The Good and The Bad ~ Percabeth

fifty four

[unedited]

a.c.

I stir my hot chocolate, steam curling out of the mug. "You haven't said anything in a while."

I look at Piper, wondering if she's joking. The kids from the Hypnos cabin have coaxed my boyfriend into a near vegetative sleep so the Apollo campers can heal him without hurting him, and there's something going on at camp that all of my friends have avoided bringing up to me for weeks. What am I supposed to say?

"Hes going to be okay," she reminds me patiently. Her words are soft and convincing, but I won't buy into it. I continue to stare out at the water.

"Why haven't you talked to me about what's been going on here?" I ask, taking a sip from the mug. She doesn't respond, and I add, "In September, everything was normal. Christmas came and went and I feel like I don't even know you."

"You were busy," Piper says quietly, eyes not meeting mine. "We didn't want to alarm you until we knew what was going on."

"So? What's going on?"

"We still don't know," she insists. "There's commotion over in California. It's like monsters are stirring but... they're not monsters, Annabeth. Titans. Gods. Children of the gods. It's nothing we've ever seen before. We don't know what to make of it."

"Why is Frank here, then? Shouldn't he be protecting the camp?" I ask, heart pounding. "We should all be there. What's going on?"

"Hey, it's okay, don't get riled up," she says, reaching over and touching a hand to my arm. I instantly relax. I know she doesn't mean to use her charmspeak on me, but somehow I do feel better. "They've got in under control there. This group is getting more powerful, but they don't all seem inherently evil. We just don't know what to make of it."

"Have you seen them? Are they united?"

"They all seem to do their own thing," she says, frowning. "But monsters have come after them, and they've won. We watch them. They look like humans. I know all monsters can disguise as humans but these... we don't know what they are. We've tried communicating with the gods, but they won't talk to us. Even Chiron is concerned."

I close my eyes. "So this has nothing to do with why Ares tried to kill Percy?"

"No," she insists. "That was just a douche being a douche." I crack a smile. "Come on, let's get you some lunch."

We walk slowly. I didn't eat dinner last night and I couldn't bring myself to digest anything this morning, either. I feel sick to my stomach but I know I need to eat.

We don't rush as we walk towards the Big House. I hear curses and arguments coming from the room Percy is staying in. "Things aren't looking good, are they?"

"Don't day that," Piper insists. "We have all of our best working on him. He's tough."

"Can I see him?"

She sighs, running her fingers through one of her braids and tying it back up. "I don't know if you want to. You know I don't want to baby you, but he looks fucking awful."

"I want to see him." I'm more insistent this time. She must see my bleary eyes and grim face, because she has to turn away. I know how hard it can be to try and protect your friends.

She silently walks over to the room and opens the door. Will, Austin and a young boy I've never seen immediately turn to the sound of the open door. They have jars of nectar, hundreds of feet of bandages and a few spilled coolers of ice. The young boy peers at me, trying to place who I am.

"Uh, Austin, Rhys, can you two go grab some safety pins?"

"Why do we both..." The boy beings, but Austin grabs his arm.

"On it, Will!" Will Solace wipes his forehead. I don't think he's slept since we arrived.

"Hey, Annabeth. How are ya?" He knows I don't care to answer. I take a few shy steps over to the ratty mattress he's laying on. He's in a pair of dark pants that are about nine sizes too big for him, which are cinched around his narrow waist. A bag of blood pumps into his skin. An IV drip hangs from a spear that's laying in the corner.  He's fast asleep, but his skin is shiny and slick with sweat.

I move to touch him, but my eyes dart to Will. He nods sympathetically and I press my cool fingers against his arm. He's warm, as expected. My fingers slide along the inside of his upper arm. I trace my favourite lines on his bare chest, avoiding the pile of gauze that blocks his wound. I feel the pulse on his neck, which frighteningly slow. All I care is that it's there. A faint bruise hides near the shadow of the hollow of his throat. I know I put it there a couple of days ago. I run my fingers along his jaw, pressing my thumb against his lips. I touch his forehead, which is feverish.

I lean down and whisper the faintest of kisses on his lips, then his nose, then his brow. I move back down to his mouth, his parched lips searingly hot. "I love you," I whisper. I bring my face near his ear. "And I need you to come back. I know you can't hear me, but you need to know how important it is that you get better. It's you and me or nothing at all."

I run my hands through his dirty hair and turn back to Piper and Will. They immediately turn to each other, pretending they weren't watching me. "You okay?" Piper asks quietly.

I nod. "What were you saying about lunch?"

- - - - - - - - - -

I love you all. Thank you for being kind always.

Thank the gods for everything in your life that brings you happiness.

Love, tumblingupwards