When Annabeth awoke, she was confused. And she wasn't normally confused. But she soon found her heart stop in her chest as the figure in front of her came into focus.

She was sitting in a chair across from Percy.

He just sat there, with a playful smile on his face, like he had just told her a bad joke and said: Come on, you know you love me.

She wasn't aware of the tears on her face until Percy wiped one away.

"Don't give up on me, okay?" he said with a reassuring smile.

Her eyes jerked open as she lurched upwards into a sitting position. She looked around, only she was just in her bed.

"Percy?" she called out to the empty room.

The silence gave her her answer.

Her heart sunk as she shook her head, desperate to gain some form of control in the situation.

She looked at the clock. What she realized made her heart flutter within her chest.

It had been almost twenty four hours since they gave Percy the medicine.

(Medicine. If that was even the right word.)

She got up out of her bed and started getting ready to leave, trying to keep her shaking to a minimum. She pretended like she didn't have to calm herself down multiple times.

As she walked over to Percy's house, she tried not to think about the possibilities of what she would find.

She hoped the others were still asleep. Athena must have transported all of them to their own beds after they fell asleep in the park. Or maybe it had all been a dream. Annabeth didn't know how Hades felt about other gods entering the Underworld.

She shook her head Andy let her mind wander somewhere more important.

What if this was all for nothing? Maybe Percy would never wake up. Maybe he would fade away into nothing. Maybe everything would end hopelessly.

There was no Spirit of Delphi down here. No way of knowing what would happen. Everything was up to chance.

Annabeth walked up to Percy's door, shaking herself out of her thoughts. Her pounding heartbeat echoed in her chest as she opened it and started down the hallway that would lead her to his room.

She wasn't sure what was louder as she approached the door: the blood rushing in her ears or her footsteps echoing around the empty hall.

As she reached for the doorknob, she stopped to listen.

There was no sound. She hoped that was a good sign.

She all of her thoughts aside and opened the door, right as her watch beeped, signaling the end of the twenty four hours.

Her stomach turned to ice.

No.

She could faintly hear Percy's muffled scream-crying (but by now just sounded like anguished sobbing) over the ringing in her ears. Even with his hands and feet tied down he writhed on the bed - his back arching and his head flying from side to side.

Sweat poured from his face with his tears (Annabeth barely registered the fact that he couldn't get dehydrated in the Underworld, which was why he still could cry) like a river. His hair and the sheets were soaked.

His eyes were closed tight, like he was trying to shut all the pain out. Or maybe he was trying to keep it all in.

Annabeth collapsed onto the ground. There were no words for what she felt. Sometimes language and books can't put feelings into something comprehendible.

She didn't know how long she stood there when the screaming changed.

It sounded like he was actually trying to say something.

Even though her gut was telling her to turn around, to turn back, she walked over to him. Takin. A deep, steadying breath, she ripped the tape off his face in an act of desperate hope.

"-ease!"Percy cried out between sobs. "Make it stop! I'll do anything! Please!"

Annabeth didn't even register bolting out the door, leaving Percy to beg to no one.

Her heart couldn't take anymore of this.

She let her legs and instincts take her where she needed to go as she let her thoughts run rampant, something that was dangerous for a child of Athena.

Percy, Percy, please, please, please - I can't - I won't, what do I - how do I - just, just - I'll give any - I'll do anything - please - please, please -anything, anything, any-

She collapsed onto the ground, unaware of where she was or what she was doing. She only had one thought on her mind:

I need you. I need you. I need you.

I need you.

When she finally calmed down, she looked up through her red eyes to see the god of death staring down at her.

She want even scared as she got up and tried to get closer to him, only to fall back down into sobs.

"Please," she said.

(It sounded too much like Percy, back when she stupidly ripped off the tape on his mouth.)

"Please," she said again. "Isn't there anything you can do to help him?"

Hades looked at her with sad eyes. "There is nothing we can do that will not create even more damage."

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up. "So there is something we can do?"

Hades sighed. "There is a way." He paused, as if he couldn't decide whether or not to continue. "We can trade a soul's fate for his. That soul will be subjected to his current souls future."

Annabeth's heart was pounding so hard it would burst. "Then let's do that! Get Octavian here! Switch his soul's fate for Percy's!"

Hades shook his head. "You don't understand, child. The soul that will be switched with his must be at the same 'status' as his own. Meaning they must be from the Isles of the Blest."

Annabeth went cold. Hades was still speaking (something about waiting patiently), but she could hardly hear it over the plan forming in her head, weaving itself into its horrid existence like one of Arachne's tapestries.

It was insane. Terrible. A truly horrible idea.

She knew Percy would protest it with every fiber of his being.

But one thought kept coming back to her:

Anything.

"Me," she said, her single word coming out firmly, making her seem far braver than she felt.

Hades stopped talking and simply stared at her.

"Take me," she said again in the same firm tone. "Let me switch my soul's fate for Percy's."

okay. I'm alive! *ducks rotten tomatoes* How rude, I am allergic to tomatoes.

So yeah. I haven't updated in a while. My excuses:

1) Writers block (I know you all feel me)

2) Stranger Things 2 (if you saw it, you know why I am obsessed)

3) FREAKING INFINITY WAR COMES OUT IN LESS THAN A MONTH AND IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MY SMALL BEAN PETER PARKER I WILL RIP THE THROAT OUT OF ANY AND ALL DIRECTORS AND SCREENWRITERS.

4) laziness (zzzz)

So, sorry about the delay! Truly apologetic here! I swear!

Alright guys. This is where I need you.

I'm running low on ideas. Like, dangerous lot low.

Like, I-don't-know-how-Percabeth-can/should-get-out-of-this-one low.

So I need you guys and your genius brains to think of ways this could go about. Give my entire effing paragraphs for all I care. I need ideas. If I like it enough, I'll use it!

And once we get past the main plot, I'm thinking about going further. Like, a bunch of one or two shots about life beyond death for our heroes!

If you want to read more, please please please give me your opinions! I read every single one of your reviews and hey light up my day. Please review, it helps! Really!

Last thing! I swear!

Okay, so the summary of this story probably sucks. Not gonna lie. So I'm having a contest. PM your best version of a summary of this story to use for the description, and I'll pick the best one. If no one does, I'll be okay, I'll just continue to cry myself to sleep... jk.

But for real. It sucks and I would love for you guys to help me with that. Feel free to!