Percy Jackson Love of Aphrodite

Chapter 19

A/N I apologize if this is shorter than most of my other chapters, I don't really have a way of knowing right now if it is the same length or not since I haven't been able to install Microsoft office on my computer yet and that's usually how I tell. 

Annabeth's point of view

I was headed back to camp half blood for the first time in a while, every time I go back to camp I am nervous that Percy will be there. I know that if he is things will probably just be awkward between us. Somehow if he is we will have to get past that though since there is something important I have to tell him. I'm not going to try and convince him to take me back I know that he probably never would after how I hurt him.

Don't get me wrong I realize how much of an idiot I was, and I would love to have him back, but I know that after everything I said to him I would probably never get him back. Who knows, by now he might have moved on to someone else, either way, I have to go to camp since the gods wanted me to design the new city for camp half blood.

It was about time that we got something like that. Just like anyone else demigods would like to have a somewhat normal life. We would like to have a place where we could go to college, fall in love, get married, and raise families in relative safety. As I entered camp half blood I could see that it hadn't really changed since the last time I was there. Some campers rode pegasi while others were canoeing on the lake, some practiced with various weapons while some played volleyball or attempted to reach the top of the climbing wall.

Basically, it looked like not much had changed. Looks can be deceiving though since not long after I entered the camp I heard two kids discussing a new daughter of Aphrodite. It sounded like they believed that she was more beautiful than any of her half-siblings here at camp. I would form my own opinions when I saw her myself.

I decided to work on my designs later, so I headed toward the sword arena since I felt like getting some practice. on the way there, I ran into a girl that I hadn't met before.

"Annabeth Chase daughter of Athena," I said introducing myself.

"Silena Jackson daughter of Aphrodite," she said in reply.

We didn't talk for very long, but even after she left there was one thought I just couldn't shake. She had said that her last name was Jackson, she couldn't be... there had to be more than one person here in New York with the last name Jackson, that doesn't mean she's Percy's daughter. but as I thought about it, there was just too much evidence suggesting that she was, for starters her last name, secondly her black hair and sea green eyes.

But if she was Percy's daughter that would mean that she was born several months after I left him. Had he moved on from me to the love goddess? I found that kind of hard to believe since I don't think that he would have been able to move on that quickly. I could only guess at what had happened to Percy after I left him since I had never tried to contact him even after I got the surprise of a lifetime. I guessed that if Silena was Percy's daughter, that would mean that Percy was most likely here too. The day passed, and eventually, it was time for dinner. After we had all sacrificed food to our parents and returned to our seats I looked around the pavilion still wondering what happened to Percy after I left him.My eyes scanned over the Aphrodite table where I saw Silena sitting with her siblings.

My eyes eventually landed on the Poseidon table where Michael Peters, the only son of Poseidon that had arrived at camp since Percy left sat, and sure enough beside him was Percy. He was older than when I had seen him last, but I still knew it was him. After I spotted him I quickly turned away reminded of how much of a fool I was to let that man go. I knew I would have to face him though since there was something that I would have to tell him I had kept it from him long enough.

Percy's point of view

When I heard that Annabeth had arrived I made it my mission to avoid her, I went to dinner, but I studiously avoided glancing at the Athena table, I mostly talked to Michael and glanced at the Aphrodite table where Silena sat with her half-siblings. Camp was different now, most of the campers that I knew before I left camp were gone or were just visiting, some had gone to Camp Jupiter to start lives there, while others had tried to start lives in the mortal world. 

I got the feeling that at least some of them would probably return once the new city was built here. Camp seemed the same, after all, it still had all the same activities, but most of the campers were strangers to me.  Ever since we spoke on the beach Aphrodite has continued to visit me, and I think she might somehow be helping me gradually recover from the heartbreak of Annabeth leaving me. 

Despite how she feels about me I don't think I have feelings for her, or not yet at least. During our conversations I began to realize that she was different than everyone thought she was. in fact, most of what everyone else sees is just a facade to cover up the truth.  She admitted that she hides who she really is due to the fact that if she didn't some of the other Olympians might see her as a threat.

I realized that technically Aphrodite and I have at least one thing in common, she was technically born from the sea and the remains of Ouranos, so in a way, we both have a connection to the sea. I had also learned that she had ended her affair with Ares a few years ago, and he had made several attempts to get her back but she had refused. Most of the times she has visited me she didn't have her usual makeup enhanced beauty, instead, she just relied on her natural beauty. 

I think I'm growing closer to the love goddess, not in a romantic way, but as a friend for now, maybe in the future, our relationship might become more, but for now, I'm not ready for that. After the campfire, I headed back toward the Poseidon cabin for the night. Just before I reached the door I heard a voice that I didn't really want to hear, say, "Percy,"

She sounded a bit nervous but considering that she had dumped me and that we hadn't spoken in over 12 years, that was probably understandable. 

"Annabeth," I replied in an emotionless tone concealing the last of the pain I still had within me. 

she said, "I'm sorry Percy, I shouldn't have hurt you the way I did, I know I don't deserve it, but can you forgive me?"

Her apology did sound genuine, but I knew I couldn't forgive her just yet, I wasn't quite ready yet. I replied, "I can't forgive you yet Annabeth, but perhaps in time I will."

after that statement, I turned away from her and walked to the Poseidon cabin. I went inside and started getting ready for bed. Even though Annabeth hadn't tried to stop me from walking away, I got the feeling that she had contemplated saying more.  I wasn't really sure where my feelings stood at that point, I knew that my feelings for Annabeth and the pain from the heartbreak were slowly fading away, but I couldn't help but wonder was I right when I thought I didn't have feelings for Aphrodite or was I just deluding myself. I shoved those thoughts aside deciding that only time would reveal the truth and I would just wait and see what would happen in the days to come.

Can any of you guess what Annabeth is hiding, you will probably find out next chapter.