Aaaaand here I am. Again. With another one shot. I promise I'll update This Is My Kingdom Come as soon as my life stabilises a tad. One shots, drabbles, those are easier to write while away from home. Long, rational stories? Not so much. As always hope you enjoy!

PJO belongs to Uncle Rick.

Annabeth was embarrassed. She knew she ought not to be, after all, it was something natural that happened to everyone. Every girl, anyhow.

She wished now, more than ever, that Thalia was still alive. She always knew what to do with this kind of thing.

Or at least that it was summer season, when her older siblings were still at camp. Or would that make things worse? Everyone would be saying "Oh, look! That's Annabeth Chase the girl who got her period!"

No, she was being melodramatic. People got periods once a month and lived through them as if nothing happened. Camp was filled with girls over twelve who didn't even complain about it.

But it was her first period, and someone was bound to be lewd about it. She remembered when Katie Gardner got hers, her siblings had made a million subtle-but-not-really jokes.

She was stressed. And wanted to cry. And also wanted a pad. It was September, and her cabin had a total of two guys and her, and what did that mean? No pads, nor tampons, nor appropriate advice. Which led her thoughts back to how much she needed Thalia right now, and that made her burst into tears sitting pathetically on her cabin's tiny toilet.

She hated crying, but she knew it wouldn't be that bad if someone saw her. Once, Clarisse had laughed at her for it, and Luke had told her if she didn't stop bullying his little sister he'd punch her. That made her stop. Everyone did what Luke told them to do.

Luke! She could tell him. Annabeth didn't know how much the 18 year old could know about periods, but he'd been there when Thalia got hers, and he'd had a few girlfriends, and he was older, he had to know something.

That's it, she decided. She made a makeshift pad out of cotton and toilet paper, and hoped for the best.

She knocked on the door of cabin 11 and Luke came out looking disgruntled.

He managed to focus at her with concern, "Is everything all right? It's half past seven in the morning."

Annabeth didn't know it was that early. Oops.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked.

"Of course," he said reassuringly, and opened the door for her to come in.

"Outside?"

Luke raised an eyebrow but nodded. He left and came back with a hoodie.

He brought her close, hugging her with one arm and started wandering aimlessly in between the cabins.

"So," he yawned. "What brings this tough little girl to my doorstep at this ungodly hour of the morning?"

Now that she was with him, she didn't know how to tell him. She recalled the time she'd ask how babies were made, back on the run, and Luke had blushed tomato red and refused to answer. Thalia had made fun of him for ages afterwards.

But this was different, it wasn't as serious as sex. She only needed a pad. Or ten. Or a thousand, who knew? Not her, that was for sure. She hated not knowing.

"I..." she looked around to make sure that they were alone. She lowered her voice to a whisper, "I think I got my period."

Luke, who had lowered his head to her level when she spoke quietly now stared at her. Then he raised an eyebrow, stood up straight, and glanced at Thalia's tree with a face filled with many expressions.

Well, good luck with that, buddy, Annabeth thought with an amount of contempt that surprised her. I've been staring at her for hours.

"Are you... feeling okay? Does anything hurt?" he asked at last, turning his worried eyes back on her.

"Nope," she said, popping the 'p'.

"Um..." Luke seemed a bit lost. "Do you need anything from the store? It's not open yet, but I'm sure someone can give us a hand."

Annabeth shook her head violently, "I don't want to go to the store!" That was as good as enunciating it via fireworks to every soul left at camp.

Luke put a hand around her shoulder and returned to their gallivanting.

He smiled affectionately, "No one's going to laugh at you."

Annabeth shrugged, "Is there no other option?"

Luke thought for half a minute and gave her his characteristic mischievous smirk, "I've got an idea."

That was how Annabeth found herself crouching behind a little bush across the door of the Aphrodite cabin while Luke knocked on its door.

Silena Beauregard came out in her pyjamas and closed the door behind her.

"If this is some kind of practical joke," she warned. "It's not the time."

"Dearest Silena," Luke announced, loud enough for Annabeth to hear. "I come bearing great news: today, I have become a woman."

Silena's eyes stared at him with cynicism.

"Have you?" she deadpanned.

"Yes, yes, quite," he agreed heartily. "And I need those little cotton sticks grown up women use."

Silena looked confused. She did however, answer seriously, "It's recommended to avoid tampons during the first few periods."

Luke looked taken aback for a second, then said, "Well then, whatever it is you fellas use."

"Pads?"

Luke nodded his best, most innocent childish grin.

Silena still looked mildly bemused, but she looked around having guessed (or perhaps hoping that) this was some sort of act for someone else, and trying to see who would Luke do such a thing for.

The daughter of Aphrodite gave Luke a knowing smile, finally realising the truth. Or so Annabeth thought. She hoped Silena wouldn't say anything, she was a nice girl but kids of the goddess of love seldom hid their gossip.

Silena went in, and came back a few minutes later with a brown paper bag. She told Luke something in a low voice, Annabeth couldn't hear properly.

Once the door was closed again, Luke sat next to her.

"She knows?" Annabeth demanded.

"Yeah," Luke replied nonchalantly. "She figured it out in the end. Said my acting was horrendous. I thought it to be brilliant. Oscar worthy, if you ask me."

Annabeth didn't laugh.

"She won't say anything," he eyed her. "Also told me to tell you that you can go directly to her, and to spare her of all this melodrama."

Annabeth nodded, "How did she find out?"

Luke gave her a small frown, "You don't think she's smart?"

Annabeth shrugged. She didn't really know, but it was said that children of Aphrodite didn't really have much of a brain.

"Because she's in cabin 10?" he wondered, guessing her answer.

She felt bad, Luke seemed to think Silena much more worthy than she had imagined the girl.

"Am I such a bad person because I think like that?" she asked.

"I just think you shouldn't always rely on rumours. I think children of Aphrodite can be smart, same as blonde girls," he glanced her way with a small smile and poked her side. "Or do you want me to start making blonde jokes?"

Annabeth gasped indignantly, "You're also blond!"

"Ah, but I'm not really smart," he chuckled.

He stood up and helped her up.

"Yes, you are," she stated.

"Not as smart as you, or Silena."

"She's smarter than you?"

"Much, much smarter," he agreed. "Now c'mon, you need these," he held the paper bag to her.

Once they'd reached the Athena cabin she asked him to wait for her.

"You don't want to go back to sleep?" he wondered, stifling a yawn.

She shook her head.

"Then I don't want to either," he stated, and sat on a little bench outside her cabin.

By the time Annabeth came out again, he was fast asleep, with his head on the bench's backrest, facing the roof. She cuddled next to him.

"Thanks," she murmured.

Luke grunted in response, shifting to use her head as a pillow. She felt the soothing pull of sleep take hold of her, and she didn't resist. She was warm, she was comfortable, and she was safe. She was home.