Hello readers. If you have read my A 'Goode' Surprise story, than you know my excuse for not being on in forever. And I really don't feel like repeating it.

And I'm thinking about changing my pen name to Teenaged Author or something else like that...so if you see something other than pjoroxs, it's still me.

Enjoy!

Chapter 25-The Kidnapping

Breakfast was….annoying to say the least.

That morning I had awoken with all the Apollo campers-minus my brother. Where was the idiot? Surely he'd come back to Camp sometimes!-crowded around my bunk staring down at me.

Andrea was on my bed, looking down at me, a big, happy smile on her face. When I opened my eyes to meet the little's girls face only inches from mine, I screamed and scrambled into the sitting position.

"Well, that's one way to wake her up," Oliver, one of my half-brothers, said as I started to take deep breaths to calm myself.

"So," Nina said, taking a seat at the other end of the bed, "what happened last night?"

Nina had a knowing smirk on her face as I blushed lightly and glared at her.

"Oh, I see!" Will announced, holding the digital camera little Andrea had last night. "You were having some…fun."

Will laughed as he showed the picture to the rest of the guys. Levi, one of the older guys, gave loose a low whistle as he stared at it.

"Geez, Jaycee, I would never have seen this coming," He said sarcastically as he laughed with Will. Oliver took one look at the picture and gave a wolf-whistle. Dean just laughed.

I made a move for the spare knife that was on the bedside table. I raised it at each of them in turn.

"I'm not afraid to gut you all like defenseless fish."

Oliver and Dean took a step back from me, hiding slightly behind Will and Levi. Nina laughed.

"I don't believe you!" She sang. I relaxed my shoulders and smiled slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I said as I pulled back the golden silk sheets of my bunk and got up. I walked to the trunk at the end of my bed and grabbed some baggy, boot cut jeans, and a Camp T-shirt, with the other essentials like underwear and a bra.

I headed into the bathroom and got ready for the day, trying to brush through my tangled mess of hair.

Will gathered everyone and we set off for the dining pavilion, me pulling up the rear.

When we sat down at our table we went through what was a camp normal. I got up and sacrificed some of my pancakes to the gods then went back to my seat to actually eat my breakfast.

Nina sat on one side of me and Andrea got sat on the other. She kept looking at me then bursting into a fit of giggles. Will-who was seated across from me-kept smiling, and would then try and question me about last night.

Oliver was trying not to laugh, and I was getting ready to kick Levi in the shins for asking me I enjoyed myself last night.

That's when the Hermes Cabin filed in.

I could tell that Travis was also teasing his brother, and the not-as-cramped cabin was joining in as well. Travis managed to catch my eye, and he gave a loud wolf-whistle, catching the attention of some of the nearby tables.

Don't do what I think he's going to do. Please! Gods, please, please, please-

"I'd like to make an announcement!" Travis yelled as he started to stand up on the top of the table. Travis then gestured for Will to come and help him with it, and Will had something flashy and silver in his….oh, gods, no!

Travis cleared his throat once more then made to direct the Hermes cabin as if they were a choir. Together, the whole Cabin Eleven was singing, "Connor's got a girlfriend! Connor's got a girlfriend!"

Will then drew the attention onto himself.

"I'd like to invite the happy couple to join me up here to relish in their embarrassment!"

Nina and Oliver then pulled me up out of my seat by the arms and started to drag me over to the table as Connor was hoisted up.

"Ah, come on!" I complained. "Isn't announcing it bad enough?"

Will laughed and shook his head. "And we caught them on camera!"

Soon, the picture was being passed around as Connor and I were forced to stay on the table until Will got the camera back.

But instead of going to finish my breakfast, I just stormed out of the dining pavilion, heading for the arena.

Upon arriving, I drew a knife out of my sock. It was something I'd found before school had started, during my two weeks at Camp in the winter. I pressed a button on the hilt and the knife extended into a sword.

I made my way to the first dummy and started to attack it. I was destroying a third dummy when I heard voices. They seemed to be coming from a distance.

"Dude! Let go of me!"

There was a sound like someone hitting something hard.

"Man, please, put me down!"

"Shut up," A second voice said. I recognized that voice. I peered over the edge of the arena to see my brother Drew pinning Connor against the wall of a nearby cabin.

"Now listen to me," Drew growled, "If I hear that you've done anything-anything-to hurt her, I will hunt you down, and there will be no place for you to hide. Got it?"

Connor nodded.

Drew looked at him through narrowed eyes before dropping Connor to the ground.

"Where is she?" Drew demanded.

"I don't know! She was just in the pavilion and then-" Connor never got to finish. Drew had already started for the pavilion.

"But she stormed off!" He called after my brother. "She's not there anymore!"

I waited until Drew was out of sight and out of ear shot before making my way over to Connor.

"Hey," I said gloomily. Connor jumped. "I heard what my brother was saying to you."

"Weird, isn't it?" Connor said slowly.

"What?"

"That he just shows up. No one's seen him in a while. Like, at all. Then, there was last night-" I blushed at the mere mention "- and he's back."

I sighed. "I guess….it's my fault."

I slumped down to the ground, placing my head against the wall of the cabin.

"What'd you mean?"

"I ran away from the apartment soon after my family arrived on a check-up. But my mom's not exactly...I don't know the word.

"But she's neglected me, and I'm not fond of her. Drew's always been there, you know? And it's always been like that since my mortal brother was born. Then I just pack up and try to leave him with parents he constantly fights with. He's blaming our family because….he's afraid it's his fault. But it's not. It's mine."

Connor looked ahead of us for a while. It was making me nervous, his being silent.

"I'll help," He said slowly. I looked at him, my eyes slightly misty.

"Why?"

"Because you can't do it single-handedly. I don't have much to do anyway, now that Travis and Katie started dating. And I want to help you." He put an arm around my shoulders and I allowed myself to place my head on his shoulder.

We sat there in silence like that for a few minutes. Some of the campers passed us, but left us alone. I waited for Drew to arrive again, but there was no sign of him.

I drew a deep breath then sighed. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"The help," I smiled. "I got to get to archery. Maybe Drew'll be there waiting for me."

I kissed his cheek before quickly getting up and hurrying away. Somehow, my bow appeared in my hands and my quiver strapped to my side.

When I arrived at the archery range, Drew was waiting for me. Just not the Drew I wanted to see.

The Aphrodite girl stood there, arms crossed, her perfectly applied lips pursed in irritation.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Sunshine herself," she sneered.

"You need to learn some better insults, Drew," I growled, pushing past her.

"So….you and the Joker. No wonder your brother was mad."

I stopped in my tracks.

"You saw my brother?"

"Oh yeah. He wasn't happy when he entered the pavilion earlier. Came in demanding to know where you were."

"Where is he?" I demanded.

"Why should I tell you?"

Instantly I had an arrow notched and the string pulled back, ready to fire. Drew didn't even look fazed.

"Pointing arrows won't help, hun."

My grip tightened on the bow. "Where. Is. My. Brother?"

"Which one? You have, what, five?" She smiled, feigning innocence.

I growled in frustration. "Drew. Where's my brother Drew Carter?"

"Oh, that brother," the Barbie doll smiled and inspected her perfectly manicured nails. "Turn around, sweetheart."

I turned, but too slowly. In the blink of an eye, my brother had put a sack over me, and I was incased in darkness.

I couldn't believe it. My own brother.

Drew had….had….had kidnapped me!

When the darkness was lifted from my eyes, I saw bars. And through those bars I saw my brother, Drew, and past him our family behind another set of bars.

"Where are we?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"It's nice to see you, Jay," Drew smiled as he said softly. I looked at him with a stony expression.

"Answer my questions. Where are we? Why am I here? Why did you kidnap me?" My voice grew louder with each question. Drew's smile faded replaced with a blank mask.

"We're somewhere, and you're here because I can't risk you running away again," Drew answered, looking distant.

"It's not your idea, is it? This isn't you, Drew! I know it isn't."

Drew just walked away, glaring at the cage across from me.

"Andrew David Carter! You answer me! Right now!" Drew continued walking until he reached a door. He took a glance back at me before opening the steel door and exiting the prison cell.

I looked across the room to my parents.

"I'm sorry," I breathed.

My mother looked at me with kind eyes for the first time since Jace was born.

"Oh, sweetie, it should be me who's sorry. Drew's kept us here since you disappeared, venting out his feelings. I never knew the way you two felt. I guess…I guess I wasn't prepared to have children who were as…special as the pair of you."

My eyes were watery as I crawled towards the bars. I gripped one tightly in one hand. We were in an uncomfortable silence for nearly an hour before something came to mind.

"I've got a plan to get out of here. I just have to contact some 'special' friends first." I smiled at them sadly. Jace was huddled in a corner, cowering. He looked as chubby and scared as ever, but he kept mumbling about his gaming device.

My step-dad nodded, and hugged my mom tightly as they sat on the floor.

"It may be awhile, though, so don't count on anything soon."

I backed away from the bars and sat in the middle of my cell. I crossed my legs as I started to meditate. I didn't know if it would even work, but I pleaded with as many gods as I knew (which was a lot). I took a deep breath through my nose and out through my mouth.

I concentrated hard on Connor, Travis, Meg, and Lana. Slowly, each of their images materialized in my mind, each of their faces.

I spoke, not aloud, but in my head, the situation I was currently in to my friends' sleeping faces.

Help! I do not know where this prison is, but the ride over here felt about two hours long. It seems to be abandoned. Don't underestimate an upset and angry Drew. He's as dangerous as he looks.

I let Meg's, Lana's, and Travis's faces dissolve in my mind, leaving their dreams in peace. I allowed myself to linger with Connor's.

Be careful, Connor. I….

I was about to say something, but then changed my mind.

Just be careful, okay? I don't know what I'd do if you died trying to rescue me or something.

As soon as his face disappeared and the last curl of his brown hair was no longer visible, I opened my eyes.

"I really like you," I whispered to myself, finishing the sentence I hadn't told Connor. I sighed as I laid myself down on the cold, cement ground, ready for a peaceful rest, unknowing of what time it was.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I've got to go, I've got a birthday party to go to later today! Buh-bye!

~*J.C*~