So I guess I lied when I said this was over - Ragemoon commissioned another chapter! Enjoy!

Morris

Piper seemed to have a better grip on Morris' feelings than Morris did, and she had only known Morris two weeks.

It was 'girls night' at Annabeth's dad's house, which apparently meant sword-fighting practice in the backyard as the sun set, making jewellery out of the gems Hazel pulled from the ground and playing mythology-based drinking games.

Annabeth's dad was pretty cool – cool enough to let five teenage girls borrow his house for the evening anyway – and Morris had to admit that San Francisco was very cool. Piper had suggested that Morris hang out with her, Hazel and Annabeth that evening and since they were in California, Annabeth had persuaded Reyna to join them. Reyna was scarier than Annabeth. She looked like she was ready for a fight at any time, even dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with flowers braided into her hair (courtesy of Piper, who seemed to enjoy enforcing her role as a daughter of Aphrodite when it suited her, ie making the others squeamish).

Piper had pounced on Morris as soon as Reyna had fled to the refuge of Annabeth and Hazel's training ring, which was also Annabeth's brothers' giant trampoline. Now Morris was sat at a table littered with shot glasses, drinks and magical weapons, listening to Camp Half-Blood's resident matchmaker, who had started the conversation innocently enough.

"I like your lip piercing. What made you get it?"

"Thanks, my sister Erin did it. Her and my other sister Ana were both really into piercings, so this was my fourteenth birthday present from them."

"Were you guys close?" Piper didn't sound envious, even coming from a single-parent family – from what Nico had explained when he described his friends, Camp Half-Blood and the crew of the Argo II had become Piper's family.

"Yeah, they taught me how to fight and helped me to learn about my powers."

Judging from the tugging Morris felt across her scalp, Piper was using every strand of hair available. Morris had to resist the urge not to fidget. "It sounds like Nico's helping you learn about them as well."

"Yeah, he's been great." Morris swallowed for a moment, unsure how much she should admit. Nico trusted these people but she wasn't totally convinced she did. They had travelled to New York and then to California to see both camps. A fortnight into their trip, Morris loved the concept of a safe place for demigods but was less certain about the demigods themselves. She assumed the feeling was mutual. "I had no idea he was so powerful when he pulled me out of the sea."

Piper giggled. "Yeah, I heard that you needed saving from a sea monster-"

"I did not need saving!" Morris spluttered. "I was just… strategically outmatched."

Piper laughed properly. "That's what Percy says when Annabeth beats him in a fight. You know… you and Percy have a lot in common." The knot in Morris' stomach tightened. Did Piper mean what it sounded like she meant?

"Oh yeah?" Morris tried to keep her tone nonchalant. "How?"

"Well, you're both incredibly dangerous children of sea gods, and neither of you trust each other, and Nico is for some reason completely drawn to both of you."

Nico

Percy really wasn't sure what to make of the Oceanus kid.

Nico had known all along that they would either be best friends or mortal enemies and he didn't know if he wanted to be around when they decided which. He still wasn't sure how he felt about Percy, even after all that time away from America, but Nico definitely didn't want either of his friends to hurt each other.

They were hanging out on Long Island Sound, just a load of people from Camp Half-Blood and a few visitors from Camp Jupiter. Since they had defeated Gaia, it was pretty common for campers to travel across the country to see each other. Nico had shadow-travelled back for the evening because Hazel had told him they were having a 'girls night'. She had sounded almost as suspicious of the concept as Nico was… still, as long as none of them joined the Hunters of Artemis at the end of the evening, he guessed he could stand to hang out at Camp Half-Blood.

Clarisse La Rue had challenged Frank Zhang to a wrestling fight on the beach. Clarisse had been winning until Frank turned into a panda, which made Clarisse have approximately six heart attacks. Leo had actually fallen over laughing, and Nico could see Jason struggling to maintain his usually calm exterior. Only Percy wasn't paying attention – he was staring out at the waves like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Again.

"Hey, can I speak to you?" Before Nico had fully processed what he was doing, he had strode up to Percy and pointed down to a quieter stretch of beach.

To say Percy looked surprised was an understatement. Their relationship had never been the most normal, and although Percy didn't know about That (as Nico privately called it), he was smart enough to grasp that Nico wanted to avoid him. "Yeah, sure," he said after a moment. "Lead the way, man."

"What's up?" Percy asked when they were standing at the edge of the waves. Nico took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of saltwater which, given their proximity, could have come from Percy just as easily as it did the sea.

"I wanted to know what you thought of my friend Morris," Nico explained, choosing his words carefully. "I know you didn't exactly hit it off, and I wanted to know if it's because you think she's dangerous."

Percy scratched his head. "I think she's, uh… should I say he?" As soon as Nico had lead Morris up Half-Blood Hill to Thalia's tree and given her permission to enter camp, Morris had been viewed as an oddity. Chiron had been intrigued on a professional level, of course, and had even offered Morris private lessons, like he had with the old heroes. Annabeth was clearly trying not to be jealous. Morris had demonstrated what she could do, including her gender transformation, at the campfire. Some demigods had been impressed – Leo thought it was the best thing ever – others had viewed the newcomer with suspicion. Percy had been one of them.

Nico smiled briefly. "She was a girl last time I saw her."

"Well, uh, I think she's dangerous. Oceanus nearly destroyed my dad's domain, you know? I'm not sure if we can trust her."

Nico nodded thoughtfully. An idea bubbled to the surface of his brain and before he could change his mind he said, "Let's find out." He grasped Percy's arm and stepped into the nearest shadow.

Morris

"Hey," a voice said. "Can I speak to you a moment please?" Morris nearly impaled Nico with her trident again. He just appeared at her shoulder, emerging from the shadows as Morris watched Annabeth and Hazel in a swordfight against Piper and Reyna. They were all so talented it was hard to call the winning side. Just as Morris was about to make a comment about Nico's creepiness, she noticed he had brought a friend.

"Uh, hey," she said to Percy, trying not to let her fear show. Percy was so powerful she wasn't sure how to act around him.

"Hey," he replied, eyes inscrutable in the darkness. "Mind if we go down to the seashore for a little bit?"

Morris barely had time to nod before Nico had taken hold of them both and whisked them to the water's edge.

"Nico, what's going on?"

"I want you two to talk. I don't care what you're problem with each other is, but if we're all going to be on the same team we need to be able to work together cohesively."

"Who said anything about being a team?"

Morris and Percy had spoken simultaneously, spitting their words defensively.

Morris was vaguely aware that the water beside them was bubbling, but she wasn't sure if it was her doing or Percy's.

Nico motioned to the waves. "There is a problem. You don't trust each other... you don't understand each other's powers."

"I can show you mine."

Morris wasn't sure if she was being smart or suicidal, but she waded out into the water until she was waist-deep.

"Come and play, Percy Jackson."

Later Nico said the waves reached the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. Morris didn't remember much, but sitting on Annabeth's trampoline nibbling a square of ambrosia, she kept getting flashbacks: striding down to the depths of the Bay, transforming quick as lightning, manipulating oxygen and water to create whirlpools and towers of water. Hopefully Hecate was on form with the Mist, because there was no way the mortals could pass it off as an ordinary tidal event.

Percy sat next to her, sheepish from the dressing-down he had received from Annabeth. "She's a newcomer, Percy, what were you thinking? You could have really hurt each other and we don't have enough magical protection here to keep the monsters away for long so you've probably just sent up a flare for them all to come find us. What were you thinking?"

"We were thinking we needed to get to know each other better."

Morris stood up and faced Annabeth and Percy directly. She glanced at Nico for support and was surprised to see him smiling slightly, almost submerged in darkness. Her heart jumped slightly, which was going to need some thinking about.

"Have you?" Annabeth asked.

Morris and Percy looked each other in the - creepily identical - eyes.

"I think so," Morris replied, "but I think I'll stick around a while to make sure."

Reviews appreciated, as always. I won't say this is the end just in case it isn't, but if it is then thanks for finishing the story. :)