Hello, Internet!

Its been ages, but I'm back! If you read my now-replaced Author's Note, you'd see why this is a good thing, (yay! No more feelings of depression!). If you didn't, just know this: I wasn't at my tip-top, and couldn't write anything. Now I'm back. The end. I'll try not to be gone that long again.

This chapter contains several artistic liberties.

There's a scene in this chapter, and I had a specific look in mind for it. I had seen pictures of an old stone castle thing, but it was in Scotland. For obvious reasons, Percy and Annabeth are not going to go to Scotland for a day trip. So I thought: hey! There's probably something similar in New York, right? I'll just look around on Google and Pinterest, I'll find something.

After thirty minutes of searching, I couldn't find the right church. Maybe I can use an old theater or cemetery- no luck there, either. Turns out, New York has no old castle-like buildings that would look right.

I considered cutting the scene, but it was so fun to write and I needed a way for Annabeth to realize that she's made a lot of promises that she can't keep. In the next chapter, she makes one more that's small, but at the same time oh-so-major.

So bare with me, New York natives and people that know a lot about travel sights. (Also- lets just pretend that Birdy's rendition of Skin Love was from the early 2000s. It was released in 2012 (2011?) but I chose to ignore that.)

Part 2 will try to be up by the end of the week. (Possibly Monday).

I realized that I stopped doing the song quote at the beginning of each chapter. Whoops.

Is chapter doesn't really have a song, but I couldn't stop listening to Young and Beautiful, Pretty When You Cry, and Body Electric by Lana Del Rey, and I'm a Mess, Afire Love, and Don't by Ed Sheeran while writing it. Not sure if any of that transferred, but...

THANK YOU SO MUCH TIMES INFINITY GAZILLION FOR REVIEWS, FAVORITES, AND FOLLOWS. (Especially you, 'negative asshole'(Guest). Your review brought me great joy. I'm SO SORRY you're bored. :) )

Okay, I'm done. Here goes:

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, its characters, or any of the music or products mentioned in this chapter. (I do, however, own the backstory of Stormwood Castle).

Annabeth

Frank was driving, which made the 2 hour-long car ride much safer... And a lot longer. I hadn't realized how far into the city we were until we started to leave. Because no way in hell did it take us forty-five minutes to get to Olympus Records.

(Later, I'd check the speed limit. It was posted at 45- Leo was pushing 60 and Frank was trudging along at 35. It had led me to wonder- does anyone in this damn state know how to drive?)

They'd left the instruments at the studio, so the ride was less crowded. Percy and I had climbed into the backseat to a red-faced Leo, clutching his nose, and a breathless Jason and Nico. From what I could gather from their incoherent speech, Leo had tried to say goodbye to Reyna. And she'd punched him.

"It's all right, Valdez. You'll be okay. I don't think Reyna's your type."

Everyone was muttering condolences to poor Leo. It was weird, seeing him so... brought down and depressed over a girl. Then again, I didn't know Leo particularly well. Maybe he was always like this... Though it was a far cry from the happy mechanic who made stupid jokes.

The first half hour was spent comforting Leo. Percy and Jason were crammed on either side of the curly-haired boy in the back seat, and were trying to be encouraging. I'd slipped up into the middle row, and spent my time split between the front and back. I chatted quietly with Nico, who had the front passenger seat. And then, every soft minutes or so, I'd turn around and check on Leo. Percy and Jason weren't making any progress.

We'd finally hit a highway, and Frank sped up a bit. Since I was turned around, I could see NYC disappearing behind me, giving way to a crowd of trees.

Percy

Thank gods Leo wasn't driving, because the road wove through trees and took turns every mile or so.

Leo, fortunately, had recovered from Reyna's rejection. Or so it seemed. He wasn't back to making stupid jokes yet, but he wasn't fallen over in a heap, either.

After the first hour, he even requested that someone turn the radio on. "Something happy!" he's said, causing Nico to flip through the stations. He eventually settled on a children's station, playing You Are My Sunshine. "Happy enough?" he asked, sarcasm seeping into his voice.

"No!" cried Leo. "Don't take the sunshine!" Nico had changed the station.

Frank pulled the minivan into a rest area. "Anyone have to pee? Because there aren't any stops for the next 45 minutes, and I'm not going to have a repeat of Hershey Park!" Jason and I look pointedly at Leo. His mother had tried to take us to Hershey park a few years ago. Leo had been so tired he'd drunk an entire pot of coffee. Once we were on the interstate, where there weren't any exits for miles, he'd announced that he had to pee. Esperanza had avoided road trips since, and banned Leo from more than one cup of coffee at a time.

"What?" he asked defensively. "I don't have to go!"

"Then move over. It's crowded, I'm moving up." We shuffle around, and I manage to clamber into the middle row next to Annabeth.

Frank places his hands on the wheel. "Well, if nobody has to pee, I guess we can..."

Two cries of "Wait!" spring to the air, and Nico and Leo jump out and run to the bathrooms.

Annabeth

After our pit stop, the car ride is quiet. Nico has fiddled with the radio, but the only station coming in clearly was bluegrass, which is apparently a variation of country, as I am informed by Nico.

"Not that it makes much of a difference," he'd said quickly. "It's just got more banjos and whatnot."

"Whatever it is, change it!" yapped Jason. "Here!" He'd thrust his iPod into my hands. "Give him this."

Now I leaned forward and handed the silver device to Nico, who'd plugged it into the car's speaker system. Immediately, Taylor Swift's cheerful voice begins to fill the silence. Four heads turn to look at the iPod's owner; Frank glances in the rearview mirror.

"What is... Jason?" Leo's voice hitches at the end, like he's containing laughter.

Jason's face grows red. "It's Piper's," he mumbles, slumping into the seat. "She hates MCR, and I said no to One Direction."

"Then explain why you have every album."

"I- what? Let me see that!" Jason lunges towards the front seat.

I glance at Percy, eyebrows raised. He mirrors my expression, and I can tell we're thinking the same thing: Are they really at it again? Sure enough, the minivan erupts into a cacophony of screeching.

"How do you know how many albums she has out?"

"For the love of God, please turn it off! Before it gets stuck in my- too late." Then Nico begins humming along. And then singing. And then screaming at the top of his lungs.

Between an arguing Leo and Jason, a singing Nico, and Taylor Swift busting the speakers, it was a wonder I heard my phone. The caller ID says 'Thalia'.

"Hello?" I shout. "Nico, can you turn the radio down? Leo and Jason, stop-"

There's laughter on the other end. "Sounds like you're having a hell of a time, there, Annabeth. You guys killing toddlers? What's with the screaming?"

"The wonderful vocals are Nico and Taylor Swift. They're singing a duet. And Leo and Jason are arguing..."

"Again? Do they have unresolved sexual tension or something? Put me on speaker," she demands.

Who's that? Percy mouths.

Thalia. He nods. "Guys, shut up for five seconds. Thalia wants to say hi." I had no doubt that she had other things to say, but who knows what could come out of her mouth? Into the phone, I continue talking. "You're on speaker, Thals!"

"I am? Okay. Hi. This is your leader, and she has comments for each of you:

First, Jason and Leo: just go screw and let off some steam. The constant bickering is getting on everyone's nerves. Also, Leo? Learn to drive."

"Are you implying-" Jason began, while Leo set off on a tirade. "I know how to drive!"

"Sure ya do," she said dismissively. "Frank: Candy Crush is not healthy for you. And I accidentally busted one of the drumheads. Well, not me, exactly. But it's broken. Sorry."

Frank groaned from the driver's seat. "How broken is 'busted'?"

"You don't really want to know. Annabeth and Percy: Bobby and Matthew have made the acquaintance of Travis and Connor, which is probably the worst decision I have ever made. Could you pick up some hair dye on the way home?"

Hair dye? Leo and Nico are muffling giggles, Jason's fighting a smile, and Percy's got the funniest look on his face. I can only grimace at the thought of what the four boys could have done to her. "Why do you need hair dye?" I ask tentatively. She might be a bit... touchy on the subject.

But Thalia is as cheerful as she's ever been. "Hmm? Oh, it's not for me. I don't really know the details, but pick whatever color Carol hates most."

What did they have planned? I couldn't help the grin spreading across my face. "This sounds like a brilliant plan, whatever it is."

Thalia

When I call Annabeth, I wasn't expecting the chaos on the other end.

"Hello?" She sounds stressed out the wazoo. "Nico- Leo and Jason, stop!" Yep. She's probably ripping her hair out. Percy himself wasn't bad, but his friends were weird and annoying, especially Leo. He and Jason argued relentlessly, like Percy and I. It must be a family trait.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about my dad. Maybe he won't care what I do; Jason seems to have a nonexistent leash, after all. I'll have to ask Percy about the Grace family, though I'll have to be incredibly discreet. He's smarter than people first assume.

Who knows; I could have a slew of extended family. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, a family fish. My mind wanders at the possibilities.

Two noises simultaneously pull me back to my phone all with Annabeth. The first is on her end, a dramatic, breathy scream of "You are the best thing that's ever been mine!" The next is from my side of the conversation: Bobby and Matthew have broken through one of the drums. That's something else I'll have to replace; they've already snapped a branch off one of the trees in the garden and dented a silver picture frame.

"Sounds like you're having a hell of a time, there, Annabeth. You guys killing toddlers? What's with the screaming?" I'd love to kill some children, and there are two available ones right here, not to mention the 20-something year old boys outside creating a mud pit.

"The wonderful vocals are Nico and Taylor Swift. They're singing a duet. And Leo and Jason are arguing..." Annabeth trails off. Again? Is that all they know how to do?

"Again? Do they have unresolved sexual tension or something? Put me on speaker," I demand, and wait for her to do so.

After giving the boys the 'what for' and apologizing to Frank, I fill Annabeth in on the plan details and ask her to pick up hair dye. "Whatever color Carol hates most."

"This sounds like a brilliant plan," Annabeth says.

Glancing at Bobby and Matthew, I try to imitate the classic evil villain grin from kids' movies. "I believe it is."

Annabeth

After my phone conversation with Thalia, which ended abruptly with the sound of breaking glass, the car ride progresses uneventfully. Jason and Leo stop bickering, Nico stops singing, and Frank continues driving without fretting over his busted drumhead.

We've just passed a road sign declaring that the exit for Stormwood Castle was 20 miles away, and everyone's getting antsy. Percy's asleep, drool dripping from his mouth, while Nico fidgets in the front seat. Jason's banging his head against the window while trying to keep a snoring Leo on his side of the seat.

And me? I'm bored out of my freaking skull. The pretty scenery was distracting for a while, but a girl can only look at so many pretty trees before they become just plain old trees, each barely distinguishable from the next.

It's silent, save for the quite hum of the tires on the road and Leo's soft snores. I'm starting to nod off myself, leaning over to rest my head on Percy's shoulder, when Frank starts screaming. Percy shoots up out of his seat, with a groggy cry of "I'm awake!" while Jason slams his head into the window extra-hard. Leo sits up abruptly, rubbing his eyes and screaming profanities.

"What the hell? I wa' seepin'..." he whines nice he's finished his cursing. Rubbing his messy curls, Leo tries to glare with half-lidded eyes, but it sends more of an 'I'm constipated' message than 'I'm going to kill you, silly Chinese Canadian baby man'.

"Believe me, I'd love to let you sleep. But we'll be there in thirty minutes. I was going to sing '99 bottles of beer on the wall', if that helps."

Stretching like a cat, Percy yawns. "Could you drive a little faster, please? I can't wait to get out of this damn van."

"Hey!" Leo jumps to defend his mother's vehicle. "It's a MINIvan!" He puts emphasis on the 'mini'. "Which means it is cuter than a regular van. Like mini cupcakes. And mini cinnamon rolls. And miniature poodles."

"And your-" starts Nico, only to be interrupted.

"Okay! That's enough." Jason speaks up loudly. "There are ladies present."

Is that some kind of implication? Normally, I'd argue the point, but I don't have any desire to hear how that sentence was going to end.

"LadieS? I think Annabeth's the only chick here-"

"I was talking about you, idiot."

"Hey!" Leo jumped to defend his masculinity. I could only shake my head and laugh; was this what I had missed out on all those years in California? Immature teenage boys making stupid jokes? Maybe Thalia and I hadn't missed that much, after all.

Thalia

I have got to find better ways to entertain these little boys. It wasn't even three, and they'd managed to do everything 'fun' short of digging up the yard or making explosives. I had one last idea up my sleeve, and then they'd have to call in the professionals.

"Okay!" I clap my hands together and try to seem cheerful. "Bobby, Matthew-"

"Why'd you say his name first?" demands Matthew, slamming down his glass of apple juice. The golden liquid splashed over the Jackson's dining room table... again.

Grabbing the dishrag, I quickly mop up the spill. They were going to cause ants if they kept this up. "Fine." I sighed. I wasn't in the mood to argue with anyone today, except maybe Carol. "Matthew and Bobby-"

"Thalia, I want more juice." The six year-old held out his glass, while his brother slurped the rest of his through a bendy straw.

"Forget the juice, Bobby. How would you two like to bake something?" This was a last resort; the last time Annabeth and I took them into a kitchen, brownie batter ended up on the ceiling.

The idea works; the twins' faces light up. "Yes!" cries Matthew, while Bobby does a happy dance.

"Okay. What do you want to make- cinnamon muffins or chocolate chip cookies?" Please pick the cookies, please pick the cookies. They were less messy, and time consuming to make from scratch, but they baked quickly. The boys couldn't get into too much trouble in twelve minutes, right?

"Cookies!" Bobby shouted, while Matthew demanded "Muffins!" This disagreement turned into a screaming battle.

"Okay!" I threw my hands in the air. "Enough!" This got their attention, and the boys stopped yelling. "Maybe we can make both. If you're good." Two sets of eyes met mine, sharing equal expressions of excitement. "Now, lets go and make cookies, to surprise everyone. I heard that Percy likes blue cookies. What do you think? Should we make those?" There had to be a recipe somewhere in the kitchen. I'd just have to find it.

"Thalia?" Bobby asked. "Can we bake cookies now?"

"But I want-"

Annabeth had better come home soon, or there wasn't going to be a home to come back to. Just me, standing over a pile of dead bodies with a glass of tea in my hand, regretting nothing.

Annabeth

Stormwood Castle is not what I was expecting. Tall, gray stone turrets rose from the high, ivy-covered walls, and a labyrinth of roses framed the property. A simple wooden sign announced our arrival.

"There it is," Percy whispers, pointing to the entrance. Grand wooden doors, the kind with fancy knockers, kept the interior hidden from view. "What do you think?"

What did I think? "It... It's absolutely breathtaking." I couldn't find words... "Why is there a European-style castle in New York?"

"For a while," Nico, who appears to be the know-it-all about random things, explains. "It was a convent. Some of the nuns still reside here, actually, but we won't go to that ... Before that, it was a church, Catholic, I think. And before that, it was a house for some old heiress." Huh, who knew Nico liked history. Clearing his throat, he continues with the tale of the old heiress. "Her husband dead, never had any kids, so she decided that 'hey! I want a damn fancy house!' And so she had the place build in the 1820s, though it wasn't finished for ten years."

"Oh. That's..." I search for the right word, eventually settling on "Interesting."

Nico beamed. "It's supposed to mirror some family home in Scotland or Italy or someplace. There's a picture of the original home inside."

Scotland. Home of gorgeous stone buildings, faery tales, and rich history. This castle was even more intriguing than I had expected, and I couldn't wait to get inside and explore.

Everyone cheers when we pull into the parking space several minutes later. My legs are asleep and wobbly as I climb out, relishing the blue sky and fresh air. There's a slight breeze, and the colors seem brighter here. The grass too green, the roses vibrant shades of pink.

"No more car rides, I beg of you," Jason mutters, hopping out of the back. "I was about to strangle His Royal Meathead over there." He nudges a shoulder toward Leo, who is examining wheels on another vehicle.

"Such exquisite crastmanship," he remarks to himself, holding a small magnifying glass against the silver hubcaps. "Ooh... Chrome!" Is he... Drooling?

"Come on, Leo," Percy says, hoisting the fanboy up by his shoulders. "Time to go. The chrome will be there when we get back."

Two-by-two, the six of us walk along the gravel path to the ticket stand, Percy dragging a sulking Leo in front. We stop several feet away from the ticket counter, which is run by a caramel-haired girl.

"I'll go get the tickets," Leo says, quickly recovered. There's a glint in his eye, full of mischief. "You guys go on ahead. There's a lovely lady that looks like she could use some Leo at the ticket counter." He hurries off to get tickets, leaving the rest of us standing in the courtyard.

"Um..." I wonder aloud, unsure of how to phrase my question without sounding rude.

"Yes, he's always like that." Percy says with a sigh.

"You don't say," I reply dryly. Though only knowing him for a short while, I feel confident that I know Leo's personality and traits well enough to make assumptions.

Percy's friends may be idiots, but I think that, slowly, they're growing on me. Who knows, maybe they could've been my friends, too.