Clover POV

Fire... fire... fire...

My thoughts ran wild and I woke from my slumber. My eyes fluttered open and I was almost blinded by the bright light. I lifted my head off the white pillow and looked around. Zoe, Amanda, and Carl were all curled up in the chairs next to the bed, sound asleep. Chiron stood in the corner, looking at me.

“Clover,” he scolded, “I told you not to go into that fire.” I scowled at him, even though it wasn’t like me to get mad at Chiron.

“And you just let the place burn. A place so special…and you let it burn to ashes…” I looked down sadly and saw the velvet cloth next to me in the bed. I picked it up and pressed it to my face. The bunker was gone… I had so many memories of that place… My birthday… Helping Leo make the Argo II… And what didn’t help any was that it was all erased…Leo wouldn’t remember, except for building the Argo II.

Chiron walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder, “I know it is a sad loss, but we must move on.” I shook my head and picked up the mirror, which surprisingly was on the side table.

“No... I can't move on... I know who set it on fire.” Chiron tilted his head, interested in what I had to say.

“Who was it, my dear?" he asked. I held out the mirror to him. I hadn’t been able to study it, but I knew whose it was anyway. On the back of the mirror, in girly cursive handwriting, was the name Drew Tanaka.

“I found this in the fire… It was her…” Chiron gently took the mirror and nodded.

“Thank you. Now, you need rest. That fire was intense.” I nodded, but was I expecting myself to follow that? No. Chiron clopped over to the door and left. Once I was sure he had left, I kicked my sheets off. I wasn’t going to just sit here and wait for things to fall into place. I needed to make them happen.

I carefully tip toed past my siblings and peeked around the edge of the door. No one was out there. With the velvet cloth gripped tightly in my hand, I snuck out of the big house. No one stopped me which made me hesitate if I was doing the right thing. I didn’t stay like that for long though.

I slipped outside and ran toward  the woods. I made the same heart pumping trip to the bunker. I even tripped into the field again. I stood, brushed myself off, and walked to the door.

The whole bunker was collapsing. The roof high above was starting to sink. Some of the catwalks wires had snapped and now they were on the floor. The drawings, books, tools, and other miscellaneous things (like the calender) were now either lumps of metal or ashes. The tables were now white fragile flakes and burnt pieces of wood.

I walked inside carefully, kicking a few pieces of burnt wood aside. Sorrow filled my soul, like someone refilling a cup.

I stumbled forward. For some reason, I all of a sudden couldn't walk, like I forgot how to. All I could do was drag my feet. I leaned against one of the supports.

My head began to spin. Tables, tools, and other things began to swirl and do 180s.

"What is going on?" I asked myself aloud. I closed my eyes, but it didn't help any. The floor spun and folded, as if it were cookie batter in a mixer. I turned in a circle and collapsed to my knees. I leaned my head against the structure support and tried to concentrate.

Then, the whole place shimmered. I looked around, surprised because everything was no longer spinning.

"Leo! Will you please stop throwing wrenches at me!" Something sailed toward me and I yelped. I quickly dove aside as a wrench sailed right over my head.

"Clover, just hold on! I just need to connect these wires together..." Leo called. I gasped and fell backward.

The Argo II was a few feet away from me. And it wasn't finished!

I stood up and walked along the edge of the unfinished boat, running my hand along the bronze. So much work was put into it. I peeked around the edge of the ship, and almost screamed.

I saw me, a younger me, lounging in a chair, reading the Mark of Athena.

All of that has already come to pass... I thought. Then it hit me.

I was back when Leo got knocked out by Freak. Man... That was a long time ago... I knew that I couldn't let the younger me see me (ugh.. It's complicated), nor could Leo see me.

I turned away from my younger me and glanced up. Leo was popping in and out of a hatch. He called for young me and young Clover walked over. I heard my younger self talking to Leo about his crazy hair...

I thought of a plan. I looked around and saw a hammer on the closest table to me. I picked it up and waited for the right moment. I peeked around the edge of the ship and saw young me sit down. I waited for a count of ten before....

BANG!!!

I slammed the hammer into the edge of the Argo II with all of my strength. It sounded exactly like when I was the younger me.

"Leo?" Young me called. I didn't dare breath. When young me didn't hear anything, young Clover called again. "Leo, are you okay?"

I set the hammer down softly and slowly inched away from the ship. Younger Clover climbed onto the Argo II and disappeared from my sight. I exhaled, but the world began to spin again. I collapsed to the ground and the place shimmered.

When I looked up, I was behind a table. Lights flashed around me, all different colors. Music blared from some speakers from somewhere in the room. A group of people stood on the other side of the table, laughing at talking. I recognized them!

Courtney, Zach, Mable, and Flora were all eating snacks and laughing about something. I knew where I was.

It was my birthday party Leo threw for me.

I crawled along the floor and under the table next to the one where Young Clover leaned against it. I peeked out and saw the multicolored light squares. My heart seemed to break into smaller pieces. When Leo walked over, I quickly stuck my head back under the table. I made sure I covered my mouth because I knew I would do a fangirl scream.

Leo poked young Clover, "Hello. What's up?"

"This is amazing, I have no other way to put it. How did you do all of this in one night?” Leo pulled a screwdriver from his belt and bonked young Clover on the head with the handle, but in a playful way.

“I am a special boy.” Young Clover laughed and put down her empty soda can.

“Funny. So, you said you had my present for later. How long is that?” Leo shrugged.

“Depends how long you want to wait. It would be better if it is dark.” Young Clover furrowed her eyebrows.

“Okay, but can you give me another present now?” Leo thought about it and took young Clover’s hand.

“How about a dance?” Young me blushed and listened to the music.

“I don’t think ‘Call me Maybe’ is the best song for that.”

I bit my lip and listened as the music changed. 'As Long As You're Mine' from Wicked... Tears began to fall down my cheeks like waterfalls. It was so painful... But so amazing to relive...

The song seemed to flow through me like a stream of water. So many memories in just that one song. As the song began to end, I had an idea. It would be risky, but I had to do it. I peeked out from under the table and saw Jason's sneakers a foot away. (Haha! No pun intended). I slowly crawled out the other side of the table, the side facing away, and stood up.

I leaned across the table and whispered in Jason's ear, "It's dark enough." I quickly ducked down as Jason wiped around. I tried to keep my breathing quiet as Jason looked behind him.

"What's wrong?" Piper asked him. He shook his head.

"I thought I heard someone..." Piper looked where he was studying carefully.  

"I bet it's nothing," she said, even though she sounded doubtful. Jason nodded. They both turned around and faced away from me. I exhaled, but I knew the moment was too good to be true. The world spun and sparkled once more.

I opened my eyes, but this time, I wasn't in the bunker. In an Iris Message, I saw the girl I dreaded to see.

It was Calypso. She was standing on a beach, screaming out to sea. Leo, who looked like he had fallen from the sky with no parachute (which he had) was dusting himself off from a pile of splintered wood. The only words I caught Calypso screaming was "Take him back!" I smirked.

This was the most amusing part of the House of Hades.

In front of me, two people stepped out of the darkness. They were both Rick Riordan, except one was a purple shirt while the other had an orange shirt.

"You want to have him, don't you?" The purple shirt Rick asked.

"I-I don't understand," I said.

Orange shirt Rick laughed, "Of course you do! You want Leo." I looked desperately at the Iris message. Leo looked very confused. Calypso looked angry. I knew what would happen if nothing changed. He would fall for her.

"You can change it you know," Purple shirt said. "You can have him back."

"Or," Orange shirt offered. "You could let him fall for her. It's your choice." I stared at them.

"I-I can have him back...?" I stuttered. They nodded, but Purple Rick held up a finger.

"You can let the raft come, but you must pay a price. Leo will always have the urge to go back. He will never love you as much as he did. But, you will have him." I bit my lip. I had always wanted Leo to stay... But would he toss me aside for someone else?  

"Or," Orange shirt said. "You could hold the raft back and Leo gets her." He gestured to Iris Message. The scene had frozen. Calypso looked like her face had been hit with a truck. How guys fell for her, I had no clue.

In front of me, a button rose from the floor. It reminded me of Leo's red buttons of dramatic effects. In the middle with bold lettering were the words 'Magic Raft Hold Back'. If I pushed the button, the raft wouldn't come to take Leo back.

In unison, both Ricks said, "It's your choice."

I looked at the scene for one long moment. Leo looked uncomfortable while Calypso looked murderous. How could I leave him with her? I made up my mind. I had come to far to give up my goal.

To make Leo happy.

I raised my hand over the button. "Sorry Rick," I said. "But you taught me to make order from Chaos." I pressed the button and the Iris Message disappeared. The Rick with the purple shirt disappeared and the Rick with the Orange shirt blinked as if he had been in a trance.

"Clover? What-" he didn't finish. I looked at the Iris Message and muttered one last thing,

"I love you, Leo Valdez." The world spun again and shimmered.

This time, the bunker was back to normal, except the table I had been hiding behind before was gone. I made a dignified squeak and his behind a support beam.

Up on the Argo II's deck, Leo was pounding on something. It was almost like it was a normal day.

Then, on the bunker's door, someone pounded on it.

"Leo! Open up! It's me!" I froze. That was my voice. Leo pressed a button on a remote and the door opened. A younger me stepped in with my sister Zoe in tow. With Zoe were her friends Clare and Rebecca.

Huh, I thought, I haven't seen Clare and Rebecca yet.

I pressed my back to the support beam as Leo climbed down and walked over. I knew what happened. I would deliver his breakfast, he would say goodbye, then the fun began. Well, at least for Young Clover, Zoe, Clare, and Rebecca.

After a few minutes of a conversation, young me with the girls left. I peeked out from behind the support beam, then regretted it.

Leo had seen me.

"Clover?" He asked. I bit my lip, but didn't move. He moved closer, "Clover, I know that's you. Come out." I still didn't move. Leo walked over to my hiding spot. "Hey. Didn't you...?" Then he noticed the shape I was in. He noticed my scars, my clothes, and my pained expression. "Clover... What happened to you?"

I looked down, "Leo... This may be hard to believe... But I'm from the future." He just stared at me, as if I was crazy.

"But you-"

"Leo, you have to believe me..." I interrupted. "I am from the future. The future when you go on the quest." Leo just stood there, shocked.

"But... what happened to your arms and neck...?"

I sighed, "I can't explain that right now... I just want to tell you something very important..."

Leo stepped closer to me, "But you just left... How can-"

"Leo," I exclaimed, "I have very little time! Let me explain." He nodded and I continued, "enjoy the time you have with me... Y-you find someone else.." I threw my arms around him and hugged him. It would be the last time I would be able to.

Leo shook his head, hugging me back, "No, I won't leave you. You're my girl."

I stepped away, "no... You find someone else.." Leo grabbed my hand.

"At least let me give you a gift." I shook my head.

"No... Just keep living..." Leo dug into his tool belt anyway and pulled out a ring.

"Keep this with you... I made it with special powers. I wanted to give it to you the day I left, but I think you need it now." He placed the ring in my hand.

I shook my head, "I can't keep this..." Leo nodded.

"Yes you can... I suspect what happens in the future... And I'm sorry." I looked at the floor.

"Please don't tell me that you're sorry... it's my fault." Leo clasped my hand closed and looked me in the eye.

"Clover... I know something bad is going to happen to you... I already know I'm heading for trouble..." He smirked, "I think I might burn this place down like my mothers shop." I nodded sadly. The world began to spin.

I looked up at Leo's spinning face and said, "Love her Leo.. Love her like you loved me..." I heard Leo agree, but I was already gone. The world disappeared in a shower of sparkles until I was back.

I collapsed to the ashy floor of the burnt Bunker 9, trembling and shaking. My body seemed to remember that it was supposed to be in pain. My lungs seemed too contract and I coughed violently. I had no idea what had just happened, but it was big... I had probably just changed my past, but it was worth it... I made sure the ring Leo gave me was on my finger. I would never lose it. I crumpled to the floor with my legs tucked into my stomach.

"Clover!" Someone called. I continued to cough violently, but I managed to see who it was.

It was Rachel and she had an excited expression.

"I got a message from Percy and Annabeth!

~~~~~

TADA!!! The first of two updates is done! I hope it is at least three pages...

Anyway, thank you so much for staying with me this long my readers! I hope you like the next update!