This is after TLO, but no HoO… sorry for lack of Leo :/. But this would be the summer after the Battle of Manhattan, almost a year for the couple.

It's Not so Bad

"Get to the left!" Annabeth yelled as she swiped the bird-monster that had attacked in the middle of Capture the flag. Percy had just disintegrated the first one to attack as Annabeth was still glaring and avoiding the claws of it. Feathers flew as she could finally roll under it. Percy lunched to cover the other claw that was swiping in an effort to help her. Percy tripped and swiped up when he dropped Riptide which incidentally killed the monster.

"What? I totally had that! Why would you kill it?"

"What? Oh I'm sorry; I tripped."

"Tripped my ass Jackson! You get back to Zeus' fist before you can't walk."

"I'm sorry, come on I really didn't mean to kill-"

"Percy," she said lightly. He turned scared as she completely released her anger and walked towards him gracefully. She had a trick up her sleeve. "I'm sorry, babe." She never called him that. "I understand you are trying to protect me, but can I have the next monster?" She asked as she laced her arms around his neck and kissed his nose.

"Uh, um."

"I'll take that as a yes?" She fluttered her eye lashes as Percy stood there like an idiot. This wasn't some day at his apartment when he could expect her to come onto him- this was capture the flag at camp.

"I- uh- I'm sorry?"

"You better be," she said whispering as her hand trailed down. She rubbed the small of his back and made his knees buckle.

"You feel that? I will start kicking this spot on your back until your down if you even think of trying to get my monster again. Got it?" He groaned at the mixed feeling he held. Her simply touching him made his head go to mush, but the small of his back brought major pain and some- very little- pleasure they way Annabeth was scratching it right now.

"I got it," he said tightly. "Sweetie," he added with a laugh as she let him go completely and journeyed into the woods where they would meet the Stolls.

But the next thing that happened was the Stolls yelling at them to watch out before they were both knocked face first into the ground. Percy got up quickly when he realized Annabeth was being dragged somewhere as the Stolls clumsily got their swords out. Annabeth tried to stick her dagger in the claws that were dragging her both the angle she was in wouldn't allow it. Percy was fighting hard but his eyes danced with red as he saw the red trailing Annabeth. The bird tried to take flight with her but Percy threw his sword like a javelin praying his aim wasn't as bad as he thought. Annabeth dropped to the ground from twenty feet as Percy lunged for her. The Stolls were closer but as they caught her torso and legs her head dropped and bobbed up again from the force- Percy was literally one freakin second off.

The world went black for Annabeth as she felt the drop. She turned to face the ground as she saw hands go for her. But the last thing she felt was a hard impact. She couldn't hear the yells go a pause in the game and the rush to get to Annabeth. She didn't couldn't see the horrified looks at the sight of her gashed forehead or torn waist, nor could she feel Percy's fingers inspect them. She didn't hear any of the conversations that took place the day after, for she slept through it all because she was knocked unconscious for half of it and to exhausted to open her eyes for the other 50%.

Percy was distraught as she carried her back to the camp- it was a breeze to carry her- but his worry weighed him down. Chiron was already halfway to the woods with a stretcher when Percy gave her to him. He fed her nectar and ambrosia while pressing on her wounds as he walked next to Chiron to the infirmary. She gained her color, but the minor scratches were the only thing healed. Percy was sent out of the room to get her some of her own clothes while Chiron stitched her up and put ancient blessings on her. Percy came back in three minutes with the desired items, not surprising Chiron.

"Go change your clothes Perseus. She shouldn't wake up to a bloody boy," he said as he put another stitch through her skin. He walked out of the Big House's infirmary in a extremely fast walk and pealed his bloody shirt off before he passed the Aphrodite cabin- causing an uproar he was unaware of. He threw it aside as he entered the door and switched jeans. He was out of his cabin within minutes while unfolding his new tee and unknowingly giving the Love cabin a great sneak peek.

When Percy walked in Chiron was done and he turned to him for answers.

"Is she okay? The concussion won't shake her up that much right? The ambrosia and stitches will fix her?" Percy asked desperately. His eyes were blood shot from so much adrenaline on top of worry and his always present energy.

"Percy… Annabeth might be out for a few days."

"Days? But the gashes are dramatically healed, her head is just a scar and scratch thanks to you!"

"Days. Do you know if she wears undershirts?"

"Um yeah why?" He didn't know what to think of the change of topic. It was dinner time now and after all the drama at capture the flag word could leak of her condition and only make it worst.

"Can you change her shirt please?" Percy went red in the ears. Sure he had seen Annabeth completely exposed but that was when it was just them. They barely kissed in front of anyone because… well it was private. Changing Annabeth seemed like a breech in the privacy.

"What? Like isn't that against some rule?"

"Please don't make me have this discussion with you Perseus." Chiron was not ready to talk about what he asked, all he knew was any one else would tell the entire camp, and that would cause to must stress on her when she woke up. So he left the room with a sigh.

Percy changed her shirt with nervousness as he lifted her sleeping head. He sat in the one chair next to her cot and put his head down with worry before Chiron came in one last time.

"You aren't leaving are you?"

"No. Do I have too?" Percy was suddenly worried. He couldn't leave her now.

"No, just turn the light off when you think necessary. And I want you at breakfast in the morning. You can get your food and directly come here if you need to."

"Thank you," Percy smiled tiredly.

"Goodnight."

The next morning Percy walked out of the Big House to get his food, sacrifice and ask the gods for a favor, and go back to Annabeth's side. But people swamped him.

"Hey is she okay?"

"She's not dead is she?" That boy got glares from others for being so blunt. The only thing Percy said on the matter was: "She is sleeping. But don't stress her out when she wakes up, she for sure has a concussion."

He walked back to Annabeth's side and ate slowly. He adjusted her blankets and fixed her hair, which cause her to stir. Percy froze as her eyelashes fluttered open and looked around.

"Ah! Percy what happened? Why is my head pounding?"

"Sorry, I can get Chiron to get you medicine. You can have some nectar, but you have used to much ambrosia for now. How does your stomach feel?"

"Wh- what happened to you?" Her eyes were dilated in confusion. Why was Percy lean, tall, and growing a five o'clock shadow on his face? Percy was her secret crush, not this…god.

"What are you talking about? Are you okay?" Annabeth couldn't make out why the teenager she was talking to yesterday was this adult.

"How old are you? Why do you look so old?" He was frantic and confused before his face wiped blank.

"Annabeth how old are you?"

"I'm 14, Seaweed Brain! How old are you?!" He yelled for Chiron as calmly as he could.

"This isn't good… oh gods. Annabeth I'm 17, and so are you," he said taking her hand. She blushed at the gesture.

"Percy there is no time travel to make you older than me. Your scaring me," she said pulling her hand away. Percy look terrified for a minute and wiped his face clean. He realized she didn't remember- why not he worried about- but he needed to disregard his feelings and hurt to be there for her.

"Um, you had an accident in capture the flag, Annabeth. You have a severe concussion, which apparently gave you some amnesia, and 11 stitches on your right side," his hand lifted up her shirt wearily to show her. Annabeth hid her blush as her torso was revealed. She want to get up, use the restroom, eat, and take a moment to process this.

"I- I need to use the restroom." Percy blushed and stopped causing the delicious tingles in her stomach as he soothed his hand over the scares. Percy wasn't always this touchy, and she needed to step away from it.

"Here," he said helping her up. She almost fell to the floor from the sudden pain in her side. Percy caught her and helped her. Chiron came in after she was done and Percy helped her lay down again.

"It's good to see you awake. What is the last thing you remember?" Annabeth thought long and hard, trying not to meet Percy's fake calm eyes. He was trying to hide his anxiousness.

"Quintus called Percy and I's name for teammates to battle pit scorpions. And then we fell into a dark hole, and the very last thing I remember is, like, holding his hand to get out," she blushed. She didn't understand why Percy was grinning and not blushing scarlet.

"Well it is good you remember that much, and that you woke so early. Percy and I have been worried. How is the pain? Are you hungry?"

"My head is pounding and my side is on fire, but my hunger is pretty high right now. Can you explain how I look 18? Why can't I remember?" Chiron explained confusing facts and links to concussions and amnesia while Percy went to get her her favorite breakfast- hot chocolate, hash browns, buttered toast, and two scrambled eggs.

He walked in like the loyal boyfriend he was to serve her breakfast in bed, regardless of the amnesia. She blushed and thanked him profusely. Chiron and him stepped out to discuss schedules.

"What have you told her?"

"Just her age, and injuries. She doesn't know anything past the time we discovered the Labyrinth."

"You mustn't overwhelm her," Chiron said. Percy knew what he was saying: she couldn't know about their relationship because it would stress her out.

"I realize that. She doesn't know anything," he whispered.

"Good, I will tell the camp to tell her nothing."

"She is going to want to practice and get out there to remember. You realize that right?"

"Hm, yes. I will combine your schedules. I want you to explain roughly what happened over the time. Question her on it."

"Okay." But before he left he asked the teacher one more thing.

"Do you think she will remember?"

"Eventually, my dear boy."

"So… What don't I remember?"

"Hm, we did find the Labyrinth that night, I can't believe you remember holding my hand," he said bluntly. The Percy she remembered wasn't… such a man. This Percy admitted he held her hand, as if he was glad. The boy she remembered looked down with a blush on his cheeks. "You lead the quest- your first- and took Grover and Tyson along too. We met Janus and shortly after Hera. We visited Apollo's ranch… Grover and Tyson left, leaving you and me, but then we saw these monsters that were making Kronos' scythe. Then they attacked us. I kind of blew up the volcano…" he continued to tell her that whole summer. He left out the kiss between them and didn't understand the spark in her eye when he told her Rachel came to help on the quest.

She was pissed and unknowingly jealous of Rachel Elizabitch Dare. Percy went to Calypso's island and fell in love- but he came back. She was told about the preparations for the war but as much as she craved the information, she needed to be active. Her head and waist was numb and bandaged, and she needed to stop listening to how her and Percy became distant and that he spent time with Rachel. The storytelling ended when Percy said he was going to leave with Beckendworf for a mission.

"You need to change your jeans though," he commented.

"Chiron healed me?" she guessed.

"Yes. You looked… dead like."

"Why isn't my shirt bloody?" She asked as she closed the infirmary room door.

"We changed it."

"Who did? Selena?"

"No," was all he said as he lead her to her cabin.

"What- why are all the cabins here? We haven't had this many campers ever! What happened?"

"It occurs at the end of my story. You designed them you know. And want me to let you in on a little secret?"

"What?" She designed these beautiful cabins- her eyes glazed over.

"You are also the official architect of Olympus." She gasped.

"What?!"

"Also post story."

"Go get changed and we will go to Fighting lessons, I teach them now."

"But … like Luke used too?"

"Um, yeah. But you help me next hour, then I help with canoeing."

Annabeth walked out in the middle of exchanges in classes. People saw Percy out before her and rushed to see her. She was amazed to see all the faces, but then she saw Rachel. She remembered her- she gave Percy her number in front of her eyes and ruined their date. Well Percy probably wouldn't think it was a date, but to her it was. She got to spend a happy day with Percy and be normal for a few hours. But no, Rachel ruined that and apparently took over her mission. Right now Annabeth didn't remember that but if she did she would be more furious. Rachel was the one in the sleeping bag next to Percy for most of that, if he wasn't by himself. Annabeth had vivid dreams about him as if they weren't fighting. Annabeth really liked Percy at that point, and he was clueless. And she didn't know if it was because he was truly clueless, didn't like her, or he liked the mortal.

But the way Rachel came forward, relief clear and sincere on her face it seemed like they were friends. So she directly asked her.

"Are we friends?"

"Of course, once… the war was over we started hanging out and everything." Annabeth was stunned, how could she be friends with her at the age of 17? It was only 3 years… But then she turned to Percy.

"How come I couldn't see her too? Just because you two are close and all doesn't mean I can't see her too!" Then she laughed at his confused face and threw her arms around him. This wasn't happening. They looked like they were a couple. Percy returned the hug in front of her mortified face. But then a boy she didn't know spoke up.

"Be careful Percy! What would your girlfriend think of that?" That pierced her heart. She was 17, and she never told Percy how she felt. He had a girlfriend now and she was still in the friend zone.

Percy looked to Annabeth quickly, who looked to surprised for words.

"Gods dammed! Chiron told you not to say anything! I haven't told her anything past the Beckendorf's mission to blow up the Princess Adromeda. You are totally freaking her out!" Percy pulled Annabeth's numb mind away from the crowd, while Rachel tried to quiet everyone, and examined her.

"Annabeth… are you okay? You don't look to good."

"Girlfriend? When did Seaweed Brain get a girlfriend?" Her attempt at humor stung a little. She was confused still, but mad at herself. She was 17 and didn't remember when Percy got a girlfriend, who she was, or why she never told Percy her feelings.

"It was after the war," he sighed. "She's beautiful," he said with a loving look in his eyes. Why was he giving her that look? If he had a girlfriend he shouldn't be making her blush like this.

"What's she like?"

"You wouldn't believe it Annabeth. She's so smart! And she's pretty- beautiful," he corrected. And she's the only one who can beat me in sword fighting."

"I highly doubt that," she said trying to ignore her breakdown. "I can flip you on your ass. I've met her right?"

"Of course you have, you just don't remember." Percy said somberly. He wanted to smile, as sick as that was, at seeing her face so distraught. She must have liked him longer than he thought if she remembers up to being 14.

"I'll tell you the rest of the story during Fighting. We need to cheer you up." Percy took her hand and lead her to the class.

It was frustrating to hear about the war and that Percy was invincible. Percy told her everything but the fact they are now dating. And Annabeth gasped when she remembers the Battle of the Labyrinth. She recalled hugging Percy, kissing him in the volcano, and going to his and Pollux's funeral after the fight. Thank gods Percy's wasn't real. She told Percy in the middle of their fight.

"Well, look at that class," he said to the teenagers. "She remembers something else!" They all laughed because they had been told all the tales of Percy Jackson, but hearing it from his mouth as he informed his unknowing girlfriend was otherworldly. Half the time they didn't fight- just threw around theirs swords while he re-taught Annabeth techniques and showed the teens.

Annabeth's mind lingered on all the facts. She kissed Percy, they hugged, and he didn't mention that. Was it because he didn't like her back or had he moved on due to her not telling him? She was going to ask him tonight, she decided as she went back to the infirmary after fighting practice- her hip was on fire and she was dizzy. But she was mad she couldn't make it to lunch. As she leaned on Percy for support she opened the door the find the room still empty of other campers. Her conscious decided to torture her with questions until she pushed aside her lunch and decided to confront him. He kept looking at her contently while eating too.

"Who is your girlfriend?" His face instantly turned worried as emotions dancing across his eyes.

"Annabeth please, I want you to remember a few more things before you know that." Annabeth wasn't going to accept that- she wanted to know who won Percy over her- she may remember events up to her 15, and physically be 17, but jealousy burned her as if she were a child. And her patience was wearing thin.

"Percy," she said warningly. "How long have you been together?"

"It is going on a year in a few weeks." Ouch.

"Is she a demigod?"

"Yes," he said hesitantly.

"Her mother?" He winced as if she had slapped him.

"Athena." She gasped. One of her own siblings took Percy.

"Who is it?!"

"Annabeth," he said.

"What? Just tell me who she is!" Annabeth yelled at him. A single tear came down her cheek out of pure frustration. This wound was too deep, her head was throbbing from concentrating, and she was tired of Percy avoiding it. He jumped when she yelled at him and his face twisted in pain.

"I just told you."

"You did not!"

"Annabeth you're my girlfriend." She stopped her small tantrum, her head cleared, and she couldn't breathe.

"Me?" All he did was nod hesitantly, and sacredly. Her stomach did a somersault at this information- it wasn't every day you learned you did get the guy.

"We've been boyfriend/ girlfriend for a year?" She asked with a grin; she had nothing to loose and her boyfriend should like to see her so happy over this smile.

"Yeah," he grinned back.

"So we kissed in Mt. St. Helen's right?" she asked with a blush.

"Oh yeah," he said with a troublemaker smirk.

"Oh."

"Oh? You yell at me and throw a fit for me to get an 'oh?'"

"Well… yeah?"

"You sounded pretty pissed," he started. "You really didn't think it was you?"

"No, why would I? I've never told how long I liked have I?"

"No, of course not. You always brush it off with kissing me." 'Kissing me-' oh gods, she could kiss Percy Jackson, and he was her boyfriend.

"Hm," she smiled. She was confused on the whole age thing- she knew she was 17, but it was difficult since she now remembers being 15.

"How often do we kiss?"

"What?" he asked while blushing.

"You heard me," she said taking his hand and pulling him towards her. "How often do we kiss?"

"Oh a lot, I would say. One in the morning, a few at lunch, in between lessons, dinner, campfire time, and a lot when you sneak into my cabin sometimes." He grinned as he hovered over her. She snuck out of her cabin to see Percy at night? Her flirty mind switched back to a logical one as she wanted more answers.

"How often do I 'visit' your cabin?"

"At least once a week," he grinned as he took her other hand. He just held them as his face moved closer to hers. Her heart melted as she wanted to kiss him. She had dreamed of it since she became a teenager, each summer wanting it more and more.

So they kissed as Percy held her hand and soothed her from her worries. She couldn't believe how different this was from kissing Percy before almost dying; this wasn't short and sweet like then- the last and only kiss she remembered. This was loving, deep, kind of hot to her. And memories flooded back to her as she remembered the highlights of Percy and her from the war- being relieved that Percy lived, her worry for him, jumping in front of a dagger for him, holding his hand, remembering his comments, riding with her arms around his waist on the red Vespa, him not becoming a god for her, the canoe lake. It was the beginning of them, and their own adventure. She even recalled a few details from after- going to Paris, celebrating two months when he gave her a red coral from his father's palace, their three month anniversary at his apartment making cookies, four months at the library and aquarium, and that's when it stopped.

She couldn't remember anything else. But if this is how she recalls events she would be glad to try to remember. Because becoming out of breath with Percy Jackson holding and kissing you isn't to bad.