Author's Note: This is a little muse I had after watching Catching Fire and remembering a fanfic I had read beforehand on here. I hope you guys like it! :D As always, let me know what you think in a review! :)

Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympians and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Her Happy Ending

It happened quickly, or at least, it seemed that way.

All around them, gods and demigods were battling what remained of Gaea's children and armies.

Perseus Jackson; Savior and Hero of Olympus, Bane of All Monsters, Praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, Defeater of the Titan Lord, and holder of a million other titles; had been fighting Polybotes with his father, trident and sword against the anti-Sea King.

As his back was turned, he didn't see the dagger thrown at him by Enceladus. The Bane of Athena had been fighting the goddess herself as well as Wisdom's Daughter. But seeing that he would be overpowered, the Giant acted out of desperation, seeking to destroy the one thing that would tie his mortal enemies to this world.

He attacked Wisdom's Daughter's love while the Sea Prince was occupied in battle against his opposite.

"No!" Annabeth cried, running to her boyfriend, catching him before he fell.

The dagger had punctured his armor and settled in his stomach.

"I will destroy you," Athena growled.

The goddess' form began to glow a silvery grey. Enceladus backed down in fear, but there was still defiance in his eyes.

With the roar of a lion, Athena launched her spear into his breast. He melted back into the Earth with absolute terror in his eyes.

A few feet away from her mother, Annabeth had pulled Percy aside to safety.

"Someone!" She begged through tears, "Help us! Please!"

Nico was the closest. He, Hazel, and Pluto had been battling Alcyoneus. The Ghost King heard Annabeth's cries and immediately rushed over. He knew what was happening. He heard the familiar buzzing in his ears that informed him that someone he cared about was dying. But he pushed down his tears.

Nico was dimly aware of Hazel and Pluto delivering the killing blow to Alcyoneus out of the corner of his eye, and he barely registered that Poseidon had destroyed Polybotes.

Athena and Poseidon approached their children.

"Apollo!" Annabeth cried desperately.

Miraculously, Percy was still alive—but just barely.

Nico reached the two beloveds—no, the two halves of the same whole.

"Someone, help!"

"Sh, Annabeth," Percy said softly, pushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, "it's okay."

"How can you say that?" Annabeth screeched. "No, Percy, you can't die, no! Poseidon please! Mom! Anyone!"

Annabeth turned her pleading eyes to the Sea King and her mother.

The two gods exchanged sad looks. They might have been rivals, but they knew true grief and true love when they saw it.

Athena shook her head. "There's nothing we can do, Annabeth. I'm sorry." There was genuine pain in Athena's voice.

"Rest, my son. Be at peace." Poseidon placed his hand over his son's wound and muttered an Ancient Greek blessing. The Sea King was crying, too. His favorite son had finally fallen in battle after having been seemingly invincible for all these years.

"No! It can't be!" Annabeth was beyond distraught.

"Annabeth," Nico said forcefully, hiding his own pain behind his usual mask. "You know what this means."

Annabeth violently shook her head as Percy muttered into her ear.

"Annabeth, look at me," Percy ordered.

Sobbing, Annabeth looked into her other half's eyes.

"I want," he coughed, "I want you to promise me you'll move on."

Annabeth shook her head. "Percy—"

"Annabeth, listen to me," the Sea Prince interrupted. His life force was fading; it was taking everything he had just to say this. "I love you more than you'll ever know. This past year with you was the best thing I could have ever hoped for. You're more than just my girlfriend… You're my soul mate. You complete me."

Percy gave her a smile, but Annabeth just buried her face into his chest, sobbing more.

"Shhh," he soothed. "I want you to promise me that you'll live out your life in happiness. I want you to promise me that you will live and have a happily ever after. Please… It's my dying wish," he begged.

Nico watched the scene with grief. He knew that Percy was never his, but this was too cruel. Someone so selfless shouldn't have had to die so prematurely like this.

Annabeth nodded. "I—I promise," she whispered.

Percy nodded and grinned at her, a winning grin that both warmed and broke her heart. She realized that this might be the last time she would ever see that grin she loved so much, and she broke down again.

Percy rubbed circles on her back, trying to comfort her.

"Nico," Percy turned to the Ghost King. Nico forced himself to keep from breaking, but he couldn't help the tears that were coming out of his eyes. "If I was ever your friend or if I ever helped you, I want you to promise me that you'll help Annabeth."

Percy was pleading. Nico was heartbroken.

"Please," Percy begged him, "Help her out any way you can. Promise me that you'll make sure she gets her happy ending. It occurred to Nico just how cruel the Fates were. Here, the person Nico loved, who loved another, was begging Nico to make sure that his love would have a happy ending, not once caring whether Nico would have one or not.

Nico bit back tears of bitterness and grief. He nodded at the Sea Prince. "I will," he said curtly.

Percy nodded, content. "And Nico," he coughed out. He really was fading now. "You've been a good guy. I'm sorry for turning my back on you."

Nico didn't respond. He merely nodded, not trusting his voice.

Percy turned back to Annabeth who had watched the exchange with almost no emotion. She was still crying, but she seemed to have accepted her love's fate now.

Percy leaned up, to kiss her one last time. It was a long, lingering kiss; full of all the sweet nothings and love they did not have the time to share. They both tried to get what they would never have the chance to say out in that one gesture. It wasn't enough, and they both knew it. They had given their lives to the world, and the world had taken their love away from each other. It was cruel, but it was their inescapable fate.

"I love you, Annabeth," Percy whispered. "More than you'll ever know."

Annabeth sobbed but kissed him back. "You're everything to me, Percy," she whispered against his lips. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

But Nico knew Percy hadn't heard. He was in the Underworld already, waiting in line to go before the judges of the dead.

Nico collapsed next to Annabeth and met her eyes.

Her tear-brimmed eyes asked him, Is he gone?

Slowly and sorrowfully, he nodded.

Around the two, the battle still raged, but they both just watched as their mutual love passed on.

"It's okay," Nico said softly. "He'll get into Elysium with no question."

Annabeth didn't meet his eyes, but she nodded.

"How long will he stand in line?" She asked.

Nico flinched at the pain in her eyes while attempting to mask his own sorrow and pain at losing the one he loved. "Probably a month," he admitted.

At her sobs, he said softly, "I can give him a detour to be evaluated immediately."

Annabeth said nothing but pleaded with her eyes. Please do.

Nico nodded and vanished into the shadows around him.

Around them, the battle still raged, but the fallen hero had driven the Forces of Olympus into unforeseen fury. Gaea was going to regret ever attempting to rise. They struck with renewed force, and within minutes after Percy's fall, Olympus was victorious.

The ghost of Percy Jackson was standing in the back of the line to the judgment pavilion. Nico approached him gracefully.

"Hey," he muttered to Percy.

The ghost turned to him in surprise, but it was quickly replaced with a grin and a mock bow. "Hello there master, King of Ghosts," Percy mocked.

Despite his grief, Nico fought the urge to strangle Percy. Even in death, Percy acted like a sarcastic little five-year-old.

Nico shook his head, trying to keep his eyes away from Percy's, knowing that those were his weakest links. "I'm here to get you to Elysium now," he said curtly. Without warning, he grabbed Percy and took him to the judgment pavilion.

After dropping him off in front of the judges, Nico stood to the side. He had no interest in hearing about Percy's private life, and he had no interest in falling in love all over again with his loyalty and purity.

"Elysium," the head judge, Isaac Newton (Son of Apollo), said finally. "You were the greatest hero of all time, Perseus Jackson. You have successfully lived through your second birth and won Elysium again. Enjoy Paradise, Savior of Olympus."

Percy's eyes widened. Nico didn't say anything. He just grabbed the Sea Prince's arm and led him to Elysium, the only happy location in the Underworld.

"Nico, I—"

"Percy, don't," Nico interrupted.

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"You were going to apologize for not being a good friend to me."

Percy looked shocked. "How did you know?"

Nico gave a bitter laugh. "Just because you had forgotten me doesn't mean I'd forgotten you, Percy."

Percy was dumbfounded. "Why?" He whispered. "After the way I've treated you all this time, why? Why did you keep protecting me? Why did you keep your promises? Why, Nico?"

Nico didn't answer. He just looked straight ahead, towards the entrance to Elysium.

"Nico, answer me." Percy sounded annoyed.

To both of their surprise, the Ghost King burst out into laughter—mirthless laughter. "You really are as blind as Tiresias," Nico decided.

"Are you going to answer me or not?"

Nico just shook his head. "Enjoy Elysium, Percy. You deserve it. Annabeth will join you when she's ready."

"Wait, Nico," Percy called.

Nico stiffened and turned back to the Sea Prince.

"I want you to tell Annabeth that it's okay to move on from me. As much as I love her and it would pain me to see her be with another guy, I would be in even more pain if she stayed sad because of me. Please, promise me you'll protect her and help her move on."

Nico had started crying, something he had started to do unconsciously. He nodded at Percy. "I'll make sure she gets her happy ending," he whispered in pain, "even if I have to give it to her myself."

Percy looked at the Ghost King gratefully. "I love you, Nico," he said softly. "You were like the brother I never had. I'm sorry for everything I did to you. You didn't deserve any of it."

Nico's tears had transformed into waterfalls, and he was sobbing in pain before the Sea Prince. With a quick nod, he ran to his father's palace—not for comfort but for solitude. The Prince of the Underworld had always known that he would never have happiness, but hearing Percy say that to him… It had been worse than having his breath taken away by the twin giants in Italy. Percy might as well have murdered him slowly—it would have hurt less.

Two weeks after Percy's death, Annabeth asked Nico to move in with her. "You're the only one who knows what it's like." Her voice was hollow, but he knew what she meant yet could not say. And he remembered his promise to Percy.

His heart broke again, but he agreed. He had grown used to dealing with the memories and nightmares from Tartarus on his own. For his entire life, he had lived by himself. Coming back from Tartarus, he knew that it would be the exact same, so he never shared any of his emotional trauma; not with Hazel, not with Jason, and certainly not with Percy or Annabeth. He quickly learned how to deal with the inner demons by himself. He learned to sleep through the nightmares without making any noise. He learned how to conquer his own horrors.

But Annabeth never learned how to do this. She had always had her other half to help her through the horrors and nightmares. She was used to having Percy waking her up and staying with her until the horrors faded away. Dimly, he realized that she had done the same for Percy. The two had lived, but only because they had each other.

Nico didn't know how he could help, but he knew that he had to honor Percy's dying wish, even if it pained him beyond words could express, so he agreed to join her.

Sally soon became their surrogate mother. She and Paul took them in. Nico knew that it was only because they were the next best thing to their real son, and Annabeth needed a home after she swore never to set foot in San Francisco again.

The two of them enrolled in Goode High School, Annabeth a junior and Nico a freshman, picking up their education where they should have been if Fate and the gods hadn't intervened so often. Paul managed to pull some strings to get them in.

"Annabeth," Nico said urgently, shaking her.

She was sweating in her bed. She was having a nightmare; screaming, thrashing, and sobbing.

"Annabeth!" He cried, desperate.

She snapped awake, with a scream and her pupils dilated.

Nico's heart broke as he looked at her. She was four years older than he was. She had faced and defeated every horrible monster the Greek gods could throw at her. She had fought to keep humanity together for years. She had been through two wars. She had lost two loves and two families.

She didn't deserve this.

Sobbing, she pulled him into her, crushing his body into a hug. Nico was in shock. She had horrible dreams every night, and he would wake her up every night to make sure they didn't hurt her more than was necessary. But she had never acted this rashly. One part of him wondered where this had come from, and the other part of him bitterly reminded him that she probably did this to Percy, meaning it was a force of habit.

Reluctantly, he wrapped his arms around her, trying to ignore the fact that she was three inches taller than he was and to hide his discomfort.

"It's okay," he whispered to her. "You're safe. You're not down there. You're here. And I'm not going to let anything hurt you."

He let the last part slip out, not knowing where it came from. But he instinctually knew that it was true. He knew that Annabeth had never trusted him fully, but he knew that she was one of the few, if not only, people who genuinely did care about him.

He rubbed circles into her back, trying to give her comfort. She continued sobbing into his neck. He sighed, nothing coming to mind to her to hopefully break this embrace of horror. But he didn't need to say anything. He just continued to hold her until she finally calmed down.

When he realized that she was finally asleep, he slowly untangled himself from her. He gently set her back on the bed and pulled the sheets up to her. He realized just how beautiful she truly was then, and he understood why Percy loved her. It wasn't just her fight, her strength, her loyalty, or her mind; it was beyond that. She was beautiful on both the inside and outside.

He pushed down the pain and the pang of jealousy he felt in his heart. She had everything he wanted. But he decided that maybe, if he was able to like women, he wouldn't mind actually having had a crush on Annabeth Chase, the Daughter of Athena and the Chief Strategist of the Greek demigods. She was beautiful and strong, everything a Greek hero should be, a true warrior queen in every sense of the word.

She seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and he noticed that a small smile crept its way onto her face. He knew what she was dreaming of now—Percy. She would now be dreaming about what might have been, her potential happy ending. And all of a sudden, his mind was ridden with jealousy again, knowing that he would never have been part of Percy's life.

He returned to his room that night, happy that he had helped her return to reality but also sad that he never had a hero like she had.

But he still had a promise to keep.

Promise me that you'll make sure she gets her happy ending.

Nico returned to sleep, tears slipping past his eyelids as he remembered Percy's dying wish.

"I swear on the River Styx that I will keep my promise to you, Percy," he whispered into the night, even though he felt like a hot iron rod was poking his heart as he remembered that promise—just one more reminder that he would never have love or happiness.

It was summertime, and they were at Camp Half-Blood. Nico and Jason were in the arena, giving swordplay classes to the younger demigods.

They had filled the role ever since the greatest swordsman since Achilles had passed on. Nico thought with grim irony on the situation. The Son of Hades and the Son of Jupiter had jointly taken on the mantle of he who would have been their mortal enemy in normal demigod situations, the Son of Poseidon.

Annabeth found him after their lesson; she had been teaching mythology lessons. He had finally hit a growth spurt, so he was actually able to look her in the eye now without having to turn his face upwards.

"It's our turn for cabin inspection," she muttered.

Nico nodded. He knew that was why she had found him; Percy had told him the story of a particularly memorable cabin inspection session that those two had done in the week leading up to the Titan War in a dream last night. He smiled grimly at the further irony of the situation.

"I know," she said quietly to him after they finished inspecting the Apollo cabin.

"Know what?" He asked suspiciously.

"Why you agreed to Percy's dying wish."

Nico laughed without humor. "What, Annabeth? Still think I have a crush on you?"

Annabeth looked mildly affronted but shook her head. "I was a fool," she muttered, "The signs were everywhere."

Nico turned to her in surprise and suspicion. "What are you talking about?"

Annabeth gave him a sad smile. "You loved Percy, too, didn't you?"

The inspection scroll slipped out of his hands, and he turned to her with his jaw agape.

"You hid it well," she said to his look of confusion. "I didn't find out until today."

"Jason told you, didn't he?"

Nico looked ready to murder the foolish Son of Jupiter, and the shadows around him began to get darker and longer. "I'm going to kill him," he growled, murder flashing in his eyes.

"Nico, no one told me anything," Annabeth interrupted. She put her hand on his arm that was about to draw his sword. She didn't understand how he was able to keep that thing with him at all times; it had to be causing severe hip pain with how heavy it was.

"Then how'd you know?" He snapped back at her.

"It's obvious," she said softly. "I'm so sorry I didn't see it before. I've been killing you this past year, haven't I? With all this pining for my lost love and horror and making you comfort me like Percy had…"

"It doesn't matter," Nico said, turning away from her. He stared out over the valley, towards the forest. "I have promises to keep. And Percy was right."

He turned back to her, pain in his eyes but a small smile on his face. "After all you've been through, you deserve your happy ending, and I'll be damned if I make sure you don't get it."

Annabeth looked at him in shock. "How can you be so supportive of me?"

He just gave her a wry smile. "You were the only one who even pretended to care about me back in the day. Think of it as my way of saying thank you."

Annabeth pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He returned the physical affection. After all the nights of staying up to comfort her and help her return to reality, he had learned to accept and even appreciate the physical affection and not push her away. Sometimes, it was nice to have someone who could share the warmth.

"Don't be," he muttered back. "You're not the goddess of love. You can't control this."

They pulled apart and continued with their inspection.

After they finished, the two of them went to the beach.

"This was his—"

"Favorite place," Nico finished. "I know," he said, giving her a sad smile, "because this is where you two officially started dating."

Her cheeks flushed, but tears were already cascading down her face. Hesitantly, he placed his hand over hers, trying to give her even an ounce of comfort.

"He's waiting for you in Elysium, you know," he said softly, looking deep into her grey eyes. "He says that he's going to wait until you live your life in full and join him before going into the Lethe. He still loves you more than you'll ever understand."

He kept his voice in a comforting tone, but he knew that she saw the pain in his eyes by her flinch.

"Isn't it hard?" She asked finally. She was still crying.

Nico didn't say anything for a minute. "Do you want the truth?" He asked softly.

Annabeth smacked his arm, giving him a sad but playful smile. "Of course."

He looked at her with a smile, but the grief was still reflected in his eyes. "Yes," he said simply. "It hurts more than I can put into words."

"Then why do you stay?" She questioned. "Why do you stay to protect the woman loved by the man you loved?"

"Like I said, it's a thank you and a promise. I swore by the River Styx to personally make sure that you get your happy ending. I can't and won't leave you now."

Annabeth looked at him in shock and pain. "I don't deserve your friendship or protection," she decided finally.

He didn't say anything. "No," he said finally. "You do. You've saved us so many times I can't even count. I want to make sure you live a happy life."

Annabeth looked at him oddly. "You're four years younger than me—"

"Technically, I'm over seventy years older than you," he interrupted, his voice sounding somewhat mirthful.

Annabeth smacked his arm again. "You're so much younger than me," she continued as if he hadn't interrupted. "I should be protecting you, not the other way around."

"Yeah, well, since when were our lives normal?" He laughed bitterly.

She interlaced their fingers and squeezed his hand, now trying to comfort him. Absentmindedly, he squeezed back. The two friends tried to find comfort in each other while simultaneously mourning the loss of he whom both had loved, a loss that was still painful even though it had been a full year since it had come to pass.

Nico woke up to frantic knocking on his door that night. Groggily, he opened the door to find Malcolm, Annabeth's second-in-command of the Athena cabin there. Malcolm was wide-eyed and fearful. Nico knew immediately what had happened.

"Let's go," Nico said. They both ran in the direction of the Athena cabin.

"What happened," Nico asked as they ran.

"She just started screaming, something about curses and monsters in blood."

Nico's heart filled with dread; this was what he had feared all along. So Percy and Annabeth had been close enough to death to see Tartarus' true form… As a child of the Underworld, he was able to see it the entire time he was there, but other demigods would have only seen a censored version, something that their minds would be able to comprehend, not the true horror of Tartarus—unless they were dying. Nico had been praying to all the gods he knew that Annabeth hadn't gone through that, and after a year of comforting her, he figured she hadn't.

But his worst fears were coming true.

The two burst into the Athena cabin. Dimly, Nico was aware that all of the campers were awake and staring at their head counselor. Annabeth was thrashing in her bunk, screaming and sobbing. Nico immediately ran over to her and started shaking the warrior queen. Her princess curls splayed over her shoulders, and her hands bled from all the impacts they had had with the walls. Nico violently shook her, desperately trying to wake her.

"How long?" He asked Malcolm.

"About ten minutes before I came to get you," he replied helplessly.

"You should have come to me immediately," Nico shot back, trying to quench his anger.

"Annabeth," he called urgently. "Annabeth! Wake up! It's not real! Annabeth!"

Finally, Annabeth shot up in her bed, and her sheets tumbled off the bed. Her pupils were fully dilated, and she looked like she had just fought Arachne ten times over. Tears continued to cascade from her eyes, and horrible, heart-wrenching sobs racked her body. Her half-siblings watched in horror as their fearless leader who had slayed countless monsters and had faced down the Queen of the Heavens herself and lived to tell the tale was brought down by a mere nightmare. Seeing this, they seemed to understand just how horrible Tartarus was.

Nico sat next to her on the bed and pulled her into his embrace. As had developed into their usual routine, she cried her heart out into his chest while he held her in place. Nico tried to calm her down with words, but when it didn't work, he just rubbed circles into her back and played with her hair without words. Eventually, she stopped crying and looked up at him, grey eyes meeting black.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Nico asked her softly.

She wordlessly nodded.

The pair walked silently out of the cabin, Annabeth leaning onto Nico's shoulder and his arm wrapped around her waist.

"It'll be okay," Annabeth's voice cracked as she addressed her siblings. "Go back to sleep. Sorry for waking you guys up."

Malcolm nodded and closed the door behind the Warrior Queen and the Prince of the Underworld.

The two walked towards the beach, settling down on the familiar pier, with their legs in the water.

"What was it about?" Nico asked finally.

Annabeth shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. Nico's heart broke at seeing someone as strong-willed and powerful as Annabeth be defeated by Tartarus. He took her head, interlaced their fingers, and squeezed it; trying to give reassurance. Annabeth gave him a grateful look, but the haunted gleam in her eyes told him that it didn't work.

She leaned further into him and placed her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her waist once again.

"I'm sorry," she said bitterly, fighting back the tears. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Nico pulled her closer to him. "It's what I'm here for," he muttered in her hair.

They stared out at the realm controlled by he who had been their mutual love in companionable silence.

"How do you deal with the nightmares?" She asked finally, turning to him.

Nico met her eyes with his. "I don't know," he said softly. "I just learned to give myself the emotional comfort I needed, I guess. No one was there for me when I first came out of Tartarus, so I guess I kind of got used to it."

Annabeth looked at him sadly, her blond hair tumbling over her shoulders. Absentmindedly, he pushed a stray strand behind her ear.

Her cheeks flushed slightly at the gesture, and Nico suddenly felt uncomfortable. She didn't say anything and just kept staring into his eyes.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" She asked.

"What?" Nico asked in shock.

"I don't think I can deal with the nightmares on my own anymore," she said with fear in her voice and terror in her eyes, "Is it okay if I stay with you?"

She ended on a pleading note, and Nico knew he couldn't refuse. Slowly, he nodded.

Together, they went back to his cabin, and in the dark of the night, they fell into a dreamless sleep, comfortable in each other's warm embrace, their heartbeats perfectly in tune with the other's.

They woke up the next morning, entangled in the same position they had fall asleep in.

"No nightmares?" Nico asked her.

"No nightmares," she confirmed. She didn't meet his eyes. "What about you?"

"None," he confirmed softly.

She got out of bed and left his cabin. "I'll see you at swordsmanship class," she called on her way out.

"Yeah."

Nico fell back into his bed, wondering what mess he had just gotten himself into.

Slowly, it became a routine for the two of them. Instead of returning to the Athena cabin every night, Annabeth would go to the Hades cabin with Nico after the sing-along, their arms around each other's waists. Annabeth's half-siblings didn't question it, knowing that this was the only way their head counselor could deal with the nightmares and inner demons. And the rest of the campers knew that it would be suicide to confront the Prince of the Underworld and the Favorite Daughter of the War Goddess, so they stayed from questioning them. Even Chiron and Dionysus chose not to say anything as they watched the two children share the same bed every night, fighting off the nightmares from Hell itself together in each other's arms.

Rumors flew around camp and even reached Olympus, but Nico and Annabeth didn't bother with quelling them. They were too busy fighting their own fears and horrors to be concerned with that which was outside their own battles.

It was winter break of Nico's sophomore year and Annabeth's senior year. They still stayed with Sally and Paul. On their first day back from camp over summer, the parents had questioned why Nico and Annabeth would sleep in the same bed each night, but a quick embarrassed explanation showed them everything.

Every night, they would embattle their enemies together, both inner and outer. Slowly, the two of them started to recover. Nico became stronger, and he joined the Goode swim team, if just to honor his lost love. Annabeth was with him at all times, and they stayed together any chance they got.

Nico noticed the changes slowly, from the way Annabeth would talk to him to the way the two of them knew exactly what to do and how to move during battles with stray monsters in the city. Whenever he woke her up from a nightmare, she would hold him a bit tighter. She would hold his hand longer and only let go when necessary; she even held his hand in school. Rumors spread through Goode about the all-star mathlete/athlete senior girl dating the hot, moody swimmer sophomore, but the two of them didn't care.

But Nico understood what was happening. Aphrodite was up to her games again, and this time, she was influencing Annabeth.

From the way Annabeth wouldn't meet his eyes anymore to the way she would hold onto him at night, as though he might disappear at a moment's notice, he understood. He realized that Annabeth Chase was slowly falling for him. Maybe she didn't know it herself, but he doubted it considering how smart she was. And he didn't know what to do with this revelation.

The two walked out of the theater and turned to the restaurant.

"Well that was completely accurate," he remarked.

Annabeth laughed. "Nico, you know the mortals aren't going to get it right. Besides, I thought the special effects were cool."

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Whatever you say. I thought Clash of the Titans was just plain stupid."

She smirked. "Of course you did. Now buy me some dinner, Death Boy; I'm starving."

Nico smirked back at her and grabbed her hand, leading her to the restaurant.

"I have something for you," he said softly after they were seated and had ordered.

Annabeth turned her curious eyes to him, and he mentally flinched at seeing the adoration that was once reserved for Percy now directed at him. He knew, and he knew that she knew to herself. But he doubted that she knew that he had figured it out.

Putting that thought away, he pulled a velvet box out of his pocket and pushed it to her.

Curious, she opened it and gasped at what was inside. It was a beautiful silver necklace with two pendants, an owl and a trident.

"Percy bought that for you," he said sadly. "Sally told me to give it to you today."

Annabeth sighed, and her grief filled her visage again. "Where'd you get it?"

"Sally gave it to me earlier today."

She closed her eyes and nodded. A single tear slid down her cheek.

"He bought it for you a few weeks before he, you know, was taken away to Camp Jupiter."

Annabeth gave a sad laugh, consumed with memories. "Wonder where he got the money…"

"He mentioned something about having a rich dad," Nico smiled sadly at the memory of the dream in which Percy had explained it all to him.

Annabeth laughed again and shook her head. "Stupid Seaweed Brain." She put the necklace on, and the two pendants hung right above her camp necklace.

Nico smiled. The silver really complimented her skin tone and her eye color, but he knew better than to say that.

She gave him another sad smile, and he knew that she was thinking about her past with Percy. But he also saw a longing in her eyes, a longing for a future of happiness.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "You're the best, Nico."

Nico gave her a small smile.

"You did it!" Nico exclaimed gleefully, picking Annabeth up and spinning her.

"Nico, put me down!" She screamed while laughing.

Nico gave her a lopsided grin and put her down. She whacked him in the head with her diploma.

Sally and Paul gave her hugs in turn, telling her how proud of her they were. Her father and stepmother did the same.

Lastly, a woman in a suit came up to them. "Am I too late for the celebration?" She asked quietly, her grey eyes gleaming with pride and happiness.

"Mom!" Annabeth exclaimed before bounding into her mother's arms. Athena smiled down at her daughter.

"I'm proud of you, Annabeth," she said softly. Annabeth pulled back and grinned at her mother.

"I can't stay long," the goddess said, "but I came to congratulate you. Oh, and Nico," she turned to him. "Thank you for keeping your promise. I think the healing process is finally over."

With a small smile at the Prince of the Underworld, the goddess vanished, leaving a confused Annabeth, equally confused Chase and Blofis families, and a saddened Nico di Angelo.

Three years had passed from her graduation. Annabeth was well on her way to her architecture degree at NYU, and Nico had somehow managed to get into NYU to study mechanical engineering. The two of them had rented an apartment together. They were still unable to get through the nightmares without each other, and after all these years keeping each other grounded to the mortal world, they were unable to transition to real life without each other.

"Annabeth," Nico said one night as they settled in for the weekend in each other's arms.

"Yeah," she turned to him.

He picked his words carefully. "I can't pretend that I don't know anymore."

Annabeth looked at him in confusion. "What?"

He looked at her cautiously and sadly. "You've moved on from Percy, haven't you?"

Annabeth looked down, not meeting his eyes. She grasped the necklace that Percy had bought her before he died and nodded. "Yeah, I have," she said, her voice laced with a combination of relief, sadness, and hope.

"You've moved onto someone else, haven't you?" He questioned her gently.

Annabeth turned quickly to face him. She could easily lie and say no, but after all that he had given her, she knew that he deserved the truth from her at least. He had been there for her through everything, and now, even on the battlefield, they knew each other's moves as well as they knew their own—the two had become an inseparable team. After all he had done for her and after all he had personally sacrificed for her happiness, she knew that she couldn't lie to him.

"Yeah," she said softly, staring into his eyes.

"And who is it?" Nico asked her softly, pulling her closer to him.

Annabeth got the feeling from the tone of his voice that he already knew, but she answered anyway.

"He's helped me through my darkest times, he's always been there for me, and he's holding me right now," she whispered after a minute, keeping her gaze on his.

He smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped hers around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She still couldn't believe how his growth spurt had affected him; he was now easily five inches taller than her.

He kissed her forehead, something he had begun doing many years ago, back when the nightmares of Tartarus were more powerful. He would kiss her on the forehead before tucking her back into bed, doing his best to coax her back to sleep.

"You knew, didn't you?" She muttered into his neck.

"Yeah," he said into her hair. "I've known since you were a senior in high school."

Annabeth sighed and came up to meet his gaze again. "And you're okay with it?"

"Annabeth," he croaked out, "any guy would be lucky to have you. You're smart, you're beautiful, you're understanding, you're a fighter, and you know what you believe in. Of course I'm okay with it!"

Annabeth's cheeks flushed slightly at the high praise, but she smiled. Nico gave her a grin back.

"You know I can't like you, right?" He asked her sadly.

Annabeth pushed down the grief threatening to consume her but nodded. "Yeah, I know. I've accepted it."

Nico looked at her sadly, but there was something else in his eyes now, something she had only seen in the throes of battle: Determination. But exactly what he was determined about, she still had to find out.

He leaned forward and met her lips with his.

Annabeth's eyes widened, but she responded to the kiss, pulling him closer.

They pulled away slowly, opening their eyes and meeting each other's gaze.

"What was that for?" She gasped.

"I'm not going to get my happy ending," he said softly, still looking deep into her eyes. "But maybe you can still have yours, even if Percy isn't here anymore."

The gears in Annabeth's head began whirring, slowly making sense of what Nico was telling her. He was willing to swear himself to her, even if it meant that he would never find love for himself. She blinked back tears and tackled him back into the bed.

"You're making it impossible for me to stop loving you, you know," she said with a glare.

Nico chuckled. "I want to keep you safe and happy, Annabeth."

Annabeth gave him another halfhearted glare, but she curled up beside him.

After another minute of comfortable silence, Nico asked, "Why? Why me?"

He looked at her with a questioning gaze, and Annabeth couldn't help but notice how handsome he really was. It was really no wonder that girls threw themselves at him every few minutes on campus, a fact that she had to keep herself from being jealous of as she watched it happen every day.

She laughed at his question and ruffled his hair. "Because you're you," she replied softly. "Because you know just how to make me feel better, because you know just what to say at the right times, because you have the perfect combination of sarcasm and realism, because you always know what I need, because you're ridiculously loyal to those you love, and because you never turn away from a challenge."

Nico raised his eyebrow at her.

"You're like Percy, only you have actual brain cells instead of seaweed in your head," she said with a smirk.

Nico laughed at that, and Annabeth joined him.

"I can see why he loves you so much," he said softly, smiling at her and caressing her cheek.

Annabeth's face flushed. "I'll never be able to stop loving him," she admitted under her breath.

"No, I wouldn't expect you to," Nico said, kissing her cheek. "He was too important to you. But I'm glad you're moving on. He wanted you to be happy."

Annabeth nodded, kissing his cheek. "I know."

After a moment of silence, Nico asked, "So what does this make us?"

She turned her guarded expression towards him. "Nico, are you sure you want to do this?"

He resolutely nodded. "I swore on the River Styx that I would make sure you would get your happy ending and that you would be safe. I'm positive, Annabeth. I might not be able to find happiness, but I can still make sure you have yours. And I'll be damned if I don't make sure you get it."

Annabeth shook her head, "You don't have to."

"I want to."

Annabeth met his black eyes with her grey eyes, and she saw the truth, dedication, and fortitude reflected between them. He had already made up his mind.

"Annabeth Chase," he said softly, keeping his gaze into her eyes, "will you be my girlfriend?"

Annabeth laughed again. "Well, at least you had the guts to make the first move instead of waiting for me," she said mirthfully.

Nico chuckled before pulling her in for a kiss. "I'll take that as a yes," he said, smiling against her mouth.

Annabeth merely pulled him in for another kiss in response.

Nico was perfect for her. He had everything she admired about Percy along with his own way of living. He had all of Percy's loyalty and power, but he also had his own mystery and intrigue. As time went on, Annabeth realized that she did love Nico di Angelo—even if he could never love her in return.

He did everything correctly. He knew her favorite colors, her favorite books, her hobbies, her favorite bands, and her favorite activities. Whenever they went out on dates, he knew exactly what to do and what she enjoyed best. Whenever she just wanted to stay in and relax, he cancelled.

And never once did he even think about leaving her or cheating on her—despite the inconvenient fact that he was gay and could never love her like she loved him.

Annabeth decided that this just made her love him more: his determination to make sure that she lived life to the fullest. He gave everything he had to her, and he asked for nothing in return.

"How do you do it?" She asked him one night when they were cuddling on the couch in their living room.

"Hm?"

"How do you stay loyal to me even when we both know that you can't love me?"

Nico turned surprised eyes to her. "Annabeth, I do love you."

She looked at him skeptically, but she saw truth in his eyes.

"But aren't you—"

"Yes, I am," he interrupted. "But just because I can't find you physically attractive beyond your normal beauty doesn't mean I can't love you in every other sense of the word. There's more than one type of love."

Annabeth stared at him, dumbfounded. Suddenly, she knew what Percy felt like whenever she said something particularly deep or confusing.

He chuckled at her expression. "If you could see your face right now," he said, amused.

Said face immediately transformed into a scowl, causing him to laugh more.

"But why?" She asked softly.

"Because you deserve it," he said simply. "And because I don't know if anyone else would understand what we've been through in the Labyrinth and in Europe. And no one else knows what it's like to command armies at the age of twelve."

He said the last part bitterly, but Annabeth knew exactly what he meant. She kissed him to show her understanding.

"I don't deserve you," she muttered.

"You've said that before," he said into her hair, pulling her closer to him. "But you and I both know it isn't true."

It happened two years after Nico's graduation from NYU. Annabeth had graduated a year before him. Somehow, they both managed to get jobs in New York and stay in their apartment from college. They were inseparable.

That night, they were walking along Liberty Island at night after a New York Philharmonic concert. Nico had shadow travelled them there, and the giant statue of Athena stood behind them, gleaming in the night. They stared out to sea.

She was dressed in a silvery grey dress, from her torso to the ground. He was dressed up in a suit with a white shirt underneath along with a golden vest and tie.

"I never realized how beautiful New York is at night," she remarked.

"It's nothing compared to you."

She turned to him and gasped. He was on one knee, with a velvet box open on his knee. Tears began to stain her eyes as he spoke.

"Annabeth Chase, we've known each other for fourteen years, and we've been together for six years now. I know I'll never be Percy Jackson, and I know that I'll never love you the same way he did and that you'll never love me the same way you loved him. But we've still been through a lot together. We've travelled the world, fought entire armies of monsters, and stopped many civil wars among the gods. We've conquered our inner demons and the memories of Hell together. You make me a happy man just by being with you. I want to give you your happy ending because you deserve it. Annabeth Chase, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Tears were cascading out of Annabeth's eyes like waterfalls now. She knelt down and took his hand. While gazing deep into his eye, she said softly, "Yes!"

Nico grinned like the happiest man alive and slipped the ring, made of platinum with an owl-shaped diamond on top, onto her finger. Around the sides, something was inscribed. Αναβεθ Χας. Annabeth Chase, her name in Ancient Greek.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss, one that he had no problem responding to. Tears of happiness came from her eyes. While still in his embrace, she sent a quiet prayer up to the gods, thanking them for letting her have a happy present and future. She even thanked the meddlesome Aphrodite for bringing Nico to her after all her trials and tribulations.

They wed on Annabeth's twenty-eighth birthday: July 12, 2021. They had just wanted a small ceremony with just their closest family and friends, but of course, when your family happens to be the all-powerful Olympian gods, simple is never an option.

Athena and Hera insisted that the two 'Saviors of Olympus' hold their wedding on Mount Olympus, and even Zeus looked like he wanted to give the young couple his best.

Nico stood at the front of the throne room with Jason at his side as the best man and Leo, Frank, and Malcolm as his groomsmen. Hera was standing at the altar with them. The Goddess of Marriage herself had given them her blessing and support. It indeed was a strange match, a Prince of the Underworld and the Favored Daughter of Athena, but alas, there had been stranger matches in the past.

Just as all this crossed through his mind, Nico heard Jason whisper behind him, "Brace yourself. And Nico."

Nico raised his eyebrow at him and looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Thanks for staying with her."

Jason gave him a small smile. Nico returned it and nodded. They turned their attention back to the entrance to the throne room.

The hall had been transformed into an auditorium fitting all of the guests that they had wanted to invite along with all of the gods and goddesses that Hades and Athena had insisted be invited. At the very front sat the other ten Olympians along with Hades, Persephone, Hestia, and Amphitrite.

Athena met his eyes with no emotion, but there was satisfaction and approval in the grey eyes of Olympus' Chief Strategist. Nico saw that Poseidon looked slightly sad, but the Sea King also looked proud. Hades watched his son with absolutely no emotion. The King of the Underworld watched the proceedings without any emotion.

Just then, the full orchestra began; under the direction of Apollo, the God of Music himself; playing Flex Mendelssohn's (who happened to be a Son of Apollo and Legacy of Athena) "Wedding March".

The doors to the throne room opened, and Annabeth floated in next to her father. Behind her was her Maid of Honor, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and her bridesmaids ended the procession: Thalia, Piper, Hazel, and Reyna.

Annabeth met Nico's eyes, and the two grinned at each other. At the end of the piece, Dr. Frederick Chase gave Annabeth's hand to Nico. He grasped it tightly and intertwined their fingers together, just like they had been doing every night for so many years now.

'She's beautiful,' Nico decided. He barely paid attention to Hera.

The wedding was over soon enough, and the newly-weds left Mount Olympus by shadow travel.

Their honeymoon would be somewhere special only to them: In this case, it was Athens and the original Mt. Olympus.

Five years of their married life passed in peace. Annabeth couldn't help but wonder at her luck.

When she was young, she had always imagined that she would be living out her life and raising a family with a certain green-eyed Sea Prince, never with the Prince of the Underworld.

But as she watched her two daughters play with their father in the yard, she couldn't help but smile. Nico had given her everything. Maybe he was gay, but he loved her with his whole being, and she loved him back. He had gone out of his way to learn what she liked and to give It all to her whenever possible. He paid attention to what she liked to eat, what she enjoyed doing for fun, and even what gave her the most pleasure in bed. He gave her everything she wanted, and he never asked for anything in return.

She had always wanted to have children, but she was nervous to tell him. But when she finally got up the courage, he immediately agreed. He served her every whim and role. He gave himself to her entirely.

She thought with irony on the situation. Every quality about Percy that had made her fall in love with the Sea Prince originally, Nico had. And he still had his own flair. He was his own person, but she was still able to love him fully.

"It's not that strange, you know," a voice said behind her.

"Lady Aphrodite," she nodded curtly at the goddess.

Aphrodite gave her a dry smile. "He's good to you," the goddess observed.

Annabeth nodded absentmindedly. "Too good to me."

"You wonder how it can be so."

Annabeth turned to the goddess in shock but nodded.

"Think of the myths, Annabeth. Sexuality is never as set in stone and absolutely defined as modern, corrupt Christian society might make you think."

Annabeth raised her eyebrow.

"In the myths, did the gods ever just have lovers of the opposite sex?" Aphrodite pressed on.

Hesitantly, Annabeth shook her head. "They always had lovers of both genders."

Aphrodite nodded. "Well done. Some people might think they are completely straight or completely gay, but they are lying to themselves. Sexuality is a spectrum, and everyone lies somewhere in the middle, whether they choose to accept it or not. Remember, Annabeth: Love is a form of energy. It never dies, and when it seems to have left this world, it is merely reborn in the form of new love."

Annabeth gave a small smile to the goddess.

"He does love you, you know," Aphrodite remarked, watching as their little four-year-old daughter tackled Annabeth's husband.

Annabeth smiled, watching as her husband laughed and twirled their daughter around. "Yeah, I know."

"He probably doesn't know that sexuality is so vast and spread out," Aphrodite remarked.

Annabeth raised her eyebrow at the goddess. "So what are you saying?"

Aphrodite laughed. "I'm saying nothing, Annabeth. But maybe, as gay as he is, he still has a tiny part of his heart open for women, because he's doing a wonderful job loving you."

Annabeth looked at the goddess in confusion. Aphrodite merely grinned at her and vanished into thin air.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and turned back to her husband and children, observing them with amusement.

They had been married for almost thirty-five years now. Remarkably, despite all their battles, they had survived this far in the mortal world. But now, in this latest battle against a group of seven dracanae, both of them understood deep in their heart of hearts that this was the end. But it didn't matter to them anymore. They'd both lived fulfilling lives, and they had survived much longer than most demigods even dared to dream and even had gotten all of their wishes fulfilled. Their children had been sent off into the world; they were ready to accept their fates and live their lives in peace.

And now, Nico and Annabeth, after surviving for many, many years, were ready to be happy.

They destroyed all seven of the she-devils, but they had suffered too many wounds, and they knew it. It was the end of their journey through this life.

Grasping each other's hands, they passed on from this world. It was time to rejoin their love in the next world.

"Saved Olympus twice, leader of the Greek forces in the Second Titanomachy and Second Giantomancy, retriever of the Athena Parthenos, Uniter of Olympus, and Bane of Many Monsters. She will get Elysium with no debate," the head judge, Winston Churchill (a Son of Poseidon) declared. The other two judges agreed.

Churchill turned to Annabeth. "Annabeth Chase, you have successfully survived your second birth and achieved Elysium yet again. You need only one more birth to get into the Isles of the Blest."

Annabeth nodded.

"You are free to go on to Elysium," Churchill said.

Annabeth shook her head. "I won't leave until Nico's done."

Churchill's eyes darkened but nodded. He turned to Nico. "Step forward, Son of Hades."

"Favored Son of Hades, Supporter of Greeks and Romans in the Second Titanomachy and Giantomachy, Prince of the Underworld, Survived Tartarus by himself, Savior of Olympus, many great deeds. But he also sought to kill a soul to get his sister back from the dead. And he broke the laws of life and death by taking his sister back to life when the Doors of Death were closed," Johann Gutenberg (a Son of Hephaestus), a secondary judge, pointed out.

Nico flinched. Annabeth grew angry at this. Nico had faced so much hardship and difficulty in his life; if anyone deserved Elysium, it was he.

"But he did turn around to protect everything he loved and sided with Olympus in the end," Aristotle (a Son of Zeus), the last secondary judge, said. "And he did sacrifice his personal happiness and life for someone else's. I say he should get Elysium."

Gutenberg didn't look happy but nodded.

Churchill banged his gavel. "Prince of the Underworld, you have achieved Elysium after your third life. You have achieved the Isles of the Blest. Enjoy eternal Paradise. Perhaps we will work together as the Judges of the Dead one day."

Nico staggered back, blinking, as slowly his memories from his previous lives came back to him.

Annabeth stared at him in wonder, quietly questioning whether he kept any more secrets from his loved ones.

Giddily, she grabbed Nico's hand and led him to Elysium. Nico struggled to keep up with her pace as he was overtaken by his three lives' worth of memories returning to him.

At the entrance to Elysium, Nico finally gained his composure, and the two entered together. Immediately, Percy was there to greet them.

"Go," Nico said, smiling at Annabeth. "Be happy."

Annabeth pulled him down with her hands on his cheeks and kissed Nico one last time in this form. "Thank you," she said to him before running to Percy.

Nico watched the two lovers reunite, content. Even after all these years and lifetimes, they still loved each other. If that wasn't true love, nothing was.

Percy and Annabeth joined in a kiss.

"Gods I missed you," Percy muttered, stroking her cheek while staring into her eyes.

Annabeth grinned back at him, kissing him again.

Percy turned to Nico after they separated. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "You gave her everything I couldn't."

Nico just smiled at his friend with peace and tranquility in his expression. "I'm just happy that I was able to keep my promise to myself in the end, Percy. I was able to give her the happy ending we all knew she deserved, even though I was never able to give it to you."

Percy smiled. Annabeth leaned into him and grinned at her husband standing across from her.

"I love you, Nico," Annabeth said softly.

Nico smiled at her. "I know. I love you, too, but you two still have your lives together. Go."

"Join us to the Lethe?" Percy offered his hand.

Nico looked shocked at the proffered hand of the man he had once loved. Slowly, he nodded and took it.

Together, they traveled to the River Lethe.

Percy and Annabeth kissed one last time in this form.

"You can go, Nico," Percy said with a grin to his friend. "You're in the Isles of the Blest now. You deserve it. Enjoy it. We'll join you there soon enough."

Nico looked at both of them carefully. Annabeth was giving him an encouraging nod, and Percy was just grinning at him in support.

"I think," he began after a minute or so, "I think I'll go for a fourth birth."

Percy and Annabeth turned looks of shock and horror at their friend.

"Why?" They both exclaimed.

Nico just gave them a wan smile. "Maybe I'm not ready for Paradise just yet."

Percy shook his head. "If that's what you want. Well, as long as you're coming, too, let's go together!"

Percy grinned, and Annabeth laughed at Nico's shocked expression. She offered her hand to the Ghost King's ghost who took it, still a bit shocked at the happenings.

Together, the three friends and loves went into the River Lethe, onto their next and final lifetime.

The next day, across the United States of America, three children were born.

In Los Angeles, a daughter of Athena was born with dark hair and grey eyes. In Detroit, a son of Aphrodite was born with blonde hair and grey eyes. And in Pittsburgh, a son of Apollo was born with dark hair and black eyes.

Little did they know it, but the three of them had their strings of Fate completely woven together. And maybe, this time, after all their struggles together, they would be able to achieve their happiness in the end.

Author's Note: I really had fun writing this! I'm not really that good at writing romance, and this isn't the best piece of romance out there. But I'm still happy with how it turned out.

As always, please review and leave your thoughts behind on this piece! :D And thanks for reading!