Piper ran into the stables seconds after Annabeth's collapse. She took one look at Annabeth's tear-streaked expression and dirt stained knees, and she knew. She knew that Percy really was gone. But she still half-hoped that he would jump out and yell "Syke!" Without a word, Piper gathered Annabeth into a hug, trying not to cry. She needed to be strong for her friend.
"We should tell Frank, Hazel and Jason about this," Piper said, choking on the repressed word; Leo. Annabeth's shoulders heaved and an inhumane noise rose from her; Piper knew that she was thinking of Leo too.
"I just can't take knowing that he-he's gone...again," Annabeth whispered, heartbreak seemingly etched in her eyes. Piper could feel it radiating from the poor girl's soul, and it made her heart hurt; she hated to see Annabeth like this. Piper felt awful too; Percy had been her friend, but for Annabeth it would be much worse. She also had a niggling suspicion in the back of her mind. Annabeth had once told her that Aphrodite had said she'd make Annabeth and Percy's love lives "interesting" and had a sinking feeling that her mother was behind this. She had never hated that goddess more, and resented the fact that she was related to the self-centered, shallow goddess.
"You're right Piper, we should tell the rest of the seven," Annabeth said, long after Piper had thought the girl wouldn't say anything.
"But when?" Piper asked.
"During the sing-along?"
"Okay. I think that's starting now. If we hurry, we can drag them away without causing a scene."
Annabeth nodded, grateful that Piper had thought of that. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene.
"Now come on. I hate to sound like a child of Aphrodite, but your pants are getting dirty," Piper said, hoping to raise Annabeth's spirits. To her relief, a trace of a smile appeared among the sadness, but Piper had a feeling that Annabeth's despair would never depart.
~~~
Shocked faces. That's all she could see.
Emptiness. That's all she could feel.
But then the silence exploded.
A million voices, talking at once.
She struggled to make sense of them all, but then they stopped. And one voice emerged, calming and sweet. Piper, charmspeaking.
"Calm down. It'll be alright if you calm down."
Breathe in. Breathe out. Smooth. Calm. Focusing. Tuning back into the world.
"We have to find Percy right away," Hazel said worriedly, her big eyes fearful. Frank put his arm around her protectively, making Annabeth's head hurt. Jason stood by Piper, silent. Their hands intertwined.
"I'll find him. Alone," Annabeth said, surprising herself with her strong voice. It didn't waver. She didn't stutter. But her heart felt as though it was falling down an endless staircase of cement. Thud, thud, thud. It crashed, and as it crashed, it burned and shriveled.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Piper asked.
"Yes. I don't want you guys to get hurt," Annabeth said firmly. Maybe she just couldn't take knowing that her friends still had the people they loved. The jealousy felt alien and disgusting, like a film coating her skin.
"But what if you get hurt?" Frank asked, piping up for the first time.
"It doesn't matter." She replied, her falsely courageous tone replaced with emptiness.
~~~
Annabeth was off as soon as possible. She was taking Guido, who unfortunately couldn't find Blackjack. It was up to her to find out where Percy had gone, but the pressure was too much. She was cracking, falling apart at the seams, her sanity slipping out. She had already lost Percy once. And now here she was, a wreck, her backpack of supplies heavier than the weight of the world. She and Guido had been flying for hours and her lower back ached, and the sun had long since gone down.
She had no idea where Percy was. Exhausted, drained, and broken, Annabeth slumped forward and fell asleep.
"Dad, stop! Promise you won't be embarrassing!" Annabeth pleaded.
"Fine, fine," her dad said. Then he pretended to wipe away a tear. "My little girl is growing up so fast." Annabeth punched his arm, and the doorbell rang. She ran to the front of the house, wrenching open the door. Her stomach swirled with butterflies. Would she ever get over how adorable he was? Apparently not. He held out blue flowers, and Annabeth laughed.
"Where in the world did you get blue flowers, Seaweed Brain?" She asked, her smile stretching so wide it hurt.
"It's a secret," he replied, smiling devilishly. He caught sight of Annabeth's dad, and they greeted each other.
"You've got a wonderful daughter, Mr. Chase," Percy said. They both laughed.
"I'll see you later, Dad!" Annabeth said, grabbing Percy's arm and pulling him out of the house.
"Oh my gods Percy, you're such a dork."
He pouted, then kissed her cheek.
"But I'm a cute dork, right?" He asked.
"Definitely. Where are we going today?"
"It's a surprise," Percy said. "And I promise you'll like it!"
They took a taxi and drove all the way past Camp Half-Blood, and the buildings started getting more wide-spread. The taxi stopped outside a small building surrounded by trees.
"Where are we?" Annabeth asked, since Percy had insisted that she close her eyes throughout the drive. She had almost fallen asleep.
"That doesn't matter. Come on!" Percy dragged her up the driveway, and she was able to see the sign above the door. It had the word museum in it, and that was all she could tell before Percy whisked her inside. Under the bright lights, Annabeth could see Percy's smile. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
"You're the best boyfriend ever, you know that?" She said. "Wow. I can't believe you took me to a museum!" She was like a kid in a candy store. Eyes wide, she made sure they visited every exhibit and read every sign. She didn't even notice the fact that Percy was looking at her more than the exhibits. They were there all day, and it the best date of Annabeth's life.
Annabeth woke up with an acute feeling of heartbreak. It swept through her, making her feel heavy with despair. She half thought it would weigh down Guido. Her shoulders slumped, remembering that day. Then she sat bolt upright. Of course!
"The museum!" Annabeth said, startling Guido. "Gods, I'm so stupid!"
She told Guido where the museum was, and they were flying, and she was trying to squash the smile on her face. What if she was wrong? What if he wasn't there? It's best not to get your hopes up, she told herself. She didn't think she'd be able to live if Percy wasn't there.
(A/ N): YO WHASSUP! I'm actually so emotional bc yesterday i decided that watching o2l's goodbye videos(i've been putting off watching them forever </3) was a good idea, and now I'm watching their old videos *sobbing emoji*
Anyway *sniffles* I hope you guys had a good day! If you liked my chapter, please comment(i love those) and vote(i love those too) and keep reading!
This story is ending soon and omg i'm so proud because it'll be my first finished fanfic and it's like sending my child to kindergarten and omg
<3
le second AN: haha i'm actually so evil
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Uncontrollable{COMPLETED}
FanfictionTartarus had damaged Percy more than he let on. He should have told someone before it got this bad. But now it was too late. He had lost control of his powers, and sometimes, of his mind. Somehow, he had to fix himself before he destroyed the camp...
