Chapter 42 - I Pack a Peck of Percy's Possessions

I stood in the middle of the Athena cabin. My classes had finished a few days ago and I had come straight to Camp (well, with my normal stop at the Jacksons' first) to prepare. The rest of the campers would be arriving any day now. My siblings, my friends, and new demigods I'd be expected to help teach. I looked around the cabin. Maya, who was one of the best at arts-stuff, had made a giant WELCOME poster for our siblings. We had all drawn their names on it, but left some space for any new Athena campers. All the beds were made - Maya and I had spent the morning washing all the bedding and re-making all the beds so they'd be fresh when our siblings came home. All the books had been put back on the shelves, pencils were sharpened, our SMART board had been cleared and the maps of Greece put away. We didn't want to throw our siblings straight into the war. They should get at least five minutes to sit and feel good about Camp before we broke the whole "Hey, so, yeah, I know the world almost ended last summer, but we get to do that again this summer! Also there are Romans." news to them.

I had sent Maya and the others out for some free-time and was double checking that my armor looked to be in shape - capture the flag would start up as soon as we had enough campers - when I heard someone come in. I turned to find one of my favorite faces - Malcolm.

I grinned and ran to give him a hug.

"I needed that." He muttered.

I pulled away and studied him. He looked…. Tired. Angry? And a little relieved.

"What happened?"

He sighed and tossed two duffle bags and his backpack onto his bed. "I told you my Dad was remarrying?"

I nodded. "Yeah, you said you liked your stepmom."

"I do, but it turns out her kids are monsters. Not literal monsters, but close enough. They tortured me every chance they got. I told my dad - I'm staying year round this year. Maybe from now on. I'll go home for holidays and stuff, but -"

He shook his head and I went to give him another hug. We sat on my bunk in comfortable silence for a while, arms around each other. Finally, he took a breath and pulled away.

"What's going on here? Any word about Percy?"

"Word? Yes. We know where the Roman camp is, Jason's even been helping me figure out the best way to reach it."

"But -" He prompted.

"But Rachel said we can't go until we finish building the warship."

He nodded, thoughtfully. "And how's that -" He stopped, seeing the frustration on my face.

"It's… going well enough, I suppose. We've built the entire ship, we're supposed to head out in a few weeks at the most. But we keep hitting these little snags that worry me."

"Little snags like?"

"Like the engine wanting to blow up, the automatic crossbows turning to fire on us, little things like that."

Malcolm grinned and nodded. "I'm excited to take a look."

I looked at him for a long moment. "Malcolm, I'm sorry, but you'll be in charge most of the summer, probably. I don't know how long it'll take to get to Greece, but if I'm on a big quest…."

He shrugged. "That's fine. It'll be good practice before you go off to college."

I smiled at him. Malcolm always thought practically. I handed him a notebook. "Here - I made some notes, because Chiron will probably give you a class or two to teach. These are like tricks and stuff I've learned over the years."

He grinned and took it. "Thanks, Annabeth. I… I never met the last counselor, but you've been the best counselor - the best big sister - I could ask for."

Before I could cry I pulled him into another hug.

I spent several days welcoming campers, getting everyone up to date on why the world was ending this time, and making sure everyone was set for me to leave on the Argo II. I was trying to recover from my nightmares - I'd had them several times since that meeting with my mom and I was sure the stupid coin was the reason. Each time was the same - I was small, I was afraid, and something very very bad was happening. Sometimes I'd get more - a memory from right before I ran away. When spiders kept swarming me at night and no one would believe me. The nightmares made it hard to feel restful. I'd wake still feeling anxious and fearful. I'd be jumpy throughout the day. But no matter what, that stupid coin sat in my pocket, feeling like an eternal ice cube on my leg. I'd tried to throw it away, only to find it back in my pocket. It was like Percy's Riptide pen that way, but it didn't seem to have any cool powers. I'd tried yelling at it, flipping it like Jason's coin-sword, nothing worked. The only thing it seemed to do was make my sleep very un-restful.

I sent my siblings ahead of me to work on the Argo II. After they had gone I pulled out some duffle bags and headed to Percy's cabin. The place was deserted and smelled musty. It still smelled like the sea, but the way it had…. Well, they way it had before Percy had come. That made me sad. I set the duffle bags on the bed and got to work packing up some of his things to bring him. As I packed, I sorted everything into two piles - one duffle would be things he'd need no matter what. The other? Things I'd bring but keep in my cabin until I knew if he remembered his life.

I packed up his armor and spare weapons into the duffle he'd need no matter what. An extra blanket (sometimes Percy got cold at night), his favorite sneakers, and a sturdy water bottle. He had some clothes here, but they were mostly winter stuff. I'd ask his mom to help me pack some more of his stuff when I went by next time.

The second duffle took me more time. I decided to leave the minotaur's horn in it's pegs on the wall. I carefully packed a couple of the underwater plants into rubbermaids to bring them along. I looked at the photos near Percy's bunk. One showed him, Grover and me, that first summer when he first got to camp. Gods, we looked so young. We were on the beach, Grover teasingly giving us both bunny ears in the photo. Another was him and Tyson, wearing matching tie-dye shirts. That silly gym uniform they had to wear at that school. I remembered it from when I saved Percy from some cannibals. It had looked so dorky on him. I carefully took both photos off the wall and slid them into a folder to protect them on the way to the Argo II.

The next photo was a super cute one - baby Percy, probably two or three, at the beach with his mom. Her hair was blown by the wind and you could see how happy, how at peace they both were. I smiled and took that one too. The next choice was easy - a wedding photo from Sally and Paul's wedding. I looked back at the wall. There was a photo of the two of us, mere days after Percy had rescued me from Atlas. We were wearing Santa hats at his apartment, pretending to duel with candy canes. Not big candy canes either, like, normal sized ones. I remembered that day. Percy had invited me over to spend the day together. His mom had taken us to see the Rockefeller tree and some Christmas lights. We'd sung carols, despite that neither of us can sing, and watched cheesy Christmas movies. I smiled at the photo, though tears stung my eyes. We both had grey streaks in our hair, making us a matching set. Mine had faded completely recently. I hoped Percy still had his, but I doubted it. Hera had probably removed them both to make sure Percy didn't feel any connection to me. I placed the photo in the folder with the others.

I popped in another photo - Percy making silly faces at Bessie, the Ophiotaurus. And another - Percy, Thalia and I, having burgers after defeating the Titans last fall. Another - Percy and Rachel, wearing their Goode high school t-shirts. A photo of Percy joking with Chiron went in next. I looked at the remaining ones on the wall. There were a handful left. I saw one of us, in Paris, and added it to the stack. Then one of Percy and Poseidon together, and another of Percy riding Blackjack. I finished with a photo of Percy getting licked in the face by Mrs. O'Leary. I decided that was enough. I didn't want to overwhelm him if he didn't remember any of us. I looked around the cabin, but there really weren't many personal items. I found his portable CD player and a handful of his favorite rock CDs. I wasn't sure if his taste in music would change with his memory gone, so I added those to the "only-if-he-remembers" duffle bag.

I sat on the bed, feeling emotionally spent. After six long months, we were mere days away from finding Percy. The thought made me anxious. Excited, yes, but mostly anxious. In only a few days, I'd know once and for all what I was dealing with. Whether Percy remembered me or not. Whether I was starting over from ground zero, or I got to move forward with my love. I heard a knock on the door and turned to look.

"Hey!" Rachel said. "Piper said you were in here?"

"Yeah, uh, packing up stuff for Percy." I fingered the shoe laces. "I just realized - what if he's grown? He might not even fit his sneakers anymore."

Rachel smiled at me. "Then you get him new sneakers. That doesn't seem like a difficult problem, Annabeth."

"No." I admitted. "But since our big problems right now are, well, SO big, it's easier to focus on the little ones."

"That makes sense." She admitted. She held out a sketch pad. I moved to take it but she wouldn't let go. "Uh, I made these, to…. To help, I guess. Maybe spark his memory. But…. I don't want you to think that like, I'm intruding or something."

I was confused, then flipped open the sketch pad. The first image was Percy and I at the bottom of the canoe lake, having our first real kiss. It was… incredibly realistic. The next one showed Percy and I, much younger, in that zoo truck on our way to Las Vegas. Each drawing showed a significant moment from our lives, ones that I didn't have photos of. The time I took the knife for him on the Williamsburg bridge. Percy, crouching over me and filled with concern as Will tended to my shoulder. The crazy Tunnel of Love ride on our first quest. And, my personal favorite, me holding a guinea pig that was clearly meant to be Percy.

"You know I never held him when he was transformed."

"Maybe that's from your future." Rachel commented wickedly. I laughed.

"Thank you, Rachel. I-I really like these."

She grinned at me. "I'm glad. If it helps either of you, that's plenty for me."

A couple days later, I showed up to Percy's parents place.

"Annabeth!" Paul welcomed me in.

"Hi, Paul. Is Sally around?"

"She should be home any minute. Do you have news?"

I shook my head and held up the empty duffle bags. "I was hoping she could help me pack some stuff for Percy."

He nodded. "When do you leave?"

"Summer solstice at the latest. I'd hoped to be there sooner, but since the ship keeps threatening to explode -" I shrugged.

Paul smiled at me. "Yeah, I guess a day or two later and not exploding is better."

I hugged him. "I'll miss you. Thank you. For everything."

I felt his arms wrap around me and a gentle kiss on the top of my head. "I'll miss you too. I've really liked getting to know you better. You're amazing, Annabeth."

We stayed like that for another few moments. Then we pulled away.

"I feel like it won't help to ask you to stay safe, but, uh, try to stay safe?"

I gave him a timid smile but nodded. "I try. The gods just seem to have other plans."

Sally opened the door behind me. "Oh! Annabeth! I wasn't expecting you tonight."

"Sorry, Sally. I-I was packing some of Percy's stuff the other day for the trip and realized I didn't have any summer clothes for him. Could you -"

"Of course, of course!" She said, an eager smile on her face. "It feels nice to have something I can actually do for him."

"Have you eaten dinner, Annabeth?" Paul asked me. I shook my head as my stomach growled. Sally and Paul both grinned at me. "I've got a new recipe I've wanted to try out. I'll get cooking while you two pack."

Sally and I went into Percy's room. Some of the stuff was still as Percy had left it, but Sally and I had tidied up a lot of it over the months. I took a deep breath, but I knew what I'd smell. Clean linens. Papers, some weapons polish. But nothing that smelled like Percy.

Sally rested a hand on my shoulder. "I know. But he'll be back soon, right?"

I gave her a doubtful look. "Even if we find him, bring him home, save the world again….. Will he be the same Percy?"

Her smiled wavered. "Have hope, ok? That's all we can do for now."

"I know." I whispered. But it was hard to have hope when your life was as crazy and chaotic as mine was. Even after the war, what would happen if another god decided to snatch Percy up again? Were we really just pawns, with no choice in what would happen? I shook my head to clear those thoughts. I was starting to sound like Luke and I knew how that path ended.

Sally looked through the dresser. "I-I should really wash this stuff before I send it. It's been a year since he wore most of this. Will it even fit?"

I shrugged. "I asked the same thing when I was packing some of his stuff from Camp. If it doesn't, I'll try to stop at a store and get him new stuff. But I'd like to bring some of what's familiar, you know, in case it helps him remember."

She nodded and began pulling shorts from the drawer and putting them into different piles. "Should I send anything else? I don't really know what to pack for your son when sending him to fight Giants and the Earth itself."

I grinned. "We think he has Riptide. I packed him some spare weapons, just in case. We're taking plenty of ambrosia and nectar for the trip. We've got plenty of Medea's sunscreen, healing gum, bandages." I shook my head. "We're trying to be prepared, but we don't entirely know what we're up against. If you have a toothbrush and toiletries for him, that'd be great. He seems to have forgotten to bring that stuff to Camp last winter."

We shared a small smile at that. "Definitely." Sally assured me. We talked about the Argo II and what it was like on board as Sally selected what items to send with me.

Paul came in after a while. "Dinner's ready!"

After dinner, Paul handed me an envelope. I looked inside. It was cash, mortal money. I looked at him, confused.

"In case you need to buy Percy supplies, or get anything while you're in Europe. You can exchange it for Euros, and it might come in handy."

I thanked them both profusely. Then I thought of something. "Does Percy have a passport? Just in case."

Sally shook her head. "And since he's not here I can't take him to get one."

I shrugged. "Leo and Jason don't have them either. Piper and I do. We'll just have to be strategic if we send anyone to shore where there are a lot of mortals."

"When will you be back, Annabeth? I'd like to finish washing and folding the clothes before I send them."

I thought about that. "Saturday? That'll give you a few days."

Sally nodded and went into the kitchen. She returned with several small bottles of blue food coloring and handed them to me.

"Can't forget to send these." She explained with a grin.