So many reviews, all asking for another chapter. I must oblige. Here's another set of altered scenes, coming from The Last Olympian. I worked hard to make this chapter extra-tender and fluffy. Make sure to leave a review if you like it!
Of course, the review responses, just to show how much I love my readers...
KatrinaHime-- Thanks, and here's another chapter.
potter rocks jackson tooc ullenNOT-- It took me a moment to make sense of your screen name, but it is clever. And yes, here's a chapter from the Last Olympian.
Maddyfae--I shall do so.
Nobody-- Seeing your screen name, I was actually going to say something inspirational about life and self-confidence, than I realized you were referring to "Nobody" as in the Golden Fleece and that cyclops... now I feel really stupid, thanks, haha. But I appreciate the review and the confirmation that the humor worked. What would life be without humor? Probably not very funny...
misswings-- Thank you. Cuteness is my specialty in short writing. Of course, in person my specialty is looking like an idiot... moving on.
Tango of the night-- That's the spice in their relationship.
percyjackson and grover-- Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.
I don't want to sleep,
I don't want to dream,
Because my dreams don't comfort me
The way you make me feel!
—"Comatose"
"You're cute when you're worried." Annabeth muttered. "Your eyebrows get all scrunched up." She added helpfully. I felt her forehead, and wasn't pleased—I'm not a doctor, but she was still way too warm. I briefly considered calling that Apollo camper back and having him sing a few more magic songs.
"Why'd you do that?" I asked quietly, holding her right hand between both of mine. She knew what I was referring too. "You could have dodged him. Let me taken it."
"You would have done the same." She said quietly, her eyes closing for a few moments. "And… I just had this feeling… like I needed to, needed to stop him. Stupid, right?"
"Not really." I countered her. "He was aiming for my Achilles spot… If he had gotten me, I wouldn't have made it."
"Really? Where is it?" Annabeth questioned, looking slightly more alert. I took her hand and guided it down to the small of my back. Her fingers brushed the small patch of mortal skin, and I felt a strange electric jolt run through me. I couldn't help quivering under her touch. It felt… good.
"Right there." I said. Annabeth raised her eyebrows.
"At least you didn't go with your heel." She joked weakly, taking her hand off my back. "What was it like?"
"The Styx?" I verified. She nodded. "It was… agony, at first." I admitted. "I felt like I was dying. I was dying. The ghost of Achilles had warned me that I had to focus on something precious to hold onto, something worth living for. I… I couldn't find anything for a few seconds. It was bad." Talk about understatement of the century. Bad? I had been dissolving. When I had gotten out, I had been shocked to find all my limbs intact.
"But you did find something to hold onto." Annabeth ventured, managing to sit up a little. "Right?" I squeezed her hand gently.
"Yeah. I… I saw you." I told her quietly. "Some sort of vision… that day I fell out of my canoe, by the pier. You were laughing, and telling me to be more careful." Her eyes went wide, and her mouth was open a tiny bit. I fought the urge to kiss her and managed to continue the story. "You held your hand out… I took it and you pulled me up, back on the pier." I loudly exhaled, snapping my fingers at the same time. "And, that was it. I opened my eyes and suddenly I was back on the shore next to the Styx, mostly invincible."
"Thanks for telling me." She replied softly. "It means a lot." I gathered my fairly shredded and well-worn courage.
"Annabeth…" I was on very uncertain ground. "I don't know what's going to happen, or… or what's between you and Luke. But I want you to know… I do love you." She didn't move, didn't speak for a few moments. Uncertainty flickered across her face, then washed away, replaced by happiness. Her hand gripped mine tighter, and she hugged me around the neck with her other arm.
"I love you too, Seaweed Brain." She whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "I love you too."
After the battles…
"Me? Become a god?" I repeated, not believing what I was hearing.
"Yes, with the approval of the others, I can turn you into a god… though apparently a rather dim-witted one. You will become immortal, serving as your father's lieutenant for all time." Zeus told me, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "What say you, Perseus Jackson?"
I froze. Zeus had acted as if he expected me to ask that. I didn't know such a thing was possible, for the Olympians to turn people into gods. A god? Immortal? Never to die? Then I remembered the other part of what Zeus had said half a second earlier. My father's lieutenant? In his kingdom, dealing with Amphitrite and Triton treating me like a talking dog? Hades no! Other gods—Ares, Athena, and my dad—were agreeing with the idea, but I wasn't listening. I turned and looked at Annabeth, who was standing maybe a dozen feet behind me, hoping to get advice. She was staring at the ground, a crushed look on her face, like she was trying not to cry or throw up.
Then it dawned on me… I didn't know exact details, but from what I knew and the look on Annabeth's face, I could make an educated guess. Gods can't interfere with mortals. They can pick wives and make them immortal, but even then they end up cheating on them, and Annabeth's only a teenager anyway…I'd lose her. The buzz, the excitement and confusion left me. My calm returned. I knew what my answer was, and I knew I was making the right choice.
"No, thank you." I said politely. "I don't want you to turn me into a god, Lord Zeus."
"What?" Zeus sounded dangerously close to striking me with his master bolt. "You are refusing our generous gift?" I risked a very quick glance back at Annabeth. Her panicked expression had vanished, and now she looked like she wanted to scream with joy. I couldn't help but grin back.
"Percy! Answer them." My father warned me silently, snapping my attention back to the gods before any of them decided to turn me into a tuna fish.
"I don't wish to become a god." I repeated. Now most of the gods were scowling at me as though I had insulted them—thinking about it, I sort of had. Athena and Zeus looked the most angry. "Besides, you said I could pick my gift, any gift I want. I'll still take you up on that offer… eventually. I just don't know what to choose, my lords."
"You don't know what you want?" Apollo asked, eyebrows raised. I looked at Annabeth again. This time she met my gaze, and her eyes were shining.
"I do know what I want… and I already have it." I answered the god. "But I do have a request of all of you."
"What might that be?" Zeus inquired, looking genuinely interested.
"Claim your children." I said simply. "And the ones that aren't at camp… give us a list of who they are and where they are, so we can get to them before the monsters have a chance to."
"That seems like a good idea." Hermes said quietly, speaking for the first time in since the Fates had taken Luke's body away. He looked at the other gods. "Are we in agreement?" A murmur of yes's went up.
"Then I take my leave, lords."
I swear, Athena is scarier than Kronos. Annabeth and I were making our way back towards the elevator, hand in hand. I looked at her face again for the ten thousandth time, then looked back at the path ahead of us... and there she was.
Athena herself, now dressed casually in a white blouse and jeans, looking like an angry mom who did not like her daughter's boyfriend. My step faltered and I almost suggested to Annabeth we go touring Olympus before we left, but she just squeezed my hand and kept on walking. I decided there was no way I was facing Athena alone and kept pace with Annabeth. The goddess nodded warmly at her daughter, then shifted her attention to me.
"So, you will remain a mortal, Percy Jackson." Athena remarked critically. She looked very irritated, making me wonder if she had agreed that I could become a god just to get me away from Annabeth.
"Yes, my lady." I replied cautiously. The goddess crossed her arms.
"I would know your reasons why." She asked, not in a even slightly friendly way. A dozen different ways to answer that ran through my head, but I had no clue which to use. Annabeth chose that moment to shift my hand from her left to her right and pull my arm around her waist.
"He's not Poseidon, Mom." Annabeth cut in gently, providing some much-needed support. "And no one can choose their parents."
"A valid point." Athena conceded to her daughter, but fire was blazing in her eyes. She gave me a hard look. "You've exceeded my expectations once, Percy. I suggest for your own well-being that you continue to do so." With that, she brushed past me and strode off, back towards Olympus. My breathing resumed.
"I think she's starting to like you." Annabeth giggled, sounding relieved. I gave her a look of disbelief and she giggled. "Don't worry, Seaweed Brain. We'll be fine." We, she had said. Not you.
By dinnertime, I was starting to wish I had asked the gods to abolish the seating rules at camp for my gift. The novelty of having my own house was still pretty nice. The part about having my own table had worn off half an hour after the first night, several years earlier. At least Pollux got to sit with his dad. Even Artemis's hunters seemed to be cheerful, despite being about eight fewer in number and nearly all of the survivors wearing bandages, slings, or casts. I caught Annabeth's attention halfway through the meal and waved for her to come sit with me, but she just smiled and shook her head.
So I had my pizza and Dr. Pepper alone, then roamed around the camp, making a pass by the pavilion ever few minutes, wondering when Annabeth would finish her meal. The third time around, Annabeth was gone, and I hadn't seen her leave. I checked the big house, the range, the arena, then finally gave up and headed back to my empty. Maybe it was just the after-effects of the battles, but I felt antsy. Almost bored. Mom wasn't at camp, of course. Dad and Tyson were both busy working on the underwater palace, many miles away. And I couldn't find Annabeth for the life of me.
So, I clicked the electric lanterns off, plopped down on my bunk and closed my eyes, deciding that I needed the rest anyway. There was just one small problem… I couldn't sleep. I laid there for maybe an hour before I gave up and rolled over, checking the time on my battery-powered clock.
It had been a stupid five minutes! I groaned and headbashed my pillow, punishing it for not taking away my ADHD. It dawned on me a few moments later that the five cups of Dr. Pepper I had had with dinner probably were partially to blame... the caffeine probably wouldn't wear off for another six hours or so. I started running through a mental list of things I could do. I could look for Annabeth some more, or just go knock on her cabin door and ask for her. I could head down to the arena and punch dummies. I could find Mrs. O'Leary and play with her. I could take Riptide, head into the woods and—
The doorknob squeaked as it turned, only to be replaced by the door's creaking as it swung open slowly. I shifted quietly, so it looked like I was sleeping on my back. The door creaked shut, and I opened my eyes a tiny bit.
Nothing in sight. I rolled over, getting a glimpse of the other side of the cabin. Empty.
The feet padded on, heading towards one of the tables (I had three in the cabin). I cracked an eye open and saw a miraculous sight—a blue object, the size of a small loaf of bread, move through the air and set itself down on one of my tables. Two forks and a knife appeared around waist-height, as if they have pulled out of an invisible pocket. I sloowwwlly rolled to the edge of the bed and stood, willing the floor not to creak. At the table, several candles appeared the same way the silverware had, and planted themselves in the blue object. I took several careful, quiet steps forward and grabbed at the air.
"Ahh!" A female voice shrieked as my hands ran into cloth and warm skin.
"Gotcha!" I shouted gleefully, my hands finding a hat bill that was about even with my head. I batted it away and a glowering Annabeth Chase stood before me, minus her invisibility cap.
"You!" She punctuated her irritation my grabbing my shoulders and giving them a push. "Arrg!" I almost collapsed laughing.
"Me?" I managed to stop laughing long enough gasp the word out. The antsy, slightly moody feeling had evaporated, replaced by a bubbling happiness. "Of course me! Who were you expecting?!"
"Someone a bit more mature!" She stamped her foot with frustration. I couldn't stop laughing, and she just looked cuter frustrated. Despite it all, she did smile. "Anyway, before you decided to give me a heart attack, I was going to wish you a happy birthday!" She clicked a lantern on, casting a warm glow over the room. I could now see that the blue thing was in fact a cake, roughly the length of a football.
"You're too kind." I wasn't laughing anymore, but there was still an idiotic grin on my face. "How old am I today?" She rolled her eyes and turned away, picking up the matches she had dropped.
"Sixteen, and with your brain, reaching it was against all odds." She lit the candles and stepped back. "Now make a wish, and it better be good." I hesitated, thinking...
"Hmm…" I made my pick and blew out all three candles.
"What'd you wish for?" She asked.
"Can't tell, or it won't come true." I teased her. "Didn't your mother ever tell you that?"
"We children of Athena tell our friends what we wish for, because we know they'll help it come true if they can." Annabeth countered, slicing the cake and handing me a piece on a napkin. "And you still have to decide what present you're getting from... well, all our parents." Names have power, so she didn't want to go around saying Zeus or Poseidon or anything like that if she didn't need to. That, and I suspected that her mother might not be too pleased if she noticed that we were alone in a cabin, either.
"I'll worry about that some other time." I told her, accepting the cake and taking a small bite. The frosting was blue, but a very chocolate flavored blue. It was good. I nodded and made the appropriate '"yummy"sounds. She cut a small piece from the cake for herself.
"Think you'll you change your mind, take their original offer?" She asked quietly, maybe a little solemnly. I almost choked on my cake.
"No way!" I sputtered when I finally cleared my throat. "Forever my in father's kingdom? You haven't met my half-brothers and my… I don't know, step-mom? Here, I'll make it official for you. I swear on the Styx, god-hood won't be what I pick." Thunder suddenly boomed outside. Annabeth giggled, the seriousness gone. "I got the feeling, though, that your mom really wanted me to go with that." I added.
"Maybe she did." Annabeth admitted, sitting down near the foot of an unused bed. She nibbled her piece of cake as if she didn't feel like eating. "But no matter what she wanted, I'm glad you didn't take it."
"Then I am too." I said, wiping spots of blue frosting off my hands and tossing the now-empty napkin at the table. "But hey, I was thinking… when you were kidnapped, on the way to get you back, I did see this really neat orchard not far from your house… the Garden of Hesperides or something, I think it was called." Her eyes widened a little and I sat down next to her on the bed, between her and the wall. "So, if in five or ten years we decide immortality is something we want to try, I could go raid the place, nab two apples…" Annabeth laughed and pushed me backwads, sending my head thumping down onto the pillow. I tried to sit back up, but she leaned forward, her arms on my chest, pinning me down. I could feel heat radiating off her.
"You know, you still have that present left. You could just ask for some golden apples, instead of facing a hundred-headed dragon," She teased, her face inches away from mine. Her breath smelled like blue chocolate. "It'd be the easy way."
"The easy way?" I repeated slowly, as if this was a strange idea. A small part me noticed that my heart was beating a lot faster than normal. "Annabeth, since when do we ever do things any way but the hard way?"
"There's nothing wrong with doing things the easy way sometimes, especially when the opportunity is right in your face." She chided, sounding as if maybe she wasn't talking about apples at all. Silence reigned for a few moments, our eyes locked on each other. I leaned a little closer, and almost hesitantly brushed my lips against hers, tilting my head slightly to the side. We broke and she leaned back slightly, almost looking amused.
"You don't need to be so shy, Percy." She murmured, a gentle smile on her face. The teasing, mocking was gone. "Haven't you ever kissed a girl before?"
"As of thirty seconds ago, no." I admitted quietly, very unsure of how this whole thing worked. "You're my first. And I hope… I hope that you'll be my only." Something changed in her face. I'm not sure what it was, but I saw the difference. Our mouths met again and I had a second try. We separated a few moments later, but instead of moving back, she leaned closer and lightly bumped the side of her head against mine, her breath warm on my ear, her whispered reply barely audible.
"Back at ya, Seaweed Brain."
