It had been five years since the love of her life had died.

Five years since she left New York in a week, disappearing for what she intended to be forever. Hundreds of miles north, to a town that hadn't heard of the manhunt, heard of the storms, the mysterious explosions and missing statues in New York.

Nothing to connect her. All ties cut and her back turned as they screamed for her.

But now she was back.

The city was just the same. She hadn't been here in so so long, her grief and the ghosts of the city stopping her every time she thought about it. But as much as she had pretended, they never left her.

They hadn't left her when a girl she was close with asked her out. She could've said yes, and in a different universe she would have lived the rest of her life with this woman, but she said no. One love for her.

They hadn't left her when she broke her foot for the second time and wouldn't stop crying and screaming in Greek for him, begging him to come home, to mend her broken wings. Her mortal friends staring at her as she screamed her throat dry, clutching the necklace with two rings.

She pulled her heavy jacket close around her as the snow continued to fall, feet taking her somewhere she didn't know. She hadn't come here on a whim, she'd been convinced.

Her mortal friends wanted to see the city. They wanted her with her. She had to return home.

Her mortal friends were at the met, probably looking at the marble statues that she had spent hours learning and understanding like a child looking at a new toy. She knew they wanted to look at the Greek artefacts, so she'd declined, claiming she had seen them so many times she would be bored.

A buzz in her pocket.

She pulled out her phone to see a photo, sent from her friend. A photo of a statue, a face she knows as well as her own. Athena Parthenos, her mother.

This statue looks like you!!!

Annabeth can't stop the twist in her stomach as she looks into the stone-cold face of her mother, remembering the blaze in Athenas eyes as she gave her the bronze coin. Or the face of Athena on the ivory and gold statue covered in the webs of her enemy.

Annabeth shakes her head, getting rid of the thoughts. She replied and put her phone in her pocket as she set off again.

She passed an alleyway.

Time seemed to slow as something burst out of the shadows, tackling her and throwing her into the alley. She heard the distinct crack of bones breaking as she hit the concrete, and a strangles scream ripped out of her throat.

The beast was stalking to her. She tried to move, but her head was spinning from the pain, the ache of her bones now roaring as she tried to reach for her knife hidden under her jacket. She couldn't do it.

Then she saw a gold arrow embed itself in the lower back of the beast, sending it to dusty-ville in seconds. She let herself relax, not quite sure why.

She hears footsteps, but the world is so blurry and warped now that she doesn't register someones with her until she feels hands try and pick her up. She lets loose a yell, struggling against the surprisingly tight grip.

"Annabeth, Annabeth calm down!"

The world focused as she recognised the voice, "Will?"

He gives a little snort, "Seems you remember us after all. Can you walk?"

She's lifted up and she tries to put weight on her feet, but her knees buckle in seconds. The world gives a violent lurch, black spots dancing.

"Okay," Will says, "No walking." her head lolls. She's losing consciousness, "Stay with me Chase, for once in your life, just stay with me!"

She smiles, mumbles something incoherent and slips out of consciousness.

When Annabeth wakes up, she knows she's at Camp Half-Blood instantly.

The air, the feeling of bliss, the weight of magic and power washing over her in comfortable waves. She can smell the infirmary air around her as she blinks her eyes open.

"Oh, you're finally awake," Will remarks. His back his to her, leaning over a pile of papers.

"That I am," she says bitterly, as she sits up and swings her feet over the side of the bed. She ignores the faint pain in her side, "I'll be going now."

"Like hell you will," Will snaps, turning around to look at her, "You're still injured."

"I'm not in pain," She crosses her arms, lifting her chin as she meets his eyes.

"Yeah because you're pumped full of painkillers. You're staying here, doctors orders," He snorts.

"You sound like you're fifteen, Solace. And you're not even my doctor, so I'm going now." She gets up, testing her weight on her feet for only a second before she storms towards the door.

She feels his grip on her arm in an instant and she fights against it, but it's still as tight as it was when she fought against him earlier, "You," he hissed, "Are injured. I'm not letting you completely fuck up yourself again."

"I've never done that!" She cries.

He spares a glance at her left foot, noticing she favours her right as she stands, "Oh yeah?" He challenges, "Then how come did you have to go to the hospital after you broke your foot a second time because you weren't letting it heal?"

She looks at him like she's been slapped, "How do you know about that?" She cries.

"Your friends, who had no idea you knew people in New York, were very helpful when I asked them about your health for the past five years." His eyes narrow, "Which hasn't been great."

She glares at him, "You had no business going into that Will-"

"I'm your doctor, and I need to know why the fuck you foot is as messed up as it is!"

"You aren't my doctor!" She cries.

"Then who saved your life in Manhattan? Who made sure you're still alive?" He retorts.

Annabeth doesn't answer, she just wrenches out of her grip and stalks out of the infirmary, into the main part of the big house. She hears Wills shout, but it fades away as she hears a cacophony of voices coming from the direction that she knows leads to the rec room.

She passes the door, which is wide open and its Chirons voice that makes her stop dead in her tracks, "Miss Chase!"

Damnit.

She doesn't reply, she just stands there, seething for a moment. Then she feels Wills hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around. "I swear to the god's Will-"

"Annabeth," his tone is cold. The noise in the rec room was gone as they watched the two silently, "You are injured. If you do not get back into the infirmary I'm going to have to make you."

"How?" She mocks crossing her arms, "I have my..." she trails away as she realises for the first time that her trusted knife, a gift from Percy isn't on her.

"Where..." She says desperately, meeting Will's eyes.

"I have it." A familiar voice replies.

Annabeth turns to see Piper McLean, leaning back in her chair, Annabeth' knife in her hand. "It's safe Chase, now listen to Will."

"Don't you dare use your charm speak on me, McLean."

"Then don't run away for five years!"

"I didn't run away!" She screams.

"Then what the fuck did you do?" Piper cries, getting up and stalking over to her, "You left us in the dust, Chase. We thought you were dead!" She jams a finger to a stunned Annabeth's chest.

Piper is breathing rapidly, her chest rising and falling with her short, angry breaths. Tears are in her eyes, and her eyes swirl with reds and browns. "You are a coward," She barks, her lip curling up.

Annabeth meets her eyes, "I had to go because I couldn't stand being here anymore! In the city that took everyone I ever love!"

"Do you think I don't want to scream every time I pass by the area we found Leo dead? Or Jason?" Piper screams. "They were my best friends!"

"Have you ever seen someone, someone you love and trust, someone who betrayed you, kill themselves on the floors of Olympus?" Annabeth fires back, her temper rising, "Or held your best friend, the love of your life in your arms while he died because you weren't fast enough?"

"Or found the ring he was going to use to propose to you within his pocket? Or-"

"Have you," Will cuts in, voice noticeably calmer than either girl, "Ever been told you can't look for your brother's dead body? So you have to light a body less pyre because you had none? Or seen a kid, who last you saw was alive and healthy, pale and skinny as bones, nearly dead? Or wept because you, the doctor, can't save someone?"

"You aren't the only one with trauma, Annabeth, we've all got it. We're your friends, we want to help you, but you never let us! You and Percy both!" Will says, running a hand through his hair.

"Don't you dare bring him up," Annabeth spits.

Annabeth looks between the two. Piper is raging, her arms crossed as she regards her friend with cold eyes. Will looks tired and exhausted, yet angry all the same. She sees Chiron, who stares at her with the faintest hint of disappointment in his eyes.

And the new campers. Campers she should know, she should recognise. Campers she and he should have taught how to fight told them their stories. But the wide-eyed faces of these teenagers are alien, unfamiliar.

Annabeth squares her jaw glares at everyone and bolts.

She hears shouts behind her, but she pushes them away as she throws the door open. She doesn't stop to look out at the Camp, but continues running, jumping down the steps. She runs and runs, the pine tree and its glimmering fleece her destination.

She pushes past bewildered campers and the shouts behind her cause her to press further on.

She reaches it, she really does. But just as she gets there, she's tackled to the floor. Her bones roar, and she lets out a scream. The pain overtakes her, and she lets loose all the tears and the screams.

Her eyes are closed as she's lifted up and propped against something. She feels a hand in hers, one in her hair. She feels warm air and smells the familiar pine scent. She tries to stop the tears, but that only makes them come faster and faster.

"I'm sorry," she chokes out, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left, I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going, I'm sorry I never came to anything-"

"Shhhhh, child." Chiron's voice is gentle and warm, and she remembers the years where he was the one who cared, "I know Annabeth. I've missed you, child."

She lets loose a laugh, thick with her tears, at that. "It hurts," she says simply through her tears, "It all hurts."

She hears Will humming hymns under her breath, feels the warmth of his magic over her. "It's going to be okay Annabeth," Will says, "You're home."

Home.

"It's going to be okay."

"You can sleep."

-Fin-

Yeah, guys, that's the end. Again, I need to thank everyone who stayed by my side while I wrote this. It's been a tough month for me, so absolutely every comment, kudos and declaration of love for this fic has made it a bit brighter. In the future, I do have more fics planned, but right now I do need to step back a bit. My life has gotten so so messy, and the past two weeks haven't been kind. I love every single one of you guys because you make this, the hours spent writing words onto pages, the nights where I hate everything, so so worth it. You guys are what make me happy, keep me going while the world (literally and metaphorically) burns around me. I love you guys so so much I can't even express this. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.