HELLO MY BEAUTIES! I know it's been forever since I updated, but there's been so much going on in my life. I've been really keeping busy these past months(I am so so sorry!), with my stuff, and writer's block sucks. But I'm here now with a pretty little update that took me FOREVER, and I kept editing stuff because hey! You guys deserve the best.

Big shout-out to 1oooW0rds for encouraging me, and listening to my crazy. And for giving me the suggestions to edit this chapter myself. Love you Words. Also, go read her latest story: In Another Universe, it is crazy beautiful.

Word count: 3,075 words. AND THE 25TH CHAPTER! WHAT?

Just a little reminder in case you thought I got it for Christmas or my birthday, I don't own Percy Jackson, it's characters, or anything to do with the series. I write fanfiction, not real stuff.

January 16th

Reyna's Point of View:

"I don't like this. I really don't like this." Annabeth muttered as she poured over the map. Her fingers traced over the lines, frowning over the rough terrain. I rubbed the back of my head where Hylla smacked me as I nodded. The map we dug out had too many monster-markings for anyone's liking. There were too many unknowns. Whether the Kraken had a hideout, how best to attack, and where it would be when we did. I sighed as I stepped up, leaning against the counter.

"He has a home advantage." I scowled, tapping the map with a bit of annoyance. I still didn't see what the benefit of planning was going to do. Dad always said 'no plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.' An old military adage that Hylla shared with me.

"Does he?" Hylla asked as she entered the room, reaching for the drawer I was blocking. I quickly shifted away, hopping on the table. After an afternoon of being careless, I could use a few less bruises. Annabeth and I traded glances. We could practically feel the anger radiating off of Hylla. She was pissed at my sloppiness by the way she yanked and slammed the drawers open and close.

"Last time I checked, home advantage means they know the place better than we do. We don't live here." I pointed out; leaning over to check what Hylla was looking for. She quickly shoved it closed. "Dad does, Max does. Toni and Esteban live in the city. We're tourists." Hylla raised her eyebrow at me, waiting for the point. She was already bored judging by her glassy stare. Hylla was out of her beach clothes in tight black t-shirt and pants. Although, the strings of her black swimsuit peeked from the collar of her shirt, she was all business.

"Fine. Vacation's over." She ordered, pulling open another drawer.

"Vacation was over when I woke up." I replied, hopping off the desk, and started pacing the room. I didn't like not being in charge of operations. It made me antsy. Hylla found whatever she was looking for, slipping it into her pocket. "What's that?"

"Insurance." Hylla smirked. Tired of her playing around I grabbed her wrist and pulled out the scrap of paper; it was a business card for Amazon: Puerto Rico.

"Really?" I challenged, raising my eyebrows and releasing the Queen. "Your insurance is a division of your army. What happened to my sister? The one who insisted that she didn't need help." Hylla leaned against the counter, shaking out her arm. I began pacing the room, running my hands through my loose hair. Tie it up later, I reminded myself.

"If you gave me a second to explain, you would know that I am not asking for help." Hylla scoffed. I whirled around to face her; a curtain of black hair swirling behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Annabeth look up sharply, a warning on her lips. I didn't give her a chance to speak.

"You never explain, Hylla," I pointed out coldly. It was exhausting; drawing things out of my sister inch by inch. "Somewhere around this island is a monster bigger than this house, that has attacked us twice. I don't want a third. You promised 'no more secrets', so start talking. What are we asking for? Weapons?" I guessed. When Hylla nodded mutely, I began pacing again. A glance through the open patio door disproved any worries for the people outside. Max, Esteban, Jason, Percy and Toni were still playing frisbee. Happily ignorant to my sister's anger, I preferred to keep it that way.

"Right, we don't want to do this with a few daggers and a sword or two. Good idea." I ran my fingers through my hair again. "Look, I get that you want to protect me but I'm not a kid anymore; I can take care of myself. And frankly, I'm tired of you hiding things. This vacation was a wonderful surprise; and having my memories was even better, but the best part was getting to know you." I stopped in front of Hylla and crossed my arms. "No more secrets." I reaffirmed. There was loud shuffling outside before Hylla said anything.

"Fine." She agreed. It wasn't much, but I took it.

"Okay," Annabeth said, before the silence could settle. "If you two are done; I have an idea." Hylla was on her with a speed that would have made Nymphs proud, frowning at the map in front of the blonde. I followed at a more sedate pace. When we had crowded around the table, Annabeth outlined her idea. "Here's the easy part: We wash the Kraken ashore. Or rather, Percy does. Judging by the fact it never surfaces anything for long; it's probably weakened out of water. After that is trickier, it's going to try and get back in the water, and there's a possibility it'll try to grab someone. We need to act fast and disable it's movements; pin the arms. With a big enough cache of weapons, we could target weaker areas too, like the eyes, or mouth. If stabbing it several times over doesn't work, we unleash Jason. Water, metal and electricity don't mix." There was a predatory gleam in the blonde's eyes as she crossed her arms. I glanced at my sister, knowing the gears were working overtime in her mind.

"Solid plan," I mused, already making my own plans. "If Hylla can't get enough weapons; Max has a few contacts we can tap." Using a spare pen left on the table, I wrote a footnote on the map. "It goes without saying that we need an isolated spot for the fight," Athena's daughter had prepared for that and marked out an ideal area.

"We'll scout it later, just to make sure." Hylla murmured. I smiled and nodded, making another note.

"I can't promise that the Kraken will be in the area, so someone's going to need to get it there." I pointed out, holding up a hand to stop the Amazon Queen protesting. "We don't know why I keep getting attacked, but it feels personal. That makes me the logical choice for bait." A glance at Annabeth had her nodding along.

"Fine," Hylla said, as calm as she was going to be under the circumstances. "If that's what you want to do, okay." She turned on her heel sharply. "I'll just grab Dad for a few minutes, he won't want to miss a chance to let Jason know how precious you are to us." I raised my eyebrows at her retreating form. Seriously? That's how we're playing this? I mentally scolded her. A snort from Annabeth reminded me of the blonde's presence.

"Not a word." I warned, feeling a blush creep up my neck. The Greek nodded, fighting a smirk. "You get the others, I'll grab my sister." With a sharp salute to Annabeth; I followed Hylla to give her a piece of my mind. No need to embarrass myself further by admitting that Dad had already talked to him. And I'd eavesdropped.

By dinnertime we'd covered more ground and Hylla and I came to an agreement about our mutual crushes. With threat of siccing Dad on Esteban hanging over her head, Hylla was more agreeable and willing to tone down the dramatics. Before long, we had smoothed out the rough edges of our plan and had soup simmering on the stove.

"Not bad for an afternoon's work," I murmured to Annabeth as Max prepared to pick Shaun up from his after-school club, putting on his jacket and pocketing the car keys. Hylla picked up our map and began folding it with deft fingers. The markers and weapons were distributed and carefully concealed, following the rules Hylla, Max and I had outlined to the three other demigods. I gave everyone a sharp nod and crossed to the patio, leaving the door open behind me.

Sitting outside, it was like the first day all over again. The sounds were the same; of food being made, and Hylla's muted footsteps as she fussed around the doorway, using any excuse to observe me worriedly. Further away, the front door being opened and closed, then scarcely a minute before the car was started. I waited for Hylla to come out and sit with me, as she did three weeks - had it really been that long? - ago. Instead I was pleasantly surprised when Jason stepped out, shortly followed by Esteban.

"Hey," The older Garcia greeted amicably. Without waiting for an invitation he plopped down next to me, and didn't wait for Jason to do the same before talking. "I wanted to say 'thank you', for earlier." I raised my eyebrows at him. "I know Toni's kinda pissed that she isn't included in your monster battling, but I'm relieved." Esteban ran his hand through his curly hair, and I glanced through the patio doors to see Hylla lingering inside, clearly eavesdropping. I shook my head at her and tuned back into Esteban's speech.

"I'm worried enough about the three of you - no offense Jason." He added, with a cheeky wink. "Max is my best friend, and I'm terrified of what would happen to Toni if she lost Hylla again. As brave as my sister is, I really don't want her to face that monster. Even with the six of you with her." Once again, Esteban messed with his hair nervously. I guessed we were reaching the crux of his worries.

"And I wanted to say thanks for not including me in your plans. Toni's useful, even though I don't think she should fight that thing, doesn't mean I don't think she couldn't. But me, I'm not a fighter. I can't see through the mist like Toni, or fight like you or Hylla. I can't heal people like Max, or do freaky-cool stuff like Jason or Percy. And I certainly don't match Annabeth in the smarts department. I'm not special." Having admitted that, Esteban let his hand and head drop.

After a few seconds, I clasped my hands together and sighed.

"But none of that matters." I said, looking over Esteban's head at Jason. The blond smiled encouragingly at me and placed a comforting hand on Esteban's shoulder. "My dad once said that the world has enough fighters, we need more lovers. Of course, he said that when Hylla was suspended; so I could be using it out of context. But I don't think so. You're compassionate, Esteban. I'm pretty sure that's why Hylla likes you so much." Even as I said it, I knew it was the wrong thing to say. A second later one of Hylla's delicate silver knives embedded itself in the wood next to my thigh. "Oops." I muttered as Jason laughed.

"Don't worry about it, Hylla knows you didn't mean it." Esteban said, pulling the silver out of the steps with a little tug. "I'll give it back to her when I go inside."

"No you won't." Jason contradicted. He took Hylla's favorite weapon from her crush and tucked it next to his gladius.

"We'll give it back to her in our own time." I agreed. "Big sister needs to learn that eavesdropping is rude, and she needs a little target practice." I mocked, glancing into the house; where I knew Hylla was still hovering.

"Right." Esteban nodded, standing up. "I'll leave you two to talk now, sorry for interrupting." I waited until the older man closed the patio door before raising an eyebrow at Jason.

"Are you going to angst too?" I questioned. In reply, he smiled in that easy way of his.

"No. I think I'm finally passed all of that." Jason confessed, still smiling. He scooted over until we were sitting side-by-side; our arms and knees barely brushing. It was a position we'd been in many times; planning battles in the middle of the night, talking about ourselves, our dreams, desires. I tilted my head thoughtfully, in response. Oh? I silently challenged. "Your vacation gave me the space I needed to work myself out. To realize that I had taken you for granted." I raised my eyebrows. "We work so well together; that I'd forgotten that you're my friend first and foremost. When I came back from Camp Half-Blood, you helped me adjust, didn't question why I returned. You just let me be. I accepted that you were building a bridge between us, trying to work things out. But I fought it, and you gave me space."

"You needed it," I recalled. "Forcing you would have pushed you away." Jason's smile was replaced by a frown before he acknowledged that I was right.

"Then, while you were here, it finally sunk in how much I'd missed you. It had been there since before I came home, but I buried those feelings because I didn't know what to do with them. Then, I got a note," I nodded along, remembering Mom's presence at the wedding reception; the note she shared with Hylla and I; the talk she and dad had. The fond memories of dancing with my brothers. "And it scared the wits into me. I hadn't let myself think that I could lose you, but I was finally confronted with that possibility, and I needed you. I missed you so much that I had to come."

"I missed you too;" I smiled, and leaned into Jason. He smelled of Max's shampoo and soap, along with his unique electrical smell. "It felt so weird to be doing all this stuff without you." I launched into a recount of my holiday exploits, and Jason was very happy to hear that I'd gotten back on a Pegasus.

In the end we talked undisturbed until the sun set, and dinner was announced.

It wasn't until later that I searched for Hylla once again. Despite the vast house; it didn't take long to find her. Hylla still retreated to her childhood den when she was unsure, and although she hadn't frequented it lately; I wasn't surprised to find her there, looking at the pictures on the wall. It also helped, that Soda had stood guard outside, whining at the door.

"Mind if we talk?" I asked, letting myself in anyway. Hylla shrugged and rolled her eyes but gestured for me to carry on. I played with the hem of my shirt as I spoke. "In the spirit in complete honesty, I have a confession to make. Before we came here you asked if I'd kissed Jason. I said it didn't matter since he didn't have his memories." Hylla nodded, clearly enjoying me fumble. "Well, the truth is, I have never kissed him. Not even to this moment." I let out a sigh of relief, feeling better for admitting it. "You also asked what was going on between us, and we've decided to pursue a relationship, but only after this mess is sorted. Also, you should know he has all of his memories back." Hylla said nothing for a few minutes, her gaze grazing the amassed drawings.

"Good for him," She murmured absently. "Good for you."

"I'm glad you think so, I want this to work out so much." I whispered. "Promise you won't scare him away; I really like him." There was a tense moment when I thought Hylla wouldn't agree, until I finally noticed her glazed-over eyes and the glass bottle peeking out from under one of the many cushions. "Are you drunk?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

"M'not drunk. Needed it though, thought too much." Hylla mumbled. About what? I wondered. Already I knew the answer; it was too much for my sister. She'd planned this holiday for us with the best intentions, and having it unravel in front of her was taking the carpet from under her feet. Hylla felt safe here, I felt safe. The monster was just reminding her of how scared she was when he first attacked.

"Maybe you shouldn't do this..." I suggested reluctantly; taken aback when Hylla shot up, arms flailing wildly.

"No." She cried. "I have to." Instantly Hylla grimaced, tentatively touching her head and closing her eyes. "Ooh, head rush. I don't like that."

"Hylla, you don't have to do anything; okay?" I said, grabbing her arms and settling them on her lap. "You especially don't have to be strong for me, or Shaun, or anyone else. But you should talk to someone about this. It doesn't have to be me, Toni or Dad, but you need to talk to someone. You're going to self-destruct again." Hylla was oddly quiet for a few moments. "Are you listening?" I asked, prodding her shoulder. "Have you heard anything I've been saying?" Another prod brought forth a snore from Hylla and I sighed.

"Remember when I was little; how I'd crawl into your bed in the morning. You'd grumble that I must be burdened with glorious purpose, because I never slept in. You never mentioned the sister hell-bent on destruction. But we didn't know any better; we were just kids." I closed my eyes, and felt the cracks in my armor surfacing. "You don't have monopoly on worrying. If I told anyone, they'd worry too. But I won't, because you're my sister; and we'll climb this together. I won't walk away this time." I glanced at my watch as Soda began whining again. "But I'm not sleeping in here." I cracked open the window before grabbing the bottle and trading spots with the dog. "Take care of her," I commanded, raking my eyes over Hylla's limp form. "Tomorrow, we go to war."

I know it's been a long time since I updated, and I really hope this makes up for my absence. This was one of the hardest chapters to write, which is strange since I've got to write a battle scene. But, practice makes perfect. And it's good that I'm expanding.

I really am sorry for the lack of updates, when I promised that I would post weekly, but that was in the beginning when I had many chapters ready. But it's bee 2 and a half years since I hatched the idea for this story, and it's not long until it's finished. I can't promise weekly updates any more, because I get a limited time on the computer, and I have to work around my schedule. But I'll update the chapters when they're done. Because I only recently finished this one. I really am sorry for my absence. I love you all. (This is vaguely reminiscent of the last chapter's bottom AN.)

Peace, Love, Hope.

Love Always, Jeyna. X