A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with a longer one this time, hope you like it!
She has dreamed of becoming the best of the best. Of creating something strong, something resilient, something permanent.
She has dreamed of building something iconic, with a solid foundation, that won't ever break.
Because too much has broken, too much has fallen apart. She has been running, running for as long as she can remember. From the debris of everything that has crumbled and gone.
She can't even remember what she's running from, it's too shattered when she looks back.
So she focuses on what she's running to. Her dream. Her dream of that world where things aren't breaking.
The world that she can create, to her liking, to her strength. Unwavering, solid, permanent.
She has dreamed about her creations, how they would shape the world, how people would talk about them for centuries.
She has dreamed about the broad strokes, the things that would stop it from cracking. She has dreamed about the details, the things that would bring it together to finally make it perfect.
So she carries on, running and dreaming and working to the bone and fighting tooth and nail and she just keeps going.
On and on she just keeps going, not looking back, not wanting to see the debris. And she never stops dreaming.
Until one day, she wakes up.
She's stopped all of a sudden, stopped running, stopped dreaming.
It hits her hard and she can't even move to get out of the bed.
Because she's stopped. She's never done that before.
It scares her to know. She doesn't want to know. She doesn't want to look back.
"Good morning beautiful." The voice jumps her out of her thoughts.
He walks in with a steaming cup of coffee and places it on the bedside table, leaning down to giver her a quick kiss on the lips.
"I'm gonna shower real quick, you'll be okay?"
She can muster a nod and he walks towards the bathroom.
This is…her house. She has one of those. She designed it. She created it.
She manages to pick up the cup of coffee. It's one that he gave her as a present. It has an owl on it.
She looks to the right and sees the messy remnants of his sleep.
Actually, he's everywhere around the room. His jeans tossed casually on the chair in the way that annoys her. His phone on the charger, his stuff on the dresser.
She gets up and practically runs to the bathroom.
He's only gotten as far as his shirt when she barges in.
He looks so mature. His muscled arms and chest a far cry from the scrawny kid she had met all those years ago.
And the way he looks at her. With more love than she had ever though possible from the world. Like she hangs the moon and the stars and his entire world.
She doesn't let him talk before she's launched herself at him into a deep kiss. She can do that. Kiss him. Whenever she wants.
He looks a bit dazed when she pulls back and it feels good to know her affect is not lost upon him.
"What was that for?" he asks, confused, but a smile is taking over his face.
She wants to kiss him again.
So she does.
Because she can.
She leaves the bathroom with a very confused…husband.
She has a ring.
It's a simple band, a mixture of celestial bronze and imperial gold and silver. A simple band that ties her to the man in the shower who she gets to kiss.
It's hitting her just how much she has.
The coffee feels good and she moves his jeans to the closet because she doesn't like clothes laying around and for once she's not even slightly mad about it. Because even after all this time he's here, in her life, annoying her by leaving his jeans on the chair and instead of the closet where they belong, in their house.
A sudden cry causes her to jump.
Oh.
Oh.
She rushes out of the room and down the hall.
The nursery is a bright yellow and filled with plants and gifts from all her friends.
Silena is crying in the crib and she just stops to stare at the tiny child in front of her. Soft tufts of blonde hair and when she turns to face her, sea-green eyes fill her view.
Just like the ones she'd seen moments ago.
Her daughter is crying and she should probably be stopping it. She lifts the baby into her arms, rocking her to get her to quiet.
Her daughter.
Silena, once in her mothers arms, quiets down but Annabeth continues to rock her.
So lost in thought, in the feel of carrying her daughter that she doesn't hear Percy come in. She's a little surprised at the touch as he takes Silena from her. The baby is asleep and she watches as Percy puts her back into the crib, hair still damp from his shower.
She realizes then that she's done it.
She realizes then why she stopped running. Stopped dreaming.
Because she's done it.
She reached her dream.
Something strong, she watches Percy soothe his daughter.
Something resilient, the band on her finger.
Something solid, the house she created.
Something permanent.
Her family.
For once she's not afraid to look back, and she sees what she's done, what she's accomplished.
She has built something iconic; her adventures are going to be talked about for centuries, their adventures, they saved the world. And they made that the solid foundation upon which to build the rest of their lives.
And she realizes that she's dreamed herself awake.
A/N: So what did you guys think? A happy one since the last one was a bit sad. Plus I just wanted to explore the concept of having a dream, or a goal and working so hard at it that you don't stop to see what you've done. It's great to focus on what's next, but also so important to take a moment to see all you've accomplished and how far you've come. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.
But yeah, also wanted to touch on the fact that building something, in Annabeth's case here is not just designing a building, but the relationships she has built and the people in her life. Percy and Annabeth are the foundation for everything she wants and strives for.
Please Review! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
And as always, thanks for reading!
See ya! :)