Six Years Later

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Percy Jackson

Percy never wanted t come back to the gods he had avoided for all those years. Ever since he and Annabeth had separated he wanted to forget anything that had to do with Camp Half-blood. The monsters didn't come around anymore, he had a normal job, and like every divorced couple he and Annabeth had avoided speaking and had succeeded. They had "succeeded" for six years.

So why had Percy come back to Mount Olympus? Not very easily, but when your favourite satyr calls up after six years you usually agree to see him.

Percy pulled up in front of a smaller coffee shop about three blocks away from the Empire State Building. He stepped out of his Cadillac, a generous gift from his employers, and walked into the coffee shop.

He spotted Grover right away; he sat in the corner near a window, staring out on the small garden across the street. He wore jeans and a zip-up hoodie and wore a beanie to cover his tell-tale horns. The converse shoes he had been sporting since both he and Percy were twelve.

"Grover!" Percy said, smiling wide. Grover took his attention away from the garden and ran towards Percy taking him in a huge hug that nearly knocked the air out of his lungs. "Déjà-vu much?" Percy laughed. "No kidding, come and sit I've already ordered your coffee." Percy followed Grover over to the table.

"So how's it going, G-man?" Percy asked sitting down. "G-man?" Grover laughed, "I haven't heard that for years. Six years to be exact."

"I'd imagine, so how's Jupiter?" Grover smiled, "She's doing great, and she's pregnant, with twins." "Hormones on the rise?" Percy asked, Grover nodded, "Like you wouldn't believe."

"So Grover, what made you call. I mean I've missed you like crazy but this is all so random." Grover looked down, he was probably considering eating the chair, and he ate furniture when he got nervous. "I'd love to say it was because I found your number in my old back-pack or something but it's not." He took a deep breath, "I was just told some news about Annabeth, and I thought it was only fair because…" Percy held up his hand, "Grover, I've made it through six years without talking about her, don't ruin my record."

"But Percy, the divorce…" Percy stopped him again, "Please Grover, don't." "She did it for a reason, Percy. She…" "Grover!" "Percy!" It was quiet for a moment before Grover spoke up.

"She didn't want a divorce, Percy." He said quietly, "She never wanted a divorce." "Then why'd she do it?" Grover still spoke quietly, "To protect you."

Percy snorted, "Protect me from what, commitment? Or was she saving herself from it, Grover? She had no valid reason for that divorce, and you could never come up with one to make what she did right."

Grover still kept his calm and collected stature, "And Annabeth's dying for you was right, Percy?" Percy stared at Grover for a long moment, "She's dead?" Grover nodded, there was a tear running down his cheek, not abnormal for the emotional Satyr, but still alarming.

"What? How? Why?" Percy's voice was threatening to crack, and after a minute of silence from Grover he said, "Grover, what happened?"

Grover ran a hand trough his hair, "Hera's revenge took a deadlier approach after you two got married, after her car nearly got ran into the ocean she knew it was bad. And then when you nearly got burnt in that bar fire…" "That was Hera?" Grover nodded and continued.

"Se knew Hera would go after you if you two were still together. So she got the divorce and figured if Hera thought you were no longer in love, you'd be safe from Hera."

Percy was catching on, "And she was right." Grover nodded again, "But she took one other precaution, Percy." Percy put his face in his hands, he was pretty sure he was crying now, Percy Jackson crying, that was a first. "She took a mind-swipe, Percy. She forgot you, me, Camp Half-Blood, everything."

Percy felt a tear run down his face and saw it hit the tabletop, he gathered any composure he had left and said, "How do we know she's dead?" "Artemis performed the mind-wipe as a favour, but that meant she still kept tabs on Annabeth, it was less than three months before Annabeth was found dead in a hotel room not far from here. She died in her sleep, I'm so sorry Percy." By now Grover was withholding sobs, as Percy was.

"Where's she buried?" Percy asked, breaking the awqard silence. Grover picked up a napkin and wrote an address on it then handed to Percy, "I went to see her yesterday; she's near the back entrance."

At The Graveyard

Percy stood before Annabeth's grave, his eyes were wet, and he hadn't bothered to bring any tissue. All the motions he had gone through over coffee yesterday came back to him, anger, guilt, sadness, and so many more. "I probably sound like an idiot talking to a rock, but I like to think you can hear me. I'm sorry for thinking you left me for no good reason, Annabeth. I should've known better." He started to cough a little.

"I didn't really deserve it, you know, you saving me like that. And you out of anybody didn't deserve to die by the hands of some high and mighty god. We've lost a lot of people at the hands of the gods, Luke, Silena, Beckendorf, and I miss them all, but not nearly as much as I miss you."

"I wanted to have kids, Annabeth, buy a house on the beach and go on vacations and drive them to school and even change diapers. Do you know why I wanted to do all of that Annabeth? Because I could do it with you. Only you."

"I know you didn't remember me when you died, I know you didn't expect me to come and save you, but I should've, and I didn't."

Percy dropped to his knees as the tears started pouring down his face, "I'm sorry you're dead, and that I thought the worst, and I questioned, and I'm a horrible person Annabeth. I don't deserve you, I never have and I never will." He slammed his fist against the stone grave, and felt the warm trickling of blood down his arm. The moment he did, the unexpected happened.

An envelope appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Clearly, in Annabeth's writing it said 'Percy'. He picked up the envelope careful not to get any blood on it, and opened it.

Percy,

If you're reading this it means you've finally found me. I honestly have no idea when you're going to find this, maybe in one year maybe in twenty, who knows? Sorry it ended like this, but the gods just have to mess everything up for us, they wouldn't be doing they're job if they didn't. Percy, I didn't want to die, I wanted to have kids and go on trips and build amazing buildings.

I bet your wondering why I didn't arrange this to be sent to you right after I died, it was too risky. Hera would hint in on this whole plan and that would ruin the whole point of it. I love you Percy, and I'm so sorry I had to make you hate me to make you safe. It was horrible of me, and I hope you don't hold it against me.

I hope when you read this you're doing alright, have a good job, maybe seen Grover and Thalia again? Maybe even re-married? Which, by the way, I approve of completely. Artemis is calling for me; in a minute I'm going to forget everything.

Everything from my parents to camp to you. That's twenty-two years of information; I guess all that studying never really came in handy. What a waste of time, but life wasn't all studying for me, I think you know that. Ever since you came into my life it's been way more than that.

I've been kidnapped, stabbed, drowned, but you know what? It was worth it, because it was with you. And every time you saved me, and even thought right now you think you've failed to save me you haven't. You saved me the moment you took me on that quest, you saved me from myself.

Now do me a favour and live, Percy. And please don't try to bring me back. And try not to get yourself in trouble anytime soon, Seaweed Brain.

I love you

Your Wise Girl.