It's the first thing I ever publish and English is not my first language, so please be nice. ;) Constructive criticism appreciated. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus and none of the characters who appear in this Oneshot (even though Uncle Rick is a total genius I could never have thrown my own characters into Tartarus... ;))
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
Annabeth's POV
„I don't like leaving you at all", Percy said, throwing things into his suitcase carelessly. Annabeth laughed. „You sound like we won't see each other for months. I'm gonna be at your mom's by tomorrow afternoon, remember?" „Still", he said, turning towards her, pursing his lips and opening his eyes pleadingly. „Why can't you just come with me today?" Annabeth sighed in faked exasperation, trying to hide her smile. „We've already talked this through, Seaweed Brain. Several times, actually. There's a council meeting tonight, which we don't need to miss both, and I promised Chiron to supervise combat training tomorrow morning. Besides, don't you think you and your mom have enough to catch up on without me?" He let out a groan. „Always the reasonable one, aren't you?" From his mouth, reasonable sounded almost like an insult.
She strolled over to where he was standing. „Daughter of the goddess of wisdom, remember? I can't help it." She looked over his shoulder. „Sally isn't going to like the mess", she said, pointing at his open suitcase. He turned around, his green eyes sparkling playfully. „If I were you I'd shut up now", he threatened, grinning. „Make me", she teased. His grin widened and he slung his arms around her waist, pulled her close and kissed her quite intensely. She kissed him back with the same fierceness. „Like this?", he asked breathlessly when he finally pulled away. She grinned. „Perfect." Percy rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. All of a sudden his expression turned serious. „I'm afraid", he mumbled, almost seeming embarrassed to admit it. „Why?", Annabeth asked in a soft tone, though she was almost sure that she knew what was troubling him. It was troubling herself, after all.
„The nightmares", he said, confirming her thoughts. „This is gonna be the first night since...", he hesitated, „since Tartarus... that we don't sleep together." He seemed to realize how that sounded because his eyes shot open and he moved back his head, blushing. „I mean... sleep side by side", he corrected himself quickly. Annabeth probably would have laughed if thinking about the next night hadn't been so terrifying to herself. Ever since their journey through Tartarus they had shared a bed, sneaking into each other's cabins on the Argo II and ending up sharing Percy's bed in Cabin Three at Camp Half-Blood since they had come back from their quest, of course all of it unofficial. They had found comfort in each other's presence and arms, for the first time in years able to sleep almost without nightmares. Annabeth took his face into her hands and locked eyes with him. „I know", she said. „But we have to try. I can't sneak into your cabin forever." He opened his mouth, ready to protest, but she added quickly „and I don't think we could share a bed in your mom's apartment without raising... unpleasant questions." He looked horrified. „I didn't even think about that until now." Annabeth chuckled lightly. „And that's exactly why you need me, Seaweed Brain." „You're impossible", he said, shaking his head. She smiled. „Love you, too." He kissed her again.
„Oh please", a girl's voice said from the door. „Don't you ever do anything else anymore?" They pulled away from each other and looked at the smirking girl in the doorway. „Oh you're one to talk, Piper", Annabeth countered. „Didn't I run into you and Jason just yesterday, making out behind the forge?" Piper blushed slightly but waved Annabeth's comment off with one hand. „A rare exception", she said. „Whereas you two..." Annabeth shook a finger at her best friend playfully. „I'm still way better in combat than you, so maybe you should watch your mouth, Beauty Queen." Piper just shrugged her shoulders. „We'll see. Anyway, Percy, Butch told me to tell you your taxi is waiting." „Oh", Percy said and turned around hastily to close the zipper of his suitcase. „I hope I didn't forget anything", he mumbled. He gave Annabeth a kiss. „See you tomorrow, Wise Girl."
She watched him go and sat down on his bunk. Piper looked surprised. „Wow, that I call leaving really fast." Annabeth smiled. „He can't wait to see his mom", she said. Piper arched her eyebrows. „They're very close", Annabeth explained. „And Sally is the nicest person in the world."
„Oh, someone loves her mother-in-law to be", Piper teased, wriggling her eyebrows at her. „Aphroditying much today?", Annabeth shot back. That shut Piper up. She came over to Annabeth and pulled her up, then slang an arm around her and led her out of the cabin into the morning sunlight. „We're gonna make this a girls' day", she suggested. Annabeth grinned. „You mean with face masks and manicure?" Piper grinned back at her. „I was thinking sword practice and swimming, actually." Annabeth smiled. „Way better."
Sally's POV (the evening of the same day)
Sally sat on the couch in the living room of her apartment and stared at the black TV screen in front of her. She had a lot to process. Today, after over eight months, Percy, her only son, had finally come home. She had been incredibly relieved to see him. Except for a few new bruises and scars he looked good. He was taller now, deeply tanned from his time on the Atlantic and in Europe and more muscular. But something else bothered her: His eyes, which had almost always been sparkling with cheekiness, now had a darkness in them. He had grown up a lot. But the worst was that she felt that he was keeping something important from her.
He had told her all about Camp Jupiter, Hera's insane plan, the earth goddess Gaia and his quests to Alaska and Europe and even described the other demigods of the Seven and their chaperone, a satyr named Coach Hedge, at length, and talked about Reyna and Nico and various other people too, but still. His eyes had lit up when he had talked about his girlfriend, Annabeth, who apparently had had to go on a solo quest in Rome. Thinking of that had made Sally feel sick. She had come to care for the girl a lot. They had been comforting each other when Percy had disappeared and grown very close during that time. But when she had asked how Annabeth had made it out of the tunnels under Rome, Percy had looked terrified and mumbled something about him and her surviving, and then started talking about what happened when they had gotten to Greece. Sally was sure he was hiding something, something big and important but she hadn't wanted to push him. He would tell her when he was ready.
Instead, they had cooked dinner together and he had given her hugs from time to time, as if he couldn't believe she was real. When she showed him the blue cookies she had made for dessert he had smiled so happily that she could almost imagine him as a little boy again. She shook her head.
He certainly wasn't a little boy anymore. He was a lot taller than her, had a girlfriend and had saved the world various times. Thinking about Annabeth made Sally smile. She was looking forward to seeing her the next day. Ever since Percy had met her Sally had hoped that they would get together, but it had taken them a long time. She wondered if they were still as awkward around each other when other people were around but she didn't think so. After all, they had lived on a ship together for more than two months. That made her wonder to which extend their relationship had processed during this time, especially after not seeing each other for six months... she shook her head to get rid of that thought. Her baby was finally home. For now, that was all that counted. Everything else could wait. She wished Paul was here, but her husband was on a school trip and wouldn't be back until two days later.
A sudden scream made her jump up from the couch. She hurried to Percy's room. Her son was laying in his bed in fetal position. He still hadn't stopped screaming. His knuckles were white, his hands holding on to the bed sheet. Between the screaming, he was whimpering, pleading. „No, let her go, take me instead." Then he let out the most desperate scream so far. „Annabeth, NO! Annabeth!" Sally, who had been frozen in the doorway, watching her son in horror, leaped towards the bed. She shook him. „Wake up, Percy", she said loudly but in a soft tone. „It's just a nightmare." It didn't work. He kicked her and beat her with his hands as if she was trying to capture him. He was much stronger than her so it really hurt but Sally just couldn't leave him like that. She didn't understand what was going on. Sure, demigods used to have nightmares, and even terrible ones from time to time, but she had never failed to wake him up before. She had never heard or seen him so incredibly desperate. „Annabeth!", he screamed again, his voice full of pain and fear. Then he started whimpering again. „I'm so sorry", he said. „I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." He went on screaming Annabeth's name and something about a Bob and another person whose name started with a D. He seemed to be in a state between sleeping and being awake, seeing things that weren't there and fighting against invisible monsters. Sally's eyes filled with tears. She tried one last time to shake him but he didn't open his eyes. She stood up from his bunk and hurried into the kitchen where she kept an emergency bag, including everything she needed to send an Iris Message. She produced a rainbow in the kitchen sink and threw a golden drachma into it. „O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering", she mumbled. "Show me Chiron at Camp Half-Blood." She could still hear Percy scream in his room which made her heart feel like it was broken in half. The rainbow flickered and a familiar face appeared in front of her.
Chiron was sitting behind a desk in what she assumed was his office at Camp Half-Blood, though she had never been there. Mortals couldn't pass the magical borders surrounding the camp.
He was talking to a boy with blonde hair and gray eyes but stopped immediately when he saw Sally. „Mrs Blofis", he said, not even trying to hide the surprise in his voice. Then he seemed to notice that she was crying. The worry lines on his face deepened. „What happened?", he asked. She tried to pull herself together. „I'm sorry to disturb you so late in the evening...", she started. Chiron waved that away quickly. „Never mind. What's going on?" „It's Percy...", she said, her voice on the edge of breaking. „I think he's having nightmares... but I can't shake him out of it." Saying it aloud it sounded stupid, like something you would call a psychiatrist for. My son is having nightmares and hallucinations. What can I do to stop it? But Chiron didn't seem to think anything like that. He looked at the boy on the other side of his desk. „Malcolm, go get Annabeth." The boy nodded, stood up immediately and left the room, seemingly not needing any further explanation. Sally was confused. She had hoped for advice what she could do or some kind of medication or magic.
Chiron seemed to notice her expression. His eyes softened a little. „Believe me, Mrs Blofis. Annabeth is the only one who can help." She nodded, still unsure how to feel about that. A mother should be able to help her child, and not be depending on the girlfriend of that child, she thought. Something like jealousy overcame her. What could Annabeth do that she couldn't? She told herself to snap out of it. She liked Annabeth. And the only thing that mattered was that Percy got whatever help he needed to stop his nightmares or hallucinations. She took a deep breath. „Alright", she told Chiron. He gave her a small smile. „Annabeth should be there in about twenty minutes."
Annabeth's POV
Annabeth couldn't sleep. She was laying in her bunk in the Athena cabin, staring at the dark ceiling, wide awake, her mind overflowing with thoughts. She hadn't slept in this bed for over two months, not really. Of course she had sneaked back into it every day at five or six in the morning for the last days, so that she wouldn't raise suspicions. Her sleeping in Percy's cabin was certainly breaking at least two or three camp rules and she didn't want to drag her siblings into it.
She moved around, trying to find a comfortable position. Her thoughts drifted to Manhattan, where Percy was probably in his bed in his mom's apartment by now. Would he be able to sleep? She hoped so. He deserved a good night's sleep. Annabeth sighed. They had only spent one day apart and she already missed him. She tried to think of the beautiful moments they had shared. Maybe that would eventually allow her to fall asleep.
After about half an hour more she finally couldn't bear it anymore. She stood up and put on a jacket and her boots. Maybe a walk could help her to calm down. She left the cabin, looking around for the harpies but they were nowhere to be seen. She decided to make a round, passing the cabins. Annabeth turned left. Cabin Eight was dark and quiet, as usual. Annabeth thought about her friend Thalia Grace, leader of the hunters of Artemis. She had come to camp with some of her hunters after the Giant War, but they had already left. Thalia had talked about looking for some monsters in New Jersey, but Annabeth suspected it had also to do with the tension. The regular campers and the hunters weren't exactly on friendly terms most of the time – at least that was true for a great majority from both groups.
From the Aphrodite cabin came a lot of giggling, which didn't really surprise Annabeth. What did surprise her though was that she couldn't hear Piper's voice, trying to shut them up or at least calm them down. Piper was the head counselor of Cabin Ten and she usually intervened when her siblings got too carried away with what she liked to call The two horrible G's, gossiping and giggling, constantly telling them they were ruining the reputation of their cabin. Annabeth smiled at that thought. Piper had made her day a whole lot better just by being with Annabeth, talking to her and keeping her busy. She couldn't have asked for a better friend.
She passed a few more cabins, not really paying attention anymore and instead thinking about the friendships that had been made over the last few months. She was still incredibly angry with Hera for taking Percy away from her but she had to admit that many good things had eventually come out of this exchange.
Almost halfway around the cabins she passed the Hypnos cabin and considered waking up Clovis, their head counselor, to ask him for something that would help her go to sleep, but eventually decided against it. She had to figure this out on her own.
Passing the Cabins of Iris and Hades she thought about Nico di Angelo, who was still in the infirmary (orders of Will Solace) and about a crazy story Percy, Hazel and Frank had told her about meeting the rainbow goddess on their way to Alaska. Apparently Iris ran a hippie-like company and was obsessed with organic food. Annabeth could imagine Percy asking the goddess if she was sure it was safe to actually eat such things as wheat germ.
As usually, her heart ached a little when she passed the Hermes Cabin. The memory of Luke still haunted her sometimes, although it had gotten a lot better.
In Cabin Nine she could hear Leo's familiar snoring which reminded her of many nights on the Argo II. He and Calypso had come back from Ogygia yesterday, to the great relief of everyone at camp but especially of the crew of the Argo II. Piper had cried for a long time and hugged Leo so hard he later complained that she must have broken at least two of his ribs. Annabeth had hugged him, too, not able to hold back a few tears of relief. Jason and Percy had patted him on the back. Leo had presented Calypso to everyone, except of course for Percy. The two of them had acted really awkward around each other until Annabeth, fighting down a twinge of jealousy, had suggested that they should take a walk and clear the air. They had gone down to the beach for a little while and after that Percy seemed much more relaxed. He had told Annabeth everything about their conversation and she was relieved to hear nothing except for amicable appreciation in his voice when he talked about Calypso.
Annabeth passed the cabins of Apollo and Ares, still deep in thought about yesterday's events, and reached Cabin Three, Poseidon's cabin. Percy's cabin. Annabeth took a deep breath and was about to go on when she heard a soft, and very familiar, laugh from above. She retreated into the shadows of Cabin Three and looked up. On the roof of Cabin One she spotted two familiar silhouettes. Piper and Jason, she thought, smiling to herself. Apparently, they hadn't noticed her sneaking out. They were too busy staring into each other's eyes. Annabeth didn't want to eavesdrop but their voices were carried down by the wind.
„...really nerve-wracking sometimes to date the daughter of the love goddess", Jason was saying.
„I didn't know you were afraid of romance and fashion", Piper teased him. Annabeth could almost hear Jason roll his eyes. „It's not that", he answered. „You know, I keep thinking that if I do something unromantic your mom will come down from Olympus and strangle me or something." „Yeah, with a war goddess things could be a lot less stressful", Piper said in a slightly ironic tone, giving a hint to Reyna's mom, Bellona. „Second-guessing your choices, Sparky?" „Never." He leaned forward and kissed her.
Annabeth smiled. She was happy for them. But seeing them together like this made her miss Percy even more. Without thinking about it she opened the door of Cabin Three and walked inside. Percy hadn't bothered to tidy up the room before he left, so some of his clothes were still laying on the floor and his desk was a mess of lose papers. Normally, Annabeth chided him for being so messy, but tonight she didn't care. It was almost as if he was still here. Almost automatically, she put her jacket on the chair next to his bed, slid out of her shoes and lay down on his bunk. She snuggled under the covers and breathed in his scent, immediately feeling more relaxed. She could almost imagine him lying next to her. Annabeth sighed happily and closed her eyes.
She had not completely drifted into sleep yet when she heard the door. She opened her eyes, not daring to move. Who could this be? Percy was in Manhattan and, aside from her, he was the only resident of this cabin. Some sort of monster, maybe? But how would a monster have been able to sneak through the camp's magically guarded borders? She cursed herself for having left her new dagger in the pocket of her jacket, a few feet away. Then, a familiar voice said „Annabeth?" and she immediately relaxed. „Malcolm?", she asked, relief washing over her. Then she frowned. Why was her brother looking for her in Percy's cabin? She felt blood rushing into her cheeks. Gods, had he known that she slept in Percy's cabin all along? Then, a more important question came to her mind, bringing back the uneasy feeling that had disappeared when she had recognized her brother's voice. She sat up in the bunk. „Malcolm?", she asked, her voice tense. „What's going on?" He came over to the bed. „Chiron told me to get you." „Why? Is something wrong? Is the camp being attacked?" „Nothing like that", he assured her. „Then what is it?" „Don't freak out, okay?", her brother said. „Malcolm!", she said through gritted teeth, willing herself not to scream. „What. Is. It. Tell me!" He shifted uncomfortably. „It's Percy", he finally admitted. „But please don't..." She got up so fast she almost fell over her shoes. Fear was radiating through her body. She felt like she suddenly couldn't breathe anymore. For a second she didn't know what to do. Then she reached down and grabbed her shoes, put them on hastily and pushed Malcolm aside, reaching for her jacket. „What happened?", she asked breathlessly, trying to keep her thoughts together. „Is he hurt?"
She was about to rush out of the cabin when Malcolm grabbed her arm. „Let me go!", she shouted, not caring anymore about keeping her voice low. Only a single thought remained in her mind: She had to get to Percy. „How where you planning to get to Manhattan?", Malcolm asked calmly. She stared at him blankly. „I- I don't..." Her voice was about to break. Malcolm looked at her pitifully. He had been with her the morning Percy had disappeared from camp a year ago. He knew how fragile she was when it came to her boyfriend ever since. „Look", he said. „I thought about it and maybe you could go on Blackjack, although I'm not sure..." „That's brilliant", Annabeth interrupted him, dragging him out of Cabin Three. „On our way to the stables tell me what's going on." She was practically running now. Malcolm shot her a concerned look from the side. Annabeth knew she was acting almost mad but she couldn't help it. „Apparently he's having a nightmare", Malcolm said. Annabeth walked even faster now. „Is it... because of... Tartarus?", Malcolm asked quietly. „Is it really that bad?" She shot him a grim look. „You have no idea", she said, her voice hard. She tried to think, although her stomach felt as if someone had cut through it with a knife.
„How do you know about Percy's nightmare?", she asked. „I was with Chiron", Malcolm answered, obviously relieved to be able to change the subject. „Mrs Blofis sent an Iris Message. She said she couldn't shake him out of it." Annabeth nodded. „So Chiron sent me to get you", he finished.
She looked at him. „How did you know I was in Percy's cabin?" He shrugged uncomfortably. „Haven't you slept there every night since you came back?" That took her by surprise. She had assumed he had seen her sneak out this very night. She stared at him. The look on his face turned even more uncomfortable. „I wasn't going to say anything..." „Doesn't matter now", she said. „Does anyone else know?" Malcolm shook his head. „I don't think so." Annabeth sighed. „Well, then. We'll talk about it when I come back. Although I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone." „Of course not", he answered instantly. She nodded. „Okay." They reached the stables. She stopped in front of Blackjack, breathing heavily. „Hey, boy", she told him. „I'm sorry but you have to fly me over into the city." The horse just looked at her. „Please", she said. „Percy needs me." She wasn't sure if Blackjack could understand her, but when she said Percy's name with all this concern in her voice the horse lowered its head.
Annabeth opened the stable door. Blackjack came out and she climbed onto his back. She looked down at her half-brother and managed to give him a weak smile. „Thanks, Malcolm", she said. „For getting me and for... you know... not telling anyone about..." „Of course", he said. Take care, Annabeth." She nodded and slung her arms around Blackjack's neck. „Alright, boy", she said. „Show me how fast you can be." The pegasus ran out of the stables and took off into the air, leaving Camp Half-Blood behind.
Sally's POV
When the doorbell rang Sally had to keep herself from running to the door. She had spent the last twenty minutes sitting on the side of Percy's bed, trying to hold back her tears, still not able to wake him up or make him realize that what he was experiencing wasn't real. It broke her heart seeing her child like this. She didn't understand what was going on. Chiron hadn't wanted to tell her - he thought Percy had to tell her himself when he felt ready for it. Sally was almost sure it had something to do with whatever had happened after Annabeth's quest to find the Athena Pathenos, which Percy had so obviously avoided to talk about.
The ringing of the doorbell snapped her out of her thoughts. She rushed to the door and opened it. Standing before it was Annabeth, Percy's girlfriend. She wore a tank-top and sport shorts, which Sally guessed were her sleeping clothes, messily tied boots and a jacket she hadn't bothered to close. Her blonde hair was flowing loosely down her shoulders, disheveled by the wind. Her gray eyes were stormy with concern. „Where is he?", she asked breathlessly, not even bothering to say hello. Sally decided not to hold that against her. „In his room", she answered, stepping aside to let Annabeth in.
Annabeth rushed inside the apartment and directly to Percy's room. Sally closed the door and followed her. Percy was still laying in his bed in a fetal position, his face pale and strained with tears, his eyes closed. Annabeth kicked off her shoes, threw her jacket onto a chair in the corner and lay down at Percy's side. She slung her arms around him, not letting go of him for one second, even when he tried to free himself from her grip.
She moved, so that her head was higher than his and pulled him even closer, so that his head rested on her collarbone. He was still sobbing, but the screaming had stopped. She intertwined her fingers with his hair. „Percy", she said in a soft tone. „I'm here. It's alright. It's just a nightmare." She left one hand in his hair and started to rub circles on his back with the other. „Can you hear me?", she asked, her voice cracking a little. Sally watched Annabeth comforting her son with mixed feelings. She knew the two of them were close but she hadn't realized until now how strong the bond between them really was. Percy didn't answer but he wasn't shaken by sobs anymore. He let go of the bed sheet and instead slung his arms around Annabeth's waist, breathing in deeply as if her scent was the only air he could bear to breathe. Annabeth held him tightly until the sobbing stopped completely. Then Percy started to shake instead, as if he was suddenly suffering from hypothermia. Annabeth remained calm, as though she had known this would happen. She moved away from him a little and positioned herself so that her head was now directly in front of his. Percy still clung to her as if his life depended on it. Annabeth put her hands on either side of his face. „Look at me", she pleaded, her voice so low that Sally almost couldn't hear it. Percy's eyes flew open. They were red and swollen from crying and the look in them was wild, as if he was seeing something different. Sally forced herself not to cry. How did Annabeth manage to stay so calm? „Percy", she said. „I'm here. You're home. We made it out." Out where?", Sally thought. Percy's vision became a little clearer. The shaking got less heavy.
Annabeth pulled him closer and kissed him. „I'm here", she repeated. „We're alright." She kissed him again. Sally felt awkward standing in the doorway, watching her son's girlfriend kiss him, but this was an exceptional situation and it seemed to help him. She almost smiled when she remembered how long it had taken Percy and Annabeth to admit their feelings for each other and how shy they had acted around each other all the time. Now Annabeth didn't seem to think twice about the fact that Sally was there, watching them. The blonde girl was completely focused on Percy. His vision cleared a little more. „Bianca, Zoë, Beckendorf, Silena, Luke", he said, his voice fragile and on the edge of breaking. Sally knew those names. They had all died before or during the Titan War. She hadn't known that Percy still blamed himself for their deaths. „Bob, Damasen...", he continued. These two names Sally had never heard before. Saying them Percy's voice really broke and a shiver went through his body. Sally saw that Annabeth had tears in her eyes. „I know", she said, resting her forehead against his. „I know." She kissed him again, this time more firmly and longer. Her fingers were in his hair. When she pulled away Sally could see that Percy's vision was now clear. He looked at the girl in front of him incredulously. „Annabeth", he breathed. He took her face into his hands. „You're really here."
Annabeth let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob. „Of course", she said. „How did you...?", he asked. „Your mom sent Chiron an Iris Message and he was with Malcolm, so Chiron told him to get me." He pulled her close to him and kissed her. „I can't believe you're really here", he mumbled. Then he pulled away and looked at her with concern. „How were you even able to get here so fast?" "On Blackjack", she answered. Percy arched his eyebrows. "How did you get him to do this?", he asked. "Because normally he doesn't let just anyone ride him." Now it was Annabeth's turn to arch her eyebrows. "I didn't mean it like that", Percy assured her instantly. She grinned.
"I didn't think so." Her expression turned serious again. "Do you want to tell me about your dreams?", she asked quietly. Percy thought about this for a while. "It was basically the same as always", he said. "Although this time it seemed particularly cruel." His eyes turned soft. "Did it take you long to wake me up?", he asked. Annabeth nodded. "The longest it ever took so far." Sally froze. Apparently these especially horrible nightmares were not an exception. From how Percy and Annabeth sounded it had already happened various times. Her son took his girlfriend's face in his hands again. "I'm sorry", he whispered. "Don't be silly", Annabeth said. "You have done the same for me at least a dozen times." Percy played with a curl of her hair. "Were you able to sleep tonight?", he asked. She shook her head. "Not really. I was too afraid to even close my eyes, so I decided to take a walk." Sally's eyes widened. Apparently Percy wasn't the only one suffering from these incredible nightmares. "On the bright side, I saw Jason and Piper on the roof of Cabin One", Annabeth added, letting out a little chuckle. Percy grinned. "So Mr Perfect broke the camp rules?" That thought seemed to cheer him up. "Well", Annabeth answered. "In Jason's defense, I think it's Piper who is the troublemaker."
She grinned back at him. "A lot like you, actually." He wrapped her curl around his finger. "You gotta admit that you like it." "Sometimes", she smiled. He gave her a little peck on the lips. "So what did you do after seeing Sparky and Beauty Queen making out?" Sally saw Annabeth blushing. She whispered something into Percy's ear and he let out a little laugh, looked at her lovingly and pulled her into an embrace. "At least now I'm gonna be able to sleep calmly", he sighed. "Eh... Percy...", Annabeth said. "I don't think I can stay here." Sally decided it was time she reminded them that she was still there. She cleared her throat.
Percy looked to the door and immediately let go of Annabeth, blushing furiously. Annabeth didn't seem surprised that Sally was still there, but she was blushing too nonetheless. Sally almost laughed. "Mom", Percy coughed. "How long have you... I mean..." "The whole time of course", Sally answered calmly. "I was worried about you. But apparently you two know how to take care of this." She couldn't help sounding a little sad. Seeing Percy and Annabeth together tonight had made her realize not only that they had grown up a lot and experienced things she probably couldn't even imagine, but also that Annabeth now was the most important person in her son's life, a space that had belonged to herself for a very long time.
Annabeth got up from Percy's bed. "I'm sorry, Sally", she said. "I didn't mean to..." Sally couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad you came, Annabeth", she told the girl. "I wouldn't have known what to do without you." Annabeth seemed to relax a little. "And of course you can stay the night", Sally added. "Especially since you were supposed to come here tomorrow anyway." Annabeth smiled. "Thank you, Sally." She went over to the bed and gave Percy a quick kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, Seaweed Brain", she said. Sally frowned. "So you're not staying?", she asked. Annabeth gave her an insecure look. "I was thinking I could sleep on the couch..." Her voice trailed off.
Sally sighed. On a normal night she would have made Percy sleep on the couch and Annabeth in his bed but this wasn't a normal night. "You can stay with Percy if you want to", Sally said. Both teens looked at her incredulously. "Really?", Percy asked in disbelief. Sally sighed again. "It's been a tough night", she said. Annabeth came over to her and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Sally", she said and Sally could hear that she meant it. She hugged her back. Annabeth went back to Percy's bed and lay down next to him. He looked up. "Thank you, mom", he said. "Don't get used to me being so generous about the sleeping situation", Sally threatened but she couldn't help smiling a little when she closed the door behind her.
Annabeth's POV
After Sally was gone, Percy pulled Annabeth into his arms again. "I can't believe she actually lets you stay in my room", he said. She grinned. "Me neither." Then something came to her mind. "Ugh, Percy", she said. "I have to tell you something." He looked at her with concern. "What?", he asked. "Eh... Malcolm knows about... our sleeping arrangements at camp", she admitted. "What? How?", he asked. She shook her head. "No idea. Maybe he's seen me sneak out." Percy let out a sigh.
"I know, it's bad", Annabeth said. "Do you think Malcolm will tell anyone?", her boyfriend asked. "No", she said. "But we can't be sure nobody else will see us, or already has." Percy pulled her closer to him. "Well", he said, "maybe we should tell Chiron anyway." Annabeth looked at him in horror. "I know", he said, before she could protest, "he's like a father to you. And he'd ask a couple of very unpleasant questions, that's for sure. But why not tell him the truth?" He kissed her forehead. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep without having nightmares without you by my side for at least a very long time", he admitted. That made her smile a little. "Me neither", she sighed. He pulled her very close now, so that her head was resting on his chest and inhaled contently, stroking her hair. "Then let's tell Chiron exactly that", Percy suggested. She looked up at him. "Maybe you're right."
When Annabeth woke up, Percy was still asleep. He still had his arms around her waist. She looked up at his face. He looked so peaceful. She grinned a little when she noticed the little amount of drool on his chin. Some things never changed. She put a butterfly kiss on the shirt over his collarbone and sighed contently when he mumbled something and hugged her tighter. She was stroking his face with her fingers when she heard the door opening. She turned her head and saw Sally standing in the doorway, smiling. "Good morning", Sally whispered. "I just wanted to check if you two were already awake." Annabeth pointed at Percy. "As far as I know it will most likely take him at least half an hour more to wake up", she said. Sally grinned. "True." She seemed to think about something. "I'd understand if you want to wait until he wakes up", she said finally. "But if you're already hungry and don't mind... you could have breakfast with me." Annabeth smiled. "Actually, I'm starving", she admitted. She wound herself out of Percy's arms and stood up. Sally smiled back at her. "Well, then", she said, turning around and heading towards the kitchen. Annabeth took one last look at Percy and couldn't resist the urge to place a light kiss on his mouth. Then she followed Sally to the kitchen.
Sally was already placing ingredients for pancakes on the counter. Annabeth noticed a little bottle with blue liquid and smiled. Apparently today's pancakes would be blue. Percy would love that.
"Can I help you with anything?", she asked Sally. The older woman smiled. "If you really want to. I was thinking fruit to the pancakes. You could peel and chop it." Annabeth nodded and set to work. Meanwhile, Sally took care of the pancakes and some eggs and bacon and poured orange juice into two glasses. "I wanted to thank you", Sally said, breaking the silence. Annabeth looked up, surprised. "What for?", she asked. "For coming over last night", Sally said. Annabeth wasn't sure how to answer to that. "I just had to", she finally admitted. "Percy... he has done the same for me so many times." "So you're having similarly bad nightmares?", Sally asked, watching her closely. Annabeth nodded. "How so?", Sally asked. "Sally...", Annabeth said. Percy's mom looked at her, waiting patiently. "I hope you know how much I like you", Annabeth continued. "And I would tell you almost anything." Sally smiled at her which gave her the courage to go on. "But I feel this particular... adventure... I think it should be Percy who tells you first about this. When he's ready." She looked at Sally, hoping she hadn't made her angry. Sally sighed. "I appreciate your honesty", she said, winking at Annabeth. Then her expression turned serious. "I just wish he'd trust me enough to tell me." She sounded sad. Annabeth suddenly felt bad for Sally. She wondered how she would feel in her position. "It's not about trust", she told her honestly. "It's just... it was a really bad experience." That was an understatement. They had literally been to hell. "I think he just wants to protect you." Sally snorted. "I'm his mother. I'm supposed to protect him." She glanced out of the window. "And yet I never could. I feel like I let him down."
Annabeth stopped chopping fruit. "Sally", she said in a soft voice. "You didn't. Don't ever think that. Percy adores you. He loves you more than anything in the world. You're the most important person for him." Sally smiled at her. "Maybe I was, until you came along." Annabeth must have looked horrified because Sally laughed and came over to her. She hugged her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You don't seriously think I'd ever hold that against you?", she asked. Annabeth still wasn't sure how to feel about Sally's comment but she leaned into the older woman's arms. She had never really had a mother. Athena, being a goddess, hadn't been able to be there for her all the time, and even when she was, she was not exactly the hugging type. Annabeth's relationship with her stepmother had improved a lot over the last few years but it still wasn't anything close to a real mother-daughter bond.
Sally was different. She had welcomed Annabeth with open arms from the very beginning and even asked her to look after Percy a few years ago. She had positively freaked out when Percy and Annabeth had told her that they were going out and in the months Percy had been missing Annabeth had visited her at least once a week and they had tried to keep each other's spirits up. The thought that she might have hurt Sally, even unintentionally, by being so close to Percy horrified Annabeth. Sally was still hugging her. Annabeth slowly pulled away. "I don't want you to be mad at me", she said quietly. Sally's eyes widened. "How could I?", she asked. "You said..." Sally laughed and put a curl back behind Annabeth's ear. She looked her into the eyes. "Let me get this straight once and for all", she said. "For the record: You're beautiful and you're smart. You have saved my son's life on various occasions. You're a great girl and I like having you around. And most importantly, Percy loves you to death. I couldn't think of a better girlfriend for him. Of course it's hard to see him grow up, but that's just part of being a mother. It has nothing to do with you, alright? One day, when you have children, you'll understand." Annabeth nodded slowly. "So... you're not mad?" Sally grinned and went on to stir the hot chocolate on the stove. "Never. Only if you make better blue pancakes than I do." "Impossible", Annabeth said. Sally pointed at her with a spoon. "Good answer." They both laughed. "What's so funny?", Percy asked, coming into the kitchen. He gave Annabeth a quick peck on the mouth and then went over to his mom, hugging her and kissing her cheek. "None of your business", Sally said to her son, winking at Annabeth. Annabeth couldn't help but smile widely. She really loved Sally. Percy spotted the blue pancakes on the table and his eyes lit up. "That I call a good morning." The women shook their heads at him. "While traveling on the Argo II Percy would almost always eat blue food", Annabeth told Sally. "Some of the others were really confused by that until we explained it to them. Now they all want to meet you." Sally smiled at that. "Then Percy should invite them over sometime."
They spent breakfast talking about this and that, keeping the mood light. Sally asked a lot of questions about their crew on the Argo II, laughing loudly at the story of how Leo had given himself a makeover on Echo's island. To Annabeth's relief Sally didn't ask anything regarding Percy's nightmare. She seemed to have understood that this was something Percy had to process on his own before being ready to tell her.
Finally Annabeth got up. "Thank you for breakfast, Sally. It was delicious. Do you want me to help clean up or am I free to go? I need to get my clothes from camp and I kind of promised to supervise combat training this morning." Sally smiled. "Of course, dear. Doing the dishes is a job for the son of a sea god, don't you think?" "Hey!", Percy said. Annabeth grinned evilly. "Get used to it, Seaweed Brain. When we move in together I will leave that particular job for you all the time." When Percy and Sally stared at her equally dumbfounded she realized what she had just said.
She blushed. "Eh..." Percy opened his mouth but Sally was faster. "You guys are planning to move in together?" "Kind of", Annabeth admitted weakly, her mouth somewhat dry. "Not yet, of course", she added quickly. She stood in the doorway, not sure what to do. Sally laughed. "Go ahead. I'll interrogate my son about this." Percy shot her a desperate look but Annabeth just grinned and shot him an air kiss. Then she hurried out of the door and to Percy's room to get her jacket and shoes and left the apartment.
Sitting in the backseat of a taxi in her pajamas wasn't as bad as Annabeth had imagined. Of course she could have asked Sally for some clothes but she didn't want to cause any more awkwardness. The taxi driver didn't even look at her twice. Annabeth supposed that he assumed she had just been working out, being in her gym shorts and jacket. Of course the boots ruined the image but he didn't seem to notice. Like any taxi driver he tried to tell her that there was nothing on Long Island Sound that could possibly be her destination but she eventually convinced him that she knew what she was doing.
When she arrived, various campers shot her curious glances but nobody said anything except Piper who came running towards her, telling her that Jason had offered to teach combat training for her this morning and asking how Percy was doing. Annabeth told her about Percy's nightmares while the two girls walked side by side to the Athena cabin. Thankfully, the cabin was empty.
Piper waited outside until Annabeth had changed. Then she came inside to help her pack. "I suppose you want to go back as soon as possible." Annabeth nodded. Piper took a closer look at her and arched an eyebrow. "You look guilty", she said. "Uhm – I might have said something about moving in with Percy before I left. Before he had a chance to tell Sally about it." "Annabeth!", Piper practically screamed. Then she laughed. "Poor Percy. All by himself, having to answer millions of questions..." "Okay, I admit it. It wasn't my nicest move to leave him alone with that", Annabeth said. "But you should have seen his face." "The baby seal?" "Exactly." "How do you ever resist him looking like that?" "By not looking at him", Annabeth said. "Or, occasionally, by concentrating on why I'm mad at him." Piper grinned. "That's an expert talking."
Annabeth nodded absentmindedly. A thought had appeared in her head: Maybe she could do something nice for Percy. She looked at Piper and made a decision. If everything went right with Chiron, soon the whole camp would know anyway. "Do you remember the morning on the Argo II when Frank found Percy and me sleeping in the stables?", she asked the other girl. Piper's grin widened. "How could I forget that? Gleeson went bal-lis-tic!"Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Talk about overreactions. He grounded me. On a quest of life or death of the whole universe. Questionable priorities. Especially since absolutely nothing happened." Piper raised her hands. "I know, I know. So... what is it you want to tell me?" Annabeth took a deep breath. "Well, you know how Percy and I were constantly having nightmares after we came back from... you know?" Piper nodded. "You told me." "We would wake up terrified, not being able to calm down for at least a few minutes." Piper frowned. "It's rather strange, now that I think about it, that neither of us ever woke up to any of you screa..." One look at Annabeth's strawberry red ears told Piper everything she needed to know. "Oh!", she said. "No way. You're trying to tell me that ever since Tartarus you've been sharing a bed?! As in, every night?" Annabeth sighed. "Yes", she admitted. Piper apparently had to try hard to remain calm. "But... nothing happened?" "Piper!" "Just asking." "This is serious", Annabeth chided her. She took another deep breath. "We actually aren't able to sleep without having insane nightmares when we're apart. As last night proved. And I've been sleeping in Percy's cabin since we came back anyway, so he suggested... that we tell Chiron." "What?!" "Not helping", Annabeth said. Piper looked at her. "You're right. Sorry. So?" "So I was thinking about asking him today. There's no need for me and Percy to both endure horrifyingly personal questions about our love life." "That's really heroic of you. Percy has no idea how damn lucky he is to have you as his girlfriend", Piper said. Annabeth smiled. "Actually, I think he does."
Sally's POV (evening again)
Sally was in the kitchen, drinking tea. Like the day before, she had a lot of things on her mind that kept her from going to bed. She had interrogated Percy about the 'moving in with Annabeth' thing and found out that they planned to finish the last school year in New York together and then move to New Rome, which was all the way across the country. Sally didn't like the idea of Percy living so far away from her but it wouldn't be forever and she was glad that he was making plans. Not long ago, he had refused any form of planning the future – if even potentially – arguing that one could never know what the gods had in mind for them for the next months, let alone years. Sally knew she probably had Annabeth to thank for this new development.
Annabeth had come back with her suitcase and a somewhat red face and reported that Jason had offered to teach combat training for her. When Percy asked her what had taken her so long then she had refused to answer and just mumbled something about talking to Piper and then Chiron.
Neither she nor Percy had said anything about the incident the night before. Sally sighed. She supposed she just had to be patient. But she swore to herself that in case anything like that happened again anytime soon, she wouldn't let them get away with refusing to answer that easily again.
She really wished she could talk to Paul but she didn't want to disturb him during his trip, especially since he would be home by noon on the next day anyway.
Sally sighed again and left her now empty cup in the kitchen sink. Then she went to the living room, where Percy and Annabeth were watching TV. They sat very close to each other but they weren't touching. "I'm going to bed", Sally announced. The two teens looked up. "Night, mom", Percy said, while Annabeth said "goodnight, Sally" at the exact same time. "Sleep well, you two", Sally smiled, although she didn't think she managed to restrain all of the concern she was feeling.
When she went to brush her teeth in the bathroom she could still hear them talking or, more adequately, arguing. "I should be the one sleeping on the couch", Percy complained. "Not going to happen, Seaweed Brain", was Annabeth's answer. "You've had a rough night." "So?" "So you should sleep in your bed to get the best rest you can." "That's a stupid argument!" "Whoa there, you're calling me stupid?" Percy let out an exasperated sigh. "Not you. Just your reasons for sleeping on the couch." "Do you really think you can win this argument?" Percy let out another sigh. "Probably not." Annabeth sounded like she was grinning. "You're absolutely right."
They were quiet for a moment. When Percy spoke again, his tone was much softer. "So... what did you talk to Chiron about today?", he asked. Annabeth's tone sounded guarded as if she was concentrating hard on her words. Sally suspected her son's girlfriend knew that she could still hear them. "I decided to talk to him about the thing we talked about last night", Annabeth said. "I came to the conclusion that your suggestion was a good idea." "You talked to him about... wait, what?! About you slee-" Percy was caught off mid-word. When he spoke again after a few seconds his voice was husky. "What was that for, Wise Girl?"
Annabeth's POV
Annabeth waited until Sally had closed her bedroom door to give Percy an answer. She rolled her eyes at him. "Your mom could still hear us." "Oh." He looked at her, his confusion slowly transforming into admiration. "So you actually talked to Chiron about our... sleeping situation? How did it go?" "Well... he wasn't pleased, obviously", Annabeth admitted. "And you were right about the unpleasant questions - which", she continued, when she saw him open his mouth, "I'll treat exactly like Reyna, Gleeson and Nico treat whatever happened to them in Albania." "Meaning never to speak of it?", Percy assumed. "Exactly." "Man, I really wonder what those three could possibly have experienced that's too... well I don't even know... weird, embarrassing or horrifying to tell anyone?" Annabeth smiled at his curiosity. "We'll probably never know. What matters is that their quest succeeded. So has mine, if you want to call talking to Chiron a quest." Percy opened his eyes widely in disbelief. He looked adorable that way. "It's official. There's nothing left on this planet that Annabeth Chase can't do." A warmth spread through Annabeth's chest when he said these words. She laughed. "That's not true. And you'd better not say anything like that. I can almost hear every god and monster screaming 'challenge accepted'." Percy grinned. "You're probably right."
He took her face into his hands. "But you're amazing. I can't believe you actually did this on your own." "Yeah, well", she answered. "I figured you weren't exactly eager to talk to Chiron about our love life." He kissed her. "Freaking amazing" he whispered. "How am I ever supposed to make up for that huge favor?" Annabeth grinned. This was going to be good. She leaned forward until her mouth nearly touched his ear. "I have a few ideas", she whispered. He jumped, looking totally flabbergasted. "Huh?" She laughed at him. "Goodnight, Seaweed Brain." She took a pillow and cover from the armchair where Sally had left them for her and put them on the sofa. Percy still just stood there. "Go to bed", she said. "But... did you just... did you suggest...?", he asked, obviously still confused. She shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about." Annabeth had to restrain herself from laughing. She walked over to him and hugged him. He hugged her back and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. "Don't think too much about it, Seaweed Brain", she whispered, grinning. He shook his head. "You really are impossible." "Love you, too."
Sally's POV
Oh please no. Not Annabeth too, Sally thought, waking up to a horrible scream. She got up immediately and hurried towards the living room. Percy was already there, sitting on Annabeth's side and looking shaken. Sally couldn't blame him. Annabeth was laying on the sofa, breathing shakily and except for that not moving. She looked almost as though she was drowning, except of course, it was nearly impossible to drown in a living room. Then again, with demigods you could never be sure. "What's going on?", Sally demanded. He only looked up for two seconds before turning his attention back to Annabeth. Sally realized that he was holding her hand tightly. "Percy!", Sally practically screamed. "Tell me what's happening. I want to help!" That got her his attention. "You can't", he simply said. Sally was prepared to yell at him to not be ridiculous – out of sheer desperation – when she saw a single tear on his cheek. She stopped herself. Meanwhile, Annabeth had started to mumble unrecognizable words. Percy took both of her hands in his now. Then he leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Annabeth", he said, his voice full of pain. Her eyes shot open, but just like Percy the night before she didn't seem to see her surroundings. "Percy", she whispered. "Why did you leave me?" Sally had never heard Annabeth's voice being so thin or her tone so desperate. Percy mumbled something that seemed to include the words 'curse'and 'Calypso'. His eyes were incredibly sad as if he knew exactly what Annabeth was seeing. There was only one explanation for that: Annabeth was reliving a moment from the past, a moment where Percy had been present; although her talking about Percy leaving her made no sense to Sally. She knew her son. Heck, loyalty was even his fatal flaw.
Percy was pulling Annabeth up now until she sat sideways in his lap. He was stroking her hair and whispering things into her ear. She was leaning on him, still not moving except for the heavy breathing but she had stopped mumbling. Percy kissed her and looked at her. "We're together", he whispered and then repeated those words louder. Annabeth's vision cleared. Tears started to stream from her eyes. Sally didn't dare to move. "Percy", Annabeth said quietly, her voice full of emotion. "Percy", she repeated as if she wasn't sure he was real. He let out a huge sigh and pulled her into a fierce embrace, kissing her forehead. "I love you", he said. "And I'd never leave you, no matter what." Sally held her breath. It didn't exactly surprise her that Percy loved Annabeth, she had known it maybe even before him. But she hadn't known that they had already told each other. Percy sounded so utterly sure about this, as if it was a simple fact: The sky was blue, rain was wet and Percy Jackson loved Annabeth Chase.
Annabeth was still trembling, apparently not able to speak. Instead, she slung her arms around Percy and snuggled up to him as close as possible, resting her head on his chest. "Nightmare", she finally managed. Percy nodded. "Calypso's curse, right?", he asked quietly. Annabeth pulled away to look at him. "How did you-" "You talked. The exact same words..." She touched his face with one hand. "Don't even think it", she said. "What?" "That it's your fault. It wasn't. It isn't." He looked pained. "Yes, it is. And you know it. I left her on this island..." "... to come back to me", she interrupted him. She gave him a kiss. Percy managed a small smile. "Yeah, but I should have..." "Stop", Annabeth said. "She's free now – and she's with Leo. She told you she wasn't angry anymore." Percy pulled her close again. "What would I do without you, Wise Girl?"
Annabeth grinned weakly. "You'd probably be dead. But so would I if it weren't for you." He kissed her forehead again. "Probably", he agreed. "And I love you, too", she added quietly. Percy smiled.
They looked peaceful now. Sally hated to intrude but she had to know what was going on with these nightmares. She walked over to the couch and sat down next to Percy who still had Annabeth on his lap. They looked at her in horror and Annabeth immediately tried to stand up but Sally stopped her. "It's okay." Their faces were bright red but Annabeth leaned back into Percy's chest and he slung his arm around her again. They looked extremely exhausted, apparently even too exhausted to be embarrassed for long. Sally sighed. "Okay", she said, looking at them. "Please explain to me what makes these nightmares so especially horrible. I know about demigods having nightmares but I think it's safe to say that whatever it is you two are experiencing, is not the average demigod's type of nightmare. Am I right?" They nodded slowly.
"So... why is that? What happened?" Annabeth moved away from Percy, so that he sat between her and Sally. They looked at each other. Sally noticed that their hands were intertwined. They exchanged another nervous look. "It has something to do with what happened after Annabeth's quest in Rome, hasn't it?", Sally asked very quietly. She didn't want to push them but she had to know. Percy nodded. Annabeth closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again and looked at Percy they were full of pain. "It was my fault", she croaked. "I hadn't noticed that my leg was entangled in one of Arachne's strings." "But you had sent Arachne to...", Sally began. Then she put a hand over her mouth. She felt tears coming up into her eyes. "No", she whispered. "Impossible." The horror was almost consuming her. She couldn't imagine how Annabeth and Percy felt. She tried to pull herself together. "How did Percy fall too then?", she managed finally.
The look in Annabeth's eyes, which were still fixed on Percy, changed to an incredible soft one. "Tell her", she said quietly. "Tell her how incredibly stupid... and heroic you were."
They told Sally the entire story, holding hands the whole time. When they finished nobody said anything for a very long time. Sally was crying now, even though she felt stupid. They had experienced all of it for real and relived it in their nightmares over and over. If anyone had reason to cry it was them. "I'm sorry", she finally said, then she pulled Percy into a long hug and hugged Annabeth after that, too. "Are the nightmares... you know... getting better?", Sally asked them.
The teenagers exchanged another look. Percy looked at Annabeth pleadingly. "It's better when we're together", Annabeth admitted, not meeting Sally's eyes. Sally exhaled loudly.
"Well", she sighed. "I certainly don't want you two to suffer any more than necessary. And you're all grown up and – at least most of the time", she shot a pointed look at her son, "– quite responsible." She sighed again. "I'll let you sleep in Percy's room together whenever you're here but if you ever... feel the need to..." "Mom!", Percy protested. Both his and Annabeth's faces were bright red.
"I mean, you've been living on a ship together...", Sally continued. "Mom, please! We haven't-" Sally raised her hand to shut him up. "I don't even want to know", she said. "All I'm asking you to do is that whenever you decide that you're ready – and the day will come – you make sure you're... prepared." Percy looked so mortified she nearly chuckled. Here he sat, a hero who had survived many quests and helped to save the world at least twice, even come back from Tartarus – Sally shivered at that thought – and was horrified when his mother talked to him about using protection. "Okay", he finally gulped, still as red as a tomato. "Good." Sally nodded and yawned. Annabeth immediately joined her. Sally stood up and kissed them both on their foreheads. "We'd better go to bed now. Are you two gonna be okay?" They nodded. "Thank you, Sally", Annabeth said. That made Sally smile and she went to bed with a lot of sadness, but a little hopefulness too.
Annabeth's POV
Percy insisted on carrying Annabeth's bed sheets over to his room for her. She was too tired to argue so she simply let him do it.
When they were laying in his bed he pulled her close. "So apparently neither of us won our argument about sleeping on the couch", Annabeth said jokingly. When he didn't answer she pulled away to look at him. His expression was serious. She cupped his face with one of her hands. "Are you alright?" He sighed. "I feel bad for my mom. Have you seen how horrified and shocked she was? She's already been going out of her mind in worry for the past years and now..." Annabeth's heart ached at hearing the pain and guilt in her boyfriend's voice. "Sally is strong", she told him. "Give her some time. She'll be fine." "I hope you're right", Percy said. "I am. You should have seen her during the months you were gone..." He closed his eyes. "Don't remind me of that. Please." "Hey", Annabeth said, making him look at her. "That wasn't your fault either. It was Hera... or Juno... whatever." "You're still angry with her, huh?" Percy smiled a little. Annabeth gritted her teeth. "As I don't intend to be followed by intestinally challenged cows ever again I won't say another word about this." Now Percy laughed for real. He stroked her hair. "I'm glad we told my mom", he said. "She deserved to know what's going on." Annabeth nodded.
"That talk though...", he added. "I'm so sorry. That was really embarrassing." Annabeth shrugged. "She worries about you." Percy smiled at her. "She worries about you, too, you know", he said. Annabeth smiled back at him. "I know." He pulled her close again and gave her a long kiss. Annabeth felt warmth spread through her body. She slung her arms around is neck, pulling him closer. "I love you, Seaweed Brain", she whispered into his ear. "I love you too, Wise Girl", he whispered back. Annabeth put her head on his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat, slowly drifting into a dreamless sleep. She had one last thought: They were gonna be okay, eventually. As long as they were together.