As the Argo II sailed away from New Rome, Annabeth Chase felt fury rise up in her chest. So close. They were so close to getting the Romans on board with the quest. Why did some goddess have to visit Jason? Why did Reyna's mother have to warn her about Gaea? Why did that random senator's dad have to warn him?
All Annabeth wanted to do was protect her family. Er, her family of Greek demigods at Camp Half-Blood, that is. She still didn't get along too well with her mortal father, step-mother, and step-siblings. "What are we going to do?" Percy asked as he approached her. While Leo steered the ship and Piper was doing who-knows-what, she and Percy were alone on the deck. They were flying over Arizona at the moment, and Annabeth was admiring the view of the desert.
Percy wrapped his arms around her and Annabeth leaned back against her Seaweed Brain. "I don't know, Percy. The whole plan was for the Romans to get on board with this. Instead, we had to leave Jason behind with them."
"And Hazel and Frank," Percy added unhelpfully. "But Reyna will protect them, I know it. I'm sure that she'll figure something out, Annabeth."
Annabeth sighed. "What are we going to do? Are we going to hope that Jason, Hazel, and Frank will somehow meet up with us? Or are we going to have to get three demigods from Camp Half-Blood to join us?"
She felt Percy shrug. "I don't know. We'll figure something out though, Annie."
She turned around to scowl at him. "Don't call me Annie."
Percy grinned. "Oh, oops. Must have just slipped out accidentally, Annie." He winked at her. "My bad."
Annabeth's scowl deepened. "Perseus. Jackson. Don't. You. Ever. Call. Me. Annie," she ground out angrily.
Percy's grin, if it was even possible, widened. "I'm sorry, what was that? Did you ask me to call you Annie?" he asked in mock confusion. "Whatever you want, Annie."
Annabeth growled and shoved Percy. Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it—he merely fell to the floor of the deck. Also unfortunately, he dragged Annabeth down with him. They landed with Annabeth on her back and Percy on top of her. "Don't call me Annie, Percy."
The son of Poseidon grinned. "Okay," he replied with a smile. "Whatever you want, Annabeth."
"Can you get off of me?" she asked.
Percy winked. "Nope."
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "All right, you asked for it, Seaweed Brain." She kneed him hard in the stomach and rolled out of the way as he fell to the floor.
"Oh, Wise Girl. That hurt," he complained as he sat up.
Annabeth grinned at him and sat beside him on the deck of the Argo II. "I know," she replied as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Think of it as payback for getting kidnapped for eight months."
"But you already judo-flipped me for that!" Percy protested.
Annabeth laughed. "You've got more to make up for than just one judo flip, Seaweed Brain."
Percy stayed silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. I'm sure that you were just as worried about me as Reyna was for Jason."
Annabeth winced. "Jason and Piper were dating before he got his memory back," she said suddenly. "He didn't remember Reyna at all." She paused. "Did you… did you forget me?"
Percy smiled at her. "No. From the first moment I woke up, the only thing I could remember was a name. Annabeth." She smiled back at him. "I had no idea who you were or how I knew you, but I remembered that you were important to me. I remembered that you would kiss me whenever I did something stupid." He sighed. "When I got to Camp Jupiter, I asked Reyna if she knew who you were… Turns out she did know, but not in the way I was hoping.
"She used to live on Circe's island. She was there when you and I washed up on the island's shores. She and her sister were captured by the pirates we let loose on the island." Percy frowned. "Back then I didn't even think of what would happen to everyone else on the island. I was just focused on getting you and me out of there so that we could find Grover."
"Percy, that's not your fault. Besides, I think Reyna found a pretty good place that she wouldn't have found if we hadn't destroyed the island."
Percy laughed. "I guess so. Um, what were we talking about again?"
"You not forgetting me. Reyna being worried about Jason. Me being worried about you." Annabeth supplied with a faint smile.
Percy nodded. "Right. Um, so I couldn't find you in Camp Jupiter or New Rome. Then I had to go on that quest, and I made a wager with Phineas, this blind seer dude. I drank Gorgon's blood—the healing one, don't get mad at me—and got all of my memories back. So, I didn't entirely forget you." He frowned. "Well, maybe a little. But I didn't mean to."
Annabeth nodded and kissed him. This time, there weren't any Romans ready to impale them in the background, which made it that much better. "It's all right, Percy. It wasn't your fault, and you remember now," she replied evenly. "Come on, let me show you around the ship. It's pretty cool."
Annabeth showed Percy the Mess Hall first, and Percy grinned at the images of Camp Half-Blood. Then, she showed him where all the cabins were. "The boys' cabins are on that side." She said as she indicated the side where Leo's cabin was and where Jason's cabin had been. "The one across from mine was Jason's and the one at the far end is Leo's." She stood in front of the cabin in which she had put some of Percy's stuff. "This one is yours."
Percy opened the door and grinned. The walls, floor, and ceiling were the same wood as the rest of the ship, but Annabeth had brought Percy's sheets from the Poseidon Cabin into the cabin for him. His Minotaur horn hung on the wall across from his bed, and Tyson's Celestial Bronze mobile hung from the ceiling. "Did you grab this stuff?" her Seaweed Brain asked.
"Yeah. I figured that you'd want some reminders of home," Annabeth replied. "Some of your Camp Half-Blood T-shirts are over there." She nodded in the direction of the dresser on the far wall.
"Thanks, Annabeth," Percy said finally. "Really, this means a lot." He grinned. "So, what else is on this ship?"
Annabeth smiled back and brought him down to the lower deck. "Here's the stables," she said as they entered the stables. Percy stared at the glass floor in fascination for a moment before a thought seemed to dawn on him.
"Why is there a stable?" he asked. "It's not like we're going to be bringing animals with us on a dangerous quest."
Annabeth stared at Percy. "I don't know. Leo said it was in the plans, so that's how we built it. Good question, though."
Percy frowned. "I feel like we'll know soon why we have this, but I'm really going to wish that we didn't."
Annabeth frowned as well. "Come on, Seaweed Brain. You're making this tour a little depressing." She led him into the storage room and then the engine room. After that, she showed him the sick bay and the armory. "So, what do you think?"
"It's pretty cool." Percy answered.
"Pretty cool?" Annabeth repeated back to him. "Just pretty cool?"
Percy's eyes widened. "Um, she's pretty cool?"
Annabeth laughed. "All right, Seaweed Brain. Let's go do something else for now." Annabeth led her boyfriend back through the ship to where they had stood watching the land as they flew passed it. For now, as badly as everything had gone in New Rome, she was just glad to have her Seaweed Brain back.
Hey! Thanks a lot for reading this chapter, please review and tell me your thoughts.
~Nerd