Time and Earth: A Doctor Who and PJO Crossover (Bk 1)

Chapter 10: Wanderlust

Chapter 10: Wanderlust

"Someone didn't come back until late last night," cheered Daniel at breakfast the next morning, sitting opposite me at the Hermes table. He hadn't sat this close in three years.

Already my throat was vibrating in anger. I stared down at my breakfast of tea and peanut butter toast, ignoring Daniel's curious stare.

He wiggled his eyebrows, ignoring my silence, "Have fun with Leo?"

I chugged the majority of the tea, needing more to deal with the conversation ahead. "So much fun we had to go to the Big House."

Surprisingly, that shut him up. He looked down at his cereal, most likely some sugar packed American brand, and took a scoop. We sat without speaking for a few minutes.

As I was finishing my toast, Daniel spoke again. "Why don't we talk anymore?"

I considered throwing up my breakfast just to get out of the question. In all our years of silence, he'd never asked it, I'd just assumed he knew and didn't want to own up to it.

My stomach shivered in anger, liquid nitrogen pushing through my veins, making the seat below feel like it was made of jelly rather than wood. Below me, the weeds which pushed the concrete at my feet became beacons.

I swallowed, trying to keep whatever was happening in check.

"Better ask Drew that question," I replied through clenched teeth, my entire circulatory system frozen by this point. I could've sworn my seat had formed to my weight.

"Wha-" Daniel stuttered, "you can't still be mad at that!"

I opened my mouth to answer when a pair of arms wrapped around me, melting away all of the liquid nitrogen. "Hey, Lucy," Leo smiled into my hair.

I had no doubt Leo was staring straight at Daniel, had no doubt that he'd swooped in when he'd seen what Daniel was doing. I grinned in response and leaned my head back against his shoulder, if Leo wanted to do this, then fine, we were going to give him hell.

"Leo," I replied, "How'd you sleep?"

"The usual demigod standard," he answered and let go. He moved to stand at the head of the table and laughed when he saw what was on my plate. "Now that is both the most American and British thing I've ever seen."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Only compliments for you. Hey, Daniel," Leo added, nodding at the demigod who'd been openly staring at our interactions. He made no attempt to answer him and went back to his breakfast.

If I had no self-control, I probably would have run up to Leo and given him the mother of all bear hugs. Leo continued speaking with a satisfied grin on his face, "Annabeth was hoping to meet you at the armory when you were done eating."

"She couldn't tell me herself?" I asked, looking over to Athena's table to find her not there.

"She already had breakfast."

I took that as code for, 'she didn't have breakfast at all.' A pastime which I had never taken much interest in, considering the plethora of amazing breakfast foods.

"It's seven in the morning," I replied, biting back a yawn. Like Leo, I too had had the usual demigod standard of sleeping, a habit which I'd had even in the orphanage.

Leo shrugged, "Don't apply logic to Annabeth."

"Her mum is the goddess of wisdom."

"You mean her mom is the goddess of wisdom," Leo rolled his eyes, "Speak like an American."