A/N: I'll keep it short and sweet! Special thanks to Hannah and Kat for being my cheerleaders. Also special shoutout to Meg for making such cute art, I almost wish I hadn't done terrible things to Percy and Annabeth. Find me on tumblr as flyingcrowbar or you can follow the "stm au" tag!

Enjoy!

Percy's door opened and Nico appeared.

"Hey," he said, his brow wrought with confusion. "I just saw Andy getting into a cab. What's going on?"

Percy sat at his desk, his hands limp in his lap, and looked up. Words couldn't begin to describe the feeling that tore through his heart. When his eyes met Nico's, Nico stilled. Percy's body language screamed volumes. Nico took two steps further into the room but left the door wide open.

"What happened?" Nico asked.

Percy's eyes focused on something far away. His mouth worked, searching for a place to begin, but nothing came to him. He sighed and looked at the floor. He tried to process exactly what had led up to this. Everything had been fine. Everything had been back to normal. Why? Of all times, why did she leave now? Why did she leave him?

"Is it true?" Jason had appeared in the doorway, his blond hair swept back from running all the way there.

"Is what true?" Nico asked, bewildered.

Arms like lead, Percy picked up Annabeth's letter and held it out for Jason. Jason took no time in reading it. Apparently his suspicions had been confirmed. Somehow word was already getting around.

Uncharacteristically, Jason swore. He handed Percy the note. Gingerly, Percy took it back and rubbed his thumb over the edge. It was the last thing he had of her.

"What is going on?" Nico asked, getting mildly impatient.

Jason's jaw set, a muscle twitched. "Should we tell him?"

Percy waved his hand. Might as well. Everyone will find out eventually. He stared at Annabeth's handwriting, perhaps trying to find some sort of secret code laced in her words.

Jason inhaled. "The Andy you know…"

He glanced at Percy, asking for help. Percy had none to give but the truth.

"Andy Chase isn't real," Percy said. "Andy's a girl. Her name is Annabeth. She's been hiding it this whole time."

Nico blinked then worked out a crooked smile. "You're joking."

"It's true," Jason said, his arms folded over his chest. His look was pointed and firm. There was no hint of a joke. "I heard she told my father the truth. She willingly left school. She's gone."

Nico's smile broke as he went quiet. "No, but I -" He stopped himself and reset. "This can't be real." He looked at Percy for some sort of validation. Out of all of them, Percy would be the first to crack while pulling a practical joke. But Percy was too numb to feel much of anything.

"You knew?" Nico asked. It wasn't so much of a question as it was a breathless plea.

Percy nodded. "And I could have stopped her. She was acting weird the last time I saw her. I should have known. I should have known she would do something like this."

"It's done," Jason said, as softly as he could. "Can't go back now."

"That doesn't mean I can't try to find her." Percy knew he sounded desperate and whiny. He didn't care.

Jason pointed to the note. "She said it herself. 'Don't try to find me.' If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be."

Percy's heart sank a step lower. It was already in a ditch and digging itself deeper. "That's not good enough. She just left, Jason. What am I supposed to do?"

"I'm still trying to process all of this," Nico said, hovering his hands over his head like he was wearing an invisible helmet.

Without warning, Leo and Frank materialized in the doorway. They scanned the room, sharing matching expressions.

"Okay," Leo said, "based on the fact that everyone is standing around and Andy isn't in sight, I'll take it as a sign that what they're saying is true?"

"Is Andy really a girl?" Frank asked, wide-eyed.

"News spreads fast," Jason said. He confirmed the story for them. Leo and Frank had very different reactions, but wound up in the same spot. The corners of Frank's mouth turned down but his eyebrows went up, awestruck. Leo gaped, his mouth open. Both were rendered speechless.

"This explains a lot, actually," Leo finally said.

"Are you okay, Percy?" Frank asked.

Solemnly, Percy shook his head. There was no use in pretending. He was tired of pretending.

"How long have you known?" Frank asked.

"A while."

Nico was watching him. Percy couldn't read his expression, but by the looks of it, Nico was coming to terms with it on his own too.

"So she's not coming to see you swim? At Nationals?" Leo asked.

"Dude," Frank warned. "Don't remind him."

Jason cut in. "I don't think Annabeth meant for it to happen now. It was just time for her to go. Annabeth cleared the board. All that's left is Percy and the end. No distractions."

"Her name was Annabeth?" Leo said. "She looked like an Annabeth."

"But Percy is back on the team," Frank said, ignoring Leo's comment. "Why did she turn herself in? The school year is almost over."

"Because she loves him," Nico said. He was looking at Percy when he said it. When he noticed the rest of them were staring at him, he continued, "I'm guessing." No one ever expected someone like Nico would know much about love, but he was right. Percy could feel it in his bones, in the core of his soul. He was loved. She left because this was the greatest gift she could ever give. She had given him his dream back. She was giving him a reason to dream again.

"What are you going to do?" Frank asked.

Percy sighed. He set her note down on the desk and stood. His knees felt weak, but he stood straight nevertheless. He looked around and felt some of the shaking in his legs dissipate. His friends, all supporting him as best as they knew how. Even with the weight of the world sitting on his chest, he couldn't help but be glad they were here with him.

"The only thing I'm good at," he said. "Swim."

The night before Nationals, Percy barely got any sleep. When he did, he dreamt he was falling, falling, falling, until he smacked right into the ocean, and he would jerk awake in the dark of his room, his heart pounding. He'd calm his thoughts enough to drift back into sleep only for it to happen all over again. He thought of Annabeth - of where she was at that exact moment, if she was lying in bed and thinking of him too, if she couldn't sleep either. All night he thought of her. His body ached for her. All he wanted was to open his eyes and find his arm wrapped around her again, her body curled into his, her smile the first thing to wake up to. But when he awoke for the last time, to the shrill scream of his alarm clock, he was alone, it was still dark, and his bed was one body empty.

He dressed in the swimming team uniform, the sweats with his last name on the back. It was a familiar thing, getting ready for a meet - and not too long ago he thought it would never happen again. He took his time, feeling the helm of his sleeves, cinching the knots of his hood, tying his shoes. He wanted to remember every second.

He met the rest of his team on the bus waiting in the parking lot. As they queued up, their voices carried over the dewy air. They talked around him, as if he couldn't hear every word.

"Wait, Andy Chase?" one said, trying to keep his voice low. "Didn't he tutor you in Calc?"

"I always thought he was nice," another added.

"He's really a girl?"

"That's crazy."

His yawning teammates loaded themselves onto the bus and before sunrise they were on their way.

Percy sat at the back of the bus, near the window. His nerves were coiled in his belly. He felt like a Jack-in-the-Box, ready to spring. Music poured through his headphones, drowning out the din of his teammates not-so-quietly boiling over with excitement for Nationals. He watched as the world got brighter and brighter with each passing second, filtering in sunlight through breaks in the branches. His mind honed in on all the things that mattered to him as he closed his eyes.

He knew his teammates were watching him, talking about the latest gossip. For months, he'd been secretly dating a girl and rather than give up her secret, he took all of the beatings. Now they knew the truth. It was strangely vindicating.

Annabeth…

Just her name was enough to make his heart soar.

His music reminded him of that first day he met her, when she walked in on him naked. Remembering that look on her face made him smile, if only for a twitch. Who would he be today if he hadn't met her? Would he have ever gotten this far?

He imagined she was sitting there next to him in the empty seat, her hand finding his, lacing her fingers the way they always did. His hand twitched, reflexively squeezing. Like that, he sat, his palm up, holding the invisible hand of a girl hundreds of miles away. His mind quieted, his heart softened. He finally slept.

"Percy! Percy! Percy!"

Someone was calling his name. Still blinded by the bright, noon sun, Percy shielded his eyes and looked out over the parking lot. The bus had stopped just outside the arena in Vegas and already a crowd of parents and well-wishers was waiting for them.

Immediately, he saw who it was.

"Mom?"

He barreled down the steps and through clusters of other families then threw himself into his mother's arms. She dropped the poster she had made before he did and wrapped her arms around his body, so tight he could barely breathe. She smelled like powdered sugar and exhaust fumes. If he had to venture a guess, she had made cookies and had just been at the bus station. The best part was that Gabe was nowhere in sight.

"Mwah, mwah, mwah," she said with each kiss on the crown of his head. "My little baby boy!"

"Ah, jeez," he groaned, struggling to get free. Little? He'd outgrown her when he was fourteen. He got the message though. It was good to see her too.

"I've missed you so much! I'm so incredibly proud of you!"

"Thanks, ma," he said. She held him at arm's length and got a long look at him, and he her. She had more wrinkles around her blue eyes, a little more gray in her raven hair, but her smile was just as he remembered.

"And guess who decided to tag along!"

A blur swerved around Sally and pummeled right into Percy, sending him reeling out of his mother's arms.

"Grover!" Percy yelled, clinging onto Grover's rasta hoodie.

Grover hadn't changed a bit, except maybe his soul patch had gotten a little fuller.

"What are you doing here?" Percy asked.

"To see you, dude!"

His old roommate, gone off to save the world, had come all this way just to see him swim? Percy could have cried if he wasn't so happy.

Grover flung his arm around Percy's shoulders. "Now, listen," he pointed his finger for emphasis, "the key to winning is to swim fast, then keep swimming fast, and then - here's the real important part - you finish fast."

"I'll keep that in mind," Percy said, laughing. It hurt to smile this much.

"So should we keep a seat saved for Andy?" Sally asked. She had made quite a few signs by the looks of it. She'd need all the help she could get to hold them. It'd be quite a sight to see Annabeth sitting next to his mom, talking about who knew what, only for certain it would embarrass him to no end.

But Percy's face fell. "Uh, there was a bit of a change in plans. Andy's not going to make it."

"Aw," Sally said. "That's a shame. I was really hoping I'd get to meet him. I even brought him some cookies."

"You okay, bud?" Grover asked as he shook Percy, reviving him.

"Yeah, I just wish you could have met him."

"Next time, then," Sally said. "You'd better hurry. Your team is heading in."

She pointed toward the stadium and he saw she was right. They were waving and saying goodbye to their own parents before they had to get changed.

"Alright." He gave her one last squeeze and returned Grover's high-five before he followed the rest.

"Good luck, Percy!" Sally called.

He turned and waved one last time before he disappeared into the front doors.

It was organized chaos. Tables lined the hallway, echoing with noise, as coaches checked teams in and swimmers began stretching. Men, women, students from all over had come to Vegas to compete for the national title. Each was hungry for a trophy, a claim on the topmost tier. Voices carried, duffles bumped, and the smell of bodies in close proximity punched Percy in the nose. He'd never felt so alive.

In a semi-quiet corner, near the offices, Hedge gave the rundown of what to expect during the day. They would do the relays first and then the individual races would be held in the afternoon. Percy had some time to sit and wait.

"Scouts from all over the country have come to watch all of you swim. Don't screw this up. For me," Coach said, with a wry grin. "Make me look good, fellas."

Percy's heart plopped into his stomach juices. It had all come down to this. For years, he'd been training and now it was time to put it all on the line. Already he could spot the scouts through the crowd. They were dressed like any other spectators, trying to blend in, but when they moved through the crowd, their eyes saw deeper than skin. They were searching for champions.

But their Blackberrys gave them away, and their not-so-subtle note-taking, and their pressed polos. Scouts looked the part, even though they did their best not to. Percy wondered, of all that he'd seen, if any were for the Olympic National team. His heart fluttered.

Everyone on the team was encouraged to sit in the stands and cheer on their teammates. It was their homebase of sorts, a makeshift camp for Bolt Academy. They could leave their bags in the stands, eat snacks, listen to music, nap (if even possible), and still be a cohesive group. They'd chant their traditional "Thunderstruck" anthem whenever a Bolt swimmer was racing. It was exhilarating.

Percy got a prime, VIP view of the whole stadium. The pool was spread out beneath him and the stands went up so high he thought maybe they'd never end. Above was the domed ceiling, strung up with banners of previous champions and record holders, peppered in between ads and sponsors. Percy wondered if maybe he make it up there one day.

Apprehension toyed with him. He kept his muscles warm by stretching whenever he could, snacked on a bag of trail mix, and tried his best to focus on the task at hand with a designed playlist set up specifically for this day.

His muscles twitched, groaned, ached to get into the water. Its crystalline blue surface was taunting as it shimmered and gleamed like a million stars. Flashbulbs popped and the announcer's voice echoed all around, filtering through the saturated chlorine smell that filled the arena. Percy was immersed into a sea of promise. He could feel the thrum of energy from the spectators, the thrum of excitement from the swimmers, the thrum of noise when the first whistle blew.

Cameras captured everything, video and still alike. Percy knew this was being broadcast on ESPN. He wondered if the whole world was watching, but more importantly he wondered if Annabeth was too. He kept scanning the crowd, half-hoping that she would surprise him and come in person. But every face he found wasn't the one he was looking for. Sometimes he'd do a doubletake and see that it was just a blond boy, who on second glance looked no older than ten, and another time he thought he heard her laugh but he couldn't see who it had come from. He felt jittery, unable to concentrate. He kept thinking about her and only her. He needed to clear his head.

With an hour to spare, Percy headed into the locker room to change and did some warm up laps in the practice pool. There was about an hour left until he had to race, but he felt like the only way he could stay sane was to do something. It was such an Annabeth thing to do. She had changed him, for sure. In her own way, maybe she never left.

God, Percy thought, as he got out of the pool, wiped dry, and went back to the locker room, admonishing his dreary state, it's not like she's dead.

But it felt like she was.

In the quiet of the locker room, he took a seat on a bench in the locker room and waited.

Annabeth's absence made him feel like he was missing a part of himself. He felt empty, hollow, shallow without her. He wanted to make her proud. More than he wanted to win, he wanted to show her what it was for. He used to think that if he won the gold medal, his father would notice and come back from who-knew-where. This time, while he sat there in the locker room, half-dressed and staring at the tile beneath his bare feet, he wanted to show Annabeth that it wasn't all for nothing. That he was doing it because it mattered.

He scrunched his swimming cap in his fist, making the rubber creak against his palm. His stomach felt like it was trying to implode. All he could do was swim his goddamned heart out. That was the least he could do. He hoped it would be enough.

"Hey."

The voice made him look up. He was surprised to see Piper standing in front of him. His name was painted on her cheeks in purple and her lips were gold, classic Bolt colors. She looked out of place in the locker room, fully dressed and quite obviously a girl. Fortunately for her, there was no one around to make much of a fuss. She always had a knack of sneaking into places she shouldn't be.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, getting to his feet.

"Just coming to wish you good luck," she said. "Everyone came to see you."

"You could have just waited for me to come out of the locker room," he said, working up to a grin. He was thankful he had dressed before she came in.

"I know. I just wanted to check up on you."

"Quite a getup you've got going on."

She pinched her homemade shirt. "Too much?"

"Could've used a little more glitter."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time."

"You said everyone's here?"

"Yeah." She counted off on her fingers. "Frank, Leo, Thalia, Jason, and me. We're sitting with your mom and Grover. Oh, and Nico showed up too!"

Percy smiled, imagining Nico and Piper wearing matching t-shirts. Now that would definitely be a sight to see.

"How are you feeling? Nervous?" she asked.

Percy pouted, taking a mental survey of his current state. "All things considered, I'm not dying, so I think that's a good sign."

"You're going to do great! Everyone is here to cheer you on." She slapped him on the small of his back, hard enough it stung. He was certain a big red handprint would be there when he walked out to race.

"Thanks, Pipes," he said, hiding his wince. Her exuberance was admirable.

She looked at him, the skin around her eyes going tight. He could see something brewing behind her eyes, but whatever it was she pushed it aside. "Hey, if you're nervous, I've got some stage fright tips that might help you out. Like, sometimes I'll pick one person out from the crowd and sing just to them. It helps me focus. Maybe it'll help you out there."

"One person, huh?"

"Yeah, it could be anyone. You just swim like they're the only one watching."

Percy's knees felt unsteady, like he'd topple over. He knew who he'd want to swim for. He straightened his back and smiled. "Alright, I think I can manage that."

Piper worried her lip and came in for a hug. She was so tiny but it felt like she could crush him. The air was pressed from his lungs. Thankfully, she let go.

A voice crackled over the speaker system above their heads. "Men's 100 meter freestyle heat six, please make your way to the ready room."

"That's me," he said.

Piper patted his shoulders firmly, like a father would a son, and saluted. "Break a leg," she said.

And then she left. Percy pulled on his sweats and scooped up his headphones. He made his way through a dimly lit hallway and emerged into the waiting room where his opposition was already waiting. Amongst them was Mark. As usual, they were to be in lanes next to each other. Their times were so close, they'd be literally neck and neck.

Mark looked up when Percy came in. Their eyes met for a brief second before Mark went back to listening to his music. What did he think now that the truth was out there? Now that everyone knew Annabeth was a girl, how did that make Mark feel? Percy hoped it made him feel like shit.

Everything he'd put Percy through, what was it even for? To humiliate him? To crush him? All it did was light a fire in Percy's heart. He burned with it.

He made a point to sit opposite Mark but on the other side of the room. With his elbows on his thighs, Percy's knee bounced. His music lulled him into a rhythm - upbeat, strong, relentless. He tapped his fingers along with it. He imagined the pool, imagined the flashing lights, imagined the roar of the crowd, and his mind calmed. Thousands of eyes were upon him.

Are you watching?

A marshal called them out to race. It was as he had imagined. His music drowned out the masses, but it couldn't drown out the lights. It was blinding. Cameras flashed, spotlights focused, the pool reflected. Distantly, he heard the announcer's booming voice in his chest. It rattled his lungs. The stands puckered and waved with thousands of bodies, packed tightly in rows to watch. They looked like schools of fish, fluttering with the tide.

Video cameras swung towards him. He pulled out his headphones.

Are you watching?

They filed up to their starting blocks and deposited their things into empty chairs. Percy unzipped his jacket and stepped out of his pants. He stretched and pulled on his muscles. Bolt Swimmers were chanting "Thunderstruck." Somewhere above him, his mom was waving her banner. Nearby would be Jason, Frank, Leo, and Grover, barking his name. Nico, Piper, and Thalia were probably yelling insults at the other racers. Percy glanced at Mark, who was also stretching and scowling. His brow was narrow, focused, and ready. A spark of competition ignited in Percy's belly.

Are you watching?

The official prompted them to get ready. Percy slipped on his swimming cap and stepped onto his starting block. He shook out his legs, rolled his shoulders, puffed out his chest. He took a breath, exhaled, inhaled once more, and puffed out his cheeks. The pool spread out in front of him like a shimmering blue carpet. His skin tingled, like he had shimmied across a rug in fuzzy socks. He closed his eyes and sighed.

Are you watching?

The official gave notice - they were going to start. Percy pulled his goggles down over his eyes. Sound dulled, like he was hearing it underwater, though nothing had changed at all. He had been transported somewhere far away, where he was alone, standing in front of an empty pool. The distant crowd was nothing but the buzzing of a fly. His stomach settled high in his gut. He felt like he was floating.

Are you watching?

Percy readied. He bowed at the waist, his knees bent. He waited. Time slowed. He felt like he was waiting an eternity. His whole body yearned to fly. Then the whistle blew.

Percy leapt off the block and hit the water.

Do you see me?

He greeted the water like an old friend.

Are you watching?

His legs fluttered, his arms pulled, his lungs gasped. His life turned into moments, flashes of images: the bottom of the pool, the crowd, the other swimmers, but none of it seemed to matter. His body burned. He was melting from the inside out. He swam like he was being chased, like he was chasing, perpetual symmetry. If he stopped, he'd die.

He came to the wall and turned. Halfway.

His head broke the surface. He sliced through the water, a knife cutting. His body dissolved away. There was nothing else. He wasn't anybody anymore; he didn't have a body anymore. He was just another force of nature.

Reality didn't matter.

He was swimming to the edge of reality, over it and into the deep.

Annabeth was waiting for him at the finish line. Her smile was wide, welcoming. She stood, in her Bolt uniform, with her hands on her hips, waiting. She knelt down onto one knee and held out her hand.

Percy reached.

Are you watching?

His hand slammed the wall.

The world came rushing back, like waves crashing on the rocks. Noise hit his ears like a thunderclap. He blinked. He wasn't sure what was happening. Hands grabbed his wrists and lugged him out of the pool. He stumbled to get his footing on the floor. Coach was there, and there was a flurry of camera flashes and microphones thrust into his face. Words smashed into each other; it sounded like a foreign language. Coach Hedge leaned into Percy's ear and shouted, but it was impossible to hear.

In a daze, Percy's eyes drifted up to the timeclock. He saw his name, he saw the numbers next to it, but he didn't get a chance to see the details. But he knew. He just knew. He had shattered his previous record.

He had won.

Coach held onto him like he was a life raft in a hurricane. His hands dug into Percy's shoulders as he was bombarded with reports and correspondents. They were asking him a million questions at once, jumping over one another to get the first scoop, to hear his answer, but Percy had been struck dumb. He stared at the mass of people crowding around him, looked up at the spectators high above, glanced over his shoulder at Mark who was sulking back to the locker rooms.

Like someone had flipped a switch, voices turned back into English.

"You've just won the national -"

"- special someone -"

"- to credit your success -"

"What do you have to say?"

A large, black video camera on someone's shoulder had been shoved into his face. He stared into its inky eye. It stared back, the red light winking.

Are you watching?

Without a word, he turned and slipped out of the crowd. He disappeared into the mass of people.

At that exact moment, in a suburban house outside San Francisco, Annabeth Chase sat on her father's couch in the living room. She clicked off the television with the remote. The hazy halo lingered for a moment after the screen went dark.

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She clutched the pillow in her lap closer to her chest. She was ready to burst. Despite the tears, she was smiling. A sorrowful joy tore through her, like a bullet hole. It killed her.

"He did it," she said, to no one. Her voice was held together with duct tape and chewing gum. "He did it."

She brought the pillow up to her face and wept.

EDIT: Let's pretend I'm not a major dummy-dumb and that Annabeth was in San Francisco all along. (I even googled how far away Vegas was from San Fran, like what EVEN, Jane~) Thanks to all who mentioned it!