A/N: A little oneshot, where Percy and Annabeth reflect on their fall into Tartarus and other events. Big thanks to strnz for her Annabeth impression. She controls Annabeth in this story.

Annabeth was laying in the infirmary, currently passed out thanks to a helpful Hypnos kid. Percy wanted to thank him, but he couldn't leave Annabeth's side. Percy sighed and rested his forehead against Annabeth's, wishing he'd just thrown the stupid fight. More specifically, he realized he'd had the perfect opportunity in that cabin to talk to her about their experience. Hades, he'd even brought it up. But he'd let her change the topic, because he didn't want to upset her.

He'd rather it be him in this cot, him having the horrible experience she'd had. If he could, Percy would trade places with her in a heartbeat. Enter her mind and fight off all of these memories with Riptide. If only memories were tangible things, actual adversaries he could fight. He'd face those horrible creatures again and again, take on all of their curses tenfold, just to keep her safe.

A quiet voice interrupted his thoughts, "You really love her, don't you? I mean, it's a stupid question to ask, but in all of the countries I've seen, I've never seen anyone like the two of you."

Percy nodded slowly, careful not to disturb her, "She's everything to me, honestly. She was the first demigod I'd ever met. She fed some ambrosia when I first arrived, commented on how I drooled in my sleep. She came with me on my first quest despite still not being sure if she hated me or not. Then...she told me that I would be the first to know which it was.

"I almost lost her, once. My third year in camp. But I traveled all the way across the country and got hunted by these...weird skeleton things, and held up the sky for her. She was, at the time, crushing on Luke Castellan. She and Grover...they're my oldest friends. Annabeth is my other half, and that doesn't even begin to describe it.

"Since we were twelve, we've been close. Closer than I can say. Attached at the hip, sometimes. When I had to leave her to follow the Mark of Athena on her own...I couldn't stand it. I wanted to chase down that river god and force her to let me come along. When I was hanging onto the ledge in Italy, about to fall into Tartarus...I knew right then that I'd never leave her side again. Falling into Tartarus with her...without her with me, I wouldn't have made it, and I know she feels the same.

"We kept each other going, even managed to laugh a few times, in the heart of the worst place in existence. We laughed. I remember reading about these...these creatures that were the first humans. They had two heads, four arms, and four legs. The gods were so threatened by their power, that they split them up, all across the globe. Those creatures became humans, and those humans spent their entire lives trying to find their other half. Their soulmate. And that's what Annabeth is to me," Percy stared at Annabeth's face the whole time he spoke, stroking her hair and taking in her sleeping face. So peaceful...

Yeah, no thanks to you, Percy.

Percy looked over to the girl, and blushed a little. He hadn't meant to talk for so long.

"That may be why she kept her pain from you," she explained, "because she knew that you would react. I'm not saying that it was right, per day, but I think she was just trying to protect you. By what you say of her, it sounds as though she wouldn't have done anything that would cause you harm."

"She's stubborn. It's one of the things I love about her. During the Battle for Manhattan, Annabeth took a poisoned dagger for me. By the next day she was outfitted in armor and I woke up and banged my head on her shield. The look she had when she found out I took on the Curse of Achilles...or when I came back after being on Calypso's island for months...I came back as they were burning my shroud. I swear I never thought I'd see her so livid and happy in my life. It was like she wanted to run me through and kiss me while she did it. I turned down immortality for her, because I can't imagine life without her. Since we were twelve, I've been sure that I want her in my life forever. We'll be in our 90's, reciting our stories to our great-grandkids.

"Being a demigod is constant inconsistency, strife, struggle, and chaos, but Annabeth...she's the one constant. I never have to wonder if Annabeth will have my back. When I think of 'Percy Jackson,' all I can think about is 'Annabeth Chase.' And that...that's something I don't think I'll ever lose. Percy, me, just doesn't exist without Annabeth."

All of a sudden, he was back on that ledge, Annabeth clinging desperately to his hand.

Nico leaned over the edge of the chasm, thrusting out his hand, but he was much too far away to help. Hazel was yelling for the others, but even if they heard her over the chaos, they'd never make it in time.

Even so, Percy tried. He was barely able to maintain his grip, and knew he'd never be able to pull Annabeth up. His heart, pounding fiercely, stopped at Annabeth's words.

"Percy, let me go. You can't pull me up. Percy, let me go. You can't pull me up. Percy, let me go. You can't pull me up," her voice, barely a croak at this point, rung through his ears like someone was banging gongs. Annabeth...his Annabeth, telling him to let her go. He remembered almost letting go of her hand in shock, but he'd only tightened his grip, looking into her panicked eyes.

"Never." He looked up at Nico, and the look on the younger boy's face broke him even more. Desperation and...other emotions Percy couldn't place at the moment, "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"

Nico's eyes widened, and at this point, Percy couldn't hear the kid's voice anymore. Could barely hear his own. But Nico was going to protest, Percy knew. He and Annabeth were some of the only people that knew Nico and Bianca. But Percy couldn't leave Annabeth again.

"Lead them there! Promise me!" The words didn't even seem to come from his own mouth. He looked at Annabeth, her face gaunt and covered in tiny scratches, cobwebs dusting her hair, and realized she'd never been more beautiful.

"We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again." His voice was eerily calm, and he saw in her eyes that she agreed.

"As long as we're together."

Percy heard Nico and Hazel still screaming for help, saw Annabeth's eyes shift to stare at the sunlight. He realized his last vision of the sun would be halo'd around Nico's head, making the kid look like the angel he'd been called in the prophecy.

Then Percy let go of his tiny ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth plummeted into the endless darkness.

Percy's body felt like he was split in two, the entire time feeling his arms wrapped around Annabeth and hearing healer's voice, but that seemed like the memory, not the other way around. In the real world once more, he heard himself whisper, "We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again."

"As long as we're together," Annabeth immediately replied. She kept seeing the same exact memory behind her eyelids. She remembered what everything looked like, every word that was said, every person's expression. Of course she remembered what was said next. Her eyes moved up from the healer to Percy, her hand coming up to poke his cheek.