I don't own PJO, HofO, or Sunny D.

1-meeting a friend you haven't seen in a while and realizing that some things never change

Hazel kept herself very still and very quiet, her breathing fast and light.

Her stomach was still swooping with the shock that she was going to see Sammy him again, not frozen in a picture that was seventy years old or in her memories.

Of course, it wasn't Sammy. Not really.

Arion trotted after her; she concentrated on the steady clip-clop and the tightness of Percy's grip.

This was real. Sammy was gone. Her heart ached more. This was real.

The Greek death trap hissed as it descended, whipping her hair into even more of a tangle until it probably looked like Medusa's. Wind flattened in a circle around the airship, like a helicopter landing. Hazel could feel the bronze just a mere 20 feet from her position, all that metal humming with power.

Hazel was absolutely terrified. No way was she getting in that death trap and leaving the ground. She'd go on Arion if she had to.

First out was Jason, his short blond hair not really moving in the breeze, an orange shirt puffed out and filled with wind. A new sword rested on his hip, a gladius in a leather sheath.

Hazel twisted her head to stare at Reyna, whose face was filled with betrayal as she stared at his shirt, a bright, sunny orange like a flare or Sunny D commercials.

A girl with chocolate, choppy hair, like she'd cut it with safety scissors, stepped out behind him. She blinked at the gathered people, raising her eyebrows at Octavian, who was gutting his teddy bear apprehensively, like she was saying, Okay, you're weird. Hazel immediately liked her. The Greek demigod followed Jason closely and gripped his hand hard.

Hazel glanced at Reyna again, who looked hurt and betrayed now. The daughter of Bellona controlled her expression though and stared at Jason with a look of such detached interest, Hazel thought that hate would've been better.

Next out was Sammy. Leo. Her chest hurt like she'd just been shot through the heart with one of Frank's arrows. She'd heard about heartache before, but this was actual pain right where her heart was. She'd lost sleep over that boy in Alaska about 70 years ago, and there he was, not even paying her a glance.

The boy, who looked like Sammy but wasn't, was running around the machine now, fretting over it and skating his fingers across the metal like he was checking for dents.

Hazel studied him, his curly black hair that gleamed in the sunlight, his wild eyes, and his tanned skin; he looked the same. An exact copy of her almost-boyfriend.

A pretty girl with golden curls was coming out of the Greek machine, but Hazel barely saw her. All her attention was focused on Samm-Leo.

Now he'd grabbed Jason and the chocolate-haired girl in a hug, his wild eyes dancing with excitement as his lips moved, saying something to them. He seemed to just be overjoyed in the camp and the death-machine and life in general. Then he'd looked straight at her, a glow in his eyes. Recognition?

Hazel could feel Frank's concerned gaze on her, but she just shook her head, muttered an apology, and ran away like a coward. What kind of Roman was she?

She finally settled on Temple Hill, her legs aching. The camp, glittering silver, was spread out over the valley. Bronze gleamed from the center of the crowd of people.

Hazel raked her hands through her hair, calming the curly mass, and waited on the hill until the sun dipped low in the sky, and the crowd had dispersed. A group was headed toward the half-destroyed Senate House, who she assumed was Reyna, Percy, Jason, and the rest of the people who'd came out of the Greek machine of death.

"Hey." A calm voice issued from beside her.

Hazel let out a small shriek that was completely not Roman and whirled around.

The Sammy-look alike was sitting right next to her, his head tipped to one side curiously with the black curls falling over his forehead. A sweet scent, like oil and bronze melted together, fanned over her. He didn't look nearly as happy as he had when he'd came out of the Greek machine, like he'd dropped a façade he'd been keeping up.

Instead, he looked wistful, like he wanted to see something that he'd never see again.

"Oh, hi." Hazel tried to still her racing heart and convince herself that she was frightened, not nervous.

"Why are you running away?" Leo asked, grinning with one corner of his mouth pulled up farther than the other so it was lopsided. "Am I that ugly?"

His coffee-hued eyes gleamed at the words, as if he knew them, and his mouth twitched into a larger grin.

Hazel felt her mouth lift up at his contagious smile, then, for no reason, she flung her arms around him.

"Woah!" Leo sounded so shocked that she unwound herself from him and burst into laughter until tears splashed down her face, and she shook with a million thank-you's for whatever miracle had happened to bring him back to her.

"Uhh..." Leo began to laugh nervously too, looking awkward.

"Sorry." Hazel brushed at her cheeks and wiped her nose with a loud sniff. "It's just...a friend said that to me." She rubbed her eyes, which probably made them look red and swollen.

"Who?" Leo looked interested, but he immediately looked abashed, as if he hadn't meant to say that at all. "Sorry, it's just my dad, Hephaestus-I mean Vulcan, but not from Star Trek-he's not very social, so I tend to blurt out things, I'm not very good with organic life forms, and I should really stop talking now, shouldn't I?" Leo looked horrified at what he'd said. He pulled out a couple strands of wire-copper-and began to twist them together anxiously.

"No, I don't mind." Hazel did mind, but she faked a smile anyway. "His name was Sammy. He's...dead now."

"Oh." Leo's eyes went round as coins, and his fingers stopped dead. "Did he die in the battle?"

"Yeah." Hazel lied smoothly; she couldn't tell anyone about Sammy now. Especially when Leo was right there, with that same concerned look on his face that Sammy had when she told him about her curse. "Yeah, he did."

Leo frowned like he didn't think that was right. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Hazel managed a smile, a real smile this time.

"Okay...should we get back to Camp Jupiter now?" Leo asked, standing up and brushing grass off his jeans; they were stained with oil.

"Yeah. We probably have to be there for the senate meeting." Hazel made a face as she got up.

"Oh." Leo sounded surprised, and Hazel glanced up at him from under her eyelashes; he looked taken aback. "That sounds...fun."

Hazel laughed, probably the first time she had since the airship had arrived. "Nah, it's boring." She told him.

"Yeah, we get nachos at our meetings. I'm guessing your meetings aren't like that. You're Hazel, right?" Leo asked as they started down the hill, jumping from subject to subject so fast Hazel could hardly keep up.

The daughter of Pluto nodded as they reached the bottom of the hill and started toward the Senate House. She could just see Reyna standing outside, probably waiting to scold her for being late.

"Hazel. Nice to meet you, Hazel." He grinned at her, and her heart did a little flip-flop that usually only Frank made happen.

Leo wasn't Sammy. Sammy never smelled like oil or bronze, and he didn't mess up his words like his tongue was tripping trying to get them out so fast. But if Leo was Sammy's twin, Hazel wouldn't be surprised.

She had a chance at friendship again. And she wasn't going to move away from it this time.

Okay, don't get me wrong, I love Frank and his relationship with Hazel, but I have a thing for going against the canon. My theories, especially regarding Leo and Sammy, will be explained throughout the story.

Basically, this will take place at Camp Jupiter. Other pairings will be mentioned, but Hazel/Leo is the central.

So review, review? Even if you don't like the pairing? Or to tell me if they were OOC?