Chapter 26

Peace

I do not own PJO.

Time seems to stop, the granules of the sands of time ceasing to fall through the hourglass of our world. Your consciousness is narrowed to the spatha, driving forward towards Annabeth's exposed back. You're getting closer and closer, but there is no time. There is never enough time. Your body is numb with the reality of what will happen if you can't get there in time. You know that this strike is deadly. It would take her away from you forever. You have only a second left, if that. You throw yourself forward.

There is no pain, only a slick noise and an uncomfortable feeling in your gut. Blood spills over, soaking your shirt, and you hear a soft gasp that maybe came from you. Your legs cease to hold you and you slide slowly to the ground. There is so much blood...your hands are sticky with it as they press against the place where Imperial Gold meets flesh in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding.

Breathing is becoming harder already, but with impending death comes a strange sort of clarity, a hyper sort of awareness.

There is a muffled oof, and then a hysterical inhale. "Percy?!" You know that voice. You'd know that voice anywhere.

A set of knees drop down next to your head and her long callused fingers stroke down your face, trembling as they reach your stomach.

"Hey Wise Girl," you say softly.

She looks at you sharply, eyes flashing, but there is no menace behind the expression. Her breathing shudders. "Wise Girl?" she whispers.

"I'm dying, Annabeth," you grimace. "I think I deserve to call you anything I want."

"You're not dying," she say frantically. "You're gonna be fine, don't think like that."

You gesture weakly to your stomach.

"I'll do something...I'll-," she says, fingers shuddering on your wound.

Her hands are slick with blood and the scent of iron makes it hard to breathe. Lights are popping behind your eyes as your body protests the lack of blood.

"You shouldn't have done this," she says. "It was my fault. I always leave my back exposed."

"Yeah, I know." you say. "I did it because I love you."

"You're such a Seaweed Brain," she whispers.

"You did it for me," you say.

Her brows furrow for a second in confusion, but then her eyes widen. "On the bridge," she says softly.

Your heart jump starts in your chest. "You...remember?" you ask.

"There was a fight," she says slowly. Her voice sounds hesitant. "Something...something about your back. You were going to die. I couldn't let you."

"You're right," you say. "During the Battle of Manhattan."

Your body is numb and tingling. Your lungs feel heavy and wet. You turn your face to the side and cough hard, struggling to breathe. Each cough sends shooting pain through your body, jolting from your stomach. Your lips feel wet. Something trickles down the side of your face, and callused hands wipe it away.

Black spots dot your vision.

There is a sucking noise and a feeling of emptiness in your stomach. You look blearily up at Annabeth, who is holding a bloody spatha and looking slightly nauseated. Everything feels far away, as if you're looking at the world from ten feet underwater.
You watch Annabeth call desperately at the battle taking place, but no one is coming.

Yet another gush of blood soaks the ground around you. The world is spinning, everything is coming in and out of focus. The only thing keeping your grounded is a small callused hand on your shoulder. She is still screaming for a medic, screaming for someone to help her, help you. There is no hope for you, you already know this, so you're not sure why she's still so upset about it.

You tug on her arm weakly and she looks back down at you. A tear spatters onto your face from her wet eyes and trembling chin.

"No-use," you gargle, spitting blood out of the sides of your mouth.

"Percy," she sobs. "I'm so so so so sorry."

"It's-okay," you say, reaching out to touch her face with trembling fingers.

"No it's not," she whispers. "I can't lose you. I only just found you again."

"I know," you say.

A coughing fit interrupts the rest of your words and you almost pass out with the force of it. "I love you...Wise Girl..." Your vision is going black around the corners.

Annabeth's grip on your hand is painful, but you wouldn't trade it for the world right now.

"Tell...tell my mom...I love...her...and I'm sorry..."

Annabeth is sobbing now. "No, Seaweed Brain! Please don't go. Don't leave me, please!"

Your awareness is fading slowly, the blackness surrounds you.

"I love you Percy." Her voice is quieter now, closer to your ear and cracking with strain. "I love you and I'm so so sorry."

Your breath is slowing and your heart is stopping and the light is fading.

A pair of lips press against your bloody chapped ones, a pair of hands gently cup your face, and you find it in you to kiss back, just for a second, before you fall away.

Later you find out that when you died, the battle ended. Romans and Greeks alike stopped fighting and together rebuilt themselves on a platform of peace.

Annabeth and your mom were devastated, naturally, but with each other as support systems they did all right. Your mom even had another child, a tiny little girl named Luna.

Annabeth became an architect and surrounded herself with books and buildings. Despite your requests to move on and be happy, she never married, but instead became like a mother to the young ones at camp She never truly forgave the Romans.

Leo rescued Calypso from her island and together they lived happily ever after, with a house full of children and a gigantic mechanical workshop.

Piper recovered slowly, and Jason was with her every step of the way. Together they helped write the truce between the Greek and Roman camps and worked as ambassadors of peace.

Frank and Hazel got married and moved to Wisconsin, where they bought a small cottage on a large plot of land and created their own little oasis for abandoned demigods.

As for you, you learned that while the Fates are cruel, you're in a better place now. You're just waiting for Annabeth to come home.

I'm very grateful for everyone who stuck by this story to completion! You guys are awesome. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm currently writing an epilogue, so you can expect that hopefully soon.

Reviews are always appreciated!

Tack