What had started as a fun road trip with the love of her life and her best friends, turned sour so very quickly. Not only was the road trip plagued with frequent monster attacks, but the news that they received when they arrived...
Jason Grace was in Elysium.
Not only had he and Piper broken up (which she'd Iris messaged Cressida and Annabeth about and cried, but it had been the best thing for her to do, especially since she didn't want to appease Hera with the relationship that she put together) but his death was so that Piper could live. He and Piper had helped Apollo with their quest into the Labyrinth seeing as they found a way to navigate it when Jason that learned that either he or Piper would die.
Fate was just cruel.
They thought they'd changed their fate, that they outwitted the prophecy that said To storm or fire the world must fall, an oath to keep with a final breath.
But no. Jason Grace was gone.
He'd sacrificed himself to save Apollo, Meg and Piper from the third emperor.
Their Roman friends had told them how Piper had begged Apollo to save him or to give him the Physician's cure but it was out of the god's hand. Not to mention that even if they could bring Jason back, Jason Grace was not a cheater and not the kind of person to elude the laws of nature and of death.
Thalia was also beside herself. She was immortal and she knew that she'd lose Jason eventually but this was the second time that he was taken away from his sister prematurely.
It made her feel better knowing that Reyna was with her. The former praetor of the twelfth legion had joined the Hunters of Artemis after the death of her friend. Hazel had taken over her position and there was no one better for it, honestly.
Cressida took some solace in the fact that Castor would no doubt take care of Jason in Elysium, the news still broke all of them though.
It was good to be surrounded by friends.
Tyson and Ella were happily working in their bookshop and as per his wishes, the Jason Grace temple expansion plan was still moving forward, with new shrines being added every week.
As for Percy, Cressida and Annabeth, they were taking up residence in New Rome and adjusting to their new environment before their fall semester of freshman year college.
They were in the girl's dorms helping Cressida and Annabeth unpack when Apollo turned up.
"Architecture,' Annabeth said, her grey eyes as bright as her mother's. She said the word architecture as if it were the answer to all the world's problems. 'I'm going to focus on environmental design at UC Berkeley while dual enrolling at New Rome University. By year three, I figure –'
"Way to put us to shame," Cressida chuckled as she began unpacking books onto the shelves.
"Tell me about it," Percy said. "You guys are going to help me get through freshman English though, right? And math? And history?"
The two girls shared a glance before laughing, the sound echoing through the empty room that still only had a few boxes in it.
"Yeah, Seaweed Brain, we'll help," Annabeth said with her hands on her hips. "We'll take the basics together. But you will do your own homework."
He turned to Cressida hopefully. "Do I still get rewards for every good grade I get on my assignments?"
She smirked at him. "We'll talk."
"Man," Percy sighed as he looked at Apollo for commiseration. "Homework. Can't catch a break."
"And your major?" Apollo asked.
'Yeah, uh ... marine biology? Aquaculture? I dunno. I'll figure it out.'
"And you, Cressida?"
"For once, I'm as clueless as my Fish Face."
"Cress," Percy said with a warning tone but she waved him off.
"I'm considering teaching dance or something but, I don't know. That's future me's problem to figure out," she said.
"Are you both staying here?" Apollo asked as he gestured to the bunk beds, even though he was aware the two of them had shared a bed at Sally's apartment.
"Don't talk to me about that," Percy pouted as he trudged over to Cressida who laughed at him as he put his head on her shoulder sadly.
"I don't know how Grapes deals with Percy's messy clothes everywhere," Annabeth commented.
"Oddly enough, that's not the most annoying thing he does. He's actually gotten a lot better with the clothes thing," Cressida said as she rubbed Percy's back. "You know, the other day, I took Sally out shopping and to get a massage, and when we came home, Water Boy, here, was doing the dishes."
"You're joking," Annabeth said.
"He said it was just because there were no glasses, but he washed all the dishes in the sink and not just the glasses."
"Hey, I'm not that hopeless," Percy insisted.
"Oh, I know you're not, honey," Cressida said sweetly but there was a wicked tone in her voice. "I'm slowly training the hopelessness out of you."
"You're mean," Percy grumbled but he was still hugging her and resting his head on her shoulder like a kicked puppy.
"And you love me. And I'm helping make you a better person," Cressida continued but Percy was still pouting into her neck.
"Anyway," Annabeth continued. "The dorms are required for all freshmen, and they aren't co-ed. Cress will be rooming with me. She will be all mine for the next year," Annabeth boasted and the completely hurt puppy look on Percy's face got even sadder. Apollo wondered how Cressida or even Annabeth could be mean to him when he looked so saddened.
"Yeah." Percy sighed. "Meanwhile, I'll be all the way across campus in this empty boys' dormitory. Two whole blocks away."
"Would you give the sappy sad puppy routine a rest already?" Cressida exclaimed. "You act as if we're actually going to follow the rules."
And just like that Percy was grinning as he kissed her cheek and Annabeth just swatted his arm as he flinched away and just held Cressida to him as one would a teddy bear.
"I'm not dealing with you two so this better be happening in Percy's dorm. And anyway, Apollo, our living arrangements are none of your business."
He held up his hands in surrender. "But they did live together last year and travelled across the country together."
"We were living with my parents," Percy pointed out. "And we travelled with Grover and Annabeth. It was great, just the four of us again. But man, that road trip..."
"We should've learned not to take road trips together by now," Cressida said as she returned to unpacking books.
"But there was no other way to get here, Wine Vine."
"The road trip kind of went sideways," Annabeth continued. "And up, down and diagonal. But we made it here alive."
"And I got 30 more points."
"As if! I thought we agreed on 20?" Percy retorted to his girlfriend.
"But why should we have to agree on how many points we add to the board?" Cressida wondered with an innocent grin.
"Because you would give yourself points for every little thing you did for me."
"Don't act like you wouldn't do the same."
"But I don't because we agree on points, and I thought we agreed with 20 for you and 15 for me?"
"That's what you thought. What we did agree on was 30 for me and 15 for you because half of our problems were so your fault and I saved your dumbass twice as much than you saved me," Cressida said as she poked his chest.
"And me and my dumbass are infinitely grateful," he said as he pecked her lips. "But I'm still not agreeing to 30."
"As if it matters because you're like 14 million points behind me."
"Why 14 million? And no, I'm not!"
"See, this is why I'm glad that Percy is going to be two blocks away," Annabeth said loudly as she interrupted the two of them.
But the mood instantly dampened as they followed Apollo's train of thought as he thought about his own trip from Los Angeles to Camp Jupiter, escorting the coffin of Jason Grace.
"We found out when we arrived," Percy said. "I still can't ..." His voice caught. He looked down and picked at his palm before Cressida laced their fingers together.
"I cried myself sick," Annabeth admitted.
"I was sick," Cressida added as she thought about how she'd lost what junk food she'd eaten when she'd heard the news. And after that happened, she'd burst into tears along with everyone else.
"I still wish ... I wish we could've been there for Piper. I hope she's doing okay," Annabeth admitted and Cressida nodded solemnly.
"Piper is a tough young lady," Apollo said. "But yes ... Jason. He was the best of us."
No one argued with that.
"By the way,' he added, "your mother is doing well, Percy. I just saw her and Paul. Your little sister is entirely too adorable. She never stops laughing."
He and Cressida brightened. "I know, right? Estelle is awesome. I just miss my mom's baking."
"You and me both," Cressida groaned. "She has totally spoiled me. I'd give you up for a batch of her cookies right now."
"Thanks, Cress," Percy grumbled.
"You're welcome," she smiled innocently.
"I might be able to help with that," Apollo said before he was suddenly holding a plate of fresh-baked blue cookies.
"Dude!" Percy exclaimed but Cressida moved faster. She elbowed Percy's stomach before snatching the plate from Apollo and hiding it behind her back before she turned on her boyfriend.
"Magic words," she said, dodging his attempts to grab at the plate while not dropping a single crumb.
Percy sighed as his arms dropped to his sides. "You can have 30 points. You can have as many as you want, just gimme the damn cookies!"
"Thank you," she smiled before she brought the plate in front of them and took a bite, both of them throwing their heads back in ecstasy.
"Praise Apollo," Cressida said with her mouth full.
"Amen," Percy agreed. "Apollo, you're the best. I take back almost everything I've said about you. Hey, I get one of yours since you elbowed me to get to them."
"It's quite all right," Apollo assured him. "Wait ... what do you mean, almost?"
"You absolutely do not. Snooze, you lose, honey. That's how the game works," Cressida said to Percy. "It's an even six each."
They were already onto their second cookie.
"Can I bribe you for one? A rain check or more points on the board?" he asked, and she laughed mockingly.
"You couldn't meet my price."
"I can certainly try."
"And I certainly wouldn't stop you."
"And it will certainly happen in Percy's dorm room," Annabeth said pointedly.
"Buzzkill," Percy said.
"Fun sucker," Cressida at the same time and the two of them stared at each other. "Ok, we have been spending way too much time with my brothers."
"Oh! Can we IM Pollux and rub these cookies in his face?"
She stared at him in disbelief. "A man who would fall into Tartarus for me and will make fun of my brother over the best cookies in the world. By the gods, I have never loved you more," Cressida exclaimed, her mouth still full of cookies as Percy grinned and kissed her before they made their way to the bathroom Cressida and Annabeth were going to share.
Annabeth just sighed. "Great. Now it'll be at least an hour before they can focus on unpacking again." Her eyes lifted up to Apollo. "I've dealt with them for seven years and it looks like I'm going to have to deal with them for the rest of my life."
Apollo let out an amused chuckle. "Just remember to take care of yourself, Annabeth Chase. Your future might pass you by."
Annabeth actually gave him a kind smile. "I will. And good luck on whatever ventures you face next."
Apollo returned her smile. "I will surely need it."
And even though he didn't know what his own future would hold, he would embrace it because he knew he'd have friends to help him.