Hi! Thanks for all the nice reviews! Here ya go
Percy spent the next day giving instructions to the crew, goofing around with Leo, and helping Hazel get comfortable. Hazel had slept in a closet last night, since the only other empty place to sleep was the cargo hold or the deck. Although Leo had offered a pretty scandalous alternative…
"Hey, man, is it still there?" Leo asked. He pointed at the bright red mark on his tan cheek where he'd been slapped. Percy smirked. "Of course it is." He sighed.
"You've spent all day walking around like that. It doesn't even matter now." Percy said.
"I guess so. But Hazel's been in her 'quarters' all day. I think she was trying to clear out the rest of the cleaning supplies so she'd have room." Leo said.
"Hey, Leo, I think the sun's about to set. We should get some of the crew to agree on today's night shift and everything." Percy said. Leo nodded and walked off to join a group of pirates discussing who would sleep or stand watch first.
Percy looked at the dark water over the railing, remembering the tales his father had told him about the ocean. His father had been a fisherman, and a good one too. His fresh catches had kept the family well cared for and Percy had tutors to school him. He'd hated it when his dad had been lost at sea. He couldn't bear to go to the dock for months. He remembered his mom trying to find a job. That was yet another wreck. Sally Jackson, his loving, kind mother had decided to make money by scraping grub off the floor of some filthy snob. But he was filthy rich. So she worked for the man Percy had nicknamed Smelly Gabe Ugliano for years. Until Percy got the brilliant idea of piracy. Of course, he'd just told his mom that he found a job on a ship that paid well…
"Captain Jackson." One of his crew said. "The lady Chase demands to let out to see the sunset."
"Oh well, why not?" Percy said. He was still a bit confused on whether to be mad at Annabeth and Piper for escaping, or at himself for being so cruel and careless. But he had a grudging respect for Annabeth ; he knew she was being so exigent and demanding all the time to anger him.
Annabeth strutted onto the deck, her chin held high. She refused to look any of the crew in the eye. She plopped down next to Percy and rested her head on her hands.
"I take it you're either poetic enough to watch the sunset or bored enough to watch the sunset." Percy noted. Annabeth ignored him and blew a strand of hair out of her face.
"Okay, have it your way. Ignore me." Percy said. "But I have noticed that you chose to sit with me when you could've gone to any other part of the railing." She lifted her head and fidgeted with her hands. "So, is this another scheme to run away? Or will you just let us get you to your fiancée at a decent price?"
"Look, I'm still ticked off that you guys have us captive." She said. "But what I said, yesterday… about your mother, it seemed to get you madder than it should have. You know, when I said she wouldn't be proud."
"Yeah. It doesn't matter." Percy waved it off.
"I, uh, I know what it's like to look up to your mother. My mom always set high standards for me." Annabeth said. "And I admire her. It would be pretty offensive to me to be called a disgrace too."
"It's not like you were lying." Percy said. "Mom thinks I'm a crewman or a mop boy on some ship. She doesn't know I'm a pirate."
"I see." Annabeth said. She must've known it was personal, since she didn't ask. The sun was slowly descending into the horizon, painting the sky crimson. Percy didn't know why he'd admitted that, but he was glad he did. His secrecy to his mom seemed less of a weight now that someone else knew.
As they watched the sinking sun, the lap of the waves lulled them. Percy was a bit drowsy, having been up so late fetching supplies last night. Annabeth stifled a yawn. She was still filthy from her excursion yesterday. Percy's eyelids drooped.
Over a few minutes, Annabeth's head ended up on Percy's shoulder. He didn't realize until the salty breeze blew strands of her golden curls into his face. He blushed when he realized this and cleared his throat. Annabeth immediately sat up, looking flustered.
"You should get back to your quarters, Annabeth." Percy said.
Annabeth groaned and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I realize that you've been kind compared to some other pirates, but I don't like being in my room all day. Oh, don't worry I know I'll have to anyway." She huffed and glared at him.
"What? I might not have you in shackles but you're still a prisoner." Percy said. "I'm sorry, really. I don't want you guys to hate me. But I need the money from this."
"Captain Brunner offered you money for our release!" She pointed out.
"I figured selling you and the ship would earn me more." Percy said.
"Well, isn't someone greedy." She spat.
"No. You see, I…" Percy sighed. He thought he should explain about his mom, and how he didn't want her to work too hard. So he did. He told Annabeth about his dad, lost at sea. The economic problems they had. How cruel Smelly Gabe was to her, always saying "you missed a spot!" and spitting on something she'd been polishing, or tossing a cigar carelessly into a bucket of water she used for her mop. She hated the job. Percy told Annabeth how he'd thought to go into the pirate business to get money. How he'd covered it up saying he enlisted on a ship's crew. She nodded every once in a while, gazing at him with calculating gray eyes.
"I don't know why I'd tell you all that. I guess it's since I know I'll be rid of you girls for life in a couple days, so you couldn't tease me about it or anything." Percy said, rubbing the back of his neck. Annabeth was fidgeting with the hem of her dress.
"I don't mind. Glad to know you're not a greedy, heartless bucket of scum." She replied. "And I didn't give this back or say thanks yesterday." She took something off the deck beside her and tossed him a neatly folded bundle of fabric. His jacket.
"No problem. You were shivering." He said. "But really, you should get back to your quarters now. It's not like I relish your pain and laugh at your boredom, but I gotta keep things with the crew under control. They can't think I'm soft or anything."
"I see." She said. To his shock, she poked his cheek. "But you are soft." She poked him again. Percy whistled to a crew member, who escorted Annabeth back to her room.
Percy set his head on the railing. "I can't tell if she's actually warming up to me or if this is a highly developed escape strategy." He murmured.
Ok, I know there was no action, but I think it was decent. I'm working on updating my other story, don't worry, but it takes me a bit longer to put the chapters to that one together. Anyway, I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus.
