𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒉...

Not the sort of reunion they wanted

Percy slumped over his chair by the bed where Annabeth lay. Her camp half-blood shirt faded and blue shorts, her golden locks spread across the pillow. She looked peaceful, not a single worry line, no frowns, no anger... nothing.

He hadn't seen her stormy grey eyes for a month. How brave they were in the battle, how she took a dagger for him yet again. He couldn't see the relief on her face at the prospect of winning the war.

His mother couldn't see her son's brooding face anymore. Annabeth was like her own daughter. Sometimes she and Percy would sit together and remember the happy times they shared, it brought a smile on their faces, if only for a short time. She was proud of her son, how much he grew up. How he respected women, how much he loved Annabeth. Paul tried to help Percy to recover from the after effects of war several times but nothing worked. For a person to see so many deaths he was still sane and she was thankful for that. Sally knew that he was clinging for Annabeth, hoping against hope that she would wake up and judo flip her, that she would bring the colour back to his life.

Alas, she wasn't responding.

After the giant war everyone was desolated, for the first few days nobody moved from her bedside. The seven, her friends, Athena cabin always stayed around her but eventually Will or some other Apollo camper shooed them out. After Percy took her back at his apartment the seven used to visit either alone or with the group of two's along with Nico. Thalia was with the hunt with a personal side quest to look for wild herbs that had the potential to heal her.

Sally thought that her son had enough sulking time and it was time to get social. So she invited the seven and Nico to their apartment. Will decided to check up on Annabeth for any improvement so he was there as well.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ring of doorbell. The seven had arrived, taking time from their busy schedule, some were restoring order within camps, some lead the camp in the brief timeframe to rebuild the area, some understood the value of life and left to have a little meet with their mortal parents or relatives. Now everyone was together at Percy's place. Nobody mentioned but that was not the sort of reunion any of them wished, regardless they were there to help Percy in his misery.

She kindly ushered them inside. As they went to greet Percy she went to bring them snacks.

"Ooo blue cookies.... and what is that Sally?" Leo asked excitedly.

"Oh dear, I just started experimenting and came up with this. Seven layer dip, tortilla chips and sandwiches." Everybody's face lit up at the thought of Sally 'experimenting'. They were bound to be delicious just like the blue cookies.

"Approved by Apollo or shall I say Lester Papadopoulos" she added. At this they burst out laughing even Percy had a slight smile on his face.

Stage 1 of mission accomplished. Sally thought. This brought a smile at her own lips. For once these teens were allowed to behave like teens. All the kids whom she had started calling as her own children were talking to Percy about anything and everything.

Finally Percy said "guys I went to Olympus today." He looked for their reactions but they all were probing him to continue. "I asked them to give help to heal her" at this he took Annabeth's hand and interlaced their fingers "and they said that godly magic can only go so far. She needed mortal help. They have machinery to heal her. They'll send the mortals" at that precise moment Hermes flashed in the apartment.

The demigods nodded their head in acknowledgement because he wasn't the one who wanted everyone to kneel in his presence. "Hello Sally, how have you been" he asked in greeting. She replied that she was fine and asked him to have some snacks which he accepted.

"The mortal team would be here tomorrow afternoon. I'll let you do your introductions when you meet. As you see the injuries that Annabeth has acquired is from battle so Athena thought that the doctors should be the ones who tend superheroes from mortal side, as they also get those injuries and they've developed technologies to heal themselves." The demigods nodded in agreement. This arrangement made sense.

"Who are these mortal superheroes?" Jason inquired.

"They call themselves the avengers. They've fought aliens and terrorists but they were originally created as a backup for camp half blood in case of war. The leader Nick Fury is a demigod son of Athena." Hermes answered.

"Then where were they when we needed reinforcement in the wars" Percy asked the unspoken question in all of their minds.

The god of travellers explained them all the problems the avengers had to solve. Finally they understood.

"Anyway, now that the message is delivered I'll leave you be." A chorus of "okays" and "thank yous" later Hermes flashed away leaving a somewhat hopeful group of demigods and a mortal.

They chatted for a while, everyone had hope now that it was confirmed that avengers would come the next day. Soon it was evening and they bid their goodbyes promising to be at their doorstep the next day....

For the first time in a long while Percy fell sound asleep.