Hey there! Welcome back!
Last chapter was cute. Let's see what's going to happen now that Annabeth, Piper and Nico have found Cassandra! And how will she get to Camp?
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Disclaimer: No, I do not own PJO, HOO or any other amazing creations from Uncle Rick. He does. If I ever get to meet him will I shake his hand and punch him in the jaw? Yes. Yes I will.
ON THE FIC!
It took them three more days to return to Camp. As Annabeth believed, their return was worse when it came to the quantity of monsters they had to face. For the first handful of them, Cassandra stayed back, hiding in the shadows, and praying for it to be over. However, as they were nearing the Camp, she became braver, often acting as bait for the monsters to come out and for the three demigods to wipe them out from the earth.
They stood at the bottom of the hill and Cassandra looked up. It was beautiful. She saw greens, browns, blues and golden, as well as a flash of orange between the trees. Annabeth saw her anxiety rising before Cassandra herself knew about it, and quickly took her hand in hers. Piper seemed to have noticed too, for she wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled sweetly at her.
"Want me to charmspeak you into a calm state?" she jokingly suggested.
"No, I think I can handle it." Cassandra blushed "I'm sorry, it's just… it's been so long, and Leo and I have made so many plans to be together physically, but something always seemed to come up that I just… it's hard to believe I'm actually going to be face to face with him after all these years."
"When was the last time you two were together-together?" Annabeth asked.
"About… five years ago? When he was around 13."
"Before Jason and I found him then." Piper noted "Nevertheless, you are about to see your dear Leo again, so pipe up that attitude and slap a smile on that beautiful face!"
"Thanks, Piper…" the green-eyed teen smiled "How do I look?"
"Like a daughter of Aphrodite." The daughter of the goddess winked.
"So, how am I supposed to get in there?"
"That… is why Nico is here." Annabeth declared "Because we're not sure you can actually pass the barrier, Nico will shadow travel with you to his cabin. That way, we know you will get in there."
"Oh. Thank you, Nico." She smiled, and the teen just huffed.
"Okay, so we're going." Annabeth looked over to Piper "Nico, wait five minutes and then shadow travel with her inside."
With that, the two left, leaving Cassandra with Nico. The silence became awkward between the pair, and as much as the female wanted to speak, she wasn't sure of what to say. He seemed like a nice guy, but he wasn't that good with words. Not that she knew, anyway.
"Non posso credere di essere bloccato qui con questo." I can't believe I'm stuck here with this one.
"Mi dispiace, non è colpa mia." I'm sorry, it's not my fault, she answered.
"Oh? You know Italian?" he was surprised.
"Yeah." She smiled "I had a nonna in my street that taught me."
"English and Italian?"
"More like English, Italian, Spanish and French." She grinned at the amazed look he showed her.
"I must say I'm impressed." He took her arm and made her hold on to him "This might feel… queasy."
He shadow-traveled them inside his cabin and let go of her immediately. Cassandra took a deep breath and sat on Nico's bed, removing her backpack. He got her a glass of water from the bathroom and she drank it greedily, before taking a few more calming breaths. Nico watched her carefully, sighing as he saw the color return to her face.
"You good?" he asked.
"Getting there." She told him "That was… weird. Let's not do that ever again."
"Yeah, let's." he smiled softly at that.
.
"Annabeth?" Percy frowned, watching his girlfriend walk up to the training grounds with Piper by her side.
"Hey, Percy!" she smiled.
"Hi, Percy! Leo!" Piper grinned, taking in the appearance of the young man "You look… wet."
"Yeah, thank Percy." He rolled his eyes, shaking his wet curly hair "If you cannonball me again into the lake, I will evaporate the entire thing!"
"Yeah, yeah, can't wait to see that." He rolled his eyes, pressing a kiss to his girlfriend's lips "Where's Nico?"
"In his cabin." She smiled "Actually, make that leaving his cabin. With the goal of our quest."
Both males turned, and they saw Nico leave his cabin with a brunette trailing after him. Percy frowned, he didn't know they had a new camper, but Leo kept still. He ran a hand through his hair, drying it with his heat. But before they could recognize the newcomer, a piercing scream shot through the air. Everyone turned to see Rachel collapsing on the ground, before she was picked up and sat on the stool, like the most rehearsed dance of all times.
From her lips and with the Oracle's voice, the prophecy came out.
The Princess of the Lost Throne shall come
An oath made by blood to endure
By the hands of Death shall end.
To the Old Bane the seven shall bring a cure
Bring forward the jewel, and the forces shall bend
Clock ticks by, beware of the sun
No sooner than later, your time will be done,
And you shall see the lover succumb
When she came to her senses again, Chiron was next to her. "Rachel? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Chiron, I'm fine." She smiled "Wow, this one was a powerful one."
"I don't understand. This is the second prophecy that does not come with a destined." He frowned, but then he spotted Nico and the brunette "It can't be…"
"Chiron, we can explain…" Annabeth immediately stepped forward.
"You disobeyed direct orders?!" he roared "You were told to let the matter go, Annabeth Chase, and what did you do? You created a false prophecy somehow and used your temporary escape to go get what you were explicitly told not to!"
"Oh, so that's what the mystery was all about." Percy let out.
"Chiron, we had to!" Piper tried "Please…"
"You!" he pointed at the Cherokee young woman "You charmspoke the Oracle to tell a fake prophecy?!"
"Yeah…" she admitted, lowering her head.
"I would be impressed if I weren't so furious!" He shouted and pointed at the brunette hiding behind Nico "You! You are to return to your world right this instant."
A lightening broke in the skies and a thunderous voice contradicted "No, she is not."
Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and gasped. They knew it was Zeus, but they never expected to see not one, not two, but ten gods standing in line, hiding Nico and Cassandra from Chiron's view. Zeus stepped forward in his fancy suit and eyed the demigods one by one, before turning to the centaur.
"She is not to leave the Camp, Chiron." He repeated.
"But lord Zeus…"
"My words are clear." He declared "We went through great lengths to see if your underground radar spotted her and brought her here. It didn't, but the son of Hephaestus found what you couldn't find. Yet, when he presented her to you, you refused her, merely because she was human."
"Lord Zeus, this Camp is for your children, I would not know what to do…"
"And yet you have a human girl in this Camp." Aphrodite stepped in, pointing at Rachel.
"Yes, but…"
"Despite not being a demigod, Chiron," Poseidon declared "She is as important as one, if not more."
"Accept her as such." Athena nodded "She will bring great fortune to this Camp."
Chiron bowed to the gods, and Leo sought his father's eyes. They were trained on him, with a fierce expression. The young man gulped, and his father winked subtlety at him. He moved his shoulder back for a second and Leo caught a glimpse of gingerbread brown hair right behind him. Hope filled his heart, and he looked at his father for answers. Watching his faint nod, Leo knew it was her. Now, all he wanted to do was see her.
"We came here to greet her." Demeter spoke "She is a special child, as the daughter of Athena has begun to understand. She will become more special with the passing time, you will see."
"Let her grow." Ares affirmed "Train her like the other campers. Teach her the ways of a Greek. She will grow stronger, and her gifts will be revealed."
"Time to go." Hermes smiled "Chiron, if your concern is where to install her, she will be more than welcome amongst my children. But, as I'm sure you are to find out soon enough, I don't believe the son of Hephaestus will let go of her that easily."
The gods started to disappear one by one, and Apollo spoke "Oh, and if you are wondering who that prophecy was for, that's easy. The kids of Poseidon, Athena, Aphrodite, Jupiter, Hephaestus, both Pluto and Hades, and Mars. Oh, and the beauty is advised to join too." And with that, he disappeared.
Leo's eyes locked with hers, and the world ceased to exist. He heard Chiron's voice in the background, but he simply ignored it. She stood there, hands clasped over her lap, eyes trained on his and lower lip trapped between her teeth, looking as glorious as the sun itself. His body moved on his own accord, getting closer to her with each step he took. Soon, he found her running towards him with tears in her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as she jumped on him, as she pressed her lips against his.
Leo was quick in securing her. One arm wrapped around her back, pulling her to him, and the other grabbed her thigh, pulling her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He held her tight, as her hands wounded up in his hair and tugged, their lips smashing together with brute force. Cassandra was all over him, and Leo didn't mind one bit.
"Okay, wouldn't it be easier if they had just said they were dating?" Piper murmured to Annabeth.
"I think they're past that, Piper." The blonde observed as Cassandra pulled away to stare at Leo lovingly "I think they're in love."
"Mr. Valdez." Mr. D's voice echoed in the silence "Would you be so kind to put the new camper down?"
Leo snapped of his stupor and looked around, realizing for the first time they weren't alone. Putting Cassandra down, he grinned sheepishly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders "Sorry, Mr. D."
"Now… who might you be, dear?" he eyed the brunette up and down.
"My name is Cassandra." She bowed slightly "Cassandra Stemma."
"Stemma?" he eyed her carefully "How interesting."
"Mr. D, what do you suppose we do?" Chiron turned to him.
"What do you mean? The gods have spoken. She stays." He turned to the centaur "And with Liam over there I can tell."
"My name is Leo."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Louis." He waved them off and left.
Cassandra smiled sheepishly and looked over to Leo, whom was biting his lip. She gulped, and he lifted her chin with one finger before pressing a soft kiss against her lips. She sighed happily and pulled at his wet shirt. He pulled away and showed her a relieved smiled, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
"So…" Piper grinned "Is there anything you'd like to tell us Leo?"
"Yeah." He shrugged and turned to look at his best friend "This is Cassandra, my girlfriend."
"Well, we got that much." Percy rolled his eyes "Since when?"
"We promised each other that the relationship would only be official once we were together." Cassandra explained "So… a minute ago?"
"But the plan has been laid out for longer now." Annabeth smiled "That's cute."
"Thank you." The girl smiled and pulled at Leo's shirt "Why are you all wet?"
"Percy cannonballed me into the lake four times." He replied.
"Percy?" she asked, looking around.
"The one with green eyes." He pointed, and she nodded in recognition "That's the Water Boy?"
"Really, Leo?" Percy narrowed at him, but he only grinned and nodded.
"What about Superman?" she asked.
"Jason? He's not here. He's from another Camp. Camp Jupiter. I told you that, remember?" he took her hand.
"Oh, yeah, now I remember!" she smiled brightly.
"So, where are you staying?" Piper asked.
"With me." Leo declared "Which reminds me… Come on. I'll show you around the Camp."
A/N: *grins like Cheshire*
What now?
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LoneeWolf :)