Percy shook his head, a troubled look on his face. "She's not going to want me around," he told her logically. "I broke my promise to her."

Annabeth stared at him for a long moment, watching him fidget. Did he actually think that? Did he seriously believe that he was somehow at fault? She scanned his face - the sad eyes, furrowed brows, and the faint frown on his lips. He did, she realised. He honestly thought he had deserved Leo's anger back when they'd captured Nike and that he deserved whatever anger Calypso may throw at him now.

She shook her head, leaning forwards to cup one of his cheeks in her hand. "Percy..." she said, trailing off, running her thumb along a sharp cheekbone. "You didn't break your promise to her. Zeus swore on the River Styx he'd release her. How can you be blamed for him not following through?"

He grimaced. "I should have done more," he protested.

Annabeth bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted nothing more than to reassure him but knew that simply telling him wasn't going to do anything. She'd have to take matters into her own hands. If Calypso or Leo dared say anything... Well. She would let them have it. Percy didn't deserve to shoulder the blame for the god's mistakes, especially not considering the circumstances. He was still traumatised by the war, by their fall into Tartarus, from being kidnapped from where he should have been safe. He deserved better.

She leaned forwards to kiss him gently, running one hand through his long hair. "I love you," she reminded him. He smiled at her, leaning further into her palm when she cupped his cheek again. "So much."

"I love you too," he said automatically, though wholly sincerely. He smiled, making Annabeth's heart jump in her chest.

"Come on," she said, pulling him to his feet. "It's dinnertime."

Dinner went peacefully. As did the first bit of the campfire. In the end, it wasn't even Leo or Calypso who said anything, but another camper who mentioned offhand that going from Percy to Leo was a total downgrade. Now, Annabeth didn't necessarily disagree. Nor was she particularly surprised when Leo commented in return. But what he commented... Annabeth wasn't going to let that stand.

She turned to glare at the son of Hephaestus, ignoring how Percy's eyes widened in panic and how Piper swore. They both knew there was no way Annabeth would let Leo get away with saying something like that about Percy. Jason leaned back with his arms crossed, watching with a calm expression on his face.

She gave Percy a gentle glare. "If you're not going to defend yourself, I'm going to damn well defend you."

He deflated and stopped trying to make her sit back down.

Leo, to his credit, looked slightly nervous. Calypso just seemed curious, but that was alright. She'd learn not to cross Annabeth.

Leo, being Leo, just laughed a little. Annabeth took pleasure in the hysterical edge to the sound. "I mean... he did leave her on Ogygia after promising he'd get her off."

Annabeth just raised an eyebrow, arms crossed over her chest. "So when, exactly, was he supposed to free her?" she asked, her voice purposefully light. The other campers, sensing bloodshed in the air, quieted down. Even the Apollo kids stop playing their instruments to listen. Will looked like he was wondering whether or not he should run and get some healing supplies before Nico tugged him down, watching intently.

She ploughed on, uncaring of their audience. "Was it when he turned down immortality and asked for you to be freed maybe?" she demanded, looking straight at Calypso. The Titan's face stayed utterly blank.

"Or was it right after when we were recovering from the war with Kronos? Or when Olympus was closed, so he couldn't actually ask? Oh, I know!" she said, snapping her fingers. "It was when he was kidnapped and kept in a magical coma by Hera for six months."

Leo backed away slightly at her tone. He was scared of her temper, she knew, and while she usually didn't like people being scared of her, she relished in that knowledge now. It would help her get her point across.

"No?" she asked rhetorically, turning to give Percy a look when she felt him move behind her. She was on a roll and didn't want Percy interrupting her now. He sighed, knowing there was no stopping her now that she had started.

"Was it when he had no memory and was constantly fighting for his life? Or perhaps while we were sailing to the ancient lands right after his quest to Alaska. The quest to Alaska, might I remind you, where he was facing giants and still didn't have his memory. But obviously, he should've made the time to make sure the gods made good on their promise. Because that's his responsibility, making sure the King of Olympus honours his word."

She looked between a shell shocked Leo, and Calypso, whose eyes had widened somewhat in shock. Annabeth wondered if she'd had another woman yell at her in recent memory. Likely not, all things considered.

"Oh! Obviously, you meant when he was in Tartarus! How could I have been so stupid? Was it when he was fighting the Arai, and you cursed us both, Calypso? Or when he was dying from poison? How about when we were covered in the death mist? Or when we met Nyx herself and escaped through her palace?"

The campfire was nearly silent at this point. Even the crackling flames seemed to know to keep it down. Clarisse looked incredibly pleased. She and Percy had become good friends over the years (though neither of them would ever admit it), and nothing annoyed her more than her friends beating themselves up over something they couldn't control. She stood beside Percy, putting a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him sitting down.

Annabeth smiled sweetly and dangerously, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly. "No. I've got it. It was obviously when we met Tartarus himself. How could I have been so dumb?"

She sneered at them, keeping a wide-eyed Percy behind her as though defending him from attack when he tried to move again. She trusted Clarisse but wanted to know for herself that her well- meaning and too kind boyfriend wasn't going to try and interfere.

"What gives you the right," she spat at Leo, "to be angry at him about this? Did you stop to think, even for a second, about why exactly he wasn't able to force the gods into honouring their promise? Or were you too busy assuming he was being a jerk and laughing about her being left on the island? Has he ever acted like a jerk? No!"

She turned to look at Calypso, who, to her credit, was looking mortified. "Did you curse Odysseus as well? What about Penelope? Or do you just curse younger heroes who aren't as likely to fight back? The one whose fatal flaw is literally personal loyalty."

She flung up her hands, disgusted with the both of them and furious on Percy's behalf. "Yes. The hero, whose fatal flaw is personal loyalty, will renege on his promise. Obviously, I mean... I totally understand how you would think that."

She narrowed her eyes at Calypso, despising her at that moment. She thought of herself as so hard done by, but she really wasn't. Not compared to so many others. "Your sister was nothing like this!" she hissed. "And I barely met her before she died! She was able to recognise that Percy isn't just another asshole hero - and she hated men!"

"Zoe?" Calypso asked, swallowing hard. "He mentioned her—"

Annabeth just glared. "She was killed by your father, who'd forced Artemis to hold up the sky. Did you ever bother asking Percy where he got that grey streak in his hair or did you just think about how distinguished it made him look?"

Annabeth didn't allow Calypso or Leo to reply. All her anger was bubbling up, and she would be damned if she didn't get to say her piece. She'd been angry about this since Percy had told her about his conversation with Leo while capturing Nike and had an entire spiel she wanted to get through. She wanted Leo, Calypso, and anyone who'd ever thought about doubting Percy to know better before she was done. And she wanted Percy to be reminded that she was on his side and would defend him until her last breath if need be.

"He took the weight of the sky from Artemis so she could fight Atlas, knowing she had a better chance of defeating him. Zoe, your sister, was killed shortly after." She smiled, though it was not a kind expression. "But obviously, you didn't need more details about that."

Leo opened his mouth, looking angry, but Annabeth just turned her glare onto him. "I'm not finished," she said firmly. She hadn't raised her voice once and wasn't about to start now. She knew she was right, so she had no need to yell. She leaned back on her heels.

"You," she said to Leo, " you decided to get angry at Percy instead of just asking him what had happened! Instead of thinking. And don't give me the 'I'm bad with people' excuse. There's being bad with people, and then there's being an ass. You were the latter. You and Percy were about to fight for your lives to capture Nike, and you were angry at him about Calypso. Brilliant move there, Leo. Did you think about how that would make him feel? How that could affect his fighting? Of course not."

She closed her eyes before turning back to Calypso. She was almost done but had one more thing she needed to say.

"And to think I was thankful to you, thankful you healed him and were there for him," she said to her, genuinely annoyed that she'd ever thought about thanking the girl. "But you've proven yourself to be petty and jealous, angry at Percy for things that are far beyond his control." She took a step backwards, reaching behind with one hand. Percy's hand immediately slipped into hers, and she fought to keep the smile off her face. She sighed instead, suddenly exhausted. "I'm done. I hope

you two are happy together. Just stop acting like you're both so high and mighty when you really have no clue."

"Annabeth."

She turned around, dismissing the other couple from her mind the moment Percy called her name. He looked troubled, but there was a hint of relief in his tear bright eyes. She kissed him on the temple gently before wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get out of here."

Percy watched as Annabeth threw herself down on the sand, unsure what to feel. He was flattered she'd defended him—he always was when someone stuck up on his behalf—but also a little uncomfortable for a reason he couldn't name. He could have made sure Zeus had freed Calypso before Olympus had been shut down. He should have. But after the war with Kronos... he'd been a little bit of a mess.

"Don't start feeling guilty," Annabeth ordered, glaring up at him.

He shrugged, scuffing a foot in the sand. "I know, I know," he said. "I just..." Her expression softened. "Come sit," she said.

He huffed a small laugh before sitting with her on the towel, putting his head in her lap when she prodded him to do so. He turned towards her, burying his face in her stomach. She ran her hands through his long hair soothingly, humming under her breath. She was a terrible singer, but it was comforting all the same.

"Thank you," he finally said, the sound muffled.

Her hands stopped for a brief moment before resuming their motions. "You deserve to be defended," she said. "You know that, right?"

Percy shrugged. His mom had been his only defender for so long he still felt uncomfortable accepting help and praise from others, even from his girlfriend. Of course, he had more people in his corner now—Paul, his friends, and even his father—but old habits died hard.

She kissed the top of his head. "You do," she told him firmly, voice thick. He looked up, not wanting her to cry.

She just smiled and shook her head. "One day," she said, "I'll get it through this thick head of yours that you deserve it, okay?"

He blushed but nodded. "I love you."

She grinned. "I love you too." She gave him a mischievous look. "Wanna go for a midnight swim?"

He raised an eyebrow. "It'll be cold," he pointed out. He was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants and still had goosebumps. He didn't know how Annabeth was wearing shorts.

She arched an eyebrow, giving him a slow grin. "We'll just have to keep each other warm."

Leo took over a minute to get himself under control, hand spasming in his lap. Calypso stood stock

still, staring after Percy and Annabeth's retreating forms with a strange expression on her face. It took Leo a moment to realise it was regret.

She sighed before swallowing hard. "I..."

Clarisse didn't let her finish. "You two made a mistake," she said bluntly. "You made assumptions about Prissy."

Will Solace scratched the back of his neck, a small apologetic smile on his face. "She's right," he said. "Short of claiming he should have harassed Zeus constantly, there's not much more he could have done before Olympus was closed and he was kidnapped by Hera."

Nico snorted. "I mean... he could have harassed Zeus. He likely would have been killed trying to tell him what to do, but he could have tried ."

Will smacked him on the shoulder.

Leo finally managed to speak. "Why didn't he say anything then?" he rasped. If he'd been accused of something he knew wasn't true, he would have at least tried to defend himself. But instead, Percy had apologised without Leo even needing to mention anything. And honestly, that had made Leo feel kinder towards Percy and a little vindicated as well.

It was Drew who answered, finally looking up from admiring her manicure. "Please," she said with an elegant snort. "Percy Jackson say something to defend himself against someone when he thinks there's the slightest possibility he wronged them? As if."

Piper, who'd been silent until then, frowned at Drew. "What do you mean?" she demanded. While she and Drew had managed to patch things up a bit, the half-sisters still didn't particularly like one another. Jason, who was still sitting nearby, watched with a look of shattered realisation on his face. Leo wondered just what had brought that on.

Drew sneered, somehow making the unkind expression look attractive. "Get your heads out of your asses," she said, addressing Piper as well as Leo and Calypso. She shot Jason a look before nodding ever so slightly. Finally, she turned back to Leo. He fought the urge to hide. The girl had a terrifying glare on her when she chose to use it.

"Some friends you three are," was all she replied before stalking off.

Nico regarded them with narrowed eyes. "She's a bitch," he said bluntly and honestly, "but she's right."

Will rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's language but didn't disagree.

Jason, on the other hand, was starting to look angry. Leo was surprised; it wasn't like Jason and Percy were particularly close from what he knew. Sure, they'd worked well together and did get along, but Percy had gone to school in New York with Annabeth right after the war, while Jason had started making good on his promise to Kym. They just hadn't had the time to become close.

Jason stood. "Look," he said firmly. "I don't know Percy all that well, not really," he said, proving Leo's internal monologue. "But I do know he isn't the type to break a promise. He fell into Tartarus so he and Annabeth wouldn't be separated and turned down immortality for gods sake." He shook his head. "You two owe him an apology." He turned his glare onto Piper, though the look softened somewhat. They'd broken up, but still. "You too," he told her. "You're best friends with Annabeth but still doubted Percy?" he sighed. "I'm heading to bed; try to figure things out for yourselves."

Calypso, who had been silent, sighed. "We owe him an apology," she said firmly.

Leo nodded, grasping for her hand. She squeezed it back, making him smile. He did love this girl.

Clarisse snorted. "As long as you know what for," was all she said. "Come on, everyone!" she shouted. "Let them talk."

There was some grumbling, but no one was willing to go against Clarisse. They knew better than that, especially when she used that tone. Will and Nico lingered for a moment after everyone left, Nico staring at Piper until she followed Drew to the Aphrodite Cabin. Calypso somehow managed to meet Nico's angry gaze fearlessly, impressing Leo. The son of Hades and Percy had somehow become close friends in the time Leo had been gone and could be rather protective of one another.

"Don't fuck up again," was all Nico said.

Leo swallowed - Nico still gave him the heebie-jeebies, and he really didn't want to get on his bad side.

"We won't," Calypso promised.

Leo nodded before answering as well. "We promise."

Will grinned. "Sounds good to me! Let's go; I wanna get some sleep."

Nico rolled his eyes but allowed Will to lead them away, finally leaving Leo and Calypso alone. He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "Damn it," he swore. "I... we..."

Calypso nodded, putting her head on his shoulder. "We both made mistakes," she whispered. "Me more so than you."

Leo opened his mouth to protest before remembering something Annabeth had said. "You cursed him?"

He could feel her nod. "When it became clear he wasn't going to come back, I got angry. So I cursed him, thinking it would never happen, but I still cursed him. And Annabeth as well, I suppose, though it wasn't aimed at her."

"What did you curse them with?"

She was silent for a long time before just sighing again. Leo knew she wasn't going to answer. "I need to apologise to him and to Annabeth. It was cruel of me to judge without knowing the full story."

Leo grimaced. He felt like an idiot. And while that feeling wasn't uncommon, he hated hurting people. He still didn't know Percy all that well, and honestly, the guy was kinda like a myth to him. He'd heard nothing but stories about him for the months in which he'd been building the Argo, then on the quest, Percy had been like a demigod from Ancient Myths. He could be a complete dork, but something about him set Leo on edge. Maybe it was the whole water thing (Leo had the feeling Percy could just blast him with water and completely burn him out if he wanted to) or the whole "manipulating a goddess's poison", but Leo found him more than a little intimidating. Apparently, that meant not giving Percy the benefit of the doubt or bothering to ask Percy why he hadn't made sure Calypso had been freed.

"If he'd pushed Zeus to free you, we wouldn't have met," he pointed out after staying silent for a record amount of time. He was seriously impressed with himself.

Calypso lifted her head up, giving him a halfhearted glare. "Way to make me feel worse!" she scolded him.

"Sorry, sunshine," he grinned, though the smile faded quickly. "Talk to Percy tomorrow?"

She nodded, standing up and pulling him to his feet. "I knew he was annoyingly noble when he washed up on my island at 14. I shouldn't have forgotten what he was like just because I wasn't immediately freed."

Leo's mouth twisted into a frown. "And I shouldn't have literally forgotten he was kidnapped by a pissy goddess and kept in a coma for six months."

She burst out laughing. "We messed up," she said once she'd got herself under control. "But it's Percy. He'll forgive us."

Leo wrinkled his nose. Percy probably would, yeah, but... "I'm not worried about Percy," he retorted. "Annabeth's the scary one."

Calypso just snorted, but Leo could tell she agreed. She'd be a fool not too after Annabeth's display. "Come on," she said after a moment of just walking hand in hand. "Let's get some rest. We'll need it to deal with a protective Annabeth Chase tomorrow."

Annabeth scowled as Leo and Calypso approached after breakfast. She had been hoping to spend some time with Percy after they headed back to New York, but apparently, that wasn't meant to be.

"Haven't you done enough?" she snapped, not bothering to look up from her notebook. "Name as many themes as you can from Heart of Darkness."

Percy scowled, giving Leo and Calypso a pleading glance as though they hadn't treated him horribly. She poked him in the side. Their teacher was due to give them a test on Monday, and they were both terrible at English.

He rolled his eyes. "With examples?"

"Just the themes for now," she said after thinking for a moment. She knew they'd have to talk to Leo and Calypso, but it didn't hurt to make them sweat a bit while they finished the page.

"Imperialism...exploitation... alienation and isolation... human greed... Ummm..." he trailed off. "I know there's more; just give me a second."

She smiled. "Give me a quote."

He glared at her but obliged dramatically. " The horror! The horror!" "Er, are we interrupting?"

Percy answered before she could.

"Yes!" he said loudly, "thank you!"

Calypso smiled, and Annabeth fought the urge to throw the book in her face. She'd hurt Percy, and Annabeth didn't do well when people hurt her boyfriend. She could (almost) forgive her for how the curse had affected her, but she didn't think she'd ever be able to forgive her for hurting Percy. And while she knew full well she had Percy's heart, it was difficult to forget he could have loved

Calypso, could have forever stayed on the island with her and been happy for all of eternity.

Leo managed a smile as well, though he looked nervous. Good. "I'll gladly get you out of studying," he joked. "Especially for English."

Annabeth tapped Percy on the head, still not deigning to give the two the time of day until she'd asked Percy the last question on her sheet. "Last one," she prompted him. "This is the way the world ends/Not with a bang..." she trailed off, leaving Percy to finish.

He looked away from Leo mournfully. "...but a whimper," he finished. "The Hollow Men by T.S. Elliot."

"Written in what year?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "Not a clue."

She cracked a smile. "Me either." Her smile fell when she turned to look at the two interlopers. "I suppose you two want to sit?"

Calypso answered. Likely a good thing, as Leo suddenly looked like he was going to throw up. "That would be appreciated," she said gracefully.

Percy, being Percy, immediately moved over to give them some more room on the beach towel. Annabeth moved more slowly, still wanting to let them ruminate on her words a little more.

Leo plopped down next to Percy, leaving Calypso some room to settle beside him. She did so elegantly, her expression so regretful that even Annabeth felt her resolve cracking. She really was beautiful, and her eyes were awfully kind. She could see why Percy had almost stayed with her, why Leo swore on the Styx to return for her. She shook herself. Leo and Calypso had made Percy feel terrible and doubt himself. They had deserved her anger, especially as Percy still felt like he should have done more.

Calypso spoke first. "I owe you both an apology," she said, looking Percy in the eyes. "I can't even excuse what I did. And I don't want to. You didn't deserve anything I've done. I should have talked to you, Percy, instead of assuming and judging. I'm sorry."

Annabeth felt Percy stir beside her and shook her head slightly when he started to reply. Calypso, noticing the action, smiled slightly before nudging Leo.

"Okay, my apology isn't going to be as well thought out as that," he stammered. "But Percy, I'm sorry, man. I honestly didn't even think about why you hadn't pushed more to have her freed. I mean, I knew you were missing and probably without your memory. I knew Olympus was closed. So if I'd taken even a few minutes to think about it instead of getting angry..." he trailed off, looking genuinely pitiful. "I'm sorry, Percy," he finished.

"It's alright," Percy said. Annabeth scooted closer, sensing his unease. He wasn't used to people apologising to him, just as he wasn't used to people defending him. She put an arm around his waist, wanting to ground him. He gave her a look so full of gratitude her breath caught in her chest. He opened his mouth to say more—doubtless to take some of the blame—but Annabeth stopped him with a mild glare. He was not responsible for the gods and their lack of action.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Calypso broke it. "What is it you're studying?" she asked, head tilted to the side. "Perhaps I can help?"

Percy gave her a grateful look. "Er, can you read English? Or just ancient greek."

She took the question seriously. "I can read English," she confirmed. "Also, I don't have any issues with dyslexia."

Percy sat up suddenly. "Okay, we have a test tomorrow. Quiz us?"

Annabeth kissed him on the cheek. She loved him so much. She was still angry at both Leo and Calypso (as was a lot of the camp, to be honest - she'd seen the way Clarisse had looked at them, not to mention Nico) but not surprised Percy had so readily forgiven them. That was just the way he was. He would do anything for his friends.

Calypso laughed but caught Annabeth's eye as Leo and Percy started a conversation about something. Annabeth narrowed her eyes slightly. Calypso knew that while Percy had forgiven her, it would take more for Annabeth to trust her. And she understood. She realised her mistake. Annabeth was over the hurt the curse had caused her already (honestly, it was just one more shitty thing she'd dealt with), but she wasn't over seeing the hurt in Percy's eyes. It would take her some more time to fully forgive and accept Calypso, and the Titan knew it.

"Pass me the book?" was all she said.

Annabeth complied and pulled Percy closer to her side. She wanted him close, now and always. They were a part of one another, meant to be. She was sure of that. With Percy at her side, she could do anything.

Even pass Mrs Donahue's English test.

Leo looked over Calypso's shoulder at the notebook, a disgusted look on his face. "English sucks," he stated.

Percy laughed. "Yeah," he admitted. "But I need to get a good mark. Quiz away!"

"Alright," Calypso said firmly, giving Annabeth one last understanding look before turning to give Percy an encouraging smile. "Question one..."