Another little birthday thing I wrote for Percy. Percy and Annabeth just finished school and Percy is going to be turning 19 soon. Please review! Thanks!

Annabeth knocked on the apartment door and stood outside. She fingered her necklace, particularly the pendant Percy had given her a little less than a year ago, while she waited for the door to open. After a moment, Sally Jackson opened the door with a bright smile directed at Annabeth.

"Annabeth, dear. Its great to see you. You look wonderful," she said as she opened the door for her to come in.

"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson. You look wonderful, too."

"How many times am I going to have to tell you to call me Sally?"

"Sorry," Annabeth said softly.

"Oh, its alright. What brings you here? I hope you weren't looking for Percy because he isn't here."

"I know, I talked to him earlier. I was actually hoping I could talk to you."

Sally turned to Annabeth and said, "About what?"

Annabeth sat down at the kitchen table and Sally sat next to her. "Well, its Percy's birthday in a couple days and I wanted to make these blue chocolate cookies that he loves. I mean, I would get him a present and all, but for the past few birthdays and anniversaries, we've been giving each other blue food. I guess its kind of our thing, but I wanted to make this one extra special. And your cookies are always special. I don't want to screw it up."

Annabeth realized that she hadn't taken a breath yet. Het fingers were going crazy; she couldn't stop moving. What was she so nervous about? It was just Percy's birthday and their three year anniversary. Its not like she wasn't used to celebrating with him. She couldn't understand why she was so nervous this time around. She squeezed her fingers tightly and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling." She looked up at Sally, who was smiling. "Can you help me make them?"

~AUGUST 18TH~

Annabeth ran around the kitchen, cleaning up the huge mess she had made earlier. Sally had given her the cooking directions and access to her kitchen to make the cookies, but had left to go to work an hour ago. Paul and Percy were out looking for an apartment for Percy. She tried not to focus on the fact that she was alone in her boyfriend's apartment, without her boyfriend. It was a little weird.

She grabbed a washcloth and started wiping the counter of the egg she had dropped. She was startled by the sound of the timer going off for the oven. Annabeth grabbed an oven mitt and hesitantly took them out. They didn't look burnt or anything. They actually looked good and gooey, and blue, of course. Annabeth grabbed one off the cookie sheet and blew on it before taking a bite. It was good, but nothing special. It just tasted like a chocolate chip cookie, which meant she had done something wrong. By the way Percy had described them, Sally had been able to make them amazing, something you could never forget the taste of.

Annabeth put her elbows on the counter and rested her head in her hands. She glared down at the ordinary, blue cookies. She sighed. She tried to do one thing, something special and meaningful and she had somehow screwed it up.

Suddenly, Annabeth heard the door to the apartment open. She yelped as Percy emerged through the door with Paul behind him. She moved to conceal the cookies, but knew it was pointless. She was going to have to explain why she was here somehow and she didn't really want to lie to Percy.

He looked towards the kitchen and stopped when he saw Annabeth, standing there. Her body tensed. He stared at her for a second and then asked, "Annabeth? What are you doing here? How did you even get in?"

"Um, spare key?" she said uncertainly.

Paul looked at her and smiled; he knew why she was here, but thankfully he didn't say anything. He walked on and into the master bedroom.

Percy was still looking at her. "What are you hiding?" He walked around to her and tried to look over her shoulder, but Annabeth blocked him.

"No. You don't get to see."

"What? Why not? Its my house."

"Please?"

"It smells like cookies. Just let me see."

"Percy, no." Annabeth tried to push him back, but he grabbed her wrists. He pulled her back towards him and then picked her up and put her over his shoulder, all in one smooth movement. She slapped his back and yelled, "Put me down!"

But Percy didn't listen. He held onto her legs to keep her from falling over. "I see you made blue cookies," he said after a minute.

Annabeth gave up and sighed against Percy's back. He let her slide down him and set her down in front of him. He had one of her cookies in his mouth. "They're pretty good. What's the occasion?" He smiled at her.

Annabeth scoffed. "Pretty good isn't perfect."

"What's wrong?"

"They aren't like the ones your mom makes. She gave me the recipe and I tried to do it, but I messed up. They aren't as good. I was trying to do something special for you tomorrow, but I failed."

"Failed? What are you talking about? Annabeth, the cookies are fine. They are as good as my moms. Maybe even better since you made them."

"Yeah, right. You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Let me see the recipe she gave you."

Annabeth turned back to the counter and grabbed the paper Sally had written the recipe and instructions on. She handed it to Percy. He looked over it for a minute and then showed it to her. "See here? Where it talks about the vanilla extract?"

"Yeah. And?"

"Most people don't put vanilla extract in chocolate chip cookies. Its-what's that word you like-contradicting to the flavour. That's the Jackson family secret ingredient. Nobody in my family is supposed to give it out."

Annabeth suddenly looked up at Percy. "But... why did you're mom give it to me, then? I'm not a Jackson."

"You could be if you only said yes." Percy wouldn't stop smiling at her.

Annabeth froze. She stopped breathing, she was sure of it. She just remembered staring up at Percy, searching for his face. He pulled something out of the pocket of his shorts and placed it on the counter. She still looked at Percy's face. He chuckled and turned away. Annabeth stared at his back and finally blinked and looked at the counter. There was a little ring sitting there, one with a gold band and blue diamond. She stared back at where he had walked off to.

"Did you... Did you just-" she managed before choking on her own words. "Perseus Jackson, you better get your ass back over here and put this ring on my finger!" she shouted, finally finding her voice.

Percy peaked his head out from his bedroom doorway and smiled over at her. He walked out of the room towards her. He grabbed the ring off the counter and took her left hand and slid the beautiful ring on her finger. She drew her hand back and crossed her arms.

Percy rose full height again and kept smiling at her. "You look mad," he said. Annabeth didn't answer, just continued glaring at him. "Ah, come on, Annabeth. Think happy thoughts about marriage and our apartment and future kids, hopefully."

Annabeth stared at Percy for a minute more and then she pulled on his shirt. He crashed into her happily.