To guest reviewer I dunno, PATIENCE!

To everyone, most of this chapter will be drabbley, so beware.

Over the next few weeks, Alvie did his best to uncover information about Crystal's dad from Joy- this gained him the nickname of 'brain ninja' from his friend.

"Brain ninja? Really?"

"Yes." Crystal replied defiantly. "Problem?" Alvie just shook his head. "Have you found anything yet?"

"He has brown eyes."

"Well, that narrows it down." She sighed sarcastically.

"I'm trying."

"I know, sorry." Crystal smiled apologetically. "Hey, somebody said that the teachers are planning a surprise all-school party." Alvie didn't seem to get her silent message. She sighed. "Can you find out if that's true?"

"I'll try."

"Thanks." She grinned.

They walked to homeroom, Crystal trying to get him to practise prying information from people without them realising. Over the past few weeks, he had improved with his control over his psychic powers, but still no lottery numbers, unfortunately.

They took their usual seats at the back. Alvie asked her to help him with his Math work.

"Can you just magic up the answers or something? Here, look."

"Morning!" Their homeroom teacher called, strolling in.

"Morning." The class rumbled.

"So, anyone doing anything exciting over the weekend? I'm half-tempted to gate-crash anything."

"Why sir?" Someone asked.

"I have to spend the whole weekend with my darling mother-in-law." Laughter filled the room and their teacher smiled.

Surprising everyone, Alvie put his hand up and he was smiling.

"I'm getting my cast off!" The teacher laughed.

"At long last!" He grinned. Alvie returned it. "You can get that itch you've had for six weeks now."

"Yes, all-school party."

"When?"

"Week before we break up for the holidays."

"You're coming with me." Crystal told him. Alvie stared at her as if she was crazy. "You don't have a choice, Alvie- you're coming to that party with me." (I actually have an idea for this part- PATEINCE!) She paused. "Considering you don't break your leg again."

"I'll try not to."

"Good boy."

"Crystal?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you… are you going to come with me on Saturday?"

"For what? Your cast?" He nodded. "Do you want me to?"

"Only if you want to." He mumbled. Crystal smiled.

"Course I will." He looked relieved. "You're a right idiot sometimes, Alvie. I was going to take along anyway because-"

"I don't have a choice?" He guessed.

"You're learning." She smiled proudly. "I've taught you well. Hey, where are you going?" Alvie looked over his shoulder at her. "Oh, right, the library. Duh."

Saturday morning came and Percy, Annabeth, Alvie and Crystal were waiting in the waiting room for Alvie's name to be called.

"Alvie, stop fidgeting. Percy, you too!" Percy stilled and looked at Annabeth. "What?" Percy just shook his head, picking up a nearby comic and flicking through it. "Child…" Annabeth muttered.

"Alvie Jackson."

"Meep." Crystal laughed, getting to her feet and pulling Alvie up as well. Annabeth set him on his crutches before pulling Percy from his comic.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain."

Alvie had to sit on the bed, propping his leg up.

"Don't worry, son." The doctor assured. "You'll be fine."

Fifteen minutes later, Alvie was stumbling about without his crutches and cast with a big grin on his face. He had appeased the itch, much to Percy's amusement, and was now finding his feet again.

"Alvie, you're normally the sensible one." Annabeth smiled, watching Alvie's rambling movements. The doctor was still there, assessing Alvie walking around. "Don't break your leg again." She warned.

"Yes Mom." Percy was holding Alvie's crutches.

"Can we get rid of these now?" He asked, looking at Annabeth innocently. Annabeth smiled and nodded. Percy dumped the by the trash can. "Right, this calls for a McDonalds celebration."

"Chip attack!"

"Nom."

"Hey, no cast!"

"Oh, no, not you."

"I'm on my lunch break, Dad." Tobias looked offended. He was still in his coffee shop uniform. "Hi, Mom."

"Hello, trouble. Go and get your lunch." Tobias nodded and went and joined the queue.

"Can we go?" Crystal asked.

"He's in a hyperactive mood." Alvie added.

"Aw, you finish each other's sentences!"

"Vicky!"

"Oh no…" Percy put his face in his hands. "Yeah, let's go."

Vicky and Sophia appeared, both in matching uniforms to Tobias's. "Wait, you got a job?"

"Well, duh." Vicky said, as if it were obvious.

"Tobias!" Sophia went over to Tobias. Vicky took a seat next to Alvie, who looked nervous suddenly, shifting towards Crystal.

"Well, me and Soph saw these two sitting on a bench holding hands." Crystal and Alvie blushed violently while Annabeth and Percy looked at them like 'why didn't we know that?'

"I don't like you." Crystal told her. Vicky shrugged it off as Sophia returned.

"Told them." She smiled sweetly.

"Oh, Vicky, I said no!" Sophia sat next to Percy. "You're trouble, you are."

"Yes, I know. Is Tobias getting our lunch?" Sophia nodded. "Good. I hate queues."

"So, Alvie and Crystal…holding hands?" Annabeth gave a knowing smile, watching the two blushing friends. Percy was smirking while Vicky looked triumphant.

"That was five minutes!" Crystal beamed at him.

"Ugh…" Alvie stumbled to the box of tissues and grabbed a handful, soaking up the blood pouring from his nose. Crystal motioned for him to sit down next to her, looking at the books that had fallen to the floor. Alvie had worked on his telekinetic powers at her insistent and five minutes was his new record.

"Are you OK?" He nodded. "Do you want ambrosia or nectar or something?"

"No, it'll stop. Thanks." Crystal laughed softly.

"You're voice still sounds funny."

"It's hilarious." Alvie commented.

"Crystal! Alvie! Lunch!" Joy shouted up the stairs.

"Oops…" Crystal glanced at Alvie as he looked at the blood soaked tissues in his hand. She offered godly food again to heal it, but he shook his head, getting some more tissues. "You just like sympathy from Mom, don't you?" He looked at her, frowning slightly in confusion. "Alvie want a cookie?" She cooed teasingly.

They went down to lunch anyway. Joy instantly started fussing over Alvie like a mother hen. Alvie had to be careful what he said as William was sat at the table with his goddamn newspaper, doing the crossword, so he simply waved his hands about and pointed at a few things. Joy seemed to understand and ushered the pair towards the table.

"What happened to you?" William grunted, not looking up from his paper as he shoved a ham sandwich in his gob.

"Nosebleed." Alvie replied monotonously. William just grunted again and turned the page. Crystal glanced at Alvie as he moved the vase of flowers slightly.

"You've got to be OCD." He shook his head. "What then? Neat freak?"

"Have you seen my room?"

"Good point."

"You've been in his room?" William demanded, looking up at his paper to fix them with a hard glare.

"Well, yeah. Sleepovers." Crystal said, implying the obvious and laying it on pretty thick. William frowned. "Honestly, for someone who prides himself on his 'observant' quality, you're pretty thick, aren't you?"

"Less of the lip, girl!" He exclaimed angrily. Crystal made to reply when Joy returned with their lunches. William and Crystal settled with murderous glowers at each other. Alvie was distracted by his nosebleed, looking around for more tissues.

"He's such a jerk!" Crystal ranted, slamming her bedroom door.

"I can hear you!"

"I know!" She stomped to her bed and sat down heavily, folding her arms and hunching her shoulders, glowering at the bedside table. Alvie hovered by the door nervously for a few seconds, listening for William's heavy footsteps up the stairs.

Satisfied William wasn't on his way, Alvie moved over to calm Crystal down, sitting on the bed next to her.

It took a while, but she eventually sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Thanks Alvie." He gave a small smile. "I don't understand why he's such a pig though." Alvie just shrugged. "Well, obviously, I'm trouble, but he could at least be nicer to Mom. She's gotta put up with both of us, for crying out loud!" A scratching on the door and a muffled 'meow' sounded from outside, pausing Crystal in her rant. She got up and opened the door, letting her beloved black cat in. "Hey Pebbles." The cat trotted over to his owner's bed and jumped up, cuddling up to Alvie and purring contentedly. "Oh, I see how it is." Pebbles meowed again and curled up in Alvie's arms.

Alvie glanced at Crystal, noticing she was shaking her head at her cat. He got up and carried the feline over to her. She smiled gratefully at him. "Stupid cat." Crystal muttered, scratching her pet behind the ears. Pebbles jumped up and curled around Crystal's neck, settling across her shoulders. "And he's moulting. Lovely." Alvie looked down at himself, seeing black fur all over him. He brushed it off, getting it all over his hands. Crystal pulled a face. "Even better. Go and wash your hands." She laughed.

While he was gone, Crystal studied her bracelet. She still hadn't paid him back for it and- was it glowing?

She moved her hand closer to her face, but there was no glow.

Yeah, she was going crazy.

Alvie was washing the cat fur from his hands and getting it off his sweatshirt when the bathroom door closed. The lock clicked.

He glanced up a second too late, a hand closing around his upper arm. Somebody forced him round and he came face-to-face with William.

"Hello, boy." Alvie swallowed nervously. "No cast. That's a shame. You should have kept it." William started to drag him towards the door. Alvie fought as best he could, but he was three times smaller than William.

Looking around, he saw he had left the tap running.

"Poseidon…" He muttered.

"What?" Alvie ignored William as the tap started to rattle. "What are you doing, freak?"

"William, open the door!" Joy sounded panicked and she was hitting the door in frustration. The tap was shaking chronically by this point.

That's when all Poseidon broke loose.

Taps- not just the sink, but the bath as well- exploded, sending geysers of water straight up. The toilet exploded as did the shower.

Water cascaded down around them, pooling on the floor and drenching them. Alvie shook water from his eyes as a jet of water slammed into William and shoved him back, releasing Alvie.

Alvie stumbled towards the door as the water splashed around his ankles. He struggled with the lock for a few seconds before pulling it open. Joy and Crystal looked mildly surprised as water washed over their feet. Joy looked ready to faint when she saw William being held down by straps of water. Crystal just smiled.

"Did you-?" Joy started. Alvie shook his head. As far as he knew, he couldn't control water.

"Poseidon." He told her. "Dad's dad." As if on cue, a glowing green trident appeared above William. Alvie frowned. Did you just claim him?

No, don't be silly. He's a stupid mortal with ideas above his station.

What are you doing then?

Watch and see.

The holographic trident dissolved into glowing green fragments and mixed with the water. It instantly started churning furiously. Water retracted from outside the bathroom, the carpet drying. It all tumbled towards William, smothering him in a thick, watery blanket.

Are you going to kill him?

Unfortunately, no. I'm only allowed to scare him.

Thank you.

Burn something for me later. Preferably not sea food though.

Will do.

The water washed away from William. He spluttered and choked, bringing up water. He was shivering and soaked to the skin, his hair plastered over his forehead. All the water returned to where it had come from and everything fixed itself. Everything was dry, excluding Alvie and William, and it was almost as if nothing had happened.

Crystal disappeared for a few seconds and came back with a soft, dry towel. She unfolded it in a flourish and whisked it around Alvie's shoulders.

"Trust you to cause trouble." She smiled, smoothing the towel over his shoulders. "Come on; let's get you warmed up a bit." Crystal took his hand, glancing at her mother. "Mom?"

"I've got to help William." Joy mumbled. She didn't look like she wanted to, but this was William.

Sighing, Crystal led Alvie away, waving him into her room.

"What happened?"

"I was washing my hands and then he just came in, locking the door."

"Did he say anything? Did he hurt you?"

"Um…"

"Alvie…" She warned. "I want to know." Alvie stared at her. There was something in her voice, something powerful. It seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"He… he grabbed my arm… and, um… he, uh, said it was shame that I, er, hadn't kept my cast. Then all the water started and… and he asked me what I was doing."

"That wasn't you?" Alvie shook his head.

"Poseidon helped me. I can't… I can't control water…" Other than looks and interest in books, Alvie didn't really take after his parents.

"What's the matter?" Crystal's tone had softened and she moved forward to comfort him. Something had made him look utterly miserable all of a sudden.

"Nothing."

"Yeah there is." She sat next to him. "You can talk to me, Alvie."

"I just… the whole demigod thing…" He sighed unhappily. "I feel like I'm letting Mom and Dad down."

"Why?"

"Mom and Dad are, like, the best demigods ever. They saved Olympus twice, survived Tartarus-"

"Tartarus?"

"Deepest pit of hell." Crystal stared at him. Alvie just nodded. "It's a long story, but they're so famous in our world."

"So why do you feel like you're letting them down?" Alvie sighed again.

"I can't fight like Dad; I'm not smart like Mom. They do all this cool stuff, so brave and so… so heroic. And then there's me."

"What's wrong with you?" Alvie hesitated. "Alvie, if you're hiding something from me, I will find out."

"I, um… I'm…" He faltered, chewing his lip. Would she still want to be his friend if he told her the truth?

"Alvie, come on. I won't tell anyone. Or laugh, if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm autistic."

And cliffy!

I'll get to the good bit soon- SOON. Have patience, my faithful readers!