Her Choice.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summery: Annabeth always knew that her mother didn't like Percy. But to make her choose between him and Luke seems cruel to her. How will she choose between the guy she loves and the guy who has become her best friend?
Annabeth opened her eyes slowly. She was on the ground covered in dirt and scratches. She winced as she tried to get up. Something was on her leg and it was digging in. She looked at the plank of wood that lay on her left leg. Annabeth pushed the wood off her and stared at gash on her calf. She sat up and wiped some of the dirt from her face. She looked around and took in the mess before her. The back wall of the barn had been blown away and threw the huge gap she saw other half-bloods picking themselves up and checking for their friends. She saw Chiron trotting around looking for someone.
'What's going on? What happened?' she thought. Then she remembered.
Flashback.
'You have to admit I looked good out there' Percy said poking Annabeth in the arm. 'Alright, alright you did look pretty decent.' Pretty decent weren't the right words. Amazing, great, wonderful were more like it. He had only had that surfboard for a day but Percy was already a champion on it. Being great at water sports must be another one of his talents, Annabeth thought with a grin. They walked from the beach, passed the training fields and towards the cabins. Younger kids looked at them and whispered to each other. 'Yes, that's them… 'I told you they each had a white stripe'… 'They're Chiron's best warriors.' Percy and Annabeth just looked at each other and smiled. 'We should start a fan club,' Percy said. Annabeth just scoffed. Percy laughed and slung one arm over Annabeth's shoulders. 'Just kidding, Chase, just kidding.' As it was her habit she glanced up at the big tree that held the Golden Fleece. She stopped in her tracks, Percy's arm falling from her shoulders. Percy stopped a step later and asked 'What's wrong?' He followed her gaze and saw a figure standing beside the tree. It was small and had wild dirty blond hair. 'Isn't that kid new? What's his name…Kyle something, from the Hermes cabin,' Annabeth said. 'What the hell is that kid up to? He knows he shouldn't be standing that close to the border,' Percy said as he put his board on the ground and started to walk towards Kyle. 'Chill, Percy. Kronos has been gone for months now. You can relax!' joked Annabeth as she followed him. 'I'm just watching out for the newbies that's all,' Percy replied as they walked up the hill. 'Plus Luke is still-' Percy stopped as he saw Kyle take the Fleece of the tree and the army of monsters that was waiting at the border. And at the head of it was Luke. The guards that were usually posted at the border were no where to be seen. Luke took one step inside the camp and smirked at Percy. Percy turned to Annabeth, who face mirrored his own. 'We need to get the others. Run!' he shouted.
She turned around quickly and saw two boys lying on the ground. Luke was lying to her left while Percy was to her right. She stood up and half stumbled- half ran to Percy. She looked at him, his face bloody and dirty and he was unconseise. She felt a pulse and said 'Percy' as she shoke him. 'Percy!' she called again. Nothing. She looked around at the gap in barn. Where was help when you needed it? She took Percy's hand in hers and opened her mouth to scream for help.
Then she saw a flash of light and her mother Athena was there. Annabeth felt a flash of anger go threw her and she shouted at her, 'Where were you? We needed you! All of you and you deserted us!' Athena just looked to Percy to Luke and Annabeth. 'Which one?' she asked. 'What?' Annabeth frowned. 'All of us have agreed not to get involved in this fight but I have been aloud to save one of them. So, which one?' Annabeth looked up at her and then back at Percy and Luke. She didn't understand what her mother was saying. How could she choose? If she saved Luke then maybe they could help him, make him good again. Luke was guy she loved. She loved him for years while Percy… It was then that Annabeth really looked at Percy and tried to imagine life without him.
She just couldn't. Who else would she fight with, who else would she call Seaweed Brain, who else could make her day better by just flashing her a cheeky smile. She traced the white stripe that stood out against his dark hair with her fingertips. She had an identical one that they had both got from holding up the sky. She looked up at Athena with tears rolling down her cheeks. 'I…I can't…' she stammered. Athena sighed and placed her hand above Annabeth's head. 'This will help you choose,' she said. Annabeth closed her eyes as a blinding light filled the barn.
She remembered everything about that day. The shouts, the clash of swords and shields. She remembered the chaos of people running and fighting. She remembered every night, every time she went to sleep. But she didn't mind those, they were just memories of the battle. Memories of their victory over Kronos. No, it was that scream that she was afraid of. Good God that scream! It made her shiver, and sweat. It woke her up with a scream. It was the most terrifying sound she had ever heard. She wished she could forget it but it was always there, her nightmare. No matter where she was or who she was with, the nightmare would come.
She sat bolt upright and screamed. She panted heavily and shut her eyes. 'Just another nightmare' she thought. She opened her eyes looked around the room. She was in the Big House in the same room that she had helped an injured Percy when he first came to Camp Half-Blood. 'PERCY' she suddenly remembered her friend. It was then that she noticed that Chiron was sitting in his wheelchair near the wall. 'Where's Percy? What's going on?' she asked him. Chiron sighed and said 'I'm sorry that you have been put through this Annabeth. From what I've heard about you, you sound like a very nice girl.' Annabeth frowned and said 'What are talking about, you've known me for years.' He just sighed again and pushed himself out of the wheelchair, exposing his horse body. 'Come along, I'll explain everything.'
He walked out of the room and Annabeth followed him. As she climbed down the stairs, she was amazed to find that her scratches were healed along with her leg wound. She walked into the sitting room and saw someone standing by the mantelpiece, facing away from her. From what Annabeth could see the girl was wearing an old fashioned skirt and a neat blouse and her blond hair fell perfectly around her shoulders. She reminded Annanbeth of Nancy Drew, with the hair and the clothes. Annabeth smiled at the memory of her and Percy going to see that movie on one of her trips to New York. Although they had tried to pay attention they found themselves whispering to each other and she remembered silently laughing at Percy's jokes. Not because they were funny but because they were so bad.
Annabeth wondered who at Camp Half Blood would wear something like that. Her own blond hair was tired up in a messy ponytail and she was wearing a black sleeve-less t-shirt and ripped jeans. The only reason they were ripped was because she had fought in them during the battle. Her mother could heal people and grant magic gifts but mending clothes was obviously not one of her talents. Annabeth looked Chiron who looked at the girl and said, 'She's here.' The girl turned around and smiled at Annabeth but was met with a look of shock. The only thought that was going though Annabeth's mind was 'Why the hell does this girl have my face?!!?'