I'd been searching for months. After the fight with Kronos, everyone moved on and began to rebuild. But not me. I couldn't move on, not when there was a chance he could still be out there.
It's been a year. The first few months after Percy died, I searched the Hudson River for hours on end, renting a small boat to take out, trying to find something, anything to tell me he was alive. Eventually, at Piper and Jason' insistence, I stopped searching, but I never gave up. Instead, I settled for calling his home phone everyday, leaving voicemails, hoping one day he'd stumble into his apartment and know I hadn't moved on from him, that I never would. I would wait for him, no matter how long it took.
I didn't know how I managed to do it (actually... I had some help from his mother), but I made the payments for both his rent and mine, grasping onto my fragile hope that he'd at least make it back to his apartment. I tried several times to go in, to surround myself with his belongings, but each time I worked up the courage, I couldn't make it past the parking lot without the ache in my chest becoming too painful to ignore.
Come back to me, Seaweed Brain.
________________________________
Day 1:
I stood, horrified, in the center of the crater created by the golden blast that took Luke's life. It was as if a giant meteor had fallen from the sky and crash landed in Manhattan; the diameter of the hole was easily the length of a school bus.
My eyelids fluttered, hot tears threatening to fall from behind them as I leaned over to pick up another torn piece of fabric from Percy's uniform. With trembling fingers, I pressed the cloth into my chest, keeling over as the weight of it all hit me. He's gone. Ragged sobs tore themselves from my throat until I had screamed myself raw, but even then, the hole in my chest never filled.
Gravel crunched behind me. I wiped my cheeks hastily with the back of my hand as I turned my head to see a police officer approaching me. He was an older man, probably around 50, with graying hairs and a kind face.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave," he said guiltily, placing a hesitant hand on my shoulder.
"Yes, of course, I'm so sorry," I gasped, biting my lip to stem the flow of tears. "I was just leaving."
I stood shakily, hiding the fabric in my pocket before beginning to stumble off, my fist pressed over my quivering lips.
"Are you okay?"
"I-I'm sorry?" I turned, caught off guard by his question.
"I said are you okay? You seem to be taking this pretty hard." The officer shrugged, but he didn't seem condescending.
I shuddered out a stuttering breath. "I um...," I sniffled. "I just— I interviewed him once, you know. So he was um....he was very special to me." My voice cracked at the statement. It didn't seem real; it seemed like a nightmare.
"You're that journalist, Annabeth Chase," the officer realized, staring at me with a sympathetic look on his face. "The one who interviewed Riptide."
I nodded brokenly.
The police officer stuck his hands in his pockets, frowning slightly. "Yeah, he was a real inspiration to all of us. I don't know what this city will do without him."
I walked off without another word, not trusting myself to speak without breaking down again. As I headed towards the yellow tape other officers were putting up around the outer rim of the rubble, I became vaguely aware of a shrill voice, screaming.
"You don't understand, you have to let me in! My friend is in there— don't touch her!" I looked up to see Piper struggling against two burly police officers, spit flying and her choppy brown hair wild. Jason stood off to one side, speaking animatedly as he tried to reason with the officers holding her, while Chiron sat not too far away, also speaking to a police officer.
She relaxed slightly when she caught sight of me. "Don't touch— Annabeth! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
I furrowed my brows, opening my mouth to ask her what she was talking about when I felt a calloused hand descend on my shoulder. I turned with the movement to be greeted by the officer from earlier again.
"Sorry to startle you," he said sheepishly. "It's just- I think you dropped this."
He held up his hand to reveal Anaklusmos, Percy's sword, in its pen form. I felt bile rise in my throat but swallowed it back down, feeling tears well up once again at the sight of Percy's beloved weapon. It was like someone had swept the floor out from under my feet, snuffing out all the hope I had for Percy's survival. The fact that it was here and hadn't returned to him spoke volumes.
"Yes, thank you," I choked out, accepting it and gripping it like a lifeline. "It's my favorite pen."
The officer brightened up at that. "Well, I'm always happy to help. You go on and have a nice day ma'am."
I nodded at him, my lips pressed into a tight line. Piper broke free of the officers' hold as soon as I stepped over the threshold, sprinting towards me and enveloping me in a warm hug that I collapsed into readily.
"It's okay, I've got you," she soothed as I clung to her, my tears soaking her navy flannel. "I've got you."
You've got me, but who's got you?
I sobbed harder as Percy's words echoed in my head. I'm sorry Percy, I thought to myself, as if he'd hear. I failed you.
________________________________
Day 15:
The "funeral" took place two weeks later, after city workers managed to get rid of all the rubble and the bodies. The mayor organized a public service ceremony for Riptide, posthumously thanking him for his sacrifice. He was to get a medal and a plaque to commemorate his honor, which would be displayed somewhere yet to be revealed in city hall, so people could see them. They were even developing plans to erect a life-sized statue of him in Central Park to reward his dedication to the city.
I knew Percy would have blushed right up to his hair if he knew about all of this happening, but he wasn't here to be embarrassed. I'd give up all the medals and all the honors in the world just to have him back, but that also wasn't a possibility. The funeral only seemed to solidify the fact that Percy was dead, but I still held out hope for his return.
Piper had spoken to Chiron, who in turn had spoken to the mayor and pulled some strings to allow me to attend the funeral for news coverage, which I was grateful for, but every passing second that I squirmed in my seat made me want to leave more and more. This whole thing just seemed so... superficial. I couldn't help but feel stabs of resentment as I was forced to sit through generic speech after generic speech thanking Riptide for "doing this" and "saving that".
His name was Percy, I seethed, angry tears brimming at the corners of my eyes. And he was beautiful and clever and funny. He could never brush his hair out properly, and he made the best cookies. He was mine, and I am forever the luckiest girl in the entire world for being able to have him for even a minute.
I repeated all of this to Percy's mom, Sally, as I sat on her couch hours after the funeral, feeling sorry for myself.
"It's not fair," I whispered, shaking my head and making tendrils of hair whip my face. "He was the best of us."
"I know honey," she soothed, rubbing my back in that gentle way mothers did. "He really was special." Her tone became wistful.
I clapped my hand over my mouth, horrified as it dawned on me. "Sally, I'm so- I've been terribly rude. You lost your son."
Something must've broke in her then, because her calm demeanor crumpled as she buried her face in her hands. Soft sobs shook her frail frame, and suddenly our roles were reversed.
After a couple minutes, Sally sniffled and dried her tears, taking a moment to look at me. "I think it's fair to say we're both feeling the loss, huh?"
I nodded, and then we both broke into tears again, spending the rest of the night like that.
________________________________
Day 30:
I was technically only supposed to be on leave for two weeks, but considering that I had just lost the love of my life, Chiron extended my break for another two weeks. But for the first time in my life, I was dreading returning to work. It wouldn't be the same, knowing he wasn't there to bring me coffee or remind me to take a break or force some lunch into me. How would I even pass by his desk without bursting into tears?
I shut my eyes, leaning against the cool metal wall of the elevator as it took me up to my floor. Deep breaths Annabeth, deep breaths, I chanted to myself. I could do it. I could make it through one more day.
I steeled myself for the day ahead as the metal doors opened up to my floor, taking one last deep breath. Clutching my bag until my knuckles turned white, I focused simply on putting one foot in front of the other. One more step, one more step, one more-
"Annabeth." Piper appeared in front of me suddenly, her voice grave. "I'm so sorry, I tried to convince him that it would be a bad idea and that he shouldn't put you on it but-"
"Who?" I asked, confused. My voice barely stretched above a whisper; it was hoarse from disuse in the recent weeks. "What's going on?"
Piper looked at me sympathetically, a crease settling between her brows as she sighed and lowered her voice. "Chiron wants you to write an article about the funeral, since you went. And..." Piper exhaled sharply, sending her bangs flailing. She was irritated. "He wants you to write an article about Riptide, since you're his friend. I tried to tell him to just put someone else on it but I couldn't say much without... you know."
I nodded, sucking in a shaky breath. Chiron had good intentions, I knew that, but I wasn't sure if I was up to the task. Normally, I would have jumped at the chance to write any article, especially one concerning superheroes, but with the recent events and my closeness to the situation, I wasn't sure I could live up to his expectations on this one.
"It's fine Piper," I mumbled, pushing past her to make my way towards my office. "You can tell him he'll have it by the end of the week."
As I strode through the headquarters, I became slowly aware of the amount of eyes on me. I did a quick sweep of the room, realizing everyone was looking at me with... pity. They knew why I'd been absent, I realized as my cheeks burned. Of course they knew; Percy was well liked by everyone in the office, and everyone knew we were together. Embarrassed by the amount of attention, I kept my head down until I finally reached my office. I couldn't have twisted the handle and shoved the door open fast enough.
Two hours later found me sat in my chair with my head cradled in my hands, my article for the most part untouched. So far, the only thing I'd managed to write was: Riptide was beloved by all, and we will miss him dearly. It was generic, the way it should've been for someone who didn't really know Riptide, but I couldn't help feeling guilty for the impersonal touch. More than anything, I itched to type what I really felt: Riptide was more than a superhero; he was passionate and sweet and kind, and he was the best person I've ever met. He gave his life to protect this city, and we will be forever indebted to him. I wanted to direct readers to the first article I'd written about Percy, and remind them that he was more than just Riptide. He was a person, just trying to do the right thing. He was my person. And I had failed him.
There was a soft knock on the door. "Come in!" I called out softly, lifting my head tiredly.
I was greeted by the sight of Frank, Percy's assistant photographer, hiding halfway behind my door. I liked Frank; he was shy and mostly kept to himself, but he was smart and sweet once you got to know him. He was a burly Asian guy who looked like he belonged on a football field rather than behind a tiny camera, but he was really just a giant teddy bear who took great pictures and was absolutely in awe of Percy.
"Hey Frank, what can I do for you?" I asked, trying to blink the fatigue out of my expression. I could only hope my eyes weren't as bloodshot and puffy as they felt.
Frank shuffled awkwardly into my office, and I could tell he was trying really hard to maintain eye contact. He thrust something out at me, and after a few moments of squinting, I realized it was a boxed Chinese chicken salad from the cafeteria.
Frank squirmed a little as he said, "Percy was always talking about how you forget to take lunch breaks and I thought since he... um, you know... anyways I-I just wanted to bring you lunch in case— but you don't have to take it if you don't-"
I cut Frank off by accepting the salad, placing it next to my mousepad. I smiled at him gratefully, getting up to sweep him into a hug. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.
"Thank you Frank," I said, trying to convey how grateful I was for the thoughtful gesture. "Percy... he really valued your friendship, Frank. These past weeks have not been.... easy, so it means a lot that you're looking out for me."
Frank blushed as I tip-toed to press a soft kiss to his cheek. "I'm just trying to do the right thing," he shrugged. "I'm always here to help."
I shut my door softly behind him as he ambled out, returning to my desk to pick dutifully at the salad. Percy must've told Frank this was my favorite; either that, or he was a good guesser. Honestly, I wasn't in the mood to eat anything right now, but I took a couple bites out of respect for Frank.
After I'd eaten about a quarter of the salad, I pushed off my chair, deciding it was time to take a walk. My heels clicked along the carpeted floor as my feet automatically led me to the one place I was dreading but simultaneously the only place I wanted to be.
It felt like all the breath had been knocked out of me as I stood in the doorway of Percy's office. There seemed to be a sense of gloom hanging over the area, as if even his possessions knew he was gone. I shuffled forward numbly, sinking into his office chair and letting my body slump for the first time today. I was thankful for the privacy his office offered (as head photographer, he too was entitled to his own space); I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep up the façade that I was fine.
My lower lip trembled as I stretched my fingers out to pick up the picture frame Percy next to his computer. It was a picture of us, at the surprise birthday party he'd thrown for me last year. The flimsy cone-shaped birthday hat on my head was crooked and there was a dollop of white frosting smeared over my cheek. I was perched precariously on Percy's lap, my eyes shut in laughter and head tossed back as I smeared frosting from my fingers on Percy's nose. And Percy... he had his eyes wide open, staring at me openly with a look that could only be described as a mixture of love and awe. He looked almost dazed, a lazy smile lingering on his lips. We were so happy.
Plop. A single teardrop splattered against the glass protecting the picture, snapping me out of my stupor. I wiped my cheek hastily, not noticing I'd started to cry.
"He'll come back, you know."
I jolted slightly, startled by the sudden intruder. I snapped my head up to see Reyna, standing in the doorway and looking at me with sympathy in her eyes.
I gaped, unsure of what to say, unsure of how to tell her he probably wasn't coming back without revealing his identity as Riptide. "I-I know, I just—" I stuttered, at a loss for words.
Reyna did all the work for me, stepping forward to place a reassuring hand on my shoulder as she also looked over Percy's desk, untouched since the day everything went down. I guess no one had to heart to move anything while he was gone; either that or they were waiting for me to come back to clear it for them.
"They're finding new people everyday. Percy's sure to turn up at some point," Reyna said, and the look in her eyes was so earnest that I almost believed her.
Almost.
________________________________
Day 105:
Piper greeted me enthusiastically as she ushered me into her and Jason's apartment.
"I'm so glad you came," she said gleefully, wrapping me in a warm hug before leading me to the couch. She hobbled off into the hallway to collect Jason, leaving me in their living room with a glass of water and a random news channel on the TV to accompany me.
Piper and Jason emerged seconds later, taking their place on the couch opposite the one I was sitting on. There was a nervous energy surrounding Piper; she was glowing, but she kept fiddling with Jason's fingers and playing with her hair.
"We didn't know when to tell you, especially after the... incident," Jason began, pursing his lips as he adjusted his glasses— a nervous tick of his.
The incident he was referring to was when Chiron had informed me about a month ago that they were going to clear out Percy's office to give it to the temporary photographer they'd hired in his place, Rachel Dare. Naturally, I was devastated, because it was just another blow that served as proof he wasn't coming back, and I'd spent most of the last month in a funk. It wasn't that I hated Rachel; she was actually quite nice and we'd probably make great friends, but everytime I passed by Percy's office, I couldn't help but feel a stab of resentment whenever I saw her sitting at his desk, working on his computer. It was like rubbing salt in the wound.
I was brought back to the present by Jason cautiously explaining, "But we figured no time is a good time so we might as well rip off the band aid now."
He and Piper exchanged a wary glance.
Piper turned to me, biting her lip as she leaned into Jason's side. "Annabeth, I'm pregnant."
I froze for a second, unsure of what to do. Then, to Piper and Jason's astonishment, I broke into a smile— perhaps the first they'd seen from me in weeks.
"Guys, that's great," I breathed.
Piper exhaled in relief, finally returning my smile. I could see in her eyes how excited she was. "We have something else to tell you," she said cautiously.
I straightened in my seat, preparing myself for something bad.
Jason captured Piper's hand in his, giving her a loving smile that made my chest ache. How I wished to be on the receiving end of one of those from a certain green-eyed Seaweed Brain.
"Annabeth, we'd like to ask you to be the godmother," Jason said, smiling encouragingly at me.
I raised my eyebrows. "I-" I stuttered, touched by their request. "I'd love that."
Piper squealed, leaping off the couch to envelope me in a hug. She gestured for Jason to join us, so he awkwardly wrapped his arms around the two of us.
"We would have loved to make Percy the godfather but..." Piper trailed off, avoiding my gaze.
A corner of my lip lifted in an attempt at a smile, which ended up looking more like a grimace. I could see it so clearly: Percy with Piper and Jason's baby, doting on it and spoiling it absolutely rotten. He would've been the best godfather.
"It's okay," I said, entangling myself from their grasp. I reached into my pocket, looking for Anaklusmos, which I kept there as a sort of reliever for whenever I began to feel overwhelmed. "Give them this, so they can know who their Uncle Per-"
"Annabeth?" Jason called concernedly, gripping my shoulder lightly.
"Annabeth," Piper joined in. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Inside my pocket, my fingers scrambled to find the pen as panic slowly began to overtake me. Tears quickly filled my eyes as I was repeatedly met with empty space. "I-I can't find it," I gasped, scrambling off the couch to search the cushions. "Piper, I can't find it!"
"Can't find what? Annabeth what are you looking for?" Piper leapt off the couch to grip my shoulder tightly in hers, but I shrugged her off, too preoccupied with trying to find Anaklusmos.
"It's gone, it's gone," I chanted, tossing their throw pillows onto the rug covering their hardwood floors. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt bad for ruining their living room, but it was not my number one concern at the moment. "Where is it? I can't find it, can't find it..."
Jason gripped my wrists tightly halting my frantic movements. "Annabeth, speak clearly. What can't you find?"
Exasperated tears fell down my cheeks like waterfalls as I thrashed about, trying to free myself of Jason's iron grip. "The— the pen, Jason. The pen, Percy's sword, it's gone! It was in my pocket and now it's gone and it's the only thing I have left of him," I cried, sinking to the floor and cradling my face in my hands as Jason released them.
Piper and Jason looked at me sympathetically, then joined me on the floor, backs slumped against the couch as they wrapped me in their arms. Ragged sobs tore themselves from my throat.
"It was all I had, and now it's gone," I moaned. "It's gone, it's...it's gone!"
I jumped to my feet, roaming the apartment in search of my bag and coat. Piper and Jason exchanged another glance, then followed suit.
"Annabeth, where are you going?" Piper asked, following me until she was able to tug my arm.
"It's gone, Piper," I said.
"You said that already," she huffed, confused and surprised by my sudden change in mood.
I grabbed Piper by the shoulders, shocking her as she really looked into my eyes. "It's gone, Piper. Percy's sword is gone."
I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face as it finally dawned on her. "The pen returns to his pocket," she whispered.
I nodded, happy tears beginning to fall at the implication of the sword's disappearance.
"Percy's alive."
________________________________
Day 195:
There was a storm rolling in, I noted, as I pushed the throttle on the dingy boat I'd been renting over the last two weeks.
I'd convinced Piper to teach me how to operate a boat, and I'd picked up on it fairly quickly. It helped that there was no time to lose, not when Percy was almost certainly out there.
I cursed as a raindrop fell in my eye, wiping it quickly. Hopefully the storm wouldn't be bad enough that I'd need to return to the docks. Working quickly, I turned the steering wheel in the direction I wanted to go, then advanced the throttle to get me up to speed.
I had a lot of area to cover, seeing as the Hudson River was as massive as it was, and I'd been covering a different area everyday for the past three months. But today, I was braving one of the areas I'd been avoiding for far too long: the spot where Piper found me.
I evened out my breathing as I approached the area, the rain beginning to fall steadily now. I lowered my speed, then put the throttle into neutral as I began to work. The rain seemed to get heavier with every second, fat drops splattering all over the deck and soaking my hair. It didn't stop me from clicking on my flashlight, peering into the water, hoping I'd find something, anything.
If I had to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for, but I knew I'd know it when I saw it. A couple of times, I'd managed to find torn pieces of Percy's uniform, giving me hope that maybe I'd find him in a bubble at the bottom of the river, or that I'd come across some sort of clue or message he'd left for me to find.
The wind howled in my ears like it was crying with me, whipping my hair across my face as the rain fell even harder. My clothes were soaked, plastered to my skin by the torrents of rain falling from the sky, and as lightning flashed, I began to feel all my hope deflate.
"Percy," I moaned, sinking to my knees. The deck was beginning to flood with water, but I paid it no mind.
"Percy! Where are you!" I shouted to absolutely no one. There were no boats out tonight, probably to avoid the storm.
"Percy!" I cried, over and over again until my throat grew hoarse. I couldn't tell if the water on my cheeks was rain or tears or a combination of both, but I turned my face up to the sky as if someone up there could hear me.
"What do you want from me?" I challenged, spreading my arms. "Why did you take him from me?"
I choked on my breath as I whispered, "I can't live without you Percy. Just give me a sign that you're out there."
When nothing happened, I stood shakily, water sloshing around my feet. I shut my eyes against the pitter patter of the rain, accepting my fate as the boat began to capsize.
The next morning, I woke to find myself lying in the boat, curled up in the fetal position. Eyes wide, I scrambled to my feet, touching my clothes in complete disbelief. They were dry as a desert, like the storm last night hadn't occurred at all. And the boat was anchored at the dock, as though I hadn't begun capsizing last night, but the smell of ocean mist lingered everywhere.
Something caught my eye, hanging off the front of the boat. Tears blurred my vision as I chuckled to myself, snatching up the piece of fabric. It was a fresh tear, torn from one of the spare uniforms Percy kept in his apartment. The sun shone down on it brightly, making the turquoise fabric glimmer as I clutched it tightly against my chest, my smile so wide I nearly feared it would split my face open.
A sign.
________________________________
Day 377:
I was sipping on some coffee in my living room, barely paying attention to the TV show playing in the background. My eyes were bloodshot and stinging with fresh tears, and a quick glance into my phone reflection revealed my eye bags were dark as night and my eyes were dangerously sunken in. In other words, I looked like a living mummy.
I'd woken up to my everyday routine: wake up, stare at the ceiling for ten minutes, take a cold shower, get dressed. Then, make breakfast for two, cry after realizing you're only feeding one, then go to work. From there, it was: work on a new article while pretending you feel fine and avoiding Piper's insistence on talking, take a "lunch" break that involves more crying than eating, then go home and sit on your living room couch with a cup of coffee and cry some more with the TV on to drown out your sobs. After that, it was try (and fail) to work up the courage to go to Percy's apartment, ultimately leave a voicemail for him before you get dressed for bed, then sleep for a maximum of two hours and repeat. It was pretty obvious which part I was on.
I glanced at my phone, getting ready to turn off the TV and leave my daily voicemail. Today was Day 377. Just as I clicked off the TV, I heard a hesitant knock on my door. My brows furrowed. This was not a part of my daily routine. Sure, Piper had dropped by the first couple of months to make sure I was alright, but she had stopped when I convinced her I wanted to be alone and that she should focus on the baby in her belly, especially with her due date approaching so soon. I was expecting her to call me with the news any day now. Truth be told, I didn't want to be alone; I wanted to be with Percy.
Rising from the couch, I slipped on the dinosaur slippers Percy had gifted to me as a gag and headed towards the door.
"Pipes, I told you to stay at home and-"
My breath caught as I froze, my hand still on the door handle.
"Annabeth," said a living, breathing Percy. I must've been dreaming. His sea green eyes were as bright as I remembered, and there wasn't even a single scratch on him. Tears instantly filled my eyes as I brought one hand to my mouth to cover the sobs threatening to spill out. Percy made a move to step towards me, and suddenly I found my breath again.
"Don't," I spat out. My voice cracked at the end, giving me away. "Don't give me false hope. Who the hell are you?"
I knew it was everything I had been wanting for the past year, but I couldn't believe it was real. After yearning for so long, it seemed like it couldn't be real.
I was vaguely aware of how crazed I looked, with my greasy hair messily tossed up in a bun while I was clothed in a ratty white tank top and (Percy's) gray sweats and wearing those ridiculous dinosaur slippers.
Percy looked taken aback. "Beth, it's me, it's really-"
I held out a shaky hand as I shook my head, backing into my apartment. "Don't call me that. Only one person gets to call me that." My voice was firm, but anyone could hear the tremor underneath if they listened closely enough.
Percy- or imposter Percy- followed me into the apartment, shutting the door gently behind him. He continued to walk towards me, to which I responded by continuing to walk backwards, until I was pressed firmly against the back of my couch. I gasped, startled, looking at Percy with wide eyes.
"Wise Girl, I promise, it's really me," he breathed, enclosing me in by placing his arms on either side of me.
"Stop, stop," I protested, shoving his arms aside and marching over into the kitchen to grab a knife. I pointed it at him as menacingly as I could in my ridiculous choice of slippers, but I must've looked- to some degree- insane, because Imposter Percy's eyes widened and he held his hands up in surrender.
I took a deep breath to calm myself. There was so much adrenaline running through me right now, but I wouldn't let it get in the way of getting to the bottom of this.
"If you want me to believe you," I challenged, "tell me something no one else would know."
Imposter Percy frowned, then shrugged. "Your name is Annabeth Chase. You have a father named Frederick Chase who lives in San Francisco with his wife Helen and sons Bobby and Matthew. You work at the Half-Blood Times as a journalist and your best friend is Piper McLean, a news anchor for the same company."
"Not good enough," I growled. "Anyone could get that information off the internet, so you'll have to do more to convince me, I'm afraid."
"Okay, you-"
"Wait," I interrupted, startling him from his next monologue.
"At the office," I said, holding my chin up. "What did you do before you left?"
Percy looked taken aback at the sudden interrogation, swallowing thickly. I couldn't help but trace the movement of his Adam's apple with my eyes. He stared at me for a quick second, as if trying to decipher whether or not I was being serious.
"What did you do?" I demanded, waving the knife at him.
"I kissed you for good luck," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked so sincere.
I burst into tears, my resolve breaking. "Percy."
"Annabeth," he replied, rushing towards me.
I dropped the knife, the metal clattering against the floor as I met Percy halfway, collapsing into him for the first time in a year. It seemed almost foreign after so long, but at the same time, it seemed so familiar. It was him; he was here and he was alive and he was real.
I broke away from the hug briefly to look up at Percy. The action stung, like I'd torn off a vital part of me. "Where- where have you been? What have you been doing? When I woke up in the river, you were gone, and I couldn't find you. I called you, for- for three hundred-"
"Seventy six days, I know," Percy finished.
I balked. "How did you..."
Percy took a deep breath. "Because I listened. For 376 days, I listened to every single message you left for me." The look in his green eyes was so earnest, yet pained.
"How— how could you stay away for so long?" I began to beat my fists against his chest, though they were weak, feeble attempts. Waves of betrayal rolled through me. "You knew I was waiting for you and you just left me."
Percy gripped my wrists, halting my flailing as he lowered his forehead to mine. He still smelled like sea salt and chocolate chip cookies; the scent overwhelmed me like a drug I had been missing.
"Because I didn't know you."
I peered up at him through blurry eyes. "What?"
"I didn't know you, Beth; not really, anyways. It's all muddy; I can't really explain it. I woke up at the bottom of the Hudson River, not knowing anything about myself but you. All I knew was your name, and that I had to get back to you but I couldn't figure out how. But somehow, something led me to my apartment. And then I got my first message from you, and it was like a sign or something. It made me stay. And I kept listening and listening to your messages and slowly remembering. You helped me remember."
Percy released my wrists, only to entwine one hand with mine and bring the other one up to cup my cheek. "You saved me, Wise Girl."
The statement and recognition in his eyes broke something in me, and instantly, the floodgates opened as I allowed myself, finally, to relax in Percy's embrace. My sobs echoed throughout the apartment as I clutched his shirt tightly in my fists.
"I failed you," I whispered brokenly, shaking my head against his chest. "I didn't save you, I-"
Percy shushed me, pressing kisses into my temples and over my forehead. "No, Wise Girl, you didn't fail me. You could never fail me. I never would've remembered who I am without you."
I tried to protest, to convince him that what I was saying was true, but he shut me up with a deep kiss.
Seaweed Brain, I thought giddily. Percy kissed me until I truly began to believe him.
When we broke apart, it felt like the hole inside me had been filled in again. After all this time, I still had some trouble believing it was real.
"So," I began, idly tracing patterns onto Percy's chest with my index finger. "Does this mean you're going to pay my rent for a year along with yours?"
Percy laughed, his shoulders shaking as he shook his head at me. I could've melted at the sight of his grin again. "How about we pay rent together for a year? If you don't like it after a year, you can move out of my apartment."
My eyes widened and my breath caught for the second time that night. "Percy, you're not saying..."
Percy nodded, his face a little more serious now. "I am. Move in with me Annabeth."
After some debating, I managed to spit out, "Who says we're living in your apartment? We both know mine is much bigger."
Percy hugged me tighter, laughing again. It was music to my ears. "I don't care whose apartment we're in, Wise Girl. As long as I'm with you. You're not getting away from me, never again."
"I think what you mean is you're not getting away from me so easily," I retorted, rolling my eyes.
"Potato, potahto," Percy shrugged.
"As long as we're together," I whispered, breathing in his scent.
"As long as we're together," he confirmed.
And we were. Together. No more blown up apartments, or superhero insecurities, or evil supervillains to keep us apart. Just Wise Girl and Seaweed Brain, happily ever after. For reals this time.
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A/N: Aaaaaaand that's a wrap!! Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with me through this and given me the love and motivation I needed to push through it. I actually started this story like 2 years ago and just never got the motivation to finish it, especially since I get so lazy when it comes to writing stuff in the middle. Usually when I write I have a specific scene in mind that I want to include, so I'll write that first, and then go back and write the beginning and middle to lead up to there, which is why it usually takes me so long to publish. Also, I meant to publish this epilogue much sooner, especially since I had finished this far before I even finished the FIRST part, but after all the attention you guys have given this story, I felt like I needed to add more to the story instead of just giving you guys the ending (the original epilogue). And who knows, maybe I'll even do a few bonus shots of this universe if you guys really want it. Thank you all for the love and I'll be working on other longer shots now, so keep reading!
Love,
H