A/N - So the feedback I've gotten on this story has been pretty positive, so I've decided to continue. This scene was really fun to write from Annabeth's POV just because, while I was reading it the first time, I couldn't help but imagine what Annabeth must have been thinking. So, here is my interpretation of that wonderful funeral house scene!


The funeral wasn't till later that night, but Annabeth couldn't help herself. She snuck out from the hotel she and her dad were renting, and walked to the funeral home.

The door was unlocked, so she slipped right in and headed down the hall. When she walked into the viewing room, she wasn't sure what exactly she was expecting, but she certainly wasn't expecting to see a book about her height with shoulder length blonde hair reaching into the coffin.

"Much better." The boy muttered to himself. "At least that looks like me."

Annabeth's voice broke as she asked the impossible question, "Magnus?"

He almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice, and then turned to face her. He was wearing wiggles shirt, which Annabeth thought was strange, but elected to ignore. There were much more important things to focus on. Her eyes flew to the coffin, and then back to the boy.

There was no question. The boy before her was her missing/dead cousin. She thought through the situation for a moment, and then said,"I knew it. I knew you weren't dead."

She couldn't stop the rush of emotion and relief she felt, and rushed at him, tackling him in a hug.

"Yeah . . . um . . ." That was all Magnus seemed able to say for a moment. He pulled away from her slowly. "It's really good to see you."

She wrinkled her nose at the corpse. "Are you going to make me ask? I thought you were dead, you butt."

Magnus finally cracked a smile. "Hard to explain."

"I guessed that much. The body is fake? You're trying to convince everyone you died?" That wouldn't be the weirdest thing that had ever happened in her life.

"Uh . . . not exactly." Magnus hesitated. "It's best if people think I'm dead, though. Because . . ." his mind seemed to wander. He was keeping something from her.

He glanced at the doorway, and his mind seemed to change tracks. "Wait . . . Did you pass an el-a guy on the way in? My friend was supposed to be keeping watch."

Annabeth couldn't help but notice Magnus change of noun usage halfway through his sentence, she had done that herself a number of times at school, but she decided not to press it. "No. Nobody was out there. The front door was unlocked."

Magnus began moving towards the doorway, practically subconsciously. "I should check-"

"Whoa," Annabeth cut off his exit. He wasn't going to get off that easily. "Not until I get some answers."

"I- Honestly, I don't know where to start. I'm in kind of a dangerous situation. I don't want to get you involved."

"Too late." She crossed her arms. "And I know a few things about dangerous situations." If only he knew.

Magnus furrowed his eyebrows, a worried look growing on his face. "Randolph almost got killed on that bridge." He said. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

She laughed without humor. "Randolph-I swear, I'm going to shove that cane of his . . ." she thought about how she was planning to end that sentence and thought better of it. "Never mind. He wouldn't explain why he took you to the bridge. He kept talking about how you were in danger because of your birthday. He said he was trying to help. Something about our family history-"

"He told me about my father." Magnus interrupted her.

Annabeth tried to remember what she knew of Magnus's father. There was nothing. "You never knew your dad."

"Yeah. But apparently . . ." He shook his head. "Look, it would sound crazy. Just . . . there's a connection between what happened on the bridge and what happened to my mom two years ago, and-and who my father is."

Annabeth's brain whirled at a thousand miles an hour as it fit all the pieces together. Family history. An unknown parent. Dangerous situations. Strange explosions on bridges. She knew that equation all too well. Everything clicked and here eyes grew wide.

"Magnus . . ." She thought about what it would mean that her cousin was also a demigod. "Oh gods."

She began pacing back and forth in front of the coffin. "I should've known. Randolph kept rambling about how our family was special, how we attracted attention. But I had no idea you . . ." She froze, and then grabbed his shoulders. "I'm so sorry I didn't know sooner. I could've helped you."

Magnus leaned back slightly. "Um, I'm not sure-"

But there was no stopping Annabeth now. She was on a role. "My dad's flying back to California tonight after the funeral." She continued. "I was going to catch the train for New York, but school can wait. I get it now. I can help you. I know a place where you'll be safe." How was she going to explain this to Percy and the rest of the campers? Oh, hey guys! Meet my cousin, Magnus. He's also a half-blood, but I didn't figure that out until just now.

Magnus stepped away. For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words. Then a tall, pale, white haired dude with a swollen eye rushed in the door and made a few hand signals at Magnus. Immediately, Annabeth knew he was speaking sign language, and she chided herself for never taking the time to learn it. Magnus, however, seemed to understand.

"Who-" Annabeth began, but was again cut off.

"That's my friend. I really have to go." Magnus was alert and moving fast. It was obvious that whatever the man had said, had been bad news. "Listen, Annabeth . . ." He took her hands. "I have to do this by myself. It's like . . . like a personal-"

"Quest?" Annabeth suggested.

"I was going to say pain in the- yeah, quest works. If you really want to help me, please, just pretend you didn't see me. Later, after I'm done, I'll find you. I'll explain everything, I promise. Right now, I have to go."

She took a shaky breath. "Magnus, I probably could help, but . . ." She pulled one of the folded fliers from her pocket. She hadn't wanted to give up, even when she learned he was dead. "Recently, I learned the hard way that sometimes I have to step back and let other people d their own quests, even people I care about. At least take this."

She handed him the paper and watched as he unfolded it. "The second number is my phone. Call me. Let me know when you're okay, or if you change your mind and-"

"I'll call." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "You're the best."

She sighed. "You're still a butt."

"I know. Thanks. Bye."

With that final word, he rushed out the door with his deaf friend, and she watched him go, wondering how her life had become this complicated.


The funeral that night was horrid.

A priest drowned on to a crowd of people who most likely didn't even know Magnus was missing for two years. "A young life cut short, but let us celebrate his gifts and the impact he had upon us . . ."

Annabeth sighed and slouched down farther into her seat. There were so many sobbing people there, but she doubted most of them even knew more about him then his name. Although, to be fair, she hadn't really know him either. She had missed the biggest secret of all.

How had it taken her this long to figure out? He was her cousin for Zeus' sake.

Perhaps she would have cared about the funeral if she didn't know he was alive, but as it was, it was extremely difficult to endure. Her Uncle Randolph, with his big noisy sobs, sitting right next to her, didn't help.

She couldn't get a read on her Uncle. Did he know Magnus was a demigod? Did he know she was a demigod? There was something strange his eyes. Some type of ulterior motive and meaning behind his tears. She would have to keep her eyes on him.