Hey, Everyone!

What? She's updating on an irregular day? WHAAAAAAAATTT?

XP! What can I say? I'm irregular! And I'm finally fixing the cliffhanger with the pig, so, you're WELCOME!

Enjoy!

Chapter 17

Leo

Gears? Leo thought. How can that be?

The arrow was jammed in between two spinning gears in a place where the heart should have been.

The gear on the left was still twitching, trying to keep spinning, but the arrow was stopping it.

"It's a machine?" Hazel asked.

Leo pulled away more skin to reveal a stomach.

An actual organ.

"No," Leo said, and he poked it. "No, these are real, living pigs. But, with gears for a heart."

"Who would do that?" Frank asked.

"Someone working for Gaea, probably," Jason sighed.

Leo, trying not to think of the pain he was causing the pig, pull the arrow out from between the gears.

The gears started spinning, and the pig started squealing.

"Leo! Hazel cried. "Shut it up!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Leo started sewing the skin back together.

"LEO!" Jason shouted.

"Hush little piggy, don't say a word, I'm gonna stitch you up and you won't be hurt," Leo tried singing.

"Not helping!" Frank called.

Once the stitches were all in places, Leo backed away from the pig.

The pig stopped squealing, and stood up. It flapped its wings and hovered a few feet above the table.

"Aw," Leo said, staring at the cute creature. "He's so little!"

He looked like maybe a baby pig. And without a real heart…

"Come here," Leo opened his arms and the little piggy flew at him.

Leo caught him and hugged him, while Hazel laughed.

"So, what do we do now?" Leo asked as the baby pig squeaked and rubbed its nose on his face.

"We tie his back legs to Festus and tell him to go home. We'll follow him in whatever direction he turns," Jason said firmly.

"Wait, Jason-" Hazel started.

"No," Leo cut her off. "It's a good idea. I mean, the pig's home base is more than likely in Greece, because they were in the Iris message in the first place. As long as he doesn't get hurt."

"Leo, you get attached to things too easily," Frank commented.

"No was asking for you're opinion, Frank," Leo replied sourly. "Let's go."

Leo didn't enjoy hearing babies squeal.

As Jason and Frank tied the back legs of the poor young creature around one of Festus's large front teeth, Leo stood by Hazel, worrying about the pig.

It flapped its wings anxiously, trying to get away, while Frank held onto it tightly, not letting it escape while Jason tried to finish securing the knot.

Hazel walked over by the rail.

Leo, worried, followed her.

He was about to reach out his hand and touch her shoulder when she whispered, "I feel like that pig sometimes."

He froze, with his fingertips only millimeters from the rough, purple cloth covering her shoulder.

He pulled away slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible. She must not have heard him follow; she wouldn't have said something like that to him.

"I want to try to get away, just be on my own for a while, but Frank holds me back, and Jason ties me up and keeps me here." She sighed and looked up from the railing and out onto the slowly darkening sky. "I'm sorry, Sammy, you probably don't want to hear about my problems now. I mean, at least I'm alive, right?"

She's talking to Sammy? Leo thought.

"I mean, it's not that I don't love Frank. I do, and I want to be his girlfriend, but he holds on just…just a little too tight, you know? And I mean, I guess it's not his fault, not entirely, but he gets a little…possessive, maybe? No, that's not the right word…overprotective, that's it. He gets a little overprotective when he feels…threatened, I guess. I don't really know, I'm not in his head, but I think Leo makes him nervous.

"Like that comment when we were in his lab thingy? About him getting attached to things to easily? That wasn't just the pig. I don't think he gets it, really. About how Leo and I are so related, and he sees Leo, thinking he has a crush on me, maybe he does, maybe he doesn't, I don't know I'm not in his head, and Frank thinks it's stupid because we've only just started to get to know each other. But he gets overprotective anyway. You know, just in case. I just…it's easier talking to you, Sammy, then I thought it was going to be.

"I'm not saying it's your grandson's fault for my unhappiness or my emotional unsteadiness, if anything it's quite the opposite, he's helped me stay on my feet while everyone else has been trying to keep me in one, standard place, or that's what it feels like. Sorry if I ramble a little bit, I'm really trying to get out one specific point, really, just talk about what's swimming in my brain so maybe I can actually focus for once on something other than my emotional issues that should be the least of my worries with Nico's fate kinda on my shoulders right now. And, well, that little pig over there, which brings me back to my earlier metaphor.

"But, Leo's been a big help, but I feel like it's kind of awkward between us, and I don't want it to be that way, you know? I want it to be easy, like it was with you and me.

"And I absolutely know he's not you. No one could be you, Sammy, but he's pretty darn close, and I just don't exactly know what to do about it.

"So, that's the reason I decided to speak to you. I haven't spoken to you since we both were alive. Gods, if anyone heard me right now, they'd think I was insane or something." Hazel laughed shakily and Leo saw her rub a tear off her cheek.

Is she crying?

"I'm sorry, Sammy," she whispered, her breaths a little shaky. "Thanks for helping me get my head on straight."

That's when Leo realized she was wrapping up her conversation. If she saw him there, she'd know he'd been eavesdropping. She'd kill him.

Either that or ask to never see him again.

He stepped backward lightly, trying not to make any sound, and when he was back to his original position on the deck, watching Jason successfully tie the knot and climb back onto the ship with Frank at his heels, when Hazel turned away from the railing, away from the dark sky that was becoming darker still.

She walked back over toward him and whispered, "What did I miss?"

My mind clearing on my feelings for you, Leo thought, but what he said was, "They secured the pig and now they're trying to figure out the word to make it go."

"Shouldn't they just follow it now? It's squealing and pulling like a maniac," Hazel commented, pointing to the pig.

"It's just trying to escape," Leo replied.

"But escape to where?" Hazel asked, mystery shining in her eyes.

It dawned on Leo now what she meant. He nodded. "Yeah, definitely."

He turned and ran to tell Jason what Hazel thought.

I'm sorry I cloud your head, Hazel, Leo though miserably as he ran off to talk to the guys, but I'm glad I can hold you up.

Aaaaaaawwwwwwww...:)!

Okay, so I bet you guys might be tired of my constant swaying between LeoxHazel and FrankxHazel, and I want to tell you that it's simply because I can't decide which side I'm on, you know?

Thanks for Reading!