The Fae's Bride : A Spiderwick chronicles and Percy Jackson crossover

Chapter 1 - A new home for the Grace Children

One cloudy day in May, a dark green station wagon puttered up Dulac Drive followed by a white, light teal, and dark teal 1955 Packard Caribbean convertible. The cars pulled up to the large wrought iron gate of the old Spiderwick estate. A woman stepped out of the stopped station wagon, unlocked the gate and pushed it open, then got back in the station wagon, and drove through. Both cars then stopped on the rock driveway. The station wagon's doors opened, and 51 year old Helen Grace, 15 year old Mallory Grace, and 10 year old Jared and Simon Grace stepped out. The Packard's door opened not long after, and a slender 19 year old Selina Grace stepped out.

"Oh! It's beautiful!!" Selina exclaimed with a smile, lifting her Anteprima Ann sunglasses up.

"It looks like a shack..." Mallory said, looking at the estate with distaste.

"Tch...More like a slag heap ready for demolition.." Jared scoffed. In reality, it was neither of those things. It was more like a large 4 story building that was cream and gray in color, with several balconies, several chimneys, a few towers, green and purple ivy creeping up one side, and a strip of black iron fence sitting atop the roof like a garnish hat.

"Mallory! Jared! How could you say such a thing?" Selina reprimanded with a soft glare. Their mother patted Selina's shoulder with her hand.

"It's not that bad guys." Helen said, with a slightly forced smile. "It may look a bit odd, but it's Victorian.." Helen and Selina watched as Mallory, Jared, and Simon made their way across the lawn. Helen turned towards Selina, and smiled gently.

"Selina, I need you to do something for me..." Helen paused.

"What do you need from me, Aunt Helen? I'm more than happy to do anything you ask." Selina replied softly.

"Well, for one thing, stop calling me 'Aunt Helen'. Sweetheart we've been over this. You are allowed to call me mom. I want you to."

"B-But Uncle Richard said.." Selina hesitated.

"Don't listen to what Richard said. You are just as much my daughter as Mallory is. Being Terrence's biological daughter doesn't change that. You are my daughter, being adopted doesn't make a difference. I need you to remember that." Helen replied gently, pulling Selina into a hug.

"I'll try to remember that Au- i mean...Mom." Selina replied, returning the hug. "What was the other thing you needed?" she muttered.

"Don't be too hard on your brothers and sister, and don't take what Jared says to heart, okay?" Helen replied. "The separation was hard on them, and with the move...I think it made things worse...especially for Jared. I need you to be as understanding as you can and help them through this if you can. Can you do that for me? It'd be a great help..."

"Of course I can, Mom. I'll do everything I can, Sou ypóschomai ( I promise you)." Selina replied.

"Thank you Selina. What would I ever do without you?" Helen whispered, hugging Selina tighter, which she returned.

"Mom, the door's locked!" Mallory yelled impatiently. Helen and Selina went up the drive to the house where Mallory, Jared and Simon were waiting.

The doors were a faded gray, distressed and worn with age. The only traces of paint along the door's frame were an intermediate cream, stuck deep in crevices and around the door's iron hinges. A rusted ram's head door knocker hung from a single heavy nail at its center.

Helen fit a jagged key into the lock, turned it, and shoved hard with her shoulder. The door didn't move.

"Let me try, Mom." Selina stated. Helen nodded, and moved to the side. Selina took hold of the doorknob, turned and lifted it at the same time, and lightly bumped it with her shoulder and hip as she had done many times at Persephone cabin at camp half blood. The door flew open, causing her to stumble forward with a shriek into a dim hallway. Jared smirked and scoffed a laugh, but stopped when Helen glared at him. The only window that could be seen from their point of view was halfway up the stairs, and its stained glass panes gave the walls a delightfully eerie, reddish glow.