A/N: Ok so I apologize for not updating my story, Why Me?, but I am having a case of writer's block and the end of summer has somehow triggered the laziness in me. Anyway, I am very sorry for the delay in updating. Although, to clear my head a little, I've written this nice little one-shot. It's different from my other stories, considering this is my first time trying to write a Thuke story. Also this story is kinda sad, unlike my other stories. And finally, I would think this story is AU or maybe it's AR? Bottom line, Luke didn't die and isn't bad, but Thalia still joined the Hunt. I hope you'll enjoy this anyway while I yell at my brain for being so lazy.

DISCLAIMER: Haha, you're funny.

Thalia looked up at the brilliantly lit sky, scattered with a million stars. She was having a hard time sleeping. In order to clear her head, she'd decided to sit near her pine tree, taking in the crisp night air, hoping to clear her head.

Lady Artemis had allowed the hunters a visit to Camp Half-Blood for a few days. While the others were reluctant to be staying at such a distasteful place, Thalia was thrilled to be back. Unlike her fellow hunters, she had friends at camp and she was more or less glad to be seeing them again.

"You couldn't sleep either?" a voice asked. Thalia's gaze was still fixed on the stars above, but she knew exactly who had said that. She looked at the person, giving them a small smile.

"What are you doing up here?" she asked him. Luke shrugged and took a seat next to Thalia.

He replied, "I would ask you the same thing." She laughed, bumping her shoulder against his.

"I guess I just needed to think things through," Thalia said. Luke merely nodded before looking up at the night sky. Thalia followed his action. They kept a comfortable silence until some flashed across the sky.

"Look! A shooting star!" exclaimed Luke.

"Shut up! Do you want to wake up the entire camp?" hissed Thalia, smacking him on the arm. He smiled sheepishly before mouthing "Sorry."

"So, did you make a wish?" asked Luke, after a few moments of silence. Thalia scowled at him and said, "You can't ever stay quiet can you?" He raised an eyebrow expectantly. It stretched his scar, almost vanishing it. He looked more handsome than ever before, but Thalia shook that thought away, refusing to have it dwelling in her head.

Thalia sighed, "Yeah I did."

"What did you wish for?" Luke grinned. Thalia rolled her eyes at him and brought her knees up to her chest. "I'm not telling you. It won't come true if I do."

It was Luke's turn to roll his eyes. "You know that's not true. Come on! Just tell me."

"No." Thalia curtly said. There was no way she would reveal her wish, especially to him. Luke groaned and sighed in defeat. He put his hands behind his head before laying down.

"The stars really do look beautiful tonight," said Luke, his voice surprisingly soft.

"Yeah, they sure do," mumbled Thalia.

Luke frowned. "Are you okay? You've been a little…off today."

"I'm fine," sighed Thalia, though she knew she was far from it. In fact, it probably would've been better if she confessed it to Luke. He was her best friend. She knew she could trust him.

Thalia turned to face Luke. "You know how I became a Hunter?" Luke nodded silently in response. "Sometimes, I wonder what life would be like if I hadn't," she continued. "What if I had, I don't know, fallen in love?" By now, she was cursing in herself. She felt vulnerable saying that, and Thalia did not like feeling vulnerable.

Luke snorted. "You? Falling in love? Didn't you join the Hunt because you thought no guy would be 'worthy' enough for you?"

She shrugged. "I guess. But it's still a huge possibility." He merely laughed.

Deep inside, though, Luke gave this idea much thought. It was a major "what if" in her life. If she could fall in love again, who would she fall for? Secretly, he hoped that she'd be his. Thalia was strong, emotionally and physically. No one has ever seen her cry, and that girl could knock you out the moment you lose your focus. She wasn't someone to mess with. Even though she was the toughest person he knew, there was still a soft side to her that she rarely revealed to world. Not to mention she had her own category of grace and beauty. But of all these things Luke loved so much about her, he couldn't bring himself to tell. It wasn't that he was too embarrassed to admit such things, but he feared the rejection.

That was what it all came down to. She had already joined the Hunt. It may not have been intentionally on him, but he felt her rejection altogether. Thalia had taken the oath to turn her back against men, that was all it took. He knew his heart would break if he did admit his feelings.

The silence between the two was unbearable. They were lost in their own thoughts to care much about the sudden tension in the air.

Their past conversation was still lingering in their minds. Thalia stared up at the stars, wondering if her wish would ever come true. Luke looked over at Thalia, wondering if she would ever love him back.

Thalia gazed longingly at the night sky. Her thoughts drifted to the many nights she'd look at the stars to think things through. She closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the railing of the balcony.

"What are you doing up here?" a voice asked from behind her. Eyes still closed, Thalia clenched her jaw, turning slowly to the face the inevitable. She hesitantly opened her eyes, taking in the sight of Luke.

"I would ask you the same thing," replied Thalia. She folded her arms and looked at him expectantly. "This is your wedding reception. Shouldn't you be in there with your wife?"

Luke shrugged. "I got bored. Besides, I didn't see you in there and got worried."

Thalia laughed and rolled her eyes. "Only you would do something so stupid. Well, Percy might be able to top that, but I think Annabeth's got him under control." At this, they both chuckled lightly. "And you shouldn't be worried about me. What you should be worried about is what Phoebe will think once she finds out her husband ditched her at their own reception." Luke scoffed and placed his hands on the railing. He glanced at the sky before turning to Thalia.

"You never did tell me how you got kicked out of the Hunt," said Luke. Thalia grimaced. She leaned against the railing before answering, "I told you, I broke the oath."

"Yes, but how did you break it?" he urged.

Thalia sighed. "Do you remember that night? When we saw that shooting star?" Luke nodded, gesturing her to continue.

"I made a wish that broke the oath," she said.

He asked, "But what could you possibly wish for that would break your oath?"

"Love, you idiot!" shouted Thalia. "I made a stupid wish for love."

Luke's eyes widened in realization. He opened his mouth to say something when a flash across the sky caught his attention. "Look, a shooting star!" he exclaimed. Thalia gave a hollow laugh, recalling his similar reaction all those years ago.

"You also never told me what you wished for," said Luke, grinning.

"If I tell you, it won't come true," said Thalia.

He frowned. "So it hasn't come true yet?"

She shook her head and whispered. "And I don't think it ever will."

"Thalia, are you okay?" he asked, his voice was full of concern. Thalia inhaled rather shakily. She ran a hand through her hair, closing her eyes.

"I'm fine. I just need some time alone. You should go inside anyway. I'll bet they're looking for you," said Thalia. As if on cue, Phoebe's voice cried out Luke's name. He looked at Thalia's now distressed form before going inside again, his brow furrowed from confusion and frustration.

Thalia breathed out slowly once she knew Luke was already gone. She directed her gaze to the stars once more, a hard look in her eyes. Once again, she thought about that one wish that had ultimately changed her life forever. Back then it seemed so right to make such a wish, especially after what she'd said to Luke. How it had turned out to be the greatest mistake she had ever made. Now, regret and sorrow flooded into her. She now realized these emotions did not come from being kicked out of the Hunt. It came from the fact that she never tried fulfilling her wish.

All those years, she'd thought that she was grieving over such a great loss. Only at that moment did she finally know why she was grieving. But it was too late now. She couldn't change what was already done. The tears suddenly began to fall, and Thalia hated herself for being so weak.

I wish Luke would love me as much as I love him.

Those were the exact words to the wish she made. Thalia let out a choked sob, not caring how ridiculous she looked at the moment. That was the night she realized she had fallen in love with Luke. No matter how many times she tried to deny it, it was the truth.

Thalia glanced back at all those people in the reception. They were dancing, having the time of their lives. She envied their happiness and loathed their care-free states. She made the mistake of looking at Luke, resulting in more tears.

Her wish would never come true. Luke loved someone else. He was married, for gods' sake! Thalia spent the entire night, crying like she'd never done before. This was all because of that stupid shooting star, she thought. But she knew that wasn't where the blame should be. Though, in retrospect, making that wish gave Thalia another opportunity. Luke may not have loved her, but Thalia still had many chances at love. If she was still part of the Hunters, she would be in pain, forever lost without a love.

Thalia became slightly more optimistic about her situation. Maybe that shooting star hadn't been so bad. It still hurt from what she had lost, but that would eventually subside. Life was an open road. She had plenty of directions to go now that she had the chance to find love. Deep down, Thalia knew that she would find happiness again someday. Until then, she would have to keep searching, gradually getting over the past.

In many ways, that wish wasn't all too bad. It opened a window of opportunities. Thanks, shooting star, thought Thalia. Thanks.

A/N: Aw. See, I didn't make Thalia too sad. She finally realized life is still full of opportunities. Anyway, I know, Thalia and Luke are way OOC and this story was a lot crappier than the others. But come on, this is my first fic with them as the main subject. I still hoped you guys liked it even the tiniest bit. Obviously, my forte isn't Thuke, but I'm getting there!

Also, I need to say this just for the heck of saying it. Guess what, all you Taylor Swift fans out there! Her music video for "Mine" is coming out really soon: August 27th! OMG! I am excited. :D I saw a sneak peek of it on Youtube. But I wish the guy who plays her "love interest" in the video changed his hair to black. He's blond so every time I try to think of it as Annabeth and Percy in the song, it changes to Annabeth and Luke. That's just... ugh. Oh well, I still adore the song and I hope I'll like the music video too. Remember everybody, August 27th at 8:30 PM Eastern/5:30 PM Western (USA of course). It's gonna be on the MTV, VH1, and CMT websites. Can't wait! :)

Please review and give me your thoughts on the story. Constructive criticism is much appreciated. I need to know how I can improve on my Thuke and my overall story writing. Until next time, keep a look out for the next chapter of Why Me? See ya!