Hey. It's Vive here, and thank you for clicking on my story! This is the first fanfic I've ever written, and I hope that you will enjoy it. This is a Percabeth fic, and yes, it will progress a bit slowly. Sorry! Please keep in mind, this is an AllMortal!AU, and I apologize right now if my characters get a little OOC

DISCLAIMER!: I don't own PJO or HoO. Sorry lovelies, but I'm not Rick. ;)

"Annabeth?" he asked, his unruly hair blowing around his unreadable face. She felt something pang inside of her. She never thought that they would be where they were.

The morning's events came in a blur, something that she never wanted to touch again in her past. But it came. He was back, and he moved on.

"I'm getting married." he simply said, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Congratulations," she smiled what she hoped was a happy smile that a friend could offer, not the scornful sadness that she felt. "Who's the lucky girl?"

She regretted it. She didn't know why.

"Aurelia Park." There was a pause, a awkward silence that she desperately wanted to fill, but he got the message. "Hey, you want to sit somewhere?"

She glanced around her, looking at the busy streets of New York ."Yeah actually. Starbucks?"

Her heart fluttered with what happened next.

He smiled for what felt for the first time today, and all those fuzzy edges of his lopsided grin cleared up. "I could really do with a coffee right now. And I think we got some catching up to do."

Five minutes later, they were sitting in Starbucks, hands enclosed over the cups of the sloshy liquid, the warmth seeping into their hands on that cold morning.

"I thought you were in Australia?" She asked, not caring for small talk. She wanted answers. Right now. And from him.

"I was. But a spot opened up in New York, and I couldn't help myself. How was Greece, by the way?" The one question that she never wanted to answer.

"It was great, for that one day that I was there of course."

"You said you were staying there for, what, 6 years?" There was a slight darkening in his eyes, and she knew what was coming. His normally easy-going temper was flaring up. But she couldn't blame him.

"I was, that was the plan. But when I went, something happened. I couldn't stay there. So I left."

"And you didn't tell me for 4 years? You couldn't just take 10 minutes and call me with a 'Hey, guess what? I'm back,'. In 4 years?"

She felt a sad smile pull at her lips. "When's the wedding?"

"Annabe-"

"The wedding?"

"August 31st."

"5 months, huh?"

"Yeah,"

"How is she?"

"She's amazing. Nice, funny, a genius, and she's a marine biologist too. She knows me, better than most people. She's beautiful too. I couldn't think of anyone better than her. She's a family person too, you know? Two brothers, a sister, loving parents, and an extremely close friends. She likes our gang too, which, you know, is a plus,"

Everything that Annabeth wasn't. Apparently.

"When did you move back?"

"Two months ago,"

"And they know?" She didn't have to specify who.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to know. They didn't say that you were in town as well, so."

"Well, congrats. I gotta go now, but, I wish you all the best. And Aurelia too." She pushed back her chair, picking up her cup and sliding a $10 bill underneath. He stood up abruptly, accidentally spilling coffee all over his white shirt.

"Nice,"

"I know. Hey, can I get your number or something? You're my best friend, Wise Girl. If you could be at the wedding..."

"I don't know. My presence would be a bit unsettling. Maybe it's best if I just stayed out,"

"Aurelia would love it. Honestly,"

"We'll see Perce, we'll see." With that she walked out of his life. Forever, she hoped.

4 months later, and she got a phone call.

Percy Jackson, flashing on her screen.