Hello, fellow demigods :)

Now for a new chapter, starting with a very pressing matter.

BURGERS! :D

Also, I want to thank the amazing AphroditeMatch Maker for basing her nail art on MY characters – that absolutely made my day. This chapter is for you – although I went over the plot and you may not like it that much...and Silverstar for naming himself after me, thanks so much!

R&R you amazing people :)

-Silverhand9028

Veronica's POV

It didn't make sense.

I sat on the forest floor, my back against a slender beech tree, eating my burger. It was good, but it couldn't take my mind off my troubles.

Firstly, there was the stranger in the woods, who spied on Lilly and Leon. What had they wanted? Were they friend or foe?

Then Tom's shoes: who was it that said "Maia?", and why did his shoes do it in the first place? Perhaps a messenger from Hermes wanted to show Tom's true heritage and give him a present... but I didn't feel satisfied with that answer.

Next, Miss Avia. I'm sure I saw Lief kill her, but how did she come back to Camp and attack us? Did someone summon her?

What about Magenta, Jack and Aston? I wonder why Magenta joined the Hunters just before they came to us? Why did she pick off Tom, then call us the traitors?

So many loose ends. So many unanswered questions.

I don't like unanswered questions...

It was beginning to darken in the woods. The sun's dying rays were beginning to fade: the large pink orb was barely visible behind the layer of trees. It was almost dark – and at that time, the monsters could strike.

I glanced over at Toby. He was sprawled by a log, clearly enjoying his ketchup-filled burger, dripping with fat and sauce. I saw Lilly, looking repulsed at Toby whilst she daintily nibbled her vegetarian burger – with low-fat mayonnaise and salad.

Leon was practising strokes with a retractable spear with one hand, while eating his burger with the other.

"How long will Summer and Tom be?" he asked, ruthlessly murdering a little sapling with one sweep of his spear.

"I dunno," shrugged Toby. "Summer left about ten minutes ago, then Tom said he had to go with her to make sure she was OK, and that was about... I dunno, seven minutes ago?"

"Why did he go with her? I know two heads are better than one, but she was only looking for somewhere to kip for the night."

I noticed Lilly's lips curl up at the edges, whilst I subconsciously did my 'I know something and you don't' grin.

"What?" asked Leon, noticing our smiles.

"Haven't you noticed?" I asked, biting my burger.

"Noticed what?" Toby stood, folding his arms. Leon retracted his spear and approached Lilly and I.

"Summer and Tom!" gushed Lilly. "They're, like, perfect!"
"What? Summer and Tom..." Leon wondered. He paused. "I... never noticed that before..."

"Never?" scoffed Lilly. "But didn't you get that feeling?"
"What feeling?"
"When you see two people who you think go together, and you get a little tingling in your heart?"
"No..." Toby took a huge mouthful of burger and spoke with his mouth wide open.

My eyes widened. "Lilly, it must be a trait from your mother! The ability to detect good relationships!" I cried.

Lilly gasped. "Wow! So I can sense when people work together... that's awesome!"

"But..." I faltered. "Summer told me she didn't really... you know... feel that way about him. He's like her brother, like her best friend, but... not a boyfriend."
"I understand how she feels," Leon admitted. "I felt like that about Lilly. Like, we weren't cut out to be boyfriend and girlfriend. But it turns out..." he awkwardly fumbled with his jacket, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"Aw, Leon," Lilly blushed, "but we have to get them to realise they love each other!"
I smirked, my eyebrows arching, like they did whenever I had an idea.

"Well," I smiled, "we've got to try..."

I secretively smiled as Tom entered the clearing, sword in his belt, caduceus shield reduced to a little snake-strap watch on his left wrist.

Summer followed suit, her arrows stocked up fully and guitar pick hanging from her Camp necklace.

I winked at Lilly who was beside me. She turned to Summer to show her white designer tee, the one that Summer said was her favourite. Summer noticed the shirt, stopped, and smiled. She then approached us happily.

I gestured subtly at Toby and Leon. Leon took out a basketball and bounced it on the floor and Toby took out a ketchup-oozing burger and took a huge bite into it. I saw Tom approach the boys – my plan was working. You see, Tom's favourite sport was basketball and he loved burgers. Summer loved to chat with girls – like me and Lilly were doing now – and also Lilly's top. I worked out that we had to use what triggered positive emotions and interests to lure them, so I reasoned mentally that we had to trigger subconscious emotions that would draw them towards us.

Either that, or they came to us because we deliberately stood in front of their sleeping areas...

Whatever the reason, we where approached by Summer, and the boys by Tom.

"Hey Summer," I smiled – trying to keep it natural.

"Hey Vea."
"Find anywhere good to kip tonight?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation natural before heading to the topic of importance.

"Not bad – a tiny little hotel – like, twenty rooms, but really cheap rooms. They're doing an offer tonight: free for all girls!"
"Really?" squealed Lilly. "Why?"

"The women at reception said the manager was some kind of feminist... and it's her birthday today."

"Cool," I smiled.

"All us girls for free," Lilly's glossed lips curved into a subtle smile – I saw she was about to put the plan into action... "some kinda girls-only party!"

Summer giggled.

"Like a cooler version of the Hunters," I joked.

Summer shuddered: "Ew, no thanks," she murmured.

"I thought you got along with the hunters fine," I mused, secretly pleased at how well our plan to make Summer realise she loved Tom was going.

"Yeah, they were OK," Summer shrugged, brushing back her hair, "like, I got along with Amy – this daughter of Apollo – but she'd be the friend I'd have."
"We could join!" laughed Lilly, making it look like she was joking – I could tell the Hunters and their 'anti-love' scheme were not in her good books.

"Yeah, but what about the lads?"
"Ah, we'd still see them, they'd still be our friends... unless you fancy one of them..." I smiled.

"Yeah – I guess I couldn't join after all then!" chortled Lilly.

"No..." Summer's sky-like eyes darkened. "I don't..."

I almost giggled as I saw Summer's cheeks redden. It was obvious she loved Tom... now to show her!

I glanced over my shoulder.

I could see Toby and Leon had started doing their work on Tom, by doing what they did best.

Discussing girl's body parts.

Typical boys.

"Did you see that Daughter of Hebe at Camp? What's her name... Dawn?" grinned Toby, "She's like, nineteen, but she looks our age because her mum's goddess of youth..."

"Is she the one with the..." Leon whispered something under his breath, probably quite dirty, and the three boys all guffawed with laughter.

"Yeah, and then there's that half-sister of Lilly – Kelly, is it? Well, I'd have her from the front... and Dawn from the back... if you know what I mean..."

That line from Toby got him high-fives all round, as Tom mimed something I'm glad Summer didn't see.

"No, seriously, I'm a faithful boyfriend," Leon said, glancing over at Lilly fondly. "You two got any relationship prospects?"

"Nah," Toby grinned, brushing back his curly dark hair. "Imma stay single – you can't go to parties and chat up girls with some other girl on your arm."
Leon shrugged. "What 'bout you Tom?" he asked.

Tom's eyes darted about. "Uh... yeah... stay single."

"Not even Dawn?" Leon grinned.

"She's like, five years older than me."

"Kelly?" suggested Toby.

"Too skinny."

"Grace?"

"She's my half-sister!"

"I'd still say yes... anyway, how about...Veronica?"
"No!"

"Lilly?"
"What? No..."
"Summer?"
"N-uh..."

Leon stopped, triumphant. "No?" he grinned.

"Uh... no way!"

Toby winked at me.

I smirked.

Round Two...

"Okay," Lilly folded her arms. "So, we're like, a cooler, less miserable, boy-tolerant version of the Hunters?"
I hadn't missed much eavesdropping on the lads. Lilly had been doing an excellent job at excelling our plan further.

"Yeah," Summer laughed. "But we don't worship Artemis."
"And not all of us use bows and arrows." I added.
"And we don't have wolves or hunting eagles." noted Lilly.

"Or miserable psychopath daughters of Morpheus."

We burst out laughing at Summer's joke.

"Okay," I smiled, "but apart from that?"
"Deal," smiled Lilly.

"Totally," laughed Summer

I sudden loudly sneezed – secretly a signal to Toby and Lilly.

Toby nodded a subtle affirmative. He exclaimed: "Hold on – can you hear something in the woods?" The three boys stopped. I realised I only had a few seconds before they would have to start talking.

"Cool," I grinned. "We're gonna be the Hunters!"
"Yay!" Summer laughed. Tom turned to look at her. "I'm gonna be in the Hunters!"
"What?" spluttered Tom. I whispered "Yessss!" quietly – our plan was working at last! "You're joining the Hunters?"

A silence filled the wood.

"Tom," Summer laughed, "it's not actually-"

"Summer, don't join the Hunters."
"What? Look, Tom, I'm don't want to go to the same place Samantha and Magenta are. I'm joining the Hunt-"
"Don't... just don't..."

"TOM!" Summer silenced him. "I. Am. Not. Joining. The. Hunters."

"But... you just said..."

"No... Vea, Lills and I are the cool Hunters. Like the normal ones, but a cooler, less miserable, boy-tolerant, non-Artemis-obsessed, not all archery-orientated, wolf and eagle-less, Magenta-less, version. It was, like, a little joke..."

"Oh..." Tom looked like ten tonnes had been lifted off his shoulders as he breathed out in relief.

"But... why were you so adamant that I shouldn't join them?"
"Because... Summer... I..."

"You what?" Summer and Tom locked eyes.

They both stared silently at each other for a few seconds.

"Oh my gods... you... you... and...me...I...I..." Summer whispered.

"S-S-Summer, I'm sorry..."
"What do you mean?"
"I just..." Tom hung his head.

"Tom," I noticed tears spring to Summer's eyes.

I smiled at Lilly, Toby and Leon. We had successfully got them to realise their love...

or had we?
For Summer stared deep into Tom's irises. "I never knew..." she muttered. "I mean, you've always been one of my best friends, my brother, my family. I can depend on you, I can trust you, I respect you and I like you. But..."
"Yes?"
Summer, rather unexpectedly, started crying. Perhaps Lilly's emotional breakdowns had rubbed off on her.

"I like you Tom. But love, is..."

"What?" Tom looked like he was about to cry now.

"I don't know what I feel," she admitted, "I..."

Summer wiped her eyes and blinked away any tears in her eyes.

"Look," she stepped up to Tom and smiled briefly. "If – when – we complete this quest, then you and me at that burger place we used to go to, downtown."
Tom smiled.

"Okay," he nodded. "It's a date."

I could tell he wasn't as happy as we'd hoped, but it was something, I suppose. He and Summer had a date. I trusted Lilly's inherited powers to sense good relationships, and I was sure they'd end up okay...

...hopefully...

Whew, that was a long chapter but I'm pleased in the end.

What do you think of Tommer? :P

Do you wish their relationship could end up better, or do you not want them together.

This chapter's for AphroditeMatch Maker, who probably has Lilly's power, she keeps telling me who to pair up! :)

Thanks guys!

-Silverhand9028