Author's Note: I know that plus six months is no excuse for not updating. I literally have had some crazy things happening and writing was coming in second to everything else. But now I'm here *surprise!* and I hope you are all still here to read and review this. Merry Christmas Everyone! Thanks for sticking by me and this story!

"Chaos is a friend of mine." - Bob Dylan

The car ride back to camp is one of the most awkward silences of my life.

Because my lovely piece-of-crap car is ridiculously small and without a functional passenger seatbelt, Percy and Calypso have been forced to clamber in the backseat. Though it was mostly Calypso that did the clambering, seeing as Percy wasn't particularly conscious for our rather strategic get away from the aquarium (courtesy of my brilliant mind, as usual). The cops had shown up just as I tore out of the parking lot at about eighty miles an hour, Percy still passed out in the backseat with Calypso. We've been driving for about an hour so far, and neither of us has said a word, save for the idiotic mumblings of my boyfriend in dreamland.

Now, on normal occasions, I would be safely driving at the speed limit (some fifty miles under what I'm actually driving now) but when you've got a mortally wounded boyfriend in the backseat and a beautiful girl who appears to know said boyfriend and is sitting with his head on her lap, it tends to make one press the gas pedal slightly harder than usual. And by slightly harder, I mean hard enough that we're breaking about five road laws at once.

You see where this awkward silence is coming from now, don't you?

I glance in the rearview mirror for the twentieth time in five minutes, eyeing Calypso as she lightly brushes her fingers through Percy's dirty hair.

I suddenly have to resist another urge to vomit all over the floor.

"So," I drum my fingers on the steering wheel and pointedly watch the road, "You're name is Calypso?"

"Yes." She answers immediately, looking up surprised as if noticing me for the first time.

"Son of Atlas?"

"Yes."

"Forever trapped on an island to be tortured by handsome heroes?"

"Yes."

"So, mind telling me what in Hades are you doing here?" I ask, albeit a little harshly. I'm not one to beat around the bush, and I'm certainly not one to be polite when a situation has come up. Princess Pretty would just have to deal with it.

However, instead of looking affronted or upset by my abrupt question, she just shrugs slowly. "I don't honestly know myself. One minute I'm on the island planting my forget-me-nots and the next, I'm standing in the middle of the city on a very tall building…"

"You mean you just went poof! And showed up here?" I ask suspiciously, wondering how the heck that had even happened. The last time I'd checked my mythology references, Calypso was on that island for good. No vacations or mental health days for her.

So how had she ended up here, of all places?

"I tried going to somewhere near water, since I'm more familiar with beaches than I am with….urban life." Calypso continues, her blue eyes wide with innocence. "But the closest thing I came to that was not completely polluted and revolting was the aquarium I was at today, where you…" She trails off, because her narrative is obviously a simple fill in the blanks from here on.

The silence stretches on some more, until she finally speaks.

"You know Perseus?"

I accidentally jerk the steering wheel and send us swerving for a few seconds, but answer tersely. "You could say that."

"You are his sister?"

It is now that I nearly slam into the pick-up truck in front of us in my outburst of annoyance.

Oops.

"Um, no."

"His friend?"

"I'm his girlfriend." I say, trying to hide the smug streak of pride bound to come out in my voice.

She doesn't reply, and when I check the rear view mirror, she is back at brushing dirt out of Percy's hair, as if the mention of me being his girlfriend was no matter whatsoever.

Thankfully, I manage to make it to camp without any more near-collisions with trees, cars, and other intimate objects that one might want to take their anger out on via car.

Surprising, I know. But believe me when I say I was tempted.

I do not know why I am in such a bad mood when we get back to camp, but I am. I stalk past Thalia's tree and literally burst through the camp entrance, Percy leaning against me and limping, Calypso on his other side, holding him up. At once were swamped by a bunch of campers saying a multitude of greetings that swarm about my head like a herd of flies. "Hey look, it's Percy and Annabeth!" "I didn't think they'd be back till summer!" "Yeah! Welcome back, guys, it's great to see you!" "Percy, you've got to come check out this awesome cave we found out in the woods near the lake, you-" "Wait, what's wrong with Percy, Annabeth?" "Is he hurt?"

Really, the quick wittedness of us demi-gods makes me wonder how we even survived a war against the Titans.

"Someone get Chiron." I snap, walking Percy straight for the infirm and ignoring all other inquiries. "Now."

I deposit Percy on a bed as soon as I make it to the infirm, grabbing a bottle of ambrosia from the nearest medicine cabinet and pouring some out into a beaker. I press it to Percy's lips, feeling only a twinge of relief as he responds and begins to drink. Then I round on Calypso, who is standing awkwardly behind me, trailing me like a lost puppy would a child and say, "Do not leave."

Call me a Bitchy Dictator all you want. I did not become a cabin leader at age thirteen for my skills in tea time gossip and knowledge of knitting patterns.

"Annnabeth!" Chiron has galloped into the room, looking white as a sheet. "Percy, is he…"

"He's fine for now." I sigh, feeling some of the tension removed immediately from my shoulders as soon as he enters the room. Chiron has a ridiculously calming effect, and I am immediately reminded of how nice it is to see him again. "I think. He got hit in his.…" I trail off, not wanting to blurt the word 'Achille's spot' out to the entire room full of campers. "Temple, went unconscious."

Chiron must have heard and understood the lie, for he nods. "A monster attack, I presume? I thought you weren't on a mission."

"We weren't." I answer darkly, glancing over at Calypso, who has seated herself on the cot next to Percy's. Her blue eyes are fixed widely on Percy, completely unaware that both Chiron and I are staring at her.

"Is that a demi-god?" Chiron asked.

"Not exactly."

"Meaning?"

"Chiron, meet Calypso."

If Chiron was expecting a rather surprising explanation, I think this might have surpassed his expectations. His eyes widen and he looks at Calypso in wonder.

"But….her…the island..."

"I think," I continue, glaring at the floor, "That someone might have bargained with Zeus for her release."

"Bargained with Zeus?" Chiron looks incredulous. "Zeus never bargains, unless he owes someone very much, such as someone who saved one of his children, or the whole of Olympus, or….oh."

Yeah. My thoughts exactly.

During the continued silence of the car ride, I'd thought and thought about the possibilities. Being the one who entrapped her there, Zeus was the only one who could release Calypso. But Zeus wouldn't just wake up one day and suddenly decide to be a gracious and forgiving guy. Someone had to have bargained for her release. Someone who Zeus couldn't say no to.

And really, there was only one person on this earth stupid enough to bargain with the ruler of the gods, in all actuality.

What a seaweed brain.

"But if Percy did it, then how did she end up in New York City?" Chiron wonders aloud, pacing about the infirm.

"I'm guessing she ended up on the Empire State Building," I answer, "Or that's what it sounds like. She's been wandering around Manhattan for weeks, completely unaware of what to do. And…of course, Calypso would attract trouble if wandering around."

"Monster trouble?"

"Naturally."

I then describe the chain of events from the interruption-of-date-via-giant-on-rampage to Percy passing out cold. Chiron remains impassive, merely watching Calypso with acute interest.

"Alright." He nods once I finish my tale.

"So, where shall we send her?" I inquire. "I'm sure the satyrs can find her a nice woodland meadow to live in…or maybe she can join the Huntresses."

"Send her? No, no. She'll stay here."

"Exactly who should…wait, what?"

Disbelief, irritation and all above annoyance prick at the back of my throat, but I hold back my scoff.

"She's got nowhere to go, Annabeth—"

"But she's not exactly a demi-god, and she serves as a liability with her major monster attraction gene."

"We cannot abandon her." He says firmly, cutting off all retorts with a that-is-that stare in my direction.

"Calypso?" Chiron addresses the girl. She finally tears her gaze away from Percy, whose eyes finally fly open at this precise moment in time. "Come with me. You're probably exhausted. We'll get you a place to rest."

"She can use my cabin for the night." Percy croaks. "It's clear I won't be going anywhere."

Calypso beams at Percy, Chiron nods and I resist the urge to glare. Why would I want to glare? What is wrong with me right now?

They leave, and I walk slowly over to Percy, sitting next to him. He literally winces under my gaze.

"Care to explain?" My voice is ridiculously controlled for how unstable I feel.

"Um….which part? The how-could-I-be-so-stupid-for-getting-hurt-in-battle part or the who-the-Hades-is-Calypso-and-what-the-Hades-is-going-on part?" He grins guiltily.

"Let's start with the latter."

Percy sighs, and an arrow of guilt shoots through me. He probably isn't feeling all too hot at the moment, seeing as his whole body is most likely aching all over and his lower back is probably killing him. Nevertheless, he pressed onward.

"When I…died, all those years back when we were down in the Labyrinth," Now it was my turn to wince, because I knew what was coming, "I ended up on Calypso's Island."

I guessed as much. But go on, I'm in no hurry to get redundant facts here.

"She took care of me, she fed me, she got me feeling better. And then she gave me a choice."

"Stay or go." I mutter. I know the story.

"Well, obviously I chose to go. The war continued on, and when it ended, I told Zeus he needed to release her."

"Why?" I ask, sounding too defensive for my liking. "Why did you ask for her freedom?"

"You would have done the same." Percy sighs again, looking tired and aged suddenly, that grey streak in his hair standing out more than ever. "She'd committed no crime."

"So she's free." I reiterate. "And now what? Percy, she has no place to go, no family. How can you expect any of this new world to be good news for her?"

"Annabeth," Percy suddenly looks slyly at me, "…are you jealous?"

"I…what? Of course not!" I splutter. "Of her? Please. I'm not the jealous type."

"Yeah, right." He snorts, wincing again in his laughter.

"Percy! I am not the jealous girlfriend."

"Annabeth, if that's true, how come you could barely speak three words to Rachel two years ago without making some sort of malicious jibe, hm?" He asks all knowingly.

"That was different, Percy!" I exclaim indignantly. "We weren't dating yet, and you totally had a thing going on with Rachel! Admit it, you did!"

"Well, yeah, sort of, but I liked you too."

"Moot point. You were never involved with Calypso."

However, his sudden flush of color seems to say something entirely different.

"You were?" My voice shoots up several octaves of its own accord.

"Not exactly. She liked me, we were on an island alone together…it just…" His alarmed glance at my expression sends words pouring out of his mouth in a hurried rush. "We never kissed….or did anything…you know, it was just one of those harmless attraction things."

Harmless attraction things. How come it didn't feel harmless? How come the expression on his face as he talks about her feels anything but harmless at the moment?

But it didn't matter, really, I tell myself firmly. She may have been his great what-if that never happened, but I am his Wise Girl. I'm the one who spars with him when his unending invincible energy refuses to die out. I'm the one who he likes to kiss for excessive amounts of time when no one is looking (and sometimes when they are). I'm the one whose hand he holds.

And this I know, and am sure of. Percy cares about me.

But there is a part of me that can't help but wonder if he also cares about Calypso as well.

It is all very unsettling.

But I won't be jealous. Cause I could never be that ridiculous and over possessive.

"Do you believe me?" He asks, looking slightly apprehensive as I sit there and ponder.

I sigh. "Of course, Seaweed Brain."

He grins. "Good."

His grin is so laughably relieved that I can't even try to reprimand him for his idiot tendencies in battle. Thankful that everyone else has left the infirm, I just lean forward and kiss his lips, ignoring the taste of sweat and dirt that lingers on them. And somehow, despite the fact that he is in pain, Percy pulls me down so I am completely on top of him, smiling rather devilishly against my lips and running his fingers rather eagerly through my own ratty looking hair.

It is considerably some time later before pulls away and whispers. "I'm sorry for getting hurt."

"You really gave me a scare there, Seaweed Brain." I answer back, my lips somewhere on the column of his throat.

"And you worry too much, Wise Girl." He replies, bringing me back up to his lips for a quick peck. "I'm alright, aren't I?"

"You'll be sore tomorrow, that's for sure." He grunts noncommittally, blowing off the notion entirely, as he captures me in yet another kiss.

"Thanks for the date." I smile against his lips. "A little unorthodox, but I had fun."

And, despite the slight lie, I can't help but feel it is worth it in the moment. Percy just simply has this way of spreading immediate giddiness throughout my system. One of those weird things I hate and adore about him at the same time.

In this moment, everything is right. Everything is perfect.

If only someone could have told me earlier to enjoy the moment while it lasted, because very soon everything would be exactly the opposite of perfect and right.

Author's Note: Once again, please give me the perfect christmas gift in the form of a review!