***Second to last chapter! I hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you again everyone for the lovely reviews. The fortieth and final chapter, featuring Annabeth's POV, will be up by Thursday, July 17th.***

XXXIX. PIPER

For Piper, the Olympian celebration party had a few highlights: seeing Leo dancing happily with Calypso was definitely one. Getting epically beat by Apollo on Guitar Hero was not. She couldn't be too mad at the god of music; after all, he'd saved her life in Greece. However, when he invited her to play another round, she politely declined and handed the plastic guitar over to one of the Hunters of Artemis, who looked determined to take the sun god down.

Jason was still chuckling as they made their way through the city afterwards.

"Oh, shut up," Piper said.

"Sorry, Pipes." He shook his head, grinning. "But, I mean, that wasn't even a competition. He just kicked your butt."

"I'd like to see you do any better, Sparky," she said, nudging him with her elbow.

Jason held up his hands in surrender. "No way. I'd do worse. No musical talent."

They reached a platform that overlooked Manhattan. All of New York City was spread out below them. Even from this high up, Piper could hear the constant thrum of activity but in the late afternoon light the city looked peaceful and beautiful.

"Wow," she said softly.

"Nice view," Jason agreed.

He slipped an arm around her waist. The viewing platform was empty except for the two of them. Piper's heart began to race as she looked up at her boyfriend. He still had the racing stripe in his hair from Sciron the bandit and, of course, the stapler scar above his lip. Piper liked those imperfections. She also liked the way the scar almost disappeared when he smiled as he leaned down and kissed her. Piper felt as if sparks of electricity were running down her arms, making her skin tingle.

"Ahem."

"Seriously, dude?" Jason groaned as he and Piper broke apart.

Leo was grinning at them, still holding hands with Calypso, who smacked his arm. "It's not nice to interrupt," she chided him.

"They'll be fine," Leo said. "They're used to it."

Piper rolled her eyes. "You're so annoying."

"I try." Leo waggled his eyebrows and she had to laugh. "Just wanted to tell you guys we're heading back to camp soon. I already told Frank and Hazel; they're going to meet us at the elevator. Have you seen Annabeth and Percy?"

"Yeah," Jason said. "They already left."

"They left?" Leo asked.

"They were going to see Percy's mom," Piper explained. "She lives in Manhattan. But they said they'd be at camp for the fire tonight."

"Got it," Leo said. "Well, in that case, I think it's safe to assume they'll find their own way to camp. As for us, back to the Argo II!"

"Yes," Calypso said. "I can't wait to meet Festus."

"You're going to love him," Leo promised.

"Oh, I'm sure," she said. Leo's whole face lit up when Calypso smiled at him. Piper was thrilled to see him so happy; he absolutely deserved it.

Jason took her hand and Piper couldn't help smiling as the four of them left Olympus.

The Argo II set down over the strawberry fields. As Piper jumped down from the rope ladder, she inhaled the scent of moist earth and warm plants. It was good to be back. She looked around as the others climbed down from the ship. The camp was still busy. The Greek campers were cleaning and putting away armor and weapons, while the Romans were packing up and getting things ready to head back to California. A few would be staying, though, to check out the Greek camp. Piper knew it would take time for the two camps to really learn to work together—all their problems couldn't be solved in a day. But she thought maybe they were on the right track.

She, Jason, Leo, Calypso, Hazel, and Frank made their way across the camp to the amphitheater where the campfire would be. Many people, Romans and Greeks, called out greetings as they passed. Then, louder than anyone else, a familiar voice barked, "Valdez! McLean! Grace! Zhang! Levesque! Finally!"

"Does he really need to use all of our names?" Leo muttered as Coach Hedge ran up to them.

Before Piper could reply, she caught sight of the small bundle of blue blankets in the coach's arms and the tiny hand sticking out of the top. She squealed like, well, like an Aphrodite girl. "Oh my gods, Coach! Is that—?"

"Yep." Coach Hedge puffed out his chest proudly. "Demigods, I'd like you to meet my son, Nimbus."

Everyone moved closer to see the baby. He had a thatch of curly brown hair, but no horns yet. With his goat legs covered up, he looked like a regular human infant, fast asleep.

"He's adorable," Hazel said.

Jason grinned. "Congratulations, Coach."

"Yeah, congrats," Frank said.

"Thank you." Coach Hedge looked down at the sleeping baby with a tender expression Piper never would have imagined she'd see on the old goat's face. Then he looked up and his face went back to its usual expression. "Alright. Who wants to hold him?"

It was a close call, but Hedge judged that Piper's hand went up just a little bit faster than Hazel's, so she got to hold baby Nimbus first. He was lighter than she expected, even with all his blankets. The baby wrinkled his nose, opened his eyes, looked at Piper for a moment, then squirmed and fell right back asleep.

"Checking out his surroundings," Coach Hedge said approvingly. "He'll make a great warrior one day."

"No doubt," Leo said with a grin.

After a minute, Hazel held out her arms. "Okay, my turn."

Reluctantly, Piper handed the baby to her as Mellie, Coach Hedge's cloud nymph wife, drifted over to them. "Congratulations, Mellie," Piper told her.

Mellie beamed. "Thank you. It's good to see you all again. We're so glad you made it back safely."

"So are we," Piper said. She quickly introduced Mellie to Frank, Hazel, and Calypso.

As Calypso took a turn holding the baby, Coach Hedge leaned closer to Leo. "A goddess, Valdez?" The coach whistled. "Not bad."

"Uh, thanks. I think."

"So, who's next?" the coach asked as Calypso handed him back the baby. "Zhang, how about you?"

Frank's eyes widened. "I—I don't think—I don't want to drop him."

"Nonsense. You'll be fine," the coach said. "Just support his head. Like this."

Frank looked terrified as Hedge thrust the baby into his arms and showed him the proper way to hold Nimbus. Jason and Leo each took a step back, as if afraid they were next. Piper bit back a smile. She'd seen all three boys face some of the worst monsters and giants Tartarus could throw at them but apparently, to a teenage boy, nothing was scarier than a tiny baby. She met Hazel's eyes, then looked quickly away before they both burst out laughing.

As Coach Hedge forced Leo and then Jason to hold baby Nimbus, Piper asked Mellie, "What are you guys going to do now?"

"Oh, I'm going back to work for your father in a few weeks, after my maternity leave is over," Mellie said. "I left an aurae friend of mine, Lottie, in charge while I was gone. And Gleeson's going to stay home and take care of the baby."

Piper tried to picture the coach as a stay-at-home dad and, strangely enough, she could. Then, she imagined Coach Hedge in a pink, ruffled apron and quickly shook her head to get rid of that image. "I'm sure my dad will be glad to get you back."

"I just hope things are still in order," Mellie said. "Lottie's sweet as a summer breeze, but she can be a bit of an airhead."

The baby began to fuss in Jason's arms. Jason looked alarmed. "I didn't do anything, I swear!"

Mellie laughed gently. "He's probably just hungry." She picked the baby up and he snuggled against her shoulder. "Come on, Gleeson. The kids need to get to their campfire."

"Alright, babe." The coach pointed a finger at the demigods. "But don't forget, I'll still be keeping an eye on all of you. Make me proud."

"Yes, sir." Leo saluted the coach, who looked satisfied.

As Coach Hedge took Mellie's hand and strolled away toward the woods, Piper didn't think she'd ever seen the old goat look happier.

Jason shook his head. "Coach Hedge as a dad. Hard to believe."

"He'll be fantastic," Hazel said.

"Yeah," Piper agreed. "I think he will be."

"Alright, cupcakes," Leo said in an eerily good impression of the coach. "Let's get to the campfire. It's s'more time."

"Right, because you need more sugar," Hazel said.

"Not more sugar, s'more sugar," Leo corrected.

Frank groaned. "How long until we're across the country from Valdez's bad jokes?"

"Whatever, man. You know you're going to miss me."

"Yeah, maybe," Frank relented. Leo grinned and slapped him on the back.

"Excuse me, but what is a s'more?" Calypso asked.

Leo's eyes widened. "That's right, you've been trapped on an island for the last, what, three thousand years? Well, a s'more is—"

"Why don't you just show her?" Hazel suggested.

"Good point." Leo held out a hand to Calypso. "Right this way, m'lady."

"Is he always like this?" Calypso asked Piper.

"Pretty much."

Calypso smiled as she took Leo's hand. "I can live with that."

As everyone headed towards the fire, Jason squeezed Piper's hand. "It's good to be home," he said.

"It is," she agreed.

Hand in hand, they followed their friends into the amphitheater.