Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, so I am not Rick Riordan. Do you think Rick Riordan would be writing Fanfics ON HIS OWN BOOKS? Also, if I was Rick Riordan, all the characters in this story would probably die a tragic death, one by one.

LEO

III

Leo woke up to Festus the dragon creaking a status report. According to his mechanical buddy, they would reach Ogygia in two hours' time.

Two hours. Leo ran his hands through his hair, accidentally setting it on fire. He had two hours, and then he would be standing in front of Calypso. He felt like turning around and running for the hills. Or the mountains. Come to think of it, Tartarus didn't seem so scary anymore.

Yesterday evening, Leo had come back to the ship a little late, since he'd had to dodge crowds of nymphs and minor gods who had wanted to join Team Leo. For the first time, he felt like he shouldn't be getting all this attention. It was really just embarrassing when you walked down the street and a hundred dryads suddenly came running out of nowhere, shouting: "Team Leo pwns!"

The others were having a low-key dinner when he arrived - just some talking about what they were going to do with their lives now. Leo dropped into a seat and summoned himself some Tacos and Coke with help from the magic plates. The instant he sat down, of course, everybody pounced on him.

"So, where are we going first, Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter?"

"We have to go to Camp Jupiter first, Percy. Leo's the only one who could steer the ship. Then again, Camp Half-Blood is closest…"

"What do you think we should do first when we get back - check on Hannibal?"

"Frank, let Leo think, please."

Leo cleared his throat. "Um, well, is it okay if we spend one more night on the ship? Only one more night, I promise. I… There's something I need to do."

Leo," Hazel asked gently. "Does this have something to do with your wish?"

"Uh, yeah. So… Is it okay?" He looked around. Everybody nodded. Leo sat back in relief.

"So, what did you wish for?" asked Percy.

"Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth snapped.

The son of Poseidon held up his hands. "What? I'm just asking!"

Leo took a shaky breath. This is it… I'm going to tell them why-

"Cupcakes!" Leo almost fainted with relief. Cue Coach Hedge, their supposed 'chaperone' for this trip. Everybody instantly forgot Leo and went on to congratulate the Coach for having two healthy daughters and a son. The old satyr glowed with pride.

"So, are you going to fly with us?" Piper asked.

The Coach shook his head. "Nah. Mellie and I, we've bought a house here on Olympus and we'll just see how it goes, probably settle down nicely. I hear retirement rates have gone up these past days. But remember, that doesn't mean you ain't gonna behave yourselves on this ship. I still haven't forgotten you two." He shook his finger at Percy and Annabeth, who blushed.

Everybody laughed and bade the Coach goodbye. Leo smiled sadly as he closed the door behind the old satyr. Hedge had grown on him. He had grown on them all.

After that, everybody seemed hasty to get things over with. They finished their plates and Jason and Piper, who were on kitchen duty, washed up. Leo fell asleep after planning their route on the astrolabe.

Presently, Leo showered - yes, he actually showered - and got dressed in his least-used outfit, which was basically just a pair of jeans that wasn't totally riddled with burn holes and an orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, freshly washed by the Argo II's cleaning system: You dropped your laundry in the chute, it got washed and ironed, and two hours later you could pick the clean thing up from your wardrobe. He slung his tool belt around his waist and stepped out into the corridor.

He opened the door to his friends having breakfast and laughing. Percy and Annabeth were sharing Percy's blue pie, while Piper attempted to steal Annabeth's bagel. Jason was trying to warn Annabeth, while Frank and Hazel watched the whole thing with an amused expression.

Leo grabbed a plate. "Did I sleep in? What did I miss?"

Hazel laughed. "Relax. I think we woke up early."

Leo smiled. Leave it to Hazel to try and make him feel better. He dug into some fried eggs and bacon, hungry after last night's ordeal.

"So, Leo," Frank suddenly asked. Leo scraped onions off his plate. "Yeah?"

"Uh, I guess I'm speaking for everybody here when I say, what did you wish for?"

Leo chewed his onions longer than needed. He drank from his goblet. He sighed. "Okay, I'm gonna be straight with you guys. I wished -"

The intercom crackled and Festus voice creaked and clanked through the speakers. Leo cracked a grin. "Why don't you go out and see for yourself. Five minutes till our arrival."

Everybody rushed out into the corridor, excited to see where Leo had steered them. The son of Hephaestus grinned nervously and rushed to the wheel, picking up his wii controller and a megaphone. He ran back to his friends, who were clustered at the bow of the ship, behind Festus. The bronze dragon figurehead breathed an exhilarated plume of fire, torching an unfortunate pigeon.

Leo grinned. "So, Jackson, ready to see the island again?"

Percy's brow wrinkled. "What island…?" Annabeth frowned at Leo.

Leo waggled his eyebrows, trying to hide how much nervous sweat he had, and made a golf-swing motion with his Wii controller. The Argo II banked to the side and sailed down, breaking out of cloud cover.

And there, right in the middle of the clean, iridescent blue ocean, sat the green, heart-shaped island of Ogygia. Leo grinned like a maniac.

Percy gasped and stumbled back from the railing, his sea-green eyes wide. "No. This can't be. It just… Leo, how… What…?"

Leo turned to Percy, not bothering to hide the left-over anger from his expression. "She missed you, you know. She cried and thought she would be released, but, no, you walked off and never checked on her again."

Percy's eyes widened even more. Leo felt the stares of his friends drawn to the two of them as the son of Poseidon made the connections. "Your wish… Oh, gods. And when you got marooned by Khione and wouldn't tell us… Hades, I am such an idiot."

"Yeah, seaweed brain, we all know that. Now, would you please explain what island this…" Annabeth's grey eyes suddenly narrowed. "Oh. Oh. This is… her island. Isn't it, seaweed brain?"

Percy stared shakily at the rapidly approaching island. "Yeah. This is Ogygia. Guys," he made a half-hearted gesture. "May I present the home of Calypso."

Hazel frowned as the Argo II sailed through the air. "Ogygia… I've heard that before."

"Yeah," Piper said. "Remember, I told you about that just last week after sparring."

"Wait," Annabeth interrupted. "You mean, you told her?"

Piper looked guilty. "Uh, yeah, sorry. But I did tell them not to tell anybody else!"

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Them?"

Piper gulped, and her eyes just happened to slide over to Jason. Annabeth growled like a dog. "And I suppose somebody told Leo and Frank, too!"

"Well, I told Leo," Jason admitted, unrepentant.

Frank looked around. "Okay, could somebody please tell me what in Mars is going on?"

Leo grinned. "In a while, Doctor Dolittle." He raised the megaphone to his mouth a switched it on, climbing into the rigging. His voice blasted through the air, magnified a thousand times.

"HELLO, OGYGIA! GUESS WHICH ANNOYING LITTLE SON OF HEPHAESTUS CAME BACK TO ANNOY THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!"

The Argo II sank into the waves and Leo jumped off, just as something orange burst out of the jungle.

And... (pause for effect) CLIFFHANGER! Hahaha! You guys were expecting that, weren't you? READ & REVIEW!