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Piper

Piper paced up and down the deck, nervously twisting her hair in knots. It started off as a gesture to her mother, trying desperately to mess up her always perfect hair, but soon became an annoying habit. Jason flew back onto the deck. Piper jumped forward in question, but he simply shook his head. Piper looked down, trying to keep the tears from her eyes.

"Hey. It's Annabeth and Leo. They'll come up with something. They'll be fine. I promise." He brought her in for a hug. None of them got much sleep last night. The ominous present of the next morning, this morning, had kept them up. Even though all of them had not slept at all, they somehow missed Annabeth and Leo completely disappearing. Upon awaking in the morning and noticing their absence, they had been on full panic mode, searching every inch of the city.

"You can't promise that. We all knew today might not go as planned, but I didn't expect it to be so soon." Piper muttered into Jason's shirt. The nerves that everyone was experiencing tripled when they found out Leo and Annabeth were gone. It was startling how quickly their team had diminished. Now, they were even less prepared than before, and filled with grief.

"I can't promise that." Jason agreed sadly, "But, I can promise that Frank and I wont stop searching. I'm about to go back out right now." He disentangled himself from her hug and walked towards the edge of the ship. Piper looked out towards the ruins of Athens, where Gaea was supposedly going to rise. They had planned to head there first thing in the morning, but certain situations had halted those plans.

"I'll find them." Jason looked at Piper with confidence in his eyes. Then, Piper heard laughter. Leo stumbled onto the ship, hysterically doubled over. He reached his arm down to attempt to pull Annabeth up the remainder of the rope latter, but somewhat failed, having both of them collapse on the deck. They laid in a pile, nearly crying.

"Oh thank the gods." Jason breathed and ran over to them, Piper close behind. "Where were you guys? Are you hurt?" His voice was stern, but relieved.

"So serious." Leo mumbled, causing more laughter.

"Are you guys okay?" Piper knelt beside them.

"Of course I am! I am having the best day of my life." Leo glanced at Annabeth who fell over again, entire body shaking.

"What is wrong with you guys?" Hazel came up from downstairs, obviously relieved.

"Um... I'm cursed?" Annabeth said it like a question.

"Seconded!" Leo yelled right after.

"Are you... drunk?" Piper asked, bewildered, a small smile coming to her lips. Jason turned to her sharply and Hazel covered her mouth.

"Are you... single?" Leo grinned up at Piper from the ground.

"Leo!" Annabeth said too loudly. "Jason is right there."

"Hey wont know about our love affair." Leo grinned. "Piper can't keep her hands off me. I'm irresistible. Everybody loves Leo."

"Um..." Piper fought the urge to laugh, "Where were you guys all night?"

"Yeah that's what I want to know." Jason looked dead serious.

"We were just celebrating our bad luck." Annabeth smiled.

"And how crappy the world is." Leo added.

"Yup that too." Annabeth nodded.

"You were... drinking." Hazel's mouth was open.

"Let's sober you too up before Jason blows a fuse." Piper grabbed Leo under his arms and lifted him up.

00000000000

Nearly an hour and a half later, a newly sober Annabeth and Leo sat with the rest of the crew at the table. All of them were fidgeting in their seats, too nervous to make small talk. Annabeth was staring dimly at Percy's empty seat.

"Okay everyone. We've trained for this. We know what to do. We will all sit at this table again." Jason spoke. Frank stood up and patted him on the back. They all stood as he did.

"I believe in all of us. If anyone can do this, it's us." Piper spoke up. She looked around at her friends. Her best friends in the world. She couldn't lose them. Any of them. She refused to.

"Yeah. Good luck everybody." Leo nodded. Since sobering up, he looked too serious to be Leo. Clearly the nerves had gotten to him. Annabeth teared her gaze away from Percy's absence to look at Leo. Since Annabeth had come back from Tartarus, her and Leo had struck up a friendship nobody had seen coming. But, in a way, it was comforting. It helped Piper to know that someone was there for Annabeth and vice versa.

"We've all lost so much. Let that motivate you." Hazel said. Piper gave a small smile. She refused to lose more. They moved to the deck and began to hug each other. Frank started it by hugging her. She hugged him and Hazel, then moved to Annabeth. She hugged Jason, then lastly went to Leo. Leo hugged her tightly and smiled at her. She felt a rush of relief. That smile looked like Leo.

"You really are my family. You know that right, Beauty Queen?" He smiled sincerely.

"Don't tell me that the war has made you all soft and squishy inside." Piper smiled a little.

"Of course not. Don't you dare spread that rumor." Classic Leo. Then, "I just really wanted you to know." His eyes were on hers.

Piper was pleasantly surprised. "Of-of course Leo. You know I love you."

Leo was smiling and held it for a while. Finally he broke his long stare and wiggled his shoulders and said in a sing songy voice, "You love me."

Piper rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder playfully. Jason came over and Piper went under his arm. How many more times would Piper be able to do this. It had to be a thousand more. It had to be.