Hey guys... I just got back from a visit from NYC, I auditioned for a SunnyD radio commercial! It was weird! But then I spent the entire day walking around the city.

Word of advice: GO TO FAO SHWARZ! IT'S SUPER DUPER AWESOME! Also, if you go, play on the big piano. It was fun. :)

Anyway.

There is about four more chapters left in this fanfic, after Austin and Cody get voted off- Oops. Said too much. But you all prolly knew that was gonna happen... Sorry this chapter is so short, I'm super tired and I'm about to eat some tacos. It's probably not that even good. But I have a question (shocker, I know.); Do you want to wait a kind of long time for a really really long chapter, or wait a day or two for semi-short ones?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that I don't own. I hope I cleared things up.

Recap: Austin, Cody, Percy, and Nico are here. Annabeth is of course still the Bachelorette.

Chapter Title: Lost and Found.

"THALIA," I shouted, dropping the hairbrush in disgust. "Get your butt in here this instant!"

I was greeted with silence. Nothing but the dull sound of the warm December-In-Hollywood wind blowing against the balcony door. "Thalia!"

More silence. "Thalia?"

Nothing. "Hello? Is anybody here?" I put the hairbrush in the sink and left the bathroom. The room was empty, the bed recently made by the housekeeper, but Thalia's worn beyond repair sneakers were by the door. "Thalia?"

I peered through the glass balcony door to see no one on the balcony. I checked under the bed, in the closet, behind the T.V., and even on the ceiling. "This isn't funny, Thalia. Tell me where you are!"

Still nothing. I took my key and left the room. I practically ran downstairs to Chris's exclusive room. I rammed my fist against the door, over and over and over until I was sure my hand was going to go through the door.

Something grabbed my arm from behind me. Instinctively, I threw my hand back farther then usual; punching whatever it was in the nose. Then I used his own weight against him where I bent over and flipped him over. My arm screamed in agony, but it wasn't broken. I kicked him without seeing who it was. In the middle of the second kick, I froze in shock. "Nico?"

"Nice to see you too." He said, grimacing and gripping his nose with his hand.

"Oh gods, Nico. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." He said. He tenderly touched his nose, and winced. "I think."

"What are you doing here?" I offered my hand and he took it.

"Looking for you. Have you seen Thalia? I need to tell her something."

"I was going to ask her the same thing. I haven't seen her. I came back from the interviews for the show and she was gone! Trust me, I looked everywhere."

"Are you sure?" Just then, Chris opened his door, standing there in a red bathrobe and wet hair.

"Sheesh. I thought somebody died the way you pounded the door. Why are you here?"

"Where's Thalia?" I demanded.

"Who?"

"Thalia! The girl who's been sleeping in my room with me for the past three weeks!"

"But you're on the show. Dating men." Chris looked confused. I was confused.

"What?"

"I thought-"

"What? Oh, no. She's been staying with me. She doesn't have anywhere to go."

"Oh. Whew." Chris sighed in relief. "I thought... you know..."

"I'm aware. Now do you know where she is?"

"Black hair, blue eyes, sixteen?"

"Yeah."

"She can't stay with us any longer."

"What? Why not?"

"Annabeth, do you understand that this mansion is purely for the use of the contestants on the show. She can't use it any more than a rat in a kitchen. She simply does not belong."

"Where did she go?"

"I called her parents and told her what she was up to."

"Her parents? What?"

"It took a bit of, ah, persuading, but she gave me the number in the end."

"Do you mind if I have the number?"

"Don't you have it?"

Of course not. Thalia doesn't have any parents. "Umm, I got a new phone recently and I couldn't save the SIM card."

"Oh. Well, fine. But wait here." He disappeared into his room and when he came out ten minutes later, he was dressed in a crisp white collar shit and black pants. He held up a piece of paper, and handed it to me. I grabbed it.

"Thanks."

"You can't have the paper, I need it!"

But I was already running up the stairs two at a time, with Nico on my heels.

-o-

"Is she answering?" Nico asked.

"It's ringing." Second ring. Third ring.

"Is she answering?"

"Hello?" A calm, familiar voice asked. Where do I know that voice from?

"Who is this?" I demanded.

"Who is this?"

"I asked you first. Wait," I paused, analyzing the voice on the other end in my head. "Mrs. Jackson?"

"Who is this?" She asked agan sharply.

"It's-It's Annabeth."

"Oh." Her voice softened by tons. "Hi, Annabeth. Why are you calling?"

"Is anybody else there?"

"Well... no."

"Are you sure?"

"No."

"Who do you think is there?"

She put her hand over the receiver, something I knew because the sound dulled on the other end. Faintly, I heard a conversation.

"Thalia, it's Annabeth. Do you want to talk to her?"

"No."

"Come on, you've got to talk to her eventually."

"Eventually doesn't mean today."

"It does in my world." Sally snapped. "Now get on the phone."

"Fine." The hand let go of the receiver. "What."

"Thalia? Where were you?"

"Chris kicked me out. He wouldn't let me tell you, as the little ba-"

"Couldn't you call me, or text me, or something?"

"With what phone?"

"A pay phone?"

"I could've."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I was tired."

I scowled, then realized it was stupid because she couldn't see me. "I'm scowling Thalia."

"Good to know." I heard her yawn. "Can I call you later? I'm exhausted."

"Sure," I said, but Nico beckoned to hand him the phone. "but Nico wants to talk to you. But if your too tired..."

"No!" She said immediately. "I mean, nah. I'm not too tired." I shook my head and handed Nico the phone.

"Go easy on her." I whispered to him. Nico smiled and held the phone to his ear.

"She says she heard that."

"Tell her I don't care."

After a while of; nuh-uh's And; uh-huh's, he decided to say something else. "Thalia?" Pause. Nico's pale cheeks colored a bit, and he stuttered when he answered her. "Um, don't run off again. I was worried about you."

I heard a faint voice on the other end, "What?"

"I mean," He said, he face coloring a bit darker. "we were worried about you."

He paused, listening for her answer. Chris began to tap his foot. "Alright. Bye, Thalia." He closed the phone and handed it back to me.

"What did she say?"

He didn't answer, he just turned and walked away.

-o-

Something in my heart stirred as I picked up the first rose. I rubbed my finger against the soft petal and it came off in my hand. I let go of it and watched it flutter to the ground, where it landed on the heel of my black high heels. A single spot of color in the midst of all that black. He loves me. I took a deep breath. "Nico," I no longer needed to say the word, but I said them anyway as he stepped forward. "will you accept this rose?"

"Yeah." He took the rose, and went to the safe line. I glanced down at my hand. A single petal was left in my hand. He loves me not. I watched him shuffle to his place and look up at me expectantly. I blushed and turned back towards the three men still standing. "Austin. Will you accept this rose?"

He smiled softly at me, took the rose, and joined Nico. The final rose felt like it was made of nothing but thorns as I picked it up from the table.

"Percy. Will you-"

"Yes." He took the rose and joined the two men. I glanced at Cody and saw a tear fall silently down his cheek. He nodded, then without a word ran out of the room. I followed in pursuit, but when I hit the hallway, he was gone.

-o-

"There." She said, scrawling the last word on the note. "Perfect. Now, I just need to-" She glanced around the room, her eyes landing on a fountain. She got up from her throne and walked over to it. She waved her hand, and the water stopped spouting at the speed of, well, water, and evaporated into nothing but a faint mist. She seemed to wrap her fingers around air, but when she spread her hand out again there was a single coin in her palm. She threw it into the mist and it disappeared into the curtain of water. "Iris!" A small girl wearing a tie-dye dress appeared in the mist.

"Yes?"

She stuck her hand into the mist. "I need you to give this note to Nico Di Angelo. He is in Hollywood, at the Bachelorette Mansion. Hades's son?"

"I know the kid." She took the envelope and put the coin in a coin belt that was hanging around her waist.

"Good. Now, bye-bye."

"Goodbye." And with that, Iris snapped her fingers and closed the portal.

The woman who wrote the note sat back satisfied. The note would certainly stir things up a bit. If, of course, Nico even bothered to read it. She closed her eyes and settled for a light nap, daydreaming about her show.

"Aphrodite!"

She jolted awake, and groaned slightly. What now?

Ooh. Things are getting intense. This chapter, I know, is by FAR the worst. Except maybe the very end. Anyway, the next chapter will be a bit better, then the beginning of the end will arrive. Also, if you want to see Annabeth's main outfits, go to my profile. Also, you can see Iris's dress. It's pretty and it's how I always envisioned her.

-Blue.

Next time on the Bachelorette: One more man gets voted off, and the silver cloud randomly appearing by Nico will probably be revealed.