νεκρός || Annabeth Chase x Fem!OC

Vol. 4-29: I receive a new title

ANNABETH

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I told Tempest I was fine, but truth be told, I was scared half to death..

I walked next to Silas, my hands in my pockets. "Um... What has Tempest told you about me?"

"Not much so far," he admitted. "I think she's scared to. Which is outrageous. There's nothing she can do that'd make me stop loving her."

He really was a nice man. Something felt so much more carefree around him. "Did she... She told you-"

"That she's in love with you," he nodded. My face burned. "Yes, she told me about that. I've known for a long time that my daughter wouldn't have a normal life. I knew she wouldn't have a 'normal' love, either." He turned to me. "Do you love her?"

"Yes," I said quietly. "Of course I do."

He kept walking. "You understand that... That Tempest isn't exactly like her peers. Even for a demigod, she's-"

"Different," I said. "I know. And I know that it can't last. She promised me two more years, and after I turned eighteen, she'll leave."

"It won't be so bad," he said. "She now has the option to join us after two years." I stared at him. "You didn't know that?"

"N-no."

He nodded. "Melinoe came to visit us while we were at Tempest's grave. She says Tempest can rejoin us any time she'd like. I'm guessing she'll spend two years with you before coming to Elysium with us."

A smile breached my face. "I think that's the best outcome we could've had."

"I agree," Silas said. He briefly glanced back and I followed his eyes. Grover had brought Tempest's family to the beach. She was in the water, laughing loudly as she ran around, trying not to get splashed by Rhiannon and Toliver. Edith sat with Grover in the sand, Cosette in his lap, all three of them wearing flower crowns. Edith had two little ones in her hand- for Rhiannon and Toliver, I assume. They were talking gently and laughed as Grover played with Cosette's hair.

"Tempest seems mean at times," Silas said. "I'm sure you know that by now, and she's always been that way. You have to understand... things were a lot different when she was alive. She wasn't ever taken seriously because of her gender unless she was mean. Boys never liked her. Not that she likes boys, but... Tempest would cry to me sometimes. She didn't want to date anyone, but her self esteem took a hit when she realized nobody had ever had a crush on her."

I felt tears brimming my eyes.

"I think you're a nice girl," Silas said to me, "which is why I wanted to talk to you. I wanted you to hear me and understand that I care about my daughter, and I only want the best for her. And there will be times when she cries and misses us. When she feels like she isn't good enough. I need you to remind her that she's worth it."

"I know," I said. I thought about all those times she used to vent to me about how she felt like there wasn't anything she was good for. She felt like she couldn't save anyone. Couldn't protect people. She held her family's deaths so close all the time and blamed herself for not being able to keep any of them alive.