I follow Chiron to Cabin Three. It's extremely late, way past curfew, but the harpies avoid Chiron as we walk.

Chiron raps his knuckles on the door, not loud enough to wake anyone up, but moments later the door opens.

"Chiron? Is everything okay?" Percy asks, his voice raspy and low. I see Chiron glance down at me out of his peripheral vision, but I can't rip my gaze from Percy.

"Perseus… We need to talk." Chiron sighs. Percy shrugs and opens the door wider, but Chiron shakes his head, "Not here."

"What's going on?" Percy looks at him skeptically.

"Come with me." Chiron says sternly, turning and walking back towards the Big House.

"What are you doing?" I ask him. Chiron looks at me and raises his eyebrows in silent reply.

I walk right next to Percy, so close that if I could, I would be bumping shoulders with him, but he doesn't acknowledge me. He walks right through me to get through the door to the Big House, and shivers slightly.

"Chiron!" I whisper.

"Percy," Chiron turns to him, "Did you just get a chill?"

Percy shrugs again, "It's cold at night."

Chiron frowns, and looks at me, communicating silently.

"What are you looking at?" Percy asks, slight annoyance in his voice. I suddenly feel bad for interrupting his sleep.

Chiron clears his throat, ignoring Percy's question. "We need to talk to you?"

Percy raises a dark eyebrow, "We?"

"I! I need to talk to you." The centaur stumbles, clearly worried.

"About what?" Percy asks, his shoulders sagging.

Chiron takes a deep breath, worried to say it. But he does say it. It, being my name. "Annabeth."

Immediately, Percy goes stiff. His eyes go unfocused and his breathing goes uneven. He looks like he's either about to explode or crumple. He does the latter, covering his face in his hands and making a pained sound in the back of his throat. I reach out and place my hand on his shoulder gently.

"Percy?" Chiron whispers, "She loves you."

Percy shakes his head, still cradled in his hands, unable to form words.

"I do love you. So much." I breathe.

Percy looks up at Chiron with an angry expression, "It's too soon. Why would you even…?"

"She's not gone." Chiron says slowly, carefully. Wading instead of diving.

"Yes! She is! I saw her body, Chiron, I was there when… when she…" his throat closes up. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold him tightly. He doesn't react.

"She's dead," Chiron agrees, earning a sob from the boy in my arms. "But she isn't gone."

"If you're going to tell me that her memory will live on, or some absolute crap like that, then save your breath. I'm going back to my cabin." He stands, fists clenched. Before he can reach the door, I lunge out and grab his wrist. He stops and looks back over his shoulder, eyes wide. He doesn't look straight at me, but at some point above my head.

"Percy…" Chiron's eyes move from him to me, "Why did you stop?"

"I…" Percy shakes his head, his unruly hair going in every direction, "I don't know."

"I wasn't going to say her memory will live on. Or some absolute crap like that."

"What then?" Percy's expression hardens again. I'm worried that his face will always look like this now, strained and hurt. The thought tugs at my heart.

"She's here," Chiron whispers, barely audible.

But Percy heard him. His eyes dart around the room, trying to find me, as if I was standing behind the curtains the whole time. His eyes look straight through me, and then move on. "What do you mean?" He asks.

"She chose to come back," Chiron explains quietly, "Instead of Elysium."

"She could have gotten Elysium?" Percy nearly shouts, "And she came back here? Dammit! Why would she do that?"

"For you," I yell back at him, tears in my eyes.

"For you." Chiron tells him for me. Percy's muscles relax a bit.

"Is she here? In this room?" he asks, his voice so much quieter now.

Chiron grimaces, "She's standing right in front of you."

His eyes look down, right into mine, but I can tell by his expression that he can't see me. I reach up and cup his face in my hand.

"She's touching your cheek," Chiron whispers.

Percy's own hand comes up and touches mine, passes right through it, and our hands are in the exact same place for a moment before he drops his. "Why did you have to leave me?" he asks quietly, addressing me for the first time since I died. His eyes are red and watering.

"I didn't want to," I drop my hand as well, studying his face.

"She didn't want to," Chiron repeats for Percy to hear. He says everything I tell Percy that he can't hear, "She didn't have a choice. She says it wasn't your fault, and that if you blame yourself, she'll find a way to kick your butt."

Percy laughs through his tears, "Gods, I miss you. I miss you so much."

"She misses you too," Chiron fills in for me, "And… she loves you more than you know."

"I love you so much, Wise Girl." His eyes leave mine and trail to the ground. Then he turns to look at Chiron. "Is there any way to get her back?"

"She's… dead, Percy." Chiron reminds him softly.

"I know. But can I see her? If you can see her and hear her, why can't I?" he demands.

"I'm immortal. I can see spirits." The elder explains.

"Can you touch her? Can you hug her for me?" his eyebrows pull together.

Chiron shakes his head, "She's not solid. It's impossible for her interact with us physically."

"Tell him what you told me! I touched you!" I scream at Chiron, "Don't lie about this! It's too important."

But he doesn't say anything else to Percy.

"I thought I saw something in my cabin a few hours ago," Percy says quietly, unaware of my screaming. "I thought I saw her eyes."

"Her eyes?" Chiron asks, ignoring me as I pound against him, most of my hits not making contact. A few times he twitches, but I'm not sure if I'm the cause.

"They were there for only a second." Percy mutters. I stop thrashing and look over at him. "I thought I was going crazy."

"You're not!" I cry, "I was there!"

"She… was there." Chiron looks at me with an expression I can't decipher.

Percy looks back to where I am, although his gaze is about three inches to the left. I position myself so that he's looking right at me. "We always wanted to be alone in a cabin together," he smirks, "The circumstances suck… but…"

"I need to touch Percy Jackson!" I tell myself loudly, "I need it!" I reach out and place a hand on his chest. He flinches away, itching at the spot where my fingers brushed.

"Did you feel that?" Chiron asks quietly.

"Was that her?" Percy asks quietly.

"Contact is impossible," Chiron repeats.

"Was that her?" Percy asks with a bit more force.

Chiron sighs, "Yes."

Percy looks at me, and then back at Chiron, "You lied."

Chiron shakes his head, "It is impossible. The fact that she has such a strong presence here… it's like she's not even fully dead."

"My body is a pile of ashes," I snap at Chiron.

"I know!" Chiron glares at me.

"I'm all the way dead."

"I was at the funeral. I know."

"So what does it mean that my presence is strong?" I throw my hands in the air, annoyed. Percy stands in awe, hearing only half of the conversation.

Chiron closes his eyes in concentration for a moment, and then looks over at Percy. "Annabeth, you're not all the way dead," he says to me, although his eyes are on Percy.

"Yes. I am." I spit.

"No. There are many parts of the spirit."

"What are you talking about?" Percy and I both ask.

"A human soul is created of three things. Personality, determination, and motivation." Chiron says.

"Aren't the last two the same?" Percy asks.

"Oh, no. Someone can be determined to do something great, but without motivation, it would never get done. Annabeth has a strong personality, an even stronger determination, and the strongest motivation I've ever seen; one that brought her back from the Underworld."

It's silent for a few moments before Percy whispers, "Me."

"Oh gods," I mutter, "Percy, don't be angry with yourself."

"It was me!" Percy explodes, "I kept her from Elysium? Gods, Annabeth, you should have stayed in Elysium and waited for me! What you did was idiotic! You should've never come back!"

His voice rings around the room as it dies into silence. Tears spring to my eyes, and I sink to the ground, hugging myself. He doesn't want me here. He doesn't. It's quiet between the two living as I try and control my out-of-control heart that is threatening to burst.

"Is she yelling at me?" Percy asks quietly after a few minutes.

Chiron shakes his head slowly, "She's crying."

Percy's eyes close and he grimaces, "I am so sorry."

"Don't apologize when you have nothing else to lose," I whisper, even though Chiron is the only one to hear. He lowers his head.

"Chiron… I want to go back to my cabin." Percy whispers. I immediately stand and wipe my eyes, summoning whatever strength I have left.

"I'm going with him," I tell Chiron.

The centaur nods sadly, "Annabeth is going to come with you."

Percy half-smiles, although he looks far from happy, "Alright."

We exit the Big House together, and Chiron walks us back to Cabin Three so that the harpies won't eat us. When we're safely inside, Percy sits on his bed and pulls his knees to his chest, staring straight ahead. I can practically see the thoughts running through his mind as he sits in silence.

Then he opens his mouth and everything spills out , "I know you said not to blame myself, but I could've stopped it. I could've stopped everything, and now that you can't talk back, you're going to have to listen to me. You made me leave you alone, just because of a stupid cut on my neck that healed in less than six hours. You made me. But I let you make me. I knew that it would hurt your confidence if I stayed, and I planned on coming back right after the kids got to their cabins, but I was too late. If I ran faster, or would have just stayed by your side, I wouldn't have to be talking to a wall hoping you're listening, I would know. Because you'd be here, and I'd be holding you, and you'd kiss me, and I would absolutely love my life. But you're not here, or maybe you are, but only halfway, and I don't want half of you, Annabeth, I want all of you. I want you back more than anything. I can't live without you, and if that's my only option than I won't live without you, I'll die with you. I'll demand to become a ghost with you. As long as it's with you."

I shake my head at him, not even bothering to reply. I know that if I open my mouth right now, I'll begin bawling, so I keep it zipped shut and just listen to his breathing as he catches his breath.

He laughs sharply, "It's so weird, not even knowing where you are. Are you in my cabin with me still?" He pauses, "You can't answer. Right."

I swallow the lump in my throat, "I need you, Percy." I lean in close and brush my lips against his, not feeling anything.

When I pull away, his fingers are on his lips, and his eyebrows are pulled together. "I can't even tell if I imagined that," he whispers.

"You didn't." I tell him gently, calmly.

"Did you kiss me? Because it's really weird if you're all over me, and I don't even know it," he smiles lightly, which makes me smile too.

My first real, genuine smile as a dead girl.

((A/N Let me know what you guys think of the story line. I'm pretty sure I know where it's going to go, but sometimes you never know :) R&R))