In the nearly eight months that Percy has been gone, I saw Sally almost every two weeks or so. Mainly because I think we're the two people who love him the most and for me personally it's hard to pretend like I don't miss him as much as I do. It's the only time I don't try to hold in my emotions. Most of the time we spent together was talking about him, and even when I cried I didn't mind it so much because she would, too. Sometimes Mr. Blofis as well. I may have become comfortable calling Sally by her first name, but not him yet.

School had only just finished for me, but it was nothing to be excited about. What I was excited about was the fact that Leo was almost done with the Argo II. There were only days left until we would be leaving, which meant there was only that much time left between Percy and I. At least I hoped.

I thought about how close I was to him as I walked the steps up to the Jackson-Blofis apartment. Sally and Mr. Blofis wanted to see me one last time before I left, and had even offered to drive me to camp, though I declined. As much I had enjoyed and needed their company, it could sometimes be too much. They were the closest thing to a family that I had outside camp, but it didn't feel right without Percy. Come to think of it, nothing did without him.

After ascending the last few stairs and walking to the right door, I set down my bags and knocked. They had invited me over for dinner, as tonight was to be my last night in the city before I left for camp. The bags were my things that weren't currently on the way back to my father's house, since returning students weren't allowed to leave their things at my boarding school.

My knocks were answered by muffled bustling on the other side of the door and the sound of locks being undone. Sally opened the door and beckoned me in while Mr. Blofis helped me bring my bags just inside their apartment. The smell of chocolate chip cookies filled the apartment and I smiled slightly. I knew they would be blue. Percy's favorite.

It didn't take long before Sally had dinner ready and we were seated around their small kitchen table. They asked me about school and about camp while we ate cookies but I could tell that they, especially Sally, were anxious to get Percy back, just like I was. Eventually we started talking about him, like we always did. Even though I had heard the story before, Sally told me about the first time she took Percy to Montauk.

That story was one of my favorites because it was just so consistent with the Percy I knew. She said that he had been so excited when he bounded into the water for the first time, and even though I hadn't been there, I smiled like I had. At least this time there were no tears and I was glad. There were too many emotions inside me threatening to surface and it was hard enough to keep my hands from shaking sometimes.

Once dinner was finished I helped Sally with the dishes while Mr. Blofis left the room. I think that trying to keep Sally together had worn him down and I was happy to give him a reprieve for a little while. None of this had been easy. There was something I wanted to ask before I left though, and it was drawing closer to the time I needed to leave.

"Sally," I started as I dried off a plate and placed it in a cupboard with the rest. She turned to look at me as she toweled her hands dry. "Would it be alright to pack some of Percy's clothes?" I asked once I turned around.

She smiled and nodded, placing the towel on the counter and asking me to follow her. We walked over to a closet where she took out a duffel bag and then I followed her into Percy's room. Over the past months I tried not to go in there as much as possible because it was hard to be somewhere that overwhelmingly felt like him. But there were times when I would break down and need to be in his room to feel some sort of connection to him. Now was one of this times, but I'd be damned if I was going to cry. It was time to get myself together.

Sally and I began going through the drawers in his dresser and piled up clothes on his bed. When we had compiled what we thought was enough, Sally packed everything into the duffel bag while I sat on his bed and looked around. I had seen his room before, but I still liked to look. My favorite part was his bedside table; he had placed a picture of us in a simple wooden frame sometime before his disappearance.

"Can you add this, too?" I asked Sally, having picked up the picture and extended it towards her.

"Sure," she said, smiling again and taking the photo from my hand. She placed it on top of everything else before zipping the bag shut. Just then Mr. Blofis appeared in the doorway.

"The cab's here," he said before walking towards the front door. I picked up Percy's bag and followed him with Sally behind me. He picked up my bags and she opened the door as I led the way downstairs. Once outside we loaded everything into the trunk of the cab and I turned to say my goodbyes to them both.

I turned to face Sally and was immediately engulfed in a hug. She was crying, and my eyes pricked, but I kept my own tears at bay; I had shed enough already.

"Bring him back, Annabeth. If anyone can, it's you. And please be safe." It was all I could do to nod and smile as she pulled away. Mr. Blofis watched us and as I turned to him, he smiled.

"Good luck," he said. At that I turned and got into the cab and gave the driver the address to Half-Blood Hill. I turned once more to look at Sally and Mr. Blofis and as we pulled away from the curb, I smiled and waved at them. With the last of our emotional evenings behind me, I turned to face forward. All I had to do was get through the next few days.