~ Hey Angels ~

It's Memory Monday! HELL YEAH! Let's make some bomb-ass MEMORIES!

Who's excited? *One hand up*

Who's been anticipating this for a while? *Two hands up*

Who's hella tired of waiting for AWG to get her sh*t together and get back to her old updating schedule? *A million frickin' hands up!

I wanted to mention something pretty huge!

...

* This is the chapter where the review count of 'Dreams' overtook Memories! *

...

OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! 685 reviews, that is insane! You guys give me so much love and support and I honestly just want you to know that I'm sending it all right back to all of you! I only wish I could personally thank all of you. Love you guys so much and I hope that you all stay for the ending.

Wishing you all the best in your endeavours and sending love from the UK!

~ AWG x

So.

Did I intend to update yesterday?

Yes I did.

Did editing take WAY longer than I thought?

Yes it did.

Was it worth it?

Totally.

Did I leave all my holiday revision to the last week?

Maybe.

Do I care?

Kinda...but also not really.

Is this chapter the REUNION between Percabeth?

Most definitely!

Can I guarantee that this will be a happy chapter with a little bit of fluff thrown in for good measure?

I most certainly can!

Are Beck and Annabeth going to become a thing?

Wait... WHAT!?

What the hell? Who suggested that? NO WAY! PEOPLE! Get your sh*t together! Jokes, I love you guys. But seriously...Annabeck? (I just made up that nickname and I'm pretty smug about it) Just no. No no no no NO! That would be SO disrespectful to Silena and they both love her to bits. Why on Earth would they do that to her? Plus, it just wouldn't make sense. Sure they are close but as really good friends. They were there for each other when no one else really could be. They healed each other's pain and grief. That is all!

So before you all go raging on your gal for putting them together, maybe just consider the fact that everything in the last chapter was simply just two friends being nice to each other and not, I repeat NOT, flirting!

Well...glad we got that out of the way. Now. How cute are Annabeth and Beck together!? ;)

Is Beck going to die in this story?

No. My heart simply couldn't handle one more death in this story.

When is Nico making his grand appearance?

Little Miss Sunshine gets his spotlight in the third book. So it's gonna be a while peeps.

Will there be any Solangelo?

I'll be honest with you, I haven't written Will in. It's tough writing a story with so many characters because it's easy for some of them to get lost in the crowd. I respect Uncle Rick for having so many! Also, I've never really shipped them that hard bc their get-together was very last minute in Blood of Olympus and I didn't really see their relationship develop enough. I did read it a very long time ago though. Are there like other books by Rick, aside from PJO and HOO that have Solangelo and that's why you guys love them so much?

Am I gonna shut up now and let you get on with the story?

Affirmative! Just a quick thank you to everyone for all your amazing reviews. They always make my day!

Anyways! Introducing Chapter 16 ...

Chapter 16

The Girl in the Blue Dress

Annabeth POV

Saturday 23rd April

The nervous butterflies were beginning to appear now and I felt absolutely sick to my stomach. Nothing bad had happened so far, I guess, it was a gorgeous day outside, the guests had arrived, us girls were all upstairs getting ready in my mother's inhumanly large bedroom and I hadn't once fainted.

I could hear everyone downstairs; the sound of a hundred, or more, people waiting to lay their judgemental eyes on me. No big deal. Right?

A deep, shaky breath slipped out of my mouth as I picked up a Chanel fragrance from my mother's vanity table. I spritzed it on my neck and wrists, letting the aroma soothe me a while. It was a sweet, vibrant smell but the tranquillity didn't last long.

I sighed in defeat, placing it back on the tray and clawing my fingers through my hair stressfully. I hadn't even done it up yet or done anything for that matter except put my dress on. My hands were just shaking so much, I could barely pick up the perfume bottle without dropping it.

Glancing behind me, I could see Thalia and Reyna sitting in the bay window as if this whole thing was just another day. Neither of them cared or seemed nervous. Thalia wore a strapless black silk ball gown that flowed dramatically outwards and had a clean neckline that ran straight across her chest. Though she probably didn't want the compliment, she looked absolutely stunning. She wasn't dancing but she looked like someone who would own a dance floor. Reyna sat opposite her in a formal fashion that just came naturally to her. She sat up straight with a certain purpose and importance in her shoulders. She looked like a Roman empress in her lavender V-neck beaded ruched evening dress.

Gods, why did those two have to make beautiful look so easy?

They began talking to Katie, Travis' girlfriend, in a hot pink heart shaped neckline dress that ruffled out at the bottom, and familiarising themselves with Juniper. She wore a pretty pastel yellow halter neck dress with diamantes at the neckline and waist.

Calypso, Rachel and Drew were getting ready as far away from us as possible, Drew's idea I expect but I wasn't complaining. Calypso wore a stunning cream lace dress with long lace sleeves, Rachel wore a tight fitted, sexy green evening dress with a small trail and slit up the thigh and Drew wore a deep blue crystal beaded fishtail dress.

I felt so mediocre compared to them in my dress and I'd never been the person to care for clothes. The fact that they all looked so unbelievably perfect made me feel uneasy.

Did I really belong on that dance floor with them?

"You look a little flustered, honey...what's wrong?" Piper smiled softly as she sat next to me on the stool but facing the opposite direction. She looked absolutely gorgeous in a bohemian style dress. It was a mixture of cream, white and gold with lace. It was tightly fitted and short with a white, slightly see-through outer later that draped to the floor. She wore gold jewellery, nude-pink lips and brown and gold blended eyeshadow.

She looked like a goddess.

"Nervous?" She was using her charmspeaking voice, I could tell and I appreciated her efforts but I still felt nervous.

"I don't think I can do this..." I murmured, looking at her sadly. "It should be Silena out there...not me." I whispered with a sorrowful sigh. It hurt to think she wouldn't be present for a day she'd been planning all year. Not only did it feel like I was stealing her day but it felt like I was stealing her escort too.

Piper sighed. "Annabeth, I understand, believe me, I do, but Silena would want you to be here. If she were standing with us right now what do you think she'd say?" She smiled.

I giggled weakly through my faint tears. "She'd say, Annabeth Chase you get your little butt out there or so help me God, I will drag you onto the dance floor myself."

"Exactly." She giggled too, nudging my shoulder with hers.

I smiled warmly, looking at my lap as I happily thought about past memories with her.

"Will you help me?" I murmured suddenly, looking up at Piper. "I'm not very good with hair and makeup."

"Leave it to me." She smiled, standing up and pulling my hair back gently with her fingers. I sat up straight and let her brush my long wavy hair. I'd always liked having my hair brushed, it was calming like you could fall asleep in a dream state.

She curled it with some tongs to make my waves curlier and did a half up-half down do. She swept all of my hair to the back and did a loose twist pattern with the two sides before fastening a line of tiny white beaded flowers to the back. It was a simple but long accessory that almost reached the full length of my hair. She arranged my now curlier bangs in front of my shoulders, to frame my face before standing back and nodding proudly.

"I love it." I smiled.

"Not done yet." She smiled, fishing through the makeup products on the dressing table.

"You look gorgeous." She smiled proudly when she'd finished her pink-brown eyeshadow blend with nude-pink lip and killer contour look.

"Thanks Pips." I giggled, happily, feeling a little more prepared and therefore better now.

I took my silver dangle earrings and placed them in my ear to finish the look off. I didn't wear any other jewellery apart from a simple silver ring on my index finger. The dress wasn't designed to go with a necklace and so it was the first time in a long time that I'd taken my silver 'P' necklace off during the day.

Oh Gods. Don't think about him. Don't think about him. Don't think about him!

"Perfect!" Piper clapped, happily. "Now come stand in front of the mirror." She tried to contain her excitement as I walked over to the mirror in my white silk stilettos which had tiny silver leaves wound at the back. My baby blue chiffon evening dress flowed down to the floor, leaving a trail behind me. The straps were pinned at the shoulders before draping over my chest, low V-neck style. A see-through layer of fabric with scattered tiny white gemstone covered the gap so as to avoid any embarrassing accidents on the dance floor. It was backless with draped chiffon flowing in a U-shape down to the small of my back and up to my shoulders. A gift from my mother. There was no denying, the dress was breathtaking.

[Author's Notes: For those of you wanting to see the dress - type "Diyouth Baby Blue Chiffon Floor Length V-neckline Prom" in Google. It should be the first image.]

I stood staring at the figure in the reflection and Piper smiling beside me. "And we thought you couldn't get any more beautiful." She raised an eyebrow placing her hands on her hips. I sighed, giving her a nudge and she just giggled.

"Annabeth!" Katie squealed. "You look stunning!" The others started to swarm around me and I blushed immensely.

"I wish that was my dress." Juniper said,

"Well duh!" Thalia scoffed. "She looks damn sexy!" She was, grinning at me and I smiled back at her modestly. They went on complimenting me like that and I returned the compliments when they gave me the chance.

Maybe I seemed happy on the outside but on the inside, I was terrified.

The girls were all drinking flutes of champagne when I quietly slipped into the bathroom. My side was hurting again, it wasn't the stinging I'd come to know last week, it was more of a dull ache now. After treating the infection, the doctor had said it could take another week or two to heal.

Well it had been a week since they said that and I'm still not healed!

Slipping off my heels helped to subdue the pain a little though. I sighed, moving to stand in front of the mirror above the sink and stare long and hard at myself. My eyes were deep and demanding—why aren't you healing? What is wrong with you? They seemed to ask.

Carefully, I lifted up the flowing fabric of my dress up to my hips to look at the thin layer of bandaging wrapped around my waist. It looked okay but for a moment, I panicked about the possibility of it bleeding all the way through during the dance. That would be a nightmare. It was highly unlikely because it wasn't infected anymore but that layer of fear never really left me.

I dropped the blue fabric to the floor again with a heavy sigh. If my face wasn't covered with makeup, I'd probably be splashing myself with water from the tap right now.

"Annabeth!" Piper called from outside. "Do you want some champagne?"

Snatching up my heels, I rushed out of the bathroom. "I'll join you in a sec." I told her. "I'm just gonna get some air."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a bit hot in here and my cheeks are burning up." I lied, putting on the fakest smile ever but she seemed to buy it.

"Okay. Don't be gone too long, we need to be out there in 30 minutes."

"I won't." I called back as I left the room, shutting the door behind me.

A huge breath of air seeped out of my mouth. It was such a relief to be out of there.

The chatter and charming laughter of the guests could be heard much louder from the corridor. It all sounded very civil but the only thing I heard was my future humiliation.

I swiftly crossed the marble floor to the staircase that joined the West wing of the house to the East. The two staircases met at a platform in the middle before descending into a much larger one towards the hallway so I could tiptoe down this one easily without being seen.

My white shoes sat at the top of the steps, where I'd left them, looking rather cute in their isolation. Slowly now. Ever so carefully, I peeked around the corner and glimpsed the audience for the first time. There were so many people, I could hardly process it all. So many beautiful dresses and suits with black ties—the kind of attire that gave everyone a formality you would never see in school.

Music filled the air. Waiters glided between the guests, carrying trays topped with sparkling champagne flutes and fine wine. Others distributed floating rounds of colourful appetisers; smoked salmon and caviar blinis, spiced meats, golden pastries, and garnished salads.

Men had been coming in and out of the house all morning with supplies; crates of oranges and lemons and other rich fruits, boxes of the finest wines shipped in from France and Italy and enough lights to make a Christmas tree out of the garden. And my mother, front and centre, guiding everyone through the chaos.

We had tried to practice our routines with our partners while it was all going on but everything just sort of mixed into one huge, overwhelming disaster. My mother was such a charmer though, clapping with encouraging cries and a glowing excitement that stayed with her throughout the day. She glided through the busy hours and crowded staff, instructing everyone on what to do and where to be.

Her effortless authority would never cease to amaze me.

All her hard work had paid off, I could see that now. Everyone was having a good time with gleaming smiles on all their faces. Just the sheer number of people that had arrived and the double doors left open to welcome even more guests made my heart leap.

With a shrieking gasp, I stepped back, planting my back against the wall and smacking my head hard. I looked like a deer caught in headlights. My heart was hammering against my rib cage and a shivering chill came over me.

Breathe. I told myself, closing my eyes and clenching my fists. Just keep breathing.

All at once, everything started to hurt—my head, my lungs, my heart, my legs, the wound on my left side. Everything. I was starting to feel a little faint now.

Can someone please open a window?

I stumbled up the stairs, tripping once, and clinging to the bannister. My vision was going in and out. It was scary actually. A million things went through my mind: Is this a panic attack? Is my wound infected again? Am I going to faint? Somebody get my mother!

"Annabeth, are you okay?" Beckendorf asked, appearing out of nowhere and taking my arm halfway up the staircase.

I couldn't really speak, all the air had been sucked out of my lungs. My words came out in heavy pants.

"Here, just sit down and take a few deep breaths." He told me, sitting me down on one of the steps and carefully pushing my shoulders back against the wall. "Are you having a panic attack?" His eyes were full of concern as he gripped my hand tightly. "Is it your injury again? Does it hurt?"

I couldn't even manage to say one word to him.

Clearly, my lack of response sent a panic through him. "I'm gonna get your mom." He tried to stand up but I gripped his hand more tightly. I didn't want to be left alone. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay." He told me. "I'll be right back. You sit here and keep breathing, alright?"

I nodded—that I could do.

"Don't move." He quickly got to his feet and rushed downstairs, disappearing around the corner, out of sight.

My eyes fluttered against the pain in my side. Gods, I just wanted it all to be over. I wanted my wound to heal so that I could forget that night. With every sting I remembered the knife driving through my skin, with every burn I remembered the screams of my friends, with every ache I remembered watching the light disappearing from Silena's eyes. This tiny wound was causing me to relive all these terrible memories and it was driving me insane.

Song Tribute: [Can I Be Him – James Arthur] - (Requested by ZEMD06 )

Determined to regain whatever strength I had left in me, I slowly pulled myself to my feet and walked up the staircase. It was hard work and every step caused my side to jolt with shocks of pain. When I got to the top, I decided that was enough and sank to the right side of the top step, close to the wall. My shoes perched neatly next to me like a joke—there was no way I could wear those now.

My bare feet pressed against the marble step, soothing and cooling my rising temperature and my blue dress trailed around me like running water that spread across the floor and poured down the steps in waves.

All that was left to do now was wait—wait for my mother to come and sort me out. To sort everything out because that's what she does. That's what she'll always do. And Gods, what would I ever do without her?

Suddenly, I heard footsteps and my eyes drifted up from my lap to the tall, dark figure that came rushing around the corner. The world seemed to collapse in on me, ceilings crashing down and walls suffocating me in. I couldn't breathe.

Blink.

He appeared like a dream, his smooth black blazer rippling in the breeze of his motion, his tie swaying. His deep breaths panting and gasping from his lips, now the only sound that I could hear at all. Slowly, he came to a stop on the platform. His short, thick hair slightly brushing to the side and then suddenly his eyes. They rose painfully slowly, grating against the floor—dragging and dragging up the steps. One by one. Until finally, they fixated on me; the most brilliant and beautiful sea-green that any ocean had ever seen.

Blink.

Sunset sunlight came beaming around the corner from the huge windows above the front door, casting heavenly light that danced across the strands of his black hair and settled in the golden brown of his skin.

I could feel my heart rising up in my chest, flattening and spreading against my rib cage. He was the single most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. This was the first time I'd ever seen him wear a full suit. No converses. No leather jacket. Now everything that had ever been Godly about him was heightened by a striking black suit, blinding white shirt, polished shoes and sleek black tie.

He looked so gorgeous, I honestly thought I was going to die.

At first, I was too shocked to feel anything else. That one emotion consumed all the others like a huge wave that engulfed my whole being, forcing me to drown. All I could think about was, what was he doing here? How could he just appear out of nowhere?

"Percy—" I shot up to my feet, gasping like I had never sipped a breath of air in my life.

He looked worried, his eyes were shaking with fear, his body almost trembling. Somehow he knew about my little episode, about my collapsing on the staircase. Perhaps Beck had passed him on the way to finding my mother.

The fast reaction was a reckless move on my behalf, a shock-wave of pain exploded through my side and I gasped, gripping my stomach with both hands. Then I was sinking. Collapsing like a new-born fawn unable to control its own legs.

And suddenly his arms were around my waist and I came to a jolting stop. Heat from his body riveted through me and I looked up into his eyes, unable to form the words that so desperately wanted to scream at him. But the deep, swirling blues and greens of his iris' were all I needed to drug me into a sense of tranquillity that nobody could shake.

I was still half collapsed in on my legs with my knees almost touching the steps but Percy's grip on me was strong. A lock of his dark hair fell in his eyes as he leaned over me and for a moment, I wanted to reach up and brush it away.

"Annabeth—" He whispered. Gods, his voice. That was his voice!

We stumbled, breathlessly, to the floor entangled together. He lowered me gently to the step, gripping the bannister with one hand and we sat facing each other with our legs interwoven. The shock from seeing each other for the first time after all these weeks apart was indescribable. Neither of us could find the courage to speak first or the ability to breathe properly.

He was like a dream. Deep down, I knew that I knew him but a part of me thought that I didn't.

Looking up at his face now physically hurt. I spluttered breathlessly for words, eyes fluttering, head shaking slightly in disbelief.

"Are you okay?" He let out a yearnful sigh and pulled me closer pressing our foreheads together. We closed our eyes, breathing each other in. Both shaking from the adrenaline rush.

"Where have you be—" I tried to speak but my voice trailed off breathlessly.

He pulled away fast, frowning at me. "You didn't tell me you were like this!" His voice was harsh. He was angry. "How long has this been going on, Annabeth?"

I was so gob-smacked by his accusation that when I opened my mouth the only thing that came out was a bunch of inaudible sounds. What is he talking about? I'd been trying to contact him for months!

He exhaled hard, sliding a hand under my ear and pulling me into his chest. I whimpered from the proximity and the sound of his steady heartbeat. Then he slid his fingers up the back of my neck, into my hair and pressed his cheek to the crown of my head.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm so sorry."

All I could do was sob as I clutched his jacket and became swept away in his ocean scent. I'd missed that smell.

Then, all at once, the cavalry arrived. Jason came sprinting around the corner and up the steps with Grover close at his tail.

"Annabeth! Are you okay? What happened?" Jason demanded, kneeling on the step in front of us. He reached up to touch my forehead with the back of his fingers. Percy's cheek lifted off my head.

"You're burning up again." He frowned worriedly.

I smiled softly up at him, reaching out to take his hand, "I'm okay."

"Do you think we should get her some more Paracetamol?" Grover asked Jason without even considering my opinion. They'd both taken full control of the situation, no questions asked.

No doubt, Percy was a little confused right now and for good reason. He'd missed out on a lot while he was away. Seeing his two best friends fussing over me like this was completely unknown territory to him. I think he was struggling to come to terms with it.

"Athena's getting some." Jason replied, turning to me. "You gave me a right old fright." He sighed.

I smiled, looking into his sky blue eyes. "I'm sorry." I murmured, squeezing his hand and he smiled back at me.

"Just don't do that again."

All of a sudden, my mother came rushing up the steps with Beckendorf. She looked utterly beside herself when she saw me wiped out on the floor. Both Jason and Grover moved out of the way for her.

"Oh, sweetie!" She sighed, kneeling in front of me and taking my hands so that I had to sit up for her. She wore a gorgeous grey silk cocktail dress that smoothed down her slender figure all the way to a couple of inches above the knee.

"Let's get you to your feet now, come on." She chimed, pulling me up and fixing my hair and my dress for me. "Beckendorf said you collapsed on the staircase."

"Oh, not really. I just got a bit tired, that's all." I said, trying to smoothen out the drama from this chaotic situation.

"I knew it was a bad idea to make her do this." Jason frowned. "This whole thing is putting too much stress on her."

"We don't have to dance, Annabeth. We can call it off." Beck said.

"No, I want to do it. Silena would want me to do it." I told them firmly. "I feel fine, honestly."

"Are you sure?" My mother asked.

"Yes, absolutely."

"Okay, then." She smiled, touching my hair. "As long as you take a painkiller, I'll allow it."

I nodded and then Piper emerged from the bedroom. "Percy…" She gasped, jaw dropping to the floor, eyes blown as wide as saucers.

"Piper." Percy murmured, his eyes softening as if the very sight of her gave him relief. She was the familiar face that had never left his side. The face he could always rely on. She'd been there when I hadn't. A lot of the good things in his life, he owed to her.

Her eyes began to tear up as she slowly took a step until she was running across the open corridor towards him. She sank into his arms, clinging to him like she was scared he would disappear again. He held her so tightly and so firmly as if to make sure she was real.

"Where have you been? I called you like a thousand times." She sobbed.

He leaned back to wipe away her tears. "I'm sorry, Pips. I'll explain everything later but right now we've got bigger problems."

They both looked at me. "Oh, I said I'm fine." I snapped at him and there was an icy undertone to my voice. A hint of all the anger I'd felt towards him for the past few weeks.

"You boys better get downstairs. We're on in 10 minutes." My mother clapped her hands ushering them downstairs.

"But—" Percy started, glancing at me, his eyes deep and longing.

"Not to worry, handsome." My mother smiled at him, fixing his tie and patting his chest. "You'll see my daughter soon enough." Then she was slowly pushing him towards the stairs.

In a rush, he reached out for my hand, one step lower than me, and a shock ran up my arm to tickle my cheek. "I'll be waiting for you." He said. "I promise." He nodded, his eyes so full of sincerity.

It was a promise to make up for all the times he hadn't been—waiting for me.

Without realising it, I found myself slowly nodding back and then he was walking away and I was watching him go, frozen and still in shock.

"Now, I've got to assemble everyone together." My mother said, turning to me. "You take this." She handed me the small box of Paracetamol. "Get all the girls together." She told both me and Piper.

We nodded and she smiled at me, pulling me into a soft embrace. "You look absolutely beautiful, darling." She whispered, lightly kissing me on the top of my head. Then she leaned back to cup my cheeks and pull my chin up ever so slightly. "Remember to stand up straight and smile." I nodded, giving her a demonstration of my smile. "And don't be nervous. You'll be wonderful."

She said stepping back to take Piper's hand as well as mine. "You both will." Piper smiled brightly as my mother reached out to brush some fluff from her hair. "There," she said, "perfect."

We both grinned.

"I would say good luck but neither of you need it." She chimed and before I knew it we were saying our temporary goodbyes and she was descending the steps before disappearing around the corner.

Piper and I collected up my shoes and returned to the other girls in the bedroom who were going over last minute routine practices. I was still panting from the rush of the situation and Piper had to steady my arm a little.

Percy was back…

~xXx~

It was evening when it was time to go. Amara came in to tell us they were ready for us. We all smiled gathering together and walking towards the door. Drew went first looking at Amara's maid clothes distastefully as she strutted out the door. I couldn't believe how rude she'd be to someone she didn't even know. Amara was the sweetest person I've ever known.

I smiled at her as I walked out the door. "You look beautiful, my lady." She smiled proudly, making me blush.

"Thank you, Amara." I murmured giving her a quick hug before following the others to wait at the top of the staircase.

It was louder out here but the noise slowly died down as they announced the first person.

"Miss Juniper Green escorted by Mr Grover Underwood." An announcer called and the crowd began clapping as Juniper put on a sweet smile and slowly glided away. She wound her way down the staircase and disappeared out of sight before she reached the bottom. My heart raced in my chest and I forced myself to take a few deep breaths.

"Miss Katie Gardner escorted by Mr Travis Stoll." Katie gave us all a smile.

"Good luck girls." She whispered before she followed in Juniper's steps.

Of course, I'd walked down these stairs a million times but of course, I was still terrified of doing it wrong. What if I fall?

"Miss Drew Tanaka escorted by Mr Jamie Moore." We all stepped aside as Drew scoffed and strutted her way over to the top of the steps. She raised her eyebrows at me, putting her lips in a supercilious fashion before she put a fake looking nice smile on and went downstairs after the others.

One by one the girls were called out.

It wasn't long before it was just me and Piper left and I was getting more and more nervous by the second. I bit my lip and hugged my arms, trying to squeeze the butterflies in my stomach.

"Annabeth relax, you'll be fine." Piper assured me with her persuasive charmspeak.

I nodded but then the announcer introduced the next participant and it was me. "Miss Annabeth Chase escorted by Mr Charles Beckendorf."

I would have smiled at the fact that Beckendorf would be cringing at the sound of his real first name right now but I was too nervous to do anything but panic. I gulped, stumbling towards the staircase but Thalia cut me off. I frowned at her in confusion and she nodded to me and then to a smiling Piper before walking down the stairs.

Song Tribute: [Then – Anne-Marie] - (I'm pretty sure Ericahall490 requested this a while back.)

"Thalia, what—" I hissed but she was already gone. I looked back at Piper not knowing what to do. "What is she doing? I thought she wasn't dancing."

"Sorry hun...you'll be going last." She smiled secretively and I frowned at her.

"Piper, what's going on?"

"Nothing." She shrugged but she couldn't help smiling.

"What? So, I'm dancing on my own then?" I raised an eyebrow and she giggled.

I couldn't help but feel like I knew where this was going.

"Miss Piper McLean escorted by Mr Jason Grace." The announcer called and I panicked as Piper made her way over to the staircase where she would be leaving me.

"Trust me." She winked before she smiled and glided down the stairs as everyone clapped for her.

Gulp.

Okay, now I can really panic!

What in the hell were they planning? And how important was it to make Thalia, of all people, go out there and dance? If she was dancing with Beckendorf...who was I dancing with? I had a sudden gut feeling that I was going to be abandoned. I was going to walk down that staircase and be left standing there alone with no one. I gulped again, glancing down at my hands, my nails were painted with a French manicure but they were shaking.

Suddenly, I heard clapping and Amara came up behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "They called you on, my lady." She smiled softly, clearly seeing the fear in my eyes. "Take a deep breath and you'll do just fine."

I nodded, managing a smile before smoothing my hand over the marble bannister. Deep breath. Then I descended the staircase as gracefully as I could.

Around the corner, faces of guests appeared gleaming like the flash of a million cameras. Somehow the crowd had managed to grow in size. There was an eruption of cheers and applause for me, louder than anyone who had gone before.

Blood was pumping through my ears and the sound of it only heightened my nerves. I don't think I was smiling. Slowly, I continued to walk, pretending that everything was fine and that this was all according to plan.

Dear Gods, please save me.

And save me they did indeed.

Suddenly, I saw him, emerging from the crowd. He moved to stand at the bottom of the staircase in all his grace and glory. I could physically feel my heart rate increase in my chest as I neared the bottom of the steps.

The shock of the moment was evident in my eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was take his hand and dance...or maybe it wasn't. No, I was angry with him. I was supposed to be angry with him.

The crowd cheered extremely loudly for him, throwing in a few whistles. He gave me that famous smile and his eyes seemed to shine in the light of the chandelier; that beautiful sea-green colour that I remembered so clearly.

He slowly held out his arm and I just frowned at him for a while, standing at the bottom of the staircase. People were still clapping and cheering but the sound seemed as though it was a million miles away.

"You promised me the next dance." He murmured with that mesmerising smile of his, pleading with me to take his arm.

The ironic thing is that I had. I had promised him the next dance. With a sigh, I reluctantly took his arm, letting him lead me to the dance floor.

Music was playing now. Somewhere between classical and current but I heard a different song.

We took our places at the end of the line. I let out a shaky breath as he let go of my arm to stand across from me. He looked so good it was almost frustrating.

He couldn't just waltz his way back into my life like this. He knew that I couldn't exactly refuse to dance with him otherwise I'd be an embarrassment. He was practically forcing me to forgive him and judging by the way dancing with him, before, made me feel, it was a good tactic. The moment his hand would be on my waist I'd be in the palm of his hand. It wasn't fair.

"You don't even know the dance." I whispered with a frown as we took a step towards each other. He bowed and I curtsied along with the others before stepping back again.

His bow took me aback though. He looked like he knew exactly what he was doing. Was Percy just naturally good at everything? Because that wouldn't actually surprise me.

"I guess we'll see." He smirked. Urgh! I wanted to strangle him!

Suddenly, it was time to dance and I caught my breath as we made the first move, holding up our right hands and beginning to slowly circle each other. I couldn't help but think that this was the part where you were supposed to flirt with your eyes and how it came so naturally to Percy. He didn't even have to flirt with his eyes, one look at him and you'd fall.

We stopped at our original positions again and began to circle each other with our left hands this time. "You look stunning if it isn't obvious." He said in a low, confident voice. It was quiet enough for no one else to hear but loud enough for me to. My heart skipped a beat and I gulped a little. No. Stop it. Don't fall for it.

"Thank you." I said softly but ensuring that there was no emotion behind it. We arrived back in our original positions and separated again. I took a deep breath, using this short time we had apart to calm myself down before stepping back in, using two hands to circle around him this time.

Song Tribute: [Fix You – Coldplay]

I took one last breath once we had separated and then in a matter of moments he was smoothing his hand onto my waist and I was placing mine on his shoulder. Our palms were fitted perfectly together and we began to waltz. I had been right, the moment he put his hand on my waist I got that giddy feeling in my stomach as if I was flying but falling at the same time.

Our chests didn't touch but the close proximity was enough to make my heart rate increase even more than I thought was humanly possible. I didn't like it but I did. It was just all so frustratingly confusing. I felt myself slowly falling in love with him all over again and no matter how much I told myself that it was a bad idea, there was nothing I could do to stop it.

My heart had been stolen from the moment he'd walked into the room.

"Annabeth—" He whispered with a sigh and I knew he was about to apologise because he had that look in his eyes. They were soft and sincere and almost impossible to look away from.

"Don't." I cut him off but my voice came out weak and I looked away, trying to hold back tears.

Wasn't it fair of me to be upset? I'd been in a dark place and he never even said a word, nothing at all, no text to let me know he was okay. Nothing. Last time I'd seen him, I'd been bleeding to death in his arms and he'd told me he loved me and I'd said it back.

"Please, just let me—" He pressed but I cut him off again by spinning around. My dress flew out around me like a bright blue flower. It wasn't part of the dance but it was all I could think of to stop him from talking.

He suddenly pulled me right up against him forcefully and I gasped as we were almost nose to nose. We were no longer part of this dance or even this world now. We were in our own little one.

In one swift motion, he dipped my body back and my head tilted before he pulled me up again slowly, in time to the music. People began cheering but I didn't really notice. We were nose to nose again now and I was breathing heavily.

I gulped shaking my head slowly and he nuzzled my nose gently with his. "There are so many things I want to tell you. So many things I can't explain." He murmured, he probably didn't even mean to make his voice sound good but it did.

A small whimper escaped my mouth and I stumbled away before I gave into him. Our lips had been inches apart and it took everything I had in me not to close the gap. I turned, trying to walk away but he grabbed my hand and yanked me back over to him. I could hear people wolf whistling and cheering in the background but as usual, I didn't focus on them, I was focusing on Percy who was a breath away and whose chest was rising and falling against mine rapidly.

"Let me go." I frowned, struggling in his arms but he wrapped his arms around my waist and locked me into a death grip. I subtly struggled in his grip, pushing hard against his chest but he wouldn't let go.

"Percy, let me go." I said a little louder.

At that moment, he swiftly reached up to cup my cheeks. I gasped loudly, looking up at him in shock. We were both deadly still now, standing in the middle of the dance floor while the others danced around us, trying to act natural while we ruined everything. A few of them threw subtle irritated glances our way.

Finally, I managed to push him off me. He stumbled away, hurt.

I gathered up my dress, turned swiftly on my heels and ran away as fast as I could, abandoning him in the middle of the dance floor. I weaved my way around the dancing couples and pushed through the crowd, ignoring their shocked, confused faces and burst out onto the terrace.

The darkening sky was misty in its humidity as I rushed away into the night. I didn't know where I was going, all I knew was that I had to get away from here. I quickly made my way down the steps and onto the pathway and then I just kept running. I heard him calling after me but I didn't look back.

I stopped just by the huge water fountain and held my stomach as I took a few deep breaths. I couldn't put myself through this again, he'd left me when I'd needed him most and I wasn't going to forgive him just to let him do it all over again. If our relationship consisted of one of us angering or leaving the other then was it really worth fighting for?

I looked at my reflection in the rippling water, it was blurry and unrecognisable. I had become an entirely different person because of him and it scared me how much I liked it— how much I liked him. I sighed as I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. It was breezy when I opened them again and looked up at the sky, pressing my palms to the fountain's edge. The moon was out already and the sky was a misty blue colour, just starting to fade.

"Annabeth, come back inside." Percy pleaded, his voice was louder now and I turned to see him standing a few metres away. I frowned at him shaking my head as I hugged my arms. He sighed softly. "Beth, please...just listen to me—" He started towards me.

"You missed Silena's funeral." I cut him off suddenly. "Everyone was there...everyone but you. W-why would you abandon her like that? Why would you abandon me like that?"

"It's complicated—" He mumbled as though this was difficult for him.

Well it was difficult for me too!

I scoffed. "Oh it's complicated, is it?" I snapped. He flinched a little. "Everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie." I frowned. "Is everything you said at the theatre a lie too?"

"No!" He cut me off instantly pulling me towards him by the hand. "God, no! Annabeth, you're the only thing in my life that I'm sure about." I gulped at that. His eyes were sincere and I reluctantly found myself believing him. Maybe it was just the closeness that was getting to me again and the feeling of my hand in his.

"Don't hate me." He whispered. "Please, I could never handle you hating me."

I caught my breath at that, feeling my heart rate speed up but that just frustrated me even more. The fact that he could just say a few words and have me wrapped around his finger not only irritated me but scared me too. He had so much control over me it was terrifying.

"You left me when I needed you most." I said steadily. "You abandoned Silena."

"I know, I know." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't handle grief very well. I just...I had to make things right. It was my fault, I had to—"

"It wasn't your fault! And I was grieving too you know!" I cut him off, pulling my hand out of his grip and walking away towards the tunnel of trees that led deeper into the back garden.

"Annabeth... Annabeth!" He called running after me along the wide stone pathway.

"You don't know the first thing about being someone's friend!" I replied, still not turning around as I continued to walk away. The trees were engulfing us now, creating a darkness around us but the golden nightlights set the greenery aglow.

"Maybe I don't wanna just be your friend." He said matching my fast walking pace beside me.

"You don't know what you want." I scoffed slightly, shaking my head.

"You know what I think?"

"What?" I rolled my eyes, still not looking at him.

"I think you're just scared."

"Scared?" I snapped, swiftly turning to face him and he came to a sudden stop. "Do I look scared to you right now?"

"Terrified." He murmured softly.

My eyes weakened as a lump formed in my throat. "Why?" I whispered.

"Because you're scared I'm gonna say exactly what you're thinking right now."

"What am I thinking right now, Percy?" I sighed, slightly exasperated.

"That I wanna be with you." He said forcefully as if he really meant it. I caught my breath looking up at him in shock. "And you can look at me like that all you want but I know that you wanna be with me too."

"You can't just manipulate your way back into my life." I said breathlessly, shaking my head.

"I'd use every trick in the book to get you, Annabeth Chase." He murmured, smiling softly and stepping towards me. He smoothed his hands up my arms and over my shoulder, making me shudder until he finally cupped my cheeks and gently pushed my hair back.

"I'd take you right here...right now, only if you'd let me." He said in a low voice and my whole body seemed to melt into a pile of mush.

He leaned in closer but I slowly turned away before he could kiss me. It was just a slight movement so we ended up having the sides of our foreheads pressed together. He sighed heavily.

"Beth...I'm trying here, okay." He murmured.

I sighed, turning so that our foreheads were centrally pressed together. "Stop trying." I whispered, almost pleading, and swiftly pulled away. I turned my back to him and walked a fair distance before stopping.

Song Tribute: [Never Let Me Go – Florence + The Machine]

It was like my feet couldn't walk any further away from him because every instinct in my body was telling me to turn around. I hugged my arms and closed my eyes, letting out a breath as the gentle breeze blew strands of hair against my lips.

He was walking towards me now, slowly—cautiously. I panicked. "Don't." I whispered, still not turning around.

"Why not?" He murmured in response.

No, I couldn't give in like this. Who would I be if I gave into this? The wind was pulling me away but everything else was pushing me towards him. Pulling. Pushing. Pulling. Pushing.

I couldn't. I can't. I won't.

"Annabeth..."

I let out a shaky breath, shaking my head lightly as my hair blew in the breeze. And that was it...I was gone. I couldn't hold myself back anymore. I wanted him. I wanted to be in his arms again, twisting my fingers into his hair. I wanted all of it and there was nothing holding me back anymore.

I ran to him, crashing into his arms and pressing my lips to his. He gripped my waist instantly as I smoothed my hand over his neck, pulling him closer as we moved our lips together desperately and passionately. I stood on my tip toes, pressing my chest against his, wanting to close every gap there was keeping us apart. The wind whipped around us in the darkening atmosphere but nothing seemed to matter other than Percy.

Soft and tender turned firm and frenzied. He pushed me against a nearby tree, forcefully pressing my back against it as we kissed like we'd never kissed before. The intoxicating feeling made this, by far, the best kiss of ours yet.

He broke away, flushed, eyes shining a brilliant blue...or green...I could never tell. His pupils were dilated hugely and his heart was hammering against mine.

"That was." He gasped, shaking a little, although his grip on me was steady and firm. "That was—intense."

"It's been a while," I murmured, touching his hair gently. The back of my head was leaning against the tree and he'd enclosed me in his arms.

He nodded, too speechless to say anything else yet. For a moment, I traced a finger down the side of his face and focused on how soft his skin was there. He watched my eyes as I did it, gently searching.

When finally I met his, it was all I needed to give me the confidence to say what I wanted to say next. "I love you, Percy Jackson. I think I've always loved you."

He smiled like he'd never heard something so magical in his wonderfully epic life. "I love you too." He said. "God, I love you so much it hurts. I mean, what the hell are you doing to me, Chase? This is bad for my reputation. What am I supposed to do now?"

I couldn't help smiling up at him in the golden glow of the night lights.

"Ah!" He gasped dramatically, spinning away from me as he placed a hand over his heart. "Ah!" He keeled over a little and I was worried for a second. "Quit smiling like that!" He cried, straightening up and jittering like a puppy. "You're making my heart spasm! What am I supposed to do when you smile like that when we're alone?" He whined, jumping up and down a little. His tone reminded me somewhat of a kid throwing the cutest tantrum ever.

"Percy!" I laughed, looking away and covering my face in embarrassment.

"Do you wanna kill me or something?" He asked.

"Aah!" I cried at his silliness.

"My heart will break."

I giggled, dropping my head. He grinned at my reaction like he thought it was cute. "Let's go." I grabbed his arm, pulling him away but he whipped me right back up against the tree.

"Percy," I tittered, "what are you doing?"

But he wasn't playing around anymore. He blocked me in with his hands pressed to the tree and looked down at me with deep eyes. For a while, he didn't do anything. He just looked at me. Really looked at me. It made me nervous. And then, with a smile at my adorableness, he cupped my cheeks and kissed my forehead.

"Come on." He grinned, taking my hand and pulling me away. I rolled my eyes, smiling like an idiot as I stumbled after him.

~xXx~

AAAAWWW SO CUTE! Hang on while I just melt into a puddle of mush for a sec.

How did I do? I hope it was okay.

I'm sorry if you thought there was too much fluff, I just feel like we all deserved a light chapter after so many heavy, depressing, scary ones. And after everything that has happened to our baby Percabeth, they deserve at least one moment of happiness without it being ruined by evil step-brothers, high school bitches, Red-heads with attitude or people dying.

I made some last minute changes. Originally, I had Percy and Annabeth meeting for the first time at the bottom of the steps during the dance and then I decided to add in that little scene first bc I felt like they needed a more intense reunion. And I wanted Percy to know that Annabeth was in pain.

I got inspiration for this chapter from a couple of things:

The Vampire Diaries - Delena!

A Walk To Remember

And Strong Girl of course

To the Guest who wrote this review:

Guest chapter 15 . Apr 16

Hey AWG i really like your work, you are my favourite teen romance writer and i really enjoyed your story. I am a boy btw, thought it would be interesting to know that not just girls like the story, gods i am rambling aren't i? Well whatever best wishes and one last thing. I NEED MORE CHAPTERS... Lots of love!

You just made my day! I love it when I hear from boys too, you're not the only one. Thank you so so much! I can't tell you how much this made me smile. MORE CHAPTERS ARE COMING SOON! Lots of love ~ AWG

~oOo~

The next chapter will pick up pretty much straight from where we've left off. So don't worry, you won't miss anything.

As for my updating schedule, a couple of you have been asking about it.

So basically. I originally used to post every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Then I cut out Monday. And then I switched from Saturday to Sunday. Now, I'm basically aiming to post once a week on either Mon, Wed or Sun. Usually, it's Sunday! But sometimes I miss weeks because a girl's gotta work!

When we get to June-July, I'll be able to update way more frequently!

See you next week chicas. It's possible I might actually post this Sunday anyway. We'll see.

Lots of love

~ AWG xx