Yeah, I'm still in the season. It's cold outside. I was going to make this into an actually story but i don't know. What do you guys think? Do you guys wanna try it?

For some people walking in the freezing cold might've been fun, or relaxing even.

For Thalia Grace it was like bring stabbed repeatedly in the face. Especially on a night like tonight. Going to a place like she was going.

Nobody would notice she was gone. All the demigods, even the hunters and the Romans were celebrating. Throwing a huge Christmas party. She doubted anyone would miss her.

The sidewalks were empty, not a sound of life exhaling from the frozen tundra around her. Not even her silver boots cracked the ice gathering on the ground. A white puff of air whistled through her teeth.

She glanced around, as a icicle of cold brushed against her cheek. The hairs on her neck stood up. Someone was watching her.

Her trained eyes scanned the scenery around her. The shops on either side of the street were twinkling with red and white and green lights. A couple danced to a carol laughing loudly in the night. A bell ringer joyfully played jungle bells with his instrument. A woman sang beautifully carrying newly bought presents out of a store. A car drove by, Thalia could hear the sound of Christmas music vibrating off the metal interior.

She rolled her eyes at herself. It was Christmas. Who would waste their time following her to the outskirts of the city?

If only she'd looked harder. Then she would've seen the woman down the street smile slightly, her voice echoing with the last syllable of the song and her boxes disappearing in a pink burst of light.

***

Camp Half Blood

"Hey Jason!"

Jason looked up from where Piper was sitting in his lap. Annabeth had dragged Percy over a small thin present wrapped neatly in her hand.

She looked slightly worried, but Percy was still laughing and smiling.

"Hey Annabeth!" Jason said, "Merry Christmas!"

"Uh yeah, you too," Annabeth said distractedly, "have you seen Thalia? I wanted to give her, her present."

"Annabeth, I told you!" Percy said lightly, "she'd probably handing with the hunters.

"I already checked Seaweed Brain." Annabeth rolled her eyes, "no one's seen her since the party started."

Jason frowned.

"Maybe she went to bed?" Piper suggested.

"Maybe." Annabeth said, though it didn't look like she believed it. "See ya guys later, Happy Christmas."

Jason surged and looked at Piper. He was worried about his sister. But Piper was probably right. Thalia never seemed like a party person.

"Hey look!" Piper giggled, "Connor's dangling mistletoe over Katie and Travis again!"

Jason laughed as Connor almost got beat up by both his brother and the daughter of Demeter. Then he gazed down into Piper's eyes and sighed happily.

"I love you." He whispered and kissed her.

***

"HEY WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, IDIOT!" Thalia rolled her eyes. The driver barely stopped to let her pass. It seemed the closer she got to her destination the colder the air felt.

She was definitely colder. She tugged her hands into her pockets the stars twinkled and the full moon lit up the walk.

The air seemed to whisper to her. A soft voice, in a bitter wind.

She seemed to walk faster now. Only a little father. Only a little father.

Then suddenly she stopped.

The air was empty. The voices of other humans, of the mortals were long gone. The people cooped up safely and cozily in their houses.

It was only Thalia on the street. And she stared silently at the gate in front of her. The gate wasn't the problem. Gates never had been a problem for her. It was what lay on the other side.

"You promised, Thalia." She scolded herself, "Don't break the promise like he did."

A lot had happened to Thalia that the others didn't know about.

She'd face betrayal worse than any other person. She'd had her heart ripped out, her love life screwed. She'd been poisoned slowly dying and unable to stop it. She'd been a tree.

But they didn't know something had happened to her. Something that made her different from everyone else.

Thalia had died.

And it had catastrophic effect on her.

Thalia walked forward and vaulted herself over the gate. The metal bars were ice cold, a shock numbing her entire arms. But she was already over the fence.

The grass was coated in frost. Cracking under her feet. She took a shuddering breath. Her eyes closed. Okay. This was it.

Only a little father.

Her first step, as they say, was the hardest.

The second came almost like a reply.

The third followed the path she'd walked too many times before.

And before she knew it she was there. The end of the row. The small tombstone that looked like every other in the graveyard.

Her breath came out in a small white fog. She stepped forward and her hand touched the words. Her finger traced the name.

I didn't think you would come.

Thalia lowered her arm. She didn't need to turn around. She already knew who was standing there. Who was watching her apprehensively, his head cocked. Who had been waiting for three hours, not believing that she would actually come back.

"Unlike some people I know," Thalia said, "I don't break my promises."

Behind her, almost glittering in the moon light, a pale floating figure stood. Behind her Luke Castellan smiled.