THIS IS YOUR SPOILER WARNING. THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOO READ NO FURTHER. THANKS
*****LET THE SPOILERS COMMENCE****
"Yo Ben, are you almost ready? If we don't leave in the next five minutes Miss Bossy will have our heads on a platter!"
"Perseus Jackson if you ever call me Miss Bossy again I will—"
"I love you!"
She closed her eyes and ground her teeth, "I love you will not always get you out of the doghouse, Perce. This is YOUR swim meet, you should be the one rushing to get there."
"But you see Annabeth, the thing is, you're planning that it'll take us half an hour to get there because you're assuming I'll go the speed limit. I know that we can leave a few minutes later and still be there early."
"I'm ready, keep the guillotine out of commission! And here's your phone, Percy, you left it on the bathroom counter," Ben handed him the phone as he emerged from the bedroom, looking comfortable in an old polo and khakis of Percy's. Every time he spoke, Annabeth was reminded of his intelligence, and that much more upset that his future was uncertain and she was filled with anger; someone that devoted should be allowed the opportunity to go after their dreams. It didn't help that she was extremely protective over Ben since finding him so vulnerable. Since when did she like kids so much? She'd only known the kid twenty-four hours, and was already as enamored with him as with her own little brothers.
As the three of them buckled up in the car, Annabeth was filled with deja vu, thinking of the dream she had the night before: she and Percy in the front of a mini van, a boy and girl with his hair and her eyes in the backseat, a baby carrier in the middle. They were ten or so years older, and the kids still looked really young, but it was everything she hoped for in a future with Percy. She glared when he changed the radio station during a piece by Tchaikovsky, laughing when the boy in the back started complaining as well.
That night, when Percy awoke to her crying and asked what the nightmare had been, she couldn't explain. She simply wanted it SO bad, and knowing the dream might always be just that was more painful than the broken ankle she dealt with in Rome. And of course, it wasn't like there was a possibility of them being parents anytime soon;; they were so young and clueless, and they had already had so much responsibility on their shoulders. But the small form in the backseat was a reminder of what could one day be.
"Hey, Percy? I forgot to tell you, someone called while I had your phone; I couldn't find you, so I answered it."
"That's cool, bud. Who was it? Did they say what they wanted?"
"Um…" Ben's eyebrow puckered in thought, "He said he couldn't stay on cause it was a pay phone, and he had only had a few quarters and no drachma. He said to tell you the Supreme Commander McSchizzle is back in business." The car heaved forward as Percy's foot slammed on the break.
"Percy, calm down, you'll get us killed!" He took a deep breath, then resumed driving as normal, but speeding five miles an hour more than he already had been; they were a ticket waiting to happen, but Annabeth was preoccupied with thoughts. How could he be alive? And to have gone this long without telling them…she was ticked.
"Ben, honey, did he say anything else? Anything at all?"
Ben nodded nervously, "Yeah. He said he had picked up some interesting luggage on an exotic island, and there was a sound like someone hit him, but he laughed and said you would be seeing him soon."
"My gods, Leo," Percy whispered, "When I see you I will kill you." Annabeth laughed, "That makes two of us. I've about had it with my friends going to Ogygia while I mourn their deaths." He blushed sheepishly, "You know actually, I might go easy on him and pretend it never happened, cause he's a good guy, and forgiveness is a virtue."
With a snort, Annabeth turned around in her seat to face Ben, "It's cute that he thinks I'll forgive him, isn't it?" The small boy giggled, blue eyes alight, but Percy groans, "It's been years, Annabeth! Let it go!"
"That's not how it works! I thought you DIED Percy, and you were living it up with a woman known for her legendary beauty since ODYSSEUS was alive. I can't just 'get over it'."
"For what it's worth," Ben spoke up, "They said you were super ravishing at camp, that even your eyes were scary because of how much beauty they radiate. And I think they were right. I don't see how anyone else would measure up enough for you to have to worry."
She pressed a hand to her heart, and Percy grinned, "Exactly my thoughts, Ben. You see, Annabeth? Even a ten year old knows. Where I am is always irrelevant, as long as you're with me in my heart." He leaned over to kiss her at a stop light. "Suck up," she muttered against his lips.
After exiting the car, Annabeth went ahead to get snacks for her and Ben, leaving he and Percy to meander up to the school.
"So, did they actually say that at camp, or were you just saving my sorry butt?" Ben grinned, "Well, they said she was really pretty..I only elaborated a bit." Percy shook with laughter, "You're the man, Ben. I'm keeping you with me whenever she's mad."
Ben made a face, "No, then she'll get mad at me eventually. And she's scary. I never want someone as smart as her mad at me; if she tried to exact her retribution my life would be over."
"You've got that right, my friend," Percy said, swinging an arm around the boy's shoulder.
When they entered the arena they were bombarded with noise; people were screaming and laughing and running around all over the place. Attempting to find the source of the madness, Annabeth pinpointed seven people across the pool from each other on fire. They stopped, dropped, and rolled like was protocol, but the flames just would not die.
"Percy, seven people on fire? That's not a coincidence." He nodded affirmatively, hollering "VALDEZ! GET YOUR SCRAWNY RESURRECTED SELF OVER HERE!" People stared, but someone got the bright idea to throw the poor inflamed souls in the pool, which finally put out the fire, effectively directing the stares elsewhere.
"Someone call for the hottest guy in town?" And there he was, his hand held out palm-up as flames danced around on it. Percy grinned, but Annabeth punched him right in the gut. "What was that for? I thought you would be happy to see me!"
"Don't worry, Leo, she is. She has a strange way of showing her affection," Percy reassured him. "That's kind of her thing when she thought you were dead but you were actually fine. And if you disappear she'll literally flip you. No biggie." She glared at him, but he held his hands up in a gesture of innocence, "Hey, don't forget what Ben said. Remember Ben? Don't make him watch you kill me. You'll give him nightmares."
Leo looked confused, "Who's Ben?" "Me!" he called, stepping forward from behind Percy and Annabeth. "Woah, how'd you guys already have a kid? I've only been gone for like, a month!"
"He's not-it's-we're not his parents," Percy stammered with a red face. "He's from camp. Anyway, that's not important! Valdez, where were you and how could you let us all think you were dead?!" Leo sighed, "You guys too? Jason and Piper were ready to kill me too. I don't get what all the fuss is about, I'm fine. And it's just me, nobody important."
"Of course you're important! We love you like a brother, we would never just be okay with you dying. You're amazingly talented, and fun to be around, and just a great person to know has your back. And we thought we lost thought we would never see you again, Leo! That is the worst pain. We've been crying and missing you every day." Annabeth stormed away angrily, Ben trailing in her wake.
"Leo, don't annoy the people who actually want to put up with you." A sweet faced girl with caramel colored hair entered the scene, and Percy was speechless. "I'm gonna go try to find Annabeth and apologize," Leo mumbled awkwardly, giving Percy the universal "I'm watching you" gesture.
"Calypso, I-I tried to-there was an oath, but I guess-" he faltered.
"It's okay, Percy," she said with a genuine smile. "I was very wrathful for a while, but I'm not upset with you anymore. Leo told me what you did, and they do say 'it's the thought that counts", don't they? I've been trying to catch up on the modern lingo...did I use lingo right there? Doesn't matter, really, the point is I understand that you thought you helped. And I have Leo now, so I can't even be bitter over your love for Annabeth. We've both found our soul mate, no?"
"Yeah, but it's still not okay that I didn't check up on you. I knew you were trapped on that island and I never bothered to make sure you made it off. That's a jerk move."
"Well, yeah, it is. But Percy, I've spent a few years on that island holding a grudge about you, and I finally learned something. People make mistakes, they'll do their best and then one day not, they'll forget you or worse, remember you and not care. It's all about learning to appreciate people for the kind things they do, and trying to forget the lapses. If you keep in mind every time anyone has ever failed you, you lose them as well as yourself."
A/N: Hello again! Thank you so much everyone who reviewed chapter 6, y'all are so kind and reading what you have to say really makes my day. Sooo this chapter was kind of spontaneous but it has Percabeth fluff, Ben, and Leo, so it can't be that bad, right? Anywho, stay tuned for some more old friends and Ben being Ben in the coming chapters. And keep reviewing! Your feedback is super important to me, and I'll always take what you say into consideration. I love you guys! Kaitie(: