Hey! not much time to talk so all i'll say is sorry for the wait. I'll do an epilogue after this and then I'm done with this story. I'll post a poll for whether or not there'll be a sequel. But if there is, it'd be after the HOO series.

Chapter 27-Choices

Over the next couple of days, I realized I could hear Drew talking to himself under his breath. I had been refusing to speak to him, to eat anything he'd given me, not that I was that hungry anyways. But because of that, my sense of hearing seemed to have heightened. I heard the noises of rats scuttling across the floor much louder and clearer. And if I concentrated hard enough, I could hear the heartbeats of the others.

"No, it isn't right. Jaycee said so," I heard my brother's voice say under his breath in a sad, heartbroken tone. Then it changed to a more aggressive and angry one. "They ignored you. Made her leave again. She promised she wouldn't! They must pay!"

"But she's my sister," Drew whispered to himself. "She left you," The harsh and cold voice said. It sounded ancient and evil.

"She said it wasn't my fault," Drew insisted, trying to persuade this split personality. "She lies! She left you alone!"

"She left me alone," He whispered angrily. I could hear his knuckles pop as he clenched them into a tight fist. I wish Connor, Nico, and the others would get here sooner….

"Psssst!" A voice said from behind. I jumped and turned, fist clenched and already pulled back, ready to punch the potential threat.

I searched the shadows, seeing nothing, then listened. "Psst!" It called again, and I suddenly recognized the voice.

"Nico?" I asked cautiously, not relaxing the slightest.

"Nah, it's the Easter Bunny. Course its Nico! Do you know anyone else who can shadow travel?"

I rolled my eyes, but I didn't know that Nico could shadow travel and went ahead and acted like it was normal.

"Oh, yeah. Tons!" I said sarcastically, before dropping my fists but staying on high-alert. "Where are the others?"

"Close. Don't worry. We'll get you out of here!" He assured me. I subconsciously glanced back at my family.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I muttered under my breath before saying louder so Nico could here, "And my family. We got to save them too."

Nico looked taken aback, but he didn't argue. He just nodded and had me fill him in on what's been happening and I had him tell me of progress.

"Something weird's happening back at Camp. I don't know. It just doesn't….feel right. Like something big and bad's about to happen you know?" As he said that, I thought about my latest nightmare. A battle scene it had looked like. I had a feeling about what was coming.

"I know what you mean. Drew's been talking to himself. It's like he's arguing with someone," I confessed. Nico looked confused and as if I may have just confirmed something.

"I better look into it. But first I'll tell Connor and the others your whereabouts. Then I'm going on a quest of my own."

I just nodded, not knowing what else to do. I felt useless sitting in this cell. Like the damsel in distress. I hated being the damsel. My anger at my uselessness built up as the seconds ticked by. Eventually, my eyelids grew heavy and fluttered to a close. A dreamless sleep daunted me for hours until I heard my brother roar with rage.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" He screamed; his voice cracked like it did when he was going through puberty. Then it softened. "I don't know…she was here earlier."

It switched again. "This is your fault, you useless, pathetic excuse for a demigod!"

"Please…I-I didn't do anything."

"Don't talk back to me! I am your mistress! And you shall do as I tell you! Find the girl! Without her, we will not get hold of the son of Hades and his friends!"

I opened an eyelid. I was exactly where I had been when I fell asleep. I was right in front of Drew, lying on the ground. How could he not see me? Maybe….I'd heard that I could, but….maybe, just maybe….

I stayed still, fearing that if I move I'd be seen. Drew struggling getting the keys to the cell out of his pocket, and his hands shook as he tried to place it in the slot. I waited patiently on the ground as the cell door creaked open and Drew stepped in, conveniently leaving the door open. He always forgot to close the doors. I smiled to myself as he stepped closer. Just a little bit closer and I'd be able to….

Ha! I swung my leg out, hooking my foot around the back of his heel, sending him to the cold, hard cement ground. His head hit the floor with a sickening crack. I didn't have time to feel any sympathy for my kidnapper. I just snatched up the keys he left in his hands and ran to my family's cell. I quickly shoved the key into its place and kicked the door open. My mom ran out of it, dragging Jace with her, Scott hot on her heels. Scott looked back once at Drew before pushing forward towards the door. I heard Drew groan from the place I'd left him.

He gasped, and his voice was hoarse. "Jay! Help me! She's….she's…." His voice changed, and his eyes were no longer a creamy Hershey milk-chocolate anymore. Instead, they were pale, pale eyes that seemed to have no hue. "Run while you still can, girl. Or, better yet, die trying!"

Drew pushed himself to his feet. When he stood upright, he blinked, his eyes returning to color. His hands immediately went to the sides of his head, and his fingers dug into his scalp. "Get out of me! Please!"

"They left you!" The voice hissed. Drew stumbled forward. "No! Get out! Get out!"

I glanced back at the door then to my brother, standing in the middle of a cell half-mad. I rushed to him.

"Drew!"

"Run, girl!" The voice rasped.

"Help…" Drew's voice whispered.

"Drew! You can fight it! Think of happy things! Think of…think of…think of when you found out you weren't completely related to the ass we call our brother, Jace. Or when you found out you could live at camp instead of go home to our so-called family."

"You don't understand…" Drew whimpered. A lone tear rolled slowly down his cheek. Then the voice returned. "It is those memories that keep him going! Anger fuels him! He serves me! It's the wanting for a normal life that feeds his anger! He is my servant!"

My eyes were wide with shock. Drew wanted to be related to all of them? And be a normal mortal?

"Who are you?" I asked, not only to the voice, but to my brother.

The voice laughed evilly, but it sounded…sleepy. The door behind me burst open, and Connor, Travis, Meg, and Lana rushed in. Connor and Travis each had celestial bronze swords at the ready, Meg with a dagger, and Lana with some badass looking gun.

"Jaycee!" Connor, Meg, and Lana called. Travis waved frantically for me to back away from my brother, but I didn't move.

"Something's wrong with Drew!" I shouted. "He needs help!" Connor and Travis looked at each other while Meg slowly advanced. Lana came in a wide arc, keeping her aim on Drew. Meg looked into his eyes and how they would switch between his and someone else's. Then, without a word, she backed away and circled behind him. He was about to turn around when Drew clutched his head in pain. Meg advanced quickly, hitting the hilt of her dagger hard against the back of Drew's skull.

He fell to the floor, out cold. We just stared at him, lying there. Then, as if time decided to speed up all of the sudden, we had dragged him outside and Connor was holding my hand for comfort and we continued to just stare at him, waiting for him to wake up. Meg said when he did, he'd most likely be normal again. But then the sunlight glowed brighter, as if it were getting closer, and the air got hotter. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. When the brightness diminished, I opened my eyes and before us stood a tall, handsome-looking guy with sandy blonde hair, and clear, sky-blue eyes, a cocky smile plastered on his face. Travis and Connor bowed a little.

"Lord Apollo, it's an honor to meet you," Travis stated in a monotone voice. The line sounded rehearsed, as if he said it to every god except maybe Dionysus.

"No need for formalities, Travis Stoll, son of Hermes. I enjoy helping demigods. Especially when it's a job suited for me. Jaycee, my girl, how are you? How's your mom? Man, last time I saw her-"

I shuddered. I did not need to hear what was going to come next. "Lord Apollo-er, Dad. Sorry to interrupt, but why are you hear exactly, again?"

Apollo's smile melted and was replaced by a sympathetic look. I knew what was coming next. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, kiddo. But he asked me to. The old man Zeus gave me permission to, and I think he'd be better off, don't you?"

"What'll happen?" I asked, my eyes started to water, but I blinked back tears, refusing to cry.

"He'll forget everything about the gods. He'll forget about demigods. He'll be placed with a new family. He won't remember you, Jay."

"Can I…see him? Ever?"

"Well, you could, but he wouldn't know you. It was his choice. And now you have one. Do you want to join him?"

I looked back at Meg, whose arms lay limply at her side. Lana, whose gun lay forgotten on the ground. Then there was Connor and Travis, both of whom looked worried, confused, and sad. Connor's grip on my hand tightened, and I knew I'd never be able to let go.

"No," I shook my head. "I can't join him. I wish I could, but I can't."

Apollo nodded in understanding, his smile returning slowly. "Glad to keep you around, kiddo. And don't worry about Drewbie, here. He'll have a good life, I promise you."

"I'm going to keep an eye on him," I state. Apollo chuckled.

"That's a good girl. Well, you guys better be getting back to Camp Half-Blood. I'll see you some other time, Jay, in the near future. I'm sure you'll see it coming." Apollo winked, and the light grew. We all averted our eyes, and once we were able to open them again, we were standing in the middle of Capture the Flag.

"See you," I whispered to the air.

So, my mom is yelling at me to get off the computer and in the shower, so I'll post later!

~*J.C*~