"Annabeth!" Percy screamed as he woke up in a freezing cold sweat. He looked around his giant apartment, wondering where he was, and then he remembered. Home. Well, as close of home as he could have. Decades later, he still missed Camp Half-Blood. And Chiron. And even Mr. D, the big– "Percy?" the maid asked as she walked in. "Oh. Hi, um..." the maid had an expression on her face
that told Percy that no one ever remembered her name. "Mara." she said, grinning slightly. "Mara Noble." "Oh yeah. Right." She nodded towards him. "Are you going to get up so I can make your bed, or are you going to lazy in bed all day?"
"Uhhhh..." She smiled again. "I'm joking! Anyways, the joking will cease soon. I'm going back to my district soon. I'm just an intern," she sighed.
"Oh." I said, like an idiot. My way with girls still hadn't improved much over the years.
"It can't be helped," she said sadly. Then, she straightened up, and said in a grave voice (that I knew was teasing), "Percyus Jackson, I must ask you to give me 20 minutes in your room. We shall fight to the death, and if your bedroom wins I do not want you to see my sad demise." I rolled my eyes. "Yes ma'am." She winked.
10 minutes later...
I walked around the beautiful greenhouse, and saw something that saddened me a little.
It was an orange rose.
"And you'll always look out for me, won't you Percy?" The look on her face... "Yes Annabeth. Always." She looked skeptical. "Hey!" I protested. "You don't think I could?" "Luke could have too, Percy. I want you to *promise*." "Ok, ok. How about..." I picked the nearest rose next to me. "Here. See? It's orange, like our home. Even if I turn evil, home will always be there for you, Annabeth."
"Oh Percy... You could never be evil."
I laughed. "You're just realizing this now?"
"Seaweed brain!"
"Wise girl!"
We laughed and walked back to the cabin, swinging our clasped hands together.
Together... There's something Percy hadn't been in a long time.
Without realizing it, he had walked to the pond where he had proposed to Annabeth. He sighed. Those memories were just too painful...
He started the long walk back up to the capital, alone with his old, sentimental thoughts.