author note:

So here we are at the last chapter! I want to thank everyone for bearing with me on my ridiculous chapter update times. However, I especially want to thank the people who have been reading this story since I first started it and encouraged me to turn it into a full-length fic instead of just one chapter. Thank you to readers old and new and please enjoy this last chapter!

Falling Down - Chapter 13

All At Once

(Annabeth POV)

Seeing the door to the room open to reveal two in-tact demigods was like seeing a dream. Annabeth was sitting right outside the door on the floor beside a pike of inanimate skeletal warriors, standing up slowly as Nico and Percy approached.

Percy. She breathed out a breath she'd been holding for two hours at least. He was alive. Annabeth felt stupid for ever doubting him, he was Percy, for Gods' sakes. You could trap that kid in an erupting volcano and he'd still get out alive. She would know, she was there when that exact circumstance happened years ago.

He was being partially held up by Nico, and despite looking like he'd been through twenty consecutive fist fights, she could tell by his expression that he was much more awake and much better feeling than he'd been in weeks. Months, maybe. Percy had never disclosed if he'd been feeling symptoms before it got really bad, that was just how he was. It was something really, really frustrating about him, but it was just how he was.

Her idiot, stupid boyfriend who was always almost getting himself killed.

Her idiot, stupid boyfriend who all she wanted was to hold him for a few hours.

"Percy… oh my gods," She breathed, stepping close so she could wrap her hands around him and press his face to her shoulder. She decided that she didn't even care that he had blood all over his face, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yes," Percy croaked from his position against her shoulder, "I don't think I'll ever get the taste of blood out of my mouth, but, y'know."

"I have ambrosia." Annabeth pulled back from him and shuffled through her backpack, taking out a baggie of ambrosia squares and pressing them into his hand.

He took them and stuffed three into his mouth like he was starving. Annabeth smiled, before her eyes landed on the blood soaked front of his t-shirt and she realized something.

"Do you have-"

"There's no open wounds, don't worry," Nico said, speaking up for the first time. He was covered in blood too, mostly his arms and in blotches on his black shirt Annabeth could see a faint wet shimmer. "I had some medical stuff and we patched him up. He's good to go."

Nico abruptly cringed at his own words, "Err… Well, maybe not."

Percy and Nico exchanged glances and both their faces fell.

"Yeah. The deal with Hades." Percy kicked a stray skeleton bone on the floor, "Dude, Nico, your dad sucks."

That's when Percy turned his seagreen eyes to Annabeth, but they were not warm and not trusting.

Her heart sank.

"Now that I have a chance to ask…why didn't you tell me you talked with my dad?"

He looked betrayed and she felt guilt rising in the back of her throat.

"Truth is… I didn't. I came up with that plan on the spot," Annabeth confessed, twisting a lock of her golden curls around her finger, "I didn't know what to do, I thought he'd say no."

"So… you didn't talk to my dad?"

"No. I haven't heard from him this entire time, I swear."

Percy looked away in thought, pressing his fingers against his mouth, "Wow, I… don't know what to think about that. I mean, I'm glad that you weren't talking with him behind my back about selling me to Hades…but…"

"But that means he hasn't said or acknowledged anything about any of this." Nico finished.

"It's like he doesn't care."

"Percy…our parents are gods…you know that. There's been times before when they've completely ignored us. It's just how it is." Annabeth said softly, putting a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder.

Percy didn't shrug her off, but he didn't make any reaction to her. "I was dying, like, for real this time. And he doesn't even send a letter or even a message, not even a 'Hey, son! Looks like you're dying! Sucks, bro. Have fun with that. Love, Dad."

Annabeth bit her lip. Percy was right, Poseidon hadn't even sent a sign that he was concerned in the least for his only demigod son's life. Of course he was upset about it.

But on the other hand, he was overreacting. This wasn't like him. Or… maybe he was.

Annabeth mentally slapped herself, of course he wasn't acting like himself - this time was different from his other near-death experiences. Other times, almost dying for him had been sudden, fleeting, and unprecedented. And those times happened a lot - such was the life of a half-blood. What was different about this time was that Percy had been aware he was dying for weeks. Everyone at camp knew. He had been dying and there was no foreseeable quick fix, no way to fight himself out of it on pure talent or skill alone. He had been trapped.

"…You're right. I'm sorry."

"It's cool, don't worry about it," Percy shrugged, "I don't wanna think about it too hard."

He was lying, Annabeth could tell. Not about forgiving her, but about not thinking about it. He'd already thought about it too hard.

Sometimes Annabeth really hated having godly parents.

"…We should get going." Nico said in a low voice, gesturing down the hall.

"…Okay," Percy agreed after a minute, "But you guys are gonna have to help me, cause my legs don't wanna move."

0000000000

(Hazel POV)

Her arm hurt. Hazel realized that dully as she and Frank began walking back to Persephone's garden. Her arm didn't feel bad because she was cut or bleeding or anything, it was because she pulled a muscle in it by swinging her sword around with so much force.

In the end, the skeletal Underworld soldiers hadn't been much to blink at. Their numbers were the only overwhelming thing about them; once she and Frank had bulldozed through about fifty of them, they'd become a lot less scary. They were weak, really, compared to some of the things Hazel had been up against during her lifetime…err… second lifetime.

Hazel jogged a little to catch up with Frank, whose step size was probably around two or three rimes the size of her's. He murmured an embarrassed apology and she waved him off with a smile.

"Do you think Percy's okay?" Frank asked, his voice tone failing to hide that he was nervous.

"He'll be okay, he's gotten out of tons of stuff like this before, right? I'm sure Annabeth and Nico won't let anything bad happen." Hazel said confidently. Inside, she shared Frank's concerns - how could they know for sure? Up until just a little while ago, Hazel had been pretty certain the son of Poseidon was invincible. He was basically the prince of the sea, right? He could survive anything.

At least, thats what she thought right up until she saw that trail of fresh blood heading deep into the forest.

It was a chilling thought. Hazel slapped her cheeks once to clear her mind and Frank jumped, startled at the sound. It would be okay. Percy would be just fine!

They were hit with air that was slightly more fresh when they reached the end of the corridor, coming out into Persephone's garden. It looked exactly like how they left it, if you didn't count the very obvious path that looked like it had been torn through by a relatively large weedwhacker.

"Hazel! Frank!" A familiar voice called from somewhere down the choppy path, and through the brush Piper appeared with several leaves stuck in her hair.

"Piper!" Hazel exclaimed, closing the distance between them with a hug, "How's Jason? And where's Leo?"

"Jason's fine," Piper said, and Hazel plucked a leaf out of her braid, "He's a little out of it still but not too much."

"What about Leo?"

"I'm getting there, Hazel. Leo left. He went back into the castle. I'm assuming he either went to help Annabeth or went to find Hades." Piper glanced towards the entrance Hazel and Frank had just come out of, "Who knows where he is."

"Should we go look for him?" Frank asked.

"No, let's wait here. If the four of us stick together then we'll have a better chance of getting out of here quicker," Piper explained, "Annabeth and Nico will come out this way, most likely. I hope, anyways. We'll meet up with them and hopefully Leo will find his way back here."

Hazel and Frank nodded as Piper gestured to follow her into the bushes, leading them to Jason.

It went unsaid, but all present demigods were aware that Piper didn't mention Percy's name even once, and they knew why. Without a doubt, the situation was impossible to read. Percy's survival was not guaranteed. Each of them had realized that at their own pace.

Hazel felt leaves crunch under her sneakers. She felt numb, and hated it. Feeling powerless reminded her of the first time she died, and of her mother. Unwanted feelings and unwanted memories, all mixed together. The trace memories of sadness, fear, and hopelessness. Hazel wondered if that's how Percy felt when anyone mentioned Tartarus.

In the back of her mind she knew that what she felt was not what Percy felt.

Whatever he felt when he thought about Tartarus was much, much worse, and very, very different. She'd never be able to understand just what happened to him to make this happen. His sickness on top of the mental weight of inescapable post traumatic stress.

All she really knew was that Percy was so much stronger than anyone ever gave him credit for.

"Hey, guys." Jason said from the ground as the three demigods sat down with him.

"What happened to you, exactly?" Frank asked.

Hazel was about to ask the same thing. Jason's purple shirt was covered in dirt and he was bleeding from several tiny wounds. Nothing fatal, or even severe. His hair didn't look so great either, sprinkled with dirt and looking like it needed a shower just as much as Hazel felt like she needed herself. He just looked like he had a bad day, and spent a good part of it rolling around in the woods.

"That's…kinda complicated. Okay, so, you see those plants over there?…"

0000000000

(Nico POV)

With an arm propping up one side of Percy, Nico was lost in thought as they made their way back to Hades' throne room. What had happened today was something he'd probably remember for the rest of his life.

Nico vaguely heard the soft sounds of the three demigods' sneakers against the gray stone hallway floor. Percy really did almost die in there. He felt it - how couldn't he? He was right next to him, Percy was literally dying right before his eyes.

Nico's thoughts at that point had been a mess. All he could do was wave his arms and scream at Percy to breathe.

All he could feel was the very familiar crawl of impending death. Feeling that was like second nature to him, he'd just never expected to feel it so strongly and from the guy who he'd once believed to be the true epitome of a hero. He'd learned the hard way that Percy really was a hero, but heroes were not invincible, and they were definitely not perfect.

Nico glanced up at Percy as he repositioned Poseidon's arm across the back of his neck. He was looking worse for wear, but somehow more alive. There was no more sharp sense of doom that invaded Nico's senses when he so much as looked at him.

To be honest? Nico wasn't sure if they'd be coming out of the Underworld with a live, breathing Percy Jackson. To be even more honest, he was unbelievably glad he didn't lose a friend today.

That was enough honesty though, and they would be at the throne room very soon. Nico wondered where the others were. He had total faith that Hazel and Frank would be able to handle the enemies, but he wasn't so sure about the other three.

He hoped Jason hadn't killed them in his weird flower-poison haze. Not that he didn't think Leo and Piper could handle themselves, he just personally wouldn't want to go up against the son of Zeus. Dude might have been an idiot and got a stapler scar on his lip when he was just a baby but Nico knew he was much stronger than his soft blue eyes said he was.

"We've been walking forever,"

"Percy, you're barely even walking. We're basically carrying you. And it's only been fifteen minutes." Annabeth said from the other side of the son of Poseidon.

"It's been sixteen minutes." Percy retorted.

"How do you know that?"

"I've been counting."

"You don't count."

There was a pause, "You are correct."

Nico sighed in exasperation but couldn't quite manage to suppress his small smile. It was good to know despite nearly dying Percy didn't lose his unbearably obnoxious attitude.

When they reached the enormous room and stepped inside, Nico was relieved to see his dad wasn't there. That guy was so mad at him for coming in through the garden, it was unbelievable.

Grounded. Nico rolled his eyes. Hades grounded him at least twice a week while he was living here and it never really meant anything.

Hades wasn't a bad guy, he actually tried to be a semi-good parent compared to the other gods on Olympus. It's just, he's Hades, and you can't really expect much from him in that field. Persephone was alright, though, even if she was a little put off that Nico himself was the direct result of her husband cheating on her. Anyways, Nico could live with it.

What he couldn't live with, however, was Percy being trapped in the Underworld for the rest of his life to be used by Hades as some kind of messenger boy.

That was kinda messed up, and friends don't let friends becomes Hades messenger boys.

"Guys!"

Nico jolted in surprise as something smoking fell from the sky right in front of him.

It was Leo. Somehow Nico wasn't too surprised, especially after everything that had happened already that day.

"Hey Percy, I'm glad you're still alive - Woah!" He patted out a patch of his hair that was on fire, "Not that I actually thought you were gonna die."

"Leo!" Annabeth and Percy cries, and Nico followed with a "I thought you were outside with Piper!"

"Err…We had a change of plans." Leo said before gesturing for the to follow him across the floor to an opposing corridor, "And now we're gonna have another one. We need to get out of here, like, right now."

"But Hades-" Annabeth started before Leo cut her off.

"Don't worry, it's all taken care of."

"What did you do?" Nico asked as he bent down to hoist Percy up into a piggyback ride again. He couldn't keep up with Leo otherwise and Annabeth shoved her boyfriend up onto him.

"You know, I never wanted to piggyback Nico but it's not so bad. Its like riding a pony. Except more awkward, and like being stabbed over and over. Dude, your bones are sharp."

"Percy, if you compare me to a pony again I'm going to drop you."

"You're just as rude as one," Percy muttered before Leo spoke again.

"I talked to Hades and it turns out he never planned on keeping Percy here," Everyone gasped and he held up his hands as they ran, "Wait, before you say anything, let me finish. Okay so, he lied, okay, and I was like, not cool man. So then I kinda..kinda set the hallway on fire. And it kinda spread. Everywhere."

"Oh my gods." Annabeth growled.

"I'm sorry! I was mad! But anyways, we need to get out of here, cause now he's pissed."

They turned a corner and sprinted down the hall, sneakers echoing off the side of the walls. Nico was falling behind. Running with a full grown eighteen year old on your back sucked. He ran harder, and twisted to slap Percy when he said, "Giddy up."

Nico wished he could just shadow travel them out, which was entirely possible, just traveling with all those people would definitely wipe him out at this point. If he wanted to shadow travel anywhere right now he'd need help.

Anyways, he needed to save his energy to shadow travel all of them out of here once they met up with the rest of their friends.

He'd shadow traveled Reyna and a gigantic statue of Annabeth's mom across the Earth in less than two weeks. He was sure he could shadow travel some kids out of the underworld. Especially with Hazel's help.

That was when Nico felt heat on the back of his arms. Sweltering, hot, dangerous. He turned for a split second to see what was happening.

And was met with the sight of flames racing towards them.

"This is awesome," Percy said, in a very genuine voice, so genuine Nico wanted to slap him again.

"This is serious, Percy!"

"Dude, I just survived an incurable Tartarus plague that was killing me from the inside out. It totally sucked. I almost died like, eight times in the past week. But I didn't. I'm alive and my mom's totally gonna freak out at me. Shouldn't I be allowed to live in that a little bit?"

Nico groaned out loud.

He couldn't help but agree.

0000000000

(Leo POV)

Okay, maybe he lied a little bit.

He wasn't mad when Hades the fact that Leo's friend was dying like it was nothing; he was furious. Sure… maybe Leo and Percy hadn't seen eye to eye more than a few times, maybe there were times when Leo had even disliked the guy, but he was his friend. Friends didn't let friends die. Friends also didn't let the lord of the dead shit talk their dying friends.

So yeah, he hadn't made the best choice of what to do with the anger he felt. Lashing out at a god and purposefully going into rooms and setting them ablaze was a great plan at the time - until he realized his friends were still in the building. And that none of them were fireproof. Oops.

Leo really did feel bad about it, not that he would let the others know. Endangering the friend he was trying to save along with all his other friends…way to go.

He willed the flames back as much as he could and when they reached the exit into the garden he halted, letting his friends race past him and turned his face towards the heat. Holding his hands out in front of him, he pushed it back, flames licking his hands warmly as he lowered them into smoke at the floor.

Sure, parts of the hallway were still on fire and he was tired as hell (haha, get it?) but the immediate danger was quelled.

"Thanks, man." Percy said from behind him and Leo turned to give him a grin.

"We have to find the others," Annabeth said, "We can't know for sure if everybody's in the garden, but I don't know how much longer we can stay here before Hades gets mad."

"I'm pretty sure we're already pushing that." Leo quipped as he reached into his belt to take out a few small mechanical parts to mess with. It was kind of a nervous tick. He couldn't help it.

"That's only cause you set his house on fire." Annabeth pointed out before turning and stepping into the flowery brush.

Leo shrugged and gave Nico and Percy a sideways smile, to which Percy gave him a thumbs up and Nico looked like he was about to superglue his hand to his own face but couldn't because he still had a son of Poseidon on his back.

"Nico! Percy!" A familiar high voice cried out as Leo watched a bundle of dark skin and honey hair crash out from the leaves and attempt to embrace Percy and Nico at the same time. Quite a feat, Leo decided.

Nico put Percy down and Hazel hugged them properly this time, looking like she wanted to cry.

Leo didn't blame her. This whole quest was a mess. If you could even consider it a quest; it felt a little more obligatory than that.

"So," Jason's voice came out from the trees as he, Frank, and Piper stepped out, "How are we getting out of here?"

Oh. Leo hadn't thought of that. They couldn't exactly get out the same way they came in…that was for sure.

Nico stepped forwards and motioned for them to circle around him, "Okay, so here's the plan."

0000000000

(Nico POV)

He'd shadow traveled with this many people before, and with Hazels help again it was maybe even easier than before during the war.

Again, he found himself holding Percy's hand. But this time no painful or guilty feelings accompanied the feeling of his skin. Nico realized with a pleasant feeling in his stomach that the only feeling he felt in regards to Percy was purely non-romantic. It had taken him awhile to get to this point and to realize that pining after the son of Poseidon was a dead end at best.

All he cared about now was that Percy was his friend, and even though he was out of immediate danger, Nico wasn't about to screw up his shadow travel and drop him somewhere by accident.

Shadow traveling was always better with another person with him, or rather, a bunch of people with him. It was less lonely, not that he minded being alone.

Not that he minded not being alone either.

He'd shadow travelled out of the Underworld before, multiple times, really, now that he thought about it. It was one of the main ways to get in and out, even for Hades himself. And now that Percy wasn't potentially going to die from the stress of it, it was the best way to go.

So here they were, deep in the rush of adrenaline and frostbite that made up the joy of shadow travel.

It was only seconds, but it felt like forever, an infinity of time stretching out before he felt his sneakers land softly on grass, wind billowing his dark hair.

Camp Half-Blood.

This time, instead of immediately shaking Percy's hand off like he might have a year beforehand, he gave it a light squeeze.

0000000000

(Percy POV)

The sharp, crisp smell of fresh air bombarded Percy's senses as shadow travel dropped them off on a grassy hill.

In the distance, the camp was busy as usual. Campers scurrying from place to place, sparring, eating, satyrs flirting with the nature spirits. Friendly Cabin wars that weren't so friendly once you got up close, old friends and new friends running to the lake, the smell of strawberries in the air.

Rachel sitting out on the porch of the Big House, saying something to some kid while taking sips of a forgotten Diet Coke inbetween words. Chiron's familar shape showing new campers how to hold their swords properly. Sun shining, not a cloud in the sky.

Home.

A whinny from above snapped him out of his daze as the group let go of each others hands to make way for a massive black flurry crashing down in the middle of their circle.

Boss!

"Blackjack!" Percy exclaimed, reaching forward to ruffle his old friend's mane.

You look awful.

Percy snorted but didn't answer. Annabeth laughed when the pegasus turned to her to sniff for treats, a sound he realized he missed more than the sweet smell of home.

"Well, I guess this is it." Piper smiled softly.

"It's been a wild ride." Percy agreed as Jason lightheartedly bumped his shoulder.

"I can't tell if I'm happy to see you all or not. Especially you, Mr. Johnson."

The group turned to see Dionysus approaching, face turned up in his usual light sneer. For once, to Percy's surprise, the sight of him was accompanied with a strange sense of comfort.

"Mr. D, we-"

Dionysus cut Annabeth off by holding up a hand, taking a deep breath, "I already heard, don't worry. Hades wants a payment compensation for the damage done on his home." He sent a pointed look at Leo who grinned, clearly embarrassed.

"Sorry." He said, still grinning. He may be embarrassed but Percy could tell Leo was obviously not sorry.

"Well, what's done is done." Mr. D sighed, rolling his eyes.

That's when the God of wine pressed an envelope into Percy's hand. He glanced at the God and back to the paper before taking it apprehensively. Was this Hades official word on how much money he wanted or something? Doctor's bill from Apollo? He looked at the sender's address.

350 5th Ave, New York, NY 10118

Mount Olympus, 600th Floor

His breath caught in his throat, but he made no move to open it.

"Is this…from…my-"

"Your father. Poseidon, yes. It arrived this morning, and I really wasn't going to give it to you, but figured that wouldn't go over very well with the rest of them." Mr. D sighed impatiently like just explaining that was enough work for the day.

"Dude, open it." Nico urged from beside him, looking like the anticipation was about to eat him alive.

Percy stared down at the letter.

White, crisp paper topped with black ink and impossibly neat cursive. A blue seal with the trident mark of his father gazing up at him.

Percy brought it in front of him, and ripped it in half.

Everyone gasped as he let go of the two halves of the letter and they floated away in the fresh breeze.

"Bro," Jason said in the stunned silence, "I hope you don't regret that."

Frank looked like he was trying pick his jaw off the ground. "You…ripped it in half. Your dad's letter. You've been waiting for him to say something for like, months."

"Yeah," Percy shrugged.

"Then….why…?" Leo squeaked.

"Because it doesn't matter." Hazel said for him, and he gave her a nod of gratitude. "It's over now."

"There's nothing he could even say now to change anything." Percy spoke, "Like Hazel said, it's over. But the thing is, even if I'm not gonna read it, it does matter. It matters because its always been this way, he's just reminding me where we stand."

He met the blank, lost faces of his friends.

"What." Nico blanked.

"The gods are our parents, yeah. But banking on them paying attention to us will get us nowhere. We need to stand up and save ourselves on our own. Like its always been."

"So…basically, your dad's a dick and you don't care." Leo added.

"That too."

Percy looked at his friends as Blackjack nuzzled the back of his neck for attention. He'd….he'd almost died, like, for real this time. If it wasn't for these seven demigods…he might not be here right now. They cared enough about him to leave behind the safety of a post-war world to try to save his life. They cared enough about each other to stay side by side to try to save one friend.

That was huge.

He didn't need any gods or godly powers when he had them.

"Well, what are you waiting for? There's things to be done! Cabins to clean, games to lose, and quests to die doing." Mr. D scolded, his voice taking on its usual rude bite. Percy was so glad to be home.

"Well, you heard the man." Frank said, taking Hazel's hand gently in his own and starting down the hill. Hazel gave Percy a sweet smile and he found himself beaming back.

As his friends dispersed down the hill and Dionysus disappeared in a poof of smoke and grapes, he was left alone with Annabeth and Nico.

"Well…I guess this is it. Peace at last. We did it." Percy said, putting a hand on Blackjack's neck as the pegasus pawed at the ground.

"No, Percy. You did it." Nico corrected, grinning a real, genuine smile that Percy wasn't sure he'd ever be used to.

"He's right," Annabeth agreed, pressing her hand into his, squeezing, "In the end…it was all you. I have a feeling it always was." Percy's heart melted.

But she wasn't right.

He couldn't have done anything without them, even for himself.

"You guys seriously underestimate how much you did back there."

Nico laughed, "No dude, I know the part I played. I don't think I'll forget the smell for months."

Percy rolled his eyes, feeling another smile creep onto his lips as he nodded in agreement.

"Well, I gotta get going," Nico said, gesturing over his shoulder to the camp, "Gaea might be gone but that doesn't mean evil took a break from doing its thing."

"No kidding."

Nico grinned and he was gone in a flash of darkness, shadow traveling back to camp instead of walking there. Typical.

He stood with Annabeth in silence for a loaded few minutes before she pulled him into a tight hug. He melted into her, burying his face in her shoulder.

"Don't ever almost die like that ever again," She whispered, tightening her hug even further.

"I won't."

"Promise me, Seaweed Brain."

"I pinky promise, Wise Girl," He said as she released him from the hug and he playfully linked their pinkies together. "You can't break a pinky promise."

She smiled, and he smiled back. Before he could register it, suddenly she was kissing him.

As he closed his eyes, put his arms around her, and felt Blackjack roll his eyes beside him, nothing felt wrong. Nothing felt out of place.

He pulled back and pressed their foreheads together before turning to look back over Camp Half Blood.

As the wind blew his hair back, Percy knew, as sure as the strawberry scent in the air, as sure as the lake water lapping at the canoes, as sure as the clear laughter of demigods finally having a place to call their own.

He was home.

Nothing and everything would be the same, all at once. All at once, a chapter of his life was ending, and another was beginning. His friends were here, the shadows of the war were put to rest, everyone was safe.

Of course, Percy knew since he was twelve years old that the path of a demigod could never be easy.

There would always be monsters and quests, there would always be one more evil to vanquish.

As Annabeth laced her fingers with his, he knew.

All at once, for the first time in a long time, everything would be okay.