This is the last chapter! I'm so sad. Whhhyyyyyyyy... On with the chapter! Notes are at the bottom again. :D
"Percy? Come on, Percy. Talk to me." Annabeth's sweet voice filled Percy's ears as he reluctantly forced a groan. She had to know he was listening. She had to.
"Great! He's awake, Thalia. How are you feeling, Percy?"
Percy mumbled a few incoherent words.
"What was that?" The sound of Thalia's voice made him speak a little more clearly, though even Percy knew that it was still kind of hard to understand.
"Like Miley Cyrus hit me with her wrecking ball."
For some reason that comment made Annabeth and Thalia start to crack up. Percy peeked an eye open and saw tears glistening in Annabeth's eyes. Happy tears, Percy realized. He made her happy. That caused his mood to lift slightly too.
"Good to see you going back to your normal self, Perce. I was worried." Thalia grinned.
"You were?" Percy's scratchy voice worried him. "What happened?"
"We were caught in a fire." Annabeth answered, sitting on the edge of his bed. Percy shifted a little with the wait. "You pushed me out but wasn't able to get out yourself." She and Thalia glanced at each other, speaking nonverbally in as only girls could do. "The doctors don't think you'll be able to speak again."
That snapped Percy out of it. "What?" He gasped, not caring that the strain in his voice made his throat hurt. "Never again?"
"Never again." Thalia responded quietly. "And if you have to stop singing, Nico and I agreed that we'd stop too."
"No! You don't have to do that." Even though there was an ache in his chest and he knew that he'd want to be there on stage with his cousins when they were singing. Even though he knew that they would get to keep living their dreams while he had to wake up and live in reality. Even though he knew, he knew all of that was going to happen. Percy wasn't going to stop them.
"Yeah we do, cuz. You were our lead, remember? You might be able to play an instrument or something up there with us, but you can't sing. I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" Percy's voice was hurting more now. He eyes a glass of water that was on the small table next to the bed he was on, so Annabeth got the glass and moved it so that he could drink. "Thanks." He added after she put the cup back down on the table.
"No problem. Thanks for saving my life." Annabeth told him.
"I'm sorry for not holding the door for all of you. For not... being a good cousin, I guess. And for you not being able to sing again." Thalia answered after about a minute.
"It was a dire situation, you weren't thinking. Neither was I. You're an amazing cousin. And that's not your fault. So what were you sorry for?" Percy tilted his head a little, curious as to what she would say next.
"Yup." Thalia grinned, breaking the semi tense moment. "You're back to your usual self. Nico will be elated."
"Good!" Percy grinned. "That kid needs to smile more."
"Yes he does."
Four Years Later
"Hey Annabeth?" Percy asked. after being let out of the hospital. He wasn't allowed to sing again, but his voice was almost back to normal. That was a few steps in the right direction.
"Yeah, Percy?" Annabeth was sitting at her desk, working on some architecture. She didn't look up from her work. "Can you give me a sec? I'm almost done."
"No."
That caused Annabeth to look up at her boyfriend. He was standing there with a radio and flowers. Her heart started beating faster and faster.
"Okay. What is it?" She said after a few seconds, eyeing the radio. He wasn't supposed to sing again...
"I know that tiger lilies are your favorite flower, so here."
He handed over the bouquet of flowers.
"Thank you." Annabeth looked at the beautifully put together flowers in awe.
"Hey! The prize is up here. I don't want to get jealous of a few flowers." Percy grinned, pointing up at his face. "Anyway..." He fiddled with the radio a little before it started playing music. Percy paused the radio before it could play anymore.
"I know that I'm not supposed to sing anymore, but I asked the doctors and I really wanted this song to be the last that I sing. I know that it might not be top quality, but..." The music started playing. Annabeth's eyes widened. Was that...?
(Percy is normal)
A hundred and five is the number that comes to my head
When I think of all the years I wanna be with you
Wake up every morning with you in my bed
That's precisely what I plan to do
And you know one of these days when I get my money right
Buy you everything and show you all the finer things in life
We'll forever be in love, so there ain't no need to rush
But one day I won't be able to ask you loud enough
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
I swear that I will mean it
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
Singing
Ooh whoa ooh oh
Ooh whoa ooh oh
Ooh whoa ooh oh
Oh, yeah
How many girls in the world can make me feel like this?
Baby I don't ever plan to find out
The more I look, the more I find the reasons why
You're the love of my life
You know one of these days when I get my money right
Buy you everything and show you all the finer things in life
We'll forever be in love, so there ain't no need to rush
But one day I won't be able to ask you loud enough
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
I swear that I will mean it
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
And if I lost everything
In my heart it means nothing
'Cause I have you,
Girl, I have you
To get right down on bended knee
Nothing else would ever be better, better
That day when...
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
I swear that I will mean it
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
(I'll get down on one knee)
I swear that I will mean it
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
Got me singing
Ooh whoa ooh oh
Got me singing
Ooh whoa ooh oh
Would you marry me, baby?
Ooh whoa ooh oh
Ooh whoa ooh oh
Ooh whoa ooh oh
A hundred and five is the number that comes to my head
When I think of all the years I wanna be with you
Wake up every morning with you in my bed
That's precisely what I plan to do, yeah.
(Marry Me by Jason Durelo)
Percy looked at Annabeth for a few seconds as she took the meaning of the song in. That's when Percy kneeled and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a ring.
Annabeth full out gasped, standing up and covering her mouth with her hands.
"Annabeth Chase, I have known you for years and have risked my life for you. I know that I love you with all my heart, and hope that you love me-"
"Yes! Oh gods Percy, yes!" Annabeth didn't even let Percy finish, taking the few steps to reach him and hugging him. She left Percy automatically put his hands around her back and they stayed like that for a few seconds before Annabeth pulled back and kissed Percy instead. Two people wolf whistled and she automatically knew that it was her brothers. "Be quiet, boys." Susan whispered, most likely glaring at the twins. Annabeth laughing in the kiss.
"Aw man, Annabeth. You didn't even let me finish my speech! I'd been working on that for a while."
It was just then that Annabeth realized that there was a crowd of people at the door, coworkers and bosses and even family... They all knew that this was going to happen.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Annabeth looked at her boss, a small woman with pretty eyes, then back to her desk. Then at Percy.
"Leave early, Annabeth." Annabeth's boss told her. "Gods know you deserve it right now."
Annabeth smiled at her and turned to gather up her stuff. Percy helped her.
As they walked out to Percy's car (he had taken her to work and dropped her off, then went to his own work), he chuckled and told her, "Seriously, Annabeth. I spent weeks working in that speech. Weeks!"
Annabeth laughed and they drive home, where Nico, Thalia, Percy's parents and the rest of Annabeth's family (her aunts and uncles) were waiting. Even Magnus was there, smiling slightly and looking at her as though he was saying 'you are inviting me to that wedding. So denying it.'
Annabeth laughed and joked with her family and friends. Everything was perfect.
Finished.
I'm tearing up right now. I swear.
Yesterday I was thinking, where should I take this story? First I wanted a sad ending, then a happy one. I was confuzzled. Then this morning I was thinking and came up with this ending. Percy and Annabeth are getting married, but Percy won't be able to sing anymore. I feel like this was the best way to end it because life is like that- there are twists and turns, but things happen for a reason. Here, everything happened to build up and something good happens. But the bad is still lurking there... It's most likely going to haunt Percy in the future.
In a little while (or a lot a while) I'm going to post one final chapter of thanks. This story (and everybody with it) has been with me through thick and thin. Through long and short updates. Through high and lows. Thank you for that. It's ending at 122 reviews, 68 favorites, 89 follows, and 34,648 views. While that may not seem like a lot to some people, I think that that's a lot for my first ever multi-chapter story.
I'm going to go back and edit this a little after I finish this. Not the whole story at once, but little chunks at a time. Thanks again to everyone who's been with this story, wheat her you've reviewed on every chapter or just read it, I give you my thanks.
Thanks again!
(Let's do this one last time) See you in my next story,
Awesomeninja09 (AN09) :'D