Hey! This is going to be the last chapter of this story. I'm trying not to break the continuity of the main series, which is why some things end the way they do. I'll be making more stories in the future, so make sure to follow and stay tuned! I have some cool ideas for future stuff!

Chapter 5: Time

Percy POV

When I woke up with Annabeth still laying on my chest, eyes closed and slowly breathing, I immediately cursed myself for falling asleep so fast.

I was so tired that I just couldn't keep my eyes open; and having Annabeth in my arms didn't make it any easier. I loved the way it felt to hold her, and I just started drifting away, head in the clouds.

The intense passion of the moment was gone, but was replaced with something even better: contentedness. I'd never felt that before, at least not like this. I didn't plan on something like this happening, but I honestly couldn't complain.

I craned my neck towards the window so as to not disturb Annabeth. In the process I couldn't help but glance at her and smile. I'm lucky I have her, I decided.

The sunlight shone through the windows, and the fog had completely dispersed. It was already morning. They'd slept through the entire night.

I had no intention of moving. I wanted to enjoy every moment of this. I didn't want it to end.

I lied there for a while, watching Annabeth. She was beautiful; no makeup needed. Her hair was rarely put down, and as a result of sleeping it was incredibly curly. Suddenly, Annabeth shifted groggily, slowly opening her eyes. She waited for a moment before tilting her head towards me. We looked at each other and smiled. I took my hand and cupped the right side of her face.

"Sleep well?"

Annabeth yawned, which was more adorable than I'd like to admit. "Actually, yeah. I feel great. You make a good pillow."

I chuckled. The silence returned, except now it wasn't awkward, but serene. We each took slow deep breaths, and I tried to find the strength to stand up, but couldn't.

I lied there with Annabeth for what felt like forever, until my stomach growled. I was so tired I had fallen asleep last night before I got the chance to eat. Annabeth must've noticed, since she finally stood up, stretching as she took off the blanket covering us.

"Alright Percy, I'm going to hit the showers real quick before breakfast." She paused for a moment to study me before scrunching her eyebrows. "And maybe you should too. You smell."

"Funny, I didn't hear any complaints last night." I replied, causing her to blush. Two could play at that game.

"Just meet me at the mess hall, Percy." She gave me a quick peck on the cheek, her face still flushed, and before I could react she had already run outside. My heart fluttered as I looked down and smiled to myself. She didn't call me a seaweed brain. We were making good progress.

I sniffed my shirt, and recoiled. Annabeth wasn't wrong; I could definitely use a shower.

I remembered what Chiron had said the other night, and cursed. We shouldn't be alone. I dashed outside and caught her before she was out of earshot.

"Annabeth! Wait up!"

She turned to face me, looking slightly confused. Then realization dawned on her face.

"Oh, right!" She exclaimed, "I can't believe I forgot." She rummaged through her pockets anxiously, but stopped when she found her dagger, breathing a sigh of relief. "Got it."

"We have to stick together," I said, "I don't want to take any chances."

She nodded in agreement, and we made our way to the bathrooms. The camp felt strangely quiet, and there wasn't a single person or magical creature in sight.

"Um…" Annabeth shifted uncomfortably.

"I'll be a lookout." I said, oblivious to the reason for her discomfort. "Take your time."

She silently agreed and made her way inside. After about 15 minutes of ensuring nobody was trying to kill us, Annabeth emerged from the ladies' room. Her hair was still wet.

"Want me to dry it for you?" I motioned to her hair.

"Um… sure," she replied shyly.

I waved my hand and the water disappeared. Her hair dropped down to the sides of her head, curling as it reached the bottom. She must've caught me looking at her, because she blushed intensely.

"You look beautiful, Annabeth." I spoke tentatively. I wasn't afraid of complimenting her anymore. I wanted to see what her response would be and what she was comfortable with.

She brushed the hair out of her face and smiled shrinkingly, making eye contact with me. Her pupils dilated slightly. "You're pretty handsome yourself," she replied, her voice higher than usual. Cheesy, but not bad, I thought. "Your turn now. I'll keep watch."

After a warm shower, I felt more rejuvenated than ever, the water clearing my thoughts and filling me with confidence. I dried myself and got dressed before making my way outside. Annabeth had her arms crossed, watching the forest intently. She was so lost in thought she didn't even notice me walking towards her. When I spoke, she turned towards me and adjusted her posture. I could tell by her face that she was planning something, and that I was definitely involved in whatever it was. I decided not to push her, though.

"Let's get going. I need to talk to Chiron and make sure nobody got hurt last night."

Annabeth took my hand as we walked. She usually had her hair up in a bun by now. I wonder if that had anything to do with me.

The camp was eerily quiet. Even though the fog had dissipated, and the weather had returned to normal, there was still a lack of life in the forest. I couldn't spot a single animal or nature spirit.

We made our way to the Big House, and knocked on the front door. After about a minute, Argus answered. Chiron was sitting at a table in the back, contemplating over a chess board.

"Come in," he said, not even facing to look at us, "I'm just trying to kill some time, but this pawn…"

He studied the board, before moving his rook to take one of Argus's pawns. Then, in one swift motion, Argus closed the door behind us and moved his Queen, putting Chiron in a checkmate. He sighed. "Another win, my friend. You're very good at seeing all the different possibilities. Er, no pun intended." Argus looked rather satisfied.

Chiron finally looked up from the board at Percy and Annabeth. "Ah! It's good to see you two. Always a pleasure to see a hero come back in one piece." He hoisted himself up from the table, walking over to them. "I apologize for not finding you sooner. I couldn't just abandon this game, you see. Now, I have already taken a head count of all of the campers. Now that we have you two, the only person missing is Ethan Nakamura."

"Ethan's missing?" I cursed. That was not good. More and more campers had been mysteriously disappearing lately, and I had a hunch that they had left to join Kronos's army. Ethan was a pretty powerful demigod, and would've been a good ally. I grit my teeth in anger. Maybe he was the one who summoned the hellhound. Or maybe it was just a coincidence. Regardless, it felt like I was the one responsible. I was betrayed by someone I trusted yet again.

Annabeth put her hand on my shoulder. She knew how I felt about stuff like this. I knew it was out of my control, but it didn't stop me from feeling guilty. My muscles contracted at her touch, but quickly loosened. Chiron raised an eyebrow at my reaction, but stayed silent.

"We must fear the worst. I have already sent a search party to try and find him, but so far results have been unsuccessful. Other than him, everybody else seems to be perfectly fine." He smiled before continuing, "But it seems you two are perfectly fine on your own."

It took me a second to identify a double meaning in his words, and as a result I quickly blushed alongside Annabeth.

"I don't mean to disturb you for longer than is needed." He replied, his hands in the air. "You are free to go; the danger seems to have passed. Please find me if you discover any more information on the matter." With that, he turned to face Argus. "Argus, another game if you'd please. Statistically, I must win at least one out of a hundred matches." Argus rolled some of his eyes, but took a seat anyway.

We both sighed in relief. At least now we could walk around camp without the fear of being mauled to death.

We left Chiron alone with Argus, making our way over to the mess hall. I was walking side-by-side with Annabeth, close enough that we occasionally brushed shoulders. Now that the physical barrier was broken, it didn't even matter anymore. I didn't think that after just a couple days we'd already be so in tune with each other. Maybe we really were meant to get together; which is why what happened next shocked me to no end.

"Percy, I need to tell you something." Annabeth suddenly stopped in her tracks, her expression serious.

"What's up?"

"I… like you more than anyone I've ever known, and I want us to be together." She paused for a moment, but she had piqued my interest. "The past couple of days have been the best of my life, because of you. And… I'd planned on telling you that, but I realized… it's all just too much at once." She took a deep breath.

"What're you trying to say, Annabeth?" I asked, afraid of what she might mean. All of the doubt started flooding back into my head.

"We're 15, Percy. We can afford to take things slow. I want us to work, but I think for that to happen we need to be patient with each other." She looked down, holding her left arm. "As painful as it is for me to say, it's the truth."

Relief washed over me. The passion of the past couple of days was over now, and it was true. They both needed a reality check. As amazing as it felt to rush into a new and exciting experience, good relationships weren't built on passion, but rather trust and communication. I couldn't agree with her more. I was willing to do whatever it took for us to be happy together, even if that meant waiting.

"You're right, Annabeth. We need to take it slow. If anything is worth waiting for, it's you."

I don't think I'd ever seen Annabeth's face turn as red as it was now. That was clearly all she needed to hear, and it was true. I'd wait as long as I had to if it meant we could be together. She flung her arms around me, and drew me into a hug; though, this one felt different.

"You're making me want to go back on my word," she said, laughing.

I smiled, before leaving the embrace. "You know, there's a new National Treasure movie coming out next week..." I could tell by her face that she already knew where I was going with this. "-and I know you loved the first one."

"Are you asking me out, Jackson?" Annabeth teased.

"Maybe. Wanna go watch it with me?"

I could wait; after all, we had our whole lives ahead of us.