"Mommy? What happened to Aunty Piper?" The young two year old boy asked, voice trembling. His eyes looked onto the exhausted woman laying on the hospital bed. Her brown hair was long but still choppy. Her eyelids were closed, hiding the beautiful irises. Beads of sweat gathered on her forhead and she was heaving deep breaths.

Luke's mother held her trembling hand.

Luke wanted his Aunty to go back to normal. She always played with him when his mommy and daddy were gone somewhere. She always gave him chocolate and sweets.

His father picked him up and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "You're going to have a new friend soon, Luke."

"But I don't want a new friend." Luke mumbled. A tear made its way down his cheek. "I want Aunty Piper. Why's she dying?"

Percy laughed at his son. "She's not dying. Look, she's smiling."

Luke turned around eagerly. She was smiling. Her eyes were even opened a little. She sat up, very slowly and carefully. There was a little bundle in her hands. Luke found the little bundle very strange for it had a pair of dazzling blue eyes.

His Uncle kissed his Aunty Piper on the forehead and enveloped both her and the small bundle in his arms in a big but gentle hug. It looked like he was crying a little too.

Luke didn't want to miss out on this happy moment. He wrung his way out of his father's arms and somehow got onto the bed Aunty Piper was lying on.

He crawled up to his Aunt and Uncle and joined in on the hug.

Jason laughed at the little boy. Even Piper managed a small smile. "Would you like to meet your new friend Luke?" She asked his quietly.

Luke nodded his head, happy that she could still talk. She tilted the bundle just a fraction so that Luke could see it.

In the midst of the blankets, there was a very small face. Blue eyes, a tiny nose and a little mouth slightly agape in wonder.

Luke smiled at the little face. The eyes kept looking at him. As though on instinct, he leaned over and gave her a tiny kiss on the nose. Surprisingly, the baby didn't cry.

Luke turned around to his Uncle. "What's her name?" He whispered this as if he thought that the little baby's arival was important and was not to be disturbed.

Jason smiled and stole a glance at his sister. "Thalia. Thalia Diana Grace."

Aunty Thalia burst into tears which she stifled quickly. Luke didn't understand this. Shouldn't she be happy that this baby was named after her?

Luke smiled. "That's a pretty name."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

* * *

Luke sat at the edge of the dock, feet inch deep in the water of the canoe lake. "Why can't we go into the water?"

"Cause I don't want to." Thalia said stubbornly from beside him. She was laying there on her back on the wooden dock, knees pulled up. Her blonde hair was out of its usual braid and hanging into the water, skimming over the light ripples.

Luke groaned. "But it'll be fun!"

The eight year old crossed her arms and glared at Luke. She was two years younger than him but still, she was scary. "It'll be fun for you. Not for me."

"I can make sure it'll be fun for you."

"I don't like the water!"

"Then can we play with my toy planes?"

"I don't like planes either!"

Luke huffed in annoyance. "Then what do you like?"

Thalia smirked at him and pointed at the clouds and the stars splattered all over the night sky. "I like those."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Great, you like the clouds but you hate flying."

"Clouds are pretty. So are the stars. Flying is scary."

"Your dad is the son of the God of flying."

Thalia shook her head. "No he's not not, you idiot. He's the god of the skies. Besides, Aunty Thalia hates flying but she told me she likes the stars and the clouds."

Luke sighed. "What else do you like?"

Thalia smirked at him again and pointed up but this time at Luke's eyes. "I like that kind of green."

Luke blushed. "Okay, we're getting in the water." He didn't exactly wait for her. He just jumped into the lake, fully clothed and everything.

Thalia nearly screamed. She sat up horrified, looking around for her friend. "Luke?" The still night air was her only answer. "Luke, this isn't funny! Come back up this minute!"

Nothing.

Just as she was preparing some death threats to use against that idiotic boy, a mop of black hair appeared out of the water. "Boo!"

This time, Thalia really did scream. She almost fell into the water but managed to regain her balance.

Luke was doubling over with laughter. "Oh gods- your- your face."

Thalia glowered at him. "That was not funny."

"It was." Luke said, finally managing to stop his laughs. "Now you're coming in too."

"No way."

"Yes way."

Thalia glared at him. "We aren't even supposed to be here! We should go back now or your Mom will freak out."

Luke glared right back. "My mom will be fine. I asked Zoe and Sally to cover for us."

Thalia kept glaring. "Zoe's barely five! And Sally is only two! Besides, it's cold and it's night time. The patrol harpies-"

"What?" Luke smirked. "You scared? Aw, 'ittle Thalia's scared- Ow! Why'd you punch me!?"

"I am not scared." She managed but she was pretty close to tears.

"Sorry." Luke said, kneeling down beside her rubbing his sore arm. "It's alright to be scared. I'm scared of spiders."

"But-" Thalia stammered, staring the dark blue waters now. "Last time- I-"

"I know." Luke said gently. "But I won't let it happen again. I swear I'll keep you safe. Promise." He gave her his open palm, waiting for an answer. Thalia looked back up at him. Her blue eyes were shining with determination. She bit her lip and took his hand, slowly creeping to the edge of the dock.

She slipped her feet over the edge and touched the water with her toes. "Luke-"

"Come on Thals. Nothing will hurt you for as long as I'm here."

"Then please don't go away."

Luke shot her a trouble makers grin, revealing the little tooth to the side he had just lost. "You won't get rid of me that easily."

Thalia smiled back weakly. She closed her eyes and jumped in. Her scream was stifled by the water that engulfed her in thick waves.

For a moment, Thalia forgot where she was.

In her mind, she was back in that horrid day. She was so scared she could barely think to resurface. She was shaking and the water was cold. It would've been nice if she could just close her eyes and disappear...

Then Luke was pulling her back up. Her head resurfaced and she could breathe again.

She wrapped her arms around Luke's neck and clung on like her life depended on him. Luke held her just as tightly. "Wasn't that bad, was it?"

Thalia shook her head numbly. Yeah, it wasn't that bad.

She could help but smile when he added, "Told you I'd protect you."

"Right, now you'll have to trust me a little bit more okay?"

Thalia pulled away, looking at him through a curtain of drooping blonde hair. "Luke-"

"Just trust me, Thals."

Thalia closed her eyes, and squeaked out, "Okay."

"Hold you breath,"

Thalia only had a moment before Luke pulled her underwater again. This time however, no water got the ought to her, which was strange since she was under water. Only when she opened her eyes did she realise that she in a little bubble under water.

"Cool right?" Luke grinned at her wildly. "I just learnt to do this. Dad showed me yesterday."

"My mom's half sister Lacey said that your parents' first proper proper kiss was right here in a bubble under water."

Luke gagged. "Please, I don't want any details."

Thalia laughed at him. "You're very immature."

"Like you're any better."

"I'm better than you,"

"Hey Thalia?"

"Yeah?"

"Just shut up, will you?"

Thalia giggled. "Make me."

Luke turned to her with a smirk. "You want me to?"

The younger girl's eyes flew wide in horror. "You wouldn't."

Luke only laughed before tackling her onto the floor of the bubble and tickling her sides, leaving Thalia in a breathless fit of laughter.

He only stopped at the demand of a certain price: a little kiss on the cheek from her.

* * *

Thalia sat on the dock of the canoe lake. Her bare toes traced ripples on the otherwise stilled water.

She hadn't bothered with a braid this morning. It just hung around the side of her face in a blonde curtain, weaving together between strands in a messy pattern.

In her hands was a slip of paper...a brochure to be exact. Her nails dug creases onto its glossy paper as she let her thoughts wonder from one thing to another.

Her mind was spit in two, fighting against each other.

Is this what you really want? One thought of hers asked.

Yes, of course it is. The other replied defiantly. Freedom. Eternal freedom. Who could refuse that?

So, you don't have anything to loose? No one you wouldn't mind saying goodbye to?

Thalia didn't answer.

The voice went on, but it was stronger, more persistent. You wouldn't mind watching them die and wither of old age? You wouldn't mind seeing your mother and father crumble? Such strong people with such strong hearts.you wouldn't mind seeing them die? You wouldn't mind watching Luke-

Thalia snapped. She picked up a stone near her and threw it into the water in her anger, shouting at the immobilised water of the canoe lake. "Shut up!"

"Alright, Thals. Who died and which book?"

Thalia jumped, almost falling into the water herself. She whipped around, blue eyes blazing.

The shadow of a tall, dark haired boy fell over her. His smile was full of mirth and his eyes were twinkling down at her.

Thalia forced a smile onto her face as he sat down beside her. "Fred... from Harry Potter."

Luke rolled his eyes, but the smile still played at his lips. "Right. So you're still not over that."

Thalia laughed half heartedly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

There was a hesitant silence, where neither of them knew what to say. It was rare to see the two like that.

Luke rubbed the back of his neck nervously and Thalia off handedly started thinking about how cute he was. "Uh Thals, I- I kinda... wanted to ask you something."

Thalia looked at him, surprised. "Yeah?"

"Well uh-" He looked over his shoulder wearily at the giggling nymphs. "Not here."

Thalia laughed and nodded down to the floor of the canoe lake. "Not down there then either."

Luke looked down through the water where a group of nereids were looking up them, waving and laughing.

"No, definitely not there."

Thalia laughed again and rolled her eyes. "Just spill it Jackson."

Luke blushed and nodded his head. "Okay... uh...I don't really know how to do this... and-" He trailed off, eyes moving to the brochure lying face up on the wooden surface of the dock.

His eyes hardened and the easy smile left his face. "What's that?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." Thalia hurriedly made to hide it but Luke snatched it from her grip.

He barely read all of it before giving it back to her, hands shaking- with sadness or anger, Thalia didn't know.

She didn't know what to say or do and he wouldn't even look at her.

The nymphs weren't laughing any more.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, he spoke, his voice steely and hard but also...fragile. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I'm sorry-I- I was going to- just-"

"Nah, it's fine." Luke said, interrupting her pathetic stutters. "It's fine. I'll... see you later or something." He stood up, brushing off his hands on his shorts. "Yeah, I'll... see you later."

Thalia jumped up. "Luke, wait!"

He turned back around. His eyes were hopeful but his face stayed grim and silent. "What?"

"You were- going to ask me something?"

He shook his head, trying for a smile. "Nah, it's not important."

"But-"

"I said it wasn't important, okay?" He shouted half heartedly, trying to burn his way through the wooden deck. His eyes were stinging and he didn't understand why.

"I'm sorry, Luke." Thalia said lamely, trying to find an explanation. "I-I have to do this."

He looked up, right into her eyes. "Why?"

Thalia played with her fingers. "I guess... Well, Aunty Thalia was a hunter wasn't she. It makes sense for me to be one too...right? She's gone now and... and I wanna honour her memmory. It's- it's a logical decision."

Luke shook his head. "No, it isn't. You're just making up excuses for your own selfishness." Even to him, his voice sounded harsher than he had intended it to be.

Thalia hardened her gaze and stared right back at his silvery green eyes. She knew he didn't mean what he said. He was just too proud to deny it. And she was too proud to shake it off. "I'm sixteen, okay? I'm big enough to make my own choices!"

"What do you want from this? Immortality?"

Thalia snapped. "No! I want to be free!" Tears rose to her eyes but she stubbornly held them back. "Everywhere I go, everyone looks at me proudly. They expect me to be perfect because of my mum and my dad! It doesn't matter what I do, everyone just wants more. They don't get the fact that I'm human too. I make mistakes too!"

"So what? You think it's easy being the son of the all powerful Percy Jackson. You're the only one who looks at me as if I'm just another normal person and now you want to leave? Stop running away Thalia."

For some reason, that blow hit a little too close to home. Thalia burst out crying. Her hands flew to her mouth in a feeble attempt to control her sobs.

Despite everything he had just said, Luke couldn't stand to see her hurt like this. He instinctively cocooned her in his arms like he'd done so many times before.

"I'm scared, alright?" Thalia confided. "I'm scared you'll leave me again. I'm scared you'll break your promises. I don't want that to happen and I'm trying to escape the only way I knew how-"

"I'm sorry, Thals." Luke apologised though he had no idea what he was apologising for. It was as if something was guiding him forward. "I'm so sorry."

He was crying but the strange thing was, he didn't know why he was crying.

Something took over his body and without any intent, Luke told her something. Something he had wanted to tell her from the very begining.

"I love you, Thalia."

Thalia pulled away from him. "What?" She asked weakly.

Luke's smile returned to his face. "I love you."

He kissed her. A sweet, hesitant kiss.

Every bit of sense left in Thalia melted away. Sparks flew. Literally. Her hair hummed with a kind of electricity when Luke touched it.

When they pulled away for air, Luke said, "I swear I'll keep you safe. Promise."

And this time, Thalia believed him.