Home Is Where The Heart(h) Is

Chapter 28: The End

Annabeth was about to leave for her cabin, too teary from watching the shrouds and rites carried out by Nico and Hades, when she heard a familiar voice. "Annabeth, wait."

She turned around to see Percy. "Hi." She said, suddenly feeling self-conscious of her crying and immediately wiping them away with her sleeves. He chewed his lip. "Um...can we talk?" He asked, gesturing towards the beach. She tensed up for a second. Oh boy...

"Sure." She followed him. They said nothing until they reached the waters. They sat on the boardwalk and gazed outwards on Long Island Sound. The pristine waters that glimmered in the night, the small boats that speckled the dark sea, and the warm breeze.

The silence, however, was the complete opposite.

"I - I'm not sure where to begin." Percy kept his eyes on the water. He put his hands on the wooden boards to steady his hands. Annabeth had an urge to put her hands on his, but she felt that would be too weird, considering the circumstances.

"I'm sorry for the ways things turned out," he muttered, "I don't know why they wanted it like this." Annabeth wanted to give a good kick to the Fates as well, and partially Percy too, but seeing his frustration so genuine...she couldn't bring herself to be mad at him.

He left you, a part of her reasoned, it's cheating, isn't it?

Annabeth mentally cursed that voice. Maybe it was Aphrodite still working her magic from wherever she was, or those sappy romance movies she used to watch with her dad, but she couldn't argue with it. From a logical standpoint, it was considered as cheating, but this time, it was different.

Yet, that is what everyone says about their relationship. It's different, they tell themselves, my love to her is unique, so those books or movies are wrong. If everything was different from the norm, doesn't that become the norm?

Even so, ignoring this clear logic - something she struggled to do - she couldn't bring herself to hate him or Hestia. How could she? They both were so...adoring. She had gone through so much with the two of them. And she knew they both loved each other a lot.

But where does that leave you?

"Annabeth?" Percy's voice startled her from her reverie. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess." she murmured.

"Sorry, I knew this would be uncomfortable."

She drew a breath. "It's okay, you don't have to apologize. We made things clear the last time we met, right?"

Percy seemed to relax. "Yeah, yeah we did."

"And that..." She thought hard, "that was the future, wasn't it? It was when you and Hestia were literally together."

"Yeah, when Gaia told me everything."

"Right." Annabeth recalled the long storytelling session the counselors had with the Olympians.

Silence descended on them for a while before Annabeth shattered it before awkwardness had the chance to follow it.

"Anyways, I'm okay with you two. I...I was actually planning to attend the school year."

Percy's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah, I just got an acceptance letter into the architectural firm on the college in San Francisco, right after the war. Apparently it's been there for a while, when I-" her voice caught. "Wasn't around."

"That's great!" he said, smiling, then it morphed back into seriousness. "But, thank you, for taking care of Hestia, when I was-"

"Dead." She grinned.

"Yep." He replied, laughing. The tension was definitely clearing up, which was a relief to Annabeth.

"So...what will you two do?" She ventured a question.

He shrugged. "I want to find my mom as quick as possible. I haven't told her I'm alive again."

"She may actually get a heart attack."

"Yeah, I might try to stay out of trouble for the next decade. I'unno, maybe try again at Goode for the semester. As for Hestia," he hesitated slightly on the name, before rushing on, "the Fates said she may lose part of her immortality for going back on her vow."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Harsh."

"Yeah...but anyways, she's just going to do her goddess-y stuff." He threw his hands in the air.

"Aren't you going to like, take her out, or something? That is what couples do, right?"

"She's like, a goddess."

"Who has a lot of knowledge on demigod life, even prior to this whole fiasco. Just go somewhere to eat. It's the least I expect." She tried for a smile and a bossy tone, and got to her feet. Offering her hand to Percy, she pulled him up.

"I should be going to bed. You?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired as well. You're uh...gonna have to walk to your cabin." He pointed to the Poseidon cabin which was right next to them.

She stifled back her laughter. "Good night, Percy."

"Night, Annabeth."

The time was ungodly. The demigods had gone to bed, the Olympians were resting in their palaces, and the night was peaceful, filled with the rustle of the cooling wind and the chirping of crickets. The stars that flickered in the sky like tiny angels, transcendent to even look at.

Percy stirred from his sleep. He thought he heard a sound. Of course, why wouldn't he? He was right beside the beach. The swishing of the waves that washed ashore already added a pleasant rhythm to nature's symphony. Yet he heard something...unnatural, but completely natural. It was like a leaf that simply belonged to another forest, though still surrounded by his brethren.

He got up and walked outside. As he opened the door, he blinked a few times at the sudden light that blinded him momentarily. The light was both yellow and red, and swayed as though it were alive.

Then, as he drew closer, he smiled at the familiar figure that sat by the hearth. She seemed to notice his presence, turning around to see him. She smiled warmly right back.

It was as though the war had never happened, and the two were lost in time, sent back to where it was just the two of them sitting by the hearth, talking and chatting, sharing stories and secrets.

And now, after what felt like an eternity, they were right back to where they were. At home, by the hearth.

MY GOSH WE DID IT. FINALLY, IT'S OVER. AN ANTI-CLIMACTIC ENDING, BUT IT'S OVER.

Right, so now you guys can expect a possible epilogue, and what is confirmed to be a long chapter on reflections, where I acknowledge every mistake and plotholes, and tell you guys how to not do what I did (maybe).

Thank you for the support in this whole book, and I will be doing either a major edit or a complete rewrite (-more likely to be this, but I will still follow the same plot), and hopefully some unknown time later I will be releasing the full, final, well-written version of this story.

It's been a long journey, but I'm far from done. It's like a big checkpoint, only.

Thanks for reading!

-Ignatius