ANNABETH'S POV-

"For the last time, Percy, I'm not hungry!" I said, as I looked at him cooking a huge batch of spaghetti sauce. Honestly, I didn't know he could cook, so that's a nice surprise. He noticed how skinny I was and my friends apparently told on me, so he's trying to fix it. Why? Because he thinks it's his fault. Well, now that he told me the story as to why he had to live with his dad, it's not his fault. I don't blame him. If I could see my mom again, I would do everything to do that. But I'd compromise so I wouldn't leave Percy.

"You barely ate when I was gone!" He reasoned. Yes, I barely ate, I skipped meals occasionally, but my defense mechanism was at its annual vacation. Usually, I'd block everyone out. Which I did, what I didn't do is stay quiet, block everyone out, and be extremely stubborn. Well, now I am.

"Yeah, so?"

"You're underweight and that's not healthy, you know that." I rolled my eyes. He's being ridiculous. I am not underweight… I'm just on the lower scale. Come on, we all have those times. Right? I did know my weight was getting unhealthy, but as long as there's food in my digestive system, I would be fine. Common sense. "And you barely sleep."

"I've had that problem since my mother, so stop being ridiculous. Because I'm not hungry and I'm not tired." I said, crossing my arms. I was being a child. "I'm fine now. Promise." I was as fine as I can be. I wasn't my best, but I was much happier that Percy's back. He laughed at my last remark. I rolled my eyes again. A question popped into my mind; what's going to happen when he leaves again? Percy noticed that my mood dimmed in less than thirty seconds and he raised an eye brow. He looked at his sauce while I was staring into space, and he read the recipe and noticed it was time to let it sit, so he went beside me and hugged me from my side.

"What's wrong? What's going on in that mind of yours, Wise Girl?" He asked, putting his chin on my shoulder.

"What happens when you leave again? Are you going to leave again?" He sighed, as if he was expecting me to ask the question just not now. He shrugged.

"That depends, do you want me to leave?" Most certainly not. But I didn't want to be the reason that he doesn't see his dad, either. For gods' sake, I want his parents to like me not have a competition with them. Well, Sally and I are well-acquainted. I haven't even met his father.

"No. I want you to stay. But I don't want to be the reason you can't see your father." I said, simplifying what just went through my mind. "I want your parents to like me, not kill me because I'm keeping you away from them." I joked he chuckled at that.

"Well, my mom loves you." He said, "Not as much as I do, but she loves you." I gave him a slight nudge, causing him to laugh a little.

"Love you too, Seaweed Brain." I replied. "But like I said, what's going to happen?"

"I don't know. But for the time being, how about we enjoy the time together?" He suggested and I nodded. I had to relax, I had to stay here. I can't let myself wander too far out, or back, otherwise I'll be singing the blues for the rest of my life.

"Why'd you choose me?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You could've had any other girl in school, but you chose me, why?" I was curious. I always was, always am, always will be curious. It's just... a part of me.

"The whole charade of being mean when you bumped into me−"

"Hang on, I did not bum into you. You bumped into me." I said, he rolled his eyes. There was no use in arguing. I'd win.

"Whatever." I smiled. "It wasn't very attractive."

"I was trying to repel you." I said.

"Didn't work out, did it?" We laughed. "Anyways, I just got more and more curious about you. You were like… How do I put this into your terms? You were like a specimen and you were fascinating."

"I was an experiment?" I raised an eyebrow. Rude. An experiment?! I know he didn't mean it that way, but the build was perfect! I just needed to say it.

"No!" I laughed.

"I know, I'm joking. Continue." I urged.

"It became a need for me to know you. Like a fish with water. You were my air." I smiled. That's sweet. Really sweet, he can do better than that, but let's not push it.

-2 days later-

So, as it turns out, he was going to leave again. He was leaving right now. I was at the docks saying goodbye to him, and I don't know when I'm going to see him again, or if I will, but I really hope I do. I really need him. It was really close a few days ago, if it wasn't for him, I'd be dead. He was already heading to his boat when I looked at Sally.

"Well?" She asked expectantly, I gave her a confused look. She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Annabeth, you two can't live without each other. You would be dead if not for him. Now, he's falling. Aren't you going to catch him?" Realization popped up into my head to show the memories we shared within two days. It was so obvious. How could I be so stupid and oblivious to what was right in front of me? "Goodbye with a hug and you don't know if you'll see him again? Or when? Go catch him." I dropped my bag, the weight would slow me down, and I started to run. I ran as fast as I could.

"Run like the wind, Annabeth!" Thalia said, as the ship started to leave. I wasn't going to jump, or catch it so I grabbed a rope. There were speedboats I could've used, but I wasn't aiming for a criminal record, I was aiming for Percy. I tied a knot on the rope like a lasso and I threw it at one of the fence tips. I tightened the knot.

"Is she trying to pull it back?!" Piper said incredulously.

"No. I think she's going to try and climb it!" Jason said in realization. I removed my flats and in my jeans and tee, I started climbing the rope closer to the boat, I was going to be soaking wet. I brought the long end of the rope with me underwater and I started to climb.

"Go, Annabeth! For Perce!" Grover said, a grin was hidden in his voice. As I reached the tip I climbed up onto the boat. "That's epic." I heard him say, I took a few breathes before trying to find Percy. I looked for him on the deck but he wasn't there. I caught up to one of the crew.

"Do you know where Percy Jackson's room is?" I asked, he looked at me like I was insane. He wasn't going to give me any information so I rolled my eyes and walked to the halls. Gods, why didn't I ask him?! I cursed myself mentally. I saw a maid and I walked to her. "Do you know where Percy Jackson's room is?" No answer. She's a girl, maybe she'll reply if I tell her why I'm looking. "I'm his girlfriend."

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "Go straight, take a left turn on the first intersection and he would be the third door to your right!" She said, I was curious as to how she knows who I'm talking about, but at the time I didn't really think about it. Percy wasn't a neat person when it came to his rooms, so maybe there had to be a lot of cleaning up done. I followed her directions and I knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" I heard him say,

"Room service!" I answered with a fake voice, I heard confused grumbling and he opened the door. "I'm not letting you go that easily ever again." I smiled.

"Annabeth!" He smiled and hugged me, I hugged back. "What are you doing here? How did you get on the ship? Why are you soaking wet?" The questions popped in his brain I laughed.

"It took some rope, a fence and a little climbing underwater." I said as he laughed.

"I cannot believe you did that for me."

"I cannot believe you would think I'd let you go that easily."

"So, what'll happen?"

"I plan on making an indefinite stay with you and to ask Thalia to ship me some clothes to a hotel I'll stay in."

"You are not staying in a hotel."

"You are not going to suggest I stay on the streets!" I said, incredulously. He was not serious. He couldn't be suggesting I stay on the streets of San Francisco! It was unbelievable. And it was impossible that I'd ever choose to do so willingly. I could get into some unwanted trouble.

"I meant you are staying with me and my father."

"I don't want to intrude, Seaweed Brain."

"You won't be. There's a guest bedroom."

"So I'll stay in there for the time I'll be staying with you? Never to get out?" I asked, crossing my arms. He looked at me defensively. He thought I was serious. I thought it was cute when he thought I was angry at him. He'd have a look on his face that said; don't kill me.

"No− I mean−" He tried to explain and I let out a giggle.

"I'm joking, I know you mean well. And as much as I do want to stay with you indefinitely, I have school. And without me, some other student, which may as well be one of our friends, will suffer the wrath of Clarisse and Drew." I said, he sighed and sat down on his bed, I sat beside him.

"Why do you do that to yourself? Suffer Clarisse and Drew and even if it makes you miserable, you do it anyways?" I smiled. Why do I do it? Well, I guess I can't live with knowing that I could've stopped one from being bullied if I had dealt with it.

"For the sake of all that's good." I summarized. If I can stop someone from feeling pain, I would. Without a doubt about it. Unless they deal with my family. Then, they're dead meat.

"But why?" I smiled at his curiousity. It's not an easy question for me to be an answer, but it may sound stupid. And the last thing I want is to say something utterly idiotic. My smile faded as I was about to say my answer.

"Well, Percy, if I knew how to stop someone from experiencing the pain I feel, and I didn't... I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Percy, I'm doing this because it's in my nature."

"But it's okay to be selfish once in a while."

"Right now, this moment, me with you against what the world wanted, I'm selfish right now." My voice shook.

"No, this is you getting your reward." I shook my head.

"I killed somebody."

"Don't go there. Don't you dare talk about that, Annabeth. We've been over this."

"I'm a murderer, Percy. It's a miracle you like me. Let alone love me. I've got red in my system now. I'm not the same girl you met." I almost didn't notice the tears streaming down my cheeks and when he wiped them away.

"You are not. You saved your life and you saved our schoolmates' lives."

"And what do I get for that? I get alienation, insults..."

"Me."

"I love you, Percy."

"You too, Wise Girl." He smiled.