I'm sorry, this chapter's really, really short but I'm on a time budget. I need to get up early tomorrow for practice!

GOOD NEWS! TAPER STARTS TOMORROW, MORNING PRACTICES END NEXT WEEK, AND SWIM ITSELF ENDS THE WEEK AFTER!

That will give me 2 or so hours every day that I didn't have before during swim season which will make uploading chapters SO much easier!

YAYAY!

Again, time budget, no replies.

Sorry.

YOU ALL GET VIRTUAL HUGS!

Disclaimer: Still pissed at the REAL owner of PJO.

READ ON!

I stood outside of the Athena cabin with my arms crossed, dread filling me. The simple cabin wasn't as intimidating as Poseidon's cabin, but it too held a link to my parents. Would I find another shrine?

'This is foolish,' I thought. 'Just go up and knock'.

So, I went up and I knocked. The door was flung open by a short freckled, bespeckled, redhead with curly hair.

"You're Lena, right? Annabeth's kid" He asked in a nasally voice. He was probably no older than twelve.

I noted how, for once, someone acknowledged my mother and not my father.

I nodded shortly. "Yeah."

He nodded back and held the door open. "Alexa's been waiting for you."

I cautiously stepped in and let my eyes wander without turning my head. The beds were all pushed back and bookshelves and desks dominated the room. I was relieved that there was no shrine dedicated to my mom, but there were three pictures hanging by the door. One of just my mom, one of her with my father, one with her and the other 6 of the second prophecy. Around the room there were a few horse drawn chariots painted on the wall.

"A symbol of unity between opposing forces." I heard Alexa stay to my left. "It meant a lot to your parents, a union of their cabins and the end of the Poseidon and Athena feud, at least between demigods. Athena's cabin...well, we aren't as sentimental as Cabin three. No shrines."

I thought about that. "That's nice."

She didn't continue with the subject and I was grateful. "Would you like to hear your way west?"

"That's why I'm here."

She led me to a large table with a huge map laid on top of it. "So basically we have to get from here," she pointed at Long Island on the map, "to somewhere in California." She looked to me. "Can you be more specific?"

I paused. "We'll aim for near Camp Jupiter."

"It's a starting point. Well, our first thought was flying obviously."

My eyes widened. "No flying."

She laughed, but it was good-natured. "Yeah, we thought of that, plus our world-saving-quest budget isn't so huge. Then we thought of a boat, because of your affiliation to Poseidon, but that'd be bad for the kids of Zeus."

"So?"

Her lips twitched up. "Plus it'd take longer than we probably have."

"Valid."

"So then we thought-"

"Alexa," I said, holding up my hand to stop her. "I barely ever read, I don't need the novel version. Just like for school reading projects, I want the summary."

"Okay. Our best idea was pretty much a cross-country demigod road trip in some bus's."

"That's your great plan? A camp full of ADHD demigods on a bus or two?"

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "You got a better plan? I may be a child of Athena, but I'm not a freaking miracle-working goddess."

"Sorry." I said curtly, even though I did mean it.

She nodded, understanding.

I was beginning to like her. She spoke her mind, but didn't pry into anyone else's. I respected that, and I had a feeling she thought the same of me.

"When's the soonest we can leave?" I asked.

"We'll need three different bus's. We're going to need to find some drivers and work out a schedule, but that shouldn't be too hard. I know a few demigods with probably legal licenses who'd be willing to drive."

"Probably legal?"

"I also know some children of Hermes who can hook up some demigods who can drive, but don't have a license. This a problem?" She challenged, eyebrows raised.

I chuckled. "Most everything I have was obtained illegally. I have no problem with it. I guess I just didn't expect you to be cool with it."

She looked like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. I appreciated it. "So," she said, "we'll also have to figure who will go on what bus. Hopefully in a way that will cause the LEAST amount of feuds and casualties. And, since we are a group of ADHD demigods, we'll need some breaks." She sighed and wrung her hands through her hair. "Give us two more hours to prepare this. Probably allot another half hour or so for loading the bus's. So, we can leave in two and a half hours, give or take."

"That'll have to work."

Alexa paused. "How long do you think we'll have."

"I don't know," I admitted. "But the sooner we can get to California, the sooner we can get this over with, and then I can continue to be the hero that never was."

Alexa looked pained again, like she was struggling to keep her mouth shut. "We didn't know." She said finally.

"Know what?"

She looked around and lowered her voice. "About you. If we had, we would have brought you here, kept you safe."

I snorted. "Safe isn't in my vocabulary. And you wouldn't have been keeping me safe. You would have been putting yourself at risk."

"Still, I wouldn't wish your fate upon my worst enemy."

I waited for her to say 'I'm sorry', but she didn't.

"Thank you," I said softly. She nodded, knowing exactly what I was thanking her for.

She ran a hand through her hair again. "I'll send some of my siblings to start getting some drivers and get Chiron up to speed."

"Anything I can do?" I asked.

"Yeah." she said. "Try not to kill anyone out of anxiety to leave."