They're What?!

Safe and Sound

Percy POV

I was freaking out, there was no use denying it. Grover, after a short discussion with the reporting bowtruckle, had grabbed the Stolls and Aidan before running into the forest.

Pacing back and forth, I clenched my fists against the outsides of my thighs to keep them from shaking with nervousness.

Someone placed their hand on my shoulder. "Perce, you need to calm d-"

I whirled, shoving them off. "Don't tell me to calm down, Grace! I have every right to be anxious right now!"

Jason flinched backwards. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't really care at the moment.

He retreated to the group of demigods watching me nervously and I returned to my pacing.

"Percy, come here." Piper spoke up.

"No."

"Percy!" She barked. "Come over here, now."

I started towards her, then forced myself to stop my feet.

"Piper, I am not in the mood to be charmspoken right now." I growled.

"Then stop wearing a hole in the ground and come talk to someone." She said, not backing down.

I glared at her. "No."

Piper sighed. "Percy, please, let us help you get through this."

"And how do you plan to do that? You haven't been through what we have. You haven't been fighting for your life since you were 12, you haven't been through two wars and seen more friends die than you ever knew you had. You haven't gone through a literal hell with someone. And you haven't had them ripped from you just when you thought you had a moment of peace!

"You haven't gone through what Annabeth and I have and you don't understand so you can't help me with it!" I whirled and marched over to where the decline of the hill down to the forest started.

Plopping down, I glared at the ground in front of me, blocking out everything else around me.

The memories were pouring through my mind. Not just of Annabeth and Tartarus, of all of it. Finding out I was a demigod, the first quest, the first death I had seen, everything.

"Control yourself, young demigod." A voice spoke beside me.

I leapt to my feet, my hand going to Riptide, but when I saw the goddess standing in front of me, I relaxed. A little.

"Lady Athena." Realizing there was a tempest raging around us, I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, focusing on sending the water back to the lake where it came from.

"Do you need something?" I assumed she was here to yell at me about letting her favorite daughter get kidnapped.

"I am here only to calm you. You have been through too much, Percy, I can see that clearly."

I was surprised that she called me Percy. The goddess of Wisdom had always harbored a stone cold demeanor towards me, which included calling me Perseus no matter how many times I corrected her.

"I'm sorry for losing her, Athena. This is my fault."

"I highly doubt that." She replied. "I can see how distraught you are at her disappearance, but it isn't your fault. Annabeth can take care of herself perfectly well."

"But I could have prevented it!"

"Percy, I don't blame you. Neither will Annabeth." She placed her hand on my shoulder. "I wish for the best between you and my daughter."

She began to glow and I covered my eyes to protect myself as she flashed away.

Once Athena left, I collapsed back onto the ground with a sigh. My nerves were raw, I could feel my entire body shaking with pained sobs. I might be losing Annabeth forever.

"Percy?" 

"Leave me alone."

"Not going to happen." Nico sat down next to me. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Why?"

"I need to a-"

"No, why does this always happen? I just wanted a few years of quiet with my family and friends. Why am I always dragged into things like this?"

"I don't know Percy. I'm sorry."

I took a deep breath and rubbed at my face to get rid of some of the tears.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to apologize."

"What for?"

"I'd been having a bad feeling about tonight for a while. It started with a dream where I heard Kronos talking to someone about bringing him a demigod. I didn't know who he was talking to, it was dark and they didn't answer. So Hazel and I decided to keep an eye on all us demigods. I was supposed to watch you and Annabeth, along with some of the others, but I've been getting terrible headaches lately and one set in right as I saw Annabeth leave the Great Hall."

He rubbed his hand over his face. "When I tried to push through it and follow her, I nearly collapsed. Hazel panicked, trying to help me, and we forgot to go after Annabeth. Maybe if I'd been a little stronger I could have-"

"I don't blame you, Nico." I cut him off. 

"I still wanted to apologize."

"Well, I forgive you, even if it wasn't your fault."

"Percy!" Piper shouted. I turned to see her pointing towards the forest.

I was running before I even looked at what she was pointing toward.

Aidan was carrying Annabeth. I could see her blonde curls against his grey and white suit coat. 

Stumbling down the hill, I struggled to keep my balance. I wasn't afraid of falling and hurting myself, I was afraid of tripping Aidan when I fell.

They stopped and waited for me to slide my way down to them. 

"Is she okay?" I asked frantically.

"We don't know." Grover replied gravely.

I held my arms out and Aidan carefully transferred my girlfriend into my arms. She was shaking, cold, and covered in red splotches that looked like burns and whip marks.

"Whoever did this is going to pay." I growled, hugging her to my chest.

"Let's get her stable first."

[A/N Annabeth's alive! And Nico is having headaches....again....What could it be? I know, but you all don't! Hmmmmm...]