"Argh!"

Annabeth jolted awake, basking in cold sweat, tears tracing their way down her cheeks. She was shivering, trembling. Fearfully, She peered into the darkness, her heart racing, searching for the demons in the shadows, the phantoms in the corner. Closing her eyes, Annabeth leant against her headboard, fearful of sleep and the ephialtes she would succumb to. Ephialtes worse than the giant. Nightmares that ambushed her as soon as her mind fogged over and she succumbed to sleep. On her eyelids, she saw embedded her dream.
No. No no.

"Percy," Annabeth whimpered into the night. Gods, how weak was she? Without her boyfriend at her side she, could not function. Trying to control the tears, Annabeth fumbled in the dark for the glass prism she kept on her bedside table. She clicked her lamp on blindly and experimented with the glass, trying to make a rainbow. Eventually, she succeeded and pulled a Drachma out from her draw. Annabeth didn't want to contact Percy. This would be the third time she had Iris Messaged him that day, the first after her melt down and the second to break the news about Goode. Well, technically today was tomorrow so...

"O' Iris goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering." She tossed the silver coin into the dispersion of light, cursing her lack of willpower. "Show me Perseus Jackson, down-town Manhattan."

Instantaneously, she was rewarded with an image of a sleeping Percy. He lay on his side, his mouth parted, drooling in the way she, for some reason, found endearing. Perhaps it was because despite all his battles and his losses and his scars, it was a reminder that really, he was still only a kid. Only a kid, and that he should not have endured so much so young. There was a sudden cry on the other end of the line, and Percy trashed violently.

"Annabeth!"He whimpered. Annabeth clapped a hand to her mouth to stifle a sob. So, so much she wanted to reach out and hold him but she could not. That would only mean cutting the connection.
"Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth whisper yelled, her voice disjointed. Percy gave a small scream,
"Annabeth!"
"Oh gods, Percy, wake up!"
Her words must have worked because, before her eyes, Percy bolted up in bed and stared about himself, fear shining through his eyes like a whirlpool. He saw her through the Iris Message and blatantly tried to stop the tears pooling in his eyes. The green sea inside them was orbs of poison.

"Gods, Annabeth. Is that you?"

"No, it's Annabeth's doppelganger ,"(A/N: No idea how to do the dots on this keyboard so can't spell it properly. sorry).

Percy cracked a smile, that immediately turned solemn "Nightmare?"

"Yep. Percy oh my gods, you were dead! And there was the Acheron and Nyx and Akhlys. Oh gods, Percy. Will the nightmares ever cease, I can't live like this!" Annabeth was trying to control the sobs.
"I'm not sure Wise Girl." Percy was blinking furiously. "But you're coming to Goode now, so perhaps..."
"College in New Rome after." Annabeth said with a small smile, trying to elevate her mood.

"We can share a flat can't we?"

"If my stepmother allows it," Annabeth said through a laugh, "You saw her agitation when you came over."
Percy began to laugh, and the noise warmed Annabeth's heart. She grinned at Percy.
"That's if Athena allows me to sleep with you," he said, then immediately reddened. "Gods of Olympus. No! I didn't mean that!"

Annabeth barely heard him though, she was rocking with laughter, choking on giggles as she tried to stifle them so as to not wake up her parents. She supposed that would be a first. To be not woken by Annabeth's screams but by her laughter. Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"Are you sure you didn't mean that," She joked. Percy was shaking, trying to quell the howls of laughter.

"Fairly certain."
Annabeth now understood why people laughed in delirious states. The tiredness and fear was weighing down on them, distorting their emotions so that all they could do was latch onto the other and hope that they did not fall.

There was a sudden movement in the hall outside, a footfall, the creak of a door, a faucet. Annabeth tensed suddenly, waiting for the footsteps to retreat.

"You okay?" Percy asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"What time is it?"
Annabeth checked her light up watch and stifled a gasp. "Dam it Seaweed Brain, it's four. Oh well."

The noise outside became louder, and Annabeth craned her neck towards the door. The footsteps passed her room.

"I'm kinda hungry though Perc-"
Annabeth heard a small gasp outside, and light footfalls returning to her bedroom door. Another voice joined she and Percy's conversation.

"Annabeth Chase. If I walk In and find Percy in there with you, you are grounded for eternity." Said a familiar, feminine voice. Annabeth presently began to laugh.
"Don't worry Helen. I'm just Iris Messaging him."

The door was wrenched open with a bang, showing Helen framed in the entrance glowering, scanning the room for a hidden Percy. She clicked the light on and advanced towards her stepdaughter. Helen breathed a sigh of relief, and sat besides Annabeth.

"Are you okay Annabeth?"
Annabeth shuddered. "I'm alright, just a nightmare."
"Okay. Well, you should try to sleep anyway. Both of you."

"Bu-"

"Annabeth, otherwise you'll fall asleep again at school. You can keep the message up."

"Who cares?" Annabeth muttered bitterly, "They all know about my nightmares anyway."

"Just try, okay? I'll text the school, ask if you can have a reduced timetable this last week."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. You can come in at half ten."
"I guess. Okay."

Helen left the room, leaving Annabeth and Percy blinking in surprise.

"I guess a little sleep would be nice." Percy murmured, and promptly began to snore. Annabeth smiled tenderly at him, before snuggling back into the covers and drifting into a deep, dark sleep.

Annabeth awoke to her alarm's incessant beeping. She groaned, and sat up in bed, startled to find a window hanging in the air before her, giving her the familiar view of Percy's bedroom. Momentarily, she was confused, looking at the rumbled sheets in the bed before her intently, trying to place the night before. Oh yes, the nightmare. The talk with Percy and Helen. Speaking of which... Annabeth turned to look at her clock. Nine, it read. Huh? Helen must have changed it last night. Ugh. Did she have to get up?

"Annabeth!" Called a voice from downstairs. Yes, she did. Groaning, Annabeth traipsed downstairs still in her pyjamas to where Helen waited by the door, clearly about to leave for work.

"'Morning." Annabeth yawned.

"Morning Annabeth. There is a bus at ten which you may want to take, your dad left some money on the table for the fare. I've already phoned the school.

"Thanks."

"See you later." And with that, the door slammed shut and Annabeth was left alone. She couldn't help but smile. She turned on the radio and poured herself a bowl of Frosties and some juice. Then she pulled on a coat and stepped out into the crisp morning air or the garden. The grass looked silver from the dew. Glistening like the sea at dawn. She sat down at the picnic table and took the advantage of being able to prop her feet up on the wood. Around her, she could hear the sounds of Manhattan in the morning. The sky above was overcast but mesmerising, the clouds peering down to earth in several startling hues of grey. She wondered if this was what Percy saw when he commented her eyes a beautiful. A fierce thunderstorm or eyes like a graveyard. She guessed it depended on her mood.

Annabeth withdrew a magazine from her pocket and began to read slowly. Peaceful and serene, which was odd in a city. The booklet in her hands was on architecture. The same one Matthew had been so engrossed with last night, or rather, she soon found, had taken delight on scribbling stupid words and drawings around it. Annabeth made a mental note to find his comics and pay him back. She always had thought superman would look better with a long white beard and a tutu. Chuckling, Annabeth drained the last of her juice, spooned her cereal (No milk. Milk was disgusting),and heaved herself up. She went up to her room and surveyed her closet with a grin. This was the last week. Four more days, and she would be with Percy. Annabeth chose an outfit, pulled it on and smiled at her reflection.

"I'm okay." She told herself. (A/N: Just as I was listening to I'm not okay by mcr. Sorry for this chapter being so short.)