I'm back with a new chapter. Ha! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 trailer is out a week ago! Woohoo! Anyways, I love writing this chapter. Not because there's a Percabeth thing here. No, there's no Percabeth fluff here on this chapter. Sorry.

Anyways, I'll explain something before you read this chap. Nico and Thalia here are not couples and they are not in love with each other. Sorry, I'm a Thaluke shipper and Nico/Rachel shipper. Okay, here's the story. Nico lost his sister—Bianca di Angelo—in an accident. Thalia's mom was driving and accidentally hit Bianca causing her to die. Thalia's mom is in prison and Thalia took Nico. Nico was really, really mad but Thalia calmed him. So, they're like brother and sister, but not literally. So yeah.

Oh yeah, The Kane Chronicles: The Throne of Fire is being released today, May 3, 2011, in the Philippines. I'm going to buy it next month.

Disclaimer: What Rick Riordan owns is not mine.

Annabeth was sitting outside Thalia's hospital room. She had come in while Thalia was sleeping. No, not unconscious just sleeping. Nico had informed her that she was fine already.

She sat there wondering if Percy actually chased her down the airport and missed her, or he didn't even bother going for her. But either way, she was already here at New York. Too far from where Percy was. She didn't have any remembrance of him—not a picture, a letter, or some jewellery, none. They didn't even have any goodbye, but she understood why. It was her choice to leave without Percy noticing. She always wondered why she went to Italy in the first place. If she hadn't tried to go and have her vacation, she wouldn't have met Percy.

She remembered their times together. All those times. The time they met, the times they argue, the times that they weren't arguing, and their sweet moments. She would always wonder why she fell in love with him. Annabeth felt a pang in her chest for remembering all those memories.

"Here's your coffee, Annabeth." a figure loomed over Annabeth.

"Thanks, Nico." Annabeth grabbed the coffee cup.

Nico sat beside Annabeth, "You looked sad a while ago. Why?" Nico asked worried.

"Did I? Oh no, I'm not sad." Annabeth faked smiled.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Annabeth answered softly.

"Sorry for dragging you back here." Nico apologized.

"You didn't drag me. It was my choice to come back here." Annabeth reasoned.

"Still. I disturbed your vacation."

"It's okay. Nothing of importance happened anyways." Annabeth slowed down on saying the latter part.

"Well, something tells me something important happened." Nico noticed.

"It was just a sappy old vacation." Annabeth faked smiled again.

"Alright if you say so."

"Anyways, how was two weeks without me?"Annabeth asked.

"It was the worst." Nico complained. "Ever since you were gone, she was too bored, Thalia I mean. And by bored I mean she wanted to boss me around for something fun for her to do. A week after that, I went to my sister's grave to complain."

Annabeth chuckled. Thalia can be so mean sometimes. "Oh okay. What happened to her anyways?"

"Oh, she took a clumsy step to the stairs and slipped. Her head was bleeding—thank God she didn't have amnesia—and then we rushed her to the hospital, afterwards I called you, and she survived."

"You make it sound like you didn't want her to survive." Annabeth noticed.

"Well, part of me." Nico shrugged.

Annabeth nudged Nico on the arm, "You should be happy that you're with her. If she didn't adopt you as her brother, you would be living in the homeless shelter now."

"Alright, fine. Sorry." Nico said but really didn't mean it. "I think you should go in already. Thalia might be awake now." Nico said running out of things to talk about.

Annabeth stood up, giving her almost empty cup to Nico, and went in Thalia's room.

She closed the door quietly, fearing that she be awaken by the noise. Annabeth saw Thalia staring stupidly at the ceiling. "You're already awake." Annabeth spoke up.

Thalia looked at Annabeth shockingly, "Shouldn't you be in Italy?" Thalia asked surprised.

"So I'd let you lay down here in a pain and I'll just run around in Italy, having fun. I wouldn't do that to my best friend." Annabeth said as she approached Thalia and sat down at the chair beside Thalia's bed.

Thalia cracked a smile. "How'd you know I was here and what happened?" Thalia asked bewildered.

"Blame Nico." Annabeth said.

"That prat..." Thalia muttered, earning a chuckle from Annabeth.

"Anyways," Thalia sat up, "How was Italy?"

"Oh, it was great!" Annabeth said but in her head she was saying that it was the best.

Thalia nodded in understanding, "Any good landmarks?" As Thalia asked that question, Villa Celimontana popped in Annabeth's head. Remembering her and Percy's date. The place where they became together. "How many places have you seen?" Thalia added. "Don't count the hotel you were staying in."

Annabeth actually told Thalia that she was staying at a hotel rather than the apartment where she had found the letter. But besides she did stay at a hotel. "I only visited one." Annabeth said referring to Villa Celimontana.

"What? Only one?" Thalia shrieked making her head hurt but showed no pain in front of Annabeth just to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah, only one."

"Annabeth. You had two weeks. Two weeks. And you only visited one." Thalia said disappointed.

"It's hard to travel when you're busy." Annabeth said calmly.

"Busy? Busy with what?" Thalia's face turned to confusion.

"Stuff." Annabeth said almost to herself.

"Tell me the truth, Annabeth. What happened in Italy?" Thalia looked sternly at Annabeth.

"Okay, fine." Annabeth told everything to Thalia. From the letter she found until her leaving. But she left out everything that had happened to her and Percy, but mentioned him nonetheless.

"So, the two were reunited?" Thalia asked as Annabeth finished her story.

"Yeah." Annabeth smiled.

"Wow." Thalia grinned. "What about you, Annabeth? Found someone in Italy? That Percy guy looks interesting to me." Thalia teased Annabeth.

Annabeth tried to hide her blush. "Uh... n-nothing happened to me, particularly with P-Percy." Annabeth bit her lip so she wouldn't say anything anymore.

"You're stuttering, Annabeth." Thalia noticed.

"Nothing really happened." Annabeth said quickly.

"You didn't fall in love with Percy or vice versa?" Thalia questioned.

Annabeth sighed. She can't afford to lie especially to Thalia. She also has no way out. Once Thalia asks a question, you'd better give her the truth. She can't really hide it from Thalia. Thalia was indeed her best friend. "Yeah." Annabeth said with a small voice. "We both fell in love with each other." Annabeth looked at Thalia and saw Thalia nodding in understanding.

"Then why did you come back?" Thalia asked.

"I already told you."

"You know, I'd rather die than have you lose your first love just because of me. Do you plan to go back in Italy?" Thalia asked.

"No." Annabeth shook her head.

"You should go back." Thalia suggested.

"Then I would leave again? It's too much pressure, Thalia." Annabeth sighed. "And either way, it's going to break both of our hearts."

Silence had stricken Thalia. Annabeth had a point there, as usual. "But what will happen to the both of you?" Thalia asked, breaking the silence.

"Come what may."

Percy was finished packing his bag. They were supposed to leave on the morrow. But Alice and Percy were to go to their separate ways. Alice with Alberto and Percy goes back to their house. Percy didn't want to go back to their house because that where he first met Annabeth. The letter from Annabeth was still on Percy's pocket. He had the urge to reread the letter. But the words still hurt him until now.

When he decided to leave their room he saw Annabeth's room being occupied by new guests. He missed Annabeth dearly. He wanted to write her a letter but he knew he sucked at it. He decided to stroll around the place. He would also miss the hotel. He first went to the pool area. There were a lot of people there swimming, eating, having fun, and sun bathing. He smiled as he remembered his first kiss with Annabeth. It was a blissful oblivion for him. He felt that a month had passed but in reality it was just a week.

He exited the pool area, went through the dining area, and saw Alice and Alberto eating together. He smiled at the two. He also felt a pang of jealousy because he and Annabeth should be doing the same. He walked away sadly. His feet were taking him somewhere and before he knew it, he was at the meadow already. He decided to move forward since he was already there. He stopped to see a tall figure. He moved closer to see who it was and was surprised to see Luke, picking petals off a flower and throwing them in the air. "So, what brings you here?" Percy asked as he moved closer to Luke.

"Oh, fresh air." Luke said, surprised at Percy's arrival.

"I see." Percy commented.

"Aren't you supposed to be mad at me?" Luke asked as his flower ran out of petals.

"Why?" Percy asked curiously.

"Because of what happened at the dance." Luke threw the lifeless flower away and looked at Percy.

"That? Come on, Luke. Forget about that. Annabeth's not here anymore. We shouldn't be fighting about her anymore." Percy said.

"Yeah, we shouldn't."

Luke extended his hand and said, "Friends?"

Percy looked at Luke very carefully and realized that Luke was still taller than him. "Best friends." Percy shook Luke's hand.

Luke hugged Percy and said, "I missed you, little guy."

"Yeah, I missed you too, big guy." Percy laughed, hugging Luke back.

Luke pulled away and asked, "Do you miss Annabeth already?"

"You don't know how much I do." Percy answered.

Luke nodded, "Yeah, I missed her too."

"Did you know that she loves me?" Percy said mockingly to Luke.

Luke laughed. "I know. She told me about it when she left. Don't get such a bug head, Percy. I might steal her away from you." Luke chuckled.

"You won't. I'm jealous that you got to talk to her when she left." Percy said, his smile faltering.

"Why? Didn't she talk to you?" Luke asked surprised.

"She didn't." Percy took the letter from his pocket, "She just left me with this letter."

Luke took the letter and read it. Percy took the time to look around the surroundings and contemplate on how beautiful the place was. Luke finished reading the letter and said, "This sucks, man."

Percy took the letter, "I know."

"So, what do you plan to do?"

"I plan to go back to New York."

"Why is that?"

"Because I plan to get Annabeth back, whatever it takes."

Yey! Luke and Percy are friends again! Yey! I'm clapping so hard right now. I am partly a Lukercy shipper. I know it's very awkward but... Anyways, like I said—VOTE FOR MY POLL. Two stories there are having a close fight. So vote for your favourite. Since wouldn't allow you to vote twice, I would post the poll on Chapter 14, 3 more chapters to go. This saddens me. Anyways, review! I'm actually attempting to have 200 reviews on the end of the story. So yeah, review!

-BE18