Last chapter! Tuh-tuh-tuh-tuh! I'm wrapping up my second story of the week here, right after Terminal. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

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The next day Annabeth woke up at the sound of her alarm clock.

School, she thought. Shower, dress, coffee, go…

It only hit her that everything was different when she washed her face and if exploded in pain (not a Monday morning person). She even tore open a cut on her forehead. She searched the bathroom drawer to find a replacement band aid. A few concealers and eye shadows left on the counter–most of them gifts from her siblings 'forgotten' by Piper when she'd moved from their apartment to Washington for business. Annabeth had been too discouraged last night to clean the last few.

With a sweep of an arm against the countertop, she pushed them off and into the garbage bin.

She looked at herself in the mirror, turning to face to try and get a good angle. She had to admit that there were no good angles. That was something new. Sure; she'd had some days when she was a teen where she looked at herself and went 'uggh' but most of the time she was okay with herself. Not now.

Even if spring was blooming and it was pretty warm out, she opted for jeans and a grey NYU hoody. She didn't even try making anything happen with her hair anxious to get away from mirrors and she already knew that there was nothing. Drew could make it look okay, but Drew was Drew.

She gathered her books and locked the apartment door behind her, with a backpack over her shoulder, and two travel mugs with coffee squeezed between her other arm and her hip.

She met Percy's car in front of her apartment building and climbed into shotgun. She leaned towards Percy and they kissed.

"Hello," she said handing him a mug.

"Thanks- I need that," he said pretty much chugging the hot drink.

"Why? What happened?" Annabeth asked.

"Tyson and I watched the modern version too so we stayed up until like midnight, the stupid kid in my class gave me his cold, plus then I had to pull an all-nighter."

"Do your homework when you get it- that's your own fault, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth chided.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Get all of yours done like you planned?" He asked. Annabeth had completely forgotten about that. She'd been too upset last night. How did she forget about homework?

"No, I was tired." She lied.

"Sleep better in your own bed?"

"Yeah," she said. "I'm just happy to be at my own place, with all my own stuff."

"I bet. Speaking of your stuff- you know how Connor knocked one of the couch's leg off with the Ping-Pong racket?"

"How would I forget something like that?" Annabeth joked.

"I guess you don't… Well, Tyson fixed it for me in like 30 seconds."

"So I can have my copy of The Odyssey back?"

"Yes. It was really good at replacing a couch leg, though." Percy said.

"Oh good, because I don't own that book for its content or importance in classic literature and our personal heritage on the godly side." Annabeth said sarcastically.

"'Course not." Percy said. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Such a Seaweed Brain." She muttered.

When they got to campus they had to separate for different classes.

Annabeth walked alone across campus and she did her best to ignore the odd looks. But some things just really bugged her. People squinting for a better look, or nudging their heads. She didn't even have long hair to cover her face.

She got to class and sat in the back. People came to welcome her back, some of which she'd never talked to before, but seemed to want to talk to her now. They had fake and posed smiles, like a Stoll who was trying to make you not find out about the latest rigged table. Smile and wave, smile and wave…

Annabeth said hello back, thanked them when they offered condolences, but didn't try to talk much because people just looked more, and they didn't want to talk and look at her scars any more than she wanted to endure their smiles.

The only person she was happy to see were Natalia and Perry- who were legit friends of Annabeth. They'd seen her in the hospital too, so no weird looks from them. They were like her safety blanket- she felt okay at least with them around. It felt so ridiculous to be feeling that...

When the teacher did attendance, he squinted at Annabeth to recognise her, which drove her nuts.

Her day was spent that way until a guy called Dane Grack came to ask her the first honest question of the day; 'what happened to your face?'

"I got attacked by a dog." Annabeth said. Personally she thought it looked more like she'd been jumped by a starving lion, but that was what the hospital had said.

"Oh ouch. Sorry, hope you're better soon."

"I am better." Annabeth said coldly. "These scars don't mean I'm sick, they just won't fade."

"Oh… Cool." Dane said before leaving. Annabeth held her head in her hands. This day was getting off to as bad of a thought as she'd expected it to.

She'd never felt this self-conscience since she'd been 13 and trying to impress Percy- who was as dense as cement. Now, she felt like the whole world has its eyes locked on her face. She'd never liked it or anything, especially since there was Percy, but guys used to look at her like 'whoa…' She noticed it, but never returned it. Now, they looked at her crooked. Girls that had ignored her fake-talked to her. It was like the world was looking at her scars as those took away her face, her body, her looks… Yeah, she said it; her looks. Like that was all that mattered now.

She needed a decent distraction. A good book would be great.

She skipped the subway home to go to the library and loitered around the shelves, looking at title after title in various sections. Literature, antiquity, mythology, architecture…

She grabbed a copy of the Iliad (her copy had been destroyed by Travis when he'd gotten into a sleep-vandalism phase) and made her way to the counter of the library's desk. She put the book and her student card onto the counter and the librarian took it, except she frowned when she saw Annabeth. She looked back to the student card- which had a picture of Annabeth's face at the beginning of the year. In other words; minus the scars.

"I'm sorry Miss, but is this your student card?" The woman asked. Annabeth felt her chest ache.

"Yes," she answered. The librarian raised an eyebrow. "I… I had an accident, and…"

"Okay, I see." The librarian said, scanning the barcode.

"You might want to get it redone," the librarian told Annabeth gently, handing her the book, probably trying to be kind. Annabeth nodded because she didn't trust herself to speak, and left quickly.

In the same pace, she strode across campus, past a teacher who had brought a young child to work, feeling tired and about to cry. The fact the pain killers and patience had worn out weren't helping her case.

"Mommy, what happened to that lady's face?" The girl asked. The mother frowned and sent Annabeth an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry she's just-"

"Right." Annabeth said in a hoarse voice. "It's okay, I get it, she's little, not everyone has scars."

The woman bit her lip and Annabeth just walked away. She didn't want the lady to say sorry about her daughter saying what everyone thoughts. Annabeth was actually glad that that little girl had said it. She rather be told the truth than spend her whole life waiting for scars to heal and her face to become hers again.

When someone glared at her and called her out, she could snap a witty response and go on with her day; as easily as she could chop a harpy's head off and wipe the dust off her knife. But when it was a crooked look, and maybe a whisper she couldn't quite make out, she couldn't call anyone out about anything. It was like fighting a monster that had your sword. Talking to a world that had your confidence. Her way of responding to things had been taken, it made her feel like her skin wasn't hers even more.

Usually she'd take the subway home and walk to the Museum of Natural History where she'd gotten herself a job in the box office.

Oh my gods- box office…

Sitting behind a counter, giving out tickets, stamping the hands of little children and welcoming every single person in… The idea of more people made her shudder.

She called her boss and asked if she could take another day off. Charlene was way too nice for her own good, and told Annabeth that of course, they couldn't wait to have her back, that she should rest well today, and see you tomorrow.

Annabeth sat down on a bench near the parking lot and buried herself in her book. Literally; she held it high up to hide her face.

This is ridiculous, she thought. I've seen Aphrodite girls do this when they have zits.

But she did it anyways.

Percy did in fact spot her when he got to his car after his last class, 2 hours and 244 pages later.

"Annabeth? You didn't go to work?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Didn't feel like it," Annabeth said. Percy studied her face with worry, and Annabeth had the feeling that he saw right through her lie, like he tended to.

"Come on," he said. "I'll give you a ride."

Percy had gotten a 95% on a pop quiz so they joked about national holidays, monuments and other stuff.

"Yeah, but this unit I really don't get." Percy said.

"What's it about?" She asked. Percy explained to her as they sat in traffic and added;

"Well I know you've studied that when you were six years old, but some of us…"

"Need their girlfriends' tutoring?"

"Yes." Percy pleaded.

Percy begged the whole way and it was so entertaining and cute, Annabeth only told him she'd do whatever he needed to pass when they pulled up to her apartment.

"Well in that case-"

"Watch it, how much of an idiot do I look like?" Annabeth asked.

Notebooks, textbooks, loose-leaf notes and an open bag of chips were spread on the glass coffee table of Annabeth's living room. They both sat with their legs stretched out under it, and a textbook opened on their laps. Percy really was making an effort- he had that cute look to his face that he got whenever he was learning something that mildly made sense to him. She'd noticed it first when they read through their first page of 'The Odyssey' together when they were 12. Not that she'd found it cute then… But she definitely found it cute now.

She really took in his face though. Well, she always looked at Percy and every day she thought 'there's my seaweed brain' and 'wow'. But she really took him in now. The way his hair fell over his face just enough to make it cute without hiding his eyes, the shine they had, the curves of his lips, how high or low his cheekbones were, his flawless face…

"Are you checking me out?" Percy asked. There was a smile touching his lips.

"Me? No."

"Yes you were."

"Well, maybe."

"Gods, you're supposed to be the mature one that gives a Styx about education." He teased, shoving her in the elbow. She shoved him back harder.

"If you rather study-"

"I rather not, actually."

"But you've got to pass," Annabeth chided. "I've got some money on it, Seaweed brain and if I have to give the Stolls 10 drachmas apiece, I'm never forgiving you."

"Okay, okay. I've just got to blow my nose because of Jeremy Germ Spreader in mythology. I knew he'd given me his nasties. Too bad the curse doesn't protect against that." He said getting up.

He got up and disappeared down the stub of a hallway that led to the bathroom.

She was flipping through his notes with a mental spellcheck going on, when he called out her name.

"Yes?" She called back.

"Why'd you throw all your makeup out?" He asked. Annabeth's jaw slammed shut on her lip.

"Umm…"

Percy reappeared. "I mean, you've never needed any of that stuff or anything, but you've always had it." He said.

"I… It's no use." She said softly.

"What do you mean, it's no use? Do they actually mean it when they put an expiration date on or-" he studied her face.

"Annabeth, did you throw it out because it didn't hide your scars?" He asked.

Her eyes drifted to her knees. She looked back up at Percy who frowned.

"It feels like I'm not Annabeth Chase anymore." She confided. "I talk like her, I think like her, and I love the same people- but I don't take the same place and people don't take me the same way."

"Not in a good way?"

"You have no idea how hurtful some looks can be," she said. "Everything's changed for me, it's so different and strange."

Percy swooped in, took her hand, and got her to her feet. Just as quickly he dragged her to the bathroom and planted her in front of the mirror.

"What do you see?" He asked.

"Percy I know what my face-"

"No- hear me out. Something that hasn't changed from before?"

Annabeth was about to say nothing- even her size had changed, she'd lost a lot of weight during her stay at the hospital and coma. But she caught herself before turning in a bad answer.

"My eyes." She said.

"Exactly," Percy said. "When people see you, they feel scared because they're so damn bright. They look like they're trying to figure out how to have you hanging from the ceiling like a meat sack, just in case. They look like they know how to hurt you, and your brother, and your dog. They're bright and smart, they make you want to listen, daring, brave, and they're always a big presence. That's pretty to me. Whatever your cheeks or nose or chin are, no matter what cut or scar there is on your face- you will always going to be pretty to me. No, you're always going to be beautiful, because you're always going to be that. You're always going to be you."

Annabeth turned back to Percy. She'd been obsessing over her face and arms and neck so much, she'd forgotten that that was not something that Annabeth Chase did. That Annabeth Chase was much more than a pretty face, and that Annabeth Chase was strong- scars or no scars. And if other people didn't think that... That wasn't her problem.

"You're pretty smart for a Seaweed Brain," she said. She added quietly, "And you're right. I forgot about that."

"Maybe I can get an upgrade to Fishbrains now." Percy joked.

"No, I like the classics." Annabeth said.

"So we kiss now?"

"Of course, Seaweed Brain."

The End