💖💖Percabeth in love: After the War💖💖

Finding Lyra

---LEO'S POV---

It's not like I wanted to do this. Leave Callie and our new baby, Camp Half-Blood, my siblings, and my best friends  without being able to contact them. Whenever we tried to Iris Message our families, the connection would just disappear. We could get a glimpse of their face and then it turned to a face of terror. I don't know what they were seeing but obviously it was something scary. "Hey man, I think we're here." Jason's voice cut through my daydreaming. A small sign said Barclay, Maryland. Population 120. It was mostly composed of farmland and fields. Your basic country bumpkin land. Jason pulled up in front of the Depot. An old man was sweeping the stairs outside. We got out of the and the old man looked up. "Who you? I know everybody in this town and I ain't ever seen y'all 'round 'ere. Y'all do look old enough fer liquor though. Sneakin' out an' tryna git som'n fer yer girls? Come on in." He gestured behind him and we followed him in. 

It was totally empty. "My name's Ralph. I gotta reputation fer bein' the biggest gossip in town. I can help yeh find anyone and anything." Jason glanced sideways at me and caught my eye. There was a certain gleam in his eye. He went off and loked at the old fashioned candies Ralph sold. I've seen these types of old guys before. They'll tell you anything and they don't think about the consequences. Percy piped up. "Um, Mr. Ralph, sir? We're looking for someone. Her name is Lyra." Ralph looked back at us. Then he smiled and started laughing. 

He doubled over and kept laughing. It was an awkward minute until he stood up straight, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Good luck fellers. Miss Hansen's a purdy lil thang if I ever did see one bu', she's turned down every last feller who's fallen fer her. She's waiting fer som'n though. Ever since her Mama die o' grief fer her Daddy, she's just waited an' waited fer som'n. Don' know what though. Her Diddy jus' up 'n left her Mama. Mama chased his truck all the way down the drive, sobbing. Lives with 'er Gramma now. Gramma's also a purdy thing like her. Maybe one o' youse'll git lucky. I mean that both ways." he winked. "Comin' out of my lil store drive, you'll turn left an' go straight down. Then turn lef' again and go straigh' down again. Lil house with reddish shutters an' a lil barn." he walked away from us, still muttering to himself. "Three fellers tryna git Miss Hansen. Gon' tear each other 'part win they see 'er. Ha!"

 Percy looked at Jason and me quizzically. I just shrugged my shoulders. "What a nutter. Well I guess we'll go down to the house he told us about and see if she's there. At least now we know her godly parent is her Dad. Huh. Definitely not my sister. Said she's pretty. Not genes from my dad." They were silent all through the drive. It was only a couple of minutes but it felt like an eternity. When we reached their driveway the tires actually started sinking into the ground. I groaned. "Not again. Come on Gaea. You---" Jason interrupted me. "Back up and go behind those trees over there. We can't be in plain sight." I maneuvered us behind a cluster of trees. Jason peered out the window at the house. "This is too easy. Something is definitely guarding her. Just a hunch but... it has something to do with the sky. Just a crazy feeling coming over me but, I think we're going to have to wait until night." I looked at the clock. It was only 6:30. We'd have to wait until at least 10:00 or until every light goes out. "Well, what should do while we wait?" Jason smiled and started fishing handfuls of stuff he nicked from the store. He threw a bag of blue taffy at Percy. "Dude! Aren't you supposed to be all Roman and disciplined?" He shrugged. "We're allowed to engage with the misfit kid part of us sometimes." I grabbed a bag of Doritos from the floor. It had a thick layer of dust on it. "I'm guessing that guy Ralph doesn't really sell Doritos that much." They chuckled. We ate our fill and listened to our favorite music on the radio. A couple of hours later, a green John Deere Gator pulled slowly into the driveway and parked under a little shelter near the mailbox. The girl driving it, Lyra, got out and checked the mail. There was a collective intake of breath all around the car. She was so much more gorgeous in real life than in the dreams. She had chocolate brown hair that was tied with a red bandanna into a messy bun of chocolate curls. A pink striped plaid blouse was tied up at the middle, revealing a strip of her slim olive midriff. Her blue jeans were tight and ripped up. She had bright yellow Wellington boots that were covered in dirt and grime. Scratches covered her arms and face. She looked like she had been wrestling pigs with thorns. Probably because she had been. Lyra squinted into the trees as if she knew we were there, shrugged and groped around in the mailbox and pulled out two brown boxes. When she saw them, she squealed and jumped up and down. She ripped open the brown paper I saw that it was a book. She flipped through a couple of pages, smiling. She opened the other one. She had the same reaction to it. A piece of paper fluttered out of the book and she caught it, unfolded it and started reading it. She frowned and rolled her eyes, tearing up the paper and tossing it over her shoulder. Lyra clutched the books to her chest and walked up to the porch, singing some country song. Her curvy figure disappeared behind a dark screen door. "Dam. That girl. She's- well she's- she's gorgeous. If it wasn't for what Ralph said, I'd think that her godly parent is Aphrodite. Wow. Dam." I nodded vigorously. Jason seemed to recover from her charm first, seeing as his girlfriend was Piper. "Dudes. Get out of it." He snapped his fingers in front of our faces. "She's just another demigod we're here to rescue." I blinked. "Another demigod. Right." I fished a pack of cards out of my tool belt. "Cards, anyone? We've got a couple hours to burn." We played several rounds of cards until it was completely dark out. I glanced back at the house there was only one light on. I saw Lyra hunched over in the window. She was probably reading her new books. Half an hour later she stretched and yawned and got into bed. The light went out. We waited twenty minutes and then got out of the car. Percy started creeping towards the house and we followed him. He explained the plan to us. "I'll guard the door. Jason, you guard the Grandma's room and Leo, you get Lyra." I didn't protest. We walked right in and crept upstairs. Jason paused outside of the Grandma's room. I went into her room and shook her awake. She opened her eyes and fear flashed through them. "Who are you? What do you want?" I was really uncomfortable. "My name's Leo. I'm here to take you to a place where you'll be safe." Realization crept across her face. "Wait. It's real then? Camp Half-Blood? You're Leo Valdez? Prove it?" I shrugged and spontaneously combusted. She smiled. "That's so awesome. Give me some time to change and pack my stuff." She busied herself around the room, throwing books, notebooks, art supplies, and clothes into a backpack. She went into her closet and closed the door. She emerged a couple of minutes later, wearing the same tight jeans, fluffy brown combat boots, and most surprisingly, a CHB shirt. "What are you doing with that shirt? How do you know about Camp? " She gave me a small smile. "You really don't get out much do you? Not to the mortal world at least. Let's go. I'll explain on the way." She walked out of the room, placed a letter on her Grandma's nightstand, kissed her forehead softly and we left. She jumped in the car and settled right in. Percy sat next to her. "Do you know at least who your missing parent is?" She nodded and placed a bracelet with an arrow on it in his hand and flashed a pendant necklace at him. The pendant was a bronze sun and silver crescent moon together. She smiled. "I have a hunch."

Ooooooh. So mysterious. I wonder who it is. *wink wink* This chapter is a little bit longer than usual but I think it's worth it. Thank you guys so, so, soooooo much for 102 reads!!!! And 11 votes!!! Oh my Gods!!!! I can't believe it. It may not seem like a lot but it is a lot to me and means so much to me. I couldn't do it without you all. Stay safe and sane, guys!

ILY,

C.S.