Piper

Piper could feel the deck jumping underneath her feet, threatening to bring on another wave of the nausea that seemed to be affecting everyone. "Land ahoy", she sighed, Leo had really been taking the whole captain thing really seriously, and in the last few months had developed the annoying habit of trying as hard as he could to sound like a pirate.

Piper felt Jason come up decide her, she could feel the tension between them, "you should probably go get Annabeth," he said quietly. Silently she sighed, she still didn't know where she stood with him. On one hand they had both been on a quest, a journey, together, then again he grew up with these people, he spent his life with them, who was she to stand in his, or his potential girlfriends, way. She nodded, understanding his request, no matter how bad she felt Annabeth was probably worse, she still didn't know if Percy would even remember her, or it he was even alive.

Quietly Piper went to the very lowest level of the ship and knocked on her door, receiving no answer she opened it quietly, she saw Annabeth sitting at her makeshift desk, every inch of her tiny cabin covered in sketches and drawings – battle plans - Piper recognised. "Annabeth" she said quietly, she turned towards Piper, her face gaunt, and just seeing it made her cringe, they all knew she hadn't been sleeping well, she tried to hide it but they all saw how hurt she was. "Yes" she answered

"Leo say's were almost there" Piper replied, as she said these words Piper saw a kindle of hope flicker in her grey eyes. "I'll be there is a second" she said before standing up and opening her wardrobe and carefully selecting jeans and her camp half-blood t-shirt. Piper remembered the number of discussions they had had about, what to wear upon arrival, and in the end it was decided, to forgo the Camp Half-Blood T-shirts, but after one-to-many, duels with the demigod infront of her, she just kept quiet. Carfully let herself out and went back up onto deck, seeing for the first time, the Roman camp, yet she could not ignore the feeling that she wasn't meant to be here.

Annabeth

Annabeth sprinted to the top deck and leant over the railing catching a glimpse of a tunnel guarded by two people in amour, "Leo" she called, "Its over there", Leo looked over from where Jason was giving him instructions. "Pardon lassie?" he called over the wind, sighing she made her way over to him. "Your going the wrong way, its over there" she pointed to the two figures, noticing Jason's blush, this wasn't the first time he had led them astray, the last one had involved what probably used to be a very nice restaurant and to very confused pizza delivery men.

She felt the ship land, not very delicately, and noticed the small crowed that had gathered around, systematically she glance around at all the faces, she noticed two figures in purple cloaks and remembered what she knew of Roman law, so they must be the leaders – the praetors- , she thought.

She inspected their faces, the first seemed vaguely familiar, yet she couldn't place it exactly but she had the feeling it had something to do with a guineapig and a Hades of a lot of death threats. Shaking her head she looked at the second face, who had his arm around a petite girl with masses of frizzy hair and a large boy. He was bent slightly talking to them, she hissed quietly as this meant she was unable to see his face, though carefully she noted his hair, a midnight black colour, still she didn't let herself hope as she was, as yet, still far to high to notice any particular features.

They had decided to let Jason walk off first, as sort of a peace offering, despite his complaints that he didn't want to be used as a human canary. She could hear their cheers and almost smiled, before turning to Piper who was meant to go next, but she wasn't moving, instead she motioned to Annabeth, who took the hint and climbed down the long service ladder, keeping her eyes facing the ship, to avoid looking, yet again, for Percy, putting it off for as long as she could, so that, if she was wrong, she could remain ignorant. This didn't prevent her from skipping the last few rungs of the ladder, however, and jumping off, carefully slapping the ground just before she hit it, in order to separate the impact, and rolling to her feet.

Abandoning any pretence of not caring she whirled around stared at the crowd, in the back of her mind she was carefully evaluating all of their flaws and strengths, though even this halted when she finally saw the pair of green eye's she had been searching for, for the past 8 months, 6 days, 7 hours, 23 minutes and 48 seconds. She had never let herself hope he would remember her but she found she was sprinting towards him anyway.

Some of the Romans tried to block her path but she just pushed past them, and may or may not have growled at a few. She looked up, smiling slightly as she noticed Percy trying to run towards her, ignoring the many strange looks he was getting, forgetting he was wearing that ridiculous bed sheet. He reached out his arms toward her and took her by the waist, spinning her around in the air, Annabeth finally laughed, a carefree sound. Before being put down, she looked into his eyes, and finally, saw the recognition in them that she had longed for.

She gently leant forward and hugged him, relaxing the tension she had been holding in her muscles for the past 8 months, 6 days, 7 hours and 26 minutes. He simply held her, running his fingers through her curls and holding her close.

Suddenly she leant back with a gleam in her eye, "So I take it you remember me?" She asked, he smiled and leant forward until their foreheads were touching "You were the only thing I never forgot" he whispered before dipping her into the mother of all 'made for TV' movie kisses.

Suddenly all the onlookers broke out of their silence as the large boy who Percy was with earlier let out a wolf whistle. Straitening Annabeth felt her cheeks heat up, and noticed a similar blush on Percy's cheeks. She turned so face the small crowd, while doing so nudging the knife tucked into her sleeve. Remembering a promise she had made to herself, extremely early one morning, whether he remembered her or not, she drew it and turned to face Percy, tucking it under his chin.

Eyes flashing she said "If you ever make me think your dead again, I swear I will send you to Hades, the hard way" she paused, allowing herself a small smile "and here I was thinking I was the one who would never make it easy for you!". Dropping the knife she hugged him once more, "I'm glad your safe Seaweed Brain" she murmured

"Me too" he replied, before taking her hand.

Suddenly saving the world didn't seem so impossible now that they weren't alone

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