Hey guys! So the next upload will be officially the last one. I apologize for the inconvenience with the last chapter and it's already been fixed. I hope you guys enjoy this and I'll see one last time for the final chapter next Wednesday.
Lots of Love!
I do not own anything from Rick Riordan's Universe.
Chapter 32
Annabeth stirred her cup of coffee as she stared at her phone on the table. She wasn't exactly sure of what she was expecting to appear on its locked screen. She had been debating the entire night on whether throwing her phone to the Hudson or calling her therapist so they would lock her up in a sanitarium once and for all.
Ultimately, she had decided to calm down and just wait.
Wait for what?
Nothing, she hoped.
The light behind her turned on and she spun to notice a sleepy Piper barely standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes before they landed on the steaming cup of black liquid in Annabeth's hands.
"Coffee?" she asked with a yawn. "At two a.m.?"
Annabeth smiled. "I'm a fast caffeine metabolizer."
Her friend raised her brunette eyebrow. "You just made that up."
"Nop. Hundred percent true."
"Hmph." Piper looked at the still-warm coffee pot. "Should I try that theory myself?"
"Oh, no," Annabeth advised. "Every time you drink coffee, you turn into a Duracell bunny. You won't be able to sleep for the rest of the night, and then you'll be grumpy and mad at me."
Piper completely ignored her speech and grabbed a Hello Kitty mug before pouring herself some coffee and sitting next to her at the table. Annabeth flipped her phone so she couldn't look at the screen anymore and concentrated on the lines of steam coming out of her hot drink.
"You still mad?" Piper asked softly as she took a sip of her mug. She wrinkled her nose. "Gods, Annabeth. Why do you like your coffee so strong? I feel like I'm drinking pure car oil. I get why Percy kept complaining about it."
Annabeth chuckled. "It's not that black. You should try Thalia's. And no," she sighed. "I'm not mad. I'm still in shock, I guess. It's not easy to find out you killed someone, even if you didn't mean to."
Piper nodded. "I understand. Just don't be too hard on Percy. He's been very nervous about you, recently, and he just wanted to avoid putting you under more stress." Annabeth appreciated how her friend had avoided the speech about Annabeth not being guilty and how her actions had been justified.
"It's okay. I would have done the same if he were in my position," she admitted. The truth was that Annabeth didn't regret her decision entirely. She would have done again if it had meant saving Percy's life. But shouldn't the same consequences apply to her? Shouldn't she be in jail paying for her crime? "I don't get why I get to walk free though. Athena…as Reyna said, she covered everything up. But why?"
Piper played with her hair, her eyes fixed on her coffee. "Annabeth…" she started. "Don't you think that Athena and you look very much alike?"
Annabeth blinked. "We do?" She had never seen the resemblance before.
Her friend nodded. "I mean some features. It might just be a coincidence but…Do you know what happened to your mom?"
"C'mon, Piper. You can't be seriously thinking Athena is my mom. I did a whole background check on her a couple of years ago, and there was never a mention of a boyfriend or a family. Famous people don't get to have that kind of privacy."
She shrugged. "She managed to cover up your situation. Who says she didn't do the same with her past life?"
Annabeth shook her head. "It's crazy…"
"Why don't you ask your dad?" she proposed. "Haven't you told him about the lawyer that helped you with everything?"
She frowned. "No. He knows a lawyer is helping me, but I never specified who it was. But even if he answers me, I really don't want to make him go through that unnecessary pain."
"Unnecessary?" Piper repeated. "Why?"
"She left us, Pipes. She might have given birth to me, but she never raised me. Dad said she preferred her career, and if Athena were my mom, it was clear she was right, and we would have only been a burden in her success. That is if your hypothesis is true." But something rested at the back of her mind. Athena had helped her twice without any explanation. She had covered a death for gods' sake, and they had never been close or even acquaintances. Had Athena recognized her that day at the ball? Had she helped Annabeth because she felt guilty about abandoning her?
Annabeth sighed. One problem at a time. First, she needed to get rid of the ex-boyfriend on her head.
"It would make things worse, anyway," she concluded rubbing her forehead. "Because it would have meant that I'm not in jail because of my powerful mother, and not because I'm truly innocent."
Piper snorted. "Please. Percy would have also used his dad's resources which aren't less than Athena's." She sighed. "He would have done anything to keep you safe. Even shooting a bad guy."
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You had to bring it up."
She shrugged. "I'll repeat it until you believe it." She cracked her neck. "I'm going back to bed. You should sleep too. Moving out can be pretty tiring even if you have so little stuff."
Piper stood up from the table, her coffee almost untouched. "I can't believe I'm moving in with my boyfriend without actually celebrating a year together," Annabeth said with a little humor. "My dad didn't like the idea so much."
"You're twenty-six, Annabeth. You can do whatever the hell you want."
"Yeah, but I have to deal with those consequences too."
"Stop thinking for once and just have fun, okay?" Piper kissed her cheek. "Goodnight." Annabeth waited for the sound of her steps to disappear before flipping her phone again. Nothing. She sighed with relief. Maybe it had just been a moment of panic. Maybe there was hope that she wasn't entirely losing her mind.
Just maybe.
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"Last box!" Frank announced setting the container with her polaroid photos down.
"Thanks," Annabeth said handing him a warm cup of hot chocolate she had bought at the bagels' place a few streets away. "You really didn't have to waste one of your rest days to help me move in."
Frank shrugged. "You did the same when you helped me move away from campus. It's only fair." He accepted the cup and gulped down half of the drink. "I do have to go now if you don't mind. Hazel and I are going out for our anniversary."
"It's fine. Say hi to her for me."
"Will do." He waved at her before closing the door and leaving Annabeth alone in Percy's place. Her place. With all the unpacked boxes in it, the apartment looked much smaller than before. She needed to buy a bigger closet, and she surely needed to donate some decorations that wouldn't fit in the small studio.
Nevertheless, she finally felt at home.
Annabeth changed into a pair of more comfortable clothes before putting her favorite podcast on Percy's speakers, and then she started unpacking the few boxes Frank had helped her move.
She started with her clothes, folding them neatly in the small space she had created in Percy's closet. Some of them -her fancier clothes since she wasn't working- needed to remain in their boxes until she bought a bigger commode to put them in. Although she wasn't so sure there would be room in the apartment for something like that. She would have to talk to Percy about redistributing the furniture.
As she was unpacking her books, her phone rang. Thalia. She reduced the volume of the speaker before answering.
"Hey!" she greeted, cheerfully. "What's up?"
"Hello, you. Not much. Just lazily staring at my ceiling."
Annabeth places her phone on her ear and pressed it with her shoulder so she could continue unpacking. "And you chose me to rescue you out of your boredom? I'm flattered."
"You know you'll always be my first." Annabeth heard a crunch and deduced Thalia was eating something. "How was the big transition to Kelp Head's cave?" she asked, her mouth full.
"I'm currently at it. Don't call it a cave. It feels wrong," she complained wrinkling her nose at Percy's desk drawers and then at the books in her hands. They would also need to buy a bookshelf. With what money? Only the gods would know.
"Fine. His anemone then."
"That's even worse."
"Anyway, how's the job hunt going?" she asked, changing the subject. Annabeth placed the books aside and sighed.
"The hunt hasn't even started yet."
"I thought you were still talking to that guy…Daedalus?"
"I was…but I decided to keep some distance until I was, sure enough, I wasn't going to lose my head in front of him."
There was a moment of silence.
"Are you still…you know…"
"I'm fine," Annabeth said. "Just a few nightmares and anxiety attacks, but nothing I can't handle."
"Well, I think is good for you to take care of yourself before going back to business."
"Good for me, bad for my pockets. I'm struggling to even help Percy pay the rent, and I refuse to get another half-time job. I'm gonna be dead for the job market soon if I don't get more work experience. Unless I start studying for a postgraduate title…which I don't have the money for."
"I'm sure you can win a scholarship. You were the best of your class, remember?"
Annabeth blinked. Thalia was right. She could apply for a scholarship and return to her disciplined way of studying. It was in her nature after all. Maybe it was what she needed to get her confidence back.
"It's really not a bad idea…"
"Would you stay in New York though?"
Annabeth sighed. "Don't know. But I just moved in with Percy. At least, I'll have to stay here for a good time."
"Talking about him, when is he coming back?"
"Tomorrow," Annabeth said as she turned on her coffee maker. "Will and Nico borrowed his car while he was away, so they're coming for me in the morning and we'll go pick him up."
"Is he really…"
Suddenly, Annabeth's phone started ringing again and she grabbed it back with her hands to see the incoming call. An unknown number.
"Hey," Annabeth said. "Can I call you back later? I have another call on the line."
"Make it wait!"
"It's an unknown number and with Percy out of the country, I want to make sure it's not an emergency."
"Okay, okay. Call me back when you can."
She hung up and immediately answered the second call.
"Hello?"
"Hi," a soft female voice greeted. There was some noise in the background as if the woman was calling from a reception desk. "Is this Annabeth Chase?"
"Yes, it is. To whom am I speaking?"
"Oh, thank gods. Annabeth, it is May. May Castellan."
The coffee machine finished its work, and the apartment was filled with silence. Annabeth's heart stopped for several minutes before she found the courage to speak again. "May?"
"Yes, dear. Sorry I didn't recognize your voice. It sounds so mature. Anyway, I went to pick up Luke from school but he's nowhere to be seen. I called my ex-husband and he said I should talk to you. I hope you don't mind that he gave me your number. Is Luke with you?"
He hadn't told her.
Hermes hadn't told May her son was dead.
And now she was half-sane and asking for Luke.
"He-he's not, Mrs. Castellan."
"You need to tell her," Luke's voice said.
Annabeth jumped around to find a foggy version of him standing by one of her boxes. The one with the pictures. He had an angry expression.
"You need to explain to her why her son is never coming back," he continued. "You need to explain to her, how everyone he loved let him down, resulting in his death."
Annabeth grabbed the counter to prevent her knees to give in.
"Oh, dear. He must have run away again. That boy…he's not a bad person, you know? My Luke means well. I'm glad he has a friend like you to help him out now and then," May continued. "He's always talking about how you three are going to move to New York when school is done and finally start a new and better life…"
Annabeth's eyes started stinging with tears threatening to fall. She needed to tell her. "Mrs. Castellan, Luke…" She took a deep breath. "Luke is dead."
There was a moment of silence before May answered, "Hello? Who is this?"
"It's Annabeth," she told her calmy, predicting what would come next.
"Who?"
And just like that, May Castellan was gone again. Luke had told her about his mom's rare moments of lucidity. They were extremely rare and highly unpredictable. And one had just flown away from Annabeth's grasp.
"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Castellan. I really am," she said, before hanging up and finally releasing her sobs. She would never know what had happened to his son.
"You couldn't even tell my mom the truth," Luke's voice said, closer to her. It was filled with rage and desperation. "She'll die still believing her son could change…"
Annabeth shook her head. "I tried…"
"No, you didn't," he spat, punching the counter harshly. "You ran away from it like you always do."
"Stop," Annabeth begged.
"I won't. I'll haunt you until the end of your days, Annabeth."
Annabeth covered her ears. "Shut up."
"Your guilt will ruin your life, just like it did with mine…and there's nothing you can do about it. You already lost your chance."
Suddenly, Annabeth was plagued with visions of Luke's robbed future. Things she would be able to do, but not him. A career, a family, a home…
"I won't let you have them," her vision said. "Because you don't deserve any of it."
Then visions of her future invaded her. How she'd lose the drive to be an architect; how she'd push everyone away to prevent what happened to Luke to happen to them; how'd never recovered her old confidence and strength…
How she'd lose Percy because her guilt would simply not let her live.
It was as if someone had pushed air back on her lungs.
"No," she said her voice slightly broken. "I won't live like that."
"Then you have to pull the trigger," Luke whispered in her ear.
Gods, no. She wouldn't be able to do it.
But she had to.
For Percy.
For her.
Without giving it much thought, Annabeth grabbed her jacket, put her snickers on, and left the apartment without looking back.
HeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreakenjoyyou
The ride to the cemetery was similar to the end of the world. With every step, Annabeth felt an invisible force draining her energy down, but she kept walking.
She needed to end things.
A chilly but strong wind messed with her hair as she tried to reach Luke's grave under the grey sky. The grass was wet and muddy, making her converse more brown than black.
When she finally found his resting place, raindrops were sporadically falling on her hair and clothes. She was in no rush though.
She felt a pair of familiar steps also stop behind her. Luke's ghost had followed her all the way from the apartment, but she had decided not to acknowledge it until it was finally time. Thank gods, he had remained quiet throughout the trip.
After starring at Luke's tombstone for several minutes, Annabeth took a deep breath and turned around.
And sure enough, there it was. Her guilt personified. It was Luke that had protected her when she was a kid. The Luke that had stolen her heart with promises of a different life away from their pasts. The Luke that had lost his way and had betrayed her when they both realized what their lives were meant to be. The Luke that had tried and failed.
Same mask, different intentions.
"I'm sorry," she said, trying to hide the shiver in her voice. "Gods, Luke I am so sorry." He opened his mouth with an angry motion, but Annabeth cut him off. "No, now it's my time to speak, and you're gonna listen."
The ghost didn't seem pleased by her command, but she remembered that it was her brain playing with her. She needed to regain control.
"I'm so sorry your life was a complete mess. I'm so sorry that I couldn't fix it for you…but I'm so tired of pretending I could have played a major role in your story when you were the only one calling the bad choices. I'm sorry I couldn't be the strong oak you needed like you were mine when I was a kid, but I had lo live my life too, and you were just dragging me into your sorrow because you couldn't stand being alone in it and you didn't even try to climb your way out. You always complain that I was the one that abandoned you when in reality I was the one brave enough to move on from the pit you had us in. And gods know I tried to help you up with me…but I had my own load to carry."
She wiped away her tears as some people walked by and shot her worried looks. The ghost had lost its angry aura and seemed just tired now.
"And that night…You say I was late, but you were the one who had run out of time. Oh, believe me, I will always regret not calling the police sooner, but I was so tired of everything you had done before. I will have to live with my decisions, but so did you. And look where they took you."
The ghost looked at the dirt under his feet as he listened to her. With every word, Annabeth felt her lungs had more space to breathe, and the fog in her brain finally clearing out. "I'm not saying I'm perfect and that my hands are clean, and that I deserve the future I'm gonna fight for. But I'm willing to do anything to protect my life and the ones of those I love…like you should have done. And right now…"
She felt a heavy object in her hands. The image of a gun appeared, and she knew what she had to do. Just like she would have done that night when Luke died; Just like the time, she saved Percy's life….
"…you're a threat to me."
She lifted the gun and pointed it at Luke. Her hands were not shaking. Her vision was clear. Her mind was aware.
"Goodbye, Luke."
Luke gave her one last smile before she pulled the trigger, and he was gone. For good.
HeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreakenjoyyou
Of course, she got sick.
After her epiphany, Annabeth had fallen on her knees on Luke's grave and cried for several hours, accompanied by the heavy rain falling from the grey sky.
She had left her place, only when a security guard had kicked her out at night, claiming it was time to close. She stood at the closed gates of the cemetery for a few minutes, contemplating the empty space on her mind.
She felt free but exhausted.
Her return to her home was much faster than her trip to the cemetery. She dozed off a couple of times in the subway and lost her station once. However, she was still dripping wet when she opened the door to her apartment. She was glad Piper had let her sleep at her own home the last night. She wouldn't hear the end of it if Piper knew she had spent hours at Luke's grave.
Annabeth ignored the unpacked boxes all over the place and the now cold cup of coffee on the counter and headed straight to get her small cosmetic bag from her purse. She grabbed all the new pills Hestia had prescribed her and flushed them down the toilet. She wouldn't need them anymore. She'd go back to the old ones.
After a quick bath, Annabeth turned off the lights and got into bed.
For the first time in months, Annabeth slept without anything hunting her. She was sure she would have woken up rested and full of energy if it wasn't for the massive headache that started in the morning.
At eight a.m. she was fairly sure she had gotten a virus from standing under the rain for hours on the ground. Her small clarity was replaced by constant dizziness and her body now shut down for periods of time to preserve energy.
She texted Will that she wasn't feeling good at the time and asked him to pick up Percy without her. She didn't wait for him to reply and immediately went back to sleep again.
HeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreakenjoyyou
Annabeth returned to consciousness with the sound of a door closing and keys tingling. Slowly she poked her head out of the covers and looked at the window. The sky was still a dark grey, but it had to be close to noon assuming Percy had gone straight home from the airport.
She turned around to find him standing frozen in the entrance. He put his keys on the kitchen counter as Annabeth tried to sit on the bed. She smiled tiredly at him. Gods, she had really missed him.
His hair was still a mess for sleeping on the plane's seat. His eyes were shining brightly, but the dark circles under them and the way his shoulders slumped forward, showed that he was exhausted. He hated flying after all, and more so if had done it alone.
"Hey," she greeted whipping away the cold sweat running down her forehead. "How was your flight?"
"Long," he answered leaving his suitcase aside and then made his way through the unpacked boxes until he reached the bed. He sat on the edge, close to her, and Annabeth tried to smell the sea breeze in him. Sadly, she had a congested nose. "I'm glad to be home, though."
He gently touched her cheek and Annabeth leaned into his cold but comforting hand. He sighed and said "You're burning up. Will told me you weren't feeling okay."
"The rain caught me off guard yesterday," she explained. "I took too long to find shelter, and ta-da! Insta-cold. It started this morning."
He frowned at the unpacked boxes. "Then why didn't you finish unpacking yesterday? I mean, you know I'm okay with chaos, but Annabeth Chase would never be able to go to sleep if there's a mess in the room."
Percy could be highly absent-minded and a little naïve, but Annabeth knew he was pretty smart when he really set his mind on something.
"I was too tired. With only Frank, moving in was a daring task."
"Aha," he retired his hand. "Aren't we supposed to be talking about everything with each other?"
He knew her too well. She could never lie to him.
"We will," Annabeth assured him reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "But right now, we're both tired and in a bad mood. Can you just get in bed with me and sleep for a few hours? Then, I promise to tell you everything about these two weeks."
After giving it some thought, Percy nodded silently in agreement. He sighed before standing up and saying, "I'm gonna take a bath first. I want to take the smell of the airplane off."
Annabeth planted a kiss on his hand and let him go. As she heard the bathtub filling up, her pounding headache reminded her that her body was trying to fight an internal battle and, after being emotionally drained from yesterday, she guessed the best move was to keep on resting in bed.
Her body shut down the moment her head hit the pillow.
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It was a hard day.
A physically exhausting hard day.
Annabeth was glad she had taken care of her emotional dilemma before, so she wouldn't hallucinate with Luke due to her high fever. She did hallucinate with her missing mom, her failure at being an architect, and many other things…but those were manageable.
Only once, she hallucinated with the guy who shot Percy, and she didn't even flinch when she pulled out the gun and incapacitated their robber. She had protected Percy. And that was all that mattered.
Annabeth kept going in and out of consciousness, making the day extremely blurry. She was aware Percy had joined her and slept beside her for a good time. Then, every time she opened her eyes, a different scene took place in the small apartment.
The first time, Percy was still by her side, snoring loudly.
The second time, Percy had left the bed and the window showed it was already nighttime. When she did a hundred- and eighty-degree turn, she spotted him in the kitchen, hushed talking with someone on the phone. He still looked tired, but definitely better than when he arrived.
The third time, Percy shook her awake. She saw his lips moving, but his words couldn't reach her. Her mind was too foggy. Then he showed her the small pill and the glass of water, and Annabeth finally understood what he was trying to say.
In the few moments it took for her to accept both things, she noticed Percy had different clothes and a rain jacket on. His hair was wet. At some point, while she slept, he had gone out. She felt awful at not being able to welcome him back properly or even ask thoughtfully about his trip, but her body involuntarily shut down every time she closed her eyes.
The fourth and last time, Annabeth finally heard her own thoughts which meant her headache had diminished. She slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by the beautiful view of Percy's broad back. Now that her head was clearer, his warm aura was very much welcome, and his snoring was a comforting sound to her.
Her body was numb from spending the whole day in bed. She tried to reach her phone on the night table without waking Percy up. She succeeded, but the battery was dead, of course. So, she reached for Percy's to see the time.
Two a.m.
She should have gone back to sleep, but her body was yelling at her to get her butt out of the bed for at least a few minutes. So, that's what she did.
Her first stop was the bathroom, where she splashed her face with some cold water and brushed her teeth, feeling instantly better with herself. Then she made her way to the kitchen frowning at the unpacked boxes. If it wasn't because she'd surely wake Percy up, she'd finish unpacking right there and then.
On the counter, there was a shopping bag with some meds (surely what Percy had given her before) and some microwave noodle soups. She surely wasn't hungry at the time, but she needed the strength to keep going at least until she could have an appetite for a decent breakfast.
Thank gods Percy was such a heavy sleeper, he could continue to sleep with the lights on. Using a pot to avoid waking him up with the sound of the microwave, Annabeth cooked one of the soups as best as she could, grabbed a book from the unpacked boxes, and read in silence as she ate the warm soup. She hated soups, but noodle ones were the exception. Besides, with her stuffy nose, it was impossible to really taste anything.
She quickly washed the empty bowl while she thought of how quiet her mind was…Not that it was a bad thing, but after the events on Luke's grave, it was a weird behavior. Had she really moved on? Just like that? Was that just the calm before the storm?
No.
Somehow, she felt the issue with Luke was done. She would always regret that night, but there are more important things in her life where she needed to focus all of her attention. Her own decisions to make.
One thing was for sure though. Staying in New York was definitely not helping her. Too many bad memories, too many failed attempts…she felt like she needed a fresh start. But not without Percy. The only permanent thing in her life so far.
A flash of pain inside her head reminded her that it wasn't the best moment to think about delicate issues, so she turned off the lights once again and got into bed feeling refreshed.
Annabeth threw an arm around Percy's body and buried her face on his back. Whatever she decided, she'd have to talk about it with him first.
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"Are you sure you're feeling better?" Percy asked for the billionth time as they returned their menus to the waiter.
"I am," she confirmed, even if she had only asked for a strong coffee and a plate of fruit. "I needed to get out of that bed anyway, and properly welcome you home." She signaled around. "And what better way to do it than giving you a good old American breakfast full of blueberry pancakes."
He smiled. "I do agree with that."
"And the fridge was empty," she admitted. "We need to go grocery shopping after this."
"Noted."
"Then we should head back home and finish unpacking, and then we have to go looking for a bigger commode so I can-"
"Hey," Percy interrupted her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Take it easy. We're both still tired. One step at a time."
She took a deep breath. "Right, sorry."
"Besides," he smirked nearing his face to hers. "We still have to catch up on lost time." His lips hovered over hers. "And we haven't even kissed since I arrived."
"You're gonna get sick too," she warned, craving his lips more than anything in the world.
He shrugged. "We live under the same roof now. We share everything now, including unwanted viruses."
Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "That's not a very compelling thing to say-"
He silenced her with his lips. Somehow, her abstinence syndrome from Percy's lips had been worse those two weeks than the whole eight months while they were broken up. So, what she guessed was supposed to be a small, sweet kiss, she soon turned it into a mini make-out session in the middle of a family-friendly breakfast place. Oops.
Their reunion's celebration was only interrupted by the sound of the waiter clearing his throat. She almost jumped away from Percy as the kind guy put their dishes in front of them. Annabeth tried desperately to look apologetic at the guy's awkward expression, but Percy had a smirk of satisfaction on his face.
"Jeez, Annabeth. Save something for when we get back," Percy teased grabbing his orange juice once the waiter had left.
She elbowed him hard in the ribs and smiled proudly when he spilled some juice over his food, making him curse under his breath. They practically inhaled their food. They were so focused on eating, that only when she had finished both her coffee and her fruit, she noticed they hadn't talked at all while they ate.
Even if her portion was way smaller, Percy managed to finish first. She could have sworn he didn't chew at all by his incredible speed at eating.
"So, how was Iceland?" she finally asked while they waited for their check.
His eyes lit up like the ocean at sunrise. "Amazing. You'd have loved it there."
Annabeth smiled at his enthusiasm. "Really? How so?"
"They have all these incredible sustainable practices and techniques for retrieving the little raw material they have, and the people is just so nice. I even saw some interesting eco-friendly houses that might have caught your eye. Our office there is rather small but cozy. All the colleagues there are like family to one another."
He went on and on about the programs his dad was going to implement in Europe, how everyone treated him as he was just another worker and not the big boss's bastard son. He said he enjoyed it a lot even if the offer was more of an office job than work in the field. "But, whoever takes the position will have to travel a lot, which is one big downside for me." His back shuddered. "Flying is definitely not my thing."
"All sounds too great, Percy," she said softly, playing with her empty coffee cup. "Sure you still want to reject it though?"
Their eyes connected and, even if he still looked tired, they were full of determination. "We had a deal of staying together, and I don't plan on breaking it anytime soon. If you want to stay here, I'll stay too."
Annabeth had no words, so he kissed him softly on the lips.
The waiter arrived with their check and Annabeth snatched it before Percy had the chance. "It was my invitation, remember? I'm the one who pays."
"Shouldn't you save the money for something else?" he reminded her, but still let her get her wallet out.
"You're back, safe, and sound. It's a success worth paying for," she teased him.
"Haha," he laughed humorlessly.
After paying they left quietly and headed straight home, which was just a few blocks away. Halfway, Percy cleared his throat and asked, "So how was your time at Piper's?"
She smiled. "It was nice. She complained a lot about my dark coffee though."
"Not a surprise," said Percy with a chuckle, before acquiring a more serious tone. "About the gas station guy…"
"It's okay," Annabeth told him, thanking the fact he was willing to talk to her about it, instead of concealing it. "I mean, I wish the outcome would have been different. But I'd do it again if it meant saving your life."
And she meant it with all her heart.
Percy narrowed his eyes. "Piper said you were pretty worked up about it."
"I was, but I did the duel and reached my conclusion."
"Don't try to confuse me, Wise Girl."
"I'm not!"
"Okay, so how was the duel?" he pushed. "What did you do to get over it so quickly?"
Annabeth stopped in her tracks and frowned. "Why aren't you happy for me?"
"I am, it's just…" He took a few seconds to carefully rethink his words. He finally sighed and said, "You were talking in your sleep…or hallucinating, I guess."
"What do you mean?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"When you still had a high fever, I heard you talking in your sleep," he explained further. People were throwing them annoyed looks as they avoided them on the sidewalk. "Something about wanting to leave and someone finally leaving you alone…"
Annabeth blinked. "You're making me sound like a real lunatic."
"I just want to know you're okay," he concluded. "And sometimes I feel like you're concealing things for me."
"Because you make it sound like I'm really losing my head," she argued.
He raised an eyebrow. "So, you are keeping things from me…"
"Can we finish this conversation at home?" she pleaded. "I don't want all New York to know about my mental issues." Without waiting for his answer, Annabeth continued her way towards their apartment, and Percy caught up with her fairly quickly.
The silence was overwhelming as she waited for Percy to open the entrance door. She could have opened it herself, but she was still not used to having her own keys.
She grimaced at the sight of the unpacked boxes as they stepped inside. Annabeth wanted really to get into unpacking everything to feel more comfortable, but she knew Percy was desperate for answers.
She sat on the bed and picked at her hands for a bit, while Percy sat on the floor in front of her.
"After our little camping adventure," Annabeth started, "Luke came back. Those nightmares and visions…my guilt was back. I didn't tell you because I was done with people believing I had a problem, which in theory I have, but it's still uncomfortable hearing you guys talk about it. I thought I could control them though. That I would take those new pills Hestia had given me, and that I would recover eventually. But then I discovered I had killed the guy and that was the tipping point for my guilt, along with May Castellan's call…"
"Castellan?" Percy asked as his fingers laced with hers. His touch was comforting. "Luke's mom?"
Annabeth nodded. "I thought she had lost her mind completely, but apparently she still gets some clarity moments from now and then. She called me to ask about Luke, but I failed to tell her in time that he was dead. That's when my guilt exploded, but I was so done feeling that way. I went to Luke's grave and set everything straight with him…well, with that part of me."
She closed her eyes and felt her shoulders relaxed. There she had told him. Annabeth wouldn't blame him if he thought she'd have to be locked up in a mental hospital. Honestly, she was thinking the same.
Instead, he asked, "Did it help?"
She sighed. "I think so. I feel lighter, calmer…but I don't know how long it will last. Which brings me the other thing you heard me say." She looked at the window where the grey clouds were still hovering over the city. "Maybe I need a fresh start. Get away from all the madness that has been happening lately, especially in New York."
Percy shook his head with a sad smile. "You must be really tired if you want to leave the only place you wanted to live in a few months ago."
She shrugged. "It's worth the try."
The silence that followed was a million times lighter and comforting than the one before. They were both lost in their thoughts as the first raindrops hit the window outside.
"I want to help," Percy said, standing up.
Annabeth smiled. "You already have. You are one of the reasons I decided it was time to move on."
He cupped her cheeks and looked directly into her eyes. "Maybe. But I have a plan that might help you even more. An actual, tangible plan. However, it's your call."
His eyes were swirling like a hurricane. They seemed a little scared, but also full of determination and love for her. She had tried to do things her way and had failed. Why if she tried Percy's way?
It was worth a try. For him.
"Okay," she agreed. "What is it?"