Considering that I posted my first PJO fic on Percy's birthday last year, I might as well make a chapter for Annabeth's birthday.

On the bright side, the story has a new cover that I made this time.

This chapter was almost a separate one-shot but then this story came to fruition so I figured it'd fit here.

Story #25: Searching For a Beautiful Blonde Wearing a Traffic-Cone Orange Shirt

Percy promised he'd visit Annabeth for her birthday. Instead of staying at Camp, she was with her father in California and his new family. He had to ask why she was there given their rocky history but she mostly wanted to show Percy the West Coast beaches. Either way, she wanted company for her special day that wasn't her family so he knew he had to make the trip from New York. He would've even if she didn't ask. It could've been a fun surprise on his part.

He would've been at the San Francisco International Airport sooner if he didn't take a lot of buses to get there. If he wasn't essentially damned from taking planes in Zeus' territory, then he wouldn't have been bored out of his mind as he changed buses and crossed countless state lines from New York. It's whatever. Annabeth and her birthday are worth it.

But he's finally here at the airport, inhaling bus fumes as he stretches his legs in the terminal. According to the driver, he was only sitting for an hour but Percy was convinced it was a day.

Whatever. He's here. He'll be with Annabeth for her birthday. That's all that matters.

But she's not here. She's supposed to pick him up.

As Percy looks around, there's no Annabeth. No curly blondes wearing a bright orange shirt. Just random travellers, some were with him on the bus.

For a moment, he thinks that he's at the wrong airport. It had to be him since it could never be Annabeth. He'd check his ticket but asks someone instead. After verbal confirmation from three people who definitely think he's insane now.

Maybe something happened. Maybe Annabeth's fighting monsters and got caught in traffic. Maybe Annabeth and the monsters caused the traffic.

Percy heads into the airport because maybe she's waiting for him inside or went to the bathroom. He walks past rushing families and travellers running to their terminals. He sees couples reuniting, jumping into each other's arms and he smiles. He and Annabeth could've had a moment like that right when he stepped off the bus if she wasn't in the bathroom or fighting monsters in nearby traffic she possibly caused.

The scent of coffee hits him. For a moment, an image of Grover flashes in his mind but he sees one of the many Starbucks in the airport. He could send Annabeth an Iris message but doesn't have the money. He doubts Starbucks could break a five into drachmas. Then he'd have to find a rainbow. He wonders which would be more likely to happen.

If only they could use phones.

Percy turns a corner and sees a wall that was turned into a mural of the world map. It's beside a nearly empty gift shop. Percy peeks inside, wondering if she was looking at the postcards of different places or picked up one of the books or magazines to leaf through and learn something she could've told him when he arrived.

But nobody's in the store. Not even a cashier behind the counter or someone restocking shelves.

He doesn't blame Annabeth if she wandered off because she couldn't sit and wait in one spot.

Imagine if she went back to the bus terminal and he wasn't there because he was wandering around looking for her.

"Excuse me," Percy says as he approaches the nearest info desk. The flight attendant greets him with a copy/paste customer service smile she's given at least a thousand times in the past hour. "I'm looking for a girl who was supposed to be meeting me here. She has grey eyes and bushy blonde curls, likely wearing a bright orange shirt with CHB on it."

"Um, no," the lady responds, turning to her computer, "was she flying in from somewhere?"

"No, just picking me up. Look, you couldn't have missed her. Her shirt is the colour of a traffic cone, if she's even wearing it which is likely."

"I don't think I saw someone in such a colour."

"Or maybe you saw her looking at that map over there, or conversing with pilots or any traveller because she loves learning about new places."

"I could call the attendant on shift before me but she sounds like a fun girl."

Percy nods, biting his bottom lip. Then, he remembers something she might have even if she isn't in her camp shirt. "Oh! She probably had a Yankees cap on her and she might be wearing it…"

Percy trails off because it hits him. If she was wearing her cap, then he couldn't see her. She'd be invisible just to mess with him, watch him walk around mindlessly and even have that embarrassing conversation. Then she feels a hand slip into his from behind, her hand. He knows it's hers because who else would grab him like that? Under any other circumstance, he would've jumped and expected a judo-flip but he was glad to know she was there, that she was probably there the whole time. It was all he was sure of.

"Thanks for your help, I know exactly where she is now," Percy says.

When Percy turns around, holding Annabeth's hand tightly, she's there smiling at him with her bright traffic-cone orange Camp shirt and her Yankees cap in her other hand. Percy drops his bag and hugs her, now resembling those reunited lovers who were once separated by vast distances. Now he's wondering how long she would've followed him invisibly.

"So, how long were you following?" Percy asks.

"Since you got off the bus," Annabeth responds before laughing.

While typing this chapter, I realized this chapter title would've worked for Percy in SoN.

I'm not sure if I'll have a chapter up on Percy's birthday but we'll see.