~Percy's POV~

She's laughing at me. Hysterical, cracking up laughing. And I have no idea why! I mean Paul just asked if he could marry my mom, and she starts laughing.

"Hey! Why are you laughing !"

"Y-your face! It was excited and shocked at the same time, and it just looked plain hilarious!"

My face looked funny? I blink, slowly. "Wow. Are you like, I don't know, on pain pills or something? Because we just ended a war, you have a broken ankle, we just got back from a memorial service, and you're laughing? At my face? Annabeth Chase doesn't laugh at stuff like that." She stops laughing and rolls her eyes at me. There's the Wise Girl I know!

"It's a stress reliever to laugh at silly things like that. I know I don't usually laugh at things like that, but as you said we just got out of a war!"

"Yeah, a war where our friends died!"

"I know! They died to save Western Civilization! They dies so we can laugh and be happy!"

"But we shouldn't be happy yet."

"Why, Seaweed Brain?"

"Because, because," Oh, gods. "I almost lost you."

"Oh." I have to do something! She can't figure it out yet!

"'Oh' Annabeth Chase, local Wise Girl, speechless!"

"Shut up Seaweed Brain!"

The rest of the night goes smoothly, and I make no more slip ups. So yeah, everything was good. Although Annabeth was pretty confused when all of dinner was blue; her face was pretty funny.

About eleven the next morning, I actually wake up. Man, the Styx sure takes a lot out of you. Yawning, I step into the kitchen to get some cereal, mumbling a good morning to Annabeth.

"Hey! Go put a shirt on, we're going to show my family around New York today."

"Family? Huh?"

"Yes, family. They got in early this morning. I'm surprised you didn't wake up." I turn around when a pretty brunette starts talking. "Yes, so am I. Fredrick here dropped three bags! How do you sleep through that?"

"Styx." Annabeth starts talking, so I have to turn around again.

"I almost forgot about that! Wanna go back to sleep?" I immediately perk up.

"There is no way in Hades that I am going to let you wonder about New York by yourself."

"I have lived here you know, and I won't be alone." She motions towards her family.

"You've lived at camp. That hardly counts. And they know nothing about how New York really is. I know this city like the back of my hand. No, I'm coming with."

"Fine. Go get ready."

I go into my room, pull on jeans and a t-shirt,, brush my teeth, and go back to the living room, shaking my head.

"Ready."

"What? Already? That was barely three minutes!"

"Yup. One minute to get dressed , 1:50 to brush teeth, and ten seconds to fix my hair and walk out."

"Alright, whatever. Let's go."

"Alright Wise Girl, where to first?"

"Monuments first!"

"Of course…."

So, we head out to all the monuments, and after a full two hours we finally get back to the empire state building, where we started.

"Okay, Percy, you choose."

"Alright, follow me!"

Four more hours and seven energy drinks later we get back to the apartment and Annabeth keeps poking me with her crutch to keep me going and Matthew and Bobby are pulling me up the stairs. When we get to the door, I fumble with key until Annabeth takes and unlocks the door. I stumble in and collapse on the couch. I faintly hear Fredrick say something, but I black out.

~Annabeth's POV~

Percy walks in and collapses on the couch, and dad is looking at him strangely.

"Tell me he isn't that tired from walking around"

"He gets tired easily now. Usually, he's asleep by three, and its five now."

"He takes naps."

"Yes. The Styx takes a lot out of him."

"Sticks?"

"Not sticks, Dad, Styx. The river Styx, like in the underworld?"

"What? Why would that take energy out of him?"

"If you bathe in the river Styx, it makes you invulnerable. Except, of course, for you're Achilles heel."

"So, his heel is vulnerable?"

"No, that's the expression. You're Achilles heel is a spot on your body, any spot, that keeps you anchored to the mortal world. One pot of flesh, that if gets pierced or hurt enough, you'll die almost instantly. One little spot where what keeps anchored is there, loose sight of what keeps you anchored to this world, you'll combust, because usually when you step even a toe in the Styx, you burn."

"Oh, I see. Does anyone know where that spot is, besides himself? That could be very, very dangerous to him."

"Yes. One person knows. the only person who knows is the only person who he thought of in the river, the one person who keeps him anchored to the world. The one person he trusts above almost all others."

"Who is it?"

"Me."

Okay, I'm majorly sorry this took so long. im getting chapter 5 up today as well i hope, and hopefully finish writing chapter 6. i lost my papers (YES! i hand write all my stories before posting them) and i found them yesturday, and i have to update what i've got on FP as well, so, hope you like! i won't leave you hanging for too long!