A/N: HELLO MY DARLINGS

I'm not going to even attempt to justify how long it's been except to say thankyou to everyone who is still sticking with me and to add that it has been really freakin' hard trying to stay on task when all I want to do is keep writing and talking with you guys.

This chapter took on a mind of its own but I hope you like it, I'm hopefully adding more Oracle-plot over the next few chapters so enjoy and thanks to everyone who reviews, follows, favourites and reads this story, you are stars in the face of the fandom-sky!

Shy

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

The first time Leo realised his girlfriend was kind of nuts, it wasn't so much a realisation as a confirmation. You had to be sort of crazy after all to deal with having a pyrokinetic, demigod, mechanic, ADHD boyfriend after all.

Leo had begged off the post-mission debriefing with Chiron. He'd spent a week nonstop with two hostile child demigods and a crotchety satyr, he complained, irately when Coach Hedge came to collect him. They were sitting a little ways away from the climbing wall, the four of them, Annabeth, Jason, Calypso and Leo, exchanging notes on the week apart, trying to fill each other in on their new conundrums. Percy had offered to collect Piper before they started but pause had given Hedge a moment to strike.

Leo was less than enthusiastic.

"The last thing I want to do is spend more time with a stodgy centaur and a vindictive little-" He added, his tone growing louder.

"Mind that mouth before I take my bat to it, pipsqueak." Hedge growled, touchily.

"Coach, don't you want to go speak to your wife first?" Jason suggested, idly. "I mean, it's been-"

"Mellie stayed with her folks while I was away so she'd be safe." The satyr cut in, raising a brow. "She isn't back yet." He snorted when Annabeth and Calypso exchanged surprised glances. "Please, you think I haven't heard the rumours going on about the ocean's bane and the Oracle?"

"I haven't heard the rumours about the ocean's bane and the Oracle." Leo complained and paused, brows furrowing at Calypso. "Wait, what rumours?"

"You've only been inside the camp an hour-" Annabeth frowned, a little impressed to be honest.

"Nymphs and satyrs gossip like a gaggle of old ladies. Besides, Ketos is old news since fire boy here made international news with his little stunt in Tunisia." Hedge snapped, waving a hand dismissively.

"Fire boy. That's original." Leo deadpanned, rolling his eyes. "What else you got? Flame head? Candle kid?"

"You better shut up and get a move on, Valdez." Hedge ordered. "It's procedure to debrief the mission-"

"This wasn't a mission, it was a take away order!" Leo disagreed, rolling his eyes. "Two demigods, bee monster on the side with an extra serve of pizza demon."

Hedge loomed over them with a vicious scowl, or at least he would've if Jason hadn't nearly been the same height as the satyr whilst seated. A thick vein in his forehead pulsed. "I'd rather not spend more time with your obnoxious, rule-flaunting face today either, Valdez but it's procedure. You think spending the week with you was a picnic, punk?" he grunted, grinding his teeth.

"A root canal, more like. It might at least explain the hairnet." Leo snapped back, frustrated.

Annabeth cast a bewildered glance at Jason. "Hairnet?" she mouthed but the blonde Roman merely shrugged, equally confused.

With a deep breath, Jason took on his best (albeit strained) diplomatic tone while Leo and Hedge continued to look like they were about to dissolve into a full blown yelling match. "Coach, we kind of need Leo here-"

"Yeah, he's debriefing us first." Annabeth added, her tone surprisingly argumentative. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright from the exertion of the climbing wall but Calypso personally thought the pinkness had more to do with her growing frustration; she was beginning to look reasonably fed up with the delay.

"I don't care if he's patching up the damn Titanic," Hedge bleated, snappishly. "Lord Dionysus and Chiron-"

At the mention of the wine god, Calypso's eyes became dark for a second before she trained her expression into one of careful neutrality. She'd had just about enough herself of Mr D and Chiron yanking Wonder Boy from his allotted space beside her. "Coach Hedge, Leo was just telling me how you were the driving force on the quest," she interjected smoothly.

"I-" Leo began, outraged but a sharp jab in the ribs from Jason made him flinch. "-was just saying that. Exactly that." He muttered, bearing his teeth in a sharp grin.

Calypso spared the satyr a small, pleasant smile. "I'm sure Chiron and Dionysus would be quite satisfied by your own personal explanation, having played such a central role, of course."

Hedge paused, eying her with a suspicious onceover. "I'll give you one thing Valdez, your girl's got a quick tongue." He conceded in a dry tone but the temper had faded from his tone. "You're lucky Mellie's going to take a day or two to get back."

"So…you'll talk to Chiron by yourself?" Annabeth clarified, delicately.

Hedge huffed. "I'll take this one but if either of them asks how you recovered so quickly from that poison-"

"I'd like an answer for that also." Calypso murmured to her boyfriend under her breath with a single raised brow.

"-I'm telling the whole truth, python blood and all!" Hedge declared with a grunt before he turned tail and trotted away, muttering.

Jason waited until the satyr was out of earshot. "Do I even want to know where you got a hold of python blood?" he asked the firestarter, pointedly.

Leo lifted his hands as if in surrender and jerked a thumb to the girl by his side whose expression had suddenly become a mix between nerves, worry and discontent. "Hell if I know, I'm not the one practising old Titan magic."

"It's not Titan per se." Calypso corrected, although her features betrayed her sudden worry. "But you used it?"

Leo let out a low whistle. "Course I did. Nearly gave Coach a heart attack when he spotted it."

"Spotted what?" Annabeth enquired.

"It's a kind of uber-ambrosia." Leo answered before Calypso could downplay the herbal remedy. "Totally illegal but holy Hera, it kicks ass."

Far from scandalised, Jason appeared almost curious. "Uber-ambrosia huh?"

The son of Hephaestus grinned. "Grace, you gotta try some of this stuff, it was like the most pleasant punch in the face you've ever had." He told his best friend with a snort.

"Sounds like a blast." Jason replied, dryly. "Why did you have to use it anyway?"

Calypso coughed pointedly at that. "Yes, I'm curious as well." She ground out, displeasure becoming the dominant emotion in her expression.

"Well there was this one bee monster…" he mentioned, unconcerned. He explained the fight in the Bearmont shelter cafeteria, how he'd ducked through the swarm to reach Hedge, how he hadn't realised the stingers were quite as toxic as they turned out to be. "No big deal, everything was fine." He shrugged, conveniently leaving out the part where he tried to pick a fight with a park bench.

Calypso's jaw unintentionally dropped. "Not a big deal?" she demanded, shrilly.

He frowned. "Not really, I mean I had everything under control-"

"If you had to use my ambrosia, obviously not. Mellisses? Really, Leo?" she added in pained tone. Her previous worry was suddenly rocketing to the forefront of her mind, tangled in a swell of frustration and panic. Hearing him make light of the situation incensed her, her imagination suddenly conjuring horrible flashes of a Leo who had not made it back to her a second time.

Leo's shoulders hunched defensively. "There were extenuating circumstances!"

"As if you need your judgement to be any further impaired!" she sighed, exasperated. "I suppose you didn't think to avoid the stingers? Or think about the situation before you went ploughing through it?"

"So what if I didn't?" he shot back, rolling his eyes. "I'll have you know, I kicked Queen Bug's insect ass even with my 'impaired judgement' thankyou very much!"

"Demigods and your damned luck." She cursed with an unimpressed glare towards her boyfriend who didn't seem nearly as concerned about his near-death experience as he should be. "You all have this obnoxious belief you're completely invincible-"

"I resent that." Jason chimed in, lightly. "I'm very aware of my potential doom."

Annabeth nodded, adding in a casual tone: "Although Percy was kind of invincible for a while there."

"True." The Roman acknowledged after a moment. Leo cast them both a flat stare that clearly asked them to butt out of the conversation.

"-and most of you end up dead with that stupid shocked look on your face-" she continued to rant, pinching the bridge of her nose. The irritation in her voice hid the tiny tremor underneath so well even Leo didn't pick it up.

Instead he rolled his eyes. "It wasn't that bad. Anyway, why give me the ambrosia if I wasn't supposed to use it?" he retorted, frustrated.

"That ambrosia could probably revive an infuriated Hydra." Calypso deadpanned. "The point is, you're not supposed to get into situations where it becomes necessary."

Leo opened his mouth to argue further but Annabeth called an end to the dispute with a single raised hand. "As much as I enjoy the banter about demigod stupidity and monster battles, could you save it for later?" she proposed with a pointed glance to the pair. "We have more important things to talk about."

Leo took a deep breath while Calypso chewed the inside of her cheek. "Alright," he said, trying to conserve his irritation and confusion over his girlfriend's irrational (and totally uncalled for because he so had the situation handled) anger. "Tell me about Rachel."

"She's not well." Annabeth replied, bluntly. "The Oracle's been acting strange."

"And by that you mean…?" Leo drawled.

"Stranger than usual." Calypso answered, her voice suddenly sombre. "It- what was the term you used?"

Annabeth grimaced. "Hi-jacked."

"Yes, the spirit hi-jacked her body yesterday." The former goddess explained, biting her lip. "It asked for paper and then drew all these pictures-"

"Isn't that how Rachel usually focuses her visions? Drawing?" Jason interrupted, his strong aquiline features particularly intense as he spoke. He was worried about the Oracle- he'd come to like the spunky redhead who threatened Titans with hairbrushes and brokered peace between the camps while they were fighting Gaea.

"This was different, those visions don't hurt her, it's almost reflexive. Natural." Annabeth disagreed.

"The Oracle was strained when it produced these visions." Calypso added, catching eyes with Leo who looked troubled by the news of the Oracle's behaviour. His hands flitted around his pockets, channelling his leftover energy. "It was almost gasping for breath and the pictures were fragmented."

"What were they of? The pictures, I mean." Leo asked, bewildered.

Annabeth shook her head, regretfully. "I didn't have much of a look, Chiron was pretty quick to snatch it away. I definitely saw a couple of snakes and a huge dorsal fin, like some kind of lizard?"

"It was coming out of the ocean." Calypso continued, still holding Leo's gaze meaningfully.

He nodded, grimly. "That would be the great lizard beastie I met near Tunisia."

"Ketos has definitely risen then." Jason muttered. "Fantastic news."

"You just wait til you get to meet him." Leo told him, dryly. "Horrific morning breath."

"There were more pictures, like little snippets of different scenes." Calypso's brow furrowed as she recalled them. "I think there were claws somewhere and maybe hands? But between them all, there were-"

"Water droplets." A new voice chimed in, knowingly as Percy and Piper reappeared nearby. Piper looked troubled even as she took a seat beside Leo, quickly hugging him in greeting.

"How did you know?" Jason asked, confused.

Percy grimaced. "Rachel had another fit at the Big House. That's where I found Piper." He said, shortly as he sat beside Annabeth.

Piper nodded in assent. "She's fine now but it was so weird. She just kept drawing water droplets, all over the page. Every time she tried to draw something different, her other hand smudged the ink."

"This is insane, the Oracle's not meant to attack its host." Annabeth growled, her worry morphing to anger.

Leo's brow furrowed in thought. "She smudged out the other drawings?"

"Yeah, like she wasn't even aware she was doing it." Piper continued, bewildered. "I've never seen anything like it, even when Hera was using her as a mouthpiece."

"So whatever this is about, it's about water." Leo threw up his hands in exasperation. "Well that's just damn fantastic news."

"It's probably just Ketos." Piper said, uncertainly but a short laugh from Calypso paused her words.

"There's no such thing as 'just Ketos'." The former goddess explained, darkly. "Ketos is- it's a weapon, nearly mindless with rage and power. The damage it could do to this world, with so many people near the coasts- it's incalculable."

"You think it'll attack here?" Annabeth breathed in sharply at the idea.

Calypso rubbed her temples, strained. "When it was last alive, Ketos had lost its master and it acted from uncontrollable rage. If it has one now, it'll destroy anywhere the master wishes. Left alone however, Ketos attacks whatever catches its eye. It could attack here or across the sea or in the north or south or east or west or wherever it pleases."

"More wonderful news." Percy sighed, frustrated. "I just don't know why my dad hasn't mentioned this. He's not answering my IMs, or my offerings or my prayers. If Ketos is such a big threat, why haven't the gods said anything?"

"Who knows?" Piper shrugged, unsettled. "Maybe they think they can handle it themselves?"

"We know how well that's worked out in the past." Jason snorted in a quietly rebellious tone Calypso hadn't expected from the Roman.

"Maybe- maybe it's not our problem?" Annabeth proposed, warily.

"A raging sea monster with the ability to wipe out coastal cities across the world. Yeah, I can see how that's definitely not our division." Leo responded, sarcastically.

"I just mean, maybe this isn't our quest." She continued with a flat look cast towards the fire demigod. "Maybe it's for another demigod. We aren't exactly the only ones at camp and there's more and more coming, Roman and Greek."

The six of them paused for a moment, each of them contemplating a world in which the responsibility for such a dangerous quest was passed onto some unwitting young demigod, much as the theft of the Master Bolt had been thrust onto Percy and Annabeth so many years ago.

"Whatever the visions are about, I'm still worried about Rachel and the Oracle." Calypso interrupted after a long moment. "This isn't the way the Oracle-Host bond is meant to function, something's wrong."

"But why would the Oracle go rebel all of a sudden?" Percy asked, frustrated by the lack of understanding. "I don't get it, I thought it was sort of…happy with Rachel."

"Something's happened to make the Oracle try to circumvent Rachel's usual control." Jason summarised.

Annabeth suddenly caught Calypso's eye. "Have you found her sketch pad at all?" she asked, her voice urgent.

The former ocean goddess shook her head. "Not a single clue."

"What's happened to her sketch pad?" Piper interrupted, brows pulled together quizzically. Leo, Percy and Jason leaned forward also, not having heard this part of the mystery before.

"She hid it a few nights ago." Calypso explained, slowly. "While she was sleepwalking." An idea began to form inside her skull but she buried it immediately. There was no possible use for such a theory, preposterous as it was.

"And she can't remember now?" Percy clarified.

"That's kind of freaky." Leo commented offhandedly, his focus slipping for a moment. "What else does she do when she sleep walks?"

"She puts on seven pairs of pants, goes for a swim in the lake and calls herself Achilles." Annabeth rolled her eyes, her frustration getting the better of her. "What do you think she does?"

Calypso shrugged in reply to Leo's question. "She just walks around, nothing else. Except she doesn't remember hiding the sketch pad and we can't find it in the Cave."

"She's not remembering anything the Oracle does lately." Piper told the group. "She couldn't remember the last vision at all. I think it's really freaking her out."

"But why would the Oracle stop her from remembering it? And why would it hide Rachel's notepad if it wanted to show off these pictures so badly?" Jason wondered aloud but no one had an answer. The Oracle's behaviour seemed contradictory at best; there were no answers to be found in its inconsistency.

There was really only one place to look for them.

"We have to find that sketch pad." Piper said, simply. "If there's any kind of information inside it, it could help us understand what's provoking the Oracle to take control."

Calypso kept quiet about her suspicion that it was not the Oracle who had hidden the notebook but it bubbled away in the back of her head, a constantly twitching theory that made her more nervous than she cared to admit to.

Percy's voice called her back into the conversation. "But it wasn't in the Cave and it's getting colder every night." he pointed out. "Where could she walk to, to hide it, I mean?"

Calypso shrugged, helplessly. "The nymphs might've seen something." She offered, dubiously. "I could try asking."

"Most of them have already gone into hibernation for winter." Piper reminded her. "If they're already sleeping, they won't have seen her."

"There are a few still awake." Calypso said, doubtfully. "They might've felt which way she went at least."

The unofficial meeting began to stall as the demigods sat amongst their thoughts and theories. "I promised I'd go back to hang out with her for a while." Piper finally said, glancing towards Jason, Leo and Calypso. "You guys want to come with me?"

Calypso grimaced but there was a hint of amusement in the expression. "Rachel will likely throttle me if she catches me near her today. I was told in no uncertain terms not to hide in the Big House with her."

"Point taken." Piper acknowledged with a smirk. "How about you, Pizza Head?"

Leo let out a groan. "Who told you?"

"Two little demigods taking the orientation video for the first time." She answered, grinning. "Michael actually came up with the name."

"Michael?" Leo echoed, snorting. "Talk about emu Brutal. I definitely thought it was Daisy's doing."

"You mean, 'e tu Brute?', Leo." Jason corrected, rolling his eyes.

"Dude, I barely understand Greek. Latin is just not one of my many and varied talents." Leo replied with a shrug.

"Yet you can talk to an enormous mechanical dragon just fine." He said, wryly. Jason stood to follow Piper's lead. "I'll come. I want to IM Hazel and Frank, make sure they're all caught up as well."

Calypso held back the question on the tip of her tongue: did they trust the Romans enough to inform them of their Oracle's weakness? But recalling Hazel's kindness and Frank's gentleness, their quiet strength, she forced her somewhat anti-Roman predilections to the side. She hadn't met many Romans but those two were the absolutely least conniving she'd come across.

"That's a good idea. Maybe we should ask if Ella's said anything?" Percy added, thoughtfully. "I think she and Tyson are in New Rome for the next week. If Ella can recite anything from the Sibylline Books…"

"Maybe she'll know what's going on with Rachel." Jason finished, knowingly. "I'll ask but you know how she answers questions."

Leo let out a long sigh from his nostrils. "I think I'm gonna try to unpack some of my stuff, so I guess I'll see you at dinner?"

Piper and Jason waved their goodbyes as they left for the Big House while Leo cast a sly glance toward Calypso. "You wanna help me, Sunshine?" he smirked, standing and reaching out a hand to help her up with a mock-gallant twist of the wrist.

"Of course, Wonder Boy." Calypso smiled prettily but the expression held a kind of sharpness that made Leo wary. She got to her feet on her own, meticulously brushing off the grass from her knees. "As a matter of fact, while you unpack, you can explain to me what in all of Hades you thought you were doing, charging through a swarm of incredibly toxic monsters without a shred of a plan!"

The son of the Iron God let out a long sigh as he waved a quick goodbye to Percy and Annabeth who still sat together among the grass. "It wasn't as bad as it sounds." He quickly contradicted her.

"Which part? When you ignored the stingers or were eaten by a filth demon?" Calypso's deadpan question was the last thing Percy and Annabeth heard as the pair moved out of earshot, Leo's indignant reply lost in the breeze.

Between the two of them, the silence last a few tense moments before Percy sighed. "What's wrong?" he asked, bluntly.

Annabeth's poker face didn't move a muscle. "What makes you think anything's wrong?"

"I like to think I know when something's bothering you by now." Percy drawled and at her lack of smart-ass retort, he frowned. "Annabeth, seriously, what's wrong?"

She took a deep breath. "The last picture Rachel drew was a sword."

"…okay…?"

"It was Riptide, Percy." Annabeth clarified, eyes distant.

Percy took the news in for a moment. "You sure?"

"Come on Seaweed Brain, I know that blade as well as you do." She pointed out, her voice unreadable.

"Well then…I guess it's kind of to be expected?" The sea demigod allowed, slowly though his tone belied confusion. "Why does that bother you?"

Annabeth didn't reply for a long pause and when she did, she traced the side of her sneaker with her thumb restlessly. "I guess I just thought the Quest of the Seven was it, you know? That it was our last big quest, our last sacrifice. We survived Tartarus, Rome, Greece where no demigod is ever supposed to go- I thought that meant it was kind of over for us." She stretched her legs out, suddenly unable to keep still. "I thought it meant we could move on. Go to university in New Rome, start a life that doesn't stop and start between quests."

"Maybe this is our last quest?" Percy proposed, uncertainly. He could see Annabeth's reasoning. A new threat to match Gaea was so unlikely, it barely deserved a thought, even if it lingered as an irrational fear at the back of his head. Surely any new problem could be handled by others? As soon as the thought passed through his head, Percy felt conflicted. How was it fair to ask others to fight battles that affected him? Children of the gods, especially the Big Three, were always the ones to suffer the hardest battles. It was what they were good at.

"Or maybe the next one, or the next one or the next one." Annabeth replied, gaze fixed on the camp courtyard in the distance. "It just makes me wonder. Do we ever get a last quest? I used to think that was the best life for me. The best death is an honourable one, dying in the glory of battle. But after everything we saw in the Pit- now I know. I don't want to die on 'one last quest'. I want a life outside of the gods and their silly demands, Percy."

Percy could see the life she was describing, mainly because it was already familiar to him, indirectly at least. He'd seen it in New Rome, in the ex-warriors that settled there, in the students who pursued higher study, in the kids and families who lived there untouched but defended. A life acknowledging the gods but not circulating around them. A life after camp.

And with a jolt he realised he wanted one too. A life, that is. He didn't want an end so much as a beginning, a change. He wanted some kind of stability, some kind of future with his best friend, his girlfriend, the person he trusted most to guard his back and love him. He didn't want to end up one of the many demigods who died horrible, violent deaths.

"Maybe this is our last quest." Percy repeated, catching her hand in his with a hint of vulnerability in his eyes as he caught her gaze. "Annabeth…maybe we can make this our last quest."

The words were hesitant but Annabeth could read between the lines as if they were spelled out neatly in Ancient Greek before her very eyes. A small smile crossed her mouth and there in the cool sunlight, gold curls pushed to the back of her head with a rubber band and dirt under her fingernails, Percy Jackson thought he could see the Fates stitching his future together before his very eyes.

By the time they'd reached Leo's room inside Cabin 9, Leo had explained the whole quest, start to finish and Calypso had stopped trying to point out his stupidity. Instead she was studiously trying to somehow ignore him while also staying beside him.

It was not without its challenges.

Leo was even more lost than he usually was where girls were concerned. She'd been ecstatic to see him arrive back at camp, had been more than happy to fool around for nearly an hour in the woods, seemed positively joyous at having him near her again. And then Hedge had mentioned that stupid ambrosia and suddenly everything had turned to schist.

Damn Hedge, Leo thought, petulantly. He didn't know how he'd ruin his reunion with Mellie but he would. Retaliation was due here. A strategically placed bucket of ice water should do the trick.

Being back in his room after just a week away felt as easy as breathing; unpacking his rucksack, clearing his filthy clothing, tossing the shirt that still reeked of mozzarella and six month old basil, it felt like a relief. The one thing that didn't fit was the irritation and unhappiness currently seeping from his girlfriend.

Mostly, Leo couldn't understand why she was so upset that he'd used her gift. If anything, he thought she'd be pleased. At present, he watched her from the corner of his eye as she wandered from place to place in his room, trying to settle in one place and failing miserably. She refused to meet his eyes.

"So what did you get up to this week-?" he broached the subject in his best non-aggressive, wary voice but Calypso cut in, fingers curled into fists at her side.

"I'm angry with you." She blurted out.

"…okay?"

"I mean, I'm trying not to be angry but I am." She amended. "I'm really, really mad at you, Wonder Boy."

"Because I ate the ambrosia?" he probed, cautiously.

"Yes. No. Sort of." She gritted her teeth. Her hands twitched like she wanted to throttle him. "You ran into two monsters. Two. One of which used to eat small cities in Ancient Times."

Leo's temper spiked despite himself. "Well, originally I'd organised for at least five but three of them pulled out at the last minute. Good monster attacks are so hard to schedule these days." He said, mock-disappointed.

"Don't joke with me, Leo Valdez, you could've been killed." Calypso snapped back.

"What, do you think I wanted to be attacked?" he scowled. "It's not like I asked for it."

"You used the ambrosia in a week!" she retorted, shrilly. "You couldn't keep safe for a week, Leo!"

He let out a short, hard laugh. "Can I remind you it was your idea to go?"

"My idea to go, not nearly get myself eaten by a damn pizza!"

"I'm still not even sure why you're so pissed off with me." He muttered, irritably.

Calypso paused from where she paced from his desk to his closet, her brows furrowed and her eyes flashing. "I don't know what that means and I don't care. You were being needlessly reckless and foolish!"

"But I lived." He stressed, throwing his hands up. "In case you cared."

"Of course I care but that's not the point, you vlakas!" she hissed.

"It's like your upset I survived!" he spat back, his temper well and truly riled up.

"I'm upset with you because-" she cut herself off but Leo smelled he was getting close to the real reason she was acting like a crazy.

"No, no, go on. Why are you upset? Because I dared to eat the stupid magic pill my crazy girlfriend offered me-"

"Don't call me crazy." Calypso snarled, indignantly.

"-because I came back to aforementioned crazy girlfriend? Because-" he ranted, the temperature of the room peaking ever so slightly, although neither godling could feel the change above the heat flooding their own bodies.

"Because you nearly died and left me here on my own." she finally yelled back at him and his retort shrivelled up on his tongue. "Because I stupidly thought when you said you'd be fine, you meant it. Because figuring out how to be a demigod for just a week by myself is terrifying and I don't know how I'm going to manage it when I have to do it for the rest of my life."

His heart suddenly jammed itself against his windpipe and the obstruction delayed any of the words he wanted to say. "I-"

She continued her pacing, pointedly glaring at the ground beneath her feet, her tone still wildly upset. "Because I didn't think you were actually going to have to use the ambrosia when I gave it to you, because it's meant to be a last line of defence and you got in so much danger you had to use it within days-!"

"Calypso-"

"-you don't even care, it's not even a minor concern for you. You just shrug it off like it doesn't matter at all." she finally paused, taking a seat at the farthest edge of the bed from him. Her eyes finally met his and he realised they weren't flashing in anger, they were dark with worry. Her pacing wasn't in fury, it was anxiety that fuelled her feet. Her hands didn't twitch with the urge to strangle him (although he was sure they had done so in the past and probably would do so plenty of times in the future), they were shaking from nerves.

Calypso was worriedabout him. She was angry, sure, pissed even. But more than that, Calypso was scared for him.

It was a very weird feeling that glued his internal organs together and set them to vibrate, knowing he'd made her worry about him. Sort of good but also bad and altogether foreign because even though he knew he had a family of friends who looked out for him and cared about him, to be honest? No one had honest-to-gods worried about him since his mother, his home and his life had gone up in flames all those years ago.

"I'm sorry I scared you." The words stumbled off his tongue before he could think them through but they seemed to be the right ones. His former-Titan's eyes softened.

"You could've died out there, Leo." She muttered, her eyes drifting down to the collar of his shirt where one of the more persistent welts from the mélisses attack still lingered. Her fingers drifted towards it, hovering just an inch above but not quite touching the skin. "Just a little lower and it could've pierced your heart. The poison could've made you pick a fight with Kronos himself. It could've made your chest explode. Or you could've been slowly digested."

"But I wasn't." Leo pointed out, his voice straining for gentle and coming out somewhere close to awkward. "I mean, I guess I was partially digested, my sneakers are kind of sandals now but-"

"But you could've died and I couldn't have helped." Calypso interrupted him, withdrawing her hand. "I don't like feeling helpless. I've had quite enough waiting and wondering if heroes were still alive."

He wondered how the similarity hadn't occurred to him and if she'd spent much time trying not think of him as a hero who would not be coming back. "To be fair demigods have a pretty hard time avoiding danger." He pointed out, wincing. Not for the first time, Leo wished he was normal, safe. Not half-Greek God. But then he wouldn't have met Jason or Piper or Hazel. He wouldn't have repaired Festus. He wouldn't have figured out his mother's death or found a home here. He wouldn't have been able to help the frustrating girl in front of him.

"I didn't really realise how dangerous it would be." She admitted in a low voice. "People from my time only used that ambrosia when need was dire. Too much-"

"-could light me on fire. And not in a good way." He winced. "Coach mentioned that."

"At least one of you has a brain." She sighed as though pained.

Leo fought not to rise to the bait. "It's always going to be dangerous." He pointed out instead. "I can't help that. But even if I died, you wouldn't be alone."

"You think that's what scares me most?" Calypso replied, incredulously. "I've been on my own before hero. I don't like the idea of a world where you're not, Wonder Boy."

The words were hardly poetic or pretty but they smacked him in the face with force of a runaway cement truck speeding down a large hill. "Careful there Sunshine," he warned her, unable to get rid of the smirk from his mouth. "Or I'll start thinking you like me."

The tiniest, most unwilling smile he'd ever seen crept across her face. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." She said, reluctantly.

"No you're not." He disagreed.

"No I'm not." She replied, her hand sneaking across his coverlet to lace with his fingers. "Because I swear, if you ever scare me like that again, I'm going to bring you back from the dead myself so I can yell at you again."

"I'm fairly certain Hades isn't keen on letting people renege on their deaths." Leo muttered.

"Orpheus did it and he was a glorified harp player." Calypso retorted, tossing her head back until every shred of fragility had vanished. "Just imagine what I could do."

"I'm terrified. No really. I'm shaking in my boots." Leo deadpanned with an eye roll tossed in for good measure. But he squeezed her hand just a little and when she squeezed his back, the vibrating, weird feeling of having someone worry about him got just a little less weird. It was hard knowing someone worried for you- he was simultaneously warmed from the feeling and yet he could feel the pressure of it. He didn't want to scare Sunshine. He just wasn't sure he could always avoid it.

He knew she was back to normal when she insisted on checking the welt on his shoulder. "Ambrosia isn't a cure, Pizza Boy." She told him, peevishly. "Let me just take a look."

She sat beside him on the cot on her knees, her long locks of auburn hair tickling his cheek as she carried out her inspection. He tolerated her prodding good-naturedly as she carefully examined the raised area with her cool fingertips. To be honest, it didn't exactly feel bad. "I just can't believe you didn't see it earlier." He teased her instead. "I mean, you were kind of all over me."

If he didn't see the slight pink filling her cheeks, he wouldn't have noticed any reaction at all to the words. "My focus was elsewhere. As was yours, if I remember correctly."

"It's okay to admit it, you totally dig me." Leo continued, as if she hadn't spoken, still dedicated to seeing more of her blush. "I mean, look at me, I am a fine looking specimen. You know, I once distracted an entire cove of nymphs with nothing but my chiselled good looks?"

"I don't know how I am supposed to 'dig' you," Calypso muttered, dryly. "But if it means I'd like to take a shovel to you, then yes, I suppose that's true."

"So am I gonna live or what?" he asked when she finally withdrew from her speculation.

Calypso narrowed her eyes and brought her forehead to his, lips just inches apart. "In my opinion, recovery is likely but not certain. Especially not if you keep up with this sort of recklessness at least."

He winced, over-theatrically. "See, the thing is, I'm kind of a hero and heroes can get caught up in this kind of thing pretty often, you know? So-"

"Shut up." She told him, bluntly. "No more joking. I'm instigating a new rule."

"Rules. What fun. Have I mentioned how I feel about rules?" Leo was quick to add, desperate to keep this easiness between them going.

"New rule." She repeated, taking his chin between her fingers and forcing him to nod in agreement. "No more solo quests."

He frowned, bewildered by the rule. "This wasn't a solo quest though."

"I mean, no more solo quests, for us." She clarified, pointedly. "If you're going to put yourself in harm's way like this, I'm not going to sit at home and worry hopelessly about you. I'm coming with you next time. No complaining. No arguing. No- why do you have that look on your face?" she demanded, leaning back so she could study the broad shining grin that lit up his whole expression.

"You said home." He replied simply.

"I-I guess I did." Calypso slowly agreed, rewinding her own words.

Leo's eyes took on all shades of mischief. "You're gonna keep me outta trouble, Sunshine?" he teased, his chest tingling with all kinds of feelings.

Calypso couldn't help the laughter that spilled out of her, even as his hands found hers. "Wonder Boy, not even the gods themselves could keep you out of trouble but I'm sure as Helios going to try."

A/N: Aw, cuties.

I won't bore you with apologies (I'MSORRYFORGIVEMEUNIVERSITYISHARDANDISUCKEGGS) but I will thank all of you because

OH MY HOLY HERA PEOPLE, I HAVE A STORY WITH 2000 REVIEWS. LIKE A 2 AND THEN THREE 0S OH MY ARES AND ATHENA!

(*deep breaths* keep it together shy, keep it composed)

THANKS GUYS OMG THANKYOU

Alrighty, anon reviews!

Guest: I have my own plans for Nico in this story but he'll probably make an appearance in my other story Traditional before he appears in Firsts. I agree, I'm really eager to write his interaction with Calypso

Cecld: I have plans for the kids but to be honest, this is a Caleo-centric story and it's going to remain that way. I'm really glad you're enjoying it though and thanks for reviewing :D

MMM: thanks! Enjoy the new update!

Starry: hello there! I'm glad you're enjoying the caleo cuteness, you'll have to let me know if it ever gets too cutesy or not fluffy enough. It is a fine line to walk.

Firsts: NAW THANKS! Sorry about the wait, hope you enjoy the caleo interaction in this chapter :D

Justpassingby: Just a little lemony yes….is that a good thing or a bad thing? I've been thinking about my lemon limits for a while now but I'd be interested in other perspectives…

Qaz: NAW THANKS :D hope you enjoy the caleo reunion, it's a little…prickly?

Kfromcabin6: Naw thankyou! I love hearing how much you guys are enjoying this fic so far, the response has been overwhelming! I agree, this story is a projection of all the things I want in Blood of Olympus, the primary one of course being I NEED CALEO WHOLE AND HEALTHY AND TOGETHER and that's all. Rachel, the Oracle and the sketch pad will be revealed eventually, I'm not keen on dragging it out too much but I'm glad you're interested :D As for my godly parent, hmm, probably Poseidon or Apollo? I've lived and grown up near the sea my whole life and I'm a writer by nature so either one maybe? Anyway, hope you enjoy the new update and thanks for the (long) review!

Guest: oh my gosh, you don't understand how much I blush when people say that this fic reminds them of Riordan's work, that is such an enormous compliment oh my GOSH- *ahem* I'm glad you're enjoying it so far and that the style and the plot is convincing ;) Enjoy the new update!

Guest: Poor oracle indeed, she's had a tough time lately. Enjoy the new chapter and thanks for reading!

Ski Racer: I submit an offering of fourteen pages to you, reading monster. Please accept my sacrifice. (BTW: omg, I try not to look at the overall wordcount on my word document because it would scare the crap out of me but 398 pages HOLY HERA)

Guest: Glad you're enjoying it!

Eric Kim: thanks! I've really enjoyed working on this fic and I'm thrilled the style and plot is engaging your interest :D thanks for reading and reviewing!

Pancho: Gracias ;)

Hope Garrit: I know, I actually forgot until after I'd finished writing the first section of the Chicago quest but I sort of referenced it at one point by adding that the memories hadn't been so bad for him with Piper and Jason and Festus around the first time.

Hump you: enjoy!

Aruani is life: I actually have considered it, maybe not hardcore smut but something more lemony than I usually write. Would you guys even be interested in that? I'd be curious to hear other perspectives…

Mike: more kissing? It wasn't too lemony? I worry a lot about that sometimes but I haven't really broached the topic before…hmm…

Es Juan: I humbly accept your soul as sacrifice to the writing god who fuels this story. May it bring many chapters to come ;)

Rufus Rastas: 3 times? Holy Hera man, I haven't even read it all the way through that many times. Also, you'd read a first-time-sleeping-together chapter? I've been thinking more and more about it lately but I've been curious as to what you guys would be interested in…hmmm….(enjoy the new update!)

Kathie: OMG THANKS BEAUTIFUL REVIEWER :D Also Percy is a little dark after Tartarus but I like to think he's lightening up a little. I'm planning for he and Calypso to grow as friends, I think they could really benefit from a friendship with a fellow sea demigod ;) enjoy the new update!

WHY: I'M SO SORRY BRO, UNIVERSITY IS KICKING MY ASS HERE IT IS, ENJOY!

So that's it for now! I'm hoping it's not another TWO FREAKING MONTHS until my next update but until then, thanks again (2000 reviews guys oh my GOD) and have a wonderful day!