Trying to get as many chapters finished and revised before I start going to camps and all that. Camps + vacation is gonna end up taking a lot of my time which will slow updates slightly. Hopefully not that much.

As the room service cart came, Annabeth just sat on one of the beds while Percy attempted to distribute food quickly. She was thinking about her conversation with Leo and his almost ultimatum. She didn't like to say it, but it made her nervous. She wanted to be the one to tell Percy about their child, but she didn't want to do it so soon. Now she had no choice. Now she had to make yet another plan. But this one was how to break news to her husband. News that she had kept hidden all the time while they had been reunited.

Annabeth first figured that she should break it to Percy that night, before he started explaining all the other business things that she had failed to pick up. She thought that it would be the best time for them to be alone and have plenty of time to talk. But she then thought that if she did then, he wouldn't tell her what she needed to know for the A2 business and try to send her home again. If she knew anything about Perseus, he would want her to go home and take care of the child that he couldn't be with. Then he would be distracted through the rest of the mission which could be fatal for him or the other men.

Annabeth resolved to tell him in the morning after he explained what she needed to know as their field strategist. That way she could have some leverage over Percy to keep her with them. She was convinced that Athena could and would take care of her child even if he was half Percy. Annabeth fully trusted that her mother would care for her own grandchild no matter what his genes were. Annabeth also had a sneaking suspicion that he would turn out to not only greatly resemble Percy, but also act more like him than Annabeth. Back to the resolution, Annabeth figured that if she could come up with a good starting set of actions that night, Percy would be easier to convince to let her stay. She thought that if she had some sort of beginning plan that was excellent, he would be pressured by the other men to keep her for her strategical input.

She was knocked out of her thoughts by an annoying, "Earth to Annabeth!"

Annabeth looked up from her spot on the bed. Nico was the one who had spoken as Percy was attempting to place all the unnecessary items back on the cart that the maid had brought the food on. The rest of the men excluding Nico were trying to direct him, but they kept contradicting each other. It didn't make very clear commands and by the time he thought that he had all the correct utensils, dishes and trays on the cart and dismissed the maid (who never looked so happy to be dismissed) ten minutes had passed since the initial knock on the door. Annabeth shot the maid an apologetic look as she was leaving. She felt slight sympathy for the maid and wondered why Percy didn't give her a huge tip for having to deal with the craziness of their group.

When Percy brought her food to her, she asked. "Hey Percy?"

"Yeah?"

Leo glanced over at her apprehensively. Annabeth quickly looked at Percy, who was eating his food and didn't glance up once, then shook her head slightly at Leo.

Percy then looked up and said, "What's on your mind?"

Lots of stuff Annabeth thought, but she didn't say it out loud. Instead she asked her question, "Why didn't you tip the poor maid for having to deal with this group's…insanity?"

"Oh!" Percy said in realization. He nodded as he said, "Yeah. Here in China, because of their government, you don't tip waitresses, maids, or any other people like that. It's their culture and all. But I did give her a huge 'thank you' and an apology for our insanity, as you put it."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows and said, "Oh okay. I thought you had forgotten."

"Annabeth, I don't forget everything! Just certain important things." Percy said jokingly.

Annabeth smiled, but wasn't quite in the joking mood. Percy seemed to be able to tell because he glanced at her worriedly. She tried for a reassuring smile, but had a feeling that it looked more like a grimace to him. The look she received from him was one that said, we are talking about this later.

Percy engaged in the guy's conversation again, but still every so often cast glances at Annabeth that were unreadable to her. She had a small appetite as well, which she presumed only added to Percy's growing concerns over her. He was too protective sometimes, but she loved it. She just hoped that if they ever had a girl, the boyfriend was a good one because she might have to get a body bag if he wasn't and it wouldn't be for their daughter. The thought made her smirk when Percy happened to be glancing over. It lightened his mood considerably along with increasing her appetite to its standard level.

The remainder of the evening in Leo and Nico's room was lively and enjoyable for all present. However, when Percy and Annabeth were leaving to go to their room, dread settled on Annabeth once again. Even though she had resolved when to tell Percy about their child, she was still not completely set on it. That made her anxious and unfocused on what she should be focused on.

When Percy and Annabeth went into their room, Percy flopped down on the bed on his back. He lifted his head and looked at Annabeth standing at the foot of the bed watching him. He slid into a sitting position and patted the bed next to him. Annabeth slipped her shoes off before going over to sit by him.

"What'd you tune out?" Percy asked.

"I wouldn't know. I was tuned out." Annabeth replied jokingly.

Percy sighed and gave a small chuckle. "I know Wise Girl, I got that much."

"Did you now?"

"Yep! But anyway, I don't know how much of A2 business is necessary for you to know to be our field strategist for this mission. For one, you should know that you will never be out in the field for us after this mission."

"Why is that, Percy?" Annabeth asked. She had a feeling it was protectiveness taking over when he had said that. It wasn't exactly irrational though. Annabeth guessed that several of the A2 missions that required a field strategist were potentially fatal missions. Who would the fatality be? She didn't know. It could be the strategist to get rid of any clever strategy, the leader to cripple the others, the missions could be fatal to anyone going on them. It just depended on their enemy's own strategy. What their enemy thought would cripple the team. Whatever would weaken them the most.

Percy took awhile to answer and when he did his eyes still held a faraway look to them. He said, "I guess I'm just feeling protective of my wife. Is that so bad?"

Annabeth smiled and said, "Not at all. But sometimes you need a strategist anyway."

Percy's grin could be heard when he answered, "You'll never let me win this argument, will you?"

"Nope."

"Alright. I can live with that."

"Good. So are you going to explain what I need to know about this mission?" Annabeth asked bringing the conversation back on the track she wanted it to be on. Or at least she attempted to.

"Oh. I don't know. This conversation is so much lighter and easier to work with." Percy said.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and turned on her side so she was facing Percy. She leaned on her elbow with her head on her hand so she would be eye level with Percy's head resting on two pillows. Pillows stuffed with buckwheat might she add.

Percy turned his head so he was looking directly into Annabeth's eyes. He raised his eyebrows, wondering why Annabeth had shifted her position. The motive for her was to make sure she could see what was going on in Percy's mind through his sea green eyes. She also wanted to be able to tell if Percy was lying or withholding something as he explained the vital information. She thought it was quite clever, especially since Percy hadn't figured out her reasoning.

Percy never caught on. He just began explaining, "I've told you about the basics of the business. This situation is not for the USA per say. It's an international crisis that pertains to at least one country on all the continents except Antarctica. We're trying to intervene without being obvious about it. At least, that was what we were asked to do. We do know who is been suspected to be behind this entire crisis, but we haven't confirmed it. That's our first step like I already told you. We have to look into what we've been asked to do. The A2 business has been asked to rid of him and his closest followers in all supporting countries. We're attempting to find if that is the answer that will save this impending war from ever happening. Currently, it is more of a threat and only slight military force has been used. The USA is barely involved in terms of military force, but several other countries have been going at it in other seas and oceans other than the Pacific and Atlantic. The USA is attempting to hide all this from the civilians as long as possible."

Percy paused. Annabeth slowly nodded showing she understood what he had said up to that point. Percy continued, "We are short on time because of certain things we are trying to find. They are different objects that will give us more insight on this problem, however their locations are being shifted much sooner than planned. They are kept by other people in the A2 who are currently under threat of being driven out. We have to get to all of them first by getting past all other defenses of other people. There are not clear sides in this crisis either, making this even more complicated. We don't know who is with who overall. We just dispose of those standing in our way from our own people at this stage."

Annabeth sat in silence as she comprehended all that Percy had told her. She wanted to come up with a starting plan. A first action to suggest to Percy for their group to do. An action that would assist in this crisis being finished before it was really started. A movement that would stop this military crisis from ever becoming a public world war. Unfortunately Annabeth was too distracted to properly come up with an idea to help what they were dealing with. Then she remembered that Percy had said they were short on time. That was also why they were panicking about a field strategist. She needed to know specifically why they were short on time.

"Percy?" Annabeth started, "Why exactly are you short on time? What is pressuring the time limit?"

"Good question. There is a reason for you now being our field strategist. The answer is that our people spread out are under threat of being driven out right? So because of that, our general arrangements have been screwed up. At this point, we are trying to continue with our original plans for where we need to meet up for certain handoffs. Those handoffs, I'm afraid will have to stay between the closest members of the business. You are still a slight liability. I am telling you exactly what you need to know within my allowance. I can't tell you too much just in case you are captured. I don't want them to have a reason to torture you for answers. I don't know who they are, but if it's clear you know something important, they will stop at nothing to get it out of you."

Annabeth said, "That's sensible. That will protect the business and me. It makes sense."

Percy nodded and turned on his side. He brushed a piece of hair behind Annabeth's ear. He was looking down into her eyes. His eyes swept down her body quickly, then came back to meet her own eyes. Annabeth smirked. She got out of bed and changed into sweat pants and one of the few T-shirts that Percy had on the trip. She came back into the room to find Percy in the same place but in just in boxers and on his back under the covers. Annabeth crawled into bed next to him and turned out the bedside light.

A/N: Feedback is appreciated.