My dear Idiot, if you are reading this. To my update schedule. My update schedule is very straightforward. I upload the moment the draft is ready for upload. Before I do, I run through a quick round of editing, though I will likely not spot too many of my mistakes (Especially when I am drunk). Those get found a few days later...hopefully.

Here is a nice short chapter before the climax of this little adventure.

Annabeth Chase

With her not being on the pill, Percy not having brought any countermeasures either, and her faith in Percy's pullout game being as unwavering as in his character, their sex life more or less ground to a halt. Sure, they could have offered each other some oral services, and they might very well have done just that, but with a pregnancy scare still hanging heavily in the air, the mood was somewhat ruined. She had spent much of that night dreading the possibility and realized that she wasn't actually that horrified by the idea. Sure, it would effectively derail any plans she had for the immediate future, but if it turned out she was pregnant, then she wouldn't be overly upset either.

Her trust in Percy's moral character and affection for her was absolute, and even with all the arguments they had shared over the past years, she had yet to find him wanting. So there was no doubt in her mind that should they have done the stupid, he would support her in any way possible and not end up being a no-show.

Her cabin, though, would probably despair as a second girl of their number had suffered a whoopsie.

As much as Percy wanted to rely on ancient nautical maps, navigating the Sea of Monsters was only a little more reliable than navigating the Labyrinth had been. No matter how much planning and navigating they did, they would wash up on whatever shores pleased the fates. Distances too were a fickle thing.

So for the first time since they got back together, there was a complete absence of sex, and they continued on with their voyage until around midnight, playing cards as they did together.

As it turned out, you actually got to spend a lot more time talking when you didn't take advantage of every possible excuse to get frisky.

They hadn't expected to find any land so soon, so when she first laid eyes on the landmass ahead at around twenty hundred hours, something in her heart sank. For some reason, the place had something familiar to it. Was it the shape? Or the taste in the air? She could not quite place it. The omens didn't bode well. The sun was quickly sinking below the horizon, and before long, they were steaming right into a thick, ominous wall of fog.

A cold, humid breeze whistled through the pilot's house and let goosebumps pop up all over her hair arms and legs.

Noticing this, Percy swiftly closed the windows and turned up the heating.

After a few moments, it finally made click.

They were approaching the island of the sirens.

"All engines stop," she warned.

Without hesitation, Percy did as she said and gave her a questioning look. "We are approaching the island of the Sirens," she announced. Years ago her hubris had almost killed her here when she had torn free from her bonds and thrown herself into the ocean in her desire to follow the vision to their origin. Percy had saved her on that occasion at the very last moment by dragging her back into the safety of the cold depths mere moments before she would have happily let herself be torn to shreds.

"It's not supposed to be here," Percy began, but Annabeth gave him a very long look.

"You are a child of the sea, Percy..." Annabeth reminded softly. "Out here, the winds of fate take as much part in guiding our path as the tides do. Distance, space, ...navigating these waters has always been a conundrum for even the wisest of scholars."

"Then why did we do all this planning?" Percy asked in exasperation.

Annabeth smiled sheepishly. "I like feeling prepared..." It was only partly true; she had also enjoyed spending time with Percy after so long apart.

"So listen Percy..." she finally began. They said curiosity had killed the cat...well, those were two things she might very have in common with the referenced cat one day.

"No," Percy replied flatly.

"You don't even know what I was going to suggest?" Annabeth complained.

Percy looked out into the foggy murk. "You were going to tell me you want to repeat last time's experiment," Percy announced with an amount of confidence that took her aback.

Annabeth was silent. The idea of anyone being able to read her like that...even Percy was scary, to be honest.

"How-?"

"We've been best friends for over six years, woman. I've had a crush on you for most of that time. I know you, Annabeth," Percy explained. "Also, it wasn't the hardest of deductions."

Annabeth forced the frown off her face. Again, the idea of Percy knowing her so well was both terrifying and at the same time oddly gratifying. As if this was merely the product of all the time and heart she had invested in their bond... She didn't know what, to be honest, but it certainly felt important.

"Someone is using big words," she mused, saying the first thing that came to mind. It was a quick quip that didn't require much of her brain runtime, allowing her to further ponder the world around her and her insignificant place in it.

"I know these comments are our thing, but sometimes it gets hurtful," Percy admitted after a moment of silence.

"Hmm?" Annabeth asked, taking a few long moments to guide her mind back to the present.

"Calling me stupid and stuff," Percy explained, not meeting her gaze. "The nickname is cute and everything, but sometimes it gets too much."

Annabeth looked at him for a few long seconds, as her thoughts rushed through their shared experiences and the long list of stupid comments, which in many cases had been her clumsy attempt at flirting, her equivalent to the way some boys pulled on girls' ponytails on the playground. But now that she thought of it...

"Gods, I am sorry," Annabeth burst out, her cheeks suddenly warming up in shame.

"It's fine-" Percy began, but Annabeth wasn't finished.

"I was quite awful at times...I am so sorry."

Percy cracked a smile and placed a hand on her arm. "You're fine."

"For the record," Annabeth began, feeling the strange need to explain herself. "You really aren't stupid. You aren't an academic by any means..."

"Gods, Annabeth. You are really bad at apologizing. You know that?"

Annabeth bounced a bit in her chair, suddenly feeling rather anxious.

"I wasn't finished. I just wanted to say that in your way, you have a really impressive mind, and I would love to be able to hear your thoughts. The things you have accomplished, gathering people to our cause and getting them to be happy following you into even those most desperate of fights or how you always seem to beat the odds. Even before you became a god, when people looked at you... they never saw you as some boy. You always had this thing. I don't know how to describe it. You are more like some of the heroes of ancient times, the great champions of our era. There is an air of destiny around you. Honestly, you are one of the smartest people I've ever met. And don't let that get to your head. While you might be a paragon, you are still my Seaweed brain."

Before things could get awkward after her speech, she added, "Most importantly, you are kind, and despite being a mighty warrior, you are a gentle soul. And you are hopelessly, stupidly brave. Those were the things that made me fall in love with you. Doesn't hurt that you are also really good-looking. I know I'm messed up, but you just took me as me and let me feel like I was enough..." Annabeth trailed off, and for a long moment, they looked out into the dark gloom.

Finally, Percy took her hand.

"Fine, you can listen to the sirens again. It's a good excuse to check out that holding facility. I'll have to shut the escape hatch so that if you somehow get out, you'll have to come by me. For the record, I still think this is a bad idea."

Annabeth offered him her very best smile.

Annabeth led Percy down into the bow and had him secure her wrist in the manacles hanging from the walls after he insisted on patting her down after last time's incident. Whether Percy was genuinely concerned about that, or if he had just taken the excuse to grope her was hard to tell, both of which were fine with her.

Finally, he opened the narrow window at the very front of the boat to let the song in and looked down at her for a moment, that crooked troublemaker grin that had throughout the years made her want to simultaneously scream in frustration and also made her legs feel weak at the same time.

"What?" she demanded.

"You chained up like that...looks kinda hot," Percy admitted, earning himself a glare.

"That...that just made it hotter," Percy added. Finally, he kissed her on the forehead and left her alone. A few minutes later, the engine awoke, and they were steaming towards the siren.

At first, only the faintest hint of an otherworldly melody got carried to her on the ocean breeze. It was only short snips carried from distant tongues, but even this hint was enough to fill her heart with a melancholic longing that reminded her of those pathetic daydreams she started having involving Percy after he had come for her when Luke and Atlas had held her as the prisoner. Her mind shifted to the groping she had been forced to endure by one of her jailers, some dude in his late twenties to earn herself her one daily meal, not that she had much worth groping at the time.

Her fists clenched at the unpleasant memories. She had told no one of this and had begged Artemis to keep quiet about it. He had been so much bigger and stronger than her...

For a daughter of Athena, one who fashioned herself a dauntless warrior in her own right, feeling that helpless and small had been a sobering experience. She hadn't really cared what others would have thought about it, though she didn't think she could have stomached Percy looking at her with pity in his eyes. He and Sally had been fussing over her afterward for more than a week anyway. Anyway, she had had the last laugh there. During the battle for Manhattan, she had recognized the pervert and in the fray and had forced him into a battle. Annabeth had grappled with him on the floor. She doubted he had recognized her under her war helmet, even in the end. Still, she had watched him choke on his own blood with some satisfaction after ramming a dagger into his throat.

With that happy memory to send her off, the first strong tune teased her ears, and every hair on her body rose in response.

Suddenly she found herself sitting in the driver's seat of a blue Minny. The reflection in the rear-view mirror told her she was older, in her mid-twenties perhaps. A set of smart-looking shades was perched on her nose as she drove down a suburban road. It was a beautiful late summer afternoon. The sprinkler systems across the entire front street were running.

Finally, she pulled into the driveway of a suburban home. It was on the larger side, but not huge, with a garage that offered enough space for two cars. The property was cared for but not overly orderly. Children's toys lay scattered across the lawn.

Annabeth parked on the driveway, looking around with mild skepticism. It was too quiet.

Suddenly something knee-high with a mane of long black curls burst from the hedge and dashed through the spray. She was in a neat school uniform and giggled like a lunatic as she sprinted towards Annabeth fast enough to put any nymph to shame.

The girl was a spitting image of herself, maybe four or five years old, only where Annabeth was gray-eyed and golden-blond, the girl's eyes were a sparkling sea green, and her long dark curls were darker. Her complexion was a warm olive.

"Mommy," the girl screamed, dashing towards her and hiding behind her back. "Daddy has gone crazy!"

"What?" she started.

A moment later, a dark-haired man burst from the front door, completely shirtless. He was built like a Greek god, with a deep chest, wide back, and dark beard. If it were possible to drown in testosterone, this dude would be a prime candidate. To complete the picture, a celestial bronze sword glowed in his hand.

"Where are you, little backstabbing brat?" Percy yelled, looking around and very obviously missing the girl poorly concealed behind him.

"What is going on?" Annabeth asked, trying to hide her smile.

"The little shit blew the main water line at her school, flooded half the building," he exclaimed. "I am trying to ground her, but the little brat is too fast!"

"Sucker!" the girl shrieked and dashed off again. "English is for losers!" she screamed over her shoulder.

"We shouldn't have let Thalia and the Hunt babysit her," Annabeth mused. "We should have known she would return armed with a potent arsenal of curse words."

With her daughter out of sight, she walked up to Percy and kissed her husband straight on the lips, letting her fingers slide over his wet skin.

"You aren't angry with her?" Annabeth asked.

"Never been prouder," Percy admitted and laughed, those dreamy green eyes of his sparkling like the ocean at sunset.

"Do we need to find a new school?"

Percy shrugged and tossed the sword over his shoulder. "Who cares? Though I'd like to see them trying to pin this on her. Now, said about trying for number two," Percy began, that troublemaker grin that had caused her so many headaches written across his face again. Percy closed the distance and kissed her deeply, his strong hand coming to rest on the small of her back.

"Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth laughed. "Let me get home first...we just started getting to sleep at night...!"

Percy put a finger on her lips. "Who cares, woman," he said softly. "I just love you, and that's all that matters. Call it what you want, but I want to put another brat into you," he whispered and pressed his lips against hers.

With a heavy heart, she pulled away from Percy's grasp. "We talked about this; it's a huge decision," Annabeth moaned, trying hard not to smile.

"Or we wait until Penelope is asleep and go for another happy mistake?" Percy suggested. "I'll do the thing..."

"Fine," Annabeth grunted, trying to look like it had been a hard sell. "Maybe your mom will not look at us as if we were a disappointment this time..."

"Hey, she hugged you..." Percy complained. "And threw a sandal at me!"

Annabeth winked at him and kissed him deeply.

"Eww, you guys are gross!" Penelope complained from between the bushes and used her powers to direct a jet of water at them with her powers.

Percy deflected it and sighed, a wild grin plastered across his face.

"Go, Seaweed Brain, humble our daughter!"

Percy mock-saluted and charged after her like some psychotic war god.

Shaking her head in exasperation, she followed the two dripping-wet idiots. As she walked, she made a mental note to herself: Never leave Penelope unsupervised with either Thalia or Poseidon.

Annabeth followed her family into the house only to find Percy holding their shrieking and laughing daughter down as he tickled her without mercy.

"Dad!" she squealed between gasps for breath as Percy dug his finger into her ribs and abdomen. Her daughter squirmed and kicked but was completely helpless. Annabeth could empathize with her daughter's plight, whose face was as red as a tomato as she gasped for air as she laughed. She herself took pride in her own martial prowess, but she was yet to win a single tickle fight with Percy.

Finally, Percy had had enough of torturing their daughter and let Penelope sit up.

"Mommy, help me?" she cried out dramatically, reaching out to her with a grin.

When Annabeth took her daughter's small hand, Percy cut in, grabbed her wrist, and pulled Annabeth down to join them.

Annabeth conceded and sat down on Penelope's other side and admired her entire pride, her little family. The first real one she had ever had, and she was doing everything humanly possible to make sure the little girl had a better life than she had had.

"What?" Percy asked, and Annabeth realized that she had two sets of almost identical green eyes looking up at her expectantly. Even their expressions were almost identical, a troublemaker grin.

"Nothing, I love you guys," Annabeth whispered.

Suddenly, the air grew considerably colder around her, and the golden late-summer glow faded, replaced by cold moonlight seeping in through a narrow window.

Thick rivers of tears were running down her cheeks, and her wrists burned like they were on fire. Something warm and wet was slowly running down her arm.

Her soul still yearned to return to the place she had been forced from mere moments ago. She looked around in confusion, taking in bronze jailhouse bars and the manacles that were keeping her in place.

It took her a few moments to regain her wits and realize where she was and what was going on. It looked like she had tried to tear herself free so violently that the dull celestial bronze had cut into her flesh.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a lock clicking and the screech of metal hinges, and she looked up to see Percy rushing in.

"Gods, Annabeth, what did you do?" he asked, looking down at her in concern and immediately unlocked the manacles and embraced her tightly.

"Nothing..." Annabeth replied, her voice feeling hoarse and her throat dry. Already the mental image of what might have been her daughter in some dead future was already fading from her memory, regardless of how hard she tried to hold onto it.

"Come on," Percy said and gently guided her out of the brig and into the main room, which was well enough because her legs were unsteady and her thoughts distant, despite the very acute pain she was in.

"I should have checked on you," Percy rambled. "But the currents were so strong, and I was afraid that we would get washed up on the reef..."

Annabeth barely heard him or noticed as he force-fed her ambrosia and nectar before bandaging her wrists. "Fuck, these are deep!" he groaned, looking down at her cuts.

Finally, her gaze met his, and finally, she returned to the here and now as she lost herself in his eyes, full of genuine concern and affection.

Ignoring that he was still fussing over her, she sank off the chair right into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. After a moment, Percy returned the embrace and held her against his chest.

"Was it bad?" Percy asked when she began sobbing again.

"No..." she sniffed.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked.

"No," she replied. As romantic as it might seem to a casual observer, there was no way in hell she would ever share that her deepest heart's desire was to have babies with Percy. "I'll be fine, Seaweed Brain," she promised. "Get back to the helm; we really don't want to run into any more clusterfucks."

Here we go. I hope you chaps have enjoyed yourselves so far. Circe fanart is in the process of being made.

With regards, do those sweet sweet reviews.

If you want to join the Discord group or just ping me: Henry James Locker#2531

Henry Locker over and out.