[three times percy almost dies and one time he does]

[ONE: That stupid fucking Minotaur. TWO: "Just because I won't sink doesn't mean I'll float. THREE: ...he was just waiting for her to get up, run, and leave. Or worse, get up, run, and leave him. ONE: "Hell, even Mr. D. cried."]

Pairing(s): Percabeth, hinted Frazel, Tratie, and PaulxSally

Word Count (including intro): 1,386

WARNINGS: Cussing (it's me, obiously there will be cussing), character death, maybe some trigger, but not anything serious.

Disclaimer/ AN: I don't own PJO. Sooo, this will be kinda depressing because, obviously from the title, Percy dies *GASP* SPOILERS! So, my parents made me watch Hawaii-Five-O with them and this dude was in N. Korea and he was all like "Tell my daughter that daddy loved her," and I was like "OMFG NO!" :O

I think that's enough back story so...STORAHH TIME!


"It's when you're acting selflessly that you are at your bravest."


ONE

That stupid fucking Minotaur.

He knows he should be sad that his mom is gone, and he is, it's just he's more mad than that.

He runs, jumps, ducts, anything, ti get to the Minotaur. That Gods damned naked Minotaur.

He manages to get onto it's rough, hairy back and grab onto it's horn. He slashes wildly with Anaklusmos, hoping he'll kill it.

Then he's falling. The horn broke off and as he falls, he manages to stab the sword into the Minotaur's chest.

He crouches into a huddled position and rolls into the dirt, only catching a glimpse of Grover's hairy goat legs before he passes out.


"Just because I won't sink doesn't mean I'll float"


TWO

The second time is when he's back from Tartarus.

He's cold and his lips are blue even though Hestia istrying to warm him up.

"Annabeth..." he mutters, teeth chattering as he tries to swallow. "Where is she?"

"Apollo is tending to her," she says. "She wasn't as lucky as you were, I guess."

Percy blinks away tears as Hestia throws a blanket over him.

He and Annabeth return to camp a few days later.

They look fine, and that's what people suppose they are.

But they're not fine.

So she decides they need to be somewhere where he was always comfortable; the lake.

She's in her grey two-piece, even though it shows her scars and bruises. He wears jeans.

And a turtle neck.

And sneakers.

And a jacket.

And a beanie.

All in hundred-degree weather.


"Come in Percy!" His friends coax. "It's fun! Nothing bad will happen!"

They don't know what happened to him.

He was taken by giants designed as the anti-Poseidon, and had no control over the water as they whipped him, and gagged him, and tortured him.

They make him strip to his underwear and he puts a toe in the water, shivering, even though it's warm.

Then they push him in.

He goes under, but somehow, he doesn't remember how to swim or control the water.

It's all gasps and tight lungs as he resurfaces, coughing up the somewhat-mucky lake water.

Jason and Leo are laughing. Frank is smiling. Hazel and Piper look a bit worried. Annabeth giggles.

"G-guys!" He spits out, flailing wildly, his breath ragged. "I-I can't sw-swim!"

"You're a son of Poseidon, Percy!" Leo exclaims. "Of course you can!"

Percy's lip quivers and stays in the middle of the lake, flailing and gasping for air as his head resurfaces and dunks, over and over.

"No, I can't."


Annabeth and Piper help him get out and everyone apologizes for pushing him in.

He can't swim.

He can't float.

He's just sinking.


"Is it the look in your eyes Or is it this dancing juice? Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you"


THREE

It's the day of Percy's and Annabeth's wedding, and if you thought they were freaking out, it was an understatement.

Annabeth paced and her heart raced as the door opened.

It was Percy.

"Oh my Gods!" She yelled, trying to cover herself up. "You're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding!"

He put his hands up in defense. "Hazel let me in." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her from the back.

She lay her head on his shoulder and she felt this tug in her chest.

She was crying.

"Wise Girl?" He asked and held her at arms length. "Why are you crying?"

He wished that he was the one crying, since Annabeth had always been better at the whole "comfort" thing.

Percy was panicking.

"Do you need me to get Hazel...?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Just wait." She muttered.

He didn't know anything about comforting girls. Sure, he was great with Annabeth, but it was their wedding day, and he was just waiting for her to get up, run, and leave.

Or, worse, get up, run, and leave him.

"Annabeth," He muttered. "Today's our wedding! Don't cry, Wise Girl."

She unwrapped her arms from his waist and stared up at his green eyes. They were glassy and she could tell he was hurt.

"Hey," she said, bringing up a hand to rest on his cheek as she pecked him on the lips. "I'm not going anywhere, Seaweed Brain. You're stuck with me, for life."

They both chuckled and she put a hand to his chest and pushed him towards the door. "Now, GET OUT! We'll get bad luck."


"Loyalty and friendship, which is to me, the same, created all the wealth I've ever thought I'd have."

-Ernie Banks


ONE

Percy always said that holding grudges would get you killed faster than any other fatal flaw, but he was starting to believe that wasn't true.

When you're twenty-eight with a pregnant wife and still living at a camp, it starts to get to you.

First Travis and Katie leave. Then, Travis's younger brother, Connor, went to grad-school.

Now, Nico was leaving; going to college in a few days. And he was a son of Hades.

But, then again, he could control death and sentence any monster or demigod into an eternal pain.

So, he and Annabeth moved out.

They got a small apartment and were just getting settled in when-

CRASH!

"Seriously?" He asked the Minotaur, who was naked. "Dude, I got a kid on the way and you come in naked!"

The Minotaur just huffed and growled.

"Annabeth, get to camp..." Percy muttered, uncapping Riptide.

"Percy, I can't just leave-" She was cut off by Percy crashing his lips to her.

"You're pregnant, Wise Girl. I understand about your rights and stuff, but you're pregnant," Percy grumbled. "Just go. If I don't make it-"

"No! You're not dying. We've been through Tartarus and wars and we haven't died. You're- you're not saying goodbye." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Just in case," He said and rested a hand on her stomach. "Tell little her that daddy loved her. So much, and I did this for you and her."

Annabeth nodded and ran.

Percy turned towards the Minotaur, sword in hand. "Let's dance, leather belt."


Word spread that the Great Hero of Olympus and Savior of the World, Percy Jackson, was dead.

Annabeth cried.

So did his mom and Paul.

And Poseidon.

And Chiron.

Hell, Mr.D. even cried.

All because one stupid, son of Poseidon wanted his wife and unborn kid to be safe.

"Percy was always a Seaweed Brain," Annabeth smiled sheepishly, the fire casting a shadow over her crying face as the shroud burned. "But, I never thought it'd get him killed... and by a Minotaur, one of the first monsters he fought, of all creatures."

They was a murmur of 'yeah' and 'uh-huh' as the Apollo kids began singing a song.

Maybe this was the hormones talking to Annabeth, or her conscience, but she heard the wind say something.

"I love you."

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