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I totally blanked that I had Ultimate Frisbee last night, so that's why there was no update! Sorryz!

ANYWAYS… I gots a facebook page! Kittycat32 on Fanfiction. net ! You can find the link on my profile page!

I'm exhausted today, so this might sound a little bit tired! I have a feeling I'm going to sleep pretty early tonight =P

Son of The Sea 100896 Haha, ask what? And yes, Thalia's language is much worse then Annabeth's. I've never really tried writing from a punk girl's side, so lets see how it goes!

Deviant1 UK Fore is a word! It's actually an old English word, thank you very much! Look it up =P

Cotix14 Hahah, thank you! I tried to make the flashback funny, yet give Zoe a… snooty/snotty attitude =) Um, I'm more of a Gale girl, just because I met him first, and that he has so much in common with Katniss. But I also feel that Peeta should be with someone also…

GraceOfTheFlower Hahah, yeah, I noticed that too, how Blackjack had a gender change =P Everyone makes mistakes with that every once in a while though!

smileyhippoes Haha, I'm going to! And sheesh, that's a lot of reading! I'm glad you like this series so much!

blueowl Thank you! I always love it when people say they like my writing! And no prob, I'll work on that =)

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Driving Test, Demigod Style

Artemis said that dawn was coming shortly, but it was still dark enough to see the stars. I've done my fair share of all nighters, so I was pretty sure we still had at least an hour until the sun came up.

The Hunters packed up quickly, under the watchful eye of Zoë. I knew she was the lieutenant and everything, but I think the Hunters could pack up without her watching them like a hawk.

After giving an exaggerated eye roll, I walked past them, dragging Grover to where Percy stood by the cliff. He had just had a meeting with Artemis and Bianca, and I desperately wanted to know what had happened.

Percy then went on to explain that Bianca had joined the Hunters. Why couldn't Artemis and her girly girls let Bianca give Camp Half-Blood a chance? They just had to go and steal every potential young lady that happened to cross their path.

And what's worse, they were "escorting" us to camp! I didn't need an escort to my own home, thank you very much. So Artemis had to go solo for a little bit. Bringing the Hunters to Camp Half-Blood wasn't exactly the best idea!

"The last time the Hunter's visited camp, it didn't go well," gulped Grover.

"How'd they even show up here?" asked Percy. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

"And Bianca joined them," I hissed. "It's all Zoë's fault. That stuck-up, no good-"

I would have said some nastier words had Grover not interrupted.

"Who can blame her?" he asked. "Eternity with Artemis?"

I rolled my eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

"But she's so… into nature," Grover said with a dreamy look on his face.

"You're nuts," I told him.

"Nuts and berries," he said. "Yeah."

The sky on the horizon finally lightened, blocking out some of the stars with rays of sunshine.

"About time," muttered Artemis. "He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."

"You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" asked Percy.

"For my brother, yes."

Percy looked a tad confused.

"It's not exactly as you think," said the moon goddess, spying the look.

"Oh, okay," Percy relaxed. "So, it's not like he'll be pulling up in a-"

We were suddenly blinded by light, and a blast of warm air washed over us, silencing Percy mid-sentence.

"Don't look," called Artemis. "Not until he parks."

I lifted my arm to my face, squinting in the bright light until it was too hard to even keep my eyes open.

The heat intensified, making my winter coat seem like an oven, until the light faded, and the air settled around us.

I put my arm down, and looked forward. An awesome car stood in front of me, a red Maserati Spyder. It was one of those cars you always saw old people in, trying to look cool with their convertibles. Not that it was a bad thing. I wouldn't mind have a Spyder or two lying around to drive in.

The car was glowing with heat, and all the snow around had been melted, unfortunately, mostly on my shoes. They were soaking wet.

The driver got out of the car, and I swear my jaw hit the ground. Complete surfer body, tan and all. Sun-lightened dirty-blonde hair framed his face, and he had an easy-going look to him.

"Wow," I breathed. "Apollo is hot."

"He's the sun god," Percy said.

"That's not what I meant."

"Little sister!" called Apollo gleefully. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

"I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister," said Artemis with a sigh.

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue-"

"So what's up?" interrupted Apollo. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"

Artemis took a calming breath. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" said Apollo with a smile that was almost as bright as his car. Then he lifted his hands in a "everyone-stop" gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters around me groaned.

The sun god held up a hand and cleared his throat.

"Green grass breaks through snow.

Artemis pleads for my help.

I am so cool."

He gave us a floppy grin, obviously waiting for us to shower him with applause.

"That last line was only four syllables," said Artemis.

She did have a point there. He got a ten for the hotness scale, but I think he needed a few more brain cells.

"Was it?" asked Apollo with a frown.

"Yes. What about, 'I am so big-headed?'"

"No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." Apollo turned away, obviously deep in thought.

Zoë (Ugh) turned to us. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, 'There once was a goddess from Sparta'-"

"I've got it!" Apollo announced triumphantly. "'I am so awesome.' That's five syllables!" he bowed, obviously pleased with himself.

"And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," said Artemis, pointing to us. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo looked us over. "Let's see… Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

I blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time-"

Part of my was happy that I was labeled a "pretty girl" but the other part wondered just how many girls he knew that were now trees.

"Brother, you should get going," said Artemis pointedly.

"Oh, right," replied the sun god, and looked at Percy. "Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah. I mean… yes, sir."

Apollo looked him over, but said nothing. Okay, creeper much?

"Well," he said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way. West. And if you miss it, you miss it."

"Cool car," said Nico, walking over.

"Thanks, kid," said Apollo.

"But how will we all fit?" asked Nico.

"Oh," said Apollo, realizing the problem. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose…"

He took out his car keys and pressed the security alarm button.

The car glowed brightly, and I squinted again. When the light died down, a turtle top bus was in its place, the buses they usually used for basketball faraway games at school.

"Right, everybody in," said Apollo.

Zoë ordered the Hunters to start loading all their stuff, and picked up her camping pack.

"Here, sweetheart. Let me get that," said Apollo with a flirty smile.

Zoë backed up, murder flashing in her eyes.

"Brother," Artemis said crossly. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands in a shrugging motion. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting. It's none of your business," said the moon goddess shortly.

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

Jeez, Apollo was a stalker! I see all… I know all… it's like Santa Claus, watching you all year to see if you are "naughty" or not. "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why…" I'm just glad that there wasn't a Greek Santa. I didn't even want to know what would happen with that.

Artemis snorted, very sister-like. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

"No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis let out an eye roll, and turned to her Hunters and us. "I will see you by the winter solstice. Zoë, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

"Yes, my lady," said Zoë, straightening proudly. Show off.

Artemis touched the ground. When she rose, her eyes were worried. "So much danger. The beast must be found."

She then proceeded to sprint into the woods, a silvery wolf following close behind.

Apollo turned away from her, and gave a mischievous grin. "So, who wants to drive?"

The Hunters immediately piled into the van and took the spots at the very back, as far away as possible from the boys. Even Bianca followed them, leaving her own brother with us. Hunters. Once they had you, they never let you go.

Percy, Grover, Nico and I sat in the front, along with Apollo.

"This is so cool!" said Nico, jumping up and down on the drivers seat. Oh, god. Nico was not going to be driving. He was only ten years old! "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," said Apollo. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" asked Nico. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo ruffled his hair. "That rumor probably got started because of Artemis used to call me a fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sum? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun… er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from the east to west, lighting up all those puny mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

Nope.

Nico shook his head. "No."

"Well then, just think of it as really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

"Can I drive?" asked Nico.

"No. Too young."

"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand like a school boy.

"Mm, no," said Apollo. "Too furry."

And then he looked at me. Oh, crap.

"Daughter of Zeus! Lord of the sky. Perfect."

"Oh, no," I shook my head vigorously. "No, thanks."

"C'mon. How old are you?" asked Apollo.

I hesitated. "I don't know."

Time had seemed warped after five years in a tree. I sadly didn't know my age at all. I should be nineteen, but I don't know if tree years were slower or faster.

Apollo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."

"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."

"Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"

I shifted nervously. "Uh-"

"I know what you're going to say," Apollo interrupted. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun chariot."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast you out of the sky."

Apollo laughed good-naturedly. We didn't join him.

I tried to say that I didn't want to drive, that I was afraid of heights, but Apollo simply did not listen to me. Gods were so thickheaded sometimes! He pressed a button and a sign appeared on top of the windshield. WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.

Oh, that was comforting.

"Take it away! You're gonna be a natural!" said Apollo.

I wasn't so sure about that.

"Speed equals heat," said Apollo. "So start slowly and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."

I resisted making a "that's what she said," joke, and squeezed the steering wheel.

Happy thoughts, Thalia. Happy thoughts. I could do this. I believe in myself.

Crap it wasn't working. Who the hell thought that would work? I was still scared of heights! No amount of self encouragement was going to help that.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked me.

"Nothing," I replied. "N-nothing is wrong."

I pulled back on the wheel, and the bus lurched up so fast that Percy fell onto Grover.

"Ow," Grover complained.

"Sorry."

"Slower!" Apollo told me.

"Sorry!" I squeaked. "I've got it under control!"

I didn't want to risk looking out the window. We were too high already.

"Thalia, lighten up on the accelerator," advised Percy.

"I've got it, Percy," I gritted my teeth.

My foot twitched to where it pushed on the gas, jerking us.

"Loosen up," Percy told me.

"I'm loose!" I snapped at him.

"We need to veer south for Long Island. Hang a left," said Apollo.

I jerked the wheel and Percy slammed into Grover again.

"The other left," suggested Apollo.

Gods curse it! I was dyslexic, how was I supposed know?

"Ah… a little lower, sweetheart. Cape cod is freezing over," said Apollo with forced calmness.

I pushed the wheel down, resisting glancing out the window.

I heard a girly scream, and realized it was Percy. Ha, sissy!

Apollo had been thrown to the back of the bus, but he began his descent back toward us.

"Take the wheel!" Grover practically begged him.

"No worries," said Apollo. "She just has to learn to- WHOA!"

I glanced outside to see us miles above the ground. I let out a whimper.

"Pull up!" yelled Percy.

I followed his directions, and we continued down our path.

"There! Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expressions."

"I'm under control, I'm under control," I muttered, mostly to myself.

"Brake," said Apollo.

"I can do this."

"BRAKE!"

I slammed my foot on the other pedal, and the bus tipped at a forty-five degree angle, slamming into the camp's lake, steam billowing out from under us.

Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?

"Well, you were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?" asked Apollo.

Ta da! How was it?

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