Disclaimer: You all know I don't own anything. The rights to PJO and HOO go to Rick Riordan, not me. I know it's sad isn't it?

Somehow Percy had moved on the hospital bed so that both of them were laying on their backs and Annabeth and Percy's shoulders kept brushing. "Then I got a letter from my mom saying that she had gotten rid of Gabe and asking if I was going to come home." Percy took a deep breath, not wanting to tell her what happened next. "Well to clear my head and help me decide I went to go sword practice a little." He paused and looked at her warily.

She nodded encouragingly. "Don't worry, after everything you've dropped on me today I doubt what happens next will shock me."

Annabeth had broken her no interrupting rule in the first 5 minutes. The moment he had talked about his fight with the minotaur she had straightened and asked tons of questions. When she found out he was a son of Poseidon she exclaimed, "I'm best friends with a son of Poseidon? How has my mother not killed me yet?"

Throughout everyrthing she had gasped, laughed, called him stupid, blushed, said everything he did was stupid, and apologise. When she had found out how she had acted towards Percy she had winced and furrowed her eyebrows. "Sorry." she had said quietly. He had said it was nothing, but she still looked like she was feeling guilty. When they had gotten to when the were in the truck with the animals and the turnips after their chat with Ares Percy got to the part about her dad. Annabeth had tensed and gone completely silent. Her eyes had narrowed to slits and she clutched the bedsheets in her fists.

Percy cleared his throat.

"Well... Luke was there. I found him in the arena already practicing on some of the straw dummies." Percy tried to ignore the contraction his heart made when he saw Annabeth smile widely at the mention of Luke. "He had a new sword. Half mortal steel, half celestial bronze." He shook his head and laughed bitterly. "I can still remember exactly what he said to me. He said it was a new toy." Percy closed his eyes, remembering how many of his friends had died from that blade piercing them. "A toy. He called it Backbiter. It worked on both mortals and immortals."

"Why would Luke-?" Annabeth trailed off as her eyes widened and her mouth opened in appalment. "No." she whispered, "Not Luke."

Her eyes were filling with tears; she tried to blink them away but they were overwhelming her. Percy turned and lifted his hand to wipe them away but Annabeth jerked away from him. Percy's eyes filled with hurt, but he let his hand fall to his side again. Annabeth saw the hurt in her eyes and that made her feel angry and guilty. More tears came.

"Is Luke dead?" she asked. Her voice was hard but surprisingly calm. Her hands were shaking.

"Annabeth-" Percy said.

"Is. Luke. Dead?" she almost hissed the words out at him.

He sighed and closed his eyes, bracing for the words he thought would come after his response. "Yes." he whispered.

He heard her give a small cry and squeezed his eyes shut tighter. Trying to block out everything.

After a few moments he heard her voice. It was small and shaky, but he heard the words like she had shouted them at her. "Who killed him?"

Percy shook his head, refusing to answer. Annabeth didn't know what had happened. She didn't know that Luke had turned into Kronos, or that he had stabbed himself with her knife. He couldn't tell her Luke made the right choice. It would only confuse her more.

"Percy, who killed Luke?" Now Annabeth's voice was hard and grim.

He shook his head again. His lips were white from the effort of keeping them so tightly closed. His eyes were still closed.

"Tell me. Tell me who killed my best friend." Annabeth said. Her voice caught at the end, and she saw Percy wince when she called Luke her best friend.

His eyes opened and they were full of despair. "Please don't make me tell you that." Annabeth found herself getting lost in the green of his eyes.

"Percy. I need to know."

He sighed. A horrible suspicion started to grip Annabeth. Percy couldn't have been the one...

"It was me. I killed him. OK?" his eyes met her, afraid of her reaction.

Annabeth's hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened again. "No. No you couldn't have killed him."

His eyes were suddenly hard. "Why not? You don't think I could take him?"

Annabeth shook her head. "That, and... how could I have ever stayed friends with you if you killed him?"

Percy stood up. "Look Annabeth, Luke was evil. He was working for the Titan King. He tried to kill us, you, so many times that-"

"No!" Annabeth said loudly. "No Luke would never try to kill me! Just because he was working for Kronos doesn't mean we couldn't have gotten hom back on our side!" her eyes hardened with pain and anger. "I bet you never even blinked when he told you he was on the bad side. I bet you never even gave him the benefit of doubt, or tried to convince him otherwise. You probably just pulled out your sword and tried to- tried to kill him."

Percy shook his head, angry now. "He was my friend too! And what about all of the times he tried to kill me, huh? I'm not sorry for fighting him when he tried to kill me in the first place."

Annabeth closed her eyes. "I may not remember you, or what happened with us, but I do know Luke. I remember Luke. He was nice. And caring. He and Thalia took me in when I had no one else to help me. They loved me like I was their little sister. We were a family. The Luke you're describing isn't the Luke that I knew."

"He changed." Percy was standing with his hands in fists by the curtain and his voice was angry and disbelieving. "Gods, I can't believe we're going through this again. He was a traitor. He tried to kill you and your friends."

Annabeth shook her head. "I don't remember that! I don't know anything about that! Until I hear it from someone I know and trust I just can't believe that Luke would do that." Her eyes were tearing up again. "You killed him."

Then Percy snapped. "I'm not the only one who killed him. You killed him too you know! It wasn't just me! Luke killed himself too! Even Grover helped." Percy turned to rip the curtain away. "You helped to kill him. And if you don't trust me then go ask Chiron. Or Thalia." He paused remembering that Annabeth didn't know Thalia was alive again. "Who, by the way, is alive and really wants to see you." Percy shook his head bitterly. "Maybe you'll believe them when they tell you what happened. Because it sure as hell doesn't look like you believe me.

That was as much as Percy's heart could bear. He ripped the curtain away and stormed out of the hospital. Leaving the bag of clothes, the open mouthed and questioning doctors and nurses, and leaving a stunned Annabeth, all behind.

And Percy didn't see it but as he was leaving Annabeth wiped her face to get rid of her tears. When she felt the cool metal of the beautiful ring on her left finger she looked at it for a couple of moments and then ripped it off of her finger and slammed it down on a wooden chest of drawers next to her bed. Later, as came in to ask how she was and if she was doing OK, she tried to ignore the ring on the table that seemed like it was just there to remind her of her heart; which had felt like it was painfully breaking ever since Percy had left.

oooOOOooo

Alright so I'm very sorry for the long delay in updating. I've been at my friends houses for the last couple of weekends and last weekend there was this party and a dance soo... ya. Again I'm sorry and I hope that none of you want to kill me. Anyways new chapter! I don't really like this chapter but every time I try to change it, it gets worse so we're all stuck with it.

It's also Valentine's Day tomorrow! Yay! It's not that great for all of us single pringles out there (me included... for now) but whatever it's an excuse to get candy! I have this story that I'm gonna post tomorrow about how our favorite PJO and HOO couples got together. It could be multiple chapters or a long story so tell me what you want! Also any couple suggestions are great but don't mention Percebeth. I'm using them as a sort of finale.

Anyways sorry for this long authors note. I just had a lot to say. Thanks to everyone who's following, favouriting and reviewing. You are all amazing.

Love you always!

Percyjacksonfan3