Prince beyond the Stars (Percy Jackson/Son of Chaos Fan-Fiction)

Chapter XXII

Listen to the beautiful song Nothing really matters, from the Dutch singer Mr. Probz, and tell me what you think. It's expresses everything I feel in this chapter.

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-Annabeth-

My mind came up blank. No thoughts, no emotions, no feelings at all. What I did feel.. I don't even know how to call it, and that was strange considering I was a daughter of Athena. I was holding Ayme in my lap, with the doll in my hand and Percy's hand clutched tightly in my other. I tried to breath normally again. I couldn't.
Annabeth? I suddenly heard.
I jerked up, startled by the sudden question. I swallowed.
Percy? I tried.
It took a while before a reply came, and I was afraid he wouldn't answer me.
Hey, he said.
I closed my eyes for a moment. How are you feeling? was the first thing that came on my mind.
I miss you. I might have imagined it, but if Percy could have looked at me right now, I was certainly sure his eyes would be filled with pain.
I miss you more, I said. Are you okay? he asked me.
I let out a shaky laugh, surprising both Luke and Ayme.
You're asking me? It was quiet for a long time.

'Should we go, Annabeth?' Luke asked me suddenly.
I don't know what made him ask that, but the look in his eyes told me he understood what I was going through right now. Luke picked up Ayme from my lap and put her on his hip.
'I'm a grown up girl, you know,' she said with a frown on her face as he walked out the room with her.
'How come?' Luke asked her.
'I'm a hundred years old, dummy.' Luke laughed at that and Ayme followed quickly after.
Their laughter faded slowly, and I turned to Percy again.

Percy? I asked anxiously.
I'm doing okay, I guess, he answered.
Are you sure? I asked.
I think almost half an hour went by before Percy answered me. I'm not going to lie to you, Annabeth. The poison that got out of the wings destroyed everything inside me. It will take a long time before I'm back to normal again.
I swallowed, nervous to ask him the question that had been on my mind for the past week.
But you will never be back to normal again, will you?
This time, it didn't take long.
No.
I shut my eyes, willing myself to push the tears back. Is it because of what happened a week ago.. and those five hundred years that have gone by?
I could almost imagine Percy sitting right in front of me.
I didn't receive an answer, so I opened my eyes to look at him, when the view made me gasp.

I was sitting on the beach, looking at the ocean, while holding someone's hand. When I looked to my side to find out whose hand I was holding, I almost fainted in surprise. Percy was looking at me, with those beautiful seagreen eyes, and that troublemaker smile on his face.
Is this real? I asked him.
Percy looked at me sadly and squeezed my hand softly.
No, it's not. This is our imagination of what us talking would look like.
I looked at him, trying to find the happiness that had been in his eyes before everything bad had happened, but I couldn't find it.
You didn't answer my question, I said.
Percy shook his head once and looked at the waves moving softly.
I don't want to hurt you anymore than I've already done.
My eyes narrowed in confusion. But you've never hurt me, I said.
Percy's smile had vanished, leaving a grim line. I did. With everything that happened that day.
I shook my head frantically. None of that was your fault! I said trying to convince him.
Will you explain to me?
I looked away, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes.
The truth isn't pretty.
I know. But not knowing hurts even more.
I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. Percy smiled at me, and in that moment, I saw that he had forgiven me. He had forgiven us all. It wouldn't matter whatever I was going to tell him. We were forgiven. I tried to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat, and a single tear managed to make its way down my cheek.