When It Fades To Black: Percabeth AU

Family

(All story line rights go to ChasingFreedoms)

Percy POV

After about an hour, a nurse walks out and calls, " Annabeth Chase's family?"

Piper, Jason, Hazel, Frank, Nico, Leo, and I all stand up. She looks at all of us with our different skin colors and heights and weights, and raises her eyebrows. Piper, who is always very convincing at times, jumps into an explanation before anything is said, "Frank and Hazel are our cousins. They're visiting from Canada. Jason is Annabeth's brother, and Percy and I are the only ones who know why Annabeth jumped off that bridge. So let us the hell through." The nurse shakes her head and says, "I was only asking so I knew who to inform..."Inform? Inform us of what? No. No. Nonononono. 

"I hate to say this, but Annabeth didn't make it through the operation. I'm sorry."

 I sink to the floor as I struggle to breathe. Annabeth didn't deserve this. After everything, she deserved to live a long, happy healthy life. 

No. Gods no.

But I cannot deny the cruel hands of death. I still wish his fingers had wrapped around my throat, not hers. 

It's been a week since Annabeth died. A week of failing classes and skipping school and not eating and... and the ocean. I create for myself a sea of sorrow, an ocean of misery, pain, and black. Oh how many times I could have filled all the world's lakes a hundred times over with my tears. And how many times more I could have caused them to dry with emptiness in my soul. The great vast nothing. 

The empty boy I have become straightened his tie in the mirror, reflecting the unoccupied shell that was his body. Today was her funeral.After a car ride I didn't actually process, I arrived at the funeral. 

I walked in with mom and Paul on either side of me. I walked in and sat down. When the service started the pastor said a few words, and then called up Annabeth's loved ones to say a few words. Her father got up to the podium. I immediately tensed. My mom felt it and whispered, "Percy, Percy honey, what's wrong?" I didn't answer, just focused on retaining self control.

But I can't anymore she he says, "My daughter was my princess, and I treated her like one..." 

Before he can finish his sentence I scream, "YOU STUPID LYING ABUSIVE BASTARD!" I leap up and jump over the podium, knocking him over and I begin to feel hands pull me away, but I only hit harder.

 Then... 

I wake up on top of Frank, who now has some lovely new bruises, courtesy of my asshole of a brain, which decided it would be great in sleep entertainment to kill the girl I loved. I must have fallen asleep in my chair waiting for everyone to show up. A nurse walks out before any one can question me, and calls Annabeth's name. I mumble an apology to Frank, who shrugs, and I help him up. We follow the nurse to Annabeth's room in ICU and I sit down next to her. She hasn't woken up yet. The nurse asks, "Are any of you that aren't related to Annabeth by blood in a relationship with her?" Before I could say no, Piper says, "Percy is." I glare at her as the nurse drags me from my room. 

"Have you and Annabeth had sexual intercourse in the past few days?"

At first I'm taken aback by the question that I can't understand it. Then, suddenly as it is processed, I say, "No! Gods no! Annabeth and I have never even kissed!" The nurse seems to believe me, but also seems troubled by my answer. I raise an eyebrow at her, hoping she would tell me what what was going on. She just shakes her head and brushes past me, mumbling, "Nothing. A mistake." 

I thought for a moment... gods I hoped it wasn't what I thought it was. 

Annabeth POV

In the dream, I see the man handing my father the fifty. I feel the fear building as the stranger shuts the door in the concrete room. He instructs me to take off my clothes and I break down crying, begging desperately, "Please no. Please, please no. Please." I sobbed.

The man just scoffs, hits me, and kicks me, really hard, and begins to undo his belt. 

I wake up screaming in a hospital bed.

The only thing that quiets me is seeing Percy's face and hearing his voice whisper, "It's okay. I'm here. You're okay." And somehow, I knew if he stays with me, it will be. Then sweetly, quietly, lovingly he says, "Just don't ever try to leave me again, OK?"

I can't find my voice, so I just nod.

This small promise seems to be enough for Percy.