"Percy?" Annabeth tried to look ahead of the son of Poseidon as he pulled her along, but it was difficult as they passed and shoved their way through the thinning crowd. Eventually, though, Annabeth found herself alone with Percy in a small secluded corner of a stunning rose garden.

Percy let go of her hand and sat her down at one of the marble tables, plopping down onto the smooth bench next to her.

"You're the missing piece," he repeated a little breathlessly. His bright eyes weren't fixed on her as they narrowed at the ground.

Annabeth bit her lip, wanting so desperately to pull him close and kiss him and maybe cry a little, too. She deserved it, didn't she?

But she couldn't. That wouldn't be fair to Percy right now.

What she could do was think. Evaluate. Get to the bottom of this and solve it. She wanted her Percy back.

"Missing piece?" Annabeth asked tentatively, trying to ignore how close their hands were, how tempting it was to lace their fingers together. She focused her gaze on his face. "What's that?"

Percy finally looked at her, studying every inch of her face. He gestured meaninglessly with his hands, sighed, and tore a hand through his hair.

"Take your time," Annabeth put in.

Percy shot her a playful glare. "Okay, so when I started getting my memory back, I was really relieved, you know? But then, as things became clearer, I noticed something wasn't right. I found out I was a demigod at Yancy Academy with Grover, then we got my mom and went to camp, then we fought the Minotaur, and then. . .well, I passed out."

Annabeth nodded, not daring to interrupt. She needed to hear what was next. Her heart beat quickened.

She was next.

"And I woke up in the Big House and met everybody, you know, crazy stuff." Percy pursed his lips, his brows furrowed. "But there's something missing. I don't know how to explain it –– I don't even think Reyna and the others believe me –– but there are things, little things, that are just there. Feelings, images, voices –– stuff like that. And they don't. . .they don't fit. I couldn't place it, but I figured they all connected, maybe Hera forgot to return something."

"Probably on purpose, that cow." Annabeth kept the insult at a mutter, but she meant it. Hera ruined everything.

Percy went silent, staring intently at her.

"You. . .you hate Hera."

Annabeth scoffed. "Don't we all?" She laughed a little to herself, trying to use humor and sarcasm as a way to escape her overwhelming emotions as Percy himself often did. "She's the one who did this to us––to you. I mean, couldn't––"

"Annabeth hates Hera! I know that!" Percy leaned closer, grinning excitedly. "Okay, okay, keep talking."

Annabeth froze, her mouth halfway open.

The irony.

The love of her life, her soulmate, had forgotten her completely, and the first thing he decides to remember is her hate for the very goddess who put them in this predicament.

"What do you want me to say?" She shifted on the bench, blocking out the muffled sounds of a feast in the distance.

Percy shrugged. "Anything. Anything you think would help."

Annabeth tilted her head, messing with the beads laced around her neck. "I've never had to help recover someone from amnesia, so I don't. . ."

"Alright." Percy responded unconsciously to her movement and shifted as well so that their knees touched. "I've never had to recover from amnesia, at least not as far as I can remember." He winked at her, and their gazes met for a few seconds, locked in the moment. Percy blinked suddenly, looking away and clearing his throat.

"Okay, so I'll recount major things in my life that feel more. . .I don't know, empty? Like they're missing something, I guess." He scratched his head. "Yeah, so I'll do that." He waited for Annabeth to nod, and the blonde found it kind of cute that even now, he was searching for her approval.

Percy hummed, tapping his chin. "Well, there was my first quest. That one was to save my mom––it actually turned into this whole conspiracy thing with Hades and Ares and stuff, but it worked out in the end. I went with Grover, which I always thought was weird since it's usually three to a. . ." He trailed off.

Annabeth's brows rose. "Me! I went on that quest!"

Percy let his eyes run along her features, his hand raised to his shoulder unintentionally. "The van. . .the zoo van! You were there!"

"Yes! Yes!" Annabeth grabbed his hands. "And?"

"And. . .I don't know."

"Schist." Annabeth sighed. "Okay, that's fine. Keep going."

Percy sent her an apologetic glance, and Annabeth felt her heart burn in agony. He was right here, and yet he wasn't. She was holding his hands, and as familiar as it was to her, it wasn't for him. It was the worst thing Annabeth had ever felt.

"Um. . .the second quest I went on was to save Grover. He almost got married."

Annabeth tried to smile. "To a cyclops."

"Yeah." Percy laughed a bit. "And then my friend pretended to be 'Nobody' to trick him, which was hilarious. And––"

"Your friend?" Annabeth tried not to flat out slap some sense into him, because she knew it wasn't his fault, but dam. He sounded seriously dense right then.

"Yep. Anna––" Percy's eyes widened. "Oh! You were Nobody!" He snapped his fingers in revelation. "That makes so much more sense!"

Annabeth nodded vigorously, happy for the newest discovery but ready to move on. They were seriously making progress!

"I'm trying to think. . .I remember Annabeth, like the concept of you. . .that doesn't make sense. I mean––"

"No, I get it, Percy. Keep going."

"Yeah. Okay. So I've got Annabeth, but all I can remember is the van drive and the Polyphemus incident." Percy suddenly flushed, and he furrowed his brow. "Okay, now I've got a rush of feelings."

Annabeth leaned forward. "Feelings?"

"I don't know if I should tell you this, it's probably not my place, but if it helps me remember you then I'll definitely say it." Percy looked out over the field, in the direction of the forum and the feast taking place. "I felt the same way when Reyna. . .um, when Reyna. . ." He leaned back, blowing out a breath. "It's become apparent that I have no idea how to say this."

Annabeth let her body relax from it's position of tense suspense, and leaned back as well. "Percy. . .I know literally everything about you. I get that that's kind of creepy to say right now, but nothing you can say will make me think or feel anything different than I do right now. If it's important, please tell me."

"Reyna, for better lack of terms, was hitting on me? And I kind of turned her down, but I don't know why." Percy blurted it in a rush. "I wasn't ever interested in her romantically like that, or anything, but that wasn't why. I know it. My gut was just telling me to walk away, and whatever I was feeling then, I feel whenever I look at you."

"Oh." Annabeth pushed down the feelings of hostility she was now holding for the dark haired praetor and forced her mind to stay on track. She was doing this for love, but she couldn't let love interfere.

"And this is totally weird, because I would never say stuff like this to someone I have no recollection of knowing." Percy chuckled somewhat lightheartedly, but it was laced with the uneasiness they were both feeling. "What are you doing to me, Annabeth?"

"Helping you remember," she retorted. "Now keep going, Seaweed Brain."

Percy paused, his head tilted adorably. "Seaweed Brain."

"That's––that's what I call you, sometimes. Mostly when you're being an idiot. Which is a lot. I don't usually have to explain it though, especially not to you, so this is––"

"Wise Girl."

Annabeth halted, turning to face him. "Yeah?"

Percy grinned brightly. "You're my Wise Girl!"

"Yes––yeah, I am!" Annabeth couldn't help but smile with him––his joy always was infectious.

"I don't actually know what that means," Percy admitted. "But I know I said it a lot."

Annabeth fought down tears––of what, she didn't know. Happiness? That they were getting somewhere? Or sadness? Because they were even having to do this in the first place?

"Hey, whoa, Annabeth. . ." Percy's smile faded. "Are you okay?"

The daughter of Athena avoided his eyes and pasted on a calmer expression than she felt like having. She couldn't deny how overwhelmed she was feeling––this was her boyfriend, and it felt like she could be herself with him, but at the same time, the kind of vulnerability she had with her Percy didn't seem appropriate here.

It was confusing, and Annabeth hated it.

"Honestly, Percy. . .do you want the truth?"

The son of Poseidon was overcome with one of those serious auras he sometimes took on, and he sat a little straighter. "Is it what you would give me if I remembered?"

Yes. The message was clear. He was still Percy, even if the history was gone. So, in that instance, she could tell him whatever was on her mind.

Annabeth pulled her legs up onto the bench and wrapped her arms around them, taking a deep breath. She was curling in on herself, something no one saw often.

But this was Percy.

"I really need you to remember, Percy. This is really, really horrible. It's kind of hard to explain to someone who doesn't currently reciprocate the feelings, but at this point, I don't care about the quest or anything that I'm supposed to be focused on. And I won't be able to until you're back. Truly back." She kept her eyes on the concrete beneath them as she spoke utter nonsense, knowing full well that Percy wouldn't get a word of it, but needing to say something to someone.

And it was all true. Percy was everything for her. He was her idea-bouncer, her rant-listener, her other half –– all of the above.

"We're making progress, and I'm so glad. . .but is this it? Just progress? That's not right. It doesn't feel right to me. Am I supposed to tell you how I've had a crush on you since we were twelve? About the first time I kissed you in that volcano? How you held me when we ran into the Sirens, when I took a knife to the stomach right in front of you? The whole war we fought side by side in?" She turned abruptly to face him, ignoring the tears that were flicked from her cheeks from the sudden movement.

"You've been my life for so long, Percy. I can't just tell you this stuff, hope on hints of what we once had! I can't. You were supposed to remember, everything was supposed to work out, and then we could get this stupid quest over with, forget about the gods, and just be happy. But now I have to cure my boyfriend of amnesia while leading the other halfbloods all over the place –– I don't even know what I'm doing!" She forced down a sob and looked away from his wide eyes, rubbing tears from her cheeks uselessly.

"I need you, Percy. I can't do this."

Annabeth finally stopped herself, fighting off the urge to cry into his chest. When he still didn't speak, she figured he didn't know that she was finished.

And she had a lot more to say, so that was okay.

"What are we supposed to do now? If I can't fix this, the whole thing we've worked for since we were kids is gone. How can I accept that? Accept that everything we've been through, every time we thought we were going to die –– just gone. Everyone thinks I can handle all this stuff, and I did too, but it's hard and I'm starting to realize that maybe––"

Annabeth discovered then that it was rather hard to speak when someone cuts you off with a kiss.

She didn't know what, she didn't know why, but it didn't matter.

Everything they wouldn't say, everything they couldn't say––it was there, in that kiss. It was an it'll be okay kiss and an I love you kiss, all at the same time.

And Annabeth melted into it.

She'd missed this. She'd missed being with Percy.

Despite what she might've said, she was willing to do whatever it took to restore what they were. She really loved this boy.

Percy pulled away and laughed under his breath, his eyes shut. He pulled her head close to his, and their foreheads met.

"Gods, Annabeth. I remember."

Her grey eyes shot open and she sprung up, away from him. "What? You do?"

Percy stood with her, grabbing her hands before he was even fully on his feet. "Just now. You. . .you kind of said a lot."

Annabeth stared at him, at their hands. Oh gods.

She had said a lot. A lot more than she'd intended. Some things she hadn't wanted to say out loud, ever.

Percy pulled her into him, wrapping her in a gentle but secure embrace. "First––it's good to be back. Second––of course you can do this, Annie. You can do anything, yeah?"

Annabeth only hesitated a moment before returning the embrace, sighing with incredible relief.

Despite what Percy liked to say, her mind wasn't changed.

But circumstances had, and now he was her Percy. With Annabeth.

"I can now," she whispered.

a / n

even tartarus ?

* record stops *

* fangirls stare *

i'M kIdDiNg––

ahem.

how'd i do ? this last part just kind of happened –– i wasn't actually happy with it at first, but now i think it's okay.

also, i'm super lazy and do not have the patience to rewrite it. lol.

thanks for reading demigods !!

peace out in demigodishness and all that,

~ grace 💙🍪💙🍪💙🍪💙