Annabeth and I walk on the beach of Camp Half-Blood, the ocean lapping over our feet. She's in a swimsuit with a white cover-up, and while she looks great dressed for battle, there's a gentle beauty when she's dressed like this I wish I got to see more often.
It's been three days since the end of the war, and unlike how long it took last time, Things already seem back to normal here. Thanks to the Romans everything is already rebuilt. Nico decided he's staying, which I couldn't be happier about, even after his out of nowhere confession about having a crush on me. Leo's out there somewhere, that's something I have to believe. Jason and Piper are staying at camp. Frank and Hazel are going back with the rest of the Romans. Everything is all wrapped up, except for one thing. Even though we're already married, I still feel like I'm going to puke.
"Annabeth?"
"Yeah, Seaweed Brain?" She smiles at me, playing with my fingers intertwined in hers.
I stick my hand in the pocket of my swim shorts and feel my grandmother's ring. My mother drove to camp when I asked Zeus, once again, to light up the Empire State Building blue so she could see I was ok. Chiron was kind enough to let her in, and in the very short time Annabeth left my side she gave me her mother's ring off of her necklace. I grip it in my hand and let go of her.
"Close your eyes, Wise Girl." She does, and I kneel down to write in the sand, holding back the waves as to not wash it away. When I'm done, I get on one knee and hold the ring out, then take a deep, shaky breath.
"Open your eyes." She blinks them open, then her hands go to her mouth in surprise as she sees "Will You Marry Me?" written in the sand.
"I know we're already together. But I promised I'd do this right, I even called your dad for his blessing. So tell me, Wise Girl, do you want the ring or not?" She tackles me with a hug, and I lose my concentration on the water, causing a wave to crash over us. Worth it, though when I taste the salt on her lips.
"Do you want a ceremony?" She asks.
"If you do."
"How about tonight?
"Sounds Perfect."
…
Annabeth
The camp is abuzz with life as everyone makes last second preparations for our wedding. I Iris Messaged my father, and he flew here in his biplane to walk me down the Aisle. Sally and Paul made the much shorter drive to Long Island. Chiron is officiating and pulled out a tux shirt, jacket, and bowtie although we told him he didn't have to be fancy. The whole camp is setting up beach blankets on either side of the aisle, they're bringing the plates and cups from the dining hall and the Apollo kids are setting up their band for the reception. Aphrodite even struck me with her blessing as a gift, and it came with flawless hair, skin, makeup, and a beautiful, white, sleeveless, backless Grecian gown and a waltz length, two layer veil dotted with pearls, perfect for our beach wedding. I'm in the Athena cabin under house arrest, lest Percy accidentally see me before the wedding.
"Knock, Knock." I hear someone say then turn around and see Thalia. She smiles and walks over to me and gives me a tight hug.
"You look beautiful, Annabeth. Last chance to join the hunters before you say I Do." She says with a wink. I half suppress a laugh.
"We got married a while ago. This is just the ceremony."
"Ahhh, really? And I didn't get an invite to see the vows?"
"Well we said them as we were hanging over the hole to hell. Pretty spontaneous, didn't have time to stick it in the mail. My bad." She chuckles.
"Okay you are forgiven. So what's the plan for today? I was on a hunt and Mrs. O'Leary just bounded out of the shadows with Grover-Grover! On her back of all people telling me you were about to get hitched and to hightail it to camp."
"Ceremony is at sunset. Reception with food and dancing will follow."
"Officiant?"
"Chiron."
"Food and drink?"
"Plates and cups from the dining hall."
"Music?"
"Apollo kids."
"Flowers?"
"Demeter cabin. Orchids."
"Cake?"
"Hestia, Actually is making one. Apparently Baking falls under 'Goddess of the Hearth.' She heard about the wedding and wanted to give us a gift for defeating Gaea and making a home together."
"Nice! Bridesmaids and Groomsmen?"
"Hazel and Frank, Jason and Piper, you and Grover as Best Man and Maid of Honor. If you accept, of course." She gets a wide smile on her face.
"Of Course I accept! I remember Piper, I like that girl. She's good for Jason. And I wonder if she can charmspeak us some free bridesmaid dresses if we take a Pegasi into the city. Gotta go work on that and meet Hazel. Chao, Wise Girl! Love you!"
"Thalia-" I start but she's already out the door so I let her go. She's not going to actually have Piper steal dresses. At least, I hope not. I sit down on my bunk and pull Percy's ring out of the dress pocket. Hazel made it out of celestial bronze and plated it with white gold to match the engagement ring Percy got from his mother for me. His is nothing fancy, just a comfort band engraved on the inside with "As long as we're together" and an olive branch. I got a look at mine when she made them. Same thing, a celestial bronze comfort band plated with white gold, except mine is engraved "Never Again" with a wave. I play with his band, passing it between my fingers, thinking of how great it will feel to slide it on his hand.