In which Annabeth spirals between different emotions very quickly-also, who can blame her for falling in love with how she wakes up :).
Replies:
Undeath9087: Yeah, it's gonna break Annabeth's heart some I'll be honest. And yeah, yeah it'll get worse.
Ryan Fowler: I know right?!
MKDemiGodzilla-Warrior: Annabeth is gonna be a blushing mess for parts of it, it's adorable. And then will come the pain, hah!
Rage2091: Oh she'll love her- she's already got that pesky crush and this is Annabeth. Just think about how she's waking up right now.
Guest: She told them everything- including the tracking spell, and you shall find out more about that eventually- I have it all planned out-but this being Percy it will slip her mind. And you shall see- right now returning to camp would be too painful for Annabeth- after what happened.
Guest: In Paris with Sally, or they were in that chapter.
Guest: I mean, probably not because she still has the hand- but uh, certain other people may come up with something to help.
The next few days passed quickly. Sally returned home, of course. And there were several scrying sessions with Amos to discuss what had happened.
Percy even got summoned to the Underworld by her dad. Who then spent the whole time fussing over her as she told him about her adventures. He did tell her that Hades had sent a message- apparently they were able to use souls to send word back and forth between the two different Underworlds. Percy didn't claim to understand fully how it all worked but the two gods were friendly enough.
Piper, much to Percy's sadness, left Brooklyn House to spend a week with her dad and grandfather- but, as much as that kinda made Percy sad because she missed her best friend she got it. She knew Piper constantly missed Tristan, so she'd told her friend to go and make the most of the time with him. Percy had been invited of course- Piper never went anywhere without at least inviting Percy, but Percy knew that it wouldn't be fair for her to hijack the trip.
Besides, when Piper got back they had plans themselves- Percy had promised to take Piper to Greece again after all, and Sally had agreed that as long as Carter or Sadie went with them she was fine with the trip.
And Carter and Sadie had both agreed to that- and with them would come Zia and Walt, of course. It would be a two week long holiday- and Percy was very confident that she and Piper would be allowed to spend most of it running around doing their own thing, which would probably involve hiking up the slopes of Mount Olympus. Though Carter had made Percy promise that she would not call Zeus Lord Thunderpants out loud ever again after Sadie had told him about that.
He'd almost had a heart attack. Percy personally found it hilarious that her dearest big brother was so freaked out by her chaos.
Still, they weren't leaving for Greece for another week and a half- and Percy didn't even have her best friend to help her stay entertained- though she did hang out with Felix- and the strange reports of several lakes freezing over in the middle of summer definitely didn't have anything to do with them.
Neither did the strange reports of random penguins showing up on said lakes.
Yeah Carter had tried to tell them off but he hadn't been helped by Sadie's loud cackling laughter in the background as she pleaded with them to take her with them next time.
Which, hey, that totally wasn't Percy's fault. Sadie was her own person and she could decide to cause trouble easily enough without Percy's influence.
And since Percy was the manifestation of chaos these days it was her duty to cause a little bit of it, as she'd casually reminded Carter.
The glare that had earned her would be enough to cow probably anyone else into submission- her big brother was a far cry from the nervous rather awkward boy that he'd once been. He'd grown into a good leader- still awkward at times, and totally ridiculous, but he was certainly intimidating when he wanted to be. Not that the glares worked on Percy. He looked eerily like their father when he did it and Percy had long ago gotten used to shrugging those looks off when she'd done something that admittedly did deserve punishment.
It was on the third day without Piper- the seventh day since the two girls had returned from their adventure that something very interesting happened.
Aside from hanging out with Felix there was one thing that she'd been doing more often than not. Which was checking up on Annabeth. The girl hadn't woken up- Jaz had said that was to be expected, her body was using a lot of energy recovering from the scorpion venom and it had more energy to heal when it was asleep. And Percy could understand that. Of course she could, she'd been in the same boat back when she'd been in her five month long coma.
And Percy couldn't help but feel responsible for the other girl, despite Carter and Sadie's reassurances that she wasn't responsible. So she made sure to spend at least an hour or so a day sitting with her.
And on that day she was sat in the chair next to the bed sideways, back against one arm, legs dangling over the edge of the other arm as she read out loud- though she'd forever deny that if Carter or Sadie asked. But in her defence it was the Odyssey and Amos had brought it for her last Christmas- translated into ancient Greek.
So she was sat, reading out loud, clad in her pyjamas- since it was early morning and she hadn't gotten dressed yet.
Her hair was still damp from her shower- she hadn't bothered using her powers to dry it. And she was reading out loud. She wasn't sure why, but, well, it brought back memories of having her dad read to her, which had always made her feel better. And she knew Annabeth probably couldn't actually hear her but it helped Percy feel better at least. And if Sadie and Carter walked in they wouldn't even know what she was saying- she often read out loud in Greek to Piper- since it helped the other girl learn the language better.
""Mother," answered Telemachus, "let the bard sing what he has a mind to; bards do not make the ills they sing of; it is Zeus, not they, who makes them, and who sends weal or woe upon mankind according to his own good pleasure. This fellow means no harm by singing the ill-fated return of the Danaans, for people always applaud the latest songs most warmly. Make up your mind to it and bear it; Odysseus is not the only man who never came back from Troy, but many another went down as well as he. Go, then, within the house and busy yourself with your daily duties, your loom, your distaff, and the ordering of your servants; for speech is man's matter, and mine above all others—for it is I who am master here."
She went wondering back into the house, and laid her son's saying in her heart. Then, going upstairs with her handmaids into her room, she mourned her dear husband till Athena shed sweet sleep over her eyes. But the suitors were clamorous throughout the covered cloisters, and prayed each one that he might be her bed fellow.
Then Telemachus spoke, "Shameless," he cried, "and insolent suitors, let us feast at our pleasure now, and let there be no brawling, for it is a rare thing to hear a man with such a divine voice as Phemius has-"
Percy cut herself off mid sentence- because she could hear a soft little noise- and she almost dropped the book when she realised it was coming from Annabeth- who's eyes were slowly fluttering open. Then Annabeth was gasping loudly and jerking upright and Percy fell off her chair in her haste to calm the other girl, who was looking around frantically, "LUKE! Luke he- where- what- I-" her eyes focused on Percy. Who totally was not on the floor. "Y-you-"
"Hi." Percy bounced to her feet quickly, trying not to look like a total idiot as her cheeks flushed a bright shade of red.
"You're- oh my gods you- you're Percy Kane-" Annabeth's face was probably as red as Percy's.
"You-" Percy blinked, "Why am I surprised you know me I'm literally famous." she huffed, blowing some of her damp hair out of her face.
"Where am I? How did I get here I don't-"
"You're in Brooklyn House, in the infirmary-"
"Brooklyn House- like in the books?" Annabeth looked very confused, "I don't understand."
"Uh, exactly like in the books actually." Percy tried not to giggle at the way the girl's brows scrunched up. "So you've read my moms books."
"Yeah- well, I'm half way through the second book. It's hard for me to read sometimes I- but I don't-"
"Let's not blow your mind too much right now." Percy tucked her hair behind her ear and dragged the chair closer to the bed, "Tell me what you remember."
"I remember-" Annabeth swallowed hard, "Was- are you the girl Luke was chasing?" she asked hesitantly, "One of them."
"Me and Piper, my best friend. She's not here right now she's in Oklahoma right now with her dad and grandpa but yeah. We were the ones he was chasing."
"You- you stole-" Annabeth looked panicked, "The things in the bag what did you do with them-"
"We made sure they got back to their owners." Percy held up her hands, "It's okay. By now Zeus has his Bolt back and Hades has his helm and all is good. The crazy storms we've been having lately have calmed down too.
"Oh thank the gods." Annabeth's shoulders slumped before, "Wait- you know-"
"Of course I know." Percy gave a wry smile, "You're not the only demigod here y'know. I assume you are a demigod right? That tee you had on said Camp Half-Blood and mom did say there was some camp."
"I-" Annabeth swallowed hard, "Yeah, yeah I am you- gods you're a demigod." she looked like her brain was having a meltdown. "I... wow. You must be a daughter of Aphrodite or something." and that did make Percy blush, though Annabeth's eyes widened a second later, "I didn't-I just mean- the whole being an actress thing- I didn't mean that- I mean not that you're not- ugh." she pressed her left hand to her face, trying to hide it. "Can I die now?"
"Nope, not after all the trouble I went to to save your life. And Piper's a daughter of Aphrodite. I am not." Percy gave a casual little shrug.
And Annabeth lowered her hand at that, "I- you said we were in Brooklyn House but that's just- I mean-"
"Just a real place." Percy gave a sly smile, "Y'know, it's always nice to meet fans- and I often tell Pipes I wish I could blow their minds by telling them that mom wrote those books based on what actually happened to me and my siblings."
Annabeth blinked slowly, her mouth dropping open. "Wait are you saying-"
"Greek is not the only Pantheon still up and kicking-"
"All those hints in the book that you're more than just a magician-"
"Are hinting that I'm a demigod. Mom was worried about drawing attention from the Greeks so she just hinted at it-"
"Oh my gods." Annabeth swallowed hard. "I feel like my brain is melting this is- it's a lot- did you really-" her face went even brighter red, "I can't believe you're a real person- wait your hair- in interviews you say that there was some accident that made it go like that and your mom included it in her books to help you process- I haven't got that far but-"
"It was more than just an accident."
"You're telling me that the Temple of Life-"
"House of Life-mom changed some of the names and things just in case-"
"It's really all real?"
"Yep." Percy grinned, "and I mean, I feel like telling you is a lot easier than telling a normal mortal would be."
"Of course. It's a lot but- I'm used to crazy stuff." Annabeth shifted slightly before. "What happened with Luke? He-" she paused, and the look of grief and betrayal on her face was heart breaking "How am I alive my- it stung me- Luke-" Annabeth lifted her right hand before freezing, a horrified expression crossing her face, and Percy winced.
"I managed to keep the venom from spreading too much but I couldn't get it out." she pointed out very quietly. "Jaz, our healer she did everything she could but there was damage done-" because whilst Annabeth could move her arm totally fine, her wrist and hand were not fine, the hand was wrapped in bandages, hanging somewhat limp and there was a fine golden bracelet around the wrist "She's not sure if you'll ever regain use of it but that bracelet is magic, keeps the muscles from seizing up. And Walt, my sisters boyfriend has said he might be able to make something that you could use to regain some use."
"I'm right handed." Annabeth suddenly looked close to tears, "I- I'm right handed-" and Percy surged forward as the girl shattered, and Percy closed her arms around the other girl as she broke down.