Aroma ~ A Percabeth Story (ongoing): Book 3 - Percy Jackson Fanfiction

Chapter Eleven ~ ANNABETH

Chapter Eleven
ANNABETH

"Mum?"

Annabeth looked up from her precious laptop, gifted to her by Daedalus when she was fourteen. "Esme, for goodness' sake, what on earth do you look like?"

Esme, her fifteen-year-old daughter, crossed her arms defiantly and pouted. "It's a party, Mum. Everyone will be dressed worse than this. I know it's a little short -"

"A little?" Annabeth scoffed. "Esme, it's barely covering your butt. Go get changed. Now."

Sighing, Esme stomped upstairs, passing Adam on the way. Annabeth saw Adam have a cheeky glance as Esme went. "Oi," Annabeth called from her sofa.

Adam looked over and blushed. "Here, now," she ordered.

Adam gingerly sat opposite her in the armchair. "Mrs Jackson -" he began.

"Adam, you're a guest in my house," she said firmly. Adam had been living with them for about six months now after the whole fiasco at the BEA facility. He was her son, Nero's, best friend, and there was something going on between him and Esme. "So I need to ask you something."

"Yes?" Adam gulped. His face was crimson. His hair - which used to be dark, but was now ash blonde like Esme's - was mussed and scruffy. He wore a soft blue shirt over a white t-shirt, with dark low-slung baggy jeans and brown combat boots. His face was a mass of scars, with predominantly a faded jagged welt running along his cheek to his lips. His arms were littered with more scars. It had been months since he'd been rescued by Esme and Nero from the BEA facility, months since the death of Dr Chadwick, months since Nero had announced the prophecy and was preparing for an imminent war that could begin anytime soon.

"Do you like my daughter?" Annabeth demanded.

"Mrs Jackson -"

"Don't beat around the bush. Let me tell you a story."

"You really don't have to," Adam muttered.

"Well, I'm going to!" Annabeth snapped. "Me and Percy first met when we were twelve. I knew immediately that I liked him. It just took me a while to realise it. I kissed him when we were fourteen, just before our fifteenth birthdays, when I was sure he was going to die. He did disappear to an island -" Annabeth glowered at the memory of Calypso - "and I really did think he was dead. My heart was broken."

Annabeth saw his confused face. "What I'm trying to say, Adam, is that I thought I'd lost him. At that point, I realised I was in love with him. And I was terrified and devastated that I'd never had the chance to tell him. He came back and all I wanted was to tell him how I felt about him. But he'd found someone else."

Adam looked less uncomfortable and more understanding. "The Oracle," he said. Nero had told him a few weeks ago about Rachel Elizabeth Dare's love for Percy and her passing.

"Yes," Annabeth said softly. "They weren't together, but Percy admired her and enjoyed her company and was confused of his feelings for her. I was intensely jealous. I pushed and I pushed him away but during a battle I stopped a young demigod, Ethan Nakamura, from killing Percy. I saved Percy's life.

"I hadn't meant to - I was upset and angry with him that he didn't love me back - but I didn't think about it, I just did it. I threw myself in front of him and almost died from a poisoned blade. And when I saw Percy's face I knew it was worth it, because in that moment I saw that Percy really did love me back. For that, I was ready to die. I was happy to."

Annabeth had tears in her eyes. She was surprised that she was even talking about this; she never had before. But what surprised her most was that Adam reached over and took her hand.

"I survived and after the war, after Percy somehow survived against Kronos, I made a move. And we've been together ever since." Annabeth squeezed Adam's hand gently. "We've had our ups and downs. I died in Tartarus but Percy brought me back. Percy's love was forever my saviour.

"What I want to tell you, Adam, is that if you like - or if you even love - my daughter, then you should tell her. Because I wasted years of pain and sorrow without the love of my life. And I trust you, Adam. I know you won't let my daughter down."

***

Annabeth sat up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

She had dreamed. Dreamed of something odd.

She'd seen a girl. The girl from her dream before. The girl in Rachel's drawing.

The girl who had... who had come and confronted her when she'd ran out on Percy, the one who claimed to be his half-sister.

Her name was Esme Jackson, and she was the daughter of Percy Jackson and his wife, Annabeth.

*

Omg I don't know about you guys but I absolutely love this chapter. It has some Adme romance in but also some Percabeth. I just think it's a beautiful moment and I don't want to sound big-headed but I think I captured Annabeth's love for Percy perfectly.

If you didn't understand what happened, Annabeth dreamed of a normal everyday moment from her old life. She was talking to her daughter who then walked off, and Annabeth then had THE TALK with Adam, her daughter's potential boyfriend.

We all know that as a general thing, The Dad does THE TALK. But I thought out of the couple, it'd definitely be Annabeth who took on the protective role!

I also wanted to show the fiery Annabeth that we all know and love from Rick Riordan. In Aroma, she's taken a colder turn. But in the next Annabeth chapter, we'll see the old brilliant her.

Also, I included a photo with this chapter. If you're like me, you'll immediately see it and scream NO FREAKING WAY.

Enjoy.

- Lauren xx