I don't own. Also, I've not rendered Haley's accent phonetically, but it's pretty thick. If you've never heard a Newfoundlander accent, either Google it or imagine something in the ballpark of Scottish


1.

Percy was the only one who didn't kneel when she was claimed. Everyone else dropped as the Blue Trident spun around her head. He didn't, he just sat there. The campfire was crackling, but everyone was silent. The poor girl only 12, and she was blushing furiously and fiddling with her brown hair. She'd washed up on the beach with a broken arm this morning, and, as near as any one could figure out, had taken a hijacked fishing boat south from Newfoundland. In retrospect that shoukd have been a sign of her parentage. As should her age, 12 years since Poseidon and Zeus had gotten free from the oath. Chiron had privately told him he expected an upswing this year from that fact alone.

Speaking of Chiron he was rising, and looked like he was about to give a speech. He remembered the whole list of titles the centuar had rattled off when he'd been claimed, and the pressure that it had placed on him. He didn't want that for her. He shot up suddenly, feeling more 12 then 28.

"Haley...uhh..." One of the Stoll brothers stage whispered him the last name. "Innes. Daughter of Posideon." He said simply.

2.

Percy cringed at the state of his cabin. He didn't typically care, but it made it look like he didn't care about the place.

"Sorry about the mess."

"It's alright." Haley said. At least he thought so, her accent was really thick.

"So, lights out and stuff is gonna be really lax, just try to avoid being eaten by the harpies. The only other camper is Tyson, he's a Cyclops, but he's not coming up this summer."

"Cyclops?"

"Yeah, his mom is a nymph or something." Haley cracked a small smile, but then immediately looked down and frowned. "Look," he continued. "I realize this is a lot, and it's never going to stop being a lot. Is there anyone you want to talk to?"

"My mom." She whispered, though it sounded more like Ma Mum. "I ran, and I don't know if she's ok, or if my town is. There's only 30 people there, those snake lasses could have killed everyone and..." Haley began sobbing. Percy really wanted to hug her, but that probobly wasn't the best option.

"Haley, I can't tell you what happened. But there's this thing called an Iris Message..."

3.

The good news was that Haley was after talking to her mom and a good night's sleep.

The bad news was that this meant she was moving all of his stuff.

"You get one side, I get the other." Was a fair enough preposition, but suddenly everything felt cramped, with his stuff piled into his half.

"Are there seriously Harpies that'll eat you?" She asked, slowly since Percy didn't really understand her if she started talking fast.

"If you violate the rules and they catch you. If a Counsler catches you, you'll get off easier."

"What rules? As far as I can tell this place is a free for all."

"No maiming, no leaving camp without permission, no being out after curfew. Basic stuff."

"What about bringing other people into your cabin?" Haley asked, holding up some clothes that were very clearly not Percy's.

4.

"Hey boss. Who's the new girl?"

"Why is the horse talking. Why does the horse have wings?" Haley hissed.

"She can hear us! Dudes another Posideon kid!" Several Pegasi trotted over beside Blackjack.

"It's an honor my lady!"

"Nice to meet you ma'am."

"Got any sugar cubes?"

Haley blushed. Percy clapped his hands.

"Alright, we're taking her on her first flight today. I need someone calm." A half dozen Pegasi began clamouring for attention.

5.

Percy was getting serious deja vu when it came to Haley's combat training. She just could not find a blade that balanced well. He'd even gotten desperate and tried some Roman swords but nothing had worked. His constant efforts were embarrassing her, he realized that. But she needed something good, she was a big three kid and the right weapon was a life or death choice.

By luck of the draw she'd been paired with Ella Murphy, the heir to Clarisse's electric spear mayhem. Ella had knocked Haley to the ground, sending her latest sword flying, and was pointing her spear down. Out of instinct Haley kicked up, and somehow knocked the spear out of Ella's hand. She then somehow leaped up and caught it. Ella whipped out her spare sword, but suddenly was pushed on the defensive. Haley stabbed expertly, and on occaision even twirled her spear around like a baton. She managed to disarm Ella and Haley looked stunned as the daughter of Ares did.

"Well," Percy declared. "I figured out the problem. Gods, Thalia is going to tease me so much."

6.

"Look Jackson." Colben Welsh, Son of Nike, said. "We could tolerate having you in the Canoe races before, cause we could just stick you with someone incompetent, like Geoff." Geoff let out a string of curses from the back. "But two Poseidon kids, that's just not fair, how am I supposed to win?"

Percy cursed internally, and looked for Haley. She'd melted into the crowd.

"Alright, alright. We'll start out sorted by cabins, and if that turns out to be a problem, we'll switch it up."

It turned out to be a problem, at least that's what everyone else said.

7.

This was apparently the first capture the flag game Haley had ever played, Duntara barely had any people, let alone kids.

Annabeth had arrived 15 minutes ago, and was frantically changing her battle plans.

"I mean honestly Percy, you could have at least mentioned it," She muttured. "You said she kicked Ella's ass in training?" Haley scooted back and tried to hide herself in her armor.

"Yeah she..." Percy started then realized what she was doing. "No no no no. You are not using her as bait, I see you putting her on the border." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Relax you're going there instead of ofense, between the two of you might be able to trip up any one crossing the creek." Percy have her a dopey smile.

"Wait..." Haley said quietly. "Are we only on the Athena cabin's team because your fiancee is their Head Counsler?" Percy's face fell and some of the Aphrodite kids started cooing. Everyone else shifted around nervously.

"Yes?"

"Are you stunned? Did we get anything out of this? No showers, no nothing?" Percy barely understood what she was saying. "G'wan." Haley muttured. "We'll talk about this later."

8.

"I've known you for a week." She said. "Barely. It'd be rude just to pop in."

"No. My mom will insist on meeting you at some point. Plus Estelle is about your age."

"She's only expecting two people." Haley whined. "And there are dozens of kids my age at camp."

"I can call tonight. My mother satisfied Meg when she was 12 with no warning. She'll be able to get something you'll like."

"The Meg who tried to strangle me for overwatering the Strawberries?" Percy nodded.

9.

"ANNABETH!" Estelle gave her soon to be sister-in-law a huge hug, then turned on her brother.

"Who's this? Is she bleeding?"

"No, this is Haley. Didn't mom tell you she was coming?" Estelle's eyes widened and she snapped her fingers.

"Right. Mom! Dad! They're here!" She turned and walked back into the apartment. The trio of campers followed and sat at the table. Introductions were had, food was served, and awkward small talk was had (Paul was writing a paper on the use of dialects in novels, and was interested in Haley's accent, though to his credit he stopped asking when she started blushing).

"So Haley," Ms. Jackson evenly but suddenly. "Do you think you'll be ok when Percy comes back into town in a couple of weeks?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Percy's mom pursed her lips.

"And what about at the end of summer?" Haley shrugged.

"I'll try to head back back north, apparently I can't fly, but one of the Apollo kids is from Halifax. If I can hitch a ride there I can get ferries back home." Percy frowned, that was a lot.

"Can your mom see through the Mist?" Estelle, who had for better or worse inherited her mother's gifts, demanded. Haley nodded.

"And I'm pretty sure Mr. Scott can too, he flat out gave me his boat when he saw what was chasing me."

"Well, if you ever need something, just call, I'd be happy to drive you to the border at least." Percy's mom said casually. Haley sank into her seat, embarrassed, and Annabeth grinned.

"She can tell you Percy's baby stories, what was the one where he tried to put shrimp in his ears?" She asked.

Haley straightened up as Percy turned beet red.

10.

"Did you get the horn when you killed it the first time or the second time? Haley asked, by way of conversation.

"Uhh...first. And hey I can understand if your're curious, but some people really have no idea what happened, so uh don't trust everything you hear."

"I didn't ask anybody, they just come up and start asking me about you and then they start babbering about your life." Haley muttured.

"Seriously? When?"

"When you're off doing sword training, I'm stuck in Arts and Crafts with the Aprodite and Hermes cabins." Percy flinched, those would be the cabins to do that. "And like, most of them are nice, even the ones pestering me, but they just won't quit talking. I don't want to hear about how you solved the Labyrinth."

"I didn't..."

"I realized that when Chris Rodriguez decapitated a statue of Adonis." Percy laughed.

"Well that's something. If you need me to talk to anyone just ask."

"Right."

A few moments of silence passed.

"Hey Percy."

"Yeah?"

"Did you really blow up Mount Saint Helens?"

11.

"...and that is why the magic bracelets given by Apollo are named for the late Jason Grace." Chris concluded. Percy looked down. He was happy to chaperone the newbies on their first trip to New Rome, but he never ever told them about Jason. It was a bit too much.

Still he slapped on the bracelet, tapped it, felt the tug in his gut, and found himself beside Terminus. Standing beside the statue were the two praetors, Jill and Julia, as well as Frank, who must have heard he was coming. They started the whole speech about Rome and stuff, Percy had heard it a dozen times, so he drifted over to Frank.

"Hey, how's it going?" Frank shrugged.

"Not too bad, Hazel is still up North setting up the store, and I'm missing her, but it's not like there's ever a dull moment down here."

"Speaking of up North, I want you to meet," He dragged Haley over. "Haley. she's from Canada."

"Yeah," She said. "I am, now can I get back? I don't want to accidently break a rule and get some Roman rotted."

"Nova Scotia?" Frank guessed.

"Newfoundland."

"And don't worry, we're both ex-Praetors, we can get you off the hook for anything." Percy declared. Frank sighed.

"No we can't."

"You can't Zhang, but I happen to know what Julia wanted to be when she was little, useful blackmail material."

"Yeah, well I'm the one who got her cookies when she broke her arm."

"So you admit that...Haley where are you going?"

12.

"You don't have to stick around." Haley said offhandely, putting the finishing touches on her picture of Atlanta. "I mean, you can if you want, but if you want to go suck Annabeth's face off on the beach you can do that."

"I...what?" Haley glared at him.

"I'm gonna try some archery with Alexandrine, Rigel and Nate next. I know you hate it." Percy really did hate archery.

"You'll be fine?" Haley nodded. Percy smiled. Making friends was good.

13.

Neither of them had known Colin, son of Hermes all that well, but they still attended the funeral. As his sister Noelle lit the pyre, Haley looked at the ground.

"Does this happen a lot?" She asked quietly.

"Too much, not as much as it used to," Percy said. "But too much."

14.

"So, chariot races." Haley said, setting down her fish and chips

"I'm gonna be back at the aquarium by then." Haley rolled her eyes.

"Do you have any advice for them? Me and Alexandrine are teaming up."

"Don't die. If a bunch of birds show up hide. And too much machinery will spook your horses and slow you down, and I don't care what she says a Daughter of Hephestus will put in too much machinery."

"You think?" Percy stuffed his face with blue fries before answering.

"Yep." Haley shrugged.

"What about the horses? Any advice on those?" Percy shrugged.

"Talk to them, calm then down. You'll be at a disadvantage, Ares will have skeleton horses, Hephestus typically have automations pulling, so if any of Alexandrine's siblings race that'll be a thing." Haley gnawed on some fish thoughtfully.

"That seems like cheating." Percy's eyes widened and dropped his fry back on the plate.

"I know right? It's like if Tom Brady got a motorcycle!"

"What? Who?" Percy placed his hands in his hands.

15.

"I'll visit on some weekends."

"I know."

"If you need anything Iris Message."

"I know."

"If you need help I'll come."

"I know."

"Alright. Bye."

Haley hugged him.

16.

"Just stopping by to say hello." She insisted, but nonetheless she was dragged in for a quick snack along with Kate Hope.

"Percy's on his way back, take a seat and grab some chips." Sally said.

"So, how was camp?" Estelle asked eagerly.

"Fine. We got third in the chariot races." Haley replied, mentally cursing the Athena Cabin.

"Any cool quests?" Sally sighed as Estelle asked the question. Haley shook her head.

"Uhh...I think Chris Rodriguez got sent to a Dick's Sporting Goods by Ares to prove he's worthy of his fiancee or something." Sally smiled.

"That's nice, they're a very cute couple." Sally said, handing Kate some seven layer dip. "I bet you're glad to be heading home though."

"Yeah, they'll all think I'm a CFA now." Everyone stared at her blankly. "Come from away." Everyone kept staring. "Maybe not. It'll be a nice change of pace."

"Less exciting though." Estelle noted.

"It gets less exciting when your brother isn't there." Haley said before grabbing the dip from Kate. "He's a trouble magnet." Estelle laughed for a bit then frowned.

"He's your brother too." Haley stared blankly at Estelle for a moment, then smiled.

"Yeah. You're right."


Thanks for reading! Reviews are always welcome, as are story ideas.