lightning had blurted from her fingers. "It's alright, it's just me. Here." She held the tea out. He didn't even look at it, watching the water sidelong. She placed the drink next to its predecessor, tucking her legs beneath her. There was that look again, a look not meant for friends.

"I can't…" He rasped. "I can't… I can't lose her again, Cal. I can't… not again."

"She will come back." Calypso insisted, touching his cheek. Tears welled in his eyes and he looked away.

"How'd you know that?" He croaked.

"Because if I've learnt anything about Louisa, she is very hard to get rid of." He coughed a laugh, dragging his sleeve across his face.

"Well, you're not wrong."

"I am never wrong. You should know this by now."

"Wrong about the little people in the telephone."

"You know what I meant." She pinched his chin lightly, kissing his nose. "Now drink this." She instructed, pressing the new tea into his hands.

The moon was high in the sky. Calypso had fallen asleep on his shoulder, snoring softly. Her hands were tucked around his arm. Leo's eyes itched, determinedly staring at the moon to abate the heaviness setting in. He was praying to every god he could think of, both Greek and Roman. He hadn't seen how it would be possible to grieve for Louisa the first time. Asking him to do it all over again, after everything they had collectively been through. Please let her be OK, he thought, eyes watering under moonlight strain, even if she came back just to call me an idiot, please please let her be OK.

Cold soaked into his shoes and he wrenched his gaze away from the sky, blinking splodges from his vision. There was a splash, water lapped around them. Calypso stirred, blearily opening her eyes.

"What-?" She mumbled. Leo's vision cleared, settling on the source of the splash.

"She's back." He breathed. Calypso swayed, still half-asleep.

"Mm, what?"

"She's back!" Calypso nearly toppled when Leo suddenly vanished, jerking awake with a snort. He raced into the water, waist deep and then paddling out. "Lou!" He called.

"I'm comin', I'm comin', hold up." He crashed into her, knocking them both underwater in a relieved hug. "Don't drown yaself, idiot." Louisa chided, pulling him back up. Leo didn't seem to hear her, hugging her with all the ferocity he could muster.

Calypso let them be for a little while, Louisa keeping Leo afloat, patting his back and squirming in his embrace. It was only now that she realised she had been worried about Louisa's return- she had not doubted it, seeing Leo's need for assurance, but a small part of her had feared a no-show. Leo was berating her in rapid-fire Spanish, his voice carrying back to shore, relieved and pissed at the same time. It was sad, she noted, that even now, after all they had shared, Leo still hadn't told Louisa the truth. About how he felt, or how he had felt. Calypso did not feel jealous, there was no reason to. She trusted the pair she was travelling with, even if they did try to kill each other or themselves every five seconds. But it upset her, knowing Leo had never truly been honest with his feelings, even if only to give him some sense of closure.

"Um, excuse me?" Calypso called from the shore, standing. "Still here!" They made their way over, Louisa willing Leo dry once they were back on land. "Where were you?" Calypso demanded, sternly placing her hands on her hips. Louisa hunched her shoulders, looking away.

"Got a bit lost. Sorry."

"You should be!" Leo exclaimed, hugging her again and then trying to throttle her. "Oooh, if I had a dollar for every time you died-"

"You'd have two 'n' a half dollars."

"Well, it'd still be more than I have now!" Leo shook her by the shoulders, huffing. "You are banned from dying. Banned." He stressed at her sceptical look. "Tell her, Cal, tell her she's banned."

"You're banned."

"Thank you!" Leo nodded, crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out. Louisa rolled her eyes, but with a tenth as much gusto as normal.

"I'm goin' ta bed." She announced, squeezing between them. They watched her walk to camp, snuggle down in her sleeping bag, her back to them.

"Something's not right." Leo said quietly.

"I was thinking that." Calypso agreed. They faced the water, sharing uneasy glances. "We'll ask her when she's had some rest. Maybe she ran into another friend down there."

"If we get any more angry gods or monsters or whatever after us- like, it could even be a reeeeaaaaaally dedicated goldfish- I will sue."

"Who's Sue?"

"No, no, I will sue."

"You will what Sue?" Calypso puzzled. Leo squinted at her, pouting.

"I will complain." He eventually decided. "A lot."

"More than usual."

"Obviously. I live for the drama, sunshine."

"You are the drama."

"Aww, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Leo took first watch that night. Festus was curled around their camp, spewing flames from his nose out of sheer boredom. Calypso had moved her sleeping bag, lying beside Louisa, who was evidently having a nightmare. She clung to Calypso, shaking her head, whimpering and protesting unintelligibly. Leo tried to pick out some words, any word, from her panicked murmurs, without success. He zoned out, fiddling with parts from his belt and watching the night sky once more.

Thank you, he thought, thank you for bringing her back.

His mind responded with a single image, the final frame of Hecate's last vision. Leo, several years in the future, sitting beside Louisa as he cradled their child. He had been relieved, in a way, to see a solid, happy, safe future, but that had not been what he was expecting, not at all.

To abate the image, he let his thoughts stray back to his chat with his father. Leo had asked him about it, could not help himself. The question sprung from him unwarranted, but no real answer came to him. Hephaestus had simply grunted, turning to the forge and shaking his head. He muttered something about Aphrodite, but did not expand beyond that.

"I've got a request of ye, boy."

"OK?"

"It's obvious, really. 'N' I know yer doin' it already…" He sighed, straightening his back as much as he could, looking upwards. "Yer friend, that Louisa…"

"She's in trouble."

"She's always in trouble."

"Did you vote to kill her?"

"I did. Years ago. Aye, she was only… ten? Cannae remember." He turned to one of his workbenches, shuffling over and grunting. "I know ye value her friendship, lad, but ye run a dangerous game."

"I want to help Lou."

"To what cost? Ya've already died once this year. Don't think ya'd get away with it again."

"Do you… not want me to help her?"

"I do. You 'n' that Calypso, yer her best chance of survival. Our best chance."

"Do you know what could make her go… bad?"

"No. None of us do."

"So, you just want me to keep her on the good side? I'm already trying to do that."

"I know. I know yer will do anythin' ye can to help her, but know your limits, boy. I didnae just give that fire to any one of my kids. I gave it to you."

"Why?"

"Ya've got a strong future ahead of yer. Ain't just anyone that can defeat Mother Earth 'n' it won't just be anyone that can keep that Louisa on our side." Hephaestus stroked his fiery beard, sighing at his blueprints. "That is my request. But I also have a warnin' for ye."

"A warning?"

"Mm." Hephaestus nodded solemnly. He turned to face Leo, expression grimier and grumpier than before. "It was said she'll bow to a power beyond her control. Yer saw it. I had ta send yer that dream, yer had to know."

"Do you know what it is?"

"No. I've a good idea, but nothin' solid." He shook his head.

"Was it… is it like that thing she did? Against Cacus?"

"No. No, no." Hephaestus huffed, leaning back against the workbench. He drummed his fingers on the edge, scowling in thought. "At first, I thought it was another old enemy, someone ta come 'long 'n' finally push her against us. Aye, that would be better."

"Better?"

"Word spreads on Olympus. We see things." Leo stared at the back of his head, confused and wary. "It may be closer tae home than we realise."

"Leo." He opened his eyes, Calypso poking him in the forehead. "Will you please stop snoring?"

"I don't- sorry. Sorry, Cal."

"Come and settle, Lou's awake now. She… she said she'll take over for you." Leo sat up, wincing at the ache in his shoulder and neck. He had slumped sideways, but had fallen at such an angle, he was still technically sitting on his backside, the top half of his body on the ground. Calypso ran a hand through his newly cropped hair. At his questioning look, she stepped aside. Louisa stood ankle-deep in the surf, back to them.

"Is she alright?" He asked quietly. Calypso shrugged a shoulder, biting her lip worriedly.

"I think she needs a bit of time to herself." She kissed his forehead, dumping his sleeping bag in his lap. "Get some sleep, Leo. You look like crap."