I would like to take this moment and say thank you, thank you, thank you for reading my first story. I am glad that, from what I hear, you guys like it.

I do not own POJ

Annabeth's POV

Looking into the gloom of the tunnel had revealed no change over the long time they had been gone. Until now. A darker blob of black seemed to be materialising. A blob of something solid and coming closer.

"Guys…? I think they are coming."

Instantly everyone got to their feet. A few seconds later they staggered out of the tunnel. An exhausted Hazel and Leo carried something between them. My heart caught in my throat. Percy.

Jason and Frank reached over and took Percy from them and set him down a few feet away from the tunnel opening. Numb, I walked over quickly and silently.

My blood turned to ice. He didn't look like my seaweed brain. Out of all of the times he had been hurt, this was the probably the worst.

I knelt down. "Percy? Percy can you hear me!" No response. Positively frantic I screamed his name again. "PERCY! Percy wake up!" He didn't.

I took in his deflated appearance. The fact that he was covered in dust and bruises. I took in the still seeping wound in his side. I looked up at Frank and Jason "We need nectar, Ambrosia, anything!"

Everyone started checking pockets, asking each other if they had any. I even searched Percy's pockets because I know he had started carrying some around a while ago at all times. But all I found was his magic sword in pen form.

Jason looked at me. "We can go to the Argo II. We have some in the galley."

Frank nodded. "Jason and I will go."

"We could always bring him with" said Piper. "He would get it faster.

Leo and Hazel shook their heads. "It would kill him," Said Hazel. "We have a feeling that he he barely survived the trip up here… getting him to the Argo II would be worse."

"We'll go get." Jason Said. "Frank and I." They started to leave but something stopped everyone on their tracks. A voice saying no.

Shocked I looked down. I could see green eyes. Percy was awake.

"Percy we have to get some, you're hurt." I could hear an edge of panic in my voice.

With some difficulty he nodded. "I know" He whispered. "But it's time."

I filled with dread. "No Percy! You are going to be fine! We just have to give you some nectar!"

From behind me a familiar voice spoke. "It won't help Annabeth. It's been too long."

I whirled around. "Nico, what are you doing here?"

He walked up to us and knelt down on Percy's other side. "I had to take care of some things first. And then… well I sensed Percy."

I froze. Nico only senses one kind of thing.

"He's dying Annabeth, I can see it."

"No" I whispered. "No it, it can't happen…"

"That's why I came." He said sadly.

I grabbed Percy's hand. "It can't happen." I repeated. Percy looked up at me and I could see he was in a lot of pain. That he was keeping it all down for all of us. For me.

I could see that Nico was telling the truth. But I didn't want to believe it.

Sometime between Nico arriving and now, the others had sat down around Percy too. All of them looked grim and worried.

I locked eyes with Percy and he tried to squeeze my hand. Of course Percy would be the one to try and comfort us while he was dying. My eyes stung.

Carefully he reached up and wiped a tear from my face. I could tell it cost him a lot, but he had done it anyways. "Annabeth… it will be okay."

My voice was thick. "No… we were supposed to have more time together. We already went through one war…"

"But it's already more time than I thought…" His voice was strained and weak. 'I thought I was going to die down there… but now I get to see you one more time. All of you." He smiled weakly.

"You forgive us then for… the rough ride?" asked Leo.

Percy nodded slowly, and then turned back to me.

"If I could, then I would go on with you to the end of this prophecy and more…"

"But the fates deem it otherwise," I said sadly.

He smiled through his pain. " Yes," he said softly. Percy eyes went unfocused and he seemed to be distracted by something.

We all watched in silence as Percy breathed laboriously and closed his eyes. We thought that that was it.

But it wasn't. Not yet.

After what felt like years, Percy opened his eyes one last time and looked around at each of us. His eyes finally stopped at me and it looked as if he was trying to say something.

I leaned in close to him. "I love you wise girl." It was barely audible, but I heard it. Choking back a sob I squeezed his hand. "I love you too seaweed brain."

I kissed him after that.

His dull eyes seemed to smile. And then he closed them and took his last breath.

Percy's POV

"I love you wise girl." I said.

"I love you too seaweed brain."

After she kissed me I had one final look at Annabeth. I didn't want to leave her, but I knew it was time and my poor beat up body had had enough. I almost went before I had told her I loved her. But I didn't let that happen. I think Nico helped with that somehow… but I'll probably never know.

My eyes closed and I breathed in one last time. I felt a falling sensation as things sped up around me. Even though everything was dark I could tell I was moving. All of a sudden the vertigo feeling stopped.

I felt as if I was standing…

Opening my eyes, I found myself at the banks of a river. The banks of the river Styx.