WARNING: CONTAINS BLOOD OF OLYMPUS/HOUSE OF HADES SPOILERS! Mild spoilers, but still spoilers.
Rachel sat cross legged in the Big House meeting room, writing down something on a notepad. She had stayed late, until after the Meeting was over. The rest of the Counsellors and Workers had left, aside from Chiron. They were preparing for battle. Every day, new reinforcements on the Roman side showed up. Their only hope was for Reyna and the others to reach Camp Half-Blood in time.
Lately, Rachel's visions hadn't been showing her much. More like nothing at all! She had dreams, though. Dreams as though she herself were a Demigod. Because the Oracle part of herself couldn't be contacted, as if something were blocking it. Rachel had been trying. She wanted to know just exactly what she was up against. They were out numbered, and they wouldn't listen. Rachel had tried to reason with Octavian, going with Grover and a group of Nymphs, trying to go in peace without any weapons, but even when they told them the truth Octavian refused to listen to her. It made Rachel angry. He even called her a false Oracle! It angered Rachel, and Grover had to hold her back. She had given up a lot to be the Oracle. She sacrificed a lot and moved here during the Summer. She took risks. She wasn't a Demigod. She was not Part God. Rachel was Mortal, and she couldn't be a God. She wasn't strong, or fast, and she had no battle Training. She was a Mortal. She was clever, and she was the Oracle, and she didn't need some pompous jerk telling her that her Prophecies were false.
Rachel was trying to make sense of it all. She tried making a battle plan, but she wasn't fit for that. She didn't like thinking of battle plans, or how to attack. The Ares cabin could have been helpful, but she knew that that wasn't enough. She began to scribble over her plans, giving up on them. She wished Annabeth was here. Annabeth and Percy, two of the greatest Demigods of their time. She missed them.
Rachel was distracted from her deep thoughts when she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," Chiron called. Rachel looked up, expecting it to be another Camper complaining about how little numbers they have, like they did usually, but instead Grover entered.
Over the last few months, Grover and Rachel had become very good friends. They were always acquaintances, ever since the Labyrinth, but the only bond they had was their share for the love of Percy and Annabeth. They were both really good friends with the two. Annabeth considered Rachel her best friend, aside from Thalia. Of course, Rachel considered Annabeth her best friend, too. It was funny, since at the beginning of their time together, they hated each other very much.
Grover was closer with Percy, but he loved Annabeth like a sister. He had known her longer, and had grown up with her. Maybe Grover missed Percy and Annabeth even more than Rachel, which would be hard. Rachel needed them there with her. She wouldn't be able to win this war without them.
Grover and her had grown a bond together. They had really been thrown together. Grover was the cleverest Satyr and bravest he had, but he couldn't send him out in battle at the moment. Someone needed to protect Rachel. He needed the rest of the Satyrs and Nymphs to guard the hills, he needed the Demigods for battle, and he couldn't watch Rachel himself, so Grover guarded her. Like a body guard. Over time, during this long war that hadn't even started, but put dread upon all of the people at Camp Half-Blood, the only comfort Rachel found was Grover. The Satyr was funny, and sweet, and the only person who Rachel could relate to. Grover had many stories, and Rachel had a few herself. They shared them, and laughed, and before they knew it, they were best friends. Or as close as you could be when your other best friend is fighting a completely different war.
"Rachel, I need to talk to you," Grover said, gesturing for her to follow him. Outside, it was raining. Rachel had heard the sound on the top of the house, but instead of ignoring it, Rachel found it comforting and listened to the patter on the rooftop of what only could be a thunder storm. It was to hard to be an ordinary rain storm. But she wasn't too fond of going outside in a storm like this, but neither was Grover. But they needed to talk without Chiron, Rachel could see it.
Rachel nodded her head, putting on her sweater that was resting on the back of the chair, and pulled on her rain boots. She followed Grover out.
Grover wasn't the same Satyr Rachel had met in the Labyrinth. It wasn't just how much he grew, and how much older her looked, but it was the way he acted. He was stronger. He had a better grasp on reality and a better grasp on how to win, or lose. He had lead so many Demigods to camp single handedly, not losing a single person, battling all kinds of monsters. He had saved Demigods who were children of Minor Gods, and children of the Twelve Olympian gods. No matter how big the strain, no matter how big the challenge, Grover could do it. He impressed Rachel.
He also wasn't as scared as he used to be. He wasn't as childish. Sure, he made many jokes and airy comments, and danced around and ate things off the ground, but he was a Satyr, but the strongest Satyr Rachel knew.
But to be fair, Rachel wasn't the same person, either. She was tough, and strong, and definitely no longer that typical rich girl child. She was so much more than that.
But together, it was like they were unstoppable. Rachel loved the new arrangement, working with Grover. Grover loved it right back.
"So, what is it you want to talk about?" Rachel asked, on the front porch of the big house, sitting at the cards table across from Grover. Grover uneasily shifted, rubbing his hands together almost like in defense.
"I keep having dreams about them," He said. She knew immediately who he meant.
"I know," She said. She hadn't had many dreams about them, only a few. But it was like they were haunting Grover. Every night, he had a new dream about them. Every time it was worse, and more vivid. He could feel their emotions, and their pain. He could hear what was around them, feel what was under their feet and the wind against their backs, as though he was in Percy's body. It was like he was living the moments they had passed. "What did you dream about this time?"
Grover looked as though he were about to burst into tears. "It was in Tartarus..."
Those were the worst for Grover. He was already afraid of being underground, and the dreams that kept recurring were the ones that scared him the most. The ones in Tartarus.
"Which one?" Rachel asked.
"The one with the Goddess," Grover said, looking down at the table. "He almost killed her, Rachel. He almost poisoned her to death. It was like I was there. Like we still had the Empathy Link. Rachel...he liked it. It's like..." Grover's voice cracked. "Like he's changing. Like he isn't the same person anymore."
Rachel took the Satyr's shaking hands in hers.
"Grover, you don't need to worry," She said. "You could tell when he was out of Tartarus, so I don't think he'll try killing anymore Goddesses for anything like that. It's what a place like that does to you. So many dead, evil souls around you, probably whispering things to you...but he's out now. He's the same person, and he'll be the same person when he gets home."
Grover was shaking. "What if he doesn't get home, Rachel? What if we never see him again?!" He looked angry, and sad, and devastated. "You had the dream, too! His conversation with Annabeth...there's a three out of four chance he isn't coming home and you know it. One, he might decide to go back to Camp Jupiter, the place of the people who are trying to murder us. It's like he's joining them! Like he doesn't care! I was his best friend, Rachel. He hasn't had one dream or thought about me since he got his memory back. I know it."
Rachel sighed, squeezing the Satyrs hand. "I know you're upset, but that can't be true. I know you haven't had any dreams about Reyna, but I did have one. She's a Roman, a Praetor no less, and she's bringing the Athena Parthonos. They can't all be bad."
"I know..." Grover whispered. "But I just miss him...I want him to come home! I want her to come home! I worked so hard to make them happy. I went on every single quest with them. Now they're throwing me aside, like last years issue of best friends..."
"Grover, listen to me," Rachel said sternly. "They're coming home. They haven't forgotten about you, and they never will. You are their best friend. They may be close to the people on the ship, but you still matter to them. I know you're worried, but you still matter. You are still the most wonderful, brave Satyr that they saw last Summer. They are coming home to you, and me, and all of us. They haven't forgotten, I promise."
Grover just hung his head, squeezing Rachel's hand back. "I'm scared..." He whispered.
Rachel nodded her head. "So am I. But we are not going to die. They've never let us down before. They're going to stop the Earth Mother from rising, destroy the Giants, and come home. Reyna is going to arrive here, with Gleeson and Nico. I don't know what will happen after that, but everything is going to turn out alright." Rachel's words were uncertain, like she was also trying to make herself believe. It made Grover uneasy. He wanted to run. He wanted things back to the way they used to be.
"I hope," He said. "Now, what about you? What's happening with you?"
"You mean like my dreams?" Rachel asked. Grover nodded his head. The Redhead sighed. "She's haunting me. Gaea, I mean. She keeps showing up in my dreams, her face always hidden." Rachel shuddered. "She keeps telling me things...she keeps saying that they could never succeed, and shows me her giants. Sometimes she sounds like Octavian, for Olympus's sake! She keeps saying that I am a false Oracle. A fake..."
"You aren't a fake, Rach," Grover said. "I mean, you're a lot less creepier than the last one. I got the heeby jeebies just entering that room! But easier to look at you. Also, how could it be false? The doors of Death...the seven half-bloods...you were the one who warned us, Rach. You are the Oracle, the best one we've had."
Rachel smiled. "Thank you, Grover." She laughed. "You know, if you survive this war, we could be a story. Something to tell your children. The Oracle and the Satyr. Sounds fantastic."
Grover grinned. "Yes, we could be a myth all by ourselves. You know, it was a brave Satyr who saved Zeus from Typhon the first time."
"Was he your Ancestor?"
"I wish."
"You're braver than him," Rachel said.
Grover laughed. "He faced the biggest monster in all of History with a panpipe! How am I braver? I'd be running for the hills!"
"Okay, maybe you're braver in a different way," Rachel said. "You're the first Satyr to have found Pan. I mean, you're Lord of the Wild. You ventured into the Labyrinth, got attacked by monsters, and lived. You faced the Satyrs back here, telling them Pan was dead. I don't see anyone else doing that. You are brave, Grover. One of the bravest people I know."
Grover's fingers laced through Rachel's.
"Thank you," He said. That was a sore subject for him. "But I'm not the brave one, here, Rachel Elizabeth Dare! You faced the king of the Titans! You hit him in the head with a blue plastic hairbrush and lived to tell the tale! Most Demigods would be killed on the spot. If it wasn't for you, Percy and Annabeth would be dead."
"We're a great team, you know," Rachel said, smugly.
"The best team."
"Almost as good as you and Juniper," Rachel said. Grover's face went a little pale. That was also a sore subject. Many things hurt Grover nowadays. He had lost so much. Rachel was surprised his Satyr heart could take it.
"Yeah..." Grover said. "But we're still good."
Rachel smiled, grinning. "And together, you and me, we'll survive this war."
"Even if we're the only ones."
"I'm glad they picked you to be my Body Guard."
"Protector! I'm not a body guard!"
"Sure."
Grover rolled his eyes. "Well, I'll get to spend all my time with you during this war. It could be worse."
"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "If the impending doom wasn't there, I'd almost look forward to it."
Both of them squeezed the others hand at the same time, which made Grover blush a little. Rachel laughed.
"Impending doom...where have I heard that before?" He asked.
"Too many times," Rachel said, rolling her eyes.
Suddenly, the door opened. Chiron walked outside, walking around back to the two of them.
"Rachel, I need you inside. I have to speak with you," Chiron said. Rachel nodded her head.
"I'll talk to you later," She said. She stood up.
Grover nodded, standing up and beginning to walk down the steps, heading towards the Strawberry Fields.
Rachel and Chiron walked inside.
"I say, Rachel," Chiron said, raising an eyebrow at the redhead. "Were you a Mr. Underwood holding hands?"
AN. So, this may turn into a Multiple Chapter story. I got the idea of Rachel/Grover ever since House of Hades and I couldn't kick it. So, ba-bam. I also miss Grover. So I wrote this! I am almost done Blood of Olympus, but not fully. This is supposed to be after a meeting, maybe five or six days before the War. So it does contain spoilers! Anyway, thanks for reading, please review!
Coffee.