Hello my readers. Happy quarantine. I thought sitting at home 24/7 would up my word count a day but as it turns out, it only made me insane. I'm really trying hard to write on other stories, but my writing feels weak right about now, so just give me some time yeah?

(Yes, forgotten paradise especially I'm trying to get through. Thank you for being so patient already.)

This chapter felt a bit disheveled, but I may have smoothed it out enough to be postable. Please tell me in the comments what you think.

Chapter 7

It was as if a rainbow had cried its colour into the earth, and that little patch of land had reached out to tenderly absorb it.

Flowers in all shapes and sizes breathed their vibrancy into the fair grounds as they sat in buckets, pots, and vases.

Flowers were webbed into murals, braided into crowns, arranged into massive bouquets taller than Annabeth, and put on lines so they could be strung up and framed by the blueness of the sky and the dappled clouds. Everything about this wonderful scene was enough to fill Annabeth's head. Not that the strong fragrance of flowers, and deep fried carnival food hadn't already invaded her mind.

Even the rides were flower themed. Tulips on the ferris wheel buckets, daisy swings and flower ponies on the carousel.

"Why have we never come to this before?" Annabeth's eyes couldn't take in enough.

"Because flowers are boring and this is inferior to a car show in every way?" Leo asked.

Callie elbowed him.

"What first?" Jason looked at the group.

"Well if anyone wants to go on any rides, then we should probably do that before eating anything." Annabeth said, sending a wary glance at the most motion sick prone of the gang.

Hazel blushed.

"Then we should totally check out the shops and-"

"Oooh a petting zoo!" Piper peeled out of formation instantly and was off.

"Babe." Jason followed.

"I'm kinda hungry now actually." Frank looked apologetically at Annabeth. She didn't know why she even bothered to try and organize.

"Me too?" Hazel smiled weakly. "I mean, I am eating for two and I don't really want to go on those awful rides anyways."

"They're selling bulbs. Must have. Now." Callie gasped with Leo trailing behind as she steam engined forward.

"Calliiiee, our garden has no room!"

"Hey Thals, there's a sky drop. Wanna ride it?" Percy looked at Thalia teasingly. His mirth soon evaporated when Thalia socked him in the gut. He doubled over with a grunt of pain.

"Yeah, hilarious. Make fun of my phobia why don't you," she grumbled while stalking off.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and patted Percy on the arch of his hunched over back.

"There there Seaweed Brain. You deserved it."

A low giggle rolled by Annabeth when Percy sputtered and coughed a bit more out of dramatics before straightening like a branch being snapped back into place.

"Alright, so what are we doing?" He asked. A light of surprise filled his eyes and he wrinkled his nose. "Wait, where did everyone go?"

"To do their own things I guess." Annabeth shrugged. "We can meet up with them later. What do you wanna do?"

Percy looked thoughtful for all of two seconds. "There. Those."

It was pricey, but he bought her a white flower crown. Annabeth barely had a moment to admire the assorted blossoms before he fitted it to her head and smiled almost adoringly. She crowned him one that was made up of blue flowers and gave him a curtsy as if he were a king. It gave her those happy bubbles that swim around your gut like excited fish.

They ended up browsing the booths without planning to. Carefully set up stalls selling handmade flower jewelry, knitted coasters, preserves, jams, sculptures carved from wood and paintings of fields overflowing with flowers. Ducking into the cool shade of the tents and revelling at each object. Percy bought two jars of fresh honey, and some maple fudge to enjoy later. Smiling, joking, swinging his bag and looking just about as warm and happy as the sun. Annabeth had always enjoyed Percy's quiet contentment. Watching him go through the booths one by one, asking each shop owner about their products with a gentle fascination.

He was unmaterialistic that way. He never really wanted the thing, he wanted to know the story behind the thing. He wanted to understand it before he owned it. There was also a flair of kindred light behind his sea green eyes. Most of these stalls were manned by people who were proud owners of small businesses, and Percy was the proudest owner of a humbly small business. He got them, they got him. (And she loved that)

Browsing turned to hunger, and they stopped by one of the food trucks reeking of grease, and hot oil. Between the hard to read menu, and the impatience of the cook, they decided to get themselves two sugar dowsed funnel cakes and skedaddle. Percy picked a relatively clean brown picnic table to rest their feet in the middle of the fairgrounds.

"Drizzle some honey on." Percy offered her the jar. "Honey makes everything eight times better."

"It's also antibacterial." Annabeth added with an informative tap to her nose. "So if you're in a pinch and need to clean a wound, honey is your friend."
Percy laughed heartily and shook his head. "Why do you know all the most obscure things?"

"Because I'm an obscure person," Annabeth said. "I think I might be internally elderly, but with spasmodic hypochondria, and occasionally possessed by a bad quiz show presenter."

"Occasionally?" Percy smirked at her. "Or are you secretly just a bad quiz show presenter possessing the girl who was once Annabeth."

"You got me," Annabeth rolled her eyes.

Percy's head fell back and he laughed. She couldn't help but smile. It was good seeing him like this. It was… filling. Making Percy happy gave her gut tingles.

From her back pocket, her phone started vibrating abruptly and her thoughts flew away.

Just as she was about to take a deep bite of her mouth watering funnel cake too. Murphy's law.

"Hold on Perce. I'll be right back." She sighed as she slipped the phone out of her pocket and pressed it to her ear. She ducked behind a gassy smelling food truck and away from the flow of people. She had to press her palm against her other ear to block out the pounding hisses from oils on pans.

"Hello?"

"Annabeth, it's Will. I finally got here, and I have no idea where you are."

Annabeth's shoulders sagged. "Didn't you say you would get here way earlier?"

"I'm a Med student!" Will complained. "I have a job, and hobbies, and literally eight different better things to do then seduce your best friend into coming out. Give me a break."

"Sorry," she said. "I'll make it up to you later. I know you're going out of your way for this."

"Nah it's good. The closet is a dark place, and I'll gladly show anyone the light."

"Very noble." Annabeth breezed over. "Now you see the ferris wheel? Ya? Go to it. I'm going to trap Percy on it with you somehow okay?"

"Okay…" Will drawled. "But how?"

"I don't know, just give me a hot second." Annabeth peeked out from behind the food truck to make sure Percy was still there. (He was turning his flower crown over in his hands with a soft smile. How cute.) "Okay, line up directly behind us. Then I'll pretend to see someone I know and take off, and you can use that lovely charm of yours to corner him on that ride with you. I want you to find out exactly who Micheal Jones is. Clear?"

"Crystal Clear Captain Chase," Will said.

.:oOo:.

Getting Percy to agree to go on the ferris wheel was easier said than done. For all the teases Percy regularly laid into Thalia, he wasn't so fond of heights himself. Annabeth gave up on the verbal arguments and just grabbed his arm and started yanking.

Without breaking a sweat, Percy pulled her back and held her against him in an act of protest. Just before she was going to twist his arm into a judo flip, he let go and blushed at the ground. Annabeth caught the final seconds of Thalia's smirk as she stood kind of ominously in the distance holding a fat wad of cotton candy. Disappearing in a crowd like a forlorn omen.

Without saying a word, Percy dejectedly followed her to the ferris wheel and stood in line pouting like a four year old.

"But it's scary." A child actually closer to four spoke from in front of them. A little girl in overalls, with short brown hair and big enrapturing brown eyes. "I want Mom."

Annabeth figured she was just over seven, and was clutching whom she assumed was her older brother. Taller, leaner, probably around ten and with an exasperated expression that looked more adult than anything.

"But you said you'd come with me."
"I don't want to anymore."

"Well I don't want to ride by myself. That's boring."

Percy chuckled and turned to Annabeth softly. "It is indeed scary," he murmured so the kids wouldn't hear. By the way his eyes crinkled with a light cherish, she could tell that he found the kids as cute as she did.

Annabeth's heart tugged with a wish but she brushed it away with a quiet sigh and a shake of her head.

Never.

"They're really young to be alone on some fairgrounds." Annabeth glanced around for any sign of lingering parents. People were perusing all over, exchanging money, handling tickets, skipping and laughing and screaming on rides but none were looking in their remote direction.

"Country kids." Percy shrugged. "When you live outside of the dirty fray of the city, it's easier to be looser."

"I'll say. Grew up just short of a bush baby. If my mum had given me anymore freedom I might've just become one with nature." A familiar voice broke their conversation.

Annabeth tried to hide her mischievous smile as she turned in sync with Percy to look at a very happy and beaming Will Solace.

"You!?" Percy said in a rather accusatory tone.

Will looked slightly confused. "Yes me."

Annabeth feigned shock. "Perce, you know this guy?"

"Not even a little bit-"

"Sure! Percy and I go way back to last month." Will hooked arms with Percy easily. "We met over pizza."

A frustrated cornered look came over Percy's face. Annabeth didn't know whether to take that as a good sign or a bad one, but from her noble experience she could guess that Percy was either thinking about smacking Will into the next dimension or giving a stress hug.

She was rooting for stress hug.

"I'm bumping into you everywhere. Not that I don't mind." Will continued with a coy grin.

Dang this boy comes on strong. Annabeth pursed her lips to keep in her concern.

She didn't realize how 'in your face' Wills 'flirts' were. If what he was doing could even be called flirts.

"Could you not?" Percy started squirming away. "Just… I don't-"

"Aw no, Hazel's all by herself. She must've gotten separated from Frank." Annabeth blurted out her scripted line while squinting in the distance like a true actress. She somehow even managed to sound concerned. "Perce, why don't you ride the wheel with your friend and I'll keep her company."

Percy unhooked himself from Will with a lurch and made a perplexed face at Annabeth.

"Hazel's over there?" He pointed in the opposite direction with a confused tone. Sure enough, there she was.

Dang girl and her inappropriately timed pop ups.

"Busted," Will mouthed while Percy was still turned away.

Annabeth glowered at him.

"I knew that," she said pointedly. "Stay here."

At least Hazel was actually alone. That part of the lie was true. Sitting on a tulip bench and fondly smiling at a flower grasped tightly between her hands. Annabeth jogged over to her as briskly as she could and tried to hide how eager she was to get away.

"Hazel," Annabeth stretched a grin. "Pretend we are talking about something super important."

Hazel's eyes twisted with anxiety. "Why? Is someone following you?! Are you in danger?!"

"What? No." Annabeth waved her hands around. "Lady, no. Will's here, and I'm trying to get Percy to go on the ferris wheel with him."

Hazel peeked over Annabeth's shoulder childishly. "Really? Do you think it will work?"

"No idea." Annabeth plopped down beside her. "Cross your fingers huh?"

"He looks uncomfortable." Hazel tilted her head with her eyebrows scrunched down.

She wasn't wrong.

Every few moments Percy would send her a glance as if to say 'help'. His deep green eyes accentuated by his upturned eyebrows, and his shoulders locked upward as if to cover his neck.

He's flirting Seaweed Brain, not trying to go for your jugular.

The blue flower crown was crooked on his head, and his mop of messy raven hair made him look all the cuter. Baby seals and sea otter levels of cuteness.

Annabeth was half tempted to go over there and stop the whole operation. However, Will was chatting animatedly, and she was sure he was making some kind of progress so-

Sorry Perce.

"What do you think of Daphne?" Hazel asked dreamily. She was staring at that flower again.

Perplexion fell across Annabeth's mind. "Who?"

"The name." Hazel clarified without a whim of a care. "Daphne. If I have a girl…"

...Oh.

"Or Iris, or Rose, or Primrose-"

"What's with all the flower names?"

Hazel cupped her own cheek as if to feel the warmth of her blush. "Flowers are just so pretty."

Annabeth scooted a little farther away from her cautiously. "Okay, I know baby hormones are a thing but this seems extreme."

Hazel covered her face and let loose a little squeal of pure delight. "I'm sorry Annabeth. I'm just… I'm so so happy. I'm drunk on my own joy. I feel like I'm in a dream and…"

An envious pang ricocheted around Annabeth's heart. She bit back the lump in her throat and gave Hazel a sore smile. She refused to fall to these emotions.

How awful am I?

"I've always wanted kids, a family. I just can't wait and…" The sunny look in her eyes, the glee in her lips, and the soft excitement of her fingers as she stroked the petals of the flower one more time all spoke of her happiness. Under the glow of the setting sun, Hazel looked to be one step away from growing wings and dancing into the sky.

"I'm sorry I'm still talking about this, but it's taken over my whole world. It's all I can think about. It's all I want to think about. I might just die of happiness Annabeth."

Annabeth swallowed, and looked back into her friend's eyes. Her joyful happy sweet friends eyes.

This hurts.

"I believe you," she managed out a weak laugh. "I'm so happy that you're happy."

It was true.

She was happy for Hazel. The happiness for her came easy, but with it came a dump truck load of other emotions. Emotions that felt like the holding canister for a portapotty.

Selfish emotions.

"Awww look. Percy's comforting that kid." Hazel pointed back to the shrinking ferris wheel line. The little girl in the overalls was sniffing and wiping her face. Big fat tears glistened in long lines down her chubby cheeks as Percy crouched beside her and said things seemed to give reason to stop crying.

Surprisingly, Percy took her hand and they both stepped into the ferris wheel booth. Without warning, Percy flailed about and dramatically clutched the side of the booth with an expression of silly fake terror. Probably making a funny voice too, probably glancing back to make sure the little girl was giggling as much as her brother was, probably beaming on the inside for creating such simple joy.

Soooo scary. Annabeth thought with tingles in her gut. A genuine smile reaching past her cheeks as she covered her own laugh. Flooding away her sour feelings with fresh warmth for a moment.

"Percy would make such a good Dad," Hazel nearly cooed.

Percy…. A dad?

Annabeth's eyebrows met and she looked back to her best friend. When the ferris wheel fell into motion, he goofishly covered his eyes and squeaked. Annabeth could hear the kids giggling from her bench.

"Yeah," she said slowly. "Yeah, I never even thought of him like..."

Percy suddenly pointed down to her from the height of the ferris wheel and waved. The kids waved with him. All three of them looked like excitable puppies, while Will was looking more like the grandpa cat.

"You said you wanted him to have kids so they could call you Auntie Annabeth and you could spoil them. You must have seen his parent quality." Hazel pointed out.

"I was only thinking of my Aunt quality. I never even considered Percy as a really good parent."

Hazel chortled and patted Annabeth on the back. "Good thing you have me here."

"Yeah… really good thing."

.:oOo:.

Somehow they all managed to meet up just as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, and all that was in its wake was purple clouds and remnants of an orange sky. That's when the neon colours lining the rides really popped, and the smell of flowers felt drowned out by the growing smells of hot dogs, popcorn, and fresh candy apples. The tinkling music beating and flowing in each ride felt more overbearing now, and Annabeth could scarcely think as it was so she suggested they retreat to the hill overlooking the field.

"To watch the fireworks!" Callie grinned. "Great idea!"

Annabeth wasn't aware of the firework show scheduled that night. She just wanted air to think, and space to breath.

Hazel's expression had sunk back into her head like a disease. That intoxicated ecstasy that made her look like she was walking on air. Annabeth hung back as far as she could from the front of the group to avoid it. Looking at Hazel right now made her mouth bitter.

Not in a million years did she want to feel this way. This growing, worming, soul eating jealousy that made her chest feel rotten from the inside out.

She wanted that happiness.

She wanted that happiness so bad. She fought and fought and fought to fix her marriage. To make things even borderline okay and yet it still fell apart.

It all collapsed, and here Hazel was pulling off that happy lifestyle with what looked to be minimal effort.

Why?

Her eyes started stinging and she turned away from the lighthearted conversation her friends were taking part in. Yanking up bits of grass with her fingers and knotting them all together just to keep her hands busy.

Why?

She was glad it was dark enough that they couldn't see the way her eyes burned. Or how her lips kept naturally falling down into an ugly expression.

Why isn't anything working out?

Even Will seemed less enthusiastic about helping Percy out after that ride. He pulled Annabeth aside to say goodbye and to tell her not to worry about Micheal Jones. He was so elusive and flippant and irritating. He found something, but what? Why wouldn't he tell her?

Annabeth glimpsed at Percy for a second and sighed. Beaming ear to ear at his friends, and making jokes like the dork he was. Looking the complete opposite of last week when he was alone in that little storage unit.

At least he's happy.

Annabeth tossed away the little wreath of braided grass she'd unconsciously made and scooted around on her bum to face the field. For a second she had the childish thought that the millions of stars freckling the deep navy of the sky were nothing but fairies laughing and whispering secrets to each other in the buried unknown.

She wished she were a fairy far away from this. From herself. From her failures.

"You'll get sucked into the sky with that expression," Percy's caring voice fell in beside her and she suddenly felt his jacket slip around her shoulders. The cool breeze was stroking the stalks of grass in the field and his simple pine smelling garment was just the thing to keep any shivers at bay.

"What expression?" She looked to her hands and tried to remember exactly what face she was unknowingly making.

"Heavy, lost, thoughtful, kind of distant," Percy filled in helpfully. "The kind of face that makes me think that maybe, there might be something wrong?"

Through the darkness she could still see that kind sparkle in his eyes. When their eyes locked, Annabeth knew she couldn't lie. Not to Percy.

"I'm jealous," she muttered the dirty word while drawing her knees to her chest. "I want… stability again. I want to feel at home with where I am. I want…"

A family.

Pressure inflamed her jaw as she grit her teeth and consciously tried to subdue the tears pricking her eyes. She hugged her knees a little desperately as if they could calm the churning insides writhing with want.

With care, she felt Percy's hand reach up and straighten her flower crown. A quiet tender gesture that made her look back up at him silently. Questioningly.

He looked sad.

Sad that she was sad in fact.

The quiet between them was backed by the lively fair to their right, and their friends light conversation behind them. Annabeth wondered why he always came back to her side even when it meant dampening an evening as lovely as this one.

"You'll get that all again one day," He finally said in a very resolute manner. "I know you, and you stop at nothing to get what you want."

You don't really know that…

Annabeth pulled Percy's jacket tighter over her shoulders and fell onto her back so she could stare up at the stars. Maybe push her frustration into the sky. "Yeah, good at getting what I want academically and career wise. What if I'm just a Bing Crosby?"

Percy's eyebrows slumped down. "You know I'm not good with your obscure references."

"Good at acting, bad at life," Annabeth explained while closing her eyes and trying to ignore her gut. "One thing doesn't equate to another. My university good grades and job won't give me everything I want. They can't."

"So what's the point of belly aching over it now?" Percy asked as he slipped down beside her. Finding the stars with his eyes and releasing a soft sigh when he settled in the grass.

"Can't help it," she said. "I'd get rid of all these feelings if I could, I just… feel down."

A moment passed in silence before Annabeth felt Percy's warm hand slide into hers, igniting tingles that dappled on the tips of her fingers. She tried focusing on the murmur of wind through grass, or the earthy scent of fresh dirt, or the distant thumping of some boombox playing at the fair but it was no use.

There was a spark in her. Enveloped in the murk of her envy. She could feel it.

"Remember when we were eight, and I got in trouble at school because I finally fought back against that bully Luke Castellan, and you told him you would win the amazing race with the 'pizza party prize' away from him even though he was two years older and had a clear advantage?" Percy asked.

Annabeth didn't know where this was going but she nodded anyways.

"You trained for weeks for that thing and you won. First third grader to beat a fifth grader in that competition in school history. Luke was a little shit, and you wouldn't take his crap."

Annabeth smiled softly to herself and squeezed Percy's hand appreciatively. A blossom of contentment rose in her chest.

"What made you think of that?" Annabeth said.

"Well life's being a little shit to you, and I know you're not going to take it's crap so…"

Annabeth chuckled with a note of sarcasm. "Wow, how very wise and metaphorical of you Seaweed Brain."

"Hey, you're the one who called me wise in the car, don't you forget it." Percy grinned back. "Clearly-" Annabeth reached up and flicked his flower crown so it sat crooked against his head again. "-anyone wearing such a refined look, and emanating pure dork vibes is clearly a master of wisdom."

"Excuse you," Percy said with mock indignance while straightening his crown. "I happen to look fabulous, and I'll have you know that vibe you're feeling is pure untouched awesomeness."

"Dude, you own a bakery. You're favorite guests are over the age of eighty and you still sleep with a night light in your room because we watched a horror movie one time five years ago. You're pure dork!" Thalia yelled from a few meters away where the rest of them were clustered.

"Eavesdropper!" Percy gasped.

Thalia just rolled her eyes and waved him off. Returning to the group conversation seamlessly, as if she were never holding an ear outside of that conversation. Everyone else was too wrapped up in their own chatter to even notice they weren't there. So much for spending the day as a group.

"Want to join them?" Percy asked, gesturing to the circle of them.

For a moment, Hazel flashed over her mind but it quickly evaporated. Instead she felt more unwilling to let go of what they had going right now. This quiet comforting conversation.

Annabeth reached out and took Percy's hand again. "Naw, I don't feel like it… I like this."

Percy's breath hitched. Like he had suddenly run out of air, or had inhaled a very large spider.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Annabeth sat up to slip the jacket off. "Are you cold? Do you want your jacket back?"

Percy covered his face and rolled his head in the opposite direction. His hand grew warm in hers so maybe it wasn't the cold?

Maybe he's just getting a cough?

"No no, keep it… it… it looks better on you…" Percy murmured.

"Okay…" Annabeth pulled it back up and laid down again. Admiring every little star once more as if she hadn't surveyed the sky a million times already. The sound of crickets in the distance became coherent as she straightened her white shirt. Silence in their conversation.

Now that wouldn't do.

"Remember when Luke came after me for winning and you pushed him into a mud puddle. He got in so much trouble for tracking mud into the school and no one believed that your shrimpy ass pushed him in." Annabeth glanced at Percy. Confusion clouding her brain.

Why is he so quiet? Is it something I said?

"My ass was indeed shrimpy." Percy finally answered with a familiar smirk.

"I'm glad you never got expelled with all your goofy shenanigans." Annabeth poked him teasingly.

Percy squirmed. "I wasn't that bad."

"Really Percy? If I'm not mistaken, aren't you the one who accidently set off the school sprinkler system by microwaving a pair of batteries in the student lounge? Didn't you get lost in the basement, mess with the water pressure and make all toilets become geysers? The school closed for a week to clean up both times."

"I'm just gifted." Percy simpered.

"Huh, is that what they're calling 'accident prone' nowadays?" Annabeth laughed.

Percy wrinkled his nose in protest but didn't say anything. Just looked at her with that smile in his eyes.

Suddenly, a squeal of noise tore their attention away, followed by a bright burst of orange light that frazzled in the sky.

"Yeah Baby!" Leo hooted from behind them.

More fireworks screamed into the air and popped one after the other. Brief seconds of multicoloured light spilled over their bodies curled up on the grass. Annabeth's mind was engulfed once more with the fray of confetti made up of sparks.

This… This is good. Today has been good.

She needed this outing. Besides feeling a bit messed up, it brought her away from the chaos, and the hurt at home. She felt fuller now. She felt like she had a bit more faith in the future.

Probably thanks to Percy. He has my back.

Annabeth's focus shifted to Percy's face. His delighted green eyes, his simple grin, his behead of raven hair.

I'm lucky he's my best friend.

Annabeth pulled on his blue t-shirt to get his attention. Smiling wider when he turned towards her with that serious and duty bound expression.

"Thank you for today," she said over the cracks and thunderous roars. "Thanks for, y'know, being there."

Percy's eyes went soft. For a moment he just stared with his jaw slightly slack and his locked eyes swallowing her whole. Then with a gentle tug he plucked one blue rose from his flower crown and presented it to her gently. Their fingers brushed when she took it. A zap of energy arched up her arm.

Almost as if in a trance Percy leaned forward and pressed a loving kiss to her cheek and the spark buried beneath the fading murk in her gut exploded. Growing, snaking, branching across her lungs like hot chains of remaining fireworks. Suddenly she couldn't breath, suddenly she couldn't speak, suddenly she could only see Percy.

Percy, who hovered inches from her face. Adoring her with his deep green eyes.

"Always." His breath danced against her skin. "I'll always be here for you."

Her heart bounced into her throat as the blush flooded her face. A burning spot melting her cheek where his lips once were.

All she could do was nod.

As always, thanks for reading and please leave a review! I may or may not be taking Shutup and Be Creative's suggestion seriously which will end up rocking the boat a great deal so stay tuned for that.