Letting it Go

Percy stared at the ground, tilting his head to the side.

The ship's shadow fell over Camp Half-Blood, like how a ledge of the Grand Canyon would, but he knew no one had noticed it yet. Everyone was still in the pavilion, eating. It wouldn't be long until they did, though. And, Percy wasn't sure if he should prepare to run, it had been so long since he had been to CHB, almost a year. He knew he had changed. Tartarus had changed him, and Annabeth, and this whole quest had changed all of them.

He looked over his shoulder, where he saw Leo playing with some kind of contraption he had made. Was it a helicopter? Percy cocked his head to the side, his memory flashing back to when Leo had told them he had sworn to bring Calypso back to the Mortal world. He knew what that meant—he had made an oath on the Styx to find Ogygia twice.

His thoughts started to take a different road.

Was he even ready for this?

The answer came to him in less than a heartbeat, yes, he was ready. He had been ready ever since he had gotten his memories back from the alien also known as Hera. He had been ready since he and Annabeth had gotten out of Tartarus. He had been ready since they defeated Gaea.

And, he missed Camp, a lot. Many of his friends were here. Besides, Annabeth was below the deck in her room, Percy had no idea what she was doing, but knew she was ready, she had been since they had defeated Gaea.

The doors of the Mess Hall swung open and the first of the campers stepped into the open. Percy leaned against the rail and smiled, despite the way his heart was performing jumping-jacks under his chest. He had to force himself to stay put and not go under the deck, where he knew he would never come out if he did went back down there. He knew those three, Conner, Travis and Katie.

Travis was the first one to see the shadow. He looked up and Percy laughed as he watched as his eyes widened. The son of Hermes looked shocked. He nudged Conner and then Katie in the sides and pointed up.

Two other jaws hit the floor.

Percy couldn't resist the grin that spread across his face. Gods, he had missed this place.

"Is anyone up there?" Conner shouted up, and Percy realized he sounded both scared and hopeful. Percy cringed as he remembered they hadn't even contacted the camp to tell them they were alive. And Gaea had been asleep for about a week. Leo joined Percy so that they stood shoulder-to-shoulder.

"We're all safe!" the Latino elf shouted back down at him. "Hold on!" he added as Piper and Jason appeared on deck. They had obviously heard the shouting. Percy watched as more and more campers streamed out and he was stunned at the sheer numbers. His eyes widened as he recognized Dakota and Gwen. So, the Romans were here as well?

Leo went to the control panel and pressed a button. The rope ladder began to unravel and Percy crossed his arms and placed them on the rail. Now that he was here, he suddenly felt scared to go on. What would the others think? He had changed, after all… he wouldn't be who they expected to see.

"Hey," a soft voice at his side greeted and Percy relaxed as a warm hand wrapped around his. He entwined his fingers with Annabeth's and squeezed her hand. "You ready to do this?"

Percy looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "No," he admitted, "I'm scared."

Annabeth's gray eyes filled with compassion and she took a few steps forward and wrapped her arms around him. Percy let out a soft sigh and wrapped his arms around her in return, a meteor could crash into Earth and they would be alright. He closed his eyes and let his head rest on top of hers.

"I know," her breath tickled his ear, "But it'll be okay."

She pulled away and smiled at him. Percy returned it.

"Are you two coming down?" someone from below shouted, Leo. Percy rolled his eyes, would he ever learn a thing called patience?

"Shut up, Leo!" he called over the edge, leaning so that he could see Leo's face. Leo only grinned, his eyes dancing and Percy pulled away. He turned to Annabeth, "Can I soak him, just once?" he pleaded. Annabeth rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the ear, although Percy noticed she was smiling slightly. She marched (still holding his ear, by the way!) to the other side of the deck and sat on it, letting her foot hang.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain." She smiled teasingly at him and kissed his cheek. "I'll go first."

Percy watched her as she climbed down the first few steps, just to make sure she was going to be alright, before he took a deep breath and copied her motions.

I've fallen to Tartarus, I can do this. Besides, Annabeth's been through just as much as me, if not more.

After a few minutes, which felt like years, he finally reached the bottom. The ground. He stared up at the ship for a moment, debating if he should just grab Annabeth and make a run for it.

A hand rested on his shoulder, it wasn't Annabeth's, but it was one equally familiar. Percy's head whipped around and he locked his gaze with his oldest friend's. Grover looked like he was about to cry and Percy remembered the time when he accidentally spilled coffee on the book his mom had worked so hard on and how he had felt. The way her eyes had widened when he had shown her the great big stain that soaked through at least half of the book… Why hadn't he contacted Grover earlier? Like, when he got his memories back?

"Percccccy!" he bleated and tackled him in a bear hug, or would that be a goat-hug? Percy's eyes widened, the only other person to touch him had been Annabeth since, well, Tartarus. Then he smiled, this was Grover. He wrapped his arms around his friend in return, so what if it wasn't manly? It didn't matter.

"You're back, and you're alive." Grover pulled away and Percy was unsurprised by the tears running down the satyr's face. "I've missed you."

Percy was a little surprised when his own eyes stung, but he managed a soft chuckle. "I've missed you too, G-man."

Those words broke the trance that had settled on the clearing. Percy almost flinched when the camp seemed to roar (or was that a cheer?) and charge forward, pushing each other over to get to him. Percy yelped when he was tackled by several dozen people.

Okay, so he wasn't tackled per-say.

"Good to have you back, punk. Wanna duel?"

Percy smiled wryly at Clarisse, some things never changed.

"You're back!"

"Ohmygods, I've missed you!"

"Can I have your wallet?"

"Let's save the trees!"

"Welcome back, Peter Johnson."

"If you hurt my sister, you die." Percy shot Malcolm a look at this and the son of Athena shrugged. "Old times' sake?" he offered a little sheepishly. Percy smiled.

"At least something hasn't changed." He responded good naturedly as Annabeth made her way through the mob (never underestimate her elbows) and wrapped her arm around his waist. Percy looked at her and couldn't resist a smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She laughed.

The mob began to chatter again and so many faces appeared in front of Percy. Some were new and others were old friends, even more were familiar faces but Percy had never gotten a chance to get to know them before Hera had decided to kidnap him.

And the grin never faltered or left his face.

Several hours later, Percy stared at the Minotaur horn resting in his hands. He sighed and turned it over and over. So much had happened since then, he had changed so much.

"Sometimes I wonder what happened to the lost little boy who stumbled across my camp six years ago." Percy looked up when he heard the familiar voice and he smiled at his teacher. Chiron ducked under the doorway and clip clopped over to him. With a start, Percy realized he had never seen the centaur inside of his cabin before.

"I wonder that too sometimes," he murmured as he remembered his first quest with Annabeth and Grover. "A lot has happened since then, I suppose."

Percy jumped when a hand rested on his shoulder and he found that he was unable to look away from those dark eyes Chiron had. "I'm proud to have watched you become the man who you are now." His old teacher ruffled his hair and Percy's eyes widened for a moment before he grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sometimes, I feel just like I had back then." He admitted quietly, "Lost and confused. But awed at what I see in front of me."

Chiron sighed softly. "I think you've got quite an adventure to tell."

Bob's face flashed through Percy's mind and he nearly choked. "Yeah, yeah I do. Not now, but eventually… when I'm ready. And Annabeth too."

Chiron looked at him a little sadly. "Someone else is here to see you, Percy." He walked into the door and Percy followed his mentor. "Grover might stop by later."

Percy watched as his teacher's back as he walked back up to the Big House and he glanced back up at the trident just above his door.

"Percy?"

Percy felt his heart stop and the tears that he had been holding back finally prick at his eyes as he heard her familiar voice.

He turned around and took a few hesitant steps closer to her. His mom stared at him, as if she hardly dared to believe it and she copied his motions. She gently touched his face, as if reassuring herself he was real and Percy gulped. Tears began to fall out of her eyes.

"Percy…" she whispered and wrapped her arms around him. Percy took a deep shuddering breath and wrapped his arms around her in return.

He was the worst son ever.

The sinking pit in his stomach agreed with him and he stared at the ground. Memories of Tartarus flashed through his mind and, suddenly, felt so tired. He had had enough with the Olympians and all of their wars.

He just wanted it to end, he just wanted to live with Annabeth. Hadn't they done enough? Surely even the fates could see that.

"I'm so sorry mom…"

~…~

"Percy?" his oldest friend seemed to have just appeared at his side. Percy looked over at Grover, who looked a little nervous. He twisted his reed pipes in his hands. "I'm sorry."

Percy frowned in confusion and he tilted his head at his friend. "What in Hades for?" he asked. Grover let out a nervous bleat.

"For jumping on you like that earlier, I shouldn't have done it."

Percy blinked a couple of times, Grover was apologizing for that? He watched his friend for a couple of moments, wondering what he should say. Then he smiled and put his hands in his pockets and looked at the stars.

"I'm glad you did, though." Percy let out a soft sigh, "I probably would have jumped on the Argo II with Annabeth and fly all the way back to Alaska."

Percy held his breath as he waited for Grover to reply. "How come?" his friend didn't sound angry, just curious. Percy removed his hands from his pockets, but he kept looking at the stars. He couldn't meet Grover's gaze.

"I've changed, Grover." He finally admitted after a few moments. "I changed a lot down there." Percy felt his stomach clench as he thought of the way he controlled that monster's body and how he scared Annabeth. He closed his eyes as Bob and Damasen's faces flashed through his mind. "Maybe too much."

"You really went in there, didn't you?" Grover's voice was small, as if he had been hoping it hadn't happened. Percy let out a short laugh, and he was pretty sure it sounded bitter.

"There was no way I would have let Annabeth fall down into Tartarus by herself." The air grew a little colder and Percy cracked open an eyelid and glared at the sky. It wouldn't do him any good, but it made him feel a little better.

"It must have been scary down there…" Grover said after a few moments' pause. Percy sighed, the anger draining out of him.

"You have no idea… and at least I had Annabeth with me." Percy felt tears sting at his eyes as he thought of Nico, who had sacrificed himself in the end to stop Gaea. To save him of all people. He really was a terrible person… he wasn't even able to save someone who he had promised to protect. "But there were some good people down there, they helped us."

"Oh?" Grover didn't sound surprised, he had probably expected something like that to happen.

Percy pointed at the stars, "Bob, and Damasen. They got to see the stars again." His stomach twisted again, but he didn't feel like he was about to be sick. He just felt sad. "After everything they did, they deserved more."

"Don't they all?" a soft voice came from his side and he looked at Annabeth. She walked up to him and took his hand, smiling a little sadly. "Hello, Grover."

Grover smiled at her before he looked back at Percy. "None of us expected for you to be the same, Percy." He admitted and Percy looked at him in mild surprise. "We knew you would have changed, and… it's okay to lean on someone else's shoulder for a change."

Percy felt a little surprised, but then he tilted his head to the side and looked at the satyr. "I'm glad I have a friend like you."

Grover laughed and Percy felt himself relaxing for the first time since Tartarus. He had missed his friends, a lot. "I'm proud of you, Percy." His smile didn't disappear entirely, but Grover looked serious. "We all are."

Percy let his gaze fall to the ground as Annabeth tightened her hand around his. "We are who we are," her voice was quiet and gentle, "And we shouldn't try to change ourselves."

Percy stared at her, at the way her gray eyes sparkled in the moonlight and the way her hair seemed to shine and the only thing he could think of was, "Gods, I love you."

Annabeth blinked, before the widest smile he had ever seen on her face appeared and she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. Percy's brain felt like mush as she pulled away and her smile widened as she took in his expression.

They turned to Grover, who had a sappy smile on his face. Percy raised an eyebrow.

"I can't believe how far we've come." He sounded cheerful, "You and Annabeth hated each other."

Percy made a face at the last part while Annabeth giggled. "I can't either, Grover." She admitted, although she was still smiling. "And I don't think I ever will."

And so, Percy stood with Grover and Annabeth, watching as the sun rose.

They had come far.

Even when the road was rough, even when everything seemed like there would be no end, they had done it. They had finally gotten to the end of the line, and they had made it there. Maybe not completely whole, but alive. And now, hopefully, the world will be a better place. Maybe, just maybe, Percy would be able to marry Annabeth and they would be able to live the rest of their lives in peace.

"I'm glad we did it," Annabeth spoke up suddenly, "Partly because it was worth it, but mostly because we shall never have to do it again."

And, Percy laughed and pulled her closer to him.

"Yeah, I'm glad we did it too."

After so many years, after all the doubts, they had finally done it. Everything had finally come down to this.

And you know what?

Percy wouldn't change a thing.

And in the end,
they all lived.

Author's Note: This is my second time in posting this. Stupid destroyed the layout of the last one and I didn't realize it until now. -.-