(A/N: Sorry! I planned to post on Saturday, but I was out of town for my cousin's wedding. I didn't get back until late last night, but nevertheless, here it is! Chapter 3! Please Review and tell me what you think!)

FRANK (III)

After talking with Sally Jackson, Nico sat down at the table, looking several years older than he had moments before. Jason left the room, muttering something about Leo. They really needed to fix the sink problem before the whole ship flooded. Frank's shoes were already soaked. With nothing else to do but wait, he sat down across from Nico, rubbing his temples. From Nico's expression, Frank guessed it did not go as well as he had hoped.

"Hey," said Frank after a few minutes of silence. "It's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Nico growled fiercely, making Frank flinch. "Percy's mom is the strongest person I've ever known. She's even stronger than her son. Last year, when Kronos was getting ready to attack, Percy and I had to devise a plan where Percy could attack Kronos without dying. Percy's mom had to giver her blessing to something that he could possibly die from. Even then she was strong."

Frank stared at Nico, trying to comprehend his words. "What did she have to bless?" he asked, frowning, remembering the sad, desperate woman from the Iris message.

Nico swallowed hard before saying, "Percy bathed in the River Styx, which has only done three times in all of history. Each time, though, you needed the mother's blessing."

Frank's jaw dropped open. "Three? I thought Achilles was the only one who…" he trailed off, unable to speak anymore. Swallowing his emotion, he continued in a hoarse voice, "I saw Percy get cut before. He doesn't have Achilles' curse."

Nico nodded agreeing. "Not anymore. He couldn't retain it in Roman territory. The little Tiber washed it away. As for only Achilles accomplishing it, you're wrong. For Kronos to come back to life, he needed a mortal body that had the curse of Achilles so it could be his host. That was Luke, one of Annabeth's best friends. He killed Kronos by stabbing himself in his Achilles' heel. Percy was the only other one who achieved it. Currently, no one has it, since Percy's was washed away."

They sat in silence for a few moments more. Frank's mind was pretty much blank, trying to process everything from that day. He jumped when Leo came stomping in, glowering at the sink.

"Well, who did this?" Leo asked gruffly, looking between Nico and Frank. Frank quickly put his finger up and pointed at Nico, blaming the kid with the sword hanging at his waist. Nico didn't complain, though. He just stood up and grinned.

"That would be me."

Leo scowled and murmured something about life forms. Frank wasn't sure he was hearing right so he just ignored it. He stepped past the sons of Pluto and Vulcan (or Hades and Hephaestus), and went to his cabin, hoping to get some sleep. He had had such a long day; he was ready to go to bed. He dragged himself into his room and plopped down on the bed. He felt frustrated when he realized that he was too wired to sleep. Forcing himself to relax, he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Frank dreamt that he was falling into a dark hole. Then, suddenly he was seeing everything from someone else's eyes. He was hugging someone to him, tightly. He couldn't let go. He would never cause her pain. Then the world seemed to tilt and an explosion of pain was sent racking through his body. He cried out, whether in the dream or in his sleep, he did not know. His hazy vision went black and the pain stopped. His dream shifted and he was saved from the darkness.

Wishing he was back in the black hole, Frank whimpered. He would much rather be there than standing before a woman dressed in an earthen dress with closed eyes. She smiled and held out her arms, and even though her mouth did not move, Frank heard her voice echo throughout the grassy plain.

Ah, Frank. Do not worry about Percy and Annabeth. They are in my hands now. Frank wanted to scream out that that's why he should worry about them, but the words wouldn't come out. Gaea's smile grew wider as if she knew what he was thinking. Now, she said, her arms reaching his thick neck. Die!

Frank struggled against her strong grip, but to no avail. He could feel his lungs stop working. He heard the door to his room open, and Gaea's smile slackened. From somewhere far away, Frank heard Hazel yell for him, but he could not answer. He couldn't get enough air in his lungs to wake up. His eyelids fluttered, blinking between the dream world and Hazel's face leaning over him. He couldn't…breathe. He was trapped. He was trapped.

Gaea's smile diminished to a grimace and she let go. Falling back, the ground absorbed her. Farewell, Frank. We shall meet again. And then I will kill you and your friends. I have spent too much energy keeping you here. And with that, the dream world she had created vanished and Frank's eyes opened to Hazel's lips on his. Frank sat up, coughing up dirt flecks over the side of his bed. Hazel sat back, obviously relieved. Jason stood behind her, arms crossed. Worry swam in his blue eyes.

Frank sat up, thoroughly embarrassed to have Jason in his room when Hazel was kissing him. Hazel tackled him with a hug. "Frank! Don't you ever leave me again! I had to do CPR on you. You weren't breathing!" Hazel yelled in an exasperated voice, making it seem like Frank was a really big burden. He avoided eye contact with either of them as he told them his dreams. There was silence in the room.

Finally Jason spoke. "So, did something happen to Percy?" he asked, obviously confused.

"Felt like it," Frank complained, massaging his right shoulder, where the pain had been the worst.

Hazel crawled over to him on the bed and hugged him. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do sorry I got Jason, and he said that I should try CPR." Frank nodded, not trusting his voice. He didn't know how he felt about waking up to find Hazel kissing him. He coughed, clearing his throat, before he slid off of his bed.

"We should tell Nico, Leo, and Piper." Jason nodded, his mouth forming a grimace. Frank silently wondered what was wrong with him. He shook his head, forcing himself to concentrate on his task. He shivered as he remembered his dream and the extreme pain he had been in. Whatever had happened to Percy and Annabeth, Frank knew that they had to reach Epirus as fast as they could to help the demigods trapped in Tartarus. Frank walked into the kitchen, determined in his mission, to find a bright light blinding him.