"How is she?" Nico asked.
"She'll be okay," Will said, closing the door to the infirmary behind him. "I don't want to allow any visitors yet─Kayla's still cleaning her up."
"That's─that's good. As long as she's okay."
"Don't look now," Will started. "But Percy is approaching us. Do we want him to know that Hazel's hurt?"
Nico refrained from glancing behind him. "No. Whatever Eidolon is in him would probably realise that we got rid of the one in Hazel." Nico pushed Will against the wall of the infirmary. "I know how to keep him away from here."
"How─" Nico kissed his boyfriend passionately. "That works," Will gasped between kisses.
Percy did not approach them.
"He's here?" Annabeth whispered, hiding behind the Aphrodite cabin.
"Yes," Lou said. She looked around. "Right. So, the plan. I have to─"
"I need you to bring him to a secluded place. Meet you at Zeus' Fist?"
"Right." Lou concentrated. Her appearance shifted. A normal child of Hecate could not transform their appearance, but an apprentice of Chaos could. "How do I look?"
"Like Hazel Levesque." Annabeth nodded approvingly. She threw on her hat, disappearing and Lou was left crouching behind the Aphrodite cabin. Lou huffed, standing up and attempting to casually walk through the crowds.
"Hazel!" Lou almost didn't turn. 'If you're going to pretend to be someone then do it properly, Lou!' Clarisse la Rue ran up to her. "I've been looking everywhere for one of you guys! Is it true? About Percy?!" Oh, yes. Clarisse had been searching in Georgia when Hazel, Leo, Frank and Reyna had found Percy.
"Um, yes. We found him."
"And did Annabeth really─"
"Yeah." Lou nodded solemnly. "Actually," she perked up. "I have a surprise planned for Percy. Could you help me bring him to Zeus' fist?"
"Umm, sure." Clarisse shrugged. "Oh, he's over there. Beside the Apollo cabin."
"Lead the way." Lou needed to avoid being seen by most people. She cast a spell on herself. People wouldn't notice Lou, now. Their eyes would glide over her unless they were talking to her, or something. "Hey, Percy," she said. "Look at who I found!"
"Oh." He subtly squinted at Clarisse. As if this Eidolon knew who Clarisse was. "Ah daughter of Ares. What a pleasure." At least the Eidolon could figure that out.
Clarisse snorted. She'd taken this for sarcasm. "Feeling is mutual, Jackson. You coming to Zeus' Fist?"
"Why?" Percy asked.
Lou grinned. "I have a little welcome home present for you."
"I don't know…"
"Everybody's going to be there!" she exclaimed. "Please, Percy?"
"Fine, Hazel." Lou's smirk quickly transformed into a grin before she could be questioned. Lou took his arm, dragging him towards the forest. "So. What is this 'surprise'?"
"The kind that surprises you," Clarisse supplied, even if she didn't know what it was. When they reached Zeus' Fist, Lou waited a second before turning to Clarisse. "Hazel, where is the surprise?"
And then Annabeth stood up from behind Zeus' Fist. "That was quick." Lou lifted her hands in annoyance, gesturing to Clarisse. Annabeth cursed, drawing her drakon bone sword. Lou clicked her fingers and Clarisse crumbled to the ground.
Percy looked at Lou in shock. "Hazel what are you─"
"Drop the act, Gangrow," Lou rolled her eyes. He frowned at her. "Yes, I know who you are. Chaos told me."
Gangrow tensed. "Cha─" Gangrow reached for Percy's sword, but Annabeth's was already at his throat. "Don't even think about it." Lou reached up, pressing her index finger against Percy's forehead. He slumped against Zeus' Fist.
Lou looked up. Chaos was here. As was something else.
Annabeth was unaware of this.
"What now?"
Percy's head was as unorganised as he was. When Annabeth was let into it, she found herself in an apartment she didn't recognise. It was a dilapidated, dirty place. It wasn't Sally's flat, by far. This must be where Percy lived with Sally and Gabe.
Annabeth first walked into the living room.
"Bring me another beer!"
"Yes, Smelly Gabe."
"What did you just say?!"
"Nothing!"
Annabeth blinked. Not this memory. How did she change them? Walk away? Say "next"? Annabeth next entered the kitchen. She saw Sally pulling a meatloaf out of the oven, a young Percy watching her tentatively. There was a bruise under his eye.
"Show me Percy's memories of camp," Annabeth said.
The scene changed. Well, her idea was correct, then. She caught sight of Clarisse, dragging an eleven year old Percy to the bathroom, a young version of herself scampering after them. Annabeth was still mad that Percy dumped toilet water onto her.
Finally remembering that there was only a matter of time before Gangrow woke up, Annabeth began to sort through Percy's memories.
Annabeth paused at one of her favourite memories.
"Hey, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth tentatively sat beside him at the kitchen table.
"Wise Girl," Percy smiled. He frowned when he noticed how skittish she was. "What's wrong?"
"Well, I─um." Annabeth stared at her finger. "You know how I insisted that I went on the supply run yesterday?"
"Yeah…" Percy looked at her curiously. "Did somebody say something to you? Was there a monster? I know we haven't seen any in years but they could've been in town─"
"Percy!" Annabeth exclaimed. Her voice lowered. "N-no. It wasn't a monster. I… bought a test."
Percy snorted. "Only you would willingly but a test, Wise Girl. What kind of test?"
"A pregnancy test." Percy's eyes widened. "I'm pregnant, Percy!"
Percy's mouth dropped open. "Y-you're pregnant," he dumbly repeated. "You're pregnant. As in─"
"Yes, pregnant. You are… happy, right?"
"Happy?!" Percy shook his head. "I'm more than happy, Annabeth! I'm elated! Delighted! Ecstatic!"
Annabeth smiled softly. "I was worried that you'd be mad."
"Annabeth." Percy took her hand, kissing it softly. "I love you─and our baby─so much. Baby. We're having a baby!" Annabeth leaned her head against his blissfully.
Dragging her head away from the scene, Annabeth caught sight of a second Percy, watching the scene with her.
"Hey," Annabeth said.
Percy─the real Percy─turned to her. "Annabeth? How are you here?"
"I'll explain later. But for now, we need to get going."
"Where?" Percy asked.
Annabeth cringed. "To your worst memory."
Percy sighed. "Follow me."
(A/N So Percy's been found! Originally I was going to take a completely different route with this chapter, but I also want this story to have a happy ending so that's not going to happen. Hope you guys enjoyed it!)
