Lost in Time (Forgotten Daughter part 3)

We Interrupt This Funeral...

Ali stood at the front of the auditorium with Annabeth and Chiron. Annabeth clutched a sea-green shroud in her hands - Percy's shroud.

It felt like a knife in her heart every time Ali looked at it. Percy had been the first person since her dad to actually like being around her. He cared; he listened; now, he was gone. It took everything Ali had not to break down. She was losing everything again. That was her reality. Anyone who got close to her, who cared about her, died horribly. She was a death sentence.

Unable to deal with her own thoughts, let alone other people, Ali left the auditorium. She felt bad for leaving Annabeth to fend for herself, but she was done. She couldn't keep pretending she was okay. Because she wasn't. Not by a long shot.

She thought about going to the dock, but she had too many memories of him there. Right now, she needed to get away from anything that reminded her of him, which was difficult when almost everything did.

Finally, she collapsed in the woods. It was one of the few spots she hadn't ventured with him - the place where Mason had struck her. She could still imagine the red staining the rocks, the pure terror in Mason's eyes, the electrifying feeling as the lighting jolted through her body.

The memory didn't help her mood, but it did help her forget why she was there. She leaned against one of the trees, letting the tears stream down her face at last. She laid her head back against the tree, clenching her fists around the twigs, leaves, and rocks on the ground. Screaming at the sky, she hurled a handful of sticks through the trees.

A sob shook her body. She glared at the clear sky. It was too cheerful. "Are you happy now?!" Her voice cracked. "I lost him! Are you satisfied?!" She dropped to her hands and knees, violent sobs wrecking her, but she didn't have a shoulder to cry on. She didn't have anyone. She was alone... again.
                                     *   *   *
Ali snapped another twig in half and chucked the broken pieces at a tree trunk. The sun was setting, but she didn't care. Let the monsters come. She'd already taken more than she could handle. She hugged her knees tight to her chest. She'd run out of tears and her body ached from the violent sobs.

A stick snapped among the trees.

Ali didn't look up. She knew what was coming and she didn't care. It was long overdue. She rested her head against her knees and waited for the end.

But the Fates had other ideas. She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was probably Annabeth trying to get her back to camp.

"I just want to be alone." Her voice muffled as she spoke into her legs.

"Are you sure about that?" That wasn't Annabeth's voice. It was... impossible.

Ali's head snapped up and faced the speaker. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat, causing a strangled little squeak. She jumped to her feet and threw her arms around Percy. "I thought you were dead." She didn't have any tears left, but if she had, she would've cried.

He returned the gesture, wrapping his arms gently around her. "I could say the same thing about you."

Ali pulled back and chuckled. "How? What happened?"

He gave an awkward smile. "I ended up on an island with a girl named Calypso. She's a daughter of Atlas, trapped on the island because her father is a titan." He had a far away look, like he was picturing her. "She nursed me back to health and gave me a magic raft that brought me back here." He was still staring off into the middle distance, but he snapped out of it and locked eyes with Ali. "What about you?"

Ali took a deep breath and explained, in great detail, everything that had happened since she'd last seen him.

When she finally finished, he was speechless. "That's... a lot."

"Even for me." She agreed, her voice breaking.

Without warning, Percy hugged her again. "I'm sorry. I should've come after you. I should've gone with you when you left the party. I should've..."

"Percy," Ali placed her hands on his shoulders and met his gaze. "this was not your fault. It was Kronos'." The sky thundered. "You can't blame yourself for something he did."

He didn't look convinced. "But you went through so much."

"Yeah," she tried to hold her voice steady. "I did, but this," she indicated her injured leg. "is not because of you."

He stared into her silver-blue eyes. "I know, but..." he breathed deeply. "I don't want to lose you." He stepped closer.

Ali's heart fluttered as she held his soft gaze. "I don't want to lose you either." She could feel his warm breath on her face. She thought about her dad and Mason - the people who had been closest to her. They were both gone, because of her. "That's why I can't do this." She turned to leave.

Percy grabbed her wrist. "Why not?" His green eyes were swimming with questions.

She couldn't hold his gaze. "The people I care about always get hurt. My father died protecting me, so did Mason. I don't want you to be next."

He turned her to face him, holding her shoulders. "I won't be. I promise."

She refused to look at him. "You can't keep that promise." She finally looked up and instantly regretted it. His eyes were like a raging storm - a mixture of crashing waves and dark waters. He didn't understand. He couldn't.

As she forced herself to hold his gaze, she felt her resolve melting away. She didn't want to push him away, but she steeled herself. If he would get hurt, she didn't want this. She couldn't want this.

She tried to pull herself free, but he held her with an iron grip. There was only one thing she could think of to make him let go. She moved in and pressed her lips against his. A wave of adrenaline rushed through her body. Warmth blossomed in her chest and her heart raced. The world seemed to fade away, but she slowly felt him release her.

Pulling away, she met his shocked, confused gaze. "I'm sorry. I can't." She turned and ran before he could regain his composure.

A/N
Yay! I did it!
It's another filler, but you have to admit it was fun to read. (Or maybe it was really cringe-worthy and you all hate me now) IDK, my thought process was literally: why not?
Anyway, hope the chapter wasn't too cringy.
-Cheshire