A/N: *cue suspense music* TAN-TAN-TAAAAAAAN!!!

Annabeth's Flashback

WEDNESDAY, 15th February

Walking to the Mathletes room mostly on autopilot, Annabeth was focused on her phone and her conversation with Annie, making her vulnerable.

"What are you doing?"

Jumping startled, Annabeth closed her hand around her phone and swung her arm in a hook, but the other girl managed to duck just in time.

"Athena's Aegis! Don't sneak up on me like this!"

Piper tsked twice, shaking her head in fake disappointment.

"The mighty retriever of the Athena Parthenos got snuck up by a measle daughter of Aphrodite."

Resuming walking, this time with the brunette by her side, Annabeth sent her friend a side glare.

"You may say it like that, but I know better than anyone how sneaky and silent you can be. I was one of those who had to jump out of the way to avoid being crushed when you entered Bunker 9 unnoticed and scared four Hephaestus children into dropping Festus' head."

"That's on them for being distracted. I just said 'hi'."

"Try that one on someone who wasn't there to see your evil grin right after."

Piper didn't even try to hide her joyous smile at the memory.

"Blasphemy. Anyway, what were you looking at?"

"Gift ideas for Annie's brother."

"Is it his birthday?"

"No. If it was, it would be brothers; because they are twins."

"Sure, whatever you say. So, why just one?"

She shrugged while pocketing her phone, knowing Piper wasn't going to leave her alone for a few minutes.

"Positive reinforcement? He got his grades up, and Annie's parents want to congratulate him on that and provoke the other one into trying it."

"What are you thinking of?"

"I'm open to ideas."

"Does he like superheroes?"

Does he?

I don't know, maybe? Doesn't every preteen boy go through a superhero phase?

How should I know?

You also have brothers.

Sure, which I see three weeks a year, if we even get that far.

"Yeah, I think? He's in that phase."

"I'm asking because Kyle recently dragged Jason to a comic shop. You could find something there."

Like a comic? Or a toy?

They are called figurines.

And how do you know that? Weren't you stuck in camp since you were seven?

You're assuming none of my siblings that stayed only for the summers had a geek side and would infodump on anyone who gave them the slightest bit of attention.

Still, it doesn't sound like a terrible idea. You even have the vocabulary to ask for help without getting us kicked out.

Har har.

"Huh. That actually sounds like a good idea. I think I remember Bill reading a comic they borrowed from a friend. This could work."

Piper smiled satisfied.

"I accept my weight in gold as payment."

Annabeth saw Jodi about to enter the Mathletes room with William and answered her wave with one of her own; before turning to Piper with a raised eyebrow.

"What about a bar of pink chocolate with pomegranate?"

"Where did you see that?"

"I bought it when we went to visit Annie's mom. I mean, her Athena."

She could see the brunette evaluating her proposal before it dawned on her.

"Wait a minute! Are you saying you have been holding onto this since New Year's Eve without even mentioning it to me? Why?"

Walking towards the room, Annabeth sent her friend a smirk over her shoulder.

"You never know when you might need a bribe. Or a payment."

"Is this what our friendship was reduced to? Unbelievable."

SATURDAY, 18th February

R: Did you finish the examples we were assigned?

A: If you're asking about 21.b, I gave up for now.

R: Good, so it's not just me.

A: I think there was a printing typo, and no one'd spoted it until now.

R: It has to be a typo, none of those answers make sense.

A: I asked Jodi and Barbara if they could understand it, but neither has answered me so far.

R: Let me know if they manage to make the impossible.

A: Will do. What did you think of 27.c?

R: I was about to burn the book in a pyre and offer its ashes to your mother, hopefully angering her enough to answer.

A: I hadn't thought of this method, but it could be worth a try.

"Hey."

Annabeth looked up from her phone to find Jason waiting for her on the sidewalk.

"Hey, glad to see you didn't get lost."

"Annie's dentist is two blocks from here, so she knew the area. Is that it?"

She turned her head to look at the comic shop he agreed to introduce to her. It had an unassuming exterior, with the partially tinted windows not letting her see much of the inside, but she could see at least ten people moving around the store.

"Yes. I know it doesn't look like much from the outside, but there is a second room in the back, and I assure you it has pretty much everything."

"Has it been here for long?"

"You mean if it opened recently? I don't think so, Kyle mentioned he would spend his afternoons here during middle school; since he used to live in the neighborhood."

How come I NEVER noticed this shop? I would also accompany mom when she would bring the boys to the dentist, and I don't even recognize the name of this shop.

It's easy to overlook things, places, and people when you have no interest in learning your surroundings.

But still...

"Chase? You coming?"

"Lead the way, Grace."

***

She winced when she heard the sound of glass shattering.

And that makes it three.

Even having been delegated to help her father clean upstairs, Annabeth could still clearly hear Helga's shrill from Mike breaking the third glass or plate - she wasn't sure.

Why does she insist on asking him to clean the kitchen? She KNOWS he has butterfingers; everyone does.

Maybe she's trying to keep it fair; since last month it was our chore.

"Annie? Little help?"

Turning to see her father struggling with a heavy box, she quickly moved to help him.

"Oops, sorry, dad."

Why would Helga thinks putting us to help dad in cleaning upstairs would mean we'd somehow be enough to stop him from cleaning the attic?

I think it's less about stopping him and more about helping him.

Didn't she specifically say 'stop him from deep cleaning the attic'?

Yes, but... how can I explain? It was... rhetorical?

So she knew he would deep clean the attic?

It has been a few months that he regularly thinks family cleaning day means deep clean the attic.

Then she was punishing us?

No, I think she hopes we can actually help him into making progress. We both know the twins are terrible assistants, and dad gets too easily distracted. MY theory is that with us helping dad with the attic, it would actually look organized and clean enough for a while.

And he wouldn't have it as an excuse?

Exactly; if he wants to do something other than regular cleaning, mom has a mile-long list, but he ignores it because the attic is 'his' project, in a way.

***

Your attic is worse than the one in the Big House, and that's saying something.

The Big House? You mean, at camp? You had an attic?

Yes, where the Oracle was kept before the spirit moved to Rachel.

Do you mean we are worse in dust level?

No, clutter-wise.

Are you calling an Oracle clutter?

What? No! We'd also keep spoils of war or quests there, with no system or care whatsoever. We left it undisturbed while the Oracle was there because no one wanted to somehow disturb it and receive a quest. But when Rachel took over, deep cleaning part of it entered the list of possible punishments if you broke a rule or two.

While going to the bathroom, Annabeth passed in front of her room and walked another two steps before it finally dawned on her.

Oh, gods, the door is open.

WHAT? Didn't you close it??

I did! I'm sure of it!

She entered her room, frantically searching for her cat.

"Oscar? Oscar, come here, little devil!"

Under the bed?

No.

On top of the wardrobe?

Let me just... no.

Inside the wardrobe?

All the doors are closed.

Still!

... No.

Oh, God. He got out. Where could he be? Maybe mom moved him?

"Mom! Mom!"

"Yes, Annie?"

Helga turned to see Annabeth frozen halfway down the stairs, staring at the front door open. She turned to see if someone was there, but seeing the porch empty, she turned back to her stepdaughter.

"What is it?"

"The door to my room was open and I cannot find Oscar anywhere."

"But I thought-"

"Yes, I'm sure I closed the door and haven't stepped foot in my room until now."

"Then how could... oh."

Oh? What does 'oh' means!?

"What is it?"

Helga sighed, with a small wince on her forehead.

"I asked Bill to take your clothes from the dryer to your room, but I didn't specify that he should've left it outside."

Ok. Then he is a dead man.

"I'm gonna kill him."

"We aren't gonna kill anyone tonight; I just cleaned the carpet. Just... close all the doors and windows, we will search for him inside, and if we can't find him, we will move the search outside."

"We better find him unharmed, or I will not answer for my actions."

***

After a shower to wash out the dust and the tension, Annabeth borrowed (under threat of maiming) the twins' bean bag and dragged it to her room, where she settled down in front of the window to cuddle her escape artist of a cat, finally locked inside her room again.

I still have no idea how he reached the top of the cupboard. He is still a kitten; shouldn't he still be incompetent in reaching tall places?

He is resourceful like his mama, isn't he?

... Are you talking about his mama cat, me, or you?

Mostly me, but you're not so bad yourself.

Wow, do I feel honored.

A sound of rustling leaves made her look outside her window, just to find herself being stared down by an owl perched on the tree in front of her window.

"Mother?"

Mother? Wha- oh! The owl? Is that her? Athena?

I don't know.

Well... do you think it could be?

Nestling her cat in her arms, she stood up to open the window. She had seen some owls flying by in the last few months while outside in the evenings, but not one that large. The fact that it wasn't disturbed in the slightest by her opening her window and kept looking into her eyes was odd, to say the least.

How... likely do you think it is? That this is your mother, I mean.

Are you asking me for a percentage? I don't know. I don't even know why I think this particular owl could be related to my mother.

Related to her? I thought that was her.

I don't think my mother came to your world and transformed herself into an owl.

Then what do you think?

That she could be using this owl to send a message? Or a sign?

The ringing of her phone startled her into clutching the for-once-silent kitten against her chest and spinning around for a threat before her brain registered her ringtone. Turning back around to look at the owl, she found the tree empty and no trace of the bird.

Okay... freaky...

Sitting in her bed to reach for the phone, she answered with barely a glance to the caller.

"Hey, Percy."

"Are you awake?"

"Obviously?"

"Okay. Did you check your emails?"

"My... not in the last... three hours, I think. Why?"

"Are you free tomorrow? Do you think you could come to my place?"

"Why, did you need help studying?"

"Not this time. I forwarded you the email Gregor wrote me. Why don't you read it first, then answer me."

Without waiting for her answer, he ended the call, leaving her staring at her phone in surprise.

Okay... ?

That was odd, even for him.

Releasing Oscar that had started to scratch her hand trying to leave her old, she opened her inbox, going to the first email. It took her only a quick read before typing back to her boyfriend.

A: How soon can I come tomorrow?

P: As soon as you want

P: I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight, let alone oversleep tomorrow.

SUNDAY, 19th February

With barely a quick salute and a "I'm going to Peter's, I have my phone with me, bye" to her family seating down for breakfast, still in pajamas, and staring at her in sleepy surprise, she left the house. With her anxiety forcing her to fidget with every single object in her purse, the quick trip to Peter's house felt longer than her trip to visit her relatives at Christmas. He must have been watching her from the window; because the gate opened when she was still three feet from it. Forgoing the elevator and moving two steps at a time, she cleared the stairs in record time; to find Percy already with his door open and waiting for her. He gave her a quick once over before moving to let her inside.

"Did you manage to sleep?"

"Did you?"

"Fair point. I already set up Peter's computer in our room."

"Where is your mother?"

"Don't know. My opinion? Breakfast date, although Peter doesn't agree with me."

"So... she won't interrupt us? Is that what you're saying?"

"Not likely."

Entering his room and claiming one of the chairs he had set up for herself, she watched while he closed the door and sat on the other chair.

"Do you know anything else?"

"Just her name because it's part of her username. And that she'll very likely call us soon, despite the ungodly hour for a Sunday."

"Did you tell any of the others?"

"And say what? Better to see how it goes before giving them false hope."

Not being able to keep it down anymore, Annabeth let out a short laugh; that sounded a bit hysterical even to her ears.

"What if it doesn't work? What then?"

"Then I'm sure-"

She didn't get the chance to know what he was sure about, because his computer started ringing with an incoming video call. They shared a look before Annabeth reached out to accept the call.

"Here goes nothing."

Please, please, make it work.

When the video feed finally loaded, she heard Percy holding her breath and felt a bit smug about it.

I told him it was her; I knew it.

Is that her?

The redhead on the screen looked every bit uncertain as them, chewing her lip and unsure if to look at them or to her side. Seeing as no one was doing anything, Annabeth squared her shoulders and decided to break the ice, going for a small smile and a tiny wave.

"Hi."

While the other girl almost flinched - as if Annabeth had hit her - she eventually breathed out to calm herself down and answered back.

"Hm, hi? I heard you were looking for me?"

"We were. Rebecca, do you know who I am?"

"I saw you at the airport. Annabeth Chase."

She turned her head to share a look with Percy and felt him reaching for her hand for a squeeze. Looking back at the redhead, she tried not to show how unsettled she was.

I thought you were hoping she knew who you are?

I was, doesn't mean it doesn't feel weird to hear it.

"... Yes, I am. HOW do you know that?"

Rebecca giggled, not less hysterically than Annabeth had less than two minutes before.

"Hm... I was hoping you would answer me that?"

"I'll try, but first, I need to know how you know my name."

"Ok, but you will think I'm crazy."

Percy joined the conversation for the first time, trying to go for a calming smile and not the brooding expression he tended to have in uncomfortable situations.

"We were the ones practically hunting you down; I don't think we have a right to think that."

Going for him and back to Annabeth, the redhead took a couple of deep breaths and nodded fast, likely psyching herself.

"Ok, it started out that morning. The day at the airport, I mean. I woke up late, and though I'm usually very good in remembering my dreams, as they are very vivid, but I couldn't remember that one, even though I could feel it hiding just barely out of reach. I could feel it was something I should be remembering, that it felt important, but nothing. I spent the morning anxious, feeling like something was going to happen."

Annabeth found herself nodding along with Percy, both more than familiar with vivid dreams and unidentifiable foreboding.

"So, I tried to relax by sketching some things – which you somehow knew as you put it in that weird profile thing you made of me – and I lost myself there. Only when my mom came to fetch me and asked who I was drawing that I realized I had made several sketches of you, Annabeth. Mostly head, different expressions, but there were others, like you writing on a laptop, playing with a necklace and one of you as a child."

She felt Percy giving her hand a light squeeze and knew what he was thinking. It sounded oddly similar to Rachel experiencing the awakening of her prophetic gifts just before the Titan War.

"When my mom asked me again, I answered 'Annabeth Chase'; and she asked if it was a friend from school. I said yes because I didn't know how to say it was someone I didn't know but knew the name. Fine, I thought to myself; that it was a bit weird, but it was harmless enough. I mean, I created someone. While not that common for me, creating a character is not a crime or madness."

Not being able to keep sitting, Rebecca pushed her chair away from her computer and stood up, pacing in front of her camera. While they couldn't see her head, they could see her arms raised to fist her hair. Her voice was quivering, and her speech was quickening, but they could still hear her clearly through the speakers.

"But then it all went to hell, because I was at the airport, and the tension I'd worked out of my system came back with a vengeance. I was almost thinking it was a weird sort of premonition and the plane was going to crash. But then I heard someone calling 'Rachel'; and while it's not my name, something told me to look up."

Sitting back down, she pulled herself back while staring at Annabeth, as confused as she looked in the airport.

"And holy moly, you were there! My character in the flesh! And you were looking straight at ME! And then it clicked; I was the Rachel you were calling. You KNEW me. Or at least you thought you knew me. That could've been just a case of mistaken identity, but you were SO certain. And I had DRAWN you just that morning. Dozens of times. Somehow, I also knew you. That just pulled the ground from underneath my feet. I couldn't even properly react and only thought I should have tried to talk to you once the plane was already on air. I tried to find you, I searched for you all over the internet, but nothing came up. Nothing!"

Annabeth could guess the frustration; she felt the same when she tried to search for 'Rachel Dare' and didn't get anywhere.

"Imagine my surprise when Donald said he got a message from someone looking for a girl with my descriptions. Not only physically; but habits and possible names. For a moment, I thought it was a stalker and told him to burn that list, but I decided to ask who had sent it, and he said your name. I swear, if I hadn't been seated already, I would've fallen. So, PLEASE tell me, how do we know each other?"

Sharing a look with Percy that she knew was mostly with the message 'I told you so', Annabeth relaxed knowing he got her request to help keep her grounded, to not scare Rebecca with how heavily they were relying on her.

"It's kind of a long story."

Percy cleared his throat.

"You might want to grab a pen and paper to take notes."

"And I'll have to ask of you to suspend your beliefs."

Rebecca's eyebrow raised at that.

"My beliefs?"

"What we're about to tell you sounds impossible even to our ears, but it's the absolutely truth."

She nodded, reaching for a pen and paper.

"I'm usually very good in spotting lies. If I don't sense one from you, I promise I'll believe in you and whatever you tell me."

"Good. What do you know about multiverse?"

***

"Do you believe us?"

Rebecca groaned from the position she had adopted ten minutes before, her nose touching the table and her arms crossed in front of her head. They could only see the top of her hair when she moved, but they knew she was awake.

"I mean, it sounds like you're tripping on drugs, but I didn't sense a single lie, so I'm forced to believe in you."

Annabeth could see the same question in Percy's expression that she was asking herself.

Now what?

Flashback over, back to the present

A/N: Now you get it? Again: TAN-TAN-TAAAAAAAN!!!! You have my phone being stolen this Sunday to thank for this chapter. I had another phone, but had trouble making a copy of my SIM card, so I was stuck for over 30h with no internet and while searching for things to do with my life, I remembered my fic. And... here we are. We will get more of Annabeth and Jason in his next chapter, I just found it better to give his perspective on the conversation they had. Isn't it weird how the whole exchange with her family was born because I wanted to use this sentence 'We aren't gonna kill anyone tonight, I just cleaned the carpet'??