Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Anyone wanna buy the rights for me?

Cause everyone's watching,

they're quick to start talking,

I'm losing my innocence.

Wish I were a little girl,

without the weight of the world.

-Pretend, by Lights

oooOOOooo

Thalia's POV

"We'll find him, Annabeth, I promise." Thalia had said months ago. Just a day after news of Percy's 'disappearance' had reached her the hunters had made their way to Camp Half-Blood. Thalia hadn't waited to see the rest of the girls get comfortable in the Artemis Cabin, hadn't informed Chiron or anyone else that they were there. She had headed straight to the Athena Cabin where she knew her best friend would be.

And she had found her.

Annabeth had been sitting at the desk in the room, checking maps and notes and co-ordinates. She had been looking at things on her laptop that Thalia hadn't even tried to understand and she hadn't even noticed Thalia walk into the cabin until the huntress had cleared her throat.

"Any luck?" She had asked Annabeth with concern all over her face.

Annabeth had looked up and it had taken only a second for the girl to snap out of her thoughts and realize who was in front of her. "Thalia?"

She had forced a smile. "Hey there ,Annabeth."

Thalia hadn't known what happened next, all she knew was that Annabeth was then in her arms, clutching at her as if she was the only thing in the world that made sense anymore. "You're here," Annabeth had breathed out and Thalia had definitely heard the note of relief in the girl's voice. "Thank you for coming."

Thalia had just nodded. "Of course." She stepped back and led Annabeth over to the bunk she knew was hers. Taking a deep breath she spoke agian. "Now," she said. "Tell me where Kelp Head is."

Annabeth had flinched but Thalia had kept her hand over the blonde's, giving silent strength. "That's just it Thals, I don't know. I woke up yesterday with- with this feeling in my stomach and when I went to go find Percy... he was gone. No one could find him. I have no idea where he is."

Annabeth's worried gray eyes met Thalia's and the hunter felt worry well up inside herself as well. Leave it to Percy to get kidnapped- from Camp, for Zeus' sakes!- after the wars and battles were supposed to be done.

"Has Rachel seen anything?" Thalia asked.

Annaebth shook her head. "Nothing. There's no sign of him." Annabeth took a breath. "Thalia," her voice shook ever so slightly. "He didn't even leave a note. There's no sign of a struggle, no- no blood or anything like that, all his clothes and things in his cabin are exactly where they always are. He took nothing with him." Shaky breath. "It's like he just got up and left in the middle of the night with nothing but the clothes on his back."

"Hey," Thalia murmured. "Look at me," she said, forcing Annabeth to meet her eyes. "Percy wouldn't do that. You and I both know it. If he's gone without telling anyone then there must be something else going on. We just have to find out what."

"Thalia," Annabeth said, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "What if he left."

"No," Thalia said sharply, because she knew how Annabeth got with these things. People had been leaving her her entire life. Thalia included. But Percy... he wouldn't do that to her. If there was anything Thalia knew, it was that. "You know just as well as I do that he would never, ever leave you." Thalia forced a smile, although weak, and shoved her with her shoulder slightly. "The poor boy's too in love with you to do that."

Annabeth closed her eyes and nodded. "You're right. Of course you're right. But I just can't help but think-"

"Don't do that to yourself," Thalia interrupted her, slightly more fierce. " You are not responsible for this." Thalia said. "This whole situation reeks of the gods. This is something to do with them and Percy... well he's just caught in the middle, just like he always is. Have you asked Dionysus? He's not much use, I'll grant you that, but he should be able to help."

Annabeth shook her head. "The same day Percy disappeared, Zeus called all the gods back to Olympus and closed it." Annaebth had met Thalia's eyes, obviously confused. "But don't you know that? Artemis must have gone too."

Thalia sat there, working through her shock. She had known Artemis and the other gods had been called to Olympus but she hadn't realized Zeus- her father- had closed the place. "Right, of course. Sorry, I guess with everything going on I forgot." Thalia said, trying to brush it off.

Annabeth had just nodded, not saying anything more on the subject, and that was when Thalia really got worried. This thing with Percy must have been upsetting her more than she was letting on.

"And you're sure he didn't say anything?" Thalia asked. "To you, or anybody?"

Annabeth shook her head again. "Nothing. Believe me, Thalia, I've run every word he said to me this entire winter break through my head half a million times. I've asked everybody, checked everywhere... there's nothing."

She was shaking slightly, Thalia saw with worry, although she wasn't sure if Annabeth noticed it herself as preocuppied as she was. "Alright, Annabeth, here's what we're going to do. You're going to keep looking, just like everybody else is. I'm gonna get the hunters to all keep an eye out and we'll look for some leads. Meanwhile," Thalia said, placing a hand on top of her best friend's. "You need to calm down. He's going to be fine. Someone will find him and we'l all be able to either hug him or hit him- depending on our personal preference." She forced another grin. "Percy's the strongest demigod any of us knows, Annabeth. Whatever's going on, he'll come back. And if he doesn't-"

"If he doesn't?" Annabeth asked, and this time her voice cracked and distress was evident on her face. "If he doesn't come back, what then? What am I supposed to do then?"

Thalia looked at her a moment before wrapping her arms around the younger girl and holding her, trying to soothe her into calmness. Thalia didn't want anybody else seeing Annabeth like this.

"Then it's up to us," she said with determination. "We'll find him, Annabeth, I promise."

Now Thalia looked up at the sky, wind blowing her hair and clothes around her. That promise had been made six months ago. And still nobody from Camp Half-Blood had spotted the stupid Kelp-Head. Jason and Annabeth had been Im-ing Thalia since they set sail on the Argo II from Camp but today they had been suspiciously silent.

Alright, Thalia thought to herself. It wasn't that suspicious. She knew what was going on today. But only because her brother had told her- apparently Annabeth had forgotten she had a best friend who was just an IM away. Jason had told Thalia that Annabeth had been snapping at the rest of the crew and worrying to herself about the Romans, the new Camp- and one certain son of Poseidon who's name could not be mentioned without Annabeth either bringing out her knife or getting a painful look on her face.

"She just forgot," Jason explained to Thalia. "She's too busy with her own thoughts to even realize some of the things going on around her. It's weird. Sometimes it's like she doesn't even realize we're in the room with her."

Thalia had frowned with worry. "But she's alright."

Jason nodded. "Piper says it's nothing, that we shouldn't worry, and Annabeth tells her more than Leo or I so we trust her. She says that Annabeth just really wants to see Percy again."

Don't we all, Thalia couldn't help but think but she didn't say it. She had noticed that whenever she talked about Percy Jason got a strange look on his face.

Thalia nodded. "Well IM me soon. Tell me how the Kelp Head is. And tell him to talk to me as soon as he can or I'll fry his butt to Olympus."

Jason didn't say anything but Thalia still caught the flash of something in his eyes at her words. He just nodded.

"And you, little brother," Thalia paused a second, swallowing the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat. "You and the rest of them. Be safe."

He had cracked a small grin. "Don't worry, Thals-" she resisted the urge to flinch at the old familiar nickname. "I'll be fine."

She just nodded. "You better be," was all she said before flashing a quick grin and swiping her hand through the mist.

And now here she was. Standing alone on top of a hill, trees surrounding her, wind blowing, staring up at the sky.

It had always calmed her. Somehow. When Thalia wasn't actually in the sky, it could make her heart beart steady, ease whatever anxiety filled her and make her believe in possibilities. It was strange, when she thought about it. The sky had always been there. It had seen... everything. Every human act, every monster, titan, god, giant, demigod... everything. There was nothing unknown to it.

It was like time.

Thalia hated heights. Hated them with a passion because they were one of the only things that still caused real and true fear. She hated being in the sky and Zeus knows that the girl would never step foot near a plane. Although she was sure her dad would keep it up if she was on it.

Luke had told her, years and years ago, that it was probably to do with her dad. On the run she had rejected the mere thought of being Zeus's daughter. Anything to do with him... she had frozen. Blocked it out.

So maybe it was her unwillingness to be linked to her father that made Thalia hate heights so much. The idea of her father being there, taking care of her was just like the thought of her leaving it up to herself to stop from falling.

Trust didn't come easily to her. Thalia trusted few people. Least of all herself.

But up on this hill they weren't bad. She was actually relaxing and enjoying herself when she felt the presence of somebody else behind her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Artemis asked.

Thalia opened her eyes and turned, immediately falling into a kneel. "My lady."

She felt the goddess touch her shoulder lightly, silently telling her lieutenant to stand up. "You've been up here alone all day," she accused, but there was nothing but softness in her tone and understanding in her eyes.

It was like she knew.

Thalia looked down but nodded. "I have."

When she looked up again Artmeis was staring out at the horizon, watching the sun slowly make it's way across the sky. "You worry over your brother and your friends."

Thalia kept her mouth shut but that was all the admission the goddess needed. She nodded, but whether it was because she had been right or was somehow satisfied, Thalia couldn't tell. "I was just there," she said, still not looking at Thalia.

Suprise filled the hunter. "But- my lady- you and the other gods... haven't you been confined to Olympus?" She winced at how the words came out, but nothing but a slight flash of irritation appeard in Artemis's eyes, and even then Thalia suspected it was directed more towards their father than herself.

"Yes," the goddess agreed. "But you know as well as any other that I keep to my own agenda. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Father's being ridiculous closing Olympus when we should be fighting." Artemis sighed, her auburn hair blowing around her gently. "However, it is not my place to criticize him. We all know how much trouble Hera got in last time. Now that was a pleasant sight."

Thalia shifted anxiously, and she saw her wolf come running up the hill from where the other hunter's had made camp. It stopped at her feet, padding softly around her for a few seconds, before letting out a huge yawn and gracefully stopping to lay at her feet.

Finally Artemis met the eyes of her hunter and smiled. Hazel met striking blue and Thalia felt the comforts of the nature around her. "As I said, I went there today. What I saw... surprised me." Artemis said with a tone Thalia couldn't understand. "You have no reason to worry, Thalia, the demigods will work themselves out. Right now they may be having problems but if my brother and I are correct, and, curse him, he usually is, then things will work out."

Thalia nodded but couldn't hide the nervousness that stayed with her.

Artemis saw it too and sighed. "Yet you still wonder." She said with an affectionate smile. Thalia opened her mouth but Artemis shook her head. "Do not worry sister, I understand. If it was Apollo... well he can be very annoying at times but he is still my brother." A twinkle entered Artemis's eyes. "And you love Jason. And your friends, one of whom you haven't seen nor heard from in half a year. It is only natural you would want to see them."

Thalia bowed her head. "I'm sure I'll see them soon."

"Yes," Artemis mused. "Perhaps sooner than you think."

"My lady?" Thalia asked, confused.

Artemis shrugged. "As long as you don't tell Zeus it shouldn't be too difficult. It is the past after all, despite how long ago it might have been. The events of today are open for all to discuss." The goddess winked and waved her hand, an image appearing before them. "I'll go see the others, tell them not to disturb you for a while." Artemis paused, her eyes catching on something she saw in the scene before them and Thalia saw them darken with something incredibly sad. "Take care, Thalia. Seeing so much love... it cannot help but hurt the ones who didn't get the chance to experience it."

And then she was running, free and agile down the hill, whistling after her for Thalia's wolf to follow. It jumped up, pausing only for Thalia to pet it's head softly, before bounding after the goddess.

Thalia stared after them for a few seconds before they both disappeared. And then she turned to what was in front of her.

It was almost like a movie, she noticed with some humor. Except what was happening in front of her had happened in real life. It wasn't just a story someone had written and acted out in front of a camera. It was real and it was her friends and family living it.

The first thing she saw was the Argo II, above everyone's heads, floating in mid air with a rope ladder descending from the deck. Thalia shook her head. She shouldn't be surprised really. That seemed like something Leo would do. Instead of wanting to be normal and park on land like anybody else would, Leo wanted to just stay in the air. Up high.

Thalia shook her head. Crazy. She was glad she hadn't been chosen for this quest. Too much heights. The danger Thalia wasn't worried about (although the risks were huge). Thalia had handled danger in her life from the moment she was born. She was a hunter, danger was practically in her job description. What worried her were how the people going through those risks would make it out.

She was worried, to say the least. Worried out of her mind.

After she took in the ship she saw hundreds of demigods forming a crowd. Some in togas, some normal every day training clothes... there were more than Thalia could take in. And were those children? Adults? Babies? Granparents?

When she got past her shock she realized that it was. There were- there were families there, she saw with surprise. Families, kids, and couples.

How had they all survived? Longing and a sadness so old it was like an old friend came on her. How had there been a happy life for those demigods when the Greeks had been out there fighting every second of every day for their lives?

When Luke had died believing that there was nothing else for them to do.

She squeezed her eyes shut. No. Today wasn't about him, or the war, or even Thalia herself. It was about Jason, and Annabeth. Piper and Leo. And Percy. Today she would see Percy for the first time in almost a year, actually. After the Titan War she hadn't seen him, too busy with Artemis and the hunters. Then she got the message from Annabeth that he was missing and he had been gone for another six months.

That was 10 months. She hadn't seen Percy in ten whole months. Her cousin, someone who was closer than- Thalia tried to stop the thought but she couldn't help it.

Someone who was closer than a brother to her.

She hated the guilt that came from even thinking those words. She had a brother again. A brother she loved with all her heart. She shouldn't be comparing him to her other friends.

But she had. She still was. It was despicable but she couldn't help it. Percy had been there for her for years. Thalia had loved him, first as a friend, then a cousin and now as a mixture of a brother and Annabeth's boyfriend, for years. Same with Nico. They were a family.

Jason had only been in Thalia's life again for half a year. Which was a long time, but when you thought about it, not as long as it needed to be.

Jason was still shy around her, nervous. Thalia knew it, she saw it every time they were together. He barely knew her, had no idea what she had gone through in her life because he hadn't been there, living it with her. Annabeth had, and Nico and Percy. Heck, even Clarisse, the Stolls, Katie and others at Camp had been there. Jason hadn't. She didn't blame him for it, if anything it had been her fault for trusting her mother with him alone even for a second, but it was still hard. He was closer to Piper and Leo and, Thalia suspected, maybe even Annabeth. Now he was away with them on a quest while she was back here hunting freaking monsters, and she wouldn't be with him for even longer.

It was hard to act like a person's family when you had only known them for a months; and with most of those months spent apart as well.

Thalia shook her head. She had to focus. She couldn't let her own thoughts and emotions take her over right now, not when she had spent years trying to get rid of them. Everything had changed lately, but Thalia still had to be strong. She couldn't afford to be weak. People needed her. She wasn't even the one on a quest. Nico had been gone without a trace for a couple of months, nobody knew how Percy was, Annabeth and her brother were in another Great Prophecy and on a life threatening quest.

So why was it Thalia who felt like at any moment she could just break apart?

Nobody saw, of course. By now she had become an expert at hiding things going on with her. She told no one. They wouldn't be able to help. She showed no one and they didn't notice.

Maybe that was what she was waiting for. Just for someone to see that she wasn't fine. She was worried and stressing and she wasn't coping with everything as well as she tried to appear. She wanted somebody to care enough to comfort her and come to her and help her.

Annabeth was excused, Thalia couldn't blame the girl. The love of her life had been abducted by the cow on Olympus and she was a recipient of another Great Prophecy. She had her own issues. Nico and Percy were AWOL so Thalia couldn't very well count on them to be there to hear her complain. Jason hardly knew her, how the Hades was he supposed to see her struggle? Big sisters were supposed to be strong for their little brothers, not the other way around. And Luke-

She took in a quick breath. Luke was dead. If he had been there he would have seen what was going on with her, Thalia knew it. Luke knew her better than she knew herself. He would know exactly what to say and do. She would be his top priority.

Or maybe not, Thalia thought bitterly. He had changed so much in the years after she had become a tree that she had hardly knew who he was anymore. She had come back, just like she always had used to be and had shocked him into remembering the past. Who he had been. But when she had asked him to come back over to their side, with the gods, had he done it?

No. He hadn't. She had pleaded with him, while everyone else had been busy fighting. She had begged. Somewhere deep down she had thought that he wouldn't refuse her. Not her. Luke may have loved Annaebth as a sister, may have missed and loved camp, but this was her. Deep down Thalia had hoped that she still had some sort of power over him. That he would still care about her enough, would still love her enough, to just come back.

But he hadn't. And that had hurt and broken Thalia more than anything ever could. It was what she had been feeling as she kicked him off that cliff and she was sure he had seen it in her eyes because for a millisecond- hardly long enough for her to notice but this was Luke and she knew and noticed everything about him- for a split second he had looked at her like he had used to. She had seen regret, sorrow and a pleading look that had made her want to follow him in his fall.

Then she had looked away and hadn't looked back. She had become a hunter that very same night- or morning, she supposed.

And then he had been killed and she hadn't even been there. Hadn't gotten to see him become the Luke she knew and loved again. Her last memories of him were from the war and Thalia hadn't got to see him change. Her last memories of Luke were of him as Kronos's stepping stone and Thalia hated him and the Fates for it.

She shook her head. Luke knew what was going on with her always. He had always known.

Maybe it was why she missed Percy so much. Because - and she would never tell this to another soul- he was so like Luke. Both strong, and loving and just too caring. Both getting swept up in problems they shouldn't have to deal with. Luke and Percy both came from troubled childhoods.

And Percy had been good at seeing when Thalia needed to talk. He understood her when she said that sometimes she just got so sick and tired of having all the monsters after her, of trying to love a parent who hardly ever showed up. Percy was trustworthy and a very caring friend. When Annabeth was unavailable she went straight to him.

She let out a tired sigh. Whether she liked it or not, this was her life. There was nothing she could do to change that. All she had to do now was live it.

Even if it meant forever.

Thalia wondered how hard it would be, to watch her friends die. To have to live through everything. She had a feeling she would be going to Chiron a lot, or would become closed off.

Oh gods, she paled as a thought struck her. She would have to watch Percy and Annabeth's kids grow up. Watch them die. Watch their kids have kids and then those kids have kids.

Thalia could possibly be alive to see their entire family line grow. And she would have been there from the beginning. From when the original Jackson couple fell in love.

The same went for Jason and Piper and everybody else she knew.

Thalia would have to watch that.

She wasn't sure if she was strong enough.

Maybe she would just stick with the hunters. Watch those kids from afar. Maybe she wouldn't check up on them at all.

All she knew was that after years and years, her memories of their relatives would start to fade. She talked to Phoebe and the other hunters about it. Phoebe barely remembered the boy she had loved with all her heart from centuries ago, before he was killed in a stupid spar with a friend. Melissa remembered nothing from before the hunt and Anastasia... all she knew was that she had been born a mortal and had had her family taken from her in a car crash when she was young.

Nothing. Just faint memories and even those would fade. Soon she would be nothing but the hunt.

Idly she wondered how Zoe had held onto who she had been for so long. Because her memories had been so painful? Because she had constantly thought about them? Maybe she had ran into Hercules over the years and that had brought them to the forefront of her mind.

Or maybe Zoe had just been more stubborn than the rest. Thalia resisted the urge to smile. That sounded like her.

How had everything changed so much?

She caught sight of Jason, standing slightly before the crowd alongside Leo, Piper and Annabeth.

He looked just as he had yesterday during their Iris-message, although Thalia noticed he had on a purple cloak. A sign of his leadership from Camp Jupiter.

She couldn't help but frown at the look on his face. He looked happy to be home, but not ecstatic. Content but not relaxed.

Strange, she thought to herself. She was sure Percy would be running around giving out hugs and high fives when he got back to Camp Half-Blood. Thalia had been worried before about what was going to happen- if Jason was going to stay at the Roman Camp, if she would every get to see him, but from the look on his face he wasn't as happy as she had expected to be home.

Piper and Leo looked the same as ever. Thalia looked them over quickly, satisfied that they were niether hurt nor different in any way. She noticed Piper's proximity to Jason's though. That was good. Jason needed a strong girl by his side and if Piper had been good enough to join the hunters than she was good enough to be Jason's girlfriend.

Although it would have been interesting to see how everyone reacted to a daughter of Aphrodite being recruited. As far as Thalia knew there had only ever been one daughter of Aphrodite to join the hunt and stay without being turned into an animal by Artemis for getting distracted by boys, and her tale was tragic.

She had loved a man with all her heart and soul. They had been about to be married when he was killed. Thalia wasn't sure how, as the girl had never told anybody, but she knew that it was on the eve of their wedding. At that exact moment the hunter had sworn off boys forever, saying that she would never love another man as she had her fiancee. She had asked Artemis for help and had been offered the postiion of being a hunter. The girl had accepted.

Eventually she had been killed by a monster trying to save one of her sisters of the hunt. Some say she had done it on purpose, sick of life and the same old thing. Wanting to finally be reunited with her love. Some just said she had wanted glory.

The girl's name had been Mia and she had been 16.

16 and heartbroken, Thalia thought. Was Mia really so different from herself? She had been 15, on the eve of her 16th birthday, when she joined the hunt because of Luke.

She sighed. Why was life so hard? Some people- the unlucky ones- breezed through it without a problem. Sure they would complain and have hardships but compared to others? Compared to others it was nothing.

But life wasn't worth living if you hadn't cried your heart and soul out at least once. There was no point to day to day endurance if you didn't have that one person to share it with. If you didn't rise of from the ashes of what had formerly been your life and realize that you would come back from it all because you're strong and you deserve to be there. If you didn't have friends and family who loved you so much you just couldn't let go.

The ones who had so many sorrows you could find them at a bar, drunk and miserable, every night, were the ones who should be pitied. They had lived their life, they had lived past the point of enduring the rest. All they wanted to do was forget and wait for the end to come.

Someone like Thalia's mother.

Again she blocked the thought, unwilling to refeel all of the emotions even the thought of her mother could bring. Thalia wanted to focus on what was right in front of her.

So Jason was happy, Piper and Leo were the same as ever albeit they looked a bit nervous, and Annabeth... well.

She was anxious, that was painstakingly obvious. Glancing from person to person without finding the one she was looking for.

If Thalia had bene there she would maybe have rolled her eyes, told Annabeth to calm down.

Or she would have been searching for Percy right by Annabeth's side. It depended on what her mood would be.

She smiled when she saw how worried Annabeth was. She was sure it too all the will power the daughter of Athena had not to run through the crowds with her dagger out and pointing to anyone who got in her way.

Then another girl stepped out of the crowd of Romans and Thalia saw all eyes turn to her.

She was a leader, of that there was no denying. She was powerful, her auara was strong, Thalia could tell without even having to be there. The look in her eyes reminded Thalia of Annabeth in a way. Same unshakable determination and same amounts of emotion hidden underneath a cool and uncaring exterior.

This was Reyna then. She had a purple cloack that matched Jason's on her shoulders. This was the leader of Camp Jupiter.

Thalia bit back a smile. No wonder she reminded her of Annabeth so strongly.

But then all thoughts of Reyna were gone from Thalia's mind when Percy freaking Jackson- otherwise known as Keld Head, Seaweed Brain, Fish Face etc.- stepped out of the Roman crowd beside her.

Many emotions went through Thalia at the sight of him, some came and went too fast to be named. Anger, hurt, happiness, relief, annoyance, love, worry and surprise were a few.

The sight of him was just so abrupt and suddenly he was just right there. Thalia could help but hold back a grin and feel a tear fall from her eye before she could catch it.

Damn him, she thought to herself. Not many people could make Thalia Grace cry.

Thank the gods nobody was there. If they were Thalia wouldn't have let them leave alive. No, she thought, scratch that. If anyone had been there Thalia wouldn't have let herself let that stupid tear fall in the first place.

Percy, stupid, stupid son of Poseidon that he was, looked the same as ever. Alright, so he was taller, more muscular and tanner. His eyes sparkled and he was either shaking from relief or joy. Thalia noticed the toga (she couldn't help but let out a laugh because she was sure it definitely was not supposed to be like that) and noted with unsurprising surprise (oxymoron, she thought to herself) that he wore a purple cloak on his shoulders. Although it shouldn't have surprised her, (he was Percy Jackson, she should be used to him becoming a leader wherever he went) it did. And when she saw that tattoo on his arm, one errily like Jason's but not quite the same, she couldn't help but bite the inside of her cheek.

The betrayal and anger she felt was uncalled for. She shouldn't be so bothered.

But she was. It made her mad. Because Percy was the Greek's. He was their leader. He was not Roman and no matter how much those demigods wanted him or tried to get him to stay, he would not. He was (and would forever be, thank gods) a Greek.

But when he smiled his trademark goofy grin that Thalia hadn't seen in forever at Annabeth the thoughts about the stupid tattoo and cloak fled her mind. Just seeing them together was making Thalia happier again.

She had been waiting so long for her friends to be together again. Annabeth had been going out of her mind with worry and Thalia didn't even know what Percy had been like without her. The poor boy had probably hardly been able to cope.

But the happiness from the couple was infectious. You could just see them relax, share a smile. A look passed between them and Thalia suddenly felt sure that this reunion would be much more dramatic and full of flair than anyone had ever expected.

And by the gods had she been right. She was just that good.

Reyna spoke first and Thalia realized what had felt like hours to her had only in fact been seconds. All that had passed between Percy and Annabeth in that amount of time was amazing but either Reyna hadn't noticed or she had ignored it.

It had to be the latter, Thalia thought. Nobody could be oblivious to those two when they were together. Heck Annaebth was already looking better and Percy was just same old hyperactive Percy.

"Jason Grace, my former colleague, I welcome you home." Reyna's voice was cool and courteous and Thalia couldn't help but be surprised. Jason had described his relationship with Reyna as close. They were supposedly very good friends. So why was she acting like him being back was the quivalent of a hellhound having peed on her shoe? Reyna continued on, ignoring everything else. "And these, your friends-"

Thalia rolled her eyes at her friends as they stepped towards each other at the same moment. If she hadn't known any better she would have thought it was planned, the way they faltered after that first step, staring at each other with wide eyes, before breaking out into a run with smiles coming across their faces.

They were so corny and predictable. It was like they had come straight out of one of Annabeth's favourite books, or Katie Gardiner's favourite movies. The ones with couples who were with a destructive, all consuming love that didn't stop for anybody. One that you knew you would never measure up to with your real life fairytale.

But what was different from those fictional couples and Percy and Annabeth was this: they were real.

The love they felt for each other? You could see how powerful and true it was. It wasn't acting, or a lie. Not a delusion or hopeful dream. It was real and it made anybody who wasn't them envious and jealous and want for it with everything they had.

Why else would Annabeth be so absolutely, heart wrenchingly miserable when Percy was gone? Why else would Percy IM Thalia constantly for advice for dates and presents and surprises for his girlfriend?

They cared. They cared so much it was physical agony for them to be apart. And everyone around them could see it. No matter how stupid or oblivious or ignorant you were, Annabeth and Percy made you see what it was like to love and be in love. They made you jealous and they made you want to feel what they felt no matter what you had to go through to get it. Maybe it was because of everything they had gone through in their lives, but the demigod couple was the happiest, most in love pair you would find on earth.

Percy knew what it was like to love because he had grown up with so little of it. His father had been gone, his mother had to work constantly. He had been left with Gabe and although Thalia's suspicions had never been confirmed she was pretty sure she knew what that man had done to his step-son and wife both.

But Percy was stronger than Gabe. Percy was stronger than everything that had been thrown his way so far and now, now he got what he had always wanted.

Love Annabeth. Have Annabeth love him back.

Annabeth had never been loved as a child until she was seven- or if she was, she had never felt it. She felt her father had hated her, her step family didn't care. She had run away and it had been days before Thalia and Luke had found her. That was when Annabeth had learned what it was like to be loved and be part of a family.

Then at Camp she had been alone. Thalia had 'died', Luke had drifted away from the girl without Thalia by his side to care for her, and Annabeth had become an outcast at the one place she was supposed to be accepted. She had been young, too young, for other demigods to want to hang out with. Chiron had taken care of her and by the time she had become so used to being alone and shutting people out it was natural.

But Annabeth had changed. She had gotten through everything and now... now she was doing what she had been meant to do her entire life.

Love Percy. Have Percy love her back.

They had been strong for each other when the other wasn't strong enough for themselves. They had lived through so much, had so much trouble... Thalia thought about all of that as she watched them run to each other. No one around them knew what exactly this moment meant to the couple. They didn't know what they had gone through to get where they were. They didn't know how much they had suffered just to be together.

Thalia didn't even know. That was for them and them alone.

And as she saw them collide, wrap their arms around each other and hold like it was the only thing in the world that would keep them okay, Thalia realzied something.

It wasn't just Percy who had had his home taken away from him. Seeing them together, watching as they pulled out of their hug to kiss, Thalia realized that to each of them the other was home.

They were each other's home. They were all they needed.

As long as they were together.

A pain so sharp pierced the hunter and she physically couldn't watch the couple kiss.

Too much pain, too many memories, too much Luke...

She physically couldn't handle it. Not when her emotions were already so crazy. Not when she felt crazy, like she could burst out crying or laughing at the same time.

This was not how her life was supposed to be right now. She and Luke were supposed to be together, at Camp, with Jason beside her and Annabeth beside him and Grover and whoever else was part of their family.

She was supposed to be happy. Not ignoring her life and the people in it. She wasn't supposed to be trying to fight for her life, wasn't supposed to be forcing herself to forget all of the things she just couldn't handle alone.

Seeing Percy and Annabeth together again made Thalia realize just how envious she was of them. She loved seeing them together, but she hated it too in a way.

It just wasn't fair.

She finally dared to raise her eyes and watch them pull away from one another. She saw as Annabeth's eyes fluttered open, happier and more content than she had been in months. Watched as Percy looked at her again, took her in, like she was the most beautiful, sacred thing in the world.

She had forgot how he looked at her. Like he was a blind man seeing the sun. As if everything else was gray and lifeless while she was bursting with color and spirit. How she was the only thing worth seeing in his eyes.

Everyone around them must have seen it too. They must have. Even after years of watching them together Thalia couldn't ignore it or get over her feelings of seeing it all over again.

She had forgotten how they were together. How they were totally and inexplicitly happy.

Thalia wasn't crying, or tearing up. Not smiling or frowning. She felt calm and collected. There was no way she was showing the tidal wave of emotions she was feeling.

They looked at each other a moment before Thalia saw the anger and determination return to her friend's eyes.

She couldn't help it as the small smile turned up her lips. It was just so Annabeth.

"Hold! Stand down!" Reyna called out as Roman demigods around her tensed and went for weapons that were suspiciously absent as Annabeth judo-flipped her boyfriend.

But there was nothing that would stop the blonde. She was determined and nobody but the boy she had just slammed to the ground would be able to stop her.

She pressed her forearm to his throat, making sure to put her face right up to his. And Thalia saw the tears shining in her eyes. The words came out a hiss and Thalia hadn't seen Annabeth express that much emotion since last autumn, when she had gone to camp and found Annabeth freaking out.

"If you ever leave me again," the hissed words were almost violent in the emotion they held, "I swear to all gods-"

Thalia raised an eyebrow as Percy began to laugh, as if this was the funniest thing in the world. Annabeth loved him, but she hated being laughed at. Thalia was sure he would be getting slapped or stabbed or threatened soon.

But when Annabeth relaxed, as if all the anger and worry had melted out of her at the sound of him just laughing, Thalia realised that he knew the girl better than even she did. Of course Annabeth wouldn't be mad, Thalia thought. This was Percy. He could commit unnecesary murder (because in the Titan war they had all taken too many lives) and Annabeth would stand by and forgive him. Slap and yell at him sure, but she wouldn't leave him.

Thalia shouldn't have been surprised.

Percy finally spoke and Annabeth was glaring at him but there was no heat behind it. Because Percy knew as well as Thalia did that Annabeth loved him and she was just happy to have him back and she had been worried for months so it was only natural she would try to beat him up after seeing each other for the first time in half a year.

"Consider me warned," he assured her and Thalia saw Annabeth relax even more, as if every word was one more assurance that everything would be alright. Like anything Percy did was comforting to her. "I missed you too."

And that was all Thalia needed to hear.

She saw them stand up, heard people start to talk but she couldn't look away. They were so in love and Percy- even with supposed memory loss- had remembered Annabeth and missed her.

If that wasn't proof of true love she wasn't sure what was. Because that, that signified more than words could express.

She glanced at Jason long enough to see him dragging Piper behind him on his way to talk to Reyna. And then, with one last subconscious look at Annabeth and Percy, she swiped her hand through the image.

It disappeared.

She stared at the ground, only now realizing how dark it had gotten. The sun was gone and stars were out.

Deep breath, in and out. Thalia breathed, focusing on nothing but the air going in and out of her lungs. Her mind was in turmoil, her stomach felt like a pit of snakes because of all the emotions twisting it. Her heart was pounding and she was tense.

She needed to calm down.

So she breathed. She closed her eyes, face lifted up to the sky with the darkness and the moon and the stars, and just breathed.

Percy and Annabeth were together again.

Everything was okay.

Jason was fine.

He was home.

This quest would succeed.

Gaea would go back to sleep, because nobody could stand against Percy and Annabeth and win; not even the dirt lady.

Annabeth and Percy were together again.

Oh Luke, Thalia mourned, where are you? Why aren't you here with me?

She wondered if he thought about her. If he was in the Underworld, waiting. Maybe he had already been reborn, Annabeth had mentioned once that that had been his plan. Maybe he was already gone, had already forgotten about her.

Or maybe he was thinking of her like she was of him. Maybe, like her, he couldn't get through a single hour without the thought of her and their kiss and their memories going through his head.

Or maybe that hope was futile and Thalia was just hurting herself more because of it.

And then she heard it. A cry, as quiet as the wind blowing around her.

"Thalia! No, please! No, Thalia!"

Luke's voice.

Thalia's eyes shot open and she would swear on anything that for a second, just a second, she saw him and his blue eyes, staring right back at her.

But then she blinked and there was darkness again and nothing was there and Thalia was snapped out of her shocked thoughts by Phoebe's voice crying, "Thalia!"

She closed her eyes, recollecting herself. She wasn't crazy. She hadn't heard a voice, or seen a face.

She was Thalia Grace, Lieutenent of Artemis, brother to Jason Grace and daughter of Zeus.

She was Thalia Grace. And she never, ever, let a boy plague her as much as Luke Castellan did. She was alone. He was dead.

He was dead.

She turned, grabbing her bow that she had set carefully on the ground and ran down the hill, meeting Phoebe on her way up.

"Hey! Sorry, I didn't realize just how late it was." She said and she forced a happy, excited note into her voice.

No one could see.

Phoebe raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you okay? You look pale?"

No one could see that she was not okay.

Thalia forced a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips. "I'm completely fine," she promise although in her head she was thinking lie,lie,lie. "Now did Artemis give you guys a new assignment? I think we should head out as soon as we're all rested tomorrow at sunrise."

oooOOOooo

*Hides behind bookshelf while readers throw chocolate cupcakes with blue icing at me.*

I am so sorry. The delay in updating... there's no excuse. I understand if you hate me, but I hope this chapter kinda sorta makes up for it.

300 reviews! Oh my gods, I cannot thank you guys enough. This story has attracted so much more attention than I even thought possible! You are all amazing angels who deserve to be taken to Camp Half-Blood for your niceness.

Review! Tell me who you wanna hear from next. Although you should be warned, my exams are in like, a week.

Love you all!

Percyjacksonfan3