Disclaimer: Own nothing, it all belongs to Rick Riordan
Summary: See, the problem with promises was that you had to keep them. ClarissexAnnabethxPiper inside. Mentions of PercyxReyna and JasonxNico. Yes, JasonxNico. Don't judge me.
Spoilers for the end of "Mark of Athena" and the start of "House of Hades."
The problem with promises:
What was the problem with promises? Why did it always feel like a death knell was tolling at the uttering of even so much as one small promise? Was making a promise supposed to feel like something that would unremittingly be broken?
Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena wasn't really sure she should have gotten into the relationship she did. But what was done was done. She knew now that if the thought even crossed her mind to split up with the daughter of Aphrodite or the daughter of Ares, it sure as Hades wouldn't happen. When she first got involved with Clarisse La Rue, when she had gone into Daedalus's labyrinth with Percy, Tyson and Grover and the daughter of Ares, refusing to let Annabeth go without her had followed to protect the blonde.
Her relationship with Piper McLean however was quite a bit newer. Not that it lacked any intensity at all. After Piper realized all she felt for Jason Grace had been lust, and when they, the other members of the legendary "Seven" and Clarisse (still refusing to leave Annabeth) had gone into Camp Jupiter, and Piper, wanting to be with Annabeth amidst the clash between the Romans and the Greeks, decided to offer her love to the blonde, afraid she'd never get the chance again.
At least Jason didn't take it too hard. His own current relationship with Nico di Angelo was quite happy as far as Annabeth could tell. Well, as happy as the Ghost King could get. Having Hazel, Reyna, Will Solace, the Stoll twins, Percy and of course Jason around helped.
Even to this day, Annabeth was still curious as to how Clarisse was able to share her with Piper. Not that she was ungrateful or anything, it was just a little confounding. She once tried to make sense of it by asking the daughter of Ares, the brunette had smirked and told her that she just wanted her girlfriend to be happy. Was that really so hard for Annabeth to comprehend? In response, Annabeth hadn't said anything, but yes, it was very hard for her to comprehend. As a child of the goddess of wisdom, she could deduce clues, riddles, problems and could strategize like no other apart from other children of Athena, but this she could not absorb without questioning. Vehemently. As long as she had known Clarisse, the brunette had always been very possessive of her. But she often put that out of her mind when she and her two girlfriends began their passionate lovemaking.
There was sometimes a fervent need when the three of them were together. Maybe it was the threat of an all out war between the two camps erupting, maybe it was the threat of Gaea and her army of Giants attacking, or it was just how much they loved each other, but their sex was always incredibly intense and fiery.
But reality was not lost on at least one of the three lovers. Annabeth knew what was coming. The oracle of Delphi had told her. The shell of the cadaver with cracked, thin papery skin a deep sickening green pallor, with its glowing disconcerting, spectral fulvous eyes and gaping wide black hole of a maw had been subtle, had been ominous, but the daughter of Athena, being the daughter of frigging Athena understood completely. One day, she was going to have to make a decision that would change the course of both camps and possibly Olympus itself forever. She didn't know how but she would have to make this decision soon. And then, Piper and Clarisse would have to let her go. The thought always brought a cold dreadful fear. It was even worse than any time she considered breaking up with Percy when she had been so sure that she loved the son of Poseidon (thankfully he had found his own soul mate in Reyna). It was even worse than when Luke, her dear protective friend and leader betrayed the camp. Piper; her heart, Clarisse; her soul, would have to depart from her so that she could save them and everyone else, even if the other two demigods couldn't accept it.
That was why she still hadn't told them. She didn't even want to think about how they'd react, if they could react at all to such information.
That was why whenever Piper came to her with a yellow rose, giving it to the blonde and reaching out, taking the other demigod's hand and kissing it lovingly, or whenever Clarisse sauntered towards her, gathering the smaller demigod into her arms and would kiss her forehead gently, smiling down at her as if she was the only person in this world that kept the daughter of Ares from going insane nearly made harsh swell of tears sting her eyes.
Fate was coming to consume them. They should all know this by now. Fate was not a maze of string spun by the three strange women of that name, no. Fate was a restrictive, suffocating, magnetic fist, drawing you into its grasp till you were in its palm, till the fingers closed in, crushing you in its possession, nails penetrating your flesh and muscles and soon your organs to go with it. All demigods should know this sad fact by now. Annabeth certainly did.
And that day, two days before everything changed completely for her and for Clarisse and Piper, she confronted the other two demigods, telling them to promise her that they would let her go, that they would let her make the choice she needed to make, to let her fall when needed. She knew that the responses would not be easy to see, but it didn't make it any better. Clarisse glared and growled, "What the hell are you talking about, Annabeth? What are you saying? You can't be serious."
Piper, if possible, was even worse. She just stared in disbelief at her lover, those beautiful dark eyes that Annabeth loved so much flickering with pain. But she knew she had to push past the remorse she felt burning below the surface. She had to do what was necessary. She told them to promise to let her go when the time came. She told them to promise on the River Styx that they would.
She got a promise from both of them, but not on the River Styx, much to Annabeth's chagrin. If they didn't swear on the River Styx, then there would be no penalty from the Fates if they broke that promise. Piper was no fool and regardless of what all the other campers said behind Clarisse's back, Annabeth knew the progeny of Ares wasn't either.
So Annabeth supposed she shouldn't be surprised when that day, when her quest to bring back the statue of Athena to repair the rift between the Roman camp and the Greek camp had succeeded and she was dangling on the cliff between the two huge split terrains of earth, the boiling, pitch black, malignant womb of Tartarus roiling below her, ready to swallow her up, wrecking her to shreds with torment embodied, and when she began to slip, her feet losing purchase on the dirt and rocks, instead of letting her go as the daughter of Aphrodite and the daughter of Ares had promised, they both grabbed hold of her arms, both of them grabbing one of her arm in a strong vice like grip, ignoring Annabeth's cries for them to go back to the Argo II where they would be safe, till they were pulled in as well, the three demigods succumbing to the dark might of the underworld.
As they descended, Annabeth's disparaging grey eyes stared at Clarisse and Piper. Being in an upside down position didn't make this situation any less dire. She felt the nausea hit in her agony. "Clarisse, Piper," She said, finally feeling the tears free themselves, "Why? You should have saved yourselves."
Clarisse closed her eyes and hugged Annabeth close to her as they careened downwards, wrapping her up against her armored chest in her strong arms. The daughter of Ares got her face close to Annabeth's ear as she whispered, her face possessing such understanding and affection that so many thought the daughter of Ares incapable of showing, "Shut up, wise girl. You thought we could give you up? Are you sure you're the daughter of Athena? You should have known that we couldn't. I love you." Piper somehow slid herself through the air, almost appearing as if she was a child of Jupiter instead of Aphrodite and embraced Annabeth from behind, startling the blonde. Piper said in a gentle tone, "That's why we couldn't keep our promise. We love you too much."
Annabeth felt a sob wrack her body and she buried her face in Clarisse's neck as they fell. If this was how it ended; with the three of them hurdling towards their doom in Tartarus, then now she knew she could deal with that. But Annabeth could make one promise to herself at least, before their fate was determined. She could promise that if she, Clarisse and Piper survived Tartarus, she'd never tell them to let her go again.
Besides, it wasn't like Piper and Clarisse would give her another option. So much for promises.