In which Annabeth is very strongly in denial about certain possibilities and Gaea is actually telling the truth this time lol. Because sometimes the truth is very bad.
Replies:
Undeath9087: I've already sorta gotten to the reunion chapter- kinda. They're together again at any rate, but yeah it's super fun in my opinion.
ArachnidHiveMind: Eh, I mean, I like how I've handled it :D But you'll have to wait and see.
Guest: I mean, you'll have to wait and see, and I hope you like how I've done it.
Annabeth knew she was spending an unhealthy amount of time below the deck, with the Parthenos. She wasn't alone at least. Rachel wouldn't allow that, the other girl had decided to stick to her like glue.
Still, Annabeth couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it. This stupid statue had cost them so much, had cost them Percy, Nico and Leo, three of the people Annabeth loved most in the world. If it wasn't for Rachel she'd have probably lost her self control and destroyed it herself in a fit of fury- which would be stupid, they needed it, it would be the key to stopping the war between the camps, to stopping Gaea.
But that didn't mean Annabeth would ever consider it worth the price they'd paid.
She hated her mother. She'd never forgive the goddess she knew that much. She could feel the bitter resentment whenever she looked at that perfect representation of her mothers face, but alas there was nothing she could do about it.
She closed her eyes, shifting slightly and resting her head on Rachel's shoulder, they were both sat, a blanket covering their laps. They would have been up on deck but Hazel had insisted on guiding them through the secret pass that she'd been told about.
And that had been... interesting.
When Hazel told them that she'd been given advice by Hecate Annabeth had lost it- Thalia had been forced to drag her away with the help of Rachel- because how the fuck could anyone trust her? Hecate had been on the Titans side during the war- she was the mother of the boy who had destroyed Percy, who had torn her apart and broken her in ways that Annabeth and Rachel couldn't fix.
She didn't care that Hazel said Hecate didn't approve of her sons actions, that she bore no ill will, the idea of being expected to trust the goddess made Annabeth's stomach churn and her blood boil.
How could they even consider it? She was sure that if she ever met the goddess she'd tear her limb from limb.
And yet the others seemed to think that it was their best chance- as if they were all forgetting who her son was, what he'd done and been capable of- and yes, yes Annabeth knew deep down that it wasn't fair to think like that but she couldn't help it. Even Luke was willing to listen to her- even Rachel agreed that they had no real choice!
Still, she was grateful to her girlfriend, who refused to leave her side no matter how she raged and lost control. Annabeth needed that right now.
As if sensing Annabeth's thoughts Rachel turned her head, pressing her lips to Annabeth's curls, making an incredibly gentle hushing sound.
"I can hear your brain working love." Rachel whispered the words, "You need to sleep. You'll kill yourself at this rate."
"I- I just-"
"I know." Rachel soothed, "I know my love I know." she murmured the words, "I'm here though. I'm not going anywhere. It's just you and me."
"I- I should have fallen with-"
"No-" Rachel shook her head, "No love you shouldn't. You know that it would have hurt Percy more if you had. She did all that to save you. She wouldn't want you following her after all that."
"She- she was always so scared of Tartarus- ever since he tried to push her in when we were younger. And- and she just- for me. She just let herself fall to save me."
"I know." Rachel's fingers brushed through Annabeth's curls. "You can't torture yourself with this though Annabeth. It won't help anyone you know that- it's hard and it hurts but you know that it won't help them. The only way to help them is for us to get to the Doors of Death and the only way for us to do that is to listen to Hecate right now- and I know, I know how much you hate her and I hate her too- but- maybe it isn't her fault, what her son did, and even if it is- we have no choice. She is the only one offering us any way to get there."
"What if it's a trap Rache? How- how can they just trust her- I can't-"
"No one is saying you have to." Rachel soothed, "We don't have to trust her- we can prepare for ambush or attacks but there really is no other choice for us and you know that. Just like you know that we need to get the Parthenos home- which is why you haven't chopped it up."
"That and the fact I don't have my dagger." Annabeth muttered the words almost bitterly, "I dropped it in the pit-" she paused, guilt flashing across her face, "Not- not that I'm not grateful for the one you gave me-"
"I get it. Thals gave you that." Rachel wound Annabeth's hair around her fingers, "It was your first weapon. It has sentimental value."
"D-do you think Percy will find it?" Annabeth's voice was small. "Do you think- do you think it'll help her."
"Maybe." Rachel gave a gentle smile, "I wouldn't rule it out. It'd be almost like you were protecting her even if the pit. You know the more I think about it the more likely I think it is."
"Do you really think we'll see her again?"
"I do." Rachel nodded. "I do." and that? That was enough for Annabeth. Because she knew that Rachel was gifted, that her girlfriend had more prophetic ability than most- even the kids of Apollo who had some gift with it weren't on the same level as Rachel- oh she didn't give prophecies, but Annabeth had learned a long time ago that trusting the girls instincts was always the smart thing to do. She was very rarely wrong when it came to big things- and Annabeth couldn't imagine her being wrong about this.
And she trusted Rachel, she trusted her implicitly, more than anyone else in the entire world maybe. "When we see her- I need to tell her how much I love her." Annabeth murmured the words, letting Rachel's fingers in her hair gently sooth her.
"I know." Rachel whispered the words, "So do I. We're going to get her home and we're going to help her get better and we're going to do whatever it takes to help her."
And with those words Annabeth drifted into sleep- and she found herself in the Poseidon cabin- Annabeth looked around slowly, her heart twisting painfully when her eyes landed on a tangle of limbs in Percy's bed.
And gods but it had been so long since that day- their first night in camp after their first quest.
It felt like a lifetime ago, she remembered how she and Grover had cuddled up with Percy, almost afraid that she'd disappear overnight- that somehow they'd wake up and it would all be a dream, that Percy would have fallen into the pit despite their best efforts.
Annabeth closed her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the burn.
"Why am I seeing this?"
"As proof-" and Annabeth whirled around, her eyes wide when her gaze focused on a woman in robes of dry swirling earth, her face covered in a veil of dust. Annabeth knew her. Gaea.
"Of what?"
"That your every victory is temporary." Gaea's voice was almost mocking, "You saved her then, stopped her fall- or so you thought. But Tartarus has always been your beloved little whores fate-"
"Don't call her that!"
"But don't you worry. The pit is only temporary. For her in any case- the other two can die down there, that would be most useful for me, but her- yes temporary. After all I need her, my perfect sacrifice- yes I've had this planned for some time. My monsters will find her and bring her to me. Or he will-"
"Or he-"
Gaea waved a hand and the Cabin dissolved- and Annabeth forced down a scream at the sight in front of her.
She couldn't truly see the surroundings- all she could see was two figures, familiar figures.
Percy and Alabaster stood face to face- their faces were almost fuzzy- Annabeth couldn't see their expressions but Percy's hand was outstretched towards Alabaster, who was pressing his lips to it- or Annabeth had to assume that was what he was doing.
She scowled, fingers curling into fists. "Stop it." her voice was sharp, "Just stop it you're messing with my head. Alabaster isn't with Percy there's no way! And even if he was she would never willingly spend time with him- she fell with Leo and Nico and those two won't leave her side and they sure as Hades wouldn't stand there and let Alabaster come that close to her!"
"How can you be so certain, daughter of Athena-"
"I can be certain because I know them!" Annabeth almost snarled the words, and gods but she wished she could hit the woman- but she was smart enough to know that it wouldn't do her any good. Gods but demigod dreams were some of the worst things that about demigod could have to put up with. "I know them and they won't let themselves be parted."
"If that is what you believe so be it." Gaea's voice was almost amused now- and gods but Annabeth wished she could grind her face into the ground-but it would be pointless, it would be pointless it wouldn't help anyone so Annabeth forced herself to breathe, to try and calm herself.
"I won't let you break me. Rachel said that Percy will make it out-"
"Because the foolish little legacy always understands what she knows-" Gaea sneered the words, "Because you can trust her- when she knew that my sons wife would fall and she stood by and watched."
"I-" Annabeth faltered slightly, "You're lying." she snapped the words, "Rachel- that's not Rache she wouldn't have done that. She loves Percy too she could never just stand there and watch Percy fall into that-into that pit-"
"So you think- but don't worry too much for your lover, daughter of Athena, after all I need her alive, worry about the sons of Hephaestus and Hades. And worry about yourself, for your friends at camp-" Annabeth screamed, she screamed because suddenly she was back in camp-in a camp that had been razed to the ground, cabins were rubble, the bodies of her friends littered the world around her- and then- there was some kind of giant looming over the camp. Annabeth couldn't see it clearly, it was obscured by layers of black smoke.
Then Annabeth jerked awake- Rachel was leaning over her, a worried look on her face, "Annabeth- Annabeth are you- gods are you okay I couldn't wake you up you were yelling?"
"I-" Annabeth shivered, her eyes wide as she met Rachel's gaze, "I'm okay I think. Just- just a demigod dream." she
swallowed hard, "Just Gaea trying to mess with my head."
"Don't listen to her." Rachel leaned forward, brushing her lips against Annabeth's forehead- and Annabeth felt a rush of affection, tilting her head back slightly so that she could press her lips against Rachel's.
"I'm not stupid." Annabeth's voice was soft, "I know she's a liar and a manipulator. I wouldn't ever trust a word that comes out of her mouth. No matter what she says."
"Good." Rachel smiled gently, "Listen Anna-"
"Guys?" and that was Jason's voice. Annabeth turned her head, looking over Rachel's shoulder towards the door that led into the engine room.
"Jason? What's up?"
"We made it through the mountains," he said. "We're almost to Bologna. You should join us in the mess hall. Bianca has new information."
Annabeth let out a breath. "Right. Got it."
"Give us ten minutes and we'll join you guys." Rachel added, threading her fingers through Annabeths.
Jason nodded, heading out quickly and Annabeth gave Rachel a strained smile, "I guess we have to go and deal with things huh?"
"I guess so." Rachel nodded, "And you get to do what you do best brainbox." Rachel kissed her cheek, "Lead."
