A/N: Hiya! I hope this is better than the last chapter. be warned, it is a lot longer. i'm not sure about character developement yet. it will be better later, when i can do individual thoughts and feelings, ect...

Disclaimer (do i have to put this on every chapter?): i do not own Percy jackson or the Penderwicks.

The sisters reached their house, fortunately without any further attacks. At first, their black dog Hound greeted them joyfully, with much licking and barking. But Hound had always been one for sensing the Penderwick's emotions, especially Batty's, so his barks quickly turned to whines when he did. Batty led him out the back door.

She, Batty, had never experienced anything so terrifying in her life. Not even the time she had almost gotten gored by a bull ( long story) or the time Bug Man had scared her on Hallowe'en (another long story). No, this had been much worse. This had been an actual monster. She had read about those in books, and seen them in movies, and looked for them under her bed, but she had never actually encountered one.

" Oh,Hound, it was horrible," she whispered to her friend. He always listened to her troubles. "It had huge claws. And a very ugly dress. And it smelled bad." She wrinkled her nose at the memory. "Jane thinks we're going crazy. What do you think, Hound?" Hound answered by chewing her shoelaces. Batty sighed and leaned against him.

At that very moment, Mr. Penderwick's car pulled into the driveway. Rosalind, who was trying to bandage Skye's wound in the living room, immediately jumped up.

"We have to tell him," she said to her and Jane.

"And Iantha too?" asked Jane. Rosalind nodded. "She's a part of this family."

"What about Ben?" Skye asked. Ben was their adorable 3 year old stepbrother.

"I think he's too young to hear it," replied Rosalind. Then they heard the door open.

"Daughters?" a familiar voice called. Jane rushed into the entryway

"Oh Daddy, it was horrendous! One moment we were just lying in the grass, the next-"

"Jane!" Rosalind shouted from the living room. "Wait one second!"

Mr. Penderwick walked into the living room. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of his eldest daughter wrapping gauze around Skye's arm, but if he jumped to any conclusions, he didn't let on.

"Hello. Pray tell, what happened to Skye's arm?" he asked no one in particular. Before anyone could answer, Iantha walked into the room carrying Ben.

"Skye! What happened?"

"Well. . .we. .uhh," said Rosalind, suddenly confused as to what to say.

"How about we tell you while you make dinner?" Jane suggested, just as her father was about to ask another question.

"Alright. But first, where's Batty?"

"Outside with Hound." He crossed to the kitchen window.

"Yes, so she is. Right. Well, lets make dinner. Then you can tell me your obviously fascinating tale."

The three older sisters glanced at each other. Skye looked like she was going to be sick. Fascinating; unfortunately.

Ben waddled into the living room to play. While Mr. Penderwick and Iantha gathered their ingredients, it gave Rosalind a chance to figure out what she was going to say. She contemplated bringing Batty in, but figured she had gone through enough that day, without having to relive it.

The girls sat at the table, while their father rushed around. Iantha wasn't much of a cook, so she stood at the sink peeling potatoes.

"The story?" said Mr. Penderwick expectantly.

"You'll think we're crazy," Skye whispered. Mr. Penderwick turned towards them at that. He was suddenly a little pale. He gathered himself and said; "Too late. I already do. Now, the story." Jane and Skye both looked at Rosalind. She cleared her throat and began.

"Well, we decided to go to Quigly woods after school, since it was such a beautiful day. So we were just lying in the clearing, and then. . ." she trailed off and looked at the table, having forgotten the rest of her hastly planned speech.

After a pause, Skye spoke. "And then a shadow passed over us. We thought it was a cloud but. . ."she took a deep breath. "it wasn't anything like a cloud. It was.. .well. . .this sounds ridiculous, but it was a. . .a monster."

Mr. Penderwick whipped around. He looked at Iantha, and they seemed to have a silent conversation with that one glance. "What did it look like?" he asked sharply.

The girls looked at each other, confused by their father's forward reaction. "It had big, feathery wings, and sagging skin. And huge, horrible claws," Jane said.

"A harpy maybe," Mr. penderwcik muttered to himself. "Or a Fury. . ." He looked up. "Were any of you hurt? Are you okay? What happened to the monster?"

Rosalind frowned. "Yes Daddy, we're okay, and Skye killed it, but how-?"

"Did it disintegrate?" His daughters nodded. He said something harshly in Latin, then plopped into a chair and put his head in his hands. Instantly, he jumped up again.

"I'll explain all of this soon," he said to his daughters. "But first, I need to make a few phone calls. Rosy, do you have Jeffery's number?"

"Jeffery?" she replied. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Everything. Now, the number." Rosalind left to find it, with one more perplexed frown at her father. There was a pause in the room. An oven element was burning with nothing on it. Iantha turned it off, then touched her husband's arm.

"Should I make dinner?" she asked gently. He smiled weakly. "Yes, thank you."

"What was. . ." Iantha's voice grew quieter as she talked with him. They had a whispered conversation, with many glances at Skye and Jane. Finally, Skye couldn't stand it anymore.

"Um, excuse me, but we're a part of this, a very big part in fact, and I think we deserve to know what you're talking about," she stated. They looked over. But before either of them could answer, Rosalind came running down the stairs.

"I found it," she called.

"Wonderful." Mr. Penderwick took the address book. " Thank you Rosy." He regarded them all. "I will explain. Soon." And with that he left the room. Iantha turned to them and gave them a strained smile.

"Okay. Jane, could you go get Batty from outside? I don't want her out there alone." Jane nodded and slipped outside. Iantha walked into the living room and came back with the bandages. "Rosy, could you just stir those vegetables while I fix Skye up?" Rosalind turned to the frying pan mutely, and began pushing the vegetables around with a spatula. Iantha artfully wrapped bandages around Skye's muscle, having done it many times before. Jane came back with a still silent Batty. When Iantha was done with Skye, she walked over to her.

"Batty? Honey, I know you were scared, but there's nothing to be frightened about now. Okay?" she said, but Batty didn't answer. Iantha bent down and hugged her. A single tear trailed down Batty's cheek. Skye and Jane immediately left for the living room. They knew that if one came, many more were soon to follow, and they were not fans of Batty's crying. Rosalind, however, took her away from Iantha.

"It's alright," she said to her. "You make dinner." Iantha quietly obliged, and returned to the stove.

"Shhhh," Rosalind said, stroking Batty's hair. "It's okay."

"It was so scary," Batty managed through her tears. 'W-w-why di-did it-?" but she was too distraught to finish her sentence. Hound came and licked her face over Rosalind's shoulder. This helped her to calm down. Nothing like a huge, black dog slobbering all over your face to make you feel better.

"Okay now?" Rosalind said gently. Batty nodded, drying the last of her tears. "Why don't you go play your piano? I'll be there in a minute." Once her little sister had gone, she straightened up. "Need any more help?" she asked her step-mother.

"No, I'm alright Rosy," she replied. "Why don't you go listen to Batty."

"You know why that thing came after us, don't you?" Rosalind said, ignoring the suggestion. Iantha shook her head nervously.

"I know a bit. But don't worry. Your father's going to explain it all. Now go. I can manage." Rosalind left reluctantly. She reached the living room, only to find Skye, Batty and Jane listening at the door to their father's study.

"Guys, you know better," she chided. Skye shook her head. Her blue eyes were stormy.

"He's talking to Jeffery," she said "He keeps saying the names 'Annabeth', 'Percy' and 'Jason'. We don't know why." Rosalind rushed to the door, and put her ear against it. She could only make out bits of his voice, and most of it didn't make sense.

"They say. . . . . harpy. . . . should have kept them safe," was all she could make out at first.

"What the hell is a harpy?" Skye whispered. Rosalind motioned at Batty, but Skye just shrugged. No one answered. Their father was talking again.

"How do I. . . . . yes..should. . . .who's with you?" The sisters raised their eyebrows. Almost nothing phased Daddy.

"Well.. . .Yes. . .Bring. . .too. . . . wonderful. . .. pick you up. . . . Camp Half-Blood. . . .Annabeth. . ."

"There's that name again," Jane said.

"What's Camp Half-Blood?" Skye asked, frustrated now. She hated not knowing things.

"Yes. . .. .see. .soon. . ..bye-" The sisters rushed onto the couch, and Batty to her piano. When Mr. Penderwick opened the door, they all looked at him innocently. He gave them an apologetic glance, then left for the kitchen.

Skye kicked a leg of the coffee table. "I wish he'd just tell us," she muttered. "Then we wouldn't have to be dishonourable and eavesdrop."

"He said he'd explain. He will," Rosalind said. She had a lot of faith in her father. They all did, usually.

"Oh Ben," Jane said to her brother, who was playing with a plastic truck on the carpet. " You're so lucky you don't have to deal with monsters, and witches, and confusing phone calls."

"We haven't dealt with any witches yet, Jane," Rosalind said with a smile.

"How do you know?" Jane countered. "That thing today could have been a witch, who turned herself into a demon. OR, maybe, that's what witches really look like! With horrible talons, and huge wings, and-"

"Jane!" Skye practically shouted. "Stop! Can't you for once in your life be serious?" Rosalind frowned, and Ben whimpered. Jane looked at her reproachfully. "I am being serious," she said.

"Oh, yeah, evidently," Skye replied sarcastically.

"Dinner's ready!" Iantha called from the kitchen. The shout broke up the argument, and the girls filed into the dining room silently, Rosalind holding Ben. Iantha and Mr. Penderwick were already there. Everyone sat down, and started eating the chicken and vegetables that Iantha had made. The vegetables were rather badly burnt, but the girls didn't care. They were too hungry from their ordeal to really mind what it tasted like.

"So girls," Iantha asked. "How was the last day of school?"

"We got to paint the whole day," Batty replied after a pause. She had just ended SK.

"Really?" Iantha said. "What did you paint?"

"First, I painted Hound. Then, I made a sunset, with purple clouds. Then, we had a break and went for recess. We stayed out extra long though, because it was the last day. When we came back, I made a big painting of our whole family. Mommy was in it too. And Jeffery."

Mr. Penderwick looked down when he heard this. He missed his wife very much.

"But don't worry," Batty added. "I put you and Ben in it too, Iantha."

"I'm sure it was beautiful sweetie," Iantha said, smiling gently. "What about the rest of you? How was your day?" she asked. She didn't care if it was awkward. She seemed to need dinnertime conversation.

"You mean apart from almost being killed?" Skye said sullenly. Immediately, she regretted it. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "You didn't deserve that." Iantha nodded, and smiled empathetically.

"About that matter," Mr. Penderwick said, putting down his fork. "I have asked Jeffery to come early. Tonight, in fact. I'm going to pick him up at the. . .uh. . .bus station. I believe he will help me in explaining all of this to you."

"Again, what can Jeffery possibly-" Skye began, but her father shushed her.

"Just, bear with me Skye," he said. He turned to his eldest. "Rosalind, I also need Anna's number."

"Anna?" she exclaimed. "Why do you need her?" Anna had been Rosalind's best friend since kindergarten. She wasn't prepared to bring her into this quite yet.

"I just do. Now please, tell me, what is it?" he said. Rosalind recited the number, having dialed it many times. Her father wrote it on a piece of paper.

"Great. Thank you." He rose from his chair, straightening his glasses.

"Wait," said Jane. "Won't it be pretty late when Jeffery gets here?"

"Uhhh, no," said Mr. Penderwick. He looked uncomfortable.

"But isn't it pretty far from here to Boston?" she asked.

"He's umm. . . he's uhh. . .taking an express bus," he said. The sisters looked at him suspiciously. It was unlike their father to stumble.

"He'll be here by 10:00," he said. "So maybe Batty should go to bed now. We can wake her up."

Batty protested, but was eventually led upstairs by Rosalind. retreated to his study. Skye got out a jigsaw puzzle, something she was particularly good at. The rest of the family helped her. The picture was Neptune, her favourite planet, and the stars in the back round. It was 9:30 when Mr. Penderwick left to pick up Jeffery, and Anna. The others sat doing the puzzle, waiting for him to come home; along with an explanation.

So, what'd you think? i know it's confusing, but bear with me. And review please! i love constructive critism! (:P)