Annabeth remembers when she was a little kid, desperately waiting to be granted a quest, a chance to be the hero. Years passed, and it finally happened, but it wasn't her quest. No, it was Percy's quest. She was just the annoying tag-along that did most of the real work.

Then she did get her own quest, and it wasn't pretty. She was a hot mess. She remembers crying a lot and lashing out at people who just wanted to be there for her. Oh, well.

Then came along her quest to find the Mark of Athena, or famously dubbed by Percy, her "solo death quest." How promising. There were a few moments where she thought she was going to die, sure, but the worst had been after she completed the quest. What a fucking bitch she'd been, boasting about her win. Granted, it was an epic win, one that any demigod would be proud of, but you know what they say.

Pride comes before the fall.

So Annabeth doesn't really do the whole questing thing anymore.

When she gets out of the shower, she cracks open another mango White Claw. Where the hell did all the water go? And why do they only have the mango flavor? Now she has to take painkillers with the single worst flavor of hard seltzer. Something tells her that combination isn't something Doctor Will would approve of.

What Will doesn't know won't hurt him.

Each knock on the door is a direct hit to her skull.

"Goddammit, I'm coming!" she shouts.

And of course, looking stupid as ever in the same jeans from last night, a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up, and his Camp Half-Blood necklace is Percy fucking Jackson.

"Hey! Ready to go?" he asks. "I brought you a bagel."

Annabeth lets him in but doesn't shut the door. She doesn't want anybody making any assumptions. "Not quite."

She leaves Percy in the bedroom and scurries to the bathroom. There's no time for a full face of makeup, but she's looking pretty messed-up from last night. Dark bags carry the weight of her bloodshot eyes. That won't do. She may have been attacked last night, but she doesn't want to look like it.

"I can put butter on your bagel if you want," says Percy.

"I don't suppose you got any cream cheese?"

"Er, no. Sorry."

Well, shaky eyeliner and a buttered bagel are just the best she's going to get today. The worst part is that she's expecting things to only get worse from here.

Annabeth grabs the breakfast bag from Percy. "Let's get this show on the road."

They walk down the hall in silence. Wow, Percy's actually being smart for once, not talking to Annabeth without getting some caffeine in her. White Claw just doesn't hit the same way coffee does.

Percy stops in front of the elevator and pushes the 'down' button.

Annabeth clears her throat. "Stairs."

"But they play music in the elevator," he jokes.

"I don't do elevators."

"You did the other night when I brought you back from the club."

Did she? She doesn't remember. "We're taking the stairs."

Percy raises his arms in defense and follows her to the stairwell.

She speeds down the stairs, resisting the urge to slide down the banister like a character in a romantic comedy. Honestly? Annabeth feels like a character in a romantic comedy. She's literally traipsing around a hotel trying to save a wedding with her ex-boyfriend while her best friend hooks up with his ex-boyfriend.

Are they back together? She hopes they're not. Annabeth needs somebody to get drunk and be bitter with.

She steps into the lobby and surveys her surroundings. Piper waves at her frantically, and then wiggles her eyebrows when she notices Percy in tow.

Annabeth throws up her middle finger and takes a bite from her bagel. Jesus, that hurts. Maybe no biting into things this morning. She can't believe her piercings got infected, and it pisses her off that Will took them out, but at least her lip isn't the size of Texas anymore.

She hands the bagel to Percy. "I like everything bagels."

Percy mutters something under his breath but takes the blueberry bagel anyway.

The guys did a pretty nice job decorating the venue. So well, it's suspicious. Did Frank and Nico come back and fix all of Percy and Leo's mistakes?

Photos of Frank and Hazel border the entryway. It's a cute idea, but not cute enough to give Annabeth wedding fever. She's immune to that, Percy being her own kind of vaccination against it. That, and baby fever. Somehow, Percy's susceptibility to baby fever never rubbed off on Annabeth. If anything, it turned her off to the idea of having kids even more than she'd already been.

Speaking of, there's a photo of Frank and Hazel holding Leo's son, Jason. He's an infant in the photo, wearing Thomas The Tank Engine pajamas. What is it with Leo and trains?

Another photo is older; Frank and Hazel are teenagers dressed up for a prom. Annabeth remembers that prom. Well, not exactly; she wasn't there. That's actually her dress in the photo. She lent it to Hazel a year or two after the AHS senior prom with Percy. Why not? It was just sitting in Cabin 6, collecting dust. Hazel tried to give it back, but Annabeth wouldn't let her. It means more to Hazel now, anyways. She's the one marrying the guy with the matching tie.

"Is that your prom dress?" Percy asks.

"Looks better on her than it did on me."

Percy looks like he wants to say more on that subject, but he doesn't. Instead, he attempts some weak small talk: "So," he says "Do you like our handiwork? I helped pick some of the photos."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "Mhmm, and I bet you're the one that cut us out of this one?" She refers to a photo of them and their friends at one of the Argo II reunions they used to have. Everyone's paired off: Frank has an arm around Hazel, Jason's kissing Piper on the cheek. It's cute. At the end should be Percy and Annabeth, their faces covered in Piper's birthday cake, likely as a result of something stupid Percy did.

But the photo cuts off right after Jason and Piper. You can tell someone tampered with it; some of Piper's hair is chopped off too.

Percy scratches the back of his neck. "Frank wanted to keep it in, but we didn't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Annabeth makes her way up to the altar. "C'mon. We've got work to do. I fell through right around, uh..."

"You can't find it?" Percy asks.

"I can! I just don't want to fall back in," she says. Where is that trap door? It's been patched up since yesterday.

"You can't remember," Percy says. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Listen, you weren't down there!"

Percy startles her when he rips a long purple ribbon from a marble column. "Get over here. Now," he demands.

Annabeth smirks. "Now, you got me all wrong," she says making her way back over to Percy. "I may be a little kinky, but I have enough decency not to get into bondage right before my friends' wedding. And besides..." She lowers her voice. "You could never pull it off."

Percy turns red. "I... I was..."

"Forgetting that I'm in charge here?"

"No! I mean, I didn't mean to... Shit, just let me tie us together so we don't lose each other down there."

"It's so fun making you squirm. Don't ever change," Annabeth says. She takes the ribbon and tethers it through the belt loops on her maroon corduroy shorts, not letting her smirk drop, no matter how much her lip hurts.

Percy attaches the other end of the ribbon to his torso and spreads his arms. "Feel safe now?"

Annabeth tugs on the ribbon, causing Percy to lose his balance a little. Satisfied, she steps carefully back onto the altar. One foot at a time. She is not about to be pushed- or rather, pulled- around by her ex.

She presses her foot to the floor just behind the podium. That's where she fell in, isn't it?

She shifts her weight onto a loose floorboard. No dice.

"Shit," Annabeth swears.

"Are you sure this is where you fell in?" asks Percy.

Annabeth's starting to lose it. "No! I'm not sure! I was tripping balls shortly after I fell. How was your little minigolf outing?"

Percy folds his arms across his chest and scowls. It's an unfamiliar look on him. Annabeth knows better than anyone how to push his buttons, and she can't help but enjoy it a little.

"What's wrong? You feelin' a little guilty? I mean, don't worry about it. I only got kicked in the gut twice while you were, what, scoring a hole in one?" she teases.

Percy balls his fists. "Do you ever think that maybe you deserve to get kicked in the gut?"

"Twice," Annabeth corrects. "I got kicked in the gut twice-"

"No, I'm not done talking. This whole thing," he says as he gestures around the venue, "is absolutely ridiculous! I can't believe I actually fell for your crap! You know what I think? I don't think Hera or Pothos or anyone else is the one prophesied to screw up this wedding; I think it's you." Percy points for emphasis.

Annabeth tries to retort, but he stops her.

"The rest of us are here being supportive friends, and you're too busy getting drunk and high to engage! What in Hades is wrong with you? You're just as washed-up as I am! The only difference is that I'm still trying to help people, and you're just a... a..."

"Say it," says Annabeth. "I know what you're gonna say."

"You're a bitch!"

Annabeth takes a deep breath and shifts her weight to the side. The floor cracks slightly beneath her. "I was totally expecting something stronger than that, but okay. Yeah, I am a bitch, among other things. Want me to list them so you can write 'em down on a napkin?"

"Come on, Annabeth! You don't have to be like this; we can get you help-"

Annabeth's cackling like a madwoman now. She practically has to balance on one foot to keep herself from falling through the floor. "I'm sorry I'm not the delusional teenage girl that took a knife for you, gave her virginity to you, or fell into an abyss with you!"

Percy bites his bottom lip. He's probably realized that Annabeth's right.

"You know what?" Annabeth asks. "I'm sorry. C'mere." She holds her arms out for a hug. A hug.

Percy steps forward and obliges. It's familiar. Annabeth takes a moment to adjust to the saltwater scent in his skin, stronger than ever.

She tilts her head up, her lips brushing against Percy's ear as she speaks. "Let's try that falling into the abyss thing again, shall we?"

Annabeth jams her foot into the floor, cracking the boards. She and Percy's combined weight takes care of the rest, all according to plan.

Together, not once letting go of each other, Annabeth and Percy once again fall into darkness.