A Happier Ending

Cheers of victory erupted on the battlefield. Campers embraced and cried in relief and laid down their weapons. The wounded were carried away and cared for, and in the midst of the celebrating and mayhem, Annabeth met Percy's eyes across the rocky ground. Time seemed to slow and suddenly, it was only the two of them in silence.

  "We did it," Percy breathed, holding Annabeth's hand gently, as if she might shatter.

  She wrapped her arms around him with the same gentle apprehension; neither of them could really believe it was over. "We did it," she repeated.

  Too soon, they were plunged back into the real world; there were still things to be done. Annabeth tore away from Percy for a brief moment, and turned to Rachel Dare, who was standing nearby. Her frizzy red hair was flying, her coat was burned in a million places, and her face was flushed, but she was smiling.

  "Rachel."

  "Annabeth."

  "Now would be a really bad time to give us another prophecy."

  Both girls managed a sincere— if slightly tense— laugh. "All right," Rachel said. "I won't give you all a prophecy… if you promise to marry that dork back there."

  Annabeth turned to see that Rachel was pointing clearly to Percy, who was growing ever more red. He was shaking his head vehemently at Rachel, as if to say, "Don't tell her!". She turned back to Rachel and stuck out her hand. "Deal."

  They shook on it, and as Rachel was walking away with a knowing smile, Annabeth turned toward her blushing boyfriend. The redness was only making his scratches and burns stand out more, but it looked as if he was more afraid of Annabeth than he was of dying.  

  "You were planning on proposing?"

  Percy ran a hand through his hair nervously, then sheathed his sword, desperate to do something with his hands. He made a point of looking anywhere but at his girlfriend. It made Annabeth smile to know that even after all the years they'd spent together, she still had this effect on him. "Yeah, well…" he stammered. "I was… uh…" Finally, he threw up his hands. "I figured, why wait? You know? We might be dead tomorrow and I just—"

  "I see. So were you going to get down on one knee, or what?"

  Percy smiled and did as she asked, pulling out a ring from his pocket. How he'd managed to keep it safe through the battle, Annabeth had no idea. She held out her hand and Percy slipped the ring onto it with a small sigh of defeat. "You are so not making this easy for me."

  Annabeth fought back tears as she remembered the first time he'd said that, how much easier things had been then. And how much more she loved him now. She threw herself into his arms— which wasn't easy in full armor— and leaned in to kiss him. "I am never ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."