When I Met Percabeth

Number 15

We fill Annabeth in on all the details. Before we leave we quickly IM Chiron and then half of us sprint to the train and the other half to the bus station. Ty and I arrive at the bus station pretty fast. One thing I've noticed about buses is that they're pretty lax about security, which is bad in most cases, but really good for us. I look at the ticket booth. There's a teenage guy manning it. This just keeps getting easier and easier doesn't it?

"Hey, did a girl about this tall," I gesture a little taller than myself, "with black hair and brown eyes purchase a ticket? Please, it's a matter of life and death."

"Yeah, as a matter of fact a girl came in at about 6 this morning." I love it when people are so gullible.

"Was her name Chloe Raymond?"

He looks a little startled. "Yeah. Why?"

"It's safer you don't know the details. Where was she headed?"

"Down to Toronto." Back there? Seriously, Chloe?

"Well then, four tickets for the next Toronto bus," Ty says, tossing some money on the counter, while I pull out a monster proof phone that Leo had in fact given to each of us before we left. I tell Annabeth for her and Sky to hurry down, cause the bus leaves in a half hour.

I turn back to the teenage guy behind the desk. "Did she say anything else?" I go into full charm mode. Flashing flirty smiles and everything. Toronto definitely didn't count as West or South.

"Duh...she did mutter a lot about going to LA," he mumbles. Sometimes being a daughter of Aphrodite isn't so bad.

"Thanks!" And we turn away. Tickets in hand. I shiver a little in disgust of what I just did.

"You okay?" Ty asks, concern filtering through his voice. I grab his hand and lean on his shoulder. I feel him relax and kiss my hair. I melt.

"Now."

***********Time Passage**********

We're still in Ottawa. Annabeth said she had a better way to get there.

"So what's ingenious plan of how we're getting to Los Angeles?" asks Sky.

"Well," Annabeth starts to say, but thats when a hellhound comes bounding up the street and tackles her to the ground.

"Annabeth!" we scream. I've got an arrow notched before you can peanut butter. I'm about to shoot, when I notice that the thing is licking Annabeth. "Stand down," I order my friends. They look confused, but lower their weapons.

"Annabeth?" I ask more calmly. Finally she's able to stand up.

"Meet Mrs. O'Leary. Percy's pet hellhound. She's our ride." We all just gape at her.

Finally my mouth starts working. "How is she getting us to LA?"

"Shadow traveling," she replies like its the most obvious thing in the world. We look at her, all our faces flooding with puzzlement. She rolls her eyes and smirks, swinging her leg over the hellhound's back. "Just get on."

Sky shrugs and just lets Annabeth pull her up.

"Umm, okay." I tentatively grasp Annabeth's hand and let her haul me up. I dig my hands in the coarse fur of the giant dog like thing. She's kind of like a horse except wider and much closer to the ground. Then Ty hops up behind me.

"Umm, Autumn." I turn around. Ty's blushing furiously and angles his hands as if to put them around my waist. I blush immensely, but nod and turn to face forward again. Seconds later I feel strong arms around me and I rest my head against his chest. It's funny how just a week ago none of this would even occur to us. Well, maybe to me. But definitely not him. A quest really does change everything.

"Okay, Mrs. O'Leary. We want to go to Los Angeles. Got it girl?" I start at Annabeth's voice. I'd forgotten for a moment where I was. I feel the hellhound vibrate a little underneath us and yap loudly in what I hope is consent.

"Kay, do your thing."

With that Mrs. O'Leary races into the shadow of a building.

I'm suddenly really, really glad Ty's holding on to me. I mean, yeah, it feels amazing. But I also I think I would have fallen off a couple times if it wasn't for him. It only last a millisecond, but in that time I experience extreme darkness, intense nausea, and almost getting my face ripped off. Never doing that again.

I fall off Mrs. O'Leary's back onto hard pavement. The others all leap off quickly and rush over to me. "Crap! Are you all right, Autumn?" inquires Annabeth. "I didn't know it would affect you that way. I've never seen someone react to shadow traveling like that."

Oh great, once again I am the exception to everything. Ty grips me under the shoulders and pulls me up. I lean on him and he wraps his arm around me protectively. I breathe in his scent. Once I feel a little better, I pull away from him and he reluctantly lets me go. I smile at him a bit and then look around for Mrs. O'Leary. But she's nowhere to be found. Oh well, guess she shadow traveled back to wherever she came from to rest up or something. That's definitely good news. I really don't think I could be civil with that hellhound right now.

Meanwhile Annabeth is saying, "I swear on the river Styx I'll never make you shadow travel again on this quest.

I smile weakly at her. "Hey, it's fine. What I really want to know is, did it work?"

At that Annabeth grins triumphantly and she winks. "Look around, Autumn, and feast your eyes on Hollywood."

Hope you like my two fairly long chapters in a row. Sorry bout the last A/N. As I mentioned, I was and still am a zombie, even though it's only 8:30 in the evening. Anyways, hope your enjoying the book. I love writing it! Vote/comment. Olive you guys are awesome!!!
~omgitshappenning