Percy groaned. He brought a limp hand up to his head and rubbed his forehead, he felt like someone had just drilled a hole in his head after running him over a couple of times. He had not felt like this since the first time he had ran away to find Zeus' bolt. The ungrateful twit had made Apollo give him a week of fever and chicken pox. It had been the worse week of his life.

He could hear voices in the room, but his eyes felt so heavy.

"He's getting better."

"Yeah, but Annabeth is getting suspicious. I think she told the girls something because Piper and Thalia came to see me yesterday asking how Percy was."

"Maybe they were worried?"

"To the point they wanted me to hand over his medical records?!"

"Would you two keep it down? My head is pounding," Percy mumbled, finally opening his eyes. Will and Grover were standing over him, smiling down widely.

"Welcome back, your highness," Will helped Percy sit up on the bed, propping pillows behind him so he could be comfortable.

"Wait, how did you find out?!" Percy panicked. Had he blurted something out in his delirious state? Oh gods, he was so dead.

"Well…yes and no." Will chuckled nervously. "You talked a lot, I don't know how much you remember. You were also very much drugged on the medicines I was giving you to make you feel better so most was just nonsense. I found out when I started giving you body checks."

Percy looked at the boy confused. "Giving me what?"

"Body checks. A perk of being a kid of Apollo. Think of it like a magical physical. With that I am able to decipher what is or was wrong with your body. I don't know about you, but I only know a couple of kids that took a dip in the Styx, PJ." Will smiled warmly at him.

"Please don't call me that," Percy sighed. "Alright, who else knows?"

"Just Will and I. It took him a while to figure it out. He kept mentioning how similar your body scars were to someone else, he just couldn't remember who." Grover sat at the end of the bed and began to pick on the quilt stitches.

"It wasn't until I found marks of the Styx in you that it sort of clicked. I ran to Chiron and Mr. D and they sat me down and told me what was going on. I was also sworn to secrecy." Will crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "You really need to tell Annabeth though. You know she became super quiet after you left?" Percy closed his eyes and groaned.

"I know, Aphrodite helped me keep an eye on her. Look, I would love to tell her, but I seriously cannot. This is a test from Zeus, if I let my emotions get the better of me, if I tell all of you, if I even try to hint at it, or run away I will never be able to see you all again." Will and Grover nodded in understanding.

"Just…don't make Annabeth like Percy, okay? When you leave it will only make her go back to her quiet and alone state." Will winced at the memories.

"I will try."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Annabeth had been confused for the past three days. Percy had been back to training lessons for a day already, but she had skipped the class. She knows it was the cowardly way to go about this, but she had no idea what to do with the information Percy had provided with her. Part of her wanted to believe it was just sick Percy spouting nonsense, but she had called her Annie so she had no idea what to take from that. She had talked to Piper and Thalia about it and the girls decided to see what in Hades was Will giving the son of Ares that was making him act weird. Sadly, Will did not hand over the files. Gosh, she would not be having this problem if a certain idiot had stayed. Everyone would know she was taken if he had just kept in touch.

Deciding not to dwell in the past, she decided to go talk to Poseidon. If the son was not here to hear her ranting, the father was next best.

She got to the beach and laid a towel on the sand. The sun was setting making the coast line a pretty orange, pink, and purple.

"Hello, sir. How have you been?" The waves came up just enough to wet her toes before returning to the sea. "I know last time I said I wouldn't do this, but it's really peaceful to come talk to you." Not that the god of the sea ever answered back. The presence of the water was enough though. "Percy told me he liked me. I don't even know if he was really talking to me or not, but it happened." She began to play with the sand around her. "How's PJ? Haven't heard from him in ages." She pouted a bit. "If you see him, tell him we miss him. He should come visit and…" she could feel like she wanted to cry. "Anyway, I hope he is doing well."

"Who are you talking to?" Percy plopped down next to her on the sand making her jump in the process.

"Hey, Percy. How are you feeling?" Annabeth smiled at him and made room for him to sit on the towel.

"Better, just sore from the practice." Annabeth chuckled. Percy sore...that was a first. She should just forget PJ, Percy seemed nice enough. He made her laugh and got along with her friends. She should really move on.

"You poor thing," She shoved him with her arm playfully.

"Why were you not at practice today?" Percy chuckled and looked out into the sea.

"I was feeling a bit down, decided to come out here and relax."

"You like the sea?" Percy smirked at her, like he had an inside joke that she was supposed to know, but she could not remember.

"It's peaceful," she shrugged.

"The sea is anything but peaceful. Okay, maybe it has its relaxed periods, but there's always going on in the sea." Percy sighed and leaned back, placing his arms behind him to support himself.

"I'm guessing you like the sea," Annabeth crossed her legs and arms, the sea breeze making her a little cold.

"It's the best thing in the world," Percy smiled. "Do you know how to surf?" Annabeth shook her head which made Percy smiled widely. "Alright, I'm teaching you how to surf, it's a must." Annabeth sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes.

"If you must, I guess."

They continued to have comfortable conversation about random things. Annabeth found she really enjoyed the boy's company. She found she could talk very easily with him, telling him about her life and things she normally didn't share with just anyone. He was a good listener and let her rant about architecture, books, places, and people. She could see if she really tried she could forget PJ easily with him. She admired how Percy taught the sword fighting classes. He had patience, even for Octavian, and made learning techniques fun and easy. Not that the class was a breeze, most of the time she finished exhausted and worse for wear. She enjoyed them none the less. Everyone liked him, even Clarisse and getting Clarisse to like someone was a miracle. There was only one person she remembers that could tease the daughter of Ares and get away with it.

"I am really going to miss this place," Percy sighed once the sun had gone down completely and the stars shone bright in the sky. Annabeth felt the air leave her lungs and her heart skip a beat. Right, he was leaving. Percy must have noticed her pained expression because he draped and arm around her. "What's wrong?"

"Why does everyone leave?" She blurted out without thinking.

"Sorry?" Percy looked at her confused.

"PJ left and no one has any idea where he is. I finally start getting over it and start thinking maybe I should move on, but the person I had in mind is leaving too." Annabeth sighed. "I'm meant to just loose people I care about am I not?" Percy pursed his lips. "Let's see…Luke, Selena, Beckendorf, Thalia for a bit when she joined the Hunters, PJ, now you are leaving also. Maybe I should just joined the Hunters and call it a day." Percy almost choked on air.

"You want to join the Hunters?" The boy looked at her, an expression of fear on his face.

"I don't know. Maybe? Thalia seemed like she had fun while she was there." Annabeth sighed. Percy rubbed her back slowly.

"I think…maybe you should wait and see what happens this. The year is not over yet. You never know." Gosh, he was a jerk, why did he say that? Maybe he should just tell her who he was, screw the consequences. "Annabeth I-"

"Would you come visit?" She cut him off. "After you leave, please keep in touch, okay?" She looked at him hopefully.

"I promise," He sighed and nodded. She smiled at him and pecked him on the cheek.

"We should go to bed." She stood up and dusted sand from her legs. "It's getting late and I don't feel like explaining why we are breaking curfew."

"Your siblings are still going to ask," Percy chuckled. Annabeth groaned, but smiled at the boy.

"See you tomorrow, Percy." She took off towards her cabin, waving good bye to him. Percy waved back and stayed and punched himself mentally. How was he going to keep that promise now?