NECKLACE AND A PAIR OF GLOVES | Percabeth Mini-AU

Christmas Day

Last chapter! Hope y'all enjoy and I know it's like a whole month late but Merry Christmas!

If y'all enjoyed this one, please check out my other works. I'm also in progress in writing a Romeo and Juliet but Percabeth fic that I'll post on here eventually.

Thank y'all so much for reading!

CHRISTMAS MORNING WAS MEANT TO BE joyous. But for Annabeth, it was the complete opposite.

She plastered a smile on her face as they all sat down together in the front room. She plastered a smile on her face and acted happy as they all gave their presents to each other.

But inside, she was in pain.

She had to leave. She had no other choice.

Luke could hurt them. Luke could find out where she was, what she was doing, how she was living, and hurt them. And she wasn't going to do that. She wasn't going to put others in danger just for her to be happy.

"Annabeth?" Sally said, breaking her out of her thoughts. She passed her a box. "I got a present for you. I'm sorry it isn't much, it was such short notice. Percy picked it out, actually."

Curiously, she opened the box to find a necklace. It had a beautiful charm on it with sand inside. Tilting the charm made the sand fly to one side, and the painting of the ocean tide came to view.

It wasn't much. But to Annabeth it was everything.

She brought Sally into a warm embrace. "Thank you, thank you so much. This means everything to me." She whispered.

"Be careful out there, okay?" Sally said back, and Annabeth nodded, lump fresh in her throat. Then she turned to Percy, who looked at her with that perfect lopsided grin of his. Then simultaneously, they hugged.

"Thank you. Thanks for picking out this present for me. I love it so much." Thank you for making me feel happy again in just a day.

She didn't have to say it. She knew he understood. And she knew he felt the same pain she did.

After a hearty breakfast of blue pancakes, it was unspoken. The mood turned somber as Annabeth was given money. Enough to get on the subway, a night at a hotel, and then meet her cousins down in Massachusetts. It would be a long journey, but it was all set.

"Thanks for helping me, you guys. I appreciate everything." Annabeth smiled at the trio standing across from her. Her hand was in Percy's, not wanting to let go.

"Of course. Anything for you, Annabeth," Sally gave her one last hug.

"Be careful, okay?" Grover said, hugging Annabeth once more.

She nodded, eyes pricked with tears, glancing at Percy. They didn't have to say anything. All the statements, everything they wanted to say, went unspoken between them.

I love you.

Who knew love at first sight was real?

Finally, she turned away, not being able to look at them anymore, see what she'd be losing.

"Wait!"

She turned eagerly, waiting for them to tell her to stay. But Percy only rushed up to her, pressing his gloves into Annabeth's hand.

"Here, take my gloves. Please."

She frowned. "Are you sure?"

He nodded.

She pulled them on, the soft grey fabric immediately warming up her freezing skin. She looked up at Percy, waiting for him to say something more.

"Bye, Wise Girl."

She smiled; a soft, sad smile.

"See you around, Seaweed Brain."

And with that, she turned and walked away, vowing never to forget the Jacksons.

She hadn't gotten far when she needed a warm drink.

Annabeth went inside the nearest drink store, with hot coffee. It was crowded and warm and sweaty inside, but she didn't mind. The waiter at the front asked her what she wanted, and she ordered a steaming espresso. Oh, did she need it.

She sat herself down at a table, and a couple minutes later, her espresso found her way there. She pulled off her gloves to take a sip, and then froze.

Percy.

She hadn't let herself think about it since she left. Since they parted. It was too much, too hard. But as much as she wanted to keep them safe for Luke, she couldn't handle their experiences, their connection, just being a memory. Not when it was so much more than that.

She was scared. Frightened. Dreading the amount of pain that this could cause, the amount of problems this could cause.

But wouldn't it be worth it to take the risk instead of living life in safety, but sadness?

She wasn't going to let a locket and a pair of gloves be the only thing she remembered from the best people in her life.

She wasn't going to let Luke win.

Abruptly, she stood up, pulling out a stack of bills for the espresso and tossing them onto the table, then grabbing her backpack. She rushed to the entrance, pulling open the door and rushing into the cold, wintery air.

She ran.

"Sorry!" She said, almost crashing into a stroller. But she couldn't stop. She wouldn't. She rushed down the way she came, and it felt like hours.

But she didn't stop.

Not even when she ran out of breath. Not even when she felt a stitch in her side. She was too impatient. She was too adamant.

She only stopped when she had reached the apartment building.

Panting, she focused on steadying herself, leaning against the wall across from his building to take a breath, trying to calm down before heading up.

"Annabeth?"

It was Percy, across the clearing.

Percy.

Her feet moved before her brain could even think. All she knew was that they needed each other. It didn't feel right, not having Percy. It was like having an empty hole in her heart, a permanent spot that nothing could ever fill.

She ran towards him as he ran toward her. And as their lips finally met, Annabeth finally knew that she had found her very own happy ending.