━━━adventure time
.・゜゜・───・゜゜・"
Callahan 'Cal' Lee. The name felt right, just like kissing Percy and thinking of Annabeth, just like pulling her hair into a low ponytail, just like laughing and making people laugh. Those were the only things that really felt right to her, and could you blame her? She had woken up with no memory of her life, except for one of Percy and Annabeth arguing, a playful glint in their eyes. She couldn't even remember what they were arguing about.
The rest of it, Camp Jupiter, daughter of Fortuna, it all felt wrong. Like trying to shove a puzzle piece into the wrong spot. So, Cal came up with a game she played while she waited on the park bench for Percy. She thought of anything she could, and tried to decide if she liked it or not. Sweaters, books, rivers, trees, Percy, Annabeth, kissing, and skinship. She liked all of that.
She thought of anything she could, she thought of doves, of apples, of the tree across from her, the guy working the stand underneath it. It passed the time, and it brought her a melancholic sense of comfort. When Percy left the Principia and saw Cal sitting there, waiting for him, he smiled. He approached quietly, sneaking up behind her.
"Hey!" he whispered.
Cal screamed. "Jesus fucking Christ, Perseus!" Her hand rested on her chest, "what was that for?"
Percy threw his head back and laughed. Callahan stood up and glared at him before marching away.
"Hey! Wait up!" Percy called, jogging after her. When he caught up, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She smiled.
"Hi," Percy said.
"Hey."
"You ok, Lucky Charms?"
Cal grinned ear-to-ear. "I'm just fine." she kissed his cheek. "Barnacle Brains."
Percy scowled.
.・゜゜・───・゜゜・
Lunch was weird. Like a funeral. People muttered amongst each other, and everyone avoided the quartet like the plague.
Reyna made a brief speech wishing them luck. Octavian ripped open a Beanie Baby and pronounced grave omens and hard times ahead, but predicted the camp would be saved by an unexpected hero (whose initials were probably OCTAVIAN). Then the other campers went off to their afternoon classes—gladiator fighting, Latin lessons, paintball with ghosts, eagle training, and a dozen other activities that sounded better than a suicide quest.
Cal and Percy followed after Frank. They didn't have much, just a change of clothes each, ambrosia, snacks, a little mortal money, and camping supplies in theirs, Percy's, backpack. At lunch, Reyna had handed Percy a scroll of introduction from the praetor and camp senate. Supposedly, any retired legionnaires they met on the trip would help them if shown the letter.
Their roommate, Bobby, gave them a ride on Hannibal the Elephant, dropping them off at the border.
It took them two hours to reach the docks in Atlanta. The trip was nice, nothing and no one noticed them and Cal spent her time playing her little game. Percy was staring out the window, thinking. They got off in Oakland. They walked through some rough neighborhoods, Percy wrapping his arm around Cal and tucking her into his side as they walked past others. Cal hated to admit it, but she had more to fear from mortal men than immortal monsters.
There are some things worse than death, and almost always women are the ones suffering them. She could recall someone telling her.
They reached the docks in the late afternoon, and Cal watched Percy relax a little as the waterfront came into view. Dozens of boats lined the dock, ranging from small fishing boats to yachts. Cal hoped to god that one of the yachts was theirs.
Percy turned back to Frank and Hazel, "um...You guys know which one is ours?"
Both of them shook their heads. They walked along the dock until they came to a stop in front of a dinghy drooping into the water with sad-looking eyes and SPQR painted into its side.
"You think...?" Frank asked.
"I think." Cal agreed. She rested a hand on Percy's shoulders as they sagged.
The boat was full of dirty water and trash.
Cal laughed sarcastically, "I fucking hate Octavian."
"Cal!" Hazel admonished. Cal shrugged in response. Percy jumped into the boat and collected all of the trash, setting it onto the dock. He willed the scummy water over the sides and out of the boat and commanded the steel sponge to scrub until it started to steam. The ropes untied from the dock.
"Hop on," Percy said, helping Cal onto the boat. Hazel looked a little queasy the second she got on.
Randomly, Percy growled, "Get off my ship."
"Uh, what?" Frank asked.
"Barnacle?" Cal asked softly.
"nothing. " Percy noticed Cal's raised brow, and he shook his head lightly. Later. "Let's see what this rowboat can do."
He willed the boat to pull off the dock and head toward the Golden Gate Bridge.
"And away we go!" Cal muttered. Percy cracked a smile. Frank shook his head.
.・゜゜・───・゜゜・
They had been at sea for a while, and Percy still hadn't moved. Cal sat directly behind him, watching him carefully. Something wasn't right with him, she could tell. His shoulders were tense, which didn't happen when he was on the water. The ocean around them was beautiful, the horizon alight with the setting sun. She liked this, but it wasn't sitting right. Percy still hadn't told her what he meant. She chewed on the corners of her mouth and scooted closer to him.
"Hey Perce?"
Percy grunted.
"What did you mean by 'get out of my head'?" She asked. Percy's shoulders tensed.
"Percy, talk to me." she touched his hand, "I'm here."
His shoulders were still tensed, but he turned to face her. He sat down next to her, and she smiled lightly. "What's up?"
He scratched his head. "umm..I had a dream."
"A demigod dream?" She asked. He nodded,
"Yeah...it was weird. At first, it was of a faun, Grover. Then, Annabeth-"
Cal sucked in a breath.
"She told me to stay put, that she'd reach us easier that way."
Cal let out the breath she was holding in, "yeah...I had one too."
Percy turned and stared at her, "you did?"
"she ..umm..." Cal cleared her throat, and Percy leaned closer. "She told me to stay put. and..uhh... she told me she loved us. Both of us."
Percy looked out at the sunset, his face red in the setting sun, "I don't mind. It feels right."
Cal smiled. "I don't mind either." she leaned her head on his shoulder. Frank and Hazel were talking behind them.
"You still haven't told me what you meant," she muttered. He swallowed. She watched his adam's apple bob.
"I was on the Field of Mars, looking down at it... and this face appeared in the hills. She looked, asleep? I don't know, but she told me something." He swallowed again. "She...um..she told me that I'm valuable to her and to come north. Meet Alcyoneus. She called me her pawn." he kissed her head, bringing her closer to him.
"And" he whispered, "she told me that I had to watch out for you. What if I wasn't careful you'd get hurt. You'd die."
This time, Cal gulped.
"She said that if I cooperated, the three of us, Annabeth, you, and I, could live a good life, that she'd leave us alone."
"Percy." she touched his cheek, trying to get him to look at her, "Perce. Barnacle Brains. Light of My Life. I'm fine. I'm safe, and I know I'm safest with you."
Percy's eyes were dark. "I know, but-"
"But it sounded nice, I know," she whispered. "I agree. Living with you two, free of all of this." She looked out at the horizon."I'm so tired and I don't even know why."
Percy nodded. He kissed her temple.
"Get some sleep"
She nodded back.
━━━adventure time
.・゜゜・───・゜゜・