After All This Time...

Chapter 7

After dinner, Annabeth ran back to her cabin to get the cupcake that she had stashed under her bed. It was giant and misshapen and smeared with lumpy, blue icing, but Tyson had insisted on helping her make it, so it was the only one in the batch that even looked edible.

After she grabbed it, Annabeth spent a few minutes walking around camp asking if anyone had seen Percy before she spotted him. He was still sitting in the dining pavilion looking out on the Long Island Sound—he seemed to glow in the moonlight. Maybe he really was glowing. He looked peaceful, otherworldly.

"Hey." Annabeth slid next to him on the bench and held out the cupcake. "Happy birthday."

Percy stared at her. "What?"

"It's August 18th," she said. "Your birthday, right?"

He looked stunned. It was like it hadn't even occurred to him, and Annabeth wasn't sure if it was because of the whirlwind of the battle against Kronos or his newly minted immortality. After all, what does a birthday mean to a god? But she just smiled at him and continued to hold out the cupcake like an offering.

"Make a wish," she said.

"Did you bake this yourself?" He asked, a lopsided smile gracing his lips.

"Tyson helped."

"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick," He said. "With extra blue cement."

Annabeth laughed.

Percy suddenly got a far-away look in his eyes. He cocked his head to the side like he was trying to hear something just out of range.

"Huh." He breathed thoughtfully.

"What is it?" Annabeth found herself asking with bated breath. It couldn't be a monster, could it? How would it have gotten into camp? And so soon after the battle.

"It's just," He shook his head as if clearing it, "I'm being called back to Olympus."

"Oh," Annabeth felt disappointment settle in her stomach, "Do you have to go?"

"No. Not yet. I can stay for a few minutes longer."

They sat in silence, looking out on the ocean. The waves glittered in the moonlight as the tide rolled in. Annabeth felt the urge to ask about his immortality. Did he feel different? Stronger? More powerful? And the more frightening question—did he feel differently about her?

Instead, she said, "You saved the world."

"We saved the world." He corrected her.

"So what now?"

"I don't know," He shrugged, "I guess we go on. We rebuild."

"And what about you? What are you going to do?"

"I haven't really thought about it. Maybe I'll help you rebuild Olympus."

"Really?" Annabeth laughed, unable to keep the note of skepticism out of her voice.

"Yeah," he flashed her a grin, "I'll use my new god powers."

"Do you have new god powers?" She asked.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out."

Before Annabeth could respond to that, that strange look settled over his face again.

"It's time for me to go." He said.

"Oh, well," Annabeth stood up, hoping he couldn't hear her disappointment, "I guess I'll see you later."

She held out the cupcake to him again.

"Thanks, but I don't really need to eat," Percy waved her off—and Annabeth was suddenly struck with the memory of her dad playing with his model airplanes and asking her if she didn't have anything better to do than bug him.