"So, this is goodbye, huh?" Nico asked Hazel.
"Only for a bit. Us Underworld children need to stick together," Hazel responded, bringing her brother into a tight hug.
Behind them, the Roman demigods were loading up their black SUVs and preparing for the long trek back to California. Considering Hazel had left from New Rome to sail around the world, she didn't have much to bring with her. She would be able to carry it all with her as she rode Arion back to Camp Jupiter.
"Look, I need to get back to the infirmary," Nico said, lingering for a moment and then pulling away. Despite Nico's still somewhat gaunt figure, Hazel had never seen him look more alive. There was this twinkle in his eye that gave him an aura of peace, and maybe even some happiness. "But send me an Iris message when you get back home, okay?"
"You got it," Hazel told him, a smile on her face.
Nico looked satisfied with this. He started to walk away, but after a couple of paces, he stopped. He turned and gave Hazel a hesitant smile as if he was still getting accustomed to the facial expression. Then he jogged away.
A large hand softly rested on Hazel's shoulder. "He'll be okay, you know," Frank said, as Hazel spun around to meet his eyes. "He's tough."
"I know," she said, a light smile lining her lips before it quickly faltered. "I just worry. After everything that's happened, I don't—I don't want to lose him too." Her voice wavered, as did her confidence. How could she be sure this wasn't the last time she saw Nico? She had said too many sad and final goodbyes.
Before the thoughts consumed her, Frank wrapped her in a hug, and once again, she felt stable. She was so glad he was there to support her. Hazel was reminded of their time in Canada after they had escaped Frank's family home. Had she been this comforting presence for Frank? She hoped so.
"Thank you," Hazel said, breaking the embrace, but moving her hands, so they were resting on Frank's forearms. "Are the cars ready?"
"Yeah, actually, I was about to say we're ready to g—"
"You guys can't leave yet!" cried Piper as she jogged up to the vans, alongside Annabeth, Jason, and Percy.
"Leaving without saying goodbye? Cold," Percy said as he came to a stop in front of the couple, arms crossed, with a smirk on his face.
Frank looked flustered like he wanted to protest, but Jason said, "Don't worry. We'll make it quick."
Piper came forward first and squeezed Hazel in a hug. "Jason and I won't be far. Maybe we can continue our lessons on the weekends." Hazel felt like crying. She was beyond thrilled that Piper didn't blame her for the illusion of the physician's cure.
"I would love that," she managed to say.
Beside them, she heard Jason and Frank saying their goodbyes. "Take care of the camp, Praetor. I know you'll do great."
Frank's face burned red. "Thanks, Jason. And thanks for, y'know, giving me the chance."
Jason chuckled and put his hand on Frank's shoulder. "You earned it. I had nothing to do with it."
The two shook hands, and he and Piper started to head off back into camp. Piper turned around to face them, still walking backwards towards camp, and shouted, "See you soon!"
After Jason and Piper had their turn, Percy and Annabeth walked up to face them.
"Thanks for taking care of him," Annabeth said, smirking in Percy's direction, "I'm sure that wasn't an easy job."
"Hey! We all pulled our weight!" Percy protested.
"On a serious note, thank you guys," Annabeth said. Her grey eyes radiated serious energy, but her voice was strangely calming. Hazel couldn't help but feel like Annabeth was luring her into a false sense of security. "Without you, we wouldn't have been able to pull this whole quest off."
"Well, we did what we could," Hazel said, shrugging off the compliment.
"I'm going to get going," Annabeth said, "But, we'll see you guys next fall. Hopefully sooner." Annabeth paused for a moment and looked at Percy. She turned her eyes back to Hazel and finished, "And thank you again."
Annabeth stepped away just as Reyna emerged from the driver's seat of the first SUV. The two began chatting, while Percy said his goodbyes.
"What was that about next fall?" Frank asked.
Percy's eyes lit up. "We're coming to New Rome University. So, it won't be long until the three of us are back together."
Hazel loved the idea. This goodbye was only temporary. They'd see each other soon. "I can't wait," she said.
"Me neither. Just need to graduate, which may be my greatest battle yet," Percy joked. He paused for a moment and then looked at the two of them. "I'm going to miss you guys."
"We'll miss you too, man," Frank said, putting his hand on Percy's shoulder.
"We kicked all kind of butt, huh?"
Frank chuckled, and Hazel said, "Yeah. Yeah, we did," with a big smile on her face.
Percy threw one arm around Hazel and another around Frank and pulled them into a hug. "Love you guys."
For a moment, they were quiet, and then Percy broke away. He looked at them both wistfully, patted their shoulders. "See you soon," he said, just before walking away. And then, Frank and Hazel were left alone.
While Arion raced west, Hazel sat on his back, lost in her thoughts. She had half a mind to steer Arion towards New Orleans and revisit her old life. She ultimately decided against it. She had said goodbye to New Orleans, to Sammy, and to her mother. She had a new family and a new life to go along with it. A smaller part of her wanted to take Arion up to Alaska. She couldn't help but be simultaneously afraid and in awe of the land beyond the gods. Saying goodbye to Percy made her feel nostalgic for a time when it was just her, Percy and Frank adventuring north. Maybe if she went back, she could relive the good moments of that quest.
No, she wasn't going to do that. When she thought about Leo, she knew he didn't sacrifice himself so she could get sucked back into the past. He died for everyone's future. Sammy would have been proud of him. Leo saved her—saved everyone—when he couldn't. And when she thought about saying goodbye to her friends, she realized what she looked forward to most was seeing them again and making new memories. Arion nickered to let Hazel know they were close to their destination. As expected, they had made it in record time, and the rest of the camp's forces wouldn't be there for a while.
Hazel stopped Arion at the top of a hill by the Caldecott tunnel, just before entering her sprawling home. She looked down at the sparkling water of the Little Tiber, where this whole adventure began for her. Her eyes moved to the barracks, and eventually to the red roofs of New Rome. As she took in the sight of Camp Jupiter, a feeling of hopefulness returned to her like the warm memory of an old friend. "Let's go, Arion," Hazel told the horse, and the two raced down the hill. The future awaited her, and she met it with a smile.