AN: This is for the Percy Jackson Ship Weeks, Week 1: Thalia and Luke. I had a lot of fun writing this.

Disclaimer: If I were Rick Riordan I wouldn't need to participate in ship weeks because I wouldn't need a way of coping with the end of MoA (the only reason anyone is really participating in this)... Not to mention that Leo would have a girl already

My head's pounding. My feet ache and I'm dying to lie down, but I know I can't stop. The monsters are gaining on us and my sword is gone, still buried in the head of a cyclopes a good mile back. The Camp is so close; Grover said that if we can get over that last hill we'll be safe. That last huge, steep, rocky hill, leading to a place that worships the damned gods. Then again… I'd rather stay there than with the monsters.

Right when I think I can't go any farther and I might as well let the monsters catch me, I hear a scream. Annabeth's scream. Turning around, I see she's tripped and her foot is bent at a disturbing angle. She tries to get up and can't – And the monsters are nearly on top of her. A hellhound hears her scream and starts in her direction. I'm running as fast as I can towards her, but the massive dog gets there first. Oh gods…

Suddenly Thalia's standing in between the beast and Annabeth, holding Aegius up. The dog shies away for a minute before growling and starting towards her again. She grabs its fur under the neck and uses it to fault up onto its back, where she starts hacking away at it with her knife. It's not much, but at least it's a distraction. She wraps her long legs around its neck to hold herself in place, and her tattered shirt is falling off one shoulder while she slashes at the hound, revealing her sunburned shoulder that's always been so tender…

I shake my head. Snap out of it Luke, there are monsters about to eat you, now is not the time to be admiring Thalia's sharp cheekbones and... Luke!

Grover took a minute to realize what was going on, but he finally turns and starts running over, playing something on his reed pipes. I don't know what it is or what it's supposed to do, and it doesn't even sound like music, but at least it draws some of the monsters away.

The pain in my feet and legs temporarily forgotten, I dash back down the hill to Annabeth and pick her up. She's clutching the knife I gave her, but she's shaking too badly to use it. Up close her foot looks worse, it's all swollen and covered in blood. She needs help, and fast. But my first priority is to get her to the Camp safely. I can't run as fast with the kid in my arms, but a quick glance over my shoulder tells me that Thalia and Grover are still stalling for us. I don't want to expect them to hold out long, just a few more seconds…

When I'm far enough away, I turn around and try to shout, "Thalia, Grover, come on!" I'm so tired and out of breath though, that all I can make is a hoarse rasping sound. Fortunately Annabeth – Clever little kid – Has the presence of mind to call to them. She screams their names until they turn around and start running up the hill again.

For a brief moment I think we've made it. As we get near the top of the hill I can see a large farmhouse or something… We're nearly safe.

That's when I stumble and… Oh gods… I drop Annabeth. She grunts as she lands on her side but knows not to scream. I can't believe I dropped her. Glancing over my shoulder, I see that the hellhound is nearly on us. I don't have time to pick her back up, and I'm not running off without her. I do the only thing I can think of. I hit the dirt and try to cover her body with mine. Hopefully the hellhound will go after me and give her time to get away. In the corner of my eye I see Grover running towards us. I just hope he gets Annabeth away safely…

That's when I hear Thalia shouting angrily. "Hey, filthy demons, over here! Come and get me!" What the Hades is she doing? Her back is against a tree, and they're starting to surround her. Grover goes to help her as I stagger to my feet and try to pick up Annabeth, but I'm too tired and my arms fail me. Her eyelids flicker and she's deathly pale from the blood loss. I try to pick her up again in vain. Thalia must see us, because she shouts again, but with less anger and more of something I rarely hear from her. Fear. "Grover, get Annabeth! Now!"

No. She's surrounded, she doesn't stand a chance against them all. She knows that. Grover looks torn for a moment then swallows and runs over to Annabeth. In that moment I hate him. I shouldn't, but I can't believe he'd leave Thalia all alone like that. Wonderful, strong, scared Thalia. Maybe Grover can't see it, but I know her well enough to read the fear in her eyes. She knows she'll die if something doesn't happen, and fast. I can't let that happen. Not to Thalia.

As soon as Grover has Annabeth in his arms safely and he starts to run back up the hill, I dash to Thalia. "Luke, no! You don't have a weapon, just… Just go! I'll hold them off!" Well she's crazy if she thinks for a minute that I'm leaving her alone to fend for herself like that. I grab a rock and struggle to get over to her, when I feel a hand on the back of my shirt dragging me away. I start to bash the arm of whatever monster grabbed me with the rock when I realize that it's Grover.

"Let me go! Thalia's out there!" I snarl. Who does he think he is? I look up and what I see just kills me. Thalia has a rusty sword in her shoulder, pinning her to a tree, while she slashes weakly at any monster that gets close. Can't he tell that she needs backup? I keep trying to get to her but Grover is dragging me away still. Ordinarily I could fight him off easily, but I'm weak and injured an exhausted.

The hellhound she was slashing up earlier to save Annabeth snarls and runs its claws down her leg. She curses and swings at it, but her shoulder is still pinned to a tree. I can't stand it, I have to get to her, have to save her now, before she gets hurt any worse. She's bleeding from thousands of wounds but she can still be saved, has to be…

Something hits me over the head and I stumble again, giving Grover time to shove me down the other side of the hill to safety. I try to shout Thalia's name, but no sound comes out. Weakly I force myself to my feet and start back towards her, just in time to see the hellhound clamp his fangs down on her shoulder. She screams in sheer agony, and this time I manage to shout one word. "No!"

Suddenly there's a blinding flash of light and I can't see anything. When my vision clears, Thalia is gone. In her place is a massive pine tree that I swear wasn't there a moment ago.

In sheer and utter exhaustion, I collapse, unable to stay on my feet any longer. I remember muttering her name, then the sound of shouting nearby, and nothing else before blacking out.

Sooo... Luke was a bit OOC, but he was hard to write. Let me know what you think, I love reviews! If enough people ask for it I might make a chapter two when Luke wakes up and finds out what happened to Thalia, then him struggling to understand it all