The hum of the engine was always present as a soft, monotonous purr. No one ever noticed the faint ring it brought to their ears, it was a sense they all grew into like the scent of their section. It was so regular, so normal and insignificant that it wasn't even the least bit noticeable.

Annabeth always noticed it. She would daze off in her classes, especially the language class she was in right now, just listening to its sweet, comforting sound. The sound was her best friend, it followed her everywhere and always moved through her. It was the most dependable thing she knew.

Mr. Berkley, her language teacher, was droning on about all the dead languages they had to learn about it. He was the most boring teacher and taught the most boring class. His hair mimicked the whiskers of a just born kit and his monochrome suit blended in with the tiresome walls. His deep voice only seemed to whisper the word sleep. On top of all that he taught the only class not actually required in the curriculum, but required by the school- dead languages.

Annabeth understood why the school wanted to teach dead languages, it was insightful to the development of the language they spoke now, but she didn't understand why it was necessary. Honestly, they could just have it as an elective. Though no one would take it, she supposed.

"Annabeth, will you please answer my question?" Mr. Berkley asked with an eyebrow raised, knowing exactly what he was doing.

She hated him. She hated him so much.

Annabeth put on a ginger smile, her lips pressed tight together in pure annoyance.

"I'm sorry, may you repeat it?" Her voice was cleverly polite with a fortunate touch of innocence as if she really had been paying attention and not daydreaming.

Mr. Berkley narrowed his eyes and proceeded to clear his throat.

"I suppose so, Miss Chase. The question I proposed was, 'How did the syncretism of French and English lead to the development of Euragen?'" He looked at her, arms crossed over his stocky chest, toe tapping as he waited.

Annabeth racked her brain, but nothing came to. The class began to murmur, a buzz of voices going back and forth from friend to friend. They, like her, were terribly tired of this class. They jumped like scavengers at any time to communicate with another.

"Settle down children and let Miss Chase answer the question." He said as the buzz became a dull roar and his voice became sly with a sick satisfaction of knowing he beat his student. Annabeth struggled to keep her eyes from rolling.

In a sugary voice she answered the question, "I'm so terribly sorry, Mr. Berkley, but you have to see that I do not care about this class in any fiber of my being. You teach dead languages, sir, and I can see why- you are almost dead yourself, might as well make yourself feel more at home. Am I correct? Sir?" She feigned innocence with a tilt of her head and a snake's glint in her eye.

The teacher's face bloomed the red of a ripe tomato. Mr. Berkley was normally calm and a quiet man, but people like Annabeth Chase knew just what buttons to push to cause an explosion.

"Get out of my classroom right now and go to your section!" He barked, saliva streaming from his lips onto the metallic desk.

Annabeth looked at the droplets in exaggerated disgust.

"Trust me, I was already on my way."

She heard a chuckle behind her, deep and low with just a hint of sultry. She bit back the grin that started to creep its way on her face. She stood in the middle of the hallway with its plush carpet flooring, the handle of her gray tote beginning to dig into the crevice of her shoulder. She remembered when he got her the canvas bag for her birthday. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"What did you do this time, Wise Girl?" She heard his smirk in every word he spoke. He was contagious.

"Told off Mr. Berkley. Finally." She turned around to face him.

"Yes, finally."

They grinned at each other, big and brilliant. Their faces glowed with an ethereal happiness.

She jumped into his arm, his arms wrapping around her small frame. He held her to him as if she'd float away far out of reach if he were to let go.

"I can't believe you're back. It feels like it's been so long." She said, nearly crying. Okay, crying, but Annabeth would never admit that to anyone. She was just so, so ecstatic to finally see Percy again. He'd been gone for three months this time. That was six weeks longer than last time and she just didn't want to see him go anymore. She breathed in his scent. He smelled like home.

"Oh my gods I missed you." And then she finally broke. She'd been so worried about him and that he wouldn't come back. She'd been so worried when he told her he'd be gone for three months. She'd been just so worried.

He squeezed her tighter as her sobs came harder.

"Hey, hey, hey. Annabeth it's okay. I'm right here. Right now, I'm here." He told her in a soothing tone.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She said backing up to look at him. She wiped the tears out of her vision and put on a shaky smile. "I know this must be hard on you too."

They stood there for a silent moment.

"Come on inside." Percy's voice was soft and he took her by the hand into his apartment.

They settled into the lumpy couch. Annabeth nestled into him, drinking in his essence. She didn't know how long he'd be here until they called him back to Earth.

She remembered when things were normal. Well at least more normal than living on a spaceship. She remembered that day over a year ago when her and Percy sat in the dying field and she showed him the book with stars. That was a lifetime ago. Everything changed since then.

She sighed, longing for the days when everything seemed perfect. When Percy brought her the stars.

"What are you thinking about?" Percy hummed a tune similar to the engine. His fingers played idly in her hair.

She looked up at him through strands of blonde.

"Do you remember when I found that book? With the stars in it? And you… you brought them to me. You gave me the stars and you kissed me. I just knew how much you loved me then. I knew how much I loved you." Her voice began to grow watery. The past year had been so hard. Hard on everyone.

"How could I forget? You loved that book more than anything. You thought they were so beautiful." He chuckled a little, trying to lighten the mood.

"Do you remember when they evacuated everyone? They had this plan for years and didn't tell anyone." Her voice was haunted.

"Every minute I'm on Earth I remember." Something inside him hardened, Annabeth all too aware of it.

"Has there been any improvements? When's the next time you'll be called down?" Annabeth asked, anxiety trickling into her voice.

Percy, her Percy was right here with her. And she knew better than anyone that he could be taken away at any moment. The mere seconds with him were more precious than anything the universe could birth.

Percy sighed, barely audible, so Annabeth knew he was trying to contain it. Gods, she thought, he looked so tired. Annabeth had never seen such deep lines etched into his tan skin. It didn't surprise her, though. She had researched as much as she could about the expeditions being sent back to Earth and it wasn't a walk in a meadow. Hard physical labor was need and even greater mental tenacity… seeing the way Earth was left barren, a hopeless desert which had once been such a magnificent and deep sea.

And then there was the longing to go back. Nostalgia and heartbreak teased the heartstrings of many, making the longing for the now gone, familiar home unbearable.

Annabeth foolishly wished for the days when stars of glass hung from her ceiling and the most gentlest of kisses fluttered on her lips, bestowing on her the gift of love.

Though… sometimes she thought that same love might be a curse.

Percy interrupted her spew of thoughts in response to her question.

"No," He said with a small shake of his head, looking every bit as devastated as he should have been.

"You didn't answer my second question." She said after a beat; her voice was the ghost of a whisper, treading in deep, deep water, but too fatigued to keep upright.

"That's because I don't want to." Percy's voice mirrored the same trepidation.

For a moment, a long eternal moment that held infinite other moments, silence passed.

"The draft isn't fair." Annabeth was fiddling with the hem of Percy's shirt not daring to look at his face. If she so much as glanced at the withered and drought painted on the landscape that was his skin, then she was certain she'd break and spill things meant to be contained. At least for now.

Percy huffed a laugh riddled with a peculiar despair.

"Someone has to clean up after their mistakes. Luckily no accidents have happened in a while. The new improvements of the suits have kept everyone safe from the radiation."

"There shouldn't even be that risk. You should have a choice."

For the second time that day, Percy sighed, only this time he didn't try to conceal it.

"You know I'll always come back, right? We'll always be together." Percy said, his voice more assured than it was mere moments ago.

Annabeth wanted to first respond that he couldn't make such reckless promises without much support backing them, but then she remembered.

She remembered the bliss of a life lost in the twists of time.

"Yes. You brought me the stars." It was enough confirmation for Percy and he bent his head down to press a kiss to Annabeth's lips.

She savored the moment, knowing that kissing Percy with such slow tentativeness was a luxury. Her and Percy did not have all the time they needed or wanted. They didn't have the endless hours to express only a fraction of their love for each other. But that kiss sure felt like it.

Together, they had gone through it all.

They had discovered the stars and they let them burn bright.