Annabeth Chase

I only slept with Percy once.

I guess once was all it took.

It wasn't more than a week before the reaping. It was last midnight, and I was on my laptop finishing up a project when he texted me.

Can you come over?

I knew Percy. He hated asking for anything. If he was asking, he needed me.

Be there in 5.

I pulled on a t-shirt and shorts and tip-toed past my dad's office and out the front door. I knew if he caught me, I would never be allowed to go.

When I got to Percy's apartment, I let myself in with the spare key that I had. I found him laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"I had a nightmare." I could tell from his raspy voice and his red-rimmed eyes that he had been crying.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Percy pulled me down next to him and kissed me softly, then told his tale. "I dreamed that we were reaped for the games. Both of us. But someone volunteered for me. Someone you knew.

"When the two of you went into the games, you became a couple, even though you were... engaged to me. Then he died. And you.... You survived almost until the end. There was a horrible, ruthless tribute. He tortured you in unspeakable ways. He took advantage of you. And he could have killed you, but he didn't.

"He drew it out for days. Each day he would hurt you a little more, bring you a little closer to the brink. But he wouldn't let you die. You begged and pleaded with him, but he always refused.

"Eventually you couldn't take it anymore. Despite everything, you still had your wits about you, and one day when he was torturing you you stole one of his knives. You... You killed yourself.

"I... dream Me, that is... I gave up. I was already so broken... it was enough to tip me over the edge.

"I'm terrified, Annabeth. Terrified that some part of it could be real. That I'm broken beyond repair, and that one day I'll just... shatter."

The words coming out of his mouth broke my heart. I brushed his hair out of his face, and looked him in the eye. "What could possibly break someone as strong as you?"

"You could. You are my everything, Annabeth Chase. Without you, I would be truly broken. I would shatter into a million pieces, and no one would ever be able to put them back together again."

I pulled Percy over so that he was on top of me, and kissed him deeply. "I, Annabeth Chase, do solemnly swear, that under no circumstance will I ever break you, and therefore, you shall never be broken."

He stared down at me, hunger in his eyes. "Annabeth-"

I cut him off. "Percy... I'm ready. I love you. You don't need to hesitate."

Then we were kissing, and our clothes came off, and... well... you know what happened from there on out.

Okay, back to the present.

I'm pregnant.

I don't understand. I should have known before now; it's been over three months. I'm not- But as my hand flies to my stomach, I feel the bump there.

"How could I not know?" I ask the doctor.

She bites her lip, and looks to the left. "Your body had a delayed reaction to the conception. We don't know why, really. Your parentage probably had something to do with it..." The girl - Brenda, I think it was? - keeps talking, but I stop listening. I am contemplating the events that took place in the arena, including the restoration of my full memory.

When I woke up, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision not to tell anyone about the... other world that I remembered. I need answers, but not from the Capitol. I don't trust them. I'll wait until I get back to my district - until I'm safe - to start asking questions.

"How long do I have until my interview?"

Brenda shrugs. "You seem to be recovering well. Today is Tuesday. I should say you'll certainly be ready by Sunday. I'll talk to your prep team and stylist about making... modifications for your condition."

"Why didn't you know that I was pregnant before?"

The girl bites her lip. "We don't know. We picked up a... blip on the monitor, but they waved it off as nothing. We were surprised when you came out of the arena with... extra weight."

She's lying. I see it in her eyes. But why? Why lie about a baby? What aren't they telling me?

"Can I see Chiron?" I ask her. I want to talk to my mentor.

Brenda hesitates. "I'll see if I can clear him for a visit. I'm the meantime... try to get some rest."

She slips out the door, leaving me with more questions than I started with.

Chiron is in my room when I wake up from a brief nap, his true form hidden in a magic wheelchair. He smiles at me. "I'm glad you're okay," he says.

I make a half-hearted attempt to smile. "Me too, I guess."

"You're... feeling alright?"

I can tell that he's thinking about the baby. "Yes. When did they tell you?"

"As soon as they knew. I have to say, I was surprised. I wasn't aware you were at that point in your relationship."

"It only happened once," I say quietly.

My mentor chuckles. "It's just like Percy to be careless."

I nod. "Speaking of which... Have you heard anything from District One? From my family?"

Chiron looks away. "No, I haven't."

That pretty much confirms it. "Don't bother lying," I sigh. I recount my dream, and he looks depressed by the end of it.

"Okay, I've heard from them. I know Percy's not... doing great. But don't worry about him, Annabeth. He's strong."

"Is it true that he's drinking?" I whisper.

He nods. "Unfortunately, yes. From what Thalia tells me, it started around the time you made an alliance with Luke, and hasn't stopped."

I stare at my mentor, horrified, as I think back to that night.

"You are my everything, Annabeth Chase. Without you, I would be truly broken. I would shatter into a million pieces, and no one would ever be able to put them back together again."

"I, Annabeth Chase, do solemnly swear, that under no circumstance will I ever break you, and therefore, you shall never be broken."

I bury my head in my pillow, overwhelmed with tears.

What happens when I go home? What will I find?

What if I broke him?

Aaaaaand here it is. An update! Yay! I somehow found time to write this amid my Riverdale obsession. Update: I'm on Season 2 Episode 11 and I'm shook. Also I really need to get back on my regular sleeping schedule for school but screw that I wanna sleep til noon. And I haven't talked to my sorta-almost-boyfriend in a while and I miss him a lot. Ok I'm done talking about my life now! Thanks for reading! Please comment; don't be a silent reader! Bye!