A/N: Time calls for a disclaimer, I think! I remember way back in the first chapter 1, I wrote that I was not the writer for this because I was a thirteen year old girl and not a middle aged man. Well, I should probably correct myself because that is no longer true! I am now the fourteen years old girl who most certainly does not own PJO! (yet...) Yay! So, um, that's that ?

The little blue Prius sped along the highway. Up above, the sky was a clear, ocean blue, and the gold winter sun sent tendrils of chilly light down to the earth, its glare spreading over the car's hard metal roof. The day was perhaps perfect. Some way off, the ocean licked away at chalky cliff-faces, and all around, bare, almost sublime forests reached out to the continuous line of automobiles moving into New York City. Again, the subzero, terrifying cold appeared to be returning, and consequently, the prickly branches found themselves dusted with a thin layer of frost.

Annabeth took this all in with some degree of fascination. Her surroundings seemed pristine; something made of porcelain; something so fragile the slightest movement might shatter it into a million tiny pieces so that she almost wanted to yell at the car to 'Stop! Stop lest you break these rolling chinaware hills!'

As opposed to how it had been on the way to Montauk, Percy now manned the wheel, and besides him sat Paul, distributing snacks and every so often giving his step-son unhelpful directions that ended in the four of them being decisively and undeniably lost, until they chanced to come across a sweet old farmer to set them back on the right course. That had happened several times already this journey, and it was an experience none of them wished to experience again. Especially after the last time they had stopped to ask how to get back to the motorway, and the old woman of whom they had inquired to had somehow thought they were here to steal her sheep and had chased the car a mile down the muddy lane, brandishing a pitchfork.

Several hours following their departure from Montauk, Annabeth looked out of the window to see the familiar sight of high rises pricking the sky.

"Hey, we're nearly there!" She exclaimed, sitting straighter up in her seat. Gladly accepting the chocolate Paul passed to her, Sally laughed.

"Only took us seven hours!"

"How long's it meant to take?" Percy asked. He swivelled around in his seat and frowned.

Sally shrugged.

"Three hours," she said, "Maybe even two and a half and - oh Perseus Jackson, eyes on the road!"

Percy swore colourfully and lunged for the steering wheel. The Prius screamed as it skidded, narrowly avoiding a ditch, and the four of them let out a shout and leapt for the

passenger assist handle, cursing. Behind them, the previous car blared is horn, its owner sticking his head out of the window and yelling,

"What the fuck are you doing you fucking idiot!? Where the hell did you learn to drive!?"

Percy looked sheepish in the rear-view mirror.

"Percy!" Sally scolded. She sighed, taking her hands off her belly, where they had involuntarily gone and rubbed her brow, "I'm surprised the airbags didn't come out!"

"Sorry," Percy mumbled looking a little ashamed. Something in Annabeth's chest tightened at his meek, forlorn expression, and she found herself tentatively letting go of the roof handle and leaning over to pinch him lightly on the arm.

"Don't look so down," she chided, a slight laugh colouring, "we survived!"

The words had held a lot more weight in other situations, and Annabeth was glad to be able to, for once, say them and take them for granted. Percy was a skilled driver, she knew, and unless he was, say, drunk, or something similar, would never have let a skid like that go past anything mildly frightening.

"We survived," he agreed. Before them appeared a battered sign post written in a foreign scripture. Or to what most would have been foreign but to Percy and Annabeth read as 'strawberry farms.' A bright beam spread over Annabeth's face as Percy turned the wheel, steering the car into the familiar road leading down to camp.

"Home sweet home, right?" She whispered to Percy, still leaning forwards. Percy had his eyes fixed firmly on the road, but his lips twitched upwards in a grin that reached to the sky.

Annabeth was surprised to see Chiron already waiting for them. She hadn't know that he was aware that they were coming so early, but wasn't complaining as he grinned and galloped down the hill to meet them.

"Chiron!" Annabeth cried, tumbling out of the car and hugging her mentor. Chiron's rumbling laugh sounded above her.

"Hello Annabeth! How are you?"

Annabeth untangled herself from Chiron and grinned.

"I'm good. How are Grover and Juniper though?"

"I think they're a little more nervous that they're letting on."

Annabeth nodded understandingly, and took her suitcase, from where Percy had kindly taken it out of the boot and placed it besides her.

"Chiron!" Percy exclaimed, now at Annabeth's side, "how are you? I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, child," Chiron smiled fondly. "Should we go? I have something to tell Annabeth, too."

Frowning, Annabeth gripped her suitcase and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah let's go."

"Good," Chiron turned to the Prius standing a few yards away, "I'll see you tomorrow at the wedding?" He asked its occupants. Inside, there was the faintly discernible movement of bobbing heads.

"Bye guys!" Sally and Paul yelled out of the window, "see you tomorrow!"

"Thanks for having me!" Annabeth called back.

"It was a pleasure!"

The engine hummed to life, and the three of them watched as the car began to move away, trundling through the mud until it had disappeared around the bend and back to the motorway, headed back to the glorious, vibrant city of New York.

As they trudged up the hill towards camp, Percy peppered Chiron with questions about the upcoming wedding.

"So how big's the place gonna be?" He demanded.

"Fairly large," Chiron responded.

"And how will the mortals get in?"

"We'll have to admit them in, like we did with Rachel."

"That'll take forever!"

"It's the only way we can. A dryad can only stray so far from her tree so it must be at camp."

"Oh. And what about-"

"Brother!" A new voice chimed in. A large, burly figure rammed into Percy. They had reached the summit of the hill, and attracted the attention of a few. And already, Tyson was here, hugging his brother with all his might.

"Can't breathe-" Percy gasped as the cyclops rocked him elatedly to and fro.

"I missed you, brother!" Tyson cried. Awkwardly, Percy patted his back.

"I missed you too brother! But, uh, would you mind letting me go? I'm kinda losing circulation."

"Oh, right." Tyson released Percy, who had gone slightly blue, his single eye alive with happiness. Then he turned to Annabeth and called her name happily. Before she could receive the same treatment as her boyfriend had, Annabeth pulled the cyclops into a quick, one-armed hug. She and Tyson had made their peace a long time ago now, and the idea of hugging him no longer provided that disgust it used to.

"Goat-boy's getting married!" He squealed excitedly once all greetings had been exchanged.

"I know!" Percy laughed, "it's amazing!"

"I can't believe it," Annabeth breathed. She supposed that for her, it was even more incredible than for the others. Grover had been the one to save her and bring her to camp all those ten years ago. He had shown her this safe haven- this sanctuary - and that alone, was a debt she knew she would never be able to fully repay.

Chiron was watching them with a smile on him face. Gently, after allowing them a few giddy minutes were they exchanged excited words, he put a hand on Annabeth's arms and took her aside.

"I need to introduce you to someone," he said with a smile. Annabeth furrowed her brow.

"What's this about?"

"Ah, nothing you haven't done a million times before. I just need you to go down to your cabin now before training starts."

"Uh- okay," Annabeth replied. Chiron nodded.

"Good girl," he smiled, and squeezed her arm, "go along now."

For a moment, Annabeth stood frozen, shocked and touched by that paternal gesture. Then she shook herself, told Percy she'd see him later at training, and began down the hill towards her familiar, homely cabin.

Getting to Cabin Six had been something of a nightmare.

"Ay, Annabeth!" Kids shouted all around.

"You're back!"

"Annabeth!"

"How you doin'?"

Swinging open the door to her cabin, Annabeth found herself already overwhelmed by so many greetings all at once. Touched that so many people cared to see how she was, yes. But overwhelmed. There was the slight creak of the hinges as she strode in, her demeanour self-assured and confident. Inside, the entirety of the Athena cabin looked up in surprise.

"Annabeth," Malcolm said, though it came out as more of a question than a statement. Raising an eyebrow, Annabeth sighed.

"What? You'd think you'd never seen your sister before, Hades," there was a pause, were she added, "Look, can you stop gawking at me like idiots please? I'm not that scary. Chiron said he wanted to show me something."

Her siblings quickly recovered from their surprise, and made to duly bid their hellos and well-mannered 'how are yous' before Malcolm cut in.

"Yeah- um that," he grinned up at her, "I'm not very good at introducing people, but this is Emily." He gestured to the bunk nearest the door, where a small girl who looked about eight sat.

In the bright lights, her grey eyes - the generic trait of all Athena kids - shone, though her eyes were slightly puffy, as though she had been crying. Still, she offered Annabeth a shy smile and held her hand up in greeting, plainly embarrassed by the attention. Annabeth returned her smile, and crouched before her.

"Hey," she said, and when that felt too cryptic, added, "I'm Annabeth."

"I'm Em," Emily said timidly, glancing down at her hands.

"So, I er, understand you're our new sister."

Annabeth had never realised just how bad she was at meeting new people until now, when she was faced with the task of welcoming a new addition to the family and no doubt explaining the entire ins-and-outs of camp life and all it entailed.

"I-I guess."

"Good. So, um, how old are you?" Annabeth asked, feeling a little awkward. The little girl shrugged her shoulders helplessly, staring intently at her lap.

"Seven," she whispered.

"Oh," Annabeth said, "I was seven too when I first came here. I've been here ten years, and honestly, it's great." Well, great it was. Minus, the quests, and the turncoats, and the hell part. When Emily just stared mutely into her lap, Annabeth looked to her siblings for help.

"So, I know this is a lot to take in," she settled for saying, "so er, I'm obviously here if you need to ease yourself into, um, this. I know how hard it is, especially so young. It was hard for me, too," Especially with her best friend having just been turned into a freaking tree, Annabeth wanted to add, "I'm head counsellor here so, naturally you can talk to me. And Malcolm fills in when I'm not here so you can talk to him too."

After several long seconds of silence, Em whispered "thank you," but Annabeth did not fail to notice that her voice was slightly disjointed.

Then, quite suddenly, Emily began to cry. Big fat tears started to stream down her cheeks, spiralling down onto the mattress beneath her.

"Oh," Annabeth breathed, "oh Emily, it's okay, I know it's hard."

Emily wiped her eyes furiously, "I'm sorry," she gasped, "it's just a lot to take in."

"I know," Annabeth whispered, "I know, it's a lot to take in. I understand."

"I just-" Emily let out another sob, "this is stupid, I shouldn't be crying. I'm so stupid."

Hades, this little seven year old already with such self-awareness. Emily sobbed, and covered her small mouth with her hand.

"I'm so sorry," she whimpered, "this is so embarrassing, I shouldn't be crying."

"No," Annabeth said gently, "no, you should be crying. Oh gods, it's so much to take in it's be a wonder if you didn't."

"It's- it's embarrassing!"

"It isn't. Crying isn't debilitating or shameful. It just means that you are enduring. See, it's a sign of strength. It means that you could endure a thousand more times and still be here, fighting."

"Aren't you taking my words right out of my mouth?" A new, familiar voice asked. With a rueful expression, Annabeth turned to the door.

"Aren't you meant to knock?" She demanded. Percy smiled coyly and knocked on the open door.

"Hello," he said, "who's this? Are you okay?"

"This is Em, my sister."

Percy stepped cautiously into the room, and came before Emily. He smiled kindly down at her, and Annabeth sighed.

"Oh right. Em, this is Percy. He's a bit of an idiot."

"Oh sure," Malcolm drawled. He was reposed on his bed, and had an eyebrow raised. "One minute you say that, and the next I find you disgracefully making out behind a boulder during capture the flag, so kindly make your mind up about him."

"Malcolm!" Annabeth said sharply, aware she was blushing beet red.

A few wolf-whistles and giggles coursed their way through the cabin. Annabeth's expression turned hard, but when she saw that Emily was now laughing, she smiled, glad that the little girl was happy again.