So I was rereading the original pjo books because I just can't get enough and realized that I forgot a LOT of things... the Iris-Message at the car wash, for one. So we're just gonna pretend that it was in there, even though I didn't feature it... or write in a conversation about it... or mention it in any way...

Definitely NOT author's fault. Nope, it was the Mist. *nods* Yes, That's it.

~~~

As soon as he heard Percy and Grover start talking, Grian opened his eyes.

It wasn't hard to pretend to snore. He always earned stares from the other Hermits when he faked sleep, but it sold quite easily.

Grian did feel a little bad about eavesdropping on what was probably a conversation the original questers didn't want the Hermits to hear, but he couldn't help it. He was a professional at spying. Much better than Tango and Mumbo and their creepy tree costumes, anyway.

He really missed Mumbo...

And the rest of Boatem, of course.

It wouldn't be the same without Scar, though.

When the other Hermits had told him, Grian had done what he usually did when something bad happened - put on a neutral face and changed the subject.

I kind of had to put an angsty grian moment there...

Scar's death affected him more than he cared to admit. The rest of Boatem, and in fact the rest of the Hermits back at home, would be devastated when they found out.

"In that Iris-Message, did Luke really say nothing?" Grover asked.

Grian stared at the wall, wondering what he was about to hear.

He remembered the Iris-Message at the car wash, where Percy had claimed that Like had said nothing. Grian had told him to tell Chiron and the other Hermits (mentioning by individual names, of course) that he was okay.

Now it seemed ridiculous since they were put looking for him, only to turn back.

But why hadn't Luke told him that they were missing, too?

Grian was one to keep his promises, and to trust others to keep theirs. He had shrugged it off.

Grian heard Percy sigh. "Luke said he and Annabeth go way back. He also said you wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would get turned into a pine tree. What was that about?"

Grover let out a sad bleat, but it was quite loud. It woke Annabeth up, but Gem and Ren stayed fast asleep. They and Grian were used to loud noises at night.

"I should've told you at the beginning. I thought if you knew how much of a failure I was, you wouldn't want me to come."

"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia."

Who was Thalia?

Was she dead?

Grian didn't hear Grover's reply, so he assumed the satyr nodded or something.

"And the other two half-bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp-"

"Luke and me," Annabeth said quietly. The others jumped. They hadn't realized she was awake. "Like you said, a seven-year-old Half-Blood wouldn't make it very far alone. Athena led me toward help - Thalia was twelve, Luke fourteen. They'd both run away from home, just like me. They were happy to take me with them. They were... great monster-fighters. We headed north from Virginia with no plan whatsoever until Grover found us."

"I was supposed to escort Thalia and only Thalia to camp," Grover whimpered. "Chiron told me not to do anything that would slow us down. Hades was after her, kind of like he is with you, Percy."

And us.

But what made Hades go after Thalia? And why was Grover only supposed to rescue her?

Is she another accidental death-cheater, like us?

No, probably not. Grian hadn't heard about anyone who respawned like the Hermits did.

"I couldn't leave Luke and Annabeth to fend for themselves," Grover continued. "I... I thought I could get them all to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones found us. I got scared on the way to camp and took some wrong turns. If I had just been a little quicker-"

"Shut up," Annabeth said. "We don't blame you."

"Her death was my fault," Grover sniffed. "The Council of Cloven Elders said so."

Percy voiced Grian's thoughts exactly. "Because you wanted to help some others, too? Not fair."

"I wouldn't be there today if it weren't for you, Grover. Neither would Luke. We don't care what the council says," Annabeth agreed.

"I'm the lamest satyr ever, and I found the two most powerful half-bloods ever," Grover sighed. "And seven others who Hades is also after. Just my luck."

Grian heard a slam and then a crackle, as if Annabeth had slammed her hand down and hit the Oreo container. "You need to explain that. Why is Hades after them? Is one of them a Big Three too?"

Grian's heart skipped a beat. She's going to find out. Grover's going to tell her, and then Hermitcraft won't be a secret anymore.

"It's... it's not really your business. Or mine. I don't actually know that much. Sorry, Annabeth."

"Then tell me what you do know!" Annabeth begged.

"Maybe we should ask them," Percy suggested. "In the morning."

Annabeth made a hmph sound but didn't press any more.

Safe. For now.

There was a silence.

"You're not the lamest satyr," Annabeth said finally. "You're probably the bravest one I've met."

Percy grunted, maybe in pain. Grian wouldn't have put it past Annabeth to kick him in the shin to get him to say something.

"Yeah," the son of Posideon said. "It's not luck that you found us. You're a natural searcher. That's why you'll be the one who finds Pan."

Grian felt that he had missed something. Who was Pan? Who was Thalia?

Grover's breathing got heavier. He was asleep.

"How does he do that?" Percy said.

Grian held in a snicker. He felt the same way about Bdubs.

"I don't know," Annabeth laughed. "But that was a really nice thing you told him."

"I meant it," Percy said.

Then it was quiet.

They might have talked longer, but Grian was already asleep.

------

"Hey. Waffle Head. Wake up."

Then Gem kicked Grian softly in the ribs for seemingly no reason.

"Ow," Grian groaned, but sat up.

It didn't take long to remember where he was. The smell gave it away.

"They're coming to check on the animals," Annabeth said, alarmed. "Hide!"

By now, her magic invisibility cap was common knowledge, so it wasn't much of a surprise when she put it on.

The rest of the questers had much more of a problem.

"I don't have invisibility potions!" Gem said.

Grover finished shaking Percy awake and dove behind a bag of turnips. Ren followed him.

Percy, Gem, and Grian were left without a hiding place as light flooded into the truck. Everyone flinched at the sudden brightness.

"AY!" A voice said. "EDDIE, WE GOT SOME STOWAWAYS!"

The man took out an Earth communicator.

And then was run over by a zebra.

"Oops," Gem said, shutting the cage door with a clang.

"What's going on in there?" The other man, probably Eddie, said, coming into view.

Grian and Percy jumped out of the way, feeling useless, as the antelope pranced past them.

"Aw, it missed that time," Gem said, disappointed.

Then Eddie suddenly collapsed.

"Oof," Annabeth said, taking off her cap from next to where he had fallen. "That had to hurt. Sorry." She tossed the heavy water pitcher into the back of the truck, narrowly missing Percy.

"Um, he can't hear you," Ren said, popping out from behind the turnips.

"You'd apologize too, if you knocked out a guy with a water bottle," Grian said, jumping out of the truck.

"What about the lion?" Percy asked. The lion stared straight back at him hungrily.

"Hey! You gotta have a permit for that!" Someone yelled, and ran toward the truck.

Grover released the lion and extended a hand out to it, whispering some sort of blessing.

"It's called a satyr's sanctuary," he explained. "I put it on all three of them. They'll be able to find food, water, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live."

"Why can't you put that on us?" Percy complained.

"It probably only works on wild animals," Gem said as Grover opened his mouth. The satyr closed it and nodded.

"So it would only work on Percy and Grian," Annabeth said.

"Hey!" they said in unison. Everyone else cracked up.

"Anyway," Percy said. "We need to get out of here. I need water. And food. Those Oreos just don't cut it."

"Get the backpack," Gem said.

Percy jumped back into the truck and grabbed it, looking a little angry that he couldn't just leave it there and pretend it never existed.

They turned to leave the truck behind.

"Whoa," Gem said.

"Welcome to Vegas," Grover said.

"Keralis would love this," Ren said to Grian.

Grian shrugged. He hadn't really been in the business of exploiting Keralis' gambling addiction. He left that to the Evil Emporium.

"I think Smelly Gabe would like it as well," Percy muttered, and led the way into the city.