Will was ushering me down the hall when a door at the end of the hall flew open and Annabeth was pulling a still half asleep Percy behind her.

"Come on Seaweed Brain!"

They stopped and looked around as we can hurrying down the halls. I was doing my best to do up the arm guards as I walked.

"Annabeth? How are you feeling?"

"Fine." She signed, answering Will's question.

"You're going to need every person you have," she said. "I just looked in my shield. There's an army-"

"Heading south into Central Park," I said.

Percy looked at me and raised a sleepy eyebrow, "dream?"

I nodded. Annabeth and Will both looked back and forth between us. Percy quickly explained the dream. I did notice however, he left out Ethan's speculation about Luke fighting Kronos inside his body. He glanced at me and I saw a slight fleck of guilt. But I didn't feel bad, I didn't want to get Annabeth's hopes up.

I didn't tell them of my dreams, the ones if Raph and Selina and I left out the vision of May Castellan, because it was too disturbing to talk about.

"Do you think Ethan suspects about your weak spot?" she asked Percy as Well ushered us over to the elevator.

"I don't know," Percy admitted. "He didn't tell Kronos anything, but if he figures it out-"

"I won't let him." I cut him off.

"I'll bonk him on the head harder next time," I suggested.

I scoffed. "I'll skewer him. Maybe some charbroiled Nakamura..."

Annabeth and Percy both looked at me slightly worried. Will was used to my angry moods, especially in the mornings (or in this case, night.)

"Any idea what surprise Kronos was talking about?" Will asked, breaking the awkward silence as we waited for the elevator.

Percy and I both shook our heads.

"I didn't see anything in the shield," Annabeth added. "but I don't like surprises."

"Agreed."

The elevator doors finally dinged open and we all liked in. It took a minute for the thing to go down to the main floor. Will seemed agitated. I frowned at him.

"Dude. Chill. Your making me nervouse!" I scolded him.

"Sorry." He signed back. He was bouncing on his toes. And drumming his fingers. He was chewing his lip, and pressing them together like he was trying to either hold his breath or hold something inside. Annabeth also kept glancing at me. I didn't like this.

Thalia and the other head counselors were waiting for us at the Reservoir. The lights of the city were blinking on at twilight. I guess a lot of them were on automatic timers. Streetlamps glowed around the shore of the lake, making the water and trees look even spookier.

"They're coming," Thalia confirmed, pointing north with a silver arrow, before continuing her ASL. "One of my scouts just reported they've crossed the Harlem River. There was no way to hold them back. The army..." She shrugged. "It's huge."

"We'll hold them at the park, Percy," I signed. "Grover, you ready?"

He nodded. "As ready as we'll ever be. If my nature spirits can stop them anywhere, this is the place."

A very old, fat satyr pushed through the crowd, stumbling over his own spear. He was dressed in wood-bark armor that only covered half of his belly.

"Leneus?" Percy signed, he looked confused.

I turned my head when I felt a large hand on my shoulder. Mr Miles was also standing beside me. I cried out, silently and threw my arms around my old protector. He was dressed in fake leather and tree bark armour, a short sword and Greek style bow on his back along with his reed pipes on his belt.

He gave me a squeeze and patted my back. He pulled away. "Hey kiddo. Heard you needed some reinforcements."

I nodded. Leneus was talking wildly and I had to focus on his mouth to understand.

"Don't act so surprised," he huffed. "I am a leader of the Council, and you did tell me to find Grover. Well, I found him, and I'm not going to let a mere outcast lead the satyrs without my help!"

Behind Leneus's back, Grover made gagging motions, but the old satyr grinned like he was the savior of the day. "Never fear! We'll show those Titans!"

I didn't know whether to laugh or be angry, but I managed to keep a straight face. I caught Percy's eye and we had a silent conversation. There was little hope this wasn't going to end in our favor. But Percy nodded his head with a straight face. I felt Mr Miles give my shoulder a squeeze.

"Um...yeah. Well, like Nora said, Grover, you won't be alone. Annabeth and the Athena cabin will make their stand here.

"And .. Thalia?" I signed looking at her. We needed the best warriors at the front, where they were coming. I cursed Clarisse for not coming. We needed the Ares cabin.

She patted me on the shoulder. "Say no more. The Hunters are ready."

Heads turned and a few mouths dropped open. I saw a few whoops. Confused, I spun on my heel. Standing in the doorway of the Plaza, bathed in the dim lighting were some stranglers from camp who changed their minds. But my eyes found one face, standing in the front of the group, leaning on the door frame, his huge tattooed arms crossed over his chest armor was none other than Raphael Marino, himself.

I was stunned and shocked. I didn't know if I was angry, overjoyed, relieved. They all battled for dominance. I felt almost every eye shift and train on me.

"Hey Sunshine." He signed. He didn't smile or smirk. He just stood in the dim light of the plaza. His dark eyes never left my face. I felt the heat rise in my body. I felt all the hurt and humiliation of the last week bubble to the surface. The fact I had only slept a few hours in that week didn't help; so when the angry tears burnt my eyes I didn't try stop them.

"You-" I signed. My hands were shaking so badly I had to stop and clench them into fists.

"Ya. Me."

"What the Tarterus are you doing here?"

"Nora, I'm -"

"NO!" I signed. I silently screamed. My hands shook and the anger won. The fire burnt in my veins causing the air around me to ripple in heat and my hands flickered with fire.

I saw out of the corner of my eye the other head counselors back away. Good thing too, because I lost the battle for self control. I threw my arm back, and threw a fireball, like a baseball at Raph.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up now." I signed. I wished I could scream and yell at him. He just side stepped and the fireball hit the side of the building. Percy slid out and doused the fire before it got bad.

Raph took a long sride forward, towards me. His eyes now lit up, his lips had been flat and pressed together but now I could see the side flicking up into a smirk.

"Walk out on me! On everyone! Leave us to fight!" I signed fursiously, and threw another fireball. He brought his shield up to block it and continued forward.

"You chose your side! You chose your stupid pride! You chose loot! Over me!" I threw two more baseball sized fireballs. One which he sidestepped and the other he batted away with his sword. His amused eyes didn't leave mine. And his smirk grew as he slowly and surly strutted closer. His stupid cocky smirk made me even more angry.

"You picked them over me! You picked pride and stupid pretty shit over me!" I signed. He was getting closer and I took a step backwards as I threw another one with an angry silent yell. "You broke my heart, Raph!"

I saw his eyes flicker and the hesitation.

"Watching you walk away when we needed you. When I needed you!"

The hot angry tears were gone as I threw one more fireball, I wished I could have screamed, but I was completely silent. The anger was replaced with a broken sadness I actually felt.

"Was I not enough?" I signed, stepping backwards still. Raph had continued to walk closer. Slow deliberate steps his eyes danced over my face. "I took a curse for you! I thought-"

I had backed up and bumped into something solid. Some wall was now behind me. He continued to walk closer. I raised my hands, indicating he needed to stop. He didn't. He kept talking his slow deliberate steps closer. I formed a wall of heat, hoping that would make him stop. It didn't. He just started to sweat almost instantly. His dark eyes were so intense, it was like he was reading my soul.

"Say something!" I signed, wishing I could scream those words. My wall of heat was weaker now, I was shaking. Tears poured down my cheeks.

"I love you Sunshine."

"You left me." I sobbed.

"Not willingly."

That made me hesitate and the wall was gone, Raph dropped his shield and had me pinned to the wall so fast he must have used his Ares gift of battle speed, because my brain didn't register how he did it. He had his body pressed to mine, one arm wrapped tightly around my back and the other burried in my gross battle fought hair.

I couldn't hear the gasp that escaped me, or the growl from him as he kissed me, but I felt his chest rumble. I felt the sigh of relief. I tasted the salty sweetness and mint of his lips. I could smell him. And my stomach flutter, my heart skipped a beat.

He smelt like spicy deodorant, leather and metal, laundry soap and something distinctively masculine. He smelt like my safe place, my home. My arms wrapped around him, trying to pull him closer. My hand found the back of his neck. The other grabbed onto his shoulder strap of his armor and I just held on, like he was going to walk away from me again.

We held on as long as we could. His kiss was deep and hard, but full of every unsaid raw emotion. He slowly pulled away and then just leaned his forehead on mine until he could breath again. He finally pulled away enough to sign.

"I didn't do it willingly. It was like a bad dream. A nightmare. Sometimes I knew what was going on, something that would almost wake me up, something that reminded me of you. But then it was right back into a weird dream state I couldn't break."

"Someone was messing with your head again?"

"I don't know." He signed, "but it felt more like ...I was in a trans."

I frowned. "Why?"

"I don't know. But I'm here now." He lifted his hands and gently and tenderly wiped my tears from my cheeks. "Generals don't have time, right now, to cry. We have an army of monsters to send to Tarterus."

"So the chariot-"

"Was a stupid petty argument between Ares and Apollo cabin. I could care less about that kinda shit."

"I destroyed it."

"I know. I'm glad you did. Clarisse was being unreasonable. And Michael -"

"Don't." I signed sharply, I smacked his hands. "We lost Michael last night."

I saw his eyes soften more and I could see the sorrow in them. "I'm sorry."

I shrugged, blinking hard, trying to get my emotions back in check. I took a shuddering breath. I felt Raph's hand grab my chin and made me look back up at him. He just said looking at me for a few seconds. He let go and his fingers brushed the scar on my temple from last year.

"I love you Eleanora." He signed. "I'm sorry I wasn't there this week and last night when you needed me." He paused. I bit my lip to keep it from trembling again. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here now."

"Okay." I signed with trembling hands.

He gauzed down at me for a moment longer, his face hard, his eyes held me stuck, they were full of stormy emotions.

"I love you." He signed and kissed my forehead. "Come on General. We have a war to get to."

I nodded, suddenly feeling really embarrassed. Raph stepped away and I immediately felt empty, I wanted him back. I wanted him closer again. I missed him so much this last week. He slid his hand into mine and with his other hand, used it to tip my chin up from looking down.

The other counselors were mingling, a few feet away, trying hard to ignore our fiery spat. Percy was standing watching his eyes narrowed. He looked quite terrifying with his broody wolf stare. I could see the storm brewing in his eyes.

"Percy." Raph nodded his head and signed. "I'll explain later. But Selina talked some much needed scene into me. And right now, we gotta get moving. The army marching towards us isn't for the faint of heart."

Percy glared at him for a moment long before ripping his eyes away from Raph and landed on me, they softened slightly.

"Are you okay?" He signed.

I nodded without hesitation. I looked up at Raph who was already looking down at me. "I'm very okay now." I signed, still looking up at him. Raph gave me a smirk. I felt my face heat up and glow with a golden light. I looked at Percy again.

"Well...thanks for bringing a few others. The rest of Ares?"

"Selina is working on it."

Percy nodded and then turned to look at the other counselors. He waved his hand, catching their attention.

"Okay, so before I had to put out fires...
Athena's cabin, Hunters, Grover and the Nature Spirits, Nora and I will take the Park, where the biggest threat is. That leaves the rest of you with a job just as important. You have to guard the other entrances to Manhattan. You know how tricky Kronos is. He'll hope to distract us with this big army and sneak another force in somewhere else. It's up to you to make sure that doesn't happen. Has each cabin chosen a bridge or tunnel?"

The counselors nodded grimly.

"Will?" I signed, turning to him. "You have medical bags handed out?" Will nodded. "Good."

"Stay in touch, same way as yesterday!"

"Good.

"Then let's do it," I said. "Good hunting, everybody!"

Everyone turned and left for the respective destinations. As we walked, Thalia slid up beside beside me.

"So..." She signed and glanced at me and then at Raph. I couldn't detect the expression on her face, "I guess the offer to join the Hunters is out on hold?"

"I'm sorry Thalia." I signed back. "I don't think right now."

She shrugged with a nod, and slid back into her hunters. I felt a strange coldness suddenly, a sadness in my chest. Like I lost a friend or something. Raph placed his hand on my back and I felt my muscles relax. I leaned into his touch. Enjoying his huge quiet presence beside me.

"How was fighting last night? Who had your back?" He finally asked.

"The first part Thalia. Then Percy and I took out almost 200 monsters and tractors. But don't worry about me, Raph, the two of us are just fine."

"What?" He his went wide.

"Oh! You still don't know..."

"We still have time. Explain."

I spent the next few minutes explaining my dip in the Styx with Nico, and then our journey with Percy to the Styx. I explained what happened in the last few days he had been back at camp. He didn't say anything, just listened and watched with rapt attention.

We got to the park and from the guys around me, they could clearly hear them. Here we go. The second day of the War for Manhattan. As Raph said, definitely not for the faint of heart.

Percy suddenly looked to Raph.

"Well, son of war...this is your area of expertise. What do we do?"

I wasn't sure if Percy was genuinely asking or if there was a challenge in the question. Raph didn't hesitate and immediately went into commander mode. Everyone listened to him, including Thalia. He did this in record time and we stood ready to fight.

"I love you Sunshine."

"Love you too Hot Head."

There was a pause and he looked at me with a smirk.

"Hey Geek-"

"-Let's go kill stuff." I finished, with a smirk if my own. I pulled my blades out and spun them just as the enemy vanguard broke through the woods at the north end of the reservoir. A warrior in golden armor leading a battalion of Laistrygonian giants with huge bronze axes. Hundreds of other monsters poured out behind them.

🔆

Yes!! Nora and Raph are back together!