Hey demigods! So, good news and bad news. Bad news first: The story is almost over! Good news: That means I can't torture you with cliffhangers anymore. Yay! Please check out the A/N at the end! Anyways, here is the chapter.

Chapter 9: Scared

The room was just as I remembered. Never ending, dark, with just a single light in the center lighting up nothing. Except, this time, it was. A girl was lying, crumpled on the floor, whimpering in fear. It almost sounded like…

"Annabeth?" I asked fearfully. She looked up and met my eyes, which lit up when they found me. Annabeth scrambled to her feet, and we rushed to meet each other. Standing in the faint light, our foreheads touched as our arms wrapped around one another. "Oh, gods. Annabeth, I'm so sorry."

She pulled away slightly. "Why are you sorry? This isn't your fault. None of it is." I shook my head in disagreement. Her tears had begun to fall. I wiped them away, smiling sadly.

"No. It all is. I fucked up, and you payed the price. That's not fair." I swallowed hard. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do," Annabeth countered. "And I'll believe that no matter how many times you tell me I'm wrong."

I looked up at her in surprise. "What are talking about?"

"I heard you talking to me at the hospital." She looked away. "You don't really mean that, do you? That you'd give me up that easily. That you wouldn't fight for me."

I lifted her face. "Annabeth, look at me." She did. "You know that I would die for you. I just want you to be happy."

She put her face in my shoulder, the tears coming back harder than before. "I'm only happy when I'm with you," she whispered. I wrapped my arms around her tighter.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. I'm right here." We stood there for a while like that. I'm not really sure how long. All of a sudden, she pulled away, wiped her tears, and turned around.

"Oh, gods. Percy, I'm so sorry." I reached out to grab her arm, but she shook me off. "It's me who doesn't deserve you. I lied to you, Percy. And it's not fair because I know you would never lie to me."

I wasn't sure how to respond. "About what?"

"I don't want to stay," she choked out. "I want to go to with you to New Rome. I'm just… scared."

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her from behind. She didn't protest this time. "Of what? What are you afraid of?" Annabeth had begun to cry again. I'd never seen her this vulnerable or afraid.

"Losing you," she whispered. This took me by surprise. It wasn't what I expected to hear. "You have a whole other life in New Rome. You have other friends, another family, and plenty of girls I'm sure would love to be your girlfriend –"

"Annabeth, stop," I interrupted. "You're not losing me. We've lost each other to much already. And I would never leave you, especially not for some college, power-hungry bitch."

She laughed. "Sounds like Octavian as a girl." I nodded. She turned around to face me.

"Promise you'll never let me go again?"

"I promise."

And she pulled me in with a kiss.

HOW LOVELY. THE TEENAGE LOVERS REUINTED.

I froze. So did Annabeth. I pulled her closer to me, making sure she wouldn't get away so easily.

"Leave us alone," I commanded. "It's over. You lost, won."

IS THAT SO? I SUGGEST YOU ASK YOUR GIRLFRIEND BEFORE YOU MAKE CLAIMS LIKE THAT.

I turned to Annabeth, confusion and fear written across my face. "The deals off," she said firmly. "You aren't hurting me. You aren't hurting Percy. You aren't hurting anyone. We're done."

THAT'S TOO BAD. MY DEALS DON'T WORK THAT WAY. YOU SAY THE DEALS OFF, YOU PAY THE PRICE.

"You see, my deals do work that way." Annabeth eyes flashed with power. "And I'm. Waking. UP!"

My eyes burst open.

Annabeth was sitting up, trying in vain to rip the hospital bracelet off her wrist. She glanced up to see me staring at her in surprise. She's actually awake.

"Oh gods. Annabeth, you're awake." My eyes were wide and I could feel my jaw on the floor. She gave me a small smile, grabbed my hand, and pulled me into a hug. I held her, and moved her face so her lips met my own.

Annabeth pulled back suddenly. "Ow, ow, ow," she said, clutching her arm. We met eyes, and started laughing. I think we lost it. Everything that had happened was so crazy, we got kind of slap-happy. And, if felt good. I don't think either of us had laughed in a long time. I collapsed back in my chair, trying to catch my breath.

"I missed you, Annabeth," I said once I finally got myself together. "More than you'll ever know." She gave me a small smile and shook her head.

"But I do know, Percy." She took my hand in her own. "When you disappeared last year, it tore me apart. Even though we hadn't been dating for that long, just the idea of losing another person… I could barely keep it together."

"Well, I'm here now. And I'm not letting us get separated again. Ever." She smiled and moved over, tapping the space beside her. I climbed onto the bed and wrapped my arm around her. "I only have one question."

"Mmmhmm?" Annabeth's head was resting on my shoulder and her eyes were closed.

"In the dream, you and the weird voice said something about a deal? What was that? Is everything okay?" I could feel Annabeth's unease grow as I asked my question.

"When I disappeared, I was in the room, too," Annabeth replied softly. "It threatened you, and everyone else I care about. I sacrificed myself instead. That was the deal. He could do whatever with me as long as he left you and everyone else alone."

I shifted to face Annabeth. "And I didn't do anything. I fell into the trap. I thought I was doing something to help you, but I was wrong. Gods, I'm so stupid.

A look of distraught crossed Annabeth's face. "No, you're not. You care. You loyal. You don't leave anyone behind. And even if that's your fatal flaw, I still love it. I love every part of you. So don't beat yourself up over this. You're not the only one who's fallen into a trap."

"What would I do without you?" I asked, leaning in for a kiss.

"I have no idea," Annabeth responded playfully.

My phone rang just as our lips touched. We groaned in unison. I checked the caller ID: Jason. I picked up.

"Hey, man. What's up?"

You didn't come back to the hotel last night. We thought something happened. Is everything okay?

I laughed. "Sorry I didn't call, but yeah, everything's fine. Annabeth's awake, too." She beamed next to me.

Hold on, you guys. I can't hear Percy. Sorry, Perce, they won't shut up. Did you say Annabeth's awake? No, don't leave yet. Half of us aren't ready.

"I'll see you at the hospital, Jason. Bye" I hung up and tossed my phone onto the chair beside the bed.

"Now, where were we," I whispered.

The door opened.

"I give up," I moaned. Annabeth laughed and shook her head.

The nurse tried to stifle her laugh. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"No," I said, climbing off the bed. "We were just talking." I turned to Annabeth. "I'll wait outside, and you convince the doctor to let you go." She smiled and nodded.

I closed the door, trying not to let it slam. I failed. I leaned against the wall outside the room and rested my head on the white-painted plaster. I slid to the carpeted floor and exhaled. It was okay. We were together. After everything we'd been through together they past few years. I knew the most important thing was that we were together.

I heard a sound from down the hall. I turned to see a doctor, who couldn't have been a day over 40, come around the corner and turn towards Annabeth's room.

"Wait," I called out as he reached out for the doorknob. "You're Annabeth's doctor, right?"

The doctor gave me a small smile. "Yes. And you must be Mr. Jackson. I believe we met last night?" I nodded. He turned back to the door, but I touched his arm, and the turned to face me again.

"I just wanted to say, that I really appreciate what you're doing." He smiled, a look of recognition in his eyes. "I know that you've heard that before, and you'll probably hear it forever, but I mean it. Annabeth and I, all of us, we have our own story. So what you're doing –," I bit my lip, swallowing back the tears that were beginning to threaten to fall, "– It means a lot. So thank you."

"You know, Percy," the doctor began, "the whole reason I reason I became a doctor, or at least one of the reasons, is to hear that. The sound in people's voices, the look in their eyes, when the person they love gets better, goes home. It's one of the things I love about humanity." The doctor smiled. "Even though we can be arrogant and stupid sometimes, the things that we'll do for the people we love can't ever be explained by science. Some things shouldn't be."

As the doctor stepped inside the room, I thought about what he'd said. That some things shouldn't be explained or examined by science, that some things are better left undiscovered so we can continue to make the sacrifices for the people we love. So that doctors can still hear "Thank you" when someone gets better. So that people like us can continue to fight for what is right, even if it means explaining the destruction in New York or Greece or wherever with random storms and unexplained earthquakes.

"Hey," a voice said, bringing me back to reality. Annabeth stood in front of me in her hospital gown, her old clothes in hand. "I was going to go change, and the doctor said once I'm done, you just have to sign me out, and I'm free to go." I nodded, trying not to cry again.

As Annabeth stepped into the bathroom, I turned and walked back to lobby. Thanking the nurse, I sat down in an open chair and began writing. Someone sat down beside me. And on the other side. And across from me. I glanced up, grinning.

"Hey," Jason said calmly, as though Annabeth wasn't being released from the hospital, and it was any other day. I rolled my eyes, and stood up to return the papers to the desk.

I'd barely handed the nurse the last sheet when I heard my friends stand up and rush over to someone. I didn't have to turn around to know that Annabeth had entered the waiting room. I turned around anyways. Annabeth was talking and laughing, like nothing had ever happened. I could see it though. Her eyes were a little darker than before, and not in color. But she was good and hiding it, so I didn't say anything. It was over, and it wasn't worth it to bring it up again.

"You ready?" I asked, walking over. Annabeth nodded. I took her hand and pulled her towards the front doors. She pulled my arm around her and rested her head on my shoulder as we walked out.

"Let's go home, Percy," she whispered. "Let's go home."

Hi again! I made sure to not do any cliffhangers this chapter. I was feeling nice! ;) Anyways, if you read the first A/N, you'd know that the story is almost over. :( However, if you guys wanted me to, I would love to write a part 2 from Annabeth's POV! I already have some ideas, but it's up to you guys! Please comment, share, follow, and favorite. Love you guys!

-daughterofpercabeth417