I'm just going to jump right into the chapter, but first I have to tell my Beta she's awesome. Different, you're awesome! Also, I don't own PJO, but I hope you already knew that.

Annabeth

Zia. The name sounded familiar. I knew that name, it was tickling the edge of my mind, but the more I thought about it, the farther away it seemed to float. I would have to ask Percy, maybe he would know. It still felt like I was missing this huge puzzle piece, but I just couldn't figure it out.

Then there was Zoë and her friend, Mathew, to consider. They seemed like good friends, especially since they hadn't known each other long. Bianca as well. They all seemed very close, but I guess that happens when you go on quests.

Besides, Mathew and Bianca were friends.

That was how you and Percy started out, a little voice in the back of my head said. At first, I thought it might be a god, but I immediately discarded that option because it just didn't make any sense.

Zoë

We were walking out of the forest, towards the city. Mathew and I were in the lead, with Bianca and Zia behind us. They seemed to be getting along which made me smile. Then, my mom was hanging back a little. It was so odd, to be saving my mom. I felt it should be the other way around, but the Fates didn't agree with me. I mean, she had always been there, caring for me, hugging me, and making me feel better. I felt like our roles were reversed. I kept glancing over my shoulder to make sure she was there, that Hera hadn't captured her. I kept worrying if she was okay which was absurd. At least, it felt that way.

I could see the glow of the city and knew that we were almost there. Once we had reached a decent place in town, I planned on us finding a motel to stay in for the night and then go back to New York in the morning.

"You okay?" Matt asked me, disrupting my thoughts.

"I'm fine, why?" I asked him.

"Well, for starters we just rescued your mom. And you seem upset, or scared, or angry," he said. I sigh and closed my eyes briefly.

"Try all three," I tell him quietly, not wanting anybody to overhear our conversation. "I just rescued my mom; the person who's supposed to protect me, not the other way around," I told him.

He nodded. "Still, there's something else," he persisted. I realized that he was talking about Zia. In that moment I wanted to spill my guts about everything, but I knew I couldn't do that. I had a bad feeling that if I did, something would happen. The prophecy even told me that I couldn't tell anybody, and demigods know that you can't go against prophecies without consequences.

"I-It's nothing," I tell Mathew giving him what I hope was a convincing smile. He gives me smile back so I know I succeeded. Maybe I'll be able to tell him later, but not now. No matter how much I want to tell him, or anybody for that matter, I just can't.

"Where are we headed?" Zia asked from behind me.

"Motel, if we can find one that will take us," I told her.

"Why wouldn't they take us?" my sister asked me.

"Look at us: we're filthy and we're cut up. The only one of us that looks like they haven't been wrestling with pigs is my mom," I tell her.

"Well what if a motel won't take us?" Mathew asked me.

My mom answers before I can even think of a solution, which is a relief. It's nice to let somebody else think for a little while. "We'll catch a train," she told everybody, smiling.

Bianca

Our search for motels wasn't going as planned. So far, we've found nothing, but according to Zoë's mom, there isn't a train for another couple of hours (how she knew this, I'm not sure, but I've learned not to ask).

"What are we supposed to do?" Zoë asked, not expecting an answer.

"Don't know," I told her unsure.

The air behind Zoë started to shimmer, almost like a mirage. Then, Chiron and our (Zoë's and mine) parents came into view. "Hey, Zoë," Matt said, pointing to the IM.

"What?" she asked him as she turned around to see what he was pointing at. "Dad!" she said grinning.

"Hey, Zoë, have y'all had any luck finding your mom?" he asked her.

"Nope, I'm still in a dark cave on a peacock farm," Annabeth said stepping into the view of the IM.

Percy's face split into a wide grin at her words. "So maybe I shouldn't send anybody to get you out of there?" he asked his wife.

"Percy, if you withhold a rescue team that will get us out of here, then I will personally send you to Tartarus," she said smiling. I thought she was joking, but Percy paled considerably.

"And I'll help," Zoë said, a gleam in her eye.

"Not fair! And what did I do to you?" Percy asked Zoë, who was grinning.

"That's totally fair, and you have a lot of explaining to do when we get back," she said sternly. Annabeth started laughing and Zoë scowled at her. "You, too, Mom," she said to Annabeth.

When Zoë turned toward me, she was grinning. She walked over to me and linked her arm through mine.

"What's this about a ride?" Mathew questioned.

Zoë's dad and the same gleam I had only seen moments before in his daughter's eyes. "Blackjack," he said simply.