JASON
I sit with Piper for the longest time. At first all I can do is hold onto her. We stuck behind after everyone else, she could tell I needed a moment.
'Everything is...' I start.
'The same?' She asks.
'No. No.' I look to her, 'it's all different. Not different, I mean...there's just so much.'
'You're glad, aren't you?' She asks carefully, 'you want to be back?'
I stare at her. Her eyes, her nose. Her freckles. I would have done anything to see her again.
'I love you so much.' I say. I hold her tight again. I'll never be able to hold her long enough, 'I'm so sorry I left you here.'
'It wasn't your fault.' She says.
'I'm still sorry.' I say.
We wait by Thalia's tree for a long time. I get to grips with the world and realise how many people I need to see.
'How long was I gone?' I ask, unsure how it took me this long to think of it.
'Just over a year.' She says.
'A year.' I echo.
'Yeah.'
'How's Leo?'
'He'll be around.' She says, 'he took it really hard when we lost you. Blamed himself for not being there...you know, fires and all. And then it sort of made him never want to visit. I don't know. I think he thought I would resent him.'
'Would you?' I ask. She stays quiet.
'Maybe. But I feel better when he's here. So it doesn't matter.'
'I can't believe I missed a year.' I say, my hand to her cheek.
'It's better than forever.'
'You haven't changed. Everything else has. You haven't.' I say, 'your hair's longer.'
'Well yes, hair grows.' She replies.
'Not mine.' I say.
'No, not yours.' She says, as she runs her fingers through, 'you look the same as the last time I saw you.'
'Life can't move on without you.' I say.
'Mine either.'
* * *
I find Percy by the beach. It's the first place I looked. He sits and stares out across the water.
'You don't have to go after him, yknow?' I ask, sitting down beside him. He doesn't flinch, I never could make him jump.
'He said the same thing.' He replies. He turns to look at me, 'how does it feel? To be back?'
'I don't know yet. It's a lot to figure out.' I say, 'but gods I missed it.'
'Yeah?'
'Yeah.' I say, looking out across the water.
'It's been weird without you.' He says, 'I missed you.'
'I'm glad you like me better alive.' I say.
'Sorry. Back from the dead. I should have had a better speech prepared.' He says.
'You can work on it.' I say.
'Have you called Leo yet?' He asks after a moment.
'Not yet. I don't know how to...like do I just call him? And have him pick up? Imagine if I just called you a week ago. You'd be freaked.'
'Man, honestly, we've all had much crazier things happen. Call him. Or I could call? Set you up?' He says, 'we could have some fun with it?'
'I'm in.'
He sets up an Iris message, and after a moment Leo answers. I'm just out of eyesight.
'Percy, my guy, what's the occasion?' Leo asks.
'Well actually now that I think about it, there's a lot of bad news. But like we're sorting that.'
'Weird start to the call. Should I be worried?' He asks, 'is Piper okay?'
'She's actually been really great. She's seeing someone.'
'She's seeing someone?!' He asks, 'who? Do I know him? Them? Is it a guy? Is he big? What's his name?'
'He's...pretty big.'
'Bigger than me?'
'No, man, no ones bigger than you.' Percy says.
'Do I know him?'
'Um...yeah actually. Kind of well.' He says, 'you used to be friends.
'Used to be?' Leo asks, 'oh man, she is not dating that asshole Wallace, is she?'
'No, what? Who the hell is Wallace?'
'He's an asshole.' He says, 'so who is it?'
'Oh, hey, look, he's here.' Percy says. I step into view, 'you were friends right?'
'Hope I'm better than Wallace.' I say smiling.
Leo stands and stares. He doesn't move.
'Percy is this a joke?' He asks.
'No, this is real.'
'If this is a joke I'm going to kill you.' He insists.
'Leo.' I say, 'it's real. I'm alive.'
'Oh my gods.' He says, 'I thought I...oh my Gods.'
'I'll leave you to it.' Percy says, patting my back and heading off, 'I'm going to find out who this Wallace kid is.'
'You're alive.' Leo says.
'I'm alive.' I confirm.
'I'm going to come...I can...I can be there in an hour.' He says, and I can see his head going into overdrive. He moves about grabbing things, hectic.
'Leo. Leo.' I shout, 'chill man. I'm not going anywhere.'
He stops and looks at me, and I see there are tears in his eyes. I don't remember the last time I saw also cry. I don't even know if I ever saw him cry at all.
'I thought I'd never see you again.' He says, 'I heard...I heard about the fire...and I thought...I don't know...I could have stopped it. I should have been there.'
'There's no way you could have known.' I say. 'It wasn't your fault.'
'I couldn't face Piper. I couldn't...' he trails off.
'Yeah, she said.' I say, 'she misses you.'
'She hates me.'
'She loves you.' I say, 'and she misses you.'
He stares at me still.
'I can't believe you're real. I can't believe you're here.' He says, 'I'm going to come. Right now. I'll get Calypso, and we'll leave right now. Just don't go anywhere. Stay right there.'
'On the beach?'
'Yes on the beach. Don't move. Unless it's for your safety or if you need to pee or something. Just...don't go again. Okay?'
'Okay.'
'I love you man. So much.'
'I love you too.'
He watches me for a moment, not wanting to end the call, 'don't move.'
