Luke shook Thalia awake, and she sat up.

"What?"

He hurriedly pushed jeans onto her and zipped them up, his hands shaking too violently to mess with the button, and shoved her into her jacket.

"Are you wearing your bracelet?"

"Yes, what are you doing, Luke?"

She stood and did the button on her jeans, catching the backpack Luke threw at her.

"Wake Annabeth up and come on!"

Thalia started to ask why again, but knelt by Annabeth, cringing at her leg.

"Annabeth, wake up, Luke says we have to go."

Annabeth shook her head, and Thalia noticed her braid slipping out, so she tied it into a quick bun.

"Why?" Annabeth yawned.

"He just says we have to go."

Annabeth hopped up, ready to do whatever Luke had instructed, and pulled Thalia up as well. Luke nodded at them.

"Come on! There's a Fury after us!"

Thalia yelped. "Really, Luke? After I take forever getting ready to go, you tell me?"

She ran with them, gripping Luke's hand. As the Fury advanced on them, Thalia spun around and tapped her bracelet, bringing Aegis onto her arm just as the Fury smacked into it. She let out an old lady shriek and backed away.

Thalia began to run again, gritting her teeth through the throbbing pain in her leg. Annabeth turned and gasped.

"Thalia!"

She ran harder, trying to catch up.

"I'm okay..."

She tried to find oxygen. Annabeth threw her knife and Thalia ducked, then collapsed in relief when she heard the blade penetrate the hag's body and the hissing of her disappearance.

"Thalia,"

Luke's voice spoke into her ear.

"Thalia, are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm fine..."

She pushed herself into a sitting position, and Luke slipped his arms under her body, scooping her up.

"I'm going to carry you the rest of the way."

She shook her head at him, struggling against his arms. "Luke, I'm okay."

He kissed her cheek. "I'm carrying you."

She sighed and settled her head on his shoulder, her cheeks burning. Annabeth smiled up at her, and Thalia read her expression- 'lucky'.

She closed her eyes, and didn't open them until she heard Luke whisper to Annabeth,

"Here we are."

She looked around. "Okay, Luke, you've been carrying me for like nine days straight, you can let me down."

He smiled at her and set her on the sidewalk, holding onto her waist for a second. Annabeth jumped up and down, begging to ring the doorbell. Luke half smiled at her, but Thalia noticed he still seemed conflicted.

Annabeth pushed the doorbell, giggling.

Thalia stepped closer to Luke as she took in the appearance of the porch.

"Luke, what are these things?"

She blinked at a Beanie Baby Hydra. He didn't answer, and the door swung open.

Thalia grasped Luke's hand as a lady with short, shaggy white hair stepped out, her eyes unnaturally green.

"Luke." She patted his cheek, but Luke shrank away, seemingly not wanting to touch her. She smiled down at Annabeth, not appearing to notice.

"Hi."

Annabeth grinned. "Hi. I'm Annabeth. Who are you?"

She looked back at Luke. "I'm Luke's mom."

Thalia held his hand tighter.

"Well come in." Ms. Castellan smiled.

Luke helped Thalia through the door and Annabeth bounced into the kitchen. Thalia eased into the couch, sighing, and gasping when she looked up.

Hermes, the god of messengers stared back at her.

"Thalia Grace."

He regarded her with slight distance and chill. She felt her eyes flash, but she said nothing.

Luke placed a hand on Thalia's shoulder protectively.

"What do you want, Hermes?"

The god crossed his arms.

"I came to talk to you, Luke."

Thalia started to say something, but let out a moan, gripping her jeans. Hermes' eyes flitted to her injury.

"May, could you come in here, darling?"

Luke glared at him. "Don't call her darling."

Hermes just sighed.

Ms. Castellan came cheerfully into the room. "Yes?"

Hermes walked to her and led her to where Thalia was sitting.

"She has a pretty bad cut, May."

Thalia looked up at her, another noise of pain escaping her lips. Ms. Castellan nodded and returned to the kitchen, hurrying back immediately with rubbing alcohol, gauze, medical tape, and Ace bandages.

Hermes turned away to speak to Luke while Thalia eased her pants off for Ms. Castellan. She watched as May poured alcohol onto a piece of gauze and pressed it into her leg. She grit her teeth and allowed her to continue cleaning the slash in her thigh.

Finally, she was wrapping the wound in Ace bandages. Luke's mom patted Thalia's cheek and went back into the kitchen. Thalia relaxed on the couch and closed her eyes.

She tried not to listen to Hermes and Luke argue, but they kept getting more aggressive.

Ms. Castellan walked back to Thalia and handed her backpack to her.

"I put some food inside for you kids."

Thalia half smiled at her. "Thanks, Ms. Castellan."

She nodded. "Any time, dear."

Luke suddenly erupted at his father. "Stop acting like you care! You don't!"

He pulled Thalia off of the couch and dragged she and Annabeth outside.

"Come on, we're leaving."

Annabeth blinked. "But why?"

"Because I said so!" He growled slightly and Annabeth backed into Thalia, whose arms circled around her protectively.

"Luke..." Thalia said quietly, and he softened a bit.

"We just have to go now."

Annabeth nodded and Thalia slung her backpack onto her shoulder.

Thalia limped slightly, and Luke asked her repeatedly if they should stop and rest, but every time the answer was the same.

"I'm fine, I can wait."

When they finally did stop, Annabeth curled into a ball in a blanket Ms. Castellan had sent along and slept right away.

Luke had other plans, and pulled Thalia into him.

She looked around.

"Luke, I don't know... I mean... Annabeth is right th-"

He smirked and kissed her just below her earlobe.

"She's asleep, babe."

He placed his hands on her hips and slid her camouflage cargo pants down, careful of the wound on her leg.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and played with the collar on his shirt, kissing his lips gently.

She jumped when a rather loud 'Baaa' interrupted, and looked around. Luke blinked rapidly and pulled her closer.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you guys..."

A young, scrawny looking teenage boy stood in front of them, blinking his wide eyes.

Luke turned to hide Thalia, who was glad the dark would hide how deeply she was blushing.

She found her pants and yanked them on.

Luke turned on the boy, seeing as Thalia was now decent.

"What do you think you're doing, just walking up on people about to-"

"Luke," Thalia interrupted. "I'm sure he has a valid explanation."

The boy chewed on his shirt sleeve nervously.

"You're Thalia... right? I'm Grover... I came to bring you to Camp Half-Blood. I'm a protector."

Thalia blinked. "Camp Half-Blood...?"

He sat down, and Thalia and Luke followed his lead.

"Camp Half-Blood is a safe place for demigods. You can stay there and no monsters can harm you, ever."

Thalia leaned forward and blinked. "For real?"

He nodded. "All of you will be perfectly safe."

She looked at Luke, then Annabeth, who still slept soundly. "I want to go."

Luke found her hand and squeezed it.

"Wherever Thalia goes, I'll go. It sounds good."

Thalia leaned over to wake Annabeth up, but Luke held her back.

"We can tell her in the morning. She's exhausted."

Thalia nodded, and Grover smiled slightly, lying in the grass. "I guess we'll start walking tomorrow, then."

Luke nodded, and lie back down on the blanket, pulling Thalia close to him.

Notes

gah i know it sucks. i'm sorry. D: