Chapter Four

As Frank Zhang studied the map and counted down the days until Gaea rose, he began to sweat. This would've been fine if he wasn't the son of Ares and sweated like a pig when he was nervous. The stick of deodorant sat on the desk, but it wasn't helping, and Frank was about to have to change into his second shirt.

"What's the matter?" Hazel asked. She had came in and sat on his bed, silently watching as he worked.

"Well, um" - Frank wiped his forehead on a towel he had stolen from the boys bathroom - "I was looking at the map and I think we're going to be extremely pushed for time, and that's not counting that if we fight the angels or the injuries we might take and if the boat is harmed or anything like that. Gaea is set to rise on August 1, correct?"

Hazel nodded.

"London is 2,987 kilometers from here, roughly. That's 1,856 miles, which how far Berkeley, California from College Station, Texas, which is around a twenty-six hour drive at a constant pace."

"How do you know all of this?" Hazel asked.

"Annabeth helped with most of the math, but listen, that's not including all the monster attacks we'll have, so that will take like, I don't know, three days? And the monsters will think we're retreating, so it's going to be hard getting back into Greece. Hazel, I know we need to help him, but... What if this is just putting us in danger?"

Hazel bit her lip and looked at her hand. Purple mist was swirling around it. Frank must've not thought anything of it, because he was only looking at her face. Sometimes he was really oblivious to things like that.

"I trust Luke," she said quietly. "Not because he repented in the last war, but because he acted so sincere. If he turns on us, he turns on us and we lost an ally, but I don't believe the Archangels will be in this war against Gaea. I think we'll be fine, Frank."

The boat rocked and Hazel closed her eyes. She hated seasickness/airsickness. Maybe she should call it boat-sickness. That seemed more fitting.

"Maybe you're right," Frank murmured as he looked over the map. "You are, I mean. I'm just... nervous." He stood up out of his chair and picked up a plain black shirt, tugged off the sweaty one, and then pulled on the fresh one. Hazel raised an eyebrow as he changed.

Not bad... she thought. Wait, no, stop thinking like that.

Frank, again oblivious that she just blatantly checked him out, sat back in his chair and sighed. "This whole leadership thing is hard."

Hazel smiled at him. "I know, but better you than me. I wouldn't know what to do, to be honest." She yawned and laid back on his pillow. "Need any help?"

Frank shook his head. "No, I'm good. I just feel bad for him."

"We all do."

"Except Jason."

Hazel rolled her eyes, but a smile creeped across her face. "Cut him some slack, he's scared about who will die."

"No ones going to die, Hazel."

"Gaea needs the blood of two demigods," Hazel said quietly. "I don't want them to either, but... What if two people do die?"

"Then we worry about that in time, but I don't believe they will." Frank stretched his arms out, and she noticed the small sweat stains forming under his arms. To save him from embarrassment, she said nothing. He gave her a small smile. "I'm going to go see where Leo put the bows he made me. Are you going to stay in here?"

"And take a nap, yes," she said.

He bent over and kissed her head. "Okay. Want me to turn the lights out?"

She nodded again, and as he left, he flipped off the lights and shut the door. As the boat rocked in the turbulence of the air, Hazel shifted under his covers and suddenly felt awkward. She had never slept in Frank's bed before. They had been together on the quest, yes, but they had never cuddled at night in the stables like Percy and Annabeth. They hadn't even taken a nap with each other like Jason and Piper, or Leo and the Engine.

One time, they were watching a movie in her room when her bra strap fell off her shoulder when he leaned in for a kiss. Frank had panicked, apologized, and hurried out the door apologizing the whole way until he was in his room, and even then, she could faintly hear him saying, "Oh gods, what have I done?" He was a giant panda bear, no pun intended.

Hazel shifted over and pulled the covers up to her chin, where she wrinkled her nose at the smell of dog. She looked around to see dog hair in between the sheets. Hazel then remembered that Frank slept as a bulldog. Looking at the hairs, she noticed it was black and white hairs. She wondered what he looked like as a bulldog.

Probably a cute bulldog...

Hazel smiled and snuggled up with the dog hair as she fell asleep.

Grover hated driving cars that polluted the earth and having screaming babies along for the ride, but the chance of death also lingered, so he did 95 miles per hour on a back road.

They drove smoothly for a while. Kaylee cried, throwing herself back in the seat and beating on the window. Grover tried to calm her, but there was nothing he could do. Eventually, she cried so much she made herself sick, where she puked on the floorboard. After a few minutes of whining, the two year old now sat quietly in the front seat, watching out the window.

Grover pulled through the drive-thru at a Wendy's and got her a kid's nugget and 'choki milk' while he nibbled on her fries. Then he drove into the woods and they ate there.

The sun had began to set. Kaylee snoozed quietly on the ground. Grover nervously set her back in the front seat. Fear built up in him about his son. Juniper had broke the news to him a few weeks ago, and he was terrified. Percy and Annabeth would, of course, be the godparents, but Kaylee made him wonder if he was ready to be a father.

Just get her to Camp Half-Blood safely, and everything will be alright.

He listened intently for the sound of flapping wings. He knew it would be no time before Selaphiel found them and killed them if he could catch them. He would probably even toy with them like he did with Erin.

Grover felt a twinge in his heart and looked back at Kaylee. So young to be orphaned... He had lied to her before she fell asleep and told her that her mommy was just running a little late and that they would catch up with her tomorrow. Chiron could explain to her better than a satyr. Grover never fully understood human emotions and how they handled grief. Annabeth and Percy always seemed really mad and depressed and quiet. He had never seen a two year old having to deal with a loss this big, nor had he ever planned on it, but... Chiron would know. The old centaur had to.

Suddenly, footsteps came from the other side of the car. Grover turned around to see the wicked angel holding the sleeping Kaylee. Grover frowned, but said nothing through shock. He was standing in front of the passenger door which blocked the way to where Kaylee slept. How did he...?

"You forgot, Donkey, to lock the drivers side door." He pushed the car door closed. "And you're the one who found Pan? Must've just been luck instead of skill."

Grover bleated, stomping his foot annoyedly. "Goat, you feather-"

"Now, now, now, let's be nice." Selaphiel made his way towards Grover after he set sleeping Kaylee down in the grass. A snake curled up between her and Grover, hissing. Selaphiel patted its head and then walked over to Grover. "My, my, Donkey, it really was something trying to find you. It took me a whole six hours!"

The angel grabbed at Grover, who jumped out of his reach and kicked at his knee cap. The hoof-kick should've broken his knee, but the Archangel just stumbled some and then regained his composure.

"That isn't very polite." He swung his fist and connected with Grover's jaw. The satyr stumbled backwards and ran into a tree. Selaphiel swung again, but Grover fell on the ground just in time for Selaphiel to knock away some bark off the tree. The angel huffed in frustration while Grover scuttled to the car to pull himself up.

"Stop running and I might spare you some pain!" Selaphiel growled as he grabbed Grover by the collar and threw him onto his back. Grover fought though, pushing and kicking and hitting. Unfortunately, the angel was too strong and pinned Grover down, punching his face multiple times. The satyr laid on the ground with his blood seeping into the grass. The angel pushed off of him.

"Now stay down."

Selaphiel pulled out his angelic blade. Just capture the girls soul like he did the mothers. He never necessarily believed in harming little children unless they deserved it, but this little girl could bring him something that him and his family needed. They needed Luke's cooperation and this would be the best blackmail.

The snake slithered out of his way and into the trees and grass. Selaphiel touched the tip of the blade over her heart and gave a deep sigh. He didn't want to do this to the girl who was so full of life and may even become an angel if she was left to die naturally...

Suddenly he was hit in the back and tackled. He fell forward, making the blade sink painfully in her heart. She awoke and gave a gasp, shaking. Grover began beating the angel with a stick. Selaphiel blocked most of the blows, but he yelled, "NO!" as the girls spirit began to leave her body. He dove for the wispy gold ball that slipped out of her chest and into the sky. He tried again to grab it, but it slipped through his fingers and made it's way towards the clouds.

Gold, he thought. Kronos. That was when he recognized Luke, remembered how he was familiar. He had been the demigod host of the Titan lord Kronos. That was why Gabriel was so interested in him, and why Michael wanted him to be the one to be the new Archangel. Luke wasn't a random demigod that Michael had found. He was a target that could get them secrets from the Titan himself, which was why Luke ran because he was scared of Kronos. He understood the Titan's power, unlike Michael or Gabriel.

Grover swung the club down on his arm again. "Bring her back!" he screeched.

Selaphiel grabbed the satyr and threw him up against a tree. "I. Can't!" The Archangel grabbed the Angelic Blade and pulled it out of the little girl's heart. "And I'm really sorry about this."

He plunged the blade into the satyr's torso. Grover screamed and violently shook, but soon he passed on. When his soul, a rainbow one, floated out of his wound, Selaphiel captured it in a glass jar hesitantly. Luke must've knew the satyr to have personally sent him a letter, so he could be used as blackmail as well.

The Archangel's face was set in stone as he picked up Kaylee's body. He could bring up her outer-shell and the other angels could search in the kiddie section of main Heaven for her soul. That may take some time, but Michael deserved to wait a little longer for making him kill a child. The blood from Grover had sunk into the earth, where flowers were blooming. The dead satyr's body twitched, but Selaphiel frowned as something else like a green mist swirled out from his chest. Reed pipes began to play in the distance as it went into the sky.

"The spirit of Pan," he whispered as he watched it disappear.

Luke wouldn't care about that. He had no desire about Pan. Grover was quoted by him to be "the bravest satyr" he knew. He wouldn't have as big of an effect on Luke as his child and fiancée would, but it would have some.

Selaphiel pulled out his iGod to call Gabriel, but changed his mind and put it on silent as he flew towards the clouds. He didn't notice, however, the black wings that had burned under Grover's body.

Juniper could feel the baby kicking. Another tree nymph named Mirandiah had come over to check on the baby's heart rate and if it was doing alright before the big day. This would be the last check-up. The appointment was over, but Mirandiah didn't have anything else to do for the rest of the day, so she stayed a little while longer to have some tea and to discuss baby names.

"Grover likes Amethyst if it's a little girl, but I'm hoping for a little boy to be Grover Junior."

"Aww, that's really cute!" The nymph snorted some as she giggled.

"I don't think he likes it, though..." Juniper stirred her tea she made from the sap of her tree. "When he comes back from his journey, I'm going to ask him. If not, then I guess I'll name it.. I don't even know, maybe Perseus."

Mirandiah frowned. "Perseus? Like... the son of Poseidon or the son of Zeus?"

"Poseidon. He's Grover's best friend and has saved his life many times. We're very lucky to have such a good friend in Percy. Unfortunately, he's on the Prophecy of the Seven quest so if he doesn't return alive, it'll be a like a tribute to-"

There was a knock on the door. Juniper stopped midsentence and started to awkwardly get out of her seat, but Mirandiah was to her feet quicker.

"I'll get it for you. You stay seated. You're going to need all the rest you can get before the little one comes."

Juniper sunk back down uneasily as Mirandiah answered the door. Chiron stood there with a very grim face. "I need to speak to Juniper Underwood immediately." Mirandiah stepped out of the way so Chiron could enter the small home that was built into the trunk of a Redwood. Don't ask how the tree was delivered from California to New York. It was a very long and expensive process. Chiron was forced to duck his head. Mirandiah stood wide eyed. "In private, please."

"I'll, um... I'll come back tomorrow and gather my things." Mirandiah hurried out of the tree, shutting the door behind her.

Juniper looked up at Chiron and frowned. "What is it? What's wrong? Is it... Is it Grover?"

The Centaur hesitated before he answered. "A package came for you from... from Pan. I didn't open it. I believe it to be... Well, the Spirit of Pan."

"NO!" Juniper cried out, tears welling in her eyes. "No, he can't be dead! He-He was just here!"

Chiron set the cardboard box down on her coffee table and then knelt down on his front legs. "Juniper, I am so sorry you have to go through this ordeal, but you need to open the box and take on the Spirit. Grover needs you to do this. I'm sending satyr's out to find him. There is still a chance he is a alive."

Juniper cried for a few moments. Her husband was gone. She was going to have to raise the baby alone, and now, Chiron was lying to her. The Spirit was only supposed to come to her if Grover died. There couldn't be a chance.

Chiron reached forward and touched her shoulder. "Accidents are known to happen, Juniper. I'm going to try my hardest to bring him back to you safely."

She sniffled and nodded. Chiron left and Juniper stared at the box as tears burned. It was a good hour or so before she finally picked it up and set it in her lap. Her mind swam. What if the Spirit hurts the baby? What if it's too much on me? What if Grover's really dead? What if-? Stop it. Stop it and just do it.

Juniper opened the box. Green smoke swirled out of the box and into the air, where it formed a ball and faced her. She was terrified as she looked closely into it. She could faintly see Grover's and Lord Pan's face swirling around.

"Help us, Juni..." Grover's voice whispered.

"G-Gr-Grover?" she whispered. When she reached out to touch it, the green ball shot into her face and inside of her body. Juniper gasped and made a shudder. Suddenly her senses were heightened. she could smell the pollution in the air and the flowers yard and yards away. She gave a gasp as she looked at her hands and touched her pregnant belly.

She now held the Spirit of Pan. For Grover.