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I'm Dead?!

"You're back!" Beckendorf exclaimed. "This is not good. This is not good…"

I looked at him funny. "What do you mean by, 'not good'?"

He looked at me with sorrow in his big brown eyes. Charles had helped me and Rachel climb down the rocks and we were now standing in the clearing with the Apollo cabin, and some of the Hephaestus cabin, staring wide-eyed at us.

I heard the conch shell horn sound in the distance. The camp would be getting battle-ready.

"Well, Annabeth's been…"

"Annabeth's been what?" I asked, panicking.

"Well-"

At that moment, Chiron galloped into the clearing with the rest of camp. "Percy!" He sounded really surprised, yet glad and… regretful?

I sighed. "Did you guys think that I died again?" I asked.

"Well…"

My eyes widened. "Please tell me that you didn't burn my shroud!"

"You've been gone a long time Percy," Beckendorf put in.

"How long?"

Chiron looked at me with a grim face. "Today is June the fifteenth, Percy. You have been gone a month."

My heart clenched and I heard Rachel swear, "My parents are so going to kill me."

Everyone's attention turned to Rachel. She took a step back.

"That's a mortal!" I heard Clarisse yell.

"Silence, child." Chiron chided. "Come to the Big House, Percy. There is much to discuss."

It was then that I realized something… "Chiron, where's Annabeth?"

Chiron looked at me, solemn and grave, "At the beach, but can't it wait a moment?"

"No," I said firmly. "We'll meet you at the Big House." I turned to Rachel, "Go with Chiron. I'll see you later."

She nodded, and I walked off, silently praying that Annabeth was all right.

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They told me that I was to find her at the beach. They were right. She was sitting on the soft sand with her back to me. Her arms were laced across her knees and her head rested upon them.

"Go away, Grover," she said.

My heart gave an involuntary shudder. She sounded terrible. Her voice was ragged and caught in her throat.

"It's not Grover, Annabeth."

The whole of her body stiffened and she slowly raised her head, unfolded her arms, and turned toward me.

"Percy…" She stood up and approached me, slowly, cautiously, like she wasn't sure whether I was real or not.

I observed sadly that her cheeks were flushed and that her eyes were red, like she had been crying a great deal for a long time.

She stepped up to me and placed her palm tenderly on my cheek. Her face suddenly turned angry, and she slapped me- and as I stood there, in shocked silence, she started sobbing and threw her arms around my neck.

I held her close to me. I was shaking from shock and horror as sobs racked the body of the girl I loved, of Annabeth.

"Where have you been?" She choked out, "I've been so," she shook with another sob, "worried." She started crying harder.

I held her closer to me and whispered, "I know, I know, but I'm back now. I'm back."

Back, I thought miserably, but how long will that last?

I ran my fingers through her honey-blond hair and kissed the top of her head. She looked up and our eyes met.

Gods, I had missed her so much… I kissed her on the lips, praying that she would stop crying. It pained me so, so, so much to see her this way. I squeezed my eyes shut to prevent tears from flowing.

They came anyway, as we stood there, embraced in silent gratitude. We were together again, at last.

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I looked out over the Long Island Sound, to the horizon, to see the sun slowly starting its descent from the peak of the blue sky, into the ever-restless waves of my father's kingdom. I slowly pulled myself away from Annabeth, tenderly.

"Where's Grover?" I asked, nay, whispered.

"Probably waiting for us at the Big House."

"Then we should go see him."

She nodded, and we set off, turning our backs on the ribbons of blood-red light that were painted across the sky, across Apollo's canvas.

They were waiting for us in the meeting room. All of the cabin heads (except for Annabeth), Chiron, Grover, Mr. D., and Rachel, who looked terribley uncomfortable under the scrutinizing glare of Clarisse.

Annabeth and I walked in, hand-in-hand, watched by the entire room, except for Dionysus, who looked bored. Our hands remained clasped in each other's grips as we seated ourselves beside each other. I felt happy. Grover was on my left, giving me a clap on the back and a, "It's to see ya, man!" and Annabeth, the girl of my dreams, was on my left.

Chiron cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. All eyes turned on him, curious, hungering for information.

"Well, Percy," Chiron started, "Miss Dare has told us the extent of your quest, but I would like to hear it from you, and know why and, in fact, how you returned to Daedalus' workshop." He folded his hands together on the table and looked at me with his warm one-thousand-year-old eyes.

I noticed that Annabeth looked confused and slightly hurt at the sight of Rachel but remained quiet as I retold my mission.

"I met Rachel in New York and asked her to take me into the Labyrinth," I started. I wasn't going to tell them why I went to the Labyrinth, except to find a weapon. I hadn't told Rachel my reasons either, so I was sure that they couldn't find out from her. "She agreed, but it took us about three days- by how we counted- to get there. We had to take detours and backtracks because a lot of the tunnels were caved in.

"We were lucky that Daeduls' workshop was still standing. We were on our way out when it started to cave in. We barely made it out…" I thought about the horrendous shaking that had knocked Rachel and I off of our feet and the dust that filled the air and had made it hard for us to breath… I realized everyone was staring at me, so I quickly finished my testament by saying, "It took what seemed like five days to get back here. Shame… I wanted to go back to the art studio and get my car. I've probably got a hundred tickets by now… What?" I asked when I realized that everyone but Rachel and Chiron were giving me funny looks again.

"You have a car," Clarisse asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. Paul pulled a few strings and I did a little mist manipulation, and I got an early driver's license.

"Percy," Chiron started again.

Uh-oh, I'm probably in trouble for the mist thing.

"Why did you go to the Labyrinth? You mentioned a weapon. What kind of a weapon, and did you find it?"

I took a deep breath. Chiron must have noticed my hesitation because his eyebrows furrowed even more, forming a V between his eyes, on the bridge of his nose.

"I can't say, but you have to trust me to do the right thing."

Chiron sighed, but adjourned the meeting, realizing that it would be a fruitless attempt to try and make me reveal anything further.

"You will have three days to rest, then you may continue on your quest," he assured me. Annabeth and Grover didn't seem to like the idea of me going off again, but they held their tongues… for now.

I waved bye to Rachel then walked to the door with Annabeth and Grover. It was good to be there, talking to them, as they gave my a recap of everything that had happened since my departure. It was strange, hearing of the attacks that I had expected to come. Luke had only given me a week to give him an answer. It had been a month, and the attacks had been brutal. We hadn't lost any half-bloods so far, but we had several in the sick room, recovering from battle wounds.

And it was all my fault.

I had to call Luke, and tell him to stop the attacks. I wondered if he knew that I hadn't come back from my quest, or if I had been on a quest at all. I doubted it.

So I showered and returned to my cabin, promising Annabeth and Grover to meet them at the beach after dinner.

I sat on my bed, debating weather to contact Luke before or after I meet Grover and Annabeth at the beach. I decided after. It was just after lunch and anyone walking by might hear the conversation.

So I reclined on my bed with my hands behind my head and tried not to think of anything. I thought only of getting to sleep. It didn't work, so I tried a different tactic.

I thought of Annabeth. Only of Annabeth. The way her swayed in the breeze… how her whole face lit up whenever she smiled… I thought only of the happy Annabeth, because it hurt me to think of Annabeth as hurt, sad or even angry.

So I recalled that night on the beach, the night before my quest… of our first kiss… of how she said goodbye to me on Half-blood Hill, in front of the whole camp, in front of the gods… she had kissed me so passionately that I thought for sure that Athena or Poseidon would show up on the spot and incinerate us both… but that didn't happen, and I soon found myself drifting off into the dreamless sleep that I had come to know on my quest, remembering the feel of her lips pressed against my own…

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"Do you really have to leave again," Annabeth asked, clutching my hand as we walked down the beach with Grover.

Her honey blonde hair was as beautiful as ever and shined in the dimming light of Apollo's chariot.

"Yeah," I said, not meeting her eyes. I couldn't bear to see the sadness in their gray depths.

"But, why," whined Grover.

"Because my quest isn't over," I said firmly. "I'm going to leave again and I'm not coming back until this war is over," – I was careful not to say 'until Kronos is dead' – "I may not come back at all." My voice lost its volume and faded away, leaving me mute.

Annabeth squeezed my hand harder, as if to keep me from leaving her again. I returned the gesture.

Gods, I prayed again, keep camp safe… especially Grover and Annabeth… especially Annabeth…

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"O goddess, accept my offering!"

I held the golden drachma high over my head, then tossed it into the new fountain that I had found in my cabin. It was exactly like the one I had destroyed last summer when I saw Nico with Minos.

"Luke Castellan, Mt. Tam," I took a shaky breath, steadying myself.

The scene unfolded in the mist before me, showing a small room. It was dimly lit with multiple candles and appeared to be a study and sleeping quarters.

There was small bed in the corner, laden with blankets and quilts and one large, fluffy pillow. Most of the room was dominated by a large, oak desk, strewn with papers and the majority of the candles in the room. And sitting at the desk was none other than Luke.

I couldn't see his face until he turned toward me, and when I did see it, I wished that I hadn't. It was ashen and gray and his skin hung to his bones tightly, like he was nutrient deprived.

Lucky for me, his attitude hadn't change.

"Well, well, well," he smirked. "It looks like our little hero finally decided that he couldn't take the pressure of knowing that the attacks on his precious little camp were all his fault. So what, pray tell, do I owe this honor?"

Yep, it was still the same, old, evil, sarcastic Luke that we all knew and hated.

"I'll take you up on your offer," I said, feinting confidence, "I'll join Lord Kronos' army."

Luke's smirk turned into a malicious grin that stretched from ear lobe to ear lobe. "Well, my master will be glad to hear it. When can we expect you?"

"I'm leaving camp the day after tomorrow."

"Well, we'll send someone to pick you up in New York."

I nodded. "At the art museum at 77th and 3rd."

"See you then."

He waved his hand through the mist, but I didn't fail to notice the steely glint in his eye.

I was in for trouble.