Don't forget to read the author's not at the end of the chapter.

Mary-Ann: I Get Yelled at... A Lot

Dawn wasn't too thrilled when she came back. Apparently she was asked to leave the bathroom area unless she had to go because she kept ducking in whenever anyone walked out. Braxton and I hadn't spoken much since he told me he thought my father was Dionysus. I wasn't too thrilled, and for good reasons.

Basically, Dionysus was a fat drunk. I loved our study of Greek mythology when we had been in it, but I hadn't been too happy when I was told I had to do a report on him when everyone else got to choose their report god or goddess. But it was strange how easily I found information about him, like, while at the library, trying to pull a book out, the one next to it would fall and open to a page about a little known or hardly even mentioned myth about him.

It was slowly occurring to me that that had been the way he had been trying to 'claim' me. Well, that and the random bottle of wine that was sent to me (luckily it was left outside my door and I found it when I got home from school on my thirteenth birthday so my mom doesn't know about it as it is tucked into the back of my closet). And now I was certainly going to meet him if Braxton was right.

"I'm getting tired," I finally said after a few hours. I mean, it had been after eight that we got on the train, and now it had to be well after midnight. All the other passengers were asleep.

"Then go to sleep," Braxton said. He kicked Troy, who was sitting across from him.

Troy snorted and then woke up. "Wha?" he asked, still half asleep.

"Your turn to stay awake," Braxton said.

"I will too," Dawn said. "I'll wake you up in a few hours, Braxton. It's best if we have two people on watch at all times."

Braxton shrugged and shifted a bit, closing his eyes. Even though I wasn't comfortable sleeping in public places, my eyes couldn't have been closed for more than a minute or two before I was asleep.

The next thing I knew, I was watching as Hermione Westbrook, Dawn's mother, was running from the woman/monster from Union Station. I could tell she was running much quicker than I'd ever seen someone run. I figured it was the Hermes in her. However, she suddenly skid to a stop. I turned to see why and noticed Ms. Whisk had cut her off, only she looked a lot more monster than even when I had run from her.

All Hermione had on her was a single blade, short enough that it wasn't really a sword, but too long to be a knife. And it was the same color as the knife Dawn had given me; celestial bronze. No one seemed to notice me.

"End of the line for you, Westbrook," the woman monster said, her fire hair dancing in the darkness.

Hermione looked between the two monsters. "You haven't got me yet," she said, her teeth gritted. She looked absolutely exhausted from the run. And then something hit her from behind throwing her to the feet of Whisk. There stood Mr. Fredrickson, who was now transforming into what looked like to me a lion, or something similar. Hermione didn't move, and I gasped. Whisk was about to kill her with her talons, but a sword was suddenly sticking out of her chest, and then she dissolved. No one stood there.

"Where are you, Half-Blood?" the fire-haired monster yelled.

"Right here," this time it was a guy that spoke. He was just behind the woman, and he swung quickly, ripping through her with his sword. Before Fredrickson could get more than three steps, the boy had cut him down as well. And then I noticed the black winged horse. I knew that was a pegasus, but I never believed that they existed. Then again, at this point, I shouldn't have been surprised.

"Percy," a voice said, and there was a girl kneeling next to Hermione. "She's exhausted and passed out. We'll need to take her to camp." I was amazed, because she hadn't been there a moment earlier. "How did you know about this anyway?"

"Hermes sent me a message," the boy said; I assumed he was Percy. "Remember, I promised I'd help him keep his children safe."

"She's not a kid," the blond girl said. "She's an adult."

"Hermes said there were circumstances that she needed help," Percy said. "And, hey, three more destroyed monsters, what's wrong with that?" He approached the girl, and pulled out a canister. "I don't have any ambrosia on me, but I brought this." He shifted Hermione and poured some golden liquid in her mouth. On instinct, Hermione swallowed.

And then she began to mumble, "Is Dawn alright?"

"Who's Dawn?" Percy asked the girl. She shrugged.

"Let's get her on Blackjack and get her back to camp," the girl said.

And then I woke up. I was surprised that I had dreamed such a strange dream, and it had seemed so real. We were pulling into Grand Central Station.

"Come on, Mary-Ann," Troy said. He had my bag over his shoulder. Dawn and Braxton were already both halfway down the aisle toward the exit. "I'm not certain that they'll wait for us."

"Did I miss my watch?" I asked him, following.

"Nah, Dawn didn't sleep," he said. "She's been a wreck since we got on, you know."

"Yeah," I nodded. I was thinking about my dream. "Hey, would it be strange for me to have had a dream about Hermione?"

"I don't think it's too out of the realm of possibilities," Troy said. "Why?"

"Well, I dreamt she was running from that woman, but was cut off by Whisk," I said.

"The harpy that attacked you?" Troy asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, but then two people appeared and saved her," I said. "A girl, whose name I didn't catch, and a boy named Percy."

"Did he have a black pegasus named Blackjack?" Troy asked.

I nodded. "I believe so," I said.

"Then I don't think that was just a dream. I think you were seeing what was really happening. Not unusual for your kind." He paused as we got pushed from behind by some people urgent to get off the train. Once we had broken free from the train and were trailing Dawn and Braxton a bit, he continued, "So, what exactly happened."

I sighed, but told him what had happened in more detail. He nodded as he listened. "Well, I think that's a good sign."

"Why's that?"

"Because," Troy said quietly, "that probably means that Hermione is safe at camp." He obviously didn't want Dawn to hear him and stood a bit back as she and Braxton were discussing something, very loudly.

"Hey, Satyr," Braxton said, spotting us. "Tell her we're better off taking a bus than a taxi."

"Wouldn't a taxi be expensive?" I asked.

"They can pay it from the camp expenses," Dawn said. "And it's the quickest way there."

"I assume you mean to take the Gray Sisters, right?" Troy questioned Dawn.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Who are they, you mean," Braxton corrected me. He turned back to Dawn and Troy. "Those three freak me out."

"You've taken their taxi before?" Dawn asked.

"Wait, I know what you're talking about," I said. "The Graeae, right?"

"Yes," Dawn said. "They run a taxi service which will be the quickest and safest way to Camp Half-Blood."

"If I recall correctly, those three were bringers of terror and tragedy," I said in concern.

"Not really," Dawn said.

"Let's just take a bus," Braxton said.

"Where?" Dawn asked. "It's not going to drop us off at the camp."

Troy sighed and looked around, then signaled me to follow him. He walked to an alley where steam was rising from a sewer. He pulled a gold piece from his pocket. "I just need you to stand there to make sure no one can see what I'm doing," he said to me.

"Why?" I asked.

"By the time they finish arguing, we can have a van here to pick us up," Troy said.

I watched as he made sure no one was watching, took a step to one side when he asked me to, and then he threw a coin where the steam was hitting the sunlight creating a small rainbow. The coin disappeared, he said something, and then a face appeared. I gasped.

"Troy," the man in the mist picture said. "I'm glad to see you're alright. Where are you?" He had brown hair and a beard, and from what I could see behind him, he seemed tall, as there was a buff girl pacing behind him.

"I'm in the City with three half-bloods, including Braxton Masters," Troy said.

"His sister said he was refusing to come back," the girl said, coming forward. She actually really scared me. However, her eyes settled on me. "Who is that?"

"That's Mary-Ann," Troy said. "She's a half-blood... attacked by a teacher that turned out to be a Harpy."

"Well, glad to know you spotted one monster," the girl said.

"Actually... it kind of..." Troy started stuttering, but the man cut him off.

"I expect you are in need of transportation."

"Exactly," Troy said. "Braxton and Dawn are arguing about the best way, and I was hoping that Argus could just come here with the van."

"He can't," the girl said. "He's busy. I'll be at the Empire State Building in two hours. Don't be late."

Troy did not look happy as he nodded and assured our attendance. He waved his hand through the image and it disappeared. When he turned to me, he was rather pale. "Clarisse is coming," he said weakly.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked.

"She's a daughter of Ares," he said. "And has never liked me."

I looked back at Dawn and Braxton, who were still arguing. "So, I guess we have to tell them we have a ride."

"Guess so," Troy said, and took a deep breath.

Actually, once we told them, they kind of both felt sheepish that they hadn't thought to 'Iris Message' the camp, though Braxton had a similar reaction to Troy when he learned that this Clarisse girl was coming.

I kind of began to understand why neither Troy nor Braxton wanted Clarisse to be the one to pick us up. When she stepped out of the vehicle, I kind of wanted to cower in fear... and then I wanted to punch someone in the face.

"Well," Clarisse growled at us. "Are you getting in, or just standing there all day?"

Troy was the first in. Braxton nodded for Dawn and me to go ahead of him, so I climbed in and sat next to Troy. In the front, the actual driver was a guy who kind of reminded me of Hermione, so I asked quickly, "Are you a son of Hermes?"

The guy frowned. "Don't talk," Braxton said, crawling in after Dawn had. Finally, Clarisse crawled back in and closed the door.

The van was silent for a short while, and a little cramped as Dawn and I both had a duffle with us. Finally, Dawn cleared her throat. "I'm Dawn," she said. "And that's Mary-Ann. I guess you already know the boys."

It was the driver who answered her. "Hey, Dawn, Mary-Ann. My name is Chris and this is Clarisse." He was silent for a few seconds, before adding, "And to answer your question from earlier, yes, I am a son of Hermes."

This, apparently, upset Clarisse. "She was asking you about your father?"

"I don't think she meant any harm by it, Clarisse," Chris said, reaching out and putting a hand on her arm. She still looked steamed, but at least she didn't launch herself into the backseat to strangle me.

"So, do you know who your parents are?" Chris asked after another long silence.

"Doesn't everyone?" Braxton asked.

"He wasn't talking to you, Masters," Clarisse snapped at him.

Dawn and I shook our heads 'no.' Sure, I was convinced that Dionysus was my father, but I didn't exactly want to admit to that. Braxton gave me a quizzical look, but shrugged it off.

"How old are you?" he asked. "Twelve?"

"Thirteen," we answered in unison.

"You're not twins, are you?" Clarisse growled.

"Not in the least bit," Dawn said. "We both know who are mothers are. Admittedly, mine's a little cooler..."

"Sorry, not all of us can have infamous, train-robbing parents," I said, a little annoyed. Okay, sure, I completely agreed that her mother was about a hundred times cooler than my dead beat mother, but she didn't have to announce it.

"Train-robbing mothers?" Chris asked, his interest obviously peaked. "I think I'd like to meet this woman."

"I don't think you're her type," Dawn said.

"Considering you're her brother," Braxton said.

"Hold it!" Clarisse yelled. "Her mother is the half-blood?"

"I'm a demigod too," Dawn said. "I swear."

"Just because your mother is a demigod doesn't make you one," Clarisse had a vein sticking out of her forehead, and she was now totally ignoring Chris, who had pulled over. He was trying to calm her down, but she was just getting madder and madder. "In fact, when two demigods have kids, the kid is just mortal."

"Well, my father is a god," Dawn said. "I swear on the river Styx!"

Clarisse's eyes were burning practically, but she turned around and grunted. "You are having a long talk with Chiron and Mr. D when we arrive at camp," she snapped. The rest of the ride was silent. No one even dared to breathe loudly except Clarisse, who huffed in anger most of the way to camp.

"Looks like Percy's back," Chris said when we pulled up to what apparently was camp. There was a tall white pine tree, a golden blanket of some sort on one of the branches, and a dragon sleeping beneath. We got out of the van and climbed the hill. Clarisse walked with her eyes trained on Dawn, but my attention was caught by the black Pegasus, the same one that had been in my dream. A good thing too, because if my attention had been on the dragon, I never would have crossed the camp borders.

"Where was he?" Braxton asked. Chris started to answer, but Clarisse cut him off.

"None of your business. You know where your cabin is! Go greet your sister or something. As for you three, go see Mr. D and Chiron."

Rather than leading us on, Clarisse began marching off. Chris apologized for her, then followed.

"You can just follow me," Troy said after a moment. Troy led us to the big house, inside, and to what appeared to be the dining room... or possibly a war room. It was kind of hard to tell. Inside were four people, including the two people I had seen in my dream. One man, sitting in a wheelchair, was the man I had seen Troy speaking with, which also confused me because I could have sworn he was tall. Finally, there was a man in an orange Hawaiian shirt drinking a can of Diet Coke.

"You're back rather quickly," the man in the Hawaiian shirt said.

"I see you had no trouble finding not just one, but two demigods," the man in the wheelchair said.

"Uh, yes," Troy said, nervous again. "Right where the Oracle said she would be."

"She didn't mention anything about two," the blond girl from my dream said.

"Well, on with introductions, I suppose," the man in the wheelchair said. "I am Chiron, Activities Director here at Camp Half-Blood. This is Mr. D, Camp Head. And these two are Percy Jackson, head of Cabin three, and Annabeth Chase, head of cabin six. And you two would be?"

"My name is Dawn Westbrook," Dawn jumped right in. "And this is Mary-Ann Weston."

Mr. D suddenly perked up as his eyes settled on me. Everyone seemed to notice. "Mary-Ann..." he said slowly. Chiron, Percy, and Annabeth all seemed to find that odd. "My little Mary-Ann!" And then he got up and hugged me. I froze as he squeezed me with an iron grip I didn't think a guy like him could have.

"She's your daughter, Mr. D?" Percy asked.

"Be quiet, Peter Johnson," Mr. D said. "I never interrupt your reunions with your father. You could show some respect for me meeting my lovely daughter."

"Mr. D, after all Percy has done for you," Annabeth said, "the least you can do is get his name correct."

"Oh, Annie Bell," Mr. D said, "I have to learn the name of every kid at this camp. If I get one or two wrong once or twice, you should give me a little slack. I may be immortal, but that is just that many more things I've learned over the years."

"You know his name is Percy," Annabeth said. "And you know what-"

"Just leave it, Annabeth," Percy said leaning closer to her as if Mr. D wouldn't hear. "The more you ignore it, the sooner he'll get it right."

"So, you are Dionysus, I guess," I said, once he had released me from his killer grip.

"I thought you didn't know your father," Dawn said, turning to me.

"Well, I didn't know for certain," I confessed. "Braxton kind of made a guess when I told him about the bottle of wine I painted, and it made sense."

"Why'd you paint a bottle of wine?" Dawn asked.

"I had no idea why when I did," I replied.

"An odd way to be claimed, if I say so myself," Chiron said.

"I tried to tell her before she turned thirteen, but she wasn't getting the message," Mr. D said. "You still have the bottle of wine I sent you for your birthday?"

"I didn't bring it with me, but it's in my room," I said.

He nodded. "Good. You might want to retrieve it next time you return to your home. How is your mother?"

I forced a smile. I really didn't want to have this conversation.

Since I know people love to see their characters in stories, I'm allowing you guys to submit character to make cameos (AKA, they will be filler characters). Rules, must be the child of a god (no Titan kids), not a monster (no Tysons), and must not be a child of Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Artemis, or Hestia. Try that, and I won't even consider your character. All I need is name (first and last), godly parent, weapon, a quick personality statement, quick description (hair color, skin color, and general body) and maybe a quick fact. Don't give me a huge character chart with history, how they were claimed, who they like and all that. I won't use it, and it will just discourage me from actually reading what you wrote. No related, in any way, to Percy, Annabeth, Nico, etc. They will literally just make a quick appearance, and maybe a line.

Also, don't just leave a character. Leave some sort of review. I don't want a million characters and no actual reviews. Constructive criticism is best, but if you just want to tell me how I'm doing, that's fine too.