AN: Not the exactly the Christmas chapter but rather the lead up to the Christmas chapter.
Chapter 16: My Singing Gets us Concert Tickets
December 22
ANNABETH
"Do we really have to take the plane?" Percy complained for the millionth time in the past hour. "Couldn't we like, I don't know, take a pegasus or maybe shadow travel there. It's better for the environment you know. Climate change and all that shit. Coral bleachings are not nice."
Annabeth was about to slam her head against a wall repeatedly if he complained one more time about the plane. She knew he was afraid of flying because of Zeus, but it was unlikely that Zeus would blast the plane out the sky after everything they've done. Hopefully anyway.
"Percy for the last time," she tried to keep her voice as level as possible. "The tickets are already paid for. We're getting on that damn plane."
"What if Zeus blasts us out the sky?"
"He won't," she reassured.
"How do you know?"
"I don't. But I'm pretty sure Athena and Poseidon would stop him from doing any funny business."
"That's reassuring," he scoffed. He looked back at the terminal. "Are you sure we can't just take our bags back and maybe drive the Prius instead?"
Their suitcases were already loaded onto the plane so there was no backing down now. Annabeth tried to stay as calm as possible even though she wanted to strangle him right now. She took a deep breath. "Come on Percy. It will be fine. I'll hold your hand the whole time if you need me to," she added sarcastically.
"Goodie. Do I get a cookie too?" He fired back with his own sarcasm.
"If it will make you shut up, then yes."
He stared at her for a moment. "Fine, but if we're blasted out of the sky, I'm never gonna let you live it down in Elysium…" He looked thoughtful for a second, "dead it down? We'll be dead so you can't live it down." Annabeth's grin grew as he pondered his statement. "Oh shut up, you know what I mean."
"Fine, fine, now let's go before we miss the flight." She took his hand as they made their way to the terminal. After the lady checked their passes, they boarded the plane. They had been lucky in her dad getting them seats next to each other instead of them being on opposite sides of the plane. They loaded their backpacks onto the overhead compartments and took a seat as the passengers boarded the plane.
After several minutes and safety announcements, the plane was given the clear to take off. Percy's grip, which had been weak so far, started to strengthen. By the time they were lifting off, she almost cried out in pain by how hard he was gripping her hand. His hand was cold, and he was shaking.
"Percy, it will be fine," she reassured.
"Yeah… yeah. It's fine, it's fine," he said. He didn't sound like he meant it.
Once the plane was in the air and they were given the ok to move around, she took their intertwined hands and shook them. "It will be fine Percy. I promise nothing will happen." It didn't help her case that the plane shook at that moment.
"Swear it on the River Styx!"
"Don't be so dramatic!"
"Afraid of flights dearie?" The old lady sitting next to Percy spoke kindly.
"Oh yeah… never been the biggest of them." He answered shyly.
"Don't be scared sweetheart. I can assure you that it's perfectly safe. I've been on so many in my life. I'm actually on my way to visit my great grandbabies in San Francisco. Their names are Timmy and Tommy. Cutest little things you'll see. They're twins…" the old lady continued. She started telling Percy her entire life story so at least he was distracted and not worrying about the flight. She even gave him cookies.
Annabeth took her notebook out of her bag to look over the plans for the break. They would spend today in her parent's house, spend most of tomorrow in Camp Jupiter catching up with their friends, then spend the 24th and 25th with her parents as well. Then they would fly back to New York on the 28th for New Years. She ran through her mental checklist again making sure she had bought everything. She had double and triple checked their bags to make sure everything was there before Sally and Paul dropped them off at the airport. She bought her brothers gift, and Tyson managed to get Percy's gift done in time. He had Hermes expressed it to her yesterday.
When Annabeth asked Percy what he got for her, he gave him that lopsided smirk and told her it was a surprise. Her mind was going through so many possibilities that she could combust.
"Oh, things with my first husband didn't really work out," the old lady continued.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Percy said while munching on the lady's cookies. "Must have tough for you."
"Well yes, but that was right after the war so things were different back then. Eventually many years later I married my second husband and we were happily wed for many years. We adopted three beautiful children..."
Well at least the old lady was keeping him busy during the six-hour flight.
Annabeth pulled out a book to read to pass the time.
They landed in San Francisco several hours later. Annabeth sent a message to her dad telling him the ETA so they would arrive on time. The flight went by smoothly, no signs of turbulence. Everything went just as she said it would. Percy was still talking with the old lady even after six hours.
Annabeth didn't know how to feel about that. She was relieved that she didn't have to keep him in check the entire flight, but at the same time annoyed that the old lady caught his attention and he ignored Annabeth the entire flight.
"Oh, but you see, my daughter had an unplanned baby that year because she forgot to take her birth control. She decided to get freaky with her now husband behind the gas station. Make sure to take precautions dear."
"Don't worry, we're careful," Percy reassured.
After the attendants announced that they could start off-boarding, Annabeth grabbed their bags.
"It's been great talking to you dearie. Happy Holidays," she told him kindly.
"Thank you, Betty, thanks for the cookies."
"Anytime dear."
Annabeth poked his side. "Should I be worried you made a new girlfriend?" She joked.
"Yeah, if you're not careful Betty will steal me away from you." He grinned as she threw his bag onto his arms. "I'm joking, you're the only one for me."
She ignored his joke, grabbing his hand and walking to the exit. "See everything went fine. We're all in one piece."
After exiting the plane and grabbing their luggage at the baggage claim they started looking around for her family. Luckily it didn't take them long. She spotted her dad, Helen and her twin brothers waiting together at the terminal. Her brothers were the first to spot her. They started running in her direction.
Aww that's cute. They must have missed me so much, Annabeth thought to herself. She opened her arms to envelop them into a hug only for them to ignore her and nearly tackle Percy to the ground instead.
"What the?" She huffed.
"Percy!" They both yelled. "We missed you!"
They were both clinging to him like barnacles on a whale.
"Hey guys, sup?"
"We've missed you. Can you teach us more cool skate tricks?" Matthew asked.
"Oh, maybe you can teach us how to surf?" Bobby added.
"Do you want to play basketball with us? We got a new hoop."
Annabeth cleared her throat. "Aren't you guys forgetting something?"
"Did you hear something?" Bobby questioned.
"I didn't hear anything. You probably heard a ghost." Matthew teased.
"Boys, stop teasing your sister," her father chided. He stepped closer and pulled Annabeth into a hug. Their relationship may not be the best, but he was at least trying. "How was your flight?"
"Completely uneventful."
"That's great to hear," Helen said. She looked back at the boys. Bobby had somehow gotten on Percy's shoulders while Matthew was trying to get on his back for a piggyback ride. "Boys! Come greet your sister."
They both grumbled and greeted Annabeth rather unenthusiastically. Annabeth was starting to regret getting them presents.
"We love you sis. We just like messing with you," Matthew teased.
Once the twins were done with their greetings Percy stood by Annabeth's side. He held out a hand to her dad. "Good to see you again Dr. Chase."
"Please son, just call me Frederick. There's no need for all that formality."
"Oh," Percy looked bamboozled. "Great to see you again Dr. Frederick."
"Close enough," her father sighed.
Percy then turned to Helen. "You too Mrs. Chase. Nice to see you again."
"Just call me Helen, Percy." She turned to face them both. "It's great to see the two of you."
After some more small talk about their flight and the weather, they all headed to the car.
San Francisco was quite different from New York. For one, it wasn't stupid cold. They stripped off their coats and scarves while on the plane and kept them off since it was nowhere near as cold in San Francisco. There were also all the sloping hills which lead to the city having different urban plans than New York.
They arrived at the house half an hour later. Percy and her dad took care of the luggage while Annabeth, Helen and the boys went inside. The house looked exactly like it did the last time she visited.
"Annabeth, I trust that you know where your room is," Helen asked in a slightly sardonic tone.
Annabeth bit her tongue. She knew her stepmother didn't mean for it to come out like that, but old habits die hard.
"Yeah," she responded. "Once they bring the luggage in I'll head up there. I can also show Percy to the guest room if you'd like."
Helen nodded. "That would be great. I'll start on lunch."
The luggage was brought in shortly after. Annabeth took her suitcase and together with Percy went up the stairs to their rooms.
"So far so good," Percy commented. "I haven't made a fool of myself yet."
"We'll see how long that lasts."
He rolled his eyes. "How about you? No fights with Helen yet?"
"Not yet, but sometimes it feels like I'm walking on eggshells." Annabeth put her suitcase in her bedroom. It looked exactly like she left it. Her bed was made, her books neatly organized on the shelf, some posters of famous monuments of the world adorned the walls, and her curtains were open to let in the warm sun.
"Nice room you've got here. Am I staying here too?"
"Seaweed Brain," she sighed calmly. "It's best not to test the fates. I'll show you to the guest room."
"Will this be like at camp when you sneak into my cabin but in this case I'm the one doing the sneaking?"
"My parents won't mind if you're in my room. It's probably just after hours that they're worried about."
He got close to her, pulling her head to his chest. "We could tell them you know. It's not like it's a secret."
"You make it sound as if I'm pregnant."
He chuckled for a moment; he must have noticed her blank expression because then he looked worried. "Wait, are you?"
"No!" She cried exasperated.
"Oh, thank gods." He leaned down to kiss her. "I'm just saying. Maybe they'll be cool about it like my parents."
She took a breath. She wasn't sure if she wanted to share that information with her parents yet. It seemed a bit too personal. "I'll show you to the room so you can get settled in."
PERCY
Bare, that's the best word to describe the guest room at the Chase residence. There was a bed in one corner of the room with white sheets and neatly folded blankets on top, a desk rested on the far side of the room and an empty dresser. The walls were bare of any sort of decoration or personality.
After leaving the airport and arriving at the Chase home, Percy was feeling very confident. He hadn't screwed up yet. He was getting along with Frederick and Helen. Matthew and Bobby had already bombarded Percy with a million different requests. They wanted him to show them skate tricks, play basketball and soccer with them, show them how to surf, talk to fish, prank Annabeth and play video games with them among many others.
The twins must have seen him as an older brother figure.
He placed his backpack on the bed, rummaging through it to make sure he bought Annabeth's Christmas present. He could not live with himself if he forgot it, especially after all the trouble he went through to get them.
He got her something that would make her ecstatic and jump in joy, especially since she complained that what she wanted was sold out and the ones that were on sale would cost an arm and a leg.
Yep, Percy got her concert tickets. And not just any concert tickets, he got her Taylor Swift Tour concert tickets for the summer. And the best part, he got VIP passes.
Annabeth was going to love this.
Now for the story as to how he got them. It occurred last week. Percy had been stumped on what to get her for Christmas. Annabeth mentioned that tickets were going on sale soon and borrowed his electronics to buy them.
She was sitting on Percy's desk with her phone, his phone, her laptop and his laptop all open to the page once tickets went on sale. Annabeth spent the next 15 minutes speed running the five stages of grief.
Denial: "I'm on the waiting queue. They can't all be sold out."
Anger: "Fuck this shit they sold out!"
Bargaining: "Maybe if I refresh the page, some tickets will pop up."
Depression: "AHHHHHHH!"
Acceptance: "It was silly of me to think I could get tickets. These fans are out for blood."
She might have also cried a bit (a lot) and banged her head on the table in frustration.
Luckily for her, Percy hatched a plan. See, Annabeth was set to submit her designs to Mt. Olympus before the Winter Solstice. That meant that she would be visiting the home of the gods, which meant that he had an excuse to go up there as well. His plan was to go up there and sweet talk Apollo to get tickets. Surely, he (the god of music) would understand the need for concert tickets.
Unfortunately, the plan fell apart almost immediately. When he got up there with Annabeth, he told her he would go around and explore the city and maybe talk to some minor gods and nature spirits. He promised to be on his best behavior.
Contrary to popular belief. Percy got along well with most of the Olympians. It was really only Zeus, Hera, Ares and sometimes Athena and Dionysus that he didn't get along with well. He did his best to respect them, and some seemed to have a liking towards him. Heck there were some gods that adored him like Aphrodite and Hermes. Apollo was one of the gods that had a liking towards Percy. He wanted to use that liking to his advantage.
He made a beeline for the Apollo temple… where to his complete surprise it was empty. Cobwebs dusted the statues as if no one had been there in months. He looked around and there was not a single soul in sight.
"Lord Apollo are you here?" He called. He got no response. Even the hearth burning in the center of the temple was dim.
"Percy?" A voice from behind him called. He turned around to see a tall man wearing a UPS delivery driver uniform.
"Lord Hermes," Percy said with relief. Relief in seeing a familiar face that didn't despise him.
"What brings you to Mt. Olympus?"
"I'm looking for Apollo. Do you know where he is?"
Hermes looked uneasy. "My brother has... for lack of better words been out of commission."
"What do you mean?"
"I am unsure myself. The last I saw of him Lord Zeus had zapped him away and he won't devolve where Apollo has been sent." Percy looked around the empty Apollo temple. "Perhaps I can help you with the problem you're having. After all I have many domains, like cheeseburgers," he winked.
Percy gaped. "How did you know?" It was one of the jokes that Percy made in the Hermes section of his book that hadn't been published yet.
"Just a bit of godly intuition. So what can I help you with?"
Percy explained his situation. After he was done Hermes offered his advice. "It was wise that you seeked Apollo for the endeavor, but like I said he is out of commission right now so he won't be of any help." Percy deflated. Great, his plan didn't work out, just like usual. "But there are others that could help you." Percy perked up. Hermes pointed to an amphitheater on the other side of the city. "The Muses host their craft there. Perhaps they can aid you in your search."
Sweet, so it looks like this plan wasn't going completely down the toilet. Percy nodded. "Thanks Lord Hermes."
"I'll be seeing you around. Take care and send me an autographed copy too."
Percy left the Apollo temple and started making his way to the amphitheater. Along the way he ran into a couple of minor gods. A couple of them waved. He waved back.
Halfway to the amphitheater he passed by the community cork board which had all sorts of advertisements.
For sale: Hermes' slightly used winged shoes.
Help wanted at Hephaestus forges. Great Benefits!
Athena's Book Club Meeting on Tuesdays at 6:00 PM.
Aphrodite's missing mirror. Please contact me if found..
Hestia's cooking classes on Wednesdays at 5:30 PM
Extreme Makeover Poseidon's Atlantic Home on Hephaestus TV
Real Goddesses of Olympus New Season airs soon
IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES PLEASE CONTACT PERCY JACKSON (OLYMPUS' UNOFFICIAL ERRAND BOY)
PERCY JACKSON WILL DO YOUR QUESTS (IN EXCHANGE FOR COLLEGE RECOMMENDATION LETTERS)
He ripped the last two pages off the board then made his way to the theater, grumbling under his breath. When did he become 'Olympus Unofficial Errand Boy?'
The music and sounds only got louder the closer he got. Once he was inside, he was met with an intriguing sight. There were actors rehearsing a play, a full orchestra playing along, and the conductor was giving stage directions.
"No darling, you need to put more emotion into that line, how else will you convey the grief and sorrow onto the audience. Now from the top."
The actress groaned. "Sister, you're as annoying as ever."
A woman sitting on the bottom row was writing everything down on a large notebook. "That's attempt number 16th that you've messed up sister. Let's not go for twenty."
"Agh why do you have to write down all my mistakes Clio?"
"It's my job sister."
"Great, that's just wonderful," she grumbled. She turned to look Percy straight in the eye. She was taken aback. She pointed at him. "Wait, why's the Hero of Olympus slash the unofficial errand boy in the theater? Is he a special guest?"
All heads turned to him. Suddenly he wanted to be anywhere but here. Before he knew it, nine women were all around him bombarding him with questions.
'Oh my gods it's really him.'
'What brings you to the theater, young one?'
'Did you come here to see how many times Thalia messes up?'
'Shush sister. He doesn't need to know that.'
'He looks just like Lord Poseidon.'
'I hear you're writing a book. Are you here to get a blessing?'
'Calliope keep your hands to yourself. You're scaring the poor boy off.'
'Your mother's book has sold quite well. We congratulate her for it.'
"Ladies!" He shouted. That brought them out of their rambling. "Thank you. I was wondering if you could help with a music related problem that I'm having." He then proceeded to explain his problem.
"Ah yes, Taylor Swift, we are very familiar with her. Such a lovely lyricist. Although she's a strange case I do believe," one of the muses commented.
"Whatever do you mean, Euterpe?" Another mused one inquired.
"Well she's not exactly full mortal. There's hints of dwarf in her bloodline. But not Greek, more like from a differing Pantheon. Norse perhaps."
"Can we get back to the point ladies?" Percy interjected. He didn't have the time or patience right now to wonder about Taylor Swift's bloodline.
"Oh yes, yes. To get those tickets you must prove yourself in the art of music and lyrics. That's the trial that we will assign." Another muse piped.
"So, you guys want me to like… sing?"
"Exactly young one. Show us that you're worthy of those tickets and we shall grant them!"
"Couldn't I go beat up a giant or something instead? Singing isn't really my thing."
"Nonsense. We've all heard you sing. You're not the best singer out there but you're also not horrible. Show us you're worthy and the tickets shall be yours." All the muses clapped in agreement.
How badly did he want these tickets? Maybe he should just walk away and pretend this didn't happen. But if he did, he wouldn't have a gift for Annabeth and he couldn't do that to her. Ok, he was doing this Annabeth, he needed to remind himself of that.
"Ok, so what do I do?"
"Wonderful! We'll show you the way." Another muse piped up. They led him down to the amphitheater where they summoned a microphone. "Just go ahead and stand where the microphone is."
He did as he was told. From where he was standing, he noticed the large screen television. It said, 'Upcoming on Hephaestus TV, Percy Jackson Covers Taylor Swift.'
He was going to be on Hephaestus TV? Could this get any more embarrassing?
The muses stood behind him. "Don't worry young hero. The orchestra below you will play whatever song you wish. In this case since you want Taylor Swift tickets, they shall only play her songs. Pick the songs you wish to sing and impress us."
Ok, so he had to sing a variety of songs. Too bad he didn't get time to rehearse beforehand. He would have to wing it and hope that the muses thought it acceptable. On the TV it displayed her entire discography. He played it safe by picking the songs that he knew.
In the end he sang a Taylor Swift throughout the eras medley with songs such as You Belong with me, Love Story, Sparks Fly, Mine, Red, 22, Blank Space, Shake it Off, Ready For It, Cruel Summer, Lover, Willow among a couple others. All throughout, the muses were dancing and singing backup vocals for the performance.
Those tickets better be worth it.
Once he was done there was a soft round of applause. He looked at the amphitheater to see Annabeth… wait, Aphrodite gently clapping her hands.
"Wonderful, wonderful! I saw the spot-on Hephaestus TV and I just had to come see it in person."
"Uh-thanks," he managed through his blush.
"That was wonderful young hero!" The muses chorused from behind him. "Here, you've earned these." The head muse handed him a white envelope. Percy thanked them then opened them to reveal two tickets for Taylor's concert. He also pulled out two lanyards with VIP passes.
"Yes young hero, it was such a wonderful performance that we believe you deserve to meet her," another muse announced.
"Wait?... We're going to meet her?" All the muses nodded. Annabeth was going to freak!
Percy bowed. "Thank you so much, ladies." He placed the envelope in his jacket pocket.
After a bit more rambling from the goddesses he made his way out the amphitheater. As it turns out all nine of the muses also wanted an autographed copy of his book once it was published. He was going to be busy once it came out.
Outside the theater Aphrodite was waiting for him. "Ah, Perseus we meet again."
"Why did you appear in the theater?" Percy didn't particularly like Aphrodite since she was always messing with his love life but she was one of the more tolerable goddesses.
"I sensed a large spike in love in the area and I just had to investigate. As it turns out you're responsible for it."
Percy continued walking to the meeting spot. The goddess of love on his heels. "So, tell me Perseus, how many hearts have you broken?"
He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I haven't broken any hearts."
She giggled. "Quite the contrary. A handsome young man like you breaks the most hearts. I can sense it on you."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Perhaps you should be a bit more observant, Perseus and you'll notice all the heartbreak you leave behind."
"I really have no idea what you're talking about." Did she mean all those people that make eyes at him?
As they got closer to the meeting spot, Annabeth was already there waiting for him. "I must bid the two of you goodbye. Annabeth sweetheart thank you for taking all my suggestions into consideration for my temple. I'm sure it will be beautiful." The goddess of love banished in a pink cloud leaving the two of them near the elevator.
"So how did the temple designs go?" Percy inquired.
"As good as they'll go. Aphrodite loved hers but the other gods didn't comment much."
"Sounds just like them."
"How about you? How was your day on Olympus?"
"Surprisingly normal," he lied. "Ran into Hermes, Aphrodite and a couple minor gods. Nothing crazy." It wasn't too far off from the truth.
She grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's get some dinner," she suggested.
"You always have great ideas."
There was a soft knock at the door. Dr. Chase stood by the doorframe. "Sorry to interrupt Percy. I just wanted to check how you're settling in."
"The room's pretty bare, but overall, I say I'm settling in well Doc," Percy answered. They had decided that Dr. Frederick sounded too formal, so they decided on the name Doc.
Frederick nodded. "That's good to hear." He moved inside the room. "If you don't mind, perhaps we could talk for a moment."
Why did the temperature of the room suddenly drop ten degrees? Why did it feel like Frederick was seeing all his deepest darkest secrets?
"Ah, sure I have some time to kill," Percy responded uneasily.
Frederick took a deep breath. "I never did properly thank you for convincing Annabeth to give me another chance." He began. "I admit that I was neglectful of her and as a father, that remains as the biggest regret of my life."
"I know that this does not erase all the wrongs that I've caused her in the past, but I have been making a conscious effort to be a larger part of her life. I want to see her grow up, graduate college, walk her down the aisle at her wedding and perhaps welcome children. I hope that I can continue to be a part of her life where she feels like she can confide in me, and she considers me worthy of seeing her reach those milestones. Again, I thank you Percy, for convincing Annabeth to give me another chance. Without you I'm not sure she would have considered it."
"Uh, you're very welcome, Doc." Percy could honestly not come with a better response. He was at a loss of words. The man that had been neglectful of Annabeth in the past was fessing up to his mistakes and thanking Percy for giving him another chance.
Frederick took another break. "As for another matter. I'm not going to pretend that I know what you faced over the past several years. All I know is that you two were forced into situations that no child should have been forced into. So, I must thank you again for staying at my daughter's side and keeping her safe. As a parent, it's always difficult to see your child grow up and be put in danger. Please continue to take care of her."
Percy grinned. "It's usually the other way around. Annabeth's the one that takes care of me."
Frederick smiled. "She's always been mature for her age." Frederick looked uneasy for a moment as if considering his words. "You two have been forced to mature much more quickly than normal teens. You're also at an age where you can engage in sexual activities. I assume that your mother and stepfather have educated you and you don't require talking to?"
Heat suddenly rushed to Percy's face. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh yeah, I'm familiar with it." He didn't like where this was going.
Doc nodded. "Good. I expect you to be responsible and take precautions. Let me know if you require contraceptives."
Oh, gods please no, Percy pleaded. His face must have been as red as a tomato. Was it that obvious that he and Annabeth screwed?
"H-how did you know?" Percy stammered through the embarrassment.
To his surprise Frederick gave him a small smile. "I talk with your mother from time to time. She may have let it slip that the two of you were having sex."
"Ah, I see."
"Whatever you do with Annabeth is none of my business as long as she's not getting hurt and she's consenting to it. You two are free to do as you wish, but please be considerate of others present in the house," Frederick winked.
Percy had never felt so embarrassed in his life. This was worse than the time he was turned into a guinea pig. "Don't worry Doc, we're always responsible and considerate of others."
"Thank you, Percy." He looked around the room. "I'll leave you to get settled in. See you at dinner."
"See you Doc."
With that Frederick left the room, leaving the young man's thoughts spiraling. He propped himself on the mattress and stared at the ceiling. Out of all the things that could have happened, this was not on the list.
ANNABETH
Annabeth might as well have a huge sign on her forehead that said, 'please embarrass me today.'
The day had been going great. She was nicely getting settled back into her room until her brothers got involved. She was changing the comforter on her bed and as she pulled it away she found a black rubber spider laying on the bed.
She reacted as any self-respecting child of Athena would and screamed her lungs out. She heard her brothers laughing from the first floor and vowed to make those twerps pay for their actions. She wasn't going to take this sitting down.
Percy practically crashed into her room, Riptide in hand to see what happened. When she showed him the rubber spider, he looked unamused. He sighed and took the spider away. She decided not to bring up the fact that he was cowering earlier in the day during their plane ride.
Afterwards, Helen came into her room to have a talk with her. Over the talk, Helen apologized if she made Annabeth feel uncomfortable earlier in the day. Her stepmother told her that she doesn't expect Annabeth to forgive her for all the wrongs she was subjected to because her stepmother did not understand the demigod world.
After they had their initial talk, Helen bought up the topic of sex. As it turns out, Sally had let them know that she and Percy were getting down in the sheets. Helen asked if Annabeth was taking her birth control and if she would need to take her to a doctor to get more pills. She also volunteered to take Annabeth to the store to buy feminine hygiene products.
Annabeth, being the well-prepared child of Athena that she is, didn't need any of those. She bought everything that she would need for the trip. That however didn't stop the awkwardness of the conversation.
After that, Percy came to her room where they also had a discussion.
He leaned against her wall, arms crossed. "Your dad offered to take me to the store and buy some condoms."
Looks like Annabeth wasn't the only one getting a talking to. Her father had gone and talked to her boyfriend as well. Could this day get any worse?
"He said we're free to do as we wish as long as we are considerate of others," he added.
"Helen said something similar to that," she admitted.
"Looks like we both got a talking to, huh?"
After their talk, Bobby and Matthew dragged Percy outside so they could play basketball together. Annabeth stayed in her room and started working on the next round of temple redesigns for Olympus.
When the Sun dipped over the horizon she was called down for dinner. Helen had made a great meal. It wasn't at Sally Jackson's level, but it was great nonetheless. The six of them ate together and discussed plans for the upcoming days.
"Percy and I will be visiting the Roman camp tomorrow. We want to catch up with some friends that we haven't seen in months," Annabeth explained.
"How long will you two be out?" Her dad asked.
"We'll probably leave around mid-morning and be back by the evening."
"Can we come too?" Bobby excitedly chirped.
Percy ruffled Bobby's hair. "Sorry buddy, it's demigods only."
Bobby pouted. "Well, this just stinks. When will you show us those skate tricks?"
"Huh, soon ok. Maybe not tomorrow but soon." Percy reassured. "I didn't bring my skateboard with me so I'll have to use one of yours."
"You better not break it Percy," Matthew threatened.
Percy held out his pinky. "Pinky promise."
"How are your college applications going?" Helen inquired.
"Both of us are still in the process of enrolling in New Rome." Annabeth explained that the Roman camp had a university that demigods could enroll in. "I'm still waiting to hear back from Berkeley."
"That's great," Helen responded. "Will you continue with architecture?"
"For the foreseeable future, yes."
Helen nodded in agreement then turned to Percy. "How about you Percy?"
Percy rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not quite sure. I've been talking with my parents about it and they think I could do marine related work or maybe help others through social work. My stepfather suggested I could be a firefighter, but I could also swim professionally."
"Oh, you swim?"
"Yeah, he's one of the best!" Annabeth blurted out.
"I'm honestly not that good," Percy responded, a blush growing on his face.
"Don't sell yourself short. You've won first place in all the races you've participated in and you don't use your powers to help you out. You should be proud of it."
"Well, the state competition is in the Spring, we'll see how I compare with the best swimmers in the state."
"I'm confident enough to know that you'll be taking home tons of gold medals and trophies home from the state competition. Then you'll be moving to nationals," Annabeth encouraged.
Percy leaned closer to her and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.
"Eww!" Matthew yelled.
"Disgusting!" Matthew grimaced.
"Boys please!" Helen chided. "There's no need for that."
After dinner was over. Annabeth went to her room while Percy showered. She pulled her laptop out and was deciding which movie to watch. Since school had ended for the semester, they had loads more free time. Percy came into her room wearing his pajamas. He sat next to her.
"So, what are we doing tonight?"
"We could watch a movie," she suggested.
"Nice. Any good ones?"
"I'm scrolling through the options right now. Oh, how about this one?"
He looked at the screen. "The Barbie movie?"
"Don't tell you're too macho man to watch it," she teased.
"I never said that," he fired back. "Looks fun. Let's watch it."
She pressed play and they watched the movie. Halfway through the movie they both fell asleep together on her bed. The jet lag must have gotten to both of them.
December 23
Annabeth's brothers once again embarrassed her when they both walked into her room in the wee hours of the morning. Annabeth was far too tired to take stock of the situation. She barely noticed her brother's disgusted faces before they walked away.
She decided to go back to sleep.
Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door. It was Helen. "Annabeth, it's morning. You should get ready soon. I'm coming in."
Her stepmother opened the door with the twins behind her.
"See mom, they're being nasty again. They're sleeping together," Bobby whispered.
"You two go back to the kitchen. I'll have breakfast ready soon," she told them.
It was at this point that Annabeth finally took stock of the situation. Her stepmother was in her room, her head was laying on a firm chest that was slowly rising up and down. Her arms were wrapped around his waist with his arm was wrapped around her.
Gods of Olympus help her. She quickly sat up, hands pressed against Percy's chest. He grumbled underneath her from the sudden movement.
Helen raised an eyebrow.
"We did not!" Annabeth yelled.
"I'm just here to wake you up. You saved me some trouble by sleeping in the same bed." She moved to exit the room. She smirked, "oh, and whatever happens in private quarters is none of my business."
With that she exited the room. Annabeth was about to get off the bed when arms wrapped around her and pulled her down.
"Why are you up so early?" Percy's chest vibrated with his words.
"Helen just walked in on us while we were sleeping together," she hissed.
"…So?"
" So ? It hasn't been 24 hours and she probably thinks that we had sex already!"
"Stop overthinking things Annabeth. We literally just slept. We're fully dressed so she was probably messing with you."
She pried his hands away and stood up. He tried to grab her again to pull her down, but he didn't catch her. "Wake up Seaweed Brain. Helen's making breakfast then we have to go to Camp Jupiter."
"Just five more minutes."
After going to the restroom to brush her teeth and brush her hair she went back to her room to an empty bed. She walked to Percy's room to see if he was there only to be met with an empty room as well. She reasoned he must either be downstairs or in the bathroom getting ready.
She decided to head downstairs to the dining room to be greeted with overenthusiastic twin brothers talking Percy's ear off.
"There was this one time in school a boy threw stink bombs in the classrooms. He got detention for a week."
"Oh, don't forget to tell him about your crush from science class."
"Matthew, shut up!"
"Good morning!" Annabeth announced.
To her annoyance her brothers didn't pay her any mind and continued talking.
"Matthew broke his wrist during dodgeball trying to impress his crush."
"Bobby, shut up! Percy doesn't need to know that."
"Boys enough!" Helen scolded. Helen turned to face Annabeth. "Annabeth please take a seat. Breakfast is almost ready."
Annabeth nodded begrudgingly. This was not one of her finest mornings. She took a seat across from Percy and the twins.
"So anyways, Matthew's crush didn't pay him any attention even after he broke his wrist for them."
"Shush Bobby. That's so embarrassing."
Percy turned to Annabeth giving her a pleading look that screamed help. Annabeth shook her head as if saying, 'Nope you deal with the twins.'
"Good morning. Nice to see you join us," Percy finally answered. His voice thick with sarcasm.
Annabeth settled for sitting quietly while her brothers continued to talk Percy's ear off.
"Good morning," Annabeth's dad yawned.
"Morning Dad!" Both twins greeted.
Oh, he gets a warm welcome, but she isn't even acknowledged? Perhaps it's not too late to return the twin's Christmas presents.
After a couple more rounds of greetings and good mornings Helen fixed the table up with breakfast. Her stepmother made sure to make extra servings for her ravenous boyfriend.
"What time will you two be going to the camp?" Her dad asked as he took a sip of coffee.
"We're meeting our friends at 10, so in about an hour." Annabeth answered.
"Any idea what time you'll be back?"
"Probably before dinner. So, think 5 PM or so."
They finished breakfast with Percy trying to help Helen clean the place. Her stepmother shooed him away and told him, "you're a guest. Head upstairs and get ready instead."
After a quick shower, Annabeth dressed for the day. Thankfully San Francisco didn't get stupid cold like New York so there was no need for a heavy winter coat. She put on her usual pair of jeans, a t-shirt and an oversized knitted sweater. After putting on her shoes, there was a knock on her door.
She turned around to see Percy leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed against his chest, a goofy grin on his face. He was wearing jeans, a black hoodie and a flannel on top.
"Hey. You ready?" He called. She nodded and he stepped closer. "Nervous?"
"A little."
He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "It will be fine."
"Yeah," she breathed. Annabeth had texted Hazel last night letting her know the time to meet. Hazel gave them the time and place as well as an entire itinerary on what they could do today. One of them would be a tour of the city and the university. They would also take a small tour of the dorms to see where they would be living in the coming future. Annabeth was most worried about the Romans' opinions on the Greeks. Sure, the Greeks had helped defeat Gaia in the recent war, but it didn't change the fact that the Argo II had fired cannons onto the city. Hopefully they wouldn't be met with any sort of derision today.
Annabeth's dad drove them to the entrance to camp Jupiter. They passed by UC Berkeley on the way there.
"Call me once you kids are ready to be picked up. And be safe," he told them.
Together they walked into the tunnel. They walked for a couple moments before they ran into two guards wearing armor.
"IDs please and state your purpose," one of the guards said in a low voice.
Percy rolled his eyes. "Come on Hazel, you know why we're here."
"ID's or you won't go in," she continued.
"It's great to see you too."
She let up the act. "Percy, Annabeth, it's great to see you guys again." She embraced them both in a hug.
"It's great to see you too Hazel," Annabeth said.
"Was the entire bouncer act necessary?" Percy asked.
"Trust me Percy, guard duty gets boring very quickly. You have to find ways to pass the time." Hazel then turned to the guard next to her. "I'm taking my leave a couple minutes early Dylan. Hope that's ok."
The other guard shrugged. "Go ahead. There's literally nothing to do here."
Hazel guided them down the tunnel and into the camp. "Tell me about you guys. How are things in New York?"
"Surprisingly quiet," Annabeth answered. "Not many monster attacks and school's going great."
"Speak for yourself, Wise Girl," Percy complained. "School really kicked my ass this past semester."
Hazel chuckled. "That's good. Things here in Camp Jupiter have been quiet as well but there's some strange things happening. I don't know if you're aware of them."
"The communication issues?" Annabeth implored.
Hazel nodded. "That's one of them. Our Augur also can't get clear readings on prophecies. Are you also facing similar issues?"
"Now that you do mention it, Rachel our Oracle hasn't recited any prophecies or issued any quests since we defeated Dirt Face," Percy noted.
"Perhaps it's calm and quiet right now," Annabeth suggested. "We can't always be at war."
"Let's hope so." Hazel said.
They reached the end of the tunnel to be greeted by the city. From this angle the city looked much more different. The classical roman architecture blended in well with the more modern elements. The Little Tiber roared in front of them.
"Have Jason and Piper arrived?" Annabeth asked.
Hazel nodded. "Not too long ago. They're having breakfast at one of the bakeries."
"How about Frank?" Percy interjected.
"He's with Reyna in the Principia right now. Early morning duties and all." They made their way across the bridge. "Have you guys had breakfast yet?" They both nodded. "Then maybe we could-"
Hazel was cut off by a loud yell coming from in front of them. "Annabeth! Percy!" The voice called. They both looked in front of them to see Piper and Jason running towards them. Piper was the first one to reach them. She threw her arms around Annabeth. "Oh my gods, it's been so long and messages don't go through and I was worried."
Off to the side, Jason embraced Percy in a bear hug.
"It's great to see you too Piper. We have a lot to catch up on."
Hazel cleared her throat. "Well, it's some time before the University opens so we can start by giving you a tour of the place."
The group of five walked through the city as Hazel showed them about the cohort barracks, the temples of the gods, the many shops, parks, the coliseum and the many other attractions of the city. Jason piped in from time to time to add more details.
Camp Jupiter was so much larger than Camp Half Blood. Annabeth wondered if it would be possible to expand the borders of Camp Half Blood. That way they could house a larger demigod population along with legacies. A place where Greek demigods would be safe into adulthood and could raise children. She could already see herself designing the many aspects of the city, from the street plan to the apartments and shops. It would be a huge project to undertake and would require many years as well as the aid from many differing parties.
By the time Hazel finished her tour it was almost noon. Unfortunately, since it was the holidays, the university was only open for a short window of time from 1:00-4:00 PM. That meant that they had some time to kill.
Good news, Frank showed up near the training fields. Bad news, Percy and Jason wanted to settle their score with another game of basketball. They dragged poor Frank onto the training field where he would act as the referee between the two sons of the Big Three.
So now, Annabeth, Piper and Hazel were sitting underneath a tree discussing as they watched the boys play on the field.
"How long do you think it will take before they pull out their swords?" Piper mused.
Annabeth was observing the action. Percy and Jason were trying to one up the other. "I say about ten minutes or so." Jason and Percy's relationship was that of friendly rivals always trying to best each other. Poor Frank stood at the other end of the field observing the two guys. Annabeth turned back to Piper. "How's the quest for Leo?"
Piper looked down. "Honestly, not that well. We got a lead on the Sea of Monsters, but we didn't get any results," she sighed. "But we know he's out there and I swear when he gets back, I'm going to kill him."
"We'll help," both Annabeth and Hazel cheered.
"What did you run into in the Sea of Monsters?" Hazel asked.
"I think it might have been a mistake going there without proper nautical knowledge. We tried flying over it but the winds were too rough." Piper began. "We ran into a couple of tourist attractions like Circe's Island, which was abandoned, Scylla and Charybdis and Polyphemus' Island."
Annabeth hadn't seen those places in years since her quest for the Golden Fleece. "How was it?"
"Honestly, there wasn't much to see. Circe's island was in shambles, and we didn't run into Polyphemus, just some sheep."
Their discussion was interrupted by Jason performing an impressive layup. "Ha! Suck it Jackson!"
"Fuck off Grace!"
"Language guys!" Frank yelled.
Annabeth turned back to the group. "So how are things with you and Jason?"
Piper looked uneasy. She took a breath. "I'm going to be honest with the two of you. Can I trust the two of you to keep quiet about this?" They both nodded. Piper took another breath. "I think that Hera might have messed with my memories as well. Like implanted memories with me and Jason that never occurred. It's complicated to say the least."
Hazel put her hand on Piper's. "Does that mean you don't… love him?"
Piper shook her head. "I do love him… but the feeling seems to have dimmed. I'm not sure how to explain it. I just feel like Hera messed with my head. Like I was forced into it. I asked Jason about the memories and he told me he doesn't recall many of them."
"It's never a good feeling being forced into things you don't like," Annabeth said. "You need to take some time and think through everything. Do you still want to continue a relationship with Jason? Or perhaps you wish to spend time by yourself to think things through."
"It's just so complex," Piper breathed.
"I know and I don't have an answer for it," Annabeth admitted. She honestly wasn't sure how to handle this situation. It felt like another case or gods butting into their lives.
"I'm sorry ruining the mood," Piper apologized.
Hazel placed a hand on Piper's back. "Hey, don't be."
Piper put a smile on her face. "So, how are things with you and Aquaman?"
"As they've always been. He's as annoying and insufferable as ever, but I love him."
Annabeth then told them they were staying at her parent's house for Christmas.
Piper was laughing. "Oh gods, so they went up to you and talked about having sex, and you two literally just slept together? That is priceless."
Hazel was blushing profusely.
"Stop laughing Piper! It was embarrassing and then my brothers only made it worse," Annabeth cried indignantly.
"Sorry, sorry," the daughter of Aphrodite wiped a tear from her eyes. "It's like on the Argo. My room was right next to yours and let me tell you-" Piper had a shit eating grin. "There were some very interesting sounds coming from there after the two of you got out of Tartarus. Like when you screamed so loud it woke everyone up."
"Oh gods, you all heard that?" Annabeth was horrified.
"I'm pretty sure half of Greece heard that," Piper laughed. "Honestly, I don't blame you. With Gaia set to rise you two took advantage of the time to enjoy yourselves. I still remember how hard the ship was rocking that night, the moans and the screams. You two probably had an incredible night."
Hazel started fanning her face. She looked flabbergasted. Annabeth's face was probably also boiling. Piper was right however. She and Percy did have an incredible night.
"...Let's change the subject," Annabeth told them, not wanting Piper to prod any more details about what happened that night. "How are things with you and Frank, Hazel?"
"Things have been going great actually. Sure Praetor duties keep him busy but he enjoys leading the legion. As for me, I'm just living and enjoying life."
Annabeth grinned. A sudden gust of wind and some rain bought their attention back to the arena. Percy and Jason were both glaring at each other with their swords drawn. Percy had lost his hoodie and flannel sometime during the match and was wearing his t-shirt. Jason had also lost his jacket.
They kept staring at each other, the winds and the rain picking up strength. The tension could be cut with a knife as they radiated power. At the drop of a hat the two boys were striking at each other with incredible speed and strength. The sound of clashing metal along with gusts of wind and water flowed through the arena.
"11 minutes Annabeth," Piper announced. Annabeth turned back to face the girls. "You were quite close. It only took them 11 minutes before they drew their swords."
"Should we stop them?" Hazel asked concerningly.
Annabeth shrugged nonchalantly. "They'll be fine. They just need to blow off some steam." She turned back to face them. She saw them again trying to one up the other. Poor Frank stood to the side dodging the bolts of lightning and was almost impaled by a pillar of ice.
"Yeah, I'm not getting in the middle of that," Piper admonished. She smirked. "200 bucks Jason wins."
"We shouldn't be betting against our friends," Annabeth chided. She then looked back at the arena. "You're about to lose 200 bucks Piper."
Piper rolled her eyes. "You know, with how everyone talked about Percy in Camp Halfblood, I was expecting him to be like a seven-foot-tall bodybuilder. Instead, he's a troublemaking skater. Quite unimpressive if you ask…" she never got to finish her sentence as a jet of water came rushing straight to them hitting Piper square in the face, getting her completely wet.
Piper sputtered as she took the torrent of water. Once the daughter of Aphrodite regained her senses, she glared back at the arena. "That mother-" she stopped to look at Hazel. He did that on purpose!"
PERCY
Percy and Jason were both laying on their backs in the middle of the training arena, both panting for breath. What was meant to be a friendly basketball game, turned into a sword fight to the death. Well not to the death, but best of three rounds. Percy won, naturally, but that didn't mean Jason didn't put up a great fight. Out of everyone Percy knew, Jason was one of the few demigods who could match him in a fight.
At some point, they both lost their swords and they just ended up in a fistfight and wrestling on the ground until they blew off all their steam. Percy had been feeling restless for a while now like he wanted to blow up and unleash a hurricane and Jason had provided an outlet. He could tell from Jason's expression that he too needed an outlet.
Percy turned his head, looking at the son of Jupiter. "Hey," he called. Jason turned his head. Percy held his fist out, "we cool man?"
"We cool," Jason returned the gesture.
A large shadow loomed over them. It was Frank. "The two of you are going to be the death of me," Frank sighed. "Do you know how many times I had to dodge a lightning strike or was almost blasted by water jets or impaled by ice pillars? Or the amount of times I almost got pulled into your little fight?"
"Come on, you love us, man," Percy grinned.
Frank's shoulders slumped. "Stand up. We still need to show you the university and the dorms."
"Five more minutes Frank," Jason breathed, putting his forearm over his eyes.
Frank sighed and Percy closed his eyes. He thought that was it until he felt large hands grab him by the waist and pick him up. "Whoa-Frank-what?" Before he knew it he was being thrown on one of Frank's shoulders.
Frank proceeded to do the same with Jason. "Frank, what the hell?" Jason yelled before he too was tossed over Frank's other shoulder.
"I made lunch reservations for the six of us and the girls are already there. The two of you are going to make us miss it," Frank chastised. "Now sit still."
Frank then began walking with both boys on his shoulders. Percy would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed. Both he and Jason were over six feet tall and solid muscle, not the lightest or smallest boys out there. Yet Frank was carrying the two of them effortlessly.
Frank gently lowered them onto a park bench. He handed them water bottles and towels to clean themselves up before heading out. Afterwards, Frank patted them down to get rid of any loose dirt on their clothes. He also handed them their discarded clothes from earlier which he was kind enough to neatly fold.
Percy put his flannel on top of his t-shirt and slung his hoodie over his shoulder. It was too warm to wear it anyways.
They met up with the girls at the restaurant, which turned out to be an all you can eat Mediterranean buffet. Pretty on brand for New Rome. Luckily, he wasn't banned from this one. Unluckily though, Piper cussed him out for getting her wet and for losing her 200 dollars. Annabeth explained the reason for the 200 dollars.
"So… where's my 200 bucks Piper?"
She gave him the finger.
With lunch over, Jason and Piper went their separate ways leaving Percy and Annabeth with Frank and Hazel. The Roman pair showed them the university campus which was small compared to others he had seen. It made sense since the population of the city was small. Frank directed Percy to the admissions office.
"I managed to get you a hearing with admissions director," Frank told Percy. "Just to double check that you have everything submitted for when you attend."
"Thanks Frank," Percy said, patting Frank on the back. "You've been a great help."
"That's what friends are for."
Hazel gestured inside. "Good luck. We'll wait out here so we can show you the dorms afterwards."
"Thanks Hazel."
Percy took a breath and then knocked on the door. "Come in," a voice spoke from inside.
Percy opened the door to be greeted with a small, cramped office. At the desk sat a man probably no older than 30. He had neatly combed short hair and a pair of glasses adorned his face. "Ah, Praetor, it's great to see you." He stood up and offered them his hand. "Caesar Augustus, admissions director for New Rome University." After he shook his hand, he gestured to the seats in front of the desk. "Please have a seat. I take it you're here to discuss your admission to the university?"
"That's exactly it," Percy answered while taking a seat.
"Excellent!" Caesar went to one of his drawers and pulled out a folder. "Let's see, you've submitted your application, Eudora submitted your recommendation letters, I'll just need your test scores and you'll have to complete your entrance exam."
"Were the letters really necessary?" Percy asked angrily. "It just seems like a load of bullshit."
The director pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly it is, but Jupiter ordained that you should require letters of recommendation to attend the university. I can't go against his orders."
"Peachy." He responded sarcastically as he remembered all the trouble he had to go through to get those damn letters. He swore he and Zeus better not meet in a dark alley or it was on sight.
"Don't look so glum Percy, at least the hard part is done and it should hopefully be smooth sailing now." He started pulling the file away. "I do have good news to share. Would you like to hear them?" Percy nodded, he could really use some good news right now. "I've talked to the financial department and once you have your test scores and take your entrance exam you'll be granted a full ride scholarship with room and board. You'll also be given a small stipend each semester as thanks for helping New Rome in time of crisis."
"Wow, I-uh, thanks," was all Percy managed to say.
"Don't mention it, Preator," the director winked. "Get those test scores in and take your entrance exam as soon as possible. Any questions?"
"Oh right, before I forget," Percy spoke. "Does New Rome have a swim team? I'm interested in continuing swimming into college."
Caesar looked downcast. "I'm afraid New Rome does not. We do have a pool but not a team. You understand Rome's aversion to water and that extends to aquatic sports."
"Ah, I see," he said dejectedly.
"Don't look so downcast Percy. There's a way that you can swim for the University." Percy looked up. "I'm not sure if you know this, but New Rome has an agreement with Berkeley. We send students to Berkeley to take classes that the university does not offer. The same agreement is extended to sports. This means that while you're attending New Rome you can try out for the Berkeley team and swim for them."
Awesome, more good news. Caesar started rummaging through his files and pulled out a flier with instructions on how the process works. "I know it looks complex, but once you're enrolled all you have to do is try out like you would a regular sports team and you'll be in. Let's see…" The director continued rummaging through his files and pulled out a business card. "Here's the contact information for the Berkeley swim coach. He's a legacy of Victoria and a retired legionnaire, give him a call and he'll help you get set up."
"Thank you so much."
Caesar nodded. "Any other questions?"
Percy shook his head.
"Well, it was great talking to you. Remember what we talked about, and I look forward to seeing you attend our institution in the future."
He bid his goodbyes and left the office where Frank, Hazel and Annabeth were waiting.
Hazel was the first to speak up. "So how did it go?"
"Overall great. Pretty much guaranteed a scholarship with room and board."
Annabeth pressed a kiss on his cheek. "See I told you, there was nothing to worry about." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side, pressing a kiss on her forehead.
"That's great," Frank added. "We should show you around the dorms before you have to go."
Depressing, upsetting, distressing, disheartening, Percy couldn't find more synonyms since he left his SAT prep book and Thesaurus at home. Those were the best words to describe the dorms at the university. You would think with all the resources of the legion and the backing of the gods they would have larger, luxurious rooms but that was not the case. Frank showed them two standard dorm rooms which were both small and cramped. How were people expected to live in these small cubes? Annabeth's dorm at her boarding school looked nicer than these rooms.
"Well, those were standard dorms," Frank said. He turned and then smiled at Percy. "However, you were Praetor, weren't you Percy?"
"Only for like two days," he admitted.
"Doesn't matter. Once a praetor, always a praetor." Frank walked them to the top floor where he took a key out and unlocked the door. "There's only two of these in the entire dorm and they're reserved for praetors or any former praetors." He opened the door to reveal a much larger room that seemed out of place compared to the rest of the dorm.
"It's the praetor suite," Hazel explained as they walked inside. "It's much larger than the standard dorm room and has more features."
The place was like a studio apartment with large glass windows on one end leading to a balcony. The main room was large and spacious, much larger than the dorms. Near the entrance was a small kitchen. Small stovetop and oven, mini fridge, sink, and small counter space. Off to the side was a built in washer and dryer. Small like the rest of the place.
Percy opened the door near the entrance to reveal a small bathroom. Toilet, sink, shower and mirror not much else. No need to use the communal bathrooms. He stepped back into the main room which was spacious enough for a couch and other accessories. There was a divider across the main room and when Percy took a look behind it, it revealed a full size bed instead of a standard dorm sized one. The makeshift bedroom even had a closet! In short this place wasn't a dorm room but rather a small apartment.
"This is where you'll be staying as Praetor of the legion," Frank said cheerily. "I hope it's up to your standards."
"Wow guys… I just… I don't know what to say." Percy stumbled. "Come here guys." He embraced both Frank and Hazel in a bear hug.
Annabeth whistled. "Nice place you've got here. You're going to have to let me stay here as well."
"Only if you're nice to me."
"Damn, now I'm going to be forced to be nice to you." She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss on his lips.
Hazel looked slightly downcast. "I'm afraid Frank and Reyna couldn't arrange the same accommodations for you Annabeth. The university is really strict that only preators or former preators be allowed to stay in these rooms."
Annabeth waved her off. "It's fine. I'm still sorting out my financial aid with Berkeley so I may end up having to dorm there instead."
"What?" Percy exclaimed. "You can't just leave me in this empty room by myself. You can stay over as long as you want."
"As if I wasn't going to do that already."
"That concludes the end of the tour. If you have questions, please let Hazel know," Frank announced. "I need to get back to the Principia. Reyna might blow a gasket if I'm out too long."
Percy enveloped Frank in a tight hug. "Thanks man, it was great to see you again." They both harshly patted each other's backs. "Give Reyna my thanks as well."
"Likewise. I look forward to having the two of you in New Rome soon." They split apart and Frank hugged Annabeth. He gave Hazel a quick kiss before he walked to the door. He turned into an eagle and flew away.
Percy checked the time on his phone. It was almost 4 PM. They were supposed to call Frederick before they left so that he could pick them up.
"I'm going to have to leave you two," Hazel said. "I need to get back to my duties."
After bidding their goodbyes, Annabeth and Percy left the suite and made their way back to the entrance of Camp Jupiter.
"Did you call your dad?" Percy asked.
"I called him half an hour ago. He should be here soon."
"So what did you think?"
"About?"
"Well, everything."
"Umm… I think it was great. Reconnecting with everyone and seeing the university was great. You even got the special Praetor treatment."
He put his hands on her waist and pulled her to take her in for a kiss. She ran her hands through his back while his stayed on her waist. "I'm special like that. Come on, we don't want to keep your dad waiting."
AN:Poor Annabeth couldn't get her Taylor Swift tickets, luckily Percy came in clutch. Listen if Percabeth can trick Nyx by claiming they're tourists then Percy getting TS tickets by singing her songs is valid. This chapter was originally 20k words long but I split it into two and cut some stuff out.
Annabeth's brothers keep being little menaces.
Next chapter is the actual Christmas chapter with gift giving. We know Percy will be giving Annabeth tickets but can anyone chance a guess what Annabeth will be giving Percy? Annabeth's parents will also be giving them gifts. Any guesses?
Thanks for reading and look forward to the next one.