the game of life

i.

After the war, the second war, everything slowly started going back to normal. (Or as normal as demigods can get.) Leo came back with Calypso, who Percy was beyond uncomfortable greeting again after two years. Nico and Will started to go steady, surprising everyone in Camp Half Blood. Jason and Piper were going to stay year-round, and Frank, Hazel, and Reyna et al. went back to Camp Jupiter. The deaths were mourned, the injured healed, and the goodbyes were said before Percy and Annabeth prepared to start their senior year in Goode.

It seemed that everything was just as before. Percy explained his sudden mid-year absence by claiming that he went on an exchange trip. Some favors were pulled and plenty of Mist was used, but in the end, with Paul's persuasion, he was able to continue on in the school as a senior. Annabeth moved into the Jackson-Blofis apartment as a new member, after much insistence from Sally. Percy was more than okay with that arrangement.

In the beginning, everything was fine. Percy even thought that his mom was too concerned at times. After all, he's already seventeen and a two-time world saving hero! He doesn't need someone to fuss over him all the time. (Or maybe he was just very secretly embarrassed about because Annabeth lives with him now and she is present for all those times when Sally pats his cheeks lovingly or kisses his forehead or something.)

After a while, when everything is too normal, Percy started getting those nightmares and flashbacks and hallucinations and—oh gods. Those images in his nightmares terrified him beyond belief, and he did not want to say anything about it. He was good at hiding things. He pretended there was nothing wrong; everything was absolutely perfecto. It was not until one sleepless night he heard Annabeth crying in the guest room (the room that Gabe used to inhibit, Percy thought with disgust) and Percy found her, hugged her, and whispered that it's okay we're okay everything is okay again even though he didn't quite believe it himself.

It turned out that she was hiding the same secret as well: she kept dreaming that something went wrong in Tartarus and one of them never made it back. That Leo never came back with Calypso or that she fell into Tartarus by herself. That Luke killed Percy a long time ago and this was all a dream. That her mother stayed crazy because Annabeth never succeeded in her quest finding the Athena Parthenos. The two whispered about their fears, and then refuted these fears because that's all they were, scary what-ifs that won't happen ever again. They fell asleep in each other's arms often after that, and Sally let them be.

After the initial months, the rest of the year flew by like a breeze. With Annabeth's constant probing, Percy somehow managed to take all the standardized testing he needed to apply to colleges in New Rome (who takes holistic admissions to a new height—you've gotta be good in at least three of the five demigod survival skills) and passed all his classes to graduate. At the graduation ceremony, when Percy's name was called, Sally could not look any prouder.

ii.

College passed by with another blink of the eye. Surprisingly, Percy didn't jinx them when he said that he and Annabeth would get four years of peace and nothing else. Just concentrating on their studies (marine biology and architecture, of course) and their relationship. Being a former praetor obviously had its perks. Being a former praetor's girlfriend had its perks, too. Being the two who saved the world, twice? Well, that's basically a stable job in the demigod world right out of college. Soon, they discovered that there were connections outside of the camp's immediate bubble, too, so the two moved back to New York, several minutes away from Sally's, to continue on with their lives.

They wanted to stay close to Olympus (Annabeth did not quit as the official architect, after all). The two established a particular sort of routine—Annabeth works for Olympus from 9 to 5, and Percy works for a big-time aquarium researcher, coincidentally the mortal father of his demigod roommate in New Rome. It went on for two or three years, until one night Percy brought Annabeth on a date, dropped down to his knee, and asked if she would marry him.

Of course I will, you Seaweed Brain. She said. Didn't you give up an eternity just to be with me? I would be kind of unwise to let you and your dorkiness get away.

Yeah, yeah I did. I love you, Wise Girl. Just like what he said at the Parthenon before defeating the giants. Percy decided that life could not get any better.

iii.

The wedding was a small gathering with friends and family, and it would go down in history as the only time in centuries where Athena and Poseidon endured each other for the whole day without fighting.

The gods don't usually come to their children's weddings. The others said, jealous and happy for them at the same time. The other gods did not show, but just their closest family and friends were enough. They requested to dance to the song they heard so many years ago on Olympus, when they had their first dance as awkward thirteen year olds, when they just got their grey streaks from holding up the sky. (It completely grew out years ago, but the two could still pinpoint where the other's exact strands where. It never faded from memory.) This time, Percy thought, the song was not just sad and a little bit hopeful anymore. It was plenty hopeful and definitely a melancholy sort of happiness, for all the sacrifice they have gone through to get there.

They danced a lot, they drank a lot, and that night was absolute heaven. (Ahem, Elysium. But whatever.) The two were finally happy, really, really happy. All those years paid off in the end.

iv.

It wasn't long after that Annabeth was pregnant, and Percy scrambled around to make as much money as he could to support his family. His family—a new one that he is responsible for. Percy was determined to become the father that he never had. Annabeth, too, would be the best mother little Sophie could ever ask for. It's not just her arrogance speaking, you'll see.

Baby Sophie was a handful. Annabeth refused to hire a babysitter, because who knew what kind of monsters might be attracted here? Two demigods and a newborn that was the legacy of two gods—now, that was risky business. The couple did not want to move to New Rome either, since they wanted to be able to participate in the outside world, and stay close to Olympus and Camp Half Blood. After all, they were still Greeks at heart.

Finally, Annabeth resolved to take Sophie up to Olympus with her so she could still work regularly. No one had any objections, and the matter was settled. The Jackson child (children, if you count Everett, who was born two years after Sophie) would grow up with the knowledge of the gods.

Raising children was hard. Percy respected Sally more than ever because he did not know how in Hades she managed to raise him all by herself. He was already having enough trouble taking care of Sophie and Everett with Annabeth—Sally was all alone back then.

Talking about Sally, she and Paul came over to visit on a near weekly basis. She would kiss his forehead and rub his cheeks affectionately but that did not bother Percy anymore. He missed his mother. Sometimes, he would think back to the times when he was a teen and all he wanted was for his mother to be safe, not worry about him, and not embarrass him in front of Annabeth. Now he would settle for the weekly visits, but he would rather face ten thousand more monsters than not having his mother around to care for him.

Tartarus was at the back corner of everyone's minds now.

It seemed tediously slow in the process, but Sophie and Everett grew up quickly. It was Sophie's first day of kindergarten in a blink of an eye, and then the first teacher-parent conference in another. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, I'm sorry to say that your daughter has ADHD and dyslexia… But Percy and Annabeth just blinked and laughed. They thought the teacher was about to say something so much worse.

Then one day, Sophie came back from kindergarten, crying and sobbing hysterically, and Annabeth panicked, not knowing what to do to stop her crying. It didn't seem like there's anything wrong. She called Percy, who called Blackjack so he could come home quick enough and beat New York City's traffic. Sophie immediately hugged Percy and would not let go—there was a monster attack in school. Dark and dreadful looks were exchanged. Oh Sophie, don't worry about it now, Mommy and Daddy will protect you. Percy whispered, guilt filling him up all of the sudden. I know, Sophie muttered, you came to help me today.

But Percy didn't. Annabeth and Percy looked at each other, and then realized what was happening. It was Poseidon, the only being who actually looked like Percy, helping out. Percy muttered a thankful prayer and gave his father an extra sacrifice that night. He swore to himself that he would protect his children better from then on, to avoid any future confrontations like this. That night, he went to Camp Half Blood, "borrowed" some of the Golden Fleece, and make his daughter a bracelet to protect her as best as he could.

v.

Percy and Annabeth should have known that trouble still followed them and that some tragedies were inevitable. Sooner or later, one of their friends would have his or her life cut short. After all, what were the chances that all seven of them demigods will have a long, happy life? A demigod's life usually doesn't last long, and the Fates were proving their cruelty yet again.

Hazel, beautiful and timid Hazel, died for the second time. They did not ever see it coming; it was not even any Greek mythology-related beings' fault. It was a nasty car crash, right outside of San Francisco Bay. She was out in the city doing somethingwhile Frank was in New Rome, looking at apartments that the two could move into. He was about to ask for her hand in marriage.

She died peacefully, the police said, hands clutching a small cotton bag tightly, putting it right by her heart. Frank was devastated, of course, but distance did not dampen the sadness that Percy and Annabeth felt as well. They flew to New Rome for the funeral, crashing in Annabeth's mortal family's for the weekend. Jason, Piper, Leo, and Calypso were all there. Nico arrived via shadow traveling with Will, devastation and desperateness evident in his eyes. But he healed from years before, and he knew that some deaths were inevitable.

When they finally meet Frank, it was at the funeral. All of them gave a short speech, remembering Hazel for her prowess on the Mist and how brave she was in life, but Frank said nothing. When Hazel's friends from New Rome left, Frank tried to leave with them, only to be followed by the others secretly. When Frank took out the small pouch and his firewood and tried to burn it, Percy took away and encased it in a sphere of water and he would not give it back unless Frank reevaluate what he is doing.

For the first time, Frank cried. Then the nine (including Nico, Will, and Calypso) sat together and tried to get Frank to calm down and maybe somehow okay again. It's hard for anything to be okay again, he muttered, and everyone else secretly agreed. The past ten years had been exceptionally kind on them, and they forgot what tragedies the world could spin.

They just sat, in a circle, until Frank realized that Hazel would have wanted him to live a long and useful life. Nico summoned Hazel's ghost up to provide everyone for closure, and Hazel promised that she would wait for Frank in Elysium. But only after he lived long and well.

Annabeth put her head on Percy's shoulder—he took her hand, rubbing slow circles on it, reassuring her that he was still here and that she was still here, too. They still had each other.

vi.

Sophie grew to be intelligent and beautiful, just like her mother, and Everett was brave and loyal (and stupidly reckless, as Sophie would say) to a fault. Nevertheless, Percy and Annabeth loved their children more than anything in the world.

Jason and Piper would bring their children over occasionally, as well, though they are all much younger than Sophie and Everett. While the kids play, the adults would reminisce about the old times when they were still kicking and fighting. Well, they still kicked monster butts, but those annoyances became much milder after they became comfortably integrated in the mortal world.

Sometimes, Hazel would come up in one of the conversations and dampen the mood, but most of the time, the four would still be those crazy weapon-wielding teenagers ready for anything the world is about to throw at them.

Jason and Annabeth would talk about the new shrines they wanted to build in each of the camps, Percy and Piper talked about the ominous message Aphrodite sent to Percy so many years ago (and how well it worked out)... Then Jason and Percy would have their not-so-subtle showdowns as usual while Annabeth and Piper rolled their eyes and exchange parenting tips.

If things could be as quiet and uneventful as these moments are for the rest of their lives, the four thought, then all would be just as well. They had enough adventures to last them a lifetime, after all.

vii.

The summer after Sophie turned twelve, Percy and Annabeth had a heated debate whether to send her to Camp Half Blood or not. On one hand, Sophie had been eager to go to the camp that her parents would her tell stories about throughout the years, and it was a good chance for her to learn how to defend herself (since the Golden Fleece bracelet is losing its effectiveness as Sophie aged); on the other hand, Percy and Annabeth did not want to lose Sophie to the gods' world. It would be easy for Sophie to stay as a year-round camper.

In the end, they let go, after much persuasion from their eldest child. They packed her lots of blue cookies from Sally, Annabeth's SPF 2000 sunscreen, and enough drachmas to last her years. Even though they planned to drop her off by the camp borders originally, Percy, Annabeth, and Everett all escorted Sophie to the Big House all together in the end.

It was the usual in the camp, with Dionysus making a few nasty comments, Chiron trying to pacify the whole situation, and an Athena camper being called over to introduce Sophie to her new cabin mates/aunts/uncles. Percy did not show it, but secretly, he was getting a bit teary-eyed. It's been twenty-five or so years since it was his turn and it was him in Sophie's place getting led around the camp by a certain daughter of Athena. Time passed incredibly fast.

The two bid goodbye, and then led an unusually quiet Everett out. A quiet Everett was not a good thing.

The boy started getting upset, complaining that his sister gets to go to that awesome sword fighting, monster-killing camp but he can't. Percy looked at Annabeth, who shrugged in return, spreading her arms out and signaling to him that Everett was all yours. Sighing, Percy resolved to drive himself, Annabeth, and Everett to Montauk for a spontaneous trip just so that he could show that Everett wasn't missing out on a cool summer vacation, either. He was going to show Everett some butt-kicking water tricks—Everett always enjoyed them more than Sophie, though Percy was only willing to do those tricks on special occasions and at somewhere no one can see them.

Annabeth opted to stay on the beach as she propped open a book to read on advanced Hellenic architectural designs. Percy brought Everett underwater, with Percy creating an air bubbled around Everett's head. He shot water around that tickled Everett's belly, and then made whirlpools that tugged the nine-year-old around. Everett giggled and Percy laughed happily, making the 'underwater tornadoes' (that's what Everett calls them) bigger and bigger.

In a moment of carelessness, Everett was flung out of the water bubble Percy constructed and out into the ocean. While the sea floor wasn't too deep, it was enough for any normal nine-year-old to drown. Everett wasn't any normal nine-year-old, but he could still drown. Wouldn't it be ironic for a grandson of Poseidon to drown in the ocean? and Annabeth would for sure kill me this time were the thoughts that fleeted past Percy's ADHD brain before he gathered his senses and sped towards his son to get him to the surface.

But Everett laughed and giggled as if nothing had happened. He wasn't choking on water, and he certainly was not drowning.

...Oh. Percy finally realized what that meant. Excited, Percy took his son deeper into the ocean for more adventures, not having to worry about Everett's breathing this time. They played until sunset, when an impatient Annabeth threw a stone into the ocean and hit Percy's head to signal the father and son that playtime was over and they needed to get home.

That summer, when Sophie came back all excited, talking about the battle strategies that she devised for Capture the Flag and her adventures at Camp Half-Blood, Everett got to talk about his new found powers, too.

viii.

It was so hard to let go.

Despite ADHD and dyslexia, Sophie Jackson still managed to graduate as the valedictorian of her class. Annabeth and Percy could not be prouder as they see her on stage, giving one of the most memorable speeches of their lives.

Sure, it was not saving the world, but going through high school and emerging victorious? That ought to be just as hard.

Sophie was going to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for architectural studies, and never in Percy's life would he think that a part of him (later, Annabeth reassured Percy that it was all her genes at work) would be smart enough to qualify for that school. He sat back, quietly thinking to himself how much everything had changed. He was able to afford the tuition for a nice and private university for his daughter after he took over his boss a couple of years ago; he had this nice family of four. He knew that he made the right choice to turn down immortality. Nothing could be better than this.

Athena came down from Olympus to congratulate the family and saw her grandchildren for the first (and hopefully not the last) time. It was an awkward introduction, but the goddess finally seemed to approve Percy Jackson as a husband for her daughter. Percy did not know how in the world Athena had the power to make him, a forty-something year old man felt like a teenager, but she managed to. It was embarrassing.

Sophie, with her books and bulky suitcases, said goodbye after a brief summer vacation. Percy and Annabeth wanted to cry, but they both held in. After all, Sophie would visit frequently, right? Though they knew, nothing would be the same ever again.

Everett was next.

The boy might not have been as academically inclined as his older sister, but he certainly took advantage of his natural abilities. As the captain (since Freshman year) of the swim team, he managed to break all kinds of records, border lining on suspicion for cheating. Annabeth didn't want him to put himself in attention like that, but all Percy did was to encourage the behavior because come on, Wise Girl, it's hilarious!

Anyhow, with a little better than average academics and simply godly swimming abilities, he secured himself a spot in Columbia University with a rather handsome athletic scholarship. Good thing, too, because Annabeth and Percy were ready to kick back, retire, and enjoy themselves before checking out to Elysium.

This time, Poseidon showed up, with Percy feeling so so so SO incredibly old because he looked older than his father now. The feeling was amplified when a guest asked if Poseidon was Percy's younger brother. It was pure embarrassment, again.

Nevertheless, the five had a good time celebrating Everett's success. Percy couldn't help but to remember not long ago, when he and Annabeth were the ones who graduated. They have come such a long way, but there was more to go.

ix.

With Sophie in graduate school and Everett graduating college, there suddenly seemed to have much more free time in the Jackson household. Annabeth and Percy had both retired, and the gods have not bothered them since a long time ago. It was weird, living for so long in everyone else's eyes but their godly relative's.

They loved talking to the remainder of their friends—weekends to Jason's and Piper's were always fun, Rachel was just about the coolest old lady in town, though there were not many options otherwise. Frank was still helping out with the military, Nico fell out of contact a few years ago when Will died, and the Jacksons were never really that close with Leo and Calypso. Everything has always been weird with Calypso, but that's a regret for another time.

They thought to entertain the idea of traveling to Europe or Asia or Australia or something, but decided against going across continents in the end. The last time they went to Europe, to Greece where the Parthenon was, they nearly died and the world nearly ended. Traveling sounded so much less appealing afterwards. Still, with the spirit of adventure practically embedded in their very souls, Percy and Annabeth rented a nice car, traveled went through all the cities on the East Coast, and reminisced the time when they were running through these cities for their lives. They then headed west through the cornfields and the Chicago suburbs and the open deserts and the Rocky Mountains and New Rome and finally to San Francisco, where Annabeth grew up.

Surprisingly, all that driving and sightseeing was not as exhausting as the two thought it would be, but they did keep in shape after all those years. It was just themselves and their memories, and nothing else.

They haven't visited San Francisco since Frederick Chase's funeral, and it was so surreal. Annabeth was sad when her father passed, but she had accepted the inevitability of death by then. Fredrick was very old and he had a good life, compared to many other demigod's mortal parents.

Annabeth visited his grave, and she went to visit Helen and her stepbrothers just for her father. It was awkward, for how far apart they grew from each other (as if they weren't far apart already), but Percy convinced her that it was a good thing to do. Helen was very old too, after all, and San Francisco really did not have anything else worthy of another visit.

They said their goodbyes to the city for the last time, and drove home in each other's company.

x.

Sally Jackson's death hit Percy and crushed him like nothing had before. Nothing could compare to his sorrow then; nothing could make him feel better. At that moment, he would rather go through Tartarus again just to see his mother for one last time and tell her how much he loved her and how much he appreciated her for what she did.

It was a peaceful death, nothing really out of ordinary. She was well into her eighties, and with all that she had worked for in her life, there wasn't any unfinished business that would hold her back. Paul was gone, Percy and Annabeth were more than settled and had a good life, her grandson and granddaughter looked to have a bright future, and she couldn't ask for more.

Annabeth tried to console him, but she knew that her loss was different than Percy's. She was never that close to her father, but Sally Jackson was all Percy had for most of his childhood. She was the one who sacrificed her life for him, putting up with Gabe and working overtime to cover finances and whatnot. Percy was always guilty about how, in a way, he ruined his mother's life. It was an issue Annabeth and Sally both tried to convince Percy that what he thought couldn't be further from the truth. Percy was Sally's greatest joy, after all.

At the funeral, Percy wore a dark blue suit, giving a speech stiffly and crying towards the end. No one minded. Everyone there—demigod veterans, his children, his friends' children, all knew how much Sally meant to Percy, how much Sally meant to all of them. She was the mother figure to them too many times over the years, when their own parent was unavailable to them.

Poseidon didn't show, and Percy was bitter for a second before remembering the fleeting nature of gods. Sally probably wasn't ever that important to him anyhow. He was glad that he made the right choice to turn down godhood, that he would be here for Annabeth and vice versa.

It was a few months before Percy would reach complete solace, but he did it with Annabeth's help. He knew that there must be an end sometime, and that was it for his mother. She would be in Elysium, finally, with Paul. Percy knew she would. The world owe her that much, at least.

xi.

Percy and Annabeth couldn't even believe it when their children had children of their own, each with their own beautiful eyes and gorgeous smiles. It was surreal, too, meeting their son-in-law for the first time (a mechanical engineer who might be a little bit more than intimidated when he learnt about the truth about gods and whatnot) and their daughter-in-law, a physics post-doc at Columbia.

The two couples both moved to New York, little coincidences with job availability allowing them to do so. Percy knew that the Jacksons were living their dream—from the time when their survival was a question to the family they have now, Annabeth and Percy had definitely came a long way.

The weekly family gatherings were the best, and Percy was so glad that Sophie and Everett were still as close as ever, despite being adults who were all grown up. Their kids had won their battle (although not as serious ones) with dyslexia, ADHD, and the whole gods ordeal, and had a relatively normal life just like Annabeth and Percy wanted for them.

Their grandchildren—Andy, Alex, Costa, Arete, and James—the five of them grow up together as close as they could be. None of them had learning disorders or "super awesome" water powers, but that was just fine.

Percy and Everett did like to show off once in a while. Sophie and Annabeth would just roll their eyes and sign dramatically while the Jackson grandchildren would gather around and marvel at Percy and Everett's abilities. The two mortals that married into the family just had to deal with it.

When the children are not over for visits, Percy and Annabeth would like to reminisce the old times when they were the kids. Sometimes, it's been so long that little details started to fade—they didn't remember Hazel's voice or the thrill riding in Grey Sister's or the time when the two didn't get along that well. It was a little bit scary; they wanted to remember everything and everyone. They wanted to fulfill their promises to their friends and carry on their legacies. They wondered if that's what the gods felt like—remembering the love they had for somebody but not remembering any of the small details included.

Some years passed by this way. They couldn't quite remember when was the last time they were truly bothered by the monsters anymore. As they grew older, their demigod scents were no longer as potent and monsters eventually deemed them not worthy to chase after anymore. They were not too sure how to feel about that either.

It was quiet and serene; they were ready.

x.

The clock struck twelve.

Percy and Annabeth knew that it was time. They were old, old enough that they have long evolved into legends that new demigods passed around in Camp Half Blood. Old enough that their grandchildren were all grown up and they even had great grandkids. Long enough that either had not encounter anything even relatively mythical in a long, long time.

They were ready to go to Charon's together for the second and the last time. They were not planning to leave this time, either.

Percy could feel Thanatos' grasp on him, remembering how the god of Death typed away on his iPad to check off all the souls that were supposed to go to the Underworld. Annabeth could feel the pull of Death, too, but she was not afraid this time. She was not afraid of Death for a long time already.

The two called up their relatives, their mortal relatives, and said goodbyes. Sophie and Everett, their spouses, kids, and so many more. It was incredible to see how far they have come.

They did not need to go visit the graves or Olympus or New York for one last time because they knew everyone was waiting for them in Elysium. They were the very first ones to go through everything, and the last ones to leave. It was time.

"Are you ready?"

"As long as we are together."

Then they let go. This song is ending, but the story never ends.

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

A/N: I was inspired when my friend and I played "The Game of Life" together. It evolved into this monstrosity-I don't think I have ever written a one-shot quite this long before. Hope it was good. If you enjoyed it, drop a review for me, maybe? (If there's any grammatical or spelling error in the fic, please do tell me as well!) Thanks. :)