Summary: This is a missing moment from The Battle of the Labyrinth, and it takes place when Percy has disappeared for two weeks (on Calypso's island). The campers and demigods are all certain he's dead, but one girl refuses to believe that. Instead, she hopes, she prays, and she waits for her hero to arrive safely back to camp.

Angst-y & Bitterwsweet one-shot.

Disclaimer: Uh, no. I'm not Rick Riordan. Sorry.

W a i t i n g

The girl walked along the beach, shoes in one hand and another hand constantly pushing her hair out of her face as the wind blew across the place every few seconds. The restless wind stirred the sea and each wave came crashing against the sand like the jaw of a monster crashing down on its prey. A heavy scent of sea salt filled the air and the girl shivered as yet another cold gust of wind greeted her.

But she knew, despite the swarming ocean and cold air, that she would not be leaving the beach tonight.

Sighing almost silently, she dropped herself onto the wet beach and watched as tiny grains of sand squeezed their way through her toes. The waves unraveled at her feet, washing away the sand, and leaving her feet feeling cold and sticky with salt. She hugged her legs to her chest and rested her chin on the tops of her knees.

She stared straight ahead at the miles of never-ending glistening water, hoping – praying - like she had every other night that he would somehow find a way back to her.

She spent a lot of her time here.

She wanted to be away from all the campers and demigods who seemed so certain that he was gone forever. She didn't let their pessimistic thoughts dampen her faith. She knew he was still out there. He had to be out there.

Because if he wasn't – if he was truly gone- then he would just be another person who had come into her life just to let her down.

And so, with a heart of hope and a mind set on the positive, she'd come down to the ocean and just sit and stare and, for the first time in a very long time, let her mind simply wander. She tried hard not to think about everything that was happening, allowing her thoughts to peacefully swim around.

And then she waited. She waited for a sign, a flash of light, a miracle - anything - that would show them all wrong and bring him back where he belonged.

"Percy?" Her voice shook, quiet and wary and uncertain and exploding with emotion all at the same time.

"Percy?" She called out louder this time, lifting her head up high and gazing across the seas of blue green water – it was the closest she thing she had to staring right into his majestic eyes.

"Percy!" An echo followed.

And when nothing happened, when no flash of thunder shot down from above, when no tunnel of light sprung up from the depths of the sea, when no young boy with dark hair and eyes like the ocean came running back to her, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and dropped her head to her knees, allowing the devastating silence to soak her up and swallow her whole.

And as the lump in her throat became much too big to swallow and big fat tears came rolling done her pale cheeks and her chest was heaving up and down, the girl used the last shred of hope she had left, the last bit of faith, and the last ounce of tolerance to whisper helplessly,

"Percy, please come back. I'm waiting."

Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading and please don't forget to review! It would mean a lot. :)