Thank you to everyone who didn't give up on me! You guys are beautiful and wonderful and I wouldn't trade this group of readers for the world. Love you all!

Aphrodite, as one of you pointed out, is slightly OOC. I apologize, because she pops up again in this chapter, but it's harder than it seems bringing someone "into character." So I don't think I'm going to try. I'm taking the lazy way around things.

Actually, Annabeth and Percy might be a little OOC, too, but only because they have never talked about sex before. So deal with it. I'm doing the best I can.

Anyways, please read and tell me what you think! Glad everyone likes the fluff!

oOo

PERCY'S POV

My dreams were not in my favor that night if I valued my sanity.

When I first opened my eyes, I was looking down upon the beach.

The sand was powdery white and the ocean was a magnificent blue, with a cloudless sky and warm orange sun. There, spread out on the sand was a checkered blanket. On the blanket I sat in a pair of swim trunks. It was odd, though… I knew it was me, but I looked…different. The change wasn't clear, though. I still had the same hair, the same face, held myself the same way, but all of the imperfections were wiped out. It was as if I was something else looking at me, someone who obviously liked me a lot.

Next to me on the checkered blanket was Annabeth in a scanty yellow polka-dotted bikini (something, might I point out, that the real Annabeth would never touch). Like the Other Me, she was different. She was 100% with no doubt the Annabeth Chase I was curled up with at that moment in the real world, but she was indescribably beautiful, skin and hair damp and face split into a grin as we had an inaudible conversation.

The Other Me said something, which made the both of them burst out laughing. Annabeth shoved my shoulder a little and said something into my ear, which made us both turn pink but laugh harder.

I was irked that the real me wasn't let in on the joke, but all I could do was keep watching.

For a few more seconds the two of us in the dream laughed, but Annabeth got a more bold—perhaps devious —look on her face and said something with a matter-of-fact expression and leaned a little closer to the Other Me. The Other Me shrugged and replied, closing the distance between them and gathering Annabeth onto his chest and kissing her.

Wait a second—

I don't think I appreciated that. Even though it was me down there, I didn't like how he was treating her, where his hands were going. She didn't seem to mind, but—

The corners of the scene began growing foggy, like someone breathing on a cold pane of glass.

The last thing I saw before the picture completely disappeared was the Other Me reaching to undo Annabeth's bikini top.

I stumbled into the next dream with my fists balled up and in a fuming rage.

It was the room I was in before, with the marble columns and shining white walls and the faint smell of perfume wafting around. Knowing where she'd be, I wheeled around on my feet to come face-to-face with Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

"That was seriously uncalled for," I said through gritted teeth, barely containing nasty words.

Aphrodite adjusted the straps of her white, floor-length dress and shrugged, not bothering to keep a sly smile off of her face. "Now, Perseus, don't go getting so upset at me. That was you down there, sweets, not I."

"That wasn't me," I argued, fists still balled. "You created that out of your own fantasies, not mine. You planted that into my head."

"And into Annabeth's."

"Annabeth's?"

The goddess tutted. "Lower your voice, demigod, I don't like being yelled at. But yes, I did. I've already discussed things with her as well, but obviously, neither of you are too happy with this favor I did you."

"It wasn't a favor." I grabbed at my hair and made a frustrated noise in the back of my through. The rage had not dwindled; it filled my gut like hot coals. "You probably just ruined our entire vacation! If only I had the dream I could keep it from her without making things awkward, but now the both of us saw that—"

"What was wrong with it, pray tell, young half-blood?" Aphrodite was not taking my anger at her too well. Her slim arms were crossed over her chest and her brows were slightly knit.

Her question threw me off. What was wrong with it? Well… we…

I snorted, crossing my arms as well and scowling heavily at the floor. "…I would never disrespect Annabeth like that, My Lady. She's more than just my girlfriend; she's my best friend. I'd never even consider…"

Aphrodite's fine eyebrows lifted. "Oh, but haven't you?"

"…Not seriously, My Lady. Like I said, I respect her."

"She didn't look like she minded too much."

"She wasn't herself in that dream, either."

The goddess sighed heavily and puckered her lips quizzically at me again. "I suppose you're going to say again that she doesn't think of you in that way?"

I didn't say anything to that. After what had happened the day before—on the dance floor, feeling her in my arms, her lips bear my ear, her telling me she loved me… Maybe she does, but I-I respect her. There was no way I would….

But would you?

No. No, I wouldn't. Absolutely not.

Next to us on the wall, a mirror materialized, a giant one twice the height and ten times the width of me. All I saw was just me and just Aphrodite.

"Percy, did you wonder why you looked so different in the vision I sent to you earlier?" she asked in a gentle voice, stepping closer to me. "Each of your subconscience had a role to play in the making of that vision. You saw how perfect Annabeth was to you, did you not?"

I looked up at her with my brows furrowed and lips pursed uneasily.

"You each got the exact same picture." Aphrodite touched the mirror and the glass melted into the scene I had seen earlier, though this was just a motionless view. Me and Annabeth, arms curled around each other's waists.

Yes, I saw how beautiful Annabeth was. Even seeing her like that in a picture, something inside of me felt like it was reaching out, wanting to wrap around her, pulling me closer to her, as I always felt around her.

The goddess of love reached out and touched Annabeth's motionless picture with a delicate finger. "This is how you see her. Flawless, perfect in your eyes. Is she not?"

With a slightly lump in my throat, I nodded and admitted, "She is."

Aphrodite slid her finger down to the picture of me next to her; flawless as well, much better than I was in real life. "Well, this is how she sees you, Perseus Jackson. Gorgeous, poised, funny, sure of yourself; everything she wants you to be and sees you as."

The picture melted back into a mirror. Again, we were just looking at Aphrodite and me in the room we were in, but it wasn't entirely me. It was the glorified version of Percy Jackson. Immediately, it reminded me of Circe's island. Before I got turned into a guinea pig, Circe stood me in front of a mirror and showed me how I'd look with all my flaws erased. Straighten my teeth, tan my skin, trim my hair, tone my muscles to perfection, give me designers clothing and a winning smile.

When I was looking into the mirror with Aphrodite, however, it was different. I was still me, still in my own clothes with the same teeth and hair and smile, just…better. Just in Annabeth's eyes. No frothy pink drink would erase my flaws because in her eyes…they didn't need to be erased. I was just right.

The thought was oddly comforting, though corny.

Aphrodite looked smug as she wiped the mirror away. "What I showed you, Percy, was not meant to create any problems. You were as she sees you and she was as you see her. If you both embrace that connection, the fantasy I showed you can easily become reality. You two would fit together like puzzle pieces."

I kept my gaze on the ground. I didn't want to admit that she was right. Maybe she really wasn't. I loved Annabeth—the night before only strengthened that feeling—and I couldn't imagine a life without her hand in mine, but was the goddess telling the truth? If we both accepted our feelings and displayed them outwardly and put aside all the negative feelings our parents had towards each other, would things veer in that direction?

Is that even a choice? What I saw in the vision thing was most definitely…not something I'd consider doing at that point. It seemed really disrespectful to Annabeth as a girl, but Aphrodite was right. She didn't look like she minded, and if the goddess was right, then if we were to "embrace our feelings" then—

I exhaled loudly and rubbed my eyes. "Why did you chose to help our relationship? I'm pretty sure there are a ton of other bickering old people in New York that could use a little nudge."

"It's my job, Percy. I do not take these things lightly." Aphrodite gave me a warm smile, but her head suddenly perked a little as if she'd heard something. "…We're almost out of time. Remember what I told you, young half-blood. I won't be visiting anymore because your father…disapproves, but I hope our little chats have been enlightening."

"Enlightening…" I mumbled, knowing that whatever the word was for our "chats," "enlightening" was not one.

"It's always your choice." The goddess took a step towards me and extended a slender hand as if to touch my forehead, but had on a scrutinizing look as if there was a giant zit throbbing there. "Just know that there is nothing to be afraid of. Be yourself around her; that's all she really wants. Until we speak again, Percy."

Like getting a burlap sack thrust over my head, everything suddenly became black and stifling, and I woke.

My eyes pride themselves open.

I glanced over to my left and realized with a jolt that Annabeth was still in my arms. She almost always woke before me. Why was she—?

Oh, gods. Aphrodite said that she'd talked to Annabeth, too, didn't she?

With my free hand I reached up to run my fingers through my hair and tighten my lips, taking the last few seconds of silence to think what I could do. I didn't have a few seconds, though, because the second I moved my arm Annabeth shifted. Her eyelashes fluttered against my shoulder and she blinked up at me, an indecipherable expression in her grey eyes. It was obvious that she had been up for a while thinking.

Maybe Aphrodite hadn't told the truth.

I cleared my throat. "…Good morning."

"Morning," she said, propping her chin up on her hand, which was resting against my chest. "Sleep well?"

I rolled my eyes over to her in the most sarcastic, incredulous look I could muster.

Annabeth tried to grin, but it was halfhearted and pink. "Thought not. You too, huh?"

"I swear," I mumbled, closing my eyes and sinking into the blankets, wanting to shut away everything. "She's going to kill me one of these days."

"Percy?"

"Mm?"

"That's what's been bothering you, isn't it? Those few nights ago when Aphrodite first visited you, she didn't just say that she talked to Poseidon, did she? She mentioned…this before?"

In order to avoid Annabeth's gaze, I took my arm away from her and sat up on the other side of the bed, rubbing my neck with a hand. At least she was taking it better than I was. Perhaps Aphrodite had softened the whole thing for her, leaving out the whole sex part. In the ideal world that would have happened, but sadly, this was not the ideal world and Aphrodite wasn't the most merciful goddess.

When Annabeth didn't move or say anything, I stood and shuffled over to my pack and pretended to rummage around in it for clothes. Despite the comfort level, I doubt my mom would be peaches and cream with me walking out of the bedroom—with a girl—only wearing boxers.

There was a slight rustle from the bed and Annabeth walked up behind me. "Did she, Percy?"

My lips pursed again and I turned my head to look down at her. So delicate…a few inches shorter than me…lovely blond curls that were messy from sleep…those grey eyes…

"…More or less." My attempt at a smile felt more like a grimace. "I didn't want to mention it because it would…ruin things. Make things weird between us."

Annabeth curled her hands up on my bare chest and stared at them in thought, head tilted downwards.

After what I thought could have been years, she finally spoke again.

"…Percy…" she began, cheeks turning a faint pink but nothing else betraying the set look of her jaw. "It…It is really your choice. I mean, if you want—"

"No." I stopped her right then and there, quickly grabbing her hands and moving them away from my chest, staring her right in the eyes and not caring if I was pink, too. My heart had begun thrumming swiftly in my throat but I ignored it, gripping Annabeth's hands as if they were grenades. "No," I repeated firmly. "I will not disrespect you like that, Annabeth. You saw that—whatever that was. You saw it. That wasn't us, that wasn't me. I would never—I mean… You did see it, didn't you?"

Why was I suddenly doubting myself?

Annabeth nodded unsurely.

"I'll never do that to you," I whispered, loosening my grip on her hands a little, letting our fingers wind together. "If there was any way to hurt a perfect girl it's to…to do that to her, to treat her like—" The words were fumbling out my mouth, but she was letting me fumble. "You're not just a girlfriend. I value you as a best friend more than anything and I don't want to…. I'd never…I'd never do that to you."

For a while she was silent, staring at a spot somewhere on my chest, biting her lips, gaze averted.

"…You'd never…do that to me," Annabeth repeated softly after a while.

"No." I brought her hands up in mine and let myself take a second to breathe and press her small fingers against my lips. "No, I wouldn't. You deserve better than someone who wants that."

She flicked her gaze up to mine and a brief smile crossed her face. "So it's not because I'm the daughter of Athena?"

I couldn't help but laugh, but it was sharp and anxious. "I don't care who your mother is, Annabeth."

"…You said to me. Not with me."

It felt like my lungs shriveled up to the size of prunes and I couldn't think past the fluttering of my stomach and the pounding of my heart in my throat.

When she noticed my reaction, Annabeth shifted.

"But it's just because you're afraid that you're disrespecting me?" she asked. "Not for any other reason? You're not afraid of our parents killing us in our sleep? You're not afraid of getting stuck with me the rest of your life? I'm not too hideous to look at?"

"Annabeth, I honestly couldn't care less about what our parents think of our relationship. And I want to be stuck with you the rest of our lives, hideous or not hideous, and you're most certainly not. It's just…" My voice trailed off.

I recognized that look on her face, and I knew it would only get me into trouble. When I imagined where the conversation could lead and remembered my dream, a sick feeling settled in my stomach.

"Never mind," I said quietly and turned to grab some clothes from my pack. "Just forget it." Without another word, I stomped off into the bathroom to sulk.

As I dressed slowly, my brain refused to drop the subject. What was most upsetting, though, was how I was inclined to act about it. Since it was clear that Annabeth wasn't bothered by it much and Aphrodite was so convinced it would work, deep in my gut I had the urge to say, "Screw it all," and just go wherever it took me. I was upset at that, but also upset that I was upset. I wanted to trust them but it was myself that I didn't trust. Aphrodite kept telling me not to be afraid but—

Was I afraid? Was that al? Was that what was stopping me?

Struggling with a battle waging in my own head, I brushed my hair back with a frustrated hand and shuffled out to go to the kitchen.

Annabeth was already in there, dressed and ready for the day. She sat at the table reading a book while Mom cooked breakfast behind her. When I walked in, they both glanced up.

Mom tutted sympathetically. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Would some pancakes help?"

I flopped onto the chair in front of Annabeth and shrugged halfheartedly. From across the table, Annabeth rolled her eyes at me.

"Lighten up, will you? You're bringing me down," she said, and thanked my mom as a stack of pancakes was set in the middle of the table.

"Enjoy, you two. I promised Paul I'd call today, so I'll be outside if you need anything." Mom patted my shoulder and walked out.

For a minute, everything was quiet while we loaded our plates with breakfast and syrup. The entire time, I felt Annabeth's eyes on me, but I did not acknowledge it at all. She didn't push it, either, letting me mope over my blueberry pancakes. Halfway through, however, she scooted her plate to my side and got up to sit next to me.

Annabeth's hair was braided into two plaits on either side of her head, and every time she turned her head to glace over at me, one of the plaits would tickle my arm. Have her no near like that…

"Percy," Annabeth asked quietly, setting her fork down and looking over at me for the millionth time. "Why are you so bothered by that, just out of curiosity? You look like you just saw someone shoot a puppy."

I took a long time before answering.

"You really want to know why I'm bothered?" I stood and grabbed my plate. Her eyes followed me warily as I tossed it into the sink. "The shame. You're my best friend, Annabeth, and I still want to. If that isn't a disturbing realization, I don't know what is."

Without looking back, I shoved my hands into my pockets and left the kitchen, left the house.

Why did I say that? Why did I tell her? Way to ruin a vacation, Percy.

I didn't bother looking to see if Annabeth was following. Maybe it would be better if she wasn't. I needed some time to gather my thoughts. Across the sand I walked until I go out to the dock.

It was a nice day out: not windy or cloudy or cold. When I sat on the end of the dock an stuck my feet in the ocean, it was a decent temperature for a swim, so that's what I did. Stripped off my clothes until I was just in my boxers and sank under the surface.

Though my mind was still racing after a few minutes, I dragged myself onto the dock and laid there for a while, looking up at the sky.

Clouds wandered across the blue lazily.

Seagulls called to one another.

Cars from distant cities honked their horns.

Waves rolled onto the beach, hissed against the dock beneath me.

The sun was bright, the air was warm, it was a perfect day, but I was miserable. No matter how perfect the weather was, it could not raise my gloom. At least there was someone to blame it on… Aphrodite needed to keep her nose out of other people's business. It didn't matter that she was a major goddess; she had seriously pissed me off. If she hadn't burst into my dreams I would have been able to ignore those kinds of feelings I had for Annabeth. Now they were staring me in the face and making me act stupid and say things that were better left unsaid. What was that Mom said before we left?

"I know what it's like to be in love," she'd said. "One second you think you've got everything in control and the next…"

I should listen to my mom more often.

Behind closed eyelids, I could sense something blocking the sun because everything suddenly went black. Nearly shaking with nerves, I peeled one of my eyes open, and then another.

Of course it was Annabeth.

She was standing behind me, hands folded behind her back, feet together and bending over me with a concerned expression on. There was a few minutes pause before she finally spoke.

"…You're wet."

There it seemed like an innocent observation, with me it was more like an accusation since I was the son of the sea god. Water wasn't supposed to stay on me like that.

I let out a breath I wasn't aware I'd been holding and focused on the water. It slid off my body and through the cracks of the dock.

Annabeth unsurely tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear and sat next to me, legs folded underneath her and hands in her lap.

I was unable to look at her for more than a second without wanting to punch myself.

"Percy, I—"

"Don't." I held up a finger and shut my eyes tightly. "Just…don't. Give me a minute."

Annabeth scowled slightly, and then stretched out next to me to wait.

For a long time nothing was said and neither of us moved. I was afraid that if I said something it would be construed wrong, but the silence really wasn't minded.

After a few minutes, Annabeth reached over and just barely brushed the back of her hand against mine. "…You didn't think I was going to follow you, did you?"

My shoulders lifted and fell in an indifferent shrug, though it was hard ignoring her for too long.

"You know, Percy, I don't think you should be w—"

"Do we seriously have to talk about it?"

"Yes, we do," Annabeth said in an stubborn tone and sat up. "Because if it isn't addressed now we can kiss the last few days of our vacation goodbye because you're too busy thinking you're different from any other teenager on the planet."

She said all that very quickly, and at the end of the sentence her face was flushed with upset.

Still not sure about it all, I turned my head away from her to look out across the shallow part of the beach where a dozen seagulls fought over a dead fish.

When I didn't say anything, Annabeth let out a sigh.

"Please don't act like this for the rest of our vacation, Percy," she pleaded. "IT's just Aphrodite playing tricks. She made you feel that way; don't let it bother you."

I turned my head to look over at her and ponder her theory. I saw Annabeth's sweetly braided hair and her button-up blouse and scuffed jeans and the way she bit her lip hopefully. Despite the likelihood of her idea being correct, at that moment I could say with 100% certainty that Aphrodite had not planted the idea into my head.

Annabeth understood my face and gave me an exasperated, amused smile. "Guess not, huh? What am I going to do with you?"

"Stop being so amazing, maybe," I suggested, but then snapped mymouth shut the second the words came out. A nervous laugh bubbled from my throat. "Sorry."

Though it didn't happen often, she blushed.

"…And what did you mean by me thinking—"

"—that you're different from every other teenager on the planet?"

"Uh…yeah."

Annabeth tucked her legs underneath her again and though her causal expression did not waver, her cheeks grew a deeper shade of red. "Use your head, Seaweed Brain. Do you really think you're the only one with hormones here? Has it stopped any other hormonal teenager from having a life?"

Silence.

I didn't move from where I was, sprawled out on my back, wearing only a pair of damp shorts, squinting at Annabeth thoughtfully.

"…So you're not insulted that I…want to…?"

"I'd be insulted if you didn't."

"…Even though we're best friends? You don't think it's weird?"

"Perce," Annabeth leaned forwards on her hands and gave me a very serious look. "You're best friends with Grover, too. The only thing I'd find weird at this point if you wanted to have a go with him instead of me."

My mouth popped open in horror, but it was hard not giving a nervous laugh at that.

"Exactly." She bent down and gave me the tinniest of kisses on the corner of my mouth. "Now stop moping around and help me finish the dishes."

It was over just like that.

We stood up and walked off the dock, fingers laced. I was pretty much dumbfounded into silence, how things would change so drastically in less than ten minutes. Being the queen of the smarty-pants wasn't the only gift Athena had given Annabeth, obviously.

We passed Mom on the way back up to the house. She was babbling with Paul on her cell phone while pacing on the sand, and she only paused for a second to say a quick hello to us before going back to explaining how beautiful the weather was.

There were only a few dishes to wash inside, and I knew that Annabeth had only suggested we do them to get me up and moving. While she was drying off a plate, she made the mistake of mentioning Aphrodite and she got a spray of soapy dishwater all down the front of her shirt.

"By the gods, Percy, it was just a question!" Annabeth exclaimed, trying to wring the bottom of her blouse out. "You're such a pain."

It was hard not grinning at her. Since I got that certain feeling off my chest, for some crazy reason, it was easier being myself around her.

"Well, I have just a question for you, then." I stacked the last plate into the cupboard. "What was your argument when Aphrodite showed you the…vision thingy last night?"

Annabeth raised an eyebrow and a sly smile touched the corner of her lips. "Who said I argued at all?"

It took me a second to understand what she meant. I frowned into the dishwater, but she gave me no time to think of a witty comeback.

She reached up on her toes to kiss me right between my furrowed brows. "I'm going to go change. IT's too beautiful of a day to waste inside when we can go swimming."

After she left I just stood there just to watch the water in the sink drain. Something about her attitude about all this itched inside of me. She doesn't feel how I feel about it, which means she doesn't mind me thinking the way I have been. She didn't argue when Aphrodite talked to her about the…"sexual" part of our relationship, which meant…

Snap out of it, Percy. For the love of Zeus, stop over-thinking things.

Keep your head on straight. Swimming. Swim trunks. Right.

I shuffled out of the kitchen to go to the spare bedroom to put on some swim trunks.

A few minutes later I walked out with a beach towel draped over my shoulders and an attempt at a more casual attitude. Annabeth, as always, was ready before I was, standing in the living room, busy fixing her two braids into just one out of her face. She had on a translucent white cover-up, buttoned halfway over a two-piece bathing suit.

Maybe it was my nearly opened mind, but I couldn't help but stare at her, the smoothness of her skin, which was slightly tanned from a summer in the sun. There was an impression where her hipbones curved upwards and her ribs curved downwards and her naval marked the center.

Annabeth caught me staring and I pretended nothing happened.

Although she was unconvinced, Annabeth let it pass over her head and snapped the hair tie onto the end of her braid. "Ready?"

I blinked. "Of course."

"Then race you there."

"Annabeth—?"

She took off, darting out the front door with agility.

I wasn't out of shape. Summers at Camp Half-Blood built muscle like you wouldn't believe, so there was no excuse of me being out of shape when I couldn't catch up to Annabeth. She was simply faster than me. Within seconds, her feet hit the ocean, sending sprays of sparkling water shoot up around her.

I followed close behind, and on a burst of insane courage—especially after the day we'd had already—I let myself run straight into Annabeth and wrap both my arms around her.

For a second it felt like the whole world just stopped spinning, everything stopped moving. The clouds, the sun, the wind stood still, holding its breath. Now, I'd felt Kronos freeze time, but this was nothing like that.

Screw Aphrodite. In fact, the Hades with everything. Why ruin a perfectly good chance for a kiss?

Annabeth didn't seem to object. She steadied herself (after nearly getting knocked backwards by yours truly) and got over the initial shock of the kiss fairly quickly. Her arms wrapped around my neck.

Maybe she was right. Maybe there really wasn't anything to worry about concerning…that aspect of our relationship. Does it matter that I (occasionally) thought of her that way? As long as I didn't do anything about those feelings…

My trail of thoughts broke off as Annabeth pulled away and laughed. "Look what you're doing, Percy."

I opened my eyes and realized that a circular wall of water had risen halfway around us, dry sand beneath our feet. The second I saw it and was aware of the lifting feeling in my chest from the kiss, the water splashed back down onto our knees and we both started laughing.

"I'm glad you let go of that so quickly," Annabeth said, shaking her head and playing with my hair with her fingertips.

"And I'm glad you don't own any skimpy yellow polka-dot bikinis."

She opened her mouth to say something, but snapped it shut abruptly and turned a shade of pink. That just made me laugh and pull her to me again with a buoyancy that felt foreign. Gentler that time, it felt less of the rapturous sense that lifted all my organs into my throat and killed several million brain cells. This kiss was the kind that melted my insides, slow and wonderful and made me want to sigh.

Just as I was about to close my eyes, I saw Annabeth do a double-take at something behind me and broke away, cursing quietly in ancient Greek. Her cheeks were red, but where her gaze was leading off to the beach, she looked upset and intruded on.

The happy feeling in my stomach was gone. I kept hold of Annabeth's hands protectively as I turned to follow where she was looking. Thoughts went out to my lethal ballpoint pen in my jeans pocket on the sand some fifty feet away, but there were no monsters. Something worse.

"…Mother…" Annabeth groaned, and then cursed a second time.

There on the beach, standing in a smartly ironed, shoulder-padded grey dress suit, blond hair put up in a bun, silver eyes peering at us contemplatively, was Athena: the goddess of wisdom. Annabeth's mother who didn't quite…approve of me.

She inspected us splashing around in the water with her usual inquisitive, if not slightly cold, gaze.

It made me uncomfortable, so I began to let go of Annabeth's hands.

She held on tight, not looking away from her mom. "There's no reason for us not to hold hands. And if she came to try and take you away from me, I swear to the gods, I'll—Hey wait!"

Athena turned around and began walking off back down the beach.

Infuriated, Annabeth let go of my hands and stumbled out of the surf after her mom. With no choice but to follow, I did exactly that and sloshed after her.

"Lady Athena—Mom—Wait." She paused right behind her mother, but hesitated because she realized she wasn't wearing anything suited to confront a goddess; just a cherry red bikini and messy, wet hair tossed back into a braid.

Questioningly—but smoothly, as if expecting it—the goddess of wisdom turned and looked at her daughter.

For a second Annabeth stood there uncertainly, her gaze flicking from me to her mom, and then cleared her throat.

"I don't believe I have business here to do after all," said Athena almost absentmindedly, inspecting us as though we were selections at a grocery store she was considering buying.

"…Why—?"

"After learning of the visit you had from that foolish Aphrodite, I was worried I'd have to come and clean up the mess she made, if you know what I mean." Her eyes slid over to me and—perhaps I just imagined it, but her expression softened a little. "Perseus Jackson, you are too much like your father."

For a moment my heart skipped in fear. That couldn't be a good thing, especially coming from her.

Athena narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at my reaction and waiting a minute before continuing. "…Unfortunately, I have to admire the restraint you're showing with my daughter, More than ever after the…interesting visits you've had over the last few days."

That actually surprised me. My anxious frown disappeared and I raised my eyebrows. Something that didn't make the goddess want to flay me alive? Maybe I was dreaming…

After crossing her arms, Athena moved her eyes from me to Annabeth, and then back to me. "…I apologize for interrupting. There's nothing for me to be worrying about after all."

"So you know what Aphrodite was…was talking to us about?" Annabeth asked, turning a little pink in her mother's presence and hastily wrapping a beach towel around her torso.

"Little slips by me unnoticed, my child." The goddess smiled a very faint smile. "Especially when it concerns my daughter's love life. Oh, don't look like that. I'm not about to try and turn you against young Mr. Jackson. If you're anything like me—and I know you are—it's a hopeless cause trying to change your mind when it's already made."

Not really knowing what to say, Annabeth just ducked her head and said a quiet, "Thank you."

"Do not thank. I regret thinking you couldn't handle yourself. And as for you, Percy," Athena confronted me and I couldn't help but freeze with nervous panic, "I admit I had my doubts at first. I didn't want you near any child of mine. You're too much trouble, too destructive. Reckless. Untrustworthy."

"Mother!" It was Annabeth who looked more insulted than I felt, her eyes wide and mouth opened in affront. "Percy is n—"

"Quiet, child. I will talk with you in a minute." The goddess turned to face me again and straightened her back. "As I was saying, you're remarkably wild for a half-blood. It's obvious to everyone your intentions with my daughter, and I didn't want her only constant in life be so…inconsistent. Believe it or not, I care a great deal about her, and I can see so many foul possibilities this could turn out as."

An uneasy lump began growing in the base of my throat. "Lady Athena, she's…she's incredibly special to me. I would never hurt her or…or let anything else hurt her."

She gave me a tight smile. "Unfortunately, I believe you. That's why I'm going to stand by and watch things play out instead of making an attempt to destroy you again."

Next to me, Annabeth snorted and crossed her arms, glowering at the ground.

"Now, will you excuse me for a moment while I have a word with my daughter?" Athena gave Annabeth a stern look.

Mind full of wonder, I left them so they could have a moment to talk.

So, what, now I had Athena's approval? No, not approval. Tolerance. That would have to work for the time being.

I stood there, hands shoved into the pockets of my swim trunks, shuffling sand around with my feet as Athena and Annabeth had an inaudible conversation to my left. I saw Athena share a few words and Annabeth start to say something—indignantly, by the looks of it—with clenched fists, but her mother cut her off and she crossed her arms.

The family resemblance was really quite astounding between them. Not only the blond hair and grey eyes, but the shape of their faces. Even the way they held themselves when obviously upset.

Annabeth still had the towel wrapped under her arms, but as she talked animatedly with her hands, the towel had trouble staying up. I couldn't help but watch her as she spoke. The way her braid bumped between her bare shoulder blades, her arms crossing and uncrossing, bouncing her toe on the ground and shifting weight from foot to foot impatiently.

Something was said and both of them turned to look at me at the same time. Athena shook her head, said something else, and the conversation was obviously over. Annabeth loosened her shoulders and turned to shuffle back to me. I averted my eyes just in time for the goddess to return to her divine form and vanish in a blast of pure energy.

For a minute we stood side-by-side, staring at the space where Athena was a second before.

I glanced over at Annabeth and caught her eye.

She just rolled her eyes and said, "Mothers."

We both grinned and I couldn't help but put my arm around her. "She didn't yell at you too much?"

"Not too much. It was just the usual 'demigods-are-idiots-so-watch-what-you-do-because-whether-I'm-going-to-kill-Percy-or-not-he's-still-trouble-and-he-might-end-up-seducing-you-anyways-so-just-be-careful-sleeping-in-the-same-bed-as-him' kind of thing." Annabeth looked at me and laughed. "It's just a load of bull. I'm not worried about you seducing me anymore."

Her expression was so matter-of-fact, I had to peer at her with amused suspicion. "'Anymore'?"

Annabeth shrugged and carelessly tossed the beach towel onto the sand, sending my heart rate skyrocketing. "She came about two years late."

By the time I understood what she meant, Annabeth was already walking back to the water.

I just stood there watching her in her red swimsuit, feet stuck in the waves, chin tucked down watching them lap around her ankles. I watched strands of her blond hair free themselves from the braid and wave around in the quiet breeze that had sprung up. There was something unique about her, something magic I just really couldn't place. Maybe it was just that she was the biggest part of my new life now—the biggest and most important to me. She was there in the beginning and she still is.

Thank the gods Athena hadn't destroyed me. I still had a whole life worth living ahead of me.

oOo

Gods, that was cheesy near the end. So sorry it took so long finishing this chapter, but hey! It was worth it, right? Right?

Please review and let me know what you think!