Tratie One-Shots

Gardner's Missing

Thank you so much for the reads! It may not seem like that many, but the fact that anyone is taking time to read at least one part makes me so happy. This one-shot is something that I think would be realistic to how they feel about each other in The Last Olympian. And in the book, Katie informs Percy about seeing Rachel, but let's just act like someone else did (haha oops). Enjoy!

P.S. I usually write in past tense, but this is present tense, so sorry if I accidentally switch it up somewhere.

Travis POV

The Battle of Manhattan is over. I'm searching the area where healers are running around attending to the wounded on Mount Olympus. Even Apollo decided to step in and help. My eyes sting with tears over the loss of Luke Castellan. No matter what he has done, in the end, he died a hero. And he was my half-brother.

I haven't yet seen my actual brother, however. Connor and I fought near each other most of the war, but eventually got separated. I also couldn't find Katie Gardner. Why she's the other person I'm most concerned about makes absolutely no sense to me. Just earlier, she suggested Connor and I might have been the spy (although it turned out to be Silena Beauregard), and lectured us about stealing during the war. We're sons of Hermes, what does she expect?

Despite that, I know deep down she does have a real reason to hate both of us. We prank her all the time. The truth is, I've always wondered what it would be like to be friends with her. To me, she's always bossy and controlling, but everyone else thinks she's one of the sweetest campers. Connor suggested once we stop pranking her so I can try to befriend her, but I suspect she won't believe me if I tell her I really want to get to know her. Besides, I'm pretty sure Connor was joking. He would never try to convince me to not prank someone.

Everything in my body aches; from fighting and seeing so many demigods injured or dead. But the voice of someone familiar rang out.

"Travis!"

I search around frantically to find the source of the voice. My eyes land on a person, and for a second, I think I'm looking in a mirror. Then I come to my senses, run forward, and embrace my little brother. We normally don't show this kind of affection, so I pray no one sees us. I let go to see a slightly embarrassed, yet relieved Connor.

"I started to think you were dead!" he exclaims.

I laugh. "Me, dead? Nope."

Connor and I sit on a bench and talk about our amazing monster-killing skills, when Miranda Gardiner staggers from the elevator. Connor runs up to help her, and supports her as she walks. I smirk, and Connor sticks his tongue out at me. Miranda stumbles, but Connor manages to get her to a mat next to an Apollo camper. I walk forward.

Miranda slaps the Apollo camper's hand away and tries to stand up.

"Whoa, Miranda, lay down," Connor insists.

"N-No," Miranda stutters. "Katie... I have to find Katie..."

My stomach becomes hollow, fear making me feel weaker than ever.

"What?" I ask.

The Apollo camper, who I now recognize as Kayla Knowles, shifts uncomfortably. "Gardner's missing?"

Miranda gets herself up and practically pushes Connor out of her way. A few Demeter kids run up to her, and start muttering things about Katie. Soon, a large group is surrounding us and people are spreading the word.

"Katie's missing!"

"What, Katie Gardner?"

"WE NEED TO FIND KATIE!"

"Where could she be?"

Good question. I edge my way out of the crowd and use the elevator as discreetly as possible. At the last second, I see Connor push through and narrow his eyebrows at me. Then the doors close, and I descend back down to Manhattan. When the doors open, I see Percy and Annabeth talking with Percy's mom and some other guy. Annabeth takes a quick glance at me and her eyes widen.

"Travis, what's wrong?" she asks.

I'm not sure what my facial expression looked like at that moment, but I must've looked horrified because they all stared at me.

"Katie's missing." I muttered. Before they can say anything else, I sprint away. I have a faint memory of Katie shouting orders to take an incoming group of monsters by an area no one was watching over, so I try my best to remember where she had run off to. My gaze falls on patches of bushes that have unnatural vines growing out of them. The vines stick out in a way that shouldn't be possible. I decide to head in that direction.

I walk for a few minutes, occasionally getting scratched by an unexpected rough vine. I stop in my tracks by the sound of soft but difficult breathing. I look ahead into a tunnel, and see Katie laying on the ground. I run to her side, and kneel next to her. Her eyes are closed, and she's sprawled out.

"No..." I whisper. I check for any injuries, but only see a few scratches, even less than I got. I check for her pulse and sigh in relief when I find she's still alive. I grab her shoulders and shake her. "Katie? KATIE?!"

Her eyes open slowly and she blinks at me. "Stoll?"

I help her sit up, and when she looks at me, I take in a breath. Her face isn't red with anger, her eyes don't point pure hatred in my direction. I've never realized how truly beautiful she is. Her green eyes hit mine with a softness I've never seen, the one everyone talks about, and suddenly I understand how everyone likes her.

"What happened?" she asks. I tell her everything I know about what happened between Kronos and Luke. She doesn't start crying, but her eyes fall in sadness. For some reason, that was painful for me to see. Here is the girl that stops me from doing everything I enjoy doing, and yet I suddenly care about her.

"I'm glad Luke did the right thing in the end," she notes, "but he didn't deserve to be manipulated that way. He was so brave."

"Yeah," I agree. I don't cry that often, but I could feel my eyes start to tear up. I know if Katie sees me cry, she'll use it against me, so I quickly wipe my eyes. Katie just smiles at me.

"It's okay to cry, Travis," she says. "He was your half-brother, you looked up to him."

I almost gape at her kindness, but manage to control myself.

"Uh, thanks. Anyway, what happened to you?" I ask.

Katie sighs. "I probably just passed out from growing so many plants. What about you?"

"I'm alright," I reply.

Katie narrows her eyebrows. "You didn't steal anything, right?"

I grit my teeth. "No."

She laughs, which surprises me.

"I know you did," she says, grinning.

I shrug, managing a nervous smile. "Maybe."

She laughs again. "Help me up?"

I help her up and lead her back to the Empire State Building, where Demeter kids are crying and running all over the place. Miranda is the first to spot us.

"KATIE!" she screams. All of the kids rush at Katie at once, literally tackling her in a hug. Connor comes up next to me.

"Went to find Gardner, huh?" he asks.

I glare at him. "Shut up."

But as I watch Katie talk gently to her younger siblings, I can't help but admire her. Maybe one day things will be different... but I can only hope.