A/N: Hey there, guys! I know I said I was going to update last week but I just enjoyed celebrating my birthday with my family and friends. And also, I will be updating faster now. Not once, but twice a month. I got my tablet last week so I can write anytime I want without having to go to the internet cafe.
For those who wished me a happy birthday, I will be thanking you guys one by one. But all in all, thanks so much guys. Having you read my stories and provide me with your feedbacks - that's the best present an author could ask for.
PLEASE READ: One more thing, I don't know if you have read The House of Hades [that book was just plain awesome. I'm not gonna say why, but for those who have read it, I know you guys understand why. By far my favorite book of the series] but Reyna's real full name was revealed so I'm doing some corrections, but don't worry I'm not just gonna change it without any reason. There's gonna be a story behind it. A preview in this chapter is provided but soon, her entire back story will be told. :D
Suneater:When I started writing in Reyna's POV, I was kind of hesitant. She wasn't so laid out in the book, which was both a good and a bad thing. I didn't have any pattern to follow when writing her so I got to write my own story of her to better understand why she is the way she is. I'm not sure if I'm doing her character justice but I want to keep the Reyna we know in the book in the Reyna we know here. Anyway, it's nice to know someone appreciates it. Thanks! :D
August1999:Well, we just have to wait for that, don't we? *grins*
ProdigiXvX:And know that your review is very much appreciated. As for your other request, I'm not sure yet. Right now I'm focusing on the core characters but I'm not setting the possibility of writing a chapter from someone else's POV aside. Who knows? We might need it soon. :D
panda-l0ver728: I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. I hate disappointing my readers. And thanks so much for appreciating what little talent I have. :D
CimFan:I would've slept in front of the bookstore if I didn't have to report to work. Have you finished reading it? I was left speechless. . .
Jadewish:Those were great ideas and I will consider them but right now, I'm merely the writer, the core characters are the ones writing the story so it's up to them if that's gonna happen. (I'm not sure if I'm making any sense), but let's just wait and see. Anyway, thank you for providing me with your very useful feedback and also for the greeting. Thanks! :D
Jay:Thank you. Really. Thanks, so much. :D
DON'T JUST READ, LEAVE A REVIEW!
NEVER LET ME GO
Chapter 17: I'LL STAND BY YOU
ANNABETH
"How long are you going to stay here Annabeth? Noah asked.
I looked over at him as he sat on his bed with his blanket draped across his lap. He was propped against the headboard, hugging Annabeth the dolphin tightly, which Sally took from their apartment. Percy had piled pillows behind him to make sure that he would be comfortable. He was not in the room. He was somewhere in the hospital, speaking with Reyna. I didn't need a superbrain to figure out that they were talking about how my arrival would be affecting their relationship.
"Why, sick of me already?" I joked.
Noah shook his head vigorously. "The opposite, actually'" he said.
"Well," I said, rearranging the blanket so it covered half of his body. He gave me a small smile as he snuggled under. "I have no plans of going yet and I've told you; I will be here so often you'll soon get sick of me."
Noah giggled. He was doing a bit better after he had gotten some sleep. He was able to sit up with some help from Percy and he was now joking a bit and smiling a lot. He also managed to eat half of the soup I fed him earlier. Dr. Mears said it was a good sign, a sign that Noah's body wasn't rejecting the transfusion. A day more of observation and we would be able to determine how often he would need to have a session. We didn't mention any of this to him because even the slightest idea of a needle was enough to bring Noah close to tears. So we decided to steer clear of topics along that line.
I, on the other hand, was still weak but could manage on my own. There was still some stiffness behind me but I could manage. I was hoping that I didn't catch any illness soon, otherwise I would be forced to limit my time with my son. Percy was very supportive with my spending time with Noah. I wanted to wonder what could've caused his sudden change of heart but I guessed I knew subconsciously what Percy's reason was. Our time might be cut short and he wasn't going to condemn me into despising myself, knowing that I had missed all my chances.
I pressed my eyelids tightly together and pushed all the negative thoughts away. No. I refused to jus accept it. Noah would be okay. It doesn't matter what the doctors said; he'll be fine. If they want to get to my son, then they'll have to get through me first.
"I won't," Noah said, grinning. He paused like he was deciding about something then, after a while, asked, "Annabeth, what was Daddy like before?"
"You mean when he was a kid?"
He nodded.
"Let's see," I said as I carefully sat down on the chair beside his bed. "From what I can remember your Dad was really, really stubborn. He often gave your grandma a hard time chasing him around the house just to give him a bath." Noah giggled again. I smiled at the pleasant scene, happy that I was able to make my son laugh. "He was also hyperactive. He used to move around a lot, even when we were at school, it didn't matter if our teacher was discussing - he would have to twist on his chair, snap his fingers, flick my hair or kick the underside of my desk. He was always getting left behind to erase the answers from our Math textbooks - something your Dad didn't like doing." I leaned closer like was going to share a secret. "He seriously hated Math."
"He still does!" Noah exclaimed. "When I have Math assignments he wouldn't help me. He'll call Grandma or RR to teach me."
"No kidding," I said. "I used to do his Math homeworks for him."
Noah's eyes widened. "But that's bad! Daddy told me I shouldn't make others do my homework."
"Your Dad and I actually made a deal."
"What deal?" he wondered.
"I would do all his Math homeworks if he would wash our dishes during weekends, help me during laundry day, clean my room thrice a week and carry all the bags whenever I go to the grocery."
Noah looked at me in disbelief. "That's too much!"
I smiled. "That's exactly what your Dad said, but he eventually agreed."
He shook his head in disapproval. "Daddy's really bad in making deals."
"You're telling me something already know." I winked at him. "I used that advantage against him lots of time before. Noah giggled again. I guess he was enjoying our having fun at his Dad's expense.
"What happened after that?"
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You said you did something," he answered, his eyes probing. "And Daddy didn't like you before. What happened?"
I didn't know how to properly phrase my response so I stuck with the typical "I'm not sure you'll understand. Not yet anyway" reply.
Noah pouted. "Daddy said I'm smart and that I understand things." He leaned forward. "I think I'll understand."
I sighed. "Let's just say your Dad and I had our differences. We faced situations differently. And we grew apart." I could tell by the frown on his face that Noah was struggling to understand. "See? I told you; you won't understand."
"Because I don't have all the facts yet!" he protested. "Come on, please tell me."
"Nope," I said stubbornly.
"You're just like Daddy," he said, crossing his arms across his chest. "You both think that I'm still a kid - "
"Well, you are."
"I'm five!" he insisted.
"Yeah," I said. "The last time I checked five years old is still a kid." I chucked softly at the sight of Noah's lip sticking out a bit. "Don't worry, Noah, your Dad and I will tell you soon. Just not now."
Even though Percy had let me back in, I had decided not to tell Noah the truth just yet. My son already had enough to think about. I knew Percy was expecting me to tell Noah the truth the first chance I got, but I wouldn't. This time I wasn't going to think of myself only. I wasn't going to make decisions based on what I think anymore. There were a lot of things to consider.
"Is it something big?" he asked.
I paused. "What do you think?" I asked in return.
"Fine," he said, pouting.
He yawned. I took the opportunity. "Alright, you need to go to sleep now," I said, standing up.
"But I want to talk more!" he protested.
"We'll talk again later," I promised as I carefully helped him in lying down on the bed, placing the pillows around him to protect him against the things in his sleep, things I wouldn't be able to shield him from. But I told myself and in here, from my end, in reality, I would not let anything hurt him.
Noah was snuggled obediently under the cover when I tucked him in. Then he asked a question I wasn't expecting at all."Don't I get a kiss?"
I looked at him. "W-what?"
"Daddy always gives me one before I sleep," he informed me. "And Daddy's not here so . . ." he seemed hesitant proceeding. "But if you don't want to - "
I stopped him by leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead. That was the first time in a very long time that I was given the chance to do it. It felt so good, so impossibly good to have my lips pressed against my son's skin that I knew I wouldn't be the first to let go. And why should I? Noah's my son; and it was a small request on his part to feel safe for me to fulfill.
The sound of the door opening was what forced me to pull me away. I straightened and saw Percy watching us with tentative eyes. A part of me waited for him to chew me out, to yell at me, to tell me to get away from Noah, but he didn't. Instead he gave me a small smile and went to the other side of Noah's bed.
"Hey, buddy," he greeted him, placing a hand on the top of his head. Noah sleepily leaned into his father's touch. "Go to sleep; we have a long day tomorrow."
I don't think Noah actually heard him, seeing that he was already asleep. When Percy removed his hand away, I asked, "What did you mean?" Percy looked at me. "With what you said about having a long day ahead."
"Dr. Mears said that since it has been 24 hours since the transfusion, it seems that Noah's body isn't rejecting the transplant and that we can now go ahead with the chemotherapy," he informed me.
I took time to answer. "Do you think that will help him? Wouldn't that just weaken him more?"
"In the beginning it will," he said. "Just like the transfusion, but Noah needs it. We need to kill all the cancer cells feeding off of him."
Percy pinched the bridge of his nose. As his childhood friend, I knew it was a clear indication that he was stressed. I stared at him and for the first time I saw the toll this situation is taking on him. The dark bags under his eyes were very noticeable; his hair was more tousled than usual and his clothes were wrinkled. His skin was also pale and he looked dead on his feet. I went to where his was standing and rubbed the tensed spot between his shoulders. "It's gonna be okay," I said. "We're all gonna be okay."
Percy turned around. "You think so?" he asked, his eyes showing how worried he was.
"I know so," I replied softly, carefully watching his face. "Just like what I said Noah has his father's spirit, and if he does that means he's really tough." Percy stared at me. Even though he didn't voice it out I knew he was scared. I reached out and touched his arm. "Hey," I whispered. "We'll get through this. We're all gonna be okay; Noah's gonna be okay."
Percy nodded slowly, sighing loudly. He sat down on the chair that I occupied earlier. He looked at Noah, his eyes burning with didn't speak. He just sat there. The look on his face kind of scared me. Ever since I came here, I'd been noticing that Percy was kind of detached. I could remember the days he'd go through something tough when we were kids. You'd never guess he was stressed. He could always hide what he's feeling behind a smile. I didn't like it, as much as I said that I was gong to be strong for Noah, I'm not gonna deny that I was drawing strength from Percy. Somehow I knew I had to bring him back, which compelled me to keep him talking.
"So, how are things with Reyna?" I asked. Okay, that was stupid but I was out of ideas.
Percy looked up at me. I thought he was gonna be angry at me for prying, but he just exhaled loudly. "Good," he said.
I sat down beside him. Something with the tone of his voice tipped me off. I knew right away there was something else. "Why does that sound off to me?" I asked.
Percy shook his head. "Annabeth, how do you think Reyna's feeling about this set up?" he asked back.
"You mean seeing us this way?" I asked.
He nodded. "I mean having to deal with this situation and . . . and letting us do what we're doing."
"What exactly are we doing, Percy?" I said. "We're working together to save our son - that's what we're doing, if Reyna's not okay with that - "
"That's the thing - she's so okay with it," he whispered fiercely, obviously defending Reyna from all my prejudices. I didn't mean to, but the idea of someone stopping a mother from saving her son was so preposterous that it made me momentarily forget that night when Reyna and I had a talk.
"Stay. For them. They need you."
"You'll let me?"
"It's not my call to make. It never was," she had said.
"She's forgetting herself for me," said Percy. "She's - she's letting me hurt me."
I instantly got what Percy really meant: the tone of his voice, the look on his face, the message behind his words - they all lead to something. "You're scared that one day she's gonna have enough and leave," I offered.
Percy looked at me, those sea green orbs of his triggering the nervous fluttering in my stomach the way they did when we were teenagers, but instead of welcoming them, I pushed against it. I couldn't let myself be hopeful. Even I wasn't that crazy to actually believe we're gonna have a chance again.
"She will never do that," said Percy. "Rey said she's going to stay, that she'll never leave me and Noah. I believe her. She's a very strong person - "
"Even the strongest person has their limitations," I said. "You can push someone as much until they reach their breaking point."
"Rey's strong," Percy said again. "You don't know her like I do. If she makes a promise, she means it. She's not like - "
Percy caught himself before he could finish but I got the gist of his message. "She's not like me," I finished.
He brushed his hand through his hair as he exhaled loudly. For a moment he didn't speak, we both didn't. We just sat there waiting, until Percy broke the silence. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
Why was he even apologizing for telling the truth? I shrugged like it was no big deal but the truth was, it felt like I was having a fun time stabbing myself with a hundred needles, all at the same time. "Really, though, if she's as strong as you say she is, then there's no worry of her leaving. You don't have to be scared."
Percy shook his head. "It's not that," said Percy. "It's just . . . Rey has given so much for me. She was scared before, she didn't trust anyone after everything that she's been through but she changed - she changed even without my asking for it." He looked at me. "She didn't have to; I would've still loved her as much as I do now even if she didn't but she said she had to, so she could be with me. Rey has made a lot of sacrifices for me and I'm scared I will never be able to do what she has done for me when the time comes."
"You know," I said. "If Reyna loves you as much as you said she does - which I believe she does - then it's unreasonable for you to think that way. Just remember that if you love someone, you would rather hurt yourself than see the people that you care about get hurt. Real sacrifice isn't a loss, Percy; it's a victory. And for the record, the only person I know whose not afraid to lose what he has to keep the ones that he loves safe is you."
"Even if what you're saying is true, I will never be able to reciprocate the things Rey has done for me." He sighed and I could feel the difficulty he felt as he added, "I will never deserve her."
"Seaweed Brain, the best person for us and the only one we will deserve will always be our choice. "I experimentally took his hand. "Don't think too much, Percy. You can't measure one's love with the things you're willing to do for them but from understanding how much you can gain by losing so little." Percy was staring at our intertwined so withdrew mine. "Don't worry; a few years from now she will be Mrs. Reyna Rivera-Jackson."
For some reason that made Percy smile. "When we get married, Reyna's name will be a whole lot longer than that." He looked wistful as he said the following words: "Mrs. Reyna Avila RamÃrez-Arellano-Jackson."
"Uh . . . " I mumbled as I digested the information. "So you're telling me Noah's wrong to call her RR but rather she should be called RA-RA?"
"Don't let her hear you calling her by her real name, or even RR," Percy informed. "She hates them. Noah's the only one allowed."
"Why is she using Reyna Rivera, then?" I asked in curiosity.
Percy stared at me for a minute before answering, no doubt weighing if he should tell me the reason. I waited for him to tell me that I had no right to butt into his girlfriend's personal life, but when he answered, he said, "She has issues with her parents. She doesn't like using that name because it is a reminder of what she went through. I guess we all have a chapter of our life that we want to run away from." Percy paused. "Anyway, Rivera's her grandmother's maiden name. She's been using it ever since their Mom left her and her sister."
"Some common ground you two have, huh?" I said.
"Some com on ground we have," he corrected me. "Rey's told me about your conversation with her. She tells me everything. The way she talked about you - it's obvious she likes you."
"I want to say the same thing but you know me - I prefer to know someone before saying I like them."
Percy sighed. "Give her a chance, will you?" he said.
I was caught off guard. "W- what do you mean?"
"Don't judge her too harshly," said Percy. "Rey's been through a lot and I'm sure that once you get the chance to spend time together, you're gonna like her."
I wasn't sure what to say. Why would Percy want us to spend together? Granted, we were here together for the same people but I didn't think it was reasonable. Or was that my only reason? I knew why I was hesitant to get to know her. From that one conversation I had with Reyna, I instantly knew she was a good person and I didn't want to give her the chance to be in my life further more. I didn't want to feel guiltier than I was feeling right then by causing her pain. Even though Reyna said she was okay with the set up, I knew she was getting hurt every time she saw Percy and I together.
Be Annabeth, I thought. Right. I'd been trying to bring Annabeth Chase back. What would she do with Percy's request? She would do it with no second thoughts. Not because Seaweed Brain requested for it, but because she knew he was right. And because in dire situations, Annabeth Chase prefers to have a common ground with the people fighting for the same thing as she is, and because, even she will never admit it in a million years, Annabeth Chase needs them. Not Just Percy and Noah, but Reyna, as well. For when everything is falling apart, Annabeth knows she needs someone to anchor her. Not just for her, no, but for Percy and Noah. They needed Reyna.
I knew what I had to do.
"I just want my bestfriend to approve of my girl," said Percy.
I looked at him, surprised. He wanted me to approve of his relationship with Reyna? Even when every single touch they share made me want to cry? Even when every kiss happening between them crushed my heart? Along the pain came happiness, though. Percy still valued me to count my opinion in. Happy that Percy had welcomed me back into his life completely.
"Alright," I found myself saying. "You have my ultimate approval to date Reyna, Seaweed Brain. Just tell her that if she ever hurts my bestfriend, I will hunt her to the ends of the Earth."
Percy chuckled and squeezed my hand. I stared at him. His eyes showed how tired he was, dark bags under. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and drew his head to my shoulder. Percy stiffened but let it go, nuzzling his face against the side of my neck. His warm breath tickled my skin, sending licks of fire down my spine. I closed my eyes and forced myself not to feel those emotions I knew would come with Percy's closeness. I wasn't doing this for myself. It was for him. He needed to know he wasn't alone in this situation. That he had me to back him up.
"I'm never leaving again," I whispered. "Never. We'll stand together. I'll be here, Seaweed Brain."
Percy murmured something I wasn't able to make out, but it didn't matter. I knew he understood what I wanted to say. We just stayed there together, the way we did before, offering protection for each other. It didn't matter if we weren't together. My intentions were clear this time. This was all for Percy and Noah. None of these was for me. I stayed because they needed me. And I needed them just as much.
This time no more running away, this time I was standing by them.
[Next - Chapter 18: EASIER TO RUN]