CALYPSO WASN'T SURE HOW TO ACT around Leo's friends. She liked Hazel, and Frank seemed very nice, but everything was happening so fast, she felt like she could barely keep up, especially after eons of time living at slow pace.

She followed them outside to where a bunch of teenagers, some in armor, some in purple shirts, were milling around the black vehicles, talking and getting things out of the cars. Some of the locals were staring at them, confused. Calypso didn't know everything about how the Mist concealed demigods, monsters and the like in modern America, but she knew enough to guess that the mortals didn't see the armor, or the spear a tall boy was carrying, or the dagger strapped to the belt of a dark-haired girl walking towards her, Leo, and Hazel and Frank.

Leo smiled. "Reyna," he said, sounding excited but also nervous.

The girl wore a long purple cape, a purple t-shirt, (why all the purple? Calypso wondered,) gold Roman armor, and tall black combat boots. She stepped up to Leo and offered her hand.

"Welcome back, Leo Valdez," she said, shaking his hand. "This is a miracle. The rest of the Seven told me about the cure for death, but we thought..."

Leo nodded. "Yes, everyone thought I was dead." A flicker pain crossed his face, gone in an instant.

Hazel glanced around. "You know what," she said. "We should get some food for a picnic, and you can explain everything, Leo. How's that sound?"

"Sure," said Leo.

"We have sandwiches in the Fifth Cohort head car," Frank reminded Hazel.

"If we don't take too long," Reyna said. "We already were delayed enough by the monster attack in Missouri."

"But it's Leo!" Hazel pleaded.

Reyna smiled. "Of course. I wouldn't dream of not – "

"Oh gods, FESTUS!" Leo cried. "Reyna, do you have any Celestial bronze to spare?"

Reyna's brow furrowed. "No, I'm afraid we don't have any Celestial bronze...We have a little Imperial gold."

"Wait, no," Frank said. "Didn't Octavian have some Celestial bronze with those extra weapons he had?" He spoke the name Octavian with distaste, but he had hope in his voice. "The Third Cohort has them packed in their supply car."

Reyna nodded. "I'll go look."

Hazel spread a purple picnic blanket on the dry grass near Festus, and opened a cooler. On the side of the cooler was imprinted the letters SPQR with a wreath around them. Calypso was going to ask what that meant, but then Leo said,

"This reminds me of eating stew on the beach of Ogygia."

And Calypso smiled at him, and she was reminded of their idea for a garage where she would serve stew and cider, and that made her smile even more. That was possible now. Everything seemed possible now that she was free, and with Leo at her side.

Hazel handed out the sandwiches. "Please tell us the story now, Leo," she said.

So Leo did, the same story he had told Calypso as they flew away from Ogygia. She was happy to hear it again, happy to hear his voice and notice all the funny things he added that made his friends laugh.

It warmed Calypso's heart to see how overjoyed Frank and Hazel were to see Leo again. Leo's friends were so devoted to him and to each other. She hoped one day she could see all of the Seven prophecy demigods together.

When Leo had finished, he asked, "So how long have I been gone, really?"

"Little over a week," Frank replied.

"What happened while I was gone?"

"Well..." Hazel hesitated. "The Romans and the Greeks have become wonderful friends."

Leo grinned. "So does that mean Reyna doesn't want to kill me for attacking Camp Jupiter, even though I was possessed?"

What? Calypso filed away another question to ask Leo when they were alone.

Hazel smiled a little sheepishly. "I don't think so. Oh, Leo, it was so awful and amazing at the same time. All of us working together to fix things at Camp Half-Blood, but all the time we thought you were gone forever!" She burst out crying again. "We had a funeral for you, Leo! We burned a shroud!"

Frank put his arm around Hazel, but he looked on the verge of tears as well.

"Oh, but don't you know I'm fireproof?" Leo said. A small flame flickered in his right palm, and he grinned, but there was no teasing in his eyes.

Hazel and Frank laughed weakly.

"We thought you didn't have anyone to administer the cure," Frank said, his voice choked up.

"I had Festus," Leo replied.

As if on cue, Reyna walked over, carrying a small, simple Celestial bronze shield. "Frank," she said, "a pointer from one praetor to another: don't go off without telling your fellow praetor exactly where you went."

Frank looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

Reyna smiled at him and sat down on the blanket, setting the shield in front of her. "It's all right," she said. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to join your picnic. Frank and Hazel, you must tell me the story on the last leg of the journey back to camp. Leo, I found this."

Leo picked up the shield. "It looks great," he said. "I can work with this. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Reyna replied. "One thing we can thank Octavian for." She spoke as if she could barely force out the words, like they tasted bad or something.

"Who's Octavian?" Calypso asked.

The four demigods looked at each other as though they were trying to figure out how to explain.

"Um," said Frank.

"Well," said Hazel.

"A murderer of beanie babies," said Leo.

"A conniving, plotting, slippery legacy augur who broke all the rules of Camp Jupiter and was instrumental in Leo's...death," said Reyna.

"Oh," said Calypso.

"He was the one I mentioned who organized the attack on Camp Half-Blood," Leo said. "Wait, what? He was a murderer of me as well as stuffed animals?"

Hazel frowned. "Yes, Leo. He set off one of those onagers, and flew up with it...it's likely that the explosion..."

Leo nodded. "So that's what that scream I heard was. It sounded like a little girl."

Hazel laughed through her remaining tears. "Yes," she said.

Reyna had been saying something to Frank, and now both praetors stood.

"I'm afraid we have to pack up the picnic now," Reyna said. "We have to get back to Camp Jupiter as soon as possible."

"As soon as you fix Festus properly back at Camp Half-Blood, come visit us," Hazel said, throwing her arms around Leo.

"Oh, I'm walking you guys back to the cars," Leo said. "But yeah, I will."

Some of this was kind of filler-ish, but I hope you enjoyed it!