And the final installment of this mini-story! It was fun to share my headcanons with all you guys. I just hope they're feasible enough for RR to include them in BoO. I want this impossible relationship to work out so badly. ;)

Anyway, credit and appreciation goes to fabulouslaughter and my other (real life) friends for coming up with many of the seven's (not including Leo's) wishes. But I didn't include the really ridiculous ones because . . . well, they're ridiculous. :P

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

The Wish

Leo stood in the throne room on Mt. Olympus (the new one hovering over the Empire State Building, not the original, even though they could have, seeing as they'd kept Gaea from destroying either one), staring up at the gods in amazement. Distantly, he heard Zeus say, "We will grant each of the seven any wish, as long as it is within our power."

Leo could hardly believe it. They'd actually done it. They'd defeated Gaea, fulfilled the prophecy, and come through it alive—every single one of the seven. And . . . he looked at Calypso and smiled. And Calypso too.

No matter how much Calypso had tried to convince him, Leo had known he couldn't stay on Ogygia. After all, the war hadn't been over yet. At the same time, though, he'd known he couldn't leave Calypso waiting alone again. Instead, she had healed him as quickly as possible, and then he had forced her to come into the labyrinth with him—and miracle of miracles, it had actually worked. At first, Leo had been nervous about introducing Calypso to his friends—and she had been slightly offended that he hadn't ever mentioned her to them—but when they stumbled onto Hazel and Frank several hours later, they had been more surprised than judgmental. It had been pretty awkward at first, but then Hazel had said something that made Leo forget all about his anxiety.

"Of course!" she had said, smacking her forehead. "It's obvious! Calypso! You're the weapon!"

Calypso had frowned, offended. "Excuse me? I'm not an object—"

Hazel had apologized immediately. "Sorry. I meant secret weapon, as in, you know, our hidden advantage." As she spoke, Hazel had gotten more and more excited. "Hecate had said only one of us would be able to find it, and Leo, you used that astrolabe to navigate right to her. And . . . oh, this is perfect! Calypso, if Gaea thinks all the gods are incapacitated because of the schizophrenia, and you show up with us . . . You can help us defeat the giants!"

Leo had quickly warmed up to the idea. "Hear that, Sunshine?" he had grinned. "You ready to do something more exciting than gardening? We can kick some serious monster butt together. Queen Dirt Face will so ticked off."

Calypso had gotten a beautiful, terrifying gleam in her eyes. "Sounds very fun, Leo."

"Yes! This will be so great! I love you!" Almost immediately, Leo had realized what he had said and clamped his mouth shut, but it had been too late. Hazel and Frank had already been gaping in astonishment . . . but Calypso had beamed at him, practically glowing in the darkness. And that had made his embarrassment completely worth it.

After the explanations and stories had ended, they had spent about a day retracing their steps (thank the gods, the ball of wire had worked), and then Leo had had to tell the rest of the crew that their "secret weapon" was actually a goddess who also happened to kind of be his girlfriend. It had taken a while for them to get over their shock.

Especially Percy.

That had been pretty funny to watch.

As Leo reminisced, he watched as each of the seven came forward and got a wish—Percy secured a promise to repair the damage to both camps that had occurred during the war, and to never keep the two camps separated again. ("You saw how badly that worked out the first time.") He also got the gods to turn all the food at the celebration banquet blue, even though Annabeth elbowed him in the ribs while he was talking and reminded him that not everyone found cobalt-colored meals as appetizing as he did. When she stepped up next—still sighing about what a Seaweed Brain her boyfriend was, Leo observed with a grin—Annabeth asked for her laptop and knife back, for Hades to expedite Bob and Damasen's regeneration ("and by 'expedite', I mean 'get them out within the next ten months, not within the next thousand years,'" Annabeth clarified), and for Hera to stop kidnapping demigods ("and especially not Percy," she added threateningly). When a spider skittered across the throne room in the middle of Annabeth's wishing, Leo could have sworn that she opened her mouth to ask for the destruction of all spiders as well . . . but then she looked at Percy, seemed to remember that she'd chastised him for making a ridiculous wish, and fell silent.

Piper's turn was next. First, she managed to make Zeus promise not to close down Olympus when they were in trouble. "Just tell us that we're facing a looming apocalypse next time, all right?" she finished. After some complaining, he agreed. Then Piper got a sly look in her eyes. "And," she added, "I want to be able to punch any god or goddess in the face—without any negative repercussions."

Percy's eyes lit up. "Can I get that too?"

"Watch your tongue, Jackson," Zeus growled. "You've already made your wish." He turned back to Piper, forcing an exaggerated look of patience. "And why do you want to, ah, punch one of us in the face?"

Piper stared at him. "Isn't it obvious?" she demanded. "You've been using your own children as pawns for millennia. Your wife kidnapped Percy and Jason and stole their memories. She made Percy lose months of his life, and you know how short demigod lives can be! Bacchus stood by while Percy and Jason fought Ephialtes and Otis in the Colosseum. Athena set Annabeth a nearly impossible task in Rome, one that ended with Percy and her in Tartarus. You ignored us for most of our quest, and you refused to help us defeat the giants and Gaea until we closed the Doors of Death, even though you wanted them destroyed as much as we did! How could I not want to punch you in the face? You should be grateful that I only want to punch one of you."

Leo tried not to grin as Zeus's face grew more and more thunderous—ha, thunderous—with each sentence. "Piper McLean, how dare you—"

"Oh, let her," Poseidon laughed, infuriating Zeus even further. "She's right, we've been acting ridiculous this entire time. Besides, you know what the conditions of our wish-granting are. 'Anything, as long as it's within our power.' I'm sorry, brother, but that wish is definitely in our power."

Leo gave up on trying to hide how much he was enjoying this. Zeus grumbled for a while longer, but in the end, he acknowledged that he couldn't really refuse her. "So," he sighed," which of us are you going to . . . punch?"

Piper looked thoughtful. "I honestly don't know," she admitted. "A lot of you have been jerks to us." Annabeth whispered something in her ear, and Piper grinned. "I'll have to consult my friends," she said formally, sticking her chin in the air. "I'll get back to you later." Then she started cracking up and had to lean on Annabeth for support as she stepped back.

Once the other gods had calmed Zeus down some, Jason walked up for his request. None of the gods switched to Roman form. They'd decided to stay Greek for the entire wish-granting, so as to avoid starting up more schizophrenia or confusion. Besides, it was more of a Greek hero tradition anyway. Jason first requested a special kind of transport, so demigods could travel between the two camps efficiently. When that was granted easily—Zeus mostly looked relieved that Jason didn't want to do some punching too—Jason continued. "I also want you to declare," he added, "that all sorts of demigods will be accepted and happy at both camps, and they will not be discriminated against based on race, gender, ability, or se—"

To Leo's surprise, Nico shadow-traveled into the room at that point and clapped a hand over Jason's mouth. "You. Shut. Up," he snapped. "I'll deal with things myself." He turned to the gods. "Ignore this idiot's last wish," he said. Then he shadow-traveled away. Leo stared at his friends for clarification, but they looked just as confused as he felt—except for Jason, who seemed annoyed. Zeus appeared resigned to the fact that the demigods who had saved Western civilization were all clinically insane and didn't even comment on the interruption.

After that, it was Frank's turn. He stepped up confidently—more so than Leo had ever seen him—and looked at Hades, rather than Zeus. "I want you to lift Hazel from her curse," he insisted. "She should still be able to raise jewels and precious metals and whatever, but I want you to make it so people can touch them without getting hurt. She literally died to save the world. It's not right that you've cursed her." Before Hades could respond, Frank crossed his arms. Now that Mars's blessing had given him a godly growth spurt, Leo thought Frank looked threatening for the first time in his life. "That's not all," he said. "I also want you to issue a blanket amnesty for all escaped souls—and you have to swear not to interfere with how long they have in this second life." He glared at Hades. "I am not going to let you take Hazel away."

Leo couldn't believe it when Hades/Pluto smiled at him—yes, smiled. "That seems reasonable, Frank Zhang. I will grant both of your requests."

For a moment, Hazel couldn't do anything but beam at her father and at Frank, her eyes shining. Then she threw her arms around her boyfriend and kissed him on the cheek. Leo was close enough to hear when she whispered, "Pluto told me once that a descendant of Neptune would lift my curse. Thank you for proving him right, Frank."

Frank hugged her tightly. "Anything for you, Haze."

Part of Leo was entertained by how tiny Hazel looked next to the son of Mars, but most of him was just pleased. Hazel was sweet and kind. If the gods had even suggested sending her back to Asphodel, he would have bashed their faces in with his hammer, never mind that they were vengeful and immortal. Plus, he was sure Frank and Percy would have helped him out. (Styx, maybe Piper would have used her free punch to knock some sense back into them.)

Eventually, Hazel let go of Frank and took her place in the center of the throne room. "And I want you to remove the tie between Frank and his stick of firewood," she said stubbornly. "He should be able to live out his life without worrying about it burning."

Hera shook her head. "It's impossible, Hazel Levesque," she said. "Frank's life has been linked to that plank since birth. The tie between them is rooted in the Fates, not the gods. We cannot remove that connection without killing him."

Percy scowled and took a step forward, and Hazel's eyes blazed. "That's bull," she said fiercely. "You're the one who came to his mom and grandmother and told them about the wood. I'm sure you can—"

Frank placed a hand on Hazel's shoulder, making her hesitate. "It's okay, Hazel," he promised. "Thanks to Leo and Calypso"—he shot a thankful smile in Leo's direction—"I haven't had to worry about my firewood for weeks. That drawstring bag will keep me safe. It's okay if they can't break the connection."

"But—"

"It's okay," he repeated.

Hazel frowned. "But then . . ." She looked around. "Everyone's alive. Everyone's safe. What should I wish for?"

"Think about it," Frank said. "Take your time. They won't rush you." He glared at Zeus. "Will they?"

Apparently, Zeus had decided that protesting wasn't worth it. He sighed dramatically. "Very well. We will . . . come back to you, Hazel Levesque."

They'll come back to her? Leo thought. But that means . . . Suddenly, Leo realized that everyone was watching him now. "And what is your wish, Leo Valdez?"

Leo looked at the ground, hesitating. He knew what the gods could grant him—anything, even immortality. But that would mean living apart from all his friends, staying fifteen forever while they grew up, got married, and had mortal lives. Besides . . . He tilted his head to the side a little, just enough to see tan, slender fingers entwined with his. If he became immortal, he would have to live with the knowledge that Calypso was stuck on her island for all eternity. And Leo didn't think he could handle that.

He turned his face to the gods. "Apparently, you forgot the first time you heard this request," he said impishly, "so I'll ask again. I want you to free Calypso from Ogygia."

Next to him, Calypso breathed in sharply. He squeezed her hand and looked to the gods for their answer. He expected annoyance, reluctance, indifference, or anger—basically, he expected any or all of the reactions Zeus had displayed so far—but what he saw was much more worrisome. The gods seemed . . . sad. Pitying. Why in Hades would they pity him? It was a small enough wish . . . right?

Finally, Zeus fixed his gaze on Leo. "We would grant you this wish," he said, "but unfortunately, it is not within our power."

Leo stared at him. Since when did the King of the Gods make jokes? "You're kidding, right?" he said. "You could make me immortal, but you can't free Calypso? You made the enchantment. Just undo it!"

Hephaestus's eyes were brimming with sadness and regret. "It is not that simple, Leo," he explained. "As Calypso told you, the magic on Ogygia is becoming unstable. It is why it was so difficult for you to leave the first time. It is why your raft did not take you exactly where you wished to go. It is why you were able to return through the labyrinth, and why Calypso was able to leave her island by the same route temporarily. And unfortunately, it is also why she cannot leave permanently."

Athena took up the explanation. "Calypso's magic revives the island," she said. "Her strength and immortality is the reason that it is such a flourishing paradise. However, Calypso and Ogygia have been intertwined for so many millennia that it is now nearly impossible to separate the two. Perhaps we could have done it before Gaea began to awaken, but now that we have been plagued by discord between camps, split between Greek and Roman personalities, weakened by a long and difficult war . . ." Her gray eyes looked at Calypso. For once, they weren't cold, calculating, and terrifying. They were just sympathetic, like the rest of the gods' expressions. Leo couldn't stand it.

"I'm sorry," Athena said. She seemed to be speaking more to Calypso than to Leo, even though it had been his request. "But it is simply beyond our power at the moment. We could grant this wish in the future, perhaps after a few centuries have passed, but for now . . ."

"A few centuries?" Leo yelped. "Lady, I'll be dead in a few centuries!" The goddess of wisdom turned to him, raising one eyebrow. He gulped, his ears reddening. "Sorry. But I mean . . . Isn't there another way?"

For the first time that Leo could remember, Athena hesitated. She turned to Zeus, and the King of the Gods spoke. "There is another way," he said slowly, "but it will have a price. Calypso . . ." He turned to the goddess. "Your immortality is tied to Ogygia, as Athena said. That connection is why it would be so hard for us to undo the curse. However, if you were to give up that immortality . . ."

Calypso gasped. The room fell silent, except for the sound of Leo's heart pumping, which was so loud he figured everyone could hear it.

"Giving up my . . . Becoming mortal?" Calypso asked finally, her voice soft and questioning. "This will free me?"

Athena nodded. "And only that, dear," she answered. "I'm sorry. You helped defeat several giants after you left Ogygia, and we know that without you, these demigods' quest never would have succeeded. We owe you a great deal. We would free you if we could, and as soon as we are able, we shall. But in the meantime, Leo Valdez, do you have another wish?"

Leo stared at her uncomprehendingly. Another wish? All he wanted was Calypso.

"Come on, boy," Hephaestus said gruffly, but kindly. "There must be something else we can do for you. What about—?"

"No!"

Everyone in the room turned to look at Calypso, Leo included. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright, but her voice was steady. "No," she repeated. "I will agree to this. I will relinquish my immortality to be free of Ogygia."

Zeus's mouth actually dropped open. "Think about what you're saying, Calypso!" he thundered. "Consider the consequences! You would grow old? You would . . . You would die and go to the Underworld? How could mere freedom be worth that?"

Calypso held her head high. "You have not been a prisoner like I have," she said confidently. "You do not understand. Being trapped on Ogygia for so long has opened my eyes. I now know that it is better to live a short life of freedom than an endless life of exile. Besides . . ." She turned to Leo, and he was surprised to see a blinding white smile on her face. "The best things in life only come with sacrifice. And I think the best thing I could ever hope for is waiting for me in the mortal world."

Leo's mouth was hanging open. Calypso nudged it shut with her hand and leaned towards him. "You were concerned," she said softly, "about having a mortal life while I lived on forever." She smiled even wider. "Once I am freed, you won't have to worry about that any longer."

"You would give up immortality," Leo said, "for me?" For me, the annoying, undersized, scrawny mechanic?

"Don't get a big head, Leo Valdez," Calypso scolded. "It's for my own freedom too." But by the way she kissed him, Leo figured he was the deciding factor.

Thank you all for the reviews/favorites/follows! It makes me so happy to see that people are enjoying this story, and it's also a bit bittersweet because this is the last chapter. :') Oh, but I did write a prequel-ish thing to this in my story A World of Oneshots—it's the chapter called "Rainbow"—so feel free to check that out if you're interested in seeing more Caleo from me. Other than that, thanks for reading! I hope this was a nice distraction while waiting for BoO. :)

It's been fun!

- Storm