Oh look, a wild update!
I think by now we have established that I am not Rick Riordan and therefore own none of these fine characters or settings except my OC.
And now I invite you to relax. Let us pull up a chair as I proudly present: the next chapter.
(Cookie for whoever knows where this comes from)
Enjoy!

Chapter thirty-three: Meetings in Charleston
~Leo's POV~

Twenty minutes later, Jason, Frank and Leo were in line for the civil war museum. It looked boring
from the outside, but once they were in, Leo saw lots of cool machines and other stuff.
"Look here!" he called to the others, stopping in front of a huge rusty engine. "This was designed
by a Hephaestus' kid. Can you see the way he made the wires fit perfectly without-" "Leo, we're on
a mission." Jason reminded him, not even glancing at the engine. "If you wanna look at all the stuff,

you'll have to come another time."
Leo huffed and said "Fine, you're the boss."
Frank didn't say anything, but Leo noticed the guy looked slightly green around the edges. As Jason
led the way to the room where they kept the Hunley, Frank even started to tremble.
"What's up, man?" Leo asked him, clapping a hand on the big dude's shoulder.
Frank jumped, but calmed down when he realised it was only Leo. His eyes shifted from side to
side, and he whispered "Can't you see them?"
"Er, see who?" Leo asked, also glancing around.
"The ghosts. There must be at least a hundred of them!"
Okay... Frank was really starting to freak Leo out now. As far as he could see, there were no ghosts
anywhere, and the most dangerous thing in sight was probably a three year old toddler armed with
an inflatable baseball bat.
"Maybe you're imagining things.." Leo started to say, but Frank shook his head.
"I'm definitely not. They're here, and they aren't happy." He gulped and reluctantly followed Jason into the part of the Hunley that was walk-in.
"Okay guys." Jason, who hadn't been listening, told them "Let's keep our eyes open. If anything
reminds you of a map, fetch the others. Kay?"
"Yep" Leo said, now starting to get a bad feeling himself. He still couldn't see any ghosts, but he
had the distinct feeling that they were being watched.
"Er, Jase?"
"Yes?"
"Frank's seeing ghosts. And he says they're not happy."
This information, which might be a source of worry to most, seemed if anything to please Jason.
"Good, they're here. Frank, see if you can ask them where the map is. They should know, after all."
"Er, I don't think they want to t..talk to m..me.." Frank stuttered.
"Course they will" Jason smiled easily. It was amazing how confident he could be, how much of a
natural leader he was. All Leo wanted to do was get the Hades out of here.
"Look," Jason said, lowering his voice. "Just tell them that you're a son of Mars, and therefore they
must provide the information you seek. Make it sound like you actually believe what you're saying
and you'll be fine"
"Yeah, you go, ghost master!" Leo said cheerfully, trying to reassure himself as much as Frank.
Frank nodded, not looking convinced at all, and Leo couldn't help thinking how much he didn't want to fight a mob of angry ghosts. But Jason was the boss, so they each spread out and started to
search for the map.
There were plenty of them, actually, but none that looked like they might be of the secret demigod
kind. Leo was just about to slip off to check out some of the more interesting stuff in here, when
the whole room went dark.
People started to scream and hurry out, pushing Leo as they passed him.
Great, he thought, and went back to get Jason and Frank.
When he found them, he sincerely wished he'd left a little earlier. Surrounding the three boys were
at least a hundred pale soldiers, all dressed in the same uniform, all looking extremely pissed off.
Apparently Frank wasn't the ghost master after all.

~Penelope's POV~

Walking through Battery park with the three girls was nicer than Penelope had expected it to be.
They actually had a good time comparing the four boys while they were looking for the ghost, and
soon all of them were grinning broadly.
"So" Piper said "Who d'you think would win in a fight: Jason or Frank?"
They all thought for a second. "Frank" Annabeth said, and Penelope agreed.
"Jason" Hazel blushed a little, as if she felt bad for not saying her boyfriend's name.
"Yep, I'll have to go with Jason as well." Piper smiled, winking.
"But Frank can turn into any animal he wants to" Annabeth reasoned "He could turn into a dragon
with a hide so thick, Jason's lightning wouldn't penetrate it."
"That's true I guess." Piper wondered "Why would you say Jason, Hazel?"
Hazel giggled. "Imagine Frank getting into a fight."
This made them all chuckle. Frank was such a teddy bear, the idea of him picking a fight was simply too hilarious.
"Hey, what's that over there?" Penelope asked the others suddenly, pointing.
Just a few feet away from them, a glowing figure stood, waving them over.
"Is that-" Annabeth started, but was cut off by Piper's outburst "Oh no, not her!"
"Who is it?" Hazel asked incredulously, and Penelope shrugged her shoulders.
Piper was already stomping off ahead, and they all followed quickly.
"Hello, girls" the woman smiled at them, and her smile was so perfect, Penelope felt like she was
actually being blinded by it.
The woman herself was breathtakingly beautiful, even though her appearance was oddly unfocused.

"Hello, mother" Piper muttered gloomily, and Pen realised that this was her first encounter with a
goddess. Aphrodite.
"Are you Aphrodite or Venus?" Annabeth asked suspiciously, and the goddess laughed, a high, clear
tinkle.
"I am both, Annabeth Chase. Love is universal, after all."
Penelope couldn't help staring at the goddess. Her hair changed colour all the time, and so did her
eyes. Only her dress stayed the same, a pink southern-belle gown.
"Mother, can you tell us where the map is?" Piper asked Aphrodite, obviously not thrilled about this
family reunion.
"Oh, dears, let's sit down first, shall we?" with a wave of her hand, a pavilion appeared next to the goddess, complete with a table set for five and some delicious treats.
Penelope didn't really feel like sitting down, but how could you decline a goddess's invitation?
So they all pulled up a chair, and let Aphrodite pour them cups of peppermint tea.
"There, that's nicer, isn't it?" the woman smiled, regarding them all like they were favourite toys of
hers.
"Such beautiful young girls!" she exclaimed, patting Hazel's head. "No wonder Hera chose all
of you. Yes, very pretty. You, Annabeth Chase, you especially have surprised me, growing into a
gorgeous young woman like that."
Annabeth did not smile. It was obvious she didn't care for Aphrodite's girlish behaviour, and Penelope liked her all the more for it.
"Please, my lady" Annabeth said tightly "Could you help us with finding the map?"
"The map, oh that's easy. It's the Fort you'll want, my dear. But let's have a little chat first. You're all
such excellent stories, I mean girls."
Piper's eyes widened in horror, and her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. "Mom!"
"What, Piper? I want to talk to all of you. What with all this civil war stuff going on, I hardly ever
get to have a nice little chat with demigoddesses like you anymore."
Penelope noticed that while Aphrodite was looking intently at Annabeth, Piper and Hazel, the goddess's eyes seemed to slide over her whenever they came near her. Inexplicably, this made Pen
feel bad.
Was there something wrong with her?
"What about you, Annabeth. Finally you and Percy are together! I've been telling your mother for
ages you two would end up going out, but she never wanted to hear of it! Can you imagine! And
Piper..."
As Aphrodite went on monologuing, the four girls shared a look. The situation was clear: they had found out what they'd wanted to know, and now they should get going.
"Er, Mom?" Piper said, tentatively.
"Yes, Piper?"
"We really need to get going. Thanks for the, er, stuff."
Aphrodite looked a little crest-fallen, but nodded anyway. "Yes, I suppose you must"
"Thank you, Lady Aphrodite" Annabeth said, and Hazel and Penelope nodded, forcing a smile.
One after the other, they got up and walked out of the pavilion, but when Penelope pushed back her
chair and stood up, Aphrodite held up her hand.
"Just a moment, daughter of Hecate. I would like a word with you. In private."
The others looked confused "My lady-" Annabeth started, obviously anxious to get going.
"Don't worry, Annabeth. Penelope will join you when we are finished. You may leave now."
Penelope knew her friends couldn't argue with the goddess, but she still threw them a help-me look
as she sat back down again.
Piper shrugged her shoulders helplessly, and mouther We'll meet you at the end of the park.
Pen nodded and gulped.
What was it the goddess of love wanted to tell her?
And why did she get the feeling it wouldn't be good?