Annabeth
Annabeth put on a black dress. She steps into a pair of short black heels and hangs a necklace around her throat.
The pendant is silver and gold, twisted around each other in the shape of a heart. Percy has given it to her on their anniversary.
She touches it as she looks in the mirror.
"Hey, you okay?" Her father's soft voice interrupts her thoughts. She turns to face him. A tear escapes her eye, rolling down her cheek. She runs to hug him.
"Why is it that I start crying only after someone asks me that?" She sniffles into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he hugs her back and allows several moments of silence to pass. "Are you ready to go?"
She steps back and wipes her eyes. "Yeah, I think so."
They drive to the funeral home in silence. A closed casket sits at the far end of the chapel.
Annabeth walks down the aisle, she sees Sally Jackson standing over the casket. Her husband, Paul, stands close his arm around her shoulders.
She walks up to Sally, and touches her arm. Sally looks up, her eyes red and swollen and they hug.
"I am so sorry,"Annabeth chokes out.
Sally gently rubs Annabeth's back and pulls out of the hug. Unable to speak, Sally nods and attempts a half hearted smile. She wipes a tear from her cheek and turns away
Annabeth walks back and sits down in a pew next to her father and Bianca. She felt a pinch in her belly, and shifted in her seat to stretch it out.
"You okay?" Bianca whispers.
Annabeth rubs her side and whispers back. "Yeah just a little cramp 's all."
"Is it the baby?"
"I don't think so."
The casket lowers into the grave. Annabeth looks around at the attendees. She recognizes most of them, but some she knows she had never seen.
At the conclusion of the ceremony she resolves to meet them.
She taps a man from the group on the shoulder. He turns around, and she notes his blond and blue eyes. He smiles at her.
"You must be Annabeth," he speaks with a thick Russian accent.
Annabeth nods. "I didn't recognize you. Did you work with Percy?"
"Yes. We did some work together. Although he never did get along with me very well," He gives a knowing look to one of the other people around him, then turns back to Annabeth. "I am sorry to hear about his death. It is unfortunate."
She looks down briefly, blinking away tears. She puts out her hand and looks up.
"And you are?"
The man takes her outstretched hand in both of his and shakes once.
"My name is Alexei Ivanov,"