Annabeth:

My stomach felt empty, and it was the only thing keeping me from throwing up. I hadn't been able to eat this morning. I drank some coffee, and I ended up pouring a shot of vodka in it just to calm my nerves. My hearing with Percy was this morning. Renee showed up, diamonds and Prada mini dress in tow, without Sarah.

I gripped the steering wheel as I continued to drive on my way to…well, wherever my car ended up stopping.

Yes, we got Sarah, and it was that moment that everything actually set in.

This was my daughter. This was Percy. I hadn't seen either in years, and I have them both back in one week? The gods have to be up to their tricks, right?

I felt like I was going to pass out and wreck. I pulled off the happy mom thing when I was in there, but I almost fell when I got out of the court house, and Percy had to catch me. It's a miracle I haven't totaled this car yet.

This moment reminded me of when I found out I was pregnant, scared and breathless. I still felt bad about leaving Sarah and everything. I really did. I never spoke about my fears about raising her though. Percy wasn't scared. So, I acted like I wasn't. But the daughter I gave up for adoption when I was a senior in college just got back into my custody. I have every damn right to be scared.

I stared deep into the Lakes water. I remembered what Luke used to tell me about it. He liked the lake but hated the ocean.

"The ocean represents everything slipping away. You go in, feeling the relief from the sun, and you don't want to get out. You feel a slight tug of the tide, but you don't pay much attention. Time starts to slip away, and you know it's time to go in. But the tide has you caught. You can't get out," Luke would look off at the water for a moment as if he were remembering something he didn't want to.

"You're in over your head, and you realize that you really have no one who could help you. Your body starts to give out, and you slowly sink to the bottom, unable to do anything about it," Luke would look away from the lake and towards me, changing the subject immediately. When I first met Percy, Luke's words about the ocean haunted my mind. I ended up giving Percy a chance, and I know I made the right choice when I did. But, now, I feel like Luke was right. I'm stuck falling for Percy while he doesn't care about me anymore. He cares about Rachel.

I dipped my feet into the water, missing Luke and Percy like crazy. I was fifteen, and the war was coming up in only about a month. Percy was with Rachel, and I felt more alone than I had in years. I had always said 'At least I have Percy…', but that isn't so true anymore. He's always with Rachel these days.

I partly expected to see Percy at that moment. He always seemed to show up at these odd moments, and I had always loved it. But I didn't think he was coming this time. I started to imagine him being there at the odd moments for Rachel, and it made me want to throw up. I took a deep breath, removing my feet from the water and getting up. I slid back into a pair of flip flops and began to walk back my cabin, wondering what I'd be doing if I kept on hating Percy like I did when I first met him.

The warm summer air blanketed my skin like a hug that I really could have used at that point. I listened to the boards of the pier creak underneath my feet, making me think of all the times I used to come here with Percy. We'd race out here and talk for hours. I loved it, but it doesn't happen that often anymore.

I bit my lip to stop myself from crying. What was wrong with me? He was my best friend. Shouldn't I be happy that he is happy with Rachel? But… I…I love him. I bit my tongue this time to see if it would stop the tears, but it didn't. I wiped away the tears immediately. No one could see me cry. Ever. I started to walk faster towards my cabin, knowing I could cry then because no one would be there.

"Annie."

A voice made me stop so that I felt paralyzed. My brain was drawn to a blank, and I felt like acting like a total, girly idiot. I bit my tongue once more and turned around to look at the person who the voice had come from.

Percy's tall frame stuck out against the summer sun, and his smile seemed to brighten the world better than Apollo ever could. I was stuck speechless for a moment, but I pulled myself away from that. His sea green eyes reminded me of the Lake's cool water I had seen only moments ago. His neon orange camp tee shirt seemed odd against his checkered board shorts and sandals but in that adorable 'boyish' way. Instantly, I felt self-conscious about my Bermuda shorts and Harvard tee shirt, but I doubt he even noticed what I was wearing.

The fears returned to my mind. For the millionth time, I thought about what would have happened if I had done as Luke asked and joined him to fight with Kronos. It would have been before I knew I loved Percy. I wouldn't be scared like I was right now.

I snapped that off. Seaweed Brain or not, I would never join Luke. Never. Don't think like that.

"If it isn't the Seaweed Brain himself," I smiled warmly as if I didn't feel like dying. I had played this game before with Luke, and I never thought it happen with Percy, too.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and drove back to my apartment building. I wasn't due for work for another hour or two, and Malcolm was going to be with his wife in Massachusetts all week. They both wanted to meet Sarah when they got back, but I didn't know how that'd go. Malcolm hates Percy. He always did and probably always will. Rachel and my best friend Lisa were both out of the country. Rachel was in Greece for god-knows-what, and Lisa was in Fiji for her sister's wedding. It seemed like the only person I had to turn to was Percy. But I didn't want to do that.

Thirty minutes later, I was finishing off a frozen yogurt and starting to walk to work. I stopped in some little yogurt shop a little while ago when I was walking around. I stopped, bought one, and just kept on walking. I was going to be early for work, but I didn't much care. Once I let myself calm down, I realized just how happy I was about Sarah. I wonder what it would have been like if I had just done this when I was pregnant. Maybe I wouldn't have left her or Percy.

I tried not to think about that as I kept walking. I threw the empty cup into the trash can in the park and forced away the memories of Percy. It used to be like forcing myself to breathe, but I could do it by now. It was around that time that my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Damn it. It'll be my dad again…

"Hello?"

"Feeling better, Annabeth?" Percy's voice smirked through the phone, making me a little sick. I brushed it off, hoping I didn't end up getting jinxed by Percy saying this and falling down like I did before. I smiled without thinking about it, making me mad at myself.

"I only fell once, thank you very much," I said indignantly, sitting down on a nearby bench.

"Annabeth the fact is that you fell. Who cares how many times you fell? It's like saying I've only killed once. I've only ran away once. The fact is that you did," I could hear paper rustling in the background. He told me after the hearing that he had to get to work and would call me later to work on some last details. I guess he would still be at work, but I didn't know why he called me now.

"Will you just shut up, Percy?" I smiled unwillingly again. Seriously, I have got to stop doing that.

"Fine," Percy's voice kept its casual tone, but I knew he was about to get down to business, "Is Sarah staying a week with you first or a week with me first?"

We only had two days to work that out before Sarah would be here. We agreed that Sarah would stay a week with one of us, then a week with the other as our joint custody agreement, but it wasn't working out like we had hoped. I knew it would work in a leisure summer, but I couldn't imagine the confusion it would bring when the summer drew to a close. It was July 28th today, and August would be coming before we knew it.

"I thought you said that you weren't done painting?"

"I'm not, and that is why I am asking," Percy sounded distant like he was working on something while he was talking to me, but I didn't much mind.

"Well, she'll stay with me, I guess," I rolled my eyes, looking at my watch.

Fifteen minutes until work.

I looked through the park for the first time since I first walked in here. An older couple (seventy or so?) overlooked central park as if they were remembering a simpler time and watched their grandchildren. Some college kids sat under a tree, studying and laughing. A teenage couple nervously held hands, the girl blushing. Some kids ran around innocently as they played on the playground. A couple around my age watched a toddler try to walk on the warm grass but just fell.

It was all so wonderful and peaceful that it depressed me, especially the little family with the new toddler. My frown set in, and I turned my attention back to the conversation with Percy.

"Alright, and when are the interviews for the schools?" Percy asked. I ignored how we sounded like some old married couple and thought about how annoying the school interviews would be.

"I told you. We have three on Wednesday, and you are taking her to meet your mom afterwards," I straightened my spine, realizing I sounded a little cold to him. I actually felt a little guilty about it.

"Wednesday," Percy sounded as if he was writing something down. I looked at my watch again.

"Percy, I have to get to work," I reluctantly told him.

It took him forever to warm up to me, and I didn't want to ruin it. I loved talking to him, and I never wanted to just let go. It made me feel ridiculous, like one of those Aphrodite girls who stalk their crush. But I just couldn't get off the phone. I was hooked, and it would be a miracle if I let him go.

"Alright," Percy's voice fell, which somehow made me smile. He actually wanted to talk to me? This is good, right?

"I'll see you soon?" I didn't mean to sound hopeful but I failed miserably.

"Sure."

A Week Later:

I typed furiously at my keyboard, dog tired. Sarah got here a few days ago, and she has everything just how she likes it. I've learned how to scramble eggs, even though I personally hate eggs, make French Toast, how to work that stupid DVD player in Sarah's room, and have the Chinese take-out guy know us by name. Malcolm and his wife, Jenny, met her when they got back yesterday, and Sarah loves them. Percy had been over here almost every day to see her. School, which was a hassle to sign her up for, starts the fifteenth for Sarah, and she actually seemed to be looking forward to it. Percy says that she's just like her mom.

I don't know if I should take that as a good thing or if I should just hit him.

My fingers burned from typing so fast, but I ignored it. I completed the paperwork for Yorktown Academy yesterday with Percy, and, now, I was booking tickets to fly home to California for Fall Break with Sarah. It would be the first time my family would meet Sarah, well unless you include when she was three months old.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. The last week had felt more like a movie montage than my life. It seemed too perfect. The gods don't let me have perfect, especially Hera. Something has to be up. Not even Athena would protest that my life be this great. It's like it's all a dream, and I'm scared to death I'll wake up.

I got up from my desk and started to go downstairs. Maybe if I got away from work I'd calm down.

"You need to calm down, Annie," Percy continued to massage my neck. I wanted to zone into the massage so that I wouldn't have to say he was right. It was our Sophomore year of college, and I drove up to New York to see him because I was so stressed with school.

I don't think I've slept in weeks. I study to the early hours of the morning, and, when I try to go to sleep, my mind is reeling so that I can't get to sleep. Or, I'll be almost asleep and start thinking of Percy, and I start missing him like crazy. The only way I've survived is bottles of five hour energy and Kit Kat bars.

"You're right, Percy," I finally said. I can assure you, I didn't like saying I was wrong, but I was. Percy smiled and stopped massaging my neck to wrap his arms around my waist and rest his head on my shoulder.

"You just said you were wrong," Percy sing-said. I smiled a little bit and realized just how much I really did need him.

"Shut up, Perseus," I shook my head, and Percy kissed my cheek before letting me go. I continued to shake my head and laugh.

"You're insane."

"But you love me for it," Percy smiled.

I stopped at the stairs, realizing I was smiling at the memory. Any other time, I would have bitten my lip to keep myself from crying, but I was…smiling.

"Annabeth?" Sarah's adorable voice called from the room beside me. A few moments later, I was looking at a little girl in a fish tee shirt, which I blame Percy for, and a pair of jeans. Her curls had been tied up in a ponytail, and I knew that Renee would have had a heart attack if she saw this all, which made me grin a little.

Sarah doesn't call me 'Mom', and she never will. The truth is that Jill was 'Mom', and I'm just Annabeth. Sarah spent her entire life calling Jill 'Mommy' and Eric 'Daddy'. Her parents just died. Neither Percy nor I are going to just change everything for her in the blink of an eye and make her call us Mom and Dad. That ship sailed years ago when I signed the adoption papers.

"Yes, Sarah?"

"Percy wants to talk to you," Sarah moved her arms behind her back to reveal a phone, making my stomach a little sick. I could smile about him, but these one-on-one talks were still pretty hard for me? Wow, I'm pathetic.

"Alright," I took the phone and watched as Sarah went back to her room where paper and crayons were strewed all over. Sarah closed the door behind her, reminding me that I had to talk to him.

Annabeth, this will be okay. Just don't freak out… Easier said than done.

"Hello?" my voice sounded hollow, but you wouldn't notice through the phone. Even if he was here, Percy wouldn't notice anyway now that I think about it.

"Annabeth," his reminded me of his fathers. I hadn't thought about it until I listened to it through the phone, but, now that I thought about it, it was all I could think of. I closed my eyes, and I could picture the gentle lap of the water against the sand.

"Annabeth?" Percy's voice broke me out of the trance.

"Oh yeah, sorry, I'm here," I quickly told him, remembering my nervousness.

"Has Renee called you yet?"

Oh damn it…

"No," I sighed. Not Renee. I hate Renee, and she hates me. It's just that simple, "Is she calling you a lot?"

"If you count ten times as 'a lot', then yes," Percy smirked, making me a little weak in the knees. I quickly brushed it off and nodded as if to say 'That's definitely Renee…'

"I told you she was the Aunt from Hell…"