A/N: This is when you all say, FREAKING FINALLY!


Chapter 30

Percy

Present day

If I thought the turmoil that ate away at me for five years was torture, I was wrong. I was dead wrong.

This is torture.

Waiting like this for news, for any news was torture.

"Sir" I turned around to find one of the nurses touching my shoulder.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"You and your friend can wait in the waiting room, but I'd suggest that you go home. Shower and change, the surgery would still be going on till you get back" she said.

But I shook my head.

Annabeth was in there being cut open by god knows how many people. I couldn't just leave, I cannot let her lie there helpless while a few people decide her fate, she needed me here. I need to be here.

Piper came beside me and nudged my shoulder.

"She's right Percy, you need to go and change. Annabeth wouldn't want to see you like this" Piper said.

She was right, I was covered in blood, Annabeth's blood, but I just couldn't go.

"Percy, I'm here and the doctors are here and they are doing their best. You have nothing to worry about"

"Piper I can't-"

"How about this, the minute I get any update about Annabeth's surgery I will call you and you can come back here, till then just go clean yourself up and change" she said but I didn't move.

Piper lightly stroked my back, I felt calm but the memory of Annabeth being stabbed came flooding back.

Before I knew it, Piper was leading me to the doors.

"Here, I know there's no point in telling you to drive carefully and hurry back because I know you'll do that"

I thought for a while. If there was anyone else, I could trust it was Piper and the smell of blood was getting to me, but I didn't mind. I just wanted to know that Annabeth is alright.

"Alright, I'll go but please call Joey and call me if you get any updates" I said.

"Okay, I called Jason too, he said he'll be here in ten minutes" she said as I made my way out of the hospital and into the car.

Her brother, I didn't even think about her brother!


Five years ago

"I'm fine-d, I don't need to lie down, I never get sick!" Annabeth said as she tried to fight me off but I still led her towards her bed.

"When fine becomes 'fine-d' you are not fine! Besides it's just one day"

"But I'm not sick, tell me that you don't think that I'm sick!" she said as she stopped midway in her bedroom.

Did I think she was sick? Yes. Was I going to tell her that? Hell no!

"Yes Annabeth, you're fine, I just think you need a nap that all"

"What? Nap? Naps are for babies. I don't need a nap!" she said as she tried to get out of her room but I stood in between her and the doorway.

I looked down at her as I grabbed her by her shoulders and led her backwards as I started unbuttoning her shirt before heading to her dresser and grabbing her a fresh one.

"Yes Percy, see I'm not sick. I'm in the mood, let's have sex!" she said as she started nibbling on my neck.

It felt great but her voice already sounded nasal. If kissing me on her neck is going to keep her distracted then so be it. I quickly removed her shirt and her bra before I leaned down and got the vapor rub in my hand. I twisted open the cap before I took some on my fingers and gently applied it on her chest.

"Oh yeah" she moaned.

Damn it, I was getting turned on. I could feel my blood rushing south. This was all too sexy, but I forced myself to concentrate as I rubbed some more on her chest.

Annabeth gasped and I felt almost all of my control evaporate from my body. No Percy! This is what she wants, she doesn't think she's sick so she wants to trap you.

Think dry thoughts! Think dry thoughts!

Damn it! It wasn't working!

So, I quickly capped the vapor rub before I put some on her forehead. I threw the rub on her bed before I leaned down and grabbed her pajama shirt and put it over her head.

"What? Why are you putting more clothes on me?" she asked.

But I just bent down and removed her jeans before I put on her pajama pants. She was reluctant at first but then she let me put them on, I guess she was feeling a bit cold. I led her backwards onto her bed before I pulled the covers back and tucked her in.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you lie down right next to me?" she asked.

With her sick voice, her red nose and her eyes that were watering due to the vapor rub, she looked adorable.

So, I nodded before I crossed over and got into the bed with her.

Before I could lean in closer to her, she crawled up to me and rested her head on my chest and urged me to wrap my arms around her.

"Can you tell me a story?" she asked.

"Sure, what do you want to hear?" I asked, not that I knew a lot of stories but if she had something in her mind, I didn't mind.

"Anything is fine" she said as she sighed and closed her eyes.

I thought about the stories I knew and finally settled on Goldilocks. I know, a weird choice but I was blanking. I started telling her the story and felt her nodding against me at critical plot points.

"Annabeth, are you asleep?" I whispered, just in case she was.

"Yes, Goldilocks put me to sleep" she whispered back but she didn't open her eyes.

I sighed and closed my eyes too. Goldilocks had made my sleepy. I put my arm on her head and stroked her head before I leaned down and pressed a kiss on her head. She really looked adorable cuddled up in my arms pretending that she's not feeling sleepy, just like a little kid.

"I know what you're thinking about Percy" she said but I could hear the sleep in her voice.

"And what is that?" I asked.

"That I'm sick, but I swear I'm not, I feel fine-d" she said.

I smiled.

I guess she was fine.


Present day

I quickly exited my bathroom and my way towards my dresser. It had taken me roughly fifteen minutes to drive here and about ten to get rid of the blood on my hands and chest.

I pulled out a fresh pair of clothes to wear to the hospital. If the surgery went well, it would take her a couple of days before she was discharged and I wasn't going to spend a moment away from her.

So, I grabbed a bag and put a couple of shirts and underwear in it along with some cans of soda with chips, protein bars and water. There was no way I was leaving her side until I got to take her home.

I should probably get her a change of clothes as well right? But I got rid of all her clothes years ago, maybe I could take a couple of small shirts for her to wear, maybe my stretchy pants might fit her? So I pulled open my drawer to find it when something poked my hand.

What the hell!

I removed the clothes that were in the way to inspect the object. Had I been bugged? Is that why the Chases knew that we were going to infiltrate their warehouse?

But what I found inside my drawer shocked me more. Inside was a very modest and delicate chain I had ever seen. It looked beautiful in a simple sort of way but what surprised me more was the object that hung on the chain.

It was a ring.

Her engagement ring.

How did it get here? The last I knew of it was that Annabeth had it and I assumed that she must have gotten rid of it because of all the things that went down at her father's house that night. But I guess she had kept it.

Wait... How did it get up here? I never saw her by my dresser, ever. Oh yeah, we had spent last night here in my apartment, maybe when I had given her some time to change, she must have hidden it or maybe in the morning when I was in the kitchen, she must have gotten time to put the ring there, when I thought she was in the shower.

She had given me her ring back.

No, I will not accept this.

She either has to give me her ring back face to face or she has to keep it. Even if she tried giving her ring back, I wouldn't accept it.

I took the chain and put it in my pocket before I grabbed my overnight bag and made my way back to the car.


Thirty-five minutes ago

"Wait…" I heard a voice above me command, but I didn't care enough to move, I was concerned about Annabeth.

Not thirty seconds ago this random guy who worked for the Chases tried to stab me in the back, literally. But Annabeth had gotten in the way and taken the hit for me and now she was lying on the ground, passed out from all the pain.

'I promise I will get you out of this, you are not dying on me Annabeth' I said in my head, I just had to make sure I kept my promise.

"Let them go," the voice said.

This time I looked up, why would they just let us go? We had just raided their warehouse and freed their prisoner.

But then my eyes met with their commander.

It was the same guy that Piper talked so dearly about, the same guy who gave Annabeth the key.

Luke.

"She's a Chase, we owe it to Friedrich" he said before he nodded at me.

"But-" one of his lackeys spoke up.

"Let. Them. Go." He said again but his tone was harsher.

I looked up at him and nodded before I leaned down and scooped Annabeth in my arms. She didn't move, she didn't even flinch, she didn't even put her arms around me.

I could feel her blood socking my clothes. This was bad, she was losing a lot of blood and way too fast. I turned around and ran as fast as I could with her in my arms and made my way to my car.

"Oh my god Percy is she okay?" Piper asked as I got into the back seat.

"Piper, just drive to the nearest hospital" I said as I tucked Annabeth's hair behind her ear. She was turning paler by the second. I sat down on her wound and applied pressure to try to get it into control. I looked up and saw Piper looking at Annabeth, trapped in a daze "DRIVE!" I screamed before I felt the car jerking forward as Piper drove us to the hospital.


Present day

I ran into the hospital and almost missed Piper in the waiting area.

"How is she?" I asked as I stopped in front of Piper to take a breather.

"The doctors said that the surgery was successful, there was one complication during the surgery when her heart stopped beating but they got it beating in time. They said that if all went well, it would take her two maybe three days before she regains consciousness and another two before she can leave" Piper said.

That was a relief as she was still alive.

Annabeth was still alive.

I pulled Piper in for a hug and felt her weeping against my chest. This must be hard for her too. She didn't know what Annabeth and I did for a living. She didn't even know we dated or that we were engaged. In fact, she had no idea how Annabeth and I had found her and she was kidnapped in the first place.

"Hey man" I heard someone say.

I turned around and broke away from Piper. It was Jason. Oh shit! I would have to explain to her older brother why I had been so stubborn when Annabeth, Piper and I would have gotten out of the warehouse without anyone getting harmed.

"I didn't know you cared so much about her Percy" he said as he gave a bro hug.

"Well… um Piper cares about her, so I thought I'd come too" I said.

Jason just nodded and gave me a sad smile.

Just then a nurse came to us.

"Is anyone Annabeth Chase's relative?" she asked.

I was about to introduce myself as her fiancé but I held myself back. I wasn't her fiancé not anymore, the ring in my pocket made that evidently clear.

"I'm her brother, Jason"

"Alright, your sister is in room 2218, her doctor should be with you in about twenty minutes. Also, visiting hours end at five pm. But we can arrange for one of you to stay the night" she said before she walked away.

"Let's go see Annabeth," Jason said before he started walking towards the elevator with Piper in tow.

I wanted to go see her, I really did, but the memory of her getting stabbed kept going on in my head, the memory of her calling out to me before she passed out, the memory of her lying in my arms as we drove to the hospital. It was all too much.

I did this to her. Most of all I had to tell her brother that because of me, Annabeth almost died today, that too twice. When she was actually stabbed and when her heart stopped at the table.

I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Percy, you coming?" Piper asked.

"Umm… yeah I'll call Nico and I'll be right there" I said. It wasn't the truth but I didn't have the guts to see her lying there in a hospital bed motionless.

"Okay, take your time" Piper said before she grabbed Jason's hand and went inside of the elevator.


A/N: Yes, finally after two painful flashback chapters here is a real update. You. Are. Welcome.