"You happy?" Percy's chest moved as he breathed, moving my head up and down. We had woken up the next morning and decided to stay in bed for a little bit more, skipping breakfast. He was playing with my hair and I was resting my head on his chest.

I smiled and closed my eyes. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I did eliminate your only friends in this Selection..."

I turned my head so I could look at him. "What makes you think I'm not friends with Rachel? Or Calypso?"

He chuckled. "Well, the heated discussion you and Rachel had before the Report says otherwise."

I frowned and rested my head back on his chest again. "Fine. Rachel and I aren't that close, but I want to be. She's just so-"

"Jealously doesn't look good on you Annabeth." Percy warned, smirking.

I flipped the blanket off us and rose so I was sitting. "Everything looks good on me."

Percy rolled his eyes and got out of bed, helping me make it. "So, any plans today?"

"No, why?"

"I thought that we could go on a date." We met at the end of the bed and he grabbed both of my hands. "It is currently the perfect time for brunch. How bout it?"

I kissed his lips, smiling. "That sounds fantastic. Pick me up in half and hour?"

"See you then?"

I snuck out of his room through the secret tunnels and gave Alicia the fright of her life when I pushed away the dresses in my way to my wardrobe.

"Oh my gods!" She placed a hand on her forehead. "Don't ever do that again!"

"Sorry." I smiled sheepishly. "Won't happen again."

"It better not!" She pointed her finger at me and then stalked out the room with a dress hanging from her arm.

I laughed and followed her out into the bedroom.

"Its going to take longer to get you ready now with Hazel gone." Justine ushered me into the bathroom.

"Uh, about that." They both looked at me unhappily. "Percy's going to pick me up in half and hour for a brunch date."

Alicia groaned. "Seriously? Your hair's just going to have to stay out then."

I shrugged and sat down in front of the mirror as the girls worked out my face.

They worked pretty quickly for people who was missing a member of their team.

"Today the day?" Alicia asked as I put on my shoes.

Even though I knew exactly what she was referring too, I still asked. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed me lightly on the shoulder. "The day he'll propose. What do you think?"

I shook my head and looked out the window. "Not today. I think he's going to ask one of us closer to his birthday."

"He's going to ask you closer to his birthday." She hugged me, her arms wrapped around my waist. Her breath fanned my arms as she sighed. "Just don't forget me when you become queen."

I rolled my eyes. "I won't forget you if I become queen."

She pulled back and ruffled my hair in an affectionate way. "Good."

Justine opened the door for me when there was a knock at the door.

"Good morning, Justine." Percy greeted her.

She bowed her head politely. "Good morning, Your Highness. How are you?"

"I'm doing splendid." He stuck his head into the room. "Is my girl ready to go?"

"She most certainly is. I'll see you girls before dinner. I think I might go to the Woman's room for the afternoon."

"Have fun!" Justine opened the door wider for me to exit.

"But not to much fun!" Alicia called after us. "We don't want royal babies just yet!"

"Royal babies?" Percy asked, looking amused as he swung our hands in between us as we walked towards the front doors.

I nodded my head. "They're very excited for our babies."

"Good gods," Percy looked up at the ceiling. "Can you imagine a little baby boy with my hair and your eyes?"

I could picture it crystal clear. A little baby boy waddling towards me, his jet black hair sitting messily on top of his head, his grey eyes bright as he took his first steps. Percy standing behind him, crouching and watching with a look of absolute pride as his son fell into his mother's, my, embrace. I nearly melted into a puddle of goo right then and there.

"And a baby girl with your eyes and my hair." I squeezed his hand tighter as I watched his eyes go distant, as if he was imagining the exact same thing I was just imagining. I was glad to see that he had a look of absolute happiness at the picture of having a child with me.

"Imagine my mother," He shook his head. "She would go nuts."

"She'd be the best grandmother though. She'd bake the kids blue chocolate chip cookies."

Percy smile wistfully. "Tyson would read to them and build them little toys."

"We wouldn't want Zoe around too much, though. She'd make them extra sassy."

"Extra?" He raised his eyebrows at me as we walked down the steps of the palace. We turned the corner towards the pool where a table was set up, steaming pieces of fresh bread topped with avocado, egg and spinach already ready to eat.

"Well, you would make them sassy in the first place." I pulled out a chair for him to sit on.

He smirked as he sat down. "You're right. I would."

"You'd also fill their brains with seaweed-"

"Hey!"

"-but I would fill them with wisdom."

He threw back his head and laughed. I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as his laugh escaped his throat. His plush pink lips parted and his eyes closed, jet black hair moving off his forehead to only come back down messier than before once he was finished laughing.

"We would truly like up to our nicknames then, wouldn't we?"

"There is a reason why you're the seaweed brain." I shrugged.

"And a reason why I call you Wise Girl. And by the way, that speech yesterday. So good."

"Yeah?" I asked insecure. I placed a napkin on my lap and picked up a knife to cut the piece of bread in half.

"Of course!" He exclaimed, doing the same as me. "You were fantastic. And it totally makes sense. We could do it, you know."

"I know. I have the full plan in a draw in my desk." He raised his eyebrows at me impressed. I shrugged in response. "I wanted to get the whole job done now. I worked out the budget and building plans. I even drew some of them up. The schools can be built with old materials, so we'd be recycling, and it would be cheaper."

"Can you show this plan to me?" He chewed on his piece of smashed avocado. "I could show it to the council. Get it approved for you."

"The plan is- it's meant to demolish the caste system over time." I rushed out. "Would they really like that?"

He leant his elbows on the table and leaned in closer to me. "They're going to have to get used to change, because when I'm king, there are going to be some changes."

I bit my lip and leaned in closer. "Like what?"

He was so close to me, that I could see every single line, freckle and scar on his face. I could count how many long, thick black eyelashes he had on each eye, top and bottom. I watched as his nostrils moved as he breathed out. "I'm changing the national colour to blue."

A laughed escaped my lips and I leaned back, wiping a hand over my face. "That is a very wise decision."

He took his napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth, nodding with a serious look on his face. "I thought so too. I mean, purple? Really? I've been wanting to change the colour since I was six. Then we can make the national dish mums blue cookies."

I watched for any sign of amusement of laughter on his face, but it was dead serious. "What? You're joking... right?"

His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion for a moment and then he couldn't hold his smile any longer. "Of course I am, Wise Girl. We're going to change the flag too. A blue cookie right in the centre with a faded baby blue colour background. I've already drawn up the design."

I stared at him in shock. "Wh-how-what?" I spluttered.

He laughed. "I'm not going to do any of that. Gods, did you think I would?"

I shook my head. "You could literally do anything you wanted and no one would be able to stop you."

"The council could." He shrugged.

"Really?" I leaned in a little closer to him. "You could also have them all poisoned  by accident and then re-elected a council that would agree to your every single word." I raised my eyebrows at him. "Just saying."

He was leaning as far away as he could from me. "You scare me sometimes."

I smirked. "It's a gift."

"Speaking of gifts," He watched me take a bite of my breakfast. "I heard Hazel left you one."

I slowed down my chewing so I would have time to think over my answer. That's what I told myself anyway. I think it was more the fact that I didn't want to talk about it. "How'd you find out?"

He scrunched up his nose. "When three other royals leave your palace with one of your maids you tend to notice."

I shrugged. "She left me a note. Just a note."

"Saying...?" He promoted.

"That Franks grandmother was on her last breaths and that the New Asians decided to leave. Frank asked her if she wanted to come and she said yes."

He looked down at the table. "Poor Grandmother Zhang. I hope she goes peacefully."

I nodded and watched as a bird soared over our heads, cuttings it's way though the fluffy white clouds dotting the clear blue sky. "Me too."

"How do you feel?"

"Happy for her, I guess." I looked over and watched the reflection of the water of the pool on the tiles. "I'm glad that's she's with Frank now, but I wanted her here in case..."

"In case..." He smirked at me with his stupid smirk.

"In case you proposed, okay?" I spat. "She's more excited for it than I am."

He opened his mouth a little in shock. "I'm hurt by that. I really am."

I rolled my eyes and took another bite of breakfast as I thought of another person whose hurting.

"Your mums worried."

He closed his eyes. "I know."

"She says she can hear us through the walls. When we're sleeping in your room."

He opened them and I was met with sea-green. "I-I know."

"She told me she can hear us crying. And screaming when we wake up from a nightmare." I watched as his face paled. "She's really worried. About both of us."

"I've tried to be quiet." He muttered.

"She wants to help. She wants to be there for us." I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the wetness that was pooling.

"Change of topic, please. I don't want to talk about mum."

I nodded, filing his reaction in the files in the back of my mind. I'd bring it up later.

"Thalia and Jason." I said. "How's that all going to play out?"

"I think a couple of days after my birthday we'll announce it. By then I'll have a fiancée and everyone will be jolly about that. Then we'll spring two new royals on them."

"And their coronation?" I asked. "Same day as yours or...?"

"Gods no!" He shook his head. "That's my special day, Annabeth. And the new queens to. No one will take that away from us." He was smiling, which made me think that 'us' was me and him. "They'll be coronated before, most likely. Mum and Paul want the wedding and coronation to be the same day, so that will be at least twelve months away."

I let out a big breath. "Wow. That'd be an exhausting day."

"Just wait and see."

Percy walked me back to my room so he could take my plans back to his room so he could look over them.

"You won't find a single mistake in that," I paced the file over to him. "I triple checked it."

"Good. This could really work."

I wiped a bit of fluff off his shoulder. "I want it to work."

He kissed me slowly as a goodbye and it would have kept on going forever if we hadn't been interrupted.

"Hello."

We turned to see Jason standing there, hands clasped behind his back and his helmet on his head.

"Hello, Officer Grace." Percy's hand was still on my waist, sending a tingling sensation through my body. "What's up?"

"Wanted to wish Annabeth over there congrats on making it to the top three."

I blushed and smiled at Jason. "Thanks, Sparky."

"Did you really have to interrupt us for that?" Percy whined. "Really?"

"You can finish it tonight, bro." Jason rolled his eyes.

Percy grumbled something incoherently and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. "See you later, Wise Girl." He waved goodbye to his cousin and walked away.

"Where you headed?" Jason asked as I walked towards him.

"Towards the Woman's room. Walk with me?"

He nodded and fell into step with me.

"How are you, Your Highness?" I asked, using his actual title for him.

He chuckled. "I'm doing great. How are you, Your Majesty?"

"Majesty?" I asked.

He shrugged and looked off into the distance. "Only a matter of time."

"Everyone's so confident we'll get married." I mumbled, placing my hand on the door handle of the Woman's room. "You're all forgetting that there a two other beautiful girls willing to marry him."

Jason placed a hand on my shoulder gaining my attention. I looked into his shocking electric blue eyes and thought of how much they look like his sisters. "You may not be able to see it, because you're apart of it, but you and Percy are a force. You're unstoppable and unbreakable. You're soulmates and have been best friends for your whole entire lives. If you two don't get married, then I've lost my faith in love all together."

"Really?" My hand crept up to the brad necklace sitting around my neck.

"Really." He nodded and gave me a final look that seemed to say 'just wait and see. You'll have a ring on your finger by the end of the month.' Gods, I hoped so.

I opened the door to the Woman's room and was disappointed to find both Rachel and Calypso milling around.

They both glanced my way and then went back to what they were doing. Calypso had a piece of fabric draped around her, the sewing machine she was using making a thumping noise as she sowed something. Rachel was sitting by the window, a large sketchbook in front of her. She kept glancing up outside and then drew something in shades of green, blue and brown. She must have been drawing the view of the forest. I decided to look at the many books along the bookshelves. I chose Words In Deep Blue, By Cath Crowley*. I sat down on the opposite side of the room, wanting to be far away from them. I opened the book, letting the words flow over me as I escaped from reality.

After about a chapter or two, the sound of Calypso's sewing machine was hurting my ears. It wasn't loud but so annoying. The constant quick sound of thud, tink, thud, tink was making it hard to concentrate on the beautiful words before me.

I glared at her from my side of the room as the sound continued, only stopping every now and then as she adjusted the fabric.

"What?" Calypso looked up from her work and caught my eye. She stopped sewing and straightened up.

I put the bookmark in place. "What exactly are you making?"

"A dress." She shrugged. "Am I not allowed to do that?"

I shook my head. "You can make a dress, I don't really mind. But the noise is getting a little annoying."

"I find it soothing." Rachel perked up, putting down her pencils.

I raised my hands in defeat. "That's fine. I'll go somewhere else."

I got up, taking my book with me, and I felt their stares on my back. Just as I was about to reach out my hand to the door handle Calypso spoke up. "Where were you this morning?"

I turned around confused. "Uh, Percy and I decided to skip breakfast."

"Oh?" Rachel squinted at me. "You and Percy?"

I nodded my head, walking back towards them slowly. "Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No," Calypso stood up as well. We were all facing each other in a circle. I had the feeling in my stomach that it was about to get a little steamy in here. And not in a good way. "Just some questions. Like, what did Percy and you do this morning?"

I looked up at the ceiling. "Do you really need to know? We went on a brunch date, okay?"

Rachel's green eyes flashed. "And did Percy ask you this morning? Or last night?"

My forehead scrunched together in confusion. Is this really important? Do they really need to know? "This morning."

"And did you wake up in your bed?" Calypso pressed.

"What the hades?!" My hand flew up exasperated. I thought of the place I did wake up. Percy's bedroom. "What has this got anything to do with Percy and I going on a date?"

"Aha!" Rachel pointed at me. "You're sleeping with Percy!"

I took a step back and raised my hands in front of me. The book lay long forgotten on the ground next to me. "I'm sleeping in the same bed as him, yes. But not sleeping sleeping with him."

Calypso crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, yeah? And how are we meant to know that?"

"So what if I'm actually sleeping with him?" I asked, my temper rising dramatically. "Is not illegal, it's not against the rules."

"But he's also seeing two other people!" Calypso tone suggested that her temper was rising too. "You'd think you'd have some decency to not do it!"

"But I haven't! I'm just lying next to him as I sleep. Nothing has happened! And why should I care about you? You haven't tried to be that nice to me."

Rachel scoffed. "Well you're not very approachable."

"And what does that mean?"

"That you're constantly glaring at us from across the room!" Calypso's face was turning red.

"Me?" I asked shocked. "I'm the one that glares? Rachel, you throw glares to me all the time."

"I can't help that."

"Ah, yes you can. You come overcome that jealousy." I rolled my eyes.

"You act so superior!" Calypso snapped out of no where. Granted, she was angry but she nearly screamed as she talked. "Just because you're a two and you've lived in this palace you're whole life doesn't mean that you know everything!"

"Wha-" I tried to cut in but then Rachel started.

"Did you know that I went without three meals a day once or twice a week?" She came so close to me that I had no choice but to back away. "My parents practically abandoned me when I was a child because they had trouble feeding me! Do you know how that feels?"

"Yes!" I snapped. "My mother died before I was one and my father is a jerk. He's never been apart of my life! So don't talk to me about missing parents!" Talking about my parents only made me angrier.

"But at least you have Sally and Paul! And Tyson and Zoe!" Calypso curled her fists. "And Percy!"

The way she said "And Percy!" made it sound like I've only just met him and only just let him into my life. She sounded jealous that we were so close. "I've always had Percy!"

"He talks about you a lot, you know that?" Rachel asked. "I've heard stories from when you were kids."

"And when has he told you these stories?" My whole body felt like it was on fire. Anger and jealousy pounded in my bloodstream.

"When we've been on dates." She cocked an eyebrow.

My face must have been very red as she laughed. "We've kissed. Did you know that? We've kissed lots of times. Did you think he was saving those lips only for you? He's taken me out to dinner and we've danced in candle light. He's bought me gifts and bought some of my art work. Did you know that one time he-"

"I don't care!" I screamed. "At least he loves me!"

Calypso let out a war cry and came running towards me, pushing my shoulders back. Not expecting it, I tumbled down and the back of my head connected with the side of the table. My vision went white for a second, blinding me, but then went back to normal again. "Ow!"

Calypso was about to storm out of the room, but I stuck my leg out in front of her. She didn't see it and tripped, falling over and hitting the the floor face first.

I stood up and brushed off my dress. I turned around and glared at Calypso who was still on the floor. "Don't ever do that again or I swear-"

Rachel let out a scream of rage from behind me and I only had a second to turn around to see an object flying towards me in the air. Pain shot through my head from my eye where something had connected with it. My hand shot up and cradle the side of my face as I looked down at the floor with my other eye. Lying there was a blue plastic hairbrush.

"Holy Athena's olives," I muttered as I stared at Rachel. "You hit me in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush!"

Without thinking it through, I ran towards her and punched her square in the jaw. She stumbled back, her hands rubbing the sore area I just hit. I felt hands creep around my neck and elbowed Calypso in the ribs. She screeched in pain, distracted I didn't see Rachel's hands. They twisted around my forearm, giving me a very nasty Chinese burn.

"What the hades is going on?" I asked myself as I ducked from an attack from Calypso.

I screamed as my head was yanked back, Rachel pulling my hair down. Di immortales, that hurt.

I turned around punched Rachel in the nose just as the door burst open. I only saw a couple of glances at the two guards standing there shocked as us three girls attacked each other.

I gathered that it was Jason as he swore under Zeus' name and ran out the room, probably getting Percy.

Leo hooted and swung his arms up in the hair. "Yes, girls! Claw each other's eyes out with your sharp nails!"

Calypso was trying to do just that to me.

I turned around and raised my leg, kicking Rachel in the stomach. She let out an oof! and nearly fell down to the ground. Calypso pushed me hard in the back, making me stumble forward. I rounded to attack her back but I saw Percy run into the room.

My eyes widened and I lowered my hands as Percy surveyed the room. His face was alarmed and worried. Rachel stood up slowly and placed a hand on her bleeding nose, standing next to me. Calypso did the same, rubbing where her muscles hurt from where I landed a punch.

"What the hades happened?!" Percy demanded. His chest was moving very fast, as was mine.

"It was Annabeth fault!" Both Calypso and Rachel said at the same time as I said. "It wasn't me!"

Percy opened his mouth in either anger, shock or disappointment. He paused for a moment and rubbed his face with both hands. "Someone tell me what happened."

"Annabeth attacked me." Calypso stared at Percy with her big almond eyes.

Percy looked at me, his jaw set.

"What?!" My mouth hung open. "She the one that pushed me down to the ground first. I just tripped her and then psycho over here-" I gestured to Rachel. "-threw a hairbrush at me."

Percy turned to Calypso. "Did you push her over?" His voice was strained.

"Yes. Because she was being a-"

Percy held up a hand to silence her. He paused for a moment, looking at the three of us very disappointed. I could read his face and body posture. He was not happy. "You not what? I don't want to know and I don't actually care."

"No one hears about this." Percy demanded, pointing to the three of us and Leo and Jason. "Understand?"

Rachel crossed her arms and nodded. "If anyone asks any questions about Annabeth's high pitched banshee screaming, I'll act dumb."

"Will it be hard?" I retorted back.

Percy's eyes widened in shock at my tone. "Okay. That's it! You three are not to talk to each other again at all today. No dinner together tonight! Annabeth, you're coming with me."

"And why would I do that?" I raised my eyebrows at him. I was being unreasonable but Rachel and Calypso had really angered me.

"Because my mother would like to speak to you." He grabbed my elbow and dragged me towards the door.

When we got out of the Woman's room I pulled my hand out of his tight grasp.

"What the hell was that?" He asked as we walked towards Sally's office.

"Nothing." I replied not looking at him.

"I swear you can be so possessive sometimes." He grumbled under his breath and quickened his pace.

I gasped and quickened my pace as well. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You couldn't tone down your jealousy just a notch?" His shoulders became rigid as we walked up the stairs.

"Me?" I yelled. "She's the one that threw a blue plastic hair brush at my eye!" And it wasn't really about you! I added in my head. That was party true, but still. I wasn't acting out of jealousy.

He didn't have a response to that so he just tensed his jaw and threw open the door to his mothers office. To think we we're on a date this morning laughing and smiling and kissing together. "There you go, Mother! One Annabeth Chase!" His anything was anything but nice.

I rolled my eyes and bowed low in front of Percy mockingly. "Thank you, Your Highness."

He scoffed and slammed the door shut behind him, making me jump.

Sally rose from her desk and placed a hand on her heart. "Honey?"

I unfolded my arms and plunked myself down in a chair in front of her desk. "He's just being an idiot and taking it out on me."

She raised her eyebrows at me as she sat down again. "I heard that there was a fight between you and the other girls."

"She threw a hair brush at me!" I yelled defensive, my arms up in the air.

Sally took my hand and placed it on the desk. "But that's not an excuse to yell at me. Or him."

"He yelled at me too," I mumbled, looking anywhere but at Sally suddenly embarrassed by my behaviour.

"And he shouldn't have done that either."

I sighed and rubbed the tension out of my forehead. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Percy's birthday."

My mood was only slightly raised as I left Sally's office. We had planned what was happening for Percy's birthday and what presents he would be getting. Hopefully he would have fun.

I was still fuming when I went to the hospital wing to get my injuries checked out and still fuming as I re-told the days events to an eager Alicia and a concerned Justine back in my room. I was still fuming when I opened the door, hoping to find Percy on the other side. But I was disappointed to see Sarah.

She frowned at me. "Lady Annabeth. I heard about the days events. May I come in?"

I nearly groaned as I opened the door for her to walk in. Another lecture here I come.

She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed. I sat opposite her and gave up on etiquette, slumping back into my chair. I massaged the tender spot near my eye.

"Firstly, I want to ask you if you are okay." I nodded my head yes. "Secondly, I am very disappointed in you. And Rachel and Calypso. You three acted poorly and immaturely. I hope this doesn't get out to the public."

"Anything else?" I asked. There was no bitterness in my tone, which I found surprising. It seemed my anger had fizzled with the look Sarah had given me. Now I was just exhausted and wanted to go to bed. But first, I had to mend things with Percy. The girls could wait until tomorrow.

"Yes. I know that it's late, and that it's short notice, but we have another challenge of sorts for you tomorrow."

At this I sat up straighter. Another task? We've already hosted international guests and written a speech underlining an important issue. Can't Percy just pop the question and I'll learn everything else along the way?

"Tomorrow, you will hold a trial."

"A trial?" I asked. "As in for a criminal?"

Sarah nodded. "A criminal will be selected for you to judge and sentence. This will be done in the court house in the city, with press and the royal family there. The council will be there too."

"Will it be live on TV?" I bit my lip as I thought everything through. I would have to sentence a criminal, a human being, to time locked away from the outside. I didn't like that very much, but if I wanted to be Queen I would do it once or twice a month.

"And Rachel and Calypso will be doing it too?"

"Yes. They will have their own criminal. You will be going first, naturally, because you are from Angeles." She dropped a book in front of me on the coffee table. "You will need to read this by lunch time tomorrow. It has everything you need to know. If you have any question, feel free to find me."

I nodded, picking up the thick book. I could easily read this in that time. "Thank you."

She looked at me for a moment, and opened her mouth to say something. She closed it though, and then opened it again. "You're the right sort of person to be Queen. Smart, strong, resilient. You'd do a wonderful job."

I blushed and looked away. "Thank you." As she left, I thought of the only way I would be queen. To apologise to the soon-to-be-King.

He was in the shower when I opened the door. I took the trays of food and put them on his desk and looked around, wondering what I could do as I waited for him to get out so I could apologise. I sat on his bed for a bit and read the book Sarah gave me. I was getting more and more anxious so after a couple of pages I put it down. I resorted to pacing in front of his bed in my pyjamas.

I heard the bathroom door slide open and I spun around to see Percy standing there with only a towel wrapped around his hips, hanging dangerously. I blushed at the look of him but my face paled as I look at his face, which looked like he was not happy.

"Percy-"

He walked off into his wardrobe, not letting me finish. He came back out with a pile of clothes.

"I-" But I didn't get a chance to say anything more because he closed the bathroom door behind him.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. I ran up to the door and started to bang on it. "Come on Percy! Just let me explain, please. I want to apologise. I was stupid and-"

The door opened. He had a grey old t-shirt on and shorts with dolphins on them. I would have laughed but I didn't.

"And you were being an idiot and jealous." He finished for me and rubbed his hair with his towel. It stuck up in all different directions. I didn't see the anger fade from his eyes as he hung the towel back up.

"Yes!" I followed him to the edge of his bed. He sat down and I sat down next to him. I took his hand hesitatingly and looked him straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry about what I said, what I did, the way I acted. I was just so jealous and angry and I wasn't thinking straight. I'm-"

He placed a finger on my lips to silence me. He was smiling slightly. "You're still my favourite thing in the world. Besides from blue chocolate chip cookies."

My shoulders sagged in relief and I didn't waist a moment to in grabbing the fabric of his shirt and pulling him closer to me. Our lips crashed together and moulded to suit each other. My hands slide up his neck until they were splayed across his cheeks. His hands snaked their way around my neck and he tangle his fingers in my hair that I had just brushed. The kiss deepened when I leaned in, pushing him backwards. He fell onto the bed with a soft thud, but our lips didn't leave each other's once. The food lay forgotten on the desk and the book on the floor. My hands were shaking with adrenaline and my heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to explode. I love him so, so much.

"Actually," He moved away from my face just an inch so he could speak. "I think you are my favourite thing in the world."

Good, I thought, because you're my favourite thing in the world, too. Even more than books.

Word count: 5800

What a long chapter! But a good one. Got some good Percabeth fluff (babies!) and some action between the girls.

I know you guys might be like: "Just propose now!" But the trial is somewhat necessary to the plot. You'll see.

By the end of chapter 50, you will be very happy indeed.

Thank you for everything you do. Your comments telling me I'm an amazing writer just make me feel so confident in myself and it's helping me write. I appreciate every single one of you so so much.

Happy February! *hears the groans of all Australians as school starts*

- Squirrel