Sally ♣♣♣

And then Gabe showed up.

Guaranteed he was sober. I let him for some stupid reason and he seemed really nice again. Like when we first had met.

"How's the kid doing?" He asked me, taking a sip of coffee.

"Pretty good, I guess." I answer. "He just got back from a friends. Haven't really gotten a chance to talk to him yet. But."

And then:

I don't know what he said to Paul or if he told him or if Paul just figured it out.

He dragged Percy out here with an empty wine bottle, an expensive one at that, and Percy did nothing. He was having some sort of panic attack or something and Paul raised it up and he smashed it on Percy and once I realized that I run over, trying to get him away from my kid. We went through enough. He went through it enough at Camp alone.

For years I thought that camp would eventually get to Percy and I thought him leaving was his breaking point. Where he was just done. And maybe it was. But if so he didn't really show it.

Because this is what drew his line.

Paul patted me off like a fly as he continued with Percy and I can't do anything and Gabe was debating something. After a few moments of the broken bottle beating against Percy's skin and Drawing blood, he decided.

Gabe is a big guy. With muscle. That's all his mass nearly.

He took over back the father figure title he used to own.

"Nobody." He was scarily calm. "Beats my kid but me."

"He's not yours." Paul knew that as he kicked Percy in the chest. Winding him. "And he never will be."

"Maybe not by blood." Gabe inches closer to the man I thank God didn't make a vow to. We had the after party. The priest of whatever got sick. It was rescheduled.

Guess what isn't happening.

"But he is mine." Gabe said, finding that one pressure point and pressing down on it. Causing Paul to pass out, although Percy still freaking out.

Gabe cleaned him up. Percy too far out of it to even try it on his own. I gave him a nectar water mix we kept just in case, and handed Percy a few cubes of ambrosia, which he ate. Helping quickly heal him as I went into my room to take a call.

~
Gabe ∞∞∞

He was already 17. Holy hell.

But those years must've been hell, I can sort of imagine.

"Ever find your dad?" I ask the kid. That was the one thing we had in common. I didn't know my dad until I was 11. We get along great. Still do.

He nods his head.

"Do you guys get along?"

He shook his head.

"Why not?" I ask the kid. I mean. After all, its his dad.

"He's an asshole." Percy told me. "He's a selfish asshole that never cared about his kids a single day of their life. But now I guess he only has to deal with one."

"Did somebody die?" I asked. Maybe that's why he never resisted.

"No." The teen quickly clarifies. "Nobody died recently. I left. I'm supposed to be there but... Shit got overwhelming and stressful and agonizing and the hate towards my dad and his family pushed the effort. I didn't even stay with him. Sent me to a fucking camp. Every year. Every dam year. I had had enough. I couldn't do it anymore. So I left. Got home the other night. Here..."

He drifted off into thought, his eyes watered over as he remembered a few things. Friends and whatever I imagine. It'd take a lot to just walk away from that.

"You okay?" I ask Sally's kid. A bit concerned to be honest.

"I never was, and you know that."

~
Grover

He would be back. Just wait. In a few weeks he'll see and everyone will greet him with open arms and it'll be great and grand again. It'll be...

I just wanted my best friend back.

Ever since Chiron and Mr.D discovered Nico brought something to Percy, something eh had forgotten that I guess was important in a way or whatever, they banned anyone leaving camp. And I mean ever. Nobody came in, nobody got out. Ever. This would be the last generation trained. Here, at least...

We can't call. We can't text. We can't write. We can't IM. We can't anything. They somehow ridded of the metal link. At least on my end. It was gone.

It was something I had grown so used to being there and just... They took that away. I don't have a family. Juniper is dead. The only ones who dare leave are the ones with families, but that's all. And they're allowed special. But only on dates of release and return.

I literally have nothing.

I did at one point. But they're all dead or off limits of drifted and just...

I can't handle that.

~
Leo ♦♦♦

Nico was a wreck, Tyson was a wreck, Thalia was a wreck, Grover was the worst, Clarisse left because of it. Everything was hell.

He was right. We couldn't survive on our own like this.

I was talking with Frank and Hazel in her cabin. Which is also Nico's cabin, where he was talking with Jason. And he was a horror show. It was terrible. If he had never had depression before he definitely did now.

"Are you okay?" Jason stupidly asked and the son of Hades just looked at him as we stalked.

"Am I okay?" He repeats in disbelief. "I don't know, am I. I've only been this way for a whole fucking month, Grace."

It had been a month.

The Fourth was today. But nobody bothered doing anything. Most of camp had sunk down into some kind of depression after their leader left out of the dark. Nobody cared about he said.

He was gone.

For good.

Jason left and I go in. Maybe I could talk with the guy.

And yeah. Frank was going to propose to Hazel. Soon here. So they could leave and get away and have their own family. They are young but.

Nico compared to now had been so good. So much happier and just... He took it for the worst. Him and Grover did. Because once I walked out of that room Frank proposed, she said yes, and they went to apply for release tonight.

That shattered the son of Hades. Whatever little piece of him was still there, keeping him somewhat in a way together, broke.

Once I realized I was getting nowhere I went straight to the Big House.

"What problem?" Chiron asked. Not understanding.

"The whole camp is in depression!" I got upset, yeah. "Almost all of our councilors can't barely leave their cabin, our appart new leader is broken in every non-physical way possible. So is Grover and most others might as well be. Why do you care if Percy doesn't like most of the gods?" He didn't say a word against you guys. I can understand not wanting him as a leader. And I understand he left. But you're taking away something to people here. You took away some of the last things they had. The last little piece of hope they had because they had to enter this hellhole. Grover has nothing. Nico has nothing. Thalia is being torn apart. Clarisse up and walked because of it. How do you not see anything wrong with this? They can't even bloody talk with the guy. They can't even text. Or even write. And now we can't even leave. We're not you're little toy soldiers and we never will be. We never were, we aren't, and we never will. I'm leaving. And I'm taking my friends with me."

With that I walked out and somehow figured out how to break camps barrier for my phone, and texted Percy, asking his address. I wasn't going to bring him back. Just to stop by. And he texted it. I mapped it out and went and got Nico, who has somehow calmed down a bit and Grover, also. Stopping by cabins and asking who wanted to go with. Just so they can leave.

And just about everyone did.

~
Percy ♥♥♥

Somebody finally replied to me from that dam place. I've been texting Grover and Nico and Thalia and whoever and nobody responded. Until Leo texted. How he will break out of camp is beyond me.

Well I got another text from him.

From: Leo

Hey, so I won't actually be the one stopping in today. Maybe another day. But others will be stopping in today. So I'll see you around. By the way. There's nobody at Camp.

We all left.

Leo, Leo, Leo...

We taught him well.

My mom was at work and the whole Gabe don't ask me. He wasn't staying here, but he visits a lot. But I think he works today, also.

I was on the fire escape and I noticed somebody coming close to the building. Aside maybe Grover, the person I've been most desperate to see.

Nico.

He looked like he had relived all of hell and war and death 3 times over. And it broke my heart to see that. He didn't deserve that. To go through and feel like that.

I ran out of the apartment and out of the building, down about a block and found him. We live in s fairly empty part of Manhattan. There were still people, but it was pretty easy to get through. Only a few people every so often.

I didn't care who saw or what they thought. I missed him a lot more than I probably should've and I quickly discovered something in the month of absence. After about a week and a half it couldn't have been more obvious.

I was in love with the son of Hades.

As soon as I reached him I grabbed him by his waist and just simply gave him a kiss.

Everyone looked. I could feel it on my spine that they were watching. But I didn't care. Post it everywhere. I don't give a shit. I loved him, I missed him, and I needed to see him.

~
Jason ✴✴✴

Piper and myself were walking around the city, just for the hell of it and I guess we neared Percy's place. Because he came out of s building like ¾ a block away and he ran. He did not stop. And I found somebody not far behind us. Who he was going to.

Nico.

Nico looked like hell... To be very nice about it.

Very nice.

And it wasn't Nico's move. It was Percy's.

They kissed.

Nico confessed and Percy had replied.

"I love you, too."