Two chapters in less than 24 hours? Who is she?

Did she spend her 26th birthday making art for this fanfiction so this chapter could be posted today? Yes, yes she did. (Check out the art for each chapter on the AO3 version of this story!)

Author's Note

I've had some comments on how I am villainizing the Romans, which is somewhat true yes. I needed a catalyst for Annabeth to engage with Percy so I chose the Romans being dicks to do that, and you're welcome to disagree with that, but do so kindly please. I have taken the canon behavior and expounded upon it to get to this point. Yes, the Romans are good people, but they are condescending at times to the Greeks. Even Reyna's comment to Annabeth asking if she is sure she isn't Roman after a show of strength implies that even Reyna who is arguably the most level headed of them still associates the Romans with having superior skills, if that wasn't rectified during the war it is bound to be a problem that festers, like a school rivalry but for teens with battle lust. As for Dakota, poor guy just got picked off a list of names to be the ringleader, so apologies to Canon!Dakota.

All that to say, I hope you enjoy my self indulgent fic. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Percy looked for Annabeth for the rest of the day without trying to be too obvious, but even when he caught a glimpse of the Athena Cabin going through their activities rotation she was nowhere to be seen. Had she left as suddenly after the fight as she had come last night? Riding away on a hellhound to gods-know-where?

Finally about thirty minutes before the dinner bell rang Percy spotted her. Golden hair picking up rays of light as the sun worked its way toward the horizon of the camp. He climbed the ladder on the side of the Big House up to the observation deck, ignoring the parts of his mind telling him to stop being a creep. Once at the top he was maybe ten feet from her vantage point of the roof.

"Mind if I sit?" He says, trying to sound nonchalant.

"It's a free country." She replies as he is already perching himself beside her. Maintaining a small space between them that may as well be a bottomless chasm. Once settled he takes a moment to look out over the camp. The setting sun lit the Greek camper's shirts ablaze with the orange light. The cabins shone with a splendor that could only be celestial in nature. The warm light gleaming off the insignias and details of each.

"It's beautiful."

"Thank you. During the redesign I had this moment in mind… I wanted it to look the way it always made me feel."

A comfortable silence settled between the two before Percy broke it again.

"Dakota's a nice guy, he just gets ahead of himself sometimes. Doesn't really think before he speaks."

"A rampant problem amongst demigods. I try not to take too much to heart when something is said in the heat of competition. Otherwise, I wouldn't have many friends."

"So what has had you hiding up here all day?"

"Been looking for me, have you?" she quips.

"I- uh- I" Percy's tongue was tied when he realized what he had unknowingly admitted.

She laughed. A full, beautiful peel of laughter. Sparks started from the Heel on his back, working slowly up his spine. Good sparks though, sparks that made him feel alive. Made him want to make her laugh again. "I'm just pulling your leg, Kelp Head. I'm hiding out from a couple of your legionnaires."

Percy's face hardened into a serious expression, "They didn't threaten you, did they? Just tell me who I'll have them sent back to New Rome before nightfall. That kind of disrespect isn't tol-"

She cut him off with another smaller laugh, "No, no nothing like that." His expression softened. "It seems a few of your guys are looking to catch a date with me."

While the angry edge was gone there was still something lurking in the dark recesses of his mind…

Jealousy? She recognized that expression on him and it sobered her more-or-less carefree facade.

"So you don't date demigods or just Romans?" He said mostly out of curiosity but as he waited for her response he found that niggling feeling working its way through his chest.

Annabeth stared off toward the lake at the far side of camp. After a few careful moments of consideration Annabeth replied, "I don't date."

"Ever or just…"

"Not anymore." Percy took the opportunity to glance over at Annabeth's expression. It was one that every demigod seemed to be intimately acquainted with… grief. She was refusing to meet his eyes now, but he could tell hers were beginning to water.

"Which war?" There was a long pause that made him feel like he was overstepping his boundaries.

"Just before the Giant War..."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He says. But she did want to because even though he didn't remember her, even though he would never know it was him who she was mourning, he was still Percy. Maybe not hers but still.

"He and I met when we were twelve. We were best friends, but there was always something… more. He was my questing partner. We went on a lot of adventures, got in a lot of trouble, usual demigod stuff… During the Battle of Manhattan I took a knife for him… and even though I thought I was going to die the only thing I regretted was that I hadn't told him how I felt. But I lived and he defeated Kronos and suddenly we were on Olympus. The gods offered me the position of Architect of Olympus, but they took it a few steps further for his reward." Percy, enraptured with her story, waited for her to continue. "They offered him one wish and immortality- minor godhood."

Percy let out a long whistle, "can't say I saw that one coming. Hard to compete with a god then."

"Hard to compete with a guy who turned down immortality for me." She corrected with a small smile.

"Woah."

"Yeah."

"What was the wish then?"

She let out a small chuckle, using the break to wipe her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt furthest away from Percy. "He didn't word it like this to them but he always joked he told the gods to 'pay their f-ing child support'."

Percy burst out laughing, a deep laugh that struck Annabeth right in the chest. Her own laughter died in her throat at the sound. Eyes wet with a sad smile she turned her focus back on the camp ahead of them now falling sun in the distance, the dinner bell beginning to chime as demigods of both camps filed toward the pavilion for food.

"He sounds like my kind of guy."

"I think you would've really liked him."

"What happened next… if you don't mind me asking."

"When we got back to camp I finally got up the courage to tell him that I had been in love with him for years, turns out I wasn't the only one. Apparently, there had been a whole betting pool run by the Stoll brothers about which of us would cave first… We got a few blissful months together, even if it was mostly long distance. Then he was just- gone." Her breath hitched a little as a silver tear slid down her cheek. "August to December… that's all we had."

"That's not fair. You both sacrificed so much."

"The gods never claim to be fair… Anyways, it's been a few years now. I moved in with his mom and step-dad after the Giant War, they were always more of a family to me than my own anyways. His little sister calls me Annie, I tell her stories about him, and life goes on." Her heart aches a little as she tells him about his own little sister that he's never even met.

"But not for you…" he said quietly.

"No, not for me," she agreed. After a beat she clears her throat, "Well, we better get to dinner, it's a bonfire night and if we don't eat something substantial then Katie won't give you a s'more."

"Well I can't put a s'more in jeopardy, now can I?" He said, trying to keep the mood light. He gets on to the ladder about to descend when he notices that she hasn't moved from her position, leaning against her knees with her arms, overlooking the camp. "I guess I'll see you down there."

"Yeah, I'll be down in a bit, just need a minute."

He nods and works his way down the ladder.

Dinner that night was surprisingly tension free in comparison to the previous days. Jason couldn't help but feel relieved as the meal got underway. The legionnaires were starting to break away from their previously established tables, many venturing over to sit with their Greek half-siblings. There were obviously still hold outs, Dakota and his crew seemed to be stewing at the previous full Roman tables, but the challenge being over and done seemed to have released a lot of the tension and apprehension around the strength of the alliance. He took stock of his own table: him, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, even Nico had popped in for the final night of the Roman Holiday, but beside Piper the seat was empty… Where was Annabeth?

As if he conjured her himself he saw the daughter of Athena walking toward him, her steps seemed lighter than usual, her shoulders less burdened. Then something catches her eye at the Hermes Table.

Jason turns and it's Percy seated on the end across from the Stoll brothers, who seemed to be chatting away not realizing his attention was elsewhere. He lifted his hand and gave her a small wave. Jason caught just the smallest glimpse of her smile as he turned back to look at his friend.

"Oh," Piper says in a soft surprised tone.

"So, it's not just me." Jason said to her in almost a whisper as he and Piper's eyes followed Annabeth through the pavilion.

"No, that was definitely… something." Jason merely nodded, eyes flitting back and forth between the two in question. Annabeth grabbed a bronze plate from the Athena Table before sectioning off her offering to her mother and dumping it into the central fire. Percy's gaze followed her as he tried to engage with the Hermes and Mercury kids, but it was very obvious he was distracted.

"Maybe…" Piper trailed off, but Jason could hear the hope in her voice.

"Yeah, maybe…"