"Whatever you think we did, we didn't do." Nico said the minute the door closed with a soft click.

Maybe a little to quick to jump to the defense.

"Then why are you so defensive? Oh Gods. Did you sleep together?" Dakota asked.

Nico was slightly mortified. But he didn't let that show. If he looked mortified, that would only give Dakota more reason to be suspicious of what they did or did not do.

"No! I brought cherry muffins and hot chocolate from Bombilio, 'cause there her favorite, and helped her with paperwork! Then we discussed strategies for the war games and fell asleep!" Nico said defensively, his voice getting an octave higher and louder.

His voice drew attention to them, and all surrounding Legionaries stopped and stared at his rumpled clothes, the slightly ajar door, and the glazed, sleepy look in his eyes.

It didn't help that right then Reyna opened the door a yawn.

"Nico? Dakota? What in the gods names are you doing on my doorstep so early?" She asked.

Nico cleared his throat softly.

"Ah, Reyna?"

"Hmm?"

"I never left."

Reyna's face tinted slightly pink as awareness dawned.

She cleared her throat and straightened, and suddenly she was the fearsome praetor again.

"Alright! Everyone, back to what you were doing before! Carry on! That's an order!" Reyna yelled, and the gathered Legionaies scrambled away.

Then she turned on Dakota.

"As a comrade, I'd hope you'd have more faith in us, Dakota. Our relationship is merely a friendship, and co-workers, correct Nico?" She said coolly.

Nico nodded, ignoring the slight pang of disappointment and hurt he felt.

Dakota nodded briskly.

"Of-of course! I was just shocked, that's all." Dakota said quickly.

"Why did you come serching for us anyway?" Nico asked.

Dakota's eyes darkened.

"Because the centuries want to hold an urgent Senate Meeting." He said, then quickly added, "It's snowing. In Greece."

Nico and Reyna exchanged a look before sighing in harmony.

"Give us five minutes to get ready. Then call the meeting to order." Reyna commanded, and the three parted ways hurriedly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reyna was pretty sure only Nico could find a black toga.

She was also fairly certain that, by regulation, togas had to be white. But nobody, even Terminus, pointed that out as the Centrons walked towards the Senate building.

They reached the Pomeranian Line, and had to stop.

Terminus and the little girl who's name Nico had forgotten were waiting for them.

"Identification? Ah, Praetor Dakota. Go on. Gwen? Go on. Larry, your togas crooked. Fix it, then go on. Praetor Reyna, good as always. Ambassador di Angelo? Your good."

They had to stop and drop their weapons in the tray.

Reyna took a bit longer than most. She had to run through a mental checklist.

Short sword? Check. Long sword? Check. Daggers from the sheaths at my waist? Check. Knives strapped to my upper arms? Check.

She stepped forward, only to be held in place by the invisible barrier.

"Huh? But I got everything...?" Reyna trailed, confused.

Nico cleared his throat quietly.

"Daggers in your boots."

"Oh, right." Reyna murmured and slipped the daggers from her boots and placed them in the tray.

Then they hurried to catch up with the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The emergency Senate Meeting was.just like any other Senate Meeting.

Exept for the fact that instead of voting on minor issues and such, everyone was silent. There was an edgy tension and nervousness in the air.

After a few minutes of this, Reyna finally broke the silence.

"Someone fill me in. The only thing I know is that I was informed it was snowing in Greece, where it has never, ever, snowed before." She commanded.

"This morning, early at dawn, I received an IM from Camp Half-Blood. From mortal news channels, they had gotten wind of snow. But not just little flakes of snow. Huge, devastating, apocalyptic snow and ice storms. Ice is knocking out powerlines, and almost all of Greece is being buried in snow." Dakota said, his voice echoing eerily in the otherwise silent room.

Reyna was silent for a moment.

Nico spoke next.

"The head counselor for the Hecate cabin, Lou Ellen, owes me a favor from a few years back. I can IM her now, and have her preform an incantation to tell us whether the snow is a natural oddity or being caused by something more... godly." He offered.

Reyna glanced at Dakota, and he nodded. She took a deep breath before addressing the Senate.

"All in favor of Iris Messaging Lou Ellen of the Hecate cabin?" She asked.

All hands went up.

"The Senate is unanimous. Ambassador di Angelo, please proceed." Dakota announced.

Nico stood and walked quietly to the fountain that had been installed. He tossed a dramacha into the foutain's spray.

"O Iris, Goddess of The Rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Lou Ellen, Camp Half-Blood."

The foutain's spray simmered, and a see-through image of a girl with brown hair and purple eyes mixing something bubbling and rainbow colored in a black pot.

She was chanting softly in Latin, which Reyna had always found strange. Children of Hecate had always spoke fluent Latin and Greek, even though they were Greek. Her eyes glowed a luminescent purple as she chanted.

The Senate was silent as Lou Ellen finished her chant. The pot of multicolored liquid flashed brightly, and when it dimmed the liquid was a glowing pinkish red.

Only then did she seem to notice the Iris Message.

Lou Ellen looked surprised, but happy.

"Hey Nico! Haven't heard from you in, gosh, two years now? Howya been?" She asked.

Nico hesitated.

"I've been fine, Lou. Thanks for asking, but I've called on business. The snowfall in Greece? You can preform an incantation to determine whether or not not the storm is natural or caused by something more... godly, can't you?" He asked.

Lou Ellen nodded.

"Well, of course I can. I can do it now, if you want. But, Nico?" She asked.

"What?"

"Why are you wearing a dress?" She asked.