A/N Thank you so much to everyone who's read this story! I really appreciate all the follows, favourites and reviews and it's just great to know people have actually read what I've written. Like I've said before, I wrote this fic a long time ago and pretty much posted it as it was. However, I feel like I can probably re-write it to make it a lot better so I'll be posting another version in the near future. Please let me know if you have any feedback or things I can improve upon for the new version (thank you to taurusilver who has already given me amazing advice). I've also got lots of new stories lined up, both my old work and new work so please check them out when I publish them.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rick Riordan's work.
Thalia
The battle had been exhausting but the clean up afterwards even more so. At least there was the thrill and adrenaline rush while fighting despite the fear yet now that it was over it left a hollow and empty feeling in the hearts of everyone. Sure, we won, but at such a cost. Everyone knew someone who had died; siblings, friends, partners. I lost so many sisters and I lost a brother too.
"Curse you for making everything so complicated, Luke," I whispered trying to keep my voice light so I wouldn't burst into tears. "We were happy won't we? You, me and the kid on the run. I should've listened to you when you wanted to stay where we were and not go to camp. That caused this whole mess. Why have the Fates granted us such a miserable life?"
Despite my best efforts silent tears had begun trailing down my face when I heard a choked sob behind me.
"Annie, how long have you been there?"
"Long enough. Thals you know that no matter what happens I've got your back right? We're still fa-family forever." She choked over the words that he had said so long ago. "And we're the only ones that really know the truth. He was a hero. He did the right thing. He was a hero," Annabeth repeated.
"Don't you ever hate him for what he did?"
"I used to. I still do sometimes. There's a fine line between love and hate. But whatever he did, whatever promises he broke to us can't erase the times we had together before everything happened. That was real and we can't let it be ruined."
I gave her a watery smile, "When did you get so smart?"
"I am the daughter of Athena," she retorted with a cheeky smile. Our little family had had its ups and downs. I became a tree, Luke became evil, Annabeth became lonely. But despite everything we were still family in a way stronger than blood ties. Even though Luke was gone, I reflected, gazing into the sunset as Percy, Grover and the rest of our friends walked over to us, our family was only growing larger.
