The Lightning Thief Annabeth's POV (ON HOLD)

Eight

Dedicated to @Roselyand for their amazhang comment. (Thank you for that, it was awesome) and princesszaz007 for voting on literally every single one of my chapters. Thank you soooooo much guys!!!! Now on with the story...

"Three Kindly Ones. All three at once." Grover's teeth chatter a bit so it's hard to make his words out.

Grover, Percy and I are walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank. New York behind us and an inky, ebony, freezing, drenched forest in front.

"Come on! The farther away we get, the better!" I say again. I've been saying this a lot these past few minutes. But we really do have to get away from Allecto. Who know how many monsters she's put on our tail.

The boys look at me in exhaustion and frustration. I know they're tired. I know they're freezing. I know they're terrified. I know. I am too. But we have to keep moving. Have to keep walking. Have to keep on keeping on. That's the plan for now. That's the plan.

"All our money was back there," Percy addresses me. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

Percy, you almost died back there. Don't you get it? If you had, then the quest would be over. There'd be no point at all in continuing, and I'd lose my one shot to see the world again. Don't you get it?

Anger and frustration build up inside of me. So you're going to blame it all on me now? I'm the only reason you're alive right now, you...you...Poseidon scum. If I hadn't been there Allecto would've already killed. Sure you beat up two Furies...but you think you could've handled all three at once? And how about those reinforcement? Ever thought about those? You didn't even know she was summoning them, did you? No, you didn't. So don't go blaming it all on me.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—"

"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"

"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine," I protest.

"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover helpfully points out, "but fine."

"Shut up, goat boy," I tell him.

Grover ignores me and instead brays in an almost mournful way. "Tin cans...a perfectly good bag of tin cans."

I give him a look and we hurry on. An intimidating silence settles over us, a second blanket over the rain.

He didn't mean it that way, says a little voice in the back of my head. He was just reminding you. Even in the week you've known him, has he ever even appeared to even think to blame someone. Percy doesn't blame you. You know that. It was just a reminder. It was just Percy trying to help.

And you really did need him in that fight. You needed him a lot more than you'll ever admit. You needed him. He saved you back there. You should be thanking him — as much as you'll despise doing it — not arguing over infinitely nothing. Think it through, Annabeth.

Thank him.

I hate it when even my own self is against me.

I lengthen my stride, and soon fall into place beside him. "Look, I..." My voice falters. Who am I kidding, I can't go and thank someone.

But you have too.

Stupid tiny voice.

"I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."

"We're a team, right?"

He doesn't get it. I try to think of the right words. I give up almost immediately, though. Who am I kidding? There is no way in Tartarus to make me sound anything different then an ungrateful selfish brat when I say what comes next.