We back, baby. Hey people, finally found the time to finish this chapter. It had been half-written for a pretty long time, but i've been studying like a maniac for my exams(which I have at the end of summer) and couldn't really focus on writing. This story WILL continue, but I will still prioritise studying over fan fiction, as much as I love writing. These exams are pretty important, so I hope you understand that.

Now, important changes. Actually not that important, but just to let ya know. I've gone back and edited the last chapter and changed Percy's second weapon from an axe into a sword. Thought it was cooler, and I love the dual wielding sword fighting style, so that's that. Hope you enjoy this one, stay tuned for more!

An absolute silence had fallen over the battlefield. The only sound Annabeth could hear was the pounding of blood in her ears as she stared at the figure in front of them. Covered in dust and grime, was a very much alive Percy Jackson.

The daughter of Athena took a tentative step forward, her breathing shallow and rapid. She noticed Clarisse at her side, gaping at the son of Poseidon, but she soon regained her composure. The brown-haired girl looked around, seeing all the demigods in similar states.

'People! Clear out!' She yelled in a commanding voice. 'Back to the camp, now! I catch anyone staying and I'll me sticking my spear in very painful places.'

Annabeth looked back at the daughter of Ares gratefully, and she nodded at her, then at Percy. 'Nice to see you again, Prissy.'

Percy simply nodded in acknowledgement.

Annabeth got closer to him, and she could see how pale he was. He had turned towards the sun, his eyes closed and breathing deep. 'P-percy?' She called meekly. She wanted nothing more than to run up and bury herself into him, but she decided to follow a more gentle approach.

He turned towards her, the corners of his lips turning upwards for the slightest moment. 'Hey, Wise Girl.'

Annabeth shuddered. He hadn't heard that name in a long time. His voice was still recognisable to her, but it seemed cracked and defeated. The green in his eyes was the only indication of the previously positive and energetic son of Poseidon that she had once known.

He turned Riptide back into a pen, and slid the black sword into a sheath on his back Annabeth hadn't noticed. The thing had an iron hilt, and it looked deadly sharp. She stepped closer to him, grazing his arm slightly. He had started to turn towards her, his stance relaxing, but he suddenly clenched up. Percy doubled over, coughing and wheezing, falling to his knees as he did. A string of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth, forming a rapidly growing puddle on the floor in front of him. It looked thick and oily, not at all like normal blood.

Thalia had stayed behind, and she joined Annabeth at Percy's side, a concerned look on her face. Percy had stopped retching, but was still breathing heavy, his eyes unfocused and looking at the floor.

'Are you ok?'

Percy held up a hand. 'Think so. I guess… the atmosphere was different down there. I must have gotten used t-'. He was interrupted by

Annabeth tried to be comforting at his side, but she really was scared. Usually, when a problem arose, she always had a solution, an old piece of knowledge that would help them. However, now she felt helpless. She had no idea what Percy was going through, or how to help him. She didn't know, and it scared her.

Between Thalia and Annabeth they managed to help him to his feet, although he was leaning heavily on them, his breath coming out in ragged bursts. His skin was beyond dirty, and he must have smelled horrible, but Annabeth didn't care.

'Can you walk?' she asked.

Percy nodded slightly, mumbling slightly under his breath. The girls took this as a yes, but once they let go, the son of Poseidon crumpled to the floor. He growled in frustration, trying and failing to push himself up again. Annabeth smirked internally as she helped him up. Seems Tartarus hadn't taken away his stubbornness.

They walked at a slow pace through the forest, heading back towards their camp. Percy had one arm around each of them, and his head was hanging limply, strands of long hair falling over his face. As they walked, Annabeth thought about all the times she had thought about Percy coming back to her. She was one of the people who had refused to admit his death, and had had some hopes in her to this day. Now, her Seaweed Brain had come back to her, and she was determined to do everything she could to help him.

Still, she was troubled. Seeing him fight the monsters had shocked her. He had seemed over-the-top ferocious, almost unhinged. Also, she had seen him dissolve a group of dracaenae with a flick of his wrist. She had a pretty good idea of how he'd done it, and the thought of it sent chills down her spine.

When they arrived at the camp, the sun was already in the sky, and the blistering heat of Arizona was starting to affect Annabeth and Thalia. They seemed to be sweating more than Percy was, who by now had recovered enough to raise his head slightly. His sea-green eyes looked bright and intense, a stark contrast with his dirty pale skin, and even in the state he was in, she had to stop herself from staring into them. As soon as this popped into her head, she slapped her self mentally. No distractions.

They limped into the camp, and every single set of eyes were on them. People gaped and pointed, whispering in low voices at the son of Poseidon. Some of them had known Percy, while most of them had been told countless stories about the now legendary demigod. She looked at Clarisse, who started to clear the crowd as she had done before. Thalia shot death stares at anyone who remained, scaring them away.

The Greeks had already set up the tents. Annabeth disagreed with this, but bigger ones had been set up for the more senior campers. As they walked slowly between them, she saw Travis Stoll walk up to them, and he noticed the limping man they were carrying.

For the first time in ages, Annabeth saw Travis' crooked grin return, even if only for a split second. 'Hey, fish boy. You look like a fucking caveman.' The son of Hermes sniffed loud enough for Percy to hear. 'Smell like one too.'

Annabeth felt Percy trembling slightly, and then she realised he was chuckling. He managed to raise his head slightly, looking Travis in the eye. Percy winked, Travis laughed slightly before turning on his heel.

He led them to Annabeth's tent, which was the largest. It was spacious, with a table in the middle and a small cot in the corner, which they carefully set Percy on. He let out a small groan as they eased him on the small bed, relaxing and closing his eyes.

After a brief moment, Thalia and Travis left, leaving Annabeth alone with Percy. He looked like he was sleeping, so she was silent, simply looking at him, a concerned frown on her face. His chest rose evenly and slowly, and his breath had become regular again. 'He looks really peaceful', Annabeth thought. She had to talk to Thalia and the rest, but after she was done she would come right back here. She didn't like the thought of leaving Percy alone for one second.

Annabeth stood up to leave, but felt a slight tug on her fingers. His skin was hot and feverish, but he managed to weakly hold on to her hand. She turned to see Percy looking at her, his gorgeous eyes staring right into hers. He looked like he was trying to say something, but it must have taken a lot of effort. Annabeth held on to his hand, covering the back of his palm with the other hand as she looked at him.

Percy smiled slightly. 'Thank you', he managed.

—

Annabeth stepped out of the tent, her grey eyes stormy as usual. As she strode towards the meeting area they had agreed on between the camps, her head was buzzing. Percy had come back. He had come back to her. It didn't matter how many times she repeated in her head, each time it sounded better. Now, as she walked amongst the campers, she felt something she thought she had lost. A fire burned once again in her chest, and she felt gripped by a fierce determination. The Fates had given her Percy, and as much as she hated them for taking him in the first place, she was grateful.

Thalia was already there, with Phoebe and another hunter by her side. Larry and his optio were waiting as well, the centurion tapping his foot on the ground anxiously. Clarisse and Travis looked tired and bored, but straightened up when they saw Annabeth arrive.

Larry shot up. 'Is it true? Is he alive?'

Annabeth looked at Thalia, and took a deep breath. 'Yes. He's resting right now.'

The gathered crowd exploded into gasps, their faces showing mixtures of shock, relief and excitement. Questions began started to be called out, but the noise stopped when Clarisse stepped forward.

'So what happened to him? He seemed fine when we saw him.'

Thalia nodded. 'Yeah, that was pretty strange. I mean, he takes out the whole goddamn army, but then collapses? He was barely able to walk, let alone fight.'

Annabeth wrung her hands, letting out a sigh. 'Honestly? Not a clue. I've gone to the Underworld, and when you come back you feel weak for a few hours. Tartarus must be a thousand times worse, especially of you spend the amount of time he spent there.'

Larry frowned, obviously slightly uncomfortable with the topic. That was understandable. 'So… he just needs time to adjust? He'll be okay, right?'

The group was silent, and the centurion looked around nervously.

'Right?'

'Larry, we don't know', Travis snapped. 'No one's ever been down there before. We'll do everything we can to help him.'

Annabeth nodded at him, then at the burly centurion, who looked nervous and fidgety. Percy was one of the Seven, and Larry probably had looked up to him more than anyone in his time in the legion. Getting him back to lose him again… it was as distressing for the Romans as it was for everybody else.

Thalia tapped her thigh. 'So what can we do?'

Annabeth bit her lip, then looked at Larry. 'I don't think nectar or ambrosia will help him. He just needs to recover on his own, and it may take time. We should take him to Camp Jupiter. It's much closer than Camp Half-Blood, and he'll be able to rest there.'

'I agree', said Clarisse, standing up beside Annabeth. 'But the rest of us should go back to Camp Half-Blood. We just stopped a potential attack, and we need to find out who or what it was that ordered it.'

Thalia nodded. 'I don't think there's any reason for any of us to stay here. The Hunters will take this information to Artemis, and we'll revisit old threats that have not been put down entirely. They may be behind this.'

Annabeth looked around the group, proud of how all her friends were jumping into action. They had been preparing for this since Gaia, and now it was time to defend their home again. Camp Half-Blood had taken steps to become more militarised, and now with the Greco-Roman alliance in effect, they were stronger than ever. If evil was rising again, they were ready.

'I'll go with Percy to Camp Jupiter', said Annabeth, the rest of the voices quieting down. 'Larry, see if you can tell Jason and the praetors that we're coming. Clarisse, take the lead in camp. Get the rest of the group there safely, then warn Mr D and Chiron about what happened, see if they can think of something. Also, put Rachel and the Hypnos kids working on finding anything about who was behind the attack. Percy and I will stay in Camp Jupiter until he gets better, then we'll fly back.'

Everyone had voiced their opinions and plans of action, but there was no mistake in the daughter of Athena's voice that her plan was final. The meeting concluded, and Annabeth set off towards the pegasi, who were stationed in a corner of the Greek camp, roaming lazily in the now searing Arizona heat. Suddenly, Thalia appeared at her side, matching her stride for stride.

'Hey there, Owl Face', she said with a smile. Then her face turned more serious. 'Did you get to talk to him at all?'

Annabeth shook her head. 'Not really'. She decided not to tell Thalia about what Percy had said to her. It was a private detail, and a memory she wanted to keep to herself. 'He just passed out pretty much as soon as you left.'

Thalia looked at her with a serious expression. 'I'm sure he'll get better, Annabeth. Then we'll all get to hear all the crazy shit he's been up to these years.'

Annabeth didn't respond, just kept looking ahead, her eyes cloudy. Suddenly, she stopped and looked at the huntress.

'What if he's not the same?' She asked. 'Ten years in hell will change a person. What if all the crazy shit he's been up to made him into something different? Will he be the same demigod he was?'

A hard look crossed Thalia's eyes. 'No. He won't be. He won't be the same. Of course not, but we need to help him regardless. Annabeth, you need to realise this. As he recovers, he will lean on the people closest to him, and that means you. So you can't afford to think like that.'

Annabeth took a deep breath, and closed her eyes for a moment. 'Thanks', she said, hugging the daughter of Zeus. 'I can always count on you to slap me back into reality, can't I?'

Thalia laughed, then they separated. 'Of course you can. Now, we need to get you some pegasi?'

Annabeth whirled on her heel. 'Right.' She whistled, calling out two names. There was movement in the group, and a few moments later two winged horses emerged from the group. One was Axel, who Annabeth had ridden from Camp Half-Blood, and the other Guido, brilliantly white and regal. She and Thalia led them away from the rest, taking them to the camp to make sure they were fed and prepared for their journey. Annabeth went back to her tent, already thinking about what they would need to take with them. It would be a tiring journey.

The same evening

The sun had started to go down, and Annabeth was making the final preparations for their trip. Percy had just woken up, and was now sitting on the bed. She had to admit the beard made him look like a proper caveman. Even so, she had to hold herself back from staring. His chest and arms looked much bigger, and a defined set of abs adorned his midsection, criss-crossed with an array of scars.

She realised the inside of his right forearm was a huge wide scar, where his SPQR tattoo had been. She was confused for a second, then her eyes widened in realisation. 'Almost as if someone tore it off…'. She shuddered, hoping she was wrong. Percy would tell, her, but Annabeth had decided that she would let him do so at his own pace and in his own way. Pressuring him into saying anything too early would undoubtedly be harmful for him.

When she had gathered everything, she turned towards Percy. 'We're ready. We should go, they're waiting for us.'

He nodded, shifting his weight forward on the small bed. With Annabeth's help, he shakily stood up, and they started walking slowly out of the tent. Outside, all the campers were getting ready to leave as well, but action stopped wherever they passed. Thankfully, the pegasi were close by, so they didn't have to walk very far. When they saw him, both horses drew themselves up to full height, and they trotted froward.

'Are you okay to go?' She asked with a concerned frown.

Percy gave her a small smile. 'Yeah, I'm good', he whispered.

Seeing he could stand on his own, she mounted Axel, tightening the straps on her backpack. The big horse stomped the ground before turning around to look at their companions. Guido was nuzzling Percy gently, and Annabeth was glad to see a genuine smile on his face as he greeted the horse. By now, they were surrounded by a crowd, Thalia and Larry amongst them.

They looked on intently as the pair of old friends reunited. As they watched, Guido lowered his head, then slowly bent his front legs until he plopped to the ground on his knees in front of Percy. He bent his back legs as well, and tucked in his wings close to his sides. Percy put a hand on the horse, curling the hairs of his mane between his fingers. With slight difficulty, and refusing aid from an eager camper, he clambered onto Guido, who then stood up and looked at Axel, neighing happily. They were ready to fly.

—

Annabeth walked briskly along the streets, blatantly ignoring the looks the Romans were giving her. It wasn't a very busy day, but the street was still packed, and it worsened the already scorching heat of New Rome.

Or it seemed that way to her. Maybe she was just stressed.

A few strides later, she stopped and turned, pushing open a large metal gate. It led into a large courtyard. It was rectangular, with a sandy floor. There were some training posts in the corner, as well as a small wooden shed. Annabeth slowed her walk as she crossed the courtyard, heading to the front door of the house.

Resembling an old roman villa, this was one of the houses that had been built in New Rome right after the Giant War, meant as guest houses for anyone who wanted to visit. To a normal persons' eye, it would have looked pretty cool, but Annabeth couldn't help but notice the inaccuracies in the building. The improvements she could make. She started drawing maps, thinking of available resources…

'Um,' thought Annabeth as she walked in. 'I may actually be going crazy'

Inside, it was cool and refreshing, there air conditioning keeping the heat out. She walked into the living room, which had a modern design, with various white sofas around a low glass table. It was onto one of these sofas that her eyes were drawn towards.

He lay face down on a bundle of cushions, still dressed exactly the same as when they came in. Annabeth had decided to let him sleep, but enough was enough.

'Percy', she whispered as she shook his shoulder. 'Wake up.'

The son of Poseidon started awake, his muscles suddenly tense and his breathing fast. He scrambled up, his eyes open and alert and Riptide clenched in his hand. He relaxed when he saw Annabeth, who was looking at him with concern. He plopped back on the sofa, resting his elbows on his knees and breathing deeply.

'Annabeth… why are you here?'

She bit her lip, but she had been expecting something of the sort. 'Do you not want me to be?'

He didn't respond, just hung his head with his eyes closed. Then, he looked up at her. She stared into his eyes, which were just as beautiful as she remembered, but eyes eyes were helplessly drawn to the massive scar that ran down his face. 'The boy who fought at Manhattan with you is gone. I lost him somewhere down there.'

Annabeth flashed back to her conversation with Thalia. She had been right. They would help them either way. 'What if I choose not to believe that?'

'Then... then you may be looking for something that doesn't exist anymore.'

Annabeth narrowed her eyes and looked at the son of Poseidon. 'Your fatal flaw is still the same. As are your eyes. If that boy is really lost, it will be because you let him go. But he's still in there, and i'm not gonna let him fall. So stop talking.'

She pulled him up by his arm, and started to lead him around the sofa. They slowly limped down the corridor, finally stopping in front of the bathroom door. Percy had his arm around Annabeth's shoulders, and was still breathing heavy. They stepped in, and Annabeth let go of Percy to switch the lights on. She started filling up the tub and found a stool, but stopped when she saw Percy staring at her.

'Travis was right. You kinda smell like a caveman. A bath would do you some good.' She sat on her stool at the edge of the tub and gestured with her head. 'Come on.'

Percy walked shakily, his steps slow and steady, and managed to clamber into the tub, which was already half full. His hands gripping either side, he slowly lowered himself into the water, which was clean and transparent. He let out a sigh of relief, and Annabeth could see his whole body relax and shudder in pleasure. First contact with actual water in the last 10 years was bound to feel good.

As soon as he got in, she went to work. She started with his head, pouring buckets of water over it while he laughed. Then, she shampooed her hands and slid them into his hair. It was stringy and dry, and she had to be very careful not to pull it, but eventually it began to smooth out. She noticed Percy had closed his eyes, his face showing an expression of pure bliss. She grinned and kept going until it was clean, and the water was already darkening in colour.

When she pulled her hands out, he groaned slightly, but sat up obediently when he was told to. Annabeth grabbed a sponge that was nearby, and began working on his back. He had grown since he fell, and his back was much wider, with his muscles more defined under the sea of scars and dirt. His skin looked almost black, but as she scrubbed she saw how pale it really was. There must have not been a lot of light in Tartarus. The scars were white and thick, some long lines and other areas where there were so many that there wasn't any healthy tissue left to be seen. She worked around, cleaning his arms, chest (there was slight blushing involved). By the time she was done, the water was opaque, but Percy didn't look like he had been rolling around in mud anymore. His long hair was plastered over his forehead and his beard hung down with water, but he had a slight spark in his eyes that hadn't been there before.