A/N: Sorry about taking so long, as what feels like always these days...

"Putnam Museum." Reiner read off of the pamphlet Tripotlemus had given them as they walked out of the runied mansion. "Says it's in Davenport, is that close?"

"Just across the river." Said May, for once not annoyed.

"We shouldn't go just yet though, we'd get caught breaking in, we need to wait until night." Assessed Laura.

"Right, we need to wait until night, sure there'll be security guards then, but they'll be easier to get past." Agreed May, as she searched through the database of her analytical glasses.

"So, what until then?" Asked Reiner.

"We need a car, and we need to eat too." May noted, as she started to feel hungry.

"Agreed." Sighed Reiner, as he began to feel just as hungry as May.

"How much money did Chiron give us?" Asked Laura.

"Enough for three days of meals, cut down a bit thanks to us taking a bus from Chicago; the car part's gonna be a bit harder..." Noted May.

"Any ideas about a car?" Asked Laura.

"Not unless you have some kind of emergency credit card with crazy good credit and a mortal parent with the money to pay for a purchase like that." Sighed May, desperate.

"Done and done!" Declared Laura, flashing the credit card in question across May's face.

"Well it ain't much, but hey, it's a car." Said Laura, as she drove a beat up used sedan into the convenience store parking lot where May and Reiner were waiting.

"I found us lunch." Reiner proudly held up some fast food bags.

"Also, we should get some snacks, in case we get lost, we need to make sure we have food to keep us functioning." Decided May, as she entered the gas station.

"Okay, jerky and granola for long lasting energy, candy and soda for short bursts..." May analyzed as she picked up the items.

"It'll be easier to eat things if I like the taste." Decided Laura, as she sought out her favorites, with little regard to their value in terms of survival.

"mmmmmm..." Sighed Reiner, as he picked up whatever caught his attention, with no regard to much of it. Of course, all three were blissfully ignorant of the robbery that was taking place just a few refrigerators over.

"Hah! Finally!" Laughed Katherine, as she rooted through the various bottles of beer and other assorted alcohol. "It may not be my mama's moonshine, but hell, at this point does it matter?" Katherine was cut from her musings by May, bumping into her, breaking the illusion around the area, and spilling the bottles in Katherine's hands.

"What the fuck!?" Shouted May, terrified over the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar girl laying on the ground.

"I should ask you the same! Didn't your mama ever teach you manners?" Demanded Katherine, as she got up, which revealed a sheathed knife tucked into a belt on her waist. "Wait, Japanese sword, red hair, weird staff thing... You three are my targets!" She shouted as she drew her knife, which appeared to be made of steel.

May parried the stab attempted by Katherine, which sent the latter against the wall. Reiner jumped over May, double blade drawn, and attempted to brain their attacker, who ducked it and came in for another strike, but was cut off by a graze from Laura's spear.

"Well then... Run away!" Declared Katherine, as she appeared to walk through the adjacent wall, and out of the building.

"We'd better follow her." Decided May, as they abandoned their purchases and dashed out the door. Katherine turned her illusion off and laughed.

"No sign of her." Sighed Laura, as they searched in vain, just as the Putnam Museum was nearing closing time.

"We'd better get to stealing that chariot." Declared May, as she steered the car into the parking lot, which was uncharacteristically full for being near closing time.

"Why are there so many cars?" Asked Reiner, noticing the same oddity.

"Shit, there must be some kind of special event on tonight." Sighed May. "Plus I forgot about the movie theater, that's open longer than the museum proper.

"We'll need to be sneaky, I guess." Reassured Laura, as the trio made their way down to the entrance.

"Are you three volunteers?" Asked the woman at a table set up in the foyer.

"Uh, yes!" Reiner blurted out, not sure what to do.

"Good, we'll have you in the travelling exhibit section." Said the woman.

"That's perfect!" Declared May, playing along. "Great work, Reiner." She added, too quiet for the organizer to hear.

"Alright, here's the plan: We start off by guiding the kids on the tour, while Laura charmspeaks a few of their parents into picking fights, while a riot erupts, we drive the chariot out, Reiner and I will take the chariot while Laura follows in the car, we give it back to Tripotlemus, and get the fuck out of Dodge, or Moline, as it were." Explained May, as they walked toward the assigned location.

"Sounds like a plan!" Laughed Laura, as they made it to the assigned location.

"We just need to wait now, then." Agreed Reiner, as he stood at the assigned station.

"Hey, I think that guy just flipped you off..." Muttered Laura to a set of twins' dad, as she pointed to a man standing a few feet off to the first's side.

"Hey fuck you man!" The first man shouted, as he ran at the second, who was thoroughly confused.

"Mister, why is there a chariot with snakes on the wheels?" Asked a boy, who was facing Reiner.

"Ummmmm, I don't know what you're talking about..." Coughed Reiner, staring nervously off into space.

The plan was going perfectly, but then, shit hit the fan.

"Hey there losers!" Laughed Katherine. "Ol' Moonshine Kate's here to kill your asses!" Katherine was riding a drakon, though it seemed not to be of the variety that could petrify, thankfully, as it stared many bystanders down without turning them to stone. Behind that, a particularly large and vicious looking hellhound bounded into the room, a look of murder in its eyes.

"What the hell!?" Demanded May.

"Well, you'll just have to see, now won't you? Sic 'em!" On Katherine's command, the drakon and hellhound dashed at the questers.

"I'll take the drakon." Promised Laura.

"The Hellhound is mine!" Declared Reiner.

"That leaves me with this so-called Moonshine Kate." Finished May, as she drew her katana, and sprang at Katherine.

"So tell us about your daughter." Said Sarah, grateful for Mrs. Belmont's hospitality and hoping to make small talk.

"Well, she's a stunner, that everyone agrees on." Laughed Claire. "A daughter of Aphrodite in every way. I'm proud."

"Are you a goddess!?" Gasped Xander. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm not a goddess. But It's okay, people make that mistake a lot."

"Wait, but if your daughter is a child of Aphrodite, how come you're... You know." Asked Gaius, genuinely confused over the state of things.

"And that's the second question people ask." Said Claire, with a warm smile. "I'll do my best to explain it."

Flashback: 7 years ago.

"Come in." Shouted Claire to the person knocking at the door.

"I have a confession to make." Said the figure at the door, a beautiful woman with platinum blonde curls and wearing an elegant dress.

"Confession?" Asked Claire; she'd never seen the woman in question, so she wasn't quite sure what there was to confess.

"I'm Laura's father." Aphrodite sighed.

"I see now, you're Aphrodite." Exclaimed Claire. "I knew her father was divine, I just didn't know who; I'm surprised still."

"I'm sorry, I was selfish, I just wanted you, any way it took." Sobbed Aphrodite.

"I'm mad, but only because you felt the need to deceive me; I'd have loved you the same if you'd been a girl." Sighed Claire.

Aphrodite's heart sank. "I still want to make it up to you. How is your daughter doing?"

"Mom, what's going on?" Asked an 11-year old Laura, hiding her face behind a stuffed animal, and trying to stay out of the stranger's sight.

"Well, you remember the stories I told you about your father?" Asked Claire.

"Of course."

"Well, in a manner of speaking, she's your father." Explained Claire.

"I'm not sure I follow..." Muttered Laura, doing her best to maintain her composure.

"You'll figure it out." Promised Aphrodite. "If I may, I'd like to help her along as a demigod. Think of it as penance."

"I suppose it isn't wise to say no..." Muttered Claire.

"Laura, you do want to be powerful, right?" Asked Aphrodite, from the adjacent seat at the restaurant the latter had chosen to take the former to lunch, in hopes of bonding, which had stood stagnant in the months since Aphrodite's efforts had begun.

"More than anything. But I'm pathetic!" Protested Laura, who had only just become accustomed to talking to Aphrodite.

"Not at all, you're just shy. And I know exactly how to fix that; did you know that you have the power to influence people with your voice?"

"I can?" Asked Laura, perking up.

"It's called charmspeak, not all of my children have it, but you do. I'm not sure, but I think that you can use it on yourself, make you more confident." Explained Aphrodite.

End flashback!

"Laura changed after that, she left for Camp Half Blood not long after, and that's about when I moved from Charleston to Colombia." Finished Claire.

"That's quite a story." Muttered Sarah.

"Aphrodite does that from time to time, I'm told. I'm a bit flattered, but I feel like she should have just been honest." Sighed Claire.

"Well in any event, we should be going, those demons don't have long before they're ready to march on both camps." Resolved Gaius, as he and his team got up to leave.

"Take care!" Claire bid them goodbye.

Sorry about no siege stuff, but I wanted to get this out there, more siege next chapter. Until next time!