/ Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you are all enjoying the story!

Chapter 26 - The Last Night Before the World Ends

I was on my way to Percy's cabin when I heard voices from Hazel's. I walked in to find Piper and Hazel on her bed.

"Annabeth!" Piper beckoned me inside. "Last girls' night before the world ends?"

I grinned and joined them. Piper tossed me a pillow.

Hazel looked at me like she was planning something. "Ok. We know a lot about each other. But mostly, the bad stuff. The demigod stuff. That's way too heavy tonight. How about we each tell each other a memory that has absolutely nothing to do with being a demigod?"

I glanced at Piper. "Yeah." I said, a grin slowly spreading on my face. "Yeah, ok. Hazel, you suggested it. You go first."

Hazel blushed, then shrugged. "Ok. Uh, the day I met Sammy."

"Leo's grandpa?" Piper asked.

"Great grandpa." Hazel corrected. "I was…. Being picked on by these really mean kids. They'd smashed my sandwich into my hair. It was going to take ages to get it all out, and I was crying because I thought the teachers would send me home. Sammy appeared from out of nowhere, like a knight from a fairytale. He helped me up and talked to me while he helped me pick all the crumbs out of my hair. He made me laugh harder than anyone I've ever known.

I didn't have a lot of friends growing up - since my mom was kinda…. Unstable, and my gemstones were cursed, and -" She looked like she was going to cry. "But Sammy didn't care about any of that. He loved horses, same as me, and eventually he got a job at the stables. He took me sometimes, snuck me in, so I could see them. Be with them. He was such a great friend."

Hazel grinned at the memory, then shook her head. "Ok, Piper. Your turn."

She thought about that. "Um, ok. Maybe…. The day my dad first taught me to surf. He took me out to the beach, just the two of us. We spent almost the entire day together, no interruptions. That didn't happen very often. He'd bought me my own board and was so gentle, so nice, as he showed me how to balance on it. He took me out to these little waves and held the board so I could get a feel for it. The first time I made it back to land, rode the waves -" She bit her lower lip, her eyes shining with the memory.

"It was the best feeling in the world. I heard my dad cheering for me the entire way, and when he ran back onto the beach he swept me up in the biggest hug. 'See, Pipes? You're a natural!'" Piper said in an imitation of her dad's voice. She shook her head. "I giggled and asked to go again. Just the two of us, spending the day together, out on the ocean." She looked at Hazel and I. "Either of you try to surf?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I have. I'm not so good at it."

"We make it back in one piece, I'm teaching both of you. There's nothing that makes you forget your worries more than being out on the ocean." We were all silent at that. I think we could all relate to wanting to forget your worries.

Piper glanced down. "Right. Uh, Annabeth, your turn."

I thought for a second. So many of my really good memories got tainted so fast. I remember being so excited to meet my mortal half-brothers at the hospital, but my step-mom snatched them from me like I was diseased. There was the time I was so excited for career day in kindergarten, only to have my dad be the only one not to show up. Then, well, I got into the demigod stuff. Maybe I could talk about the time Chiron showed up to my science fair project when I had tried going back home the first time? But Hazel had said nothing to do with demigod stuff, and I had a feeling having the only person who actually comes to your science fair presentation being your immortal centaur foster-father was something that only happened to demigods.

"Annabeth?" Piper asked, sounding worried.

"Trying to think of a good non-demigod memory." I admitted. I had several great ones of the semester Thalia and I were roommates at boarding school, but with her death so present in my mind, there was no chance I'd get through those. Finally, I caught one.

"Ok." I said, shifting in my seat. "The first time I tried skateboarding."

"You can skateboard?" Piper asked, looking impressed.

I shrugged. "Not really. But Percy's pretty good at it, and my dad bought me a board and helmet so we could do it together. This was last year, just after the end of the Titan War. Percy was so excited." I smiled, just thinking about it. "He took me to his favorite park early on the weekend, when he thought there wouldn't be a lot of people around."

I remembered the day exactly as it had happened. The air had just begun to turn to autumn. It was cool in the early morning, and a light breeze blew through the park. It had been early for a weekend, but Percy and I had stopped to get coffee on the way, and I was feeling mostly-awake.

"Put your feet like this." Percy nudged each foot into the proper place. "Ok, now try to relax."

"Right." I muttered, strapping my helmet on. "Relax." I was already wearing elbow and knee pads, but was seriously debating whether I needed a padded vest, or even a full suit like the kind we have at Camp for some of our combat classes.

He grinned at me, his eyes shining. "I've seen you fly a helicopter, ride a pegasus, and attack a drakon with a bad shoulder. Skateboarding should be no big deal."

I smiled, enjoying how happy he was, even if I was certain I was about to fall on my face. "Ok, so I push off?"

Percy nodded and took my hands in his. "You can hold onto me for now, ok? Just get a feel for it."

I gently pushed off with my right foot. The board slid easily, but I felt all wobbly and grabbed Percy's hand for support. "Hey, you got this!" He assure me. "Try again." Slowly, we made our way across the flat part of the park, with me managing not to fall even once. By the end, I was no longer grabbing for Percy each time I pushed off too, which made me feel better.

"Alright, try to turn."

"How?"

"Finally!" He gave his best evil laugh. "I've been waiting for you to ask me that question someday!"

I had to laugh at that.

"Just, lean into it. You have to feel it, not think about it, ok?"

And I tried. I had just managed a tiny turn when something went wrong. I slipped on a little rock and the board shot back behind me. Percy grabbed my waist as I tumbled, quickly spinning me around and back on my feet. Our faces were so close together, and my heart was thumping.

"Hey." He brushed my hair back and rested his hand on my cheek. "I'm always going to catch you, got it Wise Girl?"

My voice caught when I relayed that part to Hazel and Piper. Piper glanced down, trying not to cry. Hazel bit her lip.

I cleared my throat. "I, uh, guess he was right. He's always going to be there to catch me." I tried to change the subject. "Alright. Piper, any boys other than Jason we should know about?"

She blushed and grinned. We talked for a long time. I learned more about both girls' pasts and told them some of my own. I even told Hazel and Piper about Bob and Damasen. It was hard, talking about them, but if I died tomorrow I wanted someone else to know about them. Someone else to carry their story.

Finally, as Hazel was nodding off, I left. I found Percy sitting in my room.

"Hey, sorry, I was with Piper and Hazel." I told him. He grinned at me.

"No worries. I was with Frank and Jason."

"So, here we are. Facing the end of the world for the second time."

He nodded. We sat together, cuddling, for some time. We talked about our friends and our families. We wrote them all notes, just in case we both died tomorrow.

Finally, in the silence, my eyes closed as I rested against his shoulder, I murmured to Percy. "We aren't making it out of this one, are we?"

I felt him stiffen, then relax into me. "Fighting prophecy never works, right?"

I nodded, a tear sliding down my face. "What was it Antinous said? Demigods can't change their fate."

Percy nodded. "But at least we won't be separated."

"At least there's that."

We sat in silence a while longer, savoring each moment, each smell, each breath.

"So, am I allowed to punch Luke when we get there or no?"

I laughed until I cried. "That's your question?" I managed between gasps. Percy was grinning at me wickedly.

"Hey, I know the dude's a hero or whatever now, but come on. He still has a lot of damage he did to you, and you're too nice to punch him."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah, ok, if ghosts can punch each other, have at it."

He grinned at me. I leaned forward and kissed him. He kissed me back, slowly at first, becoming greedier as we went. For now, we had this moment. Only this moment. Prophecies can't be avoided or fought and if Percy and I were going to die tomorrow -

I fumbled at his belt. He drew away quickly. "Annabeth! No!" He hissed quietly. His face was bright red.

I shrugged, refusing to be embarrassed. "Why not? Coach Hedge isn't here, we might die tomorrow Seaweed Brain. I…. I want this. I want you."

He seemed to think about that for a moment. Then he whispered, "I didn't…. I mean, I don't have a -"

I nodded slyly.

"And if one of the others heard -"

I took his hand in mine. "Good thing I can solve both problems then. Come on. Let's go to the infirmary."