A/N Side note, this story was started before Nico came out in the actual series, and that's the only reason he and Thalia are together here, otherwise it would follow canon.

Annabeth POV

"So fear didn't work?" Juniper asked. I shook my head. Daisy ran around on the beach in front of us as I filled her mother in on what had happened.

"I'm not sure it was worth it to put Percy in danger like that, but I honestly thought it would work." My head dropped to my hands, "What am I supposed to do now?" Juniper gently wrapped her arms around my shoulders. Nobody had really held me since Percy. I hadn't realized how much I missed the touch of another person... a living person.

"You'll find a way. His heart is going to beat again, you're going to give him the cure, and everything will be ok." She promised, but I heard a waver in her voice. She was just as scared as I was. I felt the guilt seeping into me. This wasn't just Percy's life that I was working to save, it was Grover's too. I felt the pressure to save him, and the rest of the human race, but nothing pushed me more than the little girl splashing in the shallow water in front of us. I grew up without a mom, I wasn't going to make her grow up without her dad.

My thoughts drifted to my mother, and then to my stepmother. While I felt the familiar twinge of sadness that came with loss, there was something else growing in the pit of my stomach. My fingers clenched and my jaw tightened as I thought about all the different ways that woman had made my life hell as a kid. As my blood boiled beneath my skin, I felt the pulse in my wrist begin to quicken. That's when the lightbulb went off over my head.

"Anger..." I said quietly, "Maybe he doesn't get scared anymore, but he definitely gets angry." I left Juniper with Daisy on the beach and made my way back to the cabins. Thalia was sitting on the steps outside.

"Annabeth listen about yesterday..." I cut her off.

"What makes a zombie angry?" Her brow furrowed as she processed what I said.

"Um... why?" My fingers twitched anxiously.

"I want to make Percy angry, what makes a zombie angry?" I asked impatiently. She pursed her lips.

"Annabeth, purposely irritating a cannibalistic Percy doesn't sound like the smartest idea." We didn't have time to argue. I had loved ones to reanimate.

"I need his heart to beat again. Fear isn't working, but anger might. You can either help me piss off Percy, or I'll do it myself." She sighed. Thalia understood better than anyone how stubborn I could be, and in that moment she realized that there was no stopping me. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Let's go provoke the monster."

Thalia wrinkled her nose as the stench hit, but I'd gotten used to it. It was almost comforting. The smell of rotten flesh meant that Percy was still here. He raised his head as we entered, but dropped it again when his hands couldn't break the restraints.

"Ok... well, all the zombies that we've met have gotten angry when you fight back. Maybe try fighting him?" She suggested. I moved to take off his restraints, but she grabbed my shoulder, "Do it with him still in the chair."

I stared at Percy for a second. His skin was grey and drooping, and his hair was coming out in tufts. I worried about hurting him, but I worried more about never bringing him back. I raised my hand high above my head and brought it down hard across his face. His head snapped up to stare at me, looking more surprised than angry. So, I smacked him again. There had been a couple of times that I'd really wanted to do that while he was alive. It wasn't as satisfying as I'd always imagined.

Percy roared at me and strained to free himself. Thalia felt his wrist and shook her head, "Kick him, do something else. He's not there yet."

I kicked at his knees while he snapped. My fist connected with his jaw one more time. Percy was thrashing in his chair, making the legs bounce against the floor, threatening to topple him over. Thalia held onto his arm to keep him in one spot while I fought him. Tears burned through my eyes every time one of my hits landed. I hoped he would understand.

When I was out of breath, Thalia checked his pulse one more time. She pursed her lips as her eyes closed in defeat.

"Nothing? I'm exhausted, I can't make him any angrier than this." I said as I struggled to catch my breath. My limbs burned and sweat dripped from my forehead down to the floor. Percy continued to growl and snarl in my direction. I didn't blame him.

"I might have another idea." Thalia said, "It's sort of a long shot, though." I shrugged.

"At this point, I'll do anything." Thalia walked to my side, away from the angry zombie.

"Well, when Percy was alive, what made him the angriest?" She asked. The memory of Luke showing up in the school bus was the first thing that came to mind.

"I don't think that's going to do me much good. I can't exactly bring Luke back from the undead." She shook her head.

"Ok sure, the whole Luke fiasco made him really pissed off, but what was at the core of all that anger?" She prompted, "Jealousy. He was jealous, and that made him blow up. Maybe you need to try and tap into that jealousy again?"

"I really must be desperate..." I sighed, "Go and get Leo." Thalia shuddered, but did as I asked. When she was gone, I turned to Percy, "When I wake you up, I'm gonna kick your ass for making me do this." He just kept on staring at me. Thalia returned with a very shaky Leo.

"I'm all for helping Percy, Annabeth, you know that. But I gotta say, this seems kind of... odd." His voice went up a couple of octaves.

"You don't have to, but I'm desperate to get Percy back." I told him, "I'll do whatever I need to." He rolled his eyes.

"Gee, I'm glad you're willing to make this sacrifice." He joked, "If this is what makes Percy's heart beat again, then you're going to be the one who explains this to him."

We positioned ourselves in Percy's eyesight. He stared forward at the two of us, unmoving.

"Alright Leo, hit me." I closed my eyes. My heart was beating fast enough for both me and Percy. I felt Leo's calloused hands cup both sides of my face. He was a few inches shorter than I was, so he had to get up on his tip toes to reach my lips.

Needless to say, it wasn't exactly the most romantic kiss I'd ever had. When it ended, Leo took several steps away from me as he wiped his mouth. Thalia bent down and held a finger to Percy's wrist one more time.

"Please tell me that was worth it," Leo said, "That was like kissing my cousin. No offense, Annabeth!" I wasn't listening, my eyes were glued to Percy. His face hadn't changed. Once again, Thalia shook her head.

"I got nothing. Sorry, Leo." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry it didn't do more." He patted me on the shoulder as he left, probably to gargle some mouthwash. Thalia came to my side and squeezed my hand.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I told you it was a long shot." I nodded.

"No, I know." I said quietly, "I don't know what I was expecting." Thalia sat down on my bed and pulled me next to her. She hugged me tightly as I rested my head on her shoulder, silent tears dripping down my cheeks.

"This might be a stupid question, but have you tried using his love for you to get his heart to beat?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I thought about it at first, but I don't think it will work." I sat up and continued to analyze Percy, "I think that his love for me stems from his memories. If he doesn't have access to them, then I don't think he can love me." Thalia cocked her head and gave me a skeptical look.

"You found Percy and Grover in their old school. They kept making their way back to our hotel. They may not have direct access to their memories, but there's something latent in there. You can't deny that." She stared me down, "Tell me the truth, Annabeth." I wasn't sure whether to feel affection towards her because she knew me so well, or to feel upset because she could see right through me.

"Look at him, Thalia," I waved my hand towards my undead boyfriend, "I have no idea who this person is anymore. He's not even a person, he's a thing." Despite my best efforts, my voice was cracking, "Thalia I'm terrified that this isn't Percy. If it isn't Percy, then whatever it is... it doesn't love me anymore." I sobbed into her shoulder as my best friend held me tight against her side.

"I know it's hard, and I know that it's disheartening to see him this way." She pulled away so that I could look at her face. She stared into my eyes, filling me with determination and heart, "If there is anyone in the world that could bring Percy back, it's you. Even if this thing isn't Percy, that doesn't mean that he's gone for good. If you want to succeed, then you have to believe that." I sniffled and wiped my face.

"I'm trying, he's just... he's pissing me off." She smirked.

"Well then bring him back so I can kick his ass."