His hair was brushed down, and he was wearing a navy blue business suit and carrying a leather briefcase, something I had never seen him in before. At his side was the Asian woman from the photo I'd seen yesterday, her dark hair in a braid and her white blouse complimenting her black shirt and heels.

Mattie had to scoot me out of their way as they walked past.

"Da-"

I stopped myself before I could finish, but still he turned.

"Excuse me?"

I looked to find his glasses, a new pair with dark brown trim. It felt so unreal to be seeing him there. The last time I'd seen him, he'd been walking away as I screamed his name.

"…Sorry," I spoke quietly, "I thought you were someone else."

He nodded, his lady gave a friendly wave, and off they went to the front doors. I watched them exit the building without a glance back or a care in the world about who I had been. There was no trace of me left in him. Hera had done a superb job, and it felt as though I had been run over by a truck.

"Aeneas," Percy was at my side, though I hadn't seen him walk up, "let's go in now. The elevator's ready…Aeneas?"

"We're fine," Mattie took my hand and led me in as the doors closed, "just letting reality sink in," she looked me straight in the eyes, "aren't we?"

"…Yeah."

I felt stupid. With everything that had happened, I didn't have a single clue as to where Mattie had come from. I knew she had been on the run, but from where? With anyone else? Who was her family? "Hey, Mattie," I asked as Percy pushed a secret button, "I know Mars is your dad, but what about…your other family members?"

We began to ascend. She leaned back against a wall, and I noticed that she wasn't wearing her jumper anymore. She had put on dark blue jeans and an orange camp shirt under her coat. We matched. "The truth is…I don't know."

"What?"

"You heard me, ninny," she crossed her arms and smiled, "my whole life has been on the road. Apparently my mom died when I was just a baby. It had been a car accident, and I had been with my "mysterious" father when it had happened. My Aunt Delilah took me in, and guess what? We weren't related by blood. Mom had no one else. Delilah was an old friend that traveled with a singing group. You know, country and all that."

"…You've traveled the country," Percy summarized, "singing country?"

"I didn't sing! I helped out back. We lived on and by the road, holding campfires and staying in our RV's. It was great – until the monsters showed up. I'd figured out that I was different a few weeks ago. I got in a fight with a couple roughneck boys, and well…anyway, the knife appeared on my bed after I had a dream from my father. He told me to leave and take the fight on my own accord. I had to run, so I told Aunt Delilah I was going solo and booked it out before they could get hurt. I thought I had lost them, until I ran into those harpies. Then you guys showed up, and here we are, on an elevator to Olympus."

The elevator hummed to a stop. "Speaking of which," Percy stepped out front as the doors opened, "welcome, friends."

It was breathtaking. As in it took my breath away. As in I almost choked when I saw it. Which could have been because I suddenly had all the gods' scents together from their sources, and it was the real reason I had a tear in my eye. Quick reminder, most of my life I'd seen nothing but trees and cabins. Now I stood before a city made of great white architecture and music so lively, had it been in the center of the city it would have shook it to its core with power.

"This is amazing!" Mattie was in even deeper shock than I was, because that's all she could say as we walked past buildings, gardens and minor gods that gave us confused but content glances. A couple of young females in sleeveless pink gowns walked past, waving and giggling to Percy. Of course he waved back.

(He's also told me to write that he didn't give them a second glance, just in case Annabeth reads this.)

We soon reached what looked to be a coliseum sized room, with a circle of thrones occupied by the gods (and a bubble of water with a cow-fish in it that Percy greeted. How sweet). We stood at the entrance and awaited our directions.

"Welcome, Aeneas Forrester," Hera raised her hand, her dark hair braided over her shoulder and her golden robes shimmering, "I see you've brought company. Welcome back, Percy Jackson."

Percy waved at Poseidon, who gave a friendly wave back. "A pleasure to see my boy again."

"And welcome to Olympus, Mattie Smith."

"Oi," Ares glared at me from his throne, dressed in red leather and spiked boots, "what makes you think you can drag my daughter around anywhere?"

"Someone needed to make sure they got here safe, father," Mattie gestured to both Percy and I, "and to make sure they didn't get lost."

I was proud of how well Mattie handled being in the audience of the gods. Ares, took it even better, and he began to laugh. "You really are my daughter. I never should have doubted. You have to understand, though, girl, that I've got strict standards."

She nodded. "If you didn't you'd never be the greatest commander as you are."

"Exactly! See that, Aeneas? Now there's someone who deserves power. First Clarisse, and now her. Bother brilliant-"

"Enough," Zeus banged his fist against his throne arm and brought silence over all Olympus, "we are not here to chat. Hera, speak of Aeneas' future now."

I shivered. Whatever was going to happen, I couldn't run like Mattie had. I was in the presence of the gods.

I was about to learn of my true mission.

We're about to leave the house, because people are coming in for the Open House today. It's weird knowing people are going to be looking around my room, judging to see if it's the right fit for their family. I suppose I'll be doing the same next week, though, so I can't really complain.

And now the gods are here, and Aeneas is about to learn what he's off to do next. The story only has a few more chapters, but I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I have writing it. It's been a blast visiting these guys again (Why doesn't the second Magnus book come out until October?!), and seeing old characters is always a treat, right?

Until the next chapter!