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13: Home Again

Ah! Home sweet home! The camp was as bare as it always was during this time of year. Nico seemed excited about his new home. I smiled and ruffled his hair when he asked about the climbing wall. I let Percy take that one.

"Why is camp so bare? I don't even see Clarrise!" Percy whispered harshly. I laughed at him.

"She's most likely on a quest, and it always like this. Welcome to my home from the past what? Seven years?" I started to count on my fingers, trying to figure this out. Five years before Percy. One summer pretending I don't know he's my brother. One year kidnapped. Seven. "Yeah, seven."

"Seaweed Brain and Kelp Head." Thalia chuckled. I gasped dramatically.

"Which is which?" I asked.

"Whichever one is more insulting is Percy." She shrugged. I laughed and gave her a high-five.

"Hey!" Percy sounded offended. I was too busy laughing to notice that the Brats and Grover were gone. Grover must have shown them to the cabins.

"Bet you five Grover comes back with a slap mark." I whisper to Thalia.

"Deal."

"Let's go talk to Chiron. We need to talk." I smile gently at Nico, but as soon as he wasn't looking my expression turned grave as I made eye contact with my twin.

--page break--

Chiron smiled when he saw us. "Percy! Thalia! Amanda! Ah, and this must be-"

"Nico di Angelo," Percy explained. "He and his sister are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."

"Well..." I longed out, my voice going high.

His smile melted. "What's wrong? And where is Annabeth?"

"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice, "Not another one lost." Percy had to grab my arm to keep me from pounding Mr. D's head in.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Who else is lost?"

Just then, Grover waltzed into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!" I giggled at his appearance.

I held my hand out to Thalia. "Pay up." She sighed and pulled out five drachmas. I smiled triumphantly.

Chiron frowned but ignored us. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." He glanced at Nico. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."

"But... Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? 'Cause Bianca is kinda strict-"

"It's PG-13," Grover said.

"Cool!" Nico said happily.

"Wait! Ni-" but he was already gone.

"Amanda, child, I know you've been watching him for awhile and have gotten attached, but he is safe now. He doesn't need protecting anymore."

"That's the thing I need to talk to you about." I said, smiling sheepishly. Chiron nodded.

"Now," He said to Thalia, Percy, and me, "perhaps you two should sit down and tell us the whole story."

When we were done, Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately."

"I'll go," All three of us said at the same time.

Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!"

Thalia, Percy, and I both started complaining, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if we didn't shut up.