A / N: Hello everyone! I just wanted to say that I got some of the French wrong in the previous chapter, which I noticed when I looked back on it. I was too lazy to republish the chapter ... oh well.

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, Rick Riordan does, but I bet he can't write a (short) chapter in one hour.

12

Leo turned off the water tap and hung the hose up back on its hook. I felt as if a heavy weight had been dropped on my stomach at the same time the Iris Message ended.

"Well, at least we're not in trouble," said Jack in a falsely cheerful voice.

"I don't think the harpies know that," replied Leo.

I thought of the people hungry harpies, and my mouth curved up in a smile. I remembered how many times Leo and I had almost got caught by the little fat bird ladies when we stayed up too late, and how Audrey and Holly would always cover for us. I pushed the memories away. Best not to dwell on things like that.

"We better get moving then, if we want it arrive at camp before curfew," I said briskly.

Jack gulped. "Yeah."

Jack had always been terrified of the curfew harpies, and therefore absolutely never broke curfew. I thought of Holly, and the way they both looked at each other. I smiled to myself. Maybe Jack would overcome his fear …

"What are you so happy about?" he demanded.

"Nothing," I said hastily, straightening my features.

We left the car wash and began wandering about the streets. We somehow always ended up like this, blindly wandering around looking for something. We were looking for a taxi, but not many taxis came near my neighbourhood. Lucky for my knowledge of the area, and I was able to guide us back to one of the busier roads.

It was already getting dark, but from the time on my watch we still had a while before the curfew. If we were late though, I don't think Mr D would hold the harpies back. Mr D … he had voted against Dad. I sighed. It's not like I would have expected anything different. He hated being confined at camp, so he took it out on all the campers.

Things began to get uncomfortable when a trio of drunk men across the street began cat calling. Their chins were spikey with stubble, and they looked like the most tired, crazy, miserable human beings on earth.

"Hey baybeeh," the middle man slurred. "Ditch those scrawny lads and come and have a drink."

Jack held Leo back and I bent my head down and kept on walking, using my long dark hair to shield my face. Jack looked at me question and I gave an almost imperceptible nod. I was used to this sort of stuff.

I led Jack and a struggling Leo away from the group and down a dark alley way, lit by the dim light of a solitary street lamp. I know, not the safest idea, but I had used this short cut a couple of times during the school year. Admittedly, never this late, but I knew the way all the same, and the alley wasn't even that dirty. Over flowing trash cans littered the ground and I cursed my broken ankle as I tripped over the ragged bluestones set into the asphalt.

Leo held out his sword, not for protection, but for the glowing light that the celestial bronze provided.

I started as three dark shapes loomed out of the shadows, my hand flying to my waist where my sword lay, but I then relaxed. It was only three burly school kids, and they definitely weren't monsters. The school kids were strutting in a pyramid formation; the biggest and ugliest at the front, flanked by two slightly smaller cronies. The boy in the middle had a pug like face, as if he'd run face first into a brick wall when he was little. He cracked his knuckles menacingly.

They may not be monsters, I thought, but a fist to the face would still hurt.

Leo had only just seen the murky shapes of the three boys, and on instinct, he swung his sword. I froze, watching as half way through the swing Leo realised that they were just mortals, but his momentum was too great to stop. The boy's eyes widened, and he gaped as the sword passed straight through his body as if he didn't exist.

He shouted something really articulate like, "Umfuglub!"

I felt slightly curious. I had been told about it, but I had never before seen the effect of celestial bronze on humans (aka the effect that didn't happen). The boy looked up, and pointed directly at Jack with a chubby finger.

"Run!" barked Jack.

I walked backwards, trying to keep the school kids in my sight, but I eventually just turned around and ran. It wasn't my finest moment. We ran out of the alley and on to a busy road full of cars. I hoped the mortal police wouldn't become our biggest problem. I knew that running wasn't really speeding along my healing process, but I didn't really have a choice.

I finally saw the yellow blur of a taxi. I quickly hailed the car and the driver pulled up next to us. I leant forward as the driver rolled down the window, watching Jack and Leo bend over panting from our little run in my peripheral vision.

"Camp Hanover, Long Island. Can you get us there?" I asked the driver breathlessly before he had a chance to open his mouth, using the code name for Camp Half-Blood as Chiron had taught me.

"I might," said the diver doubtfully, trying to see past me at Jack and Leo's panting forms.

"You can get us there," I told him encouragingly, using a little power.

"Of course I can," said the driver, looking pleasantly dreamy.

"Thanks," I said, rewarding him with a dazzling smile. "Also, get us there fast."

I wasn't against using charmspeak on unsuspecting mortals, but I did give the driver an extra tip. We all filed into the back seat of the car. I had to sit in the middle seat, as I was the slimmest, uncomfortably pressed up against both the boys.

I realised a little too late that I probably shouldn't have told the driver to go fast; the speed dial never dipped under one hundred. The taxi lurched around a tight corner, momentarily on two wheels, and I practically feel on top of Leo. Jack sniggered and I hastily righted myself, looking the other way. The view out the window soon changed from city to forest the closer we got to camp. I guessed that we would probably make it back during evening free period.

"This is as far as I can go," said the driver, the taxi screeching to a halt in the same place Dad had dropped me off at.

"This is fine," said Jack, virtually leaping out the car door.

I followed him, an amused smile playing on my face. I stepped up the simple grey concrete curb, and felt the satisfying crunch of pine needles under my shoes. I stared up at the swirling Greek letters spelling out Camp Half-Blood on the wooden arch above our heads. I felt the familiar ripple as we crossed through the border into camp.

The first thing I saw once I was out of the forest was the pale blue panelled side of the Big House, and sweet vine crawling up the wooden beams. The next thing I saw were the campers, enjoying whatever free time they had left before the campfire. I felt a surge of pleasure at the sight of the familiar long green grass and training equipment of my second home. It was only my social awareness that stopped me from running into camp shrieking with joy. I saw Jack, with an expression that suggested he was thinking about the same thing.

The first camper to notice us was, of course, Audrey Spendlove. I saw her big brown eyes extremely close to my face before I felt the impact of the massive bear hug I was being given. I tried my very best not to wince.

"Maia!" she squealed.

She looked me up and down responsibly, and then her jaw dropped as she saw the ratty bandages around my leg.

"You're hurt!" She gave Jack a death stare that made him recoil into himself. "You specifically said we're fine! I do not think a fatal injury classifies as fine, but I would love to know your definition, Jackson Youngblood!"

"I, I –" Jack stammered, looking scared.

I grinned. Jack's reaction was priceless.

Audrey sighed. "Well, you three better go visit Chiron. He'll be wanting to see you anyway."

I nodded glumly. I was not looking forward to Chiron's lecture. Sometimes I wished he would just yell, but his cold disappointment was much worst.

We walked as a wolf pack across the grass, me limping pathetically behind Audrey. Leo looked like he wanted to help, but he held back, his eyes filled with pain. I felt no remorse. Audrey immediately noticed this, and glanced at Jack. He gave her a look that clearly stated, Later. I'll tell you later.

"Busted," sneered a daughter of Ares, whose name I remembered to be Prue (which came with lots of use of the nickname 'poo' behind her back).

I glared at her. The Ares kids had a grudge against the Aphrodite cabin, mainly due to a scuffle which included a lot of charmspeak on our part. The only thing that normally stopped them from beating us was the fact that Ares was currently dating Aphrodite. Eugh. We had moved on, though. Prue, it seemed, hadn't moved on. With a sickening flash of pain, she kicked my bad leg as hard as she could, before slinking away. My leg gave way, and I caught Jack's hand, and shed tears of both pain and anger forming in my eyes. Jack gave Prue's proud face a menacing glare, before slinging my arm around his shoulder so that I had better balance. I suddenly felt eternally grateful for Jack's friendship.

At the top of her voice, Audrey called Prue something that made Jack say "Audrey!" reproachfully. I leant more heavily against Jack as black spots danced across my vision. A voice in the back of my mind told me the wound had reopened. I saw the porch of the Big House through blurred vision, feeling like I was about to collapse.

Audrey wished us luck, and I smiled weakly, my vision so out of focus that I wasn't sure where to look. For a fleeting second I realised that I wouldn't be making it to the camp fire sing-along, before I passed out completely.

A / N: Please review! It really makes my day!