Gone, But Not Alone

Annabeth was gone. She was dead. She was separated from him forever. Percy stood on the beach staring at the sea. The pain swelled in his torso, pushed violently through his chest and erupted from his throat with an agonizing scream.

He collapsed on the ground, throwing his face towards the sea, screaming. The waves started grow. The wind began to pick up. He was oblivious. He was in agony.

He knew Artemis was behind him. "Why?" The word was spat out in a soft, hoarse whisper.

"Percy, her thread was cut. We cannot fight against the fates."

He scoffed. "You did not even try!" He didn't see the hurt flash across her face.

"Apollo tried! Nothing could be done. We could not-"

He scoffed. "We survived Tartarus! We survive two wars! We married and survived college and monsters! And she dies in CHILDBIRTH?!" He threw his head back and screamed at the sky.

Artemis' heart clenched at the young man's grief filled scream. She couldn't do a thing for him. There was no wound for Apollo to heal. This was a heart wound.

"You know what the worst thing is?" She looked at the man in front of her. "The worst thing is that Zeus changed me into a god, and I can't go to Elysium. I will never see her. I will never die. We're separated, Artemis. SEPARATED. Forever!" He turned to her suddenly. "She was my life! My heart! The partner of my SOUL!" He gasped for breath. "I will crave death forever, and I will never die. I will live for all eternity ALONE!" He screamed the last part at her. The wind picked up to hurricane strength.

Artemis covered her face. The sand was stinging her skin. "Percy! Calm down! Please! You're hurting me!" The wind died instantly. He didn't go to her, but at least he stopped the wind.

He stood. "I will continue to do my duties as a god, but I will not be married again." He smiled sharply at her. Like his face was made of glass and if he smiled any more he would crack. "Like you, Arty. I will never marry again. None would be as good and as perfect as Annabeth."

-50yrs-

Percy smiled at Hephaestus. It wasn't a complete smile; his eyes have never had their sparkle that the gods missed so. He had begun to spend more time with the smithy. His mother and Paul had died five years ago. He was truly alone, except for his father, who he spent a lot of his time with.

"Perseus, hand me that wrench, will you?"

"Heph, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Percy?"

Hephaestus grumbled and shrugged. Percy just laughed, handed him the desired tool, and continued pounding the metal sheet. He muscles rippling under the strain. He had started becoming Hephaestus' assistant ever since Annabeth passed away. He enjoyed spending his time with the terse and steady god.

Over the din of his hammering, Percy didn't hear Hephaestus say softly. "One more time, at least."

The older god watched the god of demigods, quests, humility, and guardian of the seas. The god was just a boy really. 50 years wasn't enough time to mend the broken heart in his body. Hephaestus wished again that humans could be fixed like automatons could be.

He stared at the lonely figure pounding the metal. Percy was a beautiful creature. Like the broken, green eyed doll Hephaestus was fixing now. His muscle were perfectly sculpted, so perfect that they couldn't be copied onto a machine. His eyes were so unique, so impossible to copy that it frustrated Hephaestus to no end.

The door was thrown open. "Dad! Lady Artemis wants me to practice archery for two hours! I've tested myself; I only need to practice for 45 minutes in order to properly remember the correct poses! Tell her I don't need to!" The grey eyed, little, blonde girl stared pleadingly up at Percy. Her curls bouncing as she rattled off those facts.

Percy laughed and hoisted the girl into his arms. "Okay, Beth, I'll tell Artemis to give you lessons for 45 minutes from now on, but that means you'll have to double your reading lessons with Gran Athena."

The immortal girl kissed her daddy's cheek, oblivious to the sweat and scrambled off to tell the goddess. "Thank you! Love you daddy!"

"You spoil that child." Hephaestus grumbled.

Percy smiled. "How can I not?" His eyes only truly sparkled when Beth was around. Percy only agreed to serve on the Olympian Council if Zeus agreed to turn his little girl immortal. She was his life; his whole reason of living and not forcing himself to fade. Annabeth gave her life for her Beth; the least Percy could do was take care of her.

Hephaestus smiled behind his beard. The little girl really was a pearl from the sea.