Chapter 4 for you guys. Thanks for following, favourite-ing and reviewing. I hope you'll enjoy.

PJO belongs to Uncle Rick.

Percy took the precaution of keeping his newest crew members still tied to their chairs as he left to get some helpers. He'd have been a fool of allowing them too much freedom so soon.

Especially because he wasn't entirely sure about why Annabeth had given in without a fight. Joining him so soon? After the way she had behaved so far, it felt strange to him that she'd agree with Jason so easily.

Outside his door he found Luke keeping Thalia from barrelling into his cabin.

"You don't understand," she was saying. "He's there, after all these years."

"Yes," the first mate reassured her in a soothing voice. "And he's fine, but you have to be patient."

"Don't play with me, Luke," she scoffed. "I despise being patient, so just let me in!"

"Not yet," Percy interrupted. "Wait a bit, let the whole shock wear off first."

"You," she said pointing at him accusingly. "Are being a jerk."

Percy would have given her some disgusting duty had she been someone else, and had she not been under such distress. But given that she was his cousin and was one of his oldest friends, he let it slide. She could have called him something much worse, Thalia wasn't one for light name calling. And their bantering wasn't new to anyone, they didn't exactly see eye to eye in everything, and they were both too stubborn to keep their opinions to themselves.

Luke took the hint that things might get too worked up. He took Thalia's hand and led her away.

"C'mon," he pushed. "Let's go for a walk."

"It's a ship," she deadpanned. "We have nowhere to walk."

"Let's just walk the ship then," he offered with a smile.

"Fetch me Leo and Rachel on your way, will you?" Percy asked.

"Sure, Cap'!" Luke yelled over his shoulder.

Percy, meanwhile, wondered if he was doing the right thing. He knew that as long as he had Thalia's support, Jason would be easy to keep. He was worried about Annabeth. That girl sure had trust issues. He'd been nothing but nice since she had arrived.

He knew she had been kidnapped and that probably didn't particularly ensure him a spot in her Top Ten Favourite Pirates list, but it wasn't as if he was going to hurt those two.

Plus, being part of something bigger and less superficial than royalty and high classes would rub off the two kids. Well, kids... Annabeth had to be his age, give or take a few months. And yet he saw so much disinterest in searching for adventures in her eyes. Like she knew how her life had been set already, and changing her destiny wasn't worth the trouble.

Jason on the other hand looked solemn. If he'd been the blond young man, Percy would have tried and jumped off his chair to find his lost sibling. Then again, there was the possibility that Jason cared for his sister less than his sister cared for him. It was part of why Percy didn't want them to meet yet. He didn't want his cousin disappointed and upset because the kid didn't remember her properly.

As he entered the room, Jason and Annabeth shut up immediately.

"Not really subtle, lads," he teased. "C'mon, spit it, whatever you want to know, you can ask. As long as it's respectfully, of course."

"We were just saying," commented Annabeth. "Or more like wondering. Why did you let us join you?"

"You can be useful, if irritably close-minded," he answered swiftly.

"You do not know us," she frowned. "You have no idea of our abilities or lack thereof."

"Some philosophers and others who dedicate their lives to study human behaviour, out in the continent, insist that you can learn a lot of things in the first few minutes of meeting a person," he shrugged.

"Interesting, but fake," she said.

"If you observe, love," he insisted. "You can actually see how a person is. Not everything about them, but at least an overview."

"I observe fine, thank you very much."

"Then you probably know enough about me, huh."

Jason watched them as they spoke, although his attention was obviously elsewhere.

"Don't worry, little cousin," Percy told him, with a smile. "I've sent for my first mate to fetch a couple of people to show you around. And after that, we'll see how to re-introduce you to your sister."

Jason's eyes brightened up considerably to these news. But still to Percy the boy didn't look quite as excited as he hoped.

"Stop trying to buy his goodwill," Annabeth ordered.

Percy sighed. He was done with her bratty attitude.

"Listen up here, love," he stated dryly. "I'll lighten up a few things for you. One, I don't like pulling the higher rank card with my crew, because they actually respect me and each other, but for your information, the captain orders and the others obey. Not the other way around."

"I..." she started, but he cut her.

"Two, you might have had some sort of privilege inland, but in this vessel, you're worth the same as the rest of us, whether you agree, or not," he took a breath of fresh air. "And three, I don't buy your buddy's free will, or whatever fancy paraphrasing you used. I offered him the chance to speak to his sister who his father has kept away from him for over ten years, savvy, love?"

Annabeth clenched her teeth but kept quiet.

"Thank you, for listening now try to recall those simple instructions in the near future, will you?" he demanded.

She stared at him.

"I said, will you?" he repeated.

She nodded. Percy could see her eyes burning with contained anger, and her livid demeanour.

Just then a knock on the door told him his shift as a babysitter was finally over.

"Come in!"

Rachel Elizabeth Dare and Leo Valdez came in.

"You have called for us, Cap'?" Rachel wondered, titling her head.

"I have," he agreed. "Rachel, be so kind as to guide our lovely new recruit, Duchess Annabeth... what's your surname, love?"

"Chase," she fumed.

"Annabeth Chase around the ship," he finished.

Turning to Leo, he added, "Leo, same for his Highness, Little Cousin."

"Eh," Jason called their attention. "I'd rather go by Jason if you are all good with it."

Percy smirked. So he wasn't such a tough biscuit to break, after all.

"Welcome to Blackjack, the fastest ship in these waters," he told them as they were leaving.

Once they were gone, Percy reclined on his fishing chair. He utterly despised playing boss, but Annabeth's complete refusal to even consider being nice got on his nerves. He hoped she was just mean to him and not the rest of the ship's population. His crew had nothing to do with her withholding and he honestly expected her to understand that.

Having cleared his mind for a few minutes he went above deck to check on things. Leaving the Stolls in charge was usually safe, but he never felt comfortable imposing helm duty to anyone. He knew first-hand it was enough pressure steering the ship for even the shortest while.