They'd pit-stopped at the side of a lake to catch up, Chiron needing to talk to them, specifically Percy about the prophecy, the one when he turns 16. The prophecy that apparently gave Annabeth nightmares when she found out what it was unknowingly. 16 was a while away, so they tried to reassure him that they still had time.
And before they left for Long Island, Percy really just needed a friend.
"I'm going to die."
Cressida blinked hard. "What? What in Tartarus are you talking about?"
"What do you know about the prophecy? The big one from when I'm 16?" he asked, and she shook her head.
"Just that it involves a 16-year-old half-blood child of the Big Three. Why?"
"I'm the only half-blood child of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. And last year, I, uh, I saw the Fates snip someone's life string. I thought it meant I was going to die right away but it -"
"Ok, I'm going to stop you right there," she interrupted. "Fish Face, I know it's probably a mess inside your head right now, but I need you to listen to me," she said softly. "If I know anything, it's that prophecies never work out the way you think they will. Look at the one from last summer. You were supposed to get answers from me. It didn't mean answers about the quest, it meant answers about me. And that only happened a couple of days ago," she pointed out, their gaze locked and unbreaking. "Three years is a long time. And we don't even know what the full prophecy is. So, how about we just focus on now and cross that bridge, when and if, we get to it?"
He nodded his head, but she could still tell that the realisation had jarred him.
"And if there is anyone stubborn enough to stay alive when everything around him says otherwise, it's you."
He cracked a smile at that. "Hey, uh, remember that thing you did on the plane last summer? Think you could do it again?"
Cressida pulled him into a hug, her arms around his neck as her fingers brushed the skin between his shirt and hairline. "Calm," she said, and she felt the tension leave his body as he relaxed in her arms. "Better?"
"Much. Thank you," he answered.
"This isn't going to be a regular thing," she told him.
"I hope not."
"Good. Then let's go home."
Percy was asked to ride on Chiron's back and before the black stallion could hoist Cressida onto his back, Percy offered her his hand, knowing that the ride back would be awkward if he went by himself.
She'd taken it, letting him play with the charms on her bracelet as she wrapped her arms around his waist, and they rode for Long Island.
They arrived just after Clarisse thanks to their travel powers. The centaurs were anxious to meet Cressida's father after they heard he threw some really wild parties, but they were disappointed. Dionysus was in no mood to celebrate even with his daughter's return as the whole camp gathered at the top of Half-Blood Hill.
The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius, which was apparently a really big lizard that blows up stuff, it was the creature that Cressida's brothers had been injured whilst stopping. The Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded. The kids in the Apollo cabin, who were the best healers, had been working overtime performing first aid. Everybody looked weary and battered as we crowded around Thalia's tree.
The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from grey to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus – the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach. Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green. Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt – the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.
Chiron ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.
In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates' shoulders down to the amphitheatre, where she was honoured with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire.
No one gave the trio of demigods that helped her a second look, and they didn't care. And thanks to Cressida, Mr D had conveniently forgotten about his decree to expel everyone that left without his orders.
Cressida's brothers also came up to Percy to thank him for getting their sister home safe and if he took her on a quest like that again....let's just say he didn't think they were being dramatic with their threats - or warning as they called it. And when Cressida found out she smacked her brother's heads for being overbearing before kissing their cheeks for caring. And then she smacked their heads again because she'd discovered that they actually did eat all of her cheesy Doritos that were notoriously hard to get inside camp.
The next morning after the party ponies headed back to Florida, Chiron made a surprise announcement: the chariot races would go ahead as scheduled. They all figured they were history now that Tantalus was gone, but completing them did feel like the right thing to do, especially now that Chiron was back and the camp was safe.
Tyson wasn't too keen on the idea of getting back in a chariot after the first experience but he did after Cressida asked nicely because she was teaming up with Annabeth this time and Percy needed a partner to compete so they could crush him.
Annabeth was going to drive, and Cressida was going to defend and Percy knew that he probably wasn't going to survive.
Percy also had Tyson to help soup up his chariot which was an advantage, but Cressida also had Annabeth, not to mention her own brothers to help this time. Cressida loved her brothers who'd shown up with flags and banners in support of their cabin and their sister.
The night before the race, Cressida had gone to check on her and Annabeth's horses when she found Percy in the stables staring at a letter.
"Barnacle Brain, are you alright?" she asked as she stopped, dressed in flip-flops, grey sweat shorts and an orange tank top with CHB imprinted on it.
"Fine," he said as he stuffed the letter into the back pocket of his jeans.
"Ok," she replied, deciding to let him have this one as she moved over to stroke the mares that would be racing tomorrow. "I hope you haven't been trying to convince my girls to throw the race tomorrow," she teased, and his lips turned up in a smile.
"Nah. When I beat you, it'll be fair and square."
Cressida turned to him with a hand on her hip as she smirked. "Good to know because I don't play fair. And Books and I are going to destroy you."
"We'll see about that," he smirked as he took a step forward. "I've still got Tyson on my side."
"And we both know that Tyson loves me. He's not going to hurt me or Annabeth."
"You seem pretty confident about that."
"Oh, I am. And I'm going to enjoy watching you have to do chores for the next month while Annie and I kick back."
"I don't think that's going to happen. Just like I don't think you'll be getting your birthday present from me if you continue hurting my feelings," he retorted, and her purple eyes narrowed.
"My birthday's over a month away and I told you not to get me anything."
Percy gave her a troublemaker grin. "Well, I didn't get you anything. I asked Tyson to make it."
"What is it?" she asked with a scrutinizing expression.
"Close your eyes and hold out your hand," Percy ordered but she hesitated. "What? Don't you trust me?"
"With my life? Yes. Not to prank me? No."
"Please. I know better than to prank you because if I do that then not only will you kill me but so would your brothers and I'm sure Mr D would love any excuse to turn me into a squirrel."
"There is logic in your words. Annabeth would be proud," she smirked.
"Just shut up and do it."
Cressida huffed before she held out her hand and reluctantly closed her eyes.
"Other hand," Percy said.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes."
She was shaking her head as she swapped hands, holding out her right hand rather than her left. She felt Percy's fingers brush the skin around her wrist, but she felt no weight on her palm.
"Ok, open."
"Is this a joke? There's nothing there, Fish Face," she said as she saw nothing in her hand and let it drop to her side.
"You sure about that?" he asked, a smirk on his lips and she furrowed her brows before she realised that her wrist felt heavier than usual. And sure enough, as she lifted up her hand to look at her bracelet, there weren't three charms anymore. There were four.
"It's a dolphin," she said as she ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the bronze dolphin, the sea creature with one sea green gemmed eye and one purple.
"Yeah. For our second quest together. And dolphins are your father's sacred animal, but it lives in my father's domain, they work together, just like us."
And she crashed into him in a hug that made Percy smile as his cheeks grew red.
"It's beautiful," she said.
"So I take it you like it?"
"I love it," she said as she hugged him tighter. "Thank you."
"Happy Birthday, Grape Girl."
And Percy's heart was beating a million miles a minute, faster than a hippocampus could swim or a centaur could run. It was beating so fast because once she pulled away, Cressida leaned in and finally pressed her lips to his cheek which was scarlet red.
"Thank you, Percy."
And her smile was smug as she left the blushing boy in the stables, but before she disappeared back towards the cabins, she spun on her heels.
"But don't think this means I'm going to take it easy on you tomorrow," she smirked as she winked at him before going on her way.
And let's just say it took a while before Percy's brain started working again.