Of New Life

Chapter 10

Not mine.

Percy's POV:

Percy and Annabeth were settling in the hotel room in New Rome. Technically they had dorm rooms, but they didn't share and they thought it would be hard with the babies. They also had given them up after they decided to go online from New York. Hazel had come back for a few days and then shadow travelled them to Camp Jupiter with Nico. Silena and Luke didn't like it but they were fine. Silena was still fussy from her ear infection but thanks to Will, it was getting a lot better.

They didn't have any plans for the day so far. Annabeth wasn't as big of a fan of New Rome as Percy was. He loved the place because it was like a second home to him, and the idea of New Rome seemed so bizarre at first. Annabeth enjoyed it but found the Romans to be slightly stiff and formal, and because he was taken here from Hera. She didn't hate the place, but she would be perfectly fine with just Camp Half Blood. Part of this was due to the fact that Annabeth was Greek to the core, and being a daughter of Athena in a Roman camp was always a bit controversial.

"It's pretty nice out, do you wanna walk around for a little while? We can get something to eat at a cafe or go sit in the Gardens of Bacchus," he suggested.

She seemed unsure for a minute, but nodded her head and stood up. "Yeah," she answered. "We can go do something like that."

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"What do you want for our anniversary?" Percy asked.

Annabeth set her muffin down. "I don't care, really. Just want to be with you all day."

Percy rolled his eyes, "Come on, Wise Girl. You have to give me some request."

"I'm serious, Percy! I don't need anything. I'm satisfied with our life right now and I don't need anything more," she said.

"I'm still getting you something."

She sighed and leaned into his shoulder. "Well that means I have to get you something so what do you want?"

Percy smirked, "I think you already know."

She punched his arm. "Well you aren't gonna get any because you children ripped my-"

"Do not finish that sentence," he stuttered.

She laughed, "Your fault. You got me pregnant so this is your payback."

"Dang it."

They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the soft breeze and the warm air. Silena and Luke were asleep in their strollers. Annabeth just stared at his SPQR tattoo that was on his right forearm.

"Is there something wrong?" Percy asked.

"I never liked that tattoo. The way they burn their mark into your skin as if saying 'you belong to us, permanently,'" she whispered.

"I don't think it's that bad. They are just Roman, some of us still aren't used to their ways. Here they are just... take things a little more seriously. They wouldn't be Roman if they didn't live off the law and order," he said carefully.

Annabeth stayed quiet for a minute. Her eyebrows were scrunched up as if to be thinking hard about something, which she probably was. When she spoke, it was so soft he barely heard her.

"Whenever I'm here, I always feel like I'm abnormal, like there is no place here for a child of Athens. It's not like anyone here really hates me or something, but I always have a voice in the back of my head saying, you don't belong here."

Percy sighed and kissed her cheek. He pulled her into a hug and rested his chin on top of her head.

"If I'm being honest, Annabeth, I think part of that would be your mother. Everyone knows that Pallas Athena would never truly be Minerva, and she doesn't really like the Romans. But we live off the words that our parents don't define us, you and I are the perfect example of that. It doesn't matter anymore if you are the pivotal Greek child. While it is still a part of you, these people are our friends and family, they don't care what and where you come from. In the end, it comes down to what you make of it."