A/N: Okay, so this story is for the contest Once Upon A Time…And They Lived Happily Ever After. This idea got stuck in my head and I couldn't get it out. WARNING: This is a Percabeth breakup fic. If you don't want to read it, stop now. If you keep reading, I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJatO, Rick Riordan does.

Shattered Dreams

Like any other person, she had a lot of dreams that she hoped to fulfill one day. Becoming an architect, surviving until she was at least 50, but most importantly, building something permanent.

The only thing was she thought she had already fulfilled that dream.

Turns out she hadn't.

He was going to be her something permanent, that's what she thought.

She was in her apartement, ripping down every memory she had from him, slashing through the pictures, breaking things he got her, destroying everything related to him that lived there. She ran into her room, and messaged Piper. She would know what to do. She was a daughter of Aphrodite, and seriously, who better to help her with this than someone related to the love goddess herself? Annabeth whipped open her bottom drawer, where he had kept some of his clothes and started slashing through them with the knife. She couldn't believe he had done this. How could he have been so cruel?

She broke down. Couldn't take it anymore. She had held in all her tears for 20 minutes now, and they started flowing down her cheek like she was an unstoppable waterfall. She grabbed one of the shredded shirts and started wiping her tear streaked face, but threw it aside, because it only reminded her of him more. Just then, the doorbell rang, but she didn't have the strength to stand up and answer it. She was still a wreck, but she knew she'd have to get up. She walked to the door of the apartement, still bawling, not trying to keep it in at this point, because she knew once she saw Piper that the tears would just come down faster and faster. She opened the door, but didn't see her demigod friend. It was her neighbor, Mrs. Kensle, an elderly lady who lived in the building.

"My dear," Mrs. Kensley said, "what's wrong? You look like a mess."

"M-m-m-m-my," Annabeth stuttered through the tears that were still flowing, "bo-boy-boyfri-"

She couldn't bring herself to say it, fell on the floor and started crying again, loudly. She tried to keep it together, but she couldn't. Just then, Annabeth heard feet running down the hall, and saw Piper panting in the doorway.

"Annabeth," she wheezed, "What happened?"

"P-p-per-Percy, h-he-he br-r-bro-broke- he broke up with me!" Annabeth cried.

"Oh my gods, he didn't!" Piper yelled, just as shocked as Annabeth when she heard the news.

"He did," Annabeth told her, and dragged herself to the couch. The floor was becoming really uncomfortable for her.

"I'll make you some tea," Piper said.

Annabeth burst into tears and a few moments later, she felt a hand pat her shoulder reassuringly. She looked up and saw Mrs. Kensley, a look of concern washed over her face.

"My dear," she told her, "You mustn't dwell in the past. As hard as it may be, you have to try to forget about him."

"Impossible," Annabeth stifled through her tears.

"Why so?" Mrs. Kensley asked. This time, it was Piper who answered.

"They've been together since they were 16. Known each other since they were 12. I know true love when I see it, and they were definitely in love. What happened, I really don't know, I mean, they're perfect for each other."

"Oh, my dear, that must be devastating."

"Yeah," Annabeth told her, regaining her voice. "I just – I don't even know what lead him to make that descision. I mean, a week ago, we went to the Empire State Building together to visit the si- the top floor. I was meeting up with some people there, and Percy came with me. We were laughing and having fun, and… It's all gone now."

"Um," Piper said to Mrs. Kensley, "I'll take care of her, she'll be okay."

"Okay," Mrs. Kensley said, wished that Annabeth feel better and closed the door.

"Annabeth, what really happened last week?"

"Well," she told Piper, "Percy and I went to the Empire State Building because I needed to talk to Apollo about the statues on Olympus, and we ended up dancing in the throne room. We've been great until now. He just… doesn't want to be with me, I guess."

"I just can't believe he broke up with you. Oh he'll be hearing about this for a LONG time," Piper said. The whistle on the kettle blew and Piper stood up. "What kind of tea?"

"Blueberry Pomegranate," Annabeth told her.

"Okay!" Piper ran off to the kitchen to make the tea, coming back a few minutes later with two piping hot cups.

"Here you are, miss," Piper said, "One steaming cup of blueberry pomegranate tea. Just don't drink that in the underworld."

Annabeth smiled. Her first smile after the breakup. She took a slow sip of her tea, burning her tounge. Her mind drifted away from her, and she started thinking about Percy again. She tried to shake it, but she couldn't. the breakup scene kept replaying in her head like a broken record.

"Annabeth," Percy had told her, "We need to talk."

"Sure," she had said. She assumed that it was going to be about the spring formal at their college. He hadn't asked her yet, but assumed he would eventually. They were at their favorite hotspot, a Starbucks right beside Annabeth's apartment building. He had bought her a caramel macchiato, her favorite.

She took a sip, getting it all over her upper lip. She kissed him on the cheek, giving him a little coffee stain.

"Don't ya just love me?" Annabeth asked him. It was a rhetorical question, but he answered her with the most bitter word she had ever heard.

"No."

Annabeth was appaled, surprised and shocked. She expected him to say 'just kidding' and start laughing, but he stared at her, completely still.

"What?" Annabeth asked him.

"I don't love you, Annabeth. I'm sorry. I just think we've drifted away from each other. I think we should break up."

"Break up? But Percy-"

"I'm sorry Annabeth," and with that, he walked out of Starbucks, leaving her speechless.

Annabeth had dreamt of the day where the two of them were parents, married, even of them growing old together, and with one word he had made them shatter into nothing.

A/N: I really hope you enjoyed my story! R&R Please! Tell me what you thought!