It has been a while since I last updated this story, but I'm pretty happy with how this chapter has turned out. It is from Piper's point of view. I'm not sure if she might be out of character. I tried to stay true to her personality. Anyway I hope you like it and if you have any suggestions for the next few chapter's let me know. And please be sure to read some of my other stories and leave me comments.

Disclaimer, I do not own Percy Jackson, all rights belong to Rick Riordan

Life sprung back into Percy. He coughed and gasped for air. Piper winced at the rattling sound his throat was making. She remembered seeing Gaea suffocating the poor demigod with what looked like a large root. Jason saw too and wasted no time cutting their friend free.

Percy wheezed heavily and twitched in her arms. She tried to support his neck with her shoulder so he could breathe more easily. A heavy bruise was forming around his throat where the vine had been. There were puncture wounds on the side of his neck. Piper winced again feeling bad for the poor teen.

"Percy." She whispered as jostled him trying to wake him.

He clutched onto her shoulder as he cough. Piper whispered with her Charm speak, trying to calm Percy. Just in front of her Jason slashed wildly at Gaea trying to push her away. Earlier in the battle they had been fighting off a horde of hellhounds, but when they saw that Percy was in trouble Jason just summoned a great mass of lightning and did away with them in one foul swoop.

Percy let in another harsh breath of air and coughed heavily. Piper felt tears come to her eyes as she began to run her hand through his hair and try to comfort the pained son of Poseidon. She couldn't stand to hear his suffering. They had all been through so much. The daughter of Aphrodite looked forward to the day that they could just be kids.

"Ahh, there you are." She heard the annoyingly familiar voice of Cupid come from behind her.

Piper glared at her half-brother before setting Percy on the ground gently. Percy let out a groan as his head slowly slid to the dirt. She didn't want to leave him lying like that, but letting Cupid get the both of them wasn't an option either. Piper defiantly drew out her blade and pointed at the so called god-of-love.

"Stay away from us." The demigod hissed.

Cupid scowled at her. His red eyes boring into Piper's multi-colored eyes like a laser. She couldn't understand how, in any way, he was related to her. Sure, he was attractive like all children of the love goddess were, but he lacked the fundamental building block for love. Now, Piper wouldn't consider herself an expert on what love was exactly, however she knew what it wasn't.

Piper's thoughts were instantly brought back to the attitude of her half-sister Drew. Drew believed that love was only attraction and if two people were attractive they were probably meant to be. That was why the former head of the Aphrodite cabin wanted to be with Jason. Piper's Jason.

The Roman god sighed as he ran a hand through his long dark hair. He was wearing a white tuxedo with a red tie (probably to match his blood colored eyes) and he had an arrow case swung over his shoulder. He'd probably never have a hard time finding people to believe they loved him because of how glorious he looked on the outside.

"Come now little sister," Cupid began as he took a step closer to her. "You can't honestly be risking your life and the lives of your friends for one measly boy?"

A bitter laugh escaped her as she gave Percy a quick glance, "But that's the thing, Cupid. We all know he is more than just a simple boy."

Cupid's hand reached slowly for the bow at his back. Piper squinted, daring him to make a move. The smile that came to the love god's face mad her want to ask him how he became so corrupted. She'd have blamed it on Aries or Mars or whoever Cupid's father was, but even the god of war had his morals. The man before her didn't.

"Yes, you are correct dear sister." Cupid agreed as he loaded an arrow into the bow. "But what makes you think you can stop me. After all, I don't see the daughter of Athena kissing your boyfriend. Face it, you don't have enough strength or control over your powers to stop me from taking the boy right now."

Piper flinched at his words and slowly sheathed her blade. She didn't need to look at Cupid's face to know he was smirking triumphantly. Around her the battle was still waging and she was the only one who seemed to have so little to contribute. After all, what was the use of a daughter of Aphrodite? Piper could sense that Cupid was pulling back on the bow string preparing his shot.

"That's it." Cupid crooned softly, almost as if he was trying to be comforting. "Just hold still and it will all be over quickly."

"Piper!" She heard Jason yell just before Gaea gave a cry of indignation and diverted him away from her.

"Good-bye little sister." The love god bid her a farewell as he released the arrow.

Piper clenched her fist and looked at the projectile strait on. In her most stern voice she barked, "Stop!"

And it did. Just inches from her forehead the little arrow head hovered awaiting its next orders. Piper smiled, she knew she had control over objects. The she did the same with Leo's dragon. Despite what others may have tried to get her to believe she was worth something.

"How is this possible?" Cupid asked, his sculpted jaw hung lowly.

"I guess I'm just more charming than you." Piper taunted before looking once more at the arrow meant to kill her. "Return to sender."

The arrow didn't hesitate to make a complete U-turn and whistle right back towards the stultified Cupid. Only at the last minute did Cupid jump to the side, but he still received a nasty cut to the shoulder. Pride swelled in Piper as she grabbed her blade from its sheath. After recovering from his surprise attack Cupid glared at her.

"I will destroy you and everything you love!" He declared and shot another arrow at her.

Piper didn't even need to open her mouth this time to redirect the arrow to the ground. Cupid scowled distastefully and tossed his bow to the side. He wasn't weaponless for long, Cupid snatch a sword from a monster who had been charging after Hazel. Without so much as a blink he sliced the monster in half. The look on his face was dangerous, predatory even.

The daughter of Aphrodite's confidence began to waver.

"We will stop you!" Piper squeaked. "We have the gods on our side!"

Cupid laughed harshly, "The gods? You mean those half-baked ninnies? They can't even get control of their own minds. What makes you think they could come swooping in to rescue a bunch of children on a suicidal quest?"

Before Piper could even think of an answer Cupid charged her. She reacted quickly and brought her blade up to meet his. Sparks splashed across the both of them. Piper quickly withdrew and whorled around hoping to find an open spot in his defense. She sent her blade strait for his side, but he quickly parried it and jabbed at her with his sword.

"AH!" Piper yelped as he slashed a long cut into her upper arm.

The metallic sent of blood filled her nose. Around her she could see monster's lifting their heads and inhaling deeply through their snouts. Piper shivered as a few were distracted enough to turn their attention to her. Cupid lifted his blade to strike again.

"Stop!" Piper demanded.

His blade stalled just by her neck. She could feel its sharp edge just brushing her skin. Piper let out a shuddering breath as she inspected her arm. Long steady streams of red were staining her tan skin like paint. That was definitely going to leave a scar.

"He, he." Cupid chuckled darkly.

Piper returned her gaze to him. He was still frozen in place, his arm extended out into mid swing. Only was his face able to contort and change. She wanted to punch him in the gut and watch him gasp for breath. How could he have become so corrupted?

"What's so funny?" She hissed and clutched her still bleeding arm. "You can't move."

Cupid's grin turned even more sinister making Piper's skin go cold, "Well little sister, you seem to be forgetting."

"Forgetting what?"

His eyes almost seemed to be glowing, "I hold the power of persuasion as well. Kneel!"

Her knees gave out without hesitation. Piper gasped in astonishment as an all too knowing sense of dread filled her. Cupid could make her do anything he wanted. All he had to do was say the word and she would be no more. The Roman god tucked his sword into his arrow bag and began stalking around Piper like a killer does his victim.

"You've been very bad, little sister." He murmured in her ear. She felt his fingers brush her hair away from her face, almost lovingly. "It's so tragic that we couldn't see eye to eye on the matter of Percy Jackson."

When he became quiet, Piper was afraid that he was getting ready to kill her, but the blow never came. Instead Cupid walked over to Percy who was just starting to recover from his near suffocation. Without mercy the god of love kicked the dark haired teen in the chest and sent him sprawling back onto the ground. Percy began coughing painfully again as his hands clutched at his chest. Piper felt her heart clench and she turned around.

"Leave him alone!" She shouted

"Stay!" Cupid ordered as he glared at her. "Lye on your stomach."

Without warning Piper found herself sprawled face first onto the grass. She struggled to lift her head as she watched Cupid kneel next to Percy. Percy was glaring at the god while still trying to subdue his protesting lungs. Just as the son of Poseidon tried to sit up again the god pushed Percy so he'd be flat on his back.

"You couldn't just accept your fate." Cupid growled lowly. "You couldn't accept that you are just a weapon, a tool, a prize. No matter where you go, people are always going to use you Percy. So just be a good boy while I put you back under."

Cupid stretched his long fingers around Percy's temples and tried to hold the struggling demigod's head in place. The demigod struggled and screamed as the god tried to get him under control. Cupid was nearly overlapping Percy trying to get the boy to be still so he could perform the spell. Piper felt helpless to do anything.

"Never again!" Percy howled as he yanked his head from out of Cupid's grasp once again. "You won't control me!"

"No one can save you this time." The god assured him. "Once I am done with this I will send you on your way to Gaea with little resistance from you. You're all alone Jackson!"

Piper felt her heart pounding painfully in her ribs. She couldn't watch, she didn't want to. Just to her left she heard a familiar voice screaming. It was Annabeth, covered in monster dust, trying desperately to reach them. Yet another monster jumped upon the poor girl knocking her to the ground.

If Percy was alone, than so was Annabeth. They'd be apart. Piper could see clearly, losing Percy here and now would losing Annabeth too. Annabeth was her friend, and Piper wasn't about to let these freaks hurt her friend. Come on Piper told herself Get up! Stop lying here like an invalid. GET UP! Suddenly her body no longer felt heavy.

Piper wasted no time jumping to her feet. She grabbed Katopris and without hesitation sank into Cupid's back. His hands immediately released Percy's face as he stumbled away from the surprise blow. The daughter of Aphrodite ignored her now bleeding half-brother as she checked on Percy. His eyes were still the ever shocking sea green.

"Oh thank the gods." Piper sighed as she placed a hand on his sweaty forehead. "Are you alright?"

Percy gave her a half smile, "Took you long enough."

"Sorry." She chuckled and began helping Percy into a sitting position. "So, rumor has it if I dunk you into the ocean you'll have an instant recharge."

"The rumors would be right." Percy agreed without looking at her. "But getting to the ocean is easier said than done."

Piper snaked his arm over her shoulder and hers around his waist, "Then let's get going before Cupid comes back."

Together they stumbled through the battle field to the beach. Piper tried to ignore the purple bruise around Percy's neck, and the fact he was leaning heavily on her. Despite his lean frame and very apparent weight loss over the last eight months, the boy was very hefty. She tried to create small talk to make the time go by faster and to help her ignore their friends fighting to the death around them.

"How has Annabeth been handling all of this?" Percy asked as he made an uncommitted gesture to the island and himself.

Piper bit her tong so she wouldn't mention that Annabeth had kissed Jason without warning. She didn't know how Percy would take hearing something like that from anyone but Annabeth. The poor kid was suffering enough without her adding to his misery. The daughter of love didn't know what she should say to him. Annabeth had been pretty scattered throughout the whole time Percy had been missing, and she had been as jittery as a table missing a leg.

"She's a strong one." Piper told him. "But she needs you."

"I need her." Percy agreed as their feet hit the sand.

The bruise on Percy's neck was starting to fade like fog on a window. Piper was amazed, just being near the ocean seemed to be restoring him to full strength. Without a word, Percy pulled away from her arms and continued towards the ocean. She let out a strangled cry of surprise as he walked into the surf with his dress cloths on. When the water came to his waist the son of Poseidon stopped and turned to her.

With a smile on his face he said, "Go help the others, I'll catch up."

A particularly large wave came forward and swallowed Percy. Piper didn't know whether to scream or stare in awe. He was one strange, yet interesting demigod. Piper quickly snapped out of her trance and ran back into the battle to help Jason fight Gaea. With her sword in hand she cut a root that was trying to snake its way towards him.

"Where's Percy?" Jason demanded as he slashed an Earthborn in half.

"Safe." Piper told him as she helped fend off Gaea and her bags of tricks.

The son of Jupiter was getting tired, she knew that, but the battle wasn't over yet. Gaea let out a cry as she made the Earth quake beneath them. Piper stumbled and clutched onto Jason to keep from falling. He noticed the blood on her arm.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Later!" Piper told him as she pushed him down to avoid yet another root that was aiming for their heads.

"You will not succeed." Gaea shouted as she began to create a sink hole beneath their feet. "I shall burry you alive."

Piper clutched onto Jason as they tried to get back onto their feet. The Earth kept trying to pull them deeper and deeper in. She wanted Jason to fly, but he was too concerned with the ever sinking dirt bellow them.

"Jason!" Percy's voice rang out clear. "Get Piper out of there!"

Percy's call sprung Jason into action. He wrapped his arms around her and took for the sky. A roaring wave screamed in her ears. Piper looked down at a large wave of water that mowed Gaea down. The Earth goddess disappeared and the wave left as quickly as it came. Jason slowly brought the two of them to the ground.

The son muddy son of Poseidon came running up to them. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah." Jason smiled. "Thanks. Is she gone?"

"Not for long, but we can get an advantage from this. You two help the others while I try to destroy those monster holes." Percy told them.

Jason looked unsure about leaving Percy to do a project on his own, but Piper could see the glow that nearly seemed to radiate from the son of Poseidon's skin. He could handle it easily.

"Come on Jason, let's go help the others."

With that the two of them rushed into the throng of battle and they left Percy to do his job. Piper hoped that they could end this fight soon.

Again I hope you guys liked it and be sure to review as well. More will be coming soon!