Archive of Our Own

PART I—The Battle of Manhattan

The pain turned everything into a blur. From the moment Percy yelled, "Blackjack!" and the pegasus clamped his teeth on her armor and flew away towards Manhattan, Annabeth's entire focus was on trying not to pass out (or throw up). She had no idea where they were going or what Blackjack's plan was, but the edges of her armor were digging into her arms, making the pain from the wound almost unbearable. Finally, she spotted a group of demigods on the ground, a few blocks from Central Park. At first, she wasn't sure if they were friends or enemies, but then she recognized the Stolls among the group.

"There," she croaked to Blackjack, pointing with her good arm, black spots dancing across her vision.

Thankfully, the pegasus understood. He dove towards the pavement. The group of campers scrambled in alarm as he swooped down. Their expressions didn't change much when he deposited Annabeth on the sidewalk and her knees immediately gave out. Travis caught her before she hit the ground. She'd never seen such a serious look on his face before, which made her realize exactly how bad she must look. And that was the last clear thought she had for a while.

When the fogginess faded slightly, she found herself on a balcony, looking up at a pink-tinted morning sky, worried faces hovering over her. Near the edge of the balcony, Silena was speaking into a cell phone and wiping tears off her cheeks.

"Where…" Annabeth managed, though her throat felt so dry, it was hard to get the word out.

"At the Plaza Hotel." Malcolm's face swam into view. "Hang on, Annabeth. Silena's trying to get a healer from Apollo here. We gave you nectar and ambrosia, but the wound…" He gulped. "Well, it's green."

Her thoughts felt sluggish, but she could guess. "Poison," she muttered. "On the knife."

Malcolm nodded. "Probably." He held out a hand and someone passed him a water bottle. He helped Annabeth take a few sips. The water made her feel momentarily better, but it didn't last long. She was shivering and sweating like she'd come down with a bad bout of the flu. Her arm burned.

She scanned the faces of the group as best she could. Mostly her siblings from the Athena cabin, a few Hermes and Aphrodite kids. She didn't see Percy or Thalia or Grover. They were probably all still out in the city, taking care of the battle. Which was understandable, but she really wished they were here. Her siblings and the other campers looked up to her; she had to be strong for them. But right now, what she really wanted was someone she could lean on.

Silena came back over, slipping the phone in her pocket. Her silver bracelet flashed in the morning light. When she realized Annabeth was alert enough to have a conversation, she said, "I called Percy. He's on his way with a healer from Apollo."

Annabeth's heart tried to leap, but in her current condition it was more of a weak thud. Still, she was relieved not only to know that Percy was alive, but that he was on his way. Everything seemed better when Percy was around. And a healer was a bonus. "That's good."

Silena nodded, wiping her eyes again. She had a damp cloth in her hand and gently dabbed Annabeth's forehead. It felt good, and she had a weird flash of memory of her dad doing the same thing when she was maybe four years old and had been up all night with stomach flu. Although he hadn't looked as tired and miserable then as Silena looked now. Her voice sounded choked as she asked, "What happened?"

Annabeth gave a very abbreviated version of what had occurred on the bridge. Partly because talking was a lot of effort, but also because she wasn't sure exactly what had happened. She didn't mention protecting Percy or the way Ethan Nakamura had snuck up on him. Some instinct told her to keep that to herself. So she simply said that she'd been stabbed in the fight. No one questioned it. From the bits of conversation she could pick out, she wasn't the only one who'd been hurt. She tried to ask about what had happened, tried to organize a new strategy based on the updated information, but her head started to pound immediately and she had to give it up. She absolutely did not want to admit it, but she was in no shape to lead anything right now.

For the next few minutes, she drifted in and out in a haze of pain, alternately trying to focus on the conversations going on around her and then giving it up when she shivered harder and the pain in her arm surged up her neck. But relief rushed through her when there was a flurry of commotion in the doorway and Percy burst onto the deck, Will Solace close behind him. His green eyes blazed, and for a moment he looked fierce and terrifying, like a warrior, but the moment he saw her, his expression softened. He and Will made their way through the group to her side. When Will unwrapped her bandages, revealing the cut, Annabeth tried not to look too closely, but, like Malcolm had said, it appeared to be tinged green. Percy's stunned expression and the way he said her name confirmed that it was bad.

"Poison on the dagger," she muttered, meeting his eyes. "Pretty stupid of me, huh?"

Will reassured her that it wasn't quite as bad as all that, but it sure felt like it once he began working on her. When he poured nectar over her cut, it felt like her arm was on fire. Staying still took all of her remaining willpower. Her vision went hazy. The only thing grounding her was Percy's hand. She was gripping it so hard it had to hurt, but he didn't complain.

Finally, the pain started to subside. She vaguely realized that Will was humming, a healing hymn to Apollo she'd heard him use on a camper after the Battle of the Labyrinth last year. The burning in her arm shrank back until it was just a dull throb around the wound itself. She loosened her grip on Percy's hand, but didn't let go completely. He didn't seem to mind. Will and Travis Stoll were discussing supplies. Jake Mason told Percy they were keeping a watch on things. Annabeth felt like she should be participating in the discussions, but everything around her was moving too quickly, as if she were underwater watching things happen on the surface.

As the crowd cleared, things seemed to come back into focus. Now it was just Annabeth, Silena, and Percy on the balcony. At some point, Percy had let go of her hand, making Annabeth's heart ache a little bit. Silena dabbed her forehead with a cool cloth, looking like she was blinking back tears. After a moment, she murmured, "This is all my fault."

Annabeth summoned her fading energy. "No. Silena, how is it your fault?"

"I've never been any good at camp." She twisted the cloth in her hands. "Not like you or Percy. If I was a better fighter…" Her eyes went far away as her voice drifted off, like she was looking at something on the horizon.

Annabeth studied her face. There was something going on, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe Silena was still thinking about Beckendorf. That seemed likely. She zoned back in as Percy was reassuring Silena, "…anyone who can make friends with Clarisse has talent."

Silena's eyes lit up. "That's it! We need the Ares cabin. I can talk to Clarisse. I know I can convince her to help us."

"Whoa, Silena." Percy held up his hands. "Even if you could get off the island, Clarisse is pretty stubborn. Once she gets angry—"

"Please." Silena clasped her hands, pleading with her eyes. There was a level of desperation there that seemed surprising, even given their pretty desperate situation, but again, Annabeth couldn't decipher why. "I can take a pegasus. I know I can make it back to camp. Let me try."

Percy glanced down at Annabeth, meeting her eyes, asking a silent question. Annabeth wasn't sure why Silena was so insistent, but she didn't see how it could hurt. Likely nothing would come of it (because Clarisse), but if Silena could manage it, reinforcements would make all the difference. She answered Percy's question with a small nod.

He looked down. His fists clenched, then he shook his hands out and looked back up at Silena. "All right. I can't think of anybody better to try."

Silena's sudden smile made her face sparkle. She threw her arms around Percy, whose eyes widened in surprise, then she quickly pulled back, giving Annabeth a slightly guilty look, which almost made her want to laugh. "Um, sorry. Thank you, Percy! I won't let you down."

"Good luck." Percy raised a hand in a small wave as Silena practically jogged from the balcony into the hotel.

Once the door shut, Percy's shoulders slumped. For just a moment, he looked like an overwhelmed fifteen-year-old. His expression shifted when he turned back to her, though, concern written all over his face as he knelt down beside her. He felt her forehead with the back of his hand, which Annabeth frankly found adorable. It had to be something he'd learned from his mom. He was cute when he was worried, especially the way his eyebrows kind of scrunched together.

In her still hazy state, she didn't realize the words had actually come out of her mouth until Percy gave a very faint smile. Then she was kind of glad she'd said it out loud.

The smile faded, though, as he said, "You are not going to die while I owe you a favor. Why did you take that knife?"

The answer was easy and immediate. "You would've done the same for me."

Their eyes met as the truth settled around them, heavy but comforting, like a warm blanket. Percy's gaze searched her face, as if he was looking for something, before he asked, "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

Percy glanced around, as if checking that the completely empty balcony was still empty, then leaned in close. For just an instant, Annabeth thought he was going to kiss her. But instead he whispered, "My Achilles spot. If you hadn't taken that knife, I would've died."

Annabeth's breath caught. She hadn't realized…but maybe that explained the strange feeling she'd had, right before she'd stepped in front of Nakamura. A sense of dread had suddenly rolled over her like nausea and she'd instinctively glanced toward Percy. "I don't know, Percy. I just had this feeling you were in danger." She paused, part of her wondering if she should even ask the next question, but the rest of her demanded to know. Because how could she protect him if she didn't know? "Where…where is the spot?"

Percy hesitated, studying her face again. For a moment, Annabeth thought maybe he wouldn't tell her. Which she could admit was probably wise, even if that would hurt almost as bad as her knife wound. But then, still leaning close to her, he said, "The small of my back."

She lifted her hand, resting it on his tattered t-shirt. "Where? Here?"

Keeping his eyes on hers, Percy reached back and gently guided her fingers a couple inches lower, to a point on his lower back. A hole in his t-shirt left his skin bare. Her fingertips tingled. Percy swallowed hard. "You saved me. Thanks."

Annabeth held his eyes for another few moments, unsure what to say. She understood exactly what he was entrusting her with, and it left her feeling both terrified and exhilarated. Finally, she moved her hand away from his back. Percy kept holding her hand, though. A swirl of emotions was roiling in Annabeth's chest, mixing with the pain in her still throbbing arm. And she was really too exhausted to sort through them right now. The best she could think to say was, "So you owe me. What else is new?"

Another faint smile flickered over Percy's lips and he squeezed her hand.

They sat quietly for a while, watching the sun rise. The city was eerily quiet. Annabeth's mind drifted back toward the Williamsburg Bridge and the way Luke…no, Kronos, don't forget that…had looked. She could almost understand why Hermes had been so furious with her. If she'd agreed last year…if she'd gone with him…would any of this be happening now?

Percy's hand was warm in hers. He was staring out at the city, apparently lost in thought, but every now and then he glanced over at her. She wondered if he even realized that his thumb was occasionally running across her knuckles, sending shivers up her uninjured arm. Guilt weighed on her. She should have told him about the visit a long time ago. But it had been so impossible to talk to him about Luke. It only ever ended in an argument. This time, though, she thought maybe she could do it. And he deserved to know. Especially since it had, in some ways, led to all this mess.

So, even though she was afraid it might ruin the comfortable feeling between them at the moment, she told him about Luke's visit. Even though she was feeling better, her mouth was still dry and it took some effort to speak. But she got the story out, as well as her doubts about whether she'd made the right decision to let him go. She felt mildly better when Percy assured her that it would have been wrong to attack Luke. And even though his expression was hard to read, he kept holding her hand. So she told him her suspicions about how Kronos was planning to use Luke, "like a stepping stone. Those were his exact words. Kronos would use Luke, and become even more powerful."

"He did that. He possessed Luke's body."

"But what if Luke's body is only a transition? What if Kronos has a plan to become even more powerful?" She glanced down, unable to meet his eyes as she spoke the secret fear that had been creeping through her mind for weeks as the monster attacks and rumors of Luke/Kronos's movements became increasingly threatening. "I could've stopped him. The war is my fault."

Percy frowned, as if thinking about what she'd said. Part of her desperately wanted him to tell her that was crazy, it wasn't her fault. Another part of her was terrified he'd say she was right. The rest of her was scared and confused and in pain and mostly just wished he'd give her a hug.

Before any of that could happen, though, Connor Stoll stepped out onto the terrace. They both looked up when he said Percy's name, so Annabeth caught the way Connor glanced at her and hesitated, as if he didn't want to lay any additional problems on her at the moment. Which was probably kind of sweet and considerate, but it also annoyed her. She didn't want to be injured and sidelined. She wanted to help. Just as she was having the thought, though, her arm throbbed, and she was forced to admit she probably still needed at least a little more rest. All this rushed through her mind in the time it took Connor to say that Mrs. O'Leary had just come back with Grover and that Percy needed to talk to him.

Percy nodded. "I'll be right in, man."

Connor shot him a thumbs up, then gave Annabeth a small, probably supposed to be encouraging smile as he went back inside.

"Guess you'd better go," Annabeth said once the door had shut.

"Guess so." Percy didn't make a move to stand, though. Once again, he suddenly looked very, very tired. When Annabeth squeezed his hand, though, he raised his head and met her eyes. "Just rest, okay? We'll figure it out. Somehow."

"Yeah." She studied his face, wondering what else to say. She didn't really want him to leave, but they had a war to fight. She shifted her sore shoulder and winced. "Well, I'm probably not going anywhere for a while, so if you need me, I'm here."

"I always need you." Percy's cheeks reddened and he quickly added, "I mean, we all need you. You're the best strategist and stuff and—"

"Just go, Seaweed Brain." She squeezed his hand again and returned the smile he gave her. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, definitely."

After Percy left to talk to Grover, Annabeth sank back into her cushions and let her eyes drift closed. The sun was warm on her face. Despite her arm still burning with pain, she decided to take Percy's advice and rest. He needed her. The other campers needed her. They had to find a way to win.

PART II—5 years later

Percy had been strangely quiet all through dinner. Which was a little weird, to be honest, since they were at his favorite restaurant in New York City, an incredible gourmet pizza place. Annabeth had specifically asked him what he wanted to do for his 21st birthday, because if he wanted to go out to some bars, she would have gone, but he'd shaken his head and insisted he'd be perfectly happy just having a quiet dinner with her. Which was probably a strange choice for most newly 21-year-olds, but Percy still wasn't a huge fan of drinking (a lingering remnant of his previous repulsive stepfather, who was now a statue conveniently on display in a small gallery in Brooklyn). "Besides," he'd said when she'd asked him again if he was sure he didn't want to go out with a group of friends, "it's our fifth anniversary. I'd rather hang out with you." Which was ridiculously sweet. But now, as he focused on eating his pizza, barely looking at her, Annabeth wondered if he was regretting his choice.

"Hey." She nudged his leg with her foot under the table. "We can still go and meet up with some people if you want."

Percy's head jerked up and he stared at her over his slice of pizza. He quickly swallowed and set the pizza down before asking, "Why would I want to do that?"

Annabeth frowned. "I don't know. You've just been really quiet. I thought maybe you'd want to do something more fun after dinner. I know a few of our friends from camp are in town tonight and going to—"

"Annabeth." Percy reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm good with dinner. And I appreciate you trying to plan stuff for my birthday. But it's also our anniversary. I really just want to be here with you."

She squeezed his hand. "If you're sure. I just don't want you to feel like you're missing out—"

"I don't," Percy said firmly. "Promise. Sorry if I'm quiet. It was just, um, a long week at work." Although he didn't quite meet her eyes when he said that. But he squeezed her hand before letting it go and returning to his pizza.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. She guessed that was true. It was the last week of his internship. Hers too. They'd been back in New York for the summer, getting some experience for their careers before heading into their senior year of college. Percy had been staying back at his mom and Paul's. Annabeth wasn't sure who had been more thrilled: Sally or Estelle. Annabeth had split an apart with Piper for the summer, which had been a lot of fun. But summer was ending. Next week, she and Percy would be heading back to New Rome for their final year of college. She almost couldn't believe they'd made it this far. Even if the monster attacks had been few and far between in the last three years, it still felt like a major accomplishment.

Percy cleared his throat as he finished his second slice of pizza. Clearly trying to be more normal, he asked, "So, uh, how was your last week at your internship?"

Annabeth studied him for another moment, but when he gave her an apologetic smile, tinged with a hint of it's-my-birthday-please-don't-be-mad-at-me, she relented. "It was good." She gave him the rundown on her week, and the conversation became more normal. Percy still seemed like he was trying extra hard to be present, but maybe he really was just tired from the week. It was a Friday night, and that was always when they both felt the most drained.

He seemed more like his normal self, though, when they were leaving the restaurant. Slipping an arm around her waist, he kissed her cheek, then said, "Want to take a walk through the park?"

Annabeth smiled up at him. "Sure."

They started down 5th Avenue, passing the Guggenheim, which Annabeth enjoyed looking at as always, then cut into Central Park, just past the reservoir. The setting summer sun sent golden light drifting over the park, making the green of the trees stand out even more brilliantly. A light breeze cut through the muggy air, keeping it comfortable, perfect for an evening walk. They didn't say much as they walked, but the silence now felt comfortable, not strange.

As they passed the spot where a massive oak tree had once stood, Annabeth nudged Percy in the side with her elbow. "Remember that time you ran across the water, then kicked Hyperion's golden butt?"

Percy grinned. "Yeah. That was actually pretty cool. Of course, the part where I went flying on a giant pig after that was less great."

Annabeth shook her head. "Only you, Seaweed Brain."

They strolled down through the park, hand in hand, enjoying the evening and reminiscing. When they passed the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Percy pointed and said, "And that's where I vaporized my math teacher. Which led to me showing up at camp and getting sent on that first damn quest. Oh, and meeting you." He nudged her with his shoulder. "That was the good part."

"Just the good part?" she teased.

"The awesome part," he corrected, and she laughed as she laced their fingers together.

By the time they'd meandered their way down to the south end of Central Park, the sun had nearly completely set and the light was growing dim. Streetlights were coming on as they crossed out of the park and found themselves on the sidewalk of West 59th Street.

Directly across from the Plaza Hotel.

Annabeth craned her neck back to look up at the balcony high above, another memory coming to her. "I remember this place, too."

"I thought you might." Percy's voice was low. When she glanced over, he was looking up towards the balcony, too. His voice took on a nervous hint, though, as he said, "I wasn't sure if it was a good memory or not."

Annabeth squeezed his hand. "It had its moments."

He looked at her then with a smile, but his eyes were serious. "Yeah. I mean, it sucked that you were hurt. Especially since you were hurt because of me—"

"Which beat the alternative," Annabeth interrupted firmly.

"Glad you still feel that way." Percy's smile widened. He was fidgeting with Riptide in his pocket, an old nervous habit. "Especially since I've been annoying you for five years since then."

"I've gotten used to it." She brushed her lips over his in a featherlight kiss. "Besides, you kind of paid me back the next summer."

"Of course. I love you," he said simply, which made her heart beat faster. "Which I kind of started to realize on that balcony."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. I don't think I totally got it at the time, but looking back," he glanced up at the balcony again, then back at her, "that was probably it. That was when I realized I didn't know what I'd do if I lost you. And when I trusted you with…well, you know."

She nodded, resisting the temptation to run her hand over his back. The curse of Achilles, and his sole mortal point, were gone, but she thought sometimes she could still feel the tug of that connection. "I'm still not sure if that was smart or crazy."

"Maybe a little bit of both." He dipped his head to kiss her lightly. "But I figured it was you. And if I couldn't trust you, I couldn't trust anybody."

The sudden lump in her throat caught Annabeth by surprise. She blinked quickly, then said, "Wow, Seaweed Brain, you're being affectionate tonight."

"Like I said, I love you. And it's our five-year anniversary. That's crazy, right? I mean, I wasn't even sure we'd make it to our first anniversary."

"Because we were involved in another stupid prophecy and weren't sure we'd make it through the summer?"

"That, and I figured you'd eventually get tired of being annoyed by me." His tone was joking, but Annabeth suspected there was some truth beneath it.

So she made sure to hold his eyes when she said, "Never. Because I love you, too. You're stuck with me for a long, long time."

"That's what I'm hoping for." Percy was still holding her hand, but he slowly got down on one knee, and suddenly Annabeth couldn't breathe. His other hand emerged from his pocket and she saw what he'd been fidgeting with. It wasn't Riptide. It was a small, black velvet box. He let go of her hand so he could open it, revealing a ring nestled against a pale blue interior. "I love you, Annabeth. You mean absolutely everything to me, and I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

Annabeth felt the tears well up in her eyes. Her hands had risen to cover her mouth, but behind them, she was smiling. For a moment, she just drank in the way he was looking at her, wanting to imprint this moment on her brain forever. And then she slowly lowered her hands, already nodding, and said, "Yes."

The smile that lit up his face was so bright with joy it nearly made her dizzy. Then, in perfectly Percy fashion, he said, "Really?"

Annabeth laughed, even as she felt the tears spill down her cheeks. "Yes, really." She took his face in her hands, leaning down to kiss him. "I will absolutely marry you, Percy."

"Awesome." He was grinning like a deliriously happy idiot, and hadn't even made a move to get up.

So Annabeth laughed again, and kissed him again, then said, "So are you going to put that ring on my finger or what, Seaweed Brain?"

"Oh. Oh yeah." Percy removed the ring from the box. Very carefully and gently, he slid the ring onto her left ring finger. What she saw in his eyes when he looked up at her, once the ring was securely in place, made everything inside her melt. Slowly, he stood up, cupping her cheek with his left hand, while his right was still holding her left, now with its new adornment. "You said yes." His voice was a little bit marveling, like he couldn't quite believe it.

"I said yes." She couldn't seem to stop smiling. "Because you just asked me to marry you."

"Yeah, I did." His eyes were locked on hers. "And you said yes." And then he kissed her and the entire world disappeared. A drakon could have come rampaging down 59th Street and Annabeth wouldn't have noticed or cared. In this moment, they might as well have been the only people in the world.

When they finally resurfaced, and her head stopped spinning, she lightly smacked his chest. "At least this explains why you were being weird at dinner."

Percy grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I was trying not to totally freak out. I was pretty much sick to my stomach."

"And yet somehow you still managed to eat four pieces of pizza." Annabeth kissed him again, because he was her fiancé now, so she could kiss him as much as she wanted. "And why would you be nervous? You knew I'd say yes!"

Percy shrugged. "I figured I had a good shot, but it's still terrifying. I asked Paul this morning and he said he felt the same way when he asked my mom."

"Wait, Paul knew you were going to ask me?" Annabeth suddenly recalled Sally's somewhat tearful look and the way Estelle had been bouncing up and down on her toes when they'd left the apartment to go to dinner. At the time, she'd figured it was just because of Percy's birthday. But now… "Your mom and Estelle did, too, didn't they?"

Percy's grin turned, if possible, more sheepish. "Yeah, they did. And, um, Piper and Hazel. They gave me some advice on the ring."

Annabeth recalled the conversation she'd had with Piper just that morning. Her friend had given absolutely no hint that she knew what was coming. "How long have they known?"

Percy considered this, head tilted to the side, arms still around her. "Maybe a month?"

Annabeth slowly shook her head. "Wow. I can't believe they kept that secret so long. I'm impressed. With you, too, by the way," she added, kissing him lightly again. "That was some serious secret keeping."

"It wasn't easy," he admitted. "But I figured it would be worth it."

Her answer was to kiss him thoroughly again.

Eventually, she said, "So I guess they'll all be waiting for us to get back."

"Yeah, I guess." Percy frowned. "Wait, what?" When she half shrugged and gave him a look, he groaned. "There's a surprise party waiting for me at Mom's, isn't there?"

"Maybe." She kissed him again. "It's your twenty-first birthday, babe. There was a zero percent chance your mom, Estelle, and I were going to let it pass without a party."

"Fine," Percy grumbled, but he couldn't hide his grin. "I guess we'd better go show off your ring, anyway, right?"

"Oh we are definitely showing off my ring." Annabeth held her hand out, still not quite believing the ring on her finger was for real. But it was. "I love it. Not quite as much as I love you, of course. But it's beautiful, Percy, seriously."

"Good. I'm glad you like it. You're going to have to wear it for a while." He took her hand and gave her a spin, making her laugh again before he caught her and kissed her once more. "Because you said yes."

"I did."

And they headed up the street hand in hand to hail a taxi to take them back to the Upper East Side, where their friends and family waited to hear the good news.

PART III—A couple years later

Annabeth yawned, then checked the time. Nearly five. Percy would be home in about half an hour. She glanced down at her textbook, then back at her laptop. She still had a few things to complete on this assignment, but it could wait. Her brain was about checked out for the day. Yawning again, she saved her work, shut down her laptop, and closed her book. Getting up from the chair, she stretched, wincing as her back cracked. Her graduate school classes were going well, but today, she was ready for a break. Besides, it was Friday night and this assignment wasn't due until Wednesday. She could work on it this weekend. Or not. Either way, she'd get it done before it was due, no problem. For now, she was ready to switch her thoughts to the weekend ahead. A small smile crossed her face. It disappeared, though, when she ran her fingers through her greasy hair. She frowned, counting back, and realized it had been Wednesday when she'd last showered. Not the longest she'd gone, but still. That probably wasn't fair to her husband. Especially not if they were going out to dinner tonight. Checking the time again, Annabeth hurried to jump in the shower.

She was just finishing getting dressed and brushing her damp hair when she heard the front door open and Percy called, "I'm home!"

It probably wasn't necessary, but they usually called out to each other when one of them came home, just as a way to be sure that the apartment was safe. They hadn't run into too many monsters since they'd moved back to New York after graduating from the university in New Rome, but still, it was a decent precaution that made them both feel better. So she called back, "Bedroom!"

"That's perfect," Percy said as he walked through the door and immediately wrapped his arms around her from behind, burying his face in her neck. "I like the bedroom."

Annabeth laughed, even as shivers ran down her arms. "I do, too, but it'll have to wait. We have dinner reservations in half an hour."

Percy groaned. "Dinner is overrated." He trailed his lips along her collarbone and Annabeth was tempted to agree. But it had been an effort to get this reservation. And she was actually hungry.

"You might change your mind when you hear where we're eating." It was his favorite burger place. He paused when she said the name, and she could practically feel him thinking, but then he started kissing her neck again. Annabeth wiggled free, laughing slightly. "Later. It took me ten phone calls to get this reservation."

"Ten?" Percy raised his eyebrows. "That's persistent."

Annabeth shrugged, turning back to the dresser so she could grab her engagement ring and wedding band and slide them back on. "It's been a while since we've gone out. I thought it'd be nice."

She could see him in the mirror, studying her, thinking. But then he hugged her from behind again and kissed her cheek. "Well thanks."

"You're welcome." She turned in his arms so she could give him a real kiss. "And later, when we get home, I'm all yours."

"Sweet." He kissed her again. "So, if we're going somewhere semi-fancy, I should probably change clothes, right?"

Annabeth surveyed him critically. "Yeah. And brush your hair while you're at it. It's a mess."

Dinner was delicious. And it was nice to sit at a table in a restaurant and eat while they caught each other up on their week. With Annabeth's grad classes and Percy's work schedule, most nights their dinners consisted of grabbing something quick and easy and eating alone, or both of them, ridiculously tired, sitting on the couch watching TV and eating cheap takeout. It felt good to be at a nice restaurant, like adults on a date. Which they kind of were.

After dinner, Annabeth suggested a walk through Central Park. Percy looked skeptical, which was fair—it was an early February night and it had snowed just a few days ago. But tonight it was clear, and even through the glow of Manhattan, she could make out a handful of stars. And it was definitely a little cold out, but it wasn't windy, so it was bearable. Percy grumbled a little bit, but when Annabeth insisted, he agreed to a short walk.

Old snow crunched under their feet as they walked along the path, not saying much. Annabeth was holding onto Percy's arm, for warmth and for balance on the occasionally slick sidewalk. Every now and then, she'd lean her head on his shoulder just to see the way he smiled down at her. She smiled back, even as the winter air chilled her cheeks. Maybe it wasn't the ideal night for a walk, but it was pretty out. And peaceful and quiet. More importantly, Annabeth had a plan to end up in a very specific place.

They didn't walk too long. After about ten minutes, they reached the spot she'd been aiming for: the corner of 59th Street, right across from the Plaza Hotel. Percy looked up at the brightly lit hotel fondly. "I have a good memory of standing here."

"Me too." Annabeth bit her lip, butterflies starting to flutter around her stomach. "I think you asked me a pretty important question."

"That sounds right." Percy turned to smile at her, and the butterflies started to dance. "And I think you said yes."

"I did." Annabeth smiled back at him. "I guess that's where this all started."

"Guess so. Either here or camp. Or maybe a zoo truck somewhere in Colorado."

Annabeth laughed. "One of those."

Percy kissed her lightly. His lips were cool from the winter air. "Alright, baby, you ready to head home? Because I'm freaking freezing right now."

"Almost." She took a deep breath, then took his gloved hand with her own and turned to face him. "But first, I wanted to tell you something."

"Ah." He glanced at the building then back at her with just a hint of a smirk. "Almost like you had a plan or something."

"Maybe," she relented. She took another deep breath, then met his eyes. "I never thought of the future. I mean, I did, kind of, but it never went past being an architect. Because honestly, I wasn't sure I'd live to fourteen or sixteen or twenty. I definitely didn't really believe I'd live long enough to get married. And I wasn't sure I'd even find someone I wanted to marry. And then you came along."

"And wrecked all your plans?"

"And gave me a future," Annabeth corrected. "You saw it first. The first time you mentioned it, on the Argo II, that night in the stables, honestly? It scared me. But in kind of a good way because it suddenly opened up these ideas that I hadn't ever thought were even possible. But they were. And we made this future happen. Together."

Percy was looking at her seriously. "Yeah, we did."

Annabeth took another deep. "I really love you. You're my favorite person. And I know you're freezing right now, and I am, too. But I really wanted to come here because it has some meaning for us and because this is where you asked me to marry you, and this seemed like the best place to tell you that I'm pregnant."

She watched his face as he processed her words. It took a moment as he caught up with what she'd been saying very fast. Then a moment of shock and surprise. And then his entire face lit up. "Seriously?"

She nodded, still watching his face because it was exactly what she'd been hoping for.

"Oh my gods." He stood still for a moment, as if shocked, then he laughed and suddenly he was hugging her. "We're having a baby!"

She pressed herself closer, soaking in his joy. "We're having a baby." Then she shrieked as he suddenly spun them around.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." His smile was the best thing she'd ever seen as he gently took her face in his gloved hands, warm on her cold cheeks, and said, "I love you so much." He kissed her fiercely and she melted into him, feeling a kind of happiness she couldn't put into words.

When she eventually pulled away, she said, "Come on. Let's go back to our warm apartment."

"Nah." Percy had a mischievous glint in his eyes that immediately made her wary. He took her hand and started tugging her across the street. "I have a better idea."

"What?" She let him lead her, until she caught his meaning as they reached the sidewalk right in front of the Plaza's doors. "Oh my gods, Percy. No, we can't afford this!"

"We can afford one night to celebrate. This is a big deal, Annabeth. We're having a baby!" He kissed her again, which did make his argument a little more persuasive.

"They're probably completely booked up," Annabeth said as she reluctantly allowed him to pull her into the lobby.

"You never know. We might get lucky." He actually winked at her as they crossed the lobby, and Annabeth had to smile even as she rolled her eyes.

To her complete disbelief, there was in fact a room available. When she saw the price on the paper Percy was happily signing as Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, she nearly had a heart attack. But he reassured her again, insisting they could splurge. "We've got plenty of time to save up for a crib and diapers and stuff." He grinned and kissed her again on the way to the elevators.

When she saw the seriously stunning room with its breathtaking view over the glittering nighttime sprawl of Manhattan, she had to admit that this was a good idea. "Okay, you win. This is incredible."

"Thank you," Percy said, putting his arms around her as she stood at the window. "Anything for you, my love."

She leaned back into him, putting her hands on top of his, which were resting on her stomach. "I love you."

"Love you too." He kissed her neck, then her cheek. When she turned in his arms to face him, he pulled her closer. She ran her fingertips over his cheeks and jaw and trailed them down his chest. He kissed her. It started gentle and sweet, but slowly grew in intensity. And the rest of the night was just for them.

When they went to check out the next morning, the front desk clerk stated that their room had already been paid for, to their complete shock.

"Um, what?" Percy said.

"By who?" Annabeth asked.

"It looks like there's a note." The clerk slid it across the counter. It was an envelope of pale blue paper. On the front it said, For Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. Percy's eyes widened when he saw the paper. He took it and opened the note. When he read it, he smiled and shook his head, then handed it to Annabeth. She looked at him questioningly, then took the paper.

The note said: Congratulations, son. The room is on me.

"Wow," Annabeth said. "But how could he possibly—"

"I don't even want to know." Percy slipped the envelope in his coat pocket, then took her hand. "But, hey, free room. Thanks, Dad. Ready to go home, beautiful?"

"Yes, please." She squeezed his hand.

Outside, the morning was crisp and clear and cold. Annabeth drew in a deep breath of the sharp air. As they headed up the street hand in hand to hail a taxi to take them home, Annabeth glanced back at the Plaza. They'd come a long way from that balcony. But the important things were still the same. And the future was better than she could have imagined.