Hey guys! Long time no see, right? I think I'm actually getting pretty good at this whole 'fast updating' thing, so that's great news for you guys!

Thanks for all your well-wishes on my aunt's surgery- it went really well! She's at home now, recovering, but I passed along your kind words and she really appreciated it.

Anyways, thanks to my awesome reviewers from the last chapter- SomethingMoreCreative, Burned Blue Cookie, Mila-is-a-bookwork101, and ConstantCutie. Thanks for your amazingly kind words!

Anyways, enjoy!

Annabeth

The next morning, I wake up feeling extremely disoriented.

There's light shining through my window, as usual, and the clatter of plates downstairs signifies my stepmom's making breakfast. My alarm clock beeps frantically from beside me, and I reach out an arm to shut it off. Warm flesh meets my hand, and I gasp, my eyes flying open as I sit up.

Percy Jackson is lying beside me, drool escaping the left corner of his mouth as he snores. Everything comes back to me in one big blur now- the dogs, escaping from my home, the Mark of Athena burning my palm, coming to Camp Half-Blood Tourism, Chiron, our conversation with the oracle, Percy fainting from exhaustion up in the attic. I groan, hoping it had all been a bad dream, before locating Percy's phone, tucked away in his sweatshirt pocket, and the actual item making all the noise. I carefully pull it out, making sure not to jostle his sleeping form, with the intent of putting it on silent before returning to my slumber. The picture on the screen, however, makes me stop. It's Sally and I, hugging and laughing at whoever's taking the photo. The caption up above reads Mom. Obviously, they've discovered we're missing.

I stare at the picture for a while, watching as Sally calls again, and again, and again, obviously frantic to know the whereabouts of her son. I feel a pang shoot through my heart as I realize the stress we're going to be putting our families through, before shaking my head and reverting back to my normal logical state. We'll have to get rid of these phones soon, though. It'll be too easy to track us if we keep them.

Percy groans and rolls over, sounding extremely agitated. I come closer to him for one moment, wondering if he's having a nightmare and if I should wake him, but quickly dismiss that thought. Percy can do whatever he wants. I'm not going to dote on him any longer. He rolls over again, drool smearing onto his pillow, and mutters out a few incoherent mumbles. One of them stands out, however, and sends me reeling back yet again.

"Annabeth," Percy mutters, still obviously in his restless slumber. He falls silent for a bit after that, and I begin to relax when he begins to thrash around yet again, arms and legs flailing everywhere. "No! Stop! Come back!" I back up, more than a little worried about what's going on. Hesitantly, I shake his shoulder once, then twice. The flailing abruptly ceases as Percy's eyes dart open, strangely dilated in a way that makes the green pop even more.

"Hi," I say in way of greeting, tucking a messy strand of hair behind my ear. I suddenly feel self-conscious, although I'm not sure why. "Feel any better?"

Percy gazes at me in surprise. "Okay, three questions. One, where are we, two, why are we in the same bed, and three, why are we in the same bed and I'm not dead yet?" He rubs the corner of his mouth, cursing when it comes away damp. "Crap, I was drooling, wasn't I?"

I shrug, the corner of my mouth lifting slightly. "I've told you a million times, you drool when you sleep. And anyways, you're at Camp Half-Blood Tourism, we're in the same bed because you fainted after seeing the Oracle and someone had to make sure you didn't die during the night and lastly, do you really think I would kill you? I need you for this quest." My words sound harsh, but I can't go giving him any false hope. Trust me, it never ends well.

Percy groans, lifting himself into a sitting position. "Of course I fainted." The sarcasm practically drips off of his tongue.

"Don't worry, it was a very manly faint," I assure him, clambering out of bed and stretching. My t-shirt rides up a bit as I do, and I catch Percy's cheeks heating up just a tiny bit before I yank it back down. "You didn't even swoon. Just one minute you were hugging me while I screamed into your ear- sorry about that, by the way- and then you were on the ground." I don't mention that I began hyperventilating after he fainted, or that I almost sobbed when I couldn't find his pulse for a second, or that by the time Grover and Chiron got up there, I was a wreck. I simply grab jeans from my bag and an orange t-shirt from Chiron and head over to the small shared washroom. "I'm going to go and get dressed, and then we can eat. Your mom called at least thirty times, by the way. We'll destroy the phone soon."

I leave Percy sitting dumbfounded on the bed, however, by the time I return, dressed and with my hair shoved into a messy ponytail, he's nowhere to be found. His jeans from yesterday, however, are tossed lazily on the ground, along with his t-shirt, fish-printed boxers, and one lone sock. I'm happy Grover brought in our bags last night before we all passed out, meaning I don't have to walk around in my dirty clothes from yesterday, but at the same time, I think we'll need to be stopping several times to do laundry. The Oracle said our quest would take a lot more than two days, and I definitely did not pack enough clothes for that into my bag.

There are voices coming from downstairs, so I begin to traipse down the rickety staircase, following the noise to a tiny pavilion set up with several picnic tables and a small buffet. Everywhere is crammed with people of all ages, and I realize that this place must also be a small hotel, for lost travellers and people looking to get a bargain alike. Percy and Grover, now both clean and rested, are sitting at one of the farthest picnic benches, talking animatedly to a middle-aged couple across from them. I smile as I approach with my full plate, squeezing onto the bench next to Percy- the last available spot.

"Oh, well look at you," The woman across from me smiles, after I've said hello and everyone's made their introductions. "You're just the prettiest thing, you know. You're very lucky to have her, young man." The last part of her statement is directed at Percy, who immediately blushes and begins stammering out a response as Grover guffaws.

"Um, oh, Annabeth and I aren't dating…" Percy's cheeks are bright red, as are mine. Grover's still laughing, but Percy extends his leg sideways to connect with the other boy's knee and the chuckling stops abruptly.

"Really?" The woman looks at the two of us curiously, ignoring her husband's gentle prompts to stay out of it. "Well, it's obvious by the way you two look at one another that if you aren't together already, you're going to be very soon. True love, that's what it is. Trust me." She smiles at us before standing up and clearing her plate, before leading her husband out of the pavilion.

I move over to the now vacated side of the bench, happy for the room to breathe. That was ridiculously awkward, so I attempt to fill the silence before someone could bring up what just happened. "Okay, so I assume we all know the plan? We go cross-country, travelling by car because we'll obviously get caught if we fly, and plus, Percy doesn't like planes. Then, once we reach Portland, we find Ella and the secret, bring them back to my mother, and everyone's happy."

Grover nods, obviously satisfied with my rough outline, but Percy's hand begins drumming on the table nervously, before he finally speaks up. "Um, I think we might have to take a little… detour, actually."

I blink twice, staring at him incredulously. "What do you mean, a detour? Percy, we obviously need to go to Oregon, now! That's what the Oracle said!"

Percy scratches the back of his neck, annoyance brimming just below the surface. "Well, my Dad, he, uh, visited me in my dream. I know it sounds crazy-"

Grover snorts. "Oh, are you kidding me? Just yesterday your van almost exploded, Annabeth could have been mauled by killer dogs, there's a creepy talking mummy living in the attic, and apparently we're the saviors of Olympus, whatever that means," Seeing Percy's frustrated expression, he quickly clears his throat. "Sorry. Carry on."

"Anyways," Percy continues, pausing to shove a slice of orange into his mouth. Some of the juice dribbles down his chin, making him seem more childish than ever, despite his serious expression. "He says I need to find the Neptune statue at Virginia Beach if I want to meet some of my real family."

"Virginia Beach?" I cock my head to the side. "As in, the Virginia Beach that's pretty much in the opposite direction than where we need to go? Sorry, Percy, but no. It was probably just a hallucination. You did hit your head pretty hard."

"So when your dead mother shows up in Mr. D's office, it's logical, but when my Dad tells me to meet my family in a dream, it's a hallucination?" Percy scowls. "Annabeth, you're being a hypocrite. You know better than anyone else what it's like to have a screwed up family. And now you got to meet your birth mom. I'm not sure who this 'family' member is, but I want to see them. Wouldn't you?"

Grover, who has been fiddling with his wooden pipes this whole time, finally chooses this moment to speak up. "I think we should check out Virginia Beach, Annabeth. I mean, according to what you guys said, the journey's supposed to take much longer than two days. Don't you think that's kind of a sign?"

I rub my temples, the mundane chatter going on around me contrasting greatly with our insane conversation. "Guys. No detours. Let's stick to the plan."

"Majority rules," Percy sing-songs, his hand tapping faster on the table. I don't want to dampen his mood- we actually got along pretty well this morning- but I need to find the secret to the Mark of Athena. Who knows how long Ella would be there? Percy and Grover have started to discuss the fastest route to Virginia Beach, much to my dismay, and I realize that I have to seize back my control, before it's too late.

I open my mouth to speak, but before I can get a word out, I notice Chiron, wheeling his way over towards us. And, walking alongside him, hands shoved carelessly into his pockets, is…

No. It couldn't be.

Percy and Grover seem to notice my lack of protest, and both of their heads swivel into the direction where I'm staring. They both appear confused, but no obvious recognition sparks on either of their faces. I glance down at my plate, trying to focus on anything else- my still aching hand from the coin's burn, how nice and sunny it is outside, how Percy's face looks when he's confused- but my mind wanders to the memories anyways, memories that I've never let be unleashed until now.

A playground, climbing up the hill to reach it. Three kids, laughing and racing to see who will be the first one there. The two older ones, one in black and one grinning, pull the little girl along, her blonde ponytail flying in the wind.

Chiron reaches the table, smiling at all three of us. The boy- I suppose he's a man now, really- looks at all of us carefully, before his eyes land on me. They flicker with recognition for a second, before dissolving into the hurt I'm oh-so familiar with feeling.

"Chiron," Percy looks a bit surprised that the man's come to talk with us personally. "Good to see you again. Who's your friend?"

A rock, soaring through the air. It hits the smaller girl, and, with a cry, she falls to the ground as the older two rush to her aid, checking her for injuries. A maniac cackle sounds.

"This," Chiron gestures the man forward, and I pray for his name to be anything else than the one that I haven't heard for years. "Is Luke Castellan. He's an old friend of mine that knows all about the Mark of Athena. I talked to him about you three, the start of the Great Prophecy, and he wants to help." Percy and Grover smile at this, but my face stays blank, unexpressive. It's a skill I learned long ago, one to help me keep my flawless mask on at all times.

Two boys, big and muscular, step out from the brush at the bottom of the hill. The three children stare, terrified as the boys lumber towards them, the cackling getting louder and louder. The oldest child, a boy, steps in front of the two girls as if trying to protect them, but the older girl lets out an irritated growl and moves to stand beside him. The blonde child sits on the ground behind them, trembling.

"So you know about the secret to the Mark of Athena?" Grover grins up at the man. "That's great! We've been trying to find out more, but everything's super jumbled and the prophecy doesn't make any sense. All we have is the coin- show him the coin, Annabeth."

I don't move, my hands tightening on the edges of the bench. Luke Castellan looks towards me, more than a little apprehensive. "Her name is Annabeth?"

"Annabeth, stay back," The older boy demands, pulling a pocketknife from his pants. The girl standing beside him gasps, snatching it away.

"What are you doing?" She hisses, as the two bullies come closer. "You could get sent to jail for that, you know!" The little blonde girl watches them in confusion. She never knew her friend had a knife before, or that he carried it with him. The bullies loom closer, closer… the little girl shudders, clambering to her feet.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Percy replies hotly, and I feel a sense of thanks wash over me. "Anyways, what do you know about the coin?"

Luke grins, and I notice a scar stretching across one side of his face. He didn't have that before. "Well, sport, I'm afraid I'll have to show you it. It's not something you can just tell people. Where are you guys headed? I'll come with."

"Where are three little kiddies like you headed on such a gorgeous day?" The first bully sneers at them, and the blonde girl sees the girl dressed in black, the toughest person she knows, tremble. It scares her that even the people she trusts the most are terrified. "The park? Oh, well that's a shame. You're never going to make it."

The boy makes a move towards the bully, but the older girl grabs his hood and pulls him back. The little girl slides her fingers into those of each of her companions, feeling the sweat pooling on their palms. The two bullies laugh at this display, circling them as would a lion to its prey. "Luke, take Annabeth and run. I'll hold them back." The girl in the black demands, her fingers slipping away from the little girl.

Percy looks toward Chiron, as if asking for permission, and the older man nods. "It's alright, Percy. Luke is very trustworthy. He's been a good friend of mine for quite some time." I look towards Luke and feel an urge to run and to blush all at the same time. Whatever my feelings were when I was younger, they certainly haven't changed much over time, although the circumstances sure have.

"We're heading to Virginia Beach, then," Percy seems satisfied by Chiron's response. "I got a message from my Dad- in, uh, my dream- saying we should go there. And then the Oracle said we should go to Oregon after that."

"No!" The blonde girl screams, but the older girl's already raced forward, hands balled into fists. The older boy trembles, making a move to go after the girl, but it's too late. The bully picks her up by her throat and slams her against the tree, making her cry out in pain. The blonde child and the boy can only watch, helpless, as the bullies walk away, leaving the older girl crumpled on the ground, bent at awkward angles.

The boy races towards the older girl, and begins sobbing as he cradles her face, her eyes unseeing. Screams sound all around. The little girl is frozen, unable to move.

I'm frozen, unable to move, as everyone's gaze swivels towards me. I shrink back onto the bench, letting out a startled yelp. "Sorry, what did you just say?" The memory finishes, although the screams are still a haunting melody swirling around in my head. "I zoned out for a second."

"More like five minutes," Percy looks at me, concerned. "You feeling alright? We were up pretty late."

Their worry for me just fills me with annoyance. That was just a moment of weakness, something that I shouldn't have thought about in the first place. "I'm fine; I just remembered something from a long time ago. What's the plan?"

Grover still looks hesitant, but he begins relaying our plan anyways. "Well, Luke agrees with us about going to Virginia Beach. I know you don't want to, but we think that maybe if you were to look at it from another angle you would reconsider…"

I cut him off. "We can hit Virginia Beach first. I don't mind. Here, I'll go and get the car ready." I walk out of the pavilion quickly, away from Chiron and Grover, away from Percy, away from Luke, desperate to leave those bad memories behind. It's only when I reach our room again that I stop, cradling my head between my knees, one voice still filling my mind.

Luke's voice, from a long time ago, hoarse as he cradles the unmoving body of the girl he loves.

The body of twelve-year old Thalia Grace.

Raise your hand if you were expecting that.

So… yeah. We're throwing some drama into the mix, which means everyone's favourite stereotyped jealous Percy comes into play next chapter! Sorry guys, couldn't resist. I hope the end wasn't too confusing- it was meant to befuddle you a bit, but I think I made it pretty obvious what went down.

I had a ton of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you all enjoyed! Coming up next: some Canadians, more info on Percy's dream, and a lot of pointless jealous Percy… so stay tuned for that!

Reviews are amazing and beautiful creations- please, please, please do not favourite or follow without leaving a review! It really makes my day, guys.

Thanks for reading,

-Jace ;)

PS: I'm participating in the PJO Big Bang, so next update may potentially take more than a week. I promise no more than two, though!