Charlie,

I stared at the flames, the fire in slowly flickering in and out.

The Big House was a little slice of American heaven, which shocked me since this was the camp for the Greek Demigods. There was a porch that wrapped around the house. The kitchen looked like something you saw in a movie where a stay at home mom making peanut butter and jelly. Everything was cutely decorated, and the spare bedrooms reminded me of when I went to go see my mom's family in San Francisco, the typical All-American house.

The living room was a good sized room with beige colored walls, and it wasn't as cutely decorated. The room was situated around a big comfy couch, and there was a good sized TV mounted above the fireplace.

When I was little, we used to come and see Chiron, and I loved this house. I remembered being four years old with little pigtails and a big grin. I ran around the house, exploring every nook and cranny. I really loved the attic, finding all sorts of new stories and things from the quests my parents went on.

But my favorite thing to do when I came here was climb up in Chiron's lap (or climb on him when he was in horse form) and look at the pictures on the shelf.

There were pictures dating all sorts of time, but my favorites were of my parents. Chiron had everything of them, from the moment they met to a family picture from when I was three.

In the last ten years, more family pictures had ended up on the wall. From the picture of Chiron with Noah at his high school graduation to his first professional soccer game, our important moments were hanging proudly.

But, as I sat here tonight, I didn't feel the warm family feel I felt when I looked at the wall.

Tonight, everything was different.

"More hot chocolate?"

I looked up to see Kate leaning up against the doorway leading from the kitchen to the living room.

Kate had changed out of her armor, and she had opted to stay the night here with me though she didn't want to leave me to go get her stuff. My godmother, Rachel, had left some extra stuff here in the Big House over the years due to being the oracle.

She had on a pair of green yoga pants with splatters of paint on the sides, and she had a tee shirt for the Dare Foundation, a charity Aunt Rachel ran. Kate had on a giant knit jacket that looked like it might consume her, and her hair was in a ponytail.

Behind her, I could still the door to Chiron's office off the kitchen, which was once a dining room. The dining room was never used, so he turned that into an office. And he took the office to become another bedroom for hurt people who needed "special attention" from him.

Chiron and Noah had gone off in there to talk with Kate, and, while she had come out earlier, my brother was still in there.

I knew they were still talking about it.

It was the elephant in the room everyone had refused to address since the game. When they took me to the Big House, no one spoke. They had waited until I was safely on the couch until they finally spoke about it.

It was time...

After all these years, it felt unreal.

I had known it was coming for so long that I was really beginning to think it wouldn't happen…

But it was!

I knew it was!

They could say that it was unrelated and that I still had time, but I didn't.

"Sure," I smiled weakly at Kate, "Hot chocolate sounds great."

Kate smiled, and she disappeared back into the kitchen. Before long, Kate came out of the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate in each hand. She smiled, and I moved my legs so that she could sit on the end of the couch.

I took the hot chocolate, and we sat in silence as we both took a sip.

"How are you feeling?" Kate asked, turning to wear she was sitting Indian style on the couch to look at me.

She was trying to act like this was another sleepover, but it wasn't…

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do though…

I wanted it to be like that, too. I wanted this to be how it was supposed to be. I want to be just getting back from dinner where Emily-Rose and I celebrated me getting chosen so early on, and I want to be changing into my favorite owl pajamas as Noah takes forever in the shower. I want to be sending an iris message to my parents through the lavish fountain in the middle of the cabin, telling them all about my first week as they tell me about how much they miss me and how they are doing.

But I was sitting in the living room, stuck with the thing I had been dreading for so long.

"Scared," I admitted, pushing my hair behind my ear.

"Don't be," Kate told me weakly, putting her hand on my arm comfortingly, and I decided to completely bring down the barrier.

"Does he know who she is yet?"

Kate moved her hand, pushing her hair behind her eat nervously, too. After a while, she shook her head.

"There is nothing, Charlie. No stone goddess that would be trying to kill you. No monster. We don't even know any of your parent's enemies that could behind this."

I nodded, looking back to the fireplace.

"It'll be alright, Charlie, I promise," Kate tried, "I am sure this will blow over, and our summer will be right back on track."

"Maybe you're right," I smiled weakly, trying to believe it.

"Yeah, now come on. Chiron just got Netflix."

I smiled as Kate reached for the TV remote and turned it on.

It'll just blow over…

Noah,

"This is not going to blow over," Chiron told me as I put a mug of steaming coffee in front of him, and I collapsed into an arm chair in his office.

This office had seen worse problems, I knew that.

This was where Chiron had brought my father for many a horrible situation. This was where Chiron brought Uncle Jason when he found out he was Roman. And his office had seen almost every hero since. I was even brought in here for my quest years ago.

But tonight felt like the worst for me.

I had spent the last few hours talking with Chiron, and our conversation had been building up to this point.

I had held this off for hours now. I came in when the sun was just setting, and it was already one in the morning. Kate had been able to keep me and Chiron calm, but, eventually, she had to leave and make Charlie calm after everything she had been through.

Once mediator Kate left us, Chiron and I tried to keep the peace, but we both clearly wanted completely different things. And it was ready to calm our.

"We've held it off for so long, Chiron," I was almost begging, "Can't we keep doing it? She's just a kid! She needs more time!"

"We can't put it off any longer, Noah. If I could, I would. But it's time."

"How do you know we can't hold it off any more? She's been coming to Charlie for years, this isn't that different!"

"She made contact, Noah. You know your quest. You were safe here until they made contact. Once they made contact, things got worse, and they were figuring out ways to even get in here. You couldn't hide."

"But I was older. I had a stronger scent."

"But you're more human than her."

I wasn't sure why this hit me as hard as it did, but it was always that way when people talked about the fact that my mother had been human and my father half-human. I wasn't protective of them to make it like that, but I still remembered Alexander, the stupid son of Ares who loved to rub it in that I was more human than him.

Up until I was ten, I couldn't control water. I could get wet, I couldn't breathe under water. I was basically human, and, even when I got them, it took me a while to master them.

"Well the contact thing doesn't make a difference either. She has been making contact for years," I brushed off the comment.

"In Charlie's dreams. Tonight, she had Stone Men try to kidnap her."

"I saved her."

"Barely, Noah."

My eyes shot up to Chiron.

Right now, it was hard to remember that he had been like a grandfather to me. My father would bring me here every summer for two weeks to stay in the Big House, play with the kids in the Camp, and run around in the strawberry fields. It had always been my favorite time of summer.

Now, I could have killed him.

I knew he was only the messenger for the truth, but it was so horrible to hear.

Charlie wasn't even able to drive yet, but they expected her to complete a prophecy.

And now he stood here telling me that I had barely saved my little sister and that I couldn't keep her safe.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean, Noah. You were scared, you were shocked. You couldn't think, and the river saved you. What if there hadn't been a river? If you had nothing. Or if they weren't so easily defeated. They won't be next time. And, if Charlie stays, there will be a next time."

"Are you threatening to kick us out?"

"No, of course not," Chiron shook his head, "Remember, I love Charlie just as much as I love you. She is like my granddaughter. I hate this as much as you."

I looked down to my own coffee.

"I am stating the fact that, the sooner she starts her quest, the less danger she is in."

He was right…

I didn't meet his eyes, and I took a gulp of the hot coffee, which burned my throat.

But I needed the pain. I needed a distraction.

"She doesn't have to do it alone," Chiron tried to comfort me, and I nodded, rubbing my arms.

"I'll go with her."

Chiron leaned back in the chair, knowing that he had won, and he took a sip of the hot coffee.

"When will you leave?"

I looked to the window looking over New Athens, and I had to stare at the shock of safety. Safety felt like such a foreign concept that it felt like I was watching a movie as I looked down at the residential part of the city, full of little families and happiness.

"Um, I don't know," I admitted, "Soon. Charlie needs to recover first."

"It'll be okay, Noah," Chiron tried, and I smiled weakly.

"Um, I better get to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"Your usual room is open."

I smiled thanks at him, and I stood, hugging Chiron goodnight as I brought my mug to the kitchen, where I poured it in the sink.

Knowing Chiron would be working late into the early morning, I turned off the TV the girls had left on, and I turned off the lights except for one where Chiron could see to get to his room. I went to the stairs, and I was careful to avoid the creaky steps.

When I got to the top of the stairs, I went to the bedroom at the back.

It felt weird to be back here. From the time I was eleven, I had been sleeping in the Poseidon cabin, and this room had remained mostly unused since. There were still some of my old clothes in the closet and some of my dad's, too. I had left a backpack in the closet, and there were toys of mine around the room.

I took my time getting ready for bed, trying to be busy to get my mind off of everything. I brushed my teeth three times, and I washed my face. I changed into a pair of my father's old sweatpants, and I folded up my clothes from today. I checked my cell phone before turning it off, and I even cleaned the room a little bit.

But I eventually had to climb into bed, and it was a disaster.

I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that it was time for my little sister's prophecy, and the caffeine kept me awake to endure the torture.

After thirty minutes, I got out of bed, and I ended up staring out of the window to New Athens again.

When I first saw the town, I wondered if I would ever get to be one of those people. Later, I wondered if I would get married and move there with Kate. I wondered if we would have children to tuck in and what they would be like.

But now I wondered if my sister would ever have that…

As I sat there, I knew I needed to talk to someone, but I wasn't sure who.

I didn't want to tell our parents yet. I couldn't tell Pixar, and I didn't want to talk to Chiron.

There was only one person…

Any other time, I would have chickened out, but I couldn't.

Not now…

Kate,

"Kate," someone whispered in my ear.

I let out a sleepy moan and tried to go back to sleep.

"Kate," a little louder this time.

I didn't do anything still.

"Kate," the voice got even louder, and they poked me in the shoulder blade.

"Sam, shut the-" I sleepily opened my eyes, about to chew my brother out for waking me up when I was having such a good dream.

But then I jumped backwards.

Noah sat on the foot of my bed, wearing only a pair of sweatpants, and his fluorescent blue eyes were trained on me.

Oh. My. Gods.

I was caught between embarrassment and anger for being woken up.

"Noah?"

He smiled weakly back at me.

"Hey, Kate," he said sheepishly.

"What are you doing?" I sat up in bed, staring at him.

"Well, I needed to talk to someone, and your room was next to mine," Noah seemed to blush, but I couldn't be sure in the darkness.

Seeing his blush suddenly reminded me that he was on my bed. Without a shirt. In the dark. When we were sneaking out of our cabins.

Now I was blushing, and I was thankful that he couldn't see it.

For the last week, I had been able to work past my unbelievable crush on Noah, and things were going well. We weren't as close as before, and I doubted we ever would be. But we were close enough.

We had our meals together at the outside tables where anyone could sit with anyone. We had a lot of classes together, and we were talking again. We were even laughing together, too, which was a big step for me.

Now I felt like I was at square one though, blushing at the realization he was on the bed.

Why am I so pathetic? I asked myself.

"What's up," I sat Indian Style, having to keep my eyes locked on his bright blue eyes to keep from losing him in the insanely dark room.

It wasn't that dark, I guess.

But it felt pitch black after having grown up in New York City.

"Was Charlie okay?" Noah's eyes stayed glued to mine, too.

I nodded.

"She's not happy, but she's okay. I got it off her mind by watching some TV and some hot chocolate. Why do you ask, Noah?"

"What did you tell her?"

Now I was getting worried.

"That it would probably blow over."

Noah's eyes tore away from mine, but I didn't lose him in the darkness. If anything, I could see him better. And I could definitely see the truth better.

"Noah, what did Chiron say?" I realized my voice was trembling.

He didn't answer, which was answer enough.

"But we've held it off for so long."

"We can't anymore," Noah met my eyes again, and I noticed they were watering.

"But-But I thought we had until she was sixteen."

"Chiron says that, now that she's made contact, she won't stop until she gets Charlie. It'll be more dangerous for Charlie the longer we wait."

It was so much information to process that I felt like I might throw up.

"But she's only thirteen."

"I know, but there's nothing we can do."

Now I was looking away from Noah, leaning back onto the headboard, and I hugged my knees.

"When?" my eyes finally found their way back to him.

"I don't know. Charlie needs time to recover, but she won't get long."

I had known Noah almost his entire life, and he had known me almost my entire life. We had been best friends for years, and Charlie had brought us even closer together. For the last fourteen to fifteen years, I had seen Noah's every emotion.

But never this.

I had never seen Noah so heartbroken, and it would have killed me even if I hadn't been in love with him. Because I was, it was like someone was pounding a dagger into my heart with every beat.

"Are you okay, Noah?"

Noah was shocked, like he had never even thought about it.

He had been so consumed with worrying for his little sister that he hadn't even thought about how he felt.

Noah opened his mouth to say something, but his words failed him, making him close his mouth again. He sat there, not sure what to say or even what to do. And I was the same way.

So we just sat there, sitting on the bed as we stared at each other.

After what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

"She's my little sister, Kate," his eyes were watering, his voice trembling, and he was shaking.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was sitting up in the bed, reaching for him, and I wrapped around him in a hug. He hugged me back tightly, his arms wrapping around me so tightly I could barely breathe. We both let our tears lose, and I felt something sweet swell through me, breaking through the pain.

I knew we wouldn't do anything, though I secretly kind of hoped we would. But it was better that way.


So it is time for the prophecy.

I added in the thing with Kate to show the fact that Kate and Noah are coming together for Charlie after all that time not speaking.

Warning, I am in Orlando, and it is nearing Christmas. So it'll be a while before I have Chapter Four out.