Hey guys! How are you? Oh, my, gosh, I can't believe I've been updating once a week! Ya know, it's really hard to type up the book, harder than you'd think. Anyway, I had my first softball game of the season yesterday. We lost and it rained for a bit, but that's okay! We have another game this Sunday. I mean, yeah, sure, we lost 12-4, but I struck at least 8 people out! So . . . go me! And wish me luck for Sunday?
Anyway, aside form that, I got a 27/30 on my Navi quiz, AND a 96/100 on my math test! Go me! My mom took me to 7 eleven.
Tomorrow's my brother's birthday, guess what I got him? A poster with Shakespearean insults!
Well, enough about me.
Disclaimer: I am a girl who is in middle school, not a middle-aged man. I do not own Percy Jackson, nor am I payed for this. This is purely to saturate my need for doing a reading the books fic and your entertainment.
Shabbat Shalom!

CHAPTER 3: GROVER UNEXPECTEDLY LOSES HIS PANTS

Confession time: I ditched Grover once we got to the station.

"Really?" deadpanned Annabeth.

"You wouldn't?" Theo retorted.

Annabeth was at a loss for words.

I know, I know, it was rude. But Grover . . . me out . . . dead man . . . why does it always have to be sixth grade?"

"That is really creepy," said Nico, shaking his head.

Whenever he . . . acted up, . . . surprised when . . . got off the bus . . . wait for him, . . . to the restroom. Instead of . . . suitcase, . . . caught the first taxi uptown.

"East One-Hundred-and-fourth First," I told the driver.

"I don't live there anymore. Haven't since Yancy," sad Theo.

Percy looked excited.

A word about my mother before you meet her.

"Amazing."

"Terrific."

"Best mom ever."

"Greatest chef in the world."

"Great."

"Awesome."

"Fantastic."

"I miss her, admitted Theo. "I mean, first there was the whole, 'camp half-blood leader switcheroo, and then then the war . . . I only got a couple months after that, and a lot of that was spent in Camp half-blood and New Rome."

A lot of people looked sad at that, but Percy was confused at why they'd all met his mom.

Thalia, upon seeing that, took it upon herself to explain. "Sally's place is kind of a safe house for demigods. Anyone can stay over there, they're really accommodating."

Percy nodded in understanding.

Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world . . . that the best people always have the worst luck. Her own parents . . . when she was five . . . an uncle who didn't care . . . a novelist, so she spent high school . . . got cancer . . . she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.

"And then she took me and Jason, and left cow poop for Annabeth," said Theo.

"I hate her," Annabeth agreed, shaking her head.

"Here here!" shouted Leo, raising a glass (where'd he get that?) in agreement.

"Ah - who are you talking about?" asked Chiron, looking a little lost.

"Who'd like to join the 'I Hate Hera' club?" asked Theo.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, but all the futures agreed immediately.

Calypso continued before anyone could ask anything else.

The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.

"Aw," cooed Silena. "That's so cute!"

I don't have any memories . . . warm glow . . . of his smile . . . makes her sad . . . no pictures.

"He visited you?" asked Chiron, looking interested.

"The sea doesn't like to be restrained," said Theo, smiling like he had just told them a funny joke.

See, they weren't . . . Atlantic . . . not dead, she said. Lost at sea.

"Ooh, she's good," said Chris.

She worked odd jobs . . . school diploma, and raised me on her own. She never . . . not once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.

"Yeah, no shit," muttered Thalia under her breath. Luckily, Chiron didn't hear her. The futures did, however, because they all snickered. Theo sent them a half-hearted glare, then moved so he was practically on Luke's lap.

Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, . . . as a world-class jerk. . . nicknamed him Smelly Gabe . . . wrapped in gym shorts.

"What a pig," said Drew, disgusted.

"That's an insult to pigs," joked Theo weakly, looking pale.

Between . . . pretty hard. The way . . . treated her . . . Well, when I came home is a good example.

I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home . . . chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.

"That's gross," commented Pollux.

Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."

'Where's my mom?"

"Working," he said. "Got any cash?"

"What?" screeched Annie. "That's the first thing he said?!" she demanded.

"It's fine," Theo reassured her, taking the focus off Percy, who looked at him gratefully.

That was it. No, welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been these past six months?

Gabe had put on weight . . . thrift-store clothes. He had . . . or something.

He managed . . . most of the time . . . collecting paychecks . . . he called it "our guy secret." meanwhile, if I told my mom, he'd punch my lights out.

It was drop-dead silent.

You could hear a foam sponge drop, with how quiet it was.

Now, at the moment, the only people that had known before-hand were Thalia, Nico, and Annabeth, but even they didn't know the full extent of it.

"Did he hit you?" asked Jason, his voice echoing.

Percy shrank in on himself.

"Did. He. Hit. You."

Theo braced himself. "Yes," he said softly.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Jason asked, voice cracking.

"First off, I did, I told Pinecone Face, Death Breath, Wise Girl, and Grover, and when have you ever heard abused victims actually talking about their abuse?"

"I -" Jason seemed to be gathering his thoughts. "Was it just hitting?"

Theo froze, not expecting this question. "I - wha-what do you mean?" he croaked.

"I'm assuming he gets drunk a lot. So, did he do anything else?"

"I- no! Why would you -"

Theo was getting more and more panicked. He shrugged off Luke and pulled his knees to his chest, shaking his head, all while muttering, "no, I'm sorry, no no no no . . . "

There was static in his brain. His thoughts were buzzing, his vision started getting blurry. He let out a hysterical laugh, not caring who or what saw him, as long as . . .

Theo drew in a sharp breath as he saw a large shape looming over, though it kept wavering and never solidifying. More static; Theo couldn't focus on anything.

Luke looked at his boyfriend as he had a panic attack; he'd never seen Theo like that, so vulnerable.

Annabeth moved fast. She practically leapt out of her seat and went straight to Theo, rubbing his back and whispering soothing words.

Luke made to follow, but Thalia held him back. "Don't," she advised quietly.

"But -"

"Percy and Annabeth are an unstoppable team, and they'd do anything for each other. Percy literally jumped into hell for her, she knows what she's doing."

Luke's thoughts were spinning as he watched his boyfriend's ex calm him down. Theo went into hell? In greek mythology, hell means . . .

Luke gasped, paling. "Tartarus?" he asked in a shaky whisper.

Thalia nodded darkly.

"Wait, so when Piper said the pit, she meant . . ."

"Yeah. I don't know if we're gonna be reading about the second war, but it's not fair to make him go through it again."

"It's okay, you're not there, you're at camp, camp is safe, you're safe," Annabeth crooned, rubbing Theo's back.

Eventually, he calmed down, and when he saw everyone looking at him, blushed, sinking lower into the couch.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay," said Piper.

Theo cracked a grin, albeit weak. "Thanks for not charmspeaking me," he told her.

"I could do it if you need it later," she told him.

He nodded in gratitude.

"Can you keep going?" asked Reyna.

Theo nodded. "Um . . . can I have some water?" he asked sheepishly, rubbing the nape of his neck.

The futures all stared, before bursting into laughter. "Classic!" cackled Nico, Thalia nodding alongside him.

"I don't have any cash," I told him.

He raised a greasy eyebrow.

"Gross," muttered Lacy.

Gabe could sniff out . . . should've covered up everything else.

"Including my demigod scent," Theo said. "He's gone now," he added.

Percy looked excited.

"You took a taxi . . . am I right, Eddie?"

Eddie, the superintendent . . . the kid just got here."

"Well, at least one person is on your side," murmured the young girl in slight satisfaction.

The people who heard her looked at her in disbelief, not noticing her before. She ignored them in favor of tending to the fire.

"Am I right?" Gabe repeated.

Eddie scowed . . . gas in harmony.

"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw it onto the table. "I hope you lose."

"He did," Percy said. "Lose, I mean."

"Your report card came, brain boy!" he called. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"

Annie gasped. "Oh, gods."

"It's okay, as long as you don't use it as an insult," Percy told her.

She nodded.

I slammed the door . . . Gabes 'study.' he didn't . . . shoving my stuff into the closet . . . cigars and stale beer.

"That's absolutely disgusting," declared Piper.

I dropped my suitcase onto the bed. Home sweet home.

"I can almost taste the sarcasm in that," said Jason, shaking his head.

Theo stayed quiet, while Percy grinned a bit.

Gabe's smell was almost . . . shears snipping the yarn.

Multiple people shuddered as they remembered hearing about it.

But as soon as . . . felt weak. I remembered . . . without him. A sudden chill . . . growing long, horrible talons.

People held their breath.

Then I heard my mom's voice.

Thalia breathed out. "Geez, give me a heart attack, why don't you," she joked weakly.

"Percy?"

She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.

My mother can make . . . sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is . . . as old. . .all the good things . . . not even me or Gabe.

"A saint," Nico agreed. "Once I came over, and she made me stay for cake."

"Really? When was this?" Thalia asked, interested.

"My fifteenth birthday," Theo answered. "It's when he first pitched the idea of me doing the same thing he did."

"And then you just got rid of it without a second thought. All of my hard work, wasted!" Nico complained. "I mean, come on, I spent a year trying to convince him!"

"To be fair, I didn't remember any of that," Theo pointed out. "And it was a greek blessing, and I was in Roman territory."

"Why didn't you remember?" asked Castor.

"And what did you do?" asked his twin.

"Amnesia," chorused Jason and Theo.

Jason grinned at him. "We should make a club," he suggested.

Frank rolled his eyes. "I don't think you can make a club with only two people," he said dryly.

Jason shrugged.

And they avoided the second question easily.

"Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "You've grown since Christmas!"

Her red-white-and-blue uniform . . .chocolate, licorice . . .at the candy shop . . . the way she always did when I came home.

Leo drooled. "Lucky," he muttered, twisting the pipe cleaner he'd gotten out of his tool belt.

We sat together . . . blueberry sour strings, she . . .my hair and demanded . . .hadn't put in my letters. She didn't . . . care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing alright?

"Okay, that's a bit embarrassing," Katie said.

Frank, Leo, Theo, Jason, Thalia, Nico, and Hazel just shrugged. They all knew they'd do anything to get their moms back, and maybe even try to have a good relationship with them.

I told her she was smothering me, to lay off, but secretly I was really, really glad to see her.

From the other room, Gabe yelled, "hey, Sally - how about some bean dip, huh?"

People growled.

I gritted my teeth.

My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should have been married to a millionaire, not some jerk like Gabe.

"Or Paul," said Nico.

"Or Paul," agreed Theo.

"Paul?" asked Percy, looking interested.

Theo just quirked a grin at him.

For her sake, I . . . wasn't too down . . . the whole year this time. I'd made . . . in Latin. . . . and honestly, the . . . I almost convinced myself . . . suddenly didn't seem so bad.

Leo whistled. "Dang, you're good," he told Theo.

Until that trip to the museum . . .

"What?'' My mom . . . happen to you?"

"Nope! I just killed my first monster and won't tell anyone because I like to downplay how powerful I am!" Thalia declared sarcastically and theatrically.

"Shut up," said Theo and Percy in unison, both blushing.

"No, Mom."

I felt bad for lying. I wanted . . . would sound stupid.

"No, it wouldn't have," Annabeth said.

"Well, I didn't know that, did I?" asked Theo.

She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push it.

"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."

My eyes widened. "Montauk?"

Theo and Percy smiled.

"Three nights - same cabin."

"When?"

She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."

I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the past two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.

A lot of people growled at the reminder of the pig.

Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"

Thalia started to clench her fist and began muttering things that children shouldn't hear.

Sighing, Theo drew water from cups and concentrating, he formed a punching bag.

"I can keep this up for maybe an hour, if I can't I'll tell you," Theo told everyone. "If someone needs to let out their anger, just punch away."

"Great," Thalia growled, cracking her knuckles. She got up and punched. Hard. Everyone leaned away a bit from the electrifying aura she gave off.

After about five minutes, she stopped, calmed down, and promptly sat next to Theo, in between him and Luke.

Luke didn't like that, but he was scared of his old friend and didn't understand why she barely acknowledged him.

Taking the hint, Nico sat in front of the couch below Theo, Hael squeezing herself between Annabeth and him, sending her an apologetic smile, and Jason sat next to Nico.

Annabeth nodded in understanding,and backed away a bit, letting Theo be surrounded by his cousins - siblings.

They weren't just cousins anymore.

Considering what happened when they learned about Jason's death . . . well, it was a miracle Theo was alive long enough for the fates to do this.

I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until . . . Montauk. Then . . . out of here.

"I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip.

Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"

"Hell yeah she was serious!" exclaimed Leo.

"But doesn't that beg the question: why did she marry him in the first place?" asked Lacy.

"I know," said Annie. Of course she did, she was there when Grover told him why. "It's because of his smell. It was so rotten that it even covered up Percy's demigod scent."

"But he's a kid of the Big Three," pointed out Clarisse, even though she really didn't want to. "Wouldn't that mean that his smell's even stronger than normal?"

"His smell was really bad," said Grover, wrinkling his nose. "I could smell it even when we were at Aunty Em's."

Both Annie and Percy shuddered, while Theo and Annabeth exchanged understanding looks. It really wasn't Poseidon's fault; he was drawn in by her beauty and magic. He was put under a trance.

But Athena was way too harsh. She didn't know when to lighten up; didn't know that the monsters she created would just go after her kids.

"Aunty Em's?" asked Frank.

"Spoilers," chorused the 5 who'd been on the quest.

"Although G-man really does deserve the title of Red Baron," said Percy teasingly, nudging his friend gently in the ribs.

Grover hoved him away blushing.

"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."

"He'd better," muttered Nico darkly.

"He did," reassured Theo.

"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your stepfather is just worried about money. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip to last him for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."

Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip . . . it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"

"What!?" screeched most of the Aphrodite cabin. Piper rolled her eyes. Silena caught her gaze and grinned, nodding her head at her cabin mates who got up and punched the water. A lot.

Piper smiled.

"Yes, honey," my mother said.

"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."

"We'll be very careful."

Percy snorted and muttered something about stupid lightning.

Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip . . . And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game.

"Apologise?! He funded it!" yelled Thalia, sparks bursting off her.

Luke wondered again why she was so protective of his boyfriend.

Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought, and make you sing soprano for a week.

"Do it!" yelled out various people, the futures the loudest.

But my mom's eyes were warning me not to make him mad.

Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?

"To protect me," said Percy softly.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."

Calypso read it with as much sarcasm she could muster.

"If he doesn't realize he's being sarcastic, I'll pay for the next three times we go out to eat," Thalia told Nico and Theo.

"Done," they said immediately.

Percy wondered if he'd be as close to his version of them as Theo was.

Gabes eyes . . . sarcasm in my statement.

"Yeah, whatever," he decided.

Thalia pouted, then muttered, "good for nothing pig."

Hazel, who was close enough to hear, commented, "that's an insult to pigs, Thalia."

People laughed.

He went back to his game.

"Thank you, Percy," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk we can talk more about . . . whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"

For a moment I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes - the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride - as if my mom too felt a chill in the air.

But her smile . . .been mistaken. She ruffled . . . layer dip.

An hour later we were ready to leave.

Gabe took a break . . . watch me lug . . . the car. He kept . . . for the weekend.

"How about losing his wife?" asked the girl spitefully. This time most people heard her, and looked in confusion.

"Who are you?" asked Sherman, an Ares camper.

Theo and Nico shared a smile, then both got up and bowed.

"Lady Hestia," Nico murmured respectfully.

"Hi Aunt Hestia," said Theo when he straightened up, smiling.

"Children," she replied, also smiling as most campers were in awe of a goddess being there the whole time.

"Forgive me for not greeting you earlier, I didn't know if you wanted to remain anonymous."

"It's alright," Hestia told him.

"Lay Hestia," said Chiron, bowing, the campers following his example.

"Rise, children," Hestia said. "I am not like my brother; I do not command people to bow. I am the hearth, the home. Now, if we might continue the reading?"

"Not one scratch on this car, brain boy," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch."

"Like he'd be the one driving," said Leo.

Calypso laughed a bit.

"What?"

She read the next line.

Like I'd be the one driving.

"Oh," muttered Leo, embarrassed.

"You two do have similar senses of humor," noted Reyna.

Theo and Leo exchanged a look. They had told the other things they'd never dream of telling anyone else, like the beatings Leo got and how his mother died, and just how much damage Gabe had done to Theo.

It was like Keefe in Keeper of the Lost Cities; the sarcasm and humor hides the brokenness underneath.

Theo looked at him with a questioning look, and Leo nodded. He'd be there when Thalia and Jason inevitably pull him away.

I was twelve. But that didn't . . .find a way to blame me.

"That's not right," said Castor, frowning.

Watching him . . .I can't explain. As Gabe . . . evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. the screen slammed . . . as if he'd been shot out of a cannon.

"Percy," said Grover, awed. "That's satyr magic."

People stared at him, which made him fidget uncomfortably.

Theo leaned over to Leo, and whispered something in his ear.

Leo nodded and drew out a bunch of pipe cleaners, which he passed out to the futures, Annabeth, Clarisse, Castor, Pollux, Drew, Silena, Beckendorf, Katie, Percy, and Mini-Will.

He also kept a few for himself, and began twisting.

Maybe it was . . . to find out.

Our rental cabin was . . . the sea was too cold to swim in.

"Bet he loved it," said Beckendorf. He got a few weird stares, so he elaborated while twisting his pipe cleaners. "His dad's Poseidon, so it wouldn't matter either way."

I loved the place.

"See?"

"No one said you were wrong," pointed out Theo. "but yeah, I love the place."

Percy nodded in agreement.

We'd been . . . even longer. She never . . . met my dad.

As we got closer . . . turned the color of the sea.

"I wonder if she has some distant relation with Neirads," mused Hestia. "I'll look into it."

Percy and Theo nodded in thanks.

We got there at . . . free sample my mom had brought from work.

I guess I should explain the blue food.

"Yes please," said Jason, nodding. He was planning on making Theo take off his shirt when they had their talk, because Theo wasn't the only one that was fiercely overprotective.

"Right?"

"What is up with that?"

See, Gabe had once . . . he did have a rebellious streak, like me.

Annabeth snorted. "You don't have a rebellious streak, you have an obedience streak," she said without hesitation, all the futures, Luke, Annie, and Grover agreeing.

"I don't-" Theo tried to object, but Annie and Annabeth, in unison, said "Ares."

The two Jacksons pouted.

When it got dark . . .to quit the candy shop.

Eventually . . . I never got tired of hearing them.

"He was kind, Percy," she told me. "Tall, handsome, powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."

"She could have just said that he's a carbon copy of Uncle P," mused Nico, Thalia nodding.

Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of the candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."

"He is proud," said Annabeth, smiling.

"I still say it's not fair that you get to visit Atlantis whenever," Thalia said, pouting.

I wondered . . . for the sixth time in six years.

Jason and Thalia exchanged a glance and nodded. They'd have to talk to Percy, too.

"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean . . . when he left?"

She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."

"But . . . he knew me as a baby."

"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."

I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember . . . something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.

"He visited you?"

"Yeah," Theo nodded. "A lot of our parents do, but sometimes they can't get away. It's not thor fault; Uncle Z is very firm about the ancient laws."

I had always assumed that he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me . . .

Piper winced. "That's harsh," she said."

I felt angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.

"Oof," said Chris, wincing.

"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"

She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.

"I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think … I think we'll have to do something."

"Because you don't want me around?"

"Theo," said Hestia in a warning voice.

Theo smiled at her. "Let Cal read the next line."

I regretted the words as soon as they were out.

Hestia nodded approvingly.

My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I-I have to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."

Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said-that it was best for me to leave Yancy.

"Because I'm not normal," I said.

Every single one of the futures snorted. "You are definitely not normal, Perce," Hazel said.

"If he was normal, I'd go through the rite of passage again," said Nico, shaking his head.

"You already have, Death Breath."

"Right of passage?" asked Silena.

"Yeah," said Thalia. "It's like, the kids of the big three, we need to prove ourselves-"

"So, to do this-"

"We have to be transformed into something-"

"I was a pine tree-"

"I was a guinea pig-"

"And I was a dandelion-"

"But we found out later-"

"That death breath-"

"Was also turned into-"

"Corn."

"Are you the Weasley twins, now?" asked Annabeth, amused.

The three shrugged, making Hazel nervous.

"I was turned into wind, for a bit," Jason commented.

"So it's only Haze left," Thalia mused.

Hazel gulped.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe."

"Safe from what?"

"Oh, nothing, just the evil lord of time and/or Dad," said Thalia spitefully.

She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me-all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.

During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.

"Dad sent that," mentioned Theo. "I asked," he added to the questioning glances.

Before that-a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands.

"Like Hercules!" said Travis happily.

To everyone but the futures' surprise, Theo growled. "Never, EVER compare me to that jerk," he spat, Thalia nodding her head.

"Um . . . why not?" asked Kayla timidly.

"You'll see," he answered shortly.

In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.

I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword. But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that.

"Really," deadpanned Will.

Theo shrugged.

"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy - the place your father wanted to send you. And I just… I just can't stand to do it."

"But that's not right!" exclaimed Austin. "She should have sent him here!"

"She was doing the best she can," defended Percy.

Theo stayed quiet.

"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"

"Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."

"Whoo! Camp Half-Blood!" Leo whooped, grinning like a little kid.

The futures all sighed. Someone had given him candy again.

My head was spinning. Why would my dad-who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born- talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?

"Yeah," Austin grumped. "I wonder why."

"I'm sorry, Percy," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I-I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."

"For good? But if it's only a summer camp . . ."

She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry.

That night I had a vivid dream.

And cue groaning from the futures. "Gods, please, no!" begged Thalia.

"What?" asked Chiron.

"Even for a big three kid, Percy's dreams are the worst," Nico explained.

It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf.

The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.

"Hades?" asked an Apollo kid.

The futures exchanged dark looks.

"Kronos," said Theo shortly.

Cue gasps.

I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in slow motion.

I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed, No!

"Dad won," said Jason.

Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.

With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."

Hestia narrowed her eyes.

I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten. Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.

Percy shivered, but Theo just grinned. "And thus, time number one of ol' beef brain!" he said expansively, spreading his arms dramatically.

Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice - someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.

People shivered.

My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.

Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't… he wasn't exactly Grover.

"Oh, no," groaned Frank. "Is this gonna be one of those things that draw things out?"

"One of those things, draw things," mimicked Leo.

Frank facepalmed.

"Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?"

My mother looked at me in terror - not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.

"Percy," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"

"A lot," chorused Percy, Theo, Jason, Thalia, Nico, and Hazel.

Percy looked at them in surprise, and was even more surprised when Thalia dragged him and made him sit next to Nico. he was tense at first, but he slowly relaxed.

Theo grinned at his awesome cousins, then went over to Luke, plopping down on his lap.

Luke yelped, but adjusted, making a lot of people laugh.

I was frozen,

Theo grunted, unable to move.

looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.

"Nothing new there," said Annabeth.

Theo pouted, but sighed. He was able to move again.

"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!"

"By Zeus and all the other gods," translated Piper for the Romans, who nodded in thanks.

he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you tell her?"

I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on - and where his legs should be . . . where his legs should be . . .

"What?" Frank demanded.

"You already know," said Jason, looking at him. "Also, you're talking to a book."

Frank shrugged, embarrassed.

My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: "Percy. Tell me now!"

I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.

She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. Go!"

Grover ran for the Camaro - but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.

Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.

"That's the chapter," Calypso announced.

"Can we take a break after this one?" asked Jason.

"Of course," Chiron answered.

"I will read," offered Hestia.

Calypso smiled and walked over to the fire, giving her the book. Finding her place, she began to read.