Goodness, it's been forever! So sorry about that. Here's the last chapter, hope it's good enough for you guys. R&R! -Ivy

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Chapter 3

Nico said, "We have the offering." He held up a six-pack of Coke. "Now all we need is a pit."

I nodded. "Where do we find one?"

Nico stared at me. Our eyes were at the same level. It suddenly occurred to me that he was older then me now, since I had stopped aging while on Ogygia. He said, "We dig one, duh!"

I looked away, feeling kind of stupid. Okay, very stupid. "Oh, right."

It took a while, but finally we had a pit that Nico said was good enough. Nico started humming. Then he poured all the Coke into the pit. Then he started chanting in Ancient Greek. I had no idea what he was saying, but apparently the spirits did, because glowing blue shapes began gathering around the pit.

Nico drew his sword (Stygian iron, very powerful). The spirits backed off. "I summon the spirit of Annabeth Chase," Nico declared. "Let her come forth!"

A new blue shape appeared and floated toward us. Nico sheathed his sword as the spirit approached the pit. I couldn't make out Annabeth's shape until she had drunk from the offering pit.

"Nico." She smiled. She still looked beautiful, even though she was a glowing blue spirit. "You look great."

Nico grinned. "Thanks. You're not too bad yourself. How's death treating you?"

Annabeth shrugged. "Eh, it's fine. I suppose it's better where I am than for some others."

Nico nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm sure."

I cleared my throat quietly.

Nico started. "Oh, Annabeth, I brought someone who wants to talk to you." He nodded to me.

I stepped forward. "Hey, Annabeth."

Annabeth's eyes widened. She gasped, then whispered, "No… I don't believe it… it can't be… Percy Jackson?"

Nico muttered in my ear, "I'm gonna go… I'll be back." He walked away, leaving me alone with Annabeth.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's really me."

"But I thought—but you—the hippocampus—" she stuttered.

"Yeah, I know, you thought I was dead. But I'm not."

"But the hippocampus—"

I interrupted, "I told the hippocampus to tell you—well, the camp—that I was dead."

"You lied? But why?"

I told her everything from when I was blasted out of Mount St. Helens, to when I asked Nico for help. I finished, "And now here I am." The only thing I left out was the reason I left Ogygia.

"But why?" she repeated. "Why did you come back?"

I took a deep breath; this was going to be difficult. "Annabeth, you've always been a really good friend to me. After Mount St. Helens, I thought, maybe…" I was referring to the kiss we shared in the volcano before Annabeth ran off to fight the monsters. I was sure she remembered. I continued, "But then I met Calypso. Once I decided to stay—I mean, like, right after I said I'd stay—I realized I'd made a mistake. It was an impulsive deicision—you know what it's like—and it was a wrong decision."

Annabeth stared at me. After a while, she said, "What do you mean, it was a wrong decision?"

"I missed everything I'd left behind: camp, my family, my friends… you." I held my breath. Her response would determine everything.

"Percy, I…" She paused, swallowing hard.

What she said next made me jump back at least three feet.

"How could you!?" she exploded suddenly. "How could you leave me like that? I thought we were friends. I thought you cared about me, about us. But apparently not! I can't believe you would do that, Perseus Jackson! You're horrible and mean and, and…" She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I hate you! I—" She broke off, trembling.

Frozen in shock, I waited, somehow instinctively knowing Annabeth wasn't done.

She turned away and murmured in a defeated voice, "I love you."

My jaw dropped. Then I unfroze and recovered my self. I shook my head. "Wait, wait, what?"

She whirled on me. "I said I love you!" she shouted.

"B—But… You said you hated me!"

She nodded once. "I did. But I also love you."

"Uh…" I felt kind of stupid (again). I knew I should say something, but I couldn't make my brain tell my mouth to move. Then I whispered, "I love you, too, Annabeth."

Moments later, Nico appeared. I had a feeling he had been eavesdropping. His next words confirmed my suspicion. "Well, now that that's all settled, what's next?"

I felt my cheeks reddening. Nico had heard everything.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "You were listening!"

Nico shrugged. "More or less. Less at the beginning, more when the shouting started." He grinned.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. She turned to me. "Well, he's right, what's next?"

I hesitated. I knew what I wanted, but I wasn't sure the others would agree with my idea. So I explained.

Annabeth's eyes widened at the end. "You'd do that… for me?"

"Dude," Nico said, shaking his head. "You're insane!"

I nodded, replying to both of them. "Please, Nico?"

Nico sighed. "Oh, okay. It'll be easier to get you in if I do it, anyway." He drew his sword again, and began chanting in Ancient Greek…

x x x

We were sitting on a picnic blanket in the Underworld. There really are some lovely picnic spots down here.

I looked at Annabeth. "So… I guess we have one of those 'and then they died, the end' stories, huh?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. But we still got our happily ever after, even if it's in the Underworld." Annabeth smiled.

I smiled back. "Yes, we did," I agreed. "You're not my what if anymore."