Nico POV

Dad was keeping me in the Underworld for the day. He wanted me to help him with his paperwork, and when I saw his desk I understood why. Papers were stacked higher than I stood, and there were stacks on every inch of available space. 

"Good gods, Father, how long have you been putting this off?" I asked.

"The farthest back this stuff goes is two days ago."

"Two days?!" I groaned. "This is going to take forever."

"That's why I want you to help. That stack there is the stack of requests for rebirth." Hades pointed at the huge stack of paper in the corner. "I'll work on other things, you do that."

I nodded. That wouldn't be hard. Walking over to the stack, I grabbed a handful and stepped into the nearest shadow, reappearing in Elysium.

"Okay...Alan Rickman..." I muttered as I walked down the street. "Died of cancer at age 69, requesting rebirth because an old friend is in the Isles of the Blest and he's trying to reach her." I rolled my eyes. "He's not gonna remember her."

Regardless, I visited the old man, recognizing him as an actor from some movies I'd seen, and explained to him what rebirth would mean. He was adamant that he didn't want to stay where he was. I nodded in resignation and sent him in the direction of the Lethe with his papers.

This went on for a few hours, I popped back to my father's office each time the papers I had ran out.

At around two in the afternoon, I was halfway done with the stack. I finished up with a young man named Thomas, who decided that rebirth wasn't for him. I had explained what it entailed and he had balked at the losing all memories part. As I did with any who changed their minds, I ripped his request papers up and took a quick trip to the Phlegethon to get rid of them.

Going back to my father's office again, I grabbed the next stack of papers. Looking down, I started to read the information, then almost dropped the entire handful in surprise.

I read it four times before it connected that I was actually reading it and this wasn't just some trick.

I began to sprint through the Underworld's version of heaven. Intangible bodies moved out of my way, since I was from down here, I could touch them and running into one of them would cause a rather painful collision.

In the end, I did run into someone. It was a complete accident, I took a corner sharply and she'd been walking through at that moment.

I landed on my back and tried to suck in air. My lungs were on fire and it felt like I had just shadow traveled across an ocean.

"Nico, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Annabeth leaned over me worriedly. She looked the same as ever, camp t-shirt and jeans, hair pulled into a ponytail. Her grey eyes sparkled with worry for me.

"I'm fine....just.....give me....a moment." I groaned, rolling onto my side.

Annabeth sat down next to me and waited for me to finish heaving. When I had finally regained control of myself, I sat up and began to gather the papers that I'd dropped. Annabeth helped and soon we had them all collected.

"Why were you running like that?" Annabeth asked curiously as I got to my feet.

I dug through the papers, trying to find the one that had been on the top before. I found it near the bottom and yanked it out, then waved it in her face.

"What the Hades is this?"

Annabeth looked at me like I'd gone crazy.

"It's my request papers for rebirth."

Now it was my turn to stare at her like she was crazy.

"What? Am I not qualified?" She crossed her arms.

"No, you're qualified-"

"Then what's the problem?"

"What about Percy?" I asked, confused. Annabeth knew he would have waited for her.

She looked down. "I don't know when Percy is going to die, Nico. I don't want to spend 40 years down here with nothing to do but wait. He'll understand, he knows I can't stay in one place too long." 

I shook my head. "I can't believe you. Percy loves you."

"I know he does, and I love him, but I don't like it here without him. What if the gods force immortality on him? I'll never see him again." She explained. "I'll go crazy if I wait for him."

"What if he goes crazy when he dies and finds out you aren't here?" I retorted. 

"Then he can choose rebirth as well." Annabeth met my eyes. "This is my choice, Nico. I love Percy with all my heart. But I don't want to be here."

I sighed. "Fine. I can't stop you." I handed her the papers and she walked away.

"Annabeth!" I called after her. "If you wait a few years and tell Percy your intentions, maybe you'll be able to be one of his kids."

"You know that won't work." She replied. "He'll slit his wrists."

I watched her walk until I couldn't see her anymore.

"I'll have to tell Percy."

[A/N so that's the last we'll see of Annabeth as Annabeth...maybe her reincarnation will return...]