"It's not my fault, I swear!" she screamed as she ran through the burning field. "I didn't do anything!"
Percy woke up from the nightmare, clutching Annabeth, who was protesting loudly. "Get off, Seaweed Brain, you're hurting me!"
"Oops," Percy whispered, then he spoke up as he said, "It was a nightmare. An empousai had set the strawberry fields on fire, and as everyone was evacuating, you turned and yelled at me to stop tormenting you and that it wasn't your fault." Percy sat up and looked around the room. Everything was where it was supposed to be.
"Maybe you're still traumatized by Gaea, honey."
"Really, Wise Girl? It's been 10 years since the war ended. I think I'm fine with Gaea, although I know that Tartarus could still plague our dreams."
"Gods, Percy, you never could admit to being scared, could you?" Annabeth taunted. "Anyways, it's time to get up, Chiron wanted to see all the counselors before breakfast, and it's 6:00 already. We have an hour before breakfast."
As Annabeth and Percy were getting dressed, someone knocked on the door.
"Just a minute!" Percy yelled as he tugged on his camp T-shirt. He opened the door to see Hazel and Frank, of all people to be knocking on their bedroom door at 6:15 am. Annabeth poked her head around the corner to see who knocked, and immediately exclaimed, "Oh crap!"
"Frank? Hazel? What are you doing here?" Percy asked. "I hope there isn't a problem at Camp Jupiter!"
"Oh, no, it's nothing like that!" Hazel laughed and held out her hand. Annabeth gasped, and Percy, looking confused, said, "That's a very nice hand, Hazel."
Annabeth slapped him on the arm and said, "No, stupid! They're engaged! Hazel was showing us that gorgeous ring!" Percy looked ashamed, but then brightened up and gave them both huge hugs.
"So, Chiron wanted to see everyone downstairs…" Frank reminded them. He looked slightly embarrassed about all the attention. "Yup!" Percy said, and bounded down the stairs of the Big House like a little kid.
When the four of them made it downstairs, all of the other counselors, and Chiron, were gathered around the Ping-Pong table. Grover, true to character, was spraying canned cheese directly into his mouth. As soon as they took the remaining seats, Chiron started talking.
"I suppose you're all wondering why I called you here so early in the morning."
"Yeah! Why DID you call us in so early?" Connor asked.
"I was just about to get to that," Chiron said calmly. "We have some wonderful news for you all."
"Percy and Annabeth are finally getting married?" Jason yelled.
"Sadly not, but Frank and Hazel have news from Camp Jupiter." Chiron told them. "Frank, why don't you share?"
As frank stood up, his chair fell backwards, crashing loudly into the wall behind him. "Hazel and I are here to tell you that we are now happily engaged, and we invite Camp Half-Blood to our wedding on the Summer Solstice at Camp Jupiter. Reyna said she would be delighted if you all came and brought the current campers with you."
Everyone cheered loudly, but even so, they could hear the conch horn being blown by Mr. D, and stampeded down to the counselors table in the pavilion. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Hazel, and Frank wandered slowly behind everyone else, chatting about the great news. The topic of marriage eventually came around to the point where everyone was pushing Percy around and asking why he hadn't popped the question yet. Percy, who had become adept at evading personal questions, even managed to escape this interrogation on personal matters.
After breakfast, Percy and Annabeth returned to their room in the Big House alone, to pack for their special trip to Sally's place. They were having so much fun, throwing clothes at each other, and yelling and laughing, that they didn't hear the door open, and Piper and Jason come in.
Piper snuck up behind Annabeth and yelled "boo!" Annabeth screamed and Percy laughed hysterically. Then Jason came up next to him and said, "Percy, bro! Why aren't you and Annabeth married yet?" Percy hadn't been prepared for this, so he said the first thing he could think of to say.
"Uhh… No reason." But that was a lie. There was a reason, and that reason was a someone that he had yet to reason with. Jason didn't know, so he accepted the answer and left the room with Piper tailing behind him.
"Really Percy? You couldn't have just told him that we hadn't really talked to your mom about our relationship? And that we wanted her blessing before anything more intimate than kissing happened between us?" Annabeth seemed annoyed.
"It's personal, Annabeth!" He whined. "You know that's why both of us are going for the week to visit her, right? I thought I told you. Only Chiron knows, we were going to keep it a secret."
"Oh, right!" Annabeth exclaimed. "I'm sorry I got all mad at you, you had told me. I'm not always a Wise Girl, you know," she joked. "I'm done packing, and I'm ready to do this when you are!"
Percy rolled both of their suitcases up Half-Blood Hill, and down to the van that was waiting for them at the bottom.