Chapter Eleven: In Virtute Verborum
Disclaimer: Me no speak eengleesh, so me no Rick.
Author's Note – Okay so I wanted to have a little fun. Throughout this story, how many references to non PJO characters or books or TV shows have you spotted? I had fun including reeeaaallly tiny references that most people would've missed. Anyway, don't worry, Percabeth will reunite, don't ask me when, but it will happen. Read, enjoy and REVIEW!
P.S. – Take care and stay safe!
P.P.S – Shout out to . . for introducing me to the sheer awesomeness that is Alec Benjamin! Seriously, I did not even know I was missing out on something this great.
"The tongue like a sharp knife, kills without drawing blood"
- Buddha
Percy's POV:
"Gods what is her problem" I think to myself. First, she goes missing for months, which, okay, is not her fault. Then she remembers everything about her friends, Chiron, the camp, her parents, heck, she even remembers Blackjack!Which is something I should be happy about, not sad or bitter.
Then there's the fact that she does not remember me, and Hera practically told me she, along with Aphrodite's support did something to Annabeth that's messing up her memories.
I remembered what Aphrodite, Lady Useless Pink Mist herself had told me when I had gone on a quest to save Annabeth. Her promise to make my love life…interesting was somehow still hounding the two of us.
But the real icing on the cake, oh it wasn't the amnesia, it wasn't even the fight, it was the fact that she remembered Luke of all people and not me. And fine, I was jealous….of a dead guy. I knew I shouldn't be mad at her, that it wasn't the mature thing to do, but at the moment, all my mind was telling me was fuck maturity, she should at least apologize for snapping at me when all I wanted to do was bring her to dinner.
That's why I avoided everyone's looks, noticing Annabeth's still empty seat, shoveled food down my throat and jumped off the side of the ship, needing the ocean's calm, powerful and almost roiling embrace. I briefly wondered whether this is what Annabeth would feel like if she would ever stand in a tub of olive oil, snorting at the thought, and then full on laughing while sitting at the bottom of the ocean, the fight mercifully forgotten for a moment.
As I focus more on where I am, I allow myself to listen to the aquatic life in the area. Usually, because of the number of fish, I tune out their ramblings, treating them more white noise.
To my absolute horror, it seems like the notorious gossips know all about my current predicament as a stingray keeps shooting me looks of sympathy, a puffer-fish comes near me and strokes its fin against my hand for a second and walking, oops, swimming away.
None of that compares to the pièce de résistance however, a school of fifteen or so fish are trying to sing Dancing On My Own to properly underline my current situation in perfect harmony.
"Honestly, how do they even know that song" I mutter to myself. We are in the middle of nowhere. After a while though, they all begin to grow on me, and I even talk to a few friendly looking sharks who always seem to complain about how their cartilaginous noses makes it extremely difficult to bite stuff. (read: humans)
"I knew coming down here was a good idea", I speak to myself. "I'm going to give Annabeth her space for now and try to find something to help her." I resolve, finally letting go of a little bit of my anger, bitterness and jealousy. I know this probably won't be my last bad day, but at least the fact that my bad days from now on won't be as bad as today cheers me up, and I shoot back up to the surface, going straight to my bunk to sleep.
Piper's POV:
"God dammit Jackson, what did you do now" I think to myself, watching him stuff his face fuller than a Christmas turkey and running off to Poseidon knows where. I also notice the empty seat where Annabeth usually sits.
The others don't seem too bothered. Jason doesn't know Percy well enough to spot when he's in one of his moods, Hazel and Frank have eyes only for each other at the moment and Annabeth is not here. Usually it's only thinking about Gabe that makes his eyes go hard as diamonds, no, emeralds, I mentally correct myself. Or the thought of being responsible for the deaths of Beckendorf, Bianca, Zoe and all the others.
The wounds may be old, but the scars remain, and they have a story to tell.
But I am not one of Percy and Annabeth's best friend for nothing, I look to Leo, who bless his heart is also looking a little worried about Percy. We both know this has to do with Annabeth. I prepare a plate of food – a sandwich, a slice of pizza and a glass of water and stand up, motioning for Leo to follow me.
"I hope that isn't for Waterboy, I don't think water and the bread will mix well." Leo jokes as we go out, and despite myself, I crack a small smile. "Nope, this is for our ah academically inclined friend." I say as we walk up to Annabeth's room.
Annabeth's POV:
After crying for a good fifteen minutes, I get up, wash my face and get back into bed, hoping against hope that today was a dream, that I wasn't really so mean, or vindictive or just plain bitchy to Percy who had only been looking out for me.
Just as I make a burrito of myself, wrapping my blanket around me so tight I can barely move, I hear a knock on my door.
"Oh great" I groan to myself. Just as I was getting comfortable too. I can practically hear the Fates cackling evilly and chuckling, "karma, it's gonna bite you in the back sometime."
I yell out, "Go away Pipes." and just dig deeper into my blanket when I hear Leo saying, "So what am I, chopped liver?" and Piper yelling "If you don't open this door right this instant, I swear on Athena I will kick down your door and beat you up."
Knowing when I'm beat is a valuable, if sometimes annoying skill, and I know I'm not getting out of this one that easy.
I open the door to find both of them with a plate of food and a glass of water. My stomach grumbles, and I gratefully grab the dish as the two of them sit down on my bed.
They wait for me to finish my food, and I eat as slow as I possibly can to preserve the peace, and the silence in my cabin. I finish the food far too soon for my taste and Piper starts shooting questions-
"What happened between you two? Why does he look so mad? Why weren't you at dinner? Why do your eyes look red?"
I take a deep breath and recount all I said, wincing when I mention Luke and the immortality thing. Leo isn't really sure what to do, so he starts pulling a few parts from his tool belt and starts fiddling around with some device. Piper, meanwhile, looks a little troubled.
"Look, Beth, you need to give him some space. But more importantly, you have to apologize to him first thing tomorrow morning. He never asked for any of this, and he has been nothing but nice to you, not even once needling you about the fact that you don't remember him. While none of that is your fault, what you said today, I don't think you know how much it affected him."
Then, Piper tells me about how his fatal flaw is loyalty of all things. How he has stuck by me, never once losing hope, even if it is easier. Then a thought strikes me, and I feel my composure start to crack, "Did he… was he there during the Battle of Manhattan? Did he know Silena and Charles and everyone else?"
Piper nods sadly and my mind starts reeling, because I may just have called everything Percy had done, all that he had felt, worthless. Because if loyalty is his flaw, he wouldn't be able to stop beating himself up about each death, and I may just have called all of that forgettable.
Piper sees that I'm not in the best state because she starts rubbing my back slowly, and it feels nice, I don't think I'll cry now. Leo finishes whatever he was doing and places a small handheld cube on my nightstand and immediately, I can hear the sound of the ocean, I can feel the salt on my lips, the steady whoosh and splash as the waves break against a rock.
I look at him in amazement and he scratches the back of his head, "I uh, thought this would make you feel better sleeping here" he says, the end of his sentence trailing into a question and I feel an intense burst of fondness in my chest for both of them. I know I'll do whatever it takes to make sure they are okay, and safe.
I smile at him in response and he grins a little. Piper says "Go to sleep now Annabeth, and sleep peacefully," putting just a hint of charmspeak in her voice.
For once, I do not resist, and I sleep.
"I'm right over here, why can't you see me, oh oh oh
And I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the guy you're taking home, ooh
I keep dancing on my own"
Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter over! I actually wanted to name this chapter "Amara verba, confringetur cordibus vestris" since that was more meaningful, sadly, it was also too long. Also, do not worry peeps, Percabeth will shine in the end. But it will NOT be in the next chapter. It will take some time. I promise the wait will be worth it though! ;)