Double update today! I guess I am feeling generous.

But I do have something to ask of you guys. I want to have ten more reviews before the next time I update. Otherwise, you'll have to wait.

I know, I know, it's a lot to ask. For you guys, at least. Slackers. :p

But ten reviews really isn't that many. So you'll just have to stop being lazy and actually review.

Yes, I know I'm evil. No, I don't care.

Ten reviews, you guys. TEN. That's all I'm asking.

Chapter XXVI

Percy

So, Percy is fighting monsters again. More gryphons, to be exact. But he's actually kind of having fun.

Okay, the whole swinging-on-ropes-through-the-rigging thing is a lot more than just fun. And watching the gryphons run into each other midair when they fly away from Annabeth in panic definitely has its perks.

But his all time favorite part has to be the look on Frank's face when he comes up the stairs.

"Heads up!" Percy yells, swinging low to behead the gryphon that is trying to behead Frank. Frank ducks just in time and turns to see Percy as he swings away.

His expression is priceless. Percy wishes he had a camera.

"Hey, Frank. Nice of you to join us!" Annabeth calls cheerfully as she slices another gryphon into dust.

"Why is Percy swinging on ropes?" Frank asks.

"Because it's fun! You should try it, Frank. Wanna come up?" Percy shouts down, grinning.

"Uh, no thanks." Frank says.

Annabeth shrugs. "Suit yourself. It really is fun, Percy already took me up twice."

Frank stares at her, and then up at Percy, and then he looks around at the gryphons still attacking the ship. Then he shakes his head and walks back down the stairs.

Percy drops onto the deck next to Annabeth.

"What was that all about?" He wonders.

Annabeth turns to him with a twinkle in her eyes, smiling. "No idea." She says. "Come on, I want to fly again."

"Fine with me." Percy grins. He grabs her around the waist and jumps, summoning one of the ropes to his hand. And they go swinging through the flock of gryphons, making it rain monster dust onto the deck below them.

It's a little random. But the whole thing makes Percy smile.

When all of the gryphons have been sent back to Tartarus, Percy gently sets them back on the deck. He looks around, a little disappointed that all the gryphons are gone. Now they have nothing to do.

"What now?" Annabeth asks, echoing his thoughts. He's at a loss as to what to say when an idea pops into his head. He grins.

"Wanna climb the rigging-" He starts to suggest.

"And sit on top of the mast?" Annabeth finishes.

"Of course." He says. She grins back at him.

"Sounds like fun." She answers. They make their way over to it and start climbing side by side. It reminds Percy of rope climbing class at Camp Half-Blood.

They're having fun. And Percy hasn't thought of Tartarus at all.

Idiot. Percy scolds himself. Now you're going to start thinking about it.

And, of course, he does. But they aren't necessarily bad memories. He thinks about when he made Annabeth laugh while they were swimming in the Cocytus. And when he, Annabeth, and Bob took a break at the shrine of Hermes.

Bob...Percy's thoughts turn sad. His smile disappears. If only he'd convinced Annabeth to let him stay. Then...maybe...Oh, who was he kidding, he'd be long dead. But at least he wouldn't feel so awful. He let Bob and Damasen die for him.

Annabeth, climbing beside him, notices his sudden melancholy and nudges him with her elbow.

"What's wrong, Percy?" She asks. But Percy doesn't want to ruin her good mood too.

"Nothing." He says. "Come on, I'll race you to the top."

He starts climbing as fast as he can, but Annabeth beats him anyway. She's had more practice.

"Ha! I win!" She shouts, sitting on the top of the mast. Percy has to sit in the rigging. Or, more acurately, turn around, hook his feet through the rope, and lean back in the rigging.

Annabeth closes her eyes and flings out her arms as if to embrace the world. She breathes in deeply through her nose and smiles.

Percy watches her. The wind whips her hair around her face and makes it flow out behind her. The look on her face is so peaceful, so happy, that Percy can't help but smile too. She's so beautiful.

She lowers her arms and opens her eyes to find Percy staring at her with a soft, tender expression in his eyes. He doesn't look away. Instead, he leans towards her and entwines his fingers with hers.

"I love you, Wise Girl." He murmurs.

"I love you too, Seaweed Brain." She whispers back. Then she kisses him gently on the lips. They're interrupted by someone yelling up at them.

"What in Hades are you two doing?!" Leo shouts, his hands on his hips. Percy pulls back with a groan and glares down at Leo's small figure far below them.

"Kissing!" He calls back.

"Percy!" Annabeth smacks his shoulder. He looks up in mock surprise.

"What? We were." He says innocently. Annabeth just rolls her eyes.

"Do you need something?" She shouts down to Leo.

"Yes! I need you to get down so I don't have to worry about you falling and making a mess on my deck!" He yells.

Percy thinks about that for a second and then gets a dangerously mischevious look in his eyes. He looks at Annabeth with a grin that she knows all too well.

"Do you want to?" He asks. Annabeth immediately knows what he's talking about. Her eyes start to twinkle.

"Should we?" She says.

"Why not?" Percy shrugs.

"Okay, fine. You better not drop me." She warns him. He smiles.

"Never, Wise Girl." He promises. "Coming!" He yells to Leo. Then, at exactly the same time, holding hands, Annabeth and Percy jump into the air.

The air whistles past them, and Annabeth laughs in delight.

Percy flashes back on their fall into Tartarus. But this is different. This time, they jumped. And they're not going to Tartarus. They're having fun.

At exactly the moment before they would smash into the deck and become demigod pancakes, Percy grabs one of the ropes and they swing around once before jumping to the deck in front of Leo.

He's staring at them in shock, his mouth wide open.

"You-you just-gods of Olympus! I'm going to kill you two!" He says, throwing up his hands in exasperation.

"Nah. You'd have to catch us first." Percy waves away the threat. It's not like Leo would ever actually kill them. "Anything you wanted us to do? Or did you just want to ruin our fun?"

Leo just continues staring at them. Then he mutters, "Frank was right. You've both lost it."

"If that's the case, I really like being crazy. 'Cause it's pretty dang fun." Percy tells him cheerily.

"Gotta agree with Percy on this one. Being crazy is definitely entertaining." Annabeth says. She hooks her arm through Percy's. "Come on, Seaweed Brain, let's do something else. Any insane ideas?"

Percy thinks about it for a second. "Nothing completely crazy, but how about a picnic? Sounds like fun to me. And I'm hungry."

Annabeth rolls her eyes at him. "You're always hungry." But she doesn't object. "Can I take a shower first, though? I want to wash the monster dust out of my hair."

Percy shrugs. "Fine with me. It'll give me time to set up our lovely picnic spot." Annabeth narrows her eyes at him suspiciously. He just widens his eyes innocently. "What? Don't you trust me?"

"No." She mutters. Percy gives her his signature puppy-dog eyes. She caves in less than ten seconds. "Fine. But don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"Me? Do something stupid? Never." Percy grins. Annabeth gives him a look like, Why did I ever agree to this? And then she turns and walks quickly down the stairs.

Percy starts right away, running all over to make sure he has everything he needs. He takes a brief break when he's halfway finished and grins at the empty sky.

"This is gonna be perfect." He says. Leo turns from the controls and gives him a weird look. But Percy doesn't care. He's too caught up in his perfect idea.

Do you guys think my story would be better in a different point of view? Uncle Ricki does his past tense-ish, I know, and I guess I could try that.

But would you guys want first person POV? It would still have the POVs of everyone, but with I and me and all that good stuff. I always felt that first person POV helps you get more into the story. And I'm better at writing it, so. Yeah.

If you guys don't want me to, I get it. It's not like Ricki's style of writing. But remember, this isn't the actual Blood of Olympus. ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.You never know. It could be bunches better in first person POV.