Something wasn't right. Something felt off.

She couldn't quite put a finger on it, but the odd sensation caused her to jolt awake.

Annabeth's senses were on high alert and her years of training told her to keep still, at least until she was certain of the threat. She steadied her breathing, listening to her own heartbeat begin to slow its rapid pace.

She analyzed her surroundings- lying on her side, facing the wall. The white paint reflecting the soft orange glow of lamplight. There was a small smudge of ink on the wall- and there it was again!

A faint sound behind her, almost like someone breathing.

She could feel a presence. Warmth, maybe, closing distance between them. Her muscles tensed as she readied herself. She would need to move quickly, use the blanket to wrap around the intruder—

"Annabeth," she recognized the soft whisper and her tension faded as quickly as it had come.

She turned to face him, sitting up. "Percy!?"

His hair was a mess and his face looked tense. He sat in the edge of her bed and reached for her hand. She slipped her fingers into his.

"I'm sorry I just…" he looked down, suddenly his face seemed flushed.

"Nightmares again?"

He nodded. "Yeah I just had to make sure…."

She understood. It had been this way for a long time now, each of them in their turn waking from a nightmare and needing to check on the other. Just to make sure they were okay, still alive- and still together. The first few nights had been the worst- they had taken turns running to the other, collapsing next to them on the small bed, shaking with residual fear. But as time passed and Tartarus became further away, it wasn't as oppressive and their night time visits became less frequent.

They hadn't shared any of this with their friends. They couldn't. They had to be strong. Their friends had counted on them.

Now, even a full two years later, the occasional nightmare prompted a late night visit. But, at least, now they didn't have to sneak around so much; they were adults now.

Annabeth moved to the side and raised the blanket, a clear gesture for him to slide in next to her. He lay down next to her taking a deep breath. As he wrapped his arms around her she kissed the top of his head.

"You wanna tell me about it?"

"When we faced those curse-bat monsters. And you were blind and couldn't find me. And I couldn't get to you."

She remembered. It had been frightening and heartbreaking. She had been certain that he wasn't with her anymore, that he had left her alone to die with the winged monsters. She had been crushed: angry and terrified. And when she had come around and her vision returned, Percy was lying on the cold, rocky ground, dying from the slain Arai's curses.

"Yeah," she fingered the hem of his shirt sleeve, a single thread had come undone and she had the sudden desire to clip off the little tail. "That was pretty awful… thinking you had left me."

He squeezed her a little tighter. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, I know it wasn't real. You don't have to apologize. Especially when you nearly died trying to make it right."

He nodded quietly against her shoulder. A moment of silence passed and Annabeth closed her eyes. Somewhere she heard the distant chirp of a cricket.

Percy moved next to her, propping himself up so he could lean down and kiss her lips.

She kissed back, wrapping her hands around his neck.

A minute later he pulled himself away, taking a deep breath. He grinned at her. "I think I better go before things get too heated."

She nodded. "Probably a smart move."

Percy stood, his back to her. He jammed his hands in his pockets and walked to the door. As he left the room he turned halfway to look back at her and smiled again. "Hey, I love you."

"Love you too."

The door shut with a click and Annabeth lay back down on her bed, pulling her blanket up around her shoulders.

They had both agreed to abstinence, at least for the year. At nineteen, it was too big of a decision- too big of a responsibility. The gods couldn't control themselves and- well look what happened (what kept happening). If nothing else, it felt like a way to regain some control over their lives. Some way to prove just how different they were from their parents. But it wasn't easy.

Nights like these, when they needed each other, she had often found herself regretting her decision, but was too stubborn to change her mind. She knew Percy wasn't as stubbornly attached to the idea (more like not at all) but he never complained and never questioned her. That, of course, only made it more difficult to abstain.

She recalled the moment, several weeks before, when they had been left alone in the bathhouse...

The steam condensed on white tiles and formed perfect little droplets that collected and rolled off the walls and ceiling, occasionally dropping on her head. The pool of water she sat in bubbled and steamed.

Percy had moved to sit right next to her, draping one arm across her shoulders. The emptiness of the pool suddenly pressed in around her. She glanced up and Percy was watching her, his expression serious. She smiled up at him and he kissed her, his hand caressing her face, tilting her chin up to him. And, oh gods, it was a Kiss.

She kissed him back, (how could she not?) one hand on his side, the other on his arm. She marveled at how much more muscular he had become over the last few months. His side was taught with lean muscle and she could barely wrap her hand halfway around his bicep.

"Fuck," she thought to herself, then Realized she had actually whispered the word against his lips.

His mouth left hers but his head stayed close, anticipating a return to the pleasant activity.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his fingers trailing down her neck toward the center of her chest, where the top of her swimsuit met at a point, a little bow blooming out of the fabric.

"Nothing," she managed to say, before leaning up to kiss him again. He twisted his body over hers. Was it just her or was the water level rising? The water splashed up around her chin now. Maybe she had slid across the bench, deeper into the water- it wouldn't be the first time.

She tried to adjust but found herself already upright. The water really had risen. She looked around breaking contact for only a moment. The water had surged up around Percy, enveloping her like a warm hug. Before she could say anything, Percy backed away his finger hooked around her bikini top, pulling her with him down into the water.

A flurry of bubbles swarmed around her face and suddenly she could breathe. It wasn't the first time he had pulled her underwater for a kiss and so she wasn't shocked when a pocket of air wrapped around her head like a reverse fishbowl. The perks of dating a water bender.

He had pulled her on top of him as he sat on the pool floor. Her legs straddled his own and what did surprise her, was just how much pressure she felt pressing up against her… or was it pushing her down?

The pressure increased as Percy's hand moved under the wet fabric of her bikini. He kissed her again and She felt his body stiffen against her.

The pressure around her increased. Her back and shoulders began to feel the strain.

"Percy," she said calmly. "Are you doing that on purpose?"

"what?" Percy looked confused.

She shook her head, the air bubble seemed to turn with her head just a second too late and so it bobbed around reminding her of a cartoon. "The… uh… water pressure."

"What water pressure?"He seemed dazed.

Annabeth grimaced. "Just see if you can loosen it up a little bit, it's like holding up the sky all over again."

Percy closed his eyes, furrowing his brow, concentrating.

The pressure let up and instead of feeling that she was carrying a great weight, it felt more like a heavy backpack which continued to press her into him, or maybe it was the other way around.

"Just a little more."

The pressure lifted and Percy's eyes opened. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was doing that."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Frankly, I'm flattered- seaweed brain."

"Who's Frank Lee?"

She laughed again and kissed him, her hands resting against his blue swimsuit waistband. Then she froze. Something occurred to her. Something that seemed so silly and yet…

"Heeey…" she dragged out the word hey. "Um… do you think… oh gods, this is embarrassing."

Percy frowned. "What?"

"You don't think that… well… do you think your, um, swimmers are like super swimmers?"

Percy's mouth dropped open. "Uhhhhhh…. I have no… I mean I don't think…but um.."

Annabeth inched away from him. "Maybe we should get out..?"

He nodded numbly but sat still on the pool floor as she floated up to the surface.

Now that her mind was filled with these thoughts, it was hard for Annabeth to return to sleep.

She got up instead. Yawning she checked the clock, 3:30am, and stretched her arms above her head.

Might as well make the most of the time and newfound burst of energy- or excitement. She dressed herself, laced up her running shoes and braided her hair. She left her room quietly, heading down the hall and out of the building. Stars gleamed like Christmas lights above and the fresh smell of the night air cooled her thoughts. A slight breeze blew through New Rome, rustling the leaves of tall eucalyptus and California sycamore trees.

She stretched her legs and back before breaking into a jog down the cobblestone path.

She had always love running. And she had built up her tolerance to it so that she could pace herself and go for miles without stopping or becoming too much out of breath.

At the base of a hill she made a decision, sprinting to the top and finishing her run at the summit.

Her lungs burned and her heart pounded as she barreled upward. Almost there, she urged herself on. Almost!

When she finally reached the top she gasped for breath and placed her hands on her hips, walking out the discomfort in her legs and the stitch in her side.

She looked across the valley, drinking in the comforting scenery. She had come to not only appreciate but love New Rome- and not just for the beautiful architecture.

"It really is beautiful," a soft feminine voice startled Annabeth.

She whirled, bending her knees, ready to fight. But the woman sat unthreateningly on the bench.

Everyone keeps startling me tonight, what's up with that?

The darkness shadowed her features but Annabeth knew who she was. Her beautiful face seemed to shift, somehow becoming ever more beautiful. She wore a blue sleeveless dress with a bow on the midsection and a matching hat with long gloves. Annabeth wasn't a fashion expert but her appearance gave off a 1950s feel.

She sighed.

"Lady Aphrodite. What a pleasant surprise."

Aphrodite either didn't catch or didn't care about the sarcasm in her voice.

The goddess nodded. "Hmm- yes it certainly is."

Annabeth knew better than to assume this was a social call. But she hesitated to ask what it was that the queen of prissy wanted from her.

"Well, do tell me everything," she continued, patting the bench next to her. "I'm terribly bored."

"I beg your pardon?" She stayed in her feet.

Aphrodite tittered. "You're most certainly forgiven."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow but decided not to say anything more.

"So…?" Aphrodite prompted; Annabeth shrugged. "The details! The 'deets'! 'Spill the tea'! You and that handsome son of Poseidon- Percy Jackson!"

She said his name triumphantly as if she had forgotten his name until that moment.

Annabeth scoffed. "Yeah, no thank you. I'd like to keep my private life private."

Aphrodite seemed to take offense. She placed a delicate hand over her heart, as would an old fashioned lady- which, Annabeth supposed, 3000 years old was rather old fashioned.Aphrodite stood and eyed Annabeth up and down. "Oh! Oh my! Well now!"

Annabeth suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if the goddess had seen straight through her clothing. She felt the urge to cover herself up and hide.

Annabeth stepped backwards, crossing her arms and bit back an insult.

Aphrodite's eyes gleamed. "Oh, you're making that poor boy miserable! I approve!"

"Excuse me?!"

Aphrodite continued. "oh dear! well now, this just won't do! And you've already got him hooked around your little finger! Hmmm- well, you're in luck!"

"Wait, what do you mean he's miserable?" Annabeth had a sneaking suspicion but she dared not voice it.

"Oh you silly girl, still pretending you're a child aren't you," Aphrodite shook her head. "Not to mention, you're only setting yourself on edge as well."

Annabeth opened her mouth to speak but, for once, she had nothing to say.

Aphrodite continued. "Well now! I happen to have quite the task for you. And of course, that lovely boy. Oh I do hope for a good ending, with the perfect amount of heartache!"

A task, of course, Annabeth had expected a job- she just didn't want to be given the duty. Hadn't she and Percy done enough? And what did she mean, 'the perfect amount of heartache'.

"And there are dozens of demigods praying for such a quest. Might I recommend Nico DiAngelo, or the Stoll brothers. Or even one of your own children-"

Aphrodite laughed. "Oh no! It must be you! My two favorite demigods, the perfect romance! And of course, the two of you need my help! And I need yours! It's a perfect trade- what do they say? A 'win-win'!"

Annabeth groaned silently. "We… need your help?"

"Oh! I'm flattered you want my help!"

"That wasn't a request-"

"Now, you two did such a good job last time, I knew it had to be you again. I need you to retrieve something for me."

Aphrodite returned to her seat and pulled out a small makeup bag, dabbing a small amount of lipstick on as she filled in Annabeth on just how much of an airhead she actually was.

"You're fucking with me, right?" Annabeth had to sit down on the damp grass. "You want us to retrieve—"

Aphrodite moved on to re-applying her mascara. "Yes! And you must succeed! If my personal items come into the possession of mortals the result would be, ahem, has always been disastrous! Men driven mad with lust! Their minds shattered! They commit the most terrible acts of violence and cruelty!"

Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose, she could feel a headache threatening to surface.

Aphrodite continued. "You demigods tend to be more resilient but not by much. And so you'll need—" she handed Annabeth the makeup bag. "—this should contain the magic, and you may find one or two goodies inside that should help you on your journey."

Annabeth hesitated to accept the bag. At last she pinched it between two fingers as if it were a dead animal she was forced to pick up.

"Um… thaaankss…" Annabeth wrinkled her nose.

Aphrodite stood and clapped her hands. "Now, you two should hurry on your way. I'll be back here in a week!"

Her form glowed and Annabeth closed her eyes, the blinding flash of light permeating her eyelids, making her see red for only a moment, and then it was gone.