Hey, as my summary states this is my first fanficiton. I'm an aspiring writer and I'm looking to improve so I would love any and all constructive criticism. And please be honest, if I suck you can tell me, I most likely won't cry myself to sleep...

Feel free to ask me any questions as well.

Also, I don't own PJO or HOO, those belong to the genius that is Rick Riordan.

Change of Plan

Percy-POV

"I'm telling you Seaweed Brain, Reyna sent me some pictures and this apartment is perfect." Annabeth said excitedly.

Percy smiled at her excitement as he looked at the pictures on her computer screen. "If it works for you then it'll work for me, Wise Girl." he said as he wrapped his arms around her and lightly kissed her temple. They were looking for a place to move into in New Rome after their upcoming high school graduation so they could start college. Annabeth had been stressed the past couple of days trying to find the perfect place, so Percy had decided to give Reyna am iris message, asking if she knew a good place to start. It had taken less than an hour for Reyna to contact Annabeth with the apartment Percy was pretty sure they'd end up getting.

Annabeth leaned her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. "Two more weeks, Perce. Then we can start our lives together. No more quests, no more wars, only what we want." Percy just pulled her a little closer to him and took how beautiful she was without even trying. Her blonde hair was mostly pulled up, but a few curls had escaped and now framed her face as if she had purposely done it. She had on one of his old Goode High School hoodies and a pair jeggings. The thought of moving in together with the her, the woman he loved more than anything, filled him with a sense of longing. He was desperate for them to have a normal life together. After the war with the Titans, being ripped apart from each other by Hera (even if it was for a greater cause), Tartarus, and then the war with the giants, Percy thought they at least deserved that, to be done with all of it…or at least as much of it as they could.

Finally, Percy replied back, "Two more weeks."

Percy watched Annabeth hop out of his jeep and grab her backpack. He had just dropped her off at her school. "I'm going to Olympus after school today, can you pick me up when I'm done there, around six?" she asked.

Percy nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there. We can go visit Mom and Paul after if you want?"

He watched as she smiled and came around to the driver side of the jeep. "Sounds like a plan." She leaned into the open window and pressed a kiss against his lips. "Just don't be late, Seaweed Brain." she teased.

He laughed. "Am I ever?"

"All the time." she replied and winked. Then she turned around and went into her school. Percy smiled as he shook his head and began driving. As he pulled into Goode's parking lot, he checked the time and cursed. Annabeth was right, as always, he was late. He reached into the back seat to grab his backpack and then tried to open the door, but it immediately locked. He felt a chill run down his back. Relying on instinct he reached into his pocket for Riptide, but he felt a hand grab his arm and keep him from moving.

"That won't be necessary, Perseus." An unfamiliar voice said. Percy slowly turned to face a woman sitting in the passenger seat. She looked normal enough, but Percy could feel power radiating from her, even if it wasn't in a threatening manner. Even after seeing her though, he had no idea who she was.

Not wanting to show any fear to what he assumed was most likely a deity, Percy replied, "I just go by Percy."

The woman smiled. "Yes, I knew that. I'm sorry, I normally have very little contact with mortals, and I never understood these nicknames you all like to use in place of your actual names." She sighed and took on a vacant stare, seemingly lost in thought. Not wanting to anger the woman since she didn't seem to be hostile, Percy tried to politely clear his throat to get her attention. She jerked back to reality. "Oh, I'm sorry, Perse-Percy. As I said, I don't have much interaction with others these days…"

Percy nodded his head. "Right…so um, I'm kinda late for school, so if I can do anything for-"

"Oh yes, I'm sorry. I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Rhea-"

Percy suddenly found it hard to breathe. "The titan?"

Rhea looked at him with a look of disappointment. "Well, I'm a titaness, but yes, I'm in that same category."

Percy quickly said, "Of course, titaness, a girl," Rhea just stared at him, "a woman…a female?"

"You could call me any of those and be correct." She deadpanned. Percy began to sweat. This wasn't going well. His reaction and word choices seemed to be the worst they possibly could be.

"Does that mean your…you know…evil?" he asked.

Rhea sighed heavily and looked at Percy. "If you remember the stories I'm sure you've heard at some point, I was responsible for saving Zeus when I hid him and fed my husband Kronos a rock. So to answer your question, no, I've always sided with the Olympians."

Percy let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I'm sorry, I knew that, I just wasn't thinking."

"It's quite alright." she said. "Now the reason I'm here, Perseus-"

"Percy." he said and mentally kicked himself for it.

"…Percy. I have come to you to warn you of something, events that are soon to transpire." Percy stifled a complaint that made its way to his mind. He reminded himself it wouldn't be wise to upset the titaness sitting next to him. "You see, as you know the titans may have lost their war with the Olympians, but not all of them are not ready to give up."

"But Hyperion, Krios, and Kronos are all gone and Atlas is still stuck under the sky…who-"

"My dear child, do you have any idea how many of us there are?" Rhea asked. "Hyperion and Krios, consumed by Tartarus, but he will not hold them forever. They will be born again and they will rise up. Kronos will eventually find his way back together. But they're not the threat. Oceanus longs to rule the sea again. He was winning the war against your father before you defeated Kronos in Manhattan."

Percy shook his head. "He couldn't win now could he? I mean, my dad is more powerful now than he was then and the other gods would help him."

"Oceanus has already found allies and they are growing in power and number." Rhea stated.

Percy looked at her, trying to take everything she was saying in and understand it. He wished Annabeth were here to help. Finally he asked, "Why are you telling me? Shouldn't you tell the Olympians?"

Rhea was quite as she turned away and stared out of the window, not answering his question for some time. "You are a powerful demigod, Percy Jackson. You know this and have proven it time and time again. While there are other powerful demigods you have potential beyond your wildest imagination. I've seen it. Your loyalty gives you strength when others would lose themselves, your natural skill with a blade, your powers; it's only the beginning. You fight for the Olympians and for the half-bloods. You fight for humanity. You are a threat to the rising force."

"But, why are you here then? I don't understand why you're telling me all of this?" Percy questioned.

"Because, Percy, they're coming for you." Rhea stated.

"The titans?"

"And their allies. Nyx and her children are among them…I understand you've met them." Percy swallowed hard. "I've come to warn you…but I also come to offer you help."

Percy's stomach felt like it was being twisted into a knot. He knew he wasn't going to like this, he could feel it. He asked anyway, "What are you suggesting?"

"I can help you train, I can help guide you to your true potential. I can help keep you hidden from them, until the time is right for war." She answered.

"No." Percy said immediately. "I'm done with this fighting, I'm done being a pawn in a bigger scheme. I'm not just a soldier who can be ordered to the front lines every time a problem arises."

Rhea lightly grabbed Percy's arm. "Percy, I don't want to ask you to go through this, believe me. You've endured so much…but I know they're not ready to fight the gods. They are however ready to fight you." Percy looked at Rhea with confusion. "They don't want to openly attack anyone and alert the gods, but they have made an exception for you. You're too powerful in their eyes, or at least they know you can be. This is why you're in danger." Rhea squeezed Percy's arm tighter. "You and the people you're closest too."

Realization dawned on Percy. "Annabeth."

Rhea nodded. "They will kill her to draw you out or hurt you if they have too. It's the best way to get you to come to their turf where the gods wouldn't know what was happening."

Percy looked straight into Rhea's eyes. "How can I protect her?" he asked. He had sworn he wouldn't ever let someone hurt his Wise Girl and he intended to hold true to that promise.

Rhea let go of his arm. "They want you dead…and they'll not stop until you are. I'm suggesting we kill you, at least in the eyes of the world."

"What? Fake my own death?"

"Yes…give them no reason to believe you're alive." she replied.

"Who would know I was still alive?"

"No one but me for the time being. We can see who becomes a necessity in the future."

"Annabeth would think I was dead?" he asked, fearing the answer even though he already knew it.

"Annabeth, your family, the camps, the Olympians. You would be dead to the world…but it's the only way to give you time to help save it in the future…and it's the only way to keep her safe."

Percy sat in silence as he let that fact sink in. He didn't want to leave Annabeth, but he wanted to keep her safe more than anything else. He knew he had to do it, and he cursed the Fates for being so cruel to him. Finally, he asked, "How are we going to do it?"

Annabeth-POV

Annabeth sighed and shook her head as she checked the time on her phone again. 6:25…he was late. She figured he would be, and in all honesty she didn't mind waiting on him. He might be late a lot, but he would always be there for her, even if it wasn't at the time she wanted or expected it to be. She loved him and the fact that he wasn't the timeliest of people didn't bother her.

Annabeth was pulled from her thoughts as a Taxi stopped in front of her and the driver asked, "Miss, you need a ride somewhere?"

She shook her head, "No, but thank you. I'm just waiting on my ride to show up." The driver left with a shrug. Annabeth checked her phone again. 6:35 She was now beginning to worry, this was abnormal for even for Percy. She was about to call him when she heard a voice she recognized.

"Annabeth." She turned to see Athena walking out of the Empire State building. She smiled at her mother, until she saw the look of regret, pity, and discomfort written all over the goddesses face.

Annabeth's heart dropped into her stomach and suddenly her world felt like it was being flipped upside down. Her mother's face told her everything she needed to know. When she finally found her voice again, Annabeth asked, "What happened…Where's Percy, Mom?"

Athena closed the distance between her and Annabeth and Annabeth felt her mother's arms wrap around her. "He's dead. There was an explosion. They think it was either Empusi or Laestrygonians. I'm afraid Percy didn't make it." Annabeth's world shattered and sobs began tearing through her. She knew her mother wouldn't joke about something so serious nor would she ever talk about Percy as if she truly regretted any misfortune that befell him unless it was something as serious as this. "I'm so sorry, Annabeth."

"I want to see him." She chocked out but she felt her mom's head shaking.

"The explosion destroyed the body. The council is meeting to discuss proper ceremonies for the boy…Poseidon has asked that you come and be with him as he mourns the loss of his son. He wants you to help get everything in order for the boy's funeral pyre."

"I can't mom."

"You have to, Percy would've wanted you to."

"He wasn't supposed to leave me, he-he promised." Annabeth sobbed out as her mother pulled her in closer and rubbed her back.

Percy-POV

In a nearby ally he watched Annabeth breakdown and cry for him nearly and it did nearly kill Percy for real. The pain he felt in his heart was almost unbearable, only just so because he knew it would keep her safe.

"You did the right thing…for everybody." Rhea said, trying to comfort him. He didn't bother replying. "It's not for forever, Percy. The day will come when you'll be able to return. Things will be able to go back to the way they were."

"She might find someone else…she might forget about me."

Rhea placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then know that you're actions will keep her safe, and the day will come when you can at least explain to her why you did what you did."

"She'll hate me for it." he said.

"Maybe…"

Percy took a deep, shaky breath in, wiping the tears off his cheeks. He turned away from Annabeth and looked at Rhea. "You'll keep your promise? You'll look after her as much as possible?"

"Yes, Percy. I'll watch after her, and you'll be able to as well."

Percy nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Let's get started then, I can't stay here and watch this."

Rhea turned away from him. "Follow me." She said as she started walking away.

Percy began following her but stole one last look at the grief stricken Annabeth. He allowed another tear to roll down his cheek before he turned away from her. "It won't be like this forever, Wise Girl." he said quietly to himself.