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Okay, another ThaliaXLuke. I can't seem to stop myself, I love this couple so much!!!! My fave couple ever, except for perhaps Ichiruki, ArtemisXHolly and ShikaIno. Well, this story is about Thalia's life after being a hunter, and she had to watch annabeth and percy grow old. What about Luke? Luke's dead, but there's a boy just like him. And of course Luke will be in the story, as a part of Thalia's dreams.


"Thalia, where are you going?" Jesselyn, daughter of Demeter asked curiously as I snuck out of tent.

"I'm going over at a friend's place," I replied, "Just for a mo',"

"Who?"

Okay. She was starting to irritate me, "It's none of your business," I snapped, and went out. Cold dawn air greeted me as I looked at the sky. The slight orange in the horizon stood out against the rest of the black sky. I put out the fire crackling in the middle of the camp, and with a deep breath, raced out of the woods, into the boundaries of the mortal world.

***

Was this the address? I racked my brains. I was at Boulevard Street 5, staring at a two-storey house with faded yellow paint and loose roofs. The last time I'd been here, the house certainly is cleaner.

How long have I been away? As a hunter, I often lose tracks of times. Time seems to pass… not exactly slowly, but as if there was no such thing called 'time' in the first place. After the last battle against Kronos, I had been away with the hunters, and when I visit Annabeth and Percy, they already had a baby girl, named after me. They apologized they couldn't invite me to the wedding cause they have no idea where the Hunters might be. The second time, the baby Thalia had been around ten years old. Third time, she's in high school, and Annabeth got a few wrinkles, and Percy… let's say his hair is not exactly black anymore.

This visit… is the fourth. How long was it, since the last time I saw them?

My heart thumped wildly as I opened the door, revealing a neat hallway. Just like I remembered them.

"Hello? Anyone here?" my voice echoed emptily. I walked slowly toward the living room.

"Thalia?" a familiar voice asked. Someone was sitting on the sofa. I started to smile and run toward the voice, "Annabeth?"

My smile froze.

Sitting on the crimson armchair was an old lady, around sixty or seventy years old. Her hair was almost all white, her face crinkled. I wouldn't have recognized her at all.

"Annabeth…" my voice cracked. This old woman… this old woman is my best-friend?

"Thalia! You came," she threw me a bony hug, and started to cry, "It had been decades,"

Guilt overtook me. What kind of a friend am I? Being with the hunters isn't a reason to neglect my friend. Annabeth pulled away and looked at me with teary eyes, and a smile tugged at the end of my lips. Her eyes… they were still the same as back then. A deep shade of gray; a little tired perhaps, but still the same.

"I'm sorry," I muttered awkwardly, "I don't know. I really don't know. Where's Percy?"

Silence. The answer was clear on her expression.

"Oh no… Percy's not…" I started, but Annabeth nodded sadly, "He passed away due to cancer two years ago, Thalia,"

No, no, no! I wanted to scream. This can't be happening.

It seems like yesterday, when Percy and I met at half blood hill; and when he and I walked together to mount tamalpais, or when Annabeth and I sat together at school. I stared at the old lady in front of me. There's no way time was this fast!

Percy's dead and I'm not even around???

I wanted to hit something. Probably the guy who invented immortality. It's not like I blame the hunters or anything, it was my choice, because of that stupid Luke but still… I never really realize this; that I'd have to watch my friends aged, and that someday, someday they'll leave me, and I'll be the only one alone from my generations.

"I'm really sorry," I told her, blinking hard.

This isn't fucking fair, I thought. Here I was, young and forever a day before sixteen, glorious in my immortality, while my best friend sat in front of me, nothing but a worn-out old woman.

"It's not your fault Thalia…" she began.

"It is!" my voice was shaking now, "Percy's dead, Annabeth and you're… you're, well, old. And I'm still fifteen!"

"It's okay, I'm not mad or anything," the old lady smiled, albeit a little sadly, "You joined the Hunters, and I refused. It was my choice, and I won't have my life in any other way,"

"Even if you're going to die alone? Old and alone?" my tone was incredulous. I knew it was harsh, but well, I wasn't known for being gentle.

"I said, I won't have it any other way. I had my share of life. Happy childhood and cool adventures with you and Luke" I flinched at the mention of my particular ex-best friend, "Married with Percy and have a nice daughter…" her grey eyes looked at me, "What else could I wish for?"

Immortality, I wanted to retort, but held my tongue.

She seemed to read my mind, though, "I'm not sad, at all. I had my life, and I love it. I won't exchange it for anything. Sometimes leading a mortal life is better than an immortal one," she said, "I know I'm missing real cool stuff by not joining the hunters, but I get to raise a child of my own, get to marry someone I love, and well, face life the way it's supposed to be,"

I touched her hand and shrugged, "Well, as long as you're happy… I just can't believe that Percy's…"

She smiled sadly,"I guess half-bloods died too."

"Yeah," I muttered, "…You don't regret anything in your life?"

She pursed her lips, her grey eyes sad and thoughtful, "Only one. That I couldn't spend my life alongside you and Luke,"

Her words were so bitter it surprised me.

"Oh," I said awkwardly, "But don't mind Luke. He's a traitor," He's also the reason I joined the Hunters. May curses follow him straight into the pit of tartarus.

"Well, it's my only one regret. That the three of us hadn't been able to reunite," she smiled sadly at me, "But otherwise than that, I'm perfectly content,"

Before I could reply, the door swung open.

"Grandma?" a boy's voice asked, "Are you ready yet? I'm going to take you to the doctor-"

He paused when he saw me, "Oh. Who's this?"

I was speechless, staring stupidly at the boy in the doorway. He was fourteen, I guessed, with messy sandy hair and blue eyes.

Suddenly she was fifty years ago in the past, ten years again, staring at those blue eyes of a boy that just saved her life, a sword in his hand.

Except those eyes belong to a very different boy.

"This is Thalia, the friend I told you about," Annabeth smiled at the young boy, "The one I named your mother to,"

"Oh," he said.

Annabeth turned toward me, "Thalia, met my grandson Jake,"

Grandson????

"Uh, hey," I said, shaking myself out of reverie. His blue eyes stared at me, then he smiled, "Nice to meet you, Thalia. You're a hunter, right?'

I nodded crisply, then turned toward Annabeth, "Well…so, I'll be off."

She looked kind of disappointed, as if she wanted me to stay a little bit longer, but I've got my reasons to go. Firstly, Lady artemis will be worried if I went for too long, secondly I'm the lieutenant so I need to be with the Hunters to take care of things, thirdly… well, Annabeth's grandson woke the memories I had been trying to bury for so long. Memories about a certain Kronos' puppet, the guy who had betrayed me.

"Lady Artemis will be needing me," I said softly, holding her bony hands, "And I'll visit you again,"

Her wrinkled face smiled, "Promise?" and for a moment, I saw the seven-year-old Annabeth she had once been, looking at me and Luke with those same puppy-eyed look. It makes me sad.

"I promise," I promised her, for the hundredth times. I remembered that time on top of half blood hill, when I told Luke and her I'd be holding the monster back and begged them to run. Annabeth had cried and made me promise that I'd be safe and come back and the three of us will stay together. A promise I hadn't been able to keep.

Then I smiled, waved her and her grandson a casual goodbye and returned to my hunters, with an aching feeling in my heart.

Luke... Annabeth...Percy

Reviews please, guys... ^^ I hope it's not too mushy, fluffy or corny, cuz Thalia isn't that kinda person. I try to capture Thalia's attitude, but dont know if I do it well. Criticism are accepted, just tell me what u think. Next chapter will be up soon.

-Rukichigo93