❦𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓒𝓻𝓲𝓶𝓮❦ - 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷

𝐼𝐼. 𝒩𝑒𝓌 𝒦𝒾𝒹

𝒜𝓃𝓃𝒶𝒷𝑒𝓉𝒽 and Zoe had been tasked with taking care of him. Mostly Zoe. Annabeth just paced at the foot of his bed mumbling "He's the one," and "Big three?" and "I have to get a quest."

Meanwhile Zoe fed him nectar and ambrosia. After a few hours, while she was scooping some pudding ambrosia into his mouth, she noticed he had woken up.

"Hey," She started softly only to be pushed out of her chair by Annabeth.

"What will happen at the summer solstice?"

The boy looked to be struggling as he croaked out, "What?"

Annabeth looked around, trying to see if Chiron, Mr. D, or Argus were nearby. "What's going on? What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I don't..."

Chiron knocked on the door as Zoe shoved the blond away and gave her 'patient' another spoonful of ambrosia. When Zoe glanced back at the black haired kid, he had fallen back asleep.

The next day, Annabeth and Zoe stood near the railing of the Big House porch. Annabeth rested her forearms on it, her fingers tapping a pattern known only to her on the wood as she looked out at camp. Zoe had her back to it, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the pinochle game, her fingers tugging at her bracelet. The boy came around the porch with Grover, eyes flitting everywhere, taking everything in.

"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured to him, "He's the camp director. Be polite. Those girls, the blond is Annabeth Chase and the brunette is Zoe..." He hesitated. Grover knew she hated advertising her last name at camp or anywhere. "That's Zoe. They're just campers, but they've been here longer than just about anybody. And you already know Chiron..."

Grover pointed to Chiron who had gone back to his motorized wheelchair.

"Mr. Brunner!" He cried. Zoe knew Chiron had been a teacher to the new kid and she assumed that was the name he had gone by during the year.

Chiron turned and smiled at the newcomer. "Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."

Chiron offered Percy a chair to the right of Mr. D, who heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."

"Uh, thanks." Percy scooted a little farther away from him.

"Annabeth? Zoe?" Chiron called out to the two best friends.

They came forward and Chiron introduced everyone.

"These young ladies nursed you back to health, Percy."

Zoe interrupted, "Just me. Annie over here wouldn't stop pacing and mumbling to herself. Got annoying after the first five seconds."

Chiron smiled at her. "Yes, well, thank you, my dear. Would you two go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."

"Sure, Chiron." Annabeth said while Zoe mockingly saluted and said "Sir, yes sir!" with a grin and a wink.

Annie glanced at the minotaur horn, then back at Percy. She narrowed her eyes at him for a few seconds then descended the porch stairs. Zoe smirked at him, sized him up, then blurted out: 

"You drool when you sleep." 

Her smirk turned back into a grin as she jumped over all the stairs and took off running towards the cabins.

On the way to cabin eleven, Zoe waved to her siblings taking Pegasi lessons and a few other campers she knew as she raced past. Annabeth just looked straight ahead, and marched like she was on a mission.