*Chapter 11*
(Annabeth's POV)
Tyson came running through the door with tears in his eye yelling, "Percy!"
Percy couldn't help but smile at his brother as he tackled him with a hug. "Yay! My brother is back!" he cried, wiping his tear-soaked cheek.
"I'm back, big guy. And I have something to tell you guys," Percy said, letting Tyson go and turning back towards everyone.
"While I was at the Roman camp, I talked to Lupa. She agreed that we couldn't take down Gaea on our own. We need the Romans to win this war. We have to work together, stop our bickering and learn how to cooperate. Its time we stop this fued and come together. If we don't, we will lose." He took a deep breath. "If we don't . . . we will die."
I stared at Percy. He's never sounded this confident before. He actually sounded . . . wise. Something worthy of Athena. And i've never been more proud of him. He squeezed my hand, everyone in awed silence.
"Which is why," he continued, suddenly looking nervous, "They are coming. Here. To help us."
There was a pause, then all Hades broke out all at once. Even I was shocked. The Romans? come here?
"Percy . . . why didn't you tell me that?" I asked, hurt. He looked at me and answered, "Because I knew that this would happen. It might not be the best idea in the world, but its the best we've got."
I hated to admit it, but he was right. I nodded. Everyone was in hysterics exept: Jason, Piper, Leo, Chiron, Percy and myself.
"Hey! You guys!" I called to get their attention, but no one heard me. Chiron stomped his hooves, and everyone immedeatly stopped talking. "Percy is right. We must join together. But, Percy . . ." He looked at him "When are they coming?"
Percy looked guilty. "Ummm, today. Right now." And, as if on cue, the conch horn sounded.
Everyone hurried outside.
Percy squeezed my hand, suddenly very nervous. I knew something else was bothering him other than the Romans coming here. Something probably just as big. He looked like he was hiding a secret he couldn't wait to tell. But what is it? Curiosity eating at me, I asked, "Percy? What is it? There's something your hiding, something you didn't tell us-or me-about before." He looked at me and took a shaky breath, letting me see he was more nervous then he was letting on. But why?
"Come on," he said, tugging my hand. "There's . . . there's someone you have to meet. I know she's been dying to meet you."
"She? Percy, what's going on? Who are you talking about?" I asked, feeling completely confused. But I followed him outside, were a bunch of kids in Roman armor and helmets were awaiting us.
Oh my gods, was all I could think as Percy led me towards them. After being seprated from them for so long from our fighting, we were suddenly being reunited like this.
In the front stood a wolf with dark fur. I'm sure it was Lupa. Next to her stood a girl with black hair and sea green eyes, like Percy's. I realized that I was looking at Sarah, Percy's sister. The girl looked about seven, her actual age, and beside her a girl with blond straight hair and a baby in her arms. I swallowed, suddenly nervous. Why was I so nervous to meet Percy's little sister and a baby? Even weirder, the baby had black hair, just like Percy and Sarah. Exept it was curled, like mine.
And I knew even before Percy and I reached her that she would have green-gray eyes.
Percy's green, and my gray.
We stopped in front of Lupa, Sarah, the blonde-haired girl and the baby. Juliet?
"Percy!" Another blonde haired girl said, and she pushed up to the front and tackled Percy with a hug, forcing me to let go of his hand. When she pulled away I saw she had gray eyes. A child of Athena. Or Minerva, actually.
"Hey, Bonnie." Percy smiled at her. "This is Annabeth." He gestures toward me.
Bonnie's eyes widened. "Oh, Percy's said so much about you." She hugged me quickly, and when she did, she whispered in my ear, "And he's crazy about you, too." She pulled away and went back to the Romans, and I knew I would get along fine with Bonnie.
"Lupa, you guys came," Percy said.
The wolf nodded.
"You can't talk in your regular form, can you?" Percy guessed. Lupa nodded again.
He smiled at Sarah. "Hey, kid. You been good?"
"Yeah." But Sarah was too transfixed on me to pay him any attention.
"Your as pretty as Percy mentioned," she told me. I blushed and gazed up at my boyfriend.
"You really said I was pretty?" Now it was his turn to blush. He shifted his weight.
"Uh . . . um, maybe." He looked away. I giggled.
The girl with the baby suddenly looked uneasy. Lupa nudged her with her snout: a gesture. She stepped foward and gave the baby to Percy. Percy no longer looked flustered. He looked nervous again. Thats what this nervousness was about? Me meeting a baby?
"Annabeth . . . did you have a dream a week ago about J-about a baby?" Percy started. He stared at me.
I nodded. "Yea, why?" I suddenly felt uneasy too. This baby . . . she couldn't be . . .
"Thats what I thought. Annabeth, this is J-"
"Juliet," I finished. "You were in my dream with her, and you had said her name," I quickly explained.
"Right." Percy looked like he'd rather die then say what he was about to say. "Annabeth . . . that wasn't a dream. That was you giving birth to her." He gestures to Juliet.
He finished, "She's you daughter." My mind blanked.
The last thing I heard before I fainted was Juliet crying, just like in my dream.
When I finally came around, Percy, Chiron, Grover,Thalia and Sarah were leaning over me.
"Annabeth?" Percy asked. I tried to sit up and realized I already was, leaning on Percy. Looking in his eyes made me remember why I fainted, so I quickly looked away, only to be staring into another pair of green eyes. Exept these green eyes had gray around them, and the face those eyes belonged to was small and round, with curly black hair curling all around her face. She was adorable, and I could see it. Mine and Percy's features. She was ours. But how?
"Annabeth, why'd you faint?" Thalia asked, pulling my gaze from the beautiful little face.
I struggled to find words. "Because, Thalia, look at her. She's my daughter." I nod towards toward her, who was still in the girl's arms. They all looked, and gasped. There was silence, even from the other campers, who were watching this little scene. Only Thalia was able to find words. "No. No way."
Percy sighed. "It's true. I found out first, though." Even in his arms I was able to glare up at him. "Yeah, well, how was I supposed to know I had a baby and not even know about it?"
A sudden thought came to me. I flushed furiously. My blood boiled. "Oh, that, that witch!" I practically yelled. "Whats wrong, child?" Chiron asked. "Hera! That witch took my baby and Percy from me!" I answered. I was fuming. Oh, I hate her. I hate her so much. If I were Zeus, I would dump her and throw her off Olympus.
The sky thundered loudly.
"Annabeth, I know all the gods are locked up in Olympus, but you still need to be careful. Zeus can hear you, you know," Grover reminded me gently. Thalia and I locked eyes, and I knew what she was thinking. My mother. Athena didn't approve of my relationship with Percy, so how would she react to being a grandmother with him as the father? My guess? Not good. He'll be blown to ashes. But right then I didn't care what my mother thought. I wanted to hold my daughter.
"Give her to me," I said, or commanded, holding my arms out for my baby.
The girl hesitated. Not a very smart thing to do.
"Give her to me," I repeated, snapping at her. She glared at me, and I glared murderously back.
"You don't have to be rude," she said.
I was literally about to snap her in half, but Percy rubbed a tension spot between my shoulders, and I leaned into him. My anger, not quite subsited yet, gave me a snappy response back. "I can, actually. Give me my daughter." My voice was quiet but deadly.
"Reyna, give her daughter to her," Percy said. She didn't move. "Reyna . . . now." His jaw clenched. He was getting upset now, too.
The girl, Reyna, gave her to me before I could draw my knife, and all my anger suddenly drained away. Juliet stared up at me, cooing softly. She pulled gently on a lock of my hair, but I didn't notice.
Percy stroked her face lightly, and before he could pull away she grabbed his finger with her free hand and put it in her mouth.
"Eww!" He strained to get his hand back, but she held on tightly.
I cracked up, and I could hear other people's laughter around me, too.
"Aww, she's already teething!" Thalia said in between laughs. Then Grover added, "I could get used to her!" Percy shot them both murderous looks.
Percy finally managed to get his hand back, and when he did and cleaned his finger on his shirt, the girl named Reyna suddenly squealed, "Jason!" and took off. She ran straight into Jason's arms, pushing a suddenly seriously-mad Piper out of the way.
"Reyna?" Jason asked uncertainly. "Yes it's me! Oh, we're back together now!" She gushed, kissing him.
Piper, both hurt and flushed from anger, said, "Jason?"
He looked back at her, unsure of what to do, but before he could do anything Piper suddenly took off to her cabin, were no one would see her cry.
Poor Piper, I thought sadly. She didn't deserve that.
"Well," Chiron said, uncertain of what to do in the little drama of romance. "We should discuss this. Shall we talk at the usual, in private, please? And, er, your daughter too, I suppose. The other campers can be shown around and make themselves comfortable. Alyssa, would you be so kind as to show around our guests?"
Alyssa from the Hephaestus cabin came foward. "Sure, Chiron."
