Chapter Ten: Promise Me

Disclaimer: I do not own Rick Riordan's
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
and the Heroes of Olympus Series, and I do not
own the songs I put into this book either.
I only own my fan made characters and of course
the plot line.

Added Songs – In Order of Appearance
No songs used in this chapter.

~Author's Note~

Hey guys, yes it had been a while and I am amazed that people still find this story every day and read it. It makes me feel good and I haven't forgotten about this story. Just had so much happen in life after covid started and a lot of personal strife I had to work past. And on top of it I was not happy with anything I was writing for any of my stories and it is honestly only recently that I started re-planning, re-writing, and working on stuff. Whilst I still need time to work on the next chapter for this story, I decided to give you a preview of some of the stuff I have planned and worked on, just to make up for the time I was away and prepare you for the rest of the journey we are going to take as I reconnect with writing. Should have been up a few weeks ago but I legit ripped up my entire plan and restarted again cause how I had planned it all felt too rushed so I redid a large portion of it so bare with me lol. It probably won't end up being the last time I do that. Any who enjoy this chapter please. Forgive me if I missed any mistakes.

It had barely been even three days but Annabeth was still trying to come to terms with and Percy's last talk. She had to try suppress every single memory because she knew how deeply lost she would get if she kept trying to wish for the good times, and let her broken and fractured mind get lost in him. It was not a no but it was not a yes, it wasn't even a maybe or an I don't know. It was a hello and a good bye, a please stay but please go.

Annabeth lay on the makeshift pull out bed in her music room, staring at the ceiling with her fractured mind searching the endless labyrinth, pulling on that string that was supposed to take her to the stable center. She growled in her lost anguish and mashed the pillow she was hugging to her face and let out a scream of frustration, every bit of anguish and guilt bubbling up her throat. Her face already felt wet, the seemingly endless tears never ceasing as she let out a weak sob into the pillow.

Fuck the world. Fuck life. Fuck emotions and feelings. Fuck music! Fuck me! Just fuck everything. Annabeth thought as she let out a frustrated wail into the pillow before she sat up and threw it at the wall, tearing the thin blanket covering her hips off as she pulled her knees to her chest but she didn't hug them. She opted to reach up and slip her fingers through the short strands of her pink and blonde hair and tugged in frustration.

She could hear her mother's voice in her head telling her the many words she used to tell Annabeth growing up. It was always those words that made her fight her mother at every turn. It was those very words that pushed her away from the person she would have been, the quiet, confident and authoritative replica of her mother, nothing like the person she was now or was when she was with Percy. Right now, every little thing that was negative that her mother ever said to her felt like it was true.

Annabeth had never felt so useless and pathetic in all her life. It was shameful to think she could be anything more than whatever she was now.

She draped herself somewhat dramatically over her knees as she glared at the tops of her feet. She honestly had no idea what she was even doing with herself now. She was quitting music and running away like a coward but where was she going to go after this... what was she going to do?

She had to figure out what she was going to do next with her life since she had barely lived any part of her life. She honestly had no idea what to do with herself or where to turn to after this ended.

But when a knock resounded off the door into her room, Annabeth stopped herself destructive anguish to sigh and growl to herself. She did not want to be bothered whilst she was going through her mind numbingly endless internal monologue to stand up and slip on her pair of ballet flats she had next to her, slipping on an old hoodie of Percy's she had for comfort and trudged to the door. She unlocked the door and opened it to reveal the quiet, reserved face of Phoebe who did not look all that intimidated but still uncertain if she was safe. The last few times someone had disturbed Annabeth she had chased them away rather loudly.

Annabeth frowned at Phoebe who was doing the same as Annabeth and was observed her, taking in the other's appearance before Phoebe huffed and snorted, "You look like shit Annabeth." Annabeth rolled her eyes as opened the door wider and stepped back into her room and left the door open figuring out probably why Phoebe was there. Phoebe stepped in and closed the door behind her and sighed as Annabeth sat down on her bed/couch, "I got your message... so you know... about Zoe's condition..." Phoebe said quietly as if she couldn't believe what was happening.

Annabeth nodded, "I saw you guys together the day Calypso arrived... why haven't you told anyone that Zoe is seriously sick... that she is dying." Annabeth said in a hesitant tone, thinking back to the scene where Phoebe and Zoe were in the music room and phoebe was singing to Zoe in quiet reverence, love and sorrow.

"That was Zoe's choice." Phoebe said softly as she leaned against the wall, "She doesn't look well and everyone has noticed, but Zoe just... she wants to keep living as though everything is normal but it's not... and it's fucking hard." Phoebe said with a heavy breath as she pressed her hand to her forehead and sighed, but Annabeth took note of the ring adorning Phoebe's left ring finger.

"How long have you and Zoe been together... as a couple?" Annabeth asked softly as she picked up her phone to sift through the numerous feed posts on her social media accounts.

"I've loved Zoe for years honestly... yeah I was her adoptive sister but... but she honestly saved my life... gave me a reason to keep on living." Phoebe said as she walked towards the window and rested her arms on the window sill and breathed in the fresh air, "We got together not long after she got her diagnosis... she said if she was going to die she was not going to live with any regrets... one of those was telling me she wants to be with someone she loves and trusts. She probably never would have realized she loved me more than a sister if she did not get sick in all honesty." Phoebe said as she looked outside, her eyes filled with so many emotions that Annabeth lost track of exactly what she could see. "She will probably never be honest about this but she was always in love with you, but it grew after we came here... she grew to love you more than she could ever probably love me but she still gave me her heart."

Annabeth frowned, "Zoe... in love with me... but I'm- I'm nothing special. I don't deserve love or adoration after all the shit I've pulled lately. Heck i yelled at her like a bitch last week and swore I almost made her cry. Never felt more shit, but I do now knowing she's..." Annabeth trailed off as she hugged her knees.

"I know what happened with you and Thalia and Jason's cousin, but everyone deserves to be loved Annabeth." Phoebe said softly, "You did break Zoe's heart though when you announced you were going to be quitting music... she does somewhat understand but she is boggled by your choice. Honestly I respect your courage for stepping away from this life, this security, this place. It's not a building, it's a home... it's become my home with Zoe... and sadly now Zoe has me roped into her mission."

"And what mission is that?" Annabeth asked with a neutral expression as she put her phone.

"To get you to live again or some melodramatic stuff." Phoebe said as she waved her hand round, "I think she's in over her head but she said and I quote, 'Life is beautiful but to truly see it you have to live but you just need someone to show you how.' Honestly very poetic, goes to show you how good a writer she is I guess, better than me but still, I have no idea what she is aiming to accomplish." Phoebe said as she glanced back to Annabeth. "She wants to see you though. Part of her plan but also part of her last steps of living plan she has written down. Things I wish to do before I croak it she called it. It's such bullshit." Phoebe said with a wet growl, tears lightly rimming the edge of Phoebe's eyes. "Fucking bullshit..." She said in a wet and thick emotional tone that made Annabeth's heart clench in sorrow but regret.

Here Phoebe was struggling and Annabeth was on her phone... she was so selfish and self absorbed sometimes. It made her grit her teeth at her own stupidity as she switched her phone off and pinched herself on her arm pretty hard, ensuring marks were left. Annabeth instantly gave her attention to Phoebe, putting her phone down and standing up and walking to the ginger. "Phoebe, you're so strong... dealing with this on your own. You are allowed to hurt though Phoebe. You're allowed to cry. Let it out. Talk to me Phoebe. Please." Annabeth said softly as she placed her hand on Phoebe's shoulder which was shaking from the restraint Phoebe had to try not break down and cry and be consumed by her inner turmoil.

Phoebe let out a weak sound, "How is it fair to ask me to act like she might not be alive tomorrow?" She said with a waver in her voice. "I love her... I have loved her for what feels like my whole life... and she is telling me to act like she isn't dying. Nothing is working, nothing is saving her. How can the world be so fucking cruel to someone who suffered for so long and was finally happy? Why couldn't she live a long and happy life?" Phoebe let out a weak sob as the tears rolled down her face.

Annabeth pulled gently on Phoebe's shoulder and the ginger turned and fell into Annabeth's gentle embrace and hugged the sobbing ginger. Annabeth herself had tears welling in her eyes. Since meeting Zoe her life had gotten something special she had to admit. Zoe was just so alive... but she was dying, no stopping what was being said. She was dying and there was no clear cut way of stopping it. "You don't have to suffer alone anymore Phoebe... I've got you now." Annabeth reassured the young artist and friend who just let out a louder cry as Annabeth hugged her close.

The worst part of suffering was always suffering alone... and for the first time Annabeth could help someone who was suffering.

Annabeth had opted to go for a quick shower in the change room a few floors down, her hair fluffy from the aggressive toweling she gave her pink and blonde hair. She had put on a fresh pair of clothes, simple pair of knee length jean shorts that hugged her thighs and a white shirt with some Japanese symbols on it that she used to know the meaning of. She had on her trusted pair of sneakers and was carrying her song book and laptop with her. Phoebe had ended up crying herself to sleep on the couch in Annabeth's room so to not disturb the mentally and emotionally exhausted young girl, Annabeth left her a note telling her she went to look for Zoe and her room was always open if Phoebe needed rest.

She had no idea what she was doing, she just knew she was looking, searching for answers, for something. She had no idea what she was doing, all she knew was that she was looking for answers too and the only person who had them was Zoe. Annabeth looked everywhere but could not seem to find the mysterious girl anywhere, the only place she had yet to look was the roof, and quite honestly, Annabeth realized it should have been the first place she looked. It was Annabeth's sanctuary and was the closest place to relaxing in this building other than hiding behind locked doors.

As Annabeth punched in her personal access code for the roof, she wondered how she was going to talk to Zoe, what she was going to say in all honesty. Her hand gripped the handle of the door and she hesitated for a moment before she let out a breath and pushed the door open and found it was exactly how she envisioned the scene.

Tranquil.

Serene.

Peaceful.

Beautiful.

There laying on the bench under the light shade provided by a shade next to the extravagant waterfall that poured water into a large pond that probably could function as a pool was Zoe Nightshade. The water rippled and shined beautifully under the sun, there weren't any fish in the main part water feature as off to the side was the koi fish pond. Every time she came to the rough though Annabeth wondered if this building might have been a apartment complex with a fancy pool on the roof for the penthouse suite of if Apollo had constructed it to this when he started up his label. Zoe was blissfully unaware of Annabeth's presence, obvious listening to the sound of the trickling water and the whispering of the gently cooling breeze in the warm sun.

Annabeth honestly thought the roof was a whole different place from the rest of the building, potted and growing small trees, the section of fresh grass that was tended to every day beneath the shade. It was a whole other world and Zoe loved it as much as Annabeth did. Zoe laid on the grass, beneath one of the bigger trees that added to the shade, a cushion under her head and as Annabeth stepped closer, she took in Zoe's appearance.

From a distance, Zoe looked like she had when Annabeth first met Zoe in that club but the closer she got, the more she could see how different Zoe looked. The definition of her features was tainted, her skin pale and without that glow she was used to, her eye lids looked heavy on her eyes, her body slimmer, skinnier was the better word. She did not look as sickly as she had the other day that Annabeth had seen her, she looked better but upon close inspection Annabeth could see the illness was slowly claiming Zoe.

"If you're going to just watch me, might as well do it from close up instead of trying to hide it." Zoe mumbled with a smile as she opened her one eye and met Annabeth's gaze. Annabeth flushed in embarrassment and walked over the bridge that ran over the koi fish pond, catching the beautiful dance of some of the koi wading through the water. Annabeth came and set her belongings down and sat down on the grass next to the young woman who had closed her eye again and rested on the grass.

"My apologies... just couldn't help but admire the serenity of the scene... considering what's going on." Annabeth mumbled as she crossed her legs and leaned on the trunk of the tree next to where Zoe lay. "How are you?" Annabeth asked hesitantly.

"Pretty sure Phoebe already told you how I am doing... probably how she is doing to." Zoe said in a soft tone, but slower than when Zoe had greeted Annabeth. It was obvious everything was weighing heavily on Zoe, more than she seemed to wish to admit. "Is she okay?" Zoe asked as she opened her eyes, not meeting Annabeth's gaze but rather looking at the leaves on the branches above them dancing in the gentle song of the summer breeze.

"I think she feels better knowing she can talk to someone now... she cried... a lot. Cried herself to sleep. Left her in my room to sleep. Looks like she needed it." Annabeth said softly as she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them, looking over the water feature.

"Good... she needs it." Zoe mumbled softly, "If I could spare her the pain now, I never would have told her my feelings... if it meant sparing her the pain I wouldn't have asked her to love me before I die." Zoe said as she turned her head and Annabeth glanced at her, noticing how a single tear rolled down Zoe's cheek. "Call me selfish I guess... but it was cowardly to wait so many years, deny how I felt for so long, only to cause her more pain by loving her." Zoe said as her gaze finally met Annabeth's. "You have questions. I will answer whatever you ask." Zoe said as she gingerly sat up and shifted so she was leaning against the tree, mirroring Annabeth's position.

"What classification?" Annabeth asked softly, hesitantly, not sure she wanted the answer.

"Terminal... incurable... untreatable... doesn't mean we didn't try in the beginning when it wasn't." Zoe said as she took in a heavy breath. "Was stage two when I was diagnosed. Last year when I went for my check up they found tumors by my heart, they weren't cancerous. I started getting really sick, fever and chills, fatigue, night sweats, weight loss, joint pain, shortness of breath... So I went back and they did tests and discovered that one of the tumors was malignant, fast growing, aggressive. I have heart cancer, I can't remember what they call it but it's rare. Primary heart cancer was when the tumors grew in my heart but its secondary now cause it's spread... or that's what I think it is... but its rare and hard to treat but we tried." Zoe said as she hugged her knees tighter.

"When did you find out it was terminal?" Annabeth asked as she shifted closer to Zoe, reaching out hesitantly at first before braving it and placing her hand on top of Zoe's light and slightly bony hand.

"About two weeks ago." Zoe said as she turned her hand and wrapped her hand around Annabeth's and gave it a squeeze.

"How long did they say you have?" Annabeth asked as she squeezed Zoe's hand back trying to offer some comfort to Zoe even if it wasn't much.

"They can't tell, few months maybe six, a year is low probability." Zoe said as she slotted her fingers between Annabeth's and squeezed Annabeth's hand and kissed the back of it. "At it's rate of aggression, might end up only being a few weeks. They can't really tell. They recommend I continue treatments, go into palliative care since eventually everything will shut down and I won't be living anymore really." She said as she turned her head to look at Annabeth. "I know I have to tell everyone... I just needed time to confront it all, to accept it. At the time when they found it, I thought I was savable that's why I confessed to Phoebe, cause I thought I would be okay..." Zoe said as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, her voice filled with such emotion that Annabeth could feel it in Zoe's hand as she held it.

"You couldn't have know... it's not your fault." Annabeth said as she shifted and shifted, encouraging Zoe to shift forward and Annabeth slipped behind Zoe and embraced her from behind, drawing Zoe to lie in her embrace as a sense of comfort. She took a hold of Zoe's hand once more and held it, "You never wanted to hurt her, and she knows that so don't carry the blame because regardless of if you told her your feelings or not, she would have still loved you and been by your side every day."

"She stays awake whilst I sleep... she thinks I don't know that she watches me over night because she wants to make sure I'm still breathing." Zoe said in a wet, heavy voice. Annabeth could feel the warm tears soaking her shirt as Zoe lightly cried into her collar bone. "I'm sorry for crying on you, I just don't want her seeing me so weak you know Annabeth." Zoe said as she hugged her friend closer and they sat there in the silence.

Annabeth had no idea how she would cope if she had to live with the condition and the secrets that Zoe had kept. Zoe Nightshade was an incredible, brave and strong woman for fighting as long as she has. Living with a rare type of cancer, one with a low survival rate for the particular one she had. So much information was being thrown at Annabeth as she listened to the young woman speak, her movements were slow and sluggish, skin paler than what it once was. Heavy eyes conveying so much pain and sorry, it left Annabeth heartbroken as she hugged her knees and listened to Zoe.

"You aren't weak Zoe. Not in the slightest. You're one of the bravest people I've ever met Zoe... I have no idea how you are able to keep living even though..." you're going to die... Annabeth found herself unable to finish the sentence. It was so much to try understand and comprehend and admit to herself just how cruel this world was. Zoe was so young, she had barely lived, and here she was living with so much vibrancy and life even though she looked so burdened by life, by the obvious pain she was feeling inside.

"It's for that exact reason Annabeth." Zoe said as she sat up and gave a soft smile before she reached up and removed her beanie she had been wearing and carefully removed her wig she had on that Annabeth had no idea she had, revealing her once practically nonexistent natural hair. "Am I dying, yes. Will I live another year... probably not. But even before my diagnosis, I was living each day. Why? Why keep accepting death when I have so much to live for, to love and embrace every single day and be thankful for that time I've had." Zoe said with a soft smile as she put her wig back on and smiled softly at Annabeth. "You taught me to keep on walking forward, not standing idly in the moment and accepting my fate." Zoe admitted softly.

Annabeth looked up at her friend colleague in mild surprise and confusion, "Me? I taught you that?" Annabeth had no idea how she could have impacted Zoe in such a way when Zoe was making the bigger impact on her right in that moment.

Zoe smiled as she shifted so she was on her knees, sitting on the feet and took Annabeth's hands in hers, "You know my story, how bad my life was... I lived idly, staring at path before but never reaching out and grasping it. That was my biggest regret... that I waited so long to pursue this... to push for Huntress... to admit that I'd been in love with my best friend. So many wasted years of not owning up to how I felt and only accepting it now, when time is so short even though I had no idea it would be shorter than I imagined." She said as she traced the lines of Annabeth's palms, "Time is so short Annabeth. People die every day, lose loved ones every day, and people die not completing everything they wanted in their lives. You showed me how to be brave and take what i want, even if I only realized it a little later, you still showed me how to be brave and how to love myself and life to the fullest."

Annabeth frowned as she looked at her own hands, "But how could I teach that to you when I hold nothing but hate for myself and am living in a regressed moment, stagnate with my life and soul." Annabeth said as she looked away, "Does the fact that I'm leaving music make me less brave and more of a coward?"

"No Annabeth... it makes you brave because you're choosing to live for yourself... not because you have to." Zoe said as she looked up at Annabeth. "I have no regrets now because I accomplished everything I wanted to do and am still finding myself wanting to do more. I got married to Phoebe you know, the love of my life, I reconciled with Calypso, I got to make music and put my mark on the world. I got to live, laugh, love, cry, hurt, get into bar fights, hit a strike at the bowling alley, get poetry published in a book. Fuck I got to cry at the worry of Phoebe rejecting my feelings, the worry of it was awful, but it made it all the more real when she didn't. I got to meet my idol and hero and make music with her... all those things, no matter how small or large made the pain worth it. That's living Annabeth... Have you ever just stopped and felt the breeze, or listened to the sounds of the world... that's what makes being alive so special." Zoe said with nothing but love and happiness in her features, in her voice.

Annabeth had never seen anyone so alive before. Zoe knowing that even though she might not wake up tomorrow is still alive today, still breathing, still happy and alive. Zoe was breathing, laughing, talking, singing, living. Living was not something easy to do and yet Zoe made it look so easy when facing the end of life. Annabeth had not even realized she had a tear rolling down her face as she listened to the pure power of Zoe's words, of her voice, of her love for live itself.

Zoe wiped Annabeth's tear away and then proceeded to wipe her own. "Do I want to die, no but am I going to stop living, no. All the pain and heartache, all the sadness, its life but you forget there are the good times too that made going through all those painful times worth it Annabeth." Zoe said as her tears poured down her face but she still smiled through the tears, "No regrets Annabeth... Live Annabeth. Stop and live because it is so beautiful and before you know it... it will be all over."

Annabeth stared into the glossy eyes of Zoe Nightshade, the beautiful girl whom had reminded Annabeth of the young woman she once was, untainted and marred by the anguish of self hate and regrets, loss and anguish. Annabeth reached down and picked up Zoe's wig and helped place it back on Zoe's head, smiling at the beautiful face of the young girl who Annabeth find herself admiring so much. "Zoe... will you show me... will you show me how to live again." She asked as she cupped Zoe's face in her hands and wiped the tears away from the young woman's cheeks.

Zoe smiled and gave a nod as she leaned her head against Annabeth's before pulling her into a hug. Annabeth was hesitant to hug Zoe in fear of hurting her but she still embraced the young woman and cradled her close. "Promise me something first Annabeth... Promise me you'll be yourself with your album... that you will tell your stories, that you will be nothing but who you are."

"I promise Zoe. I promise I'll show the world my story, and how it feels to truly live." Annabeth promised as she held the young woman close.

"I promise you Annabeth, you will find your happiness, and you and Percy will find your way to each other again. I promise Annabeth." Zoe whispered as they sat their in their silent embrace and existed in the moment. They cried together, and just let the world for one moment be forgotten. Annabeth would keep her promise to Zoe, she would learn how to live, she would find her happiness and love again, and Annabeth would help Zoe keep on living life to the fullest even if she would one day stop waking up to see the world she loved living in.

Percy was seated in his home, loneliness was of course his companion in that very moment but he didn't mind it that much, not like he had used to. Since he had seen Annabeth, he had had a chance to reflect, to exist and try find himself. But he still had so many questions for himself that he had no idea where to find the answers for. He had listened to Annabeth, heard her side and yet he felt that there was still so much she hadn't told him.

Maybe if he could find out that he would be able to answer himself and whether or not he could see himself forgiving Annabeth and giving it a chance. For years he had loved the beauty of Annabeth's music, fell in love with the wonderful stories of life, love, happiness, sorrow, regrets and everything else humanly possible she could tell with her music. Music was always and had always had been powerful, a way of communicating without needing to say what was wanted to be said face to face.

Percy stared at the television, just stared because he was so lost in his own mind. Annabeth had read his words, and translated them into a song, she told his story using his words but made it more and the more he thought about how hearing her sing his story sounded, the more lost and confused he got. It was beyond frustrating to try even understand why hearing her sing his story affected him so much, made him want her stay to hear her more.

Percy wanted to threw the glass in his hand but shook his head and set it down, rubbing his hands aggressively over his face before he growled and stood up. He needed to get out of this apartment and go somewhere, just anywhere. He grabbed his jacket and wrenched the door open but froze when he stared at the person who stood outside his apartment door.

"Hi... Percy." The soft voice said as Percy looked at the young woman who looked so different from the woman he had met so much time ago.

"Zoe... what are you doing here?" Percy asked as he gripped his door handle. Since meeting her at the club that night, he kept in close contact with her even during the whole Annabeth debacle. He hadn't spoken to her for about a month though after she told him she knew about Annabeth being Anna, and he'd asked her to never speak again but he missed his friend. She had suffered like he had, understood pain and suffering and hate like what he had gone through.

"We need to talk... I know you said you need time to forgive me... but the thing is... I'm running out of time." She said as she reached up and removed her beanie and her hair. Percy's eyes widened as he looked upon her now bald head as she hugged her hair to her chest.

"Zoe what is going on?" He asked with a trembling voice as he looked at her, really looked at her and saw all the details he'd missed. Her slightly sunk in eyes, her pale skin, her exhausted and fatigued features, her skinnier frame, he took it all in as his hand tightened on the door handle.

"Percy... I'm dying." Zoe whispered as she looked up at Percy who held her gaze. "May I come in? Please?" She asked softly.

Percy nodded and opened the door wider, allowing her to ender his apartment before he closed the door behind them...

Lets get on with this long awaited continuation of this story shall we.

Hope you enjoyed, see you next time with the next chapter.

~Michaela~