Song is by Ben Nichols.

Chapter 20: The Last Pale Light in the West

Sleep was nice.

Percy couldn't remember the last time he'd had some proper, actual sleep. The kind someone needs. The kind people look forward to. The kind that makes a bed look and feel like heaven on earth.

It made sense he couldn't remember, it probably would've been fifty years ago.

He slept and slept and slept some more, content in his lack of consciousness as he softly sawed logs, until he remembered.

Why he was so tired, why he was sleeping...

Why he could sleep at all.

He rose out of his half awake stupor in an instant, his eyes snapping open as he let out a sharp breath. He settled back into wherever he was laying and took note of something. A very important something.

He was breathing.

Properly this time. Not half-conscious, half-subconscious instinctual breathing, wherein his body just did it so he'd appear human, no, breathing as in required breathing. He drew air in and sent it out and repeated the cycle, feeling his lungs finally stretch their legs after half a century of being put in neutral.

He noticed something else. He wasn't at the church, or outside of it on the dirt that surrounded that old building.

He was in a seated position on a couch, staring at a very familiar ceiling.

He tried to rise up, to get his feet under him, but felt a groan creak out of him as a whole lot of ouch came reeling up his spine.

More ouch than he'd felt in a while. In 50 years, if he had to guess. He ran a hand over his eyes, blinking as he took another fact in: he could see, and he could see well. Not quite as well as he had for the last 50 years, but still pretty well. He could see the paint strokes on the ceiling and the glass of the windows and, as his vision drifted a bit more, he could see the girl sat down on the couch next to him.

The blonde girl, with grey eyes, and tan skin. The girl who was watching his face with a look of intense calculation and probably had been the entire time he'd slept.

He blinked his eyes, then blinked them again, making sure he wasn't dreaming or hallucinating , before he eased into his seat a little and let out a shaky breath.

"Did that all really happen?"

The words came tumbling out of him without much wit or grace. Annabeth let out a soft smile and nodded.

"Yeah," She replied, "It did."

He let his gaze rest on her for a moment before he turned back forward and let his eyes stare at the wall.

He did it. It was over. He was free.

She stood up from the couch and made her way in front of him, settling her hands on her hips as she eyed him up and down. She took note that he barely even acknowledged her, his eyes almost staring right through her body as his mouth remained a firm line across his face.

"Does this mean you're not... you, anymore?" She asked in a gentle tone.

His eyes snapped up to hers, before they fell back to simply staring in front of him. He got up dfrom the couch and held up his hands, staring at his palms.

"I think so."

She let out a small smile, "Any way you can know for sure?"

He returned her smile with his own slight grin, "Well, I can't dance to the sound of your heartbeat anymore, so that's a good sign. But..."

But he could see, and still damn well. Not as well as before, but still. He frowned and shifted past her, walking over to the fireplace and grabbing the poker off the stand. He held it with both hands and applied some pressure.

It bent in his hands like it was twigs.

He let out a soft huh as he dropped the poker to the floor. He turned back around and met Annabeth's eyes, who'd had hers locked on the poker as it fell. She gave him a nervous look, taking a step back.

"It's alright." He said, "I'm not... that. Not anymore."

He took a look at his hands and ran his thumbs along his fingers, felling the soft texture of his fingerprints.

Was he?

He shook those thoughts from his head as he met Annabeth's eyes again. She'd loosened up and had taken a step towards him, softly reaching out toward him with her hand. He tensed, not quite knowing what was coming, but relaxed as she softly placed it against his chest, right over his heart.

She smiled, letting her eyes meet his.

"You're right." She said, "You've actually got something there now, cowboy."

He sputtered out a nervous chuckle and ran a hand over his tattoo, letting his smile fall a bit when he noticed the scars were gone.

That means she's gone, a small voice said in his mind. He tried his best to ignore it.

Annabeth let her hand slide up a bit, past his neck and past his tattoo, laying it softly on his cheek as she gave him a concerned look.

"Are you alright?"

He let his real emotion slipping through, giving a pained look that really gave Annabeth's heart a squeeze, before he shut his eyes tight and forced a smile.

"Yeah." He said. He knew he probably wasn't fooling her, but he didn't want to think about it right now.

She let out a gentle breath, opting not to push him any further as a small smile appeared on her lips.

"Y'know..." She let the smile grow a bit, "... you drool in your sleep."

His eyes snapped open and his smile grew.

"I haven't drooled in my sleep in fifty years."

She shook her head and sighed, "I guess that proves it, then."

He narrowed his eyes as his smile held, "The heartbeat didn't prove it enough?"

She shrugged, "Who knows? You could've been faking it."

He smiled a little harder, letting a soft chuckle rumble out of him. It was a nice moment one that made him smile, him and her like this. A noise from the kitchen drew his attention as two figures stepped out into the living room.

Thalia and Nico, both of whom looked half dead from exhaustion. Nico didn't waste any time with his reaction, crossing over the room in an instant to give Percy a one armed bro-hug.

Percy smiled, wrapping his arm around the young man as he gave him a tight squeeze.

"I won't lie, I didn't think you were gonna make it." Thalia called from across the room.

Percy smiled as Nico pulled away, "You don't give me enough credit."

"She's actually giving you a lot of credit." Nico said, drawing Percy's eye, "Your breathing wasn't exactly... consistent through the night."

Percy shrugged and smiled, "I lived, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did." Thalia said with a frown on her face, "Which is good, because it means now we get to give you shit for lying to us."

"Well..." He replied, turning away from them and making for the door, "... I suppose that's deserved."

They watched as he walked, with Annabeth reaching out towards him.

"Percy?"

He shot her a gentle smile over his shoulder,

"I just gotta see something."

He grabbed the door handle tight and took a deep breath before he gave it a twist and opened it.

And there it was. The sun, beaming down onto Thalia's yard. He was hesitant at first, instinctually recoiling at the sight of the light and the feeling of the heat, before he forced that reaction aside. He took a step out, then another, then another, until he was standing in the yard.

God, the day was beautiful.

The sun hung low in the distance, a dim glow peeking out from the parting rain clouds, but it wasnstill out enough for him to see, and feel, and take in properly. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he let the heat warm his face.

He'd missed the sun. He'd missed it a lot.

His friends stepped out of the house, tentatively walking out as they watched Percy stand, hands in his pockets and head cocked slightly upward.

He was smiling. A big smile at that.

"Did you miss it?" Thalia asked, settling her hands on her hips.

He shot her a small grin over his shoulder, "Like you wouldn't believe."

He turned back forward, eager to take in more sunlight, before a realization hit him, and it hit him hard. Hard enough to snap open his eyes. Hard enough to make his hands clench at his sides. Hard enough that he tensed up immediately, fast enough for the rest of them to spot immediately.

"Percy?" Annabeth said gently, reaching out to touch him, but he already moving.

He dashed to his bike that was still propped up just about as fast as his legs would carry him, shuffling through his pockets as he patred desperately for his keys. He turned to Nico, who he remembered lending the bike to.

Nico caught his gaze and read his look, tossing him the keys in an instant. He grinned as he stuck them in the bike.

"Thanks kid."

With that, he tore off, leaving the rest of them in the metaphorical and literal dust.

Thalia let out a low growl as she shifted through her pockets, muttering out "Fucking Nosferatu asshole..." before she plucked her own keys out.

"C'mon you two..." She said, leading her friends over to her mom's newly coupe-ified BMW, "I've got some idea where he's headed."

Percy had never rode so fast in his life, which really wasn't the best idea considering his newfound mortality, but he didn't care.

He had a thought that had grown into an idea that had turned into excitement that really made his wrist crank that accelerator just about as far as it would go. He shot down the highway like a bat out of hell, taking note that the battered silver BMW was following his closely.

The whole time he rode he could feel his heart racing in his chest. It was a foreign feeling, but one he missed. That feeling of his heart hammering in his chest, the feeling of excitement. It was something that he hoped was warranted right now.

He got to his destination, the den, and didn't even bother kicking his stand up. He just dumped the bike on the yard and sprinted towards the house, stopping just short of the patio.

There was silence, one that was only interrupted when the BMW pulled up next to his bike, but fell over the group again when it was shut off. Percy's friends stepped out of the car and started making their way over to him, but stopped short when he held up his hand.

He took another few steps towards the den, getting up on the patio before he took a deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked.

A second passed before the door cracked open and a smile drew across Percy's face.

"Hey Beck."

The man looked wild. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. He looked like any errant noise was about to send him off the deep end. He looked like worry threatened to kill him.

That was when the door opened. The second he got a look at Percy every emotion fell off his face and was replaced by only one.

Pure joy.

He swung the door open like it was nothing and wrapped his arms around Percy, who returned the gesture without a second of hesitation.

They held each other like that, clenching each other tight, making very futile efforts to hold back any tears they had.

Beck pulled back with a smile that contrasted the tears he was shedding and moved his hands up to Percy's shoulders, clenching them tight.

"Percy..." He said in a breathy laugh, "We're..."

He trailed off into another wheezing, weak laugh as Percy moved his own hand up to squeeze Beck's shoulder with a smile.

"How does breathing feel, old man?"

Beck's lips pressed together as his smile nearly reached his ears. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and drew a nice, deep breath through his nose.

"Jesus Christ it feels good..." He said in a soft tone, before his eyes snapped open and he looked at Percy, "... it also feels good to say that without feeling like my tongues on fire."

Percy clapped his hand on Beck's shoulder a few times as his own smile grew, "You're goddamned right it does."

Beck sputtered out another laugh as Percy wrapped his arm around his friends shoulder and turned around, gesturing to his friends.

"Beck, this is Nico, Thalia, and Annabeth..." He said with a smile, "They're... well, partially the reason I'm here."

Thalia raised an eyebrow, "Partially?"

He shrugged, "Mostly."

He patted Beck on the chest as he kept his eyes on his friends.

"This is Beckendorf." He said, gesturing to his friend, "He's... old."

"How old?" Nico asked.

"Old enough that I remember Kennedy dying." Beck replied, gaining raised eyebrows from the group. Beck turned back to Percy with a furrowed brow and nervous eyes.

"Percy... how did you do this?"

Percy's smile fell. Not immediately, and not quickly either. It slowly slipped off his lips as a look of shameful sadness replaced it. He took a shaky breath and clapped his hand on Beck's shoulder.

"I did what I had to."

Beck's expression didn't change. He just reached up and gave Percy's arm a reassuring squeeze.

"Zoe?"

Percy's eyes closed the second he said her name. For a second, just a single, unbearable second, he could feel the fire against his body again. He snapped his eyes open and slipped his hand from Beck's shoulder, stuffing both into his pockets.

"I did what I had to." He repeated in a much softer tone.

Beck straightened his mouth into a firm line, clapping his hand on Percy's shoulder again.

"I... I'm sorry, son."

Percy closed his eyes and drew a shaky breath, trying to push the idle thoughts that plagued him aside. He cleared his throat, and forced a small smile on his face.

"I'll bet Silena's over the moon."

Beck let a massive grin spread over his face, "You kidding? She's been raving all night, when she wasn't worrying about you of course."

Percy let out a soft chuckle, before another serious look spread over his face.

"What about the hunters?"

Beck grimaced, "At some point in the night they all just... keeled over. It's like something pulled the plug and they all dropped dead."

Percy nodded as that dark look took its place in his eyes again, knowing damn well exactly what killed them all. He cleared his throat and met Beck's eyes again.

"Is anyone else left? Or is it just you and Silena?"

Beck gave Percy a small smile, "Stolls are still here. A bit bruised after the beating Nakamura put on them, but they'll live. Everyone else though... just left the second it happened."

Percy frowned, "Left?"

"Yeah, left." Beckendorf repeated, "Grabbed whatever car they could and drove off."

Percy gave his friend a nod, before he let a small smile spread over his face and turned to his friends, who'd been watching their interaction with a keen eye.

"Why don't you guys come inside?"

Annabeth hesitated, "You sure? You were pretty adamant about this place being off limits before."

He shrugged, trying to hide the look of sadness that was on his face, "Not anymore."

The group walked up the porch with Annabeth in the lead and walked on in. Percy moved to join them, but hesitated at the door.

He heard something. Something in the distance, in the recess of his mind. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but was definitely there.

A voice.

"You coming Nosferatu?" Thalia called from in the house.

Percy gave one last errant look over his shoulder before he joined the group in the house.

The Stolls were already there, both sporting a few more bruises than Percy liked to see and both posted up on the couches while the two girls Nakamura had turned sat next to them, holding ice packs up to their heads.

"Connor. Travis." Percy said, drawing both their eyes at the same time. The twins faces lit up as soon as they saw him and they both got up to move, but stopped when pained groans slipped out of them. The girl, Drew, put a firm grip on Connors shoulder and pressed the ice pack a little tighter to his head.

"Don't even think about it, dumbass." She grumbled to the twin who gave her a weak smile in response. She grabbed his hand and wrapped it around the ice pack before she made her way over to Percy and, pretty much without warning, wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug.

"Thanks for saving us, motorcycle guy."

He let out a gentle smile and gave her a soft hug in return.

"Don't mention it, and it's Percy."

"Percy..." She said in an affirmative tone, "Thank you Percy for killing that asshole."

He tucked his hands in his pockets and shot a look over at the stairwell, "Pleasure was all mine." He looked back over the group and clapped his hands together, "Say, how about y'all mingle a bit while I go deal with some things."

Thalia shot him a smirk, "What, we gonna start a party or something?"

He shrugged as he made his way over to the stairs, "Let's call it a celebration of life..." He shot her a look and a smile as he passed behind the banister, "... of rediscovered life."

She rolled her eyes as he marched up the stairs, a smile slowly drawing over her face as she, Annabeth, and Nico all started up conversations with the group.

Percy wasn't so happy. He wasn't happy at all. Matter of fact, the second he'd left their line of sight his smile had fell from his face. He marched up the stairs, making his way over to his room. He took a deep breath and gave the door know a twist, opening it up and stepping inside.

It was just as he'd left it, and after today...

He pushed the thoughts aside.

He made his way over to his dresser and plucked something up off of it. His flannel, the ancient one he'd had since God knew when, and that still smelled like it was from God knows when as he pulled it over his shoulders. It wasn't really the flannel he was concerned about though, it was what was in the pocket. He reached in and plucked it out.

The crucifix. The one he'd had since he was a boy and had only recently gotten back. The one he'd really missed.

He drew a deep breath before he lifted it up and put it around his neck, feeling the necklace rest itself on his shoulders. It felt... right. Like he was a little bit more himself, a little bit more of the old him he wished so badly to be again.

He ran a gentle hand over the cross before something else grazed his fingers. Something that made that newfound heart beat of his nearly stop in his chest. He grabbed it tight and pulled it up and over his head, holding it up in front of his face.

It was the ring. Her ring.

He held it up in front of him, dangling it from the leather strap in front of his eyes and... time just seemed to stop. Sound did too. Then touch, then sight, then taste, then smell, until all there was in the world was the ring, hanging from a strip of leather that would never see its home.

He didn't want to think these things, didn't really want to cry either, but neither really cared what he wanted.

He drew a deep breath and blew it out through his teeth, feeling his eyes press closed as he put the ring down on his dresser. His hands grazed it again, feeling it's soft metallic gloss one last time before he never felt it again.

He turned to leave the room, ready to leave it behind him forever, but couldn't. Something drew his attention and led his eye, bringing it up to the ceiling above his bed.

To the initials carved up there. RED. Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

He stared at it for a moment, letting the engraved letters sink into his mind fully. He closed his eyes, opened them and gave one last look at the ring, sitting on the dresser.

He smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, and he couldn't quite tell if it was forced, but he smiled as he looked back up at the engraving, giving it one last glance as he decided to leave with some parting words. Words he hoped, wherever she was, she could hear.

"See you around, Red."

He didn't get an answer, but then again that was just like her. Leaving his stupid comments hanging.

He left the room without another word.

The door shut behind him, but he didn't really feel like he'd left. Bad thing too, because his next destination wasn't gonna be any better.

He marched down the hall, ignoring the fact that the rooms around him had their doors open and were empty and ignoring the fact that he'd never see the people who'd occupied them again. They didn't matter. None of it mattered. All that mattered was the door.

Her door.

He stood in front of it, hands clenched at his sides as he stared at the oak panel that stood before him. He felt his knuckles crack and his teeth grit as every instinct in him told him to stop, to not do this to himself, to just let it go.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't just let her go.

He grabbed the door handle and gave it a twist, pulling open the door and stepping inside.

It was just like it had been. Just like he'd remembered it when he'd been here not even a few days prior.

Christ, it was only a few days ago that everything was still the same. That it was all as it had been and that...

...That she was still here.

He grit his teeth as he took in the room. He took in the walls and the paint, the bed and it's sheets, the thoughts and the memories, the pain and the regret. He took it all in before he let out a shaky breath and took in something else. Something that was laying on the bed.

The leather jacket. His leather jacket. Her leather jacket? No.

Their leather jacket.

It was folded over once, one of the arms tucked under the back and the collar facing upwards. It was just as it had always been, worn out and practically calcified. As ancient as any of the clan could've been. It laid on the bed in a suggestive position, drawing Percy's eye to it. The other arm was pointed at her easel, that had a canvas laid out on it. He frowned and walked around so he could see what was on the canvas.

It was them. The two of them. Him and her. It looked like an update of the one she'd painted of him, where he'd sat on the stool. The angles across his face were the same, the position was the same, but now she was there too.

She was standing behind him as he sat, a massive smile on her face as her head rested on his shoulder and her arms were wrapped around his chest. It was amazing how much detail there was. The lighting was the same, as were the shadows. They cast the same lines across her cheeks as they did on his, all while the glow that had emanated from the moon illuminated both their faces.

It looked like... like thats how the painting always should have looked. Like she'd first painted it with this in mind. Like she belonged there form the start.

There was only one problem, his face. He hadn't noticed it when she'd first showed it to him, but he was frowning in the painting. Clear as day. It was a faint thing, one that was hidden in the lighting, but he knew his face well enough by now.

He wondered why she'd left him like that. Why she'd left him frowning and hadn't made him smile. Why she'd shown the reality as opposed to what she wanted.

It contrasted the two of them, her beaming grin and his melancholy look. It revealed to the world what the painting really was. A desire, not a reality. Something someone wanted, and tried so hard to make real, but just couldn't. Couldn't deny their own desires despite how they opposed the others regrets.

He thought about why she'd left his frown, and realized it in an instant.

Because that's who he was. Regretful. Angry. Confused. Someone who couldn't make up his mind on the life he'd wanted and had never told her how he'd really felt. Not until it was far too late.

Someone who she'd loved, even if he hadn't loved her back. She'd loved him for him, regardless of how he felt.

He realized this was probably the last thing she'd ever painted, and that she'd had an idea that was a possibility when she'd painted it.

He realized she didn't know who'd be standing in this room the next day. Him, her, neither, or the both of them.

He realized that if it was only her, this was what she wanted to look at, and how she wanted to remember him.

The real him. The one she'd loved. The man she'd given everything to, even if he hadn't deserved it. A collection of flaws she'd seen the beauty in anyways.

He didn't realize there were tears in his eyes until he felt them drip down his cheeks.

He grabbed the painting, reaching onto her nightstand to grab a letter opener that sat there too. He sliced the edges of the canvas and pulled the painting free, rolling it up, folding it once, and tucking it into his back pocket.

He stepped away from the canvas and held up the jacket.

It was jut as it had always been. He brought it up to his face and took a deep slow breath.

It still smelled like her.

He tightened his mouth into a firm line as he pulled the coat over himself, straightening it on his shoulders. He walked over to her ensuite, flicked on the light, and stepped in front of the mirror.

There it was. The jacket. Sitting on the person it belonged on.

He was still for a moment, looking at the image he saw in the mirror. It hurt to look at, and he didn't want any more hurt, so he flicked the light back off and left the bathroom. He gave one last look at the room and, for some reason, felt his eyes drawn up to the ceiling of the room. He looked and felt his face go still.

On the ceiling, carved into the wood, as clear as day were five words.

Percy and Zoe were here.

He stared at the words, taking them in for a moment, before he turned away from the room and gripped the door handle tight.

It swung open and he stepped out, turning back to give one last look at the room. One last look at the space she'd once occupied and the bedsheets they'd once shared. One last look at all there had ever been of her.

He let a soft breath out as words pulled themselves from him.

"I... I'll See you around, Zoe."

He stepped out before he could let himself hurt any more.

The group had started listening to music by the time Percy had gotten back downstairs. A handful of records had been strewn about the room and Thalia and Nico were busy cutting rugs to New Orleans is Sinking.

It made Percy smile, seeing them all together. Watching as the group bonded over the insanity of the last night. Percy wondered if theyd end up as friends. He wondered if Beck and Silena and the twins would stay here. He wondered if they'd all get jobs in town and pay for this house proper and stay together, bonded from all this.

Percy felt a frown pull at his lips. He wondered because he wouldn't be around to see it.

He slipped down the stairs before anyone could notice him, making his way to the front door and slipping out into the yard.

He made his way over to one of the bikes that had been left behind, pulling off the saddle bags that satvin it and bringing them over to his bike.

He stood the thing back up, the old metal stallion he'd rode for God knows how many years now, and strapped the saddle bags to it. He shot a last look at the den, the place that by all means, he wanted to call home.

He didn't really expect to be staring right into Annabeth's eyes.

She was on the porch, leaned up against the railing watching as he worked. She still had the gun belt on, revolver and all.

"Howdy." She called over to him. He kept his eyes locked on hers and forced out a smile.

"Howdy yourself."

She made her way down the steps, crossing over to him and getting real close before she crossed her arms and gave him a look.

"I really hope this isn't what I think it is." She said in a soft, gentle voice.

He faced forward, out towards the highway as he let out a deep breath. He couldn't look at her. Not now, not when he knew what he had to do.

"It is." He said in a soft tone, "It's only a matter of time, Annabeth."

"Until what?" She asked him. His eyes closed as the sad truth came out.

"Until they find out about me. The people here." He glanced up at her, "It only took Thalia a couple weeks, how long until someone else notices? There's still people here who were alive before I'd turned. It's only a matter of time before they realize I'm that Percy Jackson."

Annabeth's eyebrows furrowed with frustration, "Percy, you don't mean that."

He didn't, but it was easier to say that lie than to speak the truth.

He shook his head, "I want to stay here, I really do..."

"Then stay, Percy." She moved towards him, getting close. Close enough that he felt that newfound heartbeat pick up a bit in his chest, "Stay with us. We can figure this out, make something up about you. You don't have to go."

He took a shaky breath and looked back up at her, taking note that there was a whole lot of emotion in her eyes. He swung himself off his bike, standing up in front of her. She looked tense, like she knew this was the end of something she wanted to keep going and she was doing everything she could to stop it.

He reached forward, slowly taking her hands in his. It was something that felt so right to him, so perfect in its motion that it may as well have been the universe demanding he listen to her.

He wanted to stay.

But he knew he couldn't.

"Y'know..." He began, in a gentle tone, "...I think there's something I gotta say."

She let a smile crack through, "What's that?"

"It's thank you." He replied, letting his eyes drift over their connected hands.

Her eyelids fluttered a bit as her brows pulled in confusion, "Thank you for what?"

He drew a shaky breath and let his eyes drift back upwards, meeting hers as all the sound around them seemed to dissapear.

"For saving me."

She was quiet for a moment, before she sputtered out a sound that was half laughter and half disbelief.

"I didn't save you, Percy."

He shook his head as his eyes got a little dark, "If it wasn't for you I never would've done what I did."

She was quiet for a moment, before she looked down at her and his hands, tightly clenching each other. She wanted to ask something, and considering this might be the last time she got to ask him, she figured she'd may as well say it.

"You loved her, didn't you?"

Percy's eyes clamped shut immediately as his face twitched. The truth had a tendency to hurt, regardless of who it was coming from and who it was directed at. He just hoped it hurt him more than it hurt her.

"I did."

She didn't answer, not right away at least. She instead gently let go of his hands and slid them up to his cheeks, tracing soft circles in them. He opened his eyes and found her staring into them.

"Is that why you're leaving?"

He was still for a moment, silently arguing with the truth that they both knew was there, before he nodded.

She didn't get upset, or tear up, or turn away like he thought she would. No, instead she just smiled. A soft, gentle smile, that Percy couldn't determine was fake or not.

"I'm sorry." He said, letting his hands slide over hers, "It's not fair to you, for me to do this. But I... I gotta figure myself out."

She didn't waver, not one bit. Instead she just stood up on her toes, pulled his face in, and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

He smiled as she did, feeling his cheeks flush crimson for the first time in a long time. She pulled away and gave him a smile.

"Nice to see you're not cold anymore."

He chuckled to himself, "Yeah. I hope to keep it that way."

She smiled at his comment, before a serious expression took its place.

"Where will you go?"

He pursed his lips, "Well, I've been thinking about that." He drew a hand up and rubbed it over his jawbone, "You said you got accepted to Berkeley a while ago, right?"

Her eyes narrowed a bit in confusion, "Yeah, why?"

He shrugged, "Figured I'd head to California. Clear it out of any and all blood suckers before you show up."

She let out a soft breath, "You're gonna go clear out a whole state just for me?"

He shrugged, "More or less."

She was quiet for a moment, before she sighed and reached for her waist, slipping the gun belt off and handing it to him.

"Then I guess you're gonna want this."

He smiled, tucking the belt and revolver into his saddlebag before he turned back to her.

"Thanks." He said with a smile. She wasn't done, as she reached into her waistband and pulled out another gun.

The silver 1911.

She grabbed his hand and pressed it into his grip.

"This one too, alright? Nico's pretty attached to the other one."

He grinned, putting the gun in his saddlebag along with the revolver. He turned away from her, re mounting his motorcycle before he turned the key and felt it roar to life beneath him.

He didn't leave right away. No, he turned to her, meeting her storm grey eyes again as she stared back into his.

There was amoment of silence between the two, before he watched her take a step forward. He took his hands off the bike and turned himself, watching as hers settled on his shoulders. They didn't speak, not a word, but they both knew what each other were trying to say.

He brought his hands up to her cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss.

It was a lot. It had been back in Thalia's kitchen too, but it was different now that he was alive. It was hard to describe, but he didn't really care to. He just enjoyed the feeling of her lips on his, trying his best to make sure the feeling stayed in his mind forever.

She pulled away with a soft smile.

"I guess those aren't cold anymore, either."

He cracked a smile and faced back forward, letting his hands settle on the handlebars again.

"Still got my phone number?" She asked him.

He nodded, "I'll make sure to call."

"Twice a week at least, alright?" She added. He gave her a smile.

"I'll make it four times, just for you."

Her smile held, wavering a little bit, but holding enough. She took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched him pull away.

It didn't feel right. Him doing this, it just didn't feel right. It felt like he was making a mistake, like he was doing something wrong, but that was how he felt, and how he felt wasn't how things were.

He cranked the gas on his bike, feeling the wind blow on his face, colder than it had ever been before as it whipped his hair all around.

He knew he shouldn't have, that it would just hurt him more, but he risked a glance in the mirror and watched Annabeth as he left. He watched her stare at him, her blonde locks glowing in the breeze as her arms remained firmly across her chest. He was too far away now to see, but he knew this was hurting her.

He didn't like it, but... he had things he had to figure out. Complicated things. Things he knew he couldn't share with her.

He grimaced and looked away, facing his eyes back forward as he peeled away from the den, and from the people he cared about, watching as the western horizon got closer and closer with every mile he rode. It was a beautiful view. Always had been, ever since he'd been a boy, and it was a good distraction too.

A distraction from the fact that, every time he glanced in the mirror, it wasn't his green eyes staring back at him, nor was it the reflection that he'd grown used to over half a century.

He'd hoped he'd been wrong in the ensuite, that what he'd seen had just been a reflection of his grief, brought out by his newfound mortality. But it wasn't, was it? No, that was corrected every time he looked in the mirror. Because every time he did, it wasn't a pair of green eyes he found.

It was a pair of onyx eyes. Beautiful, onyx eyes belonging to a beautiful Persian girl. Black as the night, and filled with nothing but love. Watching him. Waiting for him.

Waiting, until the end of time.

The End

Next chapter will be acknowledgements.