"Was the operation successful?"

"It was." 

"Is she awake?"

"Not yet. She's sedated."

"When are they planning to tell her?"

"Soon after she wakes up."

"Is Bane still in the capitol?"

"I believe so."

"Can you get him a message?"

"Possibly."

"Tell him to hunt down that weaselly kid with the bad hair and glasses. I've had an idea."

Alec Lightwood

I don't know how long we kiss for. Too long, really. But I haven't felt Magnus' lips on mine in so long, that I can hardly bring myself to pull away. Finally I do.

"Alec-" he starts. 

"No. Me first. What the hell is going on here? Who brought me here, and why? What happened to Clary? Are the games-"

"The games are over. Annabeth Chase of district one is the victor."

I swallow hard. "Clary-"

"Is alive, but in a coma, from which she can only be awakened by true love's kiss. As to who brought you here and why... I was hoping you could tell me that."

I shake my head. "I have no idea. I was talking to Clary, and then I went to bed, and I woke up here. That's all I know. And why can't Jace wake her up?"

Magnus winces. "Jace is no longer with us, Alexander."

Suddenly it feels hard to breathe. "No. How-?"

"Suicide."

It seems unthinkable. Jace was so strong. He was so hesitant to let anyone or anything control him. "What happened?" I choke out, trying in vain to hold back tears.

"After we faked Clary's death in the Arena, some unforseen complications prevented us from contacting him. By the time we got there, it was too late."

I bury my head in my hands. It can't be true; I would know. He can't be dead. Not Jace. 

"Isabelle-"

My head snaps up. "Is she alright?"

Magnus sighs. "She's... coping. Your parents were out the day Jace died. She's the one who found him. It's been hard on her, but Sigfried-"

"Simon," I correct him. 

"Yes, Simon..." Magnus trails off, then his eyes widen. "Shit! Simon. Of course! How could I be so stupid?"

I stare at him in confusion. "What?"

"There's really no time to explain." He gives me an apologetic look. "I'll be back as soon as possible." In the doorway, he pauses. "I- I love you, Alec." 

I stare at the ground. "I know."

With a sigh, Magnus Bane closes the door, leaving me with nothing but more reasons than ever to feel hopeless. 

Annabeth Chase

I dream that I am back in District One. 

I see Thalia knocking on the door of my house, and Magnus opens it.

His eyes light up. "Thalia! Did you see Percy?"

My friend smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Not this time, kid."

My father comes up behind Magnus, and his eyes meet Thalia's. He frowns. "Hey, Magnus, why don't you go down to the training center? I saw Alex go by a few minutes ago."

My brother perks up at the mention of our neighbor. Although they're only twelve, I've suspected for awhile that the two are something more than friends. "Sure. See ya later, Dad, Thalia." He practically sprints down the street.

Dad and Thalia go inside. "Coffee?" he offers. She shakes her head, and they sit down at the kitchen table. Their expressions are serious. 

"How is he?" 

Thalia sighs. "I did get into the apartment this time, while he was asleep. Judging from the state of the room, he's been drinking. A lot. The place is a disaster. I'm worried, Mr. Chase. What if he tries to hurt himself? He's not stable."

My dad shakes him head. "We have to do something. If Annabeth comes home and sees him like this... it won't be good."

Are they talking about Percy? They can't be. Percy hasn't touched a drop of alcohol in his life. He barely drinks soda. 

But who else could it be?

"-nothing we can do," Thalia is saying. "He won't let a soul in there when he's sober. I wish Chiron were here; he might be able to get somewhere." 

"Do you think Posiedon-?"

Thalia scoffs. "Has Athena ever been there for Annabeth when she needed her? Has Zeus ever been there for me? The gods don't care about us; to them we're nusiances. That's never going to change."

Dad sighs. "I can't give up on him, Thalia. He means too much to my kids. We have to figure something out." 

It has to be Percy. But what happened?

I'm afraid I know the answer, and I don't like it.

Brenda

All of this feels wrong.

I don't know when I started doubting. There was a time when I believed in our mission. In Dr. Paige. I thought that WICKED was good. Now... I don't know what to think.

Chuck. Rachel. Winston. People I might have been friends with in another world. People whose lives were stolen from them for the sake of brain patterns. 

Don't even get me started on Thomas.

There was a time when I thought we might have had something. I was a fool. I fell in love with him. 

That was Before.

Before we came to Fandom, and were separated because he was destined for the Glade. Before he lost his memories of Before, and I didn't. Before I realized that he never could have loved me anyway, because he was in love with Newt. 

None of those things made his death any less painful to watch. I will live out the remainder of my days knowing that I could have prevented it. I could have called those Dementors back with the push of a button, but I didn't. Why? Because I am selfish. 

I do not want to die.

A monitor starts to beep, reminding me where I am. 

The girl inhabiting the hospital bed in front of me is thin, but has gained considerable weight since she left the arena. Her wavy blonde hair is fanned out on the pillow, framing her pale face. And her piercing grey eyes are open. 

"Where am I?" Annabeth asks. 

"In a hospital in the Capitol."

She stares at me. "Why? Shouldn't I be preparing for the interviews and stuff?"

"Your wound was badly infected, and we preformed a highly invasive operation. We wanted to keep you here to make sure you were stable," I tell her. None of that is a lie. 

"Why are you here?" 

"To do an evaluation." To tell you something that could ruin your life. 

"Well, get on with it."

I pull up the questions on my tablet computer. "How does your chest feel?"

"Fine. Normal. It doesn't hurt. " 

"What about your head?"

"Still a little sore, but not bad."

I ask every question, and she answers each one to my satisfaction. And now... one more question. "When was the last time you menstruated?"

Annabeth tilts her head to one side, and thinks. "It was... before the reaping. Before Percy and I..." Her eyes widen. "No."

I swallow hard. "I'm afraid so."

"I'm..."

"Yes. You're pregnant."

HEYYYY I ACTUALLY UPDATED! YAY ME! Are y'all surprised about Annabeth being pregnant? Have any theories? Suggestions for future chapters? Ok, here's a hint for the next chapter: It goes back in Annabeth's memory to when she and Percy slept together. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!