Sorry about the wait, I had this terrible thing known to many as school. I also have my show choir auditions to worry about. This chapter has a sort-of plot and emotion! I think.

I own nothing at all. Well, I'm pretty sure I own myself…

It was two months after the war. Annabeth, Percy, and Grover, walked through the woods at camp, talking and laughing, when suddenly Grover stopped.

"I smell someone nearby." He said, sniffing the air. "I'm not sure who it is."

"Is it a monster?" Annabeth asked, drawing her knife.

"No… it smells almost… mortal? But… strange."

Percy uncapped Riptide, and together they inched forward until…

"Hey guys, remember me?"

They all turned around, and saw a girl around their age with jean shorts, flip flops, a NASA tank top, and a grey hoodie tied around her waist. Her hair was messy, short, and a deep brown that matched her eyes. She grinned widely, leaning against a tree.

"You're that strange mortal I met a few months ago!" Percy exclaimed, raising his sword.

"Awww, so you do remember me!" the girl, who Percy remembered was named Stevie, squealed.

"Why are you following me?"

Stevie walked towards them, her hands in her pockets.

"Don't give yourself too much credit. I haven't just been following you. Not that I've been following anyone. At all. In fact, I'm breaking a few rules just by talking to you."

"Rules?" Grover asked, looking confused.

"Yes, Grover Underwood, even I am confined by strict laws governing my existence on this earth. Not that I follow them. And not that anyone really cares. Now, it's clear that Aqualad over here recognizes me, but what about you Ms. Know-It-All?"

Annabeth narrowed her eyes.

"We've never met… have we?"

"Aww… come on, home slice, I helped you on your journey to Camp Half-Blood. You get any tanner in that knife?"

Annabeth's eyes widened in realization.

"You… you're Stevie, the mortal who gave us money. And you showed up again too… just a week before Grover showed up, wasn't it? You always called us home slice."

"She speaks the truth, dear satyr and water boi. I am Stevie. You can put your sword away, Perseus."

Percy did not lower his sword.

"Annabeth, tell your boyfriend to lower the lethal ballpoint pen, please?" Stevie turned her cow-eyed gaze to the daughter of Athena, who was still staring at the mortal with a mix of anger and sadness.

"You…" she said quietly. "You said you were looking out for us. How could you let Thalia die?"

Stevie looked taken aback. She opened her mouth to speak, but Annabeth cut her off.

"How could you let her die, when you promised you would help us? You could have stopped the monsters."

Stevie was quiet for a long while, and Percy and Grover drank this information in. Grover was confused. Someone else had found those three before he did? And had helped them like he did? How? Who was she?

"Look, Annabeth, I'm so sorry… I can't change things. No matter how much I want to, that's the one rule I have to follow in order to stay here. I would have stopped them if I could but… I can't change the narrative. Everything has to go as planned."

"What rules?" Grover asked. "What narrative? What are you talking about?"

"I-I should go. See you guys another time."

"Wait!" Percy reached out to grab Stevie, but she had already dived behind a bush. She vanished, like she was never there, leaving the trio standing in the woods, trying to process what had happened.

Heyyyy! How is everyone? Good, good. Now LISTEN UP. I have something VERY IMPORTANT and VITAL TO THE FUTURE OF THIS STORY to tell you about. On my profile, there is a poll. What you vote will decide what direction this story is going in, okay? It is important to get your feedback so that the majority of people who read this crazy fic get what they want out of it. And while you're there, you cna read my profile to find out a bit more about me... So that's that, hope you have a good day.