Here is Part 2 for you, the final installation! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO/HoO!

Time Is On My Side

It was a bad couple of years.

Six months after Reyna's death, Grover went missing. They still weren't sure what had happened to him, if he'd died or simply got lost travelling around the world. Whatever the case, it was extremely hard for Percy and Annabeth, who spent their time grieving together or comforting Juniper, Grover's long-time girlfriend. After some time, though, the tree nymph lost all ambition, and her tree wilted. It was a sad reminder for Percy and Annabeth.

Still, Percy refused to believe he was dead unless they had absolute proof.

He wasn't sure how much more he could take. Three of his friends had died within the last year and a half. That was three too many. He'd felt helpless. Worthless. He felt like a failure. He was supposed to protect them! He was supposed to keep them from this. From death. He was supposed to die first.

But of course, that's not how it happened.

Piper died not long after that. A quest gone wrong. Jason had been with her, along with Will, who was their medic for this trip. An explosion had gone off near the building they were infiltrating, and that caused a line of bombs to explode. As they were racing to exit the building, a loud crash and a bang alerted them that the building was caving in.

She'd been crushed under the weight of all the wreckage. A boulder had pinned her down, causing her right lung to collapse. She was dead within minutes. Will had done his best with his limited supplies, but after freeing her, they'd only had about a minute to save her. An impossible feat.

Percy had never seen the son of Zeus so torn apart. He refused to let go of her body for a long time. Annabeth was torn apart too. She'd been fairly close to the charm speaker, and she couldn't fathom what was happening to their friends.

Jason didn't speak for a long time. He mostly stayed in his cabin. He didn't eat. Probably didn't sleep. Percy wanted to offer some sort of comfort, but he wasn't sure he could.

Nico was the one that helped Jason. Will too. They would coax him into eating at dinner. They helped him get back into a routine. Really, they became his best friends, and they were the ones keeping him going.

Percy couldn't imagine it. He didn't want to imagine it. Losing your sister, whom you never had the chance to really get to know, and then losing the love of your life, two years later. As Percy gripped Annabeth tight in his arms, her warmth comforting him, he realized how lucky he was to have her in his life. And when he whispered his love for her, and she replied in kind, he knew that living without her…well, it wasn't an option.

But a year later, his luck ran out.

Percy crashed onto the black leather couch, disturbing some spirits, which caused them to hiss angrily at him. He ignored them. He didn't care about them. He hardly even noticed them.

He gripped his black hair tight between his fingers, pulling at the strands. His breaths were shallow, as though he couldn't get enough air, which was preposterous because he was dead. He didn't need air.

So why did it feel like he was drowning?

He wanted the memories to stop. Images flashed across his mind, moments in his life that were too hurtful or too painfully happy. There were memories of his friends, of all the good times and bad times he'd shared with them. He didn't want to remember these things, things he could barely comprehend when he was alive, things he didn't want to comprehend now that he was dead.

He wished it would stop.

It should have been him. He should have died first. He needed to die first. He was supposed to protect his friends.

He had failed.

Percy could feel his body shaking, wracked with overwhelming emotion. He barely heard the chattering of spirits through his own anguish. All he could hear was a ringing in his ear. He gripped his hair tighter, clenching his eyes shut.

Please, make it stop…

Suddenly, the elevator doors pinged open again. However, instead of the normal excited chatter that accompanied Charon's presence, the room grew quiet, with only angry, fearful whisperings.

Eyes still clenched shut, Percy thought he heard his name being called through the ringing in his ears. But that couldn't be. Nobody here knew who he was.

"Percy!"

There it was again. It was faint, but that was definitely his name being called. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes, and just as he did, a pair of pale hands landed on his shoulders, causing him to flinch.

"Percy! Hey, look at me!"

Swallowing, Percy slowly glanced up, following lanky forearms along a dark jacket to the pale face of Nico di Angelo.

He blinked a couple times, making sure he was really seeing the boy. When he realized it was Nico, he blurted, "Nico are you dead?!"

A light huff of laughter echoed through the room. "What? No! Of course not."

Percy felt his brow furrow. He took a deep, slightly shaky breath, forcing back the anguish and his horrible memories. He focused on Nico, frowning. "Then…what are you doing here?"

Now Nico frowned. "I should be asking you the same thing."

"Um…I died. I'm trying to get to the Underworld."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Oh really? I hadn't noticed. What I mean is, why are you here specifically? You should be in the Underworld by now."

Percy huffed. "Well, Mr. Sunshine who usually sits over there—" he jabbed his thumb towards the front desk, "—is completely lazy and horrible at his job. Still. I tried to get him to take me down but he just gave me a number."

Percy dejectedly held up his ticket, but Nico ignored that. "Didn't you get the order to go to Elysium?"

Percy's nonexistent heart fluttered. Elysium? "Um. No. What are you talking about?"

Nico sighed. He shook his head, muttering about inefficient, no-good informants. He suddenly grabbed Percy's arm and tugged him up from the couch. He strode through the spirits with Percy in tow towards the elevator and pressed the down arrow.

"Before you even died, there were orders that you were supposed to go straight to Elysium once you did die," Nico explained, though it was obvious he was irritated. "They must not have sent the memo through. Wouldn't be the first time."

The doors opened and Nico pulled Percy inside. Some of the other spirits tried to slip through, but Nico nudged them aside, closing the doors quickly. He huffed. "Man, they're annoying."

As the elevator began descending, Percy raised a brow at Nico, returning to the subject at hand. "So, let me get this straight: I was supposed to go to Elysium, didn't, and now you're going to escort me there?"

Nico nodded. "Sounds about right. I went to Elysium first to make sure you got there, as I did with everyone else, but they said they hadn't seen you yet. I got worried."

Percy felt his stomach drop. "They?" he repeated.

Nico gave him a small smile. "Yeah. They're all waiting for you."

A silence fell over them. Percy felt the first spot of relief since he'd first died. He didn't realize how much he'd been counting on the possibility to see them all again. With all the memories that had been flooding back to him, he had forgotten about ever seeing them again. With Nico's reassurances, though, he felt a question surface to his mind.

"Hey, Nico…" Percy started slowly. "Can I ask you something?"

A nod. "Of course."

"Is it…um…is it normal for spirits to—to remember their life? When they were alive?"

Nico's brow furrowed. He crossed his arms over his lean chest, leaning back against the elevator wall. "It…depends. Some people remember everything. Some don't remember at all. Usually spirits who lived violently or died violently repress those memories as a way to protect themselves. Some just don't care to remember. It all depends on the individual spirit." When he stopped, he stared over at Percy. "Why?"

Percy shifted. "I…remember everything." He rubbed absently at his stomach again, the same lower-left region of his abdomen. "I remember my death."

Nico gave him a sympathetic look. "Your spirit did seem a bit restless when I first saw you." He paused. He shifted his stance. "Will said it was one of the worst wounds he'd ever seen."

Percy cocked his head in agreement. "Well, I did pull a sword through my own stomach. Nearly passed out before I could kill the leader. It was definitely the worst wound I'd ever had. The second most painful thing I'd felt."

Nico didn't comment on that. He knew what Percy was referring to.

"Their deaths…" Percy continued, "they all came back to me." He stopped, clenching his teeth as he remembered one death in particular. He swallowed hard, glancing away from the younger boy.

He needed to know. "She's in Elysium, right?"

Nico nodded. "Of course. She's waiting for you. I think she's been suffering as much as you have."

That didn't really comfort Percy, but he was glad she was there. He couldn't wait to see her again. Couldn't wait to hold her again. He missed her so much.

"You saved a lot of people, Percy," Nico reassured. "You truly died a hero's death." He glanced at the older boy, taking in his slouched stance. "You know, Percy, if there's one thing I learned from working for my father and travelling between the two worlds, it's that death doesn't necessarily mean goodbye."

Percy looked over to Nico, eyes studying the boy. He'd grown up a lot in the past few years. Staring at him, he could hardly remember the little kid that played with Mythomagic cards.

At that moment, the elevator doors cracked open, revealing a dark, damp cave-like world. The pair stepped out onto dark sand mixed with rock. A river cut in front of them, the river that Charon would transport spirits across to officially enter the Underworld.

Nico pulled Percy to the side. "We'll take a back road. A secret passage. It'll be much faster and you won't have to go through security."

Nodding, Percy stumbled after Nico, following the boy. As they continued along a dark path hidden underneath the rock, Percy couldn't hold back the slaughter of memories any longer. The one he'd been purposely avoiding flashed in his mind, colliding into him like a bus travelling on the highway.

Biting his lip, Percy remembered the death of Annabeth.

It happened on a Thursday.

Things had been relatively calm around camp. There hadn't been any battles, and even though the couple was still grieving the deaths of their friends, they took comfort in each other.

The night before, Percy was situated on Annabeth's bed, watching as she packed up a suitcase and her backpack. She would be flying out to San Francisco to visit her father and step-brothers.

"I still don't understand why you're going," Percy mumbled, leaning on his side, propped up by his arm. He watched her thin form rummage through a drawer beside her bed, pulling out clothes to stuff in the suitcase. A few of Annabeth's half-siblings passed by, giving Percy a light greeting which he politely replied to. "It's not like he's ever tried to stay in contact with you."

Annabeth sighed. "I know. But he seemed pretty adamant about having me out. I think he's been having a bit of a rough time lately."

"I'd be more than happy to go with you…" Percy hinted, giving her a pointed look.

She smiled, nudging his shoulder. "I know. But you hate flying, and I should go by myself anyways. It will be a good opportunity to reconnect with him. I hope."

Percy gave her a sympathetic smile. He sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. As she turned to pack more things, Percy wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. He held her close against his chest, nuzzling her neck. He ran his nose along her jawline, up to her cheekbones, dusting light kisses along her skin.

Annabeth trembled in his arms, grasping his shirt with one hand while the other slipped around his neck to grasp the small dark hairs at the nape of his neck. Her soft, full lips parted as she felt Percy's stubbled cheek brush against hers, his warm lips pressing against hers in a way that made her insides melt.

"Annabeth," Percy mumbled, pulling back so their lips were still lightly touching. "If you believe it will be a good weekend, then so do I." He ran his hand through her blonde hair, tucking it behind her ear. Her gray eyes stared up at him, a bright smile gracing her face. "And if things go bad, all you have to do is call me and I'll be out on Blackjack first thing."

Annabeth laughed, running her hand down his chest. She pecked the underside of his jaw before standing up out of his arms. She resumed her packing, saying, "Oh, Percy. What am I going to do with you?"

He gave a devilish grin. "Well, I have a few suggestions, but we'd have to go back to my cabin—hey!"

He laughed as she smacked him with her laptop case. He kept laughing, which caused her to pinch his side playfully. She leaned her hands on his shoulders, bringing her face close to his.

"If you behave," she started low with a wicked smirk, "we'll see what happens."

The next morning found the couple wrapped up in a tangle of limbs underneath Percy's bed sheets. Naked chests pressed against each other with legs entwined. Percy's strong arms held Annabeth close, one arm wrapping underneath her and around her upper back, the other wound around her hip and the small of her back. She was completely engulfed in his embrace, and she snuggled closer into the crook of his neck.

"We need to get up," Annabeth mumbled, knowing that Percy was awake, due to the lack of soft snores.

The demigod hero shook his head. "No. Not yet."

"I'll be late for my plane."

"I still don't see the problem."

Cracking a smile, Annabeth wiggled enough in his embrace to push him onto his back. Percy could have easily pushed against her weight, but he complied with her wishes and pulled her up on his muscled chest. Annabeth pushed herself so she was hovering directly above his head, hands on either side of his face.

She leaned down and began placing butterfly kisses on his face: above his eyebrows, around his temples, down the bridge of his nose. She finally placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth. She glanced up and saw his eyes had fluttered shut, his grip on her had tightened. Very slowly, she molded their lips together, pressing and nipping at his bottom lip. It was intimate yet sensual, pulling a groan from deep in his throat.

"Why do you do this to me?" Percy groaned. "I'm not sure I'll survive this weekend."

Annabeth smiled, brushing his wild hair from his forehead. She stared into his sea green eyes, the eyes she could never forget even if she tried. She felt her heart swell at the soft look he gave her, his thumb rubbing absently against her hip.

Annabeth knew that Percy was the one. She'd known it for a while now. Time apart from each other was as difficult for her as it appeared to be for him. But she knew that, no matter where they went or how long they were apart, they would always come back to each other.

She gazed into his deep eyes. "I really love you, Percy."

He gave her a crooked grin—her smile, the one reserved solely for her. Her heart melted at the look.

"I love you, too, Wise Girl."

An hour later, nothing was ever the same.

Once the couple had put on clothes, Percy had grabbed Annabeth's suitcase and lugged it to the camp's van, manned by Argus, the camp's security guard, so he could take the couple to the airport. They piled into the van, and Argus started the journey into the city. Annabeth sat leaning against Percy's side, their hands interlaced. A contented smile graced both their faces.

Halfway there, just outside the city and still within the grassy hills, the chaos began.

Everything seemed like it was going fine. And then, suddenly, they were flying. Before either Percy or Annabeth could react, the van was flipping through the air before it made sudden, hard contact with the ground, rolling and tumbling so that the doors dented and windows cracked.

The three occupants were thrown about in the van, gaining cuts and bruises. Percy screamed Annabeth's name, hearing her frightened screams in return. Another large boom echoed distantly—a second bomb explosion. Through the tumbling, Percy reached out, trying to grab onto Annabeth. But as the van began slowing down, Percy felt himself flying through the air.

He heard Annabeth scream his name, and then there was a loud crunch as Percy's head collided with the cracked side-window. He felt his vision blur, and as he struggled to stay conscious, he felt hot blood running down his forehead.

And then everything was black.

Percy knew he hadn't been out for very long because he heard Annabeth by his ear, shouting his name and pulling underneath his armpits. He blinked blearily, trying to focus himself.

"Percy! I know you're hurt but you have to move!"

The realization that Annabeth was crying, her voice wrecked, pulled Percy from his haze. Shaking his head, he planted his hands on the ground beneath himself and tried pulling himself from the ground. A searing flash of pain made him look down to see that his legs were pinned beneath part of the wreckage from the van.

"Annabeth," he choked out. "My legs. They're stuck."

Tears rushed down her face, but Annabeth quickly scrubbed them away from her cheeks. Here was a problem. Percy was in trouble. She needed to find a solution.

"Okay," she nodded, albeit shakily. "Okay. We need some leverage."

As Annabeth began looking for something to prop of the wreckage, Percy heard vague noises of fighting on the other side of the van. That must have been Argus.

Annabeth grabbed the front fender of the wrecked van and kicked down on the bent part, yanking if off. She quickly returned to Percy, wedging it beneath the van. "Okay, Percy, I need you to try and move your body to the left. When I lift the van, you need to roll hard towards me. Okay?"

Percy nodded. Gritting his teeth, he groaned and yelled against the pain in his leg as he moved his body as far left as he could. He looked up towards Annabeth, who gave him a half-hearted smile of support.

"Good!" She stood up, her hands on the fender, ready to push down to prop up the wreckage. "Now, ready?"

Percy gave a reluctant nod, preparing himself for the world of hurt he was about to experience.

"Okay. One, two, thr—"

Before she could finish, she was suddenly pushed to the side by a monstrous blur.

"Annabeth!" Percy shouted. He struggled against the pain screaming in his leg. That didn't matter. He needed to get free. He needed to make sure she was okay. She had to be okay.

Grabbing the abandoned fender, he stretched up at the best angle he could get, pushing down with all his might. He felt sweat accumulating on his forehead, and with a final yell and shove, Percy's legs were free. He quickly pulled them up, groaning in pain before collapsing on the ground. He took one quick breath before struggling over onto his hands. He bit back against the pain and the tears welling up in his eyes.

He eventually stood up, propping himself against the wreckage of the van. He stumbled around the side of car, frantically searching for Annabeth.

His stomach dropped to the ground.

She was fighting a monster—his mind didn't care to register what the monster was. That wasn't what made his heart stop.

There was a dagger protruding from her left collarbone.

With a sudden thrust, Percy watched as Annabeth shoved her dagger into the monster, causing it to burst into golden dust. With that final kill, he watched her crumple to the ground, clutching her shoulder.

"Annabeth!"

Percy ignored his own injury, adrenaline pumping through his system and pushing him to reach Annabeth. When he got to her, he collapsed to the ground beside her.

"Oh, Annabeth," he mumbled. Blood was pouring from the wound. She was bleeding out. "It'll be okay," he said uncertainly, his voice shaking. "You'll be okay. I promise."

Annabeth nodded faintly. Her eyes were already starting to become glassy. Her breathing was becoming shallow.

Percy felt his chest tightening. "Hey!" he shouted. "Don't you dare shut your eyes!"

"Percy," she mumbled. "You need…pressure…"

At first the young demigod had no clue what she was talking about, but then it finally clicked in his head.

"I don't know if I should pull it out," Percy said, staring at the dagger.

"Percy…" She swallowed, focusing her hard gaze on her boyfriend. "I don't think…" Tears clouded her eyes. "I don't feel good."

Tears began falling down Percy's cheeks. "Don't say that. I'm here. I'll help you. We'll—W-we'll get back to Camp…a-and Will—he'll save you."

Annabeth smiled faintly. She coughed violently, blood spilling out. "I-I think…this m-might be it, Percy."

He shook his head. "No. N-no."

"I love you."

Percy's eyes widened. The realization of her words, the deep meaning behind them, and the crucial time she'd said them made his world stop. Made him feel sick to his stomach. Hands shaking, he grabbed her face, thumbs tracing her cheeks. "I-I love you, too. Always."

She smiled, choking back sobs. Her eyes clenched tight as tears rolled down. Percy leaned down, pressing a hard kiss against her lips. It was hard and bitter and desperate, as if the kiss could somehow save her. Salted tears mixed together as the demigods enjoyed what they realized would be their last kiss.

Percy pulled back, leaning his forehead against Annabeth's. She gasped for breath. Percy didn't bother to hold back the tears anymore. He sobbed, chest heaving as he pulled her close.

And that was the last time Percy saw Annabeth.

Percy didn't realize he was gasping for breath until Nico was shaking his shoulders.

"Percy!" he exclaimed. "It's okay! Hey, look at me!"

Wild, sea green eyes darted around until they finally landed on Nico's black, worried gaze. He felt his chest heaving, Nico's wiry hands grasping his shoulders to steady him.

"I-I can't—" Percy cut off. He swallowed. "The memories—they're too painful."

"I know. I know." Nico looked worried, his brows dipping into a frown. "But you're okay. You'll see them soon. Just…take a deep breath," Nico advised. "Calm down."

Percy nodded, following his advice. Within minutes, the demigod was under control again. The horrible memory that seemed to always constantly chase him floated to the back of his mind, as if it were satisfied it had wrecked him again.

Percy took in the sight before them. A peninsula on the river stretched out, allowing cabins to dot the sand and grass—green grass, mind you. It seemed warmer here, like a facsimile sun was shining down. He could vaguely hear music playing farther along the peninsula, further into the residence. On the lake sat three islands—the Isles of Blest.

"C'mon," Nico said. "Everyone's waiting for you."

The two fell in step alongside each other. Percy glanced over at his friend, his long legs striding forward. The ever-present shadows lingered under his eyes, and his skin was still pale, but he seemed lighter. A little happier than he used to be.

"You know, I never really apologized," Percy suddenly spoke. An overwhelming sense of remorse and guilt flowed through him. He needed to say this.

Nico looked at him, confused. "Apologized? For what?"

Percy shrugged. "You know. Everything that happened to you. Your sister—"

"Percy," Nico cut in. "Don't. It wasn't—"

"Yes, it was, Nico." Percy gave him a hard stare, but Nico ignored him, brows furrowing as he watched his steps. "We both know it. If I hadn't gone on that quest—"

"Annabeth would have died," Nico finished.

Percy's lips quirked into a bitter smile. "And look how that turned out."

Nico didn't respond.

"I'm truly sorry about Bianca. I hope you know that. I think about her a lot. I'm sorry that I didn't always pay attention to you. I wasn't always the greatest friend." He huffed, giving a small smile. "You never seemed to give up on me though."

The pair stopped. Nico turned to the famous demigod, his eyes wide. He swallowed against the tightness in his chest. He knew seeing Percy off would be hard. He didn't realize it would be this hard.

Percy bit the inside of his cheek. "I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I know it wasn't easy for you, being a son of Hades and all that. But I do care about your well-being. And…I thought a lot about what you said at Reyna's ceremony. About having something worth living for." Percy stopped, glancing at Nico's dark eyes. They were wide, shining slightly with unshed tears. "I'd found that in Annabeth. And when she—when she died, I'd lost that reason to live. I don't want Will to feel guilty. I know he did what he could. Just…please. Tell him that."

Nico nodded immediately. "I will. I promise."

Percy nodded. "Good." He gave a crooked smile. "And one last thing—enjoy your life. Enjoy being with Will. Be happy. You deserve it."

With those words, Nico took a shuddering breath. He turned away from Percy with a shaky laugh, rubbing at his eyes where tears had fallen down.

He huffed. "Still being the annoyingly, nice-guy hero when you're dead."

Percy smiled. "Would you want it any other way?"

A shake of the head. "Absolutely not."

"Percy!"

The pair turned their heads, looking towards the small group that had congregated a couple yards away. He recognized all the faces—Thalia, Piper, Reyna. And at the very head, blonde hair and stormy gray eyes stared at him. Annabeth gave him a warm, wide smile, her face lighting up at seeing the love of her life again.

Percy felt his insides warm. A grin split his face. She was still so beautiful.

He turned back to Nico, who had waved at his friends. "Promise you'll visit?"

Nico smiled. "Whenever I can."

Percy nodded, satisfied. For the first time since dying, he felt a sense of peace overcome him as he took the steps toward the party waiting for him. He felt happiness engulf him, flashes of his former life running through his mind.

And as he reached the group and felt warm, familiar arms wrap around his torso, he realized he now had all the time in the world to make new, happy memories.

And there you have it! Something a little happier and hopeful at the end.

(If I have any Supernatural fans reading this-did you catch the quote I stole from Sammy? :)

I enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it! Thanks for reading and please review!

-Akatsuki Child