I didn't update for a long time! So sorry. I feel so lazy these days.

I'm also rewriting The Lost Items of Aphrodite, only change is that it's not a collab. Yeah. I wish it would get a little attention, so please check that out.

Anyway, Luke comes out in this chapter. Yay, I guess. Characters may be OOC. Enjoy!


"Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told me had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom." –The Lightning Thief p. 149


I nocked an arrow and let it fly. It ripped through the air with a satisfying sound—not as good as Chiron's—and hit bull's eye. Or near bull's eye.

"Nice Annabeth," Chiron smiled. "Five millimeters from bull's eye. You improved a lot."

"Thanks Chiron," I said and went to retrieve my arrow.

I averted my gaze as an Apollo camper hit a perfect bull's eye. Show-offs.

"Don't stress yourself out too much on that," Chiron chuckled seeing my face. "It's your birthday, dear. Go enjoy it."

I scowled. "I'm counselor of Cabin 6. I can't slack off."

"Annabeth, you sound so much like your mother sometimes," he smiled. "Leave your cabin duties to Malcolm. He'll understand."

I saw Chiron as my second father. I came to Camp Half-Blood when I was seven, and Chiron took care of me ever since then.

And today was July 12, my twelfth birthday. I didn't really expect anything much. For demigods, monsters just found you more easily as we got older.

I went back to shoot again, almost getting hit with an arrow shot by one of my cabinmates. Nice.

I nocked another arrow, and it landed on the edge of the red. I groaned.

"Concentrate Annabeth," Chiron advised. He went over to help Malcolm.

"Hey, Annabeth. Looks like you're having trouble," Luke said with a grin, as he retrieved a fallen javelin.

My face turned red. "I'm fine. I mean, yeah I'm having a bit of trouble."

He chuckled. "Let me try to help."

He adjusted my position a little to the left and helped me relax my arms. I felt the heat rising up to my face.

I let the arrow fly, and it hit bull's eye, just like the Apollo kids.

"I knew you could do it," Luke said. "Happy birthday Annabeth. You'd better enjoy it."

He gave me a hug and flashed me a smile and went back to his cabinmates.

"Did that convince you to enjoy your day?" Chiron said coming back. He had a faint smile on his face.

I forced myself to calm down. "I'll go take my break now then."

Chiron seemed relieved and patted my shoulder before going back to help someone.

I went to my cabin and brought my architecture book. I sat by the lake and flipped open to my page.

"Reading, I see," someone said coming up behind me.

I whirled around and saw a woman with long black hair and piercing gray eyes. She was dressed casually like always.

"Mom," I smiled.

It's been long since I've seen her. I saw her at the winter solstice, but that was months ago. And the few other times we interacted, she was just answering my prayers.

"Happy birthday, Annabeth," she said sitting next to me.

She got a Yankees cap from nowhere and handed it to me.

"Thank you," I said. It looked like a regular baseball cap. I assumed it had some magic to it. "What does it do?"

"You'll have to find out on your own," she said. "It's really easy to find out. And you're a smart one. I'm proud to have you as my daughter."

I felt warm and tingly inside. I was really going to overheat and die one of these days. "I'm proud to have you as my mother too."

Athena smiled fondly. "I'll see you again, Annabeth. And be patient. Your time will come."

She had a small frown on her face like when she disapproved of something, but it went away as quickly as it came. She disappeared like gods always do.

"Huh," I muttered.

I closed my book and put the cap on my head. I looked down. I was invisible. I grinned. This could prove useful. I got my book and went back to my cabin.

With the invisibility cap on, I snuck to the arena where Luke was. He was taking another break when I came up behind and yelled, "BOO!" right in his ear.

"Ack!" he flinched and turned around, but no one else was there. "Who was that? Show yourself."

"Surprise, Luke," I grinned, taking off the hat. "You should've seen the look on your face."

I would've taunted him more if he was someone else, but he was, well, Luke.

"Nice hat," he commented.

I looked down where I was holding my hat, and looked back at Luke who had it in his hands. "Luke!"

He grinned. "Come and get it."

I chased him around camp until he got cornered by the lava wall.

"Okay, fine. You win," he said and tossed me the hat.

He threw it like a Frisbee, and I caught it. "Can you help me with something?" I asked.

"Sure," he smiled. "Depends on what it is."

I told him what I wanted, and his smile grew.

"Awesome," he said. "Let's do it."

I spent the rest of the day with Luke scaring or tricking people, while wondering, what Athena meant by "your time." A time to die? A time for a quest? A time to meet my family again? I hope not.

I decided not to think about it yet. Chiron told me to enjoy my birthday. And it was one of the best birthdays so far.