Warrior of the Sea - A Percy Jackson Fanfic

Chapter Sixteen

Big House, CHB, Percy's POV

I bite my lip as she stood up from where she was sitting, the look on her face letting me know I was in for it. She stormed over, and my head suddenly jerked sideways as I felt my cheek sting. Why do people keep slapping me?

"You've been alive all these years and you didn't say anything?!" Annabeth pretty much screamed. I blushed.

"Well, that is obviously a no." I stated. Her anger seemed to flare more, but then completely fell away as she slouched, squeezing her eyes shut as her face turned sad. Tears started to come out.

"I thought you were dead." She whispered, so quietly that if I hadn't had my senses improved over all these years I might not have even heard it. I frowned at her response, and put my arms around her as she cried into me. I thought about how it must have been, all those years thinking I was dead, only to suddenly come back and get captured. I stroked her hair, not caring that she was pretty much soaking my shirt.

The door behind me opened, and I glanced back to see Amelia about to come in. She looked at us, and she bit her lip like she does when she gets disappointed - I've seen it before when she thought she was getting something for her birthday, but she didn't - and turned back around, closing the door. Great, now I'm going to need to talk to her later on. I felt a knot of guilt grow in my stomach, since we had gotten really close in the past two millennia, but didn't have much time to think of it since Annabeth seemed to be regaining her composure.

I let go of her as she wiped the remaining tears away. Gods, she looked so torn up, another knot of grief started coming up in my stomach. Wait, am I falling for two girls?

I threw the thought out of my mind, bringing myself back to reality.

"Sorry." Annabeth muttered, not quite looking at me as she messed with something on her hand. I looked down and saw that it was the ring that I was going to give her all those years ago. I felt my expression soften.

"You found it." I said quietly. She looked down, noticing what she was doing, and smiled slightly, nodding.

"Yeah." She replied, looking up at me "But things aren't the same anymore, are they?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No. Too much has happened." I told her, making her look back down "But we are still friends, right?" I asked. She nodded a small smile forming.

"Yeah. Friends." She looked up at me "But can you help me deal with Eric. He won't back down no matter what." I smirked.

"Of course I will help out with the jerk that ruined my life." I told her, making her chuckle.

"Still the same Seaweed Brain I remember." She told me before we both headed out. I chuckled, going ahead and walking around. I occasionally got questions, but soon enough people realized I wasn't answering any of them.

Somehow I managed to find my way to the beach. And it didn't look good.

The usually perfect, clean beach looked mucky, as if someone mixed dirt in with it. The sea, which used to be a beautiful bright blue color, looked almost as bad as when the oil spilled in the ocean. The waves seemed restless, unlike how they seemed calm and happy before.

"The news hasn't reached the gods yet of you coming." I heard behind me, and turned my head to see Amelia walking up, looking at the sea. "And even if it had," She continued "Your father wouldn't know."

"Why not?" I asked. I recognized the look in her eyes; she was 'listening to the universe', as she called it. Pretty much she was figuring out what was happening, one of the things she got from her father that I didn't have as commander.

"He's been grieving over your death, has been since you were 'killed.'" She told me "He hasn't even gone to the Olympian meetings. It's possible that he may fade soon if he doesn't find out about you being alive. And then you know who is heir to the throne." I shuddered - it was Eric.

"Do you think I should go?" I asked her. She looked at me, the galaxies in her eyes seeming to turn and move as she thought. It was captivating.

"Yes, you should. Who knows how he will act if this continues much longer." She seemed to think a moment before adding "And afterwards you should probably see your mother." Gods, my mother... I haven't even tried to contact her since I left, she must be worried sick.

"Go, I'll cover for you while you're gone, it'll be fine." She told me with a smile. I smiled back. Always helping each other out, too many times to count.

"Thanks." I told her before jumping into the sea, navigating my way to Poseidon's palace.