A Percabeth Story
Yawning heavily, I dragged myself out of bed and threw on my faded camp half blood T-Shirt. I groped sleepily for my bead necklace and chucked that on, too. I yawned again as I stepped out of the cabin into the blinding sunlight.
Across the fields, I could see other campers pouring out of their cabins or heading back from Chiron’s ‘Early-bird Archery Club’ – to be completely honest, I wasn’t really surprised that only the Apollo kids were interested. A sudden glint of lush, curly blonde hair caught my eye. Annabeth! Waking up instantly, I ran over to her, madly running my hands through my tangled black hair.
“Percy!” she called, turning and waiting by a nearby tree. Her big grey eyes glinted in the morning sun as her long, black lashes fluttered delicately. It was weird, but ever since we’d come back from Mt. St Helens, I’d started to think about her a lot differently… It was nothing, though – this was Annabeth, my best friend in and out of Camp Half-blood. As I reached her, she smiled and squeezed my hand, pulling me towards the dining hall. Then, we parted ways as I went to sit at the empty Poseidon table. I was really on my own this time, as Tyson was still in the forges of Poseidon’s palace. Thinking of him made me sad, so I picked at my food and stared at Annabeth, just watching her eat, laugh, breathe…
“Perce? Yo, Percy? You there?” Coming back to Earth, I looked up to see Grover hovering over me with a tray of tin cans and Juniper hanging off his arm. She smiled and waved, giggling and looking at Grover fondly. Grover, meanwhile, was staring at me with a shocked expression. He gasped and turned to Juniper.
“Juni, Hun, do you mind if I sit with Percy alone, this morning?” he whispered hesitantly, looking at her meaningfully.
“Sure!” she replied, looking at Grover as if she could read his mind. Being a Dryad, she probably could. Blowing a kiss to Grover the Satyr, she skipped off to her tree.
“So, what was all that about?” I quizzed. Grover NEVER sent Juniper away voluntarily.
“That was about you crushing on Annabeth harder than a Satyr on Artemis!”
“WHAT!” I hissed under my breath, feeling the blood rush to my face. I’d forgotten that Satyrs could read emotions. Grover stared at me in disbelief.
“Are you kidding?” he muttered to himself.
“Fine,” I groaned, placing my head on the table, “I am completely and utterly in love with her! It’s just… this is Annabeth, you know? She doesn’t even like me – except for target practice!” Grover scoffed, as my attempt at a joke was half hearted, and I sloped off to the beach, not wanting to face him anymore.
About a half hour later, I was sitting on a damp rock, watching the restless waves on the ocean when there was a loud metallic clink from behind me. Before I could react, a cold bronze knife was at my throat, suspended in midair as if it had no owner. Chuckling, I held my hands up in surrender.
“You got me Annabeth.” The air behind me shimmered and a curtain of soft blonde hair fell over my shoulder, tumbling down from under a Yankees cap. I lowered my hands as the blade was removed and turned to face her. As soon as I looked, my heart twisted into knots. There was Annabeth, beautiful as ever, sobbing silently as if her heart would break. The sad sight brought back memories of the time I’d rescued her from the Sirens – she had sobbed and hidden then, too.
“What’s wrong, Annabeth?” I asked as she slumped on the rock I’d just got up from. She patted the space next to her with a shaking hand and I sat down next to her.
“It’s... It’s my Dad...” she choked out, putting her head in her hands, “he… he says…. Well, my stepmom hates me and she doesn’t want me around. She said it was her or me… He picked her.”
“So what does this mean, you’ll have to stay year round at Camp?” I asked, appalled. Her Dad had always put his wife first and I knew how tough it was for Annabeth.
“I can’t… Chiron say’s no-ones allowed anymore, because in the winter, their always understaffed, and Dionysus has gone to Olympus temporarily to see his wife. There’s just no way.”
I sat there, my heart breaking as my best friend fell to pieces before my eyes. She had nowhere to go until next summer, and she couldn’t just live on the streets – it was way too dangerous for a half-blood, and she had no surviving mortal relatives… A sudden wave of inspiration came over me as I had an awesome idea. Taking a deep breath, I gently lifted her chin so her watery eyes were staring right at me, right into my soul, almost…
“Stay with me.” I said, smiling at her hopefully to reassure her, “it would be great – my Mom and Paul wouldn’t mind, and we have a spare room…” I trailed off as Annabeth beamed up at me.
“You really mean it?” she whispered gleefully, eyes shining.
“Really, I do.” I answered. Happy at last, Annabeth fell back into my arms and lay there, content. I held her as she nodded off slowly, and then spent a few happy hours staring at her beautiful sleeping face.
Her lips were parted in a small O and a strand of hair covered a delicate eyelid as the other twitched. She was obviously dreaming. Watching her, I was peaceful and happy, and it wasn’t long before I had drifted off as well…
In my dream Annabeth and I were in the ocean near a bone littered island. Off in the distance, I could see an old sailing vessel bobbing up and down in the murky water. It was a little while before I realised where we were – just off the coast of the Island of the Sirens. This was a replay of two years ago, and I was holding on to a kicking, screaming and sobbing Annabeth again. She was hypnotised by the song and struggling to reach her desires. Curiously, I placed a damp hand on her bare arm and stared as the sirens showed me what she was seeing.
Two years ago, Annabeth had seen her parents back together and her friend Luke before he was Kronos. She had also seen Manhattan – which she had completely rebuilt. Now, the scene was very different.
The backdrop to the scene was a glittering Olympus, dazzling marble and silver walls surrounding the magnificent throne room. In the centre of the room was a small cluster of people gathered round a picnic blanket. When I looked closer, I saw Poseidon, my Dad, and Annabeth’s Mom, Athena shaking hands and smiling as if they had just come to an agreement or reached the end of a fight. They looked down at two demigods – a dark haired boy and a pretty blonde girl. The two were holding hands and laughing as the boy planted a shy kiss on the girl. With a start, I realised that the girl was Annabeth and the boy was… me? I moaned softly with longing as they continued to gaze at each other. Why couldn’t we really be like that?
Shocked to my core at how the dream version of me and Annabeth had moved me, I quickly removed my hand from the real Annabeth’s arm.
The scene didn’t change. Experimentally, I touched Annabeth again. The scene stayed the same.
“Don’t you see Seaweed Brain?” Annabeth stopped struggling and looked at me intently, “I love you.”
My perfect dream ended there as a sudden wave of water crashed down on me and woke me up. Wait… water?
Opening my eyes properly, I looked around to see that I and the still sleeping Annabeth were surrounded by a churning pool of choppy sea water. We’d obviously been sitting too close to the shore when the tide was out and now it was coming in – fast.
“Annabeth!” I yelled over the roaring of the waves, “Wake up!” Startled out of her dreams, Annabeth sat up in my arms, blinking blindly at the midday sun. Then it dawned on her where we were.
“Percy!” she screamed as a huge wave ripped us apart and carried her further out to sea.
“Annabeth!” I yelled in a panic, “Grab that rock!” Annabeth obeyed and grabbed the jagged tip of an almost sunken boulder. It was too wet, though and her fingers slipped fast. With one last terrified scream, she lost her grip and disappeared under the colossal waves.
“Annabeth!” I cried out, hoping she would resurface. My hopes were dashed when I saw her trainer lodged between two rocks near a cliff. She was way beyond my reach, and the sea was too wild for me to try to restrain. In desperation, I scanned the horizon for anything that would help.
That’s when I saw it.
The Queen Ann’s Revenge was sailing towards us, apparently navigating by the waves alone – there was no captain aboard the ship. I swam furiously towards it, fighting with the currants. A ladder fell over the side at my command, and I climbed up. By the time I reached the top, I was bone dry.
“To Annabeth!” I told the ship. Within seconds, we had reached the cliff – nut Annabeth was gone. I searched for her as far as I could see until a flash of blonde hair caught my eye. Whooping in triumph, I launched myself back into the water and swam to her.
Her trainer was stuck faster than I’d realised, and I had to force her foot out of it before she could move. I must have been rougher than I meant to be though, as Annabeth hit her head on the sharp point of the rock and fell unconscious. Luckily, I was a strong swimmer, so I could easily scoop her onto my back and battle my way back to the ship.
“Whew!” I sighed in relief and turned back to Annabeth, thinking she would probably wake up now. The damage was worse than I’d realised, though and I had to swallow back vomit. There was a huge gash across her forehead, ending just under her eye and her dripping wet hair was sticky with blood. I shook my head in disbelief and tore at my hair.
“No…No… Annabeth, wake up!” I pleaded. Her only response was a violent shudder through her body. She could probably die of the cold alone, and I was no healer. Camp was miles away now, and we were the only ones out here.
Unless…
The sea! It had always healed me, and I was determined to make it work for Annabeth, too. I picked her up gently and jumped off the side of the boat. When we hit the water I conjured I huge bubble to wrap around us, locking out the water that would suffocate Annabeth. Hesitantly, I placed my hand on Annabeth’s wound and created a warm stream of water from my fingertips. I closed my eyes as I concentrated all my energy into that water, and imagined it flowing through the gash and clearing away the blood, leaving nothing but a pale scar. When I had the courage to peek, I saw that Annabeth had healed.
“Thank the Gods…” I muttered, sighing in relief as her eyes fluttered open.
“Percy…” she said drowsily.
“Yes, Annabeth?” I replied softly.
“Where am I?”
“In… my home turf.” I answered, pointing to the underwater wonders around us. She gasped in delight, and then began to frown as if she were trying to remember something.
“I’m not… drowning?” she asked incredulously.
“No!” I laughed.
“Thank you,” she murmured as I wrapped my arms around her, “for saving me.”
“I’m a hero, aren’t I?” I joked, “That’s kind of what I’m here for!”
“My hero… all mine…” Annabeth murmured sleepily as she laid her head on my chest. Then she realised what she’d said. “I didn’t mean… I mean… that’s not what… UGH!” She groaned in frustration – I knew she hated not having the words for every occasion. I smiled right at her and held her gaze. She trailed off slowly, gorgeous grey eyes hidden behind a mass of now dry Cinderella curls – only much prettier…
“I can’t take it any more!” I told her, moaning softly, “why do you have to be so beautiful, so perfect… and be the one girl I can’t have… The one girl I want.” She stared, dumbstruck, and I knew I’d better do it now, while I had the courage.
Placing my hands around her flawless face and running my fingers through her soft, shimmering hair, I pressed my lips to hers and held her tight. When I pulled away, I simply gazed at her dumbstruck expression. After what seemed like an eternity, she smiled and kissed me again as we floated around on the ocean floor. I was in heaven, my brain melting and my heart beating a thousand miles an hour, dancing and cheering. Finally…
All too soon, though we had to float back to the top and sail back to camp. I was barely paying attention as I sailed the ship, though. My eyes never left the incredible girl who was now mine. I thought of the vision I had seen in my dream, and I knew that this would last. From the other end of the ship, Annabeth winked.
“Set sail for Camp.” I told the ship, walking over to her. She pressed herself against me. And with that, she kissed me again, and squeezed me tight to her. It still wasn’t tight enough though, and I swept her up on my arms and jumped onto the shore of Camp Half-Blood. I carried her to my cabin and we stayed there alone, all day and night… Kissing, chatting, laughing, hugging, celebrating… It was only at midnight that I was able to let her go back to the Athena cabin and change into my pyjamas, but I still stayed up all night whispering the most important, beautiful and significant word in the world…
Annabeth… Annabeth…
The next morning, I woke up feeling happier than ever, knowing my perfect girlfriend was waiting for me. It was with this happy thought that I sprinted out of the cabin and… ran straight into Grover.
“Peeercy,” he bleated, wincing, “Chiron’s looking for you. He said you need to go to the big house.” Not waiting to see if Grover was OK, I bolted for the big house, thinking I could just get this over with and see Annabeth…
“Percy!” Chiron yelled when he saw me. He ushered me inside and locked the door behind us. Obviously, this was a man to… centaur talk. I was a little surprised when he then sat me down in the game room and began pacing (or was it trotting) around in front of me.
“I’m afraid I have some bad news, Percy.”
“How bad could it be?” I asked dismissively, my mind wondering to much happier places… Annabeth…
“Very bad,” he sighed, “there was an attack at camp last night. Somehow, three hellhounds got in, and well… Annabeth was walking back to her cabin when they saw her. She was alone, and she thought she could take them down that way. Alas, she was wrong.” My heart crawled into my throat.
“So she’s… d-dead?” I stammered.
“No… abducted. Where she is now, we just don’t know.” He admitted. Giving me a small pat on the back, he trotted out of the room, leaving me alone with my less-than-happy thoughts.
My heart stopped.
I couldn’t breathe.
Uncontrollable tears ran down my face.
She was gone. Gone, gone, gone, gone. And it was my entire fault. My entire fault… Overcome with grief, I lay my head on the table and yelled in frustration.
“WHY?” I screamed, “Why did you take her away from me?” I yelled at… who? Who took Annabeth? Who would want to hurt her… and me… like this? Who hated us… who hated ‘Us!’
“Some hates me and Annabeth being together,” I muttered to myself, drying my eyes, “who could it be?”
Within the next hour, I’d created a list of suspects: Athena, Rachel Dare, Poseidon, Clarisse and Chloe, a naiad who’d had a crush on me since I arrived. I thought Chloe and Rachel would be jealous, but Rachel, as a mortal, could not summon Hellhounds, and naiads hated them… snarling, I crossed them off the list. I thought about Poseidon and Athena, but my Dad had been too happy for me when I’d Iris Messaged him last night… that left Athena…
As a goddess, she could command evil forces; she’d never liked me and was very protective of her daughter. It had to be her! A flare of hope flickered inside me as I filled with new determination. Now, I just had to get a quest, or… visit the Oracle, Camp Half-Blood’s Mummy fortune teller, hidden in the attic just upstairs. Reluctantly, I crept up and unlatched the trapdoor. The stench of reptiles hit me like a ton of bricks and I wanted to bolt, but I knew I had to find Annabeth…
“O, Oracle!” I said as I hauled myself up and shuffled towards her, “how can I save Annabeth?” For a frightening moment, nothing happened, but then I saw a small roll of parchment fall from the mummy’s hand. Shaking, I stuffed it into my pocket and sprinted to my cabin, the glassy eyes of the Oracle watching my every move.
When I got to the cabin, I cautiously opened the parchment and read:
A son of the see shall save his love,
With help from beasts, goats, and the dove,
An angry owl shall be appeased,
As the eight headed guard takes its leave
The couple shall take a fresh, new breath,
As the sea commands the doors of death.
I swallowed, trying to make sense of the prophecy.
The son of the see shall save his love… that HAD to be me and Annabeth, so no worries there…
With help from beasts, goats and the dove… now, I knew the symbol of Aphrodite was a dove, and I’d guessed she’d want to help, but beasts, goats? I had no idea…
An angry owl shall be appeased… I was hoping that would be Athena…
As for the eight-headed guard? That had to be a hydra… I shuddered as I remembered the first time I’d met a hydra – it had been at a replica of the Parthenon…
Parthenon! I was sure that was where Annabeth was hidden! Almost laughing with my joy, I ran out of the cabin and down to Thalias tree.
“Goodbye, camp!” I yelled, “Hello, Annabeth!” I would be with her soon…
A two hour taxi ride later, and I was in Nashville, staring at the replica of the Parthenon. It was quite late, so now it was shut; just the front was lit with floodlights. Bathed in the dim glow were two familiar figures.
“Grover, Tyson!” I called happily, racing over to them. The beast and the goat! It all made sense as Grover tackled me with a goat hug. Without waiting for any explanation, Tyson dragged me over to the Parthenon’s main entrance and ripped apart the iron bars like they were rubber. We entered the dark building in single file as Grover fumbled with the light switch.
The only thing in the room was a 30ft tall statue of Athena scowling down at us, as if she still hadn’t forgiven us for stealing her crowns pearl.
“Annabeth?” I whispered, as Grover and Tyson followed my lead, “Are you here?” There was a loud hiss in reply, and a 10ft tall hydra slithered into view, eight heads snapping angrily at us. Obviously, he was a fast reformer.
I knew what to do now and a grabbed a lit brazier from the wall… huh. I hadn’t even noticed it was there. Breathing deeply, I charged.
“YAHHHH… aghh!” I yelled as one scaly foot aimed a powerful kick at my chest… and hit it. I groaned as my head smacked Athena’s stone sandal, and my vision went black. Hissing in victory, the hydra crawled towards me and placed each of its scaly heads right up to my face… the heat was overpowering. If I didn’t find the strength to move, there was going to be Hydra-Fried Percy Leg’s on the menu pretty soon.
“MOVE!” a beautiful voice commanded, filling me with strength. I suddenly felt alive as wonderful memories filled me up… Annabeth’s head in my lap, the dream of the Sirens, our first kiss… I rolled away as the Hydra let rip with a deadly column of fire from every mouth. I was not going to die while Annabeth was still out there, and I yelled ‘No!’ as the heat just singed my arm. Silently willing death to flee, I concentrated on the sea, my life source. I had to stop this hydra! Suddenly, I had an idea.
“Grover, play ‘Stuck in the middle’” I yelled. Obediently, Grover pulled out his reed pipes and began to play. Within seconds, the hydra was completely entombed in rough, dry stone the colour of the walls. I smiled as he melted away.
“WHOO!” I cried, hugging Grover and Tyson. There, the second line of the prophecy was complete… Tyson, and Grover had helped me, and Aphrodite had filled me with the strength of love. Check!
Suddenly overcome with exhaustion, I placed a clammy hand on Athena’s statue and panted. All of a sudden, a deep rumbling sound filled the room as her head began to crumble. Tyson and Grover yelled and ran away, while I stood there, transfixed. Before long, there was nothing but a pile of rubble.
“Sorry!” I said guiltily, praying Athena wouldn’t be too mad. A faint yelp caught me attention… It was coming from underneath the rubble. Curiously, I began digging through the shattered rock, catching my breath when I felt a strand of long hair. Within minutes, I had unearthed a trembling, dusty Annabeth.
“Annabeth!” I cried out gleefully as my heart did a thousand relay races. My beautiful girlfriend was back! I laughed in shock as a salty tear rolled down my cheek. I scooped her up in my arms, breathing in her sweet scent and kissing her tear-stained face.
“Percy!” she croaked, coughing up powdered rock. She slung her weak arms around my neck, “My Mom… the hellhounds… I couldn’t see anything!” she stammered.
“Shh…” I told her, placing a finger to her now white lips, “don’t scare me like that again. I thought I’d lost you forever. I was going crazy.”
“Silly… Seaweed Brain,” she mumbled, resting her head on my chest and closing her eyes.
“Your seaweed brain,” I corrected as my little piece of heaven fell asleep in my arms. I kissed her forehead and sat down on a chunk of rock.
“Perseus.” A deadly calm voice called from behind me. When I looked up from my little angels face, I saw… my little angel’s mother, Athena.
“You!” I growled, gently resting Annabeth on the floor and walking towards Athena, “How could you do this to her? I mean, she’s your daughter!”
“I did it… because of you, Perseus.”
“You did it because of me. I see… so the hell I went through thinking she was dead because of me, that hydra that nearly killed me… that was my entire fault?” I yelled in anger.
“No. Mine.” Athena admitted, smiling sweetly, “I did it, because, well, I have no love for Poseidon, as you know… I couldn’t face the fact that my daughter even liked you. So, I did what had to be done. I hid her here as a test of your love for her – if you didn’t care about her, I knew you wouldn’t bother trying to save her… but you did.” Athena sighed, fingering a strand of her blonde hair as she walked over to Annabeth. Lifting her up, she placed her back in my arms, “Now I know your love is true,” she said, chuckling a little at my gobsmacked expression, “Now, as my blessing, I give her to you, trusting in the knowledge that you will love her always.” She looked down at me with her stern grey eyes.
“Yes,” I promised, “I will always care for, protect and look after your daughter.”
“Because?” Athena prompted.
“Because…” I swallowed nervously, “because I love her.” I whispered, staring down at Annabeth’s heavenly sleeping face. Looking at her, my heart seemed to stop beating and my brain turned to mush. My stomach felt like a nest for butterflies and an involuntary smile crept onto my face.
At this, Athena seemed satisfied and she disappeared in a blinding burst of light that woke Annabeth up. I looked away temporarily, more blinded by her dazzling beauty than any Goddess’s light. A huge lump welled up in my throat as she whispered my name and blinked at me.
“Annabeth… I … I” I stammered, trying to pluck up the courage to say what was on my mind…
“Yes?” she whispered hoarsely, trying to brush her hair out of her eyes. I moved her hand, and did it for her, trying to speak with my eyes and actions. Gently, I stroked and smoothed her hair and gazed into her eyes. I watched her chest rise and fall slowly in time to her heartbeat.
“I talked to your Mom.” I said, trying to fill the awkward silence.
“Oh, yeah?” she frowned; like she was wondering exactly what she’d missed. Sighing, I recounted my conversation with Athena, skipping the last part.
“And?” she said, looking at me expectantly, sensing there was more to the story.
“And then I told her… well, I told her what’s been on my mind lately.” I said slowly, trying to phrase it right.
“Mm hm, and what’s that?” she asked as I watched her eyelids flutter delicately.
“Well, you, um… you, and you.” I admitted, dropping my gaze and looking down at the floor as Annabeth giggled. “Why is that so hard to believe?” I asked, feeling myself blush in embarrassment.
“Well, you and me… it’s nothing serious, right? I mean it’s not like we…” She trailed off as I felt my face drop and my mouth sag at the corners.
“Love each other,” I finished miserably, setting her back down on the rock. Then, I knelt down, grasped her hands and stared into her huge glistening grey eyes.
“What?” she said, frowning slightly as I took a deep breath.
“Annabeth,” I started, “you are the most stunningly beautiful and dazzling girl I’ve ever seen. You’re talented, funny and my best friend. I’ve never met someone so loyal, or… brave, or… honest, or smart, or…perfect,” I finished, “and I love you.” I watched her expression change from confused to ecstatic as tears began to run down her rosy cheeks. “No, don’t cry,” I begged, drying her eyes with my thumbs, “it breaks my heart.” I finished as my voice cracked and my heart crawled up into my mouth… again.
“Percy, I… I love you, too.” She told me. When she kissed me, I almost sang for joy as my heart flipped and cheered and my whole body shut down as I closed my eyes and let the bliss take over my mind, body and soul. I never wanted to move, but my arms found the strength to warp around her and pull her close, so tight I could feel her warm skin through her shirt.
“Don’t let me go,” Annabeth begged a lifetime later as my arms went slack.
“Never,” I promised, scooping her up in my arms and pressing my lips to hers again, “You’re so done getting away from me.”
“Yep!” she laughed in reply as I tickled her stomach mercilessly. I had one thought as we fell to the floor in a tickle war:
At last…
What do you think?
Across the fields, I could see other campers pouring out of their cabins or heading back from Chiron’s ‘Early-bird Archery Club’ – to be completely honest, I wasn’t really surprised that only the Apollo kids were interested. A sudden glint of lush, curly blonde hair caught my eye. Annabeth! Waking up instantly, I ran over to her, madly running my hands through my tangled black hair.
“Percy!” she called, turning and waiting by a nearby tree. Her big grey eyes glinted in the morning sun as her long, black lashes fluttered delicately. It was weird, but ever since we’d come back from Mt. St Helens, I’d started to think about her a lot differently… It was nothing, though – this was Annabeth, my best friend in and out of Camp Half-blood. As I reached her, she smiled and squeezed my hand, pulling me towards the dining hall. Then, we parted ways as I went to sit at the empty Poseidon table. I was really on my own this time, as Tyson was still in the forges of Poseidon’s palace. Thinking of him made me sad, so I picked at my food and stared at Annabeth, just watching her eat, laugh, breathe…
“Perce? Yo, Percy? You there?” Coming back to Earth, I looked up to see Grover hovering over me with a tray of tin cans and Juniper hanging off his arm. She smiled and waved, giggling and looking at Grover fondly. Grover, meanwhile, was staring at me with a shocked expression. He gasped and turned to Juniper.
“Juni, Hun, do you mind if I sit with Percy alone, this morning?” he whispered hesitantly, looking at her meaningfully.
“Sure!” she replied, looking at Grover as if she could read his mind. Being a Dryad, she probably could. Blowing a kiss to Grover the Satyr, she skipped off to her tree.
“So, what was all that about?” I quizzed. Grover NEVER sent Juniper away voluntarily.
“That was about you crushing on Annabeth harder than a Satyr on Artemis!”
“WHAT!” I hissed under my breath, feeling the blood rush to my face. I’d forgotten that Satyrs could read emotions. Grover stared at me in disbelief.
“Are you kidding?” he muttered to himself.
“Fine,” I groaned, placing my head on the table, “I am completely and utterly in love with her! It’s just… this is Annabeth, you know? She doesn’t even like me – except for target practice!” Grover scoffed, as my attempt at a joke was half hearted, and I sloped off to the beach, not wanting to face him anymore.
About a half hour later, I was sitting on a damp rock, watching the restless waves on the ocean when there was a loud metallic clink from behind me. Before I could react, a cold bronze knife was at my throat, suspended in midair as if it had no owner. Chuckling, I held my hands up in surrender.
“You got me Annabeth.” The air behind me shimmered and a curtain of soft blonde hair fell over my shoulder, tumbling down from under a Yankees cap. I lowered my hands as the blade was removed and turned to face her. As soon as I looked, my heart twisted into knots. There was Annabeth, beautiful as ever, sobbing silently as if her heart would break. The sad sight brought back memories of the time I’d rescued her from the Sirens – she had sobbed and hidden then, too.
“What’s wrong, Annabeth?” I asked as she slumped on the rock I’d just got up from. She patted the space next to her with a shaking hand and I sat down next to her.
“It’s... It’s my Dad...” she choked out, putting her head in her hands, “he… he says…. Well, my stepmom hates me and she doesn’t want me around. She said it was her or me… He picked her.”
“So what does this mean, you’ll have to stay year round at Camp?” I asked, appalled. Her Dad had always put his wife first and I knew how tough it was for Annabeth.
“I can’t… Chiron say’s no-ones allowed anymore, because in the winter, their always understaffed, and Dionysus has gone to Olympus temporarily to see his wife. There’s just no way.”
I sat there, my heart breaking as my best friend fell to pieces before my eyes. She had nowhere to go until next summer, and she couldn’t just live on the streets – it was way too dangerous for a half-blood, and she had no surviving mortal relatives… A sudden wave of inspiration came over me as I had an awesome idea. Taking a deep breath, I gently lifted her chin so her watery eyes were staring right at me, right into my soul, almost…
“Stay with me.” I said, smiling at her hopefully to reassure her, “it would be great – my Mom and Paul wouldn’t mind, and we have a spare room…” I trailed off as Annabeth beamed up at me.
“You really mean it?” she whispered gleefully, eyes shining.
“Really, I do.” I answered. Happy at last, Annabeth fell back into my arms and lay there, content. I held her as she nodded off slowly, and then spent a few happy hours staring at her beautiful sleeping face.
Her lips were parted in a small O and a strand of hair covered a delicate eyelid as the other twitched. She was obviously dreaming. Watching her, I was peaceful and happy, and it wasn’t long before I had drifted off as well…
In my dream Annabeth and I were in the ocean near a bone littered island. Off in the distance, I could see an old sailing vessel bobbing up and down in the murky water. It was a little while before I realised where we were – just off the coast of the Island of the Sirens. This was a replay of two years ago, and I was holding on to a kicking, screaming and sobbing Annabeth again. She was hypnotised by the song and struggling to reach her desires. Curiously, I placed a damp hand on her bare arm and stared as the sirens showed me what she was seeing.
Two years ago, Annabeth had seen her parents back together and her friend Luke before he was Kronos. She had also seen Manhattan – which she had completely rebuilt. Now, the scene was very different.
The backdrop to the scene was a glittering Olympus, dazzling marble and silver walls surrounding the magnificent throne room. In the centre of the room was a small cluster of people gathered round a picnic blanket. When I looked closer, I saw Poseidon, my Dad, and Annabeth’s Mom, Athena shaking hands and smiling as if they had just come to an agreement or reached the end of a fight. They looked down at two demigods – a dark haired boy and a pretty blonde girl. The two were holding hands and laughing as the boy planted a shy kiss on the girl. With a start, I realised that the girl was Annabeth and the boy was… me? I moaned softly with longing as they continued to gaze at each other. Why couldn’t we really be like that?
Shocked to my core at how the dream version of me and Annabeth had moved me, I quickly removed my hand from the real Annabeth’s arm.
The scene didn’t change. Experimentally, I touched Annabeth again. The scene stayed the same.
“Don’t you see Seaweed Brain?” Annabeth stopped struggling and looked at me intently, “I love you.”
My perfect dream ended there as a sudden wave of water crashed down on me and woke me up. Wait… water?
Opening my eyes properly, I looked around to see that I and the still sleeping Annabeth were surrounded by a churning pool of choppy sea water. We’d obviously been sitting too close to the shore when the tide was out and now it was coming in – fast.
“Annabeth!” I yelled over the roaring of the waves, “Wake up!” Startled out of her dreams, Annabeth sat up in my arms, blinking blindly at the midday sun. Then it dawned on her where we were.
“Percy!” she screamed as a huge wave ripped us apart and carried her further out to sea.
“Annabeth!” I yelled in a panic, “Grab that rock!” Annabeth obeyed and grabbed the jagged tip of an almost sunken boulder. It was too wet, though and her fingers slipped fast. With one last terrified scream, she lost her grip and disappeared under the colossal waves.
“Annabeth!” I cried out, hoping she would resurface. My hopes were dashed when I saw her trainer lodged between two rocks near a cliff. She was way beyond my reach, and the sea was too wild for me to try to restrain. In desperation, I scanned the horizon for anything that would help.
That’s when I saw it.
The Queen Ann’s Revenge was sailing towards us, apparently navigating by the waves alone – there was no captain aboard the ship. I swam furiously towards it, fighting with the currants. A ladder fell over the side at my command, and I climbed up. By the time I reached the top, I was bone dry.
“To Annabeth!” I told the ship. Within seconds, we had reached the cliff – nut Annabeth was gone. I searched for her as far as I could see until a flash of blonde hair caught my eye. Whooping in triumph, I launched myself back into the water and swam to her.
Her trainer was stuck faster than I’d realised, and I had to force her foot out of it before she could move. I must have been rougher than I meant to be though, as Annabeth hit her head on the sharp point of the rock and fell unconscious. Luckily, I was a strong swimmer, so I could easily scoop her onto my back and battle my way back to the ship.
“Whew!” I sighed in relief and turned back to Annabeth, thinking she would probably wake up now. The damage was worse than I’d realised, though and I had to swallow back vomit. There was a huge gash across her forehead, ending just under her eye and her dripping wet hair was sticky with blood. I shook my head in disbelief and tore at my hair.
“No…No… Annabeth, wake up!” I pleaded. Her only response was a violent shudder through her body. She could probably die of the cold alone, and I was no healer. Camp was miles away now, and we were the only ones out here.
Unless…
The sea! It had always healed me, and I was determined to make it work for Annabeth, too. I picked her up gently and jumped off the side of the boat. When we hit the water I conjured I huge bubble to wrap around us, locking out the water that would suffocate Annabeth. Hesitantly, I placed my hand on Annabeth’s wound and created a warm stream of water from my fingertips. I closed my eyes as I concentrated all my energy into that water, and imagined it flowing through the gash and clearing away the blood, leaving nothing but a pale scar. When I had the courage to peek, I saw that Annabeth had healed.
“Thank the Gods…” I muttered, sighing in relief as her eyes fluttered open.
“Percy…” she said drowsily.
“Yes, Annabeth?” I replied softly.
“Where am I?”
“In… my home turf.” I answered, pointing to the underwater wonders around us. She gasped in delight, and then began to frown as if she were trying to remember something.
“I’m not… drowning?” she asked incredulously.
“No!” I laughed.
“Thank you,” she murmured as I wrapped my arms around her, “for saving me.”
“I’m a hero, aren’t I?” I joked, “That’s kind of what I’m here for!”
“My hero… all mine…” Annabeth murmured sleepily as she laid her head on my chest. Then she realised what she’d said. “I didn’t mean… I mean… that’s not what… UGH!” She groaned in frustration – I knew she hated not having the words for every occasion. I smiled right at her and held her gaze. She trailed off slowly, gorgeous grey eyes hidden behind a mass of now dry Cinderella curls – only much prettier…
“I can’t take it any more!” I told her, moaning softly, “why do you have to be so beautiful, so perfect… and be the one girl I can’t have… The one girl I want.” She stared, dumbstruck, and I knew I’d better do it now, while I had the courage.
Placing my hands around her flawless face and running my fingers through her soft, shimmering hair, I pressed my lips to hers and held her tight. When I pulled away, I simply gazed at her dumbstruck expression. After what seemed like an eternity, she smiled and kissed me again as we floated around on the ocean floor. I was in heaven, my brain melting and my heart beating a thousand miles an hour, dancing and cheering. Finally…
All too soon, though we had to float back to the top and sail back to camp. I was barely paying attention as I sailed the ship, though. My eyes never left the incredible girl who was now mine. I thought of the vision I had seen in my dream, and I knew that this would last. From the other end of the ship, Annabeth winked.
“Set sail for Camp.” I told the ship, walking over to her. She pressed herself against me. And with that, she kissed me again, and squeezed me tight to her. It still wasn’t tight enough though, and I swept her up on my arms and jumped onto the shore of Camp Half-Blood. I carried her to my cabin and we stayed there alone, all day and night… Kissing, chatting, laughing, hugging, celebrating… It was only at midnight that I was able to let her go back to the Athena cabin and change into my pyjamas, but I still stayed up all night whispering the most important, beautiful and significant word in the world…
Annabeth… Annabeth…
The next morning, I woke up feeling happier than ever, knowing my perfect girlfriend was waiting for me. It was with this happy thought that I sprinted out of the cabin and… ran straight into Grover.
“Peeercy,” he bleated, wincing, “Chiron’s looking for you. He said you need to go to the big house.” Not waiting to see if Grover was OK, I bolted for the big house, thinking I could just get this over with and see Annabeth…
“Percy!” Chiron yelled when he saw me. He ushered me inside and locked the door behind us. Obviously, this was a man to… centaur talk. I was a little surprised when he then sat me down in the game room and began pacing (or was it trotting) around in front of me.
“I’m afraid I have some bad news, Percy.”
“How bad could it be?” I asked dismissively, my mind wondering to much happier places… Annabeth…
“Very bad,” he sighed, “there was an attack at camp last night. Somehow, three hellhounds got in, and well… Annabeth was walking back to her cabin when they saw her. She was alone, and she thought she could take them down that way. Alas, she was wrong.” My heart crawled into my throat.
“So she’s… d-dead?” I stammered.
“No… abducted. Where she is now, we just don’t know.” He admitted. Giving me a small pat on the back, he trotted out of the room, leaving me alone with my less-than-happy thoughts.
My heart stopped.
I couldn’t breathe.
Uncontrollable tears ran down my face.
She was gone. Gone, gone, gone, gone. And it was my entire fault. My entire fault… Overcome with grief, I lay my head on the table and yelled in frustration.
“WHY?” I screamed, “Why did you take her away from me?” I yelled at… who? Who took Annabeth? Who would want to hurt her… and me… like this? Who hated us… who hated ‘Us!’
“Some hates me and Annabeth being together,” I muttered to myself, drying my eyes, “who could it be?”
Within the next hour, I’d created a list of suspects: Athena, Rachel Dare, Poseidon, Clarisse and Chloe, a naiad who’d had a crush on me since I arrived. I thought Chloe and Rachel would be jealous, but Rachel, as a mortal, could not summon Hellhounds, and naiads hated them… snarling, I crossed them off the list. I thought about Poseidon and Athena, but my Dad had been too happy for me when I’d Iris Messaged him last night… that left Athena…
As a goddess, she could command evil forces; she’d never liked me and was very protective of her daughter. It had to be her! A flare of hope flickered inside me as I filled with new determination. Now, I just had to get a quest, or… visit the Oracle, Camp Half-Blood’s Mummy fortune teller, hidden in the attic just upstairs. Reluctantly, I crept up and unlatched the trapdoor. The stench of reptiles hit me like a ton of bricks and I wanted to bolt, but I knew I had to find Annabeth…
“O, Oracle!” I said as I hauled myself up and shuffled towards her, “how can I save Annabeth?” For a frightening moment, nothing happened, but then I saw a small roll of parchment fall from the mummy’s hand. Shaking, I stuffed it into my pocket and sprinted to my cabin, the glassy eyes of the Oracle watching my every move.
When I got to the cabin, I cautiously opened the parchment and read:
A son of the see shall save his love,
With help from beasts, goats, and the dove,
An angry owl shall be appeased,
As the eight headed guard takes its leave
The couple shall take a fresh, new breath,
As the sea commands the doors of death.
I swallowed, trying to make sense of the prophecy.
The son of the see shall save his love… that HAD to be me and Annabeth, so no worries there…
With help from beasts, goats and the dove… now, I knew the symbol of Aphrodite was a dove, and I’d guessed she’d want to help, but beasts, goats? I had no idea…
An angry owl shall be appeased… I was hoping that would be Athena…
As for the eight-headed guard? That had to be a hydra… I shuddered as I remembered the first time I’d met a hydra – it had been at a replica of the Parthenon…
Parthenon! I was sure that was where Annabeth was hidden! Almost laughing with my joy, I ran out of the cabin and down to Thalias tree.
“Goodbye, camp!” I yelled, “Hello, Annabeth!” I would be with her soon…
A two hour taxi ride later, and I was in Nashville, staring at the replica of the Parthenon. It was quite late, so now it was shut; just the front was lit with floodlights. Bathed in the dim glow were two familiar figures.
“Grover, Tyson!” I called happily, racing over to them. The beast and the goat! It all made sense as Grover tackled me with a goat hug. Without waiting for any explanation, Tyson dragged me over to the Parthenon’s main entrance and ripped apart the iron bars like they were rubber. We entered the dark building in single file as Grover fumbled with the light switch.
The only thing in the room was a 30ft tall statue of Athena scowling down at us, as if she still hadn’t forgiven us for stealing her crowns pearl.
“Annabeth?” I whispered, as Grover and Tyson followed my lead, “Are you here?” There was a loud hiss in reply, and a 10ft tall hydra slithered into view, eight heads snapping angrily at us. Obviously, he was a fast reformer.
I knew what to do now and a grabbed a lit brazier from the wall… huh. I hadn’t even noticed it was there. Breathing deeply, I charged.
“YAHHHH… aghh!” I yelled as one scaly foot aimed a powerful kick at my chest… and hit it. I groaned as my head smacked Athena’s stone sandal, and my vision went black. Hissing in victory, the hydra crawled towards me and placed each of its scaly heads right up to my face… the heat was overpowering. If I didn’t find the strength to move, there was going to be Hydra-Fried Percy Leg’s on the menu pretty soon.
“MOVE!” a beautiful voice commanded, filling me with strength. I suddenly felt alive as wonderful memories filled me up… Annabeth’s head in my lap, the dream of the Sirens, our first kiss… I rolled away as the Hydra let rip with a deadly column of fire from every mouth. I was not going to die while Annabeth was still out there, and I yelled ‘No!’ as the heat just singed my arm. Silently willing death to flee, I concentrated on the sea, my life source. I had to stop this hydra! Suddenly, I had an idea.
“Grover, play ‘Stuck in the middle’” I yelled. Obediently, Grover pulled out his reed pipes and began to play. Within seconds, the hydra was completely entombed in rough, dry stone the colour of the walls. I smiled as he melted away.
“WHOO!” I cried, hugging Grover and Tyson. There, the second line of the prophecy was complete… Tyson, and Grover had helped me, and Aphrodite had filled me with the strength of love. Check!
Suddenly overcome with exhaustion, I placed a clammy hand on Athena’s statue and panted. All of a sudden, a deep rumbling sound filled the room as her head began to crumble. Tyson and Grover yelled and ran away, while I stood there, transfixed. Before long, there was nothing but a pile of rubble.
“Sorry!” I said guiltily, praying Athena wouldn’t be too mad. A faint yelp caught me attention… It was coming from underneath the rubble. Curiously, I began digging through the shattered rock, catching my breath when I felt a strand of long hair. Within minutes, I had unearthed a trembling, dusty Annabeth.
“Annabeth!” I cried out gleefully as my heart did a thousand relay races. My beautiful girlfriend was back! I laughed in shock as a salty tear rolled down my cheek. I scooped her up in my arms, breathing in her sweet scent and kissing her tear-stained face.
“Percy!” she croaked, coughing up powdered rock. She slung her weak arms around my neck, “My Mom… the hellhounds… I couldn’t see anything!” she stammered.
“Shh…” I told her, placing a finger to her now white lips, “don’t scare me like that again. I thought I’d lost you forever. I was going crazy.”
“Silly… Seaweed Brain,” she mumbled, resting her head on my chest and closing her eyes.
“Your seaweed brain,” I corrected as my little piece of heaven fell asleep in my arms. I kissed her forehead and sat down on a chunk of rock.
“Perseus.” A deadly calm voice called from behind me. When I looked up from my little angels face, I saw… my little angel’s mother, Athena.
“You!” I growled, gently resting Annabeth on the floor and walking towards Athena, “How could you do this to her? I mean, she’s your daughter!”
“I did it… because of you, Perseus.”
“You did it because of me. I see… so the hell I went through thinking she was dead because of me, that hydra that nearly killed me… that was my entire fault?” I yelled in anger.
“No. Mine.” Athena admitted, smiling sweetly, “I did it, because, well, I have no love for Poseidon, as you know… I couldn’t face the fact that my daughter even liked you. So, I did what had to be done. I hid her here as a test of your love for her – if you didn’t care about her, I knew you wouldn’t bother trying to save her… but you did.” Athena sighed, fingering a strand of her blonde hair as she walked over to Annabeth. Lifting her up, she placed her back in my arms, “Now I know your love is true,” she said, chuckling a little at my gobsmacked expression, “Now, as my blessing, I give her to you, trusting in the knowledge that you will love her always.” She looked down at me with her stern grey eyes.
“Yes,” I promised, “I will always care for, protect and look after your daughter.”
“Because?” Athena prompted.
“Because…” I swallowed nervously, “because I love her.” I whispered, staring down at Annabeth’s heavenly sleeping face. Looking at her, my heart seemed to stop beating and my brain turned to mush. My stomach felt like a nest for butterflies and an involuntary smile crept onto my face.
At this, Athena seemed satisfied and she disappeared in a blinding burst of light that woke Annabeth up. I looked away temporarily, more blinded by her dazzling beauty than any Goddess’s light. A huge lump welled up in my throat as she whispered my name and blinked at me.
“Annabeth… I … I” I stammered, trying to pluck up the courage to say what was on my mind…
“Yes?” she whispered hoarsely, trying to brush her hair out of her eyes. I moved her hand, and did it for her, trying to speak with my eyes and actions. Gently, I stroked and smoothed her hair and gazed into her eyes. I watched her chest rise and fall slowly in time to her heartbeat.
“I talked to your Mom.” I said, trying to fill the awkward silence.
“Oh, yeah?” she frowned; like she was wondering exactly what she’d missed. Sighing, I recounted my conversation with Athena, skipping the last part.
“And?” she said, looking at me expectantly, sensing there was more to the story.
“And then I told her… well, I told her what’s been on my mind lately.” I said slowly, trying to phrase it right.
“Mm hm, and what’s that?” she asked as I watched her eyelids flutter delicately.
“Well, you, um… you, and you.” I admitted, dropping my gaze and looking down at the floor as Annabeth giggled. “Why is that so hard to believe?” I asked, feeling myself blush in embarrassment.
“Well, you and me… it’s nothing serious, right? I mean it’s not like we…” She trailed off as I felt my face drop and my mouth sag at the corners.
“Love each other,” I finished miserably, setting her back down on the rock. Then, I knelt down, grasped her hands and stared into her huge glistening grey eyes.
“What?” she said, frowning slightly as I took a deep breath.
“Annabeth,” I started, “you are the most stunningly beautiful and dazzling girl I’ve ever seen. You’re talented, funny and my best friend. I’ve never met someone so loyal, or… brave, or… honest, or smart, or…perfect,” I finished, “and I love you.” I watched her expression change from confused to ecstatic as tears began to run down her rosy cheeks. “No, don’t cry,” I begged, drying her eyes with my thumbs, “it breaks my heart.” I finished as my voice cracked and my heart crawled up into my mouth… again.
“Percy, I… I love you, too.” She told me. When she kissed me, I almost sang for joy as my heart flipped and cheered and my whole body shut down as I closed my eyes and let the bliss take over my mind, body and soul. I never wanted to move, but my arms found the strength to warp around her and pull her close, so tight I could feel her warm skin through her shirt.
“Don’t let me go,” Annabeth begged a lifetime later as my arms went slack.
“Never,” I promised, scooping her up in my arms and pressing my lips to hers again, “You’re so done getting away from me.”
“Yep!” she laughed in reply as I tickled her stomach mercilessly. I had one thought as we fell to the floor in a tickle war:
At last…
What do you think?
