Author's Notes: Chapter six is out and you'll start to see mild flirting and the pairing starts to form more.

The walk back to the town wasn't that bad considering I had to help Landon walk the entire way there. "Thank you, but you didn't need to carry me. My legs are fine." Landon tried to walk on his own but fell to the ground. I caught him and helped him up, "Thanks Ryan." He was smiling that same smile he wore for over an hour now and I still loved the way he looked in it.

"It's not a problem at all. Now are you going to argue with me about helping you to the train station or are you going to let me help you?" I couldn't help but smile back at him. He's the type of person that just being around brightens up your day.

He looked me in the eyes and said, "I'm not going to argue anymore, I promise."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, ok. I don't believe you for a minute, but I guess you won't ask for help so I just have to help you whether you want me to or not."

He smiled turned playful, "You just met me and you already know me so well."

"Yeah, go figure." This back and forth continued until we got to the train station about 20 minutes later. "Ok Landon, we're here now, you can walk by yourself." I let go of him and he didn't fall to the ground.

"Thank you very much Ryan, but now I owe you two favors. One for the saving of my life and another for carrying me back to town." He looked back at the group waiting patiently for us to finish talking. "Why are you guys so quiet now?"

"We're not quiet, we've been watching you and Ryan fight for about half an hour and it's very funny to listen to. It almost sounds like your flirting with each other." Cathleen smiled winningly at me as if she just beat me in a training session.

I must have turned bright red because I felt my cheeks get really hot all of a sudden. "Cathleen, could I speak to you over there? We need to purchase the tickets with our cards. Jeremy you come too." I walked over to the ticket sales with Cathleen and Jeremy behind me. As soon as we were far enough away, I turned around and glared at Cathleen. "Why did you say that Cathleen?"

She smiled playfully at me, "Say what Ryan?"

"You know damn well what you said. I actually was flirting with him and I didn't need you to point it out that obviously to him."

Jeremy look at him and then back at me, "You'd make a really cute couple, I'm jealous." I looked at him and never assumed he was openly happy with gay people, that's why Cathleen and I kept it a secret until now.

"Thank you Jeremy, Ryan, you need to look at your situation. He's flirting back and your just ignoring it other than flirting terribly back. I think when we get done paying for the tickets, you need to ask him out or something like that. Do I make myself clear?"

"I hear you, but I don't even know how old he is."

Jeremy looked at me, "He's 17, just turned it about five days ago. He told me that ran away from his mother when she started acting weirdly around him, like he was a freak and she didn't want him around." We looked over at the happy go lucky boy we just befriended. How could it be possible to not like him?

"That's terrible, parents can be so mean when the know their children are more powerful then themselves."

I thought about what Cathleen said and then it hit me, "Oh my gods, my mother is probably dead. She must have been worried sick about me for a long time. I never even told her goodbye." I started crying right in front of Cathleen and Jeremy

Cathleen started at the ground, not looking at anything on it, but thinking about what I just said. "My mom is dead. I can't believe it. I didn't see her for 2 years and then I just go and not even call her." She just kept up an emotionless face.

I looked at Jeremy and he didn't look fazed by anything we just said. "My mother died when I was 10 and I became an orphan." Cathleen and I looked at him with sympathy in our eyes. "The dead were my company for the longest time until I met you guys." He started crying. "You guys became my family when I started hanging out with you. If anything were to happen to either of you, then I would be devastated. Sure I have more friends now but it wouldn't be the same without either one of you."

"Jeremy, I'm so sorry about that. We promise to be there for you no matter what." Cathleen hugged him and he calmed down a little bit. "You're not alone anymore Jeremy, it's ok to show us your feelings and tell us if anything's bothering you."

"Yeah man, we're here for you." I hugged him and Cathleen. We must have looked stupid there standing in a circle, crying our eyes out. I calmed myself down, "Now, let's go get the tickets and go back to the group. They were probably watching us and saw us crying." They shook their heads in agreement. We went over to the clerk and purchased nine tickets on our never-run-out credit cards, courtesy of the Lotus Casino.

We walked back over to the group and they instantly noticed the redness under our eyes. "Hey guys, what's wrong?" Landon came over to me and was about to give me a hug, but stopped for fear of something.

"Yeah guys, you're the reason we're all here in the first place. If something's wrong, I think we should know about it." Amber went over and hugged Cathleen. Those two became good friends in just a few hours.

"It's nothing really. We just realized that mine and Cathleen's moms are dead."

"Oh guys, I'm terribly sorry." Ashley and Arista came over and hugged the three of us. "Is there anyway we could help?" They didn't know what they could help with, but they thought saying it would help our spirits.

"No, it's ok. Come on, we got the tickets and are ready to leave Ohio and get to New York." We gathered our things and boarded the train.

* * *

After another 10 or so hours, we arrived in New York City and Cathleen was in awe. The city was about 10 times more intricate then the last time we had been there and had a lot of giant skyscrapers. "Wow, this place improved a lot over the last 66 years." Cathleen looked from side to side at all of the giant buildings and at the giant Yankee Stadium poster in our station. "I have to see a ball game there someday."

"Yeah, it looks like it would be a lot of fun to see." It really did look like a lot of fun to do, but not with Cathleen. When it comes to baseball, she can get a little nuts. "We'll go some other time though. Right now we need to get to camp and see Chiron."

"Who?" Landon looked at me confusingly, like he was just given the question 'How do you solve world hunger?'

The rest of our group looked just as confused as Landon. "Chiron is the camp counselor. He's very nice." I gave them a smile and that seemed to lighten their moods a little bits.

"Ok then, but Ryan, how do we contact this Chiron fellow." Shane looked at me with a handful of Skittles in his hand and his thermos still full like he had never even eaten any.

I looked at Cathleen and mouthed the words 'Iris message.' She nodded and I pulled out the last of my sea shells, "Come on, we're going to the park where nobody can see us." We crossed a few streets and came to a park called 'Time Square.'

It was early in the morning, so there weren't as many people in the park as there was probably at night, but there was still enough to make us hide behind a bush and use my shell to create a steady flow of water to make a rainbow. I fished out one of the last gold drachma I had and threw it into the rainbow saying, "Oh goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering."

The drachma disappeared into the rainbow and I said, "Chiron at Camp Half-Blood." The image fizzled and we were soon staring at our old camp counselor Chiron. His beard was grown out but was well trimmed and he was in his magical wheelchair in the Big House. "Hello Chiron." He looked over at us in the iris message and dropped his coffee cup he was sipping out of.

"Oh my gods, is that you Ryan?" He rubbed his eyes like he was seeing things and opened them back upon us. "My gods, it is you Ryan. And Cathleen is there with you. My, my, you both haven't aged a bit." Then he looked at our group and his eyes widened. "Are all of those children with you half bloods?"

I looked back on the group, "Yes they are Chiron. We could use a favor."

"Yes, anything."

"Could you send somebody to come and get us? We're in a place called 'Time Square' and could use a ride to camp."

"Oh yes, I shall send Argus right away to fetch you. How many new campers including yourself and Cathleen will we be having?"

"Including Cathleen and I, there will be nine of us. Oh Chiron."

Chiron looked at me with suspicion in his eyes and an eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"We have a son of Hades here with us. Where shall he stay?" Jeremy looked down and became very depressed.

"That is no problem now. Since you left, we have added more cabins and there is now a cabin for Hades children. My dear boy, you have missed quite a bit."

"Yeah I can see that. Ok we shall wait in Time Square for Argus to arrive. Have him hurry please."

"He shall be there quicker than you could say demigods hoe. I shall see you all in about an hour." The Iris message faded into nothing and I stopped the ocean water spring to stop.

"Well, I guess for now, all we can do is wait." We sat down in the grass and waited for Argus to come and get us to camp.

* * *

Argus arrived in 20 minutes, which is a record for him. Usually he was late but apparently he changed over the years. His one hundred blue eyes wandering around, looking at all of us weirdly. "Hey Argus, long time no see." He just kept looking at me, but he smiled when he heard my voice. "Ok, everybody in the van." The group flowed in the van, the only problem was that Landon and I were the last two people and there was only one seat left.

Cathleen smiled playfully at me and mouthed the words "Your welcome." I just gave her a half-hearted smile and sat down, gesturing for Landon to sit on my lap.

He smiled and sat in the dead center on my lap. "Thank you very much Ryan." His sky blue eyes gleamed with happiness and gave me a hug, startling a few people.

I gestured for him to lean his ear towards my mouth and he leaned in. "How would you like to go on a date with me after we get to camp?" I looked into his eyes.

He smiled even bigger and gestured for me to lean my ear to his mouth. I leaned my ear and he said, "I would love to go on a date with you when we get to camp." He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek near the ear he whispered in.

I blushed and smiled widely, "Awesome." I kissed him on the cheek and he smiled wider than before.

Cathleen looked at me and smiled smugly. "I told you to take the risk dummy." She looked over at Jeremy and he smiled as well. "He finally listened to me and he now has a date. See Jeremy, this is why I'm always right."

"Yeah, I can see why." Jeremy and Cathleen laughed and the rest of the group followed. The people who were staring at us when we hugged were now completely fine with it and were clapping for us.

We road in the van for about half an hour and arrived at the foot of the hill. There was a dragon sitting next to a giant pine tree with the Golden Fleece hanging on a branch. Shane asked, "Is that the Golden Fleece form Jason's adventure to Colchis?"

"Sure looks like the Fleece Shane, but where did you learn that from?" Stephanie asked with a hint of impression in her tone.

"I learned about it in school when we had to watch the movie about it." Shane took another handful of his Skittles and popped them into his mouth.

"Hey, Shane, can I have some of your Skittles? I'm sorry, I'm really hungry." Stephanie asked, hoping to get some food.

"Sure, Stephanie." He handed his thermos over to Stephanie and she smiled.

"Thank you." She took a handful of Skittles and popped them in her mouth.

"No problem." He looked at me, Landon, Cathleen, and Jeremy walking over to the hill. "Hey guys, wait up." The rest of the group turned and saw us walking up the hill. Amber, Ashley, and Arista ran after us and Stephanie and Shane followed after them.

66 years ago, Cathleen and I ran away from this place because of the unfair treatment we were going to receive and now, we couldn't wait to see camp again and get into our old cabins.