HephaestusTV.com (Companion to HephaestusTV and a Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Season 2 Episode 1 - Can't Take Back What You Said

*This'll lead in to some different one shots, hopefully*

It was a warm summer day. The breeze was blowing. the flowers were blooming and Annabeth took Percy's sword. Chloe and Leo were at Bunker 9, loading the supplies for their 4th of July episode onto the Argo II, casually minding her own business.

"Hey," Chloe said,"Can you move those fireworks? Keep them as far away from the Greek fire as possible."

"Well no duh," Leo rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," Chloe found it harder to talk to Leo after their fight in Brazil.

Chloe moved the Civil War dummies to the back of the ship as Leo worked with the fireworks. Their work that day was unusually silent. The rest of the HephaestusTV crew were on their break, but Chloe and Leo both had the habit of working a little harder than the others. Okay, maybe a lot. The point was she was alone with Leo pretty often. True, it's a little weird, but they both had their share of awkward and nice moments. Today was pretty awkward so far.

"Fireworks are done. What next?" Leo asked.

Chloe thought about what else they needed. Almost everything was done at that point. Well...this just got a little for uncomfortable for Chloe.

"You can take a break," Chloe said,"I can handle the rest."

"I'm staying," Leo said.

"Why? I kinda wanna be alone for a bit."

"What if I don't trust you alone?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're gonna screw something up again," Leo said,"It's been happening a while and I don't trust you around ship."

"No need to remind me," Chloe muttered, taping some boxes shut,"I have the worst luck, even for a demigod."

"You think you have bad luck? Gaea killed my mom. Hera tried to kill me as a baby. I had to run away six time. SIX FREAKING TIMES. And I was disowned by my family. I'm the freaking seventh wheel. I got no one. I don't think your luck can be any worse."

"Really? When I was a kid, I was dirt poor and had to pickpocket and steal just to survive. My mom worked overtime for minumum wage every day and I was always alone. When I was 11, my mom died robbing a bank and I was taken away from my only family and I end up in this place. I had to go halfway across the freaking world against my will! At least you have friends."

"We all have crappy lives," a voice popped up behind Chloe.

"Holy Hades!" Chloe exclaimed.

"That's my dad."

"Jeez Nico, we need to put a bell on you," Leo said.

"The point is our lives are all equally as crappy," Nico said.

"I'm not some freak-o who just messes stuff up," Leo glared at Chloe,"And at least not everything's my fault."

Chloe threw the nearest thing, a roll of packaging tape, at Leo, before storming out.
_______

As she wandered around the strawberry fields, Chloe couldn't help but think that Leo was right. She already knew she was a freak. She didn't belong with mortals and she didn't belong with demigods. As far as she knew, she'd never belong anywhere because of what she was.

What she is.

The sun dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky in a mix of bright pink and orange. Chloe pulled her jacket a little closer and watched as the others slowly went to the campfire. She felt a hand on her shoulder so she did what naturally came to her: she elbowed the person and grabbed the by their collar.

"Easy there, it's just me," Nico said.

"Never. Do. That. Again," Chloe said,"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see if you're okay," Nico said,"You missed dinner."

"Whatever. I wasn't hungry."

Just then her stomach decided to sound like a dying whale and she mentally facepalmed.

"Yep, that's not hungry," Nico said reaching in his pocket,"Here."

He tossed Chloe turkey sandwich wrapped in tinfoil. She caught it with one hand and started unwrapping it.

"So," Chloe said,"You talk to Valdez yet?"

"Nope," Nico said, picking at the strawberry bushes,"Jason and Percy got that."

The stood in silence, save for the crinkling of tinfoil.

"Hey Chloe."

"Mhm, yeah?"

"You wanna go for lunch tommorow? I mean, just as friends and stuff. I know this pizza place downtown."

Chloe thought for a second before saying,"Sure."

~ C. Gallagher