Hi! Thanks for beautiful reviews! Here comes a new chapter, not very good but still! ;)

Now there is gonna be a little twist. I want to write about Christmas so bad so this is a really weird way to do it, but yeah… Just read and review XD

Chapter 15 – Happiness and joy

HAZEL

"Hazel?" Frank's uncertain voice came from behind the cabin door. Hazel sat and tried to read an incredibly boring book.

"It's open."

Frank came in. He looked cute as always.

"Hi." He said simply. "I hope it is okay that I just came by-"

Hazel almost imploded with guilt. She felt so stupid for blaming him for Leo's dragon accident.

"Of course." She said.

Frank sat down on the bed next to her.

"What's that?" He said and looked at the book.

"Just a boring book." Hazel said and shrugged.

They sat in silence for a moment, until Hazel couldn't stand it anymore.

"Frank, I'm so sorry for blaming you. It wasn't your fault, I feel terrible-"

"Hazel, it's okay." Frank interrupted. "I'm sorry. If I hadn't hesitated Leo would never gotten hurt."

He looked so sad, like a cute puppy pleading with big eyes for food. Hazel leaned forward and kissed him.

"Let's say we both did wrong." She said.

Frank smiled.

"And it all worked out, right? Apollo healed Leo."

"Exactly." Hazel took his hand and smiled.

Suddenly Nico appeared in the doorway. He looked shocked.

"What's wrong?!" Hazel immediately asked. She and Frank rose.

"I-She just appeared." Nico stammered. "Just come."

Frank and Hazel looked at each other, but followed Nico to the mess hall. It was warm and cozy in there and smelled good. Piper, Jason, Coach Hedge and Leo were already there. Hazel saw right away what they were staring at. A woman in golden robes with blonde hair was sitting on a chair at the dinner table.

"Who-" Frank started but stopped when the woman raised her head.

The woman had golden eyes and a beautiful face, but the most astonishing was her smile. It was big, nice, and really happy. She looked like she was the happiness herself.

"My name is Euphrosyne. I'm one of the Graces." The woman said and smiled even bigger. Her voice was cheerful, like a happy melody.

Hazel suddenly felt really happy. She felt like dancing, hugging everyone in the room and just laugh. Somewhere back in her head she realized that this woman was a goddess and she probably made Hazel feel this way, but right now she didn't care.

"I've read about you." Piper said slowly. She was smiling too. "Aren't you the goddess of happiness or something?"

"Yes, actually I am. The goddess of happiness, cheer and joy." Euphrosyne said, still smiling. How could she speak and still have that great smile?

"Isn't Grace your last name, Jason?" Leo asked. He was grinning but looking slightly confused. "Are you related?"

Euphrosune laughed. The sound of it made Hazel think of all the good memories she shared with everyone she loved. It felt good.

"No, my dear, I'm afraid Jason and I never met before. But I heard that you recently lost two demigods. I'm so sorry." She said, but her smile didn't waver.

Frank blinked a few times.

"Yes, Percy and Annabeth. They fell down to Tartarus."

"Oh, that sounds terrible! But no need to dwell on that. You can't do anything but wait until you reach Greece, so let's transform this sadness to joy! You will need to be optimistic to defeat Gaea. I can help."

Hazel frowned. Her mind was foggy, and she was warm inside, but she needed to ask this goddess some questions.

"Are you Greek or Roman?" She asked.

The goddess flinched, and for a moment someone else was sitting in that chair; a woman in purple robes with black hair. Hazel immediately knew that she was a Charis.

"Please stop thinking of me in my Roman form! It is hard enough to stay as a Grace when all of you are here." Euphrosyne sounded annoyed, but one second later she was her old smiling self again.

"Sorry, ma'am." Nico said quickly.

"Okay… Well, I apologize. But why are you here?" Hazel asked the goddess. She didn't know if she could trust this Charis/Grace.

"To spread some happiness, of course!" Euphrosyne laughed.

"How?" Jason asked hopefully.

"Well, do you demigods know which is my favorite holiday?" She asked. "I'll give you a clue: it's the coldest but still happiest holiday of all."

"Christmas?!" Leo asked. He didn't look as dazed anymore. "Isn't it, like, five months to Christmas?"

"Actually, yes. But I'll give you a gift, like the other gods who visited you. I'll give you Christmas!"

Piper clapped her hands. Coach Hedge danced a little. Nico and Jason laughed happily. They didn't seem to realize how strange this was.

Hazel and Leo shared worried looks.

"Er, exactly what do you mean?" Leo asked and raised an eyebrow.

But Euphrosyne didn't answer. The world started to fade in Hazel's eyes.

"You'll see. You won't need to focus on saving the world, I'll give you a little Christmas break! Merry Christmas!" Her distant happy voice called.

"What do you mean?!" Hazel screamed, but she couldn't see the goddess. In fact, she couldn't see anything at all.

Then suddenly, she was standing in the mess hall again, but it looked completely different.

"What just-Whoa." Leo said. "What the heck?!"

The whole mess hall was decorated with jingle bells, garlands, and other Christmas decorations. The table was dingling with delicious Christmas food, and in the corner of the hall a big Christmas tree was spreading a smell of forest.

"Wow." Piper said. "It's Christmas!"

"This is so weird." Jason said. "This is wrong. It's the middle of July!"

"Well, Euphrosyne said that she was gonna give us Christmas, and here we are." Coach Hedge said and grinned.

"She said she would give us a break. Leo, is the ship sailing or what?"

They all ran to deck, and Hazel inhaled sharply.

The ship was aloft, and under them a big city covered in the snow glittered in the moonlight. It should have been day, but the sky was dark and star-spangled, and the moon looked really big.

"Oh my gods. Where are we?!" Piper asked.

Leo ran to the helm and pressed some buttons, looking worried and astonished at the same time.

"We're not sailing. Festus can't even locate us. It's like we are flying over the City of Nowhere."

"The goddess said she would give us a break. She literally stopped time and put us in the middle of nothing!" Nico said and balled his fists.

"Well, then there is just one thing to do." Leo turned back to the others, grinning.

"What?! There is nothing we can do. We have to wait until that Grace take us back to reality." Hazel said bitterly.

Leo rolled his eyes and spread his hands.

"To celebrate, of course. Let's do a special Demigod Christmas ála a goddess whose name I can't pronounce!"