Percy's POV

With Thalia constantly mourning over the loss of Nico, it was hard to concentrate. I tried to focus on buying tickets to Greece or buying equipment of other important things like that, but I couldn't. I was always at Thalia's side; comforting her, telling her it's going to be all right, or anything else that she's worrying about. Once we got the tickets, we packed up our things and then we headed toward the Pasco airport. Our tip wouldn't be on that airplane the whole time though. Thank the GODS! We were going to stop in Chicago and then we will fly to Greece from there.

I got my stuff and then I decided to check up on Thalia. I looked into the back room. There she was, sitting on the bed with her bag of clothes next to her. She appeared to be holding a piece of paper or a picture. I knocked against the door. She jumped up in surprise and she stuffed what she was looking at in her purse. I looked at all the bags she had and I noticed her bow on her bed, along with her arrows.

"You know you can't take those on the plane," I stated, as I pointed at her weapons, "You know you'll have to keep them here, or find a way to hide them like turning them into a toothbrush." She looked offended, but she nodded, agreeing with me.

"I know…what do you think I should change them into?" she said, "but not a toothbrush!"

"You could change the quiver and arrows into a box of licorice, like Red Vines or Twizler's. But I don't know about the bow…WAIT! Change it into a snicker's bar," I said. She just stared at me. I was hungry! What should she expect?

"Why a snicker's bar?" she asked.

"There more popular," I explained.

"What about a Butterfinger or Reese's peanut butter cup?" she asked.

"Whatever… How do you know how to turn things into other objects?" I asked.

"I just do. My dad is Zeus!" she replied. She turned around and faced her bags.

Then I got up the courage to ask her a question, "Hey Thalia?" she turned back around to look at me.

"Yes?" she asked. She stared at me with great consent. I waited a little to see how I would say things delicately.

"What…what were you looking at before I came in?" I breathed a sigh of relief. I had finally gotten the courage to ask. I expected Thalia to explode in rage telling me off and trying to stab me with her hidden knife that only I and Nico had known about. I expected her to give me her famous death glare. No. She just sat there and stared at the floor. Something was bothering her. I just knew it. "Thalia…what's wrong?" I asked as I sat next to her. She began to cry. I got off the bed and stood in front of her. I held out my hand to help her up and I'm glad she took it. I grabbed a tissue from a Kleenex box and I wiped her tears with it. She laughed and then said the most random comment.

"I would expect Nico to do things like that. I knew you two were close…I'm sorry that she had to die. At least your soul mate has the ability to be brought back from the dead. I fear that Nico will try to kill me, and the thought drives me mad! I go insane thinking of all the torture I will receive from his best friends, the Furies. I've seen what happened to you, but I know that's not the worst. I wish that I could just, see him one last time!" she said. She began to sob and I hugged her. She embraced me and we fell silent except for Thalia sniffles. Her tears soaked my shoulder and we stood there until I backed up.

"It's going to be okay, alright?" I assured her, "We're better off without Nico." She looked me straight in the eyes and I saw her relax and calm down, "He's a big boy. For a fifteen year-old, he really packs a punch!" she laughed and smiled.

"Thanks," she said, "Oh crap! We have to go! We are going to miss the flight!" she shot up and grabbed her stuff. I helped as well as picked up my own stuff. We got out of the bus and walked toward the airport. We found out flight door to the plane and we waited for fifteen minutes before we got on the plane. We got seats next to each other and Thalia said I would be safer for me to be away from the window. If Zeus saw me through that window, I'd be a fried oyster! Not fun! We held hands and pretty soon, we were on our way to Chicago.

The first fight was long and dreary, but finally we were in Chicago. Thalia seemed mesmerized by all the tall buildings and all the people. I watched in amazement.

We stopped at a Cold-Stone Creamery for some ice cream and we sat down until we were called to go on the next flight to Greece. We happily walked to the door and we go on our flight. Greece, here we come!

"He looks suspicious. Do you think Zeus sent out people to try to kill us? I mean, he knows where we are! We are in HIS TERRITORY! He will try to kill us!" Thalia said she seemed a little pissed off. I didn't care too much.

"Tell Zeus to calm down. I mean you ARE his favorite daughter!" I said. She looked offended as Hades! I struck a nerve that wasn't meant to be struck.

"Listen here, Jackson! I'm in a crappy mood and I don't need you to make some smartass remarks! JUST SHUT UP!" she whispered loudly. I did.

As the flight went on, the feeling of being watched became greater. I didn't like it. I was constantly looking al all the people in the plane, my hand wrapped around Riptide's pen form. Then it hit me. The man I was suspicious of before was messing with something in his hand. Once the flight attendant said we could "you are free to move about the cabin", the man stood up and began to walk toward the front.

"Thalia!" I whispered. She looked over and took off her headphones, which were playing Telephone by Lady Gaga.

"What?" she asked.

"The man is walking toward us!" I whispered. I saw her tense. He eyes looked nervous and I know that the eyes don't lie. But I knew what she was going through. She wasn't ready to fight now that Nico was gone, just like I'd been when I lost Annabeth.

"Listen closely, we are going to have to fight him. But wait until he strikes. He will be the one attacking. Alright?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'll get my bow," she said and she started to unzip her carry-on.

"No! Use your dagger. People might think it's something else through the Mist, but I'll think they will recognize a bow and arrows when they see it.

"What about you? Your sword isn't too noticeable," she said sarcastically.

"I'll say it was my cane. You can turn my pen into a cane if they question us," I said.

"Okay…LOOK OUT!" she screamed. The man pulled out a sword and tried to slice us to pieces. I quickly unbuckled and pulled our Riptide. The people around us began to scream and the security guards began to arrive and they tried (and failed) to settle things.

"ON THE GROUND!" they would yell, but I would keep trying to block and counter his offensive moves. Thalia was trying her best to get unbuckled, but her seatbelt got jammed. She was desperately trying to unbuckle it when the man's sword that I block blade down upon her thigh.

"Ahh!" she yelled. The blood flowed through her clothes and began to stain the seat.

"Someone help her!" I yelled. I thought of a way to get him to lose and one came up. I gave a quick kick at his crotch and this took a couple seconds for him to process. Then he felt it and he stumbled to the ground. I kicked his weapon out of his hands and I helped Thalia, like she had helped me. I picked her up and I began to carry her to the flight attendants room. We, being the doctor there and myself, stopped the bleeding and probably saved her life. Although she wouldn't die, she was still going to be agonizing me, annoying me to death. Percy, get me a glass of water. Percy, I want a burrito, Percy, help me get to the bathroom. Percy! This was going to be a nightmare.

We were asked a couple of questions. They asked me how I defeated such a tough man and I briefly explained that I had taken a martial arts class when I was young and I gave him a kick to the crotch. They nodded in approval. Then they asked what he attacked with. I said that I couldn't tell. It was going all too quick. Then they asked why he attacked us. We stared at the floor. Then Thalia explained, "He's my father. I ran away to elope with this guy," she nudged my arm. I played along and hugged her, which took her by surprise, "when he found out that we were going to Greece, he was furious and he obviously tried to kill us on the plane." It was a good story! Even I believed it. "The reason why we don't have the same last name is I chose to my mom's last name when she remarried. I hated his last name. Grace is much better!" I was proud of her.

They let us go and they moved us to a different seat. We got first class. They apologized and they wished us a happy marriage and honeymoon. "Don't do anything too stupid, I did and there were consequences!" they would say and we laughed at that.

As I watched Thalia sleep, she seemed peaceful. I smiled. Then I drifted to my own sleep. Then I woke up and heard, "we will begin our final decent in half an hour." I breathed a sigh of relief. Today, we'd be in Greece and I was going to LOVE IT!