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Piper paces the living room in the Big House. She was all alone, as the other senior counselors had disappeared after their meeting. They had claimed that they needed the winter tinged air and meagre sunshine that the outdoors provided after Jason's not-so-little bombshell.
Piper hadn't followed her fellow campers. No, she decided to stay in the Big House, with it's stale, Cheeto scented air and tacky leopard print furniture.
Everyone deals in their own way.
Piper was still contemplating the quest she'd just gotten back from. After all, only a few days ago she had saved her father from a cannibalistic giant, battled a freaking snow goddess, and brought Jason back from the dead.
Of course, that was just everyday for Jason, right? Because he was apparently the leader of a Roman demigod camp. He has been battling monsters since he was a child. He wasn't easily tricked by mist, and still coming to terms with the fact that his girlfriend of nearly four months had never actually been his girlfriend.
And Leo, Leo had always been a man of action. He coped with his adhd by tinkering and making plans.
Piper couldn't be angry with him. She was envious that he was handling all of this so well.
When she got overwhelmed, her panic, and compulsions, and adhd took ahold of her. Which is why she was pacing the Big House, and not the overly crowded camp grounds.
Even though Annabeth had told Piper that most of the campers suffered from adhd and dyslexia, Piper had only ever told Leo about her disorders. Well, that wasn't necessarily true. She remembered telling Jason, but then Jason wasn't really Jason, that was just a trick from the freaking goddess of marriage herself, and-
"Ugh!" Piper groans, tugging at her uneven hair. Why was everything so complicated?
Piper turns around, her eyes settling on the wall of framed photos set behind the leopard spotted loveseat. As she walks, she allows herself to focus on the pictures rather than the craziness that was her current life.
Some of the photos looked incredibly old, in fact, Piper is quite certain that Chiron is standing next to a teenaged Abe Lincoln in one of them. However, her eyes are immediately drawn to one of the newer photos, at least she assumes that it's newer due to the fact that it is in color.
It was a photo taken outside, right in front of a lake, judging by the gleaming water reflected in the lens. The picture consisted of two people, a man and a woman.
Piper took a step closer, taking in the details of the scene.
The man was mostly turned away from the camera, but even Piper could see the bright smile on his face. He had messy, dark hair, and was wearing a white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his dark forearms, and tattoo peaking out from underneath the fabric.
The woman’s long, curly blonde hair was loose, save for a long lock of grey hair pinned to the back of her head. Her hair swayed in the breeze, and was only held back by a white flower crown. The color perfectly complemented the flowy, white dress that the girl was wearing. She, too, had a bright smile, her eyes closed tightly.
His arms were on her waist. Her hands clasped behind his head. Their foreheads were pressed together, their noses brushing.
Piper blinks at the photo again, her mind catching up to what she was looking at.
Although the girl was years younger, ironically with more grey hairs than she currently had, and way happier than Piper had ever seen her, she was most definitely Annabeth Chase.
And, if Piper was correct, the man that she was hugging must’ve been her missing husband, Percy.
“That was taken at our wedding.” A soft voice murmurs, and Piper spins around.
Annabeth Chase stood right behind her, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her arms folded over her chest. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and she looked nearly pale. The happiness from her wedding photo was currently absent.
“I thought you were talking with the others about the quest.” Piper murmurs, her cheeks flooding with color at being caught staring.
Though, she wasn’t sure why she felt embarrassed. The photo was there for everyone to look at. Still, Piper had the unsettling feeling that she had intruded on a private moment.
Annabeth just shrugs. “Leo has already rounded up most of Hephaestus cabin. And, well, once you get a kid of Hephaestus started up...”
“It's impossible to stop them.” Piper finishes for her. "Yeah, Leo has a way of using stress to his advantage."
"God, I wish I was like that." Annabeth sighs, rubbing her eyes. "Instead, I just kind of hyper focus on one thing, until-"
"You've thought it over to death." Again, Piper finishes. Because, she knows this. Because she had these same thoughts. Because that's what it's been her whole life.
Annabeth gives her a small smile. "Exactly."
Piper felt an odd connection with Annabeth. An easiness that she had only experienced once more with a figment of her imagination. Piper didn't even know all that much about Annabeth, as she was a decade older than her, and unfortunate events had plagued them since their meeting. Such as the disappearance of Annabeth's husband, and the appearance of Jason, and then that stupid quest.
Annabeth takes a few steps closer, her eyes drawn to the photo. Her eyes had gone misty, like she was reliving that day all over again. "Percy is like that. He could always split his focus. It got on my nerves sometimes, but it made him good in a fight." She spoke analytically, like she was simply talking about a soldier, and not her husband. But Piper could still hear the forced down pain in her voice.
Piper clears her throat, gesturing back to the photo. "You look beautiful."
It was the truth. It wasn’t just what she was wearing, or the makeup applied to her face. Annabeth was literally glowing with happiness, and it was shown even through the pixels of a photo.
“I felt beautiful.” Annabeth admits. “It was one of the happiest moments of my life.”
Piper worries at her lip. “How old were you?”
“Nineteen." Annabeth whispers, wringing her hands together. "On our three year anniversary."
Piper blinks. “That’s young.” Piper considers that Annabeth and Percy were her age when they'd started dating. Even with the love that she'd thought she felt for Jason, Piper didn't think she could possibly imagine marrying right now.
The daughter of Athena agrees. “It was. But, after the war, and all the shit the gods were still putting us through- It just felt right."
Piper had heard about the war. How ten years ago, the campers had battled the titan, Kronos, and won. How Percy Jackson had led an army of demigods against the forces.
How things had been more or less quiet until Piper and her friends had appeared.
“It must’ve been hard.” Piper whispers, due to not knowing what else to say. “The war.”
Annabeth shakes her head. “Sometimes, I wonder what it was all for.”
“What do you mean?”
Annabeth swallows. “We worked so hard. Fought so hard for a life for us and all the demigods that came after us. But now, it’s ten years later, and we’re still fighting.”
Piper felt her mouth go dry. Would that be how she would be when she got older? Just going from war to war, never getting an end.
She clears her throat, uncomfortably. She had a feeling that it wouldn't be good for neither her or Annabeth to dwell too long on these thoughts. “Where was the picture taken?”
Annabeth blinks, clearly being taken off guard by the change of subject. “Right here. At the canoe lake.” She clarifies.
“You guys got married at camp?” Piper asks, a small smile crossing her face. “You’d think you would be tired of it by then.”
Annabeth giggles, not loudly, but compared to the dullness filling her face, it sounded like a lion's roar. “Well, it actually wasn't our first choice. But, um, something happened at our original venue. Chiron offered up camp, and Mr. D allowed it, which was a surprise.”
“You look really happy.” Piper murmurs, looking at the photo again.
“We were.” She blinks a few times. “We still are… when the gods don’t take him away from me, that is.”
Piper moves closer to Annabeth, and places a hand on her shoulder. Piper opens her mouth, then closes it several times.
She doesn't know what to say. She can't promise that they'll find him, because she can't promise that. She can't promise that everything will be alright, because she doesn't know if it's true. Even if Piper said anything she felt like it wouldn't quite be real. After all, how is she supposed to know if Annabeth truly believes her, or if it's the magic in her voice corrupting the woman's thoughts.
Annabeth sends a tiny smile in Piper's direction. She pats Piper's dark hand, and says softly, “I know.”
And, despite the fact that Piper didn't say anything, it was like a million words were being transferred between the two.
Annabeth finally moves, swiping at her eyes. When tears had appeared there, Piper isn't quite sure. Annabeth glances towards a clock hung above the room's doorway, and takes a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, I have to go."
Piper nods, though she wonders what it is that has grabbed Annabeth’s attention. “Yeah. Thanks for the chat.”
Annabeth turns on her heel, and heads out, presumably to the front door, before stopping in her tracks. “Bye, Piper. And… thank you.” And then, Annabeth is gone, and Piper is once more left alone with her thoughts.
Though, these ones are more gentle than the first. Almost quieter.
Piper finds herself staring at the photo for a bit longer, just taking in the pure joy of the moment. The happiness radiating off of young Annabeth.
Piper knows that she can't get Annabeth to look that happy again. At least, not until her husband is back safely. But she will do her gods damned best. And, the next morning when Piper steals Annabeth's bagel from her plate at breakfast, she is delighted to see a small grin cross the blonde's world weary face.
One day at a time, Piper thinks. One day at a time.