chapter 2

A/N: I want to say a huge thank you to tomy98, ladymusicz, J, the guests and everyone who has reviewed,favourited or followed this story. your support means a lot and I am writing this for y'all :D

Here is a longer .


Annabeth POV

"It grows and blossoms, it dies and wilts, it happens in the beginning and happens in the end,it can make you cry, it can make you smile, it can make you sad it can make you brave. What is it? Figure this out—if you can of course—and go to the place where its presence is the most profound"

Athena's voice rang out true and clear throughout the silent group of spectating campers standing in pairs. "Wow Mom. What a brilliant way to test us."Annabeth thought. Aloud she told Percy, "So? Any idea what she could be referring to?"

"I dunno, your the wise one! I'm the one good at kicking ass—monster ass!" he proclaimed. On seeing Annabeth's glare he suggested helpfully "Uh..A flower maybe? That grows and blossoms right?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and groaned and started working her grey cells. On seeing the calculating look in her eyes Percy had to ask "So? Got something Wise Girl?"

She slapped his arm playfully and suggested "Why don't you think for a change Seaweed Brain?" While they had been bickering Athena had vanished.

"Well you have to figure out what Athena had been referring to. Once you do you should know where to go. When you reach there you will be told what to do next. Good luck.",Chiron announced and trotted off.

Annabeth thought hard. She knew she could figure it out but whenever she needed an answer her brain seemed to always respond slowly. She looked over at Percy feeling his gaze on her. He was regarding her with his sea green eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly tilted upwards—the expression she had found annoying at first but that had soon turned to endearment. She blinked. Hang on. Endearment. Adoration. Love. What had the riddle said? 'It grows and blossoms,it dies and wilts.' Yeah love fit in. 'It happens in the beginning, it happens in the end.' Again love fit the description. 'It can make you cry,it can make you smile, it can make you sad it can make you brave.' Yup. Definitely love. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena,goddess of wisdom had done it. Feeling extremely smug and smiling a face-splitting grin she caught Percy's arm and ran off towards the Aphrodite cabin.

Percy POV

Percy had been thinking while listening to Athena saying her twisted riddle that the gods just loved to see them struggle trying to complete their stupid challenges. Obviously being immortal and sitting up on Mt. Olympus couldn't be very exciting. So what did they do for entertainment? Sentenced their demigod spawn to perform these challenges. It's not like that were ever asked if they wanted to do these things. No. The gods arranged it and they played it.

While Annabeth and he had been bickering Athena had vanished. As usual. Did he mention he hated it when the gods did that? He looked at Annabeth. She was in an orange camp Tshirt and jeans. Her blonde curly hair was tied in a messy ponytail with a few of the curls escaping. He wondered for the millionth time how the notion of blondes being dumb came about. She turned her head slightly to meet his gaze. She was lost deep in thought. They stood like that, facing each other for a few seconds before her grey eyes lit up. She smiled a huge grin and grabbed a hold of his arm and started running. Well it was obvious she had figured it out. But couldn't she at least mention what it was that she had thought of?

"Annabeth."

"Yes Percy." "Would you care to explain where you are dragging me off to?"

" Yes…Love." Percy blinked. Since when did Annabeth start using nicknames? Well apart from Seaweed Brain that is. He replied, "So do you prefer sweetheart or honey?"

Annabeth pulled him to a stop. "Jeez Percy, I knew you were thick but sometimes…"she trailed off. "How am I supposed to know which name you prefer?!" She rolled her eyes at him. "Percy the answer to the riddle is love."she explained and ran off again. He stood there for a few seconds. Riddle? Oh! Right. The one that Athena gave! Now he felt really embarrassed. He could feel a faint blush colouring his cheeks. He ran after her.

"So we're going to the Aphrodite cabin right?" he asked. Annabeth looked sideways at him, smirked and nodded.

They reached the cabin panting. "Okay now what do we do?" he asked. "Didn't Chiron say that we'd be told what to do next?" Annabeth nodded and said "Well i thought when we come here Aphrodite would appear and tell us what the next challenge is!" Percy thought she looked a bit rattled. After all this was Annabeth. She hated not knowing something. He looked around. Athena had said that they had to go the place where its presence was the most. They knew what the 'it' was now. Love. So this had to be that place right? Unless.. a sudden thought occurred to Percy.

Annabeth POV

She couldn't believe this wasn't the place. The presence of love which was equivalent to Aphrodite had to be her cabin. Where else could her presence be?

"Hey"Percy said suddenly "what about that rock in the woods which the Aphrodite campers named?" Annabth nodded slowly. The Kissing Rock. It was a set of boulders in a somewhat circular formation with only a tiny opening through which you could enter. Someone had discovered it and the Aphrodite kids had named it since. It wasn't unusual for campers to sneak off there to do..well what the name suggested. "Yeah that could be the place."

They ran off again this time in the direction of the woods. There, sitting on one of the larger boulders was a woman in flowing white fabric. "Wow Percy you were right." she remarked.

She heard him sigh and say softly "Always the tone of surprise." She looked to see him smiling slightly and shaking his head.

The woman on the rock looked up and smiled an angelic smile. "Looks like you two are currently in the first position since no one else has come here yet." She paused, met each one's eyes and smiled again before continuing "Well my challenge isn't going to be as boring as Athena's. You two are going to have so much fun doing it!" She clapped her hands together in almost unconfined excitement.

"Oh boy" Percy muttered.


So what are your views? Did you like it? Not like it? Please review. And any suggestions for what Aphrodite's challenge could be?