Just as he had promised, Grover kept us updated regularly

This is the longest, but is this better than three? Only you can decide! In fact, visit my poll after this chapter! And there's even some Percabeth near the end!!

Disclaimer: If I was rick, I would get reviews from the whole fandom of PJO, and I don't even have 10 reviews yet, so...do you think I am Rick? Who owns the very successful book that I love called PJO?

Anyway, sorry if that sounded like a rant. You may begin! :D

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Just as he had promised, Grover kept us updated regularly. Each day he would IM us at the big house to tell us of the progress he's made with Nico and Bianca Di-angelo. That's their names. Bianca is thirteen and Nico is ten. From what Grover's told me, they're inseparable, but the way I see it, it's only a matter of time. Nothing lasts forever… I know that from experience. Every time I have something good, something worth living for, it's taken away from me. Percy and Annabeth went their separate ways to their classes, and I was on my way to mine; at least, till I saw "something" in the trees. I may have rolled my eyes, but my heart was beating miles faster as I crept towards the tree; I protectively caressed aegis, ready to activate it if he had any funny stuff up his sleeve.

"How the hell do you keep getting past the barrier!?" I yelled upwards.

He jumped down to my level. I whistled. It was pretty high up. "Although I wish I wasn't, I'm a half-blood. Remember? We used to be on the same side?" I pushed his face away; he was getting to lose for my comfort. As I gave him a distasteful snort, he arched a cocky eyebrow, and I knew he was feeling confident today.

"Why are you here? Don't you need to go kiss your master's butt?" He shivered even the slightest at that moment, and I had to hide my laughter.

"No, I actually have respect in my new job position." His laid-back attitude could give me the creeps sometimes. Its funny how, this person standing right beside me, used to bring me so much warmth and happiness when I was in his company, now he brings bitterness, scorn and hurt.

I laughed. "Oh, that's funny, that's very funny." I stopped smiling. "Now, leave peacefully, or I'll send your butt to Tartarus." I was surprised at how calm I sounded, because, let me tell you, I was having a nervous breakdown inside. I held up my spear and balanced it by my side. He took a step forward.

"I didn't come here to fight; I came to ask you to go on a trip with me…"

"…A trip?" I lifted my left eyebrow. A trip? When? Where?

"Why would I w-want to go on a trip with the e-enemy?" Damn my stuttering! He smiled, touching his nose in a playful manner.

"That is such an easy target for an ambush; how naïve do you think I am?" I planted my spear in the dirt, looking for any way to keep my hands busy.

"Don't you think I know how weird this sounds?"

"…."

"..Look, I'll swear on the River Styx if you don't believe me. I just-I just need to talk to you!" He seemed frustrated with my defensiveness. Good. This is right where I want him to be.

"Pfft. What does that mean to you? I thought you didn't care about stuff like that." He balled his fists.

"Damn it Thalia! That's as much proof as I can give you. Now will you come with me or not?" His teeth were gritted as he spoke.

Why not? I had nothing to loose, just so long as I had all my weapons. I had powers, and weapons, and I knew some defence moves to. I'd be fiiine.

"When?"

"Tonight." He grinned.

So I sat in a more seclude area with him as campers emerged from training to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the day; Luke and I planned to meet alongside a river just outside of long island range, where he should be safe from the gods. So we sat. He was cool, but I was panicked. What I mean to say is what was I thinking!?

"Soo….What is it?" He completely sidetracked my comment and began talking.

"Remember, before…before you…died…we, we would always decide to take turns keeping watch at night, but I would never wake you up for your shift?"

"Yeah," I had to smile. Luke and I in the "before time" always, made me smile. That sweetness, that apparently, slowly fizzled away with age. By nineteen, he lost it. Twenty two and I don't know if there's any good left in him. But there has to be, if he was completely cold he wouldn't be with me now.

"And when you'd sometimes panic in the mornings when I went hunting for food because you thought I was murdered by a monster?"

"…I do," My voice was hoarse because of the pain I was receiving. It was like my body's own way to stop me from showing emotion. Because, I felt like crying. I wanted to hug him so much I was going insane. Just to touch his cheek.

"I-I miss them Thalia. I really do."

"I do too." He began fidgeting with his hands and swallowing more than necessary. Was he….Nervous?

"Luke…What is it?" He was scaring me; he was always confident, he used to make me feel everything would be fine because of his optimism.

"I wish I was with you…" He murmured. Then he whispered something inaudible. And I wished I'd been a good lip reader, because it looked like he said 'Elephant doo.'

"Luke, sometimes I just feel like hurting you. If only you had seen me when I found out you'd betrayed me. It hurts me so much to see you do this to yourself; don't you ever think about the people around you?"

"Nobody ever cared about me." I gasped. How dare he!? When I poured my heart out to him, he just…Told me I never cared.

"I CARED!!" I sobbed as I stood, but I had no tears. I just made hysterical moans.

"Thalia wait-"

"I NEVER want to see you again! You, Luke Castellan are a pig!" And I began to trace my tracks back up the muddy hill I slid down, back into civilisation. Then I felt a cold presence, a thick coil of smoke engulfed me, and I could hear choking behind me.

'Laaaast chaaaance'

Then in a feeble voice I asked, "Luke?"

Only then did I turn back, and he was gone. My heart sank. My intuition told me that this was the last time I would see Luke alone, and next time we would fight, but I wasn't ready. I love that conceited idiot, and because of his foolishness we would never be together. Not that he likes me in that way but….

I trudged back down to the dining pavilion to force myself through another meal of loneliness; only Grover wasn't there to comfort me. Percy and Annabeth gave me worried glances, and then exchanged some of their own. I must have looked very depressed, because Chiron approached me and asked if I was alright.

"Yeah, I'm just….Tired." I could tell by his sceptical look that he hadn't bought it, but I was grateful that he held his tongue.

"Okay, but do not hesitate to ask if you are lost Thalia," He smiled, and I felt better, if only a little bit. I smiled back as he turned.

"Chiron?"

"…Thank you."

"That's quite alright Thalia," and he carried on his way back to his seat/wheelchair.

I didn't want to be alone anymore, I needed somebody to talk to, and I had considered what Annabeth had told me:

'But you've always got me too…'

I gave the Athena cabin two knocks. I half expected Percy to come tumbling out of there(I have my sources) But I knew he felt very uncomfortable setting foot in the brain child's domain, so I knew Annabeth would be alone.

"Thalia?"

"I need somebody to talk to." I said as I stroked aegis. I had realised that I had found comfort in those bracelets, like a safety blanket.

"Come in," She widened the space in the ajar door and welcomed me in, so I gave her the best smile I could as I sat on her bed in the corner of the room.

"What's on you're mind Thalia?" She finally asked me. All of a sudden I felt a surge of doubt and I knew I couldn't tell her straight off what was wrong; I had to make up something quick, maybe then I'd get the reassurance I needed.

"Um, I've been reading…a bit." I have dyslexia! Wow, that was lame. "And I know romance isn't really my thing but, what would you say if you had a friend that you liked, but for some bazaar reason you can't trust him anymore, but you really lo-like him?"

She thought for a while, as if she had a dilemma of her own, and then answered. "I don't know if there is anything you can do Thalia. But I believe in fate. If you're meant to be with somebody you should eventually end up with them." She smiled sadly at her crossed legs, as if trying to convince herself of what she had just said, but her words seemed enough comfort for me.

"Annabeth…?"

"…Yes?"

"Have you got somebody you're supposed to be with?" She stared at me for the longest time, but I knew she couldn't refuse me; she needed somebody to talk to just as much as I did.

"Yes…Maybe…Yeah," She looked at me, her startling grey eyes looked straight into my sapphire ones.

"…Okay, I won't ask you who it is." I didn't need to. I already had a pretty good idea who it was anyway.

"Thanks?"

"Ha. Anyway thanks for what you said. It made me feel better about-that girl…In the book…." I had a feeling she knew that I was the girl in the book, but if she did, she kept it to herself.

"What are you going to do now Annabeth?"

"I was going to meet Percy, just a race. Have you seen how slow he is? Tree nymphs can outrun him!" I'll have to admit I laughed a lot at that statement, as I left the Athena cabin with her. Low and behold, Percy waited for us outside. (Annabeth said I could tag along)

"Speak of the devil," I grinned.

"Thalia," Percy gasped, clutching his chest.

"Percy." I said as I crossed my arms. I looked to Annabeth and found a smirk forming on my face. Oh yeah, I felt a lot better. He found his way over to Annabeth and we headed down to Zeus's fist. When we arrived, Annabeth marked out a track, and we got running. As it turned out, Annabeth was the fastest, me second, and Percy last. He wasn't unfit, but he was tired by the time we'd finished. So when I suggested that he take a nap and Annabeth poured a large bucket of seawater over him I gaped, because there was a neat little pool of fresh sea water around a completely dry Percy. Annabeth supplied, "He's Poseidon's son. Water makes him stronger, he can manipulate water and he only gets wet when he wants to." Percy missed the look, but I saw the admirable glance she gave him. There was something in that warm smile that made me know she had strong feelings towards him, maybe even love, and it made me smile. The little seven year old Annabeth that I knew was blossoming into a young flower. (Since when have I been poetic?) Maybe love wasn't always bad, because it seemed to be health and good for Percy and Annabeth, because I knew that both of them would do anything for each other, even it cost them their lives. Luke, on the other hand, would be more likely to be the one who caused my death! Too bad I'm not so lucky in that department. But I'm happy for Percy and Annabeth, and I know he'll take good care of her, now if only they realised that they loved each other (Maybe I can look into that.). So we started off towards the big house to see if we could get our daily evening Iris message from Grover, when Connor and Travis Stoll came rushing towards us, apparently having a message. Connor started, followed by Travis.

"Chiron's got a message for us to tell you,"

"Yeah, he says, 'they're ready...'

Little did we know the party's just beginning...

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Wooot! This is where things get interesting; the next few chapters will be chapters from TC that I think involve Thalia's opinions a lot, so I take no credit for them as I do them in her P.O.V. I love all who have reviewed, so they can have hugs! And Percabeth777 can have a cake! Thank you for your constant support!