Last chapter!

To RandomFanAuthor- mmmmmm, nope!

To HoO Fan- I definitely could rant longer- I have many, many siblings to rant about! And that's the role of a big sibling, that's what we do! ^_^ And this is the end! I will let you decide if that's a good or bad smell. And for your second review- thank you! ^_^

Abudantia had kept their wallets topped up for the majority of their journey. Leo would have given it all back as long as he didn't have to travel over the sea ever again. It had not been as bad on the Argo II, they had an entire warship to protect them and give the offensive from a team of demigods and a rather violent satyr. Now, there were three of them, on the back of a brain-damaged automaton dragon that leaked oil and drilled nursery rhymes and Beyoncé tracks. Their only offence was Louisa and she was incredibly offensive.

"Yeah, that's what I thought!" She yelled after the umpteenth sea serpent determined to swallow them whole. "Keep runnin', ya bitch! This is my ocean!"

"Technically, it's your dad's-"

"MY OCEAN!"

"Leave it, Leo." Calypso advised. "She's going to be like this for a while."

"I WILL FIGHT ALL OF YA'LL!"

"No!" Leo exasperated, voice a few octaves higher than intended. He reared Festus upward as the water crested around yet another set of fins. "We're trying to get home! Not dead!"

"BRING IT ON!"

"Hey, Cal? How'd you drown the undrownable? Asking for a friend."

"No, Leo."

"Mmmm, at least consider it. For me?"

"COME AT ME, FUCKFACE!"

"I'll consider it a little."

"Thank you."

"FIGHT ME!"

"YOU CAN'T FIGHT EVERYTHING IN THE OCEAN!"

"FUCKIN' WATCH ME!"

Leo was starting to wonder what was more valuable than Dantia's magic wallets- anything to get away from this and now. He knew the sea was vast and all but never-ending and he knew he travelled with the daughter of the guy that controlled all that. He was still trying to determine how to drown her, just a little.

Louisa was set on challenging everything in the ocean to an arm wrestle- regardless of the availability of arms- but she could also sense what was coming. They had to reapply their noise-cancelling headphones, flying over another tribe of sirens. Sea serpents as long as skyscrapers were tall tailed them for miles, rising every so often to spray water/acid/poison/boiling water at them. Louisa laughed at every single projectile, deflecting it with ease and a wave of her hand. Calypso was wondering how long it would be before the lunatic started calling out her own father. It would not come as a surprise, just an ever-increasing migraine.

"Leo, can we get out of here?" She called over Louisa taunting a school of telkhines.

"I'm trying!"

"Don't tell me we're lost again!"

"We're not! We're only… mildly uncalibrated from multiple crashes, monsters and magic crystals!"

"Well… un-uncalibrate then!"

"Having some difficulty!" He squeaked. Louisa cackled, casting her hands to the sky. The sea erupted around them, rivalling the height of the sea serpents. Walls of murky, raging saltwater cut them a temporary path through the chaos, but also blinded them. "Lou!"

"What?"

"Trying not to die! What did we talk about?"

"Lots of things!" She laughed. Leo weighed up how much trouble he would suffer if he strangled the ocean's daughter over the ocean.

Calypso's foot met his calf and he swore, chided. Festus groaned at him, shaking his head.

"I know, buddy. She's in her element though."

Louisa spread her arms with a flourish. Her uprises of water shot out, a tsunami flooding away from them in a widening circle.

"Is that better?" She asked childishly, sticking her tongue out. The wave had carted the monsters with it, spinning them end over end.

"Somewhat." Leo grumbled. She glared, flicking him in the temple. "Ow." He deadpanned. "Can you just… not fight everything for two minutes? I'm trying to get us home."

"You're lost again."

"I'm not lo- we have lots of broken equipment and why do I bother with you? You're horrible."

"You love me." She grinned impishly. Calypso cleared her throat. "Yeah, Valdez!" Louisa scolded suddenly. "Get back to work!" Leo rolled his eyes, facing forward. He heard Calypso talking to their resident psycho, letting the words wash over him as he racked his brain.

Festus was creaking in complaint, his movements sluggish, losing altitude and battling to regain it with ragged wheezes and lots of clicking in his joints. Leo could feel it was only a matter of time before the dragon's systems failed. There was no beach to crash on, no clifftops, just endless quantities of ocean. He could already see the fins and shadows of returning monsters.

There were lost in the Sea of Monsters. He had no location to lock in, the system was frying anyway, they had minutes to come up with something.

No.

He had minutes. This was down to him.

"Leo, they're getting closer!"

"I'll fight 'em!"

"No you won't! Leo!" Calypso cried. "We have to go!" Louisa began yelling torments and defiance again. Calypso called for him, seeing his shoulders tense as their shouting sunk over him. Festus whirred, trembling, bobbing in the air, wings sticking between desperate flaps to keep them airborne.

Tears stung Leo's eyes. He opened Festus's access panel, he held a screwdriver and some Celestial bronze wiring, but there was nothing he could do. His dragon needed a whole new kickstart and a proper check-up, not quick make-do fixes.

Louisa pulled the waves over the returning monsters. Her good humour was dwindling.

"Leo?"

"I don't- I don't know-" He sniffed, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes. "I don't know." Calypso's hand came past Louisa, gripping his shoulder.

"It's OK." She smiled sadly. "We're so proud of you." Louisa messed his hair, determination setting her jaw. She reconsidered the monsters below. "Lou, don't. We've come this far together. Let's not… fall apart now."

Brave. Leo realised, braver than he would ever be, Calypso was. Not recklessly and chaotically brave, like Louisa, but kindly and with a level-headedness on an almost saint-like level. He smiled to himself, petting Festus's neck. They were an odd bunch, but he would not change them. This was his family. He was just sorry he didn't get to see the rest of them.

Festus clicked. He cocked his head, clicking some more. Below them, excited clamouring from the swell of monsters, awaiting their lunch from above.

Leo's brain tuned into the clicks automatically. Something swirled in his chest.

Click click, Festus said, ruby eyes aglow. Click click!

"Leo?" Calypso asked. He had sat up straighter, began to laugh. "Leo, you OK?" Louisa inhaled through her teeth, grimacing and leaning back against Calypso, away from him.

"He's gone mad."

"Coming from you?"

"Shut up." Louisa huffed. Together, they shook him, called his name. He faced them, grinning, merry tears dripping from his cheeks.

"Harley's signalling us."

"What? Who's Harley?"

"My brother. He signalled us and Festus picked it up."

"Wait." Calypso shook her head. "Does that mean…?"

"We're going home. For real this time."

When Camp Half-Blood came into view, when Leo introduced it to the girls, it was the final piece slotting into place. They had journeyed far- farther than they should have done, but he blamed the maps and endless Louisa-isms. They had learnt much, seen more and survived worse, sticking together and closer than ever for it, but now they were home.

The hills glistened with frost in the evening light, the hearth amongst the cabins was lit. Demigods milled around, playing basketball, sparring, chasing each other. The Big House almost resembled a blue gingerbread house, so dappled with frost that it was. The strawberry fields were blooming under satyr magic and they caught a gentle scent of the fruit on a winter breeze.

Festus crooned excitedly, searching fervently for a place to land. Louisa tapped Leo's shoulder repeatedly with her fingers, pointing insistently. Leo grinned. He followed her direction, Festus laying on a burst of speed and hurtling for the ground. She squealed and clung to him, swearing profusely. Calypso laughed- some things would never change.

"We're home!" Leo laughed, ribs crushing. "Big chicken!"

"Don't like flyin'!" Her voice came from between his shoulders.

Leo saw a familiar mess of dark hair. Beside him, a girl with madly red curly hair and a skinny boy. All three were watching their descent.

It was going to be one thing seeing Leo again. Percy may have throttled him under normal circumstances.

But he was distracted- his sister was alive.

Stay indoors! Do some reading! Wash your hands! Lots of love!