Finally

Finally! Thought Percy as he ran down the hill directly to camp.

Gaea was defeated, and Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood had finally made peace. Leo was still looking for Calypso, and from his last message he was already in his way back, victorious. Jason, Frank and Reyna decided to visit Camp Jupiter to clear the praetor thing, Piper wasn't happy about this but Jason had promised to come back and stay a good time in Camp Half-Blood so you could say she was rather happy and impatient than sad and sullen.

Meanwhile Annabeth, Piper and Hazel decided to go relaxing to the beach and then maybe have a shooting contest. Percy in the other hand sprinted in full velocity to his oh so pretty cabin!

When he finally got there, someone was waiting for him, and boy she scared him. He was welcomed to his cabin with a hard slap in the face.

"Do you know how worried sick you had us Perseus Jackson?!"

Screamed Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus and former Hunter of Artemis, in his face scaring the living Hades out of him

"What…"

Percy started but was interrupted by a storm of hits coming from every direction leaving him not only with a sore cheek, but with a sore face, arms and stomach

"Do you know the Hades you made them go through Kelp Face?! Not only Annabeth and you poor mother suffered, but every guy that knows you?!"

At this Percy froze

Suffer? Nobody said anything about suffering thought Percy

"What do you mean Annabeth and my mother suffered?"

He asked ever so low, almost as whispering to himself, because of this Thalia didn't hear his question and proceeded to her greeting

"I missed you Kelp Face"

Thalia hugged Percy who was still glaring at the emptiness. When he was aware that Thalia was hugging him and not answering his question he grabbed her from her shoulders and growled while repeating his question

"What do you mean Annabeth and my mother suffered?!"

Thalia´s expression quickly changed from surprise to concern

"Well… I hope you didn't expect them be partying or something when you were lost now did you?"

"No… I guess no… but… suffering?"

He still didn't get why they suffered so much. Because of this Thalia was slightly annoyed.

"Well Kelp Face, your mother lost her only son, which she cares about more than herself for months without knowing if her son´s whereabouts, without knowing if he was alright or if he was dead, of course she suffered, I visited her once with Annabeth…"

She stopped and her expression changed from annoyed to one of saddens; Percy let go of her and stepped back motioning for her to go on. He needed to know what happened.

"Her usually calm self was… a mess Percy, her hair in a bun, her eyes red from crying, according to Paul she would cry every day and drowned herself in work, you know, min her novel… Both Annabeth and her where a total mess"

She admitted. Percy almost fainted when he heard that. He was already feeling like puking or something because of what Thalia told him of his poor mother suffering over him then Annabeth? He asked very low, barely audible, luckily Thalia did hear.

"How was Annabeth a mess?"

Thalia breathed heavily, remembering brought her pain.

"She was. A mess… when she discovered that you were gone she grabbed her dagger a backpack and set off to gods know where. The hunters were here so I could have followed her but I had to guide a search party in another place. 2 weeks later she came back, a broken leg and 3 major injuries. As soon as she healed she was about to set off again I convinced to stay the night in camp and that I would accompany her the next day, with permission of Artemis of curse. She passed the night in camp alright, but in your cabin, and she used one of your t-shirts to sleep…"

Now Percy was leaning to the wall for support. 3 mayor injuries? Broken leg? Slept with his shirt? This was too much for him.

"We set off and looked everywhere; you name it we were there. We asked everyone too, even some mortals, naiads… In every corner we encountered danger but she was like a robot, she just slayed them and kept going. 3 times or more we found ourselves in a dangerous position, luckily I was there and we made it out… I stayed by her side for 2 weeks… in that 2 weeks we went every. Single. Day to the Empire State to try and talk to the gods and squeeze them your location…"

She stifled a laugh

"I think the porter man came to hate us or something… we went with no luck… there was a time though were I had to drag her out of the place before she killed the porter man… Also, every Friday we would go to your mother´s and see her, the first time… the moment they laid eyes on each other they both broke down and started crying, Paul and I tried to calm them down, and no luck… the second time was the same…"

Now Percy could happily pass out if it weren't that he needed to know more.

"Eventually I went back to the hunt and continued working, but we always searched for you everywhere we went, when we came to rest a few days, and I saw Annabeth, she was paler, with bags under her eyes, hair wild she would only wear her armor or jeans and a t-shirt, always armed though. According to some campers, she would disappear every week for about 3 days and come back like the first time, only not with a broken leg or bone whatsoever. She wouldn't laugh…"

Percy was looking absent mindly the fountain behind Thalia. A "why?" escaped his lips. Thalia almost slapped him again for asking.

"Because she loves you Kelp Face!"

She shouted. Just that second Annabeth entered the cabin looking calmed.

"Hey Thals!"

She greeted. She couldn't make it to Thalia though, because Percy tackled her into a big bear hug. She was confused when she saw her boyfriend´s state so she glared at Thalia blaming her for Percy´s concern and pain.

"What did you told him?"

"The Hades you went through when he went missing"

Annabeth glare softened as she returned the hug.

"It's okay, Seaweed Brain, you are back, it's okay"

"It's not okay"

He mumbled into her hair

"I made you suffer it was my fault, I'm not letting you go again"

These for some reason made her remember the time when she was looking for Percy, alone and scared to find him dead, now he was finally hugging her. By the time she started stroking his hair she was crying out the relief of having him safe and sound in her arms. Percy heard her sobs and gently pulled her into a kiss, he whispered

"It´s okay, we are together"

She nodded as she rested her arms around his neck, while he had his arms around her waist. They were so absorbed with each other that they didn't notice when Thalia went out to tell Piper and Hazel what was going on with the two love birds. Back to Percy´s cabin he pulled away from the hug, Annabeth though didn't let him

"Please don't"

"I told you, I´m not planning on letting you go any time soon"

He just scooped her up and carried her bridal style to his bed where he placed her softly; he then lay down next to her. Both still hugging fell asleep with tears in their eyes, not of sadness no, of relief of being alive and together.

Later their nap was rudely interrupted by the Stoll brothers who decided to play a prank on Percy and Annabeth when they heard were where they, so they proceeded and tossed them a sack of flour. Percy chased them until the dinner hunk saved them. He returned to his cabin and managed to get all the flour of him and Annabeth before going to dinner.

True to his word Percy didn't let go of Annabeth´s hand for the rest of the week, he would only let her go went to have dinner or to go to the bathroom. If you are wondering, the nightmares let them share a bed. No funny thought. After that week still, he was always by her side. It wasn't until they had to return to school that they were separated for more than 8 hours, still they did homework together… why? Well obviously because they were finally together.