It took a long time to finish eating breakfast and clean up. While everyone got ready and took turns in the bathroom I talked to Dad and Sally, they reluctantly agreed that it was a good idea for me to return to camp and become a full time camper. At least this year until Kronos was somehow defeated- or we all died.

"Will you come back into town for visitors?"

"I'm sure I can convince Chiron to let me come visit."

"Please be safe."

"Safe?" I signed with an eye roll. "What is safe?"

"Don't die." Dad looked like he aged a few years in one night. "You sacred me Nora. That young man of your stumbles into the house your covered in blood and unresponsive."

"I'm sorry dad." I paused. "seriously, we were just going for ice cream and then they were there, waiting for us. An entire mini army waiting to take me to Kronos."

Dad nodded sadly. "We'll miss you around here." Dad paused and gave my hand a squeeze. "I love you."

"I love you too dad."

It sucked that I finally had a family, one that understood who I was and what I was going through, a step mom who actually liked my dad for who he was and someone who accepted me and a step brother just like me, and I was forced to leave their home. I pushed that thought to the back and got up, giving them both a tight hug.

I lent Kayla some clothes. Sally had washed Raph's bloody clothes and his cheeks and ears were pink when she handed them back cleaned and folded.

"Thank you Miss Jackson."

"Oh please, call me Sally. Miss Jackson makes me sound so old!"

"Thank you....Sally."

"You just take care of my daughter."

"Yes ma'am. Always."

She smiled and patted his cheek. I pressed my lips together to keep from giggling at his pink blush. Sally winked at me and left the room.

"Too bad. I like the shirtless look."

He raised an eyebrow and sauntered closer. His dark eyes drilled into my amber gold ones and his cocky smirk made my stomach back flip. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tighter into his bare chest. My fingers trailed the sunflower tattoo on his chest. He just watched me. I flattened my hands against his chest and I laid my forehead on his chest feeling the weight of everything. I knew the prophecy wasn't about me, but I still had my own dark one. And it hung over me, and the fact Kronos was trying to get me.

Raph seemed to sense my mood and just held me and kissed the top of my head. He didn't say anything, didn't do anything other than hold me tight. I felt safe in Raph's strong arms, standing in the middle of my family kitchen. I turned my head and laid my ear in his chest, wishing I could hear the thumb of his heart. But I couldn't. I could feel it though, I could feel the steady rhythmic thump under my cheek. My fingers felt everything else; his iron levels, his cholesterol, blood pressure, I could feel his muscles tense and contracting, I could feel how much oxygen was in his body and I could sense how stressed or relaxed he was.

I felt his hand slowly run up my back and bury into my hair, and apply just a bit more pressure, holding me even tighter. I felt a small rumble in his chest. I exhaled heavily.

Raph stiffened and turned his head. I picked my head up and looked around. Percy was leaning on the doorway his arms crossed.

"Oh, don't mind me?" He signed.

"Okay, we won't." I signed back and pushed up on my toes and pulled Raph's head down. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him make a face and spin around. I smirked and laughed at his reaction. Raph closed the distance and brushed his lips against my laughing mouth.

He pulled away, "I should get dressed. We're leaving soon."

🔆

Argus showed up and loaded the van up with everyone and my stuff I had quickly packed. Raph said he would drive me to camp and come back Sunday evening for school. He was going to stay and finish his senior year. I was kinda sad he wouldn't be staying, but I understood that he wanted to finish. Mr Miles said he would stay and keep an eye out for other demigods and do his Sytre duities.

Percy waved good bye beside dad and Sally. I waved goodbye and turned back around and slapped the visor shut, wrapping my arms around Raph again. He followed the van through the city, but once we hit the open highway, we took off. I felt free on the back of Raph's bike. I let go and held my arms out wide as we sped at break neck speed. Raph reached behind and rubbed my leg, affectionately and squeezed my knee. I missed the sound of his deep rumbling voice, but his touchy feely side was a plus. He glanced back at me a few times. He grabbed my hand and put it back around his chest.

I smirked behind the helmet and wrapped my other arm around him, my hands pressed flat against his chest, feeling his heart. It was beating wildly. He pressed his hand over mine and held it the rest of the way to camp. He pulled off the highway and pushed it into the cave where the van always was parked. He laced my fingers and together we walked into camp.

🔆

The day after Raph went back to New York for school, I was awake bright and early thanks to Apollo and his horrible guitar solo music when he turns the sun car on. It wasn't so bad in New York in the apartment; New York traffic frowned out the loud frequency but at camp it was terrible and woke up the entire cabin every morning. I couldn't sleep after that. I got up and wondered outside.

I passed the other cabins, every thing was quiet and peaceful. I passed by the amphitheatre and saw a small child sitting beside the fire. Frowning I stopped. I didn't recognize her, maybe she was a new camper, but why she was up so early, was a mystery. Maybe she was having trouble adjusting to camp life. I decided to go say hi. I slowly approached. She looked maybe 8 or 9 years old in a simple brown dress. Her brown hair was pulled back and fell down her back. She sat with a long stick poking the fire. She glanced at me, and she had warm brown golden eyes. She gave me a warm smile.

"Hi." I signed. I figured most people wouldn't understand, and figured this conversation would be short. But to my surprise she signed back.

"Good morning Eleanora."

I stopped in my tracks. No one called me that except monsters, gods and when I was in trouble. Frowning I racked my brain, clearly this child wasn't a monster; monsters couldn't get into camp, and the labyrinth had collapsed last year when the architect, Daedalus himself died.

"You're not a camper." I summarized. I felt my cheeks flame with embarrassment. And I hung my head. "I'm sorry... I don't...I don't recognize you."

She waved me over. "Come sit, many don't know me, and even fewer come to visit."

"I'm sorry."

And I ment it. Most of the gods I had met were rude, arragant, boastful, prideful and flashy. She seemed like none of those things. Who becomes an 8 year old child in kind of an ugly dress poking a fire with a stick at 530 in the morning? No one I knew. I slowly made my way over and sat down beside her. She poked the fire and it flared up slightly into a cozy fire.

"Hungry?"

A little basket of muffins and fruit and other baked goods appeared, everything dad and Sally would have baked. It made me miss home. A sadness weighed on me.

"Tell me why your upset."

"Who are you?" I asked, pulling a small piece of cinnamon bun off and munching it.

"I am Hestia. Goddess of Hearth, Fire and Home and Family."

"It's nice to meet you Lady Hestia. You seem... Different then the others. No offense."

Hestia smiled at me, and winked. "I do tend to be the least quirlsom of my family. So I do suppose it makes me different."

"If they spent less time arguing and fighting and ignoring the children they produce we wouldn't -"

I stopped abruptly and clenched my hands into fists and shoved them into my lap.

"No, child, express your frustrations. What is said around my hearth stays at my hearth. I agree, they do need to spend less time fighting amongst themselves."

I sighed heavily.

"If they just...acted like a family! Like a proper family, supporting each other, helping each other...their kids wouldn't be in this mess! They made the mess because they're arragant and prideful. And we gotta clean it up. I left my home with a family I love because I was being chased by monsters constantly. What if...one day it wasn't a monster and it was some angry demigod Kronos twisted and they went after my dad or step mom...?"

"Family is important to you." Hestia signed, she poked the fire a few more times and placed the stick down beside her.

I nodded, my throat feeling tight. I inhaled deeply trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Even if that family is not by blood."

I opened and closed my mouth and looked at her sharply.

"Why does it matter? Dad was there when I was born, he raised me, probably better then some biological parents. And Sally is a queen amoung women! Blood doesn't make you family. Love and loyalty does!"

"Well said Nora. You would be wise to always remember that. Things are going to become a lot harder before they get better. If they get better."

I swatted the tears away and studied the 8 year old goddess. "That's ominous."

"Things are moving; ancient evils. The gods are doing their best to stave them off."

"Maybe if their kids weren't so angry..."

"Perhaps. But my father was always ambitious. He would have found a way regardless."

"Your father?" I frowned, then I realized Kronos was Hestia's father. "Well that's a happy thought."

She gave me a grim smile. She was quiet for a bit. Unlike other goddesses I'd been near she was content to sit in quiet, she was happy to just have company.

"Do you plan to go through with Nico's plan?"

I was shocked that she would know about Nico's plan, we told no one, Percy and Raph were there when Nico explained it, but, I had agreed silently. Even Raph didn't know I agreed. I eyed her for a moment. And then slowly nodded.

"Probably. We don't know all the essential information. It's a good plan. A good idea. I don't know how to beat him otherwise."

She nodded slowly.

"Please remember what's important and who the real enemy is."

"Wait...why would I forget..? Do you know something?"

"I do not know the future child. I am observat, and I have watched you."

I raised an eyebrow. I never know how to react to these kinds of things gods and goddesses say, like what am I supposed to say to that? It's creepy that the gods watch us but not bother to help or interact with us. My jaw clamped and I felt the heat of frustration make my fingers tingle and spark. I saw her glance at my hands as I clenched them into fists, trying to hide the glow in my veins and the sparks running up my arms.

"Yielding." She signed and looked back at the fire as it flared higher and hotter, angrier, the flames reflected how I felt at the moment. The flames didn't bother me, the heat didn't affect me, but it startled me. The fire didn't bother me, but I leaned back in surprise. She made a fist and the fire died back down to a soft gentle glow.

"Do you know what that means?"

I nodded. "What does giving in have to do with anything?"

"Giving into the anger or learning from the anger, Nora."

"Again what does that have to do with anything?"

"We must learn what drives our own anger, anger is the greats learning tool. Why is your anger justify while we scorn Luke's anger? Why is your family here more important then the family Luke is trying to form. Yielding. Learning. Family. Love and loyalty. It will all come down to these. In the end."

That was a lot of information to process. I frowned as I watched the coals glowing and changing different colours. I eventually heard the conch horn calling for breakfast. I nodded at the 8year old goddess and got up and wondering to the dinning pavilion.

🔆

I spent the next few weeks training, fighting, learning what Luke and his army was up to, helping plan different attacks and reconnaissance missions. 

I also helped Beckendorf in the Hephaestus forges, fire didn't bother me, but I wasn't very good with the equipment, but he was good company. He told me all about him and Selina. And I finally told him I saw them with my Sight. I was bright red, and glad we were in the middle of the boiling fire forges. I explained what I had seen and swiped as fast as I could. He just roared with laughter. His eyes squinting and his white teeth showing. He became one of my best friends after that. When everything around me became too much, I hid out in the forges with him, we got pretty good at working beside each other with minimal communication. He asked me constantly for girl advice which made me roll my eyes, I didn't think I was very girly. We made Miss O'Leary a proper dog colloar; complete with skulls and bows.

I also got to know Selina better. She apologized profusely for what her mother did to me and Raph but I just shrugged it off.  It's not the kids fault how the parent acts. Selina was sweet and kind. She had been one of the first people at camp to actually welcome me last year and treat me with respect. She was always pulling me into the cabin and gushing about what Beckendorf did or their cute romantic dates. I just sat and smiled, and chucked silently, pretending I had no knowledge of any of this before hand. But it made me miss Raph.

Now that I was here and he was finishing his final year, we didn't see much of each other. We would IM each other as often as possible but with him studying constantly and me going on super sneaky stealthy missions, I didn't see him much. I do believe, though he threatened or forced the Areas cabin to keep an eye on me, because every mission at least one Area kid was always volunteering to be my partner. It was sweet in a very annoying sort of way. They were all hot heads and wanted to charge in swords flying even if the mission was stealth and information gathering.

The other annoying thing was Annabeth. And when I say annoying I mean she was a complete bully and in every sense a bitch towards me and I still had no idea why. She hadn't changed over the months I'd been gone at school, or the fact I was dating Raph- which I suspected was her first issue, thinking I was interested in Percy (and for the record Eww. He's my brother. Eww!)

She was still rude and arragant towards me as ever, treating me either like I was invisible or something left from Miss O'Leary she stepped in. She ignored me for the most part, but when we had to interact, she always had some nasty comeback or insult. (I swear she stayed up at night thinking of them!) She never agreed with what I suggested in war councils, but when she gave her ideas it was always mine with a slight twist. Clarisse would look at me and shrug. After one particular long war strategy meeting I finally lost it with her snappy comments. And infront of all the other head councilors and Chiron I finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Enough Annabeth!" I signed with all my anger thrown behind them. I found feel the anger bubbling at the surface. My veins became to glow.

"What's the problem? Realizing you shouldn't be here, giving us war council, you've only been a camper for a year."

"Look you blond bimbo! I have given everything to these missions! I go out there collecting information, putting myself in harm's way! If I was some evil traitor why in Hades would I fight so hard to be here? I could just Waltz over to dear uncle Kronos and be like hey, use my body to host our evil soul, let you stupid Luke die and he could use me."

"I don't know what game your playing, maybe waiting for the right moment!"

"You are absolutely impossible. Doesn't matter how much blood sweat and tears I give to this camp or these kids, I'll never be good enough for you."

"Finally something we can agree on."

I froze and looked at her hard for a long time. My eyes flashed with the familiar fire, my hands heated up, and I knew I was glowing hot with a fire under my skin. She took an uneasy step back. When I signed my hands sparked. And my face twisted in rage and hurt, trying to keep the golden tears from falling. She took a step back.

"Careful demigod! I'm here because I choose to be. We're on the same side. I absolutely understand why Percy doesn't stay long. Your horrible. What he could possibly see in you is beyond me."

I turned to Chiron. "I gave my report. Do whatever Miss High and Mighty seems best. No one cares what I think anyways. I'm out. You know where to find me."

And I left the rec room, slamming the door open and closed behind me. My hands still sparking, I left dried patches of grass as I stormed into the training facility to find Miss O'Leary laying on her back. Her belly being rubbed by a familiar dark figure.

"Nico!"

"Hey Sparky."

🔆