Piper…

Piper woke up and smiled. The ceiling of her small cabin aboard the Argo II glowed red and orange in the morning sunrise. The world looked perfect… Piper almost choked. She had almost forgotten… That Annabeth and Percy… that they had. …

Piper groaned and thrust her head in her pillow. Tears streamed down her face. How could the world look so beautiful? Her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend were in Tartarus. The world wasn't fair. But since when was it? Her own father didn't know she was a demigod. Her mother was the horrid goddess of love, Aphrodite. Her own thought had been messed with... she thought she had been dating a boy; who she hadn't even meet! Thankfully, she and Jason were dating, so maybe, just maybe Percy and Annabeth were alright, and could be saved.

'Can't charm speak your way out of this one,' Piper thought. She felt so useless. She thought how Annabeth must be feeling. Piper was one a beautiful war ship with her boyfriend, off to sail to Greece- where Annabeth had always wanted to go. And Annabeth, she was stuck in Tartarus, sure with her boyfriend- who she hadn't seen in months- and trying to fight there way through the worst monsters, in the worst location in the mortal or godly worlds. Piper sighed. There was no way they could save Percy and Annabeth unless they found the House of Hades. And defeated all Gaea's forces…. And then found a way to pull the couple out of Tartarus. Lucky, lucky Piper. What had she gotten herself into? Piper remembered when she first came to Camp Half Blood; how broken Annabeth had seemed, after only looking for Percy for three days. After months, things just got worse. Even though Annabeth knew where Percy was, she didn't rest. Piper flashed back to one day about 4 months after Percy was gone,

It was lunch, on a Saturday, in February so the only ones at camp where the year-rounders, and Annabeth. Leo and the Hephaestus cabin had just finished the hull of the ship and where beginning the details.

Malcolm walked over and sat at the Athena cabin, in the head counselors seat, at the top of the table. Piper wondered where Annabeth was. She got up and slipped away from the commotion of a starting food fight ad ran to the Athena cabin. She knocked but no one answered. The door swung open and Piper stepped inside. The room was intimidating. Hundreds of books, and old scrolls lined shelves, SMART Boards hummed, hoping to be turned on. Tables covered in papers took up most of the floor space, and the walls were covered with maps, diagrams, drawings and cork boards. Bunks were pushed against the back wall, where private desks and wall spaces were individualized.

Piper felt like she was intruding but at the same time she felt compelled to move forward, almost like at the Hera cabin; back on her first day. Only now the draw wasn't good or evil, it was pained and sad, like you were getting a peck at someone else's doomsday.

Most of the bunks were empty; but one had the name Annabeth painted above it. Piper saw a box open on the bed. Inside was an envelope with pictures inside. One was of a 12 year old, boy drooling in his sleep, with the words TO BE USED AS REVENGE LATER printed under it. The boy had dark black hair, that fell loosely over his eyes, which were a startling bright green. Another showed a thirteen year old hugging a girl with blonde hair in an air bubble under water. The girl seemed to be crying. Startled Piper realized these were pictures of Annabeth and Percy Jackson. A third shot showed the same boy, Percy, at age thirteen staring wistfully over the horizon. There was another picture that didn't make any sense to Piper; it was of a guinea pig, fussy and fast. The picture was a little blurred but the words PERCY AS A HOUSE PET; HOW CONTAINABLE was typed under the sheet. Percy? House pet? Piper decided to ask Annabeth later if she had a pet guinea pig named Percy hidden anywhere. Another picture showed the two of them dancing, they looked about fourteen. There was a picture of Percy holding up an invisible weight. The words STILL NEED TO THANK HIM FOR THAT where written in pretty cursive just above the boy's head. A shot showed Annabeth giving the boy a kiss on the lips, but she looked ready to bolt. Another one expressed two 16 looking year olds, standing next to a body of water where two rivers meet. Was that New York City behind them? People all around were sleeping, as if under a spell. The last picture showed the two of them kissing, underwater again, but a real kiss. They looked really in love. A note read, From: Hermes (God of taking pictures in the PERFECT moments) Good luck you two!

Under the envelope, where some newer pictures of her and Percy kissing, laughing, and on or two of Annabeth yelling too. There was a recipe for blue cookies, and a picture of a nice woman with Percy next to her. Sally Jackson was printed under it. A couple other pictures showed Annabeth, Thalia, and another boy, Luke. Annabeth looked about 7, Thalia was 12, and Luke was 14. Pictures of Annabeth's family Piper had already seen so there was nothing new there. Last in the box was a photo of Percy kissing Annabeth goodnight by a blazing campfire. It seemed winter, with lights and a bright Christmas tree. The words- just after break started, three weeks with Percy Yeh!

Piper realized this was her last moment with Percy… the night before Hera abducted him.

Quickly and as quietly as possible Piper put all the items back in the box just as they had been, left the cabin, and went out to find Annabeth. Piper figured her best bet was the Poseidon cabin. Annabeth was inside sitting on achair pulled up by a desk. She had a letter in her hand.

"Annabeth, here you are," Piper said calmly, "I've been looking for you."

"I hit another dead end- you know, where the Roman camp could be," Annabeth choked out.

Piper sighed, "Annie, don't lose hope, you will find him."

"It's not even that- it's just, what if he is like Jason, and-and doesn't remember anything. What if he forgot me? I don't know if I could live like that."

"I saw your pictures in your room. If your love is as strong as I imagine- then you don't need to worry. Even if he forgot, he will eventually remember," Piper reassured her.

"I hope so," was Annabeth's only response.

Annabeth never really lost hope, Piper thought. She had way to high of an opinion of Percy to believe he could fail. Annabeth knew he would be fine in the Roman camp. Her only worries were that he would have grown to attached to leave, or that he would forgot her.

But in the end Percy didn't forget; nor was he too attached. Everything should have been fine. Everything had been fine. Until Gaea had played her move. And Leo attacked the Romans. And they had fled. Yeh, everything should have been fine.

Piper groaned. She missed her best friend already. This entire predicament made her mad. Mainly because, her mother, goddess of love had something to do with it. Without love then maybe, just maybe Annabeth would have left the cavern earlier and survived. All these maybes. 'Piper, you need to push them away. It doesn't matter what could have happened, it matters what did and what will. More importantly what will. ' Piper thought to herself.

"What will happen," Piper mumbled, "we will save them and defeat Gaea."

Piper's sadness and pity where replaced with anger and rage. Even a little determination formed inside Piper. They were going to get her friends back. They would not just let them die. Not without a fight.

Piper remembered how glad Annabeth had been when Mrs. Blofis/Jackson had called.

It was 9 o'clock and the campers had just finished breakfast and were heading out to do their morning activities after a little free time. Piper intended on checking in on Leo, then practicing her charm speak some more over large crowds. Just then Chiron's cell phone went off. A second later Annabeth's started playing a tune that sounded suspiciously like 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. Momentarily confused the campers froze.

Annabeth picked up her phone from the table and said, "Hello?"..."Oh hi Sally, what is the ne- no way. Of course, I'll-I'll be there in umm 10 minutes."

With that Annabeth dropped her phone, stuffed the rest of her donut in her mouth, and ran to the stables.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The dial tone ended on the girl's phone just as Chiron was saying, "Of course Mr. Blofis, Sally. That is wonderful. Thank you for informing us. Err; yes Ms. Chase as already left. We hope to see your son again soon. And- we shall inform everyone. Thank you."

With a look of disbelief Chiron said, "Percy Jackson is alive. He called his mother, he is on a quest."

The campers had burst out in cheers and laughter. "Prissy would keep us waiting for months wouldn't he," Clarisse said cheerfully.

After Annabeth had returned from visiting Ms. Jackson via Blackjack the four of them had almost immediately set of aboard the Argo II. She had never given up hope, and neither would Piper. But Piper wouldn't drown herself in worry and pity either, she had moved on. Moved on…

Sorry this wasn't up yesterday! The computer, where the entire story is stored would not turn on. Finally it did, but it was too late to do anything last night. But here you go! Hope you like it. Up next Nico, then Hazel, and Frank. Thank you for those who reviewed. READ and REVIEW!