Previously:
"Rosie Cotton dancing." Sam added. "She had ribbons in her hair. If ever I was to marry someone, it would've been her." He sobbed. "It would've been her."

Percy couldn't help the tears falling down his face as he thought of Annabeth. It didn't look like either of them would get the happy ending they dreamed of right now. He and Frodo moved at the same time towards Sam. They both pulled him into a hug.

"I'm glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee, and Percy Jackson...here at the end of all things." Frodo finished.

Percy didn't fully wake up until much time had passed since the three of them had lost consciousness on the side of the mountain. He kept waking up briefly and going right back to sleep. He remembered floating over the sea of lava around the volcano. He couldn't see anything of how he was floating or where Frodo and Sam were but that mystery wasn't enough to keep him awake because he passed out again.

The next time he remembered waking up, he still felt like he was floating but he was facing up this time, resting on something. He heard voices around him. One of them was Annabeth's and the other was someone he didn't know.

"He was only in Mordor for a few hours and already he's almost as bad as Sam and Frodo are."

"We just need to give him a lot of water," that was Annabeth. "Oh, what I would give for some Ambrosia and Nectar right now!"

"He'll be fine, Lady Annabeth," was that—was that Gandalf? "He's a strong young man."

Percy passed out again before he could hear Annabeth's response.

He woke up again to silence and his eyes felt as though they were sewn shut, but in what little he could open his eyes, he saw her. Her hair was glowing gold from the sunlight coming through the window. She was focused on something going on outside the window. He didn't have time to ask what it was because he passed out yet again.

The next time he woke up, it was dark and he was more awake than he had been before. Awake enough to start inching up in the bed so he could sit up. He glanced towards the window where he remembered Annabeth sitting last time but she wasn't there this time. A quick look around the room told him that she was in the bed to his right. She was sleeping facing towards him, wrapped in the same white sheets Percy was covered in.

He decided that he didn't need to wake her up just yet so he continued to look around.  He appeared to be in the room assigned to him the night before he Vapor Traveled to Mordor. He knew because he accidentally burned a black mark in the wall behind the door with the gem he'd forgotten he had in his pocket the entire time. Putting it on the table by the window was a bad idea because apparently, it focused the light with too much intensity.

He saw the cup on the table by the window and reached for it, hoping it would have water. He still felt extremely parched from his trip to the land of no water.

Fortunately, it was filled to the brim with refreshing water. He downed it in two seconds flat. Putting it back was a little harder than before, he lost his grip so it fell to the ground with a loud crash. He winced and looked sheepishly at Annabeth, who shot up in the bed with her dagger brandished in front of her.

"Sorry," Percy whispered. "I was trying to put it back."

"You should have woken me up," Annabeth responded, getting out of the bed to pick up the cup. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," Percy answered. "I didn't want to wake you."

After putting the cup on the table, Annabeth just crawled into the bed with Percy. "I haven't been able to really sleep since you left."

"I'm sorry," Percy said quietly. "You would have demanded to come with me and I didn't have time to argue."

"You shouldn't have argued." Annabeth said, as if they had actually had the contentious conversation. "We're in this together, remember? As long as we're together, we can get through anything."

Percy sighed quietly. It was so much more than that but the daughter of Athena would have gutted him alive if she learned that he wanted to protect her from the Tartarus-like lands of Mordor. So instead he agreed with her. "You're right, I'm sorry." He said, pulling her close. "I won't do that again."

"Don't promise something you can't do, Percy," Annabeth said, sounding on the verge of tears. "Remember how we got here in the first place? Or when Hera kidnapped you?"

"Okay, I wont do it on purpose." Percy amended.

Annabeth mumbled something incoherent but before Percy could ask what it was she said, she let out a little noise through her nose that let him know she had fallen asleep. He smirked before kissing her on her head and settling into the white pillows to go back to sleep himself.

Percy assumed that the next time he woke up was the next morning because Annabeth was still in his arms and the light from the sun was streaming steadily through the windows. The maid that had accidentally dropped the wicker basket she was holding against the table by the door also might have had something to do with it.

His eyes had shot open and his hand went to his pocket out of reflex before he realized a few things; Riptide would have no affect on this lady, they weren't in any danger, and he was much too comfortable to respond to the furious blush the maid was sporting. She muttered something about how sorry she was for intruding without making eye contact with him and escaped the room as fast as she could.

He blinked, not really understanding why she got so flustered, and decided to just settle back down to cuddle with Annabeth.

Unfortunately, that didn't last very long because not five minutes later, Gandalf strode into the room with a wide smile.

"Percy!" The wizard exclaimed. "I am glad to see that you are awake! The others have been very concerned about you these last few weeks."

"Weeks?" Percy said, surprised. He started shifting so he was sitting a little more upright while still not disturbing the blonde next to him. There was no way that he'd get back to sleeping now. "What did I miss?"

"You missed Aragorn's coronation, for one," Gandalf started.

"Really?" Percy suddenly felt terrible. "I was looking forward to that!" He realized that might have been what Annabeth was looking at through the window one of the times he woke up briefly.

"Fortunately, you are awake before the Hobbits have left for the Shire." Gandalf continued, amused. "They are set to leave the day after tomorrow."

"Oh, good," Percy said, relieved. Taking Gandalf's words to mean that Frodo and Sam were alright, a weight lifted off his shoulders. His reckless move to go after the two would hardly mean anything if they didn't survive. He wasn't sure what everyone else's own plans were for heading home but he didn't want to miss saying good bye to anyone.

"Legolas and Gimli are also still here," Gandalf said, seeing his question. "They do not yet have a set day to leave."

Percy expressed his relief with a sigh. "You know, the fact that this war is over seems strange to me somehow." He said. "Considering how long we've been traveling, trying to put an end to Sauron, it seems almost a miracle that we won."

"It is all thanks to the both of you and to the hobbits." A new voice said from the door way. It was Aragorn, and on his arm was Arwen, the elf from Rivendale. Percy had to think for a moment to remember the name. It's been that long.

"It's not like I had much of a choice," Percy said, grinning. He pointed at the sleeping blond in his bed. "She's very persuasive."

"I have a feeling that all women from your world have that particular talent, however different it may be from one to another." Now it was Boromir at the doorway. He was grinning back at the demigod, who laughed at his reply.

"Clarisse is persuasive in her own way, I guess," he allowed. "I think her talents are more focused in the battle field."

"I can agree with that." Boromir said, laughing.

Before the conversation could continue, another lady bustled through the door with herbs and salves. Percy assumed she was the nurse and sat back for her to check him over. She soon deemed him well enough to leave bed rest but to take it easy for the next few days. That probably meant no going through portals. He had to wait for a while then.

Annabeth woke enough to hear the nurse's verdict and didn't seem too upset by it. In fact she seemed to have welcomed it so she could fill her mind with as much knowledge of the land of Middle Earth that she didn't have access to in their own world.

The next few days were filled with feasts. Something the hobbits and Percy were hardly complaining over. Or Gimli for that matter. The demigods would continue their training, often with Legolas and Gimli. Aragorn and Boromir were too busy trying to get Gondor back on it's own two feet. The hobbits joined them for the day they were there until they left for their own home.

Annabeth expressed her wish to join them before heading home but Percy was not well enough yet and Clarisse seemed adamant about getting them home before it was too late.

Late for what, Percy had no idea but he and Annabeth thought it best to avoid any arguments with the daughter of Ares at that time.

So Annabeth was spending her time with Gandalf, trying to figure out where another portal would be that was closer than Bree or Isengard. Those places being where Annabeth, Clarisse, and Percy wound up when they first got here.

After thorough discussion with one another, Annabeth found the commonality between the two places that the portals were at. They were places that were the most similar to the spot the portal was at in their own world. Don't ask Percy how she came to that conclusion, he could barely follow her as it is. It was because of this theory, that Annabeth and Gandalf thought they could make a portal. And that it would be more reliable than the ones that brought them to Middle Earth. The forest can change but things made of stone can last a long time. Especially if it was protected by dwarf magic, as Gimli had gladly offered his services.

Now they attempted to figure out what part of camp they would recreate so they could put it out of the way, where people wouldn't stumble across it.

"Maybe we don't need a spot in camp," Percy said, in the middle of their discussion. "What if we put it in Olympus?"

"Who's to say that some god isn't going to get too curious for their own good and barge right through?" Clarisse said. "It was good that we were the ones to go through it, any one of the Olympians or any other god would be too narcissistic or egotistical to do anything but try to take over the world."

"Apollo, Hestia, and Hermes have more honor than that," Percy protested weakly.

"Right, and how many Greek and Roman gods are there?" Clarisse folded her arms in a challenge.

Percy grumbled before sitting back to let them continue talking.

They ended up choosing one spot in Percy's cabin that was hardly used. His cabin would not have heavy foot traffic and would likely not change much over the years. Then they decided that they would put Middle Earth's version of that in the palace someplace close to Aragorn so that he would have easy access if they needed the demigod's help again.

Under Annabeth's careful watch, she and Gimli started the project, digging into the mountain to create another room that branched off one of the hallways closest to the King and Queen's rooms. It was going to be a small room, protected by a door that held similarities to a Greek doorway, with pillars of white stone, and dwarves magic to keep accidental wandering away.

Almost a month later, the hobbits had left for home, after retrieving promises from each demigod to come visit the Shire sometime soon. Gandalf left to complete his other wizarding duties. Legolas had left to visit his own home to assure Thranduil of his survival but had returned already. Apparently Gimli had promised him to go exploring in Fangorn Forest with him when he was done with the portal room. Which was now completed. They had tested it several times to make sure that it was a portal and knew that it would take them to where they needed to go. (They had reached through and brought back some clothes that had been littering the floor of Percy's cabin to make sure).

"You had better keep your promise, las," Gimli said to Annabeth as they gathered in the hall leading to their portal. "I want to see you several times before I go the way of my ancestors."

Annabeth smiled, as if knowing something he did not, but promised to keep her word.

Percy grinned at Aragorn and Boromir, clapping them both on their backs. "I am very glad to have fought with you guys." He said, turning his grin to the dwarf and elf. "It was a marvelous adventure, to be sure."

"Enough with this mushy stuff!" Clarisse exclaimed. "Let's go!"

"Always so impatient," Percy shook his head before following her lead and grabbing his pack from the floor so he could join both girls at the door. He and the girls each had the weapons they had grown attached to in this world. Percy with his sword from the elves attached to his waist, Annabeth with her dagger—also from the elves—on her thigh, and Clarisse with the orc sword she'd picked up in her hand. "You've done the math, right, Annabeth? When do you think we'll be getting back?"

"Three months after you left." Annabeth replied, staring into the room she and Gimli had created.

"Do you think, in three months, we could come back?" Percy asked. "Make it tradition?"

"I don't see why not," Clarisse said before shouldering her way into the room. "But we should go before they worry much more. Last time Percy was missing, it was almost nine months. I don't want a repeat."

Percy and Annabeth grinned at each other before following her in.

They emerged on the other side of the portal to see Percy's messy cabin and the campers through the window, going about their activities as usual.

"We're back," Percy breathed, feeling a mixture of relieved and sorrow.

"Di immortales, Percy, why is your cabin so trashy?" Clarisse grunted as she slipped on a t-shirt before catching herself on a bedpost.

"It's a skill."

"Whatever, punk," Clarisse muttered as she walked out of the cabin. "Next time we go through, your cabin had better not make me trip."

"Whatever you say, Clarisse," Percy said, smiling after her figure as she walked back to her own cabin. The younger campers she came across eyed her massive sword warily and steered clear of her.

"You should go find Sydney," Annabeth said. "You should also let your father know we're back. He can tell Tyson. I'll let Chiron know."

"Alright." Percy agreed easily. He glanced at the corner of his cabin and grinned. No matter what happened, he knew that their unexpected journey had changed their lives and would continue to do so until they died.

That's all, folks! If I find myself in the mood, I might write a bonus chapter of the three of them visiting one time but as of right now, An Unexpected Journey has reached it's end and bids you all a very fond farewell.