Vanished

Chapter Three - Annabeth - Ready?

"The next time I see you two, I expect to see Reyna and Hazel beside you." Chiron said wistfully. He seemed rather distracted. He didn't know them as well as he knew Percy and Annabeth. Chiron was, in a way, a father figure to Annabeth since her father sucked at being a dad when she needed him to be. Except for that one time with the Sopwith Camel. After that, they seemed to grow apart even more.

"Yes, sir." Percy said. He intertwined his fingers with Annabeth's as they began to walk to his cabin where they could be alone. It sent a warm feeling up her arm and throughout her body. She and Percy had been dating for about four years now and every time he touched her just did something to her. She couldn't explain exactly the way it felt but it made her feel like she would melt from the inside out...in a good way of course.

They sat next to each other on his bed and stared ahead silently. This wasn't the first time some one she loved went missing. If she found Percy and Leo then she could find Hazel and Reyna right? Now she had the help of her friends and Percy by her side. She lay her on his shoulder and sighed. They sat there for a long moment in silence grieving their missing friends.

Percy kissed Annabeth's tear stained cheeks sweetly. Her cheeks immediately dried from Percy's kiss. Annabeth placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him. She preferred his underwater kisses (those were the best), but all she wanted to feel was his lips on hers. She needed to clear her head of all thoughts.

Percy pulled away and smiled a toothy smile. He kissed her again but this time they were interrupted by David, a fifteen year old son of Hermes, known as the "Camp Messanger", who opened the cabin door unannounced.

Percy and Annabeth jumped off of each other quickly and Percy ended up hitting his head on the top of the bunk. All three were blushing furiously.

"Oh...my bad." David said and ran a hand through his hair. Annabeth remember him having a thing for Hazel once when Frank left for a quest the previous month. Hazel, being the sweetheart that she is, let him down easy. He should've known better than to ask out a girl that was already taken! Annabeth probably would've reacted differently. If she recalls correctly, Hazel and David are still good friends.

"Uh...knock next time, dude? My head hurts..." Percy groaned.

"Sorry." David said. He looked sincere so Annabeth nudged Percy as to say 'Go easy on him'. "I'm sorry to hear about Hazel and your friend. Do you know if their alive?"

"No." Annabeth sighed. "Not trying to rude, David, but did you need something? We were kind of in the middle of something."

"Oh yeah...Leo told me to tell you that the Argo II is ready."

Annabeth's eyes widened. Leo had gotten the Argo II ready that quickly? He must've been hiding it somewhere. She heard a rumor that he had gotten one of the Hecate kids to cast an invisibility spell on it when he had gotten back from Ogygia with Calypso.

"Thanks, David." Percy said. That was David's queue to leave. He left as silently as he entered.

Percy held out his hand. "Are you ready?"

As she grabbed his hand she grinned, forgetting their situation with their missing friends. "Ready as I'll ever be.

"Let's go find our friends."