Miss Quinn

29 ~ Back to Camp

Emma decided the people in LA probably felt bad for the four campers. Maybe it was because they were bedraggled and without money. Maybe it was because the news reporter had told the world that Percy Jackson wasn't a terrorist, he was being threatened by one. Either way, they gave the four enough money to buy plane tickets back to New York. Percy even told the crowd that his stepdad would be more than happy to give away free appliances if he got home safely.

So then they were heading back to Manhattan. The plane ride seemed like forever, but they made it back in time. Emma, Annabeth, Percy, and Grover went to the Empire State Building. The man at the front desk gave them a key card and they got on the elevator. The elevator played music that was unfamiliar to Emma as it rose up to the 600th floor. They stepped out at the foot of a Mountain suspended over Manhattan. It was Mount Olympus. They climbed the slopes streets, passing little stores and houses, nymphs, naraiads, and countless minor gods and goddesses. Once they got to the top of the mountain, Percy went in to see Zeus alone. Emma, Annabeth, and Grover sat impatiently, waiting for Percy to emerge.

Finally he did, looking rather shaken up. The four walked back down the mountain.

At the foot of Half-Blood Hill, Emma sighed. They were finally back at camp. She smiled at Annabeth and walked past Thalia's tree into the safety of Camp Half-Blood. The others followed, and then they were surrounded by campers. Or rather, Emma was surrounded by campers. Apollo campers. Her half-siblings.

"Emma, we were so worried!"

"Emma, how could you?"

"Emma, why?"

"Emma, that was irresponsible!"

"Emma, you could've been killed!"

"Emma, how could you leave without telling us?"

"Emma, you're such an idiot!"

She wasn't sure who said which, but she answered each one carefully.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to. Why not? I know. Yet I didn't. I left a note. Takes one to know one."

"Emma, we thought you'd died or something." Will said, shaking his head.

"Do I look dead to you?"

"No," Fawn said.

"Then I'm not dead, happy?" Emma asked.

Her siblings hugged her one at a time. Even David offered a small one. Then she let them drag her back to the cabin. The first thing she noticed was the stack of letters on her bed. There had to be at least twenty, give or take a few. She sat down and read all of them, making sure her siblings weren't reading over her shoulder. Hermione, Ron, and Venus had written four each, all about how Harry hadn't been responding to their letters. In Ron's last one, he said he was going to try and rescue Harry from the muggles. There was also a letter from Hagrid and two from Fred and George. Emma's Mum had written four. She responded to all seven of them and then picked up the last letter. From Hogwarts. She opened it and read her supply list.

There were a total of six books she needed to buy. Five of them were by Gilderoy Lockhart. Emma knew who he was, her mum owned every book he'd ever written. Turns out she wouldn't have to buy the books, she already had them.

Emma packed all her letters into her bag with her ink and quill. When she looked around her cabin, she saw that she was alone. Emma went over to the window in the back of the cabin and tossed a drachma into the rainbow being made by a crystal. She said Hermes's name and the messenger god's image filled the rainbow.

"Lord Hermes, I have letters," she said, waving around the stack of letters for her friends and Mum.

"Just toss them through," Hermes said, "that's it."

Hermes took the letters through the Iris-Message and waved his hand through it. Hermes's image disappeared from the rainbow and Emma went to sit on her bed.

She would be going home in a few days. Emma would be reunited with Venus, Hermione, Harry, Ron, her mum, and all the others. Not to mention she would be going back to Hogwarts. Emma smiled at the thought.

Once her siblings came back to the cabin, her thoughts of the Wizarding World disappeared. She began telling the story of her adventure with Annabeth, Percy, and Grover.

Her siblings listened intently as she described Hades's rage creating an earthquake in LA. She told them about Cerberus, the Lotus Casino, and the Saint Louis Arch.

When she was done, they all sat quietly, waiting for the dinner horn.

Emma studied each of her siblings, wanting to remember their faces when she was back in the UK.

Carly, Fawn, Will, Connor, Michael, Lee, David, Austin and Sadie. They weren't just her siblings, they were her friends too.
Emma smiled.