While I'm waiting for the poll to finish, I guess I'll do this one shot real quick.

They found out from Nico.

It was after the war and most of the Seven stood battered and bruised on Half-Blood Hill, but each of them had a dark gleam in their eye. They were waiting for all of their group to meet up, and now they were just waiting on Annabeth. Leo had been killed fighting Gaea. Percy had broken his arm and was healing in the infirmary.

It was Nico who trekked up the hill in his Hawaiian shirt, his hands in his pockets, and his lips pressed together. He looked deep in thought as he approached them.

"Not many died this time." He announced. Then, he started listing names. A lot of names. More than they would like to hear.

"That's a lot." Frank stated the obvious.

"I'm not done." Nico replied.

When his voice started dying down, he said the last names. "Leo Valdez and..." He looked over the group and had a sympathetic expression on his face as everyone shut their eyes and took deep breaths in mourning.

"And?" Jason finally said, trying to be strong for his friends when all he wanted to do was fall to the ground and cry.

"And Annabeth." Nico said quietly.

The entire group stopped moving in shock.

"What?" Piper asked, her voice small and her eyes large. It felt to Nico like telling a bunch of kids that their kitten had been run over.

"She died." He repeated, "I saw it as well. It was a Roman that did it, sword to the stomach. I tried to help, so did Will, but she was already gone."

Everyone stood in silence until a little whimper escaped Hazel's throat, "Percy..." She said what had been on everyone's minds. No matter what they felt for losing their friend, Percy would feel double that.

Nico nodded, wiping a hand over his face. Just then, a figure walked up behind him and Will grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Infirmary!" He practically dragged the boy with him, keeping his hand on the back of his neck while Nico protested.

Even through the hilarity of that situation, the cold feeling that rested over everyone only strengthened the more they thought. Suddenly, there was a silent question of who would tell him. Who would tell Percy.

It seemed like the obvious choice would be Hazel, who had known him for the longest besides Frank and was really sweet. She could break the news to him better than anyone there. But, she didn't want to go alone.

Frank ended up going with her, holding her hand as they made their way to the infirmary to see Percy. Hazel tried to plan what she was going to say, but could think of nothing.

Percy's leg was already almost fully healed when they got in there. They found him with one leg, that was wrapped, on the bed and the other hanging off of it. He looked anxious and his head snapped towards them when the door opened. You could clearly see the disappointment in his eyes, but he still smiled.

"Hey, guys!" He said. Frank and Hazel went to the side of his bed, Hazel sitting on the edge and Frank standing next to Percy, "How was the fight?" He asked.

"Um... It was good. Quick." Frank admitted.

"That's good..." Percy nodded, "Did I miss anything cool?"

The couple in front of him exchanged glances then looked down. Percy's eyebrows scrunched together.

"Percy," Frank squeezed his eyes shut.

The color drained from Percy's face and he looked straight at Hazel, "Where's Annabeth?" He asked.

"I'm so sorry..." Tears rushed down her cheeks and she covered her face in her hands.

"She's... gone." Frank whispered.

///

When had been the last time he kissed her?

It was right before the battle, while everyone was getting ready. Annabeth had gone over the plan with him as they stood by Thalia's tree. The rest of the camper's were patrolling the hill, not paying any attention to them.

"It's just like Capture the Flag." Percy laughed, taking her hand in his. She smiled.

"Yeah, it kind of is." She agreed. He kissed her knuckles lightly, not showing how nervous he was.

"We should go get pizza sometime, y'know. After everything is over." He looked her in the eyes, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand.

"Sounds great." Annabeth looked over towards where everyone was getting ready. Worry was evident in her grey eyes.

"It'll all be okay." Percy pulled her close in a hug, laying his head on her shoulder, "I love you, Wise Girl."

"I love you too, Seaweed Brain." Her breath was warm against the side of his neck, and he didn't want to let go. Before she could leave his grasp, he talked about the one thing that he hoped would seal the deal. Keep them both alive. The future. Their future.

"I'm thinking of going to college, y'know." He said, taking a deep breath.

"Me too." She didn't say anything else, just lifted her head off of his shoulder as he forced his arms to return back to his sides. He couldn't look her in the eyes out of embarrassment.

"Maybe we could move in together?" He swallowed, his face completely red. He wanted to see Annabeth's reaction, but he was too busy pretending to inspect the camp.

"Maybe," She breathed and he heard her wrap her arms around herself and shuffle on her feet slightly.

"Maybe... Y'know..." He'd done it now. He felt like he was about to burst into flames like Leo, just judging by the way his face was rapidly warming.

"You're completely red." Annabeth said, amused.

"I want to... Spend a long time with you. I don't want this relationship to end." He admitted.

Annabeth said nothing, but he knew she was looking straight at him so he continued to study the camp.

"I love you so much." He took a deep breath, "And, when we're older, I want to marry you."

Percy looked back to see her shocked expression. He kicked himself for saying that, for moving so fast.

But then she smiled, stepping forward. "Okay," She said, right before she put her hands against his cheeks and kissed him.

///

Percy woke up in his bed on the next morning with split knuckles and three holes in his cabin's wall.

///

He had been released from the infirmary soon after Hazel and Frank told him the news and he pushed past everyone to get to his cabin.

///

Everyone thought he was angry. And he was, after a while. But mostly he didn't want anyone to see him cry.

///

The anger had come at three a.m. as he sat on his bunk with his face in his hands. Everyone had stopped coming to his cabin door and trying to get him to unlock it many hours before, so he was all alone. They had even called in cTyson, but nothing worked.

He was angry. Angry at the camp. Angry at his friends. Angry at Will, at Nico, at Chiron. But he wasn't nearly as angry at them as he was at the gods. And himself. He was very angry at himself.

He just had to break his stupid leg. In such a stupid way too. He was an idiot to get in the way of a chariot. Idiot.

He stood, hands clenching into fists as he stormed over to the wall. He drove his fist through it, feeling the dull pain that in no way dimmed what he was feeling in his soul.

He felt warm liquid trickle down one of his knuckles and took a deep breath.

He punched the wall again.

And again, this time with his left hand.

All of his knuckles on his right hand were split when he finally calmed slightly and most of them on his left hand were as well. Blood ran down the back of his hand in little streams.

The rage that still boiled in his stomach washed away as he sat back down on his bed, clutching his hands to his chest. He thought about the last time he'd seen her.

His leg had been ran over a chariot wheel after the horses that were pulling it wouldn't respond to his commands. He was later informed by Jason that the Romans most certainly would take heed with that and plug their horses' ears so they couldn't hear his voice.

He had dived out of the way, but his leg had still gotten caught under the wheel and broken.

Milliseconds later Annabeth was next to him, telling him to be calm. He wasn't sure why at first, he didn't feel the pain yet. His shock was numbing it.

Then with a startled yelp he felt it's flame licking up his calf. Annabeth put her hand over his forward to soothe him into taking some ambrosia, but the pain made him want to throw up. He felt like he wouldn't be able to eat it.

"Percy, it'll be alright just eat the ambrosia." She ran her fingers through his hair to calm him and put her hand on his stomach to making him stop wiggling in pain, "You're only going to make it worse, Percy, just listen."

He managed to clench his teeth and stop moving, looking over at Annabeth dazedly. She smile slightly at him, but he only managed to raise his hand up slightly to point to her forehead.

"You're hurt." He said, looking at the new slash that had appeared since the last time he'd seen her. Annabeth shook her head.

"Says you." She finally got him to eat the ambrosia and drink a little bit of nectar. Instantly he felt better, but it still hurt.

Annabeth still sat with with him and talked. He voice was so soothing to him that he could just focus on her and almost not feel the pain. He just listened as she talked.

"They're on their way to take you back to camp, Percy. It'll be okay." She promised. He shook his head.

"No! I have to stay here and fight. With you." He looked up at her.

"We'll be fine." And at the look on his face she added, "I'll be fine."

Two Apollo campers came to load him onto a little makeshift gurney thing. Annabeth let go of his hand, pushing it away when he tried to reach for her again.

"You need medical attention, you have to go with them." She said, "I'll see you when you're better, I promise." She pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Annabeth..." They were waiting to take him away but he kept wiggling and trying to get to her. There was a bad feeling deep in the back of his mind that he had to stay with her. He had to.

"Go, Percy. And I'll be the first one to come see you when you're better." She promised.

And they took him away, ignoring as he protested and turned his head to see her still standing where they had left her.

Annabeth disappeared from sight when they were over the cress of the hill. She was dead just minutes later.

///

They let Percy see her after they had retrieved her from the battlefield and cleaned the blood from her.

///

He couldn't bear seeing her dead.

///

He wanted to keep the image of her alive and healthy, so he carried a picture of her in his pocket at all times.

///

He went back home a week after the war.

///

Sally asked where she was. How she was. If they were still together.

All Percy could say was "Yes, we're still together."

///

She found out from Jason, who had come to visit him.

///

She asked Percy why he lied to her.

He said he didn't. That they were still together. And he pulled the picture of her from his pocket.

"Forever. Like our promise."

///

A year later, the boys tried to set him up on a blind date. He had looked so appalled that they worried he would never be able to look the same way at them again.

///

Percy's mother gave him an engagement ring that had been his father's gift to her. He kept it on his bedside table.

///

After a while, Percy took to wearing the engagement ring on his camp necklace.

///

He had dreams about her every night. He dreamt about several things, their wedding, his proposal, their child, but not all of them were good. Sometimes he just saw her, glassy eyes looking up at the sky, a circle of blood staining her tee shirt.

///

Mr. Chase gave him some of Annabeth's possessions. Some notes, a few photos, and a blue Yankee's cap.

///

Three years after her death and after many people prodding him to get over her and find someone else, Percy finally exploded into a rage and told them the truth. That he'd never find someone else because she was the only one he could ever see himself dating.

///

After a while, he took an oath of solidarity. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

///

He could hardly sleep at night because of the nightmares now.

///

Aphrodite appeared in front of him one day. He asked her why she did this.

She told him that she had done nothing. That was the Fates. But she did tell him one thing. The reason why he could feel no powerful love any longer was simple. He had found the one person he felt it for and she was gone. He had found his soulmate... And she was gone.

He told her to get out of his apartment.

///

The rest of the Seven were all married or getting married now. Leo asked Percy if it was ever lonely.

"Of course it's lonely." Percy said, "But it's the type of loneliness that can only be satisfied by one certain person."

///

Percy never had any problems with being sworn into never being in a romantic relationship. He was fine with it. In his mind, he was in a relationship. And he would never betray her.

///

In fact, he felt more calm than he had since she had died.

///

Of course, sometimes it would sneak up on him. The pain of her being gone. But he'd be able to make it die down. He just had to remember that soon he'd be with her again. Forever.

///

That was the hardest part about losing someone. Coping with it. It was never easy, but he managed until the day he finally saw her again.