Nico didn't return. Rather it was Hades himself who waved his hand and shadow-travelled them back inside camp boarders as they landed on Half-Blood Hill. And boy had they missed a lot.
Rachel had apparently stolen Blackjack and flown into camp, past Peleus and through the magic barrier only supposed to let half-bloods in. That was the first thing. The second thing was that Chiron had actually invited her here because of the Oracle.
It was a bit of a complicated story that Annabeth explained to her. Apparently, Luke's mother, May Castellan, had tried to host the Oracle's spirit before and because of a curse from Hades, the spirit of Delphi rejected her and drove her out of her mind. It was part of the reason why Luke ran away from home. And now, now Rachel had tried to host the Oracle's spirit.
Percy had damn near had a panic attack because it could drive her crazy or potentially kill her and he had no idea when Dionysus would return from Olympus after the council meeting or when Cress would get back from the Underworld.
Apollo had even made an appearance. He said that Rachel had the gift of prophecy but that it was also a curse and when Rachel accepted the risks, she made a pledge to Apollo as she accepted the spirit of Delphi.
And then Rachel was ok.
Rachel was the new Oracle.
And said new Oracle, had already spouted a new prophecy.
Eight half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.
The blood of the rare one will help her rise,
But her blood will also be her demise.
And all they could do was hope and pray that it would take seventy years to complete like the one about Percy.
She'd kissed Percy on the cheek in goodbye when Apollo insisted that she rest for a time. The kiss made him smile, but it wasn't anything like the ones Cressida gave him. It didn't make his heart flutter or his stomach roll. But what did were Rachel's parting words.
That the girl he couldn't stop thinking about was alive and well and she'd be returning soon, and that she was finally ready.
Though Cressida had said that despite whatever her emotional and mental state was, she wanted to be with him. And yeah, he wanted to be with her, but he was still apprehensive about the idea with the discovery that she hadn't completely dealt with Castor's passing before he went for a dip in the Styx.
But she was ready.
Oh, he couldn't wait for her return.
The rest of the day was as strange as the beginning. Campers trickled in from New York by car, pegasus and chariot. The wounded were cared for. The dead were given proper funeral rites at the campfire. Silena's shroud was hot pink but embroidered with an electric spear. The Ares and Aphrodite cabins both claimed her as a hero and lit the shroud together. No one mentioned the word spy. That secret burned to ashes as the designer perfume smoke drifted into the sky. Even Ethan Nakamura was given a shroud – black silk, with a logo of swords crossed under a set of scales. He really had made a difference in the end. He'd paid a bigger price than just his eye, but the minor gods would finally get the respect they deserve.
When dinner rolled around, Percy sat at his table alone, as he watched Juniper flying-tackle Grover as everyone cheered and the couple went down to the beach for a moonlit walk.
Nico was sitting at the main table with Chiron and Mr D who had returned, and no one dared protest it. In fact, everyone was patting Nico on the back and complimenting him on his fighting.
And as the dinner crowd trickled away, some to the campfire for the singalong and others to bed, Percy simply sat at the table watching the moonlight on Long Island Sound. Annabeth had just left for bed, with a rather strange promise to give something to him tomorrow. Either way, he was simply sitting and enjoying the peace when someone slid onto the bench next to him.
"Happy birthday," Cressida grinned as she sat cross-legged and held a huge misshapen blue cupcake in her hands.
Percy stared at her in amazement as his eyes lit up.
She was freshly showered and wearing a camp t-shirt with sweat shorts and her purple flip-flops on the ground. Her hair was washed, the black seeming darker than before and the white streak in her hair seeming more silver in the moonlight as it trailed down her back. And over the course of their friendship, Percy had discovered that no matter what perfume, shampoo or body wash she used, she always smelled sweet like the grapes she grew.
"You're back. Wait, what?"
She laughed before she lit the candle with a flicker of purple fire. "Figures you'd forget your own birthday. It's August eighteenth, Fish Face."
With everything that's happened, he'd completely forgotten that the prophecy had come through right on time, smack on his sixteenth birthday which was almost over.
"Make a wish," she said as she held out the cupcake.
"Did you bake this yourself?"
"Tyson helped."
"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick," he said. "With extra blue cement."
She laughed again as she shoved his shoulder. "We asked Annabeth to help but she said she and Thalia already had a gift for you and told me specifically not to get you anything."
"That must be what she said she's giving me tomorrow."
"I'd be nervous if I was you."
"Oh, I am."
"I think you need a wish then."
Percy closed his eyes as he thought for a second, not wasting his wish on that before he blew out the candle.
Cressida took the candle out before she broke the cupcake in half and they ate with their fingers, Cressida laughing as Percy got icing all over his face.
Afterwards, they simply sat for a while and Cressida began tracing patterns on Percy's leg.
"How was -"
"Good," she answered not even needing him to finish the question. "It was really, really good." She smirked. "It was like the weight of the sky being lifted off my shoulders."
He rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "So, then we should probably talk."
"Then talk."
He was silent as he slid a leg over the bench and he turned to face her, their eyes meeting as she smiled.
"Nothing to say?" she asked, and he matched her smile.
"Oh, I have plenty to say," he returned, their faces pretty close as they started playing with each other's hands. "Like how I was promised something better than a victory kiss if my father came through and we won. And how you wanted to give this relationship thing a go after the battle is over and guess what? The battle is over."
Her smile was wicked. "Then say it. Ask me the question."
"Why can't you say it? You love making things difficult for me, don't you?" he asked with narrowed eyes, their faces getting closer and closer.
"Easy is boring. And I love it almost as much as I love embarrassing you. Which isn't difficult, seeing as most of the time all I have to do is kiss you."
"And you're so sure it won't work the other way around?"
"Oh, I'm positive."
"Then let's find out."
Percy didn't think he could hate Cressida ever, but he did in this moment because she was absolutely right. It felt like his brain was melting and he had no interest in stopping it.
"Ok, you're right," he slurred, slightly dazed as they came up for air. "But can I try again?"
Her grin was smug as she reached for his shirt and pulled his lips to hers. And even though Percy had said no to Zeus' immortality offer, he knew he made the right decision so long as she kept kissing him, preferably, for the rest of their lives.
But their forever didn't last long as a voice growled, "Well, it's about time!"
Suddenly the pavilion was filled with torchlight and campers. Clarisse and Annabeth (who were supposed to be asleep) led the way as the eavesdroppers charged.
"You liars!" Cressida spat as she was hoisted onto their shoulders, the Stoll twins grabbing Percy.
"Oh, come on!" Percy complained. "I've literally been waiting over a year for this! Is there no privacy?!"
"Never!" Annabeth laughed maliciously.
"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Clarisse said with glee.
"To the canoe lake!" Connor Stoll shouted.
With a huge cheer, they started carrying them down the hill, taking pity on the two of them as they kept them close enough to hold hands. Percy had never seen Cressida look so happy or alive as she couldn't stop laughing and honestly, he couldn't either, his face even more red than before.
They kept hold of each other up until the moment they were dunked into the canoe lake which was a pretty stupid thing to do to a son of Poseidon because Percy definitely got the last laugh.
Cressida had been about to swim to the surface when Percy grabbed her hand, pulling her back down as he made an air bubble, and she understood what he was doing. And even though she was dripping wet, she was still warm in his arms as he held her close, their legs tangling together as they made out at the bottom of the canoe lake.
"By the way, I have a present for you," Percy said, breathless when he finally pulled away, his ADHD choosing now to bring it up.
Cressida's cheeks were flushed, and she rolled her eyes. "Again, your timing is great."
He just pulled out a small piece of metal from his back pocket. "My mom said thanks, by the way."
"I wonder what she'll say to this."
And she looped her arms around his neck, her switchblade in her hand, as she kissed him again and damn, it was probably the best underwater kiss ever.