Heart Beat (Willco/Solangelo & Caleo)

Warm Welcome

Chapter II

L

E

O

"So we take off with no plan," Calypso said. "No idea where we'll go or what problems await beyond this island. Many questions and no tidy answers?"

Leo turned up his palms. "That's how I fly, Sunshine. Can I get your bags?"

"Absolutely."

Five minutes later, with Calypso's arms around his waist, Leo spurred Festus into flight. The bronze dragon spread his wings, and they soared into the unknown.

- pg 502, BoO

After a while of riding comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's company, Calypso broke the quiet, "How'd you find me?" she asked, resting her head on Leo's shoulder.

He grinned, "You have Festus to thank for that, well, him and the astrolabe."

"No credit to yourself?"

"Well, since I was dead the whole time-"

"DEAD?" She asked, her voice full of disbelief.

"Oh, right, you don't know about that. . ."

"No, but I have a feeling I'm going to."

"Sit tight, Sunshine, it's story time." Leo launched into the story of their quest to defeat Gaea from when he came back from Ogygia, trying make it sound like he hadn't been at risk of dying every five minutes. . . which was a little tricky considering he actually did die.

Calypso was silent for a few seconds after he finished, "So your friends, they don't know you're alive?"

"Oh. . ." Leo said, "I hadn't thought about that. . ."

Calypso hit him lightly on the arm, "They're probably worried sick!"

"Actually they're probably in tears, I mean, I would cry if I was deprived of my presence too."

He was awarded with another slap on the arm.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

"You should head back to camp, let them know you're okay."

Leo nodded. "Okay." he patted Festus's neck, "You know what to do buddy."

Festus clicked out a message in Morse code.

Leo grinned, "That's right, buddy, we're going home!"

He threw he head back and whooped, "CAMP HALF-BLOOD HERE WE COME!" a thought occurred to him, "That is unless we didn't defeat Gaea and the camp is gone. . . or if I was dead for hundreds of years."

CREEEAAK! said Festus.

"Yeah, you're right. . . we should look on the bright side. . ." he gulped nervously.

"I'm sure they're fine." Calypso said reassuringly, wrapping her arms tighter around him, Leo smiled. "I never did thank you, did I?"

Leo shook his head.

"Then thank you." Calypso said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek, Leo's smile grew even bigger.

"I never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth."

* * * * *

A couple of hours later, Festus creaked a frantic Morse code message and took a sudden nose-dive, Leo gripped his neck and whooped, laughing, while Calypso gripped his waist and buried her face in his back. Suddenly, Festus opened his massive wings, which acted like a parachute, and they stopped plummeting towards the earth.

Far below, Leo could see camp, he urged Festus on and the massive bronze dragon swooped down and landed right on top of the Hephaestus cabin, where he blew a huge stream of fire straight up into the air.

"Show off." Leo said.

Campers started running towards them, the Seven in the lead.

"LEO!" Piper yelled frantically, Leo waved and Festus glided down off the roof where Leo slid off his back and helped Calypso down. She stared around in wonder. Then her gaze fell on Percy, Leo felt his heart constrict. She stared at him wide-eyed and then, much to Leo's relief, slipped her hand into his and stepped closer to him.

Piper bear-hugged him and Leo let go of Calypso's hand to hug her back. Soon after, Percy joined in, yelling, "GROUP HUG!" and everyone fell on top of them, laughing, and somehow Calypso was pulled in as well.

"I can't breathe." Leo said, and everyone stepped back.

"WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Percy exclaimed, "What happened?"

Leo looked around, not paying attention, "Where's Jason?" his heart seemed to leap into his throat, "He's not--"

"Leo?"

Leo whipped around and a grin swept across his features, "JASON! MY MAN!" he held his arms open waiting for a hug.

"But. . . you're. . ."

"Dead?" Jason nodded, and Leo waved it off, "Yeah, I'm over that now."

"What happened?"

"The physician's cure." he said, nonchalantly, like he came back from the dead on a regular basis.

"That would explain it." Leo jumped slightly and turned around to see Nico standing there. Creepy dude.

"Woah, man! I didn't see you!"

Nico rolled his eyes, "How'd you take the cure?"

Leo smiled and gestured proudly to Festus, "You have this big guy to thank for that."

An Aphrodite girl stepped forward, "I don't care about all this, but who's the girl?"

Leo put an arm around her, "This, is Calypso, queen of Ogygia."

Everyone's mouth simultaneously dropped open, except for the Sevens', they just stood there, smiling knowingly.

Leo sighed, "I have a lot of explaining to do, don't I?"

"Yes, I believe we'd all like to hear this." said, Chiron, who'd been watching with his arms folded.

Leo sighed, and for the second time that day, regaled everyone with an extravagant tale of the great Leo Valdez. When he finished, everyone started asking questions which Leo did his best to answer and then somehow he escaped and headed to his cabin, hand in hand with Calypso.

"So, you can stay in the Hephaestus cabin for now, and Chiron should be able to figure something out for you." he smiled at her.

"Sounds good to me." she replied, and kissed him on the cheek, Leo could get used to that.

Sorry, there was hardly any Caleo in this chapter but there'll be more later! (: