(Click on the picture if you want to cry)

"Percy...?'' Annabeth called out as she entered
the stables. She was worried about him. She hadn't seen him after he ran from the room which housed Silena and Beckendorfs bodies.

They were engaged, Annabeth had realised after she noticed a huge diamond ring on Silena's finger. She felt a fresh pool of tears form in her eyes when she remembered she could never meet her friend again, or ever congratulate her.

But she pushed them aside. She had to find Percy. She knew he must be blaming himself for their deaths, he was very close to Beckendorf, he viewed him as an older brother.

"Ann...Annabeth?'' she heard. She followed the voice until she came upon a dishevelled Percy in Blackjacks stall.

He wiped his tears as he watched her enter and gave her a weak smile.

"How....how are you wise girl?'' he chocked out.

Annabeth felt her heart break. He was trying so hard to be strong for her.

"Don't even try Seaweed Brain," she sighed.

She watched as Percy cracked, slowly letting the sobs escape this throat as he crumbled to the floor again.

She went and sat down next to him , silent tears spilling from her eyes as well.

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth whispered as she reached out to touch his tear- stricked face.

"If only I made them come with us.....If only I pushed harder....If only I...'' Percy croaked.

Annabeth put her finger on his lips, her tears were falling much faster now.

"They made their choice Percy....no one could have seen this coming," she lost it. She sobbed out loud as Percy moved to hold her, burying his face in her hair and crying as well.

Annabeth tried to hold him, turning her face towards his. But given their close proximity, her lips accidentally brushed against his.

She felt him suck in a breath, as she buried her face in his chest again.

"Sorry," she chocked out. He didnt reply, but pulled her closer into him. The light brush of his lips against hers was enough to send shivers up Annabeths spine. For a moment, I everything was okay. But it wasn't.

"Becky had proposed. Did you notice?" Percy said after a while of just holding each other.

Annabeth nodded against him. "I should have known Beckendorf was going to propose, seeing the look on his face after we interrupted. It was priceless"

Percy felt Annabeth laugh, the vibration echoed through him. He pulled back and lifted her chin with his finger, so she could look him in the eye.

Her tear-stricken face matched his own, along with her racing heartbeat.

In that moment, Percy remembered something beckendorf had told him.

"Remember Perce, once you find the person you love, kiss her and never let her go," Beckendorf had said after Percy returned from the stables after Malcolm's death,to get cleaned up.

Beckendorf had found him before he entered his room, wearing nothing but his "ANDROMEDA SHIP" nightshirt and his boxers.

''What?" Percy had asked, confused. Beckendorf just smiled sheepishly, and walked away.

At this moment, sitting there with Annabeth in his arms, Percy understood exactly what he'd meant.

He pulled her closer, and they just sat there, until it was time to freshen up for the Funeral.

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Leo had had bad days before, but his big brother Beckendorf had always been there.

Today, it was his brothers god damned funeral. Leo sat in his room, staring at himself in the mirror. His eyes were red and puffy, hair messier than ever.  In his hand was the locket Beckendorf always wore. Leo didn't want to open it, his brother never let him. He'd say, I'll show you some other time, Leonidas.

When it was time to smile at people offering him their condolences, aka the funeral, Calypso came into his room.

She didn't say anything, just handed him some clothes and combed his hair once he was done changing. Her eyes were red, showing that she'd cried a fair amount too.

Hephaestus had taken the time to attend the funeral. He stood next to Leo, silent tears in his eyes.

Silena and Charles were buried next to each other, together in death.

Soon enough, Hephaestus approached Leo. He'd seen this coming.

"My son, Leo, you should address the people. Now that you're heir you....."

Leo couldn't take it. He'd just watched his elder brother be buried with his fiancee, and now they wanted him to address the people?! In Beckendorf's place !?

No. Leo wouldn't do that. Not yet.

"Dad no. I'm not gonna address the people today. You talk to them if you want. I'm out. " Saying thus, he walked back into the Pallas, leaving a dumbstruck Hephaestus and everyone else in the burial ground.

He made his way up the the furthest balcony, and wasn't surprised to see Piper, looking out at the maze.

"Leo," she said, without turning around. "Hephaestus brought up the heir thing?"

Leo nodded and sat down next to her, placing his head on her shoulder.

"Really makes you wonder how Annabeth did it huh?" Piper whispered.

Leo nodded, he lifted his head up and she could see a pool of tears in his eye.

"Gods...I can't believe Drew's about to become heir," Piper chuckled weakly.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a golden chain, with a locket identical to Charles'.

Without a word, she handed it to Leo.

Confused, he opened it.

Leo slid to the ground, his body racked with sobs. He hadn't thought he had any tears left in him, but seeing Charles and Silena fondly gazing at each other in that locket......

Piper sat beside Leo and held him close, silently sobbing.

Leo's hands were shaking, but he managed to hand Silena's chain back to Piper and pull out Charles'.

This time he opened it, and cried harder.

Piper gasped and finally cried openly. It was the same locket. A symbol of their love for each other.

"Pipes he'd proposed, they would've gotten married," Leo choked out.

"I know....." Piper whispered.

They held onto each other and cried.

Leo felt another set arms wrap around Piper and himself.

It was Clarisse.

"They wouldn't have wanted this," she whispered in the warmest tone they ever heard. "They wouldn't want to see you so sad."

"I can't help it..,.he was my everything," Leo said, trying his best to not let his tears spill.

"They...they were in love ! They were dating for Gods knows how long !" Piper chocked out.

"4 years," Clarisse whispered, hugging them tighter.

"You knew?" Leo said, turning to her with disbelieving eyes.

Clarisse nodded.

"Could...could you tell us their story ?" Piper whispered, looking at Clarisse with pure pain in her eyes.

Clarisse gave them a small smile, from her eyes slipped a single tear, she wiped it off and took a deep breath. "It all began when..."

Any suggestions ?

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Happy new year!!!

Stay tuned !!!!
---S & D