A/N: Starts off with the description of a panic attack.

The journey back to Athens was better than Annabeth's last time on a ship, but it was not enjoyable. As soon as they had lifted the anchor, she'd felt her chest grow tight and anxiety tickled her fingertips. When the first lurch of the ship sent them sailing into the sea, she almost collapsed in her and Percy's quarters.

"Annabeth!"

Her hand flew to her chest as it grew tighter and tighter. Her breathing was quickly becoming uneven and moments before she thought she might pass out, Percy appeared in front of her.

"Annabeth, love, look at me." He brushed her hair from her face and carefully pulled her hand away from her chest to rest on his. "Breathe. Please, breathe."

"I—The ship—" She stared at him through wide eyes and tried to do as he asked.

Slowly, her fingers stopped tingling and her heart stopped pounding. When she blinked, her vision blurred with tears.

"Talk to me," Percy murmured, pulling to his chest very gently.

"I've never been on any other ship," she whispered. Her fingers wrapped around his tunic and she clutched it tightly. "It was—the last time—"

"I understand," Percy whispered. "Would it help to step out on the deck?"

Annabeth didn't think so, but she nodded anyway.

Wrapping one arm around her waist, Percy helped her walk out onto the deck of the ship. Despite Annabeth's earlier doubts about it not helping, it actually did. From a corner near the door to their quarters, she could watch the crew man the ship and hear the captain shouting from above them.

It was so unlike the last time she'd been on a ship that Annabeth couldn't think of them both like ships. Where the Princess Andromeda had cut a path through the waves, the Argo was almost floating across the clouds.

"Better?" Percy murmured beside her.

"Yes, thank you." She pressed a kiss under his jaw and leaned closer to him.

They spent the rest of the journey sitting on the deck. The second the anchor dropped for the night, they retired to their quarters and in the morning, when the anchor was pulled back in, they made their way onto the deck. It was fortunate that the weather stayed nice up until the moment they docked at Athens.

Between Percy and Jason, Annabeth managed to hobble down the gangplank with minimal pain. When they were finally standing firmly on the dock, Annabeth looked up to see a carriage waiting for them.

"Your Majesties." The driver bowed low. "The Queen is anxious to see you both."

Aside from the carriage driver, there were several soldiers that stood in waiting. It did little to ease Annabeth's conscience, though.

Jason stepped in front of them smoothly. "I've arranged for an escort already."

Annabeth hoped she kept the surprise from showing on her face. As far as she knew, Jason hadn't sent a message to Athens at all.

"We'll see you at the palace." Jason left no room for argument before turning to Percy and Annabeth. "Your Highnesses."

Offering Annabeth his arm once again, they made their way down to the end of the dock. Much to Annabeth's surprise, Hazel, Frank, and Leo were waiting. At least, they had been up until the moment Hazel spotted her and shrieked. In the time it took Annabeth to blink, Hazel was in front of her and pulling her into a tight, yet gentle hug.

"You're okay!"

Hazel's grip around Annabeth's shoulders tightened, aggravating the wound from Nakamura's knife and she groaned. Immediately, Hazel pulled back.

"Oh gods, are you hurt?" she exclaimed. With a horrified look, she gasped, "Did I hurt you?"

"It's just my shoulder," Annabeth told her, pointedly ignoring the way Percy was still holding her upright. When he narrowed his eyes at her, she added, "And my ankle."

"You have some very purple ribs, too," Percy grumbled.

By then, Frank and Leo had caught up to them and looked at Annabeth in concern.

"It really just hurts some of the time," she tried to say. Beside her, Percy let out a small snort and Annabeth scowled. "I'm walking just fine now."

"She's getting better," Percy told them resolutely. "Certainly not 'fine', though."

Annabeth huffed but didn't argue, worried that Percy might let her go to prove a point and she would stumble.

"Are you going back to Atlantis, then?" Hazel asked, turning to Annabeth.

Annabeth glanced up at Percy. "We have a few things to finish here, I believe." Percy nodded. "Perhaps in a week or two."

"I'll come visit you every day until then," Hazel promised. Her eyes flickered up to Jason as she added, "As long as I can get into the palace, that is."

With a long-suffering sigh, Jason nodded. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

"We'll all visit," Leo said, sneaking a glance at Jason. "Give the man a challenge."

Annabeth let out a short laugh. "Leo."

"I've never been in a palace before," Leo told her haughtily. "I'll take any chance I can get."

"If you have a horse we can borrow," Jason bargained, "I'll get you in."

Leo grinned wickedly. "I've got something better than a horse."

* * * * *

Annabeth took the time after Leo darted away to introduce Percy to Hazel and Frank. With Leo gone for the moment, she also managed to quickly explain that Leo could be, in the nicest of words, a bit eccentric. Unfortunately, Percy had grinned at that and Annabeth just knew she'd made a mistake.

While Leo hadn't told them what he had that was "better than a horse", he had seemed too excited for it to be anything good. Annabeth was expecting the worst so when he returned with a carriage that had a dragon's head mounted on top, she wasn't half as surprised as Percy or Jason.

"That is the opposite of subtle," Jason said, looking over the carriage skeptically.

Aside from the massive bronze dragon head, it was a very unassuming carriage. Something that Annabeth assumed he had paid less than a month's wage for.

"Isn't it perfect?" Leo exclaimed. He jumped down from the carriage and patted one of his horses fondly. "I made it myself."

"I believe that." Jason still looked unimpressed.

"No one would believe the King and Queen of Atlantis are inside," Leo said proudly, opening the carriage door. "Especially with me driving."

Hazel bit her lip. "I'm not sure that's the best way to say that."

With a partial shrug, Leo offered his hand to Annabeth and grinned. "It's one hundred percent guaranteed to turn away a crowd."

"That," Jason said, "I do believe."

There was a long moment where Percy and Jason shared a look and Leo waited impatiently. When he began tapping on the carriage door, Annabeth took matters into her own hands.

"Unless you have a better carriage, Jason," she said, "I'll be going with Leo."

If Jason and Percy were going to argue with her, they didn't have the chance. Before her ankle gave out on her, she stepped towards the carriage and hopped gracelessly inside with Leo's help. Jason and Percy scrambled inside after her.

"All aboard!" Leo closed the door after them with a wild grin and hopped up on the front of the carriage. "Next stop: the royal palace."