AN: I'm back! Did you miss me? Well, I hope not since I only uploaded the last chapter half an hour ago! I told you this would be up soon! So, here is the second chapter. Enjoy!


I wake up and smile instantly seeing the beautiful blonde curled around my body. I kiss her head and she sighs in her sleep only waking when I gently rub her arm up and down with my fingers, her eyes flutter open and I want to see this sight every day for the rest of my life. She looks up at me with those gorgeous blue orbs and smiles

"Morning" I kiss her lightly

"Morning"

"How did you sleep?"

"Really well actually, I guess I was quite tired"

"Ohh I wonder why that was..." I shrug my shoulders and smile at her playfulness as her hand strokes across my covered chest

"I have no idea" she kisses me again and we lay in a tangle of limbs content on just looking at each other until we're ripped from our paradise as a crashing sound comes from my door. I groan in annoyance.

"Who is it?" I yell

"Chiron, Percy we need to talk" Annabeth and I share a worried glance – there's no way he could know, is there? I hold my finger up to my lips signalling her to be quiet as I reply

"What about?"

"Well, it's not going to be easy for you to hear this Percy but, well, Annabeth is missing" we share a knowing glance as smiles creep onto our lips knowing how silly this is

"What? You misplaced Annabeth? She told me she was going for a walk - I'm sure she'll turn up soon enough" I hear Chiron's hooves 'clip clop' on the pavement slightly as they always do when he feels awkward

"She's in there with you isn't she?" he doesn't sound angry or shocked, just confident in his statement

"What? Of course she isn't that would be against the rules Chiron. Why would you think that?"

"Well, let me see, the last time Annabeth was missing you ran out of your cabin to look for her so fast you were still in your pyjamas" I groan again in embarrassment since Annabeth didn't know that. She pecks my lips before getting out of bed with a defeated sigh.

We make our way silently to the door and open it only to see a mass crowd of campers outside. Ah. Chiron coughs due to being so uncomfortable.

"You two know the rules about different gender campers being alone in a cabin."

"But Chiron, sometimes we need to talk about our quests, I mean, only we know the stuff we've been through so it's nice to be able to talk about it. Besides we've shared a room countless times on the quests that you've sent us on, why can't we just talk in a cabin? We are eighteen you know" thank God my girlfriend is a daughter of Athena. My eyes meet Grover's as he emerges from the crowd, silently I beg him to help us out

"Chiron, they're telling the truth, I was on those quests too and sometimes you do need to talk to someone who was there. It's just the way it is"

"Oh really? Well then why weren't you in there talking with them?"

"Um, well, I wasn't there for all of the quests now was I? They faced a lot of dangers without me you know" I can tell he's upset having to reveal this information but I'm thankful he is as I think Chiron accepts that he won't get the truth out of us.

"OK. I suppose you should be allowed to talk about things but it is still against the rules to be in the cabin alone together so next time you'll have to talk somewhere else" I nod reluctantly

"Of course Chiron"

"Understood"

Chiron turns to gallop back to the big house. Annabeth and I share a look knowing that neither he or the other campers are truly convinced but rather don't want to ask about what we really did. I guess we'll have to be more careful next time.

Grover walks over to us once the crowd has dispersed and wraps his arms around our shoulders "care to explain why you're in your pyjamas?" I cough awkwardly and decide to ignore his question

"Thank you for your help man, I owe you one"

"Yes you do" he gives me a look saying he will collect on this favour before trotting off to his satyr friends. I let out a sigh of relief before turning to Annabeth.

"Well that was embarrassing" she laughs under her breath

"Yup. I should probably go back to my cabin to get ready." I nod.

"Ok. I guess I'll see you later then" she wraps her arms around my neck and mine automatically go to her waist as she kisses me softly before whispering in my ear "Last night was great, I hope we can do it again sometime" I grin before giving her one more kiss and seeing her off to her cabin before I return to mine. I think I'm going to need a cold shower.

As I return from my shower, feeling better than I have in years, I see something half hidden underneath the bed. When I fetch it I find that it's Annabeth's bra from last night, she didn't want to put it back on so I just left it. I smile to myself as I walk over to my draws and start clearing one out for her. Hopefully, she will start leaving clothes here more often and this will mean she can get changed here too. The image of Annabeth undressing in front of me makes my body react instantly. I can't wait until we get another chance to be together – I hope we get another chance to be together.

That's when I realise.

I have known for a while that I want to spend the rest of my life with Annabeth because I love her but after last night…I think I want to marry her. I get dressed as quickly as I can in jeans and a camp half-blood t-shirt before running up to the big house. Mr D is sitting on the porch as always and makes some comment about me running so fast but I take no notice. I run into the house and find the study. I take a deep breath and knock on the door.

"Enter" I hear Chiron's familiar voice answer. I push the door open and enter the room, closing it behind me

"Ah Percy, I thought you might come to see me, I'm sorry but rules are rules and I cannot change them no matter how much you might want me to"

"No, it's not about that"

"Oh? Well then, what may I do for you?"

"I – well, I – you..."

"Come along now I haven't got all day you know" I take another deep breath to calm myself

"You've known Annabeth since she was a child and I know she thinks of you like a father so, with that in mind, I would not feel right doing this without asking your permission"

"Doing what?"

"Oh right, well, I have come here to ask your permission to marry Annabeth, that is, if she'll accept me of course" he puts down the pen he was holding and wheels his chair around the desk to face me.

"You want to marry Annabeth?"

"I do. More than anything"

"Percy I know you've been dating for two years but you're both still so young, there's a lot more to marriage than just wanting to be married"

"I know that. I know it's a big commitment too, but you see, I love Annabeth with all my heart, I respect her more than anyone and I want to make her happy. I know we're young but I know she's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, I'd do anything for her" Chiron takes his time replying obviously thinking hard about what I've said

"I see that. I'm glad you came to me Percy, it means a lot that you would ask my permission. Tell me, if I were to say yes what would you do next?" his question takes me off guard but I dig into all the times I have thought about marrying Annabeth and relay my plan

"Well, if I got your blessing to marry her I would go to her father and ask for his permission too, then I would go to Olympus and ask Athena – she might take more persuading but I know it would mean a lot to Annabeth if she agreed. Then, I would travel to Merlin's cave in England to find his magical diamond for her engagement ring before returning here to propose. Of course, all this planning means nothing if you don't give your blessing and she doesn't accept." My words left my mouth so fast that I only now realise that I haven't breathed since I started and now need a huge gulp of air to satisfy my lungs.

"Percy, Merlin's cave is the most dangerous place on Earth, if mortals enter they find themselves in a cave but if a demi-God enters? They find themselves in Merlin's layer. He was not only a demi-God himself but a powerful magician who vowed to protect his magical diamond at all costs. Do you really think that all those who perished in that cave died of natural causes?"

"I know it's dangerous but I can think of no jewel better to grace her finger and show how much I love her"

"Percy, this quest is much more than dangerous, it is suicide. I take it you know of the diamond's powers and how precious it is?"

"Yes, Annabeth told me stories about it, she said whoever wears it will be protected as if they had swam in the river synax but will not feel the same pain that causes. Remember Chiron, I am invincible but she isn't – I couldn't stand it if anything happened to her and this is the best way to protect her when I'm not there. I know she can look after herself but I still worry"

After what feels like a century in silence as Chiron thinks over my words he finally nods

"Very well Percy, I could think of no better warrior to go on this quest and I could think of no better man to marry Annabeth. I give you my blessing but remember, there are still many things in your plan that can go wrong"

"I know, please do not tell Annabeth of my plan, I want to surprise her" he nods again and I return to my cabin as I prepare to go on the most dangerous quest of my life.

It's a huge risk but the reward is even bigger.


AN: So…? I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm sorry there wasn't much romance in this but I think I made up for that with the last chapter?! I have a plan for what this is going to turn into but any suggestions are always welcome. Hate messages are not. ;) Next chapter will be up soon (just maybe not as quick as this one!)