December 17th (Happy Birthday Hazel!)
Hazel woke up that morning so stressed there were gems covering the floor of her and Franks house. She tried her best to calm herself as she did her daily routine of brushing her teeth and picking out an outfit, but she couldn't stop worrying.
Three new camper had showed up a few days ago and they were wreaking havoc. It was like Leo and the Stolls had started a camp of their own just teaching kids how to prank and cause chaos and then sent their prize pupils to go terrorize her and Camp Jupitar. She also hadn't yet gotten her gift for Frank, unsure if she should meet up with the guy in the weapon shop or not.
A knock on her door sounded as she put her coat on to get to her Praetor duties.
"Come in!" She called, throwing a scarf around her neck.
Nico walked through the door in his black coat and earmuffs.
"Hi, sis," he smiled, walking over to her and wrapping her in a hug.
Hazel hugged him tightly back. Nico and her hadn't had a lot of time to just say 'hi' before they were needed somewhere or someone was asking for them.
"Not that I don't love seeing you, Nico," Hazel said, stepping back, letting her arms fall to her side. "But why are you here?"
"I thought we could go shopping for Frank," Nico said casually.
"Shh!" Hazel hushed, looking around to see if her boyfriend had heard.
"He's not here," Nico said with a chuckle.
Hazel had realized that. she must have been so stuck in her head she didn't notice him leave.
"Wait," Hazel paused. "How did you know my Secret Santa is Frank?"
"Well, I didn't," Nico explained, casually putting his hands in his pockets. "I just guessed and you clarified it."
"How-?" Hazel stopped mid question. She scowled at her brother.
Nico smirked, "Let's go. I told Frank to cover for you."
Hazel hesitated. She didn't want to leave Frank to take care of the gremlins.
"Come on!" Nico begged. "It won't even take that long!"
Hazel sighed, giving into her brother's pleases. Nico grinned and held out his arm like a gentleman and she wrapped her through it. Nico gave her a wink and they were pulled into the darkness of the shadows.
Unlike most demigods, Hazel didn't mind shadow travel. She didn't mind the wind and the squeezing and the voices that sometimes spoke while they traveled through the shadows. Nico had said he always heard them, they called out to him in pleas or whispers. Hazel had never heard them clearly but she did sometimes feel their presences.
The siblings touched down in an alley. Hazel sensed with her underground powers that they were in the town close to Camp Jupitar. It was truly only a short walk.
Hazel glared up at her brother, conveying her disapproval of him using his powers for such a small travel.
"You shadow traveled us to a place we could have walked to?"
Nico shrugged, "I gotta practice. Make some endurance."
"I don't Will would approve," Hazel told him, crossing her arms playfully.
Nico scoffed a laughed and shoved her lightly on the shoulder. Hazel laughed.
"Alright," Nico said exasperatedly, "let's get shopping."
He made to walked out of they alley way but Hazel grabbed him coat.
"Wait," she said.
Nico turned back to face her and she dropped her arm and looked down at her shoes.
"I. . . there's something I have to tell you."
Nico stayed silent. Waiting for her to continue.
Hazel gulped. "When I got my first gift for Frank. . . I went to a weapon shop."
She shuffled her feet nervously. What would he say when she told him?
"When I was picking out an arrow there, um, there was this guy and her, uh, well, he. . . He made me swear on the Styx to return there to get a gift form him."
She glanced up at her brother and though he was good at masking his emotions, she could dee the anger seeping through his calm façade.
"He also knew things," Hazel continued. "Things I didn't tell him. . . I feel like if I don't go back. . ."
"You don't have to think about that," Nico said. Hazel looked up and Nico turned away from her, starting out the alley.
"We're going to see this. . . guy."
"But what if he hurts you?" Hazel asked, running after her angry brother.
Nico paused.
"We need a plan," Hazel told him, "we don't know what this guy is."
"Fine," Nico agreed in a huff.
The two siblings worked on a plan as they walked the few blocks to the weapon store.
"You ready?" Nico asked his sister.
At Hazel's nod, he melted himself into darkness and Hazel walked into the store.
It was the same as it had been the last tie she was there. Weapons and coats and a few men and women looking around. She walked towards the back to the room, where the arrows were, and took a deep breath. She pretended to inspect the arrows but kept her eyes scanning either side of her.
She let herself relax a bit when she saw Nico in position a few shelves away, but tensed back up at the sound of a familiar voice.
"Hello, again, Hazel Levesque."
Hazel turned and faced the same guy from before. He wore the same clothes and the same smirk on his lips, and he carried the familiar feeling of doubt that she had felt when he had come around her the first time.
"You came at the perfect time," he told her and held out a box.
"I don't want your gift," Hazel told him plainly.
The boy's face fell a little, but not in a sad way, but like he was getting annoyed.
"Take the gift, Hazel."
"No," she said way more bravely than she felt.
The guy's eyes seemed to flash with fury. "I don't want to have to destroy anything. . ."
"Then don't."
The guy glared at her and suddenly, his form bubbled. It looked like hot cheese in a pot and in a flash of light, a new figure stared down at her.
"Mars," Hazel whispered.
"It's Ares," the god corrected. He was dressed in his full Greek armor and was floating in the air while leaning over Hazel's small from.
Nico suddenly stepped in front of Hazel, shielding her away from the angry god.
"Step away from my sister," he said calmly.
"Ah, di Angelo," Ares sighed. "Trying to get yourself involved in a conflict that isn't yours."
"You are not allowed to touch her," Nico told him in a deadly quiet voice. "You will leave this store and never bother her-"
"You cannot order me around!" the god shouted, making a women near by give them a look and then hurry away.
"I am a god!"
"A pretty shitty one."
"I am an excellent god!"
"Your children would beg to differ."
"I am an excellent father!"
"You neglected Clarisse until she either messed up or did something incredible."
"I gave her my blessing!"
"Sure, but she has that much power on her own, she doesn't need you."
Ares was angry and Hazel knew that having the god of war angry was probably not a good idea.
"What do you want?" Hazel asked. "You weren't going to help me with no need for something in return."
Ares turned his gaze to her. Nico stepped backwards and Hazel had to stumble back too so as not to be stepped on.
"I need a gift for Aphrodite," Ares explained. "I need you to find something for her."
"We'll do it," Hazel told him and Nico gave her a look.
"You better," The god threatened. Ares gave Nico a glare and then the two demigods averted their eyes as he flashed out of the shop.
"Why did you agree to his terms?!" Nico asked as soon as the god disappeared. "Never, ever agree to terms you haven't partly set."
"He was going to kill us," Hazel explained calmly. "Now, we can go shopping for Frank and for Aphrodite."
Nico eventually gave in. The two shopped around the store for a while, finding the perfect gift and buying it before Nico shadow traveled it under his bed so they could wrap it later. They then walked around town and eventually found a perfume they were sure Aphrodite would love. After that, they spent a few hours just talking. They got food and window shopped and actually shopped and had a snow ball fight. Eventually though, they had to return to camp since it was late afternoon. They found a little, disserted alleyway and Nico shadow traveled them back to camp.
Hazel was a little sad she would have to say goodbye to her brother and do her boring Praetor things, but she did love her job. She got to help campers find their place in the camp and teach them valuable skills.
She felt her feet land on grass and expected to open her eyes to the camp grounds. She had expected to see fire, or a Centurion caught in a trap. What she did not expect was a table, with a cake and balloons, and Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Leo, Frank, Reyna, and a girl she was pretty sure was named Shel, standing around it.
Hazel brought her hands to her mouth and gasped.
"Happy birthday, Hazel!" all her friends said.
"You guys. . ." she said, speechless.
Nico walked out from beside her and gesture to the cake. "Blow out the candles, Haz."
Hazel walked to the table at looked in the eyes of all of her friends. Annabeth was looking almost proud and was leaning in towards her in anticipation. Percy was grinning wildly like a toddle posing for a picture. Piper was looking at the cake and then up at Hazel, wanting her to blow out the candles already so she could eat the cake. Jason looked content as he sat on his knees on the bench and had his head propped on the arm that was on the table top. Reyna had a small smile on her face and Frank was absolutely beaming.
I hope we get to stay together, Hazel thought, I wish that we get to live together normally, without quests.
Hazel took in a deep breath, then blew out the candles.