Annabeth,

"Gods, those stupid reporters," Rachel began as her salad and my burger with fries came to the table, "They're always trying to find something to talk about. But Percy? That is just low! As if you two would ever get back together."

Rachel rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her berry salad, and I hesitated.

When the report on E! aired, it was almost immediately that people started calling me.

Grover was happy that we were all back together again.

Chiron was relieved that he didn't have to be careful about mentioning me around Percy or vice versa.

Juniper informed me that we had to get married fast and get pregnant soon so that our children could be friends.

Dana made jokes about how we had met again when I babysat her kids and Noah, and I had to bite my tongue not to tell her about AB and WG.

Malcolm was worried for his favorite sister.

And Athena and I started screaming at each other in the living room until we accidentally woke Noah up, and Percy and I had to spend the next half-hour calming him down with Spongebob and brownies, though the brownies were mainly to calm me down.

Last night had been long and horrible, and it had been a relief to finally have everyone simmer down at two in the morning and crawl into bed and fall asleep in Percy's arms.

When I woke up, I found that I had a text from Rachel.

She had been at Camp all last week, and the Aphrodite girls had crowded around her this morning asking if it was true about me and Percy. From what Rachel had told me, they saw as the new Harry and Sally or whatever romantic comedy they were in love with at the time.

"Are you alright? You usually dig into their food here," Rachel asked, knitting her eyebrows in confusion as she sipped at her Sprite.

"I'm just tired," I shrugged as I ate a French fry and kept thinking of the way to tell her

"So, tell me," Rachel asked, "I've been trying to play it cool, but how did it go with AB? I tried to call you, but you were out? Did you spend the entire week with him? What's his kid like? Have you met him yet? Come on! I need details!"

Rachel's smiled was wide, almost wild with giddiness.

"It went great with AB. I love him, I really do," I smiled, "And I basically spent the entire week with him, and it was perfect. I met his son, and I love him to death. And, well…."

"Well what?" Rachel sounded excited, as if she was a friend waiting for her best friend to inform her that she was about to become a godmother or something.

I didn't want Rachel to be mad, but I knew she would be.

I loved Percy, and that was all that mattered, right?

It should be.

But I understood where Rachel was coming from.

Percy slept with JoJo, and, though it was while we were separated, he never told me. And he didn't tell me about Noah either. He just left, and he let me wonder what it was for six years.

Rachel knew the whole story, but she saw it simply.

Percy had a child with another woman.

That was all she saw and all she really wanted to see.

"Well, you told me to call you, so I did."

Rachel knit her eyebrows in confusion.

She didn't remember the conversation when she told me that I was addicted to Percy, which was actually true though I wouldn't tell her that.

"You told me to call you when this became something more than not being addicted, being his friend, and babysitting his son."

Rachel's green eyes widened.

"Buh-but what about AB? And-and you can't be with Percy! He's Percy!"

"He is Percy, and he's AB."

"What?"

I nodded, maybe a little too gi/ddy.

"Well," I smiled, pretending that we still had the same mood as earlier when Rachel was begging for details, "I went there, and I suddenly realized that I wanted Percy. And I was standing there, waiting to meet AB and break the news that this was it for us, and there he comes. Percy! And he told me everything about how he regretted his mistakes but that having Noah was never one of them, and-"

"So he lied to you about being AB! First, he lies about having a son. Then about being the guy you're in love with online! That's low. That's evil!"

"Rachel, two minutes ago, you wanted me to run off with AB and elope!"

"That was before I knew he was Percy!"

"But he is! And I love him, alright? I don't care what you think. I am going to be with him either way, I just wanted my best friend to have my back."

"What happened to you? You used to be so careful!"

"But I don't want to be careful anymore. I want to be stupid. I want to take chances. And I want to be with Percy, and I will be. I don't care if Athena screams at me or if Malcolm is worried or if you disapprove. In the end, this is about us, not you," I crossed my arms.

I was determined not to care if anyone said anything about it, but I couldn't help but want my best friend to agree with me.

"And that is your final say on the matter?" Rachel watched me carefully.

She wanted me to change my mind, pack up my bags, and go back to the original plan for when I moved back to New York.

She wanted me to leave my family-oriented apartment and get the high-rise next to hers. Rachel wanted us to go out and have fun and laugh about exes. She wanted to have a say in who I dated, and, because I knew her so well, she wanted me to know that she was probably right about the guy. And she wanted us to make the top of New York magazines most successful single women, something that I had won five years ago.

When I came to the city, I wanted that, too.

But now I wanted this life with Percy.

I wanted to take Noah to soccer practice and embarrass him by cheering. I wanted to come home to Percy and hear funny stories about Alice. I wanted to wake up to the smell of breakfast cooking and Spongebob playing in the living room for Noah. I wanted to marry Percy and maybe even have a little Noah of our own one day.

Look at me….

It took Henry years to convince me to marry him, and he hadn't dared bring up having kids.

But Percy?

He has me wanting to marry him and have his kid immediately.

Funny, huh?

"Yes."

Rachel hesitated.

"What if he hurts you again?" her voice was softer.

"Then you get to tell me that I was wrong and you were right."

"You're really happy with him?"

I nodded with a big smile.

I was happier than I had been in a long time.

Rachel moaned but let out a weak smile.

"I love you, Annabeth. I may not love Percy, but you're happy. And that's great."

If it was possible, my smile widened, and I quickly slid out of my booth to hug her.

"Now, I still want details about your week. What did you and Percy do all week?" Rachel nudged me, and I grinned slyly.

It was nice to have my best friend back.

Well, both of them….

Percy,

"I think you should move in, Annabeth."

My eyes widened at Noah as I finished buttoning up his soccer ball pajamas, and Annabeth almost dropped the bowl of barbeque chips on the couch.

Annabeth and I had been together for three weeks, and I had to admit that I loved every second of it.

She had basically moved in, too. She was always here, except for when she needed to do things for work, and Annabeth had decidedly claimed part of my closet and two drawers for her stuff. And Annabeth had filled my bathroom with hair supplies and had me scared to look in the bottom drawer because I know that used to be the place she hid Midol and tampons.

Though I did sometimes miss my space, I liked having her here.

And it was amazing to see how Noah adjusted into having a mom-figure in his life, too.

There was no slow ease into the relationship.

They were inseparable in minutes.

"Move in?" Annabeth finally asked, sitting on the couch and staring at Noah.

My son nodded.

"You're always here anyway. And Katylin's mom moved in with her boyfriend, and he proposed two months later. And I want you two to get married."

I stared at him, and Annabeth tried not to laugh.

"Married?"

Noah nodded again, and he plopped on the couch beside Annabeth.

But I was so shocked that I stayed on the floor, watching the two of them.

"Yes," Noah smiled wide, and Annabeth had to bite her tongue not to laugh at how adorable he was.

"I'm fun when I'm here like this, but are you sure you want to put up with me all the time? I mean, even I can get annoying."

Can, sure. She can get annoying.

Like when she starts rattling on about random facts or makes you feel like a Seaweed Brain.

But I didn't say anything.

"I really want you here, Annabeth," Noah smiled up at Annabeth, and Annabeth's lips formed a smile.

Annabeth liked to take things slow in case they went sour.

It was miracle that she was referring to me as her boyfriend already, and my jaw had dropped when she curled up around me last night, looked me in the eyes, and told me that she loved me. She said it before, but this was the first time she had ever really said it since we had gotten back together.

I had never been good at slow.

But I was trying so that I wouldn't lose Annabeth again.

So moving in together?

That had been way off in the future, if ever.

But now I saw that smile.

I remembered that smile perfectly.

It had been about six years ago, probably more, when my roommate, John, announced that he was marrying his girlfriend and that they had decided to move into his apartment, which was actually our apartment. But I was nice about it and congratulated him, mumbling about it as I went searching for a new apartment.

Since I had the chance, I decided not to wait until I was older like I had planned, and I asked Annabeth to move in with me.

I knew she was going to say no, but then this bright smile spread across her lips. And that we'd see.

Three weeks later, we were unpacking our stuff into a modern apartment near her office.

"Well, how about your dad and I talk about it, and I stay tonight, hmm?"

She was staying tonight anyway, but Noah smiled as if it was only for him.

He nodded that he liked that idea, and Annabeth smiled at me, letting out a silent laugh and motioning for me to come sit by her and Noah.

I pulled my arm over Noah, and it felt nice that he curled up to me instead of Annabeth.

He and Annabeth had gotten so close that I had to admit that I was a little jealous.

I wanted Noah to be in a family with two parents, but I had gotten so adjusted to being his only parent that it felt weird that he had someone else he wanted to pick him up from Soccer practice. I still couldn't get over the shock that I felt when Noah woke up screaming last night and only wanted Annabeth to calm him down.

Annabeth had laughed when I freaked out about it, reminding me that I had always wanted that for my son, but it felt weird that it was actually here now…

"Are you alright?" Annabeth whispered in my ear as Noah laughed at some stupid joke, and I felt a quick race of my heart.

"I'm fine," I nodded, keeping the same whisper, "Just thinking."

"About what Noah said, huh?" Annabeth let out a small laugh.

"What do you think about it?"

"I think he's so adorable. I mean, what kind of kid is cute enough to come up and say that a woman should move in with his dad so they'll get married?" Annabeth laughed, "I-"

"No, I mean about us moving in together."

This made Annabeth pause.

"Isn't that early?"

But I could see in Annabeth's grey eyes that she didn't care about that part.

She wanted to though.

She wanted to be careful Annabeth, the daughter of Athena who never wanted to have regrets.

"Yeah, it is, but I was just wondering how you thought about it."

Annabeth hesitated, her mouth forming the word 'No', but then she stopped.

Finally, a small smile spread across her lips.

The same smile that she had worn when she first said we should move in together.

"We'll see."

I smiled wide and nodded.

That was a yes.

"We'll see."