How Far We've Come Ch.1

"Trust your hunches. They're usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level."

- Dr. Joyce Brothers

Chapter 1: Gut Feelings Suck (Big Time)

Bethany's POV:

You know those feelings you get, when you know something horrible is going to happen but you don't know exactly what? I sighed as I sat at the family dinner table, not really eating but pushing the simple pasta dish around my plate. I hate that gut feeling because it usually precedes Mom telling my brother Leon and me that we're going to move. Again.

Mom cleared her throat, looking at the two of us sitting on either side of her. My Mom, Piper Valdez, is one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen which is saying something since I'm always stealing my brother's fashion magazines and looking at the latest clothes. She has uneven hair with a few random braids throughout it but it looks really nice on her and she has the coolest eyes that never seemed to make up their minds what color they wanted to be. Her Cherokee skin tone glowed no matter the lighting just like her smile, never faltering for Leon and I no matter what happened. I've always been jealous of Leon for inheriting those gorgeous looks, all I got were the kaleidoscope eyes, ivory skin, and annoyingly straight blond hair that doesn't curl no matter what I do to it.

I shook my head before tucking a loose strand of blond hair behind my ear as Leon and I looked at Mom expectantly. "So, how would you you guys feel about a change in scenery?" Mom asked, twisting her fork to scoop up the last remains of the pasta.

"Again Mom?! Can't we stay in a place for longer than a month?!" complained Leon, startling both Mom and me. Normally Leon was the calm, quiet one that thought things through. Me on the other hand...well I'm more known for angry outbursts and always finding a way into trouble.

Mom sighed, putting her fork down as she put her full attention onto Leon. "Well...you know I don't like staying in a single place for long...and this house, it needs so much repair that we just can't afford it." I snorted, crossing my arms.

"Where are we moving to next Mom?" I asked, feeling for once too tired to argue the inevitable.

"That's a surprise Bethany!" Translation: Putting a finger randomly on a map and we end up moving to that place. I rolled my eyes, letting my fork drop down to the table silently.

"Yeah surprise..." muttered Leon, his electric blue eyes boring into the wood of the table.

"Leon..." Mom reached over and laid a hand on his shoulder. Without saying a word he brushed the hand off, abruptly leaving the kitchen. "Leon!" Pain flashed across her face as I also stood up.

"It's cool Mom, let me talk to him." I flashed her a peace sign and wink before racing after my idiot of a brother. I don't want to leave her by herself, especially when she looked that upset, but sometimes I have to have a pep talk with my favorite twin brother. Okay less talking and more smacking upside the head but you get the picture.

I headed down the hall and straight to my brothers room, stepping around a hole in the middle of the floor. Okay so Mom was right about the needing repair, I nearly broke my ankle stepping through that board the day after we moved in here three and a half weeks ago but I side with my brother; why can't we stay for more than a month in a place? A legit place like an apartment or something, not a fixer-upper in the middle of nowhere. Seriously.

I didn't even bother to knock, just opened the door and let myself into his room. Closing the door behind me, I turned and fixed my gaze at my brother who was laying back against the headrest of his bed as he whittled at a carving with his knife. His electric eyes were staring intently into the carving, which was looking very similar to a bird of some kind. Mom doesn't let us have a computer but doing things with a pointy knife like whittling or learning fencing, she was all for. Parents are just weird.

"Alright Pretty Boy," I crossed my arms, leaning back against the door with a dead serious look on my face or at least I hoped it was. "Spill or I make your bed become Old Sparky." Leon pouted, continuing to carve but not looking at me.

"I hate moving." I snorted, giving him a 'no-really-sherlock' look.

"Tell me something I don't know." He turned to me so fast that the small piece of his bangs he keeps braided on the right side of his face practically gave him whiplash.

"What are we running from Bethany? What is Mom trying to hide us from?" Leon flashed me a withering look when I didn't respond. "I know you've figured that out Beth, we've been running our whole lives." I sighed, uncrossing my arms as I looked up at the popcorn ceiling.

"I don't know, the Cherokee Mafia?" Leon glared at me and I coughed, trying to hide my laughter. Obviously he wasn't in a mood for my poor sense of humor.

"It's just not normal, moving every month, being homeschooled-"

"Plenty of kids are homeschooled."

"Not with the main subjects being Greek, Latin, mythology and crap!" Oh boy, he was getting seriously worked up since Leon was now talking faster with his hands flapping around as he spoke. "C'mon Sis! Normal kids watch TV, have cell phones, go to the movies! We've never been to the movie's before in our lives or watched TV! Books, magazines and town have been our only lifeline to reality!"

"Done yet?"

"No! And what about who our Dad is?! Is our last name even really 'Valdez'?!" Leon grew silent, turning from me to stare back at the carving. "...why are we different?"

I kept staring at the ceiling, letting my thoughts roam as Leon hopefully was calming down. We've always been different. More than just moving all the time and being homeschooled in weird subjects. We had I guess you could say powers. Leon could sweet talk anything, no lie. It's like his voice turns to honey and-bam! You're doing his chores for a week. Me, well I wasn't joking about the Old Sparky thing. Electricity's always been my thing, which is nice when you're annoyed by your brother and can just reach over and zap him with enough electric shock to make his hair stand all the way up. It's like there's a current in me that let's me plug into it whenever I need it. No running around with a key on a string kite for me.

"I really don't know Leon...but one thing I do know is you need to go apologize to Mom. She looked pretty devastated when you stormed out of there." He sighed, putting the carving on his bedside table before getting up and heading towards me.

"Yeah, you're right Sparky." Right after he spoke, he flicked my nose, smiling as I frowned and rubbed it. I leaned off the door as he opened it, Leon stepping out into the hall.

"Don't think I'm going to be the reasonable, responsible one like this a lot! That's your thing Pretty Boy. I'm the one suppose to be having the tantrum right now!" Leon chuckled, turning and giving me a hug.

"Yeah I know Sis…" He let me go and started heading down the hall before he suddenly stopped and looked back at me over his shoulder. "And something tells me Bethany, that we're going to get our answers soon."

On that cheerfully ominous note, my brother headed back down the hall towards the kitchen, leaving me to stand there feeling that horrible gnawing in my gut that was telling me my brother was right.

Arthur's POV:

"Arthur! Arthur grab Pilar quick!" shouted my Mom, as my four year old sister raced out of her bedroom in her nightgown. I quickly reached down and grabbed the hyperactive blond who giggled in my arms.

"Artur, Artur down!" she squealed as I held her upside down, tickling her madly. Owen poked his head out of the bathroom, toothbrush still in his mouth at the same time as our Dad did, toothbrush also in his mouth to look at the scene. Mom just smiled softly as she leaned against the doorway.

"Do you forfeit?" I asked her, grinning as she tried to get out of my grasp.

"Yes! Yes!" I turned Pilar back up and she wrapped her tiny legs around my waist and her arms behind my head. "What's 'fowfate'?" Mom rolled her eyes as she came over and took the tiny tot from my arms.

"It means to give up sweetie. Don't just stand there Owen! Finish brushing your teeth! You too Seaweed Brain!" I smiled, watching my Dad and brother rush back into the bathroom to finish brushing their teeth. "Are you ready for bed Arthur?"

"Of course Mom, just gonna go change then hit the sack." I had to bite my cheek to stop myself from grinning. In reality I was only planning on pretending to go to sleep. Ned Stoll, Jodie Rodriguez and I were all planning on pranking the Big House come midnight so I probably wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Especially since Ned was involved.

My Mom nodded, turning and carrying my squirming sister back into her bedroom in a likely feeble attempt to make the six year old go to sleep. Owen rushed out of the bathroom, grinning from ear to ear at me. "Don't forget! Tomorrow you said you'd teach me how to do that thing." he whispered, his bright blue eyes lighting up in excitement.

I rolled my eyes, leaning down slightly to be on level with my brother. I'd had a huge growth spurt lately and was now up to just below my Mom's shoulders height wise, making it necessary to bend down when I talked to my siblings. "Shh dude. I will, don't worry about it. Just be ready to go after breakfast!" I whispered back, grabbing him into the crook of my arm before giving him a noogie.

"Hey!" Owen frowned, trying to fix his already messy brown hair as he squirmed to get out of my hold. He stuck his tongue out at me but all I did was grin.

"Boys…" said our Dad, giving us a look from the mirror.

"It's cool Dad." I let Owen go and he lightly punched me in the arm before running back to his room. He seriously needed a chill pill but since all three of us had inherited ADHD from our parents, the chances of that were low. Dad rolled his eyes at us, rinsing his toothbrush out as I headed down the hall.

I stepped up the stairs to the attic, which had become my bedroom only a couple months ago on my thirteenth birthday, closing the door behind me. After checking that my backpack was ready with all the 'ammunition', I crawled into my bed to wait for my parent's usual goodnight check in. Hopefully the covers will hide my Camp Half Blood Shirt and jeans, my sneakers were stuffed in the backpack and I'd put them on as soon as my parents left.

Only about five minutes later and I heard a knocking at the door. "Ready for bed Artie?" asked my Dad, opening the door a second later. I wrinkled my nose at him.

"You know I hate that nickname Dad." I grumbled. Dad merely grinned and winked, looking back over his shoulder before coming in and fixing me with a look.

"You guys be careful tonight." I feigned a confused look at him while trying to hide my inner panic that we'd been found out. "I'm your Father, I have my ways. And you wearing your bead necklace that you never wear to bed helps some." My face flushed, my hand going to hide the camp necklace under my t-shirt before tucking myself deeper under the covers.

"...don't tell Mom, please." Dad snorted, stepping up to my bed to tuck the covers around my shoulders so the bright orange shirt wouldn't show on the navy comforter.

"I'll let you kids have some fun Arthur, just try not to destroy the camp would you? Also make sure Jodie doesn't kill Ned too, I don't feel like stopping Clarisse from murdering Travis alright?" I grinned, nodding in response. "Okay then-"

"Arthur, Percy?" Mom lightly rapped on the door before opening it and coming in. She looked really tired but happy as she headed over to me. "You cold?"

"J-just a little." Dad was trying his best not to bust out laughing as Mom looked in between the two of us, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"What's so funny Percy?"

"Nothing! Night buddy." Dad ruffled my hair on purpose, knowing I couldn't move to fix it without showing my shirt. I glared at him as he hastily left the room as Mom raised an eyebrow in confusion before she sighed.

"Your Father is something…"

"Hey you're the one that married him." Mom smiled, leaning down to kiss my forehead. "Mom, I'm not a kid." She laughed softly, straightening my hair a bit.

"I know...I know." Mom smiled, a rare smile that I sometimes saw when she thought none of us kids were looking. That sad but at the same time happy smile. "Trust me Arthur, I definitely know. You really are growing up. You've really matured so much..."

Great. Even without her knowing what we were doing tonight she was giving me the guilt trip. Her Athena senses must be tingling that I'm up to something.

Mom sighed, turning and heading to the door. "Night Mom." I said as she flicked off the light.

"Goodnight Arthur. Sleep tight!" Then she closed the door, leaving me alone in my room. I laid there for a few minutes, hearing more noise downstairs as she berated Dad for something. When it finally grew quiet I waited an extra minute before getting out of the cocoon of sheets to slip my sneakers on.

Grabbing the backpack I slung it over one shoulder and opened the window but at the last second I decided to grab the old army jacket that Uncle Leo had given me for my birthday a few months ago. It was really weird, he took me aside and gave it to me privately, apparently it was his when he was a teenager. I remember asking him why he gave it to me and all he did was grin and say "Dunno. Gut feeling that you're gonna need it soon kiddo." Uncle Leo normally is weird but it's almost like he was expecting something to happen to me.

And now my gut was telling me to grab it for some odd reason. Weird…

Shaking my head I climbed out the small window and closed it behind me, leaving one inch so that I could reopen it when I got back at probably three or four in the morning (if I was that lucky). Yanking the jacket on, after the quick realization that it was getting colder outside because of fall, I cautiously made my way to the edge of the roof.

Our house was built near the lake, a simple two story home but because the attic had a window, it meant I had two roofs I had to scale down which was not going to be easy. I gripped the edge of the roof, putting myself over the side and let myself hang there for a sec. Using the wall of the house made out of brick, I slid myself down onto the second roof, nearly tearing a fingernail off thanks to a screw I didn't see there.

I quietly went down to the next roof, heading to where I knew there was a bush below so it wouldn't be a nine foot drop to the ground. It hit me right when I got to the edge of the roof that Dad had trimmed down the bush, making it still a good six foot or so drop down to the bush. I cursed under my breath. Thanks Dad.

I slid myself over the edge, keeping a grip on the roof. My feet weren't even close to the bush, no matter how tall I was. Well, no pain, no gain right? I took in a deep breath and then let go. I fell down into the bush, which was by no means a 'soft' landing and rolled off it but karma was coming back at me apparently as my foot caught in a cluster of branches leaving me hanging there. I cursed in Greek, trying to pull my foot out of the branches without making me fall.

My hand caught the central branch and broke it, my body doing a weird cat-like twist midair before my feet hit the ground, sending a shock of pain throughout my body. Note to self: Come up with an easier way to get out of house. Preferably not involving the roof.

"You ready Arthur?" whispered Jodie, nearly making me yelp out in shock as she suddenly appeared beside me. Her messy red hair and round face made me smile as I remembered when we were little kids I used to call her Tomato Face just to annoy her. Of course, she would usually beat me up afterwards but hey, I can now easily beat her in sword fighting.

"Of course! Where's Ned?"

"Right here bro!" Even in the dark I could see his ever present mischievous grin and glimmering blue eyes. "You got the firecrackers?"

"Duh." I shifted the backpack slightly. "Right in here. Chiron doesn't go to bed though until later so we're gonna have to wait a bit." Jodie and Ned nodded, the latter's grin getting wider.

"This is gonna make last years prank look like nothing!" The three of us laughed, Jodie and Ned running ahead but just as I began following I felt a weird stab of pain in my gut. I stumbled, my breathing quickening as I regained my balance.

I just stood there for a moment, hearing Jodie and Ned get farther away from me. For a moment, just a moment, I could've sworn there was a string twisting it's way around my waist before I blinked and it disappeared. Did imaginary string just hit me or something? Weirdly my mind drifted to a story we heard the other day from my Dad, the one in which he was with Grover and saw the Fates making huge yarn socks and cut a string while looking at him. They controlled each person's 'string of fate', deciding how they would die and no God had the power to overthrow them cause they can't defy fate or something.

String of fate huh. I shook my head, ignoring the burning feeling in my gut as I headed after my best friends. My parents were heroes who'd saved Olympus, the world, even each other (As cheesy as it sounds). They were the ones the Fates chose to be some of the greatest heroes ever. I was just their kid, my fate was probably nothing compared to theirs.