16.
Comfort
-•-

"Oh my god, you all came," Annabeth said, gasping at them.

"How could we not?" Rachel piped up and immediately rushed forward, tackling Annabeth in a hug. "You're our best friend, Annie."

Even though she felt like shit and was about to burst into tears at any moment, Annabeth gave a dry chuckle. "Don't call me, Annie," she said weakly. "Besides, who did all this?"

"Your boyfriend did," Piper said, who had tackled her into a hug too.

"B-boyfriend?" Annabeth knew they meant Percy but the words your boyfriend, Percy sounded so foreign to her. My boyfriend... She had to get used to saying that.

"The one and only," Percy said, his voice coming from behind her as he pushed off Rachel, who was still hugging Annabeth, and enveloped his girlfriend with a hug. "You needed to meet them. I knew it."

Their whole group went, "Aww!" as Annabeth blushed.

"How are you doing?" Thalia asked, for once sounding the most serious she had sounded probably in her entire life. She squeezed Annabeth's arm slightly.

"I don't know. It's sunk in...the fact that my m-mom is dead but I-I don't want to digest it," Annabeth replied, looking down at the hot chocolate that Hazel prepared in her hands.

"Athena was one fun mother," Rachel said, kneeling down to Annabeth. "We'll always miss her." She put her arm around Annabeth neck, sipping her hot chocolate.

"Yeah," Piper continued. "She was one of the people who shipped you and Percy."

"People shipped me and Percy?!" Annabeth exclaimed. Well...that's news right there...

"Well, duh," Rachel replied. "I mean, you were just so, so oblivious to the point where I wanted to make you both forcefully kiss each other. You were driving us mad, I'll tell you that."

"W-what?"

"And the tension, my gods," Reyna groaned. "Good hot chocolate, Haze! Anyways, there's an entire list of people who shipped you and Percy...I mean, Sally for a start, then Chiron-"

"Chiron?! Our Greek teacher Chiron?" Annabeth asked. "Were we so obvious about our feelings that even the teachers knew?!"

"No shit, Sherlock," Thalia said, leaning her head against Reyna's shoulder, who attempted to push her off. "I'm pretty sure Paul shipped you both, heck, even Tyson and Estelle might have."

"Oh my god. So me and Percy were the only ones really dumb?" Annabeth asked, smacking her hand against her forehead.

"Mmhm," Piper said as all the other girls nodded. "Y'all were really dumb. You may know a lot when it comes to tests, and school stuff but you didn't know a thing about love."

Annabeth shook her head in disbelief. "Um...this is weird. But thanks. For cheering me up, I really needed it."

"You're welcome," Rachel said, giving her a grin. "And...your mother, um, was she killed? Do you suspect anyone?"

"That's the point. It was very obviously a murder, her neck was slit. But, I don't have a particular person that I suspect. The thing is, my mom was successful. She had a lot of enemies who didn't like her growth so it could have been any one of them." Annabeth smiled sadly. "We've got to do investigations."

"You should check out the room where she was killed, you maybe able to find clues or things the murderer, or murderers, left behind," Reyna suggested.

"Yeah..." Annabeth sipped some more of her hot chocolate. "Me and Percy were planning to check out the place...maybe call for the police, or detectives. They can help us."

Piper held her mug with a look as if she was pondering on something. She gave a short gasp and looked up at Annabeth. "Percy told me the punch was spiked at Athena's birthday party, wasn't it?"

Annabeth nodded.

"They should have used that to their advantage. Did Athena seem drunk by any chance?" Thalia questioned.

"I...I don't remember anything from the night, you should ask Percy. He didn't drink much of the punch so he was sober. But me, well, not really," Annabeth replied. She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted out to Percy. "Hey! Was mom tipsy or seem drunk during the day of her birthday party?"

Percy turned to look at her and thought about the question. "Well, she did seem a little tipsy. She could've drunk more after we left," he answered.

"Um, there's your answer," Annabeth said, looking back to the girls. "Do you think a rival might have spiked the punch?"

"There are high chances. And they clearly used it to their advantage. It was perfect, her birthday party, spiked punch, and they must have attacked when everyone left..." Hazel said, slightly freaked out by the entire conversation. She shuddered. "I'm sorry, murders make me squeamish."

Annabeth gave a little smile and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "But who would have done it? No doubt, there must have been a spy."

"Any new people joined the company? It could have been any of them," Reyna asked.

"Well, not really, there weren't many people-wait," Annabeth stopped. She blinked her eyes. "There...there was Daphne..."

"Daphne?" Rachel repeated.

"Yeah, a new intern. But she seemed nice, I don't think it was her-" Ananbeth reasoned when Thalia cut her off.

"You can't trust anyone new," Thalia said, cautiously.

"That is true," Piper agreed with a subtle nod. "Anyone new is to be suspected. We don't have any proof that they mean well for the company when they just joined."

"I really don't know at this point. Everything's a blur. I'm confused and trying to take in everything surrounding me." Annabeth rubbed her temples and let out an exasperated sigh.

"It will get better," Rachel said.

"Do you want some more hot chocolate?" Hazel asked her, offering a mug filled with it. "It could help."

"Thanks, Hazel," Annabeth replied, taking the mug in her hands and flashing a grateful smile towards all the girls. "And Thanks to all of you, for being here."

Annabeth shifted in the bed. "Wake up, Wise Girl," a gentle voice chided. She turned again.

"I don't want to," she replied, pulling he comforter over her face.

Snatch! The comforter was gone and she was forced to open her eyes, squinting because of the sudden invasion of light. She groaned and glanced at Percy, who was beside her, slightly snickering.

"What's so funny?" She asked, annoyed.

"Nothing, it's just you look really cute when you're half-asleep," Percy said, continuing to laugh, his sea green eyes bright with amusement.

"Well, yay, I'm so flattered about that, and give me back the comforter," Annabeth said with a slurry pronunciation. "I want to sleep."

"Nope!" He exclaimed, putting her hand, which was reaching out for the comforter, down. "Get up, Wise Girl! Come on, get up, come on, get up!" He clapped his hands with a rhythm as if expecting for more singers to pop out and turn the scene into a musical.

"No."

"Mom's making blue chocolate chip cookies!" He cooed.

Annabeth sprung up, with wide eyes and an excited smile. "Yeah? She's really making blue chocolate chip cookies?" She asked.

"Nope, I lied to you."

The smile on her face vanished and was replaced by an angry scowl that made Percy confirm that shit was going down. "No, no, don't hit me!" he said, raising his hands in surrender.

Annabeth grabbed her pillow and smacked it against Percy's shoulder as he gave a very fake yelp. He took his own pillow and smacked Annabeth's hea dwith it. She laughed. After fighting with pillows for some time, Annabeth finally put her pillow down.

"Alright, that's enough," she said, breathing hard.

"So, you accept defeat?" Percy asked, smirking.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him. "No. Let us just say I decided that I need you around me for some more time, so I planned to not kill you," she said, with a little laugh at the ended.

He gave her a lopsided smile that made her heart melt. He slowly edged closer to her, pulling her chin gently. When they were about to kiss, Annabeth stopped him.

"No, not now. I just woke up, and we are not kissing when I have a bad breath," she said, pulling away with a smile. "Gods, I hate it when people do that. Also, you have drool on your cheek." She pointed to Percy.

Percy wiped it away with a groan. "Seriously? How did I literally not notice that?"

"Well, I mean, you are called Seaweed Brain for a reason and you very much drool when you sleep." She chuckled.

Annabeth got up and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and her hair. After that, she came back into the room to see Percy still sitting on their bed.

"What is it? Why haven't you gone downstairs yet?" She asked him as she tied her hair up in a ponytail.

"I'm waiting for my kiss," he replied, touching his lips with his index finger.

Annabeth laughed and walked towards him. She pulled his face towards them and pressed their lips together in a kiss. Then, she pulled away. She gave him a smile. "Happy?" She asked.

Percy gave her a nod. "Wow, do you smell like toothpaste," he remarked.

She laughed. "Alright, let's get going."

After eating some delicious blue pancakes made by Sally, Annabeth and Percy were getting ready to visit her mom's house.

"Ready?" Percy asked, getting his car's keys.

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I guess...I don't know, I'm just scared to see the place again," she said, looking at her fingers,

"Hey," He said, forcing her to look at him. "It's going to be alright, I'm here for you." He kissed her cheek.

"Thanks for being her for me, Percy," She said, clutching his hand.

Percy gave her that lopsided smile again. "Alright, let's go."

They walked to his car and he got in, switching on the ignition. Annabeth opened the car door, and slumped on the seat. After a slightly short drive to her mom's house, Percy stopped the car and switched off the ignition. He looked at her, as if asking Ready to go in there? Annabeth nodded. They got out from the car and walked towards the house.

Annabeth pulled out her key and pushed it in the keyhole then turned. The door unlocked and she opened it. A sense of deja vu from when she opened the door days ago to find out her mother was dead seemed to be around her. She tried to shake off the thought and intertwined her fingers with Percy's. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze and they walked in to her mother's house.

It still looked like how Annabeth had seen it when she came a while ago: scattered objects ranging from vases to throw pillows. That drop of blood was still there, quite dried but still there, reminding Annabeth of everything she wished she could forget.

"Fingerprints," Percy muttered. "We will have to check for fingerprints."

"But the knocked over objects will obviously have mom's fingerprints. Clearly whoever did this took a hold of her as she tried to run, hence scattering the things," Annabeth reasoned, but then nodded. "It's still safe to check."

"Up the stairs," Percy said as Annabeth tightened her grip on his hands. "It's okay, Annabeth. I'm here," he repeated.

She felt pathetic for being so needy as if she wanted help every two seconds. This wasn't her. She was Annabeth Chase and she didn't need to cling to someone, she wasn't this helpless. But she really wanted his comfort right now. No matter what her brain was saying, her heart wanted to hold his hand and sob into his chest.

She shakily walked up the stairs, Percy beside her. More drops of blood. On some steps and on the passage. She took in a breath as they walked to her mom's room. The door was still open from when she took her mom to the ambulance in a hurry. Percy gave a swift nod and they walked into the room. He began to survey things as Annabeth stood frozen at the blood spilled across the room. She felt her eyes beginning to well up as she tried to blink back her tears.

Not here. Not now. I don't want to cry. I really don't want to be so broken. Mother wouldn't like this. She wouldn't like me moping for her death.

So she tried, tried her very best to stay strong and look around for clues like what Percy was doing.

"Everything in here can be sent to check for fingerprints," Percy said, running his fingers on a drawer. He pulled it open and looked through its contents. "Um, Annabeth, you might want to see this..."

"What is it, Percy?" Annabeth asked, looking across her mother's desk.

"I found something."

Annabeth turned and walked towards him. It looked like he was holding a piece of paper, and it seemed like there was something written on it. "W-what is that?" She asked him.

"That's what I'm wondering," he replied and held the not out for her to see.

It was a note and words were drawled across. Not in a hurry, no, whoever wrote this took their time to make it legible. She took the note and read it. Just two sentences but it sent a chill down her spine for reasons she wasn't aware of.

'Athena is dead. Soon, everyone will fall one by one. Including you, Miss Chase and Mr Jackson. The Olympians will drown and we will emerge. Brace yourselves.'
~Titans

Well hello there!

A new chapter up, took me some time to write this because I wasn't sure on what to write! But it's here and that's all that matters.

If you are following me, you will know that an original book of mine is coming out soon so wait for it!

As you see, we got into some of the juicy stuff in this chapter. We will explore more pasts in the next.

(My thought process: how did this book go from basketball tournaments and school dramas to murders and whatnot?)

Nevertheless, hope you liked the little Percabeth moment. Aww, they are so cute, aren't they? And the drama! Oh gods, there's so much more coming up!

Till then, see you and thanks a lot for reading!
This was a long author's note and I will leave now.

Bye!
~Scarlet