Set during Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer right before Annabeth bursts into the funeral home and talks to Magnus.

It's kind of sad and sort of a crossover but not really.

Annabeth knew it was dangerous and stupid and unnecessary. She also knew that she would only worry Percy and that she would probably make him explode the plumbing (again. He'd been doing this quite often since they'd defeated Gaia and come back from Tartarus. The housekeeper was already beginning to joke about a curse or a ghost.)

Yes, she knew it was stupid but as she sat there across the funeral home she just couldn't stop her fingers from dialing his number.

He picked up after the second time ringing. Annabeth breathed out in relief as she heard his familiar, bored and tired voice saying: "Jackson." For all she'd known there could've been a monster during the time she was away and that had eaten him.

"Hi, Seaweed Brain", Annabeth whispered around the lump in her throat.

"Annabeth?", he asked suddenly wide awake. "Did something happen? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine", Annabeth choked out. She could feel the tears starting to stream down her face. "Nothing – nothing happened."

There was a short silence at the other end of the line. Annabeth watched as a woman with a little child holding her hand passed her giving her a confused and pitying look. Annabeth couldn't blame her she must have looked pretty down, not having slept in two days or showered or changed her clothes.

"What's the matter?", Percy asked finally, his voice soft. "Tell me everything."

Annabeth almost smiled. Most of the time Percy was restless, full of unused energy, a serious, like really serious, case of ADHD but then somtimes he was the complete opposite. If he wanted to he could sit down and talk for hours about almost everything. It was one of the things Annabeth loved most about him, how he could change from a mighty warrior ready to save the world to a gentle, sweet and loving boyfriend.

"Magnus' dead", she answered silently.

"Oh", Percy said. He didn't say 'sorry' because he of all people understood how it was to lose someone. He knew that 'sorry' never helped.

"It's stupid", Annabeth argued suddenly furious with herself. "I haven't seen him in ages. I was seven when I talked to him for the last time. It's stupid to cry about a stranger."

She wiped away one of the silly tears but they just kept coming.

"But he's not just a stranger. He's family", Percy said, "and if I've learned anything in my life it's that family, no matter how distant or messed up, family always matters and affects you."

Annabeth grinned weakly through her tears.

"When have you become so wise, Seaweed Brain?"

"I learned from the best, Wise girl", he teased. "But don't worry, I'm not wiser than you."

"Nor will you ever be."

"No, probably not."

"Definitely not", she said.

He laughed quietly and she could almost see him sitting in front of her with that stupid smile upon his face that always either made her wanting to kiss him or to strangle him.

"There's something strange", Annabeth said hesitantly after a while.

"What do you mean?"

Another woman passed her arguing with her husband. Sometimes Annabeth wondered what it would be like to have a normal life without constantly worrying about the gods but then she would always stop herself, it was no use to waste time thinking about thing that could never be.

"This will sound totally crazy", Annabeth said, "but I think Magnus isn't really dead."

"Annabeth -"

"I know I've seen his body and all but – but I feel like he's out there somewhere, you know?"

"Annabeth -"

"I know it's crazy. People don't come back from the dead."

It was such a relief to get out what she'd been thinking about for the last few days that she almost missed it when Percy said: "Look, Annabeth. I'm not going to tell you it's impossible, gods of Olympus, I've seen enough impossible in my life to know everything's possible. But – but I don't want to get your hopes up, okay? You'll just be more disappointed."

Annabeth sighed. "Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you, t-", that's when she looked up.

Annabeth squinted her eyes, she had to be imagining it, it wasn't possible but there definitely was a shadow in the funeral home and it looked just like Magnus.

"I'm sorry, Percy. I have to go, I'll call you later."

She never heard him say: "What's happening?", she'd already hung up and hurried across the street.