Disclaimer: Not Rick Riordan, never will be.
A/N: This is set post-TLO, pre-TLH, mainly because I don't know HoO well enough to be able to deal with that. As it is, Athena is OOC. Also, if the Greek is wrong, don't get mad, I don't speak Greek, I just found an online resource.
Annabeth was at her desk in Cabin Six, working on blueprints for Olympus, when she suddenly felt a presence behind her. Annabeth was used to presences in the cabin; she did live there with all the other Athena children, after all. But this presence was different. It felt bigger, dominant, more powerful. She was used to inhuman presences, and this definitely felt like one. The only things she could think of that gave off an aura that powerful were Percy, Thalia or a god. Since Percy had convinced Chiron to let him help Grover with some conservation project, it wasn't going to be him.
As she turned, she subconsciously touched her knife to make sure it was there. One could never be too careful, afterall. Hera still hated her.
"Mother? What are you doing here?" Asked Annabeth as she arched a blonde eyebrow at the goddess standing in front of her.
"I came to see you, my daughter. I would think that would be obvious, since no one else is around," Athena replied archly, her lips pressed together so tight they seemed to disappear.
At that, Annabeth blushed. "Of course. Is something wrong with the blueprints for Olympus? Does something need to be fixed?"
"Of course not, my daughter. The blueprints are beautiful. I came because I need to speak to you about something else, something more… personal."
"More personal?"
"Yes. I have come to realize that hating Perseus for who is father is… Well, suffice it to say I have not lived up to my duties as the goddess of wisdom. And I intend to remedy that by- I believe the term is 'hanging out' with him, in order to get to know him," Athena said, a slight blush gracing her cheeks.
Well damn, thought Annabeth, no wonder it sounds so painful. Percy's never gonna believe this.
Annabeth stifled a giggle and looked levelly at her mother.
"I'm glad you're willing to give him a chance, but what does that have to do with me?"
"Well, I was wondering if you knew what he liked?"
What he liked? He likes swimming, and riding pegasi, and sparring-more what that leads to when we spar- and making out with me, and… erm, on second thought, maybe I shouldn't tell her. Maybe she should figure it out? No, I have to give her something, Annabeth thought.
"Mother," Annabeth said, quashing both her giggles at this endeavor and her blush at her more hormonal thoughts, "I don't know. Both of you like sparring, but I'd like Percy alive. Why not go into the woods and find some monsters to kill and figure it out?"
"Very well, my daughter. Tell Perseus I'll be speaking to him soon. Look away, please."
And like that, she was gone. Annabeth turned back to her work with an amused giggle. Percy's gonna piss himself when he hears that, she thought.
Since it was Tuesday, there was no capture the flag that night. Ordinarily, after campfire she'd have a strategy meeting with Malcolm, her second-in-command, and Percy, the Athena Cabin's only standing ally, to plan for the week's game. Usually these meetings consisted of Annabeth and Malcolm discussing strategy, with Percy staring at Annabeth and occasionally throwing in a remark like "Why can't we just line up and yell 'Charge!' It worked for Custer!" To which Malcolm would groan and mutter something obscene, and Annabeth would roll her eyes and smack him, resisting the urge to point out that Custer had been the dumbest child of Athena to ever walk the planet.
Tonight, however, was different. The teams for capture the flag were the same as last week, so the most crucial part of the early-week strategy was complete, the negotiations for the alliances standing from the previous week. Because of this, Annabeth had cancelled the strategy session in favor of hanging out and cuddling with Percy.
Tonight, in need of a change, she had insisted on being big spoon as opposed to her usual little spoon. Usually she liked having Percy's comforting arms around her and to just be engulfed in his warmth. But tonight she figured he'd need to be engulfed in her warmth once she told him her news. So she and Percy were curled up together on his rack in Cabin Three, spooning facing the fountain, talking quietly, when Annabeth remembered the message from her mother.
"Percy?" She whispered, cuddling him closer.
"Yeah?"
"I saw my mother today. She wanted me to give you a message."
At that, Percy's face paled.
"She told me to tell you she will be contacting you soon."
Percy frowned. That could only mean bad things for him.
Annabeth nuzzled his neck and giggled a bit at his fear, "Don't worry Seaweed Brain, she's not going to kill you. She's decided that hating you for Poseidon's sins is unwise, and wants to get to know you."
"That doesn't really help. Your mother is the goddess of battle strategy. Who's to say this isn't just a trick so she can kill me?"
"Percy, you're an idiot. It'll be fine," Annabeth said with a roll of her eyes.
"Easy for you to say, she doesn't want to kill you," Percy grumbled.
Percy was going about his morning as usual- at present, he was cleaning for inspection, since Tyson was gone- when he suddenly felt a presence in the room. Instinctively, he drew Riptide and brought it to bear on the presence- things that appeared suddenly in his room were never good, and he was already stressed since he had to meet Athena at some point.
Oipho, Percy thought. Now I've done it. This'll be great.
Percy lowered his sword and stammered, "Lady Athena, m-my apologies. I didn't realize it was you."
"Annabeth told you I needed to talk to you. Do you listen to no one, boy?" Athena retorted.
"I still find those who suddenly appear in my cabin usually wish to do me harm, and had no way of knowing who specifically it was."
"Very well. On Saturday, you will meet me at the woods at sundown. Come armed. We're going monster hunting."
"Yes, Lady Athena."
"Good. Look away."
And she disappeared, once again charing Percy's shirt.
They'd been in the woods for an hour and a half. Percy was beginning to think that his preconceived notions about this may have been wrong. Athena wasn't trying to kill him. So far, she'd been relatively distant, like she was reserving judgement. It was weird and uncomfortable for Percy.
Maybe Annabeth was right, thought Percy, Damn. As glad as I am Athena's not trying to kill me, it still sucks that she's right.
"Lady Athena, may I ask what made you change your mind?" Ventured Percy cautiously, not wanting to jinx the favorable mood Athena seemed to be in.
"Well Perseus, I had a, shall we say, epiphany that my treatment of you on the basis of who your father was was inadvisable at best and inexcusable at worst," said Athena hesitantly, a slight redness overtaking her complexion.
Percy, looking over his left shoulder at her as she said this suddenly spun to face her and barked, "Hellhound, 8 o'clock, 10 yards!"
Then he deployed the wristwatch shield that Tyson had made him three summers before, and leapt over Athena to charge the hellhound. Athena was taken aback by the bold strategy- it was generally accepted that the tactic of a frontal assault on a hellhound almost inevitably suicide. However, Percy attacked it with ferocity, and, keeping himself between the hellhound and Athena, managed to begin to force it into a retreat, Riptide a bronze arc glinting in the moonlight. Athena stepped back, taking a moment to observe. Percy's strategy was working better than she would have expected- probably because it was so stupid, no one would dare try it. He fought like a demon, his blade seeming to never slow. The hound tried repeatedly to get under his guard, but couldn't. Finally, after three minutes of intense battle, Percy brought Riptide down violently on the hellhound's neck, severing its head.
"Well done, Perseus. Interesting strategy, that frontal assault. Could have been quite disastrous."
"Well ma'am, I figured it was the quickest way to seize the initiative from it," Percy said with a shrug.
Athena could not hide her surprise that he had the intellect to judge how to seize the initiative so quickly.
"Do you love my daughter, Perseus?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Very well. I suppose I no longer have reason to disapprove of your closeness with Annabeth. You have my respect and blessing," Athena said begrudgingly.
"Annabeth, Annabeth! I have some great news and some horrifying news, which do you want to hear first?" Percy said as he leapt on her bed in Cabin Six the next morning, the sunlight shining through the windows on them both.
"Percy, Sto Thialo! What are you doing?" Annabeth groaned, just waking up. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she thanked Athena that Malcolm- though initially distrustful of Percy- was kind of enough to make sure that they were left alone by the other Athena campers.
"Waking you up. I thought that you were supposed to be a Wise Girl, Wise Girl."
"So what's so great that you had to leap on my bed at," she glanced at her alarm clock, "6:15? Really?"
"Yes, really. And the good news is that your mother no longer hates me and has given our relationship her blessing! She doesn't want to smite me anymore!"
Annabeth rolled her eyes. That was her Seaweed Brain.
"And what's the horrifying news?"
Percy's face paled a bit, but the grin remained in place.
"Well, I'm not sure, but I noticed something odd about your mother…"
Annabeth sighed. This couldn't be good.
"What?"
"Well, you know how I was suspicious, right? So I asked her what made her change her mind. She got red and evasive. It was weird. I didn't push to much, but some of her other remarks seemed off and evasive. I don't have any kind of proof, and it's kinda thin, but the only catalyst-" Annabeth smiled when she heard him use the word she taught him- "I could think of doesn't bear to think about…" Percy trailed off, clearly bothered by what he was about to say.
"What? What is it?"
"Annabeth, I think your mom and my dad are dating."
Annabeth's face grew horrified. She took a couple deep breaths before saying, "Gods, I hope you're wrong. That's so uncomfortable to think about."
"Tell me about it."
"Are you sure?"
"No, but these things seem to be the one kind of thing I'm right about…"