Hello everyone! Happy Early Halloween! And now this short story comes to its conclusion! I decided to upload the last chapter today since I won't have time to do it tomorrow.

And it seems like I just can't stop writing for Percico!

Enjoy this last chapter and thank you to those who read, favorite, followed and reviewed!

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and The Olympians nor Corpse Bride

Nico walked back home that night after hearing Gaea's suggestion, feeling empty. He looked at the bottle of poison in his hand, which Gaea had mixed so that he could kill Percy with it, but Nico felt like he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill Percy. It just wouldn't feel right. And what? So that Percy could stay married to Nico forcefully? That didn't sit right with Nico either. He sighed heavily, contemplating what to do next as he entered the apartment. He went in and made his way to the bedroom, thinking Percy had gone to bed.

"Nico," Percy said as soon as the green-eyed boy saw him.

Nico looked up in surprise, "Percy? What are you still doing up?"

"I waited for you..."

"Why?" Nico inquired.

"Um... I'm not sure..." Percy answered vaguely a blush starting to creep up on his face.

Nico looked at Percy and guilt settled in his stomach at the thought of having to kill him. Then he noticed Percy holding onto the picture frame that belonged on top of the fireplace.

"Why do you have that?" Nico pointed to the picture as he made a move to sit down on the bed.

Percy looked down at the frame and blushed again, not knowing how to explain his reasoning to Nico. In fact, Percy himself didn't understand the reason of why he took the picture with him. Was it to look at how Nico used to look like when he was once alive?

"Uh- I found it and well... I decided to have look at it... who are these people in the picture?" Percy asked Nico, fumbling with his words.

"My family," Nico answered.

"When you were alive right?" Percy asked him.

"Yes."

"You look different...what are their names? If you don't mind my asking," Percy pressed on, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well, the man you see standing behind me, his name was Hades di Angelo, my father. The woman next to him was my mother, Maria di Angelo. And the girl next to me, wearing the green hat was my sister, Bianca di Angelo," Nico answered pointing to each person.

"They looked like a nice family..." Percy stated.

"They were, I loved them dearly..."

"You were very beautiful when you were alive," Percy found himself blurting that out only to cover his mouth with his hand and have his cheeks fill with color.

Absolutely perfect. Percy had just made up with Nico and now he had to go on and blurt such things out loud. But to Percy's surprise, Nico only smiled and laughed softly.

"Thank you Percy," Nico leaned in close to him, making Percy's heart beat fast.

"You're welcome."

"Let's go to sleep okay?" Nico suggested.

"Sure."

With that the two of them laid down to sleep, and Percy found that it had come faster to him, now that Nico was beside him.

"Alright," Luke began as he and Annabeth made their way out of Annabeht's parents house and rode a carriage to the Jackson's household, "we tell the Jackson's everything we know and hopefully something can be done."

"Luke, I want to find Percy, and whoever kidnapped him has to pay," Annabeth said fiercely, even though she wasn't in love with Percy, she still held him dearly especially since he was such an understanding and kind person to her.

Once there, they went up the door and knocked, waiting for it to be answered. And soon the door opened to reveal a maid.

"Hello, we need to speak with Lord and Lady Jackson please immediately, it regards Percy," Annabeth spoke.

The maid nodded her head and led them to the living room where Annabeth and Luke found Lord and Lady Jackson worrying about, making fliers and notes for their missing son. They also found Lord Kronos Bitter sitting on a chair drinking a cup of tea.

"Lord Jackson? Lady Sally?" Annabeth made her presence known, glaring a bit at Lord Bitter.

Lord and Lady Jackson and Lord Kronos all turned their heads to the pair standing at the door.

"Hello Annabeth, how have you been my dear?" Sally asked her as she made her way over to Annabeth and Luke and greeted them, she tried to look strong in front of them but Sally was getting worried sick.

"I'm fine Lady Sally, how have you been?" Annabeth answered.

"I have been... so exhausted trying to find Percy..."

"Lady Sally, Lord Jackson I have news regarding Percy," Annabeth spoke and soon all three adults in the room looked to her once those words left her mouth.

"And what's that?" Lord Jackson made his way over, a pipe in his mouth, he had started smoking more now since his worrying over his son got worse.

"Last night, Percy came to visit me and we talked for awhile until... a man who... I'm not sure how but he had a skeleton hand and blue skin, almost as if he were dead- he told Percy that they were married now and then muttered the word 'hopscotch' and the suddenly disappeared! Into thin air!" Annabeth recounted, "I believe Percy was abducted by this man since the beginning and he never slipped away with another woman."

"I don't mean to insult you my dear," Lord Kronos spoke, "but that seems a bit far fetched."

"I was there with her, I saw Percy. He was abducted by who knows what and he could be in danger," Luke spoke up, defending his wife.

"Really? If that's the case then now we must look for Percy immediately," Lord Kronos announced, standing up and walking out of the room.

Outside Frank rang his bell and shouted the news.

"Hear ye, hear ye! Percy Jackson seen abducted by Lady Annabeth Castellan and Lord Luke Castellan! Not a ploy, slip or runaway! Percy Jackson was abducted!"

Nico woke up the next morning early and sat in bed, thinking about what he had to do to keep Percy with him. Should Nico kill him? Or should Nico let him go? Those were difficult questions that had only one answer.

Percy stirred in his sleep and Nico looked down at him. Percy really was handsome. His black, windswept hair that got in his beautiful sea-green eyes sometimes, was shaggy and soft to the touch. Percy had such beautiful sun-kissed skin that had a natural glow to it. And those lips of his... Nico had only kissed Percy twice on the lips but it would send electric shocks coursing through Nico's body. The brown-eyed boy did not want Percy to go back to the land of the living and leave him, but he did not want to kill Percy either.

Nico decided he was not going to kill Percy. Instead, Percy would go back. Just as Nico decided what was going to be done, Percy opened his eyes and stared straight at Nico, almost crushing his resolve to let Percy go. The raven-haired boy slowly sat up in bed and looked at Nico.

"Morning Nico," Percy said with a small smile on his face.

"Morning Percy," Nico replied, a tightness had settled in his voice which did not go unnoticed by Percy.

"Is something wrong?" Percy asked Nico, trying to look him in the eye but the brown-eyed boy refused to let that happen.

"No," Nico firmly responded, "Lets have breakfast and then... we will need to visit Gaea."

With that, Nico got up and made his way to the kitchen leaving a baffled Percy behind.

...

Nico and Percy made their way up the stairs to the temple of Elder Gaea and soon entered through the door.

"Gaea," Nico called out to the woman and she came out behind a book shelf with two books in hand.

"Yes?" Gaea spoke, "oh Nico and Percy, how are you two?"

"Gaea, I need you..." Nico struggled with his words, "to send Percy... back to the land of the living."

Gaea and Percy both looked at Nico in surprise as soon as the words left his mouth.

"What? Nico, why?!" Percy asked, "Nico we're married, you can't send me back!"

"No Percy, we are not married. The marriage is invalid. I am dead and you still live. The marriage was never real, so now I am sending you back."

"Nico, why?!" Percy exclaimed, not wanting to go back.

"Isn't that what you wanted Percy?" Nico asked him, feeling his dead heart constrict, if that was even possible. Nico slid off the ring from his finger and handed it to Percy who looked at it in his hand in confusion. As if it didn't belong there.

"Not any-" Percy was cut off by Gaea.

"Nico, if this is what you choose... then fine, I will do it."

"No! Please Nico think this through," Percy pleaded.

"I have Percy and you don't belong here, you belong up there..." Nico's voice broke a bit at the end of his sentence, his eyes were beginning to water.

Soon Percy found himself being surrounded by white smoke and the last thing Percy saw was Nico wiping a tear from his face. When Percy looked around the next second, he was back in the graveyard. Percy couldn't believe his eyes, he was back in the land of the living and he regretted it.

"Nico!" Percy stomped on the ground as he called out Nico's name.

It went on for ten minutes until Percy decided, he wasn't going back anymore. Percy dusted himself off and made his way back into town. It was already nearing noon. His heart felt heavy in his chest and he felt incomplete being so far away from Nico.

...

"Nico, are you sure you made the right choice?" Gaea asked him after she had sent Percy back.

"Yes Gaea, I could never bring myself to kill Percy. I had to let him go..."

Nico looked so sad and broken, he had let Percy go but that did not make him feel any better. In fact, it made Nico feel worse.

"Just a thing Gaea, if you could please do me a favor..." Nico asked the woman at the podium.

"Of course my dear boy, what is it?" Gaea asked.

"When Percy's wedding begins, could I please go upstairs to attend it?" Nico asked Gaea.

"Of course," Gaea promised sadly.

She watched as Nico made his way out of the temple.

...

Once Percy got into town, everyone looked at him in shock. That is until his parents came rushing towards him. His mother gave him a bone crushing hug and his father patted his back. Percy saw Annabeth come up to him and give him a hug as well, while Luke shook his shoulder.

"Oh! Percy! Where have you been?" Sally asked her son, tears of joy forming in the corners of her eyes.

"That's not important now, he's back!" Poseidon said as they led Percy into the house.

Once inside, Percy was dragged to his room, his father shouting that Percy was to be married tonight to Lord Kronos Bitter.

That left a bitter taste in Percy's mouth. Not even a day back and already his parents were to marry him off to someone else. Percy had been given a new tuxedo and was already washed and combed. He was ready for the wedding with a man he had never met.

Percy felt a deep sadness settle in his stomach, he did not want to marry another man. The only man Percy wanted back was Nico. Percy realized a bit too late, that over the course of three days and nights, Percy had fallen in love with Nico. And now, there was no getting back to him.

...

The wedding began, with people all over town attending. Even Annabeth's parents came, although Percy suspected it was only to laugh at him, thinking he'd mess up his vows again.

Lord Kronos made his way to the front of the room, standing next to Percy as they waited for Pastor Zeus to begin.

The speech droned on and Percy only paid attention when it was time to recite the vows. Pastor Zeus glared at Percy, daring him to mess up once more. Percy looked at Lord Kronos and his stomach churned. He did not want to marry this man. Percy looked over at his parents and saw them looking so happy and delighted. He couldn't break their spirits by saying that he didn't want to marry anyone anymore, because he had found the one he was meant to be with.

Only to lose him...

Nico snuck his way in as quietly as possible so as to not draw attention to himself. He looked at Percy who looked so handsome in his tuxedo. And then, Nico saw Annabeth sitting with Luke in one side of the room. Nico was confused. Wasn't Annabeth the one Percy was to marry?

Nico thought back to what was said yesterday night...

"Percy, you're to marry someone else now. A person named Lord Kronos Bitter..."

Annabeth had said that name. That name which sent chills down Nico's spine and spiked anger in his body. That was the man Nico had fallen in love with, only to be killed the night they were supposed to elope. Was Percy really going to marry that man? Surely it wasn't true, was it?

Nico looked to the front and he froze. There, like a ghost from a horror tale, stood Kronos Bitter. The man who had murdered Nico. And if Percy was going to marry him... then that meant that... Nico got up and started to make a mad dash to the front. Anything to stop Percy from saying his vows...

"With this hand, I will lift your sorrows." Percy lifted his right hand, "Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine," Percy lifted a goblet with wine close to his mouth, ready to drink from it when suddenly he heard a familiar voice.

"Percy don't drink that!" Nico shouted and everyone looked to him as he said that.

Percy looked his way and a smile started to appear on his face as he realized that Nico had come back. People started to gasp and scream once they saw Nico, a corpse bride.

"Don't drink that Percy," Nico repeated once more.

"Why not?" Percy asked taking a step forward.

"Because that wine is poisoned," Nico rushed over and knocked the goblet out of Percy's hand.

It landed on the carpet floor and spilled. Soon the carpet started to fizz and dissolve as the wine seeped through, proving Nico right. The wine had been poisoned, but by who?

"Who would do such a thing?!" Lord Jackson exclaimed.

"Everyone! That is the person that abducted Percy!" Annabeth yelled.

"What?!" Lady Sally asked.

Percy's parents started to slowly make their way towards Percy, not wanting their son to be taken away again. Annabeth's parents couldn't believe their eyes, the pastor suddenly started to recite prayers, hoping to expel the unsightly corpse and take him back to where he came from.

"Nico, how did you know that?" Percy asked him.

Nico looked over at Kronos, who's face paled considerably as he looked at Nico in horror.

"Because this man," Nico pointed towards Kronos, "he's the man that killed me!"

"What?!" Sally exclaimed, not believing yet the proof was in the poisoned wine that was spilled on the floor.

Nico took out a dagger he had kept hidden and stabbed Kronos in the chest.

Kronos' body fell to the floor as everyone looked on in horror but were glued to their spot. Nico looked over at Percy with sad eyes and walked over to him, his hand outstretched as if to stroke Percy's face only to retract.

"Nico..." Percy whispered lowly.

"I am so sorry I forced myself on you Percy, but I had to send you back. And when I saw it was him you were marrying... I couldn't let him hurt you," Nico spoke softly.

"Nico, why did you let me go?" Percy asked him.

"Because, a marriage is not supposed to be arranged or forced. It should come naturally, and there should be love and happiness. I forced myself onto you Percy, and I forced you to love me. I shouldn't have done that. I wanted you to love me the way I loved you but it was wrong of me...I love you Percy, but you are not mine..." Nico told him sadly.

"Why would you ever think that Nico? I want to be yours," Percy got closer to Nico until they were merely inches apart and smiled softly.

"Y-you want to be mine?" Nico asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I do, and I know of a way for me to stay with you forever..." Percy said as he reached for the dagger in Nico's hand.

Percy reached up and then quickly stabbed his heart. He only heard his mother and father scream his name before everything went black.

...

When Percy woke up, he was in the pub like the first night and there he saw Nico looking over him, having returned just as quickly from the land of the living.

"Oh, Percy, you really do want to be mine!" Nico smiled the biggest smile ever.

Percy got up and reached for Nico, sealing their lips in a kiss.

"Of course silly, as long as you're mine as well."

They walked out of the pub, hand in hand and discussed on getting a bigger place now that they were permanently together. In fact, they would be spending the rest of forever in the underworld together. And that sounded like paradise to Percy.

He had finally found the one.