Annabeth grasped Percy's hand tighter. His grip was starting to fail and Annabeth could tell he was quickly losing his strength. "We have supplies back at our base Percy, you just need to hold out until then." An unwanted tear escaped the force of Annabeth's will and fell onto their joined hands. Percy looked up at her then, resigned to his fate. He wasn't even going to try to fight. God dammit! If he would just try Annabeth knew they could pull through this together like they always did. There had been situations worse than this she was sure. Annabeth couldn't think of one right now, but surely after all they had been through, this couldn't be it.

"You know this isn't something you can fix." Percy coughed up blood sending it splattering all over Annabeth's ripped and tattered jeans. He smiled weakly, "Sorry." His sea green eyes were dulled with pain as he fought to stay conscious, for her sake. Percy kept talking, "I want, no I need you to end this Annabeth. Put a bullet in me." Annabeth shook her head vehemently. She started to shake unable to hold back the flood of tears any longer. Percy lifted a shaky hand to her cheek and stroked his thumb across her skin. "Please Annabeth." He coughed again, "Annabeth remember what we promised each other."

She remembered. It was a couple days after they met and decided that as a team they stood a better chance of surviving. A close call with a large group of zombies had shaken up the two of them. They made a promise to each other that if things ever got to the point where there wasn't another way out, they would kill the other. Neither of them desired a fate where their last moments were being devoured by the undead. Annabeth shook her head again, "This is different. We didn't know each other then. I could never put a bullet in your head Percy." Her other hand reached up to steady his that was still resting on her face.

His green eyes sparked with a sudden flash of anger. "You're right this is different. I've been bitten Annabeth." She stifled a sob as he continued; "You need to kill me now before I'm not me anymore. Stop searching for an out, the only thing to do now is kill me and leave before you get overrun. I won't have you die because you're acting sentimental about me."

"Maybe the bite didn't penetrate deep enough, we won't know for sure until time passes." Annabeth knew she was grasping at straws. As much as she wanted to deny what had happened, she had seen it all in slow motion before her eyes. Percy had rushed to her aid when she made the stupid mistake of tripping and left an opening for the zombie to get through. While slicing through one on his left, Percy didn't notice the half decomposed woman stagger up and rip out half his side with her teeth. Although he had just received a deathly blow, Percy still managed to take her head off before he fell down himself.

It was because of her that Percy was dying. The stupid idiot still thought he had to protect her after all these months. She was perfectly capable of fending for herself and now she might have to. Unless, unless she found other humans still not bitten. Annabeth's mind went into overdrive; she could follow the rumors of a human compound north of the city. Surely they were working on some sort of cure. If there was such a place, first things first, she had to find a way to transport Percy. Glancing desperately around she saw a shopping cart stuck in the wreckage of a car. She stood up.

"Annabeth? Annabeth?" Percy sounded frightened. "What are you doing? Shoot me! YOU CAN'T HELP ME! FUCK! I DON'T WANT TO TURN INTO A ZOMBIE ANNABETH PLEASE." She looked down at the black haired boy she had come to love so much. His eyes were wide with fear as he strengthened his grip on her hand to keep her from leaving.

"I'm not letting you turn Percy, I'm getting that cart so we can try to find that human compound and a cure, together." She squeezed his hand then slipped hers out from it walking toward the cart.

"Are you crazy?! Those are just rumors Annabeth!" Percy pleaded with her, "What are you going to do with me once the bite takes over? What then? Keep me as a zombie pet? I won't live like that Annabeth, please just shoot me."

She turned around, tears still falling from her face, "I won't shoot you Percy, end of discussion."

Annabeth heard Percy sigh as he said, "Fine then I'll do it myself. Goodbye Annabeth, I love you." Before she could even shout at him to stop, Percy had taken her pistol that she had left at his side, stuck it in his mouth, and pulled the trigger.

For a while, Annabeth's brain couldn't register what had happened. She stared blankly at the bloody remains that used to be her boyfriends face. Then once it sank in, Annabeth fell to her knees and wailed. Almost every zombie in the vicinity heard her screams of anguish and started to move in on the grief stricken girl as she clung to Percy's blood soaked body.