The Demigods

I'm so Sorry! (AU)

The two times Percy destroys Annabeth's hard work, and the one time someone else does.

4 years old

Annabeth stood over a meticulously designed sand castle. Everything was perfectly placed, the support columns, the towers, and the drawbridge suspended in mid air.

She finished the last few touches, and stepped back to admire her work. Annabeth grinned happily at her completed masterpiece.

She took off down the beach, in search of her father.

"Papa!" she exclaimed, pulling on his arm.

"What is it?" he asked, not even glancing away from her stepmother playing with their friend's kids.

"I made a sand castle," Annabeth squealed, continuing to pull him away from the water.

"That's wonderful," he said, giving her a pat on the head.

Her smile fell, and she released his arm.

"Don't you want to come see it?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"It's just a sand castle," he told her.

Annabeth turned around, and slowly made her way make to the castle.

By the time she reached it, she had decided to destroy it, but someone had already beaten her to it.

A small boy, around Annabeth's age, stood next to the now collapsed castle. His feet shifted nervously in the sand as he watched her approach, his green eyes portraying his guilt.

"Was this your castle?" he asked, his fingers intertwining nervously.

Annabeth nodded her head slightly, her gray eyes growing large at the sight of her destroyed palace.

"I'm really sorry," the boy said, hanging his head in shame," it was an accident."

"It's okay," Annabeth replied, her voice shaking.

"It was really nice," he offered," I wish I could make sand castles like that."

"I could teach you," she said, perking up.

"Really?" he asked, a large smile growing on his face.

"I'm Annabeth," she greeted, holding out her small hand.

He took her hand, and shook it.

"I'm Percy," he said.

Annabeth went to work making a new, and better, sand castle. Percy helped in any way he could, doing what ever his new friend told him to.

"Percy," a voice called out half an hour later, just as they were placing the finishing touches on the castle.

"Yes, mom," he called back, pushing himself off of the ground.

"It's time to go," Sally said, holding out her hand for Percy to take.

"You can't stay a little bit longer?" Annabeth asked, disappointed.

"Sorry," Percy said sheepishly," but we can't be late."

"Sally?" a voice asked in shock.

"Helen?" Sally replied," is that really you?"

The two greeted each other with a friendly hug.

"Is that your son who's been playing with Annabeth?" Helen asked," he looks just like you."

"Thank you," Sally said, giving her a warm smile," and is this your daughter?"

"Step daughter," Helen answered quickly.