It was an early Sunday morning. The birds were singing and it was calmly and quiet at Camp Jupiter. Well, as quiet as it could be anyway. The sound of swords twang, war shouts and murmur from the city echoed through the camp. Hannibal the elephant, trumpeted annoyingly loud for breakfast. But none of those sounds seemed to bother Percy Jackson who was sleeping on the green flourishing meadow beside the river Little Tiber. He had woken up early in the fifth cohort and hadn't been able to go back to sleep so he had brought himself here, to the small river, to be able to think clearly. Percy's thought – witch was entangled to a big knot in his head – always seemed to get untied by the sound of the water which was pouring down the river. But of course, if you are son of Poseidon, then it's not really that weird and it beat lying around in the cohort listening to frank's loud snoring. That nights brooding had soon become dreams when his eyelids became heavier and heavier and when he at last couldn't keep his sea-green eyes open.
The big flying ship had just landed on the training field and all the heroes from Camp Jupiter stood assembled ready to fight just in case Camp Half-blood would come up with some tricks. Percy and his two friends Frank Zhang – son of Mars – and Hazel Levesque – daughter of Pluto – were standing in the front of Camp Jupiter and seemed to be the only ones relaxed. It flowed out people from the ship – they just as tensed and ready for war – and Percy's eyes searched eagerly for Annabeth but he couldn't find her in the crowd. At last everyone was out of the ship. It developed a tensed silence. Both camps stood tensed and waited for … for what? A war? For someone to break the ice?
"Step aside!" Percy heard someone shout.
His heart started racing when he recognised the voice. They in the front did what they were told and stepped aside. There stood the most beautiful girl Percy had ever laid his eyes on. Her blond hair framed her beautiful face perfectly and her grey eyes became teary when she saw him.
"Percy" said Annabeth – daughter of Athena – with cracked voice and run towards him.
The heroes of Camp Jupiter backed away and were ready with their weapons, afraid that the girl might try something fishy. Even Hazel and Frank backed away and peeked fearfully at Percy. But Percy didn't care. He ran the few last steps between them and she threw herself into him in a passionate hug.
"Annabeth" said Percy with a sigh of relief.
"Thank the gods, you're alive!" said Annabeth with her face hidden at his chest, probably to hide the tears.
Percy hugged her even harder but to his surprise Annabeth suddenly pushed him away.
"IDIOT! How could you just … without saying anything … do you know how damn worried I was!" she shouted and hit him on the chest at the same time.
Everyone watched surprisingly the scene that played in front of their eyes. But that didn't cross Annabeth's mind.
"But Annabeth …" Percy tried to explain the whole situation – that it wasn't his fault but Hera's – but Annabeth cut him off.
"I have hardly gotten any sleep because of you, you … you … SEAWEED BRAIN!" she kept yelling and pointed at the dark rings under her eyes. She kept hitting him and Percy's best friend Grover – who was a satyr – ran forward on his goat legs and tried to stop her.
"Calm down, Annabeth. Hi Percy, good to see you with the living, buddy. We … ouch!" Annabeth had happened to kick him right on his shaggy legs when he had tried to pull her away from Percy.
She immediately realised her mistake and calmed down. Percy didn't know what surprised him most. Annabeth's outbreak or that everyone from camp Jupiter laughed at what they thought was so funny about this situation. But it broke the ice and all Percy's friends from Camp Half-blood ran forward, hugged and greeted him – even Clarisse who always had her eyes open for a chance to fight with him. Jason on the other hand was attacked by camp Jupiter with questions and even for him hugs.
"Attention please!" shouted Reyna – the praetor – and everyone silenced and looked at her. "Percy Jackson, a big hero of Camp Jupiter, has given his word that we can trust you Camp Half-blood. As our new praetor we trust him to 100%. Therefore you are our guests and shall be treated with respect." She paused and looked severe on the heroes of Camp Jupiter and then she smiled at Percy with a special glimpse in her eyes and continued. "We welcome you to Camp Jupiter."
The centaur Chiron trot forward with his horse legs out from the tangled crowd.
"Percy." He said and hugged him.
"Chiron. It's nice to see you again!" said Percy and returned the hug.
"You must be the leader of Camp Half-blood" Reyna said to Chiron.
"Well, not really but the real leader Dionysus didn't tag along."Chiron answered.
They walked away and discussed stuff Percy couldn't care less about. He turned to his friends Hazel and Frank.
"This is my best friend Grover and my girlfriend Annabeth." He turned to them. "Annabeth, Grover. This is Hazel and Frank, the ones who has taken care of me."
Annabeth shook hands with both Hazel and Frank. Apparently she had calmed down enough to be polite.
"Let us show you all around." Hazel said to Camp Half-blood.
Percy woke from his dream by something tickling his face. He opened his eyes and saw Annabeth sitting beside him playing with a grass- blade in his face. He tensed, ready for a new outbreak. But nothing happened.
"Good morning, seaweed- brain." She said with a smile.
Percy relaxed when he realised that no outburst would break out. He smiled back and sat up.
"Good morning. What time is it?" he asked and stretched.
"ten o'clock soon. Did you snore that loud that they threw you out from the cohort and forced you to sleep here?" she mocked and kept tickle him with the grass- blade.
They sat there quiet a while.
"I'm sorry." Annabeth said breaking the silence.
"For what?" Percy asked although he knew the answer.
"For yesterday … for yelling at you … for hitting you. I just wanted to have someone to blame and … I know it wasn't your fault of course, but …" percy leaned forward and touched her lips with his to silence her.
"There's nothing to forgive." He said and held his hand under her chin to be able to see into her eyes which ashamedly meet his.
She moved his hand away from her chin into her lap where she started playing with his fingers. They sat quiet. Percy could see that Annabeth wanted to say something, the way she fumbled with his fingers just to escape his wondering eyes. But he sat quiet and waited patiently (which is a pretty big challenge for someone with ADHD).
"Reyna … who is she according to you?" Annabeth asked suddenly and looked right into Percy's eyes like she was hoping to find the answers somewhere in them.
"Reyna, praetor of the twelfth legion." He answered stupidly.
"you know what I mean, seaweed- brain." Her eyes burned into percy's which made him feel uncomfortable.
"Listen. It's nothing between me and Reyna if that's what you mean. She asked me to be praetor and I took the job. End of story." He said holding his hands in the air like he was trying to show that he was unarmed.
Annabeth pinned his eyes, searching for lies.
"really?" she asked.
He held his hands on her cheeks. "really."
She sighed and held her hand on his which was still on her cheek.
"I don't know. It is something about Reyna … the way she looks at you …" she said troubled, almost as if she were talking to herself.
Percy gave her a fast kiss and looked her sharply in the eyes.
"you know what your problem is? You worry to much. You're the only one for me. You don't have to be jealous, baby." He didn't give her any chance to answer.
He leaned forward and kissed her again. She answered immediately at his lips questions and scrabbled her fingers into his dark hair. She separated her lips and the kiss became more intensive. Percy pulled her down in the grass and laid himself over her. Their lips were formed for each other and were more and more eager. Annabeth gasped for breath when percy leaved her lips and started kissing the neck – also he was gasping. – Annabeth stroke the abs under Percy's shirt and was amazed of its hard structure. Her touch made him even more heated and his lips went for hers again.
They heard a hawking. annabeth pushed percy fast away from her who landed beside her. Frank stood a few metres away, red as a tomato in his face and saw something apparently interesting in the grass.
"uhm … it's breakfast at the fifth cohorts table." He stumbled and got even redder in his face.
Percy smirked teasingly at his tomato face. "Okay bro. we're right behind you." He answered and
