AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! Thanks for all the encouragement They really helped me do this chapter, and make it a little longer than my latest ones. It is also a little happier than the other ones, cuz I thought that the story was a little TOO depressing, even for me! :D But yeah thank you all so much for ALL the reviews and favorites and alerts you guys have provided me with. And I am so blessed for having awesome people like you reading it! Oh and thank you for letting me finally reach 20,000 views! AHHHHH! So yeah I hope you guys enjoy and remember to review any suggestions or constructive criticism or just PM me to talk!

Shout Outs:

First of all, I would like to give a HUGE shout out to .Purple, for giving me some plots for the ending of my story, and always encouraging me to keep going. To .Purple: You are soooo awesome and I thank you so much for always encouraging me, and you are one of the couple of people who keep me updating and writing. Thanks!

Sophia Child of Wisdom: Way ahead of you! Lol I was planning something like that with Jason… thanks for the suggestion though :D

3wisegirl: Sure, but this chapter would explain better. If you still don't understand please let me know and I'll clear it up for you. Sorry it was unclear.

XxbethamphetaminexX: Lolol ur review made me crack up.

Other shout outs to:

Percabeth Luver,rhodders12, Atlanta Hemera Kane, Guest, Cathy, Guest, alyaJackson, zebra10126, ElmoDaHorse, and Epicpandaz

Happy Reading! And remember to review!

Percy POV

In and out, Annabeth's chest slowly moved up and down as she slept. I grinned at the road, my hands on opposite sides of the steering wheel. We had made good time; we are already in New York, the roads completely deserted. The big lights were still flashing on and off, trying to trick tourist to come in and spend the night. That was really tempting, but I screamed at myself to keep moving, keep my eyes open.

I tried to keep thinking to keep myself awake. I thought about what Annabeth said for a moment.

It's not just you that he's hurt.

She was right. I spent all my time thinking of how much I hated Jason, it blinded me. Annabeth hid everything so well, from her emotions, to even her smile, which is something I don't think I've seen in a month. I didn't think how personal everything Jason did must have hurt her, maybe even more than me.

She had the right to fight me yesterday like that. I admitted, groaning out loud, then covering my mouth quickly, afraid I had woken her. But she was still sleeping, her even breathing so comforting. It was like a lullaby of its own.

I tightened my grip around the handle, feeling my mind wander around certain thoughts. I couldn't let her know what I was actually planning to do. She didn't know the real reason I didn't want her to come.

I want to kill him. I want for him to suffer as I did, every day of my life knowing that my own brother hates me for being so selfish. I want for him to look at me live my life without him. I want to live in a life that I have no regrets, and no one there to remind me of any of them ever again. And every time into my brother's eyes, all those emotions surge into me all at once, leaving me suffering all over again.

That wanting was hidden for so long, ever since Mason had closed his eyes and never opened them again. But I couldn't show it, not with Annabeth here. I wouldn't ever want her to see that side of me for as long as I live. I'm afraid she won't understand, that she wouldn't except me anymore. It's shallow. And selfish. But I was done being selfless. It feels like I have been holding up the sky-for everyone, putting a smile on my face, acting like nothing was killing me from the inside out-all these years, and now I have to let it fall, and where the pieces fall, I will go. Because I am done being Atlas.

My mind drifted from one thought to another, before I realized what I had hit. It was a deer, but it wasn't a normal one. It had to be the biggest I've ever seen. The loud impact of the crash woke a grumbling Annabeth. She rubbed her eyes quickly, getting rid of the smoke surrounding both of us.

"What's going on?" She asked groggily, in the middle of a yawn.

I scowled, slamming the car door while I got out and saw the creature. I didn't even see it before, even if it were taller than me standing up. "Shit." I cussed under my breath, opening the hood of the car. It's antlers were buried and tangled in the machine, damaging too much to be fixed.

Annabeth had followed me, her eyes fully alert now. "What the hell happened?" She demanded.

I rolled my eyes. I loved her to death, but she couldn't go all drama queen on me now. "I hit it." I stated back, my tone fiercer than it needed to be.

Scoffing, she rested both her hands on her hips. "So what are we supposed to do now? We just made it to Pennsylvania and now we don't have a car anymore. All our supplies are here and who knows how long the next city is from here?" She scolded at me, her nose wrinkling. It took all I had not to laugh. She sounded like my Mother.

"Are you actually amused by this?!" She asked, bewildered. "We are stuck out here in the middle of no where and you are just standing there smirking at m-"

"Shut up." I told her before smashing my lips onto hers. I was afraid that she would resist, but she just melted into my arms, her little hands resting on my chest. I didn't care where I was anymore or what was going to happen to me. As long as I had her, I was okay. I was home.

She pulled away, smacking me lightly across the face, blushing heavily, even in the dark. I put on one of my goofy smiles and she couldn't help letting out a little giggle. I smiled while putting a finger up, signaling her to wait, I ran back into the car and grabbed the map. I had actually made her smile!

Opening the map, I tried to locate where we were. I'd use my phone but I was trying to save it's battery as much as I could. We kept Annabeth's off, just in case we needed that one for back-up. We had just made it to the border, and the closest city to here was Bradford.

"We have like a mile to the next city." I told her, before she started hiking down the highway. I ran up to her, yanking one of her arms back.

"What?" She asked, annoyed. I couldn't believe how beautiful she was, even after all this time. I'm still stunned by her beauty every time. Those gorgeous eyes looked up from her long dark lashes, framing her fragile face perfectly.

"Are you going to stand there with your mouth open or are you going to say something." Annabeth joked, her smoky eyes gleaming in the dark.

Taking one of her hands, I twirled her into me, so that her back was facing my front. She looked up at me, both her eyebrows raised. "You said it yourself. We are alone. I say we start actually acting like a couple." I winked at her.

She looked longingly at the road ahead and then looked back at me. "Okay." She agreed, "But we aren't going to be the kind of couple that kisses every three seconds, are we?"

I waggled my eyebrows. "Only if you want to be." I whispered in her ear.

Feeling her shiver for a moment, she pushed my stomach, making me stumble back a bit. "Oh, please. Don't start again." She begged, sticking out her tongue.

I rolled my eyes walking toward the car, picking up some cans of food with a couple of matches, and our sleeping bags. "Don't pretend you don't miss me being my cocky self." I taunted.

Dropping the stuff into a clear area, I came up behind her and embraced her tightly, feeling her try to squirm out of my hands. "Plus, I remember how sexy you thought I was." I replied smugly, trying to get her to recall the memories. I knew she did cause I could see her face redden, and she squirmed against my chest.

"Well?" I asked her after a while of letting her think.

Putting a thoughtful look on her face, she tugged sharply out of my hug with a little smirk on her face.

"Honey, I'd rather kiss that tree over there."

Annabeth POV

I watched his face turn from an embarrassed red, into a down right guffaw. Percy was on the ground, rolling around in the dirt laughing. I smiled, taking his laughter into my memory. It was something I didn't hear often.

Opening the cans of food, I fumbled with my hands trying to get the match to start. I couldn't seem to do it. Not with every thing that has happened. Luckily, Percy came rushing over and started it quickly for me, giving me a disappointed look.

"Why didn't you ask me to do this for you?"

I smiled. "Cause," I began, "You were over there rolling around on the floor." And with that statement, he erupted into laughter all over again. Percy could be such a kid sometimes.

"Food's ready." I told him, and he stopped all traces of humor immediately, snatching the can out of my hand and started eating like a pig. Looking at over at him with disgusted while he shrugged. "A guy's gotta eat."

I also finished my food in a hurry, just realizing how starved I was. I took every bite carefully, trying to savor it. I didn't know what I really had at home until it was gone. We sat next to each other in the crackling fire, watching the flames dance around.

"Percy?" I asked quietly, my voice faltering

"Yeah?"

"...do you think we are going to be alright?" I asked him, tears starting to gather in my eyes. It hit me, just sitting there with him. I don't have a home anymore to look forward to. I don't have a family to be wanting to go back to. I don't have anything anymore.

Percy seemed to read my mind. "I don't know, " He answered truthfully. "But there is one thing I do know."

"What?" I asked him, looking up into those smoldering, emerald eyes, the fire only adding to the intensity of the moment.

"That no matter what, we have each other. And I don't know about you, but...that's all I need."

I let a tear slide down my cheek, and he wiped it away, planting a kiss on my forehead. "I love you."

I chuckled breathlessly. "I love you too." I told him, before falling into the darkness surrounding me, praying that I would awake to another day, and finding a place that I could once again call, home.

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