you asked for it, so here you go, AwesomeDemigodz. This chapter might be a bit confusing. Also, if you're an alien (because that's the only reason to hate percabeth) so this chapter. PS I own nothing
"What are you doing here?" Jason asks.
"Well, Poseidon has a throne here on Mount Olympus. If I'm supposed to take his place in ten days, I may as well be here to help when everything goes down. Not to mention that if we lose, I want to lose with Annabeth. I'd rather lose with her than lose her," Percy says, stepping off the elevator to Mt. Olympus.
"I know what you mean. I tried convincing Thalia to come here, but she's insisting on hunting until the last minute."
"I'm worried man."
"Aren't we all?"
"About Maya. She's going into Tartarus. Alone."
"What?" Jason pales.
"Yeah. She's got Riptide and a pearl that can transport her to the ocean from any location. Hemera's taking her in. And... Kronos wants to wake Chaos."
"If that happens, we all die."
"Yeah. We're the last line of defense for the entire world."
"So? Nothing new there."
"Except the fact that my daughter is putting her life in the line to save the whole earth. Oh gods. If this is how my mom feels every time I have a quest... I'm surprised she didn't die of worry. I feel like dying."
"Percy!" Annabeth charges, accidentally knocking him off the edge of Olympus. Percy had a flashback to falling into Tartarus. Not a happy thought when your daughter is about to commit suicide by trying to save the world. Jason controls the wind to lift them back to Olympus.
"Good to see you."
"Will just had a vision. Of you dying. Percy, I was so worried!"
"I'm okay. I'm here," he hugs his wife and kisses her softly on the top of the head.
"Thank gods you're okay," she whispers.
"Technically, in thanking the gods, we're thanking ourselves," Percy says.
"Not for ten days, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth punches his arm.
"Whatever," Percy shrugs.
"It's weird, ya know? Watching them take on a quest. Part of me knows every demigod has at least one, that it's just the course of nature, I like how my mom would feel. Part of me remembers going on those quests and feels sorry for them, knowing how dangerous it is, but being proud at the same time because I know they can do it. Part of me is terrified, because it's Maya. Part of me is relieved that it's not me."
"I know. I'm scared, proud, sad, excited, nervous, and yet I know there's nothing I can do."
"Look at us! We used to dash around the world, killing monsters, saving mortals, demigods, and gods, we freaking killed Kronos and Gaea! Now we're sitting here, worrying about Maya."
"Let's remedy that."
"Huh?"
"I challenge you to a bet. I say we go on a date. First of us to mention Maya and them, the quest, the prophecy, or the danger has to break one of Leo's devices."
"Oh you're on," Annabeth grins. Where at?"
"Here, on Olympus. My dad's place."
"Let's go."
In Poseidon's palace, Percy grabbed two plates and an enchanted dish. He summoned all sorts of French pastries, as a tip of the hat to their first anniversary, when Hermes teleported them to Paris as thanks for recovering his caduceus. Percy put the plates back and brought the bowl to the backyard, which was a beach. He spread a blue silk blanket over the white sands and sat down next to Annabeth, looking out at the crystalline water. He started thinking about how Maya used to play in the water when she was little.
Annabeth took a bite of a stuffed pastry "accidentally" squirting jelly on Percy's nose. He grins and splashes her with water. She throws a crescent roll at him. Pretty soon, they'd started a donut war. Giggling, they tossed the breakfast pastries at each other. When they finally ran out of donuts, they sat on the blanket and looked out at the sea. Percy put his arm around Annabeth's shoulder and she leaves into him. he rotates his head and kisses her hair.
"I love you," he whispers.
"I love you back," she sighs, tipping her head up so he can kiss her for real.
"Guys! Message from Nico! Maya's in!" Piper runs over. This instantly kills the mood. Maya was now in the deadliest, darkest place ever known to god, man, or monster. The only place more likely to kill you is Chaos.
"Let's hope she knows what she's doing," Percy mutters.
"She's in freaking Tartarus. Of course she doesn't know what she's doing," Annabeth says.
"Is it possible for you to hope for the illogical?" Percy asks her.
"Why would I hope in the impossible?"
"I said illogical, not impossible."
"Percy, she's my daughter. I'm worried. And starting to figure out how our parents felt."
"No kidding. I'm surprised she didn't keel over and die from the stress. I'm surprised we survived the quests."
"Not the wisest thing to say to a mother whose daughter is on a quest."
"Oh. And you would know everything about wisdom?"
"Well I am about to become goddess of wisdom, so yeah."
"Not for ten days, as you so wisely reminded me earlier."
"Stop fighting," Piper says.
"Oh. So I'm only good at telling you what you already knew?" Annabeth says defensively.
"Your words, not mine," Percy retorts
"Stop fighting," Piper says, this time using charmspeak. "Now apologize."
"Sorry," they both murmur.
"Kiss her," she told Percy. He does. Annabeth kisses him back.
"I'm sorry Percy. I'm just so on edge, everything is just... I'm sorry. No excuses."
"No. I understand. I'm sorry too," Percy brushes her hair from her face.
"I love you, Seaweed Brain," she smiles.
"I love you, Wise Girl," Percy kisses her again.
"I love watching you two," Piper sighs.
"I thought you weren't all lovey dovey like Drew," Jason walks up.
"I'm not. But you gotta admit, they make a cute couple."
"Not as cute as us," Jason kisses her temple
"Mmm... no. I think they're the cuter couple. Wait. There are fourteen successors."
"Not yet, but there will be."
"There's Hades- Nico. Zeus- you. Poseidon-Percy. Demeter-Meg. Artemis- Thalia. Apollo- Will. Hermes- Connor. Ares- Frank. Athena- Annabeth. Hephaestus- Leo. Aphrodite- me. Hestia asked Hazel to be her successor. The only ones left are Hera and Mr. D."
"Bacchus's successor is Dakota," Jason says.
"Then who's Hera's?"
"I think she asked Rachel."
"She did," the redhead skips up.
"There ya go. Fourteen successors."
"Okay," Piper nods. "Do you think Ziva knows that her mom is from a hundred years ago?"
"No," Frank says.
"It'd be funny to tell her."
"No."
"Fine."
"Rachel, do you have anything on Maya?" Annabeth asks.
"Just that she's in."
"Okay. If you get anything, please tell me."
"I will. But she's in Tartarus. The power of Delfi doesn't reach to the pit. I could ask him. Chaos rising world destroy him. He might be willing to side with us."
"Do it."
"Okay. I'll try," Rachel nods.
"Guys!" Meg McCaffery, daughter of Demeter, runs up. "Guys!"
"Hey Meg. What's up?" Percy pulls away from Annabeth long enough to ask.
"Dedona. She's here."
"The grove is at camp," Annabeth says, confused.
"Not the grove. Dedona."
"You mean she's a person?"
"Yeah. Will's got her now."
"Is she awake?" Piper asks.
"Sort of. She's delirious. Keeps muttering about Apollo. Think Will is him."
"We're coming," Jason says as they take off for Apollo's palace.
Dedona has light brown hair and eyes the color of laurel leaves. Her skin is a creamy brown like laurel wood.
"Apollo. Dedona," she mutters, repeating the two words over and over.
"That's not Dedona," Annabeth says.
"Then who?"
"Think about it. What's Dedona?"
"An oracle."
"A grove of trees. What happened in a grove of trees?"
"Hazel and Frank got married?" Percy asks. Annabeth rolls her eyes.
"Every time Apollo's gone near Dedona, he's whispered a name. Daphne. She was turned into a laurel tree when Apollo pursued her. That's how she died. Isn't that also how Thalia died? Except she didn't die. She was kept alive by the tree. Maybe Daphne didn't die. Maybe the tree kept her alive. Maybe the forest they were in, was the grove of Dedona. Maybe that's why Apollo always heard her voice from the grove."
"That's a lot of maybes," Jason says.
"Oh for crying out loud. That's Daphne, the girl who was turned into a tree because she didn't like that Apollo loved her because she'd been shot with one of Eros's lead arrows, which make it impossible to love."
"How can you know that?"
"Apollo, I'm sorry," the girl murmurs.
"Why would Dedona apologize to Apollo?" Annabeth asks.
"Why not?"
"Because she's Daphne. She's been trapped in the grove of Dedona for the past four millennia. For whatever reason, she's not a tree anymore. The lead arrow hasn't touched this version of her, so she can still love. She remembers how much Apollo loved her, and is sorry for utterly breaking his heart."
"Wasn't she a Hunter?"
"No. Daphne was a teenage girl who didn't know what path to take. She thought she was supposed to follow Artemis, when in reality, she was pledged to Hebe, in the hope that she would have good luck in life," Will says.
"How do you know that?"
"My dad was a sixteen year old mortal for a bit. We talked. A lot. Especially after Nico and I broke up."
"Apollo," Daphne murmurs, opening her eyes. She kisses Will, who turns bright red.
"Daphne, that's not Apollo. That's his son, Will," Piper says.
Daphne pulls away, mortified.
"You look just like him," she says.
"Never heard that before," Will says sarcastically.
"I'm sorry. Is Apollo around?"
"No. none of the gods are. They were taken hostage. They're currently trapped in Tartarus. Percy and Annabeth's daughter is there, trying to free them," Will explains.
"Oh Apollo," Daphne breathes.
"How are you here?" Jason asks.
"Rhea."
"What about her?"
"She melted the tree, bringing me back to the world. She said Apollo was in danger. Said it was my fault."
"How is it your fault?"
"I issued the prophecy, making the gods choose their successors sooner than Rhea wanted."
"It would've happened even if you had waited until today to issue the prophecy."
"Then how can I help?"
"Right now," Will says, "you can rest. When Maya brings the gods back, you can apologize to my dad and marry him."
"What?"
"He still loves you. He swore on the river Styx, if he couldn't marry you, he wouldn't marry anyone."
"I'm the only one who can heal his heart."
"Exactly."
"Daphne, he loves you. A lot. Enough to let you go if you don't want him. He won't force you. He wants you to want him," Piper says kindly.
"Percy, you okay?" Annabeth asks, maneuvering herself behind him. Just as he passes out in her arms.