This story has been running around my head for a looong time now. It takes place (and I wrote it) before Battle of the Labyrinth, so some of the elements in it might be a little off later. Oh well. It features an OC of mine, and will be slash. Grover/OC. So don't like, don't read. : ) And don't flame, seriously.

this chapter runs a little AU parallel to the actual story

Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and the Olympians and all of its characters belong to Rick Riordan. Dap belongs to me. : )

Chapter 7: I have the worst swim lesson ever.

It took a lot more convincing than that to make me leave him for however long it would take me to get back. But a couple nights later I was packed, with the huge fleece draped over my shoulders, and was trying to remember the directions Grover had said about how to get to the camp.

I couldn't really teleport to places I didn't know how to get to. I still don't know how I managed to get to the island, then. Must've been with help from my father, I decided.

It took a long time to get to Camp Half-Blood, as I'd had to follow the same course Grover had taken, because that was the only way he could describe in enough detail. Like, longer than I'd ever traveled before. About three days to be exact. I appeared beside a massive pine tree just like he said, but what I saw about the place mad my stomach twist.

The tree and all the life around it was poisoned and dying. They were a sickly yellow and fading fast. For a few minutes all I could do was stand and stare at the tree in disbelief. Where I stood the grass was feebly trying to be green again, but was failing miserably. There were sad tunes floating through the woods from reed pipes played by satyrs that were on 24-hour guard, trying to keep the tree alive. Some of the songs stopped uncertainly when I appeared, and I wondered if they could sense me.

I decided not to find out, so I draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest branch and turned to leave.

I then proceeded to have a minor panic attack because I realized I couldn't follow the scent of the fleece to lead me back to the island. No! I have to get back to Grover! What am I gonna do now? My thoughts were swarming around so fast, mingled with the command to teleport, that when I opened my eyes again I was back on Polyphemus' island.

What I saw was not what I expected to see, that's for sure. The island was in chaos: the cyclops was in a rage, hurling boulders at tiny humans who were attacking him. Grover was cowering near a girl in full armor who was lying wounded on the ground. There was also a floating hat darting around and a couple of ships that were banked by the cliffs.

The people were now screaming: they had been taunting Polyphemus with remarks about "Nobody" and now the floating hat was lying still on the ground. A boy attacked him and before I knew it they were running towards the sea with the cyclops following, hurling boulders. I realized I hadn't really moved the whole time—I'd been too captivated by the scene—but I heard someone calling my name. Grover had noticed me and was waving frantically. I made to run to them but Polyphemus saw me first.

Grover screamed and I turned just in time to duck under the trail of a half-ton rock being thrown over my head.

Everyone was wading into the sea and Grover, who was trying to run to me, was being held back by his friends who seemed more than a little confused. I had no idea if I could swim or not but I ran into the water after everyone else as fast as I could. A huge wave hurled me forward as the giant surged in after me. I could hear noises, and Grover yelling to someone to control the sea and help me.

As the wave surged down and I was pulled under I realized I could not swim, and panicked as my air was cut off. Boulders were still raining down on us, but I didn't care. I was quickly loosing consciousness.

As I was blacking out, I felt an arm wrap around my middle and drag me into a what I later found out was a large air bubble. I blearily looked up at the dark haired boy who was steering the bubble and kicking for the surface.

The next thing I knew I was dumped on the deck of a boat and the boy dove off the side again to fight Polyphemus. I spluttered and coughed up water as more people climbed over the railings of the boat. They weren't in much better shape than I was and one girl was barely conscious. No one noticed me as the bigger girl ran to the edge and shouted at the cyclops. "Yeah! Take that, you stupid brute!"

Within seconds a boulder fell within feet of the ship, creating waves so powerful I was knocked over again. I slammed into the mast of the ship and, once again, my world went black.