Don't own any characters from the PJO or HoO series's. I like getting reviews, any comments suggestions or questions are welcome. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for-

Casper's POV~

I woke up the next morning feeling much better. And for some reason, Biron was acting different around me. He kept tumbling over his words and blushing and looking at anything but me. I wondered what it was, and it just made me even more embarrassed then I usually was around him. I glanced at myself in the tiny bathroom mirror. I wore a black tank top, the skull hand warmers that went up to my elbows, jeans, and of course my golden necklace. I stepped out of the bathroom and ate breakfast with the others.

We drove constantly, and arrived in Chicago that evening. We slept, and started out again the next morning. I wore a black tee, black jacket, my hand warmers, and camo cargo pants. I had had them in my bag the entire time on this quest. Chicago was windy and cloudy and really really really cold, as well as really really really snowy.

"Where to now that we're here, Cas?" Ella asked. I told them about the fountain in my dream, and we headed to the park. Annabeth listed facts about the fountain while we searched for a trapdoor or some other thing that could somehow help. "Theres nothing here." Ella sighed.

"There has to be." I said. "Look again."

"We should actually get going." Nico said. "I have a really bad feeling. Theres a powerful connection to the underworld here. Let's just go before-"

"Too late." I spun around to see a horde of the strangest most horrific monsters I had ever seen. Echidna stood at the back, next to Tartarus. I saw several chimera's, part-lion, part-snake, part-goat things we had first encountered last summer. I spotted Medusa as well, wearing sunglasses and a scarf that kept me from being able to look in her eyes and turn to stone. There was also a ten-foot tall black rottweiler with two heads, that I recognized as Orthos, a two headed dog that usually hung out with the giants. And of course, there was a large army of the undead. It was then that I noticed that Tartarus was wearing the helm of darkness. It was an enormous black obsidian crown with a red plume on top, that trailed down his back.

"Oh gods." Ella whispered. I have to admit I said several things a bit stronger then gods at that point, most of which Chiron would wash my mouth out with saddle soap if I repeated.

"Well." I said grimly. "It was a real pleasure to know you all. Lets go out with a bang, shall we?" We drew our weapons. And then we charged.

I threw my javelin into a chimera's throat, spun and stabbed a dead marine with my dagger, and slashed off a red coats head. Ella fired dozens of arrows into their ranks as Percy summoned a tidal wave from the fountain and blasted apart a three dozen zombies at once. Annabeth took on another chimera. Nico only needed to wave his sword and the zombies shied away from him. Biron threw another vial of greek fire into their ranks and six or seven went up.

Things were going great, until I noticed that Tartarus summoned zombies just as fast as we could destroy them. Tartarus chuckled.

Suddenly I heard a roar behind me. I turned around to see two chimera's growling at me. I threw myself to one side as one pounced, and tumbled to the ground. I rolled to the side as one of their lizard tails slammed into the ground, pulverizing the concrete where I had been a second before. The vibration alone jarred the fillings in my teeth. Immediately my arm started throbbing and I flew to my feet.

I put up my shield in front of my face as the lizard tail flew towards me again. I looked in dismay at the damaged shield. There was a huge dent; it wouldn't take another strike. I hurled it through the air and it struck one of the chimera's in the face, making it burst into dust.

I immediately wished I hadn't, because to do so I had to look away from the other. I heard a roar. I looked down. There was the tip of a lizard tool extending from my thigh. "Ow." I said. I suddenly remembered something. "What have I been doing using a sword?" I said, but my voice was slurred from pain.

I raised my hands and turned to face the chimera. I focused so much that my eyes were crossed, and the ground opened up underneath it. It fell, still roaring, into the pit. I made the crevice bigger, pulling in dozens of zombies at a time. Then I slammed the ground back into place and fell to my knees, ears buzzing.

"Cas?" It was Biron. He pulled me to my feet. "Oh my gods, your leg."

"Help me to the fountain." I mumbled, and he did. I practically fell forward and threw my hands into the fountain. The water flowed up my arms and I felt a surge of adrenaline as the gash on my leg healed itself, faded to a scar, then a scratch, then was gone.

"How-"

"Doesn't matter now. You still have any potions?" He nodded, reaching into his bag and taking out a vial. "Quick, what's it do?"

"Masks demigod scent. I had one that cured sickness but it smashed when the car-"

"Thanks, you're a wonder twin." He went a little pink. I popped the top of the vial off and the smell wrapped around us. "Is that it?"

"Yeah." He said. "Thats it, but-"

"Great. Come come, lets go kick monster ass." A small smile flickered across his face. He drew his bow and I pulled out my sword once more, and we dove back into the fray. Orthos, the two headed dog, was chasing Ella across the park. We ran up behind him, and sure enough he didn't smell us. Somehow, Biron and I knew exactly what to do. I made it so that the ground shook and shot us up. We landed on the dogs back. Biron took the opportunity to rain arrows down at Medusa, who shrieked and exploded into dust. I ran up the dogs back, jumped, and brought my sword down on the dogs head. It howled, and crumbled in dust. Biron and I landed on our feet.

The battle was over. Tartarus and Echidna were gone. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I gasped, and Biron turned, the expression on his face changing from happy to terror as he did.

I looked down. There was a javelin in my stomach. "Not again." I mumbled. Biron quickly finished off the zombie and rushed to me. He lowered me to the ground, with my back to the fountain. Blood poured down my front. "Not again." I said again.

"Cas." Biron was trembling. "I have ambrosia, just a minute." He fished in his bag. The others rushed over. They all immediately started doing different things. Nico helped Biron search their bags for ambrosia and nectar. Ella went into tears and dropped to her knees next to me. Annabeth tried to stop the bleeding, and Percy pulled my hand into the water. The water swirled around my hand and healed my stomach.

"Honestly." I said. "Such a fuss." They all stared at me. Then Percy burst into hysterical laughter. He was joined by the others one by one. Even Biron, who still looked shaken, laughed.

We took the trailer back towards camp. That night we stopped the mobile home in a campsite in the woods. The stars were beautiful, since we were far enough out of city limits to be able to see them. I walked a little ways away from the fire into the woods, to a boulder which I quickly climbed. I pulled out my notebook and pen, and began to draw.

"I didn't know you were an artist." Biron's voice came from behind me. I jumped. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He plopped down next to me. We sat in silence for a second until he spoke again. "I need to tell you something."

I turned to face him, and brushed my hair behind one ear. Even in the moonlight, he was handsome. "Yes?"

"Today, when I thought you were going to die, I realized something." I wondered where he was going with this. I tried to focus on the fact that he was my best friend's brother, but my heart wasn't with the program. It kept skipping beats. "I realized that…. I can't live without you Cas."

And then we were kissing, and nothing else in the world mattered. It didn't matter that he was my best friends brother. All that existed in the world was me, and Biron, and this clear starry night. I finally pulled myself away from him.

"I realized something too." I said. I held his hand. This is crazy, I thought giddily, my first boyfriend ever is my best friends brother. But…. I love him. "I can't live without you." We kissed again.

We sat on the boulder for a few minutes, talking and just being together, and then we walked back to the campsite. We held hands in the dark where nobody could see, but it didn't work.

As we sat down, Annabeth nudged Percy who glanced over and then nodded approvingly. Ella giggled, and Nico gave a tiny smile.

We were back at camp in two days.

I was down at the dock in the lake, with Biron. We were talking, and then Biron took my hand suddenly.

"Hey, Cas? I was wondering…." He said the next in a bit of a rush. "If you would like to go to the Fourth of July fireworks with me?"

"Thought you would never ask." I said. "This is going to be a good summer. I can tell." He nodded.

"You bet it will be." I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. "This is only the beginning though." I nodded.

"It is. But you, me, Ella? We can do this." I squeezed his hand. "We can totally do this."