Chapter VII
Percy
"Ice Cream?" I asked in amusement, watching wanly as Annabeth happily munched on an ice cream cone, the ice cream was chocolate. "Aren't you a little old for ice cream, Wise Girl?" She waved a hand in front of me threateningly, and then offered a bite of her chocolate ice cream. I eyed it warily for a moment, before taking a taste from it, and instantly I regretted not getting a vanilla cone for myself.
"You're never too old for an ice cream cone!" She said happily, taking her chocolate cone back and I stared at it longingly. "Besides, it was on your tab." She added, grinning at me cheekily. I rolled my eyes, secretly amused at her childish antics.
"Now, I wish I had gotten myself a vanilla." I grumbled, rather sardonically. Annabeth grinned and hugged me, and I blushed slightly. Then she paused and frowned, her expression thoughtful.
"Vanilla doesn't taste right." I glared at her, and she rolled her eyes. "It's true; I'll never understand why you like it. It's so... bland."
I huffed, and a bang blew out of my face, but before I could reply a kid of about ten came running over, yelling out "AUNTY ANNABETH!!!!" and then he tripped over his feet. I darted forward, muscle memory working instinctively, and caught him, my arms wrapping around his chest so that he wouldn't fall on his face.
"Whoa, there," I warned half jokingly, half seriously, pulling him up. "We don't want you to fall and hurt yourself, do we not?" I glanced at Annabeth, who nodded, her expression concerned and amused.
"Sam," she said in amusement. The boy looked up with a grin and I froze as I stared at those sparkling brown eyes, so hauntingly familiar to Bianca's. ...Staring at her in shock when I realized she was not dead... "Honestly, you've got two left feet; can't you at least try to stay on them?" Annabeth fretted, patting him everywhere.
"Sorry, Aunty Annabeth, but when I saw you I couldn't help myself." He stated sheepishly, but not exactly apologetically, the gleam in his brown eyes told otherwise. ...complaining to her about the latest batch of possibilities... "Thank you, by the way." The boy –Sam- added, turning to me. ..."Be polite Torrent!"... "For catching me, before I fell."
I waved him off, trying to figure out how I knew him. "That's alright," I replied with a smile. "Just be more careful next time." Sam's eyes lit up. ...Her eyes lit up with laughter...
"I will be." Sam stated, promising it. ...her eyes closed and she rested her chin underneath his... "I'm Sam, by the way. Who are you?"
I shoved the memories to the back of my mind, brutally. "I'm Percy," I confessed and Sam's eyes widened with surprise.
"The Forgotten Warrior?" He asked, and the name triggered a memory. ..."Good luck, Percy Jackson, Torrent and Forgotten Warrior..." I shook my head slightly to myself, and Sam looked disappointed.
"Yeah, I've been called that a few times." I responded. Sam looked confused, but then his expression cleared up and he grinned brightly, although he seemed to perk up, his expression strangely happy and excited. I smiled and ruffled his hair instinctively, he just seemed to be so familiar, like I knew him and those brown eyes, I have seen them before. I know I have. Sam grinned, a big trouble making grin that looked eerily familiar. I heard Annabeth gasp and we both looked up, I tilted my head in concern, but she shook her head, her expression becoming strangely bright, surprised but relieved. I blinked. "Are you alright, Wise Girl?" I asked in concern. She shook her head, laughing and I felt my eyes widen in horror.
"I'm fine," she said, still grinning. Sam and I looked at each other, then at her, and I was convinced she had lost her marbles. "I just realized something." She added, and I rolled my eyes, although I couldn't stop the slight smile from appearing. She grinned and held out her hand and I took it. "Come on, Seaweed Brain," she chuckled, gray eyes sparkling. "Thanks, Sam," she added and inclined her head to the boy. Sam looked confused, but then she wrapped her arm around mine and tugged me away. I sighed and waved over my shoulder, and heard Sam laugh.
...she laughed joyously, her hand tracing the little baby that she held in her arms, and she looked up, meeting my eyes with dancing chocolate brown ones. "Say hello to your son, Perseus..."
Annabeth
"Whoa, there." Percy said half jokingly and half seriously, his eyes concerned but laughing. "We don't want you to fall and hurt yourself..." He looked at me and I nodded, walking over to the two of them, and I was struck by how alike they were.
I shook the idea out of my head and looked at Sam in amusement. "Sam..." I went on, telling him how he had two left feet and I fretted over him like a mother hen. Percy looked strangely out of it, not like when he had been delirious or when he was gazing over the streets or out the fields hopelessly, but as if there was something coming back, like a memory.
"...for catching me, before I fell." Sam finished, and Percy waved him off, smiling slightly, a strange emotion in his eyes and I frowned, trying to put my finger on it. Percy said something, probably along the lines of 'that's alright.' Sam also added something, his mouth moving but not making any sound.
"I'm Percy." Percy stated, Sam's eyes widened with a strange emotion (fear, awe or... hope?) and he asked something. Percy looked thoughtful, then he shook his head slightly and Sam looked disappointed. "Yeah, I've been called that." Percy ruffled his hair, and Sam grinned, a bright, mischievous grin, and it clicked. A strange set of emotions hit me, sorrow, surprise, anger and... joy, strangely enough. I let out a tiny gasp and Percy looked up, his eyes concerned. "Are you alright, Wise Girl?"
I shook my head, laughing and Percy's eyes widened with horror. "I'm fine," I said and he only looked more wary. "I just realized something." I watched as Percy raised an eyebrow and I held out my hand. He looked at it and took it, and I helped him stand. "Come on, Seaweed Brain." I said entwining my arm around his. "Thanks, Sam," I added, bowing my head slightly to him, a habit I had picked up from Nico, then I dragged Percy away, waving over my shoulder.