A/N: Welcome to the last chapter of this part of the story. I'm still deciding whether the 'sequel' will be set up as a separate story or whether I will just keep this one going with a 'Part 2' designation on new chapters. What do you guys prefer? Let me know via the poll on my profile. Thanks once again to my beta, iscreamdrizzle. Your extra gift is at the end of this chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!

Chapter 30

Reyna

The strands of his hair shifted restlessly between her fingers as though sensing some urgent need denied by their body's invalidity. Try though she might, no amount of caressing could calm the tension lying just beneath the surface of his skin. Mere hours ago Reyna would have relished the chance to cradle Percy's head in her lap, but now the weight was oppressive. Hers were not the hands to comfort him; she knew that. Yet despite her best efforts at letting go, there was still some small part of her that hungered for possession. She sighed and smiled ruefully.

"So what's the joke?" Phoebe's intrusion brought Reyna out of her reverie but the sound of her great-grandmother's voice did not startle her.

"More of a self-revelation than a joke."

"What's the difference?" Relation or not, the Hunter was still a bitch. Phoebe's eyes narrowed as she seemed to see Reyna and Percy for the first time. "You really are masochistic, aren't you?"

"Ha! Now that is an understatement." Reyna had no doubts as to what the Titan referred. This Annabeth girl she'd mentioned earlier. She looked down again into Percy's serene face, a question hovering on her lips. "Tell me about her."

"You weren't kidding. Are you sure?" Phoebe shook her head in disbelief as Reyna nodded resolutely. "Well, let's start with the easy stuff. She's tall and blonde—"

"Tcha! Of course," Reyna muttered involuntarily drawing a glare at the interruption. "Sorry, go on."

"She's got Athena's grey eyes and brains. You'd never know she was a blonde if you couldn't see it." The mention of Annabeth's eyes sent a cold shiver up Reyna's spine. She remembered Percy's subconscious supposition of those eyes into her own face. There was an intensity in them far beyond anything Reyna could achieve. "She's driven and focused and not really good at taking 'no' for an answer. She's really good at giving it, though."

"I sense some history." It was hard to miss the bitterness in Phoebe's voice. Good to know I'm not the only one she has issues with.

"Annabeth almost became a Hunter."

"W-why would she want to be a Hunter?" Reyna had never even considered the possibility of joining Diana's handmaidens. Her whole life had been devoted to her ambitions, and avarice required that all options be kept open. Siding with Diana cut off too many avenues for advancement. If this Annabeth girl were as driven as Phoebe said she was, why would she ever think about setting her life on hold like that?

"Because she's smart and rational," Phoebe countered with disdain. "She actually uses that thing inside her head, unlike most girls her age. I've never seen her act faster than she thinks, except…"

"Except for?" It was a silly question. There was no doubt in Reyna's mind where the Hunter was going with her tirade. Still, it was shocking to see the look of disgust Phoebe directed towards Percy's limp form.

"Except when it comes to him." She turned away seething, and it was several minutes before she turned back. When she did, her face had softened again. "He—he's a powerful man, that one," she continued with a flick of her hand at Percy. Reyna was fully aware of the magnitude of that compliment coming from not only a Hunter, but also a Titan. She also knew the connotations had nothing to do with his battle prowess. Looking down at his resting face, she was more than inclined to agree that his power extended well beyond the arena of war.

Thinking about the woman who had truly captured his heart, she finally understood the level of competition she faced. She felt the blood drain from her face and opened her mouth for a final question, but it lay forgotten on her tongue as a fierce cry split the twilit silence around them.

"What the hell was that?" Reyna asked frantically, swiveling her head in all directions in fear. Phoebe by contrast, was still, her eye fixed in the direction in which Bobby had disappeared.

"I'd guess Nature Boy hit the mark. I just hope he has the balls to follow through."

"Follow through with what? What is it he's looking for anyway?" Reyna wasn't as shocked or angry at Phoebe's reticence on the subject as Bobby was, but after hearing that sound, she was starting to get a little worried.

"Give it a few minutes, and hopefully I won't have to tell you." Reyna wasn't sure how she hadn't noticed it before, but there was a hint of something other than stubbornness in the Hunter's voice as she again skirted the question. Scrutinizing the large girl, she saw her flick her eyes towards the sky several times in a nervous gesture.

"Not telling us has very little to do with our safety, does it?" Phoebe's eyes filled with panic for a moment before softening.

"I'm walking a pretty fine line here by helping you," she conceded. "If I were a demigod or nymph, there'd be no problem, but I'm stepping very close to direct Family involvement. And in case you hadn't noticed, my family isn't exactly in anyone's good graces at the moment. The only thing saving my ass from a super-tazer shot from King Sizzle-Sticks right now is that I'm cleaning up my own mess. Even so, I'm on very thin ice—"

She was cut off by a heavy barrage of thudding beats that seemed to spring directly from the ground beneath them. There was a strange syncopated regularity to the sound that made Reyna think of hoof beats. Looking around for the source, she spied Phoebe's eyes trained skyward. The ground was trembling with the sound, so up was the last place Reyna thought to search. Following the Hunter's gaze, she understood several things at once.

Phoebe was right not to tell Bobby beforehand what he was facing. No one would willingly walk into a gryphon's eyrie, not without a death wish. They were creatures of legend, supposedly extinct, yet their reputation was beyond fearsome. They brooked no deception and did not submit to anyone without them earning the beasts' complete trust. It was a feat accomplished so rarely, people had just stopped trying and tended to avoid the animals altogether.

Gryphons, like dragons, were attracted to treasure, though they did not covet it for themselves. Rather they endeavored to keep it out of the hands of people who would misuse it. It was their most noble trait and their fatal flaw. They were hunted to the brink of extinction just to keep them away from mines and treasure troves. Watching these creatures emerge from this gold mine instilled Reyna with a sense of profound respect for the owners of New World Excavations. Their motives must have been pure to be able to coexist with a nest of gryphons.

Watching her subordinate descend rapidly on the back of one of the three animals, Reyna was humbled. It was a task she was hopelessly incapable of performing. Her entire life had been a deception. How Bobby managed to open himself completely and without reservation was a complete mystery. Fear gripped her heart as she watched the gryphons touch down, quickly turning the wide clearing claustrophobic. Would they test her as well, or was Bobby's trust enough for a one-way ticket to New York?

As the gryphons folded their magnificent wings back against their bodies, she watched Bobby sway slightly as he tried to dismount. Even in the fading twilight, Reyna could see the distinct chartreuse cant to his skin as he reached the ground. Bobby, airsick? But he's our best equestrian. She'd never seen Bobby bat an eye, even at the most vomit-inducing pegasus maneuvers, so why was he affected now?

"Bobby! Are you alright?" She was placing Percy's head on a makeshift pillow of sweaters, ready to offer whatever aid she could as Bobby dropped to his knees, head in hands. She was halted by simultaneous warning looks from both Bobby and Phoebe, Bobby's all the more frightening with his deathly pale countenance.

"Not yet," he choked, placing a hand over his mouth as the nausea overtook him. He was trying to suppress the bile, but Reyna figured he'd probably feel a lot better if he just let it happen. Shifting her gaze warily to the gryphons, she wondered again how much longer she'd be alive. Bobby startled her, "Don't worry, they trust me. But I still have to introduce you. Just give me a minute."

Her immediate fear of death abated, she turned back to the gryphons with a sense of childlike wonder. Here was yet another creature she'd never thought to lay eyes on, and she could understand a little why Hazel liked Bobby so much. He definitely wasn't dull.

The nearest animal was somewhat smaller than the other two with deep auburn primary featherstrailing up to a shock of bright orange at the crown of its head. Halfway down its back the feathers deepened in to a dark maroon before melding seamlessly into the russet fur that covered the hindquarters. It stared at her with yellow-rimmed eyes full of curiosity but no overt malice.

The other two gryphons were larger, one with brown, almost black feathers, the other silvery grey. Eventually, Bobby regained his composure and rose to his feet. With a sense of reverence, he placed a hand on the silver ruff of the male he'd ridden in on. Reyna was certain this was the beast who'd tested him and who'd released the fierce cry they'd heard.

"Phoebe, you first." Bobby walked around the silver gryphon towards the brown-black beast. The Hunter stepped forward confidently, only reluctant to take Bobby's outstretched hand. "Sorry, but I'm pretty sure there has to be physical transference."

"Fine." She grudgingly let him take her hand. The gryphon bowed its head to Bobby's touch while he guided Phoebe's hand next to his own. After a brief moment, Bobby pulled his hand away leaving Phoebe alone with the dark gryphon. The animal remained still for a moment before breaking the contact with a contented shake of its head. Bobby nodded in satisfaction then turned to Reyna.

"Rey, are you ready?"

"No," she replied truthfully.

"Too bad, come here." He offered his hand as he walked toward the red gryphon. It was obviously female, maybe she'd get catch a break with a little female bonding. Sighing, she stepped slowly towards Bobby, grasping his hand probably a little tighter than was really necessary. He winced, "Jesus, woman! I need that hand."

"I'm sure Hazel wouldn't mind taking over its duties."

"'Zel's great and all, but a guy never forgets his first love."

"Ok, gross." Despite her apparent disgust, the lighthearted banter helped calm her nerves and made her think of Percy. Strengthening her resolve, she let Bobby walk her forward to repeat the same process she'd watched with Phoebe. Her fingers tingled with something akin to recognition as they came into contact with the soft orange feathers on the gryphon's head.

Warmth spread down her arm and through her torso as Bobby severed his link. There was no feeling of permanence to the interaction, more like a cozy acquaintance. When the gryphon broke the contact, Reyna found herself smiling at the creature that could very well have ripped her to shreds. "Amazing…"

"Just wait 'til you ride her," Phoebe quipped with a grin. It was the first genuine positive remark her great-grandmother had given her all day.

"Uh…about that. Rey, how's your stomach feeling?" Judging from Bobby's reaction to gryphon-flight, it was a valid question.

"Stronger than yours at the moment, considering." She'd never had too much trouble with flight. Some of the more rigorous maneuvers got her a bit queasy from time to time, but nothing too dramatic. It was bodily fluids and functions that really got to her. "As long as there's no bloodletting involved, I think I'll manage."

"Ok, well, we'll put you on the inside of the formation, just in case."

"Thanks," Reyna replied sardonically. "How long will this trip take, anyway? New York isn't exactly close."

"We'll be at Camp Half-Blood before dawn," Phoebe replied confidently. Half-Blood? How demeaning.

Her awareness had been reduced to the freezing wind pummeling her face. Reyna understood now why Bobby had gotten sick on the short flight from the gryphon's eyrie. The beast she rode moved faster than anything she'd ever ridden. While a centaur could get from one place to another faster, they did so by bending space and time. You didn't feel the speed when traveling with a centaur. On a gryphon, there was nothing but speed. Having to endure the rapid take off and landing in so short a period would have sent her over the edge too. Luckily there was time for her stomach to equilibrate on the long journey toward New York.

Thinking about where they were headed filled her with apprehension that had nothing to do with airsickness or Percy's condition. Demigods just did not go to New York. Not without a direct summons to Olympus, and that hadn't happened in years. Reyna had never even been to the East Coast, much less straight into the lion's den. Looking to her left, she managed to squint her eyes enough to see Phoebe through the buffeting airstream. She hoped her great-grandmother was right about this.

Shifting her gaze to her right, Bobby was just visible clearly struggling with single-minded determination to hold Percy and himself in place. She'd been a little upset when Phoebe had insisted that the boys ride together, but watching how much effort Bobby was expending just to keep them both seated, her indignation receded. She would have had to use magic to hold them up, and under these gale-force conditions, she couldn't have maintained the concentration needed to sustain such a spell.

Despite their incredible speed, Reyna was skeptical that they would arrive before morning as Phoebe had assured them they would. Airliners took at least 4-5 hours to make this flight, and with the time change it turned in to an apparent travel time of over 8 hours. Fast as they were, the gryphons had to fly closer to the ground, thus taking a longer route than an airplane. Regardless, their journey was going to take several hours, and there was little else to occupy her mind than thoughts of what awaited them.

More so than the rote fears instilled in the Legions about the dangers of the northeastern US, Reyna had a more acute trepidation. She'd made a choice to follow a path of truth and openness, and it was about to undergo its most strenuous test. It was relatively easy to reveal herself and what her life of ambition had made of her to people she knew, people who knew the context of her actions, like Bobby. But the intensity of those grey eyes she'd only seen briefly in a memory, frankly scared the shit out of her. It would be impossible to hide the truth of her feelings from those eyes, but how could she possibly reveal what she'd done?

Reyna's fears seemed to propel the gryphons faster and faster. It seemed like only minutes since they'd taken off before the subtle change in the wind alerted her that they were landing. Quickly snapping out of the dark places of her mind, she looked around realizing it was still dark. Phoebe had been right after all. It was morning, but there was only the faintest hint of light along the horizon in front of them. Thankfully, the beasts chose a gradual descent; perhaps they were being courteous, though Reyna had never heard that these creatures were very solicitous.

Below them, she could see a vast sea of light. We must be over the city. They were still too high to make out the shapes of buildings, but she got the impression they'd skirted well wide of the inner metropolitan area. Regardless, this city was huge, and the suburbs stretched for miles in every direction. Well, every direction but one; the one they were headed. She couldn't see the land or the ocean, but it was easy to tell where they met. It was uncanny to watch the lights just end, like the people had built right up to the edge of the world.

Their flight trajectory led them over a thin stretch of land that, though still awash with man-made light, was clearly less densely populated. As they flew lower, stretches of forest and farmland could be seen marking a clear change from the urban jungle they'd just avoided. A slight sense of relief crept over Reyna as she realized Olympus was now behind them and each wing beat led them further from it. She had no desire to tangle with the gods; the Titan she traveled with was hassle enough.

The reprieve was over quickly as the gryphons flared their wings and touched down heavily in a snow-covered field. Closing her eyes as fear took hold again, she sat motionless on her mount's back for several moments. She'd never been besieged by such a swarm of mixed emotions, and it struck her momentarily catatonic.

On the surface she was glad the wind was gone, she was glad they had left Olympus behind, it was going to be wonderful to get off the extremely broad back she'd been riding and stretch her legs. But once her feet touched the ground, the reality that she would have to face not only Annabeth, but probably Jason as well, would be set firm.

"Rey?" Bobby's voice sounded through her thoughts like he was speaking into a can. "Rey? Are you ok?" What a loaded question.

"Yeah," she sighed, opening her eyes to find Bobby and Phoebe laying Percy gently on the ground next to the lead gryphon. Surveying their surroundings from her elevated position, there honestly wasn't much she could see in the early morning darkness. Regardless, it wasn't difficult to tell where they needed to go; the aura of power was unmistakable.

They'd landed in a dormant acreage near a country road. The fence between them and the road was just visible in the dim light and looked easy enough to slip through. Across the road was where they were headed; there was no doubt. A dark mass that had to have been a hill rose up to prevent viewing of whatever lay beyond, but Reyna knew they were there. Her magic twinged in response to powerful souls that lay sleeping over that hill.

"Can you see anything?"

"Not really," she replied truthfully. "But I can certainly feel it. We go that way." She lifted her arm and pointed across the road an up the hill. Phoebe, who obviously knew exactly where they were going, simply nodded in affirmation. Finally working up the courage to dismount, Reyna slid slowly to the ground. As soon as her feet hit the snow, the lead gryphon shifted restlessly, obviously eager to be on his way.

"Thank you," Bobby bowed before the avian face. The gryphon blinked slowly in acknowledgement before issuing forth another of its fierce cries. It wasn't as impassioned or thunderous as the call of acceptance that had shattered the peace of the Wyoming countryside earlier that evening, but it was still beautiful and terrible. The others responded in kind before jumping into the sky in a flattening down current of wind. A brief moment of panic crossed Reyna's thoughts as she watched them speed out of sight. How were they supposed to get back?

"Let's go," Phoebe's wind-hoarsened voice croaked. There was no great sense of urgency in the command, merely a desire to get out of the cold. "If we're lucky, the bird brains didn't wake any of the campers. It'll be easier if we can sneak straight into the Big House without drawing any attention. No sense getting people's hopes up if Salty Dog here is just going to die."

"Don't—don't say that. We've risked our lives and our friends' lives to get here. Don't say it's all for nothing." Reyna wasn't angry, just determined. The appeal of pessimism had always been clear to her, but this time around, there was no way to prepare for the disappointment if Percy were to die, so she refused to think it was possible. Delusional optimism was a first for Reyna.

"Fine, but we'd better go anyway. It's not getting any earlier." Being the biggest and strongest member of the party, Phoebe knelt down and slung Percy's body over her shoulder. "Come on, it's not far."

They set off through the knee-deep snow towards the road, the sense of power tingling along Reyna's spine getting stronger with each step. They took no outward precautions with their movements until they reached the fence. As they approached, Phoebe paused, her hand raised motioning them to stop.

Silence fell as Bobby's last footfall squelched through the wet snow, and Reyna watched as the Hunter looked first left, then right. Finally she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, likely searching for the scent of monsters. If there truly was a conclave of demigods over that hill, then it was safe to assume there were monsters lurking nearby. Just outside the barriers of the Legion's base was where you were most likely to encounter spawn of the underworld, so it was a safe bet the same was true here.

"Okay," Phoebe whispered breathlessly, "No monsters…other than Peleus, of course, and it doesn't look like anyone's standing guard. Let's go." She hefted Percy's body over the fence, leaning him against a post on the other side while she placed a foot on the lowest cross plank to propel herself across. Before she could swing her leg over, Bobby stopped her with a firm grip on her shoulder.

"I suppose you have a good reason for wanting to lose that hand. You seemed so adamant to keep it earlier." Her tone was low and menacing and the look in her eyes was deadly as she rounded on Bobby. To his credit, he stood his ground with only a modicum of fear in his eyes, and when he spoke his voice was firm.

"Who is this Peleus you keep mentioning?" he demanded, his resolve growing firmer. "Or should I ask, what is Peleus?" He obviously did not expect the grim smile that stole across Phoebe's face at his question. Any sense of bravado was washed away under that sadistic grin.

"You'll find out soon enough," she chortled mirthlessly. She didn't spend much time gloating over her secret as she turned quickly and vaulted over the fence, motioning them both to follow as she hoisted Percy over her shoulder once more. Again looking both directions down the road, she dashed across trailing Reyna and Bobby in her wake.

Once on the other side, Phoebe opted for speed rather than stealth, and Reyna saw no reason to argue. Just because she couldn't smell a monster nearby didn't mean there weren't any. Her own senses were clouded by the overarching aura of power from the other side of the hill.

As they ran quickly up the hill, a projection rising high above the summit came into view, like the spike on a World War I Prussian helmet. It didn't take a genius to realize it was a massive tree standing alone atop the rise like a sentinel. Reyna's steps slowed as she took in the sight of the pillar. Something about it captured her attention to the point where she barely noticed Bobby and Phoebe quickly outpacing her. She completely forgot why she was running under the intoxicating influence the tree possessed.

When its power finally stopped her, she was only about halfway up the hill. She was completely exposed even in the predawn darkness, but it didn't matter. Closing her eyes, she pushed her mind outward towards the magnificent column of force. It was only as her mind came in contact with the tree that she realized the tree was not actually the source of the power, nor was the power familiar to her. Through all of her training and magical pursuits, force points and wells always appeared blue under her mental searching. The energy coursing through the tree on the hill was the only time she had ever seen green.

Opening her eyes, she marveled at the strength of natural magic emanating from the tree, or more specifically what was hanging on the tree. Considering its origin, she wondered briefly how Bobby could possibly not be affected by it. There was no question in Reyna's mind now that Phoebe had been correct. This object, whatever it was, was their cure.

Slowly she resumed her climb, not worrying about speed. She needed a closer look at the tree. Vaguely she noticed Bobby and Phoebe's tracks led off to the right, well wide of her own target. She'd meet up with them in a minute; this couldn't wait.

One by one, her steps brought her close to her mark. She could see it now, wafting in the gentle morning breeze, hanging there like ripened fruit ready to be plucked. Even under her regular eyesight, it seemed to glow with its own light. How could she have missed seeing it earlier? It seemed so bright now. Fixated on what could only be the legendary Golden Fleece, flying there like a beacon, Reyna was left completely unprepared for the attack. She'd raised no barriers to protect herself, what harm could possibly come to her under the auspices of such awesome magic?

The impact shattered her world as sharp pain lanced across her chest and abdomen. The only sense that seemed to be working correctly was her hearing, and she sincerely wished it were otherwise. Deadly snarls and the snapping of jaws reached her ears as another buffeting collision sent her spiraling and rolling back down the hill. She came to rest a few yards away, face down in the snow. Judging from the searing pain, she suspected it would no longer be white and fluffy whenever she managed to lift herself up.

After several deep breaths, she was able to leverage her hands beneath her torso and push herself to her knees. No further attacks had come while she recovered, and giving her head a shake to clear the cobwebs, she looked back towards the tree and understood why. So much for low hanging fruit. There, silhouetted by the slowly lightening sky was the unmistakable form of a dragon.

Under normal circumstances, she would be dead by now. She deserved to be for letting her guard down so completely. But the dragon hung back, clearly protecting the Fleece and tree. With the realization that staying where she was would keep the predator at bay, her injuries decided to truly make themselves known. Reyna doubled over again as a wave of agony spread across her body. Lacerations aside, the force of the dragon's strikes had likely caused internal damage.

She didn't really trust that her new found healing abilities would work on her own body. It seemed counterintuitive that she could use her own energy to fix herself, but there didn't seem to be any other options. She quieted her mind and searched for the gateway she'd opened only the previous day. Pain coursed through her body, disturbing her concentration.

Eventually she managed to push aside the agony, but as she reached for the magic, she heard a light step in the snow behind her. Hoping it was Bobby or Phoebe coming to check on her, she turned towards the sound, stopping short as a knife point gouged dangerously into the skin of her neck.

"I see you've met Peleus, Thief." The voice was firm and definitely female, yet despite its harshness, Reyna could sense a deep sorrow hidden below the surface. She didn't have enough strength left after a battle, miles of hiking and a sleepless night of flying to fight against both her injuries and her captor.

Left with no alternatives, she felt her mind slipping out of consciousness. As she fought for purchase, she looked up along the arm bearing the bronze knife to see the one set of eyes she'd dreaded most. Resignation slackened her grip on awareness as she finally took in the beautiful face that surrounded those intense storm-grey eyes.

"Annabeth," Reyna sighed watching surprise steal across the girl's face. Spots of bright white and stark black swam in Reyna's vision. As her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed, she managed one more phrase. "I—I brought him home."

Omake

Alternate/Extended Ending

She sat upright in bed, startled awake by something. Looking around the darkened cabin, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Her brothers and sisters were all still sleeping in the pre-dawn darkness. Several bunks over, she heard Malcolm moan something about bananas and whipped cream along with a name that sounded suspiciously like 'Drew'. Of all the things she never needed to know about her brother… The sublime scenario of her slumbering siblings' serene suspirations seemed supremely suspicious. Alliteration FTW! she thought, but in all seriousness, something had woken her up.

Looking out the window, she couldn't see much. The moon had set hours ago and there was only a faint hint of grey off to the east. The hushed morning air turned her thoughts to Percy…ah, hell, what didn't turn her thoughts to Percy? He'd been missing for nearly two whole weeks! A whole fortnight without him; it was torture.

Sure there was Travis; he was always good for the kinky stuff. And Leo could always be counted on for a little S&M distraction. And that Roman guy Jason was pretty exotic, all about precision and doing the job right. But they just weren't Percy. She sighed, giving up sleep as a bad job and clambered into some jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket.

Walking out of the Athena cabin, her feet turned towards the Big House, as they always did since Percy had disappeared. Truth be told, Chiron was getting pretty annoyed with her. Wandering in five to twenty times a day to ask if there'd been any news could be a real pain in the ass. Awesome pun, score!

As she crossed the mess hall, a series of falcon calls pierced the night, stopping her in her tracks. Hackles raised, she loosened her knife and made a beeline for the source of the noise. Something strange was afoot; birds of prey weren't awake at this hour. The ground met her face as she tripped over something invisible, a firm sense of parental admonishment ringing in her head. "Sorry, mom."

Picking herself up off the ground, she continued on her way towards the edge of camp. Something directed her towards Thalia's tree; the Golden Fleece was definitely the most valuable possession at camp and it was a target of theft. Peleus was a good guard dragon, but he could be lazy from time to time. As she reached the tree, sure enough, the stupid reptile was conked out, and there was a thief trudging up the hill with a vapid expression on her face. When will they learn?

Silently, Annabeth moved to circle around behind the intruder. The girl appeared to be about her own age with long dark hair, though it was hard to tell exactly in the dim light. She obviously had no clue there was a dragon sleeping less than twenty feet in front of her as she trudged absentmindedly towards the tree, staring vacantly at the Fleece. Pausing briefly to see if Peleus would actually do his job, Annabeth sighed when she heard the distinct sound of a reptilian snore. It's never easy, is it?

She crept closer on silent feet—impressive in the snow if you think about it—though why she bothered she didn't know. As oblivious as this girl was, a freight train could have snuck up on her. Still she inched nearer until she was within arms reach. Pulling her knife out of its sheath, she brought her arm up and laid the point on the thief's jugular. "That's far enough."

"Shit!"

"Shit is right. Now turn around, slowly." Loosening the knife point, Annabeth allowed the other girl to turn 180 degrees before reapplying the pressure. "You're welcome."

"For what?" The girl had deep blue eyes that seemed to shine of their own accord. Great, another Hecate kid.

"I just saved your life." The girl's dumbfounded expression showed she still didn't understand. "Yo! Peleus, wake up you stupid mutt!" The dragon choked on his next snore and raised his head, eyes blinking blearily.

"Holy shit! A dragon!" Bravo, Captain Obvious. "Um, thanks? Kinda hard to be too grateful though, all things considered." The girl paused for a moment until a spark of recognition lit her face. "You must be Annabeth." Now how the fuck did she know that? I've never seen this girl in my life.

"That's me. Now, who the hell are you, and why are you trying to steal the Fleece?" She could see the girl struggling as though she'd just been asked to solve the Schrödinger equation. Obviously not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

"I'm not—"

"Reyna, what's taking you so long?" The question caught Annabeth off guard. She hadn't heard anyone else approaching, but the voice sounded vaguely familiar. Whipping her head around, she stared open-mouthed at the second thief. "Annabeth?"

"Phoebe?" The Hunter was carrying something. Something large and suspiciously Percy shaped. "Is that—" She was rudely cut off by a backhanded slap to the head. Apparently, this Reyna chick had some spunk after all. As she regained her balance, she saw Phoebe darting her eyes back and forth between Reyna and Annabeth, grinning mischievously. Wheeling around, Annabeth stared at Reyna with what she hoped was a sufficient amount of murderous intent. "Bitch!"

"Whore!" Reyna shot back.

"CAT-FIGHT!" Phoebe yelled with glee, effectively rousing the entire camp, all of the campers appearing nearly instantaneously around Thalia's tree.

"Slut!"

"Street-walker!"

"Hussy!"

"Floozy!"

"Scarlet woman!"

"Place your bets!" Travis called out in the crowd.

"$50 on Annabeth!"

"$75 on the new chick!"

"$200," Jason called out, "on Annabeth."

"Fuck you, Jason!" Reyna paused from her slander.

"No thanks! Used goods, you know."

"Ha! I was right, Cum-dumpster!" Annabeth interjected.

"Whatever, Paris Hilton!"

"Aphrodite!"

"Hey!" Piper piped up.

"Shut up!" Reyna and Annabeth simultaneously rounded on her with fire exploding in their eyes before resuming their epithets.

Travis spotted Lou Ellen in the crowd and rushed over. "How about we make this interesting?" Smirking evilly, the daughter of Hecate began her spell.

"What the fuck?" Annabeth shouted realizing she was now standing in a giant mud pit. Scanning the gathered onlookers, she spotted Lou Ellen right away with that plastered on look of innocence. She was thinking quickly of ways to make that girl's life miserable when all such thoughts were wiped away by a full body check and a splat into the warm mud. So this is how it's gonna be, eh? Fine!

"Alright, Bitch, bring it!" Something was definitely wrong with this mud pit. Every time she hit Reyna or got hit, their clothes started exploding. She wasn't against a little exhibitionism, but from a practical standpoint, this was going to cost her a fortune. Designer jeans aren't cheap, you know!

"Double or nothing folks!" Connor yelled weaving through the crowd.

"Double down on Reyna!" Phoebe chimed in.

"$300 on Annabeth," Percy shouted. The crowd went silent as the wrestlers paused, all eyes wide and staring incredulously at the very animated and cogent Percy Jackson.

"Percy, you're alive!" Reyna shouted, pushing Annabeth off her into the mud and running towards where Percy sat.

"Percy!" Annabeth called, struggling to rise in the slippery quagmire. "Come back here, Slore. He's mine!" She managed to grab hold of Reyna's ankle, forcing a face plant into the mud along with another explosion of fabric. They were both pretty much naked at this point, but she didn't care. Percy was back and well and he could see her in whatever clothing he wanted.

"Percy, how—?" Bobby asked.

"You mean, you wouldn't wake up from the dead to see this?"

"Point taken." Annabeth and Reyna were back to squabbling in the mud, and as much as Percy was enjoying the show, he figured it was about time to wrap things up before any permanent damage could be done. Rising to his feet, he walked to the edge of the pit.

"Ladies! Ladies, please!" he cajoled. "There's enough Percy to go around, I promise! Now what do you say we go get you girls cleaned up for dessert."

"Depends, what's on the menu?" Annabeth replied somewhat frostily at the notion he was willing to share himself.

"It's a Jackson family special!"

"Yeah, Jackson's famous Blue Balls." She and Reyna each grabbed a handful of mud and on a silent signal hurled them straight at Percy's unsuspecting face. The massive explosion of clothes left him standing there naked to the breeze except for the mud dripping down from his head.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"Go back to bed, Clovis!"

Before Percy could figure out where he'd gone wrong, the two girls were walking off together toward the showers, arm in arm, giggling like old school mates.

-fin-

A/N: Haha! That was fun! Sorry it couldn't be the real ending, no matter how much my beta begged. Thanks for reading everyone! Part 2 will begin shortly. I've been pushing to this point for so long, I need to collect my thoughts on where it's going from here. I have a good idea, but I need to do a little more research. I doubt there will be much delay. See you all soon!