***YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND RE-READ I EDITED AND CHANGED A LOT!***

"I'll read." Frank volunteers.

Percy smiled and handed the book over to his friend.

WE VISIT THE GARDEN GNOME EMPORIUM

"Oh dear." Hades mutters.

"What?" Poseidon asked.

Hades, somehow, paled even more. No one was meant to hear that.

Hermes was shifting in his seat, also knowing what was at that 'emporium'.

In a way, it's nice to know there are Greek gods out there,

The demigods looked at Percy. The gods looked happy.

"Did the furies hit your head or something?" Leo asked.

"Just wait a second." Percy grimaced. He had a feeling some gods wouldn't appreciate his next thought.

because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong.

The demigods nodded.

"Sounds about right." Nico nods.

"Hey!" Came a shout from Ares.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover snickered to themselves. The quest was as much his fault as it was Kronos'. Hiding the masterbolt and trying to start a war and all.

"I don't know how any of you are alive the way you talk to and about the gods." Frank muttered to himself.

"You'll see soon enough." Thalia says quietly. "Their lives have been screwed over so many times it's a wonder they're still helping."

Frank pondered that for a moment before continuing reading.

For instance… mess up your day.

"Or monsters just hate you." Nico said.

"That too." Percy nods, thinking of all the monsters they were facing in the pit. "They really hate me."

"That's an understatement." Says everyone who'd been around Percy over the years.

"I don't like that." Poseidon mutters.

So there we were,… reeking in our noses.

Percy's nose wrinkled.

Grover was … All three at once."

Poseidon glared at his brother, who refused to meet his eyes. Zeus also glared, not forgetting what had happened to his daughter, no matter if she was alive in front of him.

Frank kept reading hoping an argument wouldn't break out.

I was pretty much in shock myself. The explosion of bus windows still rang in my ears.

"Oh, this is going to get annoying fast." Percy says. "Not everything is literal."

"You described it so it happens." Annabeth says.

"That would get annoying." Hermes says.

The demigods kept the fact that it was also going to get painful, some parts more than others. A lot more.

But Annabeth kept … clothes. Everything."

The gods frowned while the demigods all nodded.

"Sounds about standard." Will says. "Even if you start out with some things somehow halfway through you end up with almost nothing."

"Tell me about it." Percy says, thinking about how he and Annabeth have only their weapons.

The other's in the seven and Nico grimaced. They were very fortunate to have the Argo II.

Some of the gods looked guilty. They had thought that was over exaggeration when they heard these stories. Surly their kids had resources, they had thought. Yet here was the proof that not even two days in and they were stranded.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight-"

"Nah, he wouldn't let you get hurt." Thalia says teasingly.

"What did you … would've been fine."

"Most of the time." Annabeth whispers. "I do need you though, for more than just fighting."

"Stop being gross!" Clarisse shouts.

"No!" Percy shouts back.

Will grimaces. "I am between you two. Don't yell."

"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."

Dionysus frowned minutely. He'd appreciate if his satyrs didn't get sliced like sandwich bread.

"Shut up, goat boy," … like sour laundry.

"Eugh." Percy grimaces. "That place smelled bad."

"I don't envy you." Grover winces.

After a few minutes…"We're a team, right?"

"The best team at camp." Clarisse admits grudgingly.

The others all nodded in agreement.

She was … the real world."

"Annie." Thalia says.

"I know it was selfish." Annabeth says. "I've learned."

The thunderstorm …"The history professor."

"He remembered!" Travis and Connor yell.

"I always listen to my wise girl." Percy says.

"Disgusting." Nico says teasingly.

"Yeah. It didn't … knife," I said.

"That's sweet." Hazel says.

"I appreciated it." Annabeth says.

Aphrodite coos at the sweetness of the old interaction between the couple.

"You think so?" … might've smiled.

"I did." Annabeth says, smiling again.

"Good." Percy says giving her a quick kiss. "Your smile is beautiful."

"You guys are disgusting." Thalia mocks throwing up.

"You know," … work!" Grover cried.

"Thanks." Grover says.

"You're welcome." Percy smiles.

There were a few chuckles and Frank kept reading.

"If I could … knot on my head.

Percy's hand shoots to his forehead. "Ouch."

Will moves his hand to look. "Just a bump."

"You're gonna check every injury aren't you." Percy says.

"Can't have you dying now." Will says. "We kinda need you."

Add to the … excellent food.

"Mmm." Percy hummed, relaxing a bit in his seat.

I realized I hadn't …the good smell.

"It really did smell good." Percy said as the scent invaded his nose once again.

"I don't trust it." Poseidon says.

It wasn't a fast-… ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM.

There was silence.

"Was that English?" Demeter asks.

"It's dyslexia." Hazel says peeking at the page.

"What the heck … was dyslexic, too.

"I think we all forget the Athena kids are also dyslexic." Will admits.

"We just put in the extra effort." Annabeth says.

"I don't have the energy for that." Connor says.

"We know." Katie says back.

Grover translated: "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."

Hades cringed, along with Hermes. This would be interesting.

"Why does that sound familiar?" Hephaestus mutters.

Flanking the entrance… smell of the hamburgers.

Percy relaxed more into the couch, a slight smile on his face.

"I didn't realize how early we were getting affected." Annabeth said. "No wonder it took so long."

"What took so long?" Poseidon asked, eyeing his son.

"We'll find out in a few minutes." Zeus interrupted. "Keep reading."

"Is it just me or is he interested in the book?" Travis stage-whispers.

Zeus glared and Frank continued reading to avoid a possible conflict.

"Hey ..." … "Snack bar," she agreed.

"Even you Annie?" Thalia asked.

"There was some powerful magic at work." Annabeth said.

"I see that." Thalia says, looking at Percy.

"Are you two crazy… Uncle Ferdinand!"

"So that's where he ended up." Dionysus muttered to himself.

"I don't like where you're at." Athena says. "You should have left."

"I don't think we could right away." Annabeth admits.

We stopped at … Aren't you hungry?"

"I know I should have known better." Annabeth says.

"It's amazing you finished this quest." Clarisse says. "Camp was tense waiting to hear back about it."

"Always listen to a satyr when they say they smell monsters." Dionysus says.

"Meat!" he said... looking at me."

"Cans are vegetables?" Jason asks.

"Yeah!" Grover says.

Then the door creaked … completely veiled.

Athena looked to her daughter sharply, who nodded. Athena sighed, wondering how the children had gotten out of this situation.

Her eyes … are your parents?"

"What did you come up with here?" Hermes asks.

"You'll see." Annabeth says.

"Who made the lie?" Thalia asks.

"Percy." Grover says.

There was a collective groan.

"He's better at confrontation for a reason." Clarisse says.

"They're … orphans," I said.

"That could work." Travis said, "What was said next?"

"Frank keep reading." Annabeth smirks.

"Orphans?" … "Our circus caravan.

There was a moment of silence before the demigods started laughing. Percy just smiled, the effects of the book over him.

"I cannot believe." Thalia wheezes.

"It's so bad it might just work." Travis laughs.

The ringmaster …There is a dining area."

"I don't trust this." Poseidon says.

We thanked her … full of kelp."

"That's my line!" Thalia exclaims.

"You can keep it." Annabeth says. "I have seaweed brain."

"Your seaweed brain." Percy says, kissing her hand.

Everyone chuckles a bit.

The warehouse was … thinking about food.

"Grover you should have dragged them out." Thalia says.

"I know." Grover says. "But I didn't really know what was going on."

"'m hungry." Percy mutters.

"We'll have food soon." Annabeth tells him quietly.

Go ahead, call me an idiot for walking into a strange lady's shop like that just because I was hungry,

"Idiot." Nico and Thalia say.

Percy frowned at them slightly. "'s not nice."

Nico coughed to cover a laugh. Thalia not so much.

but I do …everything else go away.

Percy sunk into the couch and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling.

Will looked at him. "He's so out of it, how did you get out of this?"

"I honestly don't know." Annabeth says. "We both were pretty out of it the first time around."

"You really were." Grover said.

I barely …the door behind us.

"I hate this." Poseidon says.

"Me too." Athena agrees.

The room had a moment of shock before deciding to move on and not call attention to what just happened.

All I cared …"Awesome," I said.

"Not awesome." Jason says.

"Um," Grover … such nice orphans."

"Even I wouldn't trust this." Leo says. "And I've done some stuff while running away."

"Magic." Annabeth says.

"Thank you, ma'am," … been my imagination.

"It's not." Athena says.

Poseidon looks to her. "It's not-"

"It is."

Poseidon groans.

"Quite all right, … never introduced ourselves.

"So many red flags." Artemis says. "And yet you stay."

Our hostess disappeared …remembered to breathe.

Despite the tensing atmosphere there were a few chuckles. Classic Percy.

Annabeth … noise?" he asked.

There was a collective realization with everyone.

"No way." Hazel says. "Not even you can be this unlucky."

"Unfortunately, he is." Thalia says.

"There's more." Annabeth says. "This quest was wild."

I listened, … "But please, relax."

Percy closed his eyes, as if he was asleep. Everyone just looked at him, just wondering how he managed to survive this long.

Aunty Em ate nothing. …. to sound interested.

"Didn't work." Grover muttered.

"Oh, yes," Aunty Em … every customer I get."

"Quite literally." Artemis says.

My neck tingled… an Easter basket.

"Poor girl." Katie says sadly.

"Think we can shut that place down?" Apollo asks.

"Maybe?" Hermes says. "If it's 'abandoned' now."

The detail … yourself?" I asked.

"She certainly does." Athena says angrily.

"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on,

"I know them." Percy says sleepily. "Tried to give me cheese'n'weiners."

"When was this?" Will asks, wondering if there was more than just magic at play.

Percy's brow wrinkled as if he was trying to remember. "After the wolf house?"

There were sharp looks directed his way. He didn't talk much about what he went through after he was kidnapped.

"Wolf house?" Zeus demands.

For once no one answered him and after a moment Frank continued reading.

and Aunty Em … said, "Two sisters?"

"Good." Athena says. "You're realizing."

"It's a terrible story… a terrible accident.

"Shouldn't have been in my temple." Athena mutters, glaring at a certain sea god.

Poseidon refused to meet her eyes.

My sisters stayed … somebody so nice?

"She's not nice." Hermes says.

"Mmm." Percy hums.

"Percy?" Annabeth was … will be waiting."

"Listen to her." Thalia says.

"Always listen to Annabeth." Percy says.

"You really don't." Annabeth chuckles.

"Shhhh."

She sounded tense. …"We really should go."

"Finally!" was the consensus.

"Yes!" Grover …least sit for a pose?"

"Don't do it!" Apollo exclaims.

"It's already happened idiot." Artemis says.

"Oh yeah."

"A pose…"Sure we can,"

"Percy." Thalia groaned. "You absolute kelp for brains."

I said. I was irritated

Percy frowned, brow crinkling.

with Annabeth … "No harm."

"Yes, there absolutely is." Katie says.

"We're right here." Annabeth says.

A few people blushed, seeming to forget that these events were in the past.

"I'm glad we're entertaining." Grover says.

I could tell Annabeth … see each other, yes?"

The room was silent as everyone listened to Frank read.

"Where's your camera?" … like Uncle Ferdinand."

"Uncle Ferdinand." Grover says. "At least I know what happened to him now."

Annabeth placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Grover," Aunty Em … fighting the sleepy feeling,

Percy's frown deepened and his eyes started to clear up some.

the comfortable lull … wrong," Annabeth insisted.

"Wrong?" Percy asked, fighting off the sleepy feeling again.

"You're okay." Annabeth whispered, holding his hand.

"Wrong?" Aunty Em …both off the bench.

Percy grunted as he felt the push.

I was on the ground, … talons for fingernails.

"Stop him." Poseidon thinks to himself before reminding himself this already happened.

I almost looked higher, but somewhere off to my left Annabeth screamed, "No! Don't!"

"Thank you." Poseidon says to Annabeth.

"Of course." Annabeth says giving the god a smile.

More rasping-… to kick-start his flying sneakers.

"Yeah Grover!" Travis and Connor cheer.

"At least the shoes came in handy a few times." Annabeth admits.

I couldn't move. … to do is look up."

"It's taking so long." Will remarks, watching Percy fight the feeling off. He looked to Annabeth. "Was it like this last time?"

Annabeth studied her boyfriend before frowning herself. "This.. actually, seems worse. How?"

Everyone paused. That didn't seem good or promising for Percy in coming chapters.

I fought the ….have been so stupid?

Percy blinked and sat up straight. "Oh, that was weird."

"You were high." Thalia teased, trying to break some tension.

Percy snorted.

Think, I … and rake open my face.

Poseidon was gripping the armrest tight enough to turn his knuckles white. His son had been at camp not even for a month and he was already facing so much. These books were not going to be good for him.

"The Gray-Eyed … "Run, Percy!"

"Yes, do that." Poseidon says.

"We did." Percy says.

"Eventually." Annabeth adds.

"Silence!" Medusa snarled. …Less pain. Less pain."

The room was silent and what Medusa said was processed. The demigods admitted that there was some sense to what she was saying.

The gods looked to each other, feeling the understanding the children had come to. That wasn't promising.

"Percy!" Behind me, … ears and nose alone.

"That's so cool." Travis says.

"I want flying shoes." Connor says. "Fly into battle."

"That's supermans job." Leo says pointing to Jason.

"Duck!" he yelled again…Thwack!

The demigods all cheered causing Grover to blush. Even Dionysus had a small smile.

At first I … Grover yelled back.

"Yeah Grover!" Leo, Connor, and Travis yelled.

"Not bad." Clarisse said.

"Thanks." Grover smiled.

I scrambled …hissing and spitting.

"Dude, you're awesome." Frank says.

"Wish our fauns were this cool." Jason says.

Right next to me, … get out of here."

"Unfortunately, you need to kill her." Athena says. "She'll come after you like her sisters."

Percy groaned at the reminders to the two gorgons.

"Medusa is a menace…people into statues?"

"That's how you get him to do things." Clarisse says. "Get him to protect people."

Percy pouted while she smirked at him.

She pointed to a … by a factor of-"

"English please." Said most people in the room.

"Would you speak English?"

"Hah!" Percy exclaimed. "You all think like me."

"That's unfortunate." Thalia teases.

"I am!" She …."I think she's unconscious!"

"That's good!" Poseidon says, hoping for some good luck.

"Roooaaarrr!"

Poseidon slumped back down. "Or not."

"They're right there, Uncle P." Apollo says, waving towards the trio.

"Maybe not," Grover … he'll eventually crash."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Grover smiles.

"Shut up." Annabeth laughs.

I took out my pen … glass, I saw her.

Percy shuddered. "One of the uglier monsters."

Grover was coming … painful "Ummphh!"

Everyone winced.

"That had to have hurt." Katie says.

"I was fine." Grover waves off.

Medusa was …twenty feet, ten feet.

Poseidon took a deep breath to keep himself calm. His son was sitting in front of him, he was fine.

I could see the reflection of her face now. Surely it wasn't really that ugly.

Athena smirked. "It is."

The green swirls … my arms go weak.

"Ugh." Percy groaned, shaking his hands.

From the cement grizzly… a monster disintegrating.

There were cheers.

"Nice!" Travis exclaims.

"I'm just glad we're finally learning what happened on this quest." Will says.

"Same." Clarisse agreed. "You only told Chiron what really happened."

"So much happened." The trio said.

"Great." Poseidon groaned.

Something fell … tugging at my shoelaces.

Percy shook his foot. "That is disgusting."

"I can imagine." Annabeth winces sympathetically.

"Oh, yuck," Grover … "Don't move."

"Smart." Athena nods in approval.

Very, very carefully… dripping green juice.

"Disgusting." Piper frowned.

"It really was." Grover says.

"What did you do with it?" Hephaestus asks.

Percy smirks. "You'll see."

"Are you okay?" … minotaur horn.

"So so far Prissy has killed the minotaur, a furry, fought off all three furies, and now medusa." Clarisse says.

"And he'd only been at camp a month tops." Will says.

"I didn't even think that was possible." Jason says. "I don't think that even happened at camp Jupiter."

Poseidon dreaded to think of what that meant for his son.

But don't … "Good job, man."

"That's where that came from!" Nico exclaimed.

He managed a bashful grin. … back to the warehouse.

"Pillaging!" The Stolls yelled.

"Does this mean we can destroy the place?" Hermes asks.

"I think?" Apollo says. "Unless she's back."

We found … thank for this monster?"

"Percy." Thalia groaned.

Percy blushed.

Annabeth … fault we met Medusa."

"Four. Years."

Annabeth straightened…"You're impossible."

"You're insufferable."

"You're-"

"How did you not realize you were in love with each other?" Katie asked.

"He's oblivious." Thalia says.

"I'm not-"

"You are."

"Hey!" Grover interrupted. …I was angry,

Percy's hands clenched and he took a deep breath.

not just with Annabeth … the summer solstice.

"Seriously how did you all do this?" Franks asks, ever confused.

"Eventually Percy's luck turns good." Nico says.

"And always at the perfect time." Will adds.

What had …"What are you-"

"You didn't." Thalia laughs.

"He did." Annabeth says.

"Oh my gods."

"Why do I have a feeling I won't like this." Zeus mutters.

I searched the back … stuffed it in my pocket.

"That's handy." Hermes says.

"DOA? Really?" Artemis asked.

"What, it works." Hades says.

In the cash register I found twenty dollars, a few golden drachmas,

"That's also handy." Apollo says.

"Especially for what he's about to do." Annabeth teases.

"Shush." Percy says.

and some … delivery slip:

The Gods

Mount Olympus

600th Floor,

Empire State Building

New York, NY

With best wishes,

PERCY JACKSON

"You didn't." Apollo says, eyes wide.

"He did!" Hermes says.

"That's amazing." The two laugh.

Zeus looked angry and Hera looked annoyed. The rest of the gods looked mildly amused.

"They're not …impertinent," I said.

"He admitted it!" Thalia yells.

I looked at Annabeth… "We need a new plan."

"That was a wild chapter." Frank says, putting the book down.

"One more chapter than lunch?" Artemis asks.

There were sounds of agreement.

"Then me and the punk can have our fight." Ares sneers.

"You're on." Percy smirks back.