Clover POV

A/N: I took some creative rights in this next chapter. Tyler was originally based off someone I communicate with a lot, but I decided to add in a few flaws and things he probably wouldn't do. He is still a good friend of mine, and please... Don't be mad at me if you're reading this. I'm sorry, I wanted to warn you guys now. I don't mean to offend anyone and trust me, this chapter is sad. I needed to tie up loose ends. Lots more events on the way! The series is almost over!

I waited to turn into an angel. I expected to see clouds. I expected to see God, but instead, a different face looked down on me.

"Hello," said the young man. I blinked a couple of times. I realized that the young man's finger was on my forehead. I raised my hand to move it, but the young man spoke up. "You wouldn't want me to move that. It's what is keeping the pain at bay."

"W-who...?"

"You don't recognize me?" The young man gestured to himself. He was wearing a bright red tank top and some cargo shorts. His hair was dirty blonde and he had sharp blue eyes. A scar ran down his face from the edge of his eye to his jaw.

"L-luke...?" I stuttered. He smiled.

"The one and only. Don't strain yourself. You'll need your strength."

"But... H-how...?" Luke shushed me quietly and placed his finger on my lips.

"Rest. Tyler is on his way." Even with his warning, I sat up. It was odd to have Luke's finger still placed in the center of my forehead.

"But Luke... You're dead..." He chuckled.

"I still am. You're so close to death, I could slip in a visit." He gestured to his armpit. I look where he had referred to and held back a scream. An ugly stab wound ran deep into his flesh.

"Luke... I-I didn't..." I reached out to touch his wound, but he pulled away. When Luke did, his finger left my forehead. The pain came back in an agonizing wave. I screamed and crumpled to the ground. Luke hastily put his hand on my head. The pain subsided.

"Yeah, you probably shouldn't do that," Luke said with a sly grin. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to recover from the few moments of extreme pain.

"How much... How much time do I have?" I asked. Luke checked his wrist, and even though he had no watch, he responded:

"About two minutes. As long as I touch you, you'll survive longer. I plan on staying here until Tyler comes." I pulled myself up into the sitting position.

"But... Why not... Longer...?" Luke smiled, but this time, it looked sorrowful.

"Because then at least someone who loves you will be with you."

"What... What about Leo?" I asked. Luke shrugged.

"He's in the field with a broken ankle. He couldn't come." I nodded sadly and was about to speak, when I heard someone call out:

"Clover! Where are you?" I looked at Luke, and he nodded.

"I'm here!" I called back. I heard pairs of feet running across the floor toward me. I stood up, Luke's hand still resting on my head. It reminded me of duck-duck-goose, except he didn't move on to anyone else.

Climbing over the rubble, I spotted Tyler hurrying toward me. I raised my hand and waved. He smiled and waved in return. Two girls climbed after him, trying their best to keep up. I recognized them.

It was Claire and Rebecca.

I waited a little bit, but Tyler finally made his way over. He ran to me and embraced me in a hug. In return, I hugged him back.

"Oh Clover... I thought you were gone for good..." He said into my ear. My smile melted and I let go of him.

"Tyler... I'm dying." He looked me up and down, then finally seemed to notice the hand on my head. He followed the limb until he saw Luke, grinning like a maniac.

"What...?" Tyler asked. I touched Luke's hand on my head.

"Luke is keeping my pain at bay. Once he lets go... I have two minutes to live." Tyler stared at me, as if I were some sort of supernatural creature.

"T-two minutes?" He stuttered. I nodded sadly. Tyler looked at the floor for a long five seconds, before shooting his head up to look at Luke. "Can you give her pain to me?" Luke hesitated.

"I guess I could. It would kill you though." Tyler stood taller.

"I know." My face turned to one of shock. I reached out to him and took his hand.

"No Tyler! I won't let you do that!" He gave me a comforting smile.

"It's alright Clover... It's what I want and it's what is best for everyone." He stepped forward and reached out his hand. His fingers wrapped around my cheek like a soft pillow. He leaned in and kissed me. In my ear, he whispered: "It will be okay..."

"So..." Luke said awkwardly. "You ready?" Tyler looked away from me and nodded. Luke took his free hand and placed it on Tyler's head. Tyler lowered his hand from my face, and I almost wanted to put it back, but I didn't.

Luke began to chant. I had no idea what he was saying, but I could feel something inside me loosen. It was as if someone had untied a knot in the center of my chest. When Luke was done, he opened his eyes and looked at me.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help more. I have to go now. Good luck with Gaea." He removed his hands from our heads and disappeared in a shimmer of light.

Tyler collapsed. I quickly knelt down next to him and lifted his head carefully.

"No no no! Tyler, stay with me!" He coughed and tried to keep his fluttering eyelids open.

"I-I'm sorry... C-clover..."

"No no, Tyler, don't talk like that. Please..." My voice broke. "Don't leave..." He gave me a painful smile.

"S-save the... world f-for m-me... Okay...?" I shook my head, my eyes filling with tears.

"No... Please don't speak like that... You're going to be fine..." Even to myself, that sounded ridiculous. We both knew he wouldn't be fine.

"A-at least... T-tell Leo that... I-I'm sorry..." I gripped his hand.

"No... Please... Don't leave..." Tyler gave me one last smile before his face relaxed and his eyes became distant. His grip slackened and his head fell back.

I sat there, waiting and hoping and praying he would wake up. But no... In my heart, I knew he was gone.

"No!" I screamed, my eyes spilling bucket loads of tears. I hugged his lifeless body tightly, as if trying to squeeze his soul back to it. "Tyler.., no..." After a few moments of sobbing and screaming for him to come back, I heard the two girls coming in my direction. They wanted to take me back to the fight.

Anger twisted and boiled inside of me. Looking at Tyler's lifeless body made the anger and outrage intensify. I reached inside my pocket and pulled out Mechanical Pencil.

I stood and looked over my shoulder at the two girls who had followed Tyler to his death bed. They were looking between Tyler's body and me, unsure what had happened.

I breathed deeply, trying to keep my anger under control. I looked down at Tyler, then at the pencil in my hand. I tightened my grip around it, my knuckles turning white. With my teeth clenched, I spoke one sentence that was filled with so much rage, it scared the two Aphrodite girls:

"Gaea is going to pay... And she's gonna pay with her life."

-----

After much persuading from Claire and Rebecca, I finally agreed to come with them back to the others. I felt horrible and I didn't need everyone else's confused and sorrowful faces.

Rebecca picked up Tyler's legs while Claire took his arms. I sighed and taught them the proper way to carry a dead body.

Well, my way.

I bend down and slung his legs over one shoulder while his arms were slung over my other shoulder. He looked like a rainbow across my back.

Rebecca, Claire and I stumbled and climbed across the rubble of the bunker. The whole time, I tried not to think about the dead body of a boy who had kissed me in his last moments on my back or the heavy grief and unsurety in my heart. I didn't need that kind of pain.

"There they are!" Rebecca exclaimed, pointing to the group of demigods in the field. I spotted Leo among the demigods, being treated for his ankle.

"Are you ready to go back?" Claire asked. I bit my lip, then nodded.

"I can't keep running," I said confidently. I also wanted to see Leo again. Since I had left him, I had wondered if he were mad at me. Was he? Did he blame me for everything?

I took a deep breath, ready to face whatever lay ahead. Rebecca scrambled down the rocks as fast as she could. Claire took smaller steps, but still hurried to get down. I took my time. I didn't want to send myself tumbling with Tyler's body on my back. I wondered if he would curse me for that.

Once I reached the bottom, the Aphrodite girls were already fifty yards ahead of me, running at full speed. I walked as fast as I could to keep up. I tripped a couple of times, but didn't fall once.

Man, I thought. Leo and I never should have destroyed this field so much... It would have saved us a lot of trouble...

When I reached the group of demigods, they were all watching me. I didn't care. I marched through them and straight over to a clear patch of grass. I slowly and carefully set Tyler's body down.

Will came rushing over muttering, "oh gods oh gods oh gods" while Leo tried to hobble his way over. He had a crutch and a couple cuts on his arms. His mischievous smile greeted me like a welcome home party.

When Will knelt beside Tyler, I put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at me, and I didn't have to say anything. I shook my head. Will looked down at Tyler's body and his eyes told the whole story. They were depressed, sad and scared.

"Clover," Leo said. He had finally made his way over and was standing behind me. I got to my feet and threw my arms around him.

"Leo," I sobbed. He wrapped his free arm around me tightly. I whispered into his ear, my voice breaking, "Tyler's gone Leo... He's gone..."

"It's alright," he said, rubbing my back. "Everything will be okay..." I cried into his shoulder as Will ordered some of the medics to take Tyler's body away to their secure place.

"Come on," Leo said, pulling me toward the tree line. "Let's talk." I nodded and let Leo lead me away.

We hobbled/walked into the trees and went somewhat into the forest, just enough so the others couldn't see us. Leo spotted a stump and led me toward it. It was almost as big around as a stop sign, but we sat on it together anyway. Leo held my hand, brushing his thumb against it gently. Our heads touched and I could smell the motor oil in Leo's hair.

"I missed you," I said quietly. Leo nodded.

"Yes... If I had remembered most of it, I would have to agree. Thanks to Rick, I was able to come back."

"Rick?" I asked. "How do you know about him?" Leo looked at the ground.

"He talked to me. In here." He pointed to his head. "He told me I needed to find you because you were the key to fixing everything."

"M-me...?" I stuttered. "I'm just a normal girl! I don't have anything special about me. I'm just so... Boring." Leo looked up and gripped my hand tighter.

"Clover, you are the most special person in my life. And I'm willing to bet that Tyler believed the same thing." That one phrase caused me to break down in tears again. Leo wrapped his arm around me as he continued. "You are going to save us all, I'm sure of it. The seven... We're called the next saviors of olympus, but... Really, you are the next savior to save the Olympian world. You know more than anyone else and you act like a true leader. Look at what you've done," Leo gestured toward the demigods in the field. "You've brought Romans and Greeks together. And I'm also willing to say that you are going to be the one to being peace. Reyna will be with you and you will have the Athena Parthenos." I wiped my tears and took a shaky breath.

"Are you sure...?" Leo pointed my chin upwards so I could see him. His brown eyes were hypnotizing and beautiful.

"I'm positive." I gave him a small smile and then, it happened.

I had day dreamed for the past while about how it would happen. I had left Leo again, thinking that it would save the world, but really, it caused the world to come apart. With him holding me in his arms like this... It was magical. And when his warm lips touched mine... It was as if I had been transported into a different dimension. Somewhere where neither of us had been before.

In the back of my head, I felt guilty that I had kissed another boy that day, but I didn't care... Some pieces of friendship weren't meant to be broken.

Leo, I assumed, wanted more because he came up for breath and came at me again, but I held up my hand. His lips hit my hand instead of the intended target of my lips.

"Ah ah, you know the rules." I said, wagging a finger at him. Leo chuckled.

"Oh come on, Clove. We've gotta make up for what we missed." I shook my finger.

"Uh, uh. You know the rules. No passionate kissing and if you can't keep to them..." I let the threat hang in the air. Leo laughed and put his hands in the air.

"Alright, alright. I give up, officer. At least I wasn't speeding." I rolled my eyes.

"Just shut up and hold me, repair boy."

And he did. We sat there for a long time, just holding each other and looking at the ground or occasionally looking at each other. I heard the demigods setting up camp, but it seemed to be in a whole different world.

"Leo?" I asked quietly, wondering if it was emotionally safe for me to ask the question.

"Yeah?"

"Tyler wanted me to tell you he was sorry... What did he mean?" I could feel Leo tense.

"Ah... Well..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Lets just say he and I didn't agree on everything..." I gave him a skeptical look.

"Okay, I guessed that part, but what did he mean...? Was there something other than just a simple disagreement?" Leo didn't look at me for a few, long, painful seconds.

"I... I was afraid of losing you to him... He.. was.. a nice guy and all, but I... didn't want to give you away." I blinked, unsure what to say.

"Leo... I wouldn't have left you..." I gripped his hand. "We both have been through so much to make this work. I couldn't... just... throw it away." Leo nodded.

"I thought you would say that... But some part in me said... I dunno... The fight of the males I guess. Both competing for the ultimate prize..." He looked at me and I could see the sorrow hidden deep inside the color of his eyes. "I feel horrible for all those times that I hurt his feelings or when I challenged him... Now, I can never make it right..." He looked at the ground, kicking a stick with his shoe.

"Leo.. You need to understand, I'm not a prize. I'm a physical human being. I can choose for myself. But... Thank you." I rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb. "I would bet that Tyler forgave you... He probably felt bad butting into the situation." Leo nodded.

"Yeah... I guess you're right."

"Clover!" Someone yelled. I looked up and Arthur came walking into the trees. "Oh, Clover. There you are." I stood up.

"What's wrong?" He gestured behind him.

"The camp's are fighting on Half Blood Hill. We have word that the rest of the seven are there." I looked down at Leo and he had a confused look on his face.

"Is everyone of the seven accounted for?" I asked Arthur. He nodded.

"Yes. They're all there." I took a deep breath.

"Alright. It's time to-"

Thunder boomed overhead. The cracks in the sky began to widen and rain spilled through. One hit Leo's shoulder. He winced and covered it.

"What the-?"

"Ow!" Arthur exclaimed. He gripped his forearm. Leo removed his hand to see that his shirt seemed to have lost it's color in a small circle.

"How in hades...? It's my shirt, but I felt it." I opened my palms toward the sky. Four to five rain drops landed on my hands, but I wasn't affected.

"It doesn't hurt me," I said. "Why is that?" Leo shrugged.

"No idea. But man, it hurts." Arthur rubbed his arm, the same circle of discoloration on his arm. The rain started to fall harder.

"We need to find shelter!" I shouted. "The storm is moving in!"

Was that too much? What would you have done? Write your answers in the comments and please vote! :D