Dislcaimer: You guys know I don't own anything... right? Uncle Rick gets the credit!
oooOOOooo
"Percy," Hazel said, "you swore on your life. Romans take that seriously. If anything goes wrong, even by accident, Octavian is going to kill you. You know that, right?"
Percy smiled. He knew the stakes were high. He knew this day could go horribly wrong. But he also knew that Annabeth was on that ship. If things went right, this would be the best day of his life.
He threw one arm around Hazel and one arm around Frank.
"Come on, " he said. "Let me introduce you to my other family."
oooOOOooo
Percy's POV
When you're a demigod you tend to have rotten luck. I should know, since my life has been no picnic. We have to deal with the bad and appreciate the good- even if, compared to normal mortals, there isn't all that much of it.
I've kind of learned to be grateful for being a demigod, though. I mean, yeah, okay, there has been a lot of times I wished I was a regular guy. Someone who could ask his girlfriend out on a date to the movies without having to pack a celestial bronze sword, a shield, possibly a canister of Greek Fire and avoid cell phones at all cost. Would I love to be a dude who could just go and pick up a pizza without having to get rid of a hell hound on the way home? Of course.
But I can't do any of those things; and to be completely honest, I'm kind of okay with that.
Even though demigods like my friends and I will probably have shorter lives than most people I've come to terms with that. Sometimes I even feel lucky because of it because it makes me appreciate the good things in life a lot more than your average person. Getting through a day without having to kill a monster? That's a great day. Meeting the people at Camp (both of them), because of who I am? Awesome, most of them are great people. Going out on a date with Annabeth? I'm thankful for every minute.
Those are the good things. The best things. Besides, it would be kind of sad to go through life never knowing that any of this amazing (and sometimes scary) stuff is out there.
Do you want to know what the best thing is?
Annabeth.
I don't even know how to describe her right, or our relationship. She's beautiful and unbelievably smart. I mean you probably hear that from guys all the time, and maybe one of the many reasons I'm saying this is because I'm scared she'll get me with her knife if she hears I said differently but... it is the truth. Her hair smells like lemon and her grey eyes swirl with everything she's thinking. She's one of those people who you know can take you down without breaking a sweat (she's like her mother that way). Believe me, you don't want to get on her bad side.
Oh yeah, and did I mention? Her mother is the Greek Goddess, Athena. Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy... Basically a pretty scary goddess. You don't want to mess with her either.
So yes, when you're a demigod you start to be grateful for every little thing you can be. Like me. I'm grateful for pizza, and cheeseburgers with Thalia (a friend of mine), and Grover my best friend and Tyson my brother. Most of all, though, I'm grateful for the four months Annabeth and I dated.
Why only four months.
Well, ha, now that's a long story.
See even though I'm a demigod... gods and goddess's aren't all that fond of me- most of them at least. But that doesn't stop any of them from asking me to do their dirty work.
Like last year when I had to help defeat their evil dad (or grandpa, for some of them), the evil King of Titans, Kronos. And before that, when I battled Atlas, not to mention the monsters I've killed...
Where was I again? Oh yeah, right. Sorry, I'm ADHD. I get distracted easily.
Anyway, the latest thing the gods want me to do is take part in the next Great Prophecy. I've already been the subject of the first one but, you know, who cares, right? I'm just a demigod, I can handle it, can't I?
That must be what Hera thinks anyway, since she's the one who signed me up for the stupid thing.
Okay, signed up isn't exactly the right description. More like wiped-my-memory-and-abducting-me-before-placing-me-in-a-Wolf-House-to-go-to-an-enemy-camp sort of thing. And the quest isn't stupid, either. It's actually really important and if my friends and I don't succeed the world will end because Mother Nature's finally deciding to wake up.
Sounds complicated? Try living it.
Hera, Queen of Heaven herself, personally stole my memories from me. Should I be honored?
Maybe a couple of years ago. It's not everyday one of the most powerful goddess' handpicks you for an important task. But Hera and I aren't exactly on the best of terms since I took a trip in the Labyrinth with my friends.
Maybe I should start this from the beginning. Yeah, that would probably be better.
oooOOOooo
See I guess... I guess it all started four months after Annabeth and I started dating. We were both headed to Camp Half-Blood, our favourite place in the world. Even though both of us went to school in New York, we hardly had time to see each other. She spent practically all of her time redesigning Mount Olympus- another long story- and me... well I guess I wasn't doing all that much, but I couldn't just go to Olympus every day after school whenever I wanted. I had homework and after the summer I had I wanted some time to regain my bearings and just act as normal as I could. The mortal world was a good escape after everything that had happened.
Annabeth and I hadn't seen each other all that much. A weekend here or there, sure, but not every day like we were used to doing in the summer.
So we went to Camp for winter break. Both of us were so excited, I mean three entire weeks for the two of us? No school, no parents (well... there was Chiron. But we could probably avoid him if we needed to.) and no obligations, at least for a few weeks.
I was a little nervous, but at the same time more excited than ever. I mean Annabeth and I had spent a week together as a couple at the end of last summer. We had seen each other the odd day in the four months since. But three weeks together? That was a lot of time for me to screw up our relationship somehow.
I didn't want to. I was just nervous that I would.
But even though I was nervous it wasn't like I wanted to escape being there with her.
Hera didn't really give me a choice though.
It was right after campfire and Annabeth and I were joking around, giggling like love-struck teenagers... which we were, I guess. My arm was around her shoulders, hers wrapped around my waist, and I walked her back to her cabin.
Our older friends catcalled and winked. They yelled out at us, making everyone else snicker, but we rolled our eyes and ignored them. Travis and Connor especially.
Annabeth's cabin, the Athena cabin, were all inside by the time we made it to the door and Annabeth and I could see them moving the curtain slightly to spy on us. She stepped away from me to stand on her doorstep, making her the same height as me, and smiled.
"Well I guess I have to go inside."
"I guess," I agreed.
She raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Anything you wanna do before I go, Seaweed Brain?"
Of course she wanted me to kiss her, but I didn't really get that. Immediately I had started to panic, going through my memories, wondering what I was supposed to apologize for now.
"Umm, look Annabeth, whatever I did I'm sorry-," I started.
She laughed before shaking her head. "No, silly." She answered, throwing her arms around my neck.
"Oh." I was pretty sure I was blushing and internally I cursed myself for being stupid. Of course she wanted me to kiss her goodnight, that's what boyfriends did, right?
It's a good thing Annabeth kissed me whenever I did anything stupid; otherwise I probably wouldn't get many.
Instead of pulling away right away I only stepped closer to her, wrapping my arms around her waist to pull her as close as I could. Annabeth didn't complain, instead moving her hands up to wind themselves in my hair.
In the end it was Malcolm who interrupted us, by pulling open the Athena cabin door. Everyone else was crowded behind him, staring at us wide-eyed as he cleared his throat.
All three of us were blushing when Annabeth and I jumped apart.
"Oh, hey Malcolm." Annabeth said, flustered. I smirked before she sent me a glare, which wiped the smile off my face. "We were just... saying goodnight."
Now it was Malcolm who smirked, even though he was blushing. "Yeah, we saw." He said, glancing at me. "Hey, Percy."
"Malcolm," I said with a smile. "How's your little sister, Kiley?"
"Oh she's good!" His smirk changed into a fond smile. "She started grade three this year."
"That's great-."
"Sorry to interrupt, but I think it's time we all got to bed." Annabeth said loudly, not looking sorry at all. "Malcolm, would you give us a second." Insert meaningful look here.
I swallowed. Uh oh.
"Yeah, sure," Malcolm said. "Just... don't take too long."
He closed the door.
Annabeth turned to me. "I have to go."
I nodded. "Okay."
She looked at me, suddenly taking my hand. "We have the next three weeks together, right? For the two of us?"
I looked at her in surprise. "Of course." I ran my thumb over the back of her hand reassuringly. "Whatever you want." I promised.
She nodded, looking like she was trying to convince herself my words were true. I was about to ask what was wrong- because something obviously was- but she beat me by pecking me quickly on the lips. "Goodnight Percy."
I smiled. "Night."
"I love you," she said, her eyes searching mine.
The words made my smile soften. I kissed her quickly once more. "I'll see you tomorrow." I promised.
She nodded and turned to go back into her cabin.
I never saw her the next day.
After I had left her I went to my cabin and fell onto my bunk, exhausted. I hoped I wouldn't get any more nightmares- I'd been dreaming about huge, giant shadows looming up in caves and stuff for days now- but the minute my head touched my pillow I was asleep.
I had been going to tell Annabeth about my dreams this winter break. Unfortunately that never happened.
Hera kidnapped me while I was asleep. I didn't notice anything.
The next thing I remember is waking up with a huge wolf staring me right in the face.
"Ahh!" I scrambled back on my hands and knees, crab-crawling, and the wolf bared her- somehow I knew it was female- teeth. She was huge and chocolaty red, and her teeth looked sharp and white.
Automatically my hand went to my pocket and I felt a pen. Before I could question my actions, I had it uncapped.
It grew into a sword and I almost dropped it in surprise.
What?
I looked around, trying to get my bearings. Where was I? What was I doing here?
A heavy feeling settled in my stomach. I couldn't remember.
I racked my brain for answers to anything. My name was Percy, I knew that much. How old was I? No idea. What was my last name.
The feeling in my stomach tightened into actual fear. I didn't know my last name. I couldn't remember my parents faces, or their names, or even if I had parents. Siblings? None that I could remember.
Girlfriend?
My head pounded and my vision blurred for a moment. Annabeth. Blonde hair, grey eyes, a smiling face.
My stomach loosened and something warm coursed through my veins. "Annabeth," I whispered the name out loud, just to make sure it was real.
The she-wolf growled at me. 'Who are you, pup?'
Okay now that was freaky. A wolf speaking in my mind.
Was I crazy? Had I hit my head a bit too hard?
Somehow I knew that I hadn't. This was real.
"I don't know." I answered her honestly before shivering violently. I looked down and realized I was in pajama pants and a blue t-shirt.
Lucky thing it was summer.
I spotted the dropped sword on the ground and picked it up, keeping my eyes on the wolf in front of me the entire time. I was scared if I looked away from her she would pounce and have no qualms about eating me.
'Are you the delivery from the goddess?' The wolf growled again. 'The special godling, sent to me to be tested?'
"Special godling..." I trailed off, shaking my hurting head. This was giving me a major migraine. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know how you're talking. Can I go home? Do you know where I'm from?"
'Remove your necklace,' the wolf growled, fixing my neck with her stare. Or, rather, something on my neck. 'I have not seen a necklace like that in many years.'
"I.." I felt my neck and sure enough there was a cord there, and on that cord, beads. I untied the knot at the back of my neck and the necklace fell into my palm.
Four beads.
A trident, a golden thing that I was pretty sure was a fleece, a maze and finally a bead with a whole bunch of names on it, too small for me to read.
My hand shook and I dropped it.
'You recognize them?' The wolf asked, and I heard a knowing tone in her voice. I looked up and met her eyes before quickly bending down to scoop up the necklace. 'You know what the markings on the beads mean? What they represent?'
"What is this?" I asked her, holding it out. I couldn't look away. This necklace... it had something to do with Annabeth. I knew it. I didn't know how I knew it... I just knew it did.
'Your presence here is a violation of a sacred oath, one my counterpart and I both swore upon the River Styx. Yet the goddess sent you here, despite that and it's consequences.' If wolves could frown I was sure that's what the wolf was doing. 'I should rip you apart where you stand, just for your trespassing. Yet I will not.' Her nose wrinkled. 'No, instead I must train you.'
"Train me?" I asked incredulously. "Train me for what? There's no way I will play fetch or roll over-"
The wolf snarled and her fur rose. 'Insolence. Disrespect. Both are traits I despise. By the time you leave here I will have beaten them out of you- or you will have died in the process. You will learn to respect me and the gods. You will learn to obey.'
To Lupa's credit, I thought later, she did try.
It seemed I wasn't all that good with the obey part.
I respected Lupa all right, there was no doubt about that. The first day at the Wolf House she called her children- more wolves, younger, smaller ones- forward and I learned to dodge their teeth and claws. I found that my reflexes were already quite good and by the end of the fight I had stood with his chest heaving and my sword raised to a small brown wolf's throat.
Lupa had snarled and sent her next pup forward.
And so on and so forth until, by the end of the day, I was sweaty and covered in dirt.
'You have been trained well, demigod, better than I had expected. But you are not as efficient as I would like you to be. You are sloppy.'
Lupa's growl made me grit my teeth. I didn't remember where I had come from, or who I had been trained by, or why I had been trained at all, but I did know I didn't like people insulting me. "Your other wolves didn't seem to think so; at least not with my sword at their throats."
'It does not matter what they think,' Lupa barked. 'I train you now, and you are not as I would like. Tomorrow we will do this again. And you will listen to my opinions. Otherwise you may as well walk out of here and be eaten.'
"What makes you think I wouldn't beat the monsters just as easily as I beat your pups-"
Lupa snarled and before I could react she bounded forward, knocking me down on my back. I fell with a painful "oomph!" and when I tried to regain my breath I couldn't. A huge paw was on my chest, pressing down on me.
'I could rip your throat out whenever I please,' Lupa threatened him, eyes glinting. 'You are defenseless, your weapon knocked from your grasp. Do not presume to be better than your teacher, boy. You are young and proud. Even if you have reason to be so, I will not tolerate it. You would be no match for a beast out there. You must stay and learn.'
I swallowed. "Right." I agreed.
With a last warning growl Lupa took her paw from my chest and I gasped, filling my lungs.
"So where do I sleep?" I asked her.
'Here.' She nodded to where i was standing. 'I will stand watch beside you.'
"I'll freeze!" I exclaimed.
Lupa made a strange noise and it took me a second to recognize it as laughter. 'You will be uncomfortable,' the wolf admitted. 'But you will not freeze. Now sleep.'
I did.
After a week at the Wolf House i was allowed to leave. It was discovered that even when claws or teeth did touch me, they didn't make a mark against my skin. It was like my skin was armor, everything bounced off of me harmlessly. I was practically invincible.
But I tired easily.
'The Curse of the River Styx,' Lupa growled in surprise the first time her wolves tried to scratch me and couldn't. 'You bear the mark of Achilles, foolish demigod.'
"Mark of what?" I asked.
'No matter,' Lupa growled. 'You will not be able to maintain it for long. It is of the other origin, not Rome's. It will fade once you cross the border.'
"What are you talking about?" I asked. "What border? Am I going to Canada or something?"
'No,' Lupa replied, 'not Canada. You are ready. It is time for you to leave. And take your strange metal blade with you.'
That was another thing.
My blade, Anaklusmos which meant Riptide, was apparently some strange and rare metal. Celestial bronze. Most weapons were made of something called imperial gold, but my sword worked fine enough for me.
It even killed monsters, like the Gorgon sisters. Sure they kept coming back from the dead- Lupa had told me monsters regenerated, but the way she had spoken about it I had thought it took months or years- every couple of hours, or days if I was lucky, but they died every time.
If it wasn't for my invincible curse I would've died a long time ago though.
So Lupa sent me away, telling me to find a camp called Camp Neptune or something. No, that wasn't right. Not Neptune... Jupiter. Camp Jupiter.
Zeus, I thought, but I didn't say anything. Lupa seemed to like Roman mythology better than Greek. Every time I said something referencing the Greek side of mythology she would growl and her fur would rise before she shook her head as if shaking off an annoying fly.
'Not Aphrodite,' she would snarl at me. 'Venus! Not Poseidon, Neptune!'
Poseidon... that made my head hurt too, the thought of the sea god. But I didn't know why.
The only reason I kept moving toward Camp Jupiter was because I hoped Annabeth would be there.
I didn't remember anymore than I did the first day I woke at the Wolf House. No friends or family. No last name.
Just Annabeth.
"Will Annabeth be at the camp?" I had asked Lupa.
She had lain on her stomach, folding her paws under her chin and meeting my eyes steadily. 'There is only one way for you to find out, young godling.'
Hopefully that meant yes, but something told me that the real answer was no. Annabeth was at a camp... but not the one I was heading towards.
But there was only one way to find out.
When I got to Camp Jupiter Annabeth wasn't there. I did make some friends, Frank and Hazel, and on our quest I started remembering things after drinking the Gorgon blood, but it wasn't until making it to Alaska I remembered everything.
And woah, was it a shocker.
How could I have forgotten Chiron, or Paul? My father or my mother? Grover and Tyson and everybody at camp?
How could I have forgotten Camp?
Everything made sense when my memories came back. Hera and this quest, the strange way Lupa acted, the curse of Achilles, Reyna and Circe's Spa... My memories of Annabeth.
I can't believe I forgot our first kiss. I deserved the Worst Boyfriend of the Year Award. Seriously. She must have been freaking out.
Besides wanting to strangle me of course.
Gods I missed her. I wished she was there with me.
She'll be on the boat, I told myself as Hazel, Frank and I walked to where everyone was crowding in a huge bunch. She will be. She has to be.
Because if she wasn't- if she wasn't...
"Percy." Reyna's voice startled me and I turned to look behind myself in surprise. Frank and Hazel stopped beside me as well. Reyna's eyes were serious but there was a strange look in them as she said, "I need to greet our... visitors. I also think Octavian should be watched. At least for now, until we invite them into the camp. Can you do it?"
I frowned. That would mean I couldn't see Annabeth- it would mean waiting...
What if she didn't come? A voice in the back of my mind asked. What if she got sick of waiting, what if there was somebody else there who took your place? Jason Grace went to Camp Half-Blood the same time you were taken. What if...?
What if she doesn't love you anymore?
No. That couldn't be. She wouldn't... "Okay," I agreed. "I can do that."
Reyna seemed surprised by the answer but thankfully she didn't press me. "Alright then," she said. "I suppose I should go and say hello." She looked up at the huge warship wistfully. "Jason should be there soon."
I nodded as she left before turning to Hazel and Frank. "Shall we?" I asked them, feeling relieved when they nodded.
They wouldn't leave me.
Thoughts went around and around in my head, a seed of fear taking root in my stomach along with nervousness. Could Annabeth have really given up on trying to find me in 6 months? Was our relationship weaker than I had thought it was?
No. Annabeth wouldn't do that.
Still. I couldn't be sure until I saw or heard it from her. And even though 99% of me was confident in our relationship, there was that 1% that still made me hesitate ever so slightly.
I jerked my head to where I spotted Octavian's blonde head. "Come on," I muttered, glancing longingly at the huge ship.
"Percy," Hazel touched my arm gently. "Everything's going to be okay." Her eyes were warm and her smile was soft.
There was no way she could have known that but her words relaxed me all the same. It was hard not to think of Hazel as a little sister, she was just that sort of person.
I nodded and then turned to make my way to Octavian. He glanced up at me, as if he could sense I was coming, and sneered. "Not going to rush over and make a fool of yourself in front of your girlfriend?" He asked condescendingly.
I bristled and once again glanced at the blonde. The only reason I was here was to stop Octavian from somehow messing this all up- which I knew he could. If it was up to me I would have been greeting Annabeth right now.
Gods, it had been so long since he'd actually seen her...
"You know Jackson," Octavian's voice cut through the hushed voices of the crowd around them, "I think we're making a big mistake by letting you and your friends into this camp."
Hazel rolled her eyes and I smiled at her, trying to convey a message with my eyes. 'Just wait. Soon we'll be done with him.' She didn't have the usual warmth in her eyes when she replied. "Octavian you've made that quite clear."
But Octavian's eyes never wavered from mine, and now I was watching him closely. Whatever he was trying to do, I wouldn't let it work. Not today. "I think you're going to destroy this camp. You're going to try to lead us into a war and we're going to be slaughtered. And it will be on your conscience."
I swallowed. Memories of friends who'd died in the war came to the forefront of my mind. The helplessness I had felt too many times in my life, how sick I was of being a tool for the gods... "Octavian you know I care too much about this camp to do that." I said.
You cared about Camp Half-Blood too, a voice in my mind whispered. It's your home. And yet you led some demigods to their deaths.
I ignored it. I would not let Octavian get to me.
"You do." Finally Octavian looked away from me and pointed to where the visitors were probably standing. "But she doesn't. And can you deny that if she was leading an army you would not follow her?"
I knew who he was talking about immediately. Annabeth.
I followed his gaze and my composure cracked. I would follow Annabeth. Anywhere, in anything. I couldn't leave her, wouldn't abandon her, after being apart for the last 6 months. But she wouldn't do anything to Camp Jupiter... she would grow to be comfortable here... like I had...
Doubt filled me. Really? Annabeth wasn't a fan of change, I knew that better than most. She liked stability and things that were permanent. Maybe she wouldn't like the Romans...
When I looked back at Octavian I was sure I was glaring. No matter what, Annabeth wouldn't cause needless destruction. And if I told her the Romans were okay... she would believe me, right? "You don't even know Annabeth, Octavian."
The blonde boy shook his head slowly. "No I don't. But I have seen things, and I know what your downfall is Percy." I started when he said my first name. "Besides she's very pretty, and I'm sure many of us could be convinced to follow her."
I balled my fists and started to take a threatening step forwards but Hazel moved fasted, putting herself between the two of us. Octavian grinned smugly, full of triumph, as Hazel put a hand on my chest. "Percy," she whispered quietly, "stop."
I looked down at her and there was a steady calmness in her eyes. But underneath that there was anger- anger at Octavian. I grit my teeth and nodded.
But as soon as she moved to stand back beside Frank, I closed the distance between myself and Octavian and bent down slightly to put my mouth to his ear.
"You might know my downfall Octavian," I said. Threatening people wasn't usually my style but for Octavian I would make an exception. "But who says I don't know yours as well? Who says I couldn't take away all the power you have with just a couple of words to the right people?"
I stepped back and watched him as he stared back at me, loathing plain on his face.
Then I arranged my face so that it was unreadable, purposefully not looking at Frank or Hazel.
"I think you can handle yourself Octavian. Now if you don't mind I'm going to go and join my fellow praetor," I stressed the word praetor and Octavian minutely winced at the word. I grinned in satisfaction. "And go greet our guests. Please try not to cause anymore trouble."
Without looking at Frank or Hazel I turned and made my way through the crowd hurriedly. I couldn't tell if Frank and Hazel were lost in the crowd or right behind me but before I knew it I was just behind the first line of people.
Looking down at the ground I took a deep breath, steeling myself, before raising my head and making my way to stand beside Reyna.
My anger at Octavian melted away as soon as I laid eyes on the strangers in front of me.
I barely glanced at them. There was a girl and two boys, one wearing a purple praetor cape. Obviously that must have been Jason Grace. The lost praetor.
Basically I didn't even look at them for a second before I was staring at her.
And there she was.
Annabeth.
The moment I saw her I knew things hadn't changed between us. There was no other guy, she hadn't forgotten about me. Her eyes were stormy grey, just like I remembered, and seeing her but not being able to touch her was almost painful.
Her eyes met mine and I saw so many emotions in them. Hurt, anger, worry, relief, fear, love...
Oh, she wanted to kill me right now.
I grinned at her and I saw her breathing hitch, even from where I stood beside Reyna. She seemed to glare at me and soften all at once and I smiled wider.
She was right there.
"Jason Grace, my former colleague. I welcome you home."
Right in front of me.
"And these, your friends-"
So why wasn't I running to her?
I took a step forward.
So did she.
After that I was lost.
It was like an irresistible pull, a physical need to be with her. After 6 months apart it was warranted, wasn't it?
She seemed to think so, since she moved at the same time I did.
I broke into a run and she followed suit, determination etched all over her features. Idly I prayed that I wouldn't trip and fall over my toga but thankfully I made it to her without doing a face plant.
And then she was in my arms and I was home again.
So many memories, so many feelings. She was warm and just like I remember. I buried my face in her curls and felt her breathe deeply.
She smelled like lemon soap and I held her tighter before we pulled away slightly- only so much that we could look at one another in the eyes.
I never expected her to wait on me, or search for me (although I hoped) but it's clear that that's exactly what she had been doing.
I abandoned my last shred of self-restraint and kissed her. Open-mouthed and needy, because I needed her, to know this was real and not a dream. Because I had missed her. Who cares if there were hundreds of people watching us? She was in front of me and I had missed her and I hadn't been able to kiss her for almost half a year.
I pulled away a second later. "Gods, I never thought-" I never thought it would feel like this. I never though I could miss you this much. I never thought we'd be here.
Take your pick, I wasn't sure what I was trying to say exactly. Luckily- or unluckily- Annabeth didn't give me a chance to finish.
Flying through the air, it was funny. The only thing I could think was, 'Gods, I've missed her.'
She judo-flipped me, and I distantly heard Romans crying out in surprise and Reyna commanding them to stay where they were. Distantly.
I was too busy watching Annabeth after I got over the initial pain and my eyes fluttered open.
She leaned over me, pressing an arm against my throat, and I raised an eyebrow. I had expected her to get mad but not this mad...
When I searched her eyes, trying to see what she was thinking, I saw the hurt and the anger rising to the surface and immediately felt guilty. The only reason she was attacking me was because she had missed me. (We were demigods, okay? We didn't exactly have your normal, everyday relationship.)
I'm sorry, I wanted to tell her, but looking into her eyes I knew if I said that she might cry or punch me- you never knew with her. I didn't want either.
So I let her speak.
"If you ever leave me again, I swear to all the gods..."
I met her eyes and smiled at her. And after that I started laughing.
Okay, maybe not the best move when you're pinned beneath your very angry girlfriend who has a very sharp knife, but I couldn't help it. I was so.. happy.
She was here. Right in front of me, close enough to feel her breath ghosting across my face. She had missed me, and she had come looking for me despite knowing she would be coming to a camp of Roman demigods.
She was here.
My smile stretched my face but it stayed. I was in a very good mood. "Consider me warned," I promised, staring into her eyes. "I missed you too."
But for no longer. Because now that she was here I wasn't leaving her again. It would take a lot just to get her out of my sight now.
We were staying together. She wasn't getting away from me. We wouldn't be apart.
Never again.
oooOOOooo
Oh my gods... I can't believe it's over.
Thank you so much to everybody who's stuck with me through this. It has taken a couple of years (oh my god, I can't believe that either) but finally this story if complete. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
It seems fitting, I suppose, that this should end on the same day Blood of Olympus comes out. The last Percy Jackson book. Ever.
Oh gods, now I am going to cry.
But I will not stop writing stories for this fandom. Percy Jackson has gotten me through a lot of tough times and I love his character so much and he's had a huge impact on me. So, if you liked this, expect more from me in the future!
Thank you for all of the reviews and all of the favourites. Thank you for the follows. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This was my first really popular story. I will always remember that and whenever I'm having a bad day I'll go through the reviews on this story because they always made me smile.
Goodbye, my dear readers! I've never been so sad to finish a story. (At least you won't have to get mad at me for my late updates anymore... unless you read my other chapter stories)
I'll miss reading the reviews. :( I'll miss writing the characters backgrounds/backstories and getting inside their heads. I hope I did a good job. I hope you liked it.
I love you all!
Percyjacksonfan3