Once I was twenty years old, my story got told
They won, of course (they were never going to lose, not after Tartarus. They had won when they faced him, everything afterwards had been an epilogue to their trials). She walked around the camp, doing inspections to keep her mind off the terror. She never pushed like she had when she was younger, because now she knew more and Percy was a better distraction than rock walls so they went on picnics to the beach or his from the world and tried to process what had happened, or they baked in Sally's kitchen and fed Estelle cookies, but mostly, they avoided the campfires.
She had loved the campfires once upon a time. The singing and hearing stories about the old heroes and what they had done to become members of this legendarium of demigods. Now, those stories were about her and Percy and how they had defeated Kronos, and as if that wasn't enough, defeated Gaea and faced Tartarus himself. Now, she hated them, because they reminded her of all the terrible things that had happened (all she wanted was to forget and now she understood why Hercules had been so angry).
Our songs have been sold, we've traveled around the world and we're still roaming
Summer came and went and Percy and her got accepted to New Rome University and architecture seemed like such a better dream, but Annabeth still couldn't go back to it. She picked up a sketching pencil and she flashed back to everything that had given her dream, all the pain that had come from it.
She needed a new dream, one that wasn't tainted with the nightmares and the eyes watching her when she slept. Percy became a marine biologist (and Annabeth was so grateful he had not lost his passion like she had) and she became a lawyer (because words could harm, but hers could heal, and in Piper's memory, she would charm judges into doing what was right, because what was right was what she had fought so long for).
They still visited camp sometimes, for the bittersweet memories of their happier days and to see the new campers and assure them that now, it was safe (they had fought hard for it and they would be damned if their efforts were useless) and they had nothing to fear here.
Most of my boys are with me, some are still out seeking glory
The seven didn't talk as often as she wished (though they all reminded each other of the quest, so maybe it was for the best), but they all met up once every few years in New Rome or Camp Half-Blood, to share a toast to those they had lost and to talk about the new generations. They shared news about how Meg was on another quest, or Piper had gotten accepted into a college, or how Frank was heading to Canada to launch a new system for demigods to come to America. Annabeth had all but retired from demigod life (and some days, it was too much to even know she would never be able to leave completely) but she smiled and was glad her friends still found a home with them.
And some I had to leave behind, my brother I'm still sorry
Jason's funeral was the last time all of them were together, but there was no laughter or jokes from Jason. Annabeth couldn't squash the guilt (Fates, why, hadn't her sacrifices been enough to keep her friends alive?) because she could have helped with that quest, maybe she could have kept Jason alive. Screw the prophecies, they didn't matter to her, she refused to let them control anything anymore- for a brief moment, she thought maybe destroying them would be a good idea, but the more rational part of her mind took over. It was best, really, that they stayed, but it would never be fair.
They all cried for hours. They all felt guilty. But Jason's spirit sometimes sent a little breeze their way, or shocked a monster they were struggling to beat, and they knew he was not gone completely and never would. Nico managed to get them all to Elysium to visit him and the other campers and friends they had lost, and Annabeth didn't cry but it felt like her heart would explode.
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7 Years: Annabeth's Story
Fanfiction"She would force them to notice her, to have them stand in the shadows of her glory and look up at the buildings she made, and she would be remembered. They had ignored seven year old her, but they would have no choice to do that with her now. (and...
