A/N: I don't own PJO. :'(

I moved aside some tools, set down a relatively clean blacksmith's apron, and hopped up on the table. I hummed as I mixed the powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla in the bowl. Tyson sat near the forge, tinkering with something or other. Every once in a while, he would stand up and check to make sure the cake wasn't burning or something terrible like that.

See, we were baking an oblong cupcake for Percy. He completely forgot that today was his birthday, so I wanted to surprise him. I asked Tyson for help, since he's good with fire and stoves and forges. See, we were at the forge because Tyson was too big to fit in the Big House's kitchen. So, we opted for somewhere where he felt more comfortable. I glanced up at Percy's brother.

"Tyson, I'm about to add the dye. Do you want to come watch?" He looked up from his project and gave me a toothy grin. I returned it with ease. Even though Tyson was a cyclopes, I felt comfortable around him.

"Sure!" I beckoned him over, and selected the blue dye from the box. I squeezed a few drops into the mixture, and used the fork to swirl it around. Tyson clapped his hands excitedly. "Yaayyyy! Pretty colors!" I kept mixing until the frosting was one solid color. It was a kind of pale blue though, so I added some more. Swirl.

"Tyson, can you check the cake please?"

"Of course I will." Tyson sauntered over and took out the pan with his bare hands. He presented it to me, and I inspected it with an unpracticed eye. "How do we check to see if it's done?" he asked.

"Let's see if the top of it is firm first," I said. I honestly had no idea what to do, but it seemed as good as a plan as

any. I gently probed the top of the misshapen cupcake, any when it didn't give way, I pressed a little harder.

Bad Idea.

It happened in slow-mo. I jabbed the top of the chocolate brick, and I watched as my finger slowly fell through, punching a bullet-sized hole in the top. I felt soft goo below the hard top, and my finger was on fire. In short, it was what I call 'A Percy moment.'

Definition of a Percy moment: The act of doing something incredibly stupid, and reckless without thinking.

"STYX!" I shrieked. I heard distant thunder, but I was more focused on my burned finger than anything else.

"Are you alright, Annabeth?" Tyson asked with a concerned tone. I bit my lip. This wasn't nearly as bad as taking that poisoned knife for Percy, but it was pretty bad. Some people may call me a wimp, but getting burned hurts. I stuck my finger in my mouth, and nodded to Tyson.

After a little bit, I said to Tyson, "I think it could use a few more minutes." He nodded and put it back on the rack, while I ran to the Big House to treat my finger.

I saw Percy surrounded by some of the younger campers on my way, and I smiled. He must have been telling them how brave and fantastic he was. They were probably tripping over themselves to get his autograph or something. Great, now he'll just have a bigger ego.

I jogged up the steps to where Chiron was sitting on the porch. I gave him a quick wave then raced inside. I ran my finger under some cold water, then put on some burn cream and bandaged it. I didn't want to spontaneously combust (a burned finger was bad enough), so I didn't take any ambrosia or nectar. All the campers had consumed so much of that stuff over the last couple days that if any of us ate any more, we would probably explode.

I was walking back to the forges, when Percy caught my eye. I quickly changed my destination; if he found out about Tyson and the cake, the surprise would be ruined. I smiled and waved. He waved madly back at me, and I laughed at his goofy expression.

All the kids around him whirled around to look at me, effectively giving themselves whiplash. I heard a couple talking.

"That's HER."

"She's pretty."

"Peanut butter!" I laughed at the kid who said that, walking away and waving one last time. Eventually, I got back to the forges, making sure Percy wasn't looking. Tyson was there, and the cake was out of the oven cooling. I waited a little while, thinking up plans for Olympus. After a good half-hour, I took my finger (not the burned one) into the frosting and slowly spread it over the small cake. I heaped it on, though I don't know why. Giving Percy sugar probably isn't the best idea in the universe.

Tyson and I stepped back to appreciate our work. It had to be the ugliest blue cupcake I had ever seen. I heard the conch horn blow for dinner, so we let the frosting set.

Dinner was uneventful. I felt bad for Percy, sitting alone at his table, but he kept leaning over to talk to people from other tables, so I guess it was okay. Juniper and Grover had the cutest reunion I had ever seen. They went for a walk by moonlight. When dinner was over, I rushed off to get Percy's cupcake.

Some campers saw me on my way back to the pavilion, and there was much whispering-behind-hands. I had to get close before I saw him. He was sitting at his table still, looking out towards the beach. He he must have been deep in thought because he didn't even notice when walked up behind him.

He glanced at me when I sat down, and did a double-take, noticing the monstrosity I had in my hands.

The rest is history.