Finished chapter 2. Finally figured out a way to get Hazel and Frank in there.

Piper grinned over at her father. He looked ridiculous in his huge aviators and his fedora hat. He was trying to hide his identity so they could enjoy their day. But as much as she tried, Piper just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. It was this growing chill that had been creeping slowly down her spine since this morning… ever since she had ran into that strangely familiar woman in the hotel, who had yelled at her in French. Piper understood her perfectly, but like with everyone she had met in France, she pretended not to. Instead, she stuttered things like "Sorry, my bad" and "Excuse me ma'am." The woman had walked off, mumbling something about "ignorant American teenagers".

Piper was trying to too the fact that she was fluent with French as hidden as possible from her father. She told him that she had been taking French as a foreign language at her school (a.k.a. Camp Half-Blood), but she hadn't let him hear the full extent of her love-language knowledge.

The woman from the hotel kept coming back to Piper's mind. The way she had spoken, even in French, reminded Piper of someone she knew.

"You okay Pipes?" Tristan asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah Dad, I'm fine."

Tristan didn't look convinced. "I'm going to go to the bathroom," he said. "Then you can tell me what's on your mind."

Piper didn't argue as she leaned back in her chair. Tristan walked off and a waiter came to get their drink orders. Piper ordered and then sat quietly, pondering what she was going to tell her dad.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Piper glanced around and cautiously pulled it out. It was a text message from Halley.

Piper frowned. She only had a phone because her dad had insisted on buying her one before they went to Europe. She only had three numbers in her contact list: Tristan's, Halley's, and Annabeth's. The phone was strictly for emergencies only. Halley and Annabeth hadn't contacted her since she had given them her number, and she hadn't contacted them.

Piper glanced at the unopened message on her screen. She was about to open it when she sensed someone behind her. She spun around in her chair, startling the woman standing behind her.

"Oh!" Piper exclaimed. "Pardon me mademoiselle." That's when the recognition hit her. "You're the lady from this morning!"

"And you're the ignorant American girl who ran me over," the woman replied with a thick French accent.

"You speak English?" Piper asked.

"Of course," the woman scoffed with obvious disgust.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Piper said.

The waiter brought Piper's drink. The strange woman eyed it for a moment, or at least it seemed like she was to Piper. Only, she couldn't see the woman's eyes under her large, bug-eye sunglasses.

"What is that you're drinking, dear?" the woman asked.

There. Another chill shot up Piper's spine. The way that lady said "dear"…

"Uh, Coca-Cola," Piper responded.

"Really?" she asked with interest.

Piper nodded, starting to get really weirded out.

"So you're here with your father?"

The sudden change of subject caught Piper off guard. "Um, yeah."

"Is that him?" the woman said, pointing towards the front of the door of the café, where Tristan had just walked out.

Piper turned to look. "Yeah, that's him," she answered. She turned back, but the woman was gone.

"That was weird," Piper murmured as she reached for her drink and took a small sip.

"So Pipes," he dad said as he sat down. "What's go you so quiet?"

Piper took a deep breath. After two years of fining out she was a demigod, Piper still hadn't found a way to tell Tristan about it. But something told her she needed to now.

"Do you remember when you were kidnapped a few years ago Dad?" she asked cautiously.

Tristan nodded slowly. "I still don't remember what happened, exactly, but I remember the huge commotion it caused."

"You… you don't remember how you got a way, do you?"

Tristan frowned. "Not exactly, no. What's all this about Pipes?"

Piper stalled, taking another sip of her drink. As she did, Mellie walked (or rather floated) up. She smiled and said: "Mr. McLean, the set called. They said that if you want, you can have the rest of the day off."

"Seriously?" Tristan asked in slight disbelief.

"Yeah," Mellie said lightly. "Apparently they have some editing they're behind in and they're trying to get that finished up."

"Well then," Tristan said with a grin. "How's that sound to you Pipes?"

Piper smiled and started to respond, but suddenly a sharp pain struck her throat.

"Ah!" she doubled over in pain, grabbing at her throat.

"Pipes?" he dad asked with worry evident in his voice. "What's wrong?"

Mellie knelt down next to her. Piper caught her eye through the pain and sent her a silent message. Help.

"Mr. McLean, we need to get Piper back to hotel… now!"

"Mellie, what is going on?"

"Sir, please," Mellie said, desperately trying to help Piper to her feet.

"Is your daughter alright?" a bystander asked. "Should I call an ambulance?"

Before Tristan could answer, Mellie said "No!" Then the aura turned back to Tristan. "Sir, I'll explain when we get to the hotel. But Piper does not need to go to a hospital!"

…

It was a short cab ride from the diner to the hotel, especially when Tristan pulled down his shades and said he'd pay extra if the cabbie got them there in less than ten minutes.

Piper's throat felt like it was on fire. Even once they had gotten back to their room, and she was at the mercy of Mellie's healing remedies it didn't make it feel any better. She would've screamed, but her voice wasn't working.

Wait. Her voice! That was it! Piper grabbed Mellie's arm and gestured to her throat.

"I know Piper," Mellie said quietly. "I'm trying to stop it."

Piper shook her head gently and then touched her lips, trying to sign something referring to her voice.

Mellie frowned. "What are you trying to say?" she asked. That was when she figured it out.

"Oh gods Piper! Your voice!" Mellie grabbed her arms gently. "It must be a poison. Gaea's found you."

Piper leaned back against the pillow and attempted to groan. Why did this have to happen? She signed using a phone to Mellie. The aura didn't really look very happy about allowing her to have it, but eventually gave Piper her cell phone.

Piper looked at the message from Halley first. Surprisingly it wasn't alarming and it didn't sound like she was in danger at all. In fact, it was just the opposite. Piper couldn't help but grin at the ridiculous nicknames Halley was using. She, Annabeth, and Piper had decided that since it was dangerous enough for them to have phones in the first place, they didn't want to give the monsters any other way of figuring out who they were. They weren't sure if the monsters would be able to read the text messages or not, but they thought it better safe than sorry. So they created nicknames for everyone, even the guys who didn't have phones.

Hey, Beauty Queen! My bro texted me, sending a question from a certain guy by the name "Sparky" ;) Sparky wants to know when you'll be coming back to the States. The "Thoughtful Thief", as my annoying brother insists on being called, says Sparky is driving him crazy. According to him, Sparky still has plans to meet you at the place you already know about. Let me know so I can pass the news onto the other two bozos! K, later! :)

-FlyGirl

That message would've been funny this morning, Piper couldn't help but think. She knew she couldn't go back to the states and meet with Jason. If Gaea had found her, she couldn't risk leading her to the others.

Piper decided the best way would be to send them a warning. So she created a new message and sent it to Halley and Annabeth. Then she turned her phone off and handed it to Mellie.

"I'll call Chiron," Mellie said. "He can help you."

The pain in Piper's throat was slowly dying down, and she shook her head.

"Don't call Chiron?" Mellie asked. "Why?"

Piper made a writing gesture with her hand. Fortunately, Mellie got the message and scrambled to get a pencil and paper. Piper quickly wrote down a note for her.

"You can't get involved with that world anymore than you have too," Mellie said, reading Piper's note out loud. "But… Piper!"

Before Piper could write another note down, or before Mellie could say more, Tristan walked into Piper's room. He looked happy to see her awake.

"Pipes! Glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

His words made Piper want to cry. She couldn't tell him how she was feeling. Desperate, she sent a silent plea to Mellie.

"Her throat is awfully sore, sir," Mellie said. "I don't think she should be talking very much."

Tristan nodded slowly. "Do you know how this happened?"

Mellie looked at Piper for the answer. Piper wrote something down on her paper.

An allergic reaction or something. Piper's desperate handwriting read. He doesn't know the truth.

The aura relayed the first half of the message to Tristan, who seemed to believe it, but didn't seem happy about it.

"I never knew Piper was allergic to anything," her father said.

"Oh it's probably just some special French spice or something," Mellie said. "Don't worry about it sir. I'll take care of her. I don't think there's any reason to call a doctor or anything."

Tristan nodded. Piper couldn't help but notice that he was a little resigned. He studied her for a few seconds before saying "I hope you start feeling better Pipes. Then maybe you can tell me what you were going to tell me earlier."

Piper nodded in response as her dad walked out the door. She could sense Mellie giving her a confused look. Once they were sure Tristan was out of earshot, Mellie asked:

"What were you going to tell him?"

Piper took her paper back and wrote down two quick words.

The Truth.

…

Reyna kept her hood pulled up close around her face, trying to keep it hidden. Being back at Camp Jupiter had its perks, but Reyna was too recognizable and she really didn't want to be recognized right now.

She was in the city with a specific mission. Reyna was looking for an old friend she had met while she was in the Legion, and she was pretty sure that friend lived in the city now.

As Reyna walked down the streets, she couldn't help but think back to when she used to walk down the same streets almost every day. She smiled when she noticed familiar spots. The store where she first witnessed Halley's theft skills (they'd ended up having to scoop a lot of unicorn poop for that stunt); the place where Dakota and Jason had demolished an entire armory (they're punishment had been scrubbing the streets with toothbrushes); the spot where Jason had given Reyna her first kiss…

Reyna shook her head. Why was she thinking about that? With a sigh, she looked up and saw exactly the store she was looking for. She grinned and walked through the door.

"Hazel?" Reyna called out. "Are you here?"

A young woman popped up from behind the counter. She had long black hair and mysterious looking eyes that had a slight glint to them that suggested this girl could be up to a lot more than she seemed at first. A sapphire set in a silver necklace dangled around her neck.

"Reyna? Is that you?"

Reyna lowered her hood and smiled at the girl. "Yep, it's me. How's it going Hazel?"

Hazel grinned. "It's great. I love living here, and there's never a dull moment in the shop." She laughed and raised an eyebrow at Reyna. "And I don't really go by Hazel anymore."

"Why?" Reyna asked with a frown. "What do you go by?"

"Haze or Hazie. I know it's not that different, but I like it. Makes me sound more… mysterious." She wiggled her fingers like she was going to cast a spell, (which, being a daughter of Trivia was always a possibility with her). "Besides, there's another girl in the Legion named Hazel Levesque. She's a daughter of Pluto and a pretty big deal over in the camp. Rumor has it that she was brought back from the dead by that Nico di'Angelo kid, back when the Doors of Death were still unlocked."

Reyna's eyes widened. "You said she was a daughter of Pluto?"

Hazel nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, she went on some big quest with this son of Mars guy… Frank Zhang, I think his name was. They got a pretty big rep from it too."

"I guess the camp needed some new heroes," Reyna said with a smirk.

"You know it," Hazel agreed. "The stories of the Titans and the Giants are starting to get old."

They both laughed at this, being veterans of the Titan war, and Reyna being one from the Giant war.

When they did stop laughing, Hazel turned to Reyna with a serious expression. "So why'd you come down here Rey? I would've figured those goddess duties would've had your schedule filled."

Reyna glanced around her, making sure she wouldn't be overheard and in a whisper said: "I need to talk to you about something, but it's private."

Hazel seemed to understand immediately. "Oh sure thing! Just give me a sec to close up shop." She waved her finger and the open door shut and locked. The "Open" sign flipped to the "Closed" side.

"I've got a room in the back we can go too," Hazel said as she started making her way back there. "Plus I put a 'no eavesdropping' spell on the store, so we should be fine."

"Good," Reyna replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

Hazel led her to a small kitchen area in the back of the shop. Reyna sat down at the small round table while Hazel fixed them each a cup of tea. Then Hazel sat down across from her.

"So, what's on your mind Rey?"

Reyna sat down her cup. "I have a question for you. It's right up your line of expertise." She paused, debating which words to use. When she decided she looked Hazel in the eye. "How could a demigod… a very powerful demigod… lose his powers?"

Hazel sipped at her tea while frowning in concentration. "That's a toughie Reyna," she said. "It's nearly impossible for any demigod to lose their powers, even if they are incredibly weak. I didn't really think it would be possible for a really powerful half-blood to lose theirs."

"It did happen though," Reyna said. "To…" she bit her lip.

Hazel raised her eyebrow. "Who'd it happen to? That actually might help me figure out what happened."

Reyna sighed. "Leo Valdez."

"The fire-user?" Hazel asked. "The guy that defeated Khione solo?"

Reyna nodded. She figured it would be best to go ahead and tell Hazel Leo's story of what happened to his powers. When she finished, Hazel was deep in thought.

"That explains it," she murmured, looking up at Reyna. "As far as I know, there's really only two ways to get rid of a half-blood's powers. With Leo, I think that his powers were jacked by a very powerful being."

"Gaea?" Reyna asked.

"Yes, and no," Hazel responded. "Whoever it was, they were more than likely working for Gaea, but I don't think it was Gaea directly." She thought for a second. "You said that Leo thinks it happened when he grabbed Maricel's hand?"

Reyna nodded again.

"Well, since we know for sure that Marci is just a clear-sighted mortal, then someone had to be using her as a sort of power funnel; a way to get to Leo without getting directly involved. I'd put my money on a god or goddess that really wants to screw with Leo's life."

"Leo said that when Marci accidentally blasted that lion, he felt a really familiar freezing cold blast." Reyna paused before saying "I think it was Khione."

"That's it!" Hazel exclaimed excitedly. "It makes sense too. Hasn't Khione hated Leo since, like, the day they met?"

"Snow and fire don't exactly mix," Reyna said softly. "And Khione has been more or less MIA since the fight on Mount Olympus."

Hazel leaned back in her chair, looking pretty satisfied with herself. "Well that's what happened then. Khione drained Leo's powers."

"How would we reverse it?"

"Uh, that one I don't know," Hazel answered, with wide eyes. "I don't think you can if a goddess was the reason they're gone. Kinda like when Percy and Jason lost their memories… Juno had taken them, so she was the only one who could give them back."

"You mean the only way to get Leo's powers back is to get them back from Khione?"

"Exactly!" Hazel frowned. "I thought goddesses were supposed to know a lot more than average half-bloods."

Reyna shrugged. "I had my suspicions, but I wanted to confirm them, and I knew that you knew a lot about demigod powers."

"Well, you're right about that," Hazel replied with a grin. "Any more suspicions you need confirmed?"

"Just a question… it goes along the same lines. How would a charmspeaker lose her powers?"

"Are you talking about Piper?" Hazel stood up to get more tea. "Well, a charmspeaker's powers could actually be harder to dispatch than someone with powers like Leo, for example, because they're powers are less obvious. Charmspeakers rely on their voices and their looks, but more on the looks." She paused, considering what to say next. "The easiest and most affective way to get rid of a charmspeaker's powers would be to get rid of their voice. I actually know a potion that would do that… and it's really strong too. It'd get rid of her voice for months most likely, and it's very difficult to cure. In fact, I think the only known cure is gorgon blood… and that's almost impossible to find."

Reyna sighed. She had known that much. Reluctantly, she stood up to leave.

"Thanks Hazel," she said. "You've really helped."

"Yeah no prob," Hazel replied. "Tell the others hi for me, will ya? And make sure to remind Halley that she still owes me five denarii."

Reyna cracked a smile at that. "You don realize that you're never going to see that money, right?"

"Of course I do," she replied with a grin. "But I can always hope. See you later Reyna."

"Bye Hazel."

Reyna walked out of the shop and down the streets of New Rome, wondering what she was going to do to help her friends out. As she was making her way to the barrier, she happened to run into two younger teenagers. One was a girl with dark skin who looked about thirteen. The other was a Chinese boy with a baby face that made him look about fourteen or fifteen, though he could've been older. Reyna recognized two medals pinned onto the boy's chest. One was the Mural Crown, which signified he had done something to earn a pretty big military honor. The other one was the Centurion medal. Reyna made a mental note that whoever this kid was, he was pretty important.

"Oh, sorry," the girl said. She studied Reyna with strange golden eyes. "I've never seen you around before… are you new?"

Reyna smiled faintly. "No, I'm an old veteran from camp. My name's Reyna."

The two teens' mouths dropped open.

"You're Reyna?" the boy asked. "As in… the Reyna? Daughter of Apollo?"

"That's me," Reyna said.

"What are you doing here?" the girl asked. "I thought you became immortal after the war with the giants."

"Well, I did actually," Reyna replied. "But I came here to visit an old friend. Now, who are you two? Who are your parents?"

"My name's Hazel Levesque," the girl replied. "I'm the daughter of Pluto." She gestured to the boy. "This is Frank Zhang. Son of…"

"Son of Mars," Frank interrupted. Reyna noticed he didn't sound extremely proud about that.

"My friend mentioned you. She said you guys recently went on a quest together."

They both nodded. Reyna could tell they found it a little awkward, or maybe scary to be talking to her, so she decided it would probably be best to leave.

"It's nice to meet you both," Reyna said. "But I need to be getting back."

Frank and Hazel both murmured goodbyes and Reyna went on her way.

Something about those two was different, she thought. They're super powerful, but something's bothering both of them.

That wasn't the only thoughts running through Reyna's mind. She also couldn't help but think that she was going to be seeing a lot more of Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque.

I hope that chapter wasn't too confusing. Since I already had Hazel daughter of Trivia, but I still wanted Hazel daughter of Pluto, I decided I would have two Hazels for just this chapter. From now on though, if it mentions Hazel, assume it's Hazel Levesque (unless I say otherwise.)

Next Chapter: Halley's trip to Europe!