A/N: I'm a horrible author. A horrible, horrible author. My rant will continue at the bottom of the page, for now, read!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or Percy Jackson. For Zeus's sake, how many time do I have to repeat that?!

Chapter Nineteen--BPOV

Lady Athena? I asked again. Not, to be, um, rude or anything, but why'd you tell me that? You don't like Poseidon or any of his children… I trailed off, trying not to offend her.

It was silent in my mind—that's not a sentence you hear every day, is it? Hey, at least I'm creative—till she spoke.

I had a debt to pay. The sentence had the feeling of finality, and she withdrew.

I let out a ragged breath, in an immeasurable amount of confusion. Seriously, like multiply the weight of Atlas—he's a pretty heavy guy, not to mention that all that evil must add at least 20 pounds—by 5 and you won't even get how confused I was feeling.

Ares helped me after Medusa. Am I the only one who sees how sincerely messed up that is? And, now Athena's helping me? Either they forgot who my father was or I'm in seriously deep water—pun intended—and I just don't know it.

God, my life was just a piece of cake. Note the sarcasm…

But on second thoughts, if my life really were a piece of cake, I'd bet it would be one of those ones that gave you food poisoning or something equaling bad, like hydra venom.

Just saying.

"Bella," a soft toned voice edged in desperation interrupted my thoughts.

Edward.

"Huh?" I shook myself out of my thoughts, turning to face him, only managing to turn my face right into his chest, seeing how he held me cradled in my arms.

"What was it you were saying about the Volturi?" he asked me, brushing some hair back from my face. He looked like he was asking a casual question of no importance.

I yawned, my tiredness catching up to me after the nightmare, and sagged against him, breathing in his smell.

My last words before I fell asleep had Edward chuckling in confusion even after I fell asleep and in my dreams I could Emmett's booming laugh faintly.

"Yeah, what's the deal with their dull gray cloaks? I mean, what are they, spokespeople for the Middle Ages? I'm sure Armani could design better ones or—"

My words were cut off as I lost consciousness.

***

I yawned and flopped over on my belly.

"I'm never getting out of this bed!" I declared.

Edward raised his eyebrows at me from the end of my bed where he was sitting. "Bella, you have to get out of bed sometime."

"I'm tired," I mumbled.

"You're tired every morning," he argued.

"Well this morning I woke up at 3 AM and started to ponder the meaning of life." My voice was full of sarcasm.

He simply smiled at me. "And what was the answer from all your efforts?"

"42."

"42?"

"Yes, for Zeus's sake, Edward, I'm not Einstein," I groaned as I tried lifting myself out of my covers.

"You know, you are passing trigonometry class," he remarked, unsteadiness in his voice.

I glanced at him and saw that the unsteadiness was only laughter and grimaced at him.

There was a sudden knock at the door and I rolled over, almost falling off the bed, in fright.

"Come in Esme!" Edward called. Then he glanced down at me, his eyes glinting with silent laughter.

"You know, for a lethal person, you get startled very easily," he said, grinning.

"I hate you too," I grumbled at him, earning another chuckle as I sat up in bed when Esme walked into the room.

She brightly at Edward and I. "Bella dear, pancakes for breakfast in ten."

"Thanks, Esme, I'm sure the pancakes the pancakes will be delicious." It felt natural to praise her, she just radiated motherly concern and kindness.

A little snide voice in the back of my head, whispered, isn't this how Renee was supposed to act? But I pushed into a dark corner of my brain and ignored it.

***

"Edward, stop!" I cried. The affect was ruined because I was laughing hysterically.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"I can walk to breakfast myself! You don't need to carry me down!" I protested.

"No, I think I'm fine with this arrangement," he grinned.

"Well I'm not!"

"So?"

"Bite me."

I stuttered, realizing what I had just said. "I-I mean not like seriously—"

His lips skimmed my neck and all my nerves short-circuited.

Screw seriousness.

***

"Okay, Alice, Bella, and Emmett are on one team, Jasper, Rosalie, and Edward are on the other," Carlisle directed as lightning crashed overhead.

I turned to Alice. "Do we have to play baseball with the storm?"

"Bella, it's our cover-up," she sighed exasperatedly. I mean, it was my fifth time of asking her.

"It's just that I don't really like playing baseball with an all-powerful being throwing a temper tantrum in the sky," I pointed out.

Rosalie gave me a look that clearly said, 'Suck it up.'

I shot her one that said, 'Let's see what you'll be saying when we win.'

She grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

A/N: Forgive me if my baseball terms are mixed up, but I think I'll be okay with this.

"Okay, Bella, we're up to bat," Emmett explained. "I'm going to go first and then Alice and then you, got that? Just follow our example."

It was actually kinda cute how serious Emmett was about me getting hurt—okay, not so cute, but cute enough.

"Sure, sure, come on," I answered impatiently.

Soon enough I learned why Alice insisted on the storm.

When the baseball Emmett swung connected with the baseball I flinched and almost covered my ears.

Edward shot after it and for a second I had the image of a graceful mountain lion bounding after prey—until I realized that a mountain lion was probably snack for him.

The thought brought a giggle out of him.

Esme appeared next to me, smiling. "Emmett hits the farthest but Edward's the fastest. He'll get it, you'll see."

A second later he returned from the woods, a triumphant grin lighting up his face. The light rain made it seem like diamonds were his hair and at that moment I couldn't think of anything else but how lucky I was.

"Bella, your turn." Alice shook my shoulders.

"Shouldn't you go?" I asked her, raising one eyebrow.

"I already did," she laughed.

"Oh." I paused, "Did we win that round?"

"Uh…"

"That's answer enough, Alice," I smirked. "But how come?"

"It's nothing," she answered but an uneasy expression lingered on her face. I shrugged it off and stepped up to bat.

"Hey, Esme?" I called. "Since I'm human I get certain privileges, right?"

"What are you up to?" Carlisle asked, suspicion clear in his voice and his topaz eyes.

"Nothing…" I trailed off.

He shot me a look.

"Zeus!" I rolled my eyes at him, "I just figured that since I'm the only non-vampire here, instead of using the baseball bat—well… that I could use my sword?" The end of my sentence turned into a question.

"Use your sword? Are you crazy?" Edward was suddenly standing right next to me, glaring at me.

"Uh," I tapped a finger against my chin. "You know, let me think. Nope, don't think I am."

"But—"

"I'm using my sword," I smiled at him smugly.

He furrowed his eyebrows and set his lips into a frown—I only laughed.

"Okay," Edward muttered, stealing a quick kiss, not that I minded, no, "be safe. Promise me."

"I promise," I muttered grudgingly.

"Love you too," he chuckled, hiding his worries.

"Game on," I muttered.

I held the blunt side of my sword outward, ready to hit the ball, but then something happened.

Before you worry, I thought it was nothing. Nothing happened. Almost nothing, anyway.

I was standing there, absolutely ready, until a quick feeling fluttered through me. That was it, just a quick feeling. But it raised the hairs on the back of my neck and I missed the ball.

"Bella? You okay?" Emmett called.

"Yeah, Emmett, fine," I gave him a smile, brushing the feeling off, "just get Jasper to through the ball."

This time I was ready. Yep, completely ready.

My eyes followed the ball as it spun through the air towards me.

I'm going to hit this.

Or not.

I am.

Or… not.

A loud sound followed the throbbing that traveled down to my hands as my sword connected to the baseball and it flew through the air.

I think for a second we all stood still. Edward was poised to run after the ball, but he didn't. No one moved. Our eyes followed through its decent into the woods till Alice muttered, "Oh no."

Emotion stood out in her voice—the problem was that I couldn't tell what it was. Anyway, it made all of us snap around to face her.

"Vampires," she muttered again, her gaze slightly unfocused. "Three. Now."

Silence.

"Umm, maybe I should go?" I offered.

"You should," Edward answered, his voice hard, his marble face showing no emotion. "Come on."

"We don't have enough time," Alice spoke. Her voice was matter-of-fact.

"Yes, we do," he said, his hand already clenched around my wrist, dragging me away.

"No, Edward, we don't."

"We have to!" he yelled at her, twisting us around to glare at her, his black eyes burning, flashing. "We have to!"

But we didn't—raise your hand if you just knew that was going to happen—because if those few seconds we were caught up in arguing, three vampires entered the clearing.

My first thought, right before fear bubbled through me was: Darn, I really wanted to play baseball.

Then I saw them.

The first thing I noticed was all of them had deep burgundy eyes, setting off alarm bells in my mind.

A male was in the front, his olive complexion a bit deeper than the others. He had dark hair and his mouth was set in a winning smile though his eyes were hard and bright. A female and another male followed him. The woman instantly stood out, because of her red hair, impossibly curly—I could totally use those curls, I thought distractedly—and a feral, wild air around her. It was immediately obvious by her cat-like stance that she was the less—civilized? And it made me want to back away.

But when I observed the second male I wanted to run and run, because—

He had long blond hair that was tied back into a ponytail and those blood red eyes. But his were filled with—knowledge? Like he knew every one of my secrets, the ones I could probably sell for a million dollars.

The wind rustled in the trees. Not one of us spoke until the first male raised his hands in the universal I-won't-tear-your-head-off signal.

"My name is Laurent," his melodic voice said, "and these are my companions, Victoria," he gestured towards the woman with the flame-colored hair, "and James."

I knew it.

I knew that Edward didn't want me speak, that he wanted me to stand silently so that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't notice that I was human.

But I also knew—

Slowly, I raised eyes to meet James' and I couldn't regret what I was about to say—that maybe as soon as I did he would lean over gracefully and kill me.

Edward's hand was gripping my wrist, his posture rigid. I couldn't think that if I did this, maybe this was the last time I would see him. All I could think was that after I spoke he would be impossibly angry with me. Because I had to hope that was an after.

So I stared into those red eyes and spoke.

The words fell from my lips with a slight tremor.

"I—I know you."

"Indeed you do," James smirked. "Bella."

A/N: I'M SUCH A BAD WRITER AND I'M IMPOSSIBLY SORRY AND I'M JUST SORRY! Oh my god, when I think about how long I haven't updated I feel so ashamed. Sorry guys, I'm going to try and make sure that never happens again.

So, what'd ya think about the chapter though? Am I too rusty or do you like it? Comments, people, comments!

And about my poll—should Bella be turned into a vampire or not?—more people want her to be turned. That doesn't mean I'm going to do it, not at all. And there's another option that I'm considering, that maybe she'll turn immortal WITHOUT being bitten. But the deciding day is too far off so don't worry.

Plus, I'm maybe, just maybe, thinking of planning a sequel when this is done. It's an idea in my head right now and this story is hardly done but tell me what you think. Would you read it or not?

So you guys can flame me for my bad updating schedule and I won't say a thing. Take your chance now! ;)

But my life is really hectic right now so though my updating won't be THIS bad, it won't be as quick as it was before.

And if all of you want an explanation for the updating, it's a new school year—Zeus knows why the teachers just can't lay off of us—and I sprained my ankle a while ago but now I have to go to physical therapy. Bummer, right? Whatever though, I can cope.

Click that adorable green button for me, will you? I'll give you… umm… Percy in his complete green-eyed hotness for the night! ;)