The Son of Vulcan | ✓

III

Leo

Leo never thought he'd see people cry over him, yet in the past twenty-four hours, he'd seen a startling number do just that.

He shifted uncomfortably and lifted his hand in a half-wave. "Um, hi? How's California?"

Hazel burst into tears.

Leo had to admit that he didn't quite know how to react. In fact, he found it hilarious that Reyna and Frank seemed just as baffled as him, but at least they generally knew how to handle organic life forms. Leo walked around calling them organic life forms and wondering why everyone looked at him weird.

Reyna and Frank didn't cry. Well, he thought he saw a tear or something fall down Frank's face, but it was probably just the Iris message. Probably.

Reyna and Frank didn't cry. But they were in shock.

"You've been gone for almost a month." Reyna said. "You were thought to be dead. And your first words when you see us again are hi, how's California?"

Hazel shook her head. "I hate you, Leo."

"Funny," he mumbled. "Piper said the same thing. And here I thought all da ladies love Leo."

Hazel laughed. It sounded more like a sob.

Calypso nudged him, and he smiled at her. He leaned in and quietly pointed out who was who. His friend-slash-girlfriend-slash-whatever seemed much more at ease after finding out who they were.

She, Hazel, Reyna, Annabeth, and Piper started a conversation quickly after that, and Leo talked to Frank, who filled him in on what was going on with Camp Jupiter. "Mostly we're just rebuilding and establishing positions," Frank said. "Anyone that fully supported Octavian of their own free will is being tried. We're spending most of our day in the Senate House."

"How's that angry god of yours?"

"Terminus?" Frank laughed. "Oh, he's great. Lots of yelling and weapon keeping as usual. You know how it goes."

Leo didn't, but he didn't say that.

"So how'd you find her again, anyway?" Frank asked. "More importantly, how did you live?"

The questions seemed to silence everyone, even Calypso. They turned to look at him.

Leo told the long story in about five minutes. Calypso added in her own comments--he didn't just land on my island, he crashed. Again.--and reminded him of what he forgot.

Piper shook her head and smacked him. "You jerk! Why didn't you tell us before you pulled the stunt?"

Leo held up his hands. "Woah there, Beauty Queen. I couldn't tell you guys because Hazel and Frank get the whole honor thing. They're Romans, remember?"

"I'm Roman." Jason said.

Leo waved it off. "You don't count. You're not Roman-Roman."

Jason made a weird face and threw up his hands. "What is Roman-Roman?"

Percy shrugged. "You know, Roman-Roman. Like Greek-Greek but more hardcore."

Annabeth smacked him again. Piper laughed. Hazel rolled her eyes. "I think Leo means that you're Roman but you don't dedicate yourself to the Roman demigod lifestyle like Frank, Reyna, and I. You're a Roman, but not fully Roman."

Percy's eyes were widened in an innocent way. "So he's Greek-Roman?"

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth snapped, in a way that sounded completely exasperated. She raised a hand to brush back some of her hair, and Percy quickly stepped back. She rolled her eyes at him.

Leo turned back to the screen. Calypso had stepped so close to him that their arms were touching. He was tempted to wrap an arm around her, but he didn't want her to pull an Annabeth and slap him. He didn't really want to have to listen to Frank laughing at him for getting smacked around by his girlfriend, and it wasn't like Leo would've threatened torching him--that topic was still a bit of a sore one for Frank.

"See? Now we all get the third line of the prophecy. An oath to keep with final breath. I promised Calypso that I would come back for her, and then I died, then I came back, and then I found her." He grinned. "So now the whole prophecy makes sense!"

"Still hate you, Repair Boy." Piper called from behind Annabeth.

Everyone laughed. Leo couldn't find it in him to hate the nickname. In fact, he'd come to love it. It was something that tied him to these demigods, made him part of their family. And family, after all the weeks of isolation and little communication, was exactly what Leo wanted.