Authors Note
Not a song fic just thought this song fit the vibe of campfire post-Annabeth-kicking-Roman-ass
If you want to hear the song that inspired the beginning scene it's "Big Bad Wolf" by Naethan Apollo
"Come on, Sparky. If we don't do it tonight she'll never let us get away with it." Leo prompted as the bonfire roared in front of them.
"What's all this 'we' and 'us' business? This has been your brain child through and through. I only agreed to participate because I thought you'd never do it."
"You should know me better than to think I'd back down from a challenge." Leo said with a mischievous smirk on his elfish face. "Besides I think it's now or never. With the Romans here she wouldn't dare murder me in front of guests and they don't leave until after lunch tomorrow which is plenty of time for her to simmer down from homicide to light maiming, and I can just hide out in the Bunker."
"You severely underestimate Annabeth's patience." Piper chimed in from where she was leaned back against Jason's legs. "But I think it would be entertaining so my vote is yes."
"Thank you, Beauty Queen, you magnificent chaos demon." Piper merely smiled and turned back toward the bonfire.
"Beth, over here!" Piper called waving Annabeth over from where she was finishing up chatting with Malcolm. "Make you decision fast boys, there's no more time for chitchat."
Leo took the opportunity to scramble up to inform Frank and Hazel of his plan.
As Annabeth took her seat beside Piper, Hazel slid in beside her sandwiching her in when Leo took the small stage next to the Apollo kids who were putting their instruments down to grab a drink of water it seemed. Leaving Leo alone on the platform.
"This next one goes out to our fearless leader. Show her some love for kicking some Roman booty today!" He shouts enthusiastically, much to the legionnaires' chagrin and the Greeks' amusement. "Since she only really earned bragging rights and we all know that she won't use 'em I thought we should brag on the hot mamacita instead. HIT IT!"
Leo pointed over to the few campers by the rickety old sound system dramatically. Kayla pressed play on the comically old boombox and the track started. Leo began half-singing-half-speaking the lyrics while moving around on stage as the tune made its way out of the speakers.
"What is happening?" Annabeth said, leaning over to Piper and Jason, cheeks flush from the embarrassment. At least the song was catchy.
Soon she realized that Leo wasn't the only one who had been in on this as Piper and Hazel started trying to pull her up on stage. Before giving up on getting her on the elevated platform and pulling her up to dance with them on the packed dirt in front of it. Annabeth rolled her eyes but didn't deny them as she danced and laughed at Leo's expense.
Percy was mesmerized, no other way to put it. At every turn this girl surprised him, when he first saw her all those years ago in front of the Argo II he couldn't help but watch her, even when he was supposed to be paying attention to Jason and Reyna, she had been cold and stand-off-ish then, but now. Now she was vibrant and alive. Her golden curls caught the light of the blazing fire looking like they had fire running through them, every move she made was graceful, but he knew that underneath the sway of her hips was deadly accuracy. He had been on the wrong end of her knife only a few hours before, but it had done nothing to dissuade his interest in her. If anything it had only made him more curious. He knew he needed to play it cooler than he was, but he couldn't help giving this carefree version of her his undivided attention.
By the rapped portion of the song Frank and Jason had climbed on stage to pantomime lyrics with Leo. Annabeth couldn't help but be thankful for her friends as they all laughed at the boys' antics. When she looked over even the Romans' seemed to think the whole display was entertaining as many of them had gotten up to dance with the Greeks. As she scanned the crowd she was caught by a pair of sea green eyes staring back at her. Percy looked… thoughtful. Like he had a million things running through his mind, and if Annabeth knew him the way she once did she was willing to bet it was exactly that. Too many thoughts all at once, as he tried to sort through them, all this stimulation wasn't going to help either. So as the song was winding down she made eye contact with him again, still staring at her, and then broke away from the crowd. Slipping past the wooden bleachers into the dark. It only took him a moment to decide to follow.
"Mind if I sit?"
"This going to be your thing now?"
"Interrupting your thinking to force my friendship on you? Yeah, I think it is." She chucked and gestured to the seat beside her on the dock. Something about the darkness surrounding them made him feel brave, like there was some level of protection from the consequences of his words. So he figured now was better than never. "You fight like no one I've ever seen before. It's… breathtaking."
She gave a smile at that, "you're not too bad yourself."
"So, I've been wondering…"
"About?"
"About the last match." She simply nodded her head as he searched for the right words. He was sure she already knew his Heel, but giving that verbal confirmation felt like more, it felt concrete. "How did you know?"
Annabeth could choose to play dumb, not one of her strong suits, but she had wanted to avoid this conversation for as long as possible. She knew that morning when she had had to use his Heel against him that he would come asking these questions. She had figured he would ask when he had tracked her to the roof, but under the cover of night it felt safer to talk about.
"You told me." She answered, so quiet if she hadn't been talking to the son of the Sea god her voice would have been drowned out by the lapping waves of Long Island Sound.
He couldn't have heard her right though, "I- I don't understand. Like my movements indicated it, or maybe I favor protecting it-"
"No, Percy. You told me. During the Battle of Manhattan…"
"But I wasn't-" Percy was well and truly confused now.
Annabeth released a long breath, "come with me." She said as she got up from her place on the wood planks. Not waiting for him to follow she walked through camp avoiding the bonfire area where she knew most of the campers would be as best she could. Annabeth knew he would follow. He had too many questions and she had to give him more than answers. If he was going to believe her, she had to give him proof.
His long strides caught up to her as she was pulling out her keys to the arena.
"Looking for a rematch already?" He said, trying to lighten the tension in the air.
"Not exactly." They reach the door and she unlocks the deadbolt motioning for him to go inside. She followed behind him, closing the door, leaving them in the darkness of the hall under the stands. The pair made their way toward the moonlight of the open arena floor. Footsteps padding softly over the packed dirt floor.
Annabeth continued to walk with purpose toward a scheduling board on the far side.
Coming to stand beside her in front of it he looked down at her and noticed her taking a steadying breath before pushing the scheduling board to the side, sliding it on a track system one would see in the stables, to reveal what looked like a rough scoreboard. Finally taking his focus off Annabeth he got a real look at the wall, tallies of all different colors crossing over each other in two columns, most faded from time, but still visible and nearly innumerable. He's shocked when he sees the names at the top. "Annabeth" written in neat black paint came as no surprise to him, but the other caused his breath to hitch. Percy's own name stared back at him in sloppy bright blue paint.
He looked back toward the blonde as she stared up at the point system. Her hair catching the moonlight made her look every bit as godly as she was, but Percy couldn't help but see the pain written on her face.
"Just because you don't have memories from before doesn't mean you didn't have a life."
"Your story earlier- the guy- he's-"
"You." She said firmly.
"But I don't remember any of that."
"I know. I wanted to tell you, after the war was over I was going to, but your dad came to me."
"My dad? But I've never even met him."
"You have… before. He explained why your memory loss was different than Jason's. You were meant to be like he is, an ambassador, but… But Hera miscalculated." Annabeth's sadness was tinged with anger. He saw it in the very corners of her expression, he recognized it.
"What? What could she miscalculate? She's a goddess."
"She wasn't in her right mind at the time. It was the height of the Pantheon split, but her Hera side wanted you to have a completely clean slate. No memories, just instincts. Juno tried to convince her that it was fine if you remembered… but she didn't win. She wiped your memory again. Making it last a lot longer, possibly forever longer."
He had so many questions, but one kept pushing to the forefront of his mind, "what did I remember that she wanted to erase so badly?"
"Me…" Her voice caught in her throat. "You remembered me. Poseidon said she knew what would happen if you remembered. That you would tear apart the world until you found me…"
"She was right… I would have." He didn't even remember his history with Annabeth but he recognized something in her… something that made him know she was someone he could love, maybe because he had.
"What?" She said it so softly, so much hope wrapped up in one word.
"I- I don't have my memories, but I remember you. If that makes any sense."
"Not really."
"It's like what you said about me keeping my instincts. Every time you're around I feel drawn to you like I know you're important to me. Deep down inside my bones. From the moment I saw you it was like I had this sixth sense for you, something in the back of my mind pushing me toward you. I have no doubt I would burn the world down for you. I just don't know what to do with all the space in-between being strangers and feeling like- like I'm in love with you."
She slowly reached out, her fingers cold against his skin in the warm night air as her touch grazes the back of his hand. The comforting sparks rising up through him. Finally taking his hand, she spoke, "would be a shame if someone burned it down. We did do a lot of heavy lifting to save it. Maybe… we start slow."
Percy took a moment to watch her, she was measuring her words, trying not to let too much hope in. "I'd like that, maybe not the slow part… but the starting. Not that I want to rush anything- it's just- I- um- I feel like I'm missing so much, and I just want to know it all. All about me, all about you, us."
Annabeth smiled softly, "You need to really think this through, learning about your past… It doesn't guarantee the memories will come back, that you'll really remember me. It would change your life as you know it."
"Maybe, I'm ready for it to change." He thought back to what was waiting for him in New Rome. A studio apartment in the legion barracks, a desk in the praetor office piled with forms and paperwork, any friendships he had there were solid enough to deal with this kind of change, and if they weren't did he really need them? He was ready for his life to change, looking back it felt like he had been waiting for this. Waiting for her.
"Okay, just think about it. You can tell me in the morning or whenever you're ready." She let her hand slip from his as she backed away toward the exit. She pulled out her keys, taking off what looked to be a second set on a blue ring, tossing it to him. "So you can lock up when you're done in here." She tossed him the keys from about ten feet away. He caught them then looked back up to her, she was already turned around and nearly to the door.
"Goodnight, Wise Girl." He called out after her softly. He didn't know where the nickname came from but it felt right when he said it.
She turned quickly, a look of shock melting a blazing smile. That nickname had been the right choice he thought to himself. If she looked at him like that every time, he would call her Wise Girl forever. "Goodnight, Seaweed Brain."
The sparks turned into full blown lightning radiating up his back when he heard her say that. Instinct hadn't led him wrong yet, so without thinking he strode toward her, eyes alight. It only took him a few seconds to reach her, but those few seconds felt like they had stretched into infinity all the while flashing by. He gathered her up in his arms, both sets of keys that were in hand hit the ground.
His arms around her, a hand in her hair, he just looked at her. Their intense gazes would crumble lesser mortals, but they matched each other perfectly, equal parts reverence and challenge. "Say it again."
"Seaweed Brai-" He cut her off with a kiss. Her hands gripped him, one in his hair, the other on his shirt, pulling him closer to her. A dam breaking loose inside him.
The only time Annabeth had felt this alive in the past few years had been when she was fighting Percy that morning. Percy, Percy, Percy. He was right here in front of her, and he wanted her. Memories or no memories, he still picked her.
"Oh! Well that's… unexpected." Annabeth broke the kiss at the sound of her friend's voice. Piper must've seen her coming from the docks and followed after the bonfire ended.
Annabeth whipped her head toward the sound, "Piper! A little busy here."
"Well I can see that!" The brunette snarked, a clear smirk in her voice.
Percy was still gripping Annabeth to him, not having lessened his hold on her, but allowing her feet to settle on the ground. When she turned back to face him she saw tears coming down his face. "Percy, are you ok-"
He kissed her again. This time slower, more purposeful. But all too brief in Annabeth's opinion. "I- I remember." He whispered, intense green eyes boring into hers.
"How- how much?" She asked, voice full of trepidation.
"Everything. I remember everything. I remember my mom and the Minotaur and sailing the Sea of Monsters. I remember being a guinea pig and holding up the sky. I remember you kissing me in an active volcano! I remember everything!"
Relief is the only word she could use to describe the feeling flooding her.
Smiles broke out on both of their faces.
"You remember!" She yelled. "Piper, he remembers!"
"What?!" Another familiar voice called Jason had joined his girlfriend at the entrance of the arena, along with what looked to be most of the Cabin Heads and Frank and Hazel, afraid Percy and Annabeth's retreat to the arena had had a more violent purpose than what they stumbled upon.
"He remembers!" The Stoll brothers shout, likely informing most of the camp if the shouts were anything to go by. Clarisse serged forward wrapping the couple in a firm hug, the stocky girl nearly lifting them both from the group.
"We never speak of that again." She says sternly, but adds quickly to the end, "glad to have you back, Prissy."
Percy maintained a steady grip on Annabeth's waist as he made his way through the growing crowd of campers outside the arena, Greeks were flowing out of their cabins at the commotion, hugs and congratulations all around. By the time the crowd had dissipated it was nearly curfew.
"I guess I better get back to the legion. They'll be expecting me. Tonight is the last night the Romans are here…" His voice trailing off with the reality of the situation. With his memories intact he knew where he wanted to be, that was wherever Annabeth was, but he still had responsibilities to wrap up, people to inform.
"I'll go with you."
"What?"
"I'll go with you back to New Rome, help explain everything. Then- then you can come home."
"Home… gods, my mom must be worried sick!" The realization crashed into him like Mrs.O'Leary. He had been gone for nearly three years.
"I've kept her up to date on you, Seaweed Brain. I told you I've been living with her."
"Right, right, you did say that, but you also said… you said my sister calls you Annie." His face continued to lose color as he grappled with the reality of a three year absence.
"Her name is Estelle, she's two. Looks just like your mom, but her attitude- her attitude is all you." She took the sides of his face into her hands, forcing him to look at her to focus on her soft voice before he could spiral out. "You're gonna love her."
"I know I am, I just- I missed so much."
"Yeah, but not too much. We've got time." He took a deep breath, hugging her to him and burying his face in her hair.
"Screw the legion, I can't be away from you right now." He said softly.
"Okay, we can stay in your cabin. I let Frank know you may not be back tonight while everyone was still here. I figured it may hit you once the excitement cleared."
"Athena always has a plan." He said with a tired chuckle.
"You know it."
It felt unreal to be sitting here together, wrapped in each other's arms as they leaned against the headboard of Percy's bunk in Cabin 3. Annabeth's mind was reeling with everything that needed to be sorted, there were so many moving parts that were about to be set in motion. There was so much to figure out but neither seemed to know where to start. How much of Percy's things in New Rome needed to be packed and shipped? What is the process of stepping down from praetor? Would he need to nominate a replacement or…
"I never asked if you wanted to leave New Rome," she said. "You have a whole life there now… I should have asked. We could stay there if you wanted. I'm sure I could get my credits to transfer from Columbia to NRU and it wouldn't take me long to pack-" Percy faced her, turning her face to look at him. He saw the panic in her eyes, just a little tinting the corners of her expression, just enough that he wanted to run his thumb over the worry crease, smooth it out and never give her a reason to worry again.
"I want to come back to New York, Beth. I've been coasting in New Rome, doing what's asked but I'd hardly call it living. And nothing I have there is worth being away from you and my family. I've been wanting to resign from praetor for a while now, but it was the only thing I was really doing after I finished my GED." Percy thought for a moment. "I got into NYU a while back. I don't know why I even applied, but I guess something about New York was appealing to me." He chuckled to himself.
Annabeth smiled, "oh, something appealing?"
"Yeah, just felt like my energy would really work there. Ya know like in Enchanted where she just makes the whole city work with her by singing to all the subway rats and construction workers, but with, I don't know, like the Hudson or something."
"Oh, you're the Disney princess of New York now?"
"I am a freaking Disney princess, thank you very much, waking up to my old life with true love's kiss." Percy laughed. Leave it to him to have his world absolutely rocked and still find the humor.
"Yeah… yeah! I kissed you and you got your memory back…" Annabeth got up and began pacing, appearing angrier and angrier by the second. "You got your memory back! Doing the exact thing I was warned against by Hera. Said it could hinder your healing, mess with the process. The only process that she was concerned with was messing with my life- our life! That- that vindictive bitch!" Annabeth ran her hands over her hair pulling it up into a ponytail and back out again. Her nervous energy got too wrapped up in the repetitive task as she fumed, tangling her hands in her hair.
Percy got up and got in front of her line of pacing, catching her wrists, she looked up at him anger breaking into a sob as he settled her hands from her hair. "I- I'm so sorry, Percy! This is all my fault. If I hadn't listened to her we could've had all this time. You've been alone and I've-"
Percy wrapped his arms around Annabeth as she sobbed. "Hey, shhh. It's okay. I'm here now and we're together. We're staying together."
Annabeth finally calmed after working her way through the emotional night. Percy couldn't help but shed tears with her. The whole ordeal had been draining, but when they finally laid down for bed Percy couldn't help but stay awake just a little while longer.
With Annabeth sound asleep on his chest, Percy held her just a little tighter, staring up at the familiar wood of the ceiling as he took in the moment. The warm breeze that seemed to flow from the open window, the smell of her lemon shampoo, the steady rise and fall of her breathing against him, and he swore to her, and himself. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."