Oh, wow. I wasn't expecting so many reviews. But don't stop! You guys made my day. Or, couple of days. I couldn't stop smiling.

Did anyone feel the need to keep tissues handy? I did, and that's kinda lame, cause I know what's gonna happen.

Someone commented on Hazels age. If you had read the AN at the beginning of the chapter, it would have cleared some stuff up. And, no, to someone else's review. Jason and Annabeth are most certainly NOT going to be a couple. That's just wrong.

Oh, I forgot, Merry Christmas! I can update quicker now, since I got a computer for Christmas! How awesome is that?!

Anyway, on with the story.

Title: Part Two- Grief
Main Characters: Annabeth Chase
Status: Continues from where Part One left off.

Annabeth POV

The tears were unstoppable. They poured down my face, the supply endless.

Jason stood straight, hard and unmovable as a Roman stone pillar. Misery was etched deep in the contours of his handsome face. He refused to openly cry, his Roman pride controlling him even in his moments of grief.

I had always doubted this son of Jupiter, questioned his loyalty to our cause. I regretted it profoundly. Jason had lost as much as I had in this war. We had something gravely in common now: we had both watched our friends, and our lovers, be murdered before our eyes.

I wanted him to share his grief, for him to share his grief with me. He still refused to look at me, instead choosing to stare at the empty, soggy field that bared no trace of evidence of the horrific massacre that had taken place less than twenty minutes ago.

I wanted Jason to give me the friendly comfort that I yearned for- I wanted him to give me a reassuring smile, or even just a sympathetic, empathetic glance to let me know that he was human. I wanted him to do what Percy- Percy. His name sent anguished chills through my body- would have done if he were still here.

But, no. Jason looked as cold and unforgiving as Zeus himself. The tears flowed silently, steadily. An endless waterfall, fed by the misery and anger and hatefulness of the injustice of the cruel Fates.

Everything I loved had been destroyed. And it all came down to one word.

Percy.

His name conjured up a thousand memories and emotions within me.

I choked on another round of relentless sobbing.

I wished I could have maintained an expressionless face, like Jason's- stone hard, free of emotion, his eyes glassy and lifeless.

I would have rathered to mourn in private.

We slowly trudged back to our battered war ship. The Argo II had certainly seen better days. It was leaning badly to starboard. The sails were tattered and ripped, the pale material fluttering in the chilling drafts of cold air like deathly white ghosts, silently howling their grief.

The celestial bronze hull was damaged beyond repair, sporting all kinds of burns, holes (therefore disenabling it to travel via sea) and remaining monster slime. Leo would have been devastated to witness what his beautiful ship, his work of art, had become.

I didn't want to board that thing again. It looked like a ghost ship, groaning and creaking, the sky dark with black storm clouds, the ground wet and muddy, water running in trails down the slight slope.

My companion wasn't helping matters either, silent and sullen as he was. He walked like there was a pole stuck up his ass, his back straight, chin thrust forward. His face was unreadable. I reluctantly followed him onto the ship.

Sadness hung heavy in the air as I navigated the dim hallways towards my cabin. The lights flickered on, one wavery bulb by one. I had a strange feeling, like somehow, I wasn't alone in the empty hallways. Like… like the ghosts of my lost friends were still lurking, haunting me.

You let us die! They screamed at me. We died and yet you still live! The hairs on the back of my neck rose, and my hand subconsciously grasped the hilt of my bronze knife.

I reached my cabin and pushed the door open, the hinges squeaking ominously. I slumped down on my bed, burying my face in my pillow.

I wanted Percy.

I got up, walked to his cabin, and kicked open the door, scared to touch something that he had touched so recently. A waft of stale, stagnant air hit me in the face. I wrinkled my nose. It already smelled like he hadn't been here for a while. I breathed deeply, once again fighting a losing battle with the tears.

Glancing around his messy cabin, seeing all his possessions that he would never return to, stirred melancholy and wistful feelings inside of me.

I sat down on his bed, and grabbed his pillow, hugging it to my chest, it smelled like him- salty and refreshing.

I inhaled the comforting scent and was about to lay down on his bed when I noticed the collection of pictures on his desk.

One of them caught my eye immediately. I walked over to inspect it.

It was of us- the day the Titan War ended almost three years ago. We were sitting, talking at the mess hall, stuffing blue cake into our mouths, leaning forward, just about to kiss, the sun sinking below the horizon.

I don't remember the actual photo being taken, but I do remember seeing it pinned to the camp's billboard the next day, embarrassing the crap out of Percy and I. Percy had quickly snatched the photo off the billboard and shoved it in his pocket.

I stared at that photo depicting the deep, pure love that Percy and I had shared.

Before the heartbreak overwhelmed me, I moved on to the next photo.

The next photo on his desk was of me. That alone was enough to make me bite my lip, which tasted salty from the tears. The salt reminded me painfully of P- of him.

I studied the photo. I dimly remembered it being taken: me posing, the flash of the camera- it was when my dad took me on a vacation to Washington D.C- oh, gosh. I actually do remember. It was about six years ago, and I was posing in front of the Lincoln Memorial, grinning like I'd personally designed it. Oh my gods, he kept that photo? I looked like a total doof, what with my hair tucked into a sky blue bandana.

It was sweet that he'd saved the photo though, after I sent it to him through the mail.

The last photo was really blurry- hard to make out any people. As I picked the photo up and squinted at it, I eventually distinguished Thalia, Grover, me – I soon realised that it was of all the senior counsellors sitting around the ping pong table in Camp Half- Blood's rec room, during one of those informal war meetings we used to have before the summer of the Titan War.

Grover was carrying a tray of crackers and Cheese Whiz.

Thalia had an arrow notched (I couldn't see who at. Probably Percy), and a murderous look in her eye as if to say, "You take one step and I kill you."

Then there was Percy himself, caught with a very unflattering expression on his face – it seemed he was just turning to face the photographer as the picture was taken. His mouth was half open, eyes squinted and hands splayed in front of his face. I almost cracked a smile until I remembered why I was even in his cabin. I bit my lip and continued studying the photo.

I saw Silena Beauregard, who was in the motion of reaching for Charles Beckendorf's hand.

Katie Gardner was sending a furious glare towards the Stoll brothers, who looked like they were in the process of placing some sort of green stuff in Will Solace's blond hair. No surprise there, Katie had always despised the Stoll brothers and their silly antics.

Next to Katie was Clarrise la Rue, who was turning a blind eye towards everything that was happening in the war counsel while polishing her knife.

At the head of the table was Chiron, who posed an amused but slightly annoyed expression on his face.

Seeing all my friends so carefree and happy, even in times of great stress, made a pang of loneliness and longing shoot through me. I so desperately needed to feel Percy's arms around me, hear his voice telling me he loves me one last time.

I forced my eyes to look at me in the picture. What had I been thinking at that moment? I was looking at Percy, while in the action of laughing. Probably him being his usual Seaweed Brained self.

I now remembered when this picture had been taken. It was about a week before Beckendorf had been blown up on the Princess Andromeda mission.

I could feel myself snapping again. It was like my physical body was slowly being unravelled, and the inside was hollow. I broke down into tears. "Percy!" I screamed into his pillow. "Why? Why?" I sat up and looked around wildly. My gaze settled on my bronze knife, which I had subconsciously brought with me to Percy's cabin.

There was a way to get back to him. All it would take was an ounce of courage.

I got to the point where the tip of my blade was pressed to the inside crease of my wrist. My vision was blurred through the tears.

"Annabeth!" I looked up to see a boy standing at the doorway of Percy's cabin.

"Percy?" I asked hopefully, my voice so small and pitiful that I winced.

"No, it's Jason. Jason Grace. Are you okay?" Does it look like I'm okay, Jason- who-the-fuck-are-you- Grace? I screamed silently. My heart fell as the boy approached. His hair was blond and neatly trimmed. He was stocky and muscular, neither slender nor lean.

Emotions swelled up inside of me that yearned to be released.

I tried to breathe deeply to calm myself. However, my plan failed when Jason's cold fingers touched me. I screamed, jerking wildly, and the blade, which was still pressed to my wrist, slashed. Pain brought me back to reality.

I saw bright bursts of colour explode like fireworks, a collage of rainbows, before whimpering under my breath and focusing on Jason. He was staring down at me warily. Blood seeped from the slash on my wrist and trickled into my lap, staining my favourite jeans.

"Annabeth," Jason said carefully, speaking slowly and softly like he was afraid I was going mental. "I was trying to start the ship so that we can depart to Camp Half- Blood, but I can't find the 'on' switch." This remark reminded me painfully of super- hyper Leo.

"There is no simple 'on' switch." I said, my voice hollow. "You have to flick all the switches on the right leader board upwards, press the 'up' button on the Wii remote three times, then on a touch screen that will retract from the dash, you have to select 'flight mode'. To raise the sails, wave the Wii remote in circles until they are at the height you wish. Leo," a stab of pain flashed across Jason's face, "Made it really complicated so that the ship couldn't be hijacked easily."

Jason nodded, then glanced down at the bloody cut on my wrist. "Would you like some ambrosia?" he asked cautiously. I looked down at the cut it appeared to be worse than it really was.

I shrugged, bitterness eating up my insides. "Doesn't matter, not when some of us are dead." The word hung heavy in the air. Jason looked down. I knew he was trying to hide his tears. His shoulders shook.

Once he'd gained control of himself, he straightened out and glared at me. "I promised your boyfriend I would look after you!"

"Yeah, well, he's dead. Your oath dies with him." As I said that, the last line of the prophecy flashed through my mind. An oath to keep with a final breath. My fists clenched. So that was the Great Prophecy completed.

I got up and stormed out the door, yet another memory of Percy filling my mind. Luke Castellan had said exactly the same thing I had said to Jason to Percy when Percy had killed his immortal half- brother Antaeus in Daedalus's Labyrinth.

"What, so you're not going to fulfil his last wish of you?" Jason asked incredulously, following me out into the hallway.

I stopped, staring at the wall ahead of me, refusing to look back. "I never said that. My point was that you're not obliged to take care of me. I'm in perfectly capable hands already. My own." I heard his disbelieving snort, but I kept walking.

I made it to top deck. The cool night breeze cleared my head of cloudiness. The slash on my wrist stung slightly as the wind hit it.

I walked to the controls panel. Festus turned towards me, creaking and moaning. I didn't speak machine, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was expressing his sorrow over Leo's death.

I patted the metal figurehead. "I know, buddy," I said sadly, beginning the process of turning the ship on. "I know."


Jason's POV

Piper. Beautiful, brave, insecure Piper. I wanted to howl, to wail, to shriek to the heavens. "How could you take away the only thing that I love in this world?" I wanted to scream to my dad, and all those other morons up there who let my one true love die.

The injustice of the situation was sickening.

So many people (or goats) gone. Hazel. Leo. Percy. Frank. Nico. Coach Hedge. Piper.

I clenched my jaw, turning away from those prying, sorrowful, questioning grey eyes that probed me, searched my soul, looked for answers that I was unwilling to give.

I just wanted to be alone. I knew I could trust Annabeth, but only to a certain degree. We were of completely different origins.

If you looked at the godly DNA side of it, I was, like, her great half uncle or something like that, which made no sense because I was a year younger than her.

Confusing? Baffling? Mind blowing? Hell yeah.

While Annabeth was turning on the ship, I laid down stomach first on my bed and closed my eyes, breathing slowly and deeply. My heart felt heavy and it thudded, agonizingly slow. Soon, the drone of the ship's engine as it was powered up, my pounding brain- soon, it all came rushing to my head and I blacked out with one last thought on my mind: Piper.


Annabeth's POV

After I had been navigating for about five hours, flying about a hundred metres above the Mare Nostrum, Jason appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes, his usually neat hair wild. He must have been really exhausted to sleep for that long when so much had happened today, and this close to the sea.

I turned back to the wheel and continued to lean against it, staring out at the beautiful ocean, the dim light the moon cast over the water, the shadows in the swell as waves coiled and writhed like snakes.

"Hey," Jason said softly, walking up behind me. He laid a hand on my shoulder. I flinched. He quickly lifted his hand. I ignored him, instead staring out at the water. "Annabeth," he said, a little firmer.

"What?" I snapped, wincing at the croak in my voice.

"I'll take over. You need rest."

The longing for a nice, long sleep in a warm bed made my limbs feel weak and floppy like jelly.

"No." I said without thinking. I focused more intently on the ocean, even imagining I could see the green of Percy's eyes in the depths of his father's territory.

Jason pushed me off the wheel, obstructing my view of the water.

"Hey!" I frowned indignantly.

Jason pushed me towards the stairs. I stumbled and he caught me. "Annabeth," he said sternly. "Sleep."

I grunted and wriggled out of his grip, rolling my eyes at his Roman sense of responsibility. I resisted the urge to mention the fact that I'm older than him, therefore I should be ordering him around. But I didn't have the energy to argue. I gritted my teeth and mumbled, "Wake me at sunrise." Jason nodded and I retreated to the hallways, making my way to my cabin.

Some unseen force took over my limbs, and before I knew it, I was settling down in Percy's bed. I rolled over and pulled his blanket over me when a voice said, "Daughter of Athena."

I groaned and sat up, rubbing my eyes to see through the dimness. "Hello? Who is that?" My eyes strained against the darkness.

I suddenly noticed the tall, dark haired man looming above me. I gasped and pushed back against the wall.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

The man chuckled, and my heart thudded painfully in my chest. That laugh… so familiar… I knew who this man was immediately.

"Lord Poseidon." I breathed.

The man's arrogant air seemed to crumble then. He sat on the edge of the mattress, his shoulders slumped.

"Please tell me, Annabeth. Is it true?" he asked, turning to me. His dark green eyes glowed softly.

Of course I knew what he was talking about. "I'm sorry." I whispered. "But your son_"

Poseidon's head dropped. "I just needed to make sure before I created a shroud worthy of a great hero," he said softly.

And then I was crying again. I tried to wipe at the tears, to no avail. I sniffed, and said, "I'm so sorry, My Lord, I just_"

"My dear girl. You may cry in my presence. I understand your relationship with my son was… quite- serious?"

I sniffled. Was. "He- he sacrificed himself to- to save me!" I sobbed. I froze when I suddenly felt Poseidon's arms wind around me. Was this man- this god, the rival of my mother, actually trying to comfort me?

But I didn't care. I needed some fatherly comfort, the type of comfort my own father had never spared for me. I buried my head in the sea Lord's muscular chest. Percy and his father were so alike, that I even thought for a minute that this man was my boyfriend. I pursed my lips ready for a reassuring kiss, when he pulled away, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

I pulled back and gasped under my breath, probably blushing furiously. Had I been about to kiss a god? Oh, gods…

"Um," I muttered. "Uh, thanks." I fiddled with my duvet slip.

Poseidon stood up, and I scrambled to hop off my bed and bow before he blasted me to ashes for being so bold. I shivered when I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Annabeth. Look at me." I couldn't disobey that voice. I looked up.

Poseidon's eyes, though dark with grief, were kind. How could this kind god ever have kept a feud going with my mother? He was being so good to me, when he ought to hate me for getting involved with his son.

"Yes, My Lord?" I murmured.

Poseidon's hand tightened on my shoulder. "You are going to keep your promise, aren't you?" And then the god shimmered into nonexistence, leaving a salty breeze and a red coral pendant. I gasped, reaching down to pick it up. I had thought I would never see it again. Percy had brought it from the bottom of the sea for me. It had been attached to my camp bead necklace, and while I was in Tartarus, the red piece of coral had gotten caught on a spire of rock as Percy and I were escaping from a hoard of monsters. I had never got it back.

I fell asleep cradling the red coral pendant to my heart, where I would wear it next to Percy's costume ring as a reminder of my lost love.


It took a total of two weeks to reach Long Island. As the Argo II pulled into Camp Half- Blood, it seemed the whole camp was assembled at the base of the ship. The gangplank lowered, and Jason and I began the descent to the ground. The camp cheered.

Chiron held up his hand for silence, but the gathered demigods, satyrs and nymphs still continued to scream their joy at the fact that Jason and I had returned. Chiron trotted forwards, the smile on his face beginning to morph into confusion. "Annabeth, my dear!" Chiron embraced me. "How you've grown in the last two years!" He turned to Jason. "And, Jason! What a pleasure. But where_?"

I shook my head, tears beginning to fall of their own will. The camp fell silent by their own accord. "Chiron," I began, my voice strained. "The others- the others, well_" Jason put his hand on my shoulder as I began to sob. I couldn't meet anyone's eyes.

"Chiron," Jason said, his voice dry and cracking. "Annabeth and I are all that are left."

Chiron stood frozen. "Percy…?"

I shook my head again, unable to do anything else. Tears flew from my face, and I started to run, pushing through the mobs of people. I heard my name being called, but I didn't care. I entered the bathroom and gripped the sink, staring into my reflected eyes in the mirror. I bent my head and spat mucus down the plug hole, unable to let go of the vanity. My knees trembled.

"Annabeth?" a soft voice asked. My fingers went white with strain. "Annabeth, it's Thalia."

Thalia? I looked up into the mirror, and in the reflection, I saw the black haired Huntress standing, a gentle look in her electric blue eyes.

"Thalia!" I flung myself at her and hugged her hard. I was now the same height as her. It was weird to know that I was now four years older than her, her being fifteen and me being nineteen. She had always been my elder, and much, much taller than me.

"Annabeth," Thalia whispered, stroking my back. "Is it true? About- about the others?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. "How did he die?" she asked, holding me to her. I sniffed, knowing who she was talking about. "He would have lived if it weren't for me."

Thalia took a step back. "You didn't answer my question. How did he die?" she gripped my shoulders, staring into my eyes.

I looked down. "He s-sacrificed himself to G-Gaia to s-save me and J-Jason." And then I was sobbing again, hugging Thalia with all my strength.

I saw Thalia nod in the mirror. "I always knew that boy was too stupidly brave for his own good."

"I saw Poseidon," I mumbled. "He came to me the night after- after the final battle."

Thalia inhaled sharply. "That doesn't sound good."

I shook my head. "No, he helped me a lot. He- he hugged me. Acted like a father towards me."

"No ulterior motives?" Thalia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I'm sure of it. I think he just wanted some comfort in terrible times. His son just died, after all."

Thalia looked at me. I wiped my eyes. "Now what?" she asked.

I took a deep breath, then exhaled. "First, I have to try and forgive myself for sending Percy to his death." Thalia glared at me. "Then, I have to fall in love with someone else."

"You could join the Hunters. Artemis wouldn't mind, as long as you're still a vir_"

"Thalia!" I yelped, clapping my hand over the Huntress's mouth. "We only dated for three years!"

Thalia shrugged. "Some girls give themselves up to their boyfriends within the first week/"

"Thalia. Can you seriously imagine Percy and I… ugh!"

Thalia's face wrinkled. "No, and I seriously do not want to imagine that."

"And, besides, I can't join the Hunters." I continued, my face on fire after my friend's last remark.

"Why not? Artemis could make an exception for you, since you're not in a relationship anymore."

I looked down, a heavy ball of misery settling in my stomach. "I'll always love him," I mumbled. "And he loves me. That's a relationship, right?"

Thalia's brow crinkled. "How do you fall in love with someone else, if you're already in love with him? And, by the way, you couldn't have chosen like, I don't know, someone other than my Kelp Headed cousin to fall in love with?"

I ignored the part about her Kelp Headed cousin, instead shrugging and saying, "I don't know. But the last thing Percy asked of me was for me to fall in love with someone else. I have to do that for him. I don't want any bedraggled souls coming back from the Underworld to haunt me for breaking my oath."

Thalia wrinkled her nose again, like this conversation was planting some disturbing images in her mind. "I still say give it all up and join the Hunters. But I know you'll do what you have to do." She hugged me. "I think you should go see Chiron. He's quite upset, I imagine. Percy was one of his favourite students…"

I nodded, kissing her on the cheek. "Thanks, Thalia," I whispered before departing the bathroom and making my way to the Big House.


I was stopped countless times by people as I made my way to the Big House.

First, it was Clarrisse: "So, Prissy's dead, eh? Not surprised," she scoffed. "He never really was a match for Mother Nature."

"You don't know what happened!" I cried, clenching my fists. I wanted to punch her in the face. How could she say something so insensitive? "He died a brave and noble death! A hero's death, by sacrificing himself to save Jason and I!"

Clarrisse's expression softened a tad. "Look, I didn't mean it, okay? I'm proud that he lived up to his big- shot title."

I nodded and walked away.

Next came Jake Mason and some of his siblings. Jake walked with a slight limp, from that severe accident he had a couple of years ago by trying to mend Festus. "Annabeth," he said in his deep voice. "We're sorry about Percy. But- did Leo really_"

I gritted my teeth. "I'm sorry guys. Leo isn't coming back. He'll go to Elysium, okay?" A little guy, maybe ten years old, burst into tears.

A buff looking girl in the group patted him on the back. "Hey, Harley, Leo's a lucky boy. He's going to ultimate Underworld party headquarters! He'll be happy now."

The Hephaestus group walked away. I was almost to the Big House when the Aphrodite group approached me. I gulped. Drew was at the head. Her hair had been dyed a golden honey- blond, and, if it was possible, it looked like her bosom had grown a few inches in the last two years I'd been away.

I tried to inconspicuously dodge the group, but it was impossible. I eventually just gave up, and came to a stop right at the stairs of the Big House porch.

"What do you want, Drew? I'm busy."

A little blond girl with straight white teeth, like she'd worn braces her whole life, bounced to the front, despite the hands of an older blond boy holding her back. "Where's Piper?" she asked, looking around eagerly, like her older half sister might be hiding under the porch, or down my pants.

I sighed. I was not in the mood for this. "Piper is not coming back, okay? She'll- she'll go to Elysium in the end." I stared beyond the group, beyond the camp, into the blue, blue sky that had streaks of grey running across it.

"Piper_" the little girl had a confused expression on her face. "Elysium? But that's- that's in the Underworld!"

I bit my lip, looking down at her. "I know, kiddo." I said softly.

"Hey, Lacey," Drew said kindly. I glanced at her, surprised. Since when did Drew speak kindly to anyone? "Why don't we go decorate her shroud? You can design it if you want."

Lacey still looked like she wanted to burst into tears, but she looked down, and let Drew lead her away.

I sighed and climbed the porch stairs, my feet thudding across the wood.


Chiron was staring into the roaring fire when I found him. He was in wheel chair form.

"Chiron?" I tapped his shoulder.

He looked up at me, and I saw tears in his eyes. Now, that was a shocker. In all the years I'd known the old centaur, never had I seen him cry.

"I knew it was wrong," he said, rubbing his hand down his face. "I shouldn't have gotten too attached to the boy."

With a start, I realised he was talking about Percy. I sat down on the arm of the couch beside him. "Chiron," I whispered.

My teacher glanced at me. "Yes, Annabeth?"

I wrapped my arms around him, kissing his cheek. "Nothing. I'm just glad to be back." Chiron patted me on the head awkwardly. I doubted demigods hugged him often.


Next, I saw Grover. He broke down in tears himself when he saw me, and before I knew it, we were hugging each other senseless. "Oh, Annabe-e-eth," he bleated.

My eyes were streaming by this point as well. "You should be proud of him," I said. "He died a hero, as he always wanted to."

There was a mournful silence.

Then something struck me. "Grover?"

"Mmm?" We were now sitting on the ground, leaning against a fallen log.

"Why aren't you dead?"

He looked at me startled, but then it sank in what I was really asking. "Oh, the empathy link was destroyed when Hera stole his memories. She didn't want anything getting in the way of her 'brilliant' plan."

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the log. "I can't believe I'm back here."

"Neither can I, actually. After we stopped getting updates on your progress about three months ago, we lost hope that any of you were alive."

"You know," I started. "Gaia isn't defeated. She simply disappeared after she- after she killed_" I buried my head in my hands, shoulders trembling.

"You don't have to say it," Grover said gently.

I smiled gratefully at him.

I was lucky that I had such great friends, even if half of them were dead.


"Percy Jackson was a loyal friend, a talented swordsman and a brave soul. He died for a noble cause and his memory will forever reside in our minds. Gods bless his spirit." Chiron finished his speech, and waved me over to the podium.

I faced the audience, tears brimming in my eyes. We were at Percy's burial ceremony. His shroud, which was hanging just above the flames, was jet black with a bright green trident sewn in the centre. Poseidon had done a terrific job with the shroud. I gulped, then opened my mouth to start.

"Percy Jackson." I said. His name echoed around the silent amphitheatre. "What words come to our minds when his name is spoken?" I let the silence ensue for a little longer. Then I continued, "Loyal. Courageous. Idiotically brave. A hero." I let that sink in. I had written a speech, but it just didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. These words were coming purely from my heart.

"Percy was a kind person at heart. He had a sense of humour, and was always ready to lend anyone a helping hand, from a poodle in a pram, to screeching old ladies." Moments from many of our adventures came to mind.

"I must admit: he wasn't perfect. He had his flaws." I laughed bitterly. "In fact, his fatal flaw was personal loyalty, and this fatal flaw was the reason he died in the first place." I didn't meet anyone's eyes, instead staring into the distance, wishing I were anywhere but here. "But could anybody listen to me retell all of his quests, every single time he helped the gods, even when he wasn't obliged to, and say to my face that he wasn't a true hero?" I met every single person's eyes and all of them looked right back at me- some with fear, some with pity, and some with respect.

"Percy Jackson died a hero. In our minds he will forever remain a true god of courage. His physical body is gone, but his spirit remains immortal- and a hundred years in the future, men will regale the amazing adventures of Percy Jackson. Two hundred years into the future, Percy will be regarded as the new- age Heracles. And five hundred years into the future, there will be a new name that every demigod, satyr, nymph and mortal will remember- whether it's in detail, or just a mere dim memory. And that name? Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon."

I stood at the podium for a few moments, before nodding, and returning to my seat.

The ceremony was a blur after that. The shroud was burnt. The smoke from the silky material curled up into the sky- and then the wisps disappeared from view, his last entrails given to the gods.


This was the last leg of a heart breaking journey. Apart from the obvious, this was probably the most painful part. Telling his mum.

I held the phone in my hand, the number already dialled. I braced myself and pressed the green button. It rang out. I tried again, but yet again, it was sent straight to voicemail. On the third time, I left a message saying that I needed to speak to her about an important matter, and I would be waiting at her house by three o clock in the afternoon. It was eleven.

I had three hours to kill before I left. I settled down on my bed and stuck my nose in a book. Before I knew it, I was snoring.

TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER

"Hey, Annabeth!" somebody shoved me. I made a strangled sound, sort of a snort cross a groan, and sat up, rubbing my eyes, disorientated.

"Ugh?" I asked intelligently. Percy must have rubbed off on me all those years. I was losing my touch.

"It's me, Grover!"

"Hmm? Oh, okay. Where's Percy?" I asked, still half asleep.

"Oh, um…"

Then I remembered. My good spirits were deflated immediately.

"Oh, Grover," I said, my voice flat. "I have to get ready to go to Sally's. Thanks for waking me."

"Um, about that…" Grover stared into my eyes. "I'm coming with you. You can't stop me from going with you."

I slipped out of bed, dragging a brush through my hair. "Okay." I shrugged. "You can come."

Grover looked surprised that I'd caved so easily.

"So…" he said. "When do we leave?"

I glanced at the clock on my bedside table, then switched into second gear. "About five minutes, so get ready and have your furry butt at Half- Blood Hill in three minutes, or I'm leaving you behind." And with that, I pushed him out of my cabin so that I could get changed into my best jeans, and a clean shirt.


I sipped my lemonade and then bit into a blue cookie. My insides felt heavy.

"So, Annabeth!" Sally chirped. "What brings you here? And where's Percy?"

The wince must have shown on my face, because her smile faded away, and a frown replaced it.

"Oh, dear. What's happened? Percy's alright, isn't he?"

I put my cookie down and exchanged glances with Grover. He opened his mouth to say something, but I put my hand on his arm. I wanted to tell the story.

So I did. I told her everything, even the bit about his last wish.

"Percy died a hero," I concluded. I don't know how many times I've either heard that or said it myself in the past two days. "He died for a noble cause, and guilt will eat at me for the rest of my life because he died because of me."

The worst part after I said it was that Sally didn't say anything to reassure me. She sat back in her chair, a dazed expression on her face.

"My son…" she whispered. "Percy." Her gaze focused on me intently. I squirmed in my chair. "Percy is dead." She said.

I looked down in shame. "Yes."

"Oh, honey, you can't blame yourself," she crooned, pulling me into her embrace. I let myself break. We cried together, like a mother and a daughter, while Grover stood to the side uncomfortably, his own eyes swimming with unshed tears.

Briefly, a thought flickered across my mind. Why hadn't my mother showed up to comfort me? My boyfriend's mother was being a better mother to me than my own mother. Heck, my boyfriend's father, who just happens to hate my mother, comforted me better than my mother and my father combined. Man, Percy is- sorry, was a lucky boy.

Sally let go of me all too soon, and then drew Grover into her embrace. I slumped at the table, staring at the blue cookies that no longer looked very appetizing.

All they were was a painful reminder of the past.


Years passed. Gaia didn't return. And she showed no signs of stirring. It made everyone suspicious that she was planning something big.

But it was something we would have to worry about when the time came.

I became a senior counsellor, helped the newbies. One day, a daughter of Poseidon stumbled over the crest of Half- Blood Hill, chased by a nasty hoard of monsters. Her name was Amelia Neptune de Preeze (That made me wonder whether her mother knew who her father was, or if it was just pure chance that her middle name happened to be one of her godly father's many names). She had reddish blond hair and sea green eyes. I made her my special case. I told her about her famous big half brother, Perseus Jackson, my old boyfriend. Her beautiful eight year old eyes widened in amazement when I retold the deeds that Percy committed, all the dangerous quests he went on. I was twenty three when she turned nine.

I never forgot Percy. Well, some little things slipped my mind, like the exact colour of his eyes (though I would look into Amelia's eyes to remind myself, it just wasn't the same as the real thing), the feeling of his knotted, silky hair in my fingers, the pitch of his laugh. I never took the ring, nor the coral pendant, off of my camp necklace.

I didn't date for a long, long time. My parents and my mortal friends pushed guys at me, but I rejected guy after guy, because none of them, not one, matched up to the man Percy had been.

Until I met Joel Ansell. At first glance, he was just yet another man who wanted nothing more than to date and dump.

He was my best friend from college, Kelli Anderson's older brother's best mate. He was twenty four, the same age Percy would have been if he'd been alive.

Joel wasn't overly handsome, but he certainly wasn't ugly. He had shaggy dark brown hair, and his eyes were a mild green. Maybe that's what drew me to him more so than other men. No, his eyes weren't the same as Percy's. They were of completely different shades. But I liked green. It was my favourite colour.

Joel and I began to hang out. He took me to lunch, to the cinemas, to the park. I learnt how to ride a skateboard, and he learned a whole bunch of facts about how Hoover Dam was built, about the hows and whats of the Golden Gate Bridge and other random little facts on my favourite monuments.

We got along great. We were so easy together that a pang of guilt went through me one day. Percy. I didn't want to replace my old boyfriend with a new man- a man with the same sense of humour, the same easy- goingness.

"A happy life. With someone else." His words echoed through my mind. "Never replace me." Never could a man such as Percy be easily replaced.

But, after I'd known Joel for two years, and he bent the knee and held out the ring to me, I hesitated for only a second to say yes.

I know, I know. I'm a Percabeth destroyer. Sue me. If you don't like the gist of this story, don't read. I hate flamers.

Please don't stop reading here! There is TWO MORE CHAPTERS TO GO! Got that?

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MashPotatoeSquishBanana :)