A/N: Brace yourselves, this chapter is extremely long! But, considering it's also the last, you guys deserve it. So, enjoy, and thanks so much for reading and supporting the story! Also, make sure you guys read the Author's Note at the end, there's some important info that you might want to know about.

X: Valiance

A shot rang out, standing out from the rest of the chaos on-deck. Annabeth's arm dropped to her side slowly, and the pistol clattered to the deck. Percy groaned slightly, rolling to his side as he struggled to bring himself to his feet. It took a moment for Annabeth to snap free from her daze before dashing to his side to help him. He was leaning on one elbow, as he held his other hand to the wound with a weakened cough. She held her hand up,

"Come on," She muttered as she helped him up, "You need to be the one to finish this."

He nodded meekly, his teeth chattering somewhat under his lightly-blued lips. Percy rose to his feet fully, picking up his sword as he managed his way over to Roi's side. The captain was sprawled out on the deck, gagging on his own blood as he clawed at the bullet mark in his throat. He looked down upon him, his face devoid of any significant emotions. If one's face could be a neutral expression, then that's what Percy's face looked like.

Roi grinned, before gagging again,

"What...Are you...Waiting for?" He managed between gasps of air.

Percy gripped his sword, staring away for a while as Roi continued to cough, spit, and gasp for breath. He sighed, and then unexpectedly lowered his sword. The captain stared on, as Percy spoke,

"No. This won't end with me killing you."

Roi let out a watery laugh, "You're too much...Of a coward...To finish me off...That's why! You let the girl...Do your dirty work. Is that it?"

Percy shook his head, "All of this time, I wanted to kill you myself. I thought...I thought that I would feel better after I had. And now that you're dying by someone else's hand, and that your demise is inevitable, I can see it from a different perspective. I didn't want Annabeth to kill you...But she did it to save me."

"You dying today was unavoidable. But it wasn't by my hand. It was to save someone else's life-My life. And it's going to stay that way, rather than your death be out of revenge."

Roi cackled again, "So, you're a philosopher now?"

He coughed again, flopping to the deck as he gripped at his throat. Roi writhed around for a few more seconds, before his last breath escaped, and he grew completely still. Percy let out a sigh, slowly turning to face Annabeth. She engulfed him in a hug, as he weakly returned it. As she wrapped his arms around her waist, he pulled away somewhat, looking down as he ghosted his knuckle across her cheek.

The last person who had done that was Roi, and it made her skin crawl like insects were trekking across her body. But from Percy, it was warm, comforting, despite that his hands were ice cold from the inclement weather.

"Now you're bleeding."

She rolled her eyes, "Please, I'm not the one who has blood gushing severely in two different locations."

He grimaced, as he was reminded of the pain.

"I'll be alright."

"Perseus!" Artemis shouted.

They turned to face her as she limped over.

"All of Roi's men are either dead or about to find themselves on the devil's doorstep," She looked behind the two, regarding Roi with a nod in his direction, "And him?"

"Dead," Percy reported.

Artemis released a slow sigh as she nodded, "Good...Good. Finally, the island can be free of his in-discriminatory wrath and greed. Well, what are we to do now?"

Percy sighed, looking out across the horizon.

"I guess we should head back to the shore. How does docking at Port Royal sound?"

Annabeth's heart sunk at this. The fight was over, and now that it was, she had to return home, return to her empty life. Her father, given that he allowed her back after running from Roi, would resume his plans for her. He'd marry her off to the highest paying suitor, she'd bear her husband children, and live a miserable life until she died. And she'd never see Artemis again, never see Percy again.

"Annabeth?" Percy called.

"Hmm?" She asked, looking over.

"How does Port Royal sound?" He repeated, "Is that alright by you?"

Annabeth swallowed the knot in her throat, nodding before she managed a sentence in an attempt to not sob in front of them,

"Port Royal it is."

As she said this, the tears finally bit at her eyes, as she rushed away. She rushed towards the captain's quarters, bursting through the doors as she buried her face in her hands. Annabeth began to sob, tears rolling down her face as she cried so profusely that the pain was welling up in her chest. She looked around the room with blurry vision, remembering the time she had spent in here, diverting Roi's attention as Percy prepared their getaway boat. Her misery turned to anger within a second, as she swept her hand across Roi's desk. Papers, glasses, and other souvenirs went flying across the room, crashing onto the walls and floor.

The doors burst open, as a pair of footsteps sounded,

"Annabeth," Percy's voice said alarmingly, "What's going on in here? Are you alright?"

The door closed, as she turned away completely. She swiped at her eyes, sniffling quickly as she covered up the fact that she had been crying.

"Go away," She whispered, "Please go away."

"Why?" Percy muttered softly, his voice suddenly calm. She felt his hand on her shoulder, but she yanked away.

"Go away," Annabeth demanded more persistently.

"Can you please just tell me what's wrong? Maybe I can help you."

"Nothing or no one can help me now."

Percy grasped at her shoulders again, forcing her to turn. It registered on his face that he realized she had been crying, but he kept a sympathetic expression,

"Humor me."

She looked away, "If I go back to Port Royal, my father is going to marry me off to some suitor so I can live out the bland lifestyle of a house wife. And I don't...I don't want that, Percy."

Annabeth burst into tears again, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her gently, letting her cry it out. When she had finally calmed down somewhat, he broke away.

"Now," He muttered, a faint grin on his face, "I asked for your input as to whether or not you wanted to go back to Port Royal. You could have said no."

She looked down at her feet,

"You said that I couldn't stay with you, remember? I don't have a choice except to go back."

He shook his head, "Annabeth, my mind has changed a million times over as to what my opinion is of you. First I hated you, quite possibly more than that bastard Roi."

She smirked, as did he.

"Then, I was annoyed profusely by you for making me run through that jungle."

Annabeth laughed this time around, "Was it really that taxing?"

"Yes!" Percy exclaimed, "You didn't think running through thick terrain wasn't in the least bit taxing?"

"It's easy when you're a little more dainty, I suppose."

He grunted in disdain, before sighing,

"Thirdly, I respected you. Saving me from the river, thinking of that escape plan in the town, electing to fight alongside me instead of returning to the safety of your home. And now-"

Percy looked down at her, blinking a few times,

"And now...I love you."

Annabeth drew in a breath, surprised at his words. But she didn't hesitate in a reply. She leaned forward and upwards swiftly, closing her eyes as their lips collided. He returned the kiss, a furious, longing, and persistent one. Percy brought his hand up, cupping it to the side of her face to bring her closer.

She wanted so badly to keep going, keep kissing him until she was panting for breath. And from his own pace in their kisses, she knew he felt the same way. But they were cut short from a breakout of shouting out on the deck. He pulled away, taking in a breath.

"What's going on?" She breathed.

Percy shook his head, "I don't know. Let me-"

The door flew open, as a cluster of men swarmed in. Percy backed away, slipping his hand around Annabeth's as they were forced against the desk as guns were trained on them. Annabeth gasped when her father walked into the room, red-faced, drenched from the rain and fatigued in appearance.

"Annabeth!" He panted.

Her father's eyes slowly landed on their hands,

"You-" He hissed, jowls reverberating, "Let go of my daughter! Now!"

Percy tightened his grip, as Annabeth spoke up,

"What are you doing here, father?"

He readjusted the grip on his pistol as he tore his glare from Percy, "Your nurse told me that you were going to fight Roi after you had...Run away from him. So, I came after you. But I think it's safe to say that we can discuss the full details back in Port Royal, no?"

Annabeth shook her head, "I'm not going back to Port Royal."

"What?" He laughed, though his patience was clearly waning, "I'm afraid that isn't an option, my dear."

"I don't want to go back."

"In life, Annabeth, there's a lot of things that we don't want to do. But we have to do them. If everyone went about not doing what they wanted to do-"

"Enough!" Annabeth snapped, as her father's face went slack with shock, "I'm not going to listen to another one of your lectures. I am not going to leave this ship with you. And I am especially not going to back to Port Royal."

"What?" Frederick asked, "And what do you expect to do then? Sail of into the sunset with a pirate, a petty thief who will amount to nothing?"

"He's amounted to more than any one of your suitors that you have lined up will amount to their entire lives!"

Her father rolled his eyes, "You're a foolish child, Annabeth! This is nothing more than a childish lust for rebellion, to go against my wishes! And for that, you've lost your chance of my lenience! Men, take this scoundrel into custody for the kidnapping of my daughter!"

They swarmed towards him, prying Percy away from Annabeth. A pair of guards cuffed him, before dragging him away.

"You'll be taken to Port Royal, young man!" Her father shouted, "Though I doubt your trial will go over well, because once I have my way, kidnapping will be punishable by death!"

Annabeth called Percy's name again as he was whisked away. Her father came forward, bringing a hand against her face. It stung, but after having been through an excessive amount pain, physical and emotional, over the past days, it didn't jar her much.

"I will have no more of this nonsensical rebellion from you! Now you are going to come aboard with me, return to Port Royal, and that will be the end of it completely! Do you understand me?"

Her eyes dipped down solemnly, but her fiery anger against her father still raged on inside.

"Yes."

"Good," He answered, "We're leaving now. This ship is sinking faster by the minute."

Frederick grabbed her arm, leading her along outside. Annabeth looked around, but frowned when it was devoid of anyone besides the soldiers and the corpses. The huntresses were gone without a trace.

"Is there something wrong?" He questioned, looking over at her with a raised eyebrow.

After a moment, she slowly shook her head, as to avoid raising anymore suspicion,

"No...Nothing."

He nodded tensely, escorting her through the rain as they boarded the ship that was anchored beside Roi's. She watched as a few men came up from the lower deck, carrying with them a plethora of supplies. Annabeth looked to her father in question, but he didn't make an effort to explain as he strutted off,

"Don't wander about, Annabeth. And don't go anywhere near him."

The last of the soldiers came aboard, as they hauled up the small anchor tethering them to one spot. Slowly, they managed to get into a decent position, and sailed away as the rain continued to pour. She looked towards one of the masts, where Percy was slumped over and tied down. She wanted so badly to go to his side, comfort him in some way, but if her father caught her, she would be in even deeper trouble than she already was in.

So, she forced herself to turn away, as she faced the slowly sinking ship in the distance.

When they reached the shore once more, Percy was frisked away from the ship first. They had to get a pair of stronger soldiers to drag him away, as he was too weak to move his feet. Her stomach gnarled with anxiety as she saw the blood splotches on his shirt had become much more pronounced. He was losing blood quickly, and if it kept at the same rate that it was, she knew he wouldn't survive. She almost thanked her father profusely when she heard him say,

"Fetch him a doctor to have those wounds mended! We can't have him dying beforehand! And have my daughter sent to her room with some guards posted!"

She was led of the ship by another pair of soldiers off the docks, as they walked down the shore, following behind the two that were leading Percy along. Annabeth gripped her fists, wanting so badly to grab the sword from one of the guards, cut them down, and get Percy away from them. But that was out of the question. Even if she did manage to get away unscathed, which was unlikely on its' own, she wouldn't even know where to begin with Percy's wounds.

Annabeth was led along, staring at Percy the entire time. The feelings that had lingered inside her regarding him had become so much more stronger after their kiss, after his constant displays of bravery and kindness. She even ached from how poignant it was. While she had never felt it towards anyone else beforehand in her life, she knew full well what it was: Love. And it was from that love that she was feeling overwhelmingly lovesick.

But she knew she would have to keep her feelings, for the time being, at bay. If she allowed them to get in the way, she would never be able to think of a way to save him. Her father said he would see to it that his so-called crimes would send him to his death. And she swore to her self that she wouldn't allow that to happen. Not after everything he had done to save her.

Suddenly, she was turned in a different direction, and barely had the chance to watch as Percy was dragged away to another area on her father's complex. She was brought into the house, which hadn't changed. Why would it have changed in the mere course of a few days? But despite the fact it had only been a few days, it felt like she had been gone for months, years, even. It was then that she thought of her mother.

As she was pulled along, she desperately hoped that she would spot Athena, whom she suddenly missed terribly. Perhaps, she would listen to her, hear her out about Percy, so she could relay to her father to spare him. But, considering how submissive her mother was to her husband's wishes, she doubted it. Still, a small piece of hope lingered in the back of her mind. They arrived at her room, and when the guard opened the room, it revealed her nurse was waiting for her.

She drew in a breath, sprinting the short length of her room to get to her. Annabeth was engulfed in a hug, much stronger than the one the evening before. When they finally broke away, her nurse sighed,

"I was worried that I might never see you again. But now...You're safe. For good, this time."

Annabeth sighed, looking away,

"Nurse, my father...He's arrested Percy, and...He plans to have him executed."

Her nurse raised her eyebrows in surprise, and as Annabeth explained further, she slowly looked more and more guilty. Then, she was completely staring at the floor,

"Annabeth. I feel that I might have some part in this."

"What?" Annabeth asked, "What do you mean?"

"After I had returned from the directions Perseus had given me, your father had discovered that I had left without asking beforehand, and demanded why. I showed him the note, told him you were alive, and how you were going to fight against Roi with Perseus. He rounded up some men, and went after Roi's ship. Had I not told the truth, surely he would have-"

Annabeth shook her head, "No, nurse. There's no need to feel guilty. If you hadn't been honest, he surely would have relieved you of service. I couldn't have withstood that."

Her nurse nodded hesitantly, "Well...I'm glad you got out alive, Annabeth. What you did, that was extraordinarily noble of you."

"I wanted to help," Annabeth replied quietly, before wandering to a chair. Her nurse still stood, and after a moment, she grinned faintly,

"You're in love with the boy, aren't you?"

Annabeth wasn't sure how her nurse had picked up on it, but she nodded meekly before questioning, "How did you know?"

"Well, out of all of the men you've met, he's the only one who didn't try and tame you."

She grinned somewhat at this, "I thought you said needed someone who outdid my fiery personality?"

"Well, I realize now that I was wrong. You needed someone who matched you equally. Someone who brought out the best of your fiery side, not the worst of it. So...What do you plan to do?"

Annabeth shook her head, "I don't have a plan. And even if I did, I'd be hopeless in carrying it out. I have no weapons, no supplies...Nothing."

"So, a lack in provisions is all that's holding you back? You're not afraid?"

Annabeth looked up, "Of course I'm afraid, but...But that wouldn't hold me back for a second in saving him."

Her nurse paced a few steps, before stopping and turning to walk towards the door,

"I'll return in a few minutes."

When her nurse returned again, two of her father's men trotted behind, lugging a massive wooden chest behind them. Annabeth looked over as they set it down in front of her bed, and her nurse opened up the chest before gushing,

"What beautiful dresses!"

The guards looked on for only a moment longer, before promptly losing interest and leaving. When the door shut, her nurse waved her over,

"Come, Annabeth. I have something to show you."

Annabeth walked over, frowning as she got closer. A variety of dresses were folded neatly inside, and she held back from rolling her eyes,

"What good will these do me right now, nurse?"

She knelt down beside her, and when she did, her nurse peeled back the dresses. Annabeth gasped at the sight that was at the bottom.

"Nurse..." She mumbled, "How-Why..."

At the bottom of the chest was a pair of brown breeches, boots, a burgundy shirt and black vest. Stacked on top of the clothes was a belt with dual pistols, a knife, and a sword attached.

"I had a completely different life before my service to your father's household."

Annabeth looked over, and her nurse had a faint, but mischievous smile on her face.

"I used to serve aboard a ship, traveling to the corners of the world to find hidden treasures, or take the treasures we wanted, for that matter. And my time on that ship was the best time in my entire life...I suppose the little part of myself that's still a pirate wants you to go and save this boy. And now, you have the ways and means to do so, if you're still up to it, that is."

Slowly, she scooped up the belt, before fastening it to her waist. Annabeth turned, a look of determination etched on her face,

"Percy is not dying today, not when I can still help."

Annabeth readied herself, checking and double checking everything was in place. Finally, she looked to her nurse,

"Ready?"

Her nurse walked towards her, nodding. Annabeth counted down from three, mouthing the words. When she reached one, her nurse let out a shrill scream, before Annabeth grabbed her and pointed a pistol to her head. The guards burst open at the scream, muskets readied,

"Drop your weapons!" She ordered, "Or I'll blow her head off! Drop them! Drop them now!"

They obeyed, as they slowly lowered them, and placed them in front of their feet. For good measure, they raised their hands, looking on as Annabeth held the pistol to her nurse's head.

"Where's my father?" Annabeth demanded.

"In the dining hall, my lady," One replied.

She swept out of the room, dragging her nurse with her. Annabeth faced the pair of guards, walking backwards the entire length of the hall to make sure they didn't try anything. When she reached the stairwell, she turned, going down the stairs with her nurse still in her clutches.

"So far, so good," Annabeth muttered.

They got to the foot of the stairs, before continuing on. Annabeth rushed them towards the dining hall doors, where another duo of guards awaited them

"Drop your weapons!" Annabeth demanded, "Now!"

This time, they stood firm, aiming their guns. So, Annabeth drew the other pistol, and released the one pointed against her nurse's temple. She still stood behind her, however, using her as a shield as she pointed both of her guns at them,

"Unless you drop your weapons," She said, "This won't end well for you. So do it!"

One of the guards waved the other one, motioning towards the ground with his palm facing towards the floor. They dropped their weapons, spreading their hands in surrender as she walked on with her nurse in tow.

"Open the door," She ordered.

They did, and once they swung open, Annabeth stormed in. Annabeth spotted her father, who looked up from his meal, shocked in appearance. She drew in a breath when she saw her mother sitting beside him, but still continued to walk forward. Frederick stood,

"What is this?" He questioned, "Annabeth! Stop this immediately!"

Athena was also about to stand, but Frederick grasped her shoulder and forced her to sit. Annabeth glared at them, in an attempt to keep a steely character.

"Where did you get those weapons?"

She grinned instantly managing a bluff to cover her nurse's tracks, "Oh, it was quite easy, father. Your guards aren't as effective as you clearly assumed they were."

Frederick's face went slack, as she continued,

"You know, for the past few days, something hasn't added up about this whole ordeal," Annabeth commented, "Do you know what it is?"

Her father cracked a smug grin,

"By all means, tell me what it is."

Annabeth readjusted the pistol, "You didn't even shed a tear when I, your one and only daughter, was taken away...Why?"

Her father's grin turned into a smirk, as he scratched at his chin,

"What can I say, my dear? There were a number of suitors who wanted your hand in marriage, and Roi just happened to be one of them. This was all around the time I had done the service of fucking his wife, of course."

Athena slowly turned to him, wide-eyed. And if all of the hurt that existed in the world could be projected into one person, then that person was Athena. He sat down and continued,

"I'm assuming that he had already planned to double-cross me, which, for obvious reasons, would make one unhappy. However, I was still unaware of this part of the plan at the time. He had pulled me aside after the burglary, demanding some kind of payment for the theft of the goods. What better barter was there in existence than my sniveling brat of a daughter, who would be taken away and most definitely never return again?"

Frederick sighed, scrunching his brow together between pinched fingers.

"But even now...You're still alive, and are more troublesome than you were beforehand."

Annabeth breathed in, holding it in an attempt to keep herself from shaking with anger. Hot tears prodded at the corner of her eyes as she shook her head,

"How...How could you do that?"

He grinned, "Unfortunately, my dear, the matters of a man with business on his mind wouldn't be able to be comprehended by a naive girl. Still, finding you did have its' merits. I recovered my stolen goods, and retrieved my daughter who I can still give away to the highest bidding suitor. At the very least, the few days you were away were some of the most relaxing I've had in years."

Annabeth pulled the gun away from her nurse's head, as she sprinted towards the table. Her father's face grew more malicious as she got closer, and finally, he drew a sword. She just barely managed to dodge the incoming blade, leaping backwards from the few steps leading up to the table. With a kick, he pushed the table towards her, as it tumbled downwards with a massive crash. Her mother screamed, running away from the fight with her hands clasped to the sides of her head.

"How about this," Frederick began, forming the words in a slick manner, "If I win our little spar, you'll go back to being an obedient little daughter, and will do everything I say. If you win, well, let's be honest, you won't."

Annabeth grinned, raising her pistol,

"Don't worry, I will."

A loud bang resonated through the dining hall, as Frederick let out a pained grunt, gripping his side. He toppled over, falling to the ground as he writhed about. Annabeth stepped towards him, kicking the blade away,

"You...Bitch!" He managed.

"You should have stated the weapons we were to use in our little spar, father, before going on to say that I wouldn't win it."

Frederick cried out, "When I get up again, I'll-"

"What?" She demanded, placing a foot in the center of his chest as she pressed down, "I'd like to see you try to do anything, you pathetic old man! This place has changed you, father. You think that you're above a man like Captain Roi, because of your wealth and status, but if anything, you're no different from him. What kind of man gives away his own daughter to a cruel and evil man for the sake of getting rid of them?"

Through gritted teeth, he looked up at her,

"Go...To...Hell."

She kicked him across the face, "I'd tell you to do the same, but I'm certain you already have a one way ticket. Now, I won the spar, so tell me where Perseus is now."

"Go to hell!" He screamed again, spitting out blood, "I said go to hell, damn it!"

Annabeth drew a knife, forcing him flat on his back with her foot.

"Tell me where he is," She muttered, "Or I'll cut you like the pig you are."

He remained silent, as he tried to struggle out from under her foot. Annabeth forced down harder, before looking over to her mother. She had pulled herself into a confined position, as she sobbed quietly. But she wasn't looking in their direction. Then, she looked down at her father again. She crouched down, forcing her weight upon him even more as she pressed the tip of her blade against his chest,

"Tell me. Now."

He grinned, blood staining his teeth, "You won't kill me."

Annabeth dug the blade deeper, just barely drawing blood from the cut, but still enough to cause him pain,

"I won't kill you. But you can be sure that if you don't tell me what I want to know, you'll wish that I was going to kill you."

She wasn't lying to him. Annabeth really didn't plan on killing her own father, as terrible as he was. But for the sake of Percy's own life, if Frederick was stubborn enough with his own, she was willing to have a change of plans. Annabeth slowly raised the blade, and the higher it got, the wider her father's eyes grew,

"Don't make me do this."

But he wouldn't let up, he wouldn't give in. Finally, she stopped in raising her blade, and as she drew in a sharp breath, preparing to bring down the knife, he let out a pleading voice,

"Stop," He muttered, "Please."

Annabeth readjusted her grip, "Well?"

"I'll show you where he is. Just...Don't hurt me."

She backed away, releasing her hold on him. He slowly rose to his feet, as she exchanged her empty pistol for her loaded one. Annabeth pointed at him, then regarded towards the door. He was about to walk towards it, but then she put a hand out,

"Wait."

Annabeth regarded her mother again, who was still sobbing. Her nurse had gone over to comfort her, but as Annabeth walked over, she moved away, her head solemnly lowered. She crouched down beside her, putting a comforting hand on Athena's shoulder,

"Mother..." She whispered, "I'm sorry. Sorry that you had to find out from him in that manner."

"I-" Athena managed, "I should have believed you the first time. But I didn't listen...To my own daughter!"

She began to sob again, as Annabeth winced,

"It's not your fault," Annabeth insisted, "You were only defending your husband, and rightfully so."

Athena sniffled for a moment longer, before looking up, her grey eyes, despite blurry and reddened with tears, were filled with determination,

"That man," She said, "Is no longer my husband."

Annabeth looked down on her mother, before slowly nodding. She leaned forward, kissing her on the top of her head,

"I have to go now. And I don't think I'll be coming back."

Athena pulled her daughter into tight, almost suffocating hug when she said these words. When they broke away again, her mother's face looked extremely pained, but she managed a watery smile,

"Whoever he is, I hope he makes you happy."

Annabeth nodded once more, blinking the tears out of her eyes. They shared in another tight hug, but this time, it was much more brief. Athena was the first to break away,

"Go," She said.

"I love you."

"I love you more, my valiant daughter."

Annabeth rose to her face, looking into her mother's eyes again. She nodded to her in reassurance, a fierce expression on her face. Slowly, she turned to face her nurse, who was standing nearby. Annabeth walked towards her, clenching her eyes shut for a brief moment to flush away the tears that were threatening to break lose. She looked up at her,

"I'll miss you," Annabeth whispered.

Her nurse grinned somewhat, tucking back Annabeth's hair,

"As will I," She replied, "It's been a pleasure and an honor to serve as your nurse, my dear. I wish you the best of luck."

Annabeth crashed into her, pulling into a hug. Her nurse wrapped her arms around Annabeth, swaying side to side somewhat as she occasionally gave a reassuring rub on the back. While yes, it had been difficult saying her goodbyes to her mother, it was completely and utterly heart-wrenching to say goodbye to her nurse. No matter what the problem was, no matter how miniscule it may have been, her nurse had always been at her side to give advice or whatever was necessary to fix the problem. And every time she thought of her mother, it was her nurse's face who appeared in her mind instead.

Her entire life, she had been brought up by her nurse. And despite not being her birth mother, that didn't make a single difference. Annabeth, no matter what, would forever consider her nurse her true mother.

She didn't want to say goodbye to either one of them, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to return if or when she was able to help Percy escape. Not only would her father never forgive her, but she was certain she would be breaking a number of laws. So, she supposed that it would be better to say goodbye then, in the case that she did escape, or, if she ended up failing and was killed. Better to say goodbye then, when she had her dignity intact.

Finally, Annabeth pulled away, looking up to her nurse with tears in her eyes. She smiled down at her, the creases in her face becoming more prominent as she brushed a tear away from the corner of one of Annabeth's eyes. She patted Annabeth's cheek,

"Stay strong, my dear. And don't lose your wits."

She nodded, and her nurse released her slowly. Annabeth let out a low sigh as she regarded her father,

"Let's go."

Annabeth led her father outside, a rag stuffed into his mouth as they walked on. Already they had encountered a number of guards, and each time they did, she would shout for them to drop their guns, and turn away. And, if they tried to alert anyone, she would put a bullet through her father's head. The latter part would almost instantly cause them to heed her warnings, and do as they were told. Her father would point in the direction they needed to go on his compound, and she would push him along.

The heat was especially agonizing that day, despite it being far past noon. It was beating down, with no shade to be found for anyone. She was thankful for the handkerchief, Percy's handkerchief, that was fastened around her neck. With her free hand, she reached up, fiddling with the red cloth. She was painfully reminded of how terribly she missed him.

If it had been a few days ago, she was certain she wouldn't have batted an eye had he been captured then. But things had changed so drastically, and she was thankful that those changes were for the better. She almost, in a way, felt a twinge of thankfulness for what had happened. Annabeth felt as though she had improved as a person, learning what it was like to actually care about someone besides herself constantly. She had never really experienced that before.

And Percy. Even in the extreme heat, she felt goosebumps spread across her warm skin from the mere thought of him. They had grown close, in the lightest of terms. And the kiss they had shared...The goosebumps promptly returned.

There was something so incredibly and overwhelmingly intoxicating about him. He had been one of the few, no, the only man she had ever met with more than just an ounce of personality. Percy was so full of life compared to those other suitors, compared to most everyone she had ever encountered, for that matter. Despite being an unfortunate victim of circumstance, he never once had complained about it, and never let his optimism fade.

She drew in a breath, jarring her from her thoughts. Annabeth had to prepare herself, for she knew if she did otherwise, she wouldn't see him again outside of her own daydreams. As she looked up, she realized the were approaching a row of small structures made of brick, as well as a cage holding a slew of menacing-looking men. A cluster of guards were pacing back and forth, until they spotted Annabeth approaching.

"Halt!" One ordered, as they raised their weapons.

Annabeth pressed her pistol closer to her father's head, before removing the cloth from his mouth,

"Hold your fire!" He ordered breathlessly, "She's here to see the pirate."

She moved forward, dragging him on before stopping in front of the cage. They looked down at her, licking their lips, but she ignored him as she looked to the guards,

"All of you, lower your weapons, and you-"

Annabeth pointed to the soldier with the keys strapped to his belt.

"Open this cage."

He came forward, and before her father could catch on and say anything in protest, she stuffed the rag back into his mouth. The guard unlocked the door, and just as he did, she kicked her father inside and he plopped to the ground, wide-eyed as he screamed, the rag still in his mouth. Quickly, the door was shut, and locked. The prisoners inside looked down at him, then back to Annabeth,

"Do what you wish with him," She said.

She barely managed to finish her sentence before they started to attack him. The guards nearby looked on in terror,

"Show me to the pirate," She ordered, "Then you can pry your precious employer free."

The guard with the keys opened the door to one of the brick structures, stepping out of her way as she marched inside. The floor was nothing but dirt, with bars making up the roof as a box of light burned down. Percy was leaned against a filthy looking mattress that was on the ground, eyes shut tightly to block out the sun. A filthy-smelling bucket for one to relieve themselves in was tucked in the other corner. He slowly cracked his eyes open, but they fluttered open quickly and the rest of the way when he realized who it was.

"Annabeth!" He said, struggling to stand.

She rushed forward, pulling him into a hug. He let out a grunt, grabbing onto her shoulders as he moved her away from him somewhat,

"Sorry," He winced, "The wounds are a little tender."

"Have they stitched you up?"

Percy nodded, squinting in the sunlight from above.

"Can you move quickly?"

He shrugged, sitting up as she straddled his legs. Percy eyed the handkerchief tied around her neck, before reaching forward. His calloused, but careful fingers tickled her neck as he felt the fabric between his hands. She reached back, preparing to untie it,

"I'm sure you want it back now."

"No," He declined, reaching around to stop her hands from unfastening it, "You keep it."

Annabeth nodded slowly, before suddenly realizing, "The hat..."

"Ah," He sighed sympathetically, "It fell off while they were taking me off Roi's ship."

She nodded again, meekly, before Percy's hand reached up, caressing her cheek as she held onto the hand doing so. After a moment of his gentle, fluttering touches across the side of her face, he leaned forward, before pressing his lips against hers. As his hand that had been against her face shifted downwards to cup his chin, she too broke her hands away, moving them to hold onto both sides of his face. She grinned amidst their kissing at the sensation of stubble beneath her hands.

"What?" He asked, as she felt his lips curl into a smile briefly before resuming.

"Nothing," She whispered, "But Percy. We really should go..."

Percy broke away suddenly, nodding in agreement.

"Right," He replied, face red as he remembered him being a prisoner, "Good plan."

"Don't you want to know how I even got here?" Annabeth questioned with a sly grin. He reciprocated the expression as she slid off of his legs, allowing him to stand,

"As much as I would love nothing more than to hear about your escapades over the past few hours, we should probably get out of here first."

Percy rose to his feet, as she handed him the blade she had sheathed. He took it, balancing it in his hand. He walked outside, with Annabeth following. Percy spotted the guards, who had since opened the cage gate again, and were wrestling to get Frederick free.

He blinked a few times, "How-"

"Like you said," She cut him off with a smile, "We should probably get out of here first."

Percy looked down, his bright green eyes sparkling mischievously as he grinned back. They walked at a quickened pace, eager to get away from the compound. While Annabeth could see that he was trying his best to keep up, he was clearly struggling. His face had taken on an unnerving pallor, similar to that of chalk, and despite the fact that his wounds had been closed up, they were obviously causing him pain still.

He noticed her continuous glances towards him finally, and waved her away,

"I'll be alright," Percy reassured, "Just a little bit sore, is all."

Eventually, Annabeth nodded slowly, but still continued to fret silently. They were about to reach the gates, which were open, when a voice bellowed behind them,

"Stop!" Her father bellowed, "Once you cross that gate, I won't hesitate in shooting you both!"

Annabeth gasped, "Run!"

They both broke into a faster gait, crossing over. Percy was still floundering behind, gripping his side with pain. She brought her hand back for him to take, as she pulled him along,

"Come on!" She encouraged.

He huffed, as his sweat-drenched brow further knitted together,

"Do you happen to have a plan as to how we're going to get away?"

Annabeth grinned, as she led them towards the beach, in the direction of her father's ship. Percy's eyes grew wide as he spotted it, but he managed to laugh out loud as they got closer. They sprinted down the beach, kicking up sand this way and that. To their luck, the dock the ship was anchored to was empty, so, they clambered on, kicking the wooden platform that led up to the ship onto the dock below. Percy ran to a lever, ready to pull up the anchor, but frowned when he realized that it had been pulled up already,

"Odd," He muttered.

As they turned to head up to the quarter deck, they found someone was already there waiting for them, however.

"Artemis!" They shouted in unison.

She saluted them in a sarcastic manner,

"Take the helm, Perseus!"

He jogged up, and as he did, Artemis let out a sharp whistle. Huntresses poured in from different parts of the ship quickly, notching arrows into their bows as they fired at the incoming soldiers. Artemis approached Annabeth, who appeared absolutely dumbfounded at the entire situation.

She placed a hand on her shoulder, "I take it that you're surprised we're here!"

"Yes!" Annabeth exclaimed, "How on earth did you manage this?"

Artemis smirked, "We huntresses are fast swimmers, and fast runners. Once we managed our way to Port Royal, we snuck aboard this ship, believing that we would have to save the two of you ourselves. But, it looks as though you've already done so."

"What?" Annabeth blinked, "You mean-"

"Yes," Artemis interjected with a small smile, "We were coming to rescue the two of you. It wasn't right on my conscious to leave both of you behind, we can't go without proper celebrations for having defeated Roi!"

She regarded the soldiers who were still standing as they fired at the ship from a safe distance. The huntresses switched from their bows to muskets, firing from the deck at them. Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief when the ship slowly began to lurch forward in the waves, with the help of some huntresses who had untethered the masts. They had caught onto the wind, slowly but surely pushing them out to sea. Annabeth braved going over to the railing.

Annabeth's breath caught in her throat as she spotted her father, severely bloodied and bruised, looking on from afar on the shore. He stared towards the ship for a very long time, and she began to wonder if he was looking at her. But, after a while, his hand he had raised to shade his eyes, dropped, as he slowly walked away. The soldiers looked to him, awaiting orders. But none came, as he waved for them to stand down.

It was a long time before Annabeth felt as though she could breathe easy again. Hours had passed since they had set sail and were cruising down Jamaica's coast, and she was still afraid that her father would decide to go after them. But, after a while, she pried herself away from the direction that faced to Port Royal, and wandered about the deck. Artemis, as well as her huntresses, had long since gone below deck to celebrate, and from the rowdy shouts and fiddle playing, it had gone into full-swing. This surprised Annabeth profusely, considering how much they had carried out that day.

Artemis had given the full story once they were safely sailing. After they had seen her father's ship quickly approaching, they dove into the ocean, taking cover on the opposite side of the ship from where her father had anchored. Once it had left again, they returned to the shore, with the help of a few rowboats and their own swimming skills. Once they made it back to land, they made their way towards Port Royal. And, with their luck, was close by, considering during their battle, they had traveled quite a distance closer to the colony. Annabeth was shocked that they still had enough energy for such celebrations.

Annabeth, from the corner of her eye, looked up to the quarter deck, where Percy was. She wandered across the length of the deck, before walking up the stairs leading up to him. The moonlight from above cast a ghostly light on the ship, as Percy leaned against the railing. She looked at the unmanned helm, then back at him,

"Don't worry," He reassured, "I put plenty of space between us and them. But I think it's safe to say that he won't be coming after us."

Annabeth nodded, walking to his side,

"Thank you."

Percy glanced down, then back out towards the ocean. She leaned forward, resting her elbows against the railing. Silence settled between them for a period of time, one that Annabeth wasn't certain how long it lasted. Then, Percy said something,

"Why do you think he did it?"

Annabeth continued to stare out,

"Who?"

"Your father. Why do you think he had them stop shooting?"

She remained silent, pondering the question.

"I mean," He muttered, "If he wanted to, he could have garnered every single ship belonging to the Royal Navy that was docked in Port Royal and put them under his command to hunt us down and destroy us. But he didn't...Why?"

Annabeth took in a breath of air, "I don't know why, Percy. I just hope that it was because he still had at least one remnant of love towards me as his daughter...Enough love inside of him to spare us and let me go."

He nodded slowly, but said nothing more. Annabeth, wishing to move on from the topic of her father, eventually let out a sigh,

"So, what now?"

Percy leaned away from the railing, gripping it beneath his hands,

"Well," He began, "Artemis informed me that she and the rest of the huntresses have to return to their duties in the jungle tomorrow morning, so that will just leave the two of us. And, considering I've sailed around the world damn near a million times-"

"A million?" Annabeth repeated in mock surprise.

Percy grinned sheepishly, "Maybe not a million, but enough times to say that I've seen my fair share of what the world has to offer. But you haven't. So, Miss Chase, where would you like to go?"

Annabeth looked up, her face warm as she processed his question,

"You want me to decide?"

"Of course!" He exclaimed, "We can go anywhere you want to go, see whatever you want to see."

"Well," She muttered somewhat tentatively, looking away briefly before returning her gaze, "I haven't seen London in a few years, not since we left..."

Annabeth looked up after Percy hadn't said anything, but was still gazing intently at her. She shook her head,

"It's alright if you don't want to go. I'd understand it if you wanted to-"

"No," He answered, "Like I said, we can go wherever you want to go. It sounds like the perfect destination! And besides...I haven't ever visited London, actually."

She smirked, "So much for having sailed around the world a million times."

They both laughed briefly, before Annabeth slipped her hand into Percy's. He sighed,

"I never got to thank you for saving me. Again."

"You don't have to," Annabeth replied, "I wouldn't have been able to, had you not saved me from Roi's ship in the first place."

He turned completely, taking her other hand in his free one.

"Well, either way, I want to say thank you."

Annabeth closed her eyes, smiling, "Then do it."

She felt him move somewhat, before she felt his hot breath against her lips as he kissed them. His hand snaked around her waist, gently urging her closer. She obliged, pressing herself into him as their kisses grew more and more persistent, more intense. They finally broke away to catch their breath, looking up or down at each two of them turned, Percy's hand still tucked around her waist, as they stared out into the vast, seemingly never-ending ocean as it glittered beneath the pale moonlight, exchanging story after story, kiss after kiss, the entire night.

And they would repeat this every single night for the remainder of their lives. They would look out at an ocean, a city, or a great unknown for them laid out for them to explore...Together.

The End.

A/N: And that's that. I have to say, this was the first ending I've written in a while that I've actually felt satisfied with, even if it is a little corny...Or really corny. I'll let you guys in on a little secret though-As I was writing this, I was really considering having Percy die during their escape. But, since I had to write this chapter at the last minute, I didn't really have the time to plan the possibility through. But, I opted for the good ending, yay!

Thank you so much for all of the support, you guys, I appreciate it so much, and I hope you all know that. I've got some more story ideas, and I really want to get them posted for you guys ASAP. One is yet another PJO story, the other one that I just got thinking about is a story, or stories, involving The Legend of Korra. But, for the time being, I'm going to take a little break from posting anything, just to get some ideas and chapters developed. I don't have any definite return dates, but let's just say by early to mid-springtime, I'll be back at it.

Thanks again so, so much.
-Gwyn (Leaded-Pegasus)