Gods, I am so sorry that I have not updated in forever! The laptop I was using was kindly returned, and none of my other computers/laptops had Microsoft or anything like that. I am SOOOO sorry!

Oh gods. Today was doomsday! Today they would be boarding the plane to New York. They would be up in the air. In the air!

She woke up sweating. Nico was peacefully sleeping on her head, so she blamed her sweating for that, but she knew that she was scared all the way to Hades and back.

Thalia was the first one awake in the cabin, which was surprising, because the Huntresses usually awoke at sunup. She hit the showers, and then half heartedly threw a bunch of clothes and toys into an empty backpack. Thinking better of it, she also added a bunch of napkins, a towel, her purse that Artemis had given her, and Evangeline. The doll, not the person.

Percy woke up a couple minutes after she had finished wadding everything into the stuffed backpack.

"I guess we have to take a shower now?" He asked.

Thalia bit her lip. "Um, maybe we should wait until Grover, or someone else comes by." She remembered the last bathing incident.

Percy pouted. "But I want to take a shower now."

Thalia took a deep breath. She reminded herself that she was going to have to deal with this sooner or later.

"Let's wait for a few minutes." Thalia compromised. She slung the backpack - their only piece of luggage - over her shoulder and wrapped Nico around with a blanket. She lifted him up gently, and motioned for Percy to follow her.

Once they were outside, Thalia relaxed a little.

"Are we going to take a shower in the lake?" Asked a bewildered Percy.

"No, silly, we're going to Zeus's cabin." Thalia snorted.

"Oh." Percy murmured.

The cool early morning air made Thalia shiver slightly. She could tell that summer was nearing an end. She wondered what would happen if the boys were still kids by the time school began. She knew that Percy was looking forward to another year without too many mishaps. Of course, that couldn't really happen if he didn't show up for school for two or three months.

"I see the cabin!" Percy shouted. He left Thalia's side to race up to the very dry cabin of Zeus.

"Well, here we come." Thalia mumbled under her breath. She looked at the calmly slumbering Nico. How could he sleep so peacefully with all this commotion going on? Oh well, at least that was one problem avoided.

She left Nico on the bed, and then she took out Percy's clothes. Percy was excitedly dancing around in his pajamas. Thalia looked at him and sighed. How was she going to get through this?

"Come on, come on, come on, Mama!" Percy screeched.

Thalia winced and looked over at Nico. He shifted in his sleep.

"Let's go." She muttered.

Percy began pulling his shirt off. Thalia pointedly looked away and started filling up the bathtub.

"Help!" He shouted. Thalia saw him with his arms out of the shirt's neck hole, his head and everything else covered by the shirt.

Thalia leaned over and unbuttoned his shirt.

Percy grinned up sheepishly at her.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Come on, get in the water."

"Wait." Percy began yanking at his pajama bottom.

Thalia shut her eyes tightly and waited. When she heard a splash, she opened her eyes and reached for the soap.

Percy helped her out getting soap suds everywhere.

"Okay, Percy, now we get wet." Thalia instructed.

Percy did as he was told, as soaked himself – and Thalia.

Thalia groaned under her breath. She snatched a towel from the rack and wrapped it around the already dry Percy. She carried him outside and placed him on the bed.

"Can you get changed on your own?" Thalia pleaded.

Percy nodded.

Thalia smiled and turned to Nico, who had gotten up and was looking at them incomprehensively.

"Mama? Percy?" He mumbled.

Thalia scooped him up and pulled out some clothes for him. She carried him to the bathroom and started up the bath again.

Nico stared at her, confused.

"You have to take off your clothes and get in the bath." Thalia explained.

Nico yawned.

Thalia reached over and pulled off his shirt. Then, with her eyes tightly shut, she yanked his pajama off and lifted him into the lukewarm water.

It was a repeat of Percy's bath after that, except that Nico wasn't all dry at the end.

Thalia wrapped another blanket around him and transferred him to the bed.

"I'll help him get changed!" Percy offered proudly.

"Thank you." Thalia sighed in relief.

She waited while Percy helped Nico get changed, and then she grabbed the backpack and boys and headed out for breakfast. She knew that her flight was for eleven thirty, and it was about eight thirty. Argus would most likely leave her at the airport, but after that, quenching her fear, and the boys, would be up to her.

So, yeah. Thanks a lot for bearing with me. I'll try to update more often when I can.