As they walked to the truck, Melanie thought about how she was going home. She would never see Henry or Nico again. It had been the first time she had ever made real friends, and now they were being taken away from her. At least she wouldn't remember it.

Melanie was slung over Cameron's shoulder, so she didn't get to see what the sudden screams were. Evan's screams. She heard a thud and a slash. Next thing she knew, there was dust in her face, and she was being caught in the air. Nico set her down gently. Melanie turned to see Percy, Henry, and Grover. Evan was knocked out cold. And Cameron… well Cameron was the dust in her face, which she found disgusting.

"Okay, we are going to tie them up, then you will explain how the heck you guys got free," Melanie demanded. They boys nodded, then began to clean up their mess.

Once Evan and his crew were tied up, Melanie made everybody explain their escape story. All except Henry who was keeping an eye on the captives.

"Well," Nico began, "Once we had heard you escaped, Percy and I began to work on our own little escape plan. Percy handed me Riptide, his pen sword thing, and I began to undo my rope. They didn't do a good job on tying me up and-"

"Wait,"Melanie demanded, "How did Percy hand you Riptide?"

"They put it in my shirt pocket," Percy began, "making it easy enough for me to pull it out using my mouth, but I wasn't able to make it a sword without it hurting me or Nico."

"So Percy managed to toss it to me, and once I was free of that rope, I shadow traveled to the outside of the truck. And I guess that since Percy intentionally handed it to me, it didn't wind back up in his pocket."

"Yup. So while the guard on duty was gone, we managed to slip out of our ropes, well Grover did. Then he got the rest of us free. So once you two were being brought back in, we escaped. And since riptide had been left outside, he arrived in my pocket, and I guess you know the rest."

Melanie thought over the story then asked Percy, "Wait, you have a pen that turns to a sword, and if you lose it it returns to your pocket?"

"Pretty much," he responded. "Now are we going to get moving?"

"Sure, who's driving?" Nico asked.

"Percy, your the only one with a drivers license. I also think I saw Thorn with a hat… it should work," Grover said.

"Sounds good, but there's one thing I need to do," Percy said as he dashed to the last, and largest room. Melanie followed him. She peered into the door and saw Percy releasing the Pegasi one by one. Melanie saw the problem and raced to one. It was Blackjack. The horse who had taken her to camp the day she learned she was a demigod.

"Hey Blackjack. How's it going? I'm just going to get you free," Melanie said as she began to untie him. She was starting on a knot when she saw Nico starting on the same knot.

"Need help?" Nico asked.

"Sure," Melanie said. With Nico, Melanie, and Percy all working to undo the numerous knots, the Pegasi were free within minutes. They all lead the Pegasi outside of the truck. Percy began to give them instructions to return to camp with Henry and Grover.

Once the satyr cousins had left, Percy took a look at the truck to so he could drive it. "How much different from a car can it be?" he said. Melanie took inventory of what was in the" kitchen". Not much by the look of it. Peanut butter, bread, jelly, expired chips, about fifteen water bottles, and… well Melanie wasn't sure what the brown lump of stuff was.

She also found the backpacks she, Henry, and Nico were planning to bring. They had planned to have someone else grab everything else they hadn't brought. She changed her clothes, brushed her teeth using a water bottle, and put her hair in a braid to keep it out of her face.

Nico had decided to take watch over their prisoners, so Melanie made some sandwiches then brought one to Nico.

"Oh look! A girl who makes sandwiches!" Nico said. Which then proceeded with Melanie picking the sandwich off of his plate and licking it. "Sorry, I was kidding."

"Well, enjoy your licked PB&J sandwich." Melanie said as she turned to walk out.

He looked Melanie right in the eye, then took a bite of his sandwich and said, "Delicious!"

"Gross!" Melanie said, "I can't believe you actually ate that!"

"Well, I actually switched them when you turned around."

Melanie didn't know why, but she found that hysterical. She started laughing.

"Get a room!" Garrett said in his dog crate.

"Nice to see your up," Nico said as he walked towards him. He put a finger to Garrett's head, and a moment later Garrett was back out.

"What was that?" Melanie asked.

"Something to keep him asleep," Nico said as he did that to the other three.

"I need some sleep," Melanie said.

"It doesn't have the best side effects," Percy said as he appeared in the door, "I know from experience, but there's a bed in the back of the cab. It's yours if you want it. "

"Sure," Melanie said as she followed Percy.

Once they were on the road, Percy said, "Nico sure does like you."

"So I've heard," Melanie replied.

"It is pretty obvious, but take it easy on him. Let him down easy if that's what you plan to do. He's had it harder than most demigods."

"I think I kinda like him too is the thing," Melanie said.

She saw Percy smirk in the rear view mirror, and he said, "Well good, now get some sleep." Melanie nodded then slowly drifted off to sleep.