Title: Worry's Relief

Summary: The minute that he agreed to come on this quest with me, I had feared and dreaded that the Oracle had meant him. I don't think I could bare it if I lost him. Not now, nor ever. Part of Battle of the Labyrinth from Annabeth's point of view.

A/N: Surprisingly enough, I'm not dead. This is just a little one shot I couldn't help but write. It's fluffy, and I like it. Spoilers, if you haven't read Battle of the Labyrinth. I got it yesterday around twelve thirty and I couldn't put it down. Finished it a few hours later. :-D

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or any of its characters. The quotes are all taken from the book directly.

Worry's Relief

"But you'll be killed," I told him in horror. He couldn't really mean what he was saying, could he? He wanted to distract them so that I could get out. That self-sacrificing son of a-

"I'll be fine," he told me. He was trying so hard to be brave. I couldn't believe how badly he was playing the part. He gave me a half-smile. "Besides, we've got no choice."

I watched him helplessly for a minute, the last line of the Oracle's prophecy: And lose a love to worse than death. When the spirit of Dephi had said that, I had feared for the unknown recipient. The minute that he agreed to come on this quest with me, I had feared and dreaded that the Oracle had meant him. I don't think I could bare it if I lost him. Not now, nor ever.

I began to glare at him. Well- not at him exactly, but more at the predicament. And for a minute I couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted to punch him or hug him tight and never let him go. The mere thought of losing him, and losing him in the middle of my quest- my first quest terrified me.

Somehow I came up with a third choice and initiated it before my mind even had a choice to be sensible about it. I gripped each side of his face in my hands and kissed him square on the mouth.

I put my worry, my terror and my hope in that kiss. I hoped he could feel the love that I tried to express as well. Every emotion running through my mind was in there. Not to mention his as well. Before I knew it I had lost myself in the kiss, and knowing that if I didn't let him go now, I never would, I pulled back.

For a split second I just stood there looking at him. Then I bit my lip and wished him luck. "Be careful, Seaweed Brain," I told him, as I slipped on my hat.

I didn't leave right at first, mainly due to the fact that I figured I would run into a wall, I was crying so hard. I barely made out the fact that he hadn't moved either.

After a minute I realized that if I didn't leave, everything he was trying to do would have been in vain.

I turned and ran, the tears still flowing freely.

I couldn't bare the silence. For two weeks we waited without word. At the Camp the silence was the worst. The one night I went so far as to sneak out of my own cabin and into his. One of my roommates saw me, but didn't say anything. I think she knew where I was going.

The sounds of the waves comforted me. They made me think of him. I was so worried.

Two weeks- it was only two weeks when Chiron decided he probably wasn't coming back.

I was to burn his shroud.

I barely listened to Chiron's statement. I had listened to speeches all this summer about friends who were dead, or about friends that weren't coming back. I took my cue with out realizing it. I laid his shroud on the flames, and watched it through the tears that had clouded my vision for two weeks constant. "He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had. He…" and then I saw him. …he was alive. He was alive! I wasn't seeing a ghost. My face flooded with relief, and I couldn't help slight anger. He had been gone so long. "He's right there!"

Everybody crowded around him. I watched through continuous tears. After a minute I ran to him-angry. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I shouted. I pushed campers aside. I wanted to punch him, but instead I threw my arms around him. He's alive, I thought. He's alive, he's alive, he's alive. After a minute I became aware of the stares, and I pulled. "I- we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain," I told him, glad he was all right, and safe, and that I could see him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I got lost."

Anger flooded my brains. I had spent two weeks crying over him, and he had only been lost?! "LOST? Two weeks, Percy? Where in world-"

"Annabeth. Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you back to your normal activities!" Chiron was trying to come me down, and somehow it was working.

He grabbed us both, and put us on his back, and as I gripped helplessly around Percy's stomach, I couldn't help my relief. Everything in the world was wrong, but Percy was okay, and that made something right.

FIN