Hey! I'm back (which probably isn't a good thing), but school's over and I'm really sad (yeah I'm a freak that way, but hey my best friend is a grade above me and he's going to high school).

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except for Theodore Hartwin

Annabeth leaned on him as they traveled to god-knows-where — sorry, gods-know-where. He still couldn't get used to this concept.

"So…" Theo ventured cautiously. He didn't want to irritate Annabeth, as her breathing was already laboured and her grey eyes clouded. "So, um, where are we going again?"

She didn't answer right away, instead stared straight ahead. "Camp Half-Blood."

Theo immediately felt guarded. That didn't sound so good. "Camp Half-Blood? What's that supposed to entail?"

Annabeth (gods, her name was so pretty) didn't smile. "Half-blood, meaning you're a demigod. You know, half mortal, half god."

"Oh, um," Theo stuttered, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea. "So, it's for people like us? What do you do there? There couldn't be many, right?"

Annabeth laughed lightly, still seeming stressed. "You wouldn't believe how many of us there are," she said, and it sounded surprisingly bitter.

"You sound angry," he observed.

"Of course I do — a demigod's life is filled with danger. Unless you choose to live in New Rome, a closed-off community for people like us, most don't live past twenty. It's a hard life, Theo, and we aren't given a choice. All because the gods just couldn't handle themselves." Annabeth's hands fisted at her sides, and Theo could feel her tension through her side, pressed up against his as it was.

"Oh," was all Theo could think of to say. They trudged in silence for a few moments before he blurted, "But — the gods are your parents, wouldn't they help you out? Against the monsters and stuff?"

He regretted his question immediately, as Annabeth laughed humourlessly again. "They've been alive for millennia, with children that come and go. All-powerful beings that never die — you really think they give a damn?"

Again, Theo was scared into silence.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth said, her voice softer - gone was the hard edge that had crept into her tone. "I'm scaring you."

"No," Theo lied half-heartedly. "Just — you're saying Mom was a goddess?"

Annabeth's lips tugged up at the corners. "Still is, Theo."

"Which one?"

Theo was eager. All his life, he had wanted a mom — he looked around at school, where children were picked up by mothers who kissed their kids on the head and asked how their day went, all while their children rolled their eyes and wriggled out of the suffocating hug. Well, Theo would give anything to be hugged like that. His dad was great, of course… but he just wasn't a mom.

But, according to Annabeth, it didn't mean much anyway, if his mom was a goddess.

"I don't know," Annabeth said, yanking Theo away from his ponderings. "You'll most likely get claimed tonight or maybe tomorrow, it's hard to say."

"Claiming?" Theo asked. "What's that mean?"

Annabeth's hair glinted like cornsilk in the sinking sun, making Theo want to reach out and touch it. "Claiming is when your godly parent sends a sign that lets us know who your parent is. That way you can hone your genetic powers, if you have any, because you're placed in a cabin with all your half siblings."

"What happens if you… don't get claimed?"

Annabeth frowned. "Well, after the Titan War —"

"Wait, what? The —"

"Will you let me finish?" Annabeth asked, sounding amused. Theo fell silent. "Thank you. Anyway, the gods basically made an agreement that they would claim all their kids. Of course, sometimes it just takes a little longer, because they've got a lot on their minds, being eternal and in many places at once, you know?"

"So… what happens then?" Theo prompted.

"You get placed in Cabin Eleven — the Hermes Cabin, you know, god of thieves, messengers, and travelers — anyone who passes through. I got claimed right away," Annabeth added, and despite all her reservations about the gods, he could detect a certain note of pride in her voice. "Cabin Six, Daughter of Athena — goddess of crafts, wisdom, and war."

Theo grinned, her unmistakable happiness, fleeting as it was, was infectious. "That's really cool, Annabeth. When did you come to the camp?"

She smiled, looking a lot more relaxed. "When I was seven." Her voice was suddenly coated in wistfulness as she said, "It's my home."

Then she frowned and said, "You're seventeen, aren't you?"

Theo nodded, wondering what that had to do with anything.

"Well, the pact the gods made with Percy said that they had to claim their children before thirteen, because it was to dangerous for them in the mortal world after that. I wonder how you survived?"

Theo didn't answer. There was that Percy guy again. He felt the need to bring it up, but the way Annabeth spoke his name with a soft caress scared him a little bit.

Obviously, he needed to man up. "Annabeth, who's —"

"Oh look," Annabeth interrupted him lightly, seemingly having not heard him. "The pegasi are finally here."

She stopped, and Theo looked around, noticing his surroundings with total concentration — Annabeth was too distracting for her own good — and realised he was in a forest. A small creek burbled at his feet.

A shadow passed overhead, and Theo followed Annabeth's expectant gaze, looking up, up, and saw a dark shape like a huge crow begin to descend.

No — not a huge crow. It's wings were more ruffled, and stronger, too — more like a feathery dragon's wing. And it had four legs — and a snout — and long gleaming hairs that swished and —

Oh.

Theo felt the pit of excitement in his stomach expand, the glorious feeling of anticipation like dry ice running through his veins.

It was a pegasus. Beautiful and black and —

The pegasus touched down lightly on the clumpy dirt, whinnying. He — Theo was pretty sure it was a he — was even more beautiful up close, and more intimidating as well. His coat glistened as if freshly brushed, mane gleaming as the horse tossed his head and cantered toward them.

He snorted and turned its head to them, his intelligent dark eyes glinting as if saying, Well? Hurry up, then, I don't have all day!

Unsure, Theo glanced over at Annabeth and was surprised to see a naked grin on her face, open at last.

She ran forward, throwing her arms around the horse's powerful neck, and then let go just as quickly, clambering on to his back.

Annabeth looked over at Theo, still wearing that wide, vulnerable beam. "Come on!"

Theo realised a dopey grin was covering his face — because of how gorgeous Annabeth looked right then, sitting atop a horse, looking all glorious and regal and shining and just so beautiful.

She stretched out a hand to Theo, inviting. Her eyes seemed to say a million things at once, but ultimately, he knew what she was asking for.

She was asking for his trust.

Heart pounding, Theo stepped forward and gave it.

Thanks for reading!

(Oh and also, if you could leave a review that would be nice. And I really don't care if you tell me my work is horrible... honestly i agree lol)