The Dissonant Notes Of Fate

Twenty-five

A/N: Alright, hi. I'm like, back. Lost all my documents so I don't quite know where to go from here in any of my stories but ah well.

UNEDITED.

THALIA really, really, really hated shadow travel. She tore away from Nico immediately she felt land again, and retched into the grass in front of her. Her eyes were swimming, head pounding, and she felt as though she had been thrown into a freezer and left there for a century.

Her teeth chattered, as she staggered to her feet, whirling on the son of Hades. "Never again." His eyes crinkled in what seemed like amusement, but he nodded, pocketing his hands into his oversized aviator's jacket. Thalia wiped her mouth with her sleeve, blinking to bring alertness back into her eyes.

She glanced around, trying to guess where her friend had brought her. Her mind was running with possible answers to her questions, major among them what exactly they were doing there.

"This is...Annabeth's neighbourhood." She frowned. Thalia looked to Nico for confirmation. When he nodded, her heart fell into the pit of her stomach.

She recognised the place. San Francisco, where Dr. Frederick Chase and his new family stayed in relative peace. It was a nice green place, hills and big town houses with chimneys and the like. Mailboxes and lawns and the standard American-household look.

"Come on," Nico marched forward. Thalia forced herself to follow the younger boy as they moved down the hill they had landed on. It was night, and the neighbourhood was illuminated with streetlights, but Nico made sure to move only in patches of darkness, and Thalia followed his example.

Finally, they stepped in front of the red door.

She inhaled. Did Frederick know of what had become of Annabeth? Was he aware of what was going to happen in five days? Thalia pursed her lips, reaching out and pushing the doorbell.

It rang, loudly, and she gritted her teeth at the sound.

"MOM! There's someone at the door!"

One of Annabeth's little brother's had shouted, and then another voice yelled, "Coming!"

They waited in bated breath for a few seconds, although it felt like hours. Finally, the door swung open, and there was a short pixie-like brunette woman opposite them, confusion filling her face at their presence. In another second, a sandy haired bespectacled man was behind her, and he let out a small sound when he saw Thalia, eyes on the orange shirt beneath her black jacket.

"Honey, I'll handle this," He pulled open the door, and his wife nodded, pulling away. "These are friends of Annabeth's."

"Oh," She moved inside. "Welcome."

"Good evening, Mr and Mrs Chase," Nico said first.

He nodded. "It's nice to see you—"

"Thalia and Nico," She put in for him. "Can we come in?"

He nodded, head bobbing up and down nervously. The professor was smart. He knew that anything which concerned Annabeth and her life wasn't good. "Of course," He said. He stepped aside, and Thalia walked inside, closely followed by Nico. She glanced around. The house was huge, but messy. There were toys and crayons and pencils scattered all across the place. Thalia could see the living room, and the TV, from where they were. Pictures hung on the wall, and she saw one, of Annabeth, as a child, smiling, glowing with happiness. Was this what Rachel had painted?

Thalia tried to imagine what it would have been like to grow up like this...with a family who cared. With a family who were actually together.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned her attention back to Frederick. Just then something darted past her, screaming. Thalia jerked in shock and then with a yell another one was hurtling between her and Nico and after the other.