I wiped the sweat of my brow and stood there panting. I had become a temporary war machine and had gone about killing monsters left, right and centre. As I stood there surveying the battlefield, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned back and saw my father standing there with a proud but tired expression on his face.

'Come son, it's time to go home.' Home. A place where I had not gone been in nearly a year. The place where my mom lived. Mom - a person whom I had not seen for a year, gods I missed her.

I must have conveyed my acceptance to my dad as he held my shoulder firmly and transported me to Olympus in New York. I just stood there not looking at anything particularly, when the other gods and goddesses flashed in with their kid(s). I looked up as Athena came in but to my shock and surprise, I didn't see Annabeth there. The direction of my thoughts changed when my dad flashed in with my mom. I must have looked a bloody sight, but my mom didn't care. She ran up to me and gave a crushing hug. When she pulled away, she didn't say anything. She just pulled me to a secluded area and sat down on a bench there all the while pulling me along. She then forced me to sit there next to her and pushed my face into her shoulder and then said, 'Let it out, Percy.'

I then succumbed to all the pain and heartache and let myself cry. She just sat there rubbing by back and speaking soothingly to me. I let her voice soothe all my worries. Somewhere in the middle, I felt another hand on back. When I looked up, I saw my dad. Something changed in that moment and I flung my arms around his waist and cried into chest. I didn't know why, but my tears refused to stop. Probably because I was letting out everything, I didn't know, but when my tears finally subsided, I felt strangely numb. But I was grateful for their support.

My dad then handed me a handkerchief. After cleansing my face with it, he steered me towards the courtroom, while my mom waited outside.

Inside the courtroom, I could feel the gazes of everyone there on me. Despite the heavy scrutiny, I stood there before all the gods and goddesses with an emotionless face.

'Settle down, settle down. First of all I want to say they I am extremely apologetic for closing Olympus. This was the major reason why everything lasted as long as it did.' Zeus said, leaving a gobsmacked audience. Never before had Zeus ever admitted to his wrongdoings. He probably didn't see our reactions as he continued on.

'This courtroom both in its Roman form and its Greek, realises the work of the demigods, without whom we would have long since gone. To bridge the distance between our children and us, I hereby declare that we should abolish the law that prevents us from seeing our children.' I was pretty sure that all of us were staring at Zeus with a surprised look on our faces. He then looked at us and realised our facial expressions. He said 'I don't know about the other gods, but I want to get to know my children. I want to be their father and not just summon them for a task let them finish it with little to no help.' This comment seemed to bring the other gods out of their stupor and they all nodded vigorously.

'Er, was this supposed to happen?' I asked, as I tried to get up using my broken arms to no avail. My dad came to help me up, but I think he caused more damage as I screamed in agony and my left arm was in his hand. My dad then concentrated and poured a gallon of water on me. The water helped me a lot as I could feel a lot of my minor wounds healing and my major wounds were slowly healing. This action of my dad made the other gods and goddesses realise that their children were also hurt, which made them jump up and heal their children. My dad slowly helped me heal by trickling water on my major wounds slowly and steadily. He even joined my arm together seamlessly. Slowly all the demigods were healed probably not fully but to a major extent. But my biggest wound was a gash from my right shoulder to my left hip, which when my dad tried to heal, it was all I could do to not scream in agony. Then I felt someone lift my head and place it on their lap. It was Nico. He then slipped his hand inside mine and said, 'Squeeze it as hard as you want. I am there for you.'

I had no choice but to take up his offer as the pain skyrocketed to an unimaginable level. I gripped his hand so hard that I think I even broke his fingers, but it was all lost in my haze of pain.

'Almost done, you're doing very well Percy.' my dad said. After about a couple seconds all the pain vanished but I was not in a position to do anything but fall unconscious.

'No son. Stay with me.' Was all I heard before I passed out.

I woke up with a blinding head ache. It was all I could do to not cry out in pain. I then felt someone supporting my body and pouring something down my throat. Liquid ambrosia, I realised. Once they were done, I didn't have the strength to be awake any longer. So I slipped back into oblivion when I felt someone kiss my temple.

The next time I woke up, I felt much better and much more coherent than before. I was even able to sit up straight on the bed. That was when I realised that I was in an unfamiliar place.

The walls were a light blue with the sea world painted on it. The ceiling was a light sea green shade, like my eyes. The furniture were all in various shades of blue and green. Right in front of me were two huge French windows, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. I looked outside to see Annabeth's architecture. So, I surmised that this was my father's palace on Olympus.

'No, Percy.' I jumped, startled. Hestia stood there with a small smile on her face.

'My lady, I am sorry. I didn't see you there.' I said.

She smiled and said,'It is alright. Even I would be thoroughly confused if I was waking up in an unfamiliar place. You've been out for two days, Percy. Many would be pleased to know that you've woken up, with your parents topping the list.'

'Is my mom here?' I asked with trepidation. Call me a kid, but I wanted my mom here. It's been a year since I had last seen her.

Apparently Hestia read my thoughts about her, as she smiled and walked out. My confusion lasted for about two seconds as I could hear the familiar footsteps of my mother. As soon as she entered the room and saw that I was awake, she came up to me and gave me a hug. I instantly felt at peace when I smelt the cookie dough on her. That was when I felt the tears on my shoulder where her face was buried.

'There, there mom. Relax I am alright.' I said. Obviously it didn't work out. But then again she was my mother. Mothers were always emotional. But later she finally stopped crying.

'So, where are the cookies?' I asked her. She gave me a watery smile and got out the cookies.

'Where's Annabeth?' I asked her. Though I could only see her back, I saw her stiffen. She then turned and walked up to me.

'Sweety' she said while ruffling my hair, 'I'm so sorry that I have to tell you the truth. She's dead.'

Two words. That's all it took to break me. All I could think of was the future which both of us had discussed about - a future which both of us will not have now. Though I was lost in a wave of memories, I was coherent enough to ask how she had died. The answer was even more unexpected.

'A pillar of the pantheon fell on her back and her spine cracked. She died instantly.' Said my mom. Her passion finally killed her. It became too much for me and I blacked out again.

When I woke up, it was dark. All the memories flooded me and it was all I could do to not breakdown. When I finally regulated my breath, I was able to see a silhouette in the shadows.

'Come out, Nico.' I told him tiredly. I could see dark bags under his eyes and he was thinner than what I remembered him being. But what struck me the oddest was his eyes. Those eyes did not belong in a sixteen year old's face. It looked as if he had seen things that no one should ever see. Now his eyes had a glazed look as if holding back tears and I could hear one word that he kept murmuring - Annie.

That was when it struck me that he had been very close to Annabeth. She was his first friend who helped him. In her own unique way, she helped him when he lost his sister. He then came to me and held my hand. I then said, 'Let it out, Nico.' He lost the battle with his tears then and cried in his hands. I then pulled him to my chest and let him cry. That was when I lost it too and cried with him for Annabeth. She was such an important part of my life. But now she was not there. It left a gaping hole in my heart. I had lost a friend, a person who understood me completely, a lover. But the cry was somehow cleansing. It made me realise that it was possible to move on. I may not have the relationship I had with Annabeth with anyone else, but I could definitely try. It made me feel stronger. Yes, I would have my dark moments but I had friends who would help me come out. I was shaken out of my thoughts when Nico moved away. He gave me an embarrassed but grateful look.

'Thanks,' he said. I waved my hand dismissively and said 'That's what friend do.'

Nope, we were no way better than the previous moment. But something inside me told me that we would be able to live without Annabeth. It would take time, years even. But it would be possible.