Alright so chapter five (I think it was) was my longest chapter yet. Hooray! That's exciting. I just wanted to say thank you guys so much for reading my story. I hope you like it. This chapter doesn't have a lot going on, but I really wanted Hazel to have a chapter since she isn't taking the whole Percy thing too well. Like always, all rights go to Rick Riordan (the best man alive!). Bye! :)

Hazel

He was stumbling across the road, limping from some unapparent injury. He held someone in his arms, the homeless woman Hazel had seen sometimes on guard duty. She glanced at her Frank. He shrugged and continued to watch the boy come closer. Hazel remembered old myths about gods being in disguise as beggars and testing mortals on their hospitality. She told Frank this. They agreed to let the stranger into Camp. He seemed anxious when he approached. Said something about gorgons behind him. She saw them and pushed him and Frank inside. She would hold them off. She did well for a bit, prevented them from entering, gave Frank and the stranger with the old woman a head start, but they were too much. They entered Camp.

She ran after them, trying to stop them. The stranger was standing on the bank of the river. He need to cross but he hesitated. He was talking with the old woman. She told him to go and he plunged in. Suddenly, the gorgons grabbed Frank by his arms and flew up. Members of the Camp aimed their weapons at him, but didn't fire. Hazel clapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn't loose Frank. Not after Sammy.

Suddenly, a wave of water surged up and knocked into them, sending Frank free. He landed on the ground, unharmed. The gorgons weren't so lucky. The water slammed into them repeatedly, turning them to sand. Then it became a whirlpool, preventing them from reforming. The water slammed against the rocks, sweeping their remains away.

In the center of the river stood the stranger. His arms were outstretched and he seemed out of breath. Hazel stood mouth agape. She had never seen such raw show of power. He took down the gorgons like it was nothing. He stepped out of the river and made to pick up the old woman again, but she waved him off and transformed into Juno. Juno talked about who he was. Percy Jackson, son of Neptune.

That was the first time Hazel had met Percy. He had saved Franks life and maybe countless others. She will never be able to him out of her head. He'd become her brother, just like Nico. He'd had her back through their whole quest. Around him she felt... safe. Comfortable. At home. Her eyes welled with tears as she leaned against the railing of the deck. It wasn't fair. He was the best of all of them. Why was he the one who died? She remembered when she saw him fall into Tartarus, a scene that still haunted her nights. She wondered if she'd ever be able to forget it? She doubted it.

She looked over and saw Annabeth being dragged back towards the mouth of the whole by a string attached to her foot. Percy, terror in his eyes, leaped forward grabbing her hand.

"Her ankle, cut it!" Hazel screamed. She tried to grab her sword and help them, but in the split second she looked away, Annabeth slipped over the edge. When she looked back she saw Percy falling in.

"NO!" She yelled running towards the hole. Nico was a few steps ahead, he was leaning over, thrusting out his hand. When she got there, she peered over. Somehow Percy had managed to grab a small ledge and was holding both of them up. His face was a mask of pain, pale, illuminated by the odd shadows the jagged rocks cast against him. Annabeth, too far down for Hazel to see properly, seemed unconscious for a moment. Then, she shook her head and seemed to come aware again.

Percy was yelling up to Nico. Hazel realized like a punch to her gut that he was going to let go. No, he couldn't. She needed him. He was practically family. She started screaming Jason and Frank's names. They were no where to be found. She looked down at Percy and Annabeth again. Percy had stopped talking to Nico and was now completely focused on Annabeth.

"You're not getting away from me. Never again." She could hear his words through the general shouting in the cavern. She saw Annabeth's mouth moving, but heard no sounds. And then he let go. Hazel heard a long drawn out horrific scream. It sounded unattached, but it was coming from her own mouth. Percy and Annabeth fell into darkness.

Hazel leaned her head on the railing as tears slipped past her lids. Why was this so hard? When she came back from the Underworld, she thought nothing could be worse than what she'd already done, but she was wrong. Death of a friend was worse than death of herself. That's clearly what Percy thought. Of course, the doors of death. She refused to let herself go back to that memory. Too painful, too recent.

She took in a shaky breath and tried to clear her eyes. She couldn't let Frank see her like this. He was already worried about her, she didn't want him to think she was falling apart even more. She looked around the deck. She caught Leo watching her and then he quickly turned away. Great. Another person who would treat her like glass.

She walked over to Leo and stood next to him. Her arm bounced on the railing.

"Sucks doesn't it?" He whispered. Through the months, almost a year, of being back, Hazel managed to pick up a few modern words. "Sucks", she deduced, mean't "hurts". All Hazel did was nod.

"I only knew him for a couple of weeks yet he still has such a big impact on my life." He shook his head slightly. She looked at him and remembered Sammy. They looked so alike. When she'd first seen him the similarity was startling. Now as she got to know him more, she noticed slight differences. Especially after he got back from Calypso's island. She wasn't sure if she liked that or not.

"Do you blame him?" While they were on the topic of Percy, she had to ask. She'd been wondering what Leo's thoughts were about Calypso and Percy for a while. Hazel had never heard Percy talk about her, but Annabeth had told the story a while back. Leo wasn't in the room, but word travels fast on the ship. Hazel was sure he knew.

"What? For Calypso?" She couldn't tell what his voice suggested. Hazel didn't need to respond. Leo just sighed.

"Of course I'm mad that he left her, but then again, I did too. We both made promises to save her, he made the gods promise to set her free, I promised to go back, so, it's not his fault his promise didn't work out." Leo looked at Hazel. She nodded for him to go on.

"He should've checked that the gods followed through on their promise. I know he should have, but it was only a couple of months between the promise and the whole amnesia thing, so no. I don't blame him."

"Are you mad that Calypso loved him too?" Leo flinched. His fingers drummed the railing.

"I mean- I guess. She said she doesn't love him anymore... but, whatever. I just don't get how she loved both of us. We're very different people." Hazel considered his response.

"No, not really. When you knew him, he was kinda distracted, especially with the whole Annabeth and the Mark of Athena thing. He really was funny. He had the same kind of stupid humor as you did. He lightened up situations. He was the kind of person who always want to have your back, and you know he did. Did you know that's his fatal flaw? Loyalty? Almost to a fault. He trusts way to easily, but when he trusts you, you know it's forever unless you do something to prove him otherwise. You too are more similar than you think." Tears prickled her eyes again. It was hard talking about him. She couldn't even imaging what it was like for Annabeth.

"I wish I got to know him better." Leo's voice was low, sad.

"Don't we all." Hazel gave a sad laugh. She glanced around the deck. She and Leo were alone. The stars twinkled above the two of them. She studied the consolations. One she didn't remember looked like a girl. She turned towards Leo and gave a small smile.

"Our shift is up. I'll go wake the others."

"Let Annabeth sleep. I'll take her shift." Leo was looking at the sky too.

"Will do. Good night Leo."

"Night Hazel."

Hazel started walking down the stairs, feeling Percy's absence even more. She paused by Percy's door. She opened the door a creak and peered in. She expected to see an empty room, but instead Annabeth was sitting at his desk staring out the window. She turned sharply when she heard the door open, then relaxed when Hazel revealed herself.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." Annabeth stood up. She studied Hazel's face.

"You miss him too?" It wasn't a question and didn't require an answer.

"Here." Annabeth held out a picture. It was of Percy and another boy Hazel didn't recognize.

"I thought I got rid of all the pictures, but I found this one on his desk." She rubbed her arms. The room was cold and smelled strongly of dust. It was clear the bed hadn't been slept in for a long time.

"Who is the boy?" Hazel handed the picture back. Annabeth didn't take it.

"Grover, his best friend. You can keep it. It just makes me sad looking at it." Hazel let her arm drop.

"Is it my turn to watch?" Annabeth changed the subject.

"Leo said he'd take your watch."

"No it's fine. I'd- I'd like to get out of this room. Good night Hazel." Annabeth walked out and Hazel noticed that even though she was supposed to be asleep, Annabeth was wearing a full set of clothes, completed with shoes. Hazel was alone in Percy's room. The bed was unmade and a stray t-shirt was thrown on the floor. The room just leaked of sadness, no wonder Annabeth wanted to leave. But, Hazel saw faded finger tracks in the dust of the desk along side new ones. It wasn't the first time Annabeth had returned to the neglected room.

Hazel looked at the picture again and then left, closing the door behind her. She set the picture on her own desk and then fell asleep quickly.