Hey readers! I apologize for the long wait, but I was on vacation and didn't have that much time to write. But now I'm home and here it is!

I do not own quotes that came from the book!

Enjoy!:)

Annabeth agreed with Grover. She didn't want to go into the garden gnome emporium because she read about it before they even thought about going there. She realized that the things that happened were totally different than what should've happened. And that was all her fault.

Percy made sure she knew that. "You couldn't have even gotten our bags too? I thought you were the smart one."

"Will you shut it, Percy?" She snapped. "Mrs. Dodds was in my way, I couldn't have reached for them without her trying to kill me." That was partly a lie, she could've gotten their other packs, but Annabeth's focus had been on the books.

Percy scowled at the ground and kicked a rock.

"Perc, she's right. Three Kindly Ones. All three at once." Grover was shivering.

"We still don't have any money," Percy pointed out.

Annabeth huffed. She was getting a little tired of his attitude. "Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—" she stopped herself even though Percy cut her off as well. She couldn't really say that, because it was also her fault.

"What did you want me to do? Let you get you killed?" He looked over at her, his face screwed up tight. "I couldn't do that! Because, for a daughter of Athena, you made a pretty ridiculous move to go back in there for some stupid book!"

Annabeth's face burned red. She gritted her teeth and stopped in her tracks. Her heart pounding with hurt; he doesn't know what he's saying, Annabeth told herself. "You don't understand," she waved him off and shook her head. "You don't understand anything!" She yelled. "You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine. You didn't have to come back in there for me—I had Mrs. Dodds all under control."

"Sliced up like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."

"Shut up, goat boy," Annabeth snapped. Her blood was boiled and racing through her veins with anger.

Grover brayed mournfully. "Tins cans…a perfectly good bag of tin cans."

As they kept walking, Annabeth thought about it. She had to admit, that even though it was a stupid for Percy to come back for her, she was glad he did. For two reasons—one, because she knows that he's in her dream. She knows that she and he stick through things together. But she didn't need to know that; Annabeth had already told herself that she would stick by his side. It was just the way she felt around him.

And the second reason is because she probably wouldn't have gotten out of there in time. She and Grover would've been dead if he hadn't acted stupidly. Annabeth fell in step beside him, her blood slowing down and her heart rate calming.

"Look, I…I appreciate you coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."

"We're a team, right?"

You have no idea, she wanted to say, but bit it back.

"It's just that I don't want you to die." She felt like a piece had been taken out of her brain; saying that didn't feel right. It felt exactly like those other times when she wasn't quoting from the book. That meant she wasn't supposed to say that.

And even Percy gave her a weird look.

No, that's not right, she thought, and a faint memory agreed with her.

"It's just that if you died…aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world." When she said that, she felt comfortable. That's how she knew she was right.

It was getting dark in these woods, but she could still see Percy looking at her.

"It doesn't work for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home. At camp you train and train and that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."

Percy paused for a moment and she could feel him staring at her, taking in all of her words.

"You're pretty good with that knife."

"You think so?" Her voice raised a little and her cheeks blushed. She had the instinct to mess with her dad's college ring on her necklace.

"Anybody who can piggy-back a Fury and go back in for a second round—just for a book—is okay by me."

Annabeth smiled and she found her and Percy beginning to build a trust relationship. She looked at him staring at the ground. She swallowed, wondering if she should tell him or not about all this future craziness with the books happening. He deserved to know, shouldn't he? He was in her dream, and she couldn't stand not telling anybody.

"You know," she said, "maybe I should tell you…"

That's when Grover interrupted her with his reed pipes.

Annabeth was a little relieved and a little angry about that.

She decided that now would be a good time to read the books. And she could smell the faint scent of cheeseburgers in the air. She knew that if Percy smelled that, she wouldn't ever be able to read.

Somehow, Annabeth was able to convince them to take a break. They leaned against the roots of a tree and Grover played his pipes and they took breaks using the bathroom, though Annabeth took a rain check on that one. She took out the books in her pack and read.

Percy was sitting next to her and he glanced over every now and then. Annabeth narrowed her eyes and with each glance he took, she slowly craned the book away from him so he couldn't see what was inside. She was grateful that she had slipped on the fake book jacket.

Finally, Percy was fed up.

"I don't mean to be snoopy or anything," he said, tilting his head towards her as it rested against the trunk of the tree. "But you're always reading that book, even if your life was in danger you're reading it—literally. Honestly, what's so special about it? Isn't it just a bunch of Greek stuff?"

Annabeth looked up from the book, but didn't look at him. She smiled a little. "More than you think,"

He still stared at her. "Or are you just secretly preparing for a test at camp that you're not telling me about?"

"Nope," she said. "It's just a book."

"What's it about?"

"You ask too many questions,"

"What, are you saying I have a questions limit?"

Annabeth blinked and something jolted inside of her. That question sounded nostalgic, like she'd heard it before. She shook her head slightly; she'd never heard it before. At least she didn't think so. Maybe it was something that happened the first time.

"Will you just be quiet so I can read?"

"Sorry," he stopped talking after that.

Annabeth got through the chapter, rubbing her temples because this was so much trouble that one kid could cause. Before this, she never would've thought that was possible. First a hell hound, then Furies, and now Medusa. And this was only the first book. She wouldn't be surprised if he fell into Tartarus.

Her eyelids were drooping and she looked over and found Percy was dozing off as well, but Grover was still playing his reed pipes—horribly, she had to add.

Annabeth figured it was safe to take a small nap. She kept her dagger in one hand and the books in the other. If any of them tried to take it out and read it while she was sleeping, she'll injure them.

She was waiting for that same dream again—the one where she was at the desk, writing a letter, the one where Percy was screaming her name. But it didn't come. She had a different dream this time.

It was dark, but she heard a voice nearby.

"Who are you?" A voice asked. She recognized it to be Luke. "What do you want from me?"

"You've been talking to me in your dreams," Another voice said, though it was faint, and she didn't recognize it. "Don't you know who I am?"

Luke gasped and she could finally see his face, but it was like a burned memory. "It can't be true. You're dead."

Annabeth's first thought was Thalia, but something told her she was wrong.

"No. With every thought and praise you give me, I grow. Help me, and you will be rewarded. If you help me, your wish will be true. Olympus will fall."

And Perseus Jackson will be defeated before then, a different sleepy voice said, but it was a woman. The same one from when the hell hound attacked during Capture the Flag.

"But we'll need an army. Just like we talked about," Luke said.

"With each follower, I'll grow. Build a magnificent army, and I will rise!" The person laughed. "Irony—the gods being defeated by their own children! Ha! It will prove how stupid and weak they are."

"Yes, my lord!" Luke's voice seemed to be happy that Olympus will fall. "They are!"

Annabeth tried to cry out, but it didn't work.

Two lights blazed in the distance of the darkness. They grew larger and larger and Annabeth was terrified. She heard hissing and slithering noises.

"Come, children! Let me see your beautiful gray eyes!"

Annabeth's blood stopped cold and she saw snakes. She stared to scream and thrash, trying to move. But she couldn't.

"Annabeth!" The slithering voice said.

"Annabeth!"

"Will you wake up already?!"

She felt something tugging from her hand.

Annabeth jerked upright, her eyelids flying open, and she heard a scream in the distance, and realized that it came from her own mouth. The book suddenly left from her grasp and she thrust out her other hand, which she thought was holding the dagger, but it turned out it wasn't. It was a fist.

Unfortunately, it was headed right towards Percy.

But he dodged it and yelped.

Annabeth brought her hand back just as quickly as she'd thrown it at him. She gasped and said, "I'm so sorry, Percy! I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay. I didn't think you would be so protective of this book."

"Well didn't the dagger give you a clue?" Grover asked as he was on the opposite side of Percy.

"Here," Percy gave it back to her.

She snatched it and held it close to her. "Don't you ever do that again! Or this time, I will punch you in the face."

"Jeez, calm down." Percy said and started to get up. "I was just trying to wake you up. You were screaming—having a nightmare."

Annabeth thought back to her nightmare. About Luke having a talk with some mystery person about tearing down the gods and Olympus. She hoped it was just some ridiculous dream. But after everything that's happened, she figured that that probably wasn't the case.

"Yeah," she breathed out and Grover helped her to her feet. Then she smelled burgers and her stomach yelled to go to the smell and eat, and she knew what was about to happen.

"C'mon, you guys. I'm hungry and it smells like there's food nearby." Percy said and waved for them to follow.

"I don't feel good about this, Annabeth," Grover murmured.

"Me either," she replied.

"Then why won't you talk Percy out of it?" He looked baffled. "You're probably the only person who can!"

"What do you mean by that?"

He sighed. "Nothing,"

Annabeth took in a deep breath. They had to go to "Aunty Em's" whether she liked what was going to happen or not. "Well, I'm hungry. Besides, what could go wrong?"

Grover only said one word in response that sent a vibrating chill up Annabeth's spine.

"Everything,"

Aunty Monster (that was Annabeth's new nickname for "Aunty Em") was creepier in person—but Annabeth had to admit that these cheeseburgers were delicious. It was probably the unhealthiest thing she could eat, but the food was so great and her stomach needed something badly.

The only things that kept her hesitating were the reminder of who this Aunty Em really was, and also those weird garden gnomes staring at her.

Then she blinked. Those gnomes used to be people, she told herself. She felt pity for them, and wished she could find a way to bring them back. She was sure that they had had great lives before they stumbled upon this awful place and this horrid woman.

Annabeth glared up at Aunty Em.

Aunty Em smiled down, but Annabeth could see her eyes blazing behind those dark sunglasses.

She had to tear her gaze away and back down to her food, knowing what would happen if she stared any longer and also so that way she didn't lunge out and strangle the woman. But Annabeth's food now looked sickening and her stomach was about to burst. She wanted to sleep, but then realized that if she did, that would mean suffering from another nightmare. She fought to keep her eyes awake.

"You have such beautiful gray eyes, child." Aunty Em said—again. Like she couldn't get enough. This surprised Annabeth because that wasn't mentioned again in the book.

"What's that hissing noise?" Grover asked.

Annabeth heard it too, but Percy didn't because all he could hear at that moment was the chewing in his mouth.

"Hissing? Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil."

Annabeth looked over at the counter. There was no deep-fryer oil bubbling or hissing.

"You have keen ears, Grover,"

He blushed a little and glanced around, searching for an answer. "I take vitamins," he said, "for my ears."

"That's admirable," Aunty Em waved it off and then she began to take their food away. "How about we take a picture, children?"

Percy pouted and stared at his leftover fries that she was taking. "But…"

Annabeth kicked him under the table.

"Annabeth," he murmured to where only she could hear. "They were my fries. I was gonna eat them."

Annabeth glared at him. She knew what Aunty Em was doing—it was just like all the other monsters. They were acting too quickly. She had to get him to stall her.

He didn't understand. This wasn't part of his memory; he didn't know what to do.

Annabeth guessed she had to take one for the team.

"So," she said, smiling up at Aunty Em. "You sell gnomes,"

"My fries," Percy whimpered.

Annabeth kicked him again, but harder this time. Then she stepped on his foot and he jumped, but before he could snap at her, the woman responded.

"Oh, yes. And some animals. And people. Anything for the garden, but, please, I'd love to take a picture."

"A lot of business on this road?" Annabeth ignored the fact about the picture, and continued on.

Unfortunately, Aunty Em knew how to play at this game. "Now, clean yourselves up while I go get the camera."

"No!" Annabeth reached out and took her wrist, even though Aunty Em didn't even move. This was all wrong, so very wrong. So wrong, it hurt to even move from her seat. "I don't like taking pictures."

Percy turned around, and stared at the girl holding the Easter basket. This made Annabeth relieved—he had still felt the tingling on his neck.

Aunty Em looked over at him and Annabeth had to smirk. She was so dependent on her "power" that she would gloat about it, even when she was trying to destroy them.

"Ah, you notice some of my creations do not turn out well." She took her wrist back and Annabeth sat down again. "They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."

Annabeth glared at her. This was sick to watch.

"You make these statues yourself?" Percy asked. She had to be grateful that he was back on track.

She began to talk about her sob story, but she stopped and sighed, giving a sad look. "Such a price. Maybe a photograph would do me good?"

Annabeth stood up again. "We really should go."

"Nonsense. Just one pose,"

"The ringmaster is waiting," Grover said hesitantly, also seeming confused since the situation was different again.

But Aunty Em was already forcing them to move just how she wanted them. She pushed Annabeth closer to Percy.

"It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?" he said to her through gritted teeth.

Annabeth glared at him. "The harm will be what she's going to do to us and then what I'm going to do to you!" She hissed through her teeth.

Percy was baffled. "What the heck are you talking about?"

She scoffed and crossed her arms, and she was beginning to get a headache because every word that wasn't what happened before, hurt to be said. But she didn't care, she had to say this truth: "Your head is so full of kelp."

Percy ignored this and turned back to Aunty Em, smiling. But then it faded away. "Not much light for a photo,"

"Enough for us to see each other."

"Where's your camera?" Grover asked.

But Aunty Em was already reaching for her headdress.

He glanced at the satyr next to him and narrowed his eyes. "That sure does look like my Uncle Ferdinand."

"Oh, great," Annabeth mumbled as she slowly reached for her Yankees cap. "Percy, something's wrong."

"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, gripping her headdress and Annabeth could tell how much she just wanted to see everything.

Grover gasped. "That is Uncle Ferdinand!"

"Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted and put on her cap, vanishing. She was going to push them both over, but Grover was already scrambling away. So she dove and shoved both her and Percy off the bench. He was surprised, and felt her on him, but couldn't see her; she knew because of his unfocused eyes. Once they reached the floor, they could hear the hissing snakes coming from her scalp.

Annabeth got off of him and ran off. She didn't want to leave him there, but she had to. Her mouth was burning from saying the wrong words.

Annabeth watched as Percy started to look up at the woman. "No! Don't!"

"Run!" she heard Grover bleat out loud and turned on his shoes.

Percy still just lay there, watching her ugly self.

"Such a pity to destroy a handsome young face. Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look up."

Annabeth wanted to scream because he still looked confused, at all the things that were happening wrong. She wanted to run out and get him out of there, save him, she wanted to kill the woman.

But she couldn't. And that's what she hated the most.

Please, Percy. Don't look at her. Look at that gazing ball, she prayed.

And he did. His green eyes looked at her reflection, and they were glowing as he finally realized who this lady was.

Aunty Em.

Aunty M.

Aunty Monster.

Aunty nothing. Her name is just Medusa. With a side of snakes.

Medusa tried to fill his head that Athena had done this to her. Maybe it was true, but it was also her own fault.

"Don't listen to her! Run, Percy!" the burning sensation in her mouth was going away.

"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then she turned to Percy, putting on an innocent act. "You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer."

"No," Percy muttered, and his legs moved a little.

Medusa was beginning to lose her temper. "Do you really want to help the gods? Do you understand what awaits you? You will die! You will die in the Underworld, and you will die on the stones of Greece!"

What? Annabeth was appalled. She wasn't supposed to say that. There was nothing about Greece in the book. Why was everyone mentioning that?

But Medusa wasn't finished. "Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain."

"Percy! Duck!" Grover yelled.

Percy turned around and Grover told him to duck again. He dove to one side and Grover hit Medusa, which resulted to her yelling.

"That was for Uncle Ferdinand!"

Annabeth made her way next to Percy, who was watching Grover fly and kick Medusa.

"Percy!" She said once she was next to him.

He jumped and looked to where her voice was, but his eyes were still unfocused—and startled. "Jeez! Don't do that!"

She took off her cap. "You have to cut her head off." She told him like she'd practiced saying it many times.

"What? Are you crazy? Let's get out of here. That book is getting to your—" Annabeth clamped a hand down on his mouth.

"Shh!" She was starting to hurt again. She screwed her eyes shut and then just looked at him and said, "Medusa is a menace. She's evil. I'd kill her myself, but…" She swallowed and took her hand away from his mouth. "You've got the better weapon. Besides, I'd never get close to her. She'd slice me to bits because of my mother. You—you've got a chance."

"What? I can't—"

"Look, do you want her turning more innocent people into statues?"

Percy looked at the couple with their arms around each other. It almost reminded him of his mother. He looked back at Annabeth.

Medusa really was ugly. Especially with her head cut off.

Her head landed next to Percy's shoe. "Eww!" He squealed, his eyes screwing shut. "Get her head away from me…!" He began to say impatiently disgusted, shifting his foot away from her snake hair.

"Oh, yuck." Something gurgled from it. "Mega-yuck." Grover wouldn't look at it.

Annabeth cautiously walked up to Percy and waved out her hands like a warning gesture. "Don't move." She said and he peeked one eye open to look at her.

She wondered if he felt something different when he did something different. Annabeth wasn't sure, but she knelt down without looking and wrapped it around in a black cloth, though something green was still dripping from it.

Annabeth released a breath. One monster down…who knows how many more to go? She asked Percy in a trembling voice if he was okay.

"Yeah. Why didn't…why didn't her head evaporate?"

"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war. Like your Minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head—it can still petrify you."

Grover came down, moaning, and rubbing his forehead where a welt was growing.

"The Red Baron. Good job, man."

"That really was not fun. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? Not fun. How'd she even get a hold of a bear?" He mumbled, though he wasn't supposed to.

They put the wrapped head in a grocery bag and set it on the table.

"So we have Athena to thank for this monster?" Percy asked.

Annabeth saw this coming, but it still made her angry. It was really Percy's fault, and she explained how it was also his dad's.

"Oh, so now it's my fault we met Medusa."

Annabeth straightened, and did an imitation of Percy. "'It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?'"

"Yeah, so what harm are you going to do to me now?"

She glared at him and then crossed her arms, not saying anything.

He scoffed. "Forget it. You're impossible."

This was the one thing she was hoping to say: "You're insufferable."

"You're—"

"Hey!" Grover interrupted. "You two are giving me a migraine, and satyrs don't even get migraines. What are we going to do with the head?"

Annabeth could see the gears working in Percy's head.

If the gods hadn't helped send her these books and didn't know what was going to happen next, then they were about to get very angry.

When he came back from Medusa's office, and came back with the supplies for Hermes Express, Annabeth blinked hard. Those supplies looked familiar; like she'd used them recently. Well, there was that Hermes Express box that had been sent to her.

And Percy was sending this. But with Medusa's head. Annabeth figured it wasn't a coincidence how it all felt the same.

"They're not going to like that," Grover warned. "They'll think you're impertinent."

Percy poured some golden drachmas in the pouch and it all disappeared not a second later.

"I am impertinent." Percy said. He looked at Annabeth, but she had to admit that she couldn't hide her smile. She hadn't ever really seen anyone who didn't care what happened to them if they ticked off the gods. She could only imagine what the gods were saying right now.

"Come on," she muttered through her up-turned lips. "We need a new plan."

"Poseidon, it seems that your son has, uh, sent us a gift," Hermes said as he stepped into the white palace of Olympus holding a box. He proceeded to approach the thrones where they were sitting with caution.

Poseidon straightened, looking curious.

Zeus frowned. "Maybe the thief is sending back my bolt."

"He is not the thief."

"Boys, boys, calm down." Hermes said as he set down the box on a table with one hand, and waved a calming gesture to them with the other hand. "Don't get your togas in a twist."

Zeus glared at him and thunder rumbled nearby.

"Zeus, calm down." Aphrodite purred. "Maybe Percy's just sending a welcoming gift for being the new child of the Big Three."

The god of the skies tilted his head back and gritted his teeth as if deciding this assumption.

"Or maybe he's just trying to cause us more trouble. He's already starting a war!" Athena scoffed.

"You're just mad that your daughter's with him." Aphrodite said.

"He dragged her into it! She did not go along!" Athena kept insisting.

But Aphrodite continued as if she hadn't said a thing. "I have a good feeling about those two. They would make a cute couple."

"Can we please get on with this?" Hera sighed.

"Yes, my lady," Hermes bowed and then he began to open the box. He stared down at it, and began to get a bad feeling about this, but didn't say anything.

"Speak up, Hermes." Poseidon said, "What is it?"

Hermes clenched his teeth and said, "Well, look at that! I've got another delivery!" And then he vanished.

Athena sighed. "Will someone just say what it is already?"

Apollo got up and went to the box. Then he took out the large, wrapped-up ball inside of it. It squished and made a sound in his grasp. He unraveled a piece of it and took a peek of what was inside. He threw back his head and laughed. "Athena, I think this gift is for you."

She sat up. "Why?" She demanded.

Apollo offered it out to her, still wrapped.

Athena stood and walked to it. She took it in her grasp, giving Apollo a look and then when she felt it, her eyebrow twisted and her top lip curled, disgusted. "What is this? What has that little disaster spawn sent?" she mumbled to herself.

Athena began to unwrap it, and the sounds of hissing began to crescendo. She began to grow more confused with each unravel.

Suddenly, she dropped the headdress and screamed, and she let the head of Medusa fall from her hand. She kept screaming in horror and the ugly head rolled on the once-clean tiles. Medusa's open eyes were out there for the gods to see.

A horrid gasp rippled through them and they looked away. Only Zeus waved his hand and the head disappeared.

Poseidon should've been a little ticked with his son, for making matters worse for the both of them by sending Medusa's head. But he was the only one snickering. He had to admit, Percy had the same rebel attitude that he had.

Athena glared at him. "That little brat! He will pay for disrespecting the gods!" she screamed and with a frustrated and another disgusted growl, she stormed away, her toga sailing behind her.

"Oh, calm down, will you?" Poseidon called out. "It may not have been Zeus' lightning bolt, or a welcoming gift, but at least he's the only one around here with a sense of humor—and knows what he's doing!"

But Athena didn't turn around. She disappeared in the shadows of Olympus.

Annabeth pretended to be asleep. When, really, she was reading. She read along every sentence Percy and Grover took. She was glad Grover didn't tell Percy about her past. She knows that, if he knows, he might cut her some slack, but still. He shouldn't know yet, it just doesn't feel right.

On top of this whole books-connected-to-every-word-and-action-we-take problem, even this quest is going wrong! It was so confusing to Annabeth, and she hated being in this situation. She thought it was going to be helpful knowing what would happen next, but really, it's not.

She listened throughout their conversation, and fell asleep with Percy as Grover played Piano Concerto no. 12.

Annabeth had another different dream that night. She was in a dark cavern and something was tugging at her clothes. She stared down into a pit that was so wide and completely black, it made her dizzy. Something was trying to rise from the pit.

The little hero, a voice said. It sounded like the one from the dream with Luke. Too weak, too young, but perhaps you will do.

Annabeth looked up and saw Percy on the other side of the mouth of the pit, staring down into its bottomless darkness. He opened his mouth, like he was trying to say something, but no words came out.

All she heard was, Your blood will do, echoing off the words of the mystery person.

They have misled you, boy, it said. Barter with me. I will give you what you want.

Like Luke, Annabeth thought.

Then a woman came up, a shimmering image of her. She had black hair, and kind of looked like Percy. She was trying to tell him something.

Then suddenly, Annabeth fell into the pit, something tugging at her foot and then something grabbed her wrist. She looked up. It was Percy. He was barely holding onto a ledge, also holding her wrist.

She was telling him to let her go. He couldn't pull them both up.

"Never," he said. He looked up at another kid leaning over, with black curly hair and his skin was so pale, Annabeth thought he was dead. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"

"Promise me!" Percy shouted.

"I—I will."

"We're staying together." He looked down at her. "You're not getting away from me. Never again." His words echoed off the black pit.

"As long as we're together," she said.

That was the first time in a while Annabeth woke up peacefully. Grover was crouching next to Percy. He was holding a poodle in his arms, talking to him.

"He's still asleep." Grover gestured to Percy.

"Why are you talking to that?" Annabeth asked.

"That is a poodle. Be nice to him, he's going to help us. Say hello to Gladiola."

Annabeth gave him a look. Grover raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips.

"Hello…Gladiola," Annabeth said then she got up and when her back was to Grover and the poodle, she rolled her eyes. She began to scramble through her pack that they filled with supplies from Aunty Em's snack bar.

Percy was mumbling. Saying "No! I won't!" and then calling out for his mom.

Annabeth looked at him exasperatedly. She didn't like to see him look so helpless.

She could tell he was still asleep by the drool coming out of Percy's mouth. Annabeth thought about him saving her from the pit. She leaned over and began to shake him. Tears began to swell in her eyes as she looked down at him, thinking about that dream. But she blinked them away and kept shaking him.

Finally, he opened his eyes, his sea green eyes beginning to focus on her. He was trembling, like he'd just lived through a nightmare—which he probably did.

"Well," Annabeth said, "the zombie lives."

She tossed him a bag of chips.

The poodle yapped in Grover's arms. He looked down at the dog and said, "No, he's not."

Percy blinked. "Are you…talking to that thing?"

The poodle growled.

"That thing is our ticket west. Be nice to him."

"You can talk to animals?"

Grover ignored that and introduced Percy to Gladiola. Percy looked at Annabeth with a raised eyebrow, silently asking if he was being serious or if this was just a joke.

Annabeth stared back at him, totally serious.

"I'm not saying hello to a pink poodle," he said. "Forget it."

"Percy," Annabeth said. "I said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle."

He looked back at Gladiola and he growled at Percy.

Percy said hello to the poodle.

Grover explained how Gladiola was going to help them get some money by the reward of returning the poodle to its rich family.

"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" Percy wants to know.

"He read the signs. Duh,"

"Of course," Percy said sarcastically, "silly me."

"So we turn in Gladiola, get money, and buy the tickets to Los Angeles. Simple." Annabeth said.

But she knew that nothing was ever going to be simple again. She knew by the dream, how she and Percy hung in that chasm and it tugged on her ankle. And that pale-dead boy whose name was supposedly Nico. It poked at her memory, like she'd seen it before. Annabeth realized that those dreams might not be just nightmares, but memories as well.

Yes, I had to add in the reaction about the head and Annabeth's dream about the "very hard fall". I hope you guys liked! Please, please review! And thank you for all the favorites and follows!

(I also want to thank Tazmaster again for those outfits based on my other story How Love Feels. I was looking at them again and I love them so very much! XD)