Hello everyone! It's been awhile...

Well, I've actually had this one written out for a long time, but I have this rule where I can't post a chapter until the next chapter is complete... I guess I'll just have to make an exception to this one. I have the next chapter . . . half-way written, but I'm in need of serious help on it D:

Okay. So, usually before I even begin a story, I write a little of the middle. Part of this is what I started with. :)

Note: After much debating, I've decided to use the characterer appearances from the movies instead of the books. :) Well. Mostly.

I may have a few descriptions supporting the books too. :)

Thanks for taking the time to read:)

~Chapter Five~

Janelle

"So you're the new shiny toy everyone's been talking about." Annabeth had glanced up from a book and saw me coming toward the cabin. And that was the first thing she said to me. No hello, no introduction.

I glanced behind me quickly.

She tossed the book into the open window behind her and stood, "Where's Grover?"

I hesitated, still unsure if she was talking to me or not. Her dark hair was swept up into a straggling ponytail, and her blue eyes sized me up. "He went back for Percy," I finally said. There was something about the way she was acting...like she thought she was better than me. I laughed mentally.

She nodded thoughtfully, standing by the stairs with her arms crossed. "You don't want to do this do you?"

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and glanced up at her. I didn't like how she was the one to look down on me. "No," I didn't even hesitate. I wasn't even going to bother being nice to her.

"Good. Cause I don't want to do this either. We'll just... pretend. Alright?"

I liked the way she thought. "Fine by me."

She didn't make an effort to get any more acquainted. Instead, she looked off into the distance, back at the field, before heading to the cabin door.

I took that as my cue to leave. If I ran into Grover, I'd just tell him we'd finished early.

I was kind of unsure of where to go then. I wandered, making sure to keep an eye out for Grover or Percy, until I found myself at a wide tent. The bright colors of the tent clashed with the sweet greens of nature. It looked odd there. I was like a child running after a butterfly then. Without even thinking, I walked into it like the tent itself was pulling me towards it, beckoning me nearer. Once I stepped foot inside, I knew I had set foot into civilization. A blast of cold air hit me in the face so hard I had to squint. Blinking, I took in my surroundings. Somehow, whoever was living here had managed to make the whole place electrical in some way. Devices of all kinds were everywhere. It was kind of ironic really.

It was only after a few seconds that I realized there was someone in the room. Luke was sitting on a beat-up couch parallel to a wide screened television. On the screen, some guy was prancing around with a machine gun in his hands.

I froze where I was, immediately wanting to retreat. I was supposed to meet him, yes, but I really didn't feel up to it right now. I was at the entrance/exit of the tent when he called out, "You're early."

I hesitated, wondering if I could possibly make a run for it. But then he said, "I know who you are and I know why you're really here."

I bit my lip, not knowing what to say for fear that he really knew. I mean, I couldn't just blurt something out about it. He could be bluffing. I turned around slowly to face him and crossed my arms, game-face on. I had to admit; I was curious as to what he had to say.

He put the video game on pause and walked towards me, stopping only a foot away. Despite all of the electrical thingamabobs in the room, it was actually quite dark in there. A single streak of light found it's way to his face briefly, flashing his white scar.

I narrowed my eyes up at him, and then underneath the shadows, read his expression. I could tell right then that he wasn't just bluffing. He really knew something. His mouth was set in a hard line, as his arctic, wolf-like gray eyes pierced through mine.

Immediately, a plan started forming in my head. As always, if I was in a position such as this, I would have to give him what he wanted. I sighed inwardly. I had to get the upper hand of this situation before I lost control of it completely. "Really?" I smiled slightly before suggestively flicking my tongue at him. It grazed his lips barely, and I watched as his stormy gray eyes faltered for only a few seconds as he struggled to keep control. Oh, I always had fun doing this for the first few minutes.

He stared at my lips for a few moments and then looked back up to hold my gaze, "You're the daughter of Hades and you're here to kill Percy," his voice rose and he didn't even look uncomfortable saying it.

I glanced around quickly, hoping no one had walked by and managed to over hear this, but the turn of the day had sent people into the safety of their cabins before dinner. He could have at least tried to conceal his voice a little, instead of proudly yelling it out to the world. I was in no place to be found out already.

"Sorry," he lowered his voice, noticing my panicked expression.

I raised my eyebrows, "You...don't want anyone to know?"

"Do you?" He shot back.

"Of course not. But you..."

He shook his head, "Look, I want Percy dead just as much as you do. I'm not all for Hades becoming the superior god, but I won't stop you." The statement seemed false. Why wouldn't he stop me? He was either lying, or he was telling the truth, and he was just too lazy to do anything about it.

I tilted my head slightly, taking in this information. He was definitely lying. I just knew it. "How do I know I can trust you?"

He didn't answer at first; he just gazed down at me, as if trying to make me trust him with his eyes. I didn't want to admit it, but I needed someone I could trust. If he was being serious, then I'd have another person on my side, helping me with this. And the more help, the better. Of course, I could do this whole mission alone, but with Luke's help, I could get it finished easier, and more quickly. While I was contemplating this, secretly hoping that whatever he was saying was real, I fully zoned out, apparently at the wrong time too. When I snapped out of it, I was still looking up at Luke. We seemingly had come a little bit closer to each other than we had started out, and he was now almost pressed up against me with his fingers laced around my wrist. How the hell had that happened?

Part of me was still in another world, making decisions, while the other half was standing here with him. Sealing this deal would be easy now. I kiss him, and he'd probably be mine forever, following my orders like a little minion. I tilted my chin slightly; I was obviously going to have to make the first move. And that's all I had to do. He closed the space between us and pressed his lips to mine. All in all, it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. His lips were soft, and the kiss itself wasn't too much, or too less of anything. His hand dropped from my wrist and wrapped around my waist, pressing me closer to him, and I had my hand raised, almost touching his face, when I heard them. The voices floated up from the pathway behind the trees that were, in a sense, a complete world away. My hand changed tracks in the middle of actions and instead, I pushed away from him.

"She'll get over it, man," Grover was saying. "You didn't even do anything. She has nothing to be mad over."

My head was, again, a little behind, and I was taking too long to find a hiding spot. After awhile, I just decided to stand there. If I got lucky, they wouldn't even look in here. They didn't really have a reason to, did they?

Luke was watching me with a slightly confused expression.

Percy and Grover saw Luke and I at the exact moment we saw them. They came around the bend of the trail, and came to a complete stop. I was frozen to the spot, watching them, watch us. I could see them trying to make out the situation in there heads, trying to figure out why I was in here with Luke.

Fortunately, Luke was farther away from me than he had been before, so I didn't think they'd jump to conclusions.

"What the hell are you doing in there, Jane?" Percy said.

I immediately found it a little odd that he took an interest in what I did in my spare time, since we didn't exactly have a healthy, happy relationship. I opened my mouth to say the first thing that came to my head, because I hadn't exactly planned on this happening. "I was just walking by...Luke called me in here. Have you seen this place? It's pretty amazing." I thought I sounded pretty stupid, and I wished I had said something else instead. And when Percy scoffed, I really wished I had said something different.

But then he just sighed and walked towards us. "Seriously, Luke? Stay away from her, or I'm gonna kick your ass. Again." He linked his arm in mine and preceded to pull me away from the tent.

"Anytime, anyplace, bitch," Luke sounded vaguely tired, as if he and Percy constantly had this rivalry and it was growing a tad bit old for him.

Percy rolled his eyes, but of course, we were turned away from Luke, so he didn't see. Percy dragged me down the pathway, with Grover scrambling to catch up. Once I was sure they both weren't looking, I looked back at the tent where Luke still stood. Our eyes met for the briefest moment, and a silent partnership was confirmed.

After we got a good distance down the track I said, " Since when do you care about the people I hang out with?"

Percy's dark hair fell in his eyes and he didn't hesitate to answer, "I don't." He unhooked himself from me. "But Luke...he's the real deal. He's not safe. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't care. But it's him. And that changes things."

"Yeah. You have to stay away from him," Grover implied.

"Have you guys ever thought... that maybe people change?" They looked at me like I had just confessed I was planning on sending the world to mass destruction. It wouldn't hurt if I tried to ease up their outlook on him. It would be a little harder for me if I couldn't be seen with Luke, seeing as that he's on my side.

"Not Luke," Percy said simply.