Title: More Than Luck
Set: During The Last Olympian
Summery: She didn't even think about it—the response was automatic. But she didn't mind so much afterward, because his attention was solely on her. And he looked miserable.

A/N: GRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Okay, sorry. Just had to get that out. I've had this ready for a week, but my computer went mental. It refused to access the Internet for more than about thirty seconds at a time. And that was rare. So I've had this oneshot ready for days (and the next one is, too, now) and no way to post it or even email to myself to upload from another computer. Incredibly frustrating! Buuuuut I'm ranting. So, yeah. Sorry about that. I've just been waiting for days and days to share this. Read on:

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. (Save for the briefly mentioned OC children of Athena.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from The Last Olympian.

"Don't I get a kiss for luck? It's kind of a tradition, right?"

"Come back alive, Seaweed Brain. Then we'll see."

It was a lame attempt, and we both knew it. But at least it was an attempt.

Maybe it wasn't too late for us, after all. Either way, it wouldn't matter if Percy was only going to be stupid. Walking alone to fight an entire bridge full of invaders, whether you're invulnerable or not, most definitely qualifies. With so many enemies all around, there was a high chance someone was going to hit his heel. (Or whatever weak spot he had chosen. I was seriously hoping he hadn't been stupid enough to use his actual Achilles' heel as his Achilles' heel, but with Nico and Percy, you never quite knew.)

Even that thought was driven from my head as the battle started. Any monsters that got past Percy, toward the city, the Apollo cabin and I pounced on. Whenever I wasn't fighting, I would look over to check on Percy. He was spinning through the enemy ranks like a wild thing, slashing and hacking and killing invaders right and left.

There wasn't a scratch on him.

Finally, the monsters had the sense to retreat.

"Yes!" Michael Yew, the Apollo counselor, shouted. "That's what I'm talking about!"

If I hadn't been so busy catching up to and finishing off a hellhound, I would have screamed something similar.

We drove the enemy closer and closer to Brooklyn. I glanced over my shoulder, taking in the deserted Williamsburg Bridge. If they got reinforcements, and we had to run, we'd never make it to safety.

Percy did not seem to be of this opinion. He actually looked pretty scary as he swung Riptide, killing any and all monsters within reach. He'd reach a dangerous place, where your brain gets so far into the fighting gear that you can't shut it off. With regular a demigod, once you reached such a point, you'd begin to get sloppy and probably be killed. That was the darker side to the curse of Achilles. Being invincible could cause a complete loss of your sense of mortality.

"Percy! You've already routed them. Pull back! We're overextended!" I shouted at him.

For a long moment, Percy ignored me, continuing on his killing spree. I looked past him, and caught sight of a crowd at the base of the bridge. Instead of monsters, it was a group of… demigods. Under Kronos's banner.

I staggered, giving an empousa time to escape. The leader of the horseman rode forward, and removed his helmet.

Luke.

Except it also wasn't Luke. Even from so far away, I could see that the rider's eyes were golden. My arms drooped, my knife suddenly feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds.

None of that! my logical side shouted. Buck up, girl!

I shuddered and lifted my weapon again.

"Now," Percy said, "we pull back."

Duh.

The new arrivals charged as we began to retreat. All around me, the Apollo campers drew back their bows. A line of arrows soared toward the approaching enemy, but there was no way it was enough.

"Retreat!" Percy shouted. "I'll hold them!"

Oh, right.

Instead of going back, I took two steps forward, so I was by Percy's side, and twirled on heel. I raised my shield and knife. If I was going down, it sure as Hades wasn't going to be while I was leaving Percy behind. I learned that lesson in Hephaestus's forge.

The first sword hit my shield, and from there I went into fight mode. I systematically sized up each soldier I saw, finding weak points and analyzing the best strategy for exploiting them.

I faced the city, so I couldn't see Kronos, but I could feel him advancing. I had to remove myself from the situation: not see that monster as Luke or these demigods as my former friends, but soldiers who wouldn't hesitate to kill me.

I wondered if any of them were regretting it now.

I wondered if Luke even could.

And then it was the strangest thing. It felt like a switch had been flipped in my head. All of my thoughts about strategy and how to get out of this situation vanished, replaced by an emanate sense of danger and a single word: Percy.

I flung myself sideways, just as an enemy demigod aimed a knife at Percy's back.

My shield was on my other side, and there wasn't time to raise it. The knife flew straight into my arm. I screamed shrilly, a noise I normally reserved for spiders. It felt like the blade was on fire. I barely had time to resister the word poison before I was hitting the pavement.

Through a fuzzy curtain, I saw Percy smash the hilt of his sword into my attacker's helmet, so hard he left a dent.

"Get back!" Percy roared, sounding like a completely different person. He slashed his sword in a wide arch, forcing more enemies back. "No one touches her!"

"Interesting."

I winced, curling against the pavement and cradling my arm to my chest. Kronos's voice. I could hear echoes of Luke's, and it felt like another knife.

Pathetic, a voice in my head whispered, sounding almost like… the Oracle of Delphi. You can't even get off your bloody butt to help your friend?

A flash of anger surged through me. Why I was suddenly angry at a mummy who was miles away, I don't know, but it helped to clear my head.

"Bravely fought, Percy Jackson," Kronos said. "But it's time to surrender… or the girl dies."

I couldn't decide which was worse: the boy that had been Luke threatening to kill me, or Kronos offering up the one deal my Seaweed Brain might actually take.

"Percy, don't," I managed.

He looked down at me, all traces of a wild fighter gone. He was a petrified almost-sixteen-year-old.

"Blackjack!" he cried.

Something seized the straps of my armor, and suddenly the pavement was gone from under me. Or at least, it wasn't directly under me. Water was down there, by several yards…

"Blackjack," I managed.

Then I passed out.

I came to on the terrace of the Plaza Hotel. Silena Beauregard was crouched over me, wiping my face. Someone had removed my armor and tied a cloth around my wound.

It still felt like my arm was on fire.

"Annabeth," Silena said. She was practically in tears. Through the pain, I felt a glimmer of sympathy for her. She was falling apart without Beckendorf. It was so unfair…

"Annabeth!" another voice cried.

I managed to look past Silena and saw Evelyn there, flanked by Simon and Malcolm. All three looked horrified.

I shivered as another gust of pain rippled up my arm.

Simon carried an awkward bundle of blankets in his arms, obviously grabbed from a nearby room. He gently draped them over me.

"What happened?" Evelyn demanded.

I couldn't come up with a response for that. The rest of my cabin filled in behind Malcolm. They were scraped up, but none looked as bad as I did.

"Is she going to be okay?" Margret, one of my youngest siblings, asked Silena. She was barely thirteen, and here she was fighting a war.

"I'll be fine," I managed to croak. "We—"

"All of the Apollo campers are still on the Williamsburg Bridge!" Hannah exploded. "There's no one to heal you!"

The mention of the bridge went through me like a shot. "Percy!" I gasped, lurching to a sitting position and sending a new wave of fire through my body. A thousand images from the battle flashed in my head. What if—

Half the cabin scrambled forward, but Silena was already pushing me down. "Leave it, Annabeth," she whispered.

"But Kronos was—"

"Leave it," Silena repeated, her voice dull. "You can't help him now."

I had a feeling she wasn't talking about Percy so much as Beckendorf. I swallowed hard. Percy couldn't die yet. He couldn't. He wasn't sixteen for two more days! Or maybe one more, if it was almost morning…

"You know he won't stay away long," Evelyn said, trying to be comforting.

Simon snorted. "If he's dead, he won't have a ch—"

"If Percy's dead, we're all screwed anyway!" Eldrian snapped.

On cue, the door sprang open, and Percy shoved Hannah and Simon out of his way. He stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he saw me. "Annabeth…" he choked.

Will Solace, from Apollo, ducked around him and knelt to unwrap my bandage, bringing on another round of pain.

"Poison on the dagger," I managed to say to Percy. "Pretty stupid of me, huh?"

Percy looked like he was going to be sick. It reminded me of that time on Olympus, when he'd thought I was going to join the Hunters.

It was funny. In all of our adventures, all my agonizing about the prophecy and wishing for a way to change it, I'd never considered that I might die before him.

Will let out a relieved sigh. "It's not so bad, Annabeth. A few more minutes and we would've been in trouble, but the venom hasn't gotten past the shoulder yet. Just lie still. Somebody get me some nectar," he finished.

Simon moved to grab a nearby canteen, but Percy beat him to it, looking desperate to do something.

Percy balanced on the edge of the couch, handing Will the canteen and taking my hand in the same motion. I was in so much pain, even that didn't feel as good as it should have.

Will poured the nectar on my wound, and I fought the urge to scream, instead clutching Percy's hand tighter and tighter. It felt like Will was pouring lava into me, reigniting the fire from the poison.

"Ow. Ow, ow!" There were a lot of other things I wanted to scream, but I was in so much pain I couldn't force them out.

"Shh," Silena whispered, laying a cool hand on my forehead. "Hang in there, Annabeth. You're okay. Will's got this."

Will sang a hymn to Apollo, although I missed most of it. Finally, he got some fresh bandages and wrapped up the wound. The pain started to ebb. I leaned my head back, fighting some leftover tears.

Dimly, I heard a conversation swirl around me about supplies and injuries. Percy twisted around to listen, but he didn't let go of my hand. Jake Mason, from Hephaestus, clapped him on the shoulder as he left. "We'll talk later, but it's under control. I'm using Annabeth's shield to keep an eye on things. The enemy withdrew at sunrise; not sure why. We've got a lookout at each bridge and tunnel."

"Thanks, man," Percy said.

He nodded. "Just take your time."

Over his shoulder, I watched as my siblings filed back into the hotel. Margaret gave me one last look, and I tried to smile. She nodded in return, and the door clicked shut.

"This is all my fault," Silena said desperately, replacing the cloth on my forehead.

"No," I managed to whisper. "Silena, how is it your fault?" It was no one's fault but Kronos's.

Silena sniffed, and I could sense that she was ready to break. It wasn't a stupid kind of breaking, either, but the kind that came from having your world ripped from under your feet. I wondered how she was going to go on, after this. Assuming we won. I couldn't imagine her with any guy but Beckendorf. Just trying made me feel miserable.

"I've never been any good at camp," Silena said. "Not like you or Percy. If I was a better fighter…"

"You're a great camper," Percy said softly. From the way he was looking at Silena, I had a feeling he was thinking along the same lines I was. "You're the best pegasus rider we have. And you get along with people. Believe me, anyone who can make friends with Clarisse has talent."

I twitched a smile at that, although the thought of Clarisse frustrated me. Here we all were, risking our lives simply because we had no choice, and she was sulking at camp like a four-year-old.

Silena's eyes lit up. That is, they lost some of their deadness. I doubted I'd ever truly see her "light up" again. "That's it!" she said. "We need the Ares cabin. I can talk to Clarisse. I know I can convince her to help us."

Could she? I mean, Silena seriously was great with people, but considering that Clarisse wasn't already here supporting her best friend…

A slight frown played on Percy's face. "Whoa, Silena. Even if you could get off the island, Clarisse is pretty stubborn. Once she gets angry—"

"Please," Silena begged. It occurred to me that sending her might be better than keeping her here. The chance to do something had at least gotten a spark of life out of her. "I can take a pegasus. I know I can make it back to camp. Let me try."

Percy glanced at me. I nodded, trying to move my head as little as possible.

Still he hesitated, studying Silena reluctantly. "All right," he finally said. "I can't think of anyone better to try."

Silena flung her arms around him. I saw her shoulders tremble slightly and wondered if she was about to burst into tears. She lurched back just as suddenly, and glanced at me. "Um, sorry," she said. If I could have, I would have laughed. Her hug was purely sisterly—that much I knew. "Thank you, Percy! I won't let you down!"

She fled the terrace, moving much more like the Silena I had always known.

As soon as she was gone, Percy scooted closer to me. His face was a knot of worry. He brushed my forehead gently, and tingles ran down my spin, managing to cut through the pain.

"You're cute when you're worried," I told him. "Your eyebrows get all scrunched together."

There. A return for the bridge thing. And it was true… For a fraction of a second, Percy smiled, but it faded at once.

"You are not going to die while I owe you a favor," he told me. "Why did you take that knife?"

"You would have done the same for me," I pointed out.

Percy's gaze slid away from me, to the tiled floor. "How did you know?" he whispered.

I blinked, not sure if I'd heard him right. "Know what?" That he would take a knife for me? What kind of stupid question was that?

Percy glanced all around, and then he shifted even closer to me. "My Achilles spot," he whispered. "If you hadn't taken that knife, I would have died."

A chill ran down my spin. I'd almost forgotten about the Achilles thing.

"I don't know, Percy. I just had this feeling you were in danger," I told him. Flashes of a dream from last night echoed in my head, having something to do with this, but I was too tired to puzzle out where it might fit in. "Where… where is the spot?"

Okay, maybe that was a nosy question, but if I had to take any more knives, I wanted to make sure I was doing it with good reason. At least he hadn't used his actual heel as an Achilles spot.

Percy hesitated again, and then he said, "The small of my back."

I lifted my non-injured arm, battling the pain that was surging through the other side of my body. I set my hand on Percy's back just below his rib cage, feeling his spine though his shirt. Butterflies erupted in the pit of my stomach. "Where? Here?"

Percy reached his other hand back and took hold of my wrist lightly, inducing shivers that had nothing to do with pain. He guided me to a spot across from his belly button. He had a strange expression on his face, like… like…

Well, I wasn't exactly sure what it was like, but I didn't want it to go away.

"You saved me," he said. His voice sounded like it had in my cabin so long ago, when we were getting ready to head into the Labyrinth: a creaky door hinge or something equally on its last leg of life. "Thanks."

I let my hand slide off his back, the effort to keep it there too much. He shifted around and caught it, not letting go.

"So you owe me," I joked feebly, wanting to feel like things were normal. "What else is new?"

Percy grinned down at me, and I held back a happy sigh. Both of us lapsed into silence. The sun was coming up now, throwing a soft light that seemed far removed from the danger of the war over the terrace. Percy turned his attention to it. I moved my head that way, but I couldn't really focus. Every couple of seconds, a new wave of pain would shoot through my arm.

I thought of the bridge again, and Kronos in Luke's body. Tears rose in my eyes. That was what Luke had meant when he said he would be a stepping stone. He was being used.

And it was all my fault.

"You asked me why Hermes was mad at me," I whispered. All our conversations about Luke ended as fights, but I felt like I owed it to Percy to tell him about what had happened.

Maybe I could have stopped him from having to die.

"Hey, you need to rest—"

"No, I want to tell you. It's been bothering me for a long time." I tried to shift my position, and another round of pain shot up my arm. I winced, both from the wound and what I was about to admit. "Last year, Luke came to visit me in San Francisco."

Percy blinked once, his eyes registering disbelief. "In person? He came to your house?" I could hear it in his tone of voice: he was completely and utterly stunned. Guilt overrode the ticklish sensation in my stomach. Percy trusted me enough to tell me his one vulnerable spot, and I'd been hiding this seriously important confrontation for over a year.

I focused on our clasped fingers as I talked, highlighting the important parts of Luke's visit. Whenever I glanced up at Percy, I could see his eyes getting stormier and stormier. But I didn't necessarily think the anger was directed at me.

I finished my story, suddenly craving nothing more than sleep. Percy rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand, seemingly without knowing he was doing it. Again, I felt tingles of pleasure through the pain. He seemed to be gathering his courage to ask something, but before he could, the door opened.

"Percy." Conner Stoll hustled onto the terrace. He glanced at me before he went on, like I might break. Normally I would have resented such a look, but right now I felt like he was right. I was dangerously close to shattering from a combination of pain and stress.

"Mrs. O'Leary just came back with Grover. I think you should talk to him."

Percy hesitated, glancing at me. I gathered my strength and gave his hand a little squeeze. He looked down in surprise, almost like he'd forgotten he was holding it.

"Go on," I whispered.

He hesitated, slowly getting to his feet but keeping his hand in mine. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"

I nodded, forcing a smile onto my face. "I'm fine. I'm gonna sleep. Tell Goat Boy I said hey, okay?"

Percy nodded reluctantly, giving my hand a final squeeze. He backed away, and his fingers slipped through mine. I tucked my hand back under the blankets Simon had brought, trying to ignore how empty my palm suddenly felt. "See you later, Seaweed Brain."

Percy glanced back again and grinned slightly, a sad sort of grin. "Have a nice nap, Wise Girl." He headed out the door.

Conner forced a smile, then backed out and pulled the door closed behind him. You know thing's are bad when even a Stoll can't come up with a joke.

I sighed into the silence. I was in serious pain, but it also felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. For once, Percy and I had had a conversation about Luke without it ending in a screaming match.

Maybe I should take knives for him more often. It clearly had its advantages.

I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. But this was Annabeth. If I couldn't trust her, I couldn't trust anyone….

She put her hand on my spine, and my skin tingled. I moved her fingers to the one spot that grounded me to my mortal life. A thousand volts of electricity seemed to arc through my body.

A/N: So, yes. *At a loss for things to say now that she's ranted* How is everyone? I really appreciate all the reviews for the last chapter. At least no one thought it was a total failure. ;) You all are so sweet to keep reviewing and encouraging me over and over. I have 88 reviews now! :O That's more than I have on any other of my stories, by, like… 70. XD. So thank you, thank you, thank you! :3 And again, I owe special thanks to LiveLoveTwix27, Aariya, PercabethAndZebraFTW, and LAUGHwithaSMILE. You guys are awesome!

One anonymous reviewer, MyDogsNameIsPercyToo, asked if I was going all the way through HoO or stopping with TLO. I was originally planning to quit with the next oneshot, because I already have a story out about Annabeth during HoO, but I thought of an idea I really wanted to do with SoN, so I caved and ended up writing two more. So yes, I am going all the way. Geez, I'm rambling even for myself today. (And what's up with saying "so" every other word?)

Next oneshot, The (Blue) Icing on the Cake, will be up… soon. I'm going to a writers' conference next weekend, so I might not have the time to post. (That sounds odd…) But I'll get it up ASAP, I promise!

-Dovewings