The Pirate of Greece

Chapter XXI (Annabeth)

"I wasn't expecting you to have such a mouth."

Annabeth turned to the sound of the voice, finally seeing the girl who stepped inside. She was framed by the light behind her, but she was still clearly visible.

The daughter of Athena took in the details before her. Short, dark spiky hair- topped with a silver circlet- framed her face, enhancing the shockingly bright, blue eyes. A faint dusting of freckles ran over the bridge of her nose, her mouth sporting a smirk. She managed to pull off the stoic, troublemaker appearance in a simple shirt and pants with a pair of well-worn boots.

But it wasn't her appearance that made Annabeth's throat constrict (or maybe it was. It sure helped). Her eyes widened at the sight of the girl in front of her. Years worth of pain, sorrow and regret threatened to spill from her. And all she could do was stare in shock.

A hoard of monsters. The four of them. The lightning and the tree.

"Thalia?"

The dark haired girl chuckled. "You've grown up Annie."

Annabeth let out a choked sob, much to her own betrayal. Thalia's eyes turned sad as she approached her, kneeling right in front of the daughter of Athena. They swept each other up in a hug, both gripping the other like their lives depended on it. Tears threatened to spill from Annabeth's eyes, distorting her vision, as she used one arm to wrap around Thalia's form.

"You-I saw you-," she muffled into Thalia's shirt, finding it difficult to speak.

"I know," she responded slowly, "and I'm so sorry."

Annabeth could hear the pain woven in Thalia's voice. She squeezed her eyes closed.

"How?" she whispered.

Thalia pulled back, but only far enough for Annabeth to comfortably grip her arm without strain.

"Long story. It involved a satyr, a cyclops and a golden rug."

She smiled as recounted the small details, but the one thing Annabeth had caught onto were her differences.

The last time she'd laid eyes upon the daughter of Zeus, she was shorter and less filled out. She used to be a child, like Annabeth used to be. But now Thalia had grown up to be the very woman Annabeth thought she'd turn out as. Strong and confident and very much alive. There was no trace of that dreadful night in the past. No evidence about what happened.

Annabeth hastily wiped away any trace of tears. "I don't understand. You were younger when...when you changed."

Thalia's eyes moved from her face and rested on the floor. "I aged inside that tree Annabeth. And then when I was free, it took me much too long to realise what to do."

Annabeth didn't know how to feel. Happy that she had her part of her family back? Sad because of all the years she lasted without Thalia? Or angry because the daughter of Zeus had been alive all this time and hadn't even bothered to contact her? If anything, she was more inclined on the last part. That was a cruel move.

"I know I should've sort you out," Thalia continued, seeing the look on her face, "and I tried. I honestly did. But do you think Athens's would've let in a bandit like myself? That place is sealed better than the Roman's camp. I heard you were the one to enforce it."

Annabeth let her anger slide away, but not fully. She was still mad at Thalia for keeping this news for so long, but she was alive, and she guessed that was the most important fact out of the situation.

"What did you do when you woke?" the daughter of Athena said.

"I stumbled across a group early on, and they took me in. Maybe you've heard of them? The Hunters of Artemis?"