With the sun on his back and sweat on his brow Leo worked on the Argo II.

Not that he minded the work, it gave him something to do and besides the flying ship was, to him at least, his closest friend and lover. Every time he heard the bronze dragon head toot he felt a sense of pride, the Argo II was his yet somehow it felt very much alive.

"Hey Leo!" called someone from below, Leo got up from the main console and looked out from the side of his ship. It was Percy Jackson in running gear.

"Hey Percy! Are you going to race the Stoll Brothers again?" Leo asked.

"Yep, I think it's finally my day to win. No pompous Hermes kids can keep me down forever!" replied Percy. "Hey, want some water?"

Leo knew where this was going. "No thanks."

"Too late." At that a jet of water came up from the ground and struck Leo, it felt good to have the cool water on his face and skin while he managed to drink a few drops.

He could here Percy laughing at his own prank so Leo decided to play back. It felt almost natural when a burst of fire flew from his fingers. "Watch it!" shouted Percy, it was Leo's turn to laugh.

Percy chuckled as well, "You asked anyone to the fireworks show yet, Flame Boy?"

Leo's heart began to beat a little harder. "Nah, not yet. Did you ask Annabeth yet?"

"Oh course I did, nearly a month ago. Come on Valdez, there has got to be at least one girl in Camp Half-Blood willing to go out with you." said Percy, Leo never said anything but he really hated it when Percy used his last name. It was like he wasn't good enough to be on first name base with the Savior of Olympus.

"Well I gotta run, see ya later Leo!" shouted Percy before he ran off.

Leo turned back to the main console and took out the new command disk, a circular piece of bronze with magical words engraved by the Hecate Cabin. He took out the old disc and carefully placed the new one in and as soon as he did he was blinded by a harsh light.

"I am the Spirit of the Argo II!" boomed a voice.

When Leo opened his eyes again he saw in front of him a girl with hair the color of flames and a golden crown shaped like a dragon head, the head of Festus to be exact.

"Leo?" the girl asked.

The Hecate cabin had an ominous aura to it, heavy metal played from the inside and Leo wasn't sure if his knocks were heard but after a while Lou Ellen came to the door.

Leo admitted that she was pretty, Asian with raven black hair and full goth getup but he didn't like the prospect of getting turned into a gerbil for saying the wrong thing.

"What do you want?" she said coldly before seeing the flame haired girl. "Who is she?"

So Leo explained what had happened as Lou Ellen rubbed her temples. "Oh Gods, I told them the spell for 'flight' looked like 'life'. I'll just reverse the magic." she said.

"Wait, you mean like kill her?" Leo asked frantically.

Lou Ellen frowned. "She's not supposed to be alive in the first place, like you said she belongs in the Argo II."

"No, I won't let you do it." Leo asserted.

"Very well, but you should take her to Chiron and Mr. D." replied Lou Ellen. It was a good idea, if anyone would know what to do it was them.

Leo thanked Lou Ellen and took the girl's hand to lead her to the Big House but she started to weep. "Leo, that girl she said words like 'kill'. Please don't let her kill me!" she sobbed.

"Don't you worry, I'll protect you." Leo said as he cautiously wrapped his arms around her not even thinking that he was hugging the Argo II.

Leo managed to get the girl to stop crying before they got to the Big House where Chiron and Mr.D were playing a game.

"SORRY!" yelled Mr.D as he swatted Chiron's blue piece away.

"That is not how the game is played." said Chiron.

"I'm the god here so I say how the game is to be played."

"Um. Chiron, Mr.D." Leo interjected.

Mr. D smiled a grotesque smile. "Ah Theo Alvarez, how is are the fireworks coming together? I cannot wait for tonight!"

"And who is this young lady? I've never seen her in camp before." said Chiron.

"Well... I was trying to put in new command disc in the ship but the Hecate put 'life' instead of flight so know the Spirit of the Argo II is alive."

"I see, so you have managed to create a monstrosity in my camp? Dispose of it at once." said Mr. D, the girl began to quiver.

"Now Mr. D, let us not act too hastily. First off, what is her name?" asked Chiron.

"Um..." Leo had not though of asking that himself and now he felt embarrassed. "Ember?"

"Yes, Ember. If Leo likes that name than I like it. My name is Ember." said the girl.

"Well then as Ember has done no harm I can't see any reason for rash actions. It seems we have a new camper,

but what cabin to place her in?" said Chiron.

"There's room in the Hephaestus Cabin for one more." Leo offered.

Mr. D held up his hand. "Nonsense, she is not a demigod so she will stay in the Big House."

"Come now Ember, let me give you a tour of Camp Half-Blood." said Chiron as he got up and took Ember by the hand.

"Goodbye Leo." she said.

Leo waved to Ember as she walked away with the centaur. "Know this Teto Morales, I expect and good show tonight despite this abnormality. These fireworks and Diet Coke are the only thing I have to look forward to in this miserable punishment." said Mr. D

"Yes, sir." Leo said through his teeth.

Leo knocked even harder on the Athena Cabin door.

The silver door swung open and there was Annabeth. "What the Tartarus Leo!"

"I'm sorry but I didn't know who else to turn to." said Leo. And then he began to tell his story for a second time as Annabeth listened.

Silence fell after Leo finished. "Well, that's interesting." she said.

"Interesting? Interesting! I need help Annabeth." snapped Leo. Then suddenly Malcolm stepped out of the cabin with a bouquet of red, white and blue roses.

"What is he doing?" Leo asked.

"Oh, he's going to ask Miranda Gardiner to the firework show." answered Annabeth. "Hey, you should ask Ember to the show!"

"Wait, what?"

"I can tell you like her, you act just like Percy does when he talks about me."

"Oh... I do?"

Just then Percy ran up drenched in sweat. "Hey Leo! Hey Wise Girl!"

"Hey Seaweed Brain, did you win your race?" asked Annabeth.

"Not even close." replied Percy. "What are you doing here Leo?"

Leo tried to speak but Annabeth cut in first. "Leo managed to turn the Argo II into a girl and he's too scared to ask her to the fireworks show."

"I am not scared! Besides I'm running the show remember, no time for dates." said Leo.

"Let someone else handle the show, I told you that there would be a girl for you." Percy jeered.

Annabeth smiled. "Leo, just ask her it's not that hard. Look at how Seaweed Brain and I turned out."

Leo shrugged. "But you guys fought in the Titan War before you hooked up."

Percy frowned. "True, what you need is a master in love."

"Piper?" asked Annabeth.

"Piper."

Leo kept quiet but he wasn't a big fan of the attention, it was just a girl problem yet Annabeth and Percy had managed to inflate it into the biggest love story since Paris and Helen.

"What's up guys?" asked Jason who was seated on the Aphrodite Cabin steps, Leo hoped Piper would come outside so he wouldn't drown in perfume.

"Leo's having girl issues." replied Percy.

"I am not!" protested Leo.

Jason and Percy chuckled. "It's cool man, everyone gets cold feet." said Jason.

As if on cue Piper opened the door and stepped outside. "Hey guys, what's happening?"

"Leo. Girl problems." explained Jason, at that point Leo gave up on debating with them.

"Awww," said Piper. "That's so cute, Leo's first crush!"

"Who was your first crush?" asked Jason.

Piper blushed. "Nobody, just some boy named Peter. But that was a long time ago."

Jason erupted in laughter. "Wait, Peter and Piper?"

"Stop it." warned Piper.

"Peter Piper picked a pail of pickled peppers. How many pails of pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?" jeered Jason.

Percy laughed as well. "Watch it Seaweed Brain, remember that you had to cause a volcanic eruption and wake the most powerful monster of all time just to get out of the friend zone." scoffed Annabeth.

"So who is she?" asked Piper.

Leo lowered his eyes and drew his foot in the dirt, how embarrassing he thought. "She's the Spirit of the Argo II, her name is Ember."

Piper's jaw almost dropped. "No way, Ember the new girl? She's back in the cabin getting a makeover!"

"Wait, what?" Leo was shocked, Ember didn't need a makeover, she was perfection.

Before Leo could form his thoughts again Piper called out. "Drew, Lacy! Bring out Ember!"

Leo was dumbfounded, like a plume of lava Ember's beauty inflamed his mind. She wore the same golden dragon crown and her face was graced with makeup that made her features all the more dramatic and lovely. She also wore a red dress that seem to glint with a million rubies.

"How do I look?" asked Ember. At that moment Leo wished he had been a son of Athena because he was at a loss for words.

"You look...wonderful." said Leo, Ember's cheeks became a bright pink.

Suddenly a hand came from behind and smacked him on the back of the head. It was Annabeth, "You should tell her she doesn't need that stuff to look pretty." she hissed.

"Oh...Bad Ember, you looked better before!" snapped Leo. Another slap came as Ember came to tears, "Not like that hot-shot!" Piper roared in his ear.

Zeus Almighty why am I so bad with women? Leo's mind screamed inside his skull. Lacy and Drew escorted a weeping Ember back into the cabin. "I screwed up big time didn't I?" he asked.

"Yes, yes you did." replied Percy.

Piper put her hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly. "I'll came her down. Don't sweat it Leo, you still have a good chance." she said and the charm-speak made him believe.

"Come on lover boy." said Jason. "You've got a lot to learn."

The sun was already setting when Leo was "ready", he had been dressed a tuxedo and a red bow-tie pressed on his neck. His trusty magic tool-belt hung on his waist, "Why would you need that?" Percy had asked.

"You won't need a screwdriver on your first date."

Leo had given him a mischievous smirk. "Breath-mints, in case things get close."

It was a short walk in the cool twilight till Leo got to the Argo II, as he expected Ember was there as well. She sat on the ground staring at the ship, her birthplace, until she sensed his coming. Her head turned his way than back to the ship, at least she can look at me he thought miserably.

He cautiously sat down next to her. "Hey Ember." he said softly.

"I thought you didn't like me." whimpered Ember, she had changed into a CHB shirt and normal pants yet the dragon crown was still seated atop her fiery hair. Every trace of makeup had been cleaned off her face yet she still looked stunning to Leo.

"I do Ember, it's just that I'm bad with girls." he explained as he got butterflies in his stomach. "I love you." His face was hot and his heart beat hard.

Ember looked at him with wide eyes. "You love me?"

" I love you more than Cupid loved Psyche." he replied, comparing himself to a god who would have rather defied the Olympian Aphrodite than turn the girl he fell for into a monster.

"I love you too, Leo." said Ember, she turned away from him and pushed her hair back nervously. "I only went to the children of the love goddess so that they would make you love me."

Leo blushed. "Would you like to go to the fireworks show with me?" he said as his hand fell on hers.

"Yes." replied Ember as their faces began to inch closer together.

"Hey Leo! Where do you want these fireworks!" someone shouted as he and Ember pulled away quickly, he had totally forgotten the fireworks show.

He stood up and brushed dirt off his tux. "On board the Argo II."

With that the Hephaestus campers brought all their hard work on to the ship. "Come on Ember!" said Leo as he extended his hand to his date.

"But I thought we were going to the fireworks show." she said with the cutest confused expression Leo had ever seen.

He grinned. "We are, just from a different angle."

With that Ember took his hand and they walked aboard the Argo II.

Somehow Leo knew that this was going to be the best Independence Day of his life.

Sorry this is a little late but oh well. Happy Independence Day (Or Canada Day for those of you up North).

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