Chapters 1-4 are the original chapters written by the awesome bluester007.

From that point on, the chapters will be from myself (unless said otherwise) :)

Description: Why? The question swarmed through her head as she tossed and turned, paced and tapped, trying her best to free her thoughts. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? Percabeth.

Setting: Before the Last Olympian.

Disclaimer: I'm not rick Riordan, I don't own his marvelous work.

Why?

Why did it have to consume her every single thought, filling her head with false beliefs? Why was it all she could picture, right at that very moment, with the rest of the Athena cabin falling into a well-needed sleep around her? Why couldn't she just forget it, that one moment of danger that had caused her to behave irrationally, however true to her heart those actions were?

Annabeth had a feeling she was worrying her siblings - or, at least the ones that were still awake. Her continuous tossing and turning, fidgeting, sitting up then laying back down, pacing, and irritated attitude towards every single tiny, minuscule thing, was not her normal behavior. Her siblings surely knew that something was bothering Annabeth. Picking at her brain, bit by bit, seeping into her veins and coursing through her body like a horrible drug. In one word, Annabeth was frustrated. With everything.

She sighed heavily and stood up, for the sixth time in the past twenty minutes, walking to the door, then back to her bunk. She focused, as well as she could, on the movement of her feet, the regular pace, the faint plod. She tried to clear her head of all thoughts on the matter, and was nearing success.

A flash of deep, sea green. The faint scent of salt water.

Immediately, his face filled her head, and it just wouldn't go away. Her steps froze in place and, as quietly as she could, Annabeth sunk to the floor, dropping her head into her hands, massaging her temples. She kept remembering the feel of his lips on hers in the blistering heat. She relived the overwhelming feeling of reluctance as she forced herself further and further away from him, into the depths of the labyrinth, and the gut-wrenching agony, worry, and guilt that flooded her when the volcano erupted.

As much as it hurt, Annabeth wanted to focus on those feelings, hoping they would distract her. But, of course, it didn't work. She pictured his messy, dark brown hair. His deep, mesmerizing eyes like pools of emeralds only much more beautiful. His perfect features; perfect eyebrows, perfect nose, perfect mouth, perfect chin, perfect ears, perfect everything! She sounded like a love-sick child of Aphrodite, and she couldn't help wondering if he had the same effect on everyone else, or if it was just her alone that had to suffer. Even the idiotic words that came out of his mouth, the ridiculously confused thoughts that he always voiced made her fall harder and faster. She was stuck in a pit of quick sad, sinking every second of every minute of everyday, with no way to pull herself out; and maybe she didn't want to be saved.

Another sigh escaped Annabeth's lips and she began tapping her finger on her knee compulsively.

"Annabeth, are you alright?" Malcolm asked from his bunk.

She looked up, eyebrows scrunched in confusion, interrupted from her thoughts. "Hmm?"

"Are you alright?" He seemed genuinely concerned, and rightly so. Her erratic behavior would be both worrying and irritating to watch.

"Yeah. Fine. Why?" She finally answered, flustered.

He shook his head, but continued to watch her, along with half the cabin. She only just noticed the eyes that bore into her from all sides of the room, and an uncomfortable feeling settled in.

"I'm going for a walk," she announced, standing abruptly. Without waiting for a reply, she glided out the door, almost running. When she closed the door behind her, however, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't go back now, and it was far too cold to venture down to the beach. Annabeth noticed the light on in the cabin across the yard and, without realising it, her feet began to move directly toward the door to the seashell-covered box. Her thoughts caught up to her actions as her hand rapped on the door. It immediately opened before she could turn around and trace her footsteps back to safe territory.

"Annabeth?" said the very person who had been haunting her mind for hours.

"Hey," she said softly.

He chuckled. "Can't sleep?"

"You know me too well."

He shrugged and stepped aside for her.

That's when her commonsense kicked in. She was in his cabin, cabin number three, home of the green-eyed, dark brown haired, perfect eared boy. The one and only Percy Jackson.

Annabeth could've hit herself for her stupidity. No child of Athena should loose their sense of... Wisdom. It was wrong, on so many levels, for her to be there at that moment in time, trying to control her muddled-up feelings.

"You're thinking more then usual," Percy stated, breaking the silence she hadn't noticed until then.

She rolled her eyes, determined to act as her usual self. "Seaweed Brain." She couldn't help smiling at the comment. She could add this one to the long list of 'Stupid Things Percy Jackson Has Said'.

"What's up?"

"The roof?"

"Smart ass."

"Kelp head."

He frowned, looking down at his feet. Annabeth couldn't help but laugh at his lost expression.

"Nope," he finally said, "I got nothing. You win."

She rolled her eyes, momentarily distracted from her horribly wonderful thoughts. Until his gaze met hers, and she was once again lost in her fantasy world, asking herself that same question, the one she couldn't answer.

Why?

"Why what?" Percy asked, confusion written on his face.

"Hades," she cursed. "Did I say that out loud?"

Percy gave her an odd look, and she had the sudden urge to assure him that she was not loosing her sanity.

"Yeah, you did."

Her cheeks flushed, and she forced myself to look away from him.

He rolled his shoulders, uncomfortable, before speaking softly, his voice full of concern. "What's wrong, Annabeth? Something's really bothering you, I can tell."

She sighed, shaking her head, not knowing what to say. How do you explain to your best friend that you can't stop thinking about them?

"You can talk to me, you know."

"But that's just it! I can't talk to you, not about this." Once again, her brain was completely unaware of what she was doing.

"Why?" He was genuinely concerned, his unease as clear as the night sky out the window, pinching his face. He seemed to age in a matter of seconds. A guilty feeling settled into Annabeth's stomach. She was the cause of his worry. Percy cared, with all of his heart, for her, whether as a best friend or something more.

"Why, exactly," she muttered.

"Annabeth-"

"I just have a lot on my mind, and it's really bothering me. Don't worry, Percy," she assured, flashing a forced smile. "I just like to have answers to every question."

He nodded slowly, processing her words. She almost smiled, knowing she made very little sense to him, Seaweed Brain that he is. It's not like she spoke in riddles. "So, your question is why?"

A heavy sigh escaped her slightly parted lips, her shoulders sagging. "Yes," she whispered.

Percy nodded again before dropping himself onto his bed, pulling Annabeth down so she sat beside him. "Why what?" he asked again, gently.

She squeezed her eyes shut, holding back a tear. There was a strong feeling settling into her heart, seeping into her bones. Her stomach clenched tightly, her throat constricting, as the powerful longing overwhelmed her. How she longed to be in his arms, safe and warm, to feel his sweet breath tickle her neck, to have his soft, delicate lips on hers.

"Annabeth?" With one finger, Percy lifted her chin, forcing her eyes to meet the fiery gaze. Despite her best efforts, a single, sparkling drop rolled down her cheek.

"I hate you, Perseus Jackson. You're a horrible, horrible person," she whispered, although her tone held no sign of contempt. "Do you have any idea how annoying you can be?"

Percy's mouth twitched into a small smile. "What have I done this time?"

"Everything," she sighed.

"You really know how to confuse me, you know."

"I know."

He wiped away her tear with one quick flick of his thumb. "Tell me what's wrong."

Annabeth bit her lower lip, contemplating what to do. Should she just tell him, and risk ruining their friendship over her stupid feelings? She was fairly certain he had some feelings for her, too, however minuscule they were. There was always that sparkle in his eyes whenever he looked at her, and if she wasn't imagining it, she might even go so far as to call it love.

"I don't know how," she admitted.

"Then show me, if you can. Or write it down."

Looking into his eyes, Annabeth found the courage to do what she knew needed to be done. She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves, and slowly leaned forward, not daring to avert her gaze. When there was nothing but a centimeter between them, she hesitated. The cabin was silent, not even the usual crash of waves on the shore in the distance, the chirping of crickets, the growls of the monster in the woods, could be heard. The only sound was their nervous, heavy breathing, their breath mingling together, caressing Annabeth's cheeks. When Percy didn't move away, she closed the distance.

It was nothing like she'd imagined. His lips were like silk on hers as he returned the kiss, her mouth melding perfectly with his like it belonged. With the first touch, a spark ignited in her chest, and as his hands found her hips, the flame grew brighter and brighter. Leaning against the headboard, he pulled her over him. She held his face in her hands, straddling him. There was a passion to their movements, however small it seemed, a strong emotion that passed from her to him, then back again. The kiss remained gentle and graceful, like the tides flowing elegantly around one another in an eternal chase.

When she pulled back, her breathing was steady, She peered at him, loosing herself in his beautiful green eyes. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, thumb tracing the curves of her mouth and chin.

A smile graced her lips as she broke the unnoticed silence, asking quietly, "Why can't I stop thinking about you?"

Percy lifted a lock of her hair and twirled it around his finger. "You're beautiful, you know?"

"You're not too bad yourself."

He smirked and pulled her onto his chest where she buried her head, sighing contently. His warm arms held her close as he rested his chin on her head.

They stayed like that, lost in their peaceful thoughts, until the moon rose further in the sky and Annabeth had to leave.

Percy walked her back to her cabin in silence. When they reached the door, she opened it quietly, trying her best to not make a sound. She glanced around the room. Everyone was sound asleep. She turned back around and leaned on the door frame, smiling.

"That's all that was wrong?" Percy whispered, grinning.

She shrugged. "Yep."

He regarded her for a moment, smiling softly, before stepping forward to place a soft kiss on her lips, then walked away into the night. Annabeth sighed, watching after him. When she turned back around, she felt numerous sets of eyes watching her, amused.

"Go to sleep!" She groaned.

As she climbed into bed, she faintly heard a few rounds of laughter that were instantly washed away as she drifted off to sleep.