Percy and Annabeth-Their future

For The Hero

"Annabeth, we're gonna miss our reservation if you don't hurry up!" It was weird having PERCY hurry me along... he was always late, and I was always on time, or early. 

"One minute! Our reservation is at 7, Percy! Calm down!" It was summer. A soft breeze came in through the bathroom window.

"You're taking longer than Aphrodite takes in the bathroom!" He was whining like a two-year-old again.

It was July 12th. Yes, My birthday. Yes, I was turning forty. And yes, Percy had forgotten. 

I was waiting for the right moment to spring it on him, but my patience was running low. 

The kids were all staying with various cousins, and Percy and I were taking advantage of the night off. It was nice that we were going out, I just sort of wished that my husband had remembered. 

It was actually unusual for Percy to forget my birthday. Every other year, he'd gotten me something really sweet and thoughtful- A trip to Europe, sea glass necklaces, a cruise, an awesome day together, blue flowers... always something. 

But this year was different. Sophia was 15- and obsessed with looking at colleges. I couldn't tell her she was too young to be doing that because I'd done the same thing, so Percy ended up driving her to Harvard one weekend, Brown the next, Dartmouth, the week after that. She also really liked Notre Dame, UNC, Stanford, and Vanderbilt. That meant a bit more than a short-ish drive. 

So Percy'd been busy- but was that a good enough excuse to forget my birthday?

In the car, our wedding song was on the radio. Percy hummed along, speeding down the highway into Boston. It was 6:45. And he was freaking out.

"Oh gods, we only have 15 minutes..." He muttered under his breath. He swerved the car off the road, and drove on water.

I'd never seen him do it before, and clearly he'd never tried it. But the second the tires hit the harbor, we flew toward Boston. We got there at 6:50, and parked the car right outside the restaurant. 

I had dressed up for the occasion, and so had Percy. It was a fancy restaurant with a fancy name that called for fancy attire. We walked up the stairs, and the grin on Percy's face became the mischievous one I'd known for years. 

A doorman opened the door for me and Percy, and I saw that the restaurant was... empty.

"Percy- What's going on?" 

"What do you mean?"

"This restaurant is EMPTY. It's never EMPTY." 

Percy shrugged, tapping a button on his phone.

"I have no idea." 

Then it happened. People poured out from under the tables, every face VERY familiar to me. Percy smiled, snapping a picture. 

"HAPPY FORTIETH BIRTHDAY ANNABETH JACKSON!" A voice called from the stage. I smiled at Percy, and ran to hug him.

"You didn't forget!"

"How could I forget your birthday?"

"I didn't think you could."

"I didn't."

"Well, I realize that now!"

All around me were pictures of the best times of my life, words that only made sense to me and a few others, and faces of the best people on Earth.

One picture of Percy and I in full armor was captioned, "I'm married to a half-blood of the eldest dogs,"

Another picture of Thalia and I at Hoover Dam said, "Time to go to the DAM snack bar,"

There was a picture of Percy's first day at Camp captioned, "You drool in your sleep." 

There were do many more, and I had a strange feeling somewhere between bawling and screaming. 

"It's so beautiful," I smiled, holding Percy's hand.

"It's just the beginning. Just wait.

We all sat down to dinner at one HUMONGOUS circular table. I don't quite know how they fit 100 people into one circular table. But they did. And it was pretty cool.

But then Thalia got up and smiled as someone passed her a microphone.

"When Percy told me he was planning this for you, he thought it would be cool if we all went around and told you our favorite memory of you. And I guess it's my job to start. So... I mean, to be honest, you're like my little sister. I don't know what I'd do without you. But my favorite moment with you.... probably watching you get married. I don't know how I feel about your significant other..." Percy chuckled with a few others, "But you looked like the same little girl when I first met you, only grown up."

A tear had formed in my eye. Thalia ran over and hugged me and I cried into her shoulder for a second. 

"Thanks, Thals,"

"No problem, Annabeth,"

Then the microphone got passed to Beckendorf, and on and on it went.

"Annabeth- you managed to get Silena and me back from the dead. That's a pretty awesome thing to think about. So thanks."

"Jeez, Annabeth, the first time I met you I thought you'd impale me with you dagger, but you haven't-yet- and that's a very nice gesture on your part."

"Mom, you've always been there for me, even when I've done the wrong thing. You've helped me through the hard things, and kept Dad under control. So thanks."

"Annabeth, the second I met you, I looked up to you. You've been an example to all of us. 

Finally, it got to Percy.

"Wise Girl, words can't describe my feelings towards you. Love isn't strong enough. Eternally isn't long enough. I gave up immortality because I couldn't live forever and have to see you go. You were the only thing I remembered when I forgot everything else. You were by my side when we literally fell into Tartarus. And I will never let you go. You are my world, my happiness, my life... and I can't thank you enough."

Percy was crying, but I was a wreck. Normally, I didn't cry. But Percy could make me so emotional at times...

"I love you, Seaweed Brain,"

"Love you too, Wise Girl." 

"Enough kissing," Rion laughed. "Let's eat that cake!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

HEY GUYS! So, I hope you liked this chapter! I can't believe it's the 71st chapter! That means only 29  chapters left.... :( But I promise you all a happy ending, and a sequel! :D :) :D

I'm going to try to update HD today (maybe tonight) and DDIHS as well. One will probably be tomorrow though. I can't believe how quickly fall has come here! Is it really cold where you all live?

Anyway, I'll post this now so that you can read it sooner :)

QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: 

WHAT WOULD BE SOME THINGS YOU'D WANT IN A SEQUEL TO THIS BOOK?

Xo

~PercyAnnabeth20owl