And even then you can know people for years and still decide you don't trust them. I'm not sure time really has much to do with it even if it helps sometimes.

[But ah yes the million dollar question. He doesn't say anything for a moment as he thinks of the best way to answer without answering. Then again...what's it matter? She won't ever show up here anyway.]

Her name's Thalia. She was a runaway like I was, met her after a few years on my own inside a dragon's cave. We escaped and figured it made more sense to stick together, so we did. We were together for years even before Annabeth came into our lives. I would have trusted her with anything back then. Pretty sure the same is true for her. It's just stuff like that.