Okay, so get this. My Microsoft password is missing and I can't get on at all. So, I figured out that fanfiction supports this stuff, so I'm trying it out. Best of luck to me!

13

I never found out what Travis's dream was all about. I was too busy trying to keep my family from fainting on spot.

My dad had been born without the sight that some mortal parents had, but he could detect what a monster was when it changed. It's like demigod sight, only weaker and far less helpful. He was pretty shaken up, but otherwise he was okay... Carrie and the steps; not so much.

Torie and Tara were hiding behind Carrie as much as possible, Carrie was staring open-mouthed, the triplets were literally shaking, and Layla... Well, let's just say Layla was at a loss for words. She stood there pointing at random spots around us while trying to form a sentence.

"You... and they... those things... dobermans...swords...," she said. Shawty and I gently laid her down on a bed and covered her face with a blanket to decrease the shock.

"She's going to need some time to recover," I told everyone else. "You guys take a break. I need to handle this for a second."

Everyone nodded and left. Only Travis was a little hesitant. I looked at him and knew what he was thinking.

"I'll talk to you about it later," I said. He nodded reluctantly and walked over to his brother.

I sighed and tried to calm down my family. The triplets I knew were trying to be manly, but it wasn't passing. I give them credit, though. They just walked off to the other side of the room, and tried to immerse themselves into their iPods. Layla was still shivering under the covers. As much as I hate her guts, it was creepy to watch he become so tormented just by the sheer image of a monster that I face on a regularly basis. It had to be scary. Carrie was better, but not by much.

She was holding onto my dad's arm asking, "It's not real! Bruno, please, tell me it's not real!"

My dad was holding her and trying to calm her by saying consoling words. It was helping, but it was a slow process. And the twins...

Oh my gosh, the little ones were broken! Just the sight of them crying and clenching and unclenching their eyes, jaws, teeth, and hands was to much for me to bear.

I walked over to them and put my arm on Tara's shoulder. She and Torie looked at me and ran into my arms. Funny how everyone doesn't seem to hate my guts today. I let them sob into my shoulder where I find myself consoling them.

"Hey, guys, it's okay. You're safe. Nothing's going to get you," I said quietly. "I'm here." I never realized until now how much meaning that held. Somehow I kept saying things that led up to one of the most controversial things ever, and I had never even realized it until I started to tell my story.

Anyways, they just stood there and cried and cried. Eventually I thought that they were going to dry up like prunes, but that was when Shawty came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and she said, "Let me take care of it. You've done enough."

I was grateful for everyone's help. Travis, Connor, and Adidas each handled a twin, Shawty handled the twins, my dad handled Carrie, and that left me with Layla. Sadly, she had come a bit. I walked over to her bed.

She was unrecognizable. Her hair was messy, her blue eyes were distraught and graying, and her body wouldn't stop trembling. The stuck up, confidant Layla Moriarty that I knew never got this shocked. It kind of made me feel sad... and triumphant, but mostly sad.

She fixes her gaze on me with her murky blue eyes. Usually they were clear as the Thai waters, but now... they were opaque not letting anything pass. Probably to step away from shock.

"Hey," is all she says. I stuff my hands in my pockets and look at the floor.

"You don't look good," I replied. She makes a feeble attempt at rolling her eyes.

"What else do you expect?" she asked me sarcastically. I shrugged.

"I guess for you to be a man for once. You're the oldest. You have to be a leader for everyone else. You family needs you." Okay, maybe I was going overboard a bit possibly to build a mushy moment (thank you very much Aphrodite), but if it was anytime to break Layla into a good person, now was better than never.

She turned her head to look at her family. The triplets on the brink of losing their cool, the twins broken, and finally Carrie who was unmoving in the arms of my dad. My heart clenched at the scene.

Only once had I seen my dad look like that, five years ago. I don't talk about it because it makes me embarrassed, but the last time he showed that compassion for anyone was when it was just him and me; when I was his only world. Now, Carrie stepped into his life, and I admit I was a little jealous. But it doesn't matter, because I am his only true child.

Layla let out a sigh, "I guess we have only ourselves to blame for this."

I nodded in agreement. It was out right at the airport that had gotten them to meet. My jealousy started the day I threw a punch. I sighed, "You're right."

"Sometimes I wish we hadn't fought at all."

"Me too," I replied. "But there are upsides to it too."

"Like what?" she asked ready to win this battle. I sat the foot of her bed.

"Well, our parents are happy, I got to learn about sibling rivalry, and you learned about humility." She glared at me. I bet that if she could have moved, she would've hit me with a pillow right then and there. "You have learned about humility, and I have learned about sibling rivalry. That's one thing I knew very little on. I had only gone to camp for two years then."

"But still, all we ever do is fight."

"It's because we don't see eye to eye. That's all," I replied. I sighed. "It's tiring."

"What?" Layla asked. Man, she was slow.

"Fighting,"I said again. "I'm getting tired of it. Even outside of fighting monsters, I yell at Travis and Connor enough. The last thing I need is more."

Layla was moving violently next to me. I snapped my head over to make sure she wasn't having a seizure... But she was laughing?

"Oh, Katie stop. You're making my side hurt," she said between laughs. I looked at her confused. Normally, I couldn't even make a kid laugh, but now that I, somehow, made Layla laugh was puzzling.

"What did I say?" I asked. Her laughs calmed into more giggles and she stared at me pointedly.

"Seriously?" she asked. "Are you really that dumb?"

I pulled out my last report card that I had stuffed into my pocket. She didn't speak but the thought behind her eyes was "Oh..." enough.

"I think that would be a yes," I said. She rolled her eyes. Her mobility was improving. Darn! "I think it is much more helpful that I can survive monster attacks then learn trigonometry!"

"But still," she started, "you honestly don't see it?"

"See what?" I asked. Then it dawned on my. "Oh, no no no no no no! Travis and I are mortal enemies! That's it! Nothing else!" I knew she saw through it. I saw through it.

"Why aren't you guys together?" she asked.

"Connor would kill Travis, and Miranda would have my head," I muttered. Layla scoffed.

"Forget about them!" she said. I raised my eyebrows. Was I going to trust Layla with relationship advice? "What about you?"

I she flipped her hand, "Oh, please, I would never fall for him! Partially because he was already falling for you, and you obviously liked him behind all that 'Oh, he's so annoying' and 'he's so immature' crap. I was merely getting you to wake up inside!"

I noticed something a bit different about Layla. She never did me any favors, let alone an advice column. I knew it was a long shot, but...

"Aphrodite?" I whispered. Layla smiled and nodded. "You're not possessing a human are you? That's against the rules! And speaking to me... That's two rules!"

Layla changed into another form. She started to look like Kelly Clarkson for a second, then Selena Gomez, and finally, she settled on Carrie Underwood. They were all people I idolized for being pretty.

"Katie, I'm am not possessing Layla, I was merely speaking through her, but now that I have re energized, I can speak directly. Layla will be in the top bunk." She fiddled with her earrings. "No, I have come to talk with you about Travis."

"Oh gosh," I groaned. "Why won't this end? I think you know what's going on between us!"

"Katie, it's much more serious than that, but I am so glad that you two got together! I mean seriously, you two are the cutest thing since Percabeth!"

"Percabeth?" I gagged. "What the heck?"

"Percy and Annabeth's celebrity name," she said obviously. "I promised that their relationship would be hard and I intend that it be the same with you two, just not as much publicity..."

I paled, "Oh, no, it's okay. You don't have to do that."
Aphrodite laughed, "Oh, honey, I want to do it! I'm trying to get Apollo or the nine Muses to write a book series about your lives. Why, Percy's has already started!"

I was a little confused about that, but I put it aside, "So, what did you come to talk to me about?"

Her face darkened, "Oh it's about-"

"Travis I know! What about is he going to break the house?"

"Actually it's much more serious," she said. This time my heart clenched. "I can't say more, but the obvious."

I prompted her. "He's in danger."

"How?" I asked devastated. "Are more monsters catching the scent? How could things get worse?"

"Katie, the situation with Gaea is much more important than many people think. Porphyrion is trying too many scary methods to get supporters. Mortals are switching sides. He wants Demeter kids mostly. They have earth power, and their blood spilled could just be enough to increase the rate at which Gaea is rising."

"What does this have to do with Travis?" I asked. I was already spooked by the spilling of Demeter blood, but now that my boyfriend was getting involved was even worse.

"People will do anything for a loved one," she said softly with a smile. "It' one of the most powerful things in the whole world. Good people want it, but the ones who embrace it receive the genuine kind. You may not realize it, but the bond between you and Travis is strong, but fraying. Both of you are seeking approval from others."

"You're sending mixed signals here." She though in her head as if trying to put her words in the simplest way possible but not without keeping things sealed.

"Embrace your relationship," she said. "But beware the hazards of Gaea and the ways to get to you. Remember it's you they want."

I was still confused, "But wait what does that mean?"

"Sorry, Katie," she said looking at the time. "I must go. Zeus is getting mad. You have spirit, Katie. I truly hope you survive."

And with that, the Goddess of Love disappeared with a puss of sea foam.