Phew. That was fun. Your reactions were positively the best I've received so far.

I TOTALLY SHIP HAMMY!

But not as hard as I ship Frazel. Frazel is better than Hammy, I will admit. I just wanted a little Hammy action in this story.

Don't worry, Frazel fans! I've fixed it.

I own nothing you recognize as canon. Kids/teens (Sammy and Leo excluded) are mine.


XXI

HAZEL

Hazel Levesque Zhang woke up kissing someone.

It was a pleasant surprise for sure! Her eyes fluttered open.

A Latino man was leaning over her, his deep brown gaze soft and warming.

"L-Leo?" Hazel stammered. What was he doing?! She was about to slap the daylights out of that idiot.

The man smiled. "Good guess. But incorrect."

"Then who—?"

"Miss Lamar," the man said with an over-dramatic director's voice, "I do believe that kiss scene was superb. Your husband will certainly be jealous!"

Hazel's eyes widened in recognition. "S-Sammy!?"

Sammy Valdez bowed. "At your service once more. For a limited time only, though."

Hazel found herself hugging her old friend tightly. He was really there! He was real!

"Sammy," she murmured. "I can't believe…how did you even…?"

Sammy broke the hug and looked at her with sad eyes. "Your father allowed me to live for a short period of time. I was the only one who could rescue you. I've only got a few minutes now."

Hazel felt a tear trail down her cheek. "So…"

Sammy wiped it away. "I'm okay, Hazel." He smiled sweetly. "I got Elysium, so I'm pretty happy."

Hazel smiled back. She felt relief in knowing her old flame got Elysium, even as a regular mortal.

"I like Frank, by the way. He's good to you, I can tell. So, if you wouldn't mind…maybe keep what just happened our little secret?"

Hazel then remembered that she had woken up kissing someone. And that someone had been Sammy Valdez!

She punched him in the arm. He yelped.

"You ass!" she yelled at him. "You've met Frank and you know that I'm married—plus, I'm pretty sure you're married—and you had the gall to kiss me!?"

Sammy looked at her with a serious expression. Then it turned sad. "I…My wife and children never got Elysium. Esperanza did, and at least little Leo will when he finally comes…But I've been alone for a long time, Hazel…I don't think I can say I'm married anymore…"

"That doesn't give you the right to…" Hazel trailed off.

Sammy nodded. "I know. But, you wouldn't wake up and I had no other idea on what to do…so…it just kinda…happened. I'm very sorry! I know this will make things awkward now, but…"

He lowered his gaze. "Please. Don't be mad. And…don't let that come between you and Frank! You two are very happy together, I can see that! It's very apparent in the way you raised your son. Thanks for that, by the way." He winked. "I love the tribute."

Hazel smiled even though she was still a little ticked off at him. "I never forgot you."

"And I never forgot you," he said. "I let you go, Hazel. But, it never felt like a true good-bye. Let that kiss be my true 'good-bye, have fun in Alaska' kiss that I never got to give you all those years ago. So, can you let that slip-up go? Let's forget that happened and enjoy the few minutes I've got left?"

She looked at Sammy and hesitantly nodded. "Okay," she said. "I'll let it go…But, what now?"

Sammy smiled. "Now? Maybe I can ask: When you finally meet me for real again—in Elysium—can we just…what's the word the young kids used? Can we 'hang out'? You, me, and Frank. We could go have fun together."

"You'd be a third wheel," Hazel commented.

He shrugged. "It's better than being a one wheel. I'm not looking to be in a relationship again, Hazel. That part of my life—or death, in my case—is long gone. I started my family, lived my dream. I'm content with just wandering around with friends for eternity. And if you two get all touchy-feely with each other, I'll go bother my granddaughter. Or little Leo."

"We could go horseback riding," she suggested.

"I'll make you a smushed cupcake and everything," he said with a grin.

"Sammy!" She giggled, remembering that last day she had with him.

Just then, Sammy began to glow. His form flickered, and for a moment Hazel could see right through him. The Latino sighed. "Time to go, I guess."

Hazel wanted to cry. "Already?"

Sammy smiled. "Hey. I'll be fine. You know where to find me."

Hazel hugged him one last time. "When we finally meet up again," she said, her voice breaking, "I'd love to hang out. Still friends?"

"Still friends," he promised. "I'll be waiting. Just…just don't come too quickly." His voice was beginning to fade.

"I'll try," she said.

"I love you." Nothing else. Just those three words made Hazel cry. She could tell he meant it. And it wasn't the 'Let's go out' kind of I love you, either. It was the 'We're the best of friends. We have a special friendship bond no one else can have' kind of I love you.

"I love you, too," she said back, her voice etched in sadness. "Good-bye, Sammy."

Sammy's form slipped from her grasp. He had all but faded completely.

Hazel looked up and saw him smile one last time.

"Until we meet again, Hazel Zhang…"

And he was gone.


After a few minutes, Hazel had composed herself enough to face the world again. She had silently prayed a 'thank you' to her father for being kind enough to allow that brief meeting.

What Sammy had done to wake her up would stay with her to her grave. It didn't ruin her love for Frank, but she figured it might be easier (and less awkward) to keep that locked away.

Hazel felt a little weak in the knees at first, so she stood up and caught her breath. Eventually, she felt her strength return and walked out of the stall.

She exited the stables and halted, tilting her head at the…interesting sight.

Tulio was sitting in the grass, tinkering with some sort of thing in his hands.

Sammy Leo was rolling on the ground, laughing. He had tears in his eyes.

And Leo…

Hazel didn't know what was going on with that man.

Leo had the greatest look of discomfort Hazel had ever seen. His shirt was extremely tight around his chest, his sleeves ripping at the edge because of the strain against his biceps. The TEAM *some sort of scribble* LEO on his chest was stretched wide. His suspenders were hanging around his waist. Hazel thought it was more because he didn't need extra tightness on his shoulders. That, and he definitely wasn't going to have his pants falling down anytime soon. His pants—good gods, how they were holding up around his hips without ripping was a mystery to Hazel. For some reason, Leo wasn't wearing any shoes…

"Do I want to know why you're dressed like that?" she asked, finally gaining everyone's attention.

Leo grumbled something Hazel didn't catch. Sammy Leo chuckled.

"He had a random growth spurt," her son explained. "At least he didn't throw up this time."

Hazel gave him a confused look. "What do you mean 'growth spurt'? He looks exactly the same!"

Tulio stood up and shook the dirt off his butt. Hazel noticed he was wearing a TEAM TULIO shirt. She wondered why all the Valdez boys had to be such lunatics and thanked the gods Sammy hadn't been wearing a TEAM SAMMY shirt.

"We'll explain on the way," Tulio said. "Let's go before my Papi goes all 'Hulk' on his outfit."

Leo grinned. "I'm trying very hard not to do that until I see Frank."

Sammy Leo clapped his hand onto the man's back. "Didn't know you had such wide hips, though, Leo. Got some nice 'girly figure' there."

Leo glared at him. "This is mostly muscle from squatting all the time in the shop."

"Sure it is," Tulio chuckled. "It's totally that and not all the tacos and enchiladas that you stuff down all the time."

Hazel giggled. "Went straight to your hips."

Leo turned red. "Let's just go!"

He waddled away, which earned a huge laugh from all three of his companions.

As they followed the uncomfortable son of Hephaestus, Sammy Leo asked his mother, "I take it Sammy went back to Elysium?"

"Yes," she said.

"I liked him," Tulio commented. "He was really nice."

"I can see why you liked him back in the day, Mom," Sammy Leo said.

Hazel nodded. "Did your father approve?"

"Yeah, he did," her son said, smiling. "There weren't any awkward problems between them. Sammy right away broke the ice and let him know you weren't an issue."

"That's great!"

"Not to change the subject," Tulio interrupted. "But whose key do you have?"

"Key?" Hazel checked her pockets. Sure enough, she felt something long and thin in her back jeans pocket.

She pulled it out.

It was a blue key that ended in the shape of a trident. The trident itself seemed almost greenish in color, and the more Hazel looked at it, the more the color shifted. Kind of like the sea.

Tulio sighed. "Was kinda hoping it'd be Mom's key next. Papi's been feeling down lately. He's gonna need my mom around soon or else there might be problems…"

Hazel remembered Leo's tie to Calypso. She knew the son of Hephaestus couldn't be too far away from his wife for very long without experiencing some sort of discomfort. At the moment, Leo seemed to be doing okay, but for how long Hazel couldn't be sure.

Sammy Leo blinked at the key. "Can I see that?"

Hazel gave her son the key. He only held it for a second before handing it to Tulio. "Guess I'm not right to rescue Percy, either," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

Tulio shrugged and handed the key back to Hazel. "It's not that important, Sammy. Let's just hope we won't need to bring back the dead to rescue Percy."

Hazel shook her head. "So, is anyone going to fill me in on what's happened since I was taken?"


A/N: And you all thought the next rescue would be Piper's! Ha! Still gotta wait on the Espie ship xD

I don't consider this as 'friend-zoning' Sammy. That seems like a harsh kind of phrase. I think he'd be okay with hanging out as a friend, honestly. He's an old man (technically) and no longer has the 'need to breed' kind of hormones now that he's dead. He knows where priorities lie now.

And no, this is not a terrible terrible secret. Everyone has that one secret they're not willing to share to anyone, even their significant other. And I don't mean a 'cheating' kind of secret! D: This wasn't cheating on Frank! Maybe one day in Elysium Hazel will tell Frank, Frank will punch Sammy in the arm, they'll get over it and hang out some more. Eternal life goes on.

*legasp*

Speaking of cheating, I've just had this really dark idea! Not for this story, don't worry! But for a kind of AR to this chapter. Something that involved a little more than just a kiss once Hazel woke up. *evil grin* I don't know if I'll go along with it, though. I love the idea, but it's a little twisted :P