"Come on, Annabeth, please!" Percy begged. "The train is delayed, and we have nothing better to do!"

"You want to time how long it takes for you and I to swim to Nantucket. Yes, I think there could be a better use of our time."

"Like what?"

Annabeth didn't know how to respond. She sighed. "Fine." Percy cheered. "But only there and back," she added. We have half an hour, and I want to be back early. Percy nodded, and then took off toward the shore. She chased after him, and they dove into the water. The instant she began to feel wet, Percy created an air bubble for the two, took her hand, and they shot off toward Nantucket.

When they arrived, Annabeth stopped the timer, asking if they could take a bathroom break. Percy agreed, and they went to look for a gas station with a bathroom. On the way, they bumped into a couple about their age. Annabeth immediately started apologizing. "I am so sorry! We weren't looking where we were going. Are you two okay."

The girl laughed. "We're fine. Are you guys okay?"

"Fine." Annabeth replied, feeling her lips twisting upward into a smile. She didn't know why, but she liked this girl.

"You guys are tourists, aren't you?" The girl asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Annabeth said.

"Only because the island is so small, that you tend to know everybody around your age by first grade or so. Sorry, I'm Helen, and this is my boyfriend Lucas."

"I'm Annabeth, and this is my boyfriend Percy."

"If you don't mind my asking, how long have you been together? You look more comfortable than most couples our age."

Annabeth smiled. "Two years, this August."

"Two years?" The guy, Lucas, finally spoke.

"Yeah, what about you?" Percy spoke as well, looking at him a little challengingly. Annabeth poked him, and he relaxed. They didn't seem like monsters to her. Lucas smiled at Helen.

"Six months. It would have been seven, but we went through this period of time when we thought we were cousins, so, ah, eww."

"Thought youwerecousins? How does that work?" Percy inquired.

"I didn't meet my mother until shortly after I met Lucas and his family, about nine months ago." Helen explained. "She told me that my father wasn't who I thought he was, that he was Lucas' uncle, but she was lying. I still don't know what she gained by making me think the guy I liked was my cousin, and it's a bit late to ask now. She died right before Lucas and I got together."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Annabeth said. Helen shrugged.

"I didn't know her all that well, and even though I know she did some good, she also did a lot of bad. My dad is a lot happier now that he isn't in love with her anymore."

"Ah. Well, sorry to change the subject, but would you happen to know where a bathroom would be? Percy and I have to leave soon, but first… well, you know." Annabeth said awkwardly.

Helen and Lucas shared a grin and gave them directions. Annabeth thanked them, and dragged Percy away. Later, once they were back in New York, her thoughts drifted to the other couple. They seemed nice enough, but you never could tell. She went to sleep that night more tired than any demigod wanted to be after helping another pantheon.

Helen looked back as she and Lucas left, heading in the direction of the Delos compound. "They were strange," Lucas commented, looking sideways at her.

"Yeah, they were."

"They said they had to leave soon, but the next ferry doesn't leave for the mainland for another three hours."

"Maybe they were being prepared?"

"You and I both know it wasn't that. They had some other way of getting off Nantucket."

"You don't think they're Scions, do you?"

Lucas shook his head. "No. They didn't seem like Scions, and besides, we've never met them before."

"You're right." Helen sighed. "They seemed nice. Well, Annabeth at least. Percy kept looking back at the ocean for some reason. I can't imagine why he'd want to look at it." She shuddered and Lucas put an arm around her.

"Hard as it may seem to believe, Helen, not everyone hates the ocean like you do. Some people actually like it."

Helen stared at her boyfriend pretending to be incredulous. "Why would they do that?" He gave her a look and they both cracked up.

"I do have a question for you, though." Lucas said, after a few moments of silence. "Why did you tell them about Daphne?"

"I don't know." Helen shrugged. "I just had this… feeling, that they knew what it was like to have parents who aren't perfect."

"Hmm." Thankfully, Lucas dropped it, and they continued on their way.

Hello, readers! You may or may not understand this one, seeing as it is my first time writing in a little known fandom known as Starcrossed. If you haven't red the trilogy, I highly recommend it for YA readers. Helen and Lucas are the two main characters, although I guess I kind of spoiled a little bit of the plot. Oh well. The series is written by Josephine Angelini.

In other news, ADF is officially on hiatus until I get my inspiration back. I may or may not be publishing a possible-future-oneshot of that world that I wrote, but I haven't decided yet. Also, Never Forgotten and Muffins will soon be joined by a third story that follows the lives of Lily's best friends after her death. It is currently title less, but I was thinking something like After The Queen Was Gone or Living As We Never Thought We Would. I don't know, those are just possibilities. And it won't be published for at least three weeks or so, unfortunately.

Well, I think that's everything.

Thanks,

swanglade37