The S.S. Parler towered over the three of them, and Leo had one thought: that is a beautiful piece of machinery. Of course, he was going to keep this to himself. Verbalizing this thought would only lead to merciless attacks from Bing and Max.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?"

Max's voice broke him out of his reprieve, if only briefly.

"Why do you ask, Maxipedia?" Leo said, dragging the Festus carry-on behind them as the three of them approached the ship.

"I'm not so sure…we're their target audience," Max said, looking uncomfortable as a harried old man brushed past them, a duffel bag thrown over his shoulder.

"A seniors cruise!" Bing's eyes bugged out of his head as he looked down at the ship's brochure. "Leo, did you know this was a seniors cruise?"

"Guys, I have a confession to make," Leo said in a solemn tone. "I'm actually 87 years old."

"Leo!" Max scolded. "This isn't funny!"

"Guys, relax!" Leo swiped the brochure out of Bing's hands. "This clearly says recommended for seniors. Nothing about it being a requirement. Anyways, Bing, aren't all satyrs super old?"

Bing scoffed, looking highly offended.

"I'll have you know," he huffed. "That I am a youthful 476!" Bing hurriedly stood behind Leo, peering at himself in the shine of Fetus' carryon, worriedly examining his face.

"Hi, welcome to the SS Parler- our motto is It Gets Better with Age!" A cheery, young employee in a blue polo shirt and carrying a clipboard greeted them enthusiastically. As she scanned the three of them, she frowned, looking confused. "Um- you're here for the cruise?"

"That we are…Mona," Leo said with a laugh, reading her name tag. "Good motto."

"It's just…" Mona cleared her throat uncomfortably. "A good portion of our guests are…erhm, seniors."

"We have a real appreciation for seniors," Max jumped in, probably afraid of Bing sharing his age with Mona. "I…I don't have grandparents, so I appreciate any time spent with the old."

That was at least true. It was a sentiment Leo shared.

Mona giggled. "Well, aren't you a cutie!"

Max's face soured. "Can we get on the ship already?" he said, clearly annoyed.

Mona nodded, writing something down on the clipboard.

"Here," she said, passing Leo an envelope. "Is your room key. And here-" She passed him three copies of a piece of paper. "Is the ship itinerary!"

"And the ship gets to Boston in two weeks?" Leo asked, fidgeting with the envelope.

"Yep," Mona confirmed. "Two weeks of endless fun!"

"Any way could we possibly speed that up?"

"What?" Mona asked, baffled.

"Thank you, dear Mona!" Bing said quickly, shuffling Max and Leo past her. Bing shook his head at Leo. "We're supposed to be blending in!"

"Short a few wrinkles for that, Blitzen."

The ship was packed, and there was no doubt about it- it was all mostly senior citizens. Weirdly, they didn't seem too bothered by the three of them.

The three of them settled into their room. Leo noticed Bing excitedly examining the ship's itinerary.

"Shuffleboard tournament!" Bing perked up. "Maxwell, they're looking for teams of two."

"No thanks," Max said, peering over his shoulder. "I do think I'll check out the lecture on American Classical Literature, though…"

"Leo?" Bing asked in a hopeful tone.

He wanted to remind them that this trip wasn't for fun. However, he couldn't help but want to blow off some steam too. They were stuck on this ship for two weeks, anyways; might as well have some fun during it.

So they did everything- shuffleboard, karaoke, water slides (despite how cold it was). They got obnoxiously loud Hawaiian shirts, and Bing insisted on carrying a disposable camera around. They played nothing but oldies music on the ship- and Leo realized with a pant it was all of Rosie's favorites. Love Grows By Edison Lighthouse seemed to play constantly, and it made Leo a little sadder every time.

Dinner that night was broiled brisket and veggies. Leo thought it'd be best to have dinner in their rooms, something Bing and Max both disagreed with.

"You guys want to eat with people?" Leo asked suspiciously as they entered the banquet hall, plates loaded with food.

"Yes! Ernest and Marg are a hoot!" Bing said, scanning the packed room.

"Roger should be with them, too," Max said. "I met him at the lecture, you wouldn't believe how smart-"

"There! There they are!" Bing exclaimed, sprinting across the room.

Max eagerly followed. Leo slowed, unsure. Was interacting with people really the best idea? What happened to blending in? And since when was Max Mr. Social Butterfly?

Leo found the two of them sitting at a round table with an older couple, and an older man with a big, bushy gray beard.

"Guys, this is Leo!" Bing introduced him, and Leo gave the tiniest of waves, plopping down next to Max.

"A pleasure," the one that must've been Roger said, giving him a nod. "You were at the lecture?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, ignoring Max's daggers looks. "In the back, though. You did a great job talking about Gatsby and his weird obsession with that green light-"

"Uh-" Roger began with a confused look.

"Ernest and Marg have been married forty years!" Bing quickly interjected, gesturing to the older couple. "Haven't you guys?"

Marg smiled, grabbing her husband's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Feels like five minutes some days," she said with a chuckle.

"And sometimes a hundred years," Ernest finished, looking over at her.

Roger shook his head. "I'd never understand how people do it. Stay together that long. It really is unnatural...unless you're a penguin."

Leo choked on his mashed potatoes, causing Max to glare at him as he thumped Leo hard on the back.

Figures Max would befriend the guy talking about animals mating for life.

If Marg and Ernest were offended by his comment, they didn't show it.

Marg giggled. "Consider me a penguin then!"

"I think it's romantic." Bing was leaning onto his good elbow, staring down Ernest and Marg in what Leo thought was a slightly creepy manner. "I like the idea of soulmates."

Max rolled his eyes, picking up a roll from his plate and taking a ginormous bite.

"Funny you say that, Bing," Ernest said. "I've always had...a theory when it comes to love. Perhaps it's not as founded in science as Roger's theories would be, but...it's been the basis of my experience."

"Theory?" Leo asked, suddenly feeling interested in the conversation.

"There's a moment," Ernest spoke in a low tone, almost reverent. "A moment where you know instantly, you're supposed to be with someone. A moment that imprints on your mind. Maybe at the time you don't notice it, but later...you'll look back and think- That was it."

Marg was getting teary-eyed. Leo swiftly handed her his napkin. She smiled her thanks.

"What was your moment?" Bing asked.

"Basketball game," Ernest said. "I turned and saw a redhead girl heckling my team...heckling me. I knew right then and there."

The table broke out into polite laughter, but Leo wasn't listening anymore.

"What do you think this thing does?"

Leo glanced over at Rosie, who was swinging some sort of retractor around, a wild grin on her face.

"Definitely something that steals half of my organs."

"Drama king," Rosie said in a singsong tone, placing the device back on the hospital bed's table.

"Cut me some slack, Freckles, I'm dying here."

"I told you not to eat the cafeteria's mystery meat."

"You and Pipes dared me to!"

Rosie grinned. "And enjoyed every second of it."

It was probably just food poisoning. Rosie, however, had insisted on taking him to the emergency room- probably because of her own guilt. Piper had come with them, too- she had gotten bored and wandered off to finding a vending machine.

But Rosie had stayed, even though Leo knew she was probably itching to find a cup of crappy hospital coffee.

Leo felt another wave of nausea overtake him, as he emptied his stomach- again.

Leo looked up from the bucket, moaning. "So I'm guessing this ends our friendship, effective immediately."

Rosie wrinkled her nose. "Gross. Execution, however, was great. I'd give it a seven out of ten."

Leo felt the corners of his mouth tug up into an appreciative smile for her- Rosie, his best friend.

"I'd say I stuck the landing."

"Seriously, though," she said, nudging the glass of water closer to him. "Drink up."

He remembered all those nights on the road alone, where he felt as if he was the only person on the planet. Now, however, he knew better.

So long as Rosie Reiger was around, he'd never be alone again.

It was a moment Leo had always looked back on with fondness- that time Rosie and Piper had indirectly given him food poisoning.

However, he now knew.

That had been his moment. The moment he could pin exactly when he realized he loved Rosie.

He realized talking had ceased, and everyone at the table was looking at him with concern.

"Leo?" Max asked. "Are you alright?"

"I must be seasick," he said apologetically, standing up. "I, uh, probably need some air."

He could tell that Bing didn't buy his excuse, not for one second, but Leo left the group behind anyways.

He found himself on deck, leaning on the railing. Leo would've preferred being in the engine room- he would have felt at home there. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend he was back on the Argo II for a second. The smell of the ocean was the same, the swaying of the ship under his feet.

But there was no creaking of Festus overhead, no sounds of his friends playfully bickering with one another.

Just him and the vast sea.

Why was he feeling the worst he had this entire quest? They had been through so much worse, had so many worse days and encounters.

He couldn't shake that feeling he has, that something would go wrong.

Usually that feeling and him were friends! Today, however, it felt like it was shaking its fist at Leo, taunting him that he'd never make it to Rosie and their friends.

That maybe, it seemed crazy that Rosie and Max would exist in the same room one day.

He thought about what he would tell her, if only he got the chance.

He's like you- stubborn and a bit hot headed.

I call him Maxipedia- there's not a fact that kid doesn't know.

He reminds me of Nico. And Jason. And Hazel. Everyone on that ship, except maybe me. He gets aggravated with me- a true Reiger.

He didn't notice his companion on the deck, an older man with graying hair.

"Seasick, huh?" He asked with a chuckle, looking a bit green himself. "I was thinking maybe it was the meat, but I'd be out here even if I only had a stomach filled with bread."

Leo let out a lackluster laugh. "Yeah. I get it."

The older man closed his eyes, taking a labored breath.

"Humming helps," he offered. "At least, it does for me, don't ask me to back it with any science."

The man began humming, and Leo recognized the song.

"I Wanna Dance with Somebody," Leo recalled. "A classic."

The man opened his eyes and gave him a strange look, his eyebrows raised in confusion.

"A classic? Geez, kid, you're optimistic. Remind me not to go to the racetrack with you."

Now it was Leo's turn to be confused.

"Optimistic?" Last he checked, everyone knew that song by heart, practically. "I feel like that song had to be on the chart, for at least a few months, right?"

The man took a step away from Leo, shooting him an uneasy look.

"That song's been out for two weeks, son. It's everywhere on the goddamn radio."

"Er. Right…" Leo trailed off, taking a scoot away from the man himself. "Two weeks. In the year of…?"

The man rolled his eyes.

"1987," he said, as if this were the most obvious thing, and Leo was crazy for asking. "Are you alright?"

The ship lurched under his feet, and now Leo was sure that he could lean over the railing of the ship and projectile vomit everywhere.

Leo didn't answer the man. Instead, he stumbled away, grabbing the shoulders of every passenger he passed, asking them what year they thought it was.

1995.

2003.

1973.

No.

Bad. Bad. Bad.

Leo took off running. He had to find Bing and Max- they had to get off this ship now. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on but it did not bode well for them.

"Max! Bing!" He yelled out as he slammed open the door to their room. "Time to go! It's looking a little Back to the Future-ish in here-"

The room was empty, and Leo was cursing the fact that Max and Bing chose today, of all days, to make friends.

Note- no good things came from making friends. He filed that in his brain under 'for later discussion'.

Leo started gathering their belongings, not exactly thinking of what he intended to do with said belongings, since they were on a freaking boat.

He grabbed the Festus carry-on, wheeling it behind him as he headed back towards the door.

Just as he was reaching for the door knob, the door opened again, colliding right into Leo as two figures rushed in.

"Ow! What the-"

Max and Bing were the ones who had stumbled in, both looking panicked and out of breath.

"Leo!" Max managed to get out, hunching over his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Just in time!" He said, regaining his balance from almost being knocked over. "Come on, we gotta go!"

"No!" Bing said, shaking his head violently. "No, we have to tell you something!"

"Can we run and talk?" Leo pleaded, trying to inch his way toward the door. Max and Bing quickly moved together, blocking any sort of path.

"Listen-" Max began.

"I don't know how long we've spent on this ship!" Leo blurted.

Max paused, briefly looking caught off guard. "What?"

Leo quickly explained his encounter on the deck, leaving Max and Bing both gaping at him, looking perplexed.

"That's…that's impossible," Max said.

He could practically see Max short-circuiting, his logic failing him.

"I have to agree with Max," Bing said, shaking his head. "How is that possible?"

"I'm coming up with a list- head injury, Twilight Zone episode, Bermuda Triangle, some sort of creepy voodoo magic. I figure we can brainstorm for fun later. So come on, amigos, chop, chop!"

"No!" Max said stoutly, drawing his height up. "We can't leave yet!"

"Why not?!"

"We were talking to Roger-"

"Roger, who has probably been on this ship for thirty years- got it."

"And he started talking about the ship, right? And he was saying how he started talking to one of the ship's engineers- now, granted, I wish we could talk to this engineer ourselves-"

"Cut to the chase, Maxipedia."

"Frequencies!" Max blurted out.

This was why he called Max Maxipedia, after all- this was his version of the webpage buffering.

"Too far into the chase!"

"Roger said the ship is constantly sending out frequency signals," Bing took over. "In most cases, they'd be used if the ship needed to send a distress call. But, we were talking- Max and I-"

"I think between you and I, we can take control of that signaling," Max said, looking a bit more settled now. "Amplify their power, send our own distress call towards the east coast, and maybe-"

"It wouldn't work, guys."

Sure, it was a good idea. Ships were made for communication purposes, and should they be able to get into the control room, Leo was sure he could play around with it. But how could they be sure it would work? Communication was blocked off, probably by something stronger than frequency signals.

Max grabbed onto fists of his hair.

"Don't just dismiss it!" Max yelled. "Sure, maybe it wouldn't be strong enough to fix whatever this communication problem, but maybe, camp or wherever my sister is can pick it up-"

"We have to try," Bing pleaded.

Screw it.

"Okay," Leo said, the gears already turning in his head. "Ahhhh, okay. We gotta be quick, I'm not so sure we haven't set off an alarm now that we know that the ship is- well, you know-" He took a breath. "Okay, we have to find the ship's control room."

"I took the liberty of making a copy of the ship's blueprint when we first boarded," Max said, pulling a piece of paper out of his back pocket.

"Of course you did," Leo said, nodding. "Lead the way, Max."

The three of them went off. The control room, according to Max, was in the center of the ship.

"It should be right up here," Max muttered, leading them through a door.

But they didn't enter the ship's control room. Instead, they went into what appeared to be a large gathering hall. The hall was filled with their fellow cruise mates, all dancing in packed groups.

There wasn't one song playing- or rather, every time they took a step further into the hall, the song changed, jumping from decade to decade.

"What the-?" Max's face scrunched up in confusion, glancing down at the blueprint. "This isn't on here."

"There." Bing pointed out a door across from them, all the way across the dance floor. "I bet that's it."

"So we just walk right over there?" Max asked in an uncertain tone, glancing at the hip-bumping dancers.

"No, I think we cha-cha," Leo said, moving out of the way of a couple dipping each other.

Leo took a tentative step forward, only to be pushed back by two people doing the jerk.

"Um-" He tried sidestepping, only for two people to elegantly waltz by, cutting his path off again. "Excuse me!"

"Ow!" Max whined as someone doing the chicken dance elbowed him in the back. "I hate dancing. How are we supposed to get over there without getting cut off by the running man?"

"I have an idea," Bing spoke up, and as Leo looked over at him, the satyr seemed different…determined. "Two minutes."

Bing started clapping his hands, which Leo thought must've been painful with his arm, still bandaged.

"Alright, people, that's it!" Bing exclaimed, swaying his hips in time to the music- well, probably in time.

Surprisingly, the people surrounding Bing enthusiastically swayed in time with him, cheering as they did.

"Alright, follow my lead! Doesn't matter if you don't know it, it's easy to learn! Ready, everyone!"

Everyone cheered back in response.

"Okay, slide to the left!" Bing chanted.

Amazing, the crowd followed his order, all sliding to the left.

"Slide to the right!"

Leo felt himself smile. Not useful to the group? Bing was wrong on all accounts about that.

"What is happening?" Max asked in a horrified tone.

"Criss-cross! Criss- cross!"

"That, Mini-Reiger, is the Electric Slide."

"And why are we doing it?"

"Because nothing distracts people like the Electric Slide," Leo said, grinning. "Come on, let's go."

Max and Leo walked across the dancing floor, easily sidestepping anyone who was doing the Electric Slide.

"Come on, people, how low can you go?"

Max glanced back as they reached the door of the control room, his mouth dropping.

"Bing can go very low, apparently."

Leo decided he didn't need that image, so he remained looking forward.

"You coming in with me?" Leo asked, jimmying open the door.

Max looked back at him, shaking his head.

"Nope," he said. "I think…I think you're meant to do this." He took their bags from Leo, including the Festus carry-on. "I'll guard the door. You got the phone?"

"Yep." He was holding it right now, the clunky red phone receiver that so far, hadn't helped them with much. "Here I go."

Leo's feet didn't seem to want to move.

"Are you going?" Max asked impatiently.

Bing was now leading the crowd around in a Conga line.

"Yeah. Just…"

"Leo," Max said softly.

"You think she's forgotten?" Leo asked suddenly, before he got too embarrassed to ask.

"One way to find out," Max said with a shrug, glancing back at the door. "I don't think she has, Leo. From what you told me…it doesn't sound like she gives up."

He was right. She never did give up.

Leo let out a long breath.

"Okay. Here I go."

"Good luck," Max said, shutting the door behind him.

The control room walls were lined with screens, sonar radars, and keyboards. He had been expecting someone to be in there, ready to attack, but it was empty.

He quickly got to work, his hands automatically going to his belt, only to remember that his tool belt was gone and probably in some sort of weird, Greek god-run black market.

Figuring out the ship's system was easy enough for him. However, diverting signals, especially since he didn't have one specific location to divert them to…was trickier.

"Leo?" Max cracked open the door. "Quick question."

"Yeah?" He said, wiping some sweat off his forehead.

"Is there a reason the Festus carry-on is going berserk?"

"What?" Leo, thoroughly distracted now, looked back at the doorway.

Max winced, pulling in the carry-on behind him.

The Festus carry-on was shaking and trembling, as if Festus was going to retract into his full form any moment.

"What is it doing?" Max asked, taking a nervous step back.

"He, not it," Leo said, rolling his eyes- he really was just like his sister. "And…uh, good question." He glanced back at the control board, wondering how much time he had. "How's Bing doing?"

"By the sound of the song, they're doing something called the YMCA."

"Oh god, he's getting desperate. Alright, hand Festus over, and get the door."

Max nervously nudged Festus into the room, slamming the door.

Leo inspected Festus, jerking back as a stray arm popped out.

"Whoa! Boy, what's up?"

Festus carry-on began to croak.

"Whoa, okay, I hear ya, slow down. What's up?"

A clicking noise came from within Festus, and Leo's mind instantly began decoding the message- it was Morse code.

R

O

S

I

E

"Rosie! What about Rosie, Festus?"

Festus' access panel flipped open, and Leo leaned in. Festus' radar was beeping, but as far as he could see on the screen, there was no dot indicating someone was nearby.

Leo reached in, pulling out one of the wires attached to the radar.

There was one thing he could try.

He plugged it into the red receiver. For a second, nothing happened. It was a stupid idea, after all.

The phone suddenly rang, causing Leo to nearly drop it.

He let out a bit of a breathless laugh, as Festus creaked impatiently.

Max's words came back to him: one way to find out.

He took a breath.

And he answered.

"Hello?"

For a second, the other end of the line was silent.

He felt his heart drop, until…

"Oh my god."

Leo's heart jumped up into his throat, and tears spring into his eyes, because that voice? That voice was Rosie's. It was static-filled and poor quality but it was her. She was safe and there and talking to him.

"Rosie."

It came out reverent, almost like a prayer.

"Oh my god," she repeated again, the words coming out breathless and in disbelief. "You answered."

"The line's been a bit busy, huh?" He tried to joke, but the tears kept coming.

Rosie let out a laugh, but Leo could hear the sob in it. She was feeling the same he was, he knew it.

"I can't believe it's you…I-I- where have you been?" Leo suddenly heard distant talking, coming from somewhere. "Yes, Apollo, it's him! No, I'm not asking him for a refresher on the Valdezinator."

"Apollo?!" He exclaimed. Now, that was the last person he expected her to be with. "How-?"

"Keep talking, Leo. Please. Whatever you do, just keep talking."

Leo laughed, clutching the phone even tighter, as if it could bring him closer to her.

"This'll come as a shock, so stay with me, but…Max is alive, Rosie. He's alive and I found him and that's where I've been! Trying…trying to get him home to you."

The line fell silent again, and Leo thought he lost the connection.

"Freckles! Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you," came her voice, smaller than ever, sounding teary. "I-I just can't believe it. Max is really…?"

"Yes, Rosie. He's…he's brilliant and-and bossy, and he's been alive this whole time. Your dad took care of him."

He heard sobbing on the other end.

"Please don't cry, Freckles," he whispered into the phone. "We're coming home, as fast as we can."

Leo heard a scream from outside the door.

"Leo!" Rosie's voice became worried. "What was that?" Leo didn't speak for a moment. "Leo, say something!"

"I-I don't know." He pulled the receiver away from his ear for a moment. "Max! Are you alright?"

"Hurry!" Max screamed from outside the door.

"Leo!" Came another wail, one he identified as Bing. "The dancers are turning on us!"

"Leo!" Now it was Rosie talking. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah-yeah, I am," he spoke quickly into the phone. The clamor outside the door was growing louder, as he heard several loud clunks into the door. "Rosie, listen, we don't have much time."

"Wait, what's happening, are you guys okay?" Her voice sounded much more faraway now, the connection breaking.

"Listen, we're on a cruise-"

"Oh my god, are you eighty?"

He let out an inappropriate burst of laughter. "And we're going to get to America, I promise, okay?"

"Apollo and I are on the way to Indianapolis," she said into the phone. "Don't come to camp, okay? Come to…Cincinnati!"

It was a weird choice, but no time to question it as more screams came from the outside. It sounded like an angry mob. Someone was trying to get in, shaking the knob and hitting the door.

"Rosie, I got to go!"

He had to say it. He couldn't possibly go on any longer without it.

"Leo, you're breaking up, I can't hear you. Promise to come to Cincinnati!"

The screams and yells outside the door were getting louder. He heard the noise of scuffling, grunts, and whimpers of pain.

Bing and Max needed him.

"I promise we'll meet you there!"

After a second of hesitation, the truth came pouring out.

"I love you, Freckles. I'm so sorry I did this to you. I love you, okay?"

He heard a staticky hiccup, and a laugh.

"I love you too, Leo."

He hoped she was smiling. Because he was grinning ear to ear.

She loved him. And now she knew that he loved her. He didn't have to waste another second of her not knowing.

"I don't know where we are, but-"

"I'll find you." Her voice was fading, and Leo wanted the phone to stay on so badly.

"I'll come back to you."

"I won't give up," she whispered, and Leo thought he was imagining it.

"I promise."

"I love you," she repeated, and Leo just wanted those words on a loop in his head.

"I love you, Rosie."

There was no answer to this, and he wasn't sure if she had heard him. The call had dropped.

He dropped the phone, running to the door, flinging it open.

He saw Max and Bing, both bound up and gagged, sitting back to back on the dance floor. The dancers continued dancing around them, as if they weren't there.

"Glad you could join us, Leo Valdez."

He turned to see Mona, the cruise ship employee standing next to him with a snarl.

She lifted her clipboard over his head, and that was the last thing he remembered before the world went black.