Please ignore any sort of grammatical mistakes. I didn't have the time to proof read. I'll do it soon though! Happy Reading!

His eyes were what caught her attention. They were so intense she wanted to look away...or never look away, she couldn't decide.

It was just a regular day in the hospital. She had worn her usual formal clothes with a white coat now put on. Women and men in scrubs swept into the room and checked the monitors and the bags. They strode out, nodded at the quartet slumped in chairs against the wall, and scuffed down the hall. Nurses changed shifts, moved the life of the place along while patients and visitors waited frozen, locked into little boxes of concern and fear.

The hospital room was as cold as dead skin, the hallway crowded with lost souls and reeking of illness. It wasn't anything new for Annabeth. Patients would come and go and it wasn't supposed to matter to her. She'd learned a long time ago not to get attached to them. Especially cancer patients. Those were the worst. They would always mope around with heartbroken expressions begging the doctors to save their lives, but there's only so much a doctor can do.

That's why when Annabeth attached a tube to the arm of her new patient she hadn't even bothered to look up at his face assuming that it would be the same as the previous hundred cancer patients she had attended to. While attaching the tube something on the patients wrist caught her eye.

There was something written in black ink. It was a tattoo of sorts which had a typewritten font. She leaned in closer and squinted her eyes to make out the words when a husky voice startled her.

"To save a life." He said and Annabeth jumped back startled. That's when she noticed his eyes. They were a vibrant sea green with flecks of blue in them. She peeks up at his features, bright eyes, sharp nose, a well defined jaw, messy black hair and a light stubble. Annabeth figured he was in his twenties. What was most surprising was that he looked...happy.

He looked up at her, took a deep breath and then spoke again. "My tattoo. That's what you were looking at right?"

"Oh um yes. Sorry." Annabeth mumbled turning around to find the patient's documents.

"So you're my doctor?" She heard him ask and she read his name at the top of the document. Percy Jackson.

She turned around and plastered a smile. "Yes, ." His eyes bore into her like he knew something she didn't.

"So I'm going to interrogate you to get a clear view of your medical antecedents and current symptoms. Please answer truthfully." Annabeth said in her proffessional voice and started to ask her first question when he interrupted her.

"You know you can say the word cancer right?" He asked her and she could see a hint of teasing in his eyes. "It's not like I'm gonna burst into a puddle."

"Right." Annabeth said sounding confused. "Although I prefer not to." He simply shrugged in a cute gesture.

''Okay.'' He nodded and as Annabeth opened her mouth to ask her first question he interrupted her. Again. " So what's my ranking?"

"I'm sorry what?" Annabeth asked half irritated and half curious to what he was talking about.

"You know, what's crazier than what?" He tried and when there was no sign of comprehension on Annabeth's face he tried harder. "Like I'm sure I'm not your first patient right? You must have had others and of course all of them weren't the same…." He trailed off noticing Annabeth's baffled face. "You really don't know what I'm talking about do you?"

"I didn't realize there was a ranking." Annabeth stated frowning.

"Oh sure there is." Percy said sitting back in his bed. ""First you have your generic depressives. They're a dime a dozen and usually pretty boring."He explained.

"Then you've got the bulimics and the anorexics. They're slightly more interesting, although usually they're just girls with nothing better to do." He didn't stop when Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"Then you start getting into the good stuff: the arsonists, the schizophrenics, the manic-depressives. You can never quite tell what those will do. And then you've got the junkies. They're completely tragic, because chances are they're just going to go right back on the stuff when they're out of here." Annabeth simply stood there and shook her head amusedly as he kept rambling on.

"So junkies are at the top of the crazy chain," He concluded.

Annabeth shook her head. "Nuh-uh," she said. "Suicides are."

Percy looked at her. "Why?"

"Anyone can be crazy," she answered. "That's usually just because there's something screwed up in your wiring, you know? But suicide is a whole different thing. I mean, how much do you have to hate yourself to want to just wipe yourself out?"

A slow smile spread across Percy's face and he had a certain glint in his eyes. "I knew you weren't just beauty and brains."

Annabeth ignored her blush and acted as if she was looking through his documents although in reality everything was just a big blur at the moment. "So." She said and flipped a paper. "What category do you fit yourself in?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. " Oh the ones that come under suffering from brain cancer and no working pair of legs."

Annabeth's head jerked up so quick that there was possibility of her getting whiplash. She just kept staring at his smiling face as he let out a laugh. "Now don't go weak on me doc. Don't you have questions to ask?"

And this time when she did there were no interruptions or jokes or flirting. Just Annabeth finding herself check that one page again and again.

PERCY JACKSON

Brain tumor

Lower body paralyzed

Stage 3

"Thalia I'm home!" Annabeth yelled as she shut the door to her house wrestling with the keys and groceries in her hands. She placed the keys on the table and proceeded to set the groceries in the kitchen. As she was placing the eggs in the fridge she felt two arms wrap around her waist. She immediately turned frigid and closed the fridge quietly.

"Hey honey." A voice whispered in her hair and she relaxed just a little bit feeling a kiss being pressed to the side of her head.

"Eric" She breathed out as she turned around in his arms and came face to face with her husband. His brown hair covered his forehead and a bit off his eyes and his midnight black eyes bore into her.

"I thought you weren't coming home until next week." Annabeth said and she noticed his eyebrows twitch.

"Why?" He asked and she sensed a hint of anger as his hands on her waist tightened. Annabeth bit the inside of her cheek.

"I-I mean I hadn't expected you to-" Eric pressed her body against the fridge and held her wrist with bruising force.

"Are you hiding something from me?" He growled and Annabeth had a feeling of deja vu. Here we go again, she thought.

"Of course not!" She protested leaning forward but he pushed her back roughly.

She winced as his grip tightened even more. "You better not or -"

"Annie I"m home!" They were interrupted by Eric's cousin, Thalia Grace. Eric immediately released her at the sound of her voice as Annabeth straightened up and breathed out.

Thalia entered the kitchen and her eyes lit up as they fell on the man beside Annabeth. "No way!" Her eyes widened as she dropped her bag and ran towards Eric with her arms wide open. Thalia was a journalist so she wasn't at home half of the time. Thalia Grace had been her best friend since fifth grade. In twelfth grade, she introduced Eric Scott, her cousin to Annabeth and it was love at first sight. Except that it wasn't exactly that way. You see, when Annabeth had first set eyes on Thalia's devilishly handsome face she hadn't really envisioned that five years from then she would be married to him. Now at the ripe age of twenty two she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't met Eric.

She felt like it was a completely different era then. She was the geeky nerdy Annabeth who was always seen with books in her hands and her glasses tumbling off her nose. Not to mention, the only girl without a boyfriend. Thanks to Thalia or she wouldn't have survived high school. Then came Eric. Oh he'd swept her off her feet alright but there was always something missing. She couldn't point it out but she knew. She still remembered the first time they kissed. It was perfect and all she could ever dream of but there was something missing. After being married for a year to him she still couldn't figure it out.

"When did you get here?!" Thalia exclaimed as she pulled away from the hug. Eric chuckled and looked at Annabeth from the corner of his eye then looked at Thalia and shrugged. "Well I reached here this evening. I was waiting for you and Annabeth so I could give you two a surprise." He winked and Thalia laughed again.

"I hope you guys had your reunion. I would hate to interrupt otherwise." Thalia teased and Annabeth's ears turned red. "Thalia!"

"It's okay babe." Eric said in a silky voice as he pulled Annabeth closer and pecked her forehead. "She's used to it."

Thalia fake gagged but smiled anyway and looked at them with an adoring look in her eyes. Well of course she did, to Thalia, they probably looked like the perfect couple. Annabeth preffered it to be that way. Eric was the only family Thalia had left after her parent's accident. Eric had taken care of Thalia his whole life. He was not only her brother but he also played the role of her missing parents. Thalia didn't need to know their relationship wasn't perfect. That their marriage wasn't perfect. That her brother wasn't perfect. She'd be broken.

That night they had dinner at the table like a real family. Annabeth loved these moments, where Eric seemed like the old high school Eric again and the three of them chilling out. She wished they could go back to how they used to be. She missed that.

Eric was frequently travelling on business trips. It didn't take long for her to figure out what exactly was going on. Six months after their honeymoon she couldn't help but notice the little things. Him coming home late, walking out of the room to receive phone calls. It didn't take much. She'd even caught him red handed once. A ring to his office was all it took for her to know that her Eric wasn't hers anymore. Sure, she'd confronted him about it later but the result hadn't been too well. She'd learned not to question him thereafter.

As he changed his clothes in their bedroom, Annabeth put his dirty clothes in the laundry. She stood with his shirt collar in hand sniffing an unfamiliar lavender scent which definitely wasn't his cologne. She tried to keep the tears at bay as she slid down next to the washing machine, her silence and the soft rumbling of the machine the only sound filling the room.

"It's going to be okay." She whispered to herself repeatedly but who was she kidding. It never did. All she could do was hope because that was the only thing she had left.

"Rise and shine doc!" Percy exclaimed as she entered the room and Annabeth internally groaned. Although his happy-go-lucky nature was endearing it was starting to annoy her. She hadn't even had the time to get herself a cup of coffee before she realized that she had missed her alarm and was in fact late for work.

She placed the bouquet she had entered the room with near Percy's bedside table and turned to a grinning Percy. "Aw doc I didn't know we were moving this fast already." He winked and Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"They're not from me, ." Percy snorted at her formality. "
They're from someone named…" She leaned over the bouquet to check who it was from. "Rachel." Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Girlfriend?" As soon as she asked she regretted it. "I'm sorry I shouldn't be asking personal questions."

"Nah it's fine." Percy said waving her off. "She's just a close friend." He said as he plucked the note from the bouquet and smiled as he read it.

Annabeth nodded absentmindedly as she checked his pulse. "How are you feeling today?" Although Annabeth could literally see that he was perfectly fine, well when it concerned his mood, she still had to ask these questions. It was somewhat of a doctor protocol.

"Like I'm ready to skip and go surfing with my grandma." He said sarcastically and then put on a thinking face. "Although that would be weird." Annabeth sighed and shook her head as she took out a small torch light from her coat pocket and walked closer to Percy which made him stop laughing.

"Just stay still alright, I'm going to check your eyes for any dilation." She said as she held his jaw firmly but not tightly and maybe she heard him mutter something along the lines 'uh..mu…gah'. All the same as she moved the torch to his other eye she felt his jaw move under her palm. "Are you gonna kiss me?"

She immediately pulled away and groaned. "Are you serious?! Can't you keep your mouth shut for just one minute?!" She exclaimed exasperated.

"Well I'm not gonna be saying stuff after a month or two anyway right?" He joked. Enough death jokes already! Annabeth felt herself getting agitated. How could he laugh and joke about something as serious as his life?

"Percy! This is serious. This concerns your life! You know how many people have lost that already?" That got him to shut up and he looked down at his hands. Annabeth sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Jeez, she hadn't meant to burst his bubble. It wasn't his fault that's she'd been having a crappy day. Since Eric had come home last night she'd become panicky. She was afraid that her one wrong move would agitate him again and right now she couldn't handle it. Of course he'd said sorry to her last night and of course he'd kissed her to make her forget about it and of course he would repeat it again. Annabeth was used to this cycle.

"I'm sorry." She said rubbing her forehead and Percy gave her a sympathetic look. "You wanna know what's the worst thing about being a doctor?" He asked and Annabeth nodded tiredly not wanting to upset him again.

"You see, a doctor can't really call in sick to work cause they're just gonna be like ' you sick? Oh that's fine, come to the hospital and we'll fix you up!'" He mimicked in a bad imitation of a female and even though he sounded horrible, Annabeth couldn't stop a small chuckle escaping her lips.

Annabeth was about to say something else when the door to the room opened halfway and a face peeked in. "Annie?" It was Silena, her long time pal at the hospital and colleague. "Can I have a minute?"

"Sure" Annabeth said as she stood up and walked out of the room as Silena started dragging her to the hospital cafeteria. When Annabeth gave her a questioning look she shrugged. "I was craving something sweet and anyways I noticed you weren't doing anything important anyway."

Annabeth's eyes widened and she pulled back. "You were eavesdropping on me!" Silena's face remained unabashed as they both sat down. "Oh please. I was just about to knock when I heard you laughing. I wouldn't exactly call it eavesdropping." Annabeth huffed as Silena ordered a donut for her self and coffee for Annabeth. "He's cute though." Silena commented winking at her.

"I'm not interested Silena." Annabeth said boredly as she waved her wedding ring in front of her face. "Anyways, how is junior Silena or shall I say junior Charles?" Annabeth asked raising an eyebrow at Silena's protruding stomach.

Silena smiled and rubbed her swollen stomach. "We don't want to find out the gender. It's a surprise." She leaned in closer. "Although I do have a hunch."

Annabeth smiled. "Of course you do. Isn't it weird being a gynecologist and being pregnant? I mean you must already know everything that's happening."

"It is scary I'll admit." Silena said interlinking her fingers. "I mean I know all the possibilities so it makes it a whole lot harder but it's exciting too."

Annabeth could see the sparkle in her eyes as she spoke about her unborn child. She seemed so happy with a husband like Charles and a baby on the way. Annabeth was glad to see that there was at least one person who was happy with their choices.

It wasn't that she regretted marrying Eric. She loved him. Of course she did. He was her husband and no matter what he did she wanted to accept his mistakes. Not because she was weak, no, Annabeth Chase was not weak, she wanted to start fresh. She wanted to forget those haunting nights she spent alone in her bed wondering why the other side of it was empty. She just wanted her Eric back. She loved him, but she wasn't sure if that love was enough to hold the both of them.

"Oh!" Silena exclaimed jolting Annabeth out of her thoughts. "I totally forgot. Since Eric has returned from his trip-" She gave Annabeth a smirk. "-Charles was wondering if you two would like to come over for dinner?"

It took Annabeth a minute to answer that. Why not? She thought. Charles and Eric were good friends. She was sure Eric wouldn't have a problem with visiting them. She thought it would be good for him and anyways she wasn't sure she wanted to be alone with him at home. "Of would love to." She replied nodding and threw in a smile. Silena grinned. "Perfect." She grabbed her bag and shouldered it. "I better get going. See you this evening!" She called out as Annabeth checked her phone. It displayed the time in big bold numbers. 5:00 PM.

"Better be leaving then" She muttered to herself and proceeded to keep her phone in her purse. The only problem? She'd left her purse in Percy's room. "Damn it." She walked towards his room and opened the door abruptly to notice another figure seated beside Percy's bed. The man looked a few years younger to Percy with shaggy black hair similar to his and dark black eyes. It was like he almost complimented the hospital with his death like appearance.

"Oh I'm sorry." Annabeth apologized stepping back. "I just came back to get my purse." She said and glanced at where it was kept near the bouquet. Percy smiled at her. "It's okay doc. This is my cousin, Nico Di Angelo." He said gesturing towards the man who was got up and raised his hand.

Annabeth walked towards the man and shook his hand in a totally professional gesture. "Nice to meet you." Annabeth said politely as Angelo gave a small smile. Hmm not much of a people person. Annabeth thought. Well compared to Percy she assumed he must be having the same behavior. Turns out she thought wrong.

"Well I better be leaving then." Annabeth said grabbing her purse and shouldering it. She turned to Percy. "I will be seeing you tommorow. Please don't touble the nurses this time." She pleaded and Percy simply winked at her. "No promises there, doc."

Annabeth huffed in frustration as she tried to chain up her dress. The zip was far too deep for her arms to reach them and she was clearly failing. She had put on a simple blue dress, one which Eric had given her on their one year anniversery. A simple neckalace hung on her neck matched with a pair of her favorite owl earrings. She decided to leave her hair loose, her blonde curls cascading down her back.

"Eric?" She called out wondering if her husband was ready yet. He probably wasn't. Annabeth was always the punctual one in their relationship whether it be dates or simple meetings. Hell, she'd been afraid that he'd be late to his own wedding!

"Can you help me out with this?" She said as she noticed Eric walking into the room fixing his tie. "Sure." he muttered as he walked over to her and placed a hand on her waist to steady her. She could feel his cold hands on her skin as he zipped her up.

She turned around facing him. "How do I look?" She really hoped he'd noticed the effort she put. It was really rare that Annabeth would apply make up at all but on special occasions when she wanted to feel special or more importantly want Eric to make her feel special she'd put in a little extra.

"Fine." Eric said turning around not even looking at her properly as he fished out his phone from his pocket and began typing something. Annabeth tried to restrain the sad sigh coming out of her mouth as she turned back to the mirror and looked at herself. What's wrong with me? She thought.

"So..." Eric said twirling Annabeth around and pulling her back. "I thought you didn't dance?"

They were at their senior prom with kids dancing and getting drunk. Somewhere near the dance floor she was sure Thalia was with her date but she didn't care. For now she just wanted to enjoy prom with her boyfriend.

"Only for you." Annabeth smiled and Eric gave her a soft kiss and Annabeth went into oblivion. No matter how many times Eric kissed her she still wouldn't get over the fact that they were together. It was impossible and she still couldn't believe he fell for someone like her.

"You look beautiful." he whispered in her ear as her eyes fluttered close and she layed her head on his shoulder.

A slow song played as they swayed to the music. She vaguely recognized it as a song by Westlife as the lyrics were so fitting for the moment. Eric softly sang along in her ear. "-and hope my dreams will take me there, where the skies are blue, to see you once again my love.-"

"I'm in love with you." Annabeth said suddenly and Eric pulled back suddenly in shock. She started panicking thinking about the possibilies. Maybe it was too soon. She hoped she hadn't scared him. It was too soon. Too soon. Too-

"Love you too." Eric said and Annabeth probably had the biggest smile that night.

That song had become 'their' song after that night. She remember how happy she was as she couldn't sleep the whole night. She should probably had known then. She should have figured it out that his response had sounded too robotic. Like he was obliged to say it back. Did he really love her then? She wondered. Now she would never find out.

She grabbed a white clutch bag and proceeded to take her mobile from her purse. It had been left on the couch since she had come home from the hospital. As she dug in her bag she felt her finger hit against something. It felt like an envolope and as she took it out the litght blue color of it was soothing to the eye. Nothing was written on it, not even who it was adressed to but if she found it in her purse then obviously the person meant to give it to her. It was a fold-type envelope, the ones which open into a letter. Once she started reading she instantly got to know who it was from.

Ssup Doc? So by now I'm sure you've guessed who I am. Yeah...don't blame me for getting a little bored and hey, you're the one who left your purse behind.

Anyways, I just thought of writing this letter because...well I was thinking of the fact of how you doctors always try cheering us up and it works...well half the time anyways. Sometimes it get's really annoying when they say 'you'll be fine' when you clearly won't. Anyway not to go off track, I thought maybe patients should stop being conceited once in a while and try to be empathetic you know? I know, I know, too deep thinking for me huh? You can thank me later. So, the bottom line is that I've made it my personal goal to give you a letter everyday until I...well you know. I'm not gonna say it cause you hate my death jokes, which is surprising really, but i promise, no more death jokes okay?

I noticed you looked kinda upset today. Call me a stalker, but you can't blame me, it's not like I have many visitors do I? Based on that fact I really hope you're smiling right now cause that was the agenda of the day. Don't stop smiling. That smile could end wars and cure cancer. Trust me, I know.

P.S- I think the hospital will be short of a few nurses tommorow.

Annabeth couldn't help but let out a laugh as she folded back the later. It was really wierd for her because one he was her patient and two he was her patient. Percy Jackson was something. She'd never met anyone like him before. It was almost like a breathe of fresh air to find someone so happy even when the his own body had turned it's back against him. She wish she could be that way. She craved it more than anything.

"Annabeth!" Eric called out as he honked the car."We're getting late!" Annabeth quickly shoved the letter into her purse and grabbed her heels as she put them on. She hurried towards the car and took one last look at her purse before she shut the door.

The drive to Silena's house was silent. An awkard silence which Annabeth had gotten used to. She decided to turn on the radio and a smile was instantly plastered onto her face as the same song by Westlife started filling the car. It was ironic, because moments ago she was reminisicing about this song and how much it meant to Eric and her.

She looked up at him to see any sign of recognition, any sign of happiness, any sign of anything, but no she didn't get what she wanted. His face remained blank as ever as he kept driving. Annabeth's eyes burned as she tried hard not to show any emotion.

"Honey, could you turn it off please?" Eric said and Annabeth would almost have cried out if the reaction wasn't so familiar. She wasn't all that surprised really. If he could forget her birthday surely it couldn't take much to forget their song too, but she had to try. To try to fix their broken marriage.

"Don't you remember?" She said her voice soft. "This was our song."

Annabeth's breath hitched as she saw his fist grip the wheel harder and his posture turn stiff. "I don't like it anymore." he said in a clipped voice.

Take deep breaths. Breathe in. Breathe out. Annabeth chanted to herself from having a personal meltdown. She closed her eyes tight and could feel her nails piercing the skin of her palm. "Are you seeing someone?" She breathed out and immediately felt the car stop with a screech. She knew they'd been over this once before and maybe he thought he'd scared her enough to make her not question him again but she couldn't help it. Although she was sure that he was, she wanted to hear it come from him.

"What did you say?" He asked in a low voice and Annabeth clasped her hands together to prevent them from shaking.

She gulped and tried to steel her nerves to get it out. She wanted to- no needed to confront him. She just had to.

"I uh." She cleared her throat. "Nothing." Damn it.

He leaned in closer to her until she could feel his breath on her hair near her ear. "I love you." His voice was husky but she didn't feel what she would have felt a year ago when she heard that tone. Instead she felt a sense of dread settling onto her.

"Love you too." She choked out and that was the last thing heard in the car until they reached Silena's house. It left Annabeth wondering...why did she always forgive him every single time? It was as if in sync her mind gave her the answer.

She forgave everything, all because she thought one day he'd give up. He'd come back to her. Funny how that day never came.

"Annabeth Chase"

Annabeth's shoulder's stiffened and she almost dropped her pen as she heard Percy say that name. It had been so long since someone had called her maiden name that she's almost forgotten it.

She turned around biting her lip. "Um Scott actually. I don't go by that anymore."

Percy's grin remained constant all the same as he shrugged. "I know. Just testing how it sounded when I say it out loud."

She rolled her eyes and walked towards a small white screen with alphabets on it. Like the one's they use in eye clinics to check one's eyesight. She plugged the wire connecting it and the screen glowed a bright white light.

"So I guess the cockiness can stop now that you know I'm married?" She said sarcastically.

"Nah." He said and to which she raised his eyebrows at him."Can't stop won't stop honey." He said wiggling his eyebrows and Annabeth laughed shaking her head. She'd learnt to stop minding his corny jokes. After all, they were just jokes. She knew he didn't really mean them. It was just his nature.

"Okay, tell me the letters in order according to the screen." She said pointing towards the screen. He looked at the screen and easily recited the first row of letters.

"So...did you get my letter?" He said casually.

"Uh huh." Annabeth nodded as she scrolled down the screen. "Percy, concentrate." He huffed and recited the now smaller letters. She scrolled down the screen again and now the letters were even smaller but big enough to be read by the average human eye.

This time Percy squinted a bit and had difficulty with reading the letters. He got most of them wrong. That very fact made Annabeth's stomach churn. His first symptom of his cancer getting worse. She decided not to let him know of this yet. As she noted down this new information he spoke again. "Did you read it?"

"Of course I did Percy." she mumbled still not looking up. She heard Percy sigh. "You didn't like it."

This time she looked up. "Of course I did." She said softly and walked towards him. "I was having a really crappy day and it kind of cheered me up. Thank you."

His smile was back again and Annabeth felt herself lightening up with him too. She liked the fact how he blocked out the depressing atmosphere of the hospital and was always in his own personal paradise. People should be like that. Happy for the little things cause you don't know how precious it is until it's gone.

"But seriously, a letter?" Annabeth said. "Couldn't you like text it or something?"

"Well for one," he said raising his index finger. "I'd have to have your number for that and two," he held up another finger. "handwritten love letters will never go out of style."

"Love letter huh?" Annabeth snorted. "Don't you have girlfriends for that?"

Percy laughed out. "Although I do seem like a perv and a jerk doesn't mean I am one Annabeth." She noticed he didn't call her 'doc' this time. "And anyways, I feel relationships are seriously overrated."

"And why is that?" Annabeth questioned really interested in knowing his answer because didn't everybody want love? Didn't everybody need love? How could one simply survive without it?

"Being in a relationship ends in one of two ways, breaking up or death. When you think about it like that, love really is doomed from the beginning yet we continue to nearly kill ourselves anyways just to taste it." He said shaking his head.

"Isn't that too pessimistic?"

He shrugged. "It's the hard core truth."

"So you're saying..." She said resting her wieght on the chair beside his bed. She was sure she would wonder later how she was having a conversation like this with her patient when she had other important things to do but for the moment it had her engrossed. "...love doesn't really exist?"

"Of course it does." he said. "It's just that we expect too much and give too little. He's not perfect and neither are you but if he cares about the little things then value that because perfect guys don't exist, but there is always that one guy perfect for you."

Somehow Annabeth had the feeling that he wasn't just talking about the entire male population. Eric wasn't perfect. Neither was she. Their marriage was broken and they could care less about the little things. At a point like this how was she supposed to believe he was the perfect guy for her? Percy's words burned into her brain. It's the hard core truth.

She found another blue letter in her purse. Again.

Annabeth wondered how he managed to put it inside her purse but then decided not to look to much into it. Instead she delicately opened it and with a blue sharpie his messy writing was sprawled across the paper.

For the record, I don't really believe love doesn't exist. After all, that's how all of us came into this world didn't we? Okay, bad joke. Anyways, I guess the idea of love is just so tempting that when you get the real deal it really isn't what you think it is. Am I making sense?

Annabeth subconciously nodded as she read through the letter.

So thought for the day today would be, well I noticed how it got you thinking after what I said and well... the only guy you need in your life is the one that proves that he needs you in his.

Keep smiling doc :)

Annabeth smiled as she carefully placed the letter in her bookshelf where his previous letter was also present.

Just then she heard Eric yell her name. "Annabeth!" he yelled rushing into the room grinning. Annabeth wondered what had got him so excited when she noticed the phone in his hand.

"Silena's having the baby."

Annabeth and Eric rushed through the halls of the hospital as they searched for the room Silena was in. When they finally reached there, they were made to wait outside. Through the glass Annabeth could see Beckendorf, in scrubs, clutching Silena's hands who seemed pretty worn out as she let out another piercing scream. Oh the pain of giving birth. Annabeth wouldn't know anything about that obviously. She glanced back at Eric who was looking at the scene amusedly. For that one moment she felt she saw the old Eric once again. The one who wasn't always angry and brooding. The happy care-free and loving Eric.

After half an hour or so they heard a faint cry. Annabeth strained her ears and another cry, louder this time sounded out. A nurse came out wiping her hands and smiled at them. "You can go in now."

Annabeth and Eric immediately rushed in. Silena was passed out on the bed with her face sticky with sweat but Beckendorf gave her a light kiss on the forehead all the same. He was holding a little pink bundle in his arms.

He noticed Annabeth and Eric come in and gave them a smile holding out the pink bundle at Annabeth. "It's a girl."

Annabeth cooed at the little baby as she gently held her in her arms. The baby was an exact duplicate of Silena except for her nose which was part of Beckendorf. Her little fingers latched onto Annabeth's finger and formed a fist around it.

Annabeth felt Eric next to her as he supported the baby's head. She internally gasped at the look on his face. It was pure admiration. Like he was looking at the most beautiful and lovable thing in the world. He didn't look a bit rude or angry, all his worry lines dissapearing behind that one wide smile.

The nurse came in after a while stating that the baby needed to be fed so Annabeth, Eric and Beckendorf left the room. Their doctor, Mrs. Andrews, one of Annabeth's colleagues, notified Beckendorf of the necessesary details about the baby.

Annabeth noticed how Beckendorf's smile didn't leave his face for a second and she wondered how would it feel to have a baby of their own. She wanted to be happy like them but maybe throwing a baby in the mix of their already rough marriage was too soon.

The doctor smiled after she finished. "Congratulations on the new addition to the family ."

After she left Eric patted Beckendorf on the back. "Congrats man, finally got that perfect little family of yours"

Annabeth hadn't meant for it to slip out but she was so engrossed in think about the possibilities that she didn't realize she'd said it out loud. Of course she hadn't planned on the two men hearing her either.

"At least one of us does."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Eric furiously whispered as he held Annabeth in a firm bruising grip.

"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. "It just- I didn't-look it just came out okay?" She said angrily ignoring the pain of his grip. "It's not like it isn't true."

They were standing in a secluded hall where no one was to be seen, obviously because it was almost midnight. Annabeth was really glad that there was no one there to witness this.

"What do you mean?" He growled and tightened his grip further making her wince. "What haven't I given you? I've done everything and you still can't stop yourself from being a selfish little brat!"

Annabeth gasped at his use of language and hurt filled her heart as she thought of how he had never called her names. What was wrong with him?

"A working marriage." She whispered hoarsely. "That's what you've never given me. Instead you go around sneaking behind my back."

"Annabeth!" She could see it coming. Waiting for the hard blow against her cheek but for some reason the fates had decided to spare her this time.

"Annabeth?" Another confused voice sounded out and Eric's hand stopped midway, the couple looking at the person who spoke with shocked looks.

Annabeth inwardly cursed when she saw who it was. She put on a fake smile, her usual, as she straightened her shirt, obviously she wasn't in her work clothes, and walked towards the person in the wheelchair. "Hey Percy. Nico." She looked up at the familiar man who was wheeling Percy.

Nico gave her a shy smile but Percy's expression was no where near that. Instead he had a confused look with his eyebrows pulled together. "Who are you?" He directly asked Eric who was standing behind Annabeth awkwardly.

"This is Eric, my husband." Annabeth answered for him in a robotic voice as if the line was rehearsed. Because it was. She turned nervously to Eric who had a poker face on. "Eric meet Percy, he's my patient."

Eric smiled and held out a hand for Percy to shake. It took Percy a three count to raise his hand. "I hope my wife's taking good care of you?" Eric said trying to be polite and put an arm around Annabeth.

"Of course." Percy said in a clipped voice. "I assume you're doing the same?"

Annabeth's palms went clammy wondering how Eric would respond to that and sure enough a frown appeared on his face but soon enough the frown was replaced by a smile as he nodded. "Absolutely."

Percy gave him a nod and a glance at Annabeth after which Nico wheeled him away. Annabeth led out a sigh of relief but Percy's unsual behaviour hadn't gone unnoticed by her. She regretted the next day.

Of course she was right. The next day was...tense. That's the only word she could use to describe the situation. Percy wasn't his usual jolly self. Instead he wasn't kind of closed and reserved with his eyebrows constantly joined together. She didn't really know the reason for sure but deep down she hoped it wasn't for last night.

To make it worse Annabeth was feeling queasy since she threw up in the morning leaving a bad taste in her mouth for the rest of the day.

"What's got you're pants in a twist today?" Annabeth teased Percy as she grabbed his arm to inject him. She could feel his body stiffen under her hand.

"Just worried about my tumor." he mumbled though his eyes looked unfocused. Annabeth felt something off the moment he said it because when did Percy start worrying about dying? Wasn't he the YOLO type? What had changed all of a sudden?

She was quiet until she finished injecting him and rubbed the area with cotton. He didn't say a word either.

"I'm still here you know." She said softly and he looked up, his green eyes looking dull. She put a hand on his shoulder. "And as long as I'm here I'll make sure nothing wrong happens. You've got nothing to worry about. Trust me."

She felt him squeeze her hand. "Annabeth..." He said hesitantly and Annabeth's heart lurched. She realized he'd said her name instead of 'doc'. "Are you happy?" He asked, green eyes boring into hers.

She tried to look away from his gaze but he held her there. She felt the words burn her tongue.

"Yeah, I am."

No one ever gets tired of loving but everyone gets tired of waiting, assuming, hearing promises, saying sorry and all the hurting. Annabeth, you and I both know that I hate people lying. You can tell me the truth and yeah it may hurt me but not as much as a lie would.

I don't want to pretend like I know what's wrong cause I don't. I may be paralysed but I'm not blind Annabeth. You're so young and yet so damaged and maybe...just maybe I have finally figured out the cause of that. Nobody wants to wait forever, trust me I know.

You just have to take the first step. It will hurt. Damn right it will but don't you think it will be worth it?

I know I'm not one to talk especially matters concerning your personal life but hey, it's not like it's gonna matter in a few months anyway. Sorry, I promised you no death jokes. I've never broken a promise to anyone, you know, so I'd like to keep it that way.

I know I can't promise that I'll always be there and I can't promise that everything is going to be okay. I'm no therapist but I promise you this. I will listen. I will care.

Keep smiling doc :)

Annabeth hurried towards the door quickly tying her messy hair in a bun. She could hear the shower running which signalled that Eric was busy. That left her to open the door. The person on the other side was clearly impatient enough to start banging on the door.

She ran a hand through her hair and opened the door to reveal a very angry and very drunk brunette. Now Annabeth definitely didn't know this person but something told her that tonight wasn't going to end well for her.

The woman was slouching with a beer bottle in her hand and her eyes were rimmed red, like she'd been crying for days.

"Yes?" Annabeth questioned not able to find anything else to say. What could she say to a drunk person?

The girl focused her eyes on Annabeth, or well tried to. She pointed a skinny finger at her. "Who arr you? Wheresss Eric?" She slurred.

Annabeth immediately stiffened, feeling like someone dropped ice cold water on her. Why was she looking for Eric? How did she know him? A million questions ran through her mind as she turned her head and yelled out. "Eric! There's someone here and she's asking for you!"

Now she didn't know why she didn't just slam the door in the brunette's face. It wasn't like she didn't know what was going on. She knew exactly what was going on. She definitely should have slammed that door and then try to forget about the whole matter.

The thing is, this time she didn't,no, wouldn't forget about it. She wanted to question him. She wanted him to admit it to her face.

Somewhere inside the house she heard a muffled yell which signaled Eric had heard her. The brunette in front of Annabeth frowned and pushed her aside getting inside the house. "Excuse me!" Annabeth protested but she ignored her.

"Eric! Where the hell are you, you jerk?!" She yelled and Annabeth quickly closed the doors. It was late at night and she didn't want to wake the neighbors with her family drama.

It was almost comical as she saw Eric's eyes widen into the size of saucers and his eyes fell on the brunette. "Annabeth, what is this?" There was a hint of anger in his tone but it was masked by the waver in his voice.

Annabeth crossed her arms as her eyes burned. "You tell me Eric." She whispered softly.

The brunette let out a screech as she advanced towards Eric and grabbed him by his T-Shirt. "You told me you were going to leave her! Did you forget?" She started sobbing. "All the nights we spent together! The dates. I thought you loved me!"

Annabeth could see Eric's face become uncertain as he tried prying of her hands. "I don't know what you're talking about!" But even he could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "I don't even know you!"

The brunette gasped. "You cheating bastard! You know what? I actually feel sorry for your wife!" She said pointing towards Annabeth. "Don't know what she saw in you- or for that matter what I did. You no good son of a-" She couldn't complete her sentence as Annabeth yanked her off of him and slapped her. Good and hard.

Annabeth's hand shook with tears streaming down her face as she glared at the brunette, the latter staring up at her in shock. Eric picturing the same expression.

"Get out." Annabeth said in a low tone. When the brunette made no move she yelled. "I said GET OUT!"

This jarred her out of her stature as she scrambled back and stumbled towards the door. "I'm sorry." She whispered and Annabeth wondered who exactly she was apologizing to. The click of the door indicated her leaving.

"Well, good riddance." Eric muttered beside her. "Must be a delusional woman. Can't say-"

"Why?" Annabeth interrupted him. She stared at him with glossy eyes as he looked up to her faking confusion.

"What?"

"All those nights" Annabeth continued. "You said you were on business trips. You- you were." she let out a sob. "and to think all the times I suspected you! I was right wasn't I?! You were cheating on me!" She yelled her holding onto the wall to keep her knees from giving out.

She saw his expression morph into one of anger. "How dare you accuse me of cheating?So some drunk woman trots in and you believe her! I thought we had more trust than that Annabeth." He spat and she felt nothing more than to slap him. Because who was he talking about trust when he had broken hers a year ago.

"How did she know your name then?!" She screamed. "She said you were going to leave me. There's nothing I find that supports your truth. Where were you actually on all those business trips Eric? Tell me! Were you with her? Did you even-" She stopped not able to voice it out loud.

"Don't be stupid Annabeth!" He yelled at her but his voice was frantic. "How could you even think that? I don't even know a woman named Gabriella!"

That did it. She let out another sob and glared at him. "She never said her name, Eric."

"What?" He said nervously. "Of course she did."

"No, she didn't." She spat and with that she picked her purse and was out of that god forsaken place.

She didn't know why out of all the places she could go she ended up here. She hadn't even thought of it when she got into the taxi and recited the name of her work place. It was almost midnight and he probably would be asleep but there was a tug in her stomach saying that she had to see him. He was the only one who knew. Or well sort of knew what was actually going on. Annabeth wasn't dumb. She knew Percy saw what happened that night and if it wasn't for him Eric would surely have slapped her.

So when she pushed open the door to reveal to him what a sobbing mess she was while he was, for some reason watching Spongebob Squarepants, he welcomed her with open arms.

She sobbed her eyes out pouring out her whole story. He just sat there and listened. Holding her in comfort. He didn't say a single word. Just listented to her patiently and she was grateful for that.

"Everything was okay for a while." Annabeth said as she sat on Percy's bed with his hand holding hers rubbing circles on her thumb. Somehow she found it soothing. "Then it...changed. I don't know what I did wrong. Just that...he was a completely different person. I always wonder, whether I could have prevented it. If it was my fault."

Percy's hand tightened around hers. She looked up to see his jaw tight and eyebrows furrowed. When he looked at her his eyes softened. "It's not your fault." He insisted. "You did nothing wrong Annabeth. If anything, he doesn't deserve you."

She didn't say anything to that. The low sound of the television was the only sound filling the room.

"I don't understand." Percy whispered. "Why are you still with him?"

It took her some time to answer that. It was a question she had asked herself millions of times.

"Love." She answers back. "I guess I never wanted to believe I'd lost him for good. Always hoping that someday he'd come back to me." A stray tear made it's way down her cheek.

She felt fingers brush her cheek as he wiped the tear away. "I guess you finally see what a mess I am?" She let out a warbled laugh.

Percy gave her a soft smile and shook his head. "Just broken." He said softly. "Behind these eyes, there is a girl trapped within her pain. A girl feeling all the emotions of anger and sadness. She's fighting for a way out. That's what I see."

When her eyes meet his gaze as they're sitting there staring at each other, time stops. Those eyes are piercing hers, and she can swear at that moment he senses the real her. The one without the facade.

After that night, she would like to say things got better, except for it actually didn't. She went home to find empty beer bottles scattered across the floor, the furniture turned over and the best part, no Eric. It was safe to say, he wasn't exactly in s good mood.

He hadn't left any message for her about where he went, which he usually did. She did breathe a sigh of relief at that. She didn't want to deal with him then. Not when the feeling of hurt was fresh and raw.

It had been a few weeks since then. She hadn't meant to make a habit out of it but she unconsciously had. So every time she felt like having a heart to heart she knew right where to end up. Percy was the only one who knew the truth, strangely so. He always knew the right things to say and in those few weeks she'd gotten to know him a whole lot better. He'd rant on and on about his family, especially his recently deceased mother Sally who Annabeth could tell he loved a lot. She always listened to him, like he did to her.

That was the best part of their friendship. They always listened to each other.

Annabeth wiped her mouth with a towel as she exited the bathroom. She had thrown up again this morning, leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

"Are you okay?" She heard Eric's voice come from behind her. She turned to see him looking actually concerned. Ha! Like he gave a damn what happened to her.

They had tried to keep it civil after Eric came back after a week from god knows where. They didn't talk about it and Annabeth was glad they didn't. It wasn't until she read the 'I'm sorry' on a post-it stuck to the fridge before going to work.

She finally cracked. He couldn't even apologize to her in person? What kind of monster had he really turned into? She decided then and there. It was going to end. There was no way she was going to put up with him any longer. So with a heavy heart she decided that it was time to finally let him go.

"I'm fine. It must be the flu or something." She waved him off.

"You should get checked. You've been throwing up for weeks." He muttered.

The fact that he noticed this isn't what shocks her. Instead she runs back into her room to check the calender and looks at the date. She's never been more frightened.

She's holding the dreaded thing in her hand as she sits across the tiled floor with tears streaming down her face. Again. All she's been doing is crying lately and she's sick of it. What did she do to deserve this? To deserve this miserable life. She wanted to end it, but she couldn't. Not with another life growing inside of her.

The pregnancy tests lay scattered on the bathroom floor with the latest one in her hand. All but two showing her positive results. She threw the one in her hand at the wall where it clattered to the ground and clutched her head in her hands.

"I'm pregnant."

She blurts it out at the dinner table. She couldn't keep it in her anymore. After all, he was the father of this baby.

"What? What do you mean?" He asked looking up from his food with a frown on his face. He looked like he really didn't understand what she meant. If she weren't so nervous right now she'd have probably rolled her eyes.

"I'm pregnant." She repeated this time more slowly.

He abruptly got up, startling her, and started pacing around the room. Annabeth followed him, slowly getting up.

"Eric?" She questioned nervously.

His head immediately whipped to her and he stopped pacing. She could see a type of anger in his eyes which she couldn't understand. "Whose is it?" he growled.

She thought she'd heard wrong. "What?" She squeaked out.

He walked towards her, cornering her against the dining table. "Whose is it?!" He yelled out.

"Of course it's yours!" She yelled back. Had he finally lost it? She definitely wasn't the cheating one in their relationship.

He ran a hand through his hair angrily. "How did this happen?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Annabeth said crossing her arms. He grunted and went back to his pacing. Annabeth couldn't say she was delighted either. Well of course she'd always wanted to be pregnant, have a child of her own, but not this way. Not when she had the divorce papers fresh in her file.

"We can't do this." he told her frantically. "We can't have it."

"What are you saying?" She whispered fearing what was going to come out of his mouth next.

"Abort it."

"Never." Annabeth replied immediately, her hand flying to her stomach. She backed away from him, afraid he would do something to harm her baby.

"I'm serious Annabeth. We can't have it now. It's too soon." He reasoned.

"It?!" She cried out. "You're calling our baby 'it'? What's wrong with you? We've been married for almost two years! How is it too soon?!"

When he didn't answer she surged forward and grabbed his arm. "What happened Eric? Why are you so upset? You were happy when Silena and Charles had the baby. I thought you wanted a family."

"It's different." He muttered.

Anger surged through her veins. "Different how?" She demanded. "Is it because you have other woman in your life too? Huh? Oh maybe you already have children who I don't even know of!" She knew she was crossing the line but she was on a rant. There was no way he was going to take away her baby from her.

"Shut up Annabeth." He growled.

"How long has this been going on? A month? A year? Or freaking after we got married?!" She yelled. "Did you ever even love me?! Or was it always about sleeping around with whores!"

She felt the sting before his hand even made contact with her skin. She stumbled back her hand immediately on her bruised cheek.

She learnt something new that night.

She hated Eric. She hated the fact that she had fallen in love with him. She hated the fact that she married him. She hated the fact that he was the father of her unborn child. Most of all she hated that she'd never seen this coming.

"I have something to tell you." Annabeth sat in front of him after she'd done his regular checkup. She nervously played with her fingers as she figured how she was going to tell him. Would he judge her? Would he be...disgusted?

"Oh well um..." She didn't understand why he looked nervous. It was almost as if he was going to break some big news to her. "I have something to tell you too."

"Okay you go first." She told him but he shook his head.

He hesitated. "I'd rather hear yours first."

Annabeth nodded slowly and prepared to say it. "I...I'm-I-I" She stuttered. It was when he reached for her hand and held it in his own was when she realized her hands were shaking. His concerned green eyes bore into hers. "Doc, what is it?"

"Uh.." Tears started blurring her eyes as she tried to get it out.

He squeezed her hand. "Annabeth, you're scaring me now." Then his hand suddenly went to her cheek, pushing back the hair covering it. He gently rubbed his thumb over the place where Eric stroke her. The pain was long gone but the effect of what he had done permanently scarred her memory.

Her breath hitched as she felt his hand move down to her neck and he leaned forward. Her eyes fluttered close as she felt his lips on the bruised area.

Her mind and heart were in war as she tried to decide what exactly this was because Percy's lips on her cheek made her feel things she knew had been buried deep down.

It ended as soon as it started but Percy kept his face close to hers, his green orbs staring at her with pain in his eyes. She couldn't quite understand why that particular emotion filled his eyes at the moment. They fell on her bruised cheek again and his jaw clenched.

She didn't know why she decided to ruin the moment when she blurted out. "I'm pregnant."

The shock in his eyes was his first reaction soon to be replaced by warmth and happiness as he gave her a sad smile. "Congratulations doc." He whispered pulling away completely.

She let out a cry of surprise. "Congratulations?! How is this good?" She started pacing in front of him. "Just when I was about to- about to leave him...this happens! My own husband doesn't believe me that it's his freaking child!" She let out her frustration. "How am I supposed to do this Percy? How can I possibly bring a child into this messed up life of mine? The fates really do hate me." She muttered and slumped down in front of him.

"It's not the baby's fault Annabeth." He said quietly. She looked up at him. "It's not the baby's fault." He repeated. "And I know whatever you decide is gonna be good for the baby. You'll make an amazing mom Annabeth." He said giving her a full smile and the intensity in his eyes unnerved her.

She let out a watery chuckle. "You're the first one to call him/her a 'baby'." She said seeing the bittersweet truth of it. The baby's father couldn't care less while here a stranger was telling her how great of a mother she would be. No,not stranger. An angel. Her guardian angel. She smiled at that.

"She'll be as beautiful as her mother." He said and Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

He simply shrugged. "Just a feeling it's a girl."

She simply shook her head at him. All of a sudden she got an idea. "Will you come with me somewhere?"

"I would love to Annabeth." He laughed bitterly. "If I could." He said gesturing towards his paralyzed legs.

Her ears turned pink. "No, I meant-of course I'll help you. I meant in your wheelchair."

He gave her a curious look and silently nodded. That brought a smile on to her face as she got up and grabbed the wheelchair next to his bed. She helped Percy move his legs to the edge of the bed where they were left hanging. She placed her arm under his and pulled but there was reluctance on his side. She could see uncertainty in his eyes. "I won't let you me."

He gave her a soft smile."I trust you with my life." That simple sentence had so much meaning, because she knew he did and she couldn't fail him. He would get better. She would make sure he would. He wasn't going to die, not on her watch. The world needed Percy Jackson. There was a rare supply of people like him in it and she couldn't afford to be responsible for the loss. The world needed him. She needed him.

She wheeled Percy through the corridors until she reached a secluded section with an elevator. Percy knitted his eyebrows scanning the area. "Are you sure we're supposed to be here doc?"

Annabeth simply shrugged. "Not sure but I don't see anyone stopping us. Besides I don't think it's wrong for me to sneak my patient out." She teased.

He gave her a grin. "I knew you weren't just beauty and brains."

She chuckled as she got a tingling feeling and a sense of deja vu as she remembered those were the words spoken by him when they first met.

The elevator ding informed her that they had reached their destination. The doors opened to reveal the hospital terrace. She wheeled him closer to the edge which was guarded by thick metal railings.

"You're not gonna throw me off are you?" Percy chuckled and Annabeth gave him a horrified expression.

"Of course not! What kind of person do you think I am?!"

"Jeez learn to take a joke." He muttered as she huffed and stopped. "Come on." She held out her arm. He looked at her wierdly. "No way."

She rolled her eyes. "Chill, you're not gonna fall off. There's a cement base right next to the edge so if you did fall off you'd probably only break your arm or something."

"That's reassuring." He snorted sarcastically but let her help him all the same.

Once they were comfortable sitting at the edge with Annabeth holding his hand to prevent him from losing his balance, Percy looked at the sight before him. It was almost evening so the sky was a dark shade of pink, just before the sun setting down. He could see the whole city from where he was situated.

He let out a slow whistle. "That's one great view."

"I know." Annabeth sighed happily swinging her legs. "I come here when I need to think."

"Don't you always?" Percy gave her a gruding look and she nudged him.

"This place is my salvation." She said looking at Percy who was staring in front like he was scanning each and every detail. He looked happy. "Just like you are." She whispered but he heard it.

He squeezed her hand. "Did you know I've always had a fascination for stars since I was a kid?"

"Really?" Annabeth said looking up at the sky. She could see the pole star lightly making it's appearance as the sun dipped down.

"They're always shining. Always. And you know what's great about that?" He asked her amiably. "That they burn to give us light. They burn for us. You see, they're just so selfless and so so beautiful."

And as he continued to stare at the stars she continued to stare at him. He said the stars were selfless but so was he and he was so so beautiful.

"You really believe that?" He said softly jarring her out of her thoughts.

"Believe what?" She asked confused.

"That I'm selfless?" He asked and she could see a light tinge of pink on his cheeks.

Damn it she had thought out loud.

"Of course you are." She said.

After a few moments of silence, she heard a choked sound coming from him. Her head whipped to his direction to find his eyes glistening with tears. His lower lip trembled as he spoke. "I killed my mom, Annabeth."

"What?"

"She told me turn off the gas. Multiple times." He continued. "I was just too ignorant. I was so selfish." He spat. "I didn't listen to her. I was out having fun with my friends to come back finding my home in flames. I saw them take her body out Annabeth." He looked up at her, and it was then that she saw how young he looked. Not yet ready to face the fears in the world.

She gripped his arm. "Percy, it wasn't your fault. It was just an accident."

"That's what they called it." He muttered bitterly. "A freak accident...but I know I should have switched it off. My mom would still be here with me. I guess that's why I'm always trying to help people. Save lifes. To compensate the one life that was lost because of me. That's all that matters. To save a life." As he said that his gaze flickered to his tattoo. To save a life.

"I guess that's why God is punishing me now right? For all my crimes. Now I get to die too." The very fact that Percy even thought that bothered her. Because if any one, he didn't deserve to die. Whatever he had done in the past, she didn't think he deserved that. No one deserved to die. Not even the cruelest people.

It was when he started to shake was when she pulled him in for a hug. It was funny how she was trying to comfort him but instead found his embrace comforting as his arms wrapped around her. Most of all she loved that when she hugged him her head would rest neatly just below his chin, where she could feel his breath lightly blowing her hair and tickling her head.

"You're going to be okay. I promise." She whispered and he held her tighter. A few moments of silence later she felt him gasp.

"What is it?" She questioned pulling away.

He looked at her, his eyes searching her face and looking scared. "I think I've fallen for you."

She sat still, vision blurring and in that moment she could see it like in a movie. All the broken pieces slowly being picked up and put back into place. The sharp edges smoothing.

"I know this is wrong." he whispered not moving his gaze. "but I can't unlove you."

She rested her head against his heart and let him hold her. "You haven't written to me for a long time." She mumbled instead.

She felt him shrug. "Wasn't something I could write down on a measly piece of paper. I had to say it."

And that, that was exactly why she always came back to him. Because no matter what was wrong, he always knew the right things to say.

She didn't know when, but she had started comparing Percy to Eric. How Percy never failed to tell her how beautiful she was every single day whereas Eric didn't give her a moment's glance. How Percy unlike Eric gave words more meaning than notes. Sure Eric was romantic once, and who knows, Percy could change too, but this was different. She knew it was. Because even with Eric she felt that emptiness which she didn't feel with Percy.

She knew this was wrong. This was so wrong. She was no better than Eric and now she finally understood why he cheated on her. To make a relationship work, there had to be effort from both sides. Maybe they had drifted apart too far to find each other. But she had tried. She had tried so hard to find him. You can't find someone who doesn't want to be found.

"But-" She thought. She was glad he wasn't expecting anything from her. It was too soon. She sighed. "I'm married, Percy." Not to mention, pregnant too.

"And I have cancer." he said as if completing a sentence. "We make an amazing pair don't we?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation she gave out a laugh, and so did he.

Recipe for love

Ingredients:

1 cup of romance

1 pinch of humor

2 spoonfuls of joy

1 lb of compatibility

3 tablespoons of trust

1 cup of respect

1/2 lb of sharing

1 zest of tenderness

and 3/4 cup of patience

And I know you'd make an amazing cook doc. It's been a while since I wrote you so I figured it was time. So I was doing a bit of research, well since I have nothing better to do anyways, and guess what I found out? So Baby Chase- I'm gonna call her that-is about the size of the head of a pin right now. She's smaller than a grain of rice! Isn't that amazing? By the end of the first month the eyes, jaw and throat develop. So next time I'm looking weird at you is because of the living grain of rice in you. Hopefully I didn't completely weird you out. I'm sorry, it's just I've never talked to a pregnant woman before. Anyways, I think I've freaked you out enough. If you don't mind, it's been a week since I've seen you and I kinda miss you...okay I miss you a lot. Mind showing up for me once in a while? That'd be great. Hoping to see you soon.

P.S I love you. Haha. No but seriously. I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simplest pleasure of saying true things.

P.P.S Thank you for existing.

Annabeth quickly shoved the letter in her drawer where the rest of Percy's letters were safely kept. She heard the door click open as Eric stepped in their bedroom or what was now her bedroom. He was hardly at home to sleep even.

She didn't turn back or look at him, instead gripped the desk in front of her. She heard the clatter of something as Eric placed a bottle in front of her. She hadn't even read the description but already knew what they were. Her vision tinted red as she glared at him. He had the audacity to give her a smug look.

"Just consider it." Eric explained placing his hands in front of him. "Think about it Annabeth. I don't think we're ready to be parents, I don't think you're ready. I mean come on, Annabeth, when have you ever liked kids?" He reasoned.

"How dare you?" She whispered angrily.

"Look, all I'm saying is that, we've both had rough childhoods, not to mention you with you're dad and step mom. You didn't have a proper motherly figure so how can you-" He didn't get to complete that sentence. He held his quickly bruising cheek and stared at her in shock.

"Don't you dare speak another word." She said pointing an accusing finger towards him. "You don't own me. I'm sick of listening to you and believing you all the time. I won't be the weak woman who stays at home playing the good wife when her husband is whoring around."

She saw his arm raise toward her but she held out her own to stop him. "Don't." She hissed.

"And soon you won't have to worry anymore. I'm divorcing you." At the confused look in his eyes she gave him a bitter grin. "I'm divorcing you." She repeated. "And I don't care if the baby is fatherless. She'd rather be that than have you as a father who wants to kill her before she can even feel!" She spat. In that moment Annabeth couldn't be more proud of herself for being able to say that to his face. After two years of holding back she was finally letting it all out.

"She?!" He yelled. "How the hell did you even know that?"

Annabeth couldn't help but smile at her slip up. Percy had called her baby a girl so many times that she couldn't help but imagine it as a girl.

She simply grabbed her purse aiming to leave the room with only one destination in mind. She stopped and peeked into the room once again where she found Eric running an angry hand through his hair. Once upon a time, she would have found that hot. Alas, the times had changed. "Oh and Eric?" His eyes flickered to hers. "Not that you care or anything, but the baby is the size of a grain of rice right now."

And that was the first time she probably laughed while walking out the door of that house.

"Percy? Percy look at me. You're going to be fine okay?Listen to me." Annabeth stuttered as she tried to calm him down.

She had entered the room in hopes of seeing a smiling Percy but te fates had other plans for her. Her eyes fell on the two nurses who was trying to calm him down while he was having a panic attack.

"Percy!" She grabbed his face as he knocked down a glass. She tried to face him towards her. "It's me! Percy, it's Annabeth."

She could see his eyes finally register what was happening and then they fell on hers. "Annabeth." he breathed out.

"It's me." She whispered pulling him into her arms and rocked him back and forth. "Shh. It's okay. I'm here."

She looked over his head at the nurses. "What happened?"

One of them, Cathie, Annabeth figured, answered nervously fiddling with her fingers. "We came up to do a regular check up when we found him like this. He was freaking out really bad. We don't know what's the problem though. "

Annabeth nodded. "I'll see to that. Thank you." They nodded and left the room in silence. Percy's choked sound was the only voice that could be heard.

She gently pulled away and held him by the shoulders. "Percy, what happened?"

He took a deep breath and when he was calm she pulled away completely. His eyes flitted to hers and she could see the same fear in his eyes she saw that night.

"I forgot." He whispered and Annabeth strained her ears to hear him.

"What?"

"I forgot Annabeth." He said louder this time. "I-I woke up this morning...and I couldn't remember- I c-couldn't remember my name." He looked up at her. "I-I couldn't remember anything. My name, my mom's name, you're name."He grabbed her hand. " It was for a whole fifteen minutes Annabeth. I couldn't remember anything! Why I was here? Where? How? Nothing." He yelled and she could see he was starting to hyperventilate.

She felt like someone had sucker punched her. She didn't need an expert to tell her what was happening. One of the symptoms of brain tumor was memory loss. It seemed temporary in Percy's case but she figured it wouldn't be long until that status changed. He was stage 3 for gods sake!

"Hey." She softly held out a hand to his cheek. "it's okay." She paused for a while searching for his total attention. When she had it she continued. "I'm not gonna lie to you. This is gonna happen to you again. It's just temporary. It just means we'll have to start your chemo sessions now okay?" She looked back at him brushing a few strands of hair from his forehead. Out of instinct she placed a kiss on his forehead. She could feel him relax. "You're going to be okay. I promise."

Percy surged forward and hugged her. "I love you." He whispered. She held him tighter as tears pricked her eyes. She wished she had the strength to say it back. Baby steps Annabeth, baby steps.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." She whispered instead.

Annabeth wasn't ready for the surprise back at home. So when she found Thalia running up to her pulling her into a bear hug and squealing how happy she was for her, Annabeth was a little shocked.

"-you didn't tell me sooner?!" Thalia's voice jarred her out of her thoughts. "If it wasn't for Eric I wouldn't have known!" She exclaimed looking back at her brother.

Annabeth followed her gaze and narrowed her eyes at Eric who was smiling back at them, his arms crossed. Oh only if Thalia really knew who he really was. To her he probably looked like a husband who couldn't wait to be a dad.

"I-I was going to tell you." Annabeth stammered focusing her attention back to Thalia. The sight of Thalia's happy face pained her. How would she react when she got to know that they were getting divorced?

The truth dawned on her like a bucket of ice being thrown on her head. She could see how it would look like to Thalia. After all, Annabeth had been the first one to talk about divorce. For all she knew, Eric could feed her any story he wanted and she would believe him. Blood before friendship right?

She couldn't loose Thalia. She was the only family Annabeth had.

"Aww it's okay." She said throwing an arm around Annabeth. "But we've got so much to do! I'm so excited! I even took a few weeks off for you! This is gonna be great."

"Yay!" Annabeth fake cheered.

This was gonna be a disaster.

Eric had had to clear out the guest room without Thalia noticing as he quickly shifted his things to their bedroom.

He entered the room to see Annabeth placing blankets on the floor and making a bed.

"What are you doing?" He asked knitting his eyebrows. She looked at him with an expressionless face. "Making my bed." She answered curtly.

He sighed. "Annabeth, you don't have to do that. It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed."

"It's not." She replied in the same tone. "But things are different now."

She was brushing her hair when she felt his breath on her neck. She turned around. "Eric, what are-" She started but her breath caught in her throat noticing the close proximity between them.

He gently pushed her against the wall and before she knew it his lips were on hers. She felt...nothing. Absolutely nothing. She didn't know if it was because he didn't kiss her for the sole purpose of it or that she didn't kiss back but the hard core fact was that this proved that everything was really over between them.

He pulled away and looked at her. "Please, don't do this. We can still be together."

Annabeth shook her head. "Are you willing to accept our baby?"

His face scrunched up at that. "Annabeth-" She could sense the 'no' coming up.

She gave a tired sigh. "Why are you even trying? I'm making this easier for you. This way you can be with whoever you want without worrying about coming back to me."

He gave out a frustrated sigh. "You don't get it. I love you." Annabeth snorted at that. Somehow that sounded hollow.

"No you don't." She said placing her hand on his chest to push him back. "You don't love me Eric. You're in love with the idea of me. Of having the perfect wife to show to the world. Of having a good reputation. You don't love me."

He gripped her arms. "I do! I love you. I just can't- " He looked at her helplessly. "I do love you but I can't stay faithful to you."

He gripped her arms tighter searching her eyes. "Why don't I see it anymore? That look which was only reserved for me. I don't see it anymore."

Annabeth closed her eyes and opened them a moment after. "You have to let me go Eric. It's too late." Her voice cracked.

She winced when he felt his grip too tight. "Eric, you're hurting me."

He held a minute longer before letting go completely. "This isn't over. I'll change your mind."

She didn't say it but she didn't think he could ever change her mind anymore.

They went to their respective beds and called it a night. What they didn't notice was a pair of blue eyes looking at them with sadness in her eyes.

Annabeth buzzed with excitement as she carried her reports and made her way to Percy's hospital room.

She had just gotten her sonography records and to her surprise the baby was in fact a girl. She couldn't wait to tell Percy he was right so she immediately set out for his room.

As soon as she opened the door she felt a chill settle over her for some reason. Shrugging it off she faced the person in front of her. He was seated on his bed with a frown on his face.

"Hey Percy." She greeted him smiling albeit tentatively. She could sense something was off.

His green eyes fixated on hers and she wasn't sure why his look was so unsettling. The next words that left his mouth made her feel like the ground had just been pulled away from her feet.

"Who are you?"

Her heart started beating fast as her reports cluttered to the ground. She didn't care. She surged forward although kept her distance. "P-Percy? I'm Annabeth." She stuttered. Her eyes were burning and she wished she could be anywhere but here, but she couldn't leave him. "Your doctor. Remember?" Ha 'your doctor'. She was sure their relationship ran more than the usual doctor-patient one.

The confusion in his eyes horrified her as tears threatened to spill. She knew this was temporary. He'd been blanking out at least once in two weeks but she'd never actually experienced it. She wished didn't this time either. It was a whole lot painful.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know who you are."

Annabeth clamped her hand on her mouth as a stray tear made it's way down her cheek. She tried to control herself. Percy needed her right now.

She roughly wiped her tear away with her fist. She uncertainly put her arm on his shoulder. When he didn't flinch away she kept it there. "Don't worry. You'll be fine soon."

She quickly went through his reports, checking his vitals and all the necessary stuff asking him questions which he gave her answers to with a little hesitance. It was so weird for her. She felt as if they had been strangers all along. She couldn't take it, but she had to be strong for him. At least he wasn't having a panic attack.

A while later after she was done she figured it must be over. She looked over at him. "You recall anything now? Anything at all?"

He shook his head and she visibly paled. It had been more than fifteen minutes, his usual time. They were getting worse.

"You're leaving him aren't you?" Thalia asked her softly. Annabeth looked up from the book she was reading. She just stared at Thalia, the latter sighing and sitting near Annabeth.

"You're getting a divorce correct?" Thalia asked again and this time Annabeth closed her book and nodded not able to look her best friend in the eyes.

"Why?" Thalia's voice cracked and it broke Annabeth's eyes to see her almost in tears. "I thought you two were great together. What happened?"

She wasn't sure if she should tell Thalia exactly what her brother did. She deserved to hear it from Eric.

"It's complicated Thals." Annabeth sighed. "You can't keep a relationship where there's no love in it."

She heard Thalia's tone take an edge. "Eric loves you."

"No he doesn't." Annabeth shook her head firmly.

"Do you love someone else?" Thalia asked and Annabeth knew she couldn't lie to her.

She shrugged. "Maybe. But Thals, it has nothing to do with the divorce. It wasn't until after I told Eric about the divorce until I realized it."

She could see her fists clenched. "I heard you yesterday." Annabeth looked at her with confused eyes. "Last night. I know it's wrong of me but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Eric. And come on," She gave a bitter laugh. "It's not like I didn't notice his wash products in the bathroom. You both are as subtle as a gun."

"Thals, what you heard-" Annabeth started saying.

"I know." She interrupted. She looked at Annabeth with pleading eyes. "But he loves you Annie. I know he does. Couldn't you hear it in his voice last night? You're the one that wants the divorce, he doesn't! And what about the baby Annabeth?"

Now Annabeth was really confused. If Thalia had really heard their conversation last night it would be enough for her to figure out that Annabeth wasn't in the wrong here. Unless she hadn't heard the whole thing.

"He's the one who messed up in the first place!" Annabeth exclaimed. "He cheated on me Thalia!" She blurted out.

She was shocked to find that there was no suprise in Thalia's eyes. Instead it was replaced by anger. "Then why would he not want to divorce you?! Tell me Annabeth. You're the one who wants it. So what am I supposed to think here. You're about to have a baby and you want to divorce my brother. And now you tell me you love someone else."

The truth about what she was implied dawned on Annabeth. So Eric had probably fed her enough lies to make her believe that she was the cheating one in their relationship. What kind of a psycho was he?

"How dare you accuse me of that?" Annabeth roared. "You know me Thals! You know I wouldn't do that!"

"Apparently I don't even know you anymore!" Thalia yelled throwing her hands up. "There was a time when I was the first to know everything about you...and now...I get to know from my brother that you're pregnant. Why wouldn't you tell me Annabeth? What am I supposed to think here?"

Annabeth remained silent. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? It wasn't like Thalia was going to believe her anymore. She was still shocked over the fact that Thalia would even accuse her and believe it.

"That's what I thought." Thalia muttered as she left the room purposefully slamming the door hard.

She had ordered the nurses to remove all sorts of reflective mirrors from Percy's room. Annabeth knew this would be a hard time for him. She wanted to help him the best way she could.

"Hey how're you holding up?" She asked Percy. His head had been shaven off, devoid of any hair now.

He looked at her giving her a sad smile. "I look awful don't I?"

She shook her head. "No you don't. You look as devilishly handsome as always." She teased but she meant it and more importantly believed it.

He smiled and looked around. "So should I thank you or be mad at you for removing all the mirrors?"

Annabeth chuckled and sat beside him holding his hand. "I hope it's not the latter."

He looked at her and she could see the endearing look in his eyes as he looked at her baby bump. "I don't think I could get mad at you."

There was the tingling feeling again. She tightened her hand in his.

He sighed. "I miss my hair."

Annabeth laughed again. "Of course you do." But when she realized he really was very upset she made him face her. "Percy?" She murmured and his eyes flickered to hers.

She fought the lump in her throat as she said her next words.

"I love you."

She kept her face down fearing his reaction. She knew this was wrong. Hell Thalia's accusation roamed around in her head. Was it true then? That she was the sinner?

She felt his finger under her chin and jumped a little realizing the close proximity of his face. "Kill me later for this." He whispered before his lips captured hers.

It was like she hadn't kissed anyone before. His lips were like velvet on hers. It feels damn good to kiss someone who you've been meaning to for a while and she hadn't realized until now that she wanted to. He place small kisses on different parts of her lips before completely pulling away.

She couldn't ever forget the large smile on his face and his dazed look.

"I love you too."

Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged. Give me my sin again.

"What's this?" Eric's eyes furrowed as she place the papers in front of him.

"What do you think?" Annabeth asked crossing her arms. He eyes the papers, shook his head and got up.

"I already told you. We're not getting a divorce." He said stubbornly.

Annabeth sighed. "I knew you would say that. That's why I called in my lawyer. I have filed the divorce already so I just need a court hearing and all that process. It's going to take six months and we'll be living separately."

"The hell we will." He hissed and grabbed her slamming her into the wall. She winced, her hands protectively covering her stomach. "I told you no Annabeth. I'm sure you know what that means."

"I'm not taking no for an answer. I want this divorce." Annabeth said with determination in her eyes.

"Who's he?" He gritted his teeth her. "Who's the guy you've fallen for?" At Annabeth's wide eyes he smirked at her. "What? You thought Thalia wouldn't tell me?"

"So who is he?" He pushed her slightly this time. Annabeth shook her head refusing to give a name. She was afraid of what he would do if he knew about Percy.

"I'm not leaving you for him." She told him truthfully. "I just can't do this anymore."

She looked up at the face she once fell in love with. "Eric, I'm sorry. But you have to let me do this. I don't want to feel that pain again when I wait for hours and hours to find an empty bed next to me. Fearing every night that you're with someone else rather than me. I've tried so much to save what we have and I just can't do this anymore." She said tiredly.

His face fell as he looked at her with hurt. She never wanted to hurt him this way. She never thought she could but she wanted him to love her and not just that but love her enough to be loyal and if he couldn't do that she couldn't go on with it anymore.

"So I guess this is goodbye." She whispered pulling away from his grip.

It's funny how she felt when she said goodbye. It was like there was a hidden meaning behind that one goodbye. Maybe goodbye was a way of saying 'let's stop hurting each other.'

Love never fails. It is the people who fail. They fail to keep promises. They fail to tell the truth. They fail to trust each other. Maybe that's why relationships don't work. Maybe a relationship is just two idiots who don't know a damn thing except the fact that they're willing to figure it out together.

I'm not one to tell you what's right and what's wrong but I can tell you I'll always be here but I'm not one to not follow my heart. And my heart lies with you. Not to be cheesy but to tell the truth. Sometimes following your heart means losing your mind and I guess I don't mind sacrificing that.

"Happy Birthday!"

Percy groaned and buried his head in his pillow as Annabeth along with Nico laughed at his reaction. They were holding a cake box and wearing party hats like kids.

"Oh come on Percy. Lighten up!" Annabeth exclaimed as she tried coaxing him out of his cocoon like state. His eyes peeked open under his beanie. He decided to wear it to make him look less weird. Despite Annabeth's numerous efforts to assure him he didn't look bad she guess she there would always be a smudge of insecurity.

"Yeah. It's not everyday you become twenty four." Nico said and she could hear the teasing tone behind it. Percy glared at him.

"And we've got gifts for you!" Annabeth said as she gestured towards the boxes in her hands.

So they cut the cake. When Nico asked Percy if he would like to wear the blue birthday crown Percy looked like he would strangle Nico. His face was redder than a tomato when Nico told Annabeth an embarrassing incident relating to that blue crown.

Annabeth stared at the two as they bickered. She loved the way Percy's eyes would sparkle at the ones he loved. He didn't have many people to love but when he did he loved with his heart on his sleeve.

She had specially requested him to open her gift last. So after opening gifts from Nico, and a few of his other friends who couldn't make it, he picked up her present wrapped in robin blue paper.

He carefully opened it to reveal a box of sorts. He gave her a curious look and opened the cover.

"It's a type of night lamp." She explained as she took it from his hands and asked Nico to pull the curtains so that there was no light

As she hooked the plug of the thing it flicked on producing a yellow light in the dark room. The cover over the lamp kept rotating as the light from it formed yellow stars around the room.

Annabeth turned to look at Percy to find him already staring at her with a small smile on his face. "I know how much you love the stars and well...you don't see them often so now you can."She said smiling.

She peeked up at his features, at the crooked grin she wanted to savor, at the color in his eyes she'd use to paint a million pictures and in that moment, she felt complete.

Nico had left shortly after leaving Annabeth with a whining Percy with a need to watch a movie called 'The fault in our stars.'

She was sure she'd heart of it. It was about cancer patients and somehow she felt Percy related to it. So she didn't complain when he pulled her down next to her and they watched it the whole night.

It wasn't until the end that Annabeth started sobbing so badly like somebody had murdered her cat. She could see Percy try to suppress a smile at her. Hey, in her defense she was a pregnant lady with a lot of mood swings.

Percy clicked his tongue and placed a hand on her protruding belly. "Baby Chase making you go soft doc." He joked.

She sniffled. "But you have to admit, it was emotional."

He shook his head. "It's the bitter truth. You live and then you die."

She swatted his arm. "Please don't say that." She whispered. Percy looked apologetic and wrapped an arm around her mumbling a sorry.

He gently rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "I love you." he breathed out. She caught her breath. She didn't think she would ever get used to him saying that.

"Both of you." he added lightly placing a hand on her stomach.

"I know." She whispered and she saw a faint smile on his lips mirroring hers. He knew she loved him but he also knew it wasn't easy for her to always say it back to him.

He placed a kiss on her nose and looked at her. "I don't want to forget you. I'm so terrified." He closed his eyes again. "I don't want to wake up one day and not know who you are. It scares me Annabeth. It scares me to death."

She felt her lower lip trembling. "I know." She said in a small voice and gripped his hand.

"Promise me." He said softly. He didn't speak until she looked up at him again. "Promise me that you won't give up on us if that happens. I'm not asking you to love me always like this, but I'm asking you to remember. Somewhere inside of me there will always be the person I am tonight."

She slowly leaned forwards and place a soft kiss at the corner of his lips. "I promise."

Suddenly she let out a gasp and Percy eyes grew worried. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She let out another gasp instead and her hands immediately went to her stomach. Her eyes were happy and sparkling as she looked at Percy with joy.

"She kicked!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Percy, Baby Chase just kicked!"

Percy's face immediately turned into a happy one. Annabeth grabbed his hands and place them on her stomach. After a minute he felt a small push against his hands.

Annabeth laughed out loud at the look of awe on his face. "Oh my god Annabeth. Is she okay? Why is she kicking so hard? Is she hurt?"

Annabeth chuckled and looked at him. "No silly. It's just a thing babies do. Don't worry, it's completely normal. She's fine.

Percy let out a sigh of relief as Annabeth continued to squeal every time Baby Chase kicked. When she looked up at him she found him staring at her.

"What?" Annabeth asked smiling and Percy gave her a questioning look.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She asked.

"Because you're beautiful." He replied with a cheeky grin and she couldn't help but stop giggling the rest of the night.

"Well we could perform the surgery and I think it has more than eighty percent chance that he might survive." Annabeth's senior doctor said as they shared Percy's reports.

"That's a good sign isn't it?" Annabeth said hoping he would say yes.

"Yes it is." Although he seemed hesitant. "But there are records of him suffering from acute memory loss correct?"

Annabeth nodded.

"I'm afraid this surgery might turn it to permanent. It's not a rare case Doctor Scott. He's a stage 3 patient and he's lucky he even has a chance to survive but often in these surgeries since it takes place in the neocortex of the cerebrum there are often chance of amnesia, epilepsy or even facial paralysis. I suggest you consider discussing it with the patient and his family before taking any further action."

"So what you're saying is." Annabeth registered slowly. "That this type of case is inevitable?"

"I'm afraid so."

It was two weeks before her due date when it all went downhill. She hadn't come home to expect the living room scattered with blue letters and a very angry Eric standing in the middle of it.

"So this is why you're ending everything?" He seethed at her making her take a step back. "For that patient of yours?!" he spat.

"You went through my things?!" Annabeth yelled instead.

"Damn right I did!" He said striding up to her. "So all this time you've been blaming me of cheating when you're the one who's actually doing it!"

"I never cheated on you while we were together!" She exclaimed. "I told you I wanted a divorce before that."

"As if that's supposed to explain anything!" He yelled. And unfortunately he was right.

He grabbed her by the arm and shoved her. She tried to keep her balance not trying to harm the baby.

"How long has this been going huh? Did you sleep with him? Is the baby his?!" He growled.

"No!" She cried out as he twisted her hand. "I didn't do anything! I've only kissed him." She said truthfully.

Smack! The sound of his palm against her skin echoed in her ears. "You cheating bitch!" He spat out. He held out another hand to strike her but was stopped by a loud yell.

"STOP!" Thalia intervened stepping in front of Annabeth. He could see the anger blazing in her eyes.

"Eric! What do you think you're doing?" She yelled angrily helping Annabeth up. "She's pregnant you idiot!"

Eric huffed but the anger in his eyes dissipated a little.

"She cheated on me." He stated plainly.

"And so did you." Thalia snorted. "So I guess you're both even."

"Oh so you're on her side now?" He raised his eyebrows crossing his arms. He didn't even see it coming before Thalia punched him. Annabeth thought she heard a crack. Ooh that wouldn't be pretty.

"I never thought I'd say this." She spat. "but you're an asshole Eric Scott! I can't believe I blamed Annabeth! Okay so she loves him! Okay she kissed him! But she didn't stoop as low as you did Eric! You have no right to lay your hands on her! You freaking abuse your wife?!" She threw her arms. "Gods I can't believe I'm related to you! So FYI I'm gonna do everything I can to see that Annabeth gets the divorce she wants!" She said kicking him in the groin for good measure. He let out a grunt in pain.

Thalia turned to Annabeth and enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry." She whispered hugging her tight. "I'm so so sorry you had to go through that."

Annabeth choked up as she let out a sob. "It's okay. I'm so glad you're here Thals."

"Of course. Someone had to save the damsel in distress." Thalia joked but then turned serious as she checked Annabeth for any sign of injuries. There was a light bruise on her cheek."You okay?"

Annabeth nodded and just then her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and paled as it was from her senior. It was time.

She looked at Thalia who nodded in understanding. "Go. I'll handle him." She said jutting out a thumb towards Eric's groaning body.

"You're here." Percy breathed out as he hugged her tight. He was about to go into surgery in half an hour so it was natural for him to freak out a bit.

"Of course I'm here. I'll be with you the whole way." She said rubbing his back. She felt him relax.

He pulled away and his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the bruise on her cheek. "Annabeth, he hit you again?" He hissed and she could see his fist clenching.

"Shh it's okay. Everything is going to be fine now. Trust me."

And maybe he could see the truth in her eyes and how much she believed in it that he simply nodded and stroked her cheek pecking it lightly.

"I wanted to give you something." he whispered as he looked down at his neck and fiddled with a necklace of sorts. It was a beaded leather necklace which she'd seen him wear often but she didn't know it's significance.

He took it off and pushed her hair to one shoulder. As he tied it around her neck he spoke. "This necklace holds a lot of memories. My mom gave it to me. Told me to add a bead each time I wanted to store a memory in it. It was childish but I kept it all along."

"I don't understand." She said fingering the cold surface of the beads. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Because I know there's most likely a chance I won't be coming out of that operating room the same person. I want this to be with you when it happens. I'm giving you a piece of me. It's my promise to you. No matter what, even if I don't remember you, know in your heart that I always will." He said and Annabeth couldn't help but pull him into another tight hug.

"I love you, I love you, I love you." She kept repeating enough to last them a lifetime.

"I love you too." He said back closing his eyes tight."So much."

Annabeth pulled back and slipped off a ring from her index finger. "Its not much. Just a college ring my dad gave to me but I want you to have it. A piece of me." She smiled at him as he took it in his palm.

"It's perfect."

She didn't know started it but as she felt his lips on hers she felt tears stream down her cheeks. His lips tasted cool and sharp, peppermint, winter, but his hands, soft on the back of her neck promised long day and forever.

The knock on his room signaled that he had to go.

They pulled away and Percy ran a hand through her hair. "I love you." He said for the millionth time that day.

"I know." Annabeth let out a watery chuckle.

He placed a hand on her stomach and rubbed his fingers gently over the spot. "I love you too, Baby Chase."

"She knows too." Annabeth let out a strangled sob. He looked at her with the look she loved. "Hope Annabeth. Always stick on to that. Hope that I'll come back to you."

And in the seriousness of the moment of course Percy couldn't help it. He leaned his head against hers nudging her nose. "Maybe hope will be our always."

She didn't know if it was a sob or laugh is what she let out but she pulled him forward and hugged him like she wasn't ever going to let go.

She would hope. She would hope for in the end that's all there was. Hope.

It wasn't like this was Annabeth's first surgery. She had handled many including the succesful as well as the failed ones. This, this was any entirely different matter. Knowing that the person is emotionally attached to you makes it ten times harder.

So when she was in the surgery room with two more doctors and nurses in her mask and gloves she couldn't help but feel nervous while looking at Percy's sedated body.

They slid in Percy's body covering his lower half so that only the head could be seen. They carefully sliced the skin near to the area of effect and proceeded to split the skull at the spot.

As Annabeth turned around to grab a scalpel she felt an unusual tug in her gut. Her hands immediately went to her stomach as she let out a grunt.

"Doctor Scott? Are you okay?" One of the doctors questioned.

She waved a weak hand in the air. "I"m fi-" She couldn't complete that sentence as a trickle of water traveled in between her legs.

She looked worriedly at one of the nurses. "Oh no."

In a flurry of minutes she was being escorted out of the room and could hear shouts and yells as she was placed in one of the beds.

Her face contorted in pain every time she had a contraction. It was too soon. The baby was supposed to be here two weeks later. It was too soon.

"Call- call Thalia." She said through her heavy breathing to one of the nurses.

She didn't know how long had passes or if she had blanked out from the pain but when she opened her eyes Thalia was there holding her hand and smiling at her.

Annabeth tried to form a smile but it came out more like a grimace.

"You're doing great Annie." Thalia said. "Just hold on."

She nodded and then looked at Thalia hesitantly. "Thalia...Percy, he was in surgery. I know it's hard for you but can you please find out if he's okay."

Thalia sat down making herself comfortable. "I knew you would ask about him so I did it already." She said smirking at her.

Annabeth swallowed. "So...he's okay then? He's..."

"Alive?" Thalia completed for her. "Very much so. His surgery ended an hour ago. The doctors said it was successful."

Annabeth let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding as her head feel back against the pillows. Percy was okay. Everything would be okay now. Although she couldn't help but feel Thalia left something out.

Another contraction hit her as she yelled out. Thalia quickly called in for the doctor. It was time.

"Aaaaaargh I hate this!" She yelled for the millionth time as she pushed forward.

"Almost there Annabeth. I can see the head now." The doctor said from below her.

Thalia was standing beside her and Annabeth feared they would have to amputate her hand because of her death grip. Thalia didn't seem to complain although she could see her face getting a bit red.

Ten minutes later a cry filled the air as the doctor now carried a tiny bundle of red in her arms. Annabeth let out a sob falling back into the bed as they cleaned up her baby.

"Congratulations. You have a beautiful baby girl Mrs. Scott." The nurse told her as she handed her her baby in a cute little pink blanket.

Annabeth held her delicately in her arms and nudged the blanket aside to take a look at her face. Her eyes were staring up at her in wonder. Big brown eyes. Hand lightly touched the blonde tufts of hair with her index finger.

"She's beautiful." Thalia whispered beside her and Annabeth couldn't agree more.

"Whatcha gonna name her?" Thallia asked chuckling as the baby kicked Thalia's hand with her little leg.

Hope Annabeth. Always stick on to that. Hope that I'll come back to you

She didn't even have to second guess. Annabeth leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Hope."

It was a week after that she was allowed to move around that she decided to come back to the hospital.

In the midst of it she had recieved a devastating new. As she had suspected Thalia had in fact left something out. She had left out that Percy had suffered through amnesia. Just like the doctors had said. It wasn't supposed to surprise her, she had been expecting to happen. But the raw truth of it left her unsettled.

So now as she made her way to his room she held her breath in anticipation to this new Percy that she would have to encounter.

She closed her eyes momentarily gathering herself before pushing open the door. He had visitors. There was Nico and another girl with red hair and green eyes who Annabeth didn't recognize.

Nico smiled up at her in greeting but Annabeth's eyes didn't stray from Percy's. She could see the lack of recognition in them. She was proud of the fact that her knees didn't buckle then and there.

"Um hello." She said awkwardly. Nico got up to her with a sad look in his eyes. "Annabeth, this is Rachel. Percy's friend. We were just telling Percy about his past life. The doctor said it might help trigger something."

She smiled up at Rachel but couldn't help but feel like someone was cutting open her heart. So he didn't even remember his family.

"You must be Doctor Scott?" Percy questioned her. It jolted her how he had called her last name Scott for the first time.

Annabeth nodded not able to say anything else.

"Not be weird or anything but do you mind if I give you a hug?" He asked her giving her that smile she loved. So maybe some things hadn't changed.

Annabeth stiffened at first but then tentatively reached out to him. It wasn't much, but she realized he still hugged the same. And if that wasn't enough to send her bawling he whispered in her ear. "Thank you for saving my life."

She'd spent the rest of the day softly sobbing and reading through Percy's letters which Thalia had managed to keep safely after the whole Eric fiasco.

She wasn't supposed to give up on him. She had promised him that. But she didn't know what to do. She wanted to be in his life but she couldn't see how. All she could do was to remember. Remember him for who he was.

There was a court hearing, Annabeth got custody to Hope and luckily even their apartment. It was safe to say the case was in her favor. She and Eric parted ways. It was very civil from then on. Eric had finally realized the fact that he had to let her go.

There was a knock on the door. Annabeth glanced at Hope making sure she wouldn't cry anytime soon and then proceeded to open the door.

It was Eric.

She didn't know if she was supposed to feel scared or angry but her emotions were so jumbled up right now that she simply stared up at him.

He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I know I shouldn't be here but...I just uh I wanted to see Hope." As she looked up at him in shock he held his hands in front of her. "Its totally okay if you don't want me to...I understand...I-"

"Wait here." Annabeth said softly as she walked back into her bedroom. She didn't know if she trusted Eric yet but Hope deserved to be held by her daddy at least once and she knew Eric wasn't one to harm children. Especially if they were his own.

She held Hope in her arms rocking her slightly as she brought her to Eric. She could see the change in his eyes. His eyes softened as he looked at Hope.

He looked at her asking for permission. "Uh...can I?"

Annabeth nodded showing him how to hold her. Once he got it he looked at Hope's face in awe.

Suddenly Hope started crying. Annabeth's instict was to grab her and calm her down but when Eric started swaying her and cooing at Hope she couldn't help but stare at the bautiful sight.

"It's okay baby. Sshh. It's okay." He whispered as Hope calmed down. He looked up at Annabeth. "She's perfect."

Annabeth gave him a small smile. "I know."

"A cinnamon latte please." Annabeth ordered as she readjusted the baby carrier in her arms. Hope was fast asleep. That's all she ever did these days. Sleepy baby.

She made herself comfortable in one of the seats placing the carrier beside her as she sipped on her latte.

"Mrs Scott ?" She heard a voice call her and she stiffened. Turning her head she found herself looking into the sea green orbs she had fallen in love with.

She smiled up at him. "It's Miss Chase now." She corrected and then proceeded to greet him. "How are you Percy?" It was good to see him on his feet again. The light caught something on his neck and when she looked closer it was her college ring hanging through a thin metal chain. That very sight warmed her heart so much.

He sat himself in the seat in front of her. Still as blunt as ever she noticed. "I'm fine. Well as fine you could be with all your memories down the drain."

She let out a light chuckle and her heart squeezed realizing that he hadn't changed. You could take away one's memories but she she guessed one's personality always remained intact.

"Is this your daughter?" He asked looking at the baby carrier. Annabeth nodded and he smiled softly at the little girl.

"She's beautiful. Just like her mother."

Annabeth's heart skipped a beat as he said that. He quickly looked up at her startled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that." he said quickly. "I mean you are beautiful but I- gods." He groaned covering his mouth. "I don't have a filter."

Annabeth laughed out loud as she looked at his flustered face. So maybe things were different now. Maybe he didn't remember her, or all the moments and thoughts they shared,all the memories. But hey, you could always make new ones. He did complete his wish you know. He wanted to save a life and he did. He saved her life. And as she looked at Percy's insanely cute and handsome flustered face she couldn't help but wonder...this was a new start. A fresh start. And maybe, just maybe it was for good this time.

Thank you to all those who actually took time from their lives to read this! Thank you so much. I really hope you liked this because I've been working at it for six months so I hope it was worth it.

Okay so I'm giving you people a choice. I may or may not turn it into a two shot. It depends on the response but I'm not promising they will get back together in the next chapter. I want it to be realistic.

So I'm not confirming that I will make it a two-shot, I may even leave it the way it is.

Please leave a review if you think it's worth it! Love you guys!

Until next time! Stay tuned!- RachelChaseJackson