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Chapter Text

The poison was approaching them from all sides. Percy was scared. He couldn't let it hurt them, hurt Annabeth. Something inside him cracked, like glass has shattered within his chest.

As a strange warmth filled his blood, the tide of poison stopped in its tracks.

The curls of liquid snaked across the ground, but not towards him anymore, but back at the goddess, Rolling over the ground in waves and streaming over rocks.

"What is this?" Akhlys shrieked.

"Poison. I thought that was your specialty."

Percy stood, and as he did so, the heat in his veins grew with his anger. A flood of venom rushing towards the goddess, poisonous fumes causing her to hack and for her eyes to well up with tears.

Good. More water.

Percy forced her tears right back at her, filling her nose and throat with them.

Akhlys gagged violently and tried to speak, but managed no more than a weak stutter.

The streams of poison cooked around her feet, splashing as sizzling with the contact. She cried out in pain, stumbling backwards.

"Percy!" He heard someone call out. Annabeth.

She eyed him with caution. She had retreated, almost toppling over the cliff. The poison wasn't after her, but she still regarded him warily.

Percy managed to stop, but barely.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Just the sound of her voice calmed his fury a bit.

Percy gestured, trying to explain. "I can't... control it, exactly. But it listens to me, follows my wishes."

"How?" Annabeth asked, although Percy knew she understood. He shrugged.

"I'm not sure. It felt strange, like there was heat rushing through me. And something shattered. Here." He explained, brushing a finger over his chest.

"Impossible!" Akhlys yelped. "Poison is mine!" She stretched a gnarled hand towards the lake around her, but it didn't respond. Just to see what would happen, Percy willed it to creep closer to her feet.

"Percy," Annabeth asked, but it was as much of a command as it was a question. "Can you let me through?"

Percy focused, using nothing but his willpower to push it away for her, clearing a path. She stepped through, her trust in him absolute, trusting him with her life just as he trusted her with his.

Once she reached his side, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. The gesture was familiar, comfortable.

"Can you sense me? My body?" She asked seriously, and Percy closed his eyes. He felt in the air for her.

"Yeah," he whispered, as he sensed her in his mind. It was astounding how little effort it took, how easy it was.

"Could you control it?"

He felt how easily the water in her body would jump to serve him, if he wanted it to. It frightened him, the sheer amount of control he had.

"Yes."

"And her?" Annabeth asked, tilting her head towards the goddess

Akhlys fell silent, looking almost scared. Of Percy.

He reached out again, prodding the air around him with his senses.

"I can."

"Can you kill her quickly? Will you?"

Percy considered, but there wasn't much thought. She had hurt him. She had hurt Annabeth. She deserved this.

"Yes."

"Do it."

He pulled at the air, and with a terrible shriek, the goddess dissolved into mist, blown away in the hot Tartarus air.

Annabeth fell silent for a second. Then she turned, looking into his eyes.

"I trust you." Annabeth muttered.

"I know." Percy responded gently.

She laughed slightly, a clear, beautiful sound.

"You have to be careful though. If the gods found out, or anyone else, they wouldn't hesitate to-"

"I'll be careful," Percy promised, cutting her off."But... you're not scared?" He asked, somewhat nervous as to what the answer would be. This strange power scared him, despite the fact he was the one controlling it.

However, his girlfriend simply smiled. " If it wasn't you, yes." she admitted. "But I've always known you were powerful― you blew up a volcano at 14, for Hade's sake! Do you really think I would still be here if I was scared?"

Percy leaned on his shoulder, in that moment, happy she was there. Yeah, they were stuck in Tartarus with next to no supplies with little chance of survival, but he had Annabeth, and right now, that was all he needed.

He felt the broken glass in his body, the warmth coursing through him. It didn't smooth over again.

Chapter Text

His voice sounded like a backward recording—as if the words were being sucked into the vortex of his face rather than projected. In fact, everything seemed to be drawn toward the face of this god—the dim light, the poisonous clouds, the essence of the monsters, even Annabeth's own fragile life force.

She looked around and realized that every object on this vast plain had grown a vaporous comet's tail—all pointing toward Tartarus.

Everything except Percy, who, despite everything, still stood tall, glaring defiantly at the god.

Annabeth knew she should say something, but her instincts told her to hide, to avoid doing anything that would draw the god's attention. (Although that would be hard with Percy next to her. He had a habit of pissing off powerful beings.)

Besides, what could she say? You won't get away with this!

That wasn't true. She had only survived this long because Tartarus was savoring his new form. He wanted the pleasure of physically ripping them to pieces. Percy might be able to hold his own for a little longer, but no more than a few minutes without help.

If Tartarus wished, Annabeth had no doubt he could devour her existence with a single thought, as easily as he'd vaporized Hyperion and Krios. Would there be any rebirth from that? Annabeth didn't want to find out.

Next to her, Percy clenched his sword tighter, eyes still defiant. For a moment, he seemed as ethereal as the primordial they were facing. His eyes glowed green as he flashed a terrifying smirk full of too-sharp, too-shiny teeth.

Tartarus hissed again—possibly laughing. However, it did give Annabeth a twisted sense of pleasure to see that the god seemed slightly nervous under his chuckle. He didn't expect Percy to stand up to him so fearlessly.

Your fear smells wonderful, said the god. I see the appeal of having a physical body with so many senses. Perhaps my beloved Gaea is right, wishing to wake from her slumber.

He stretched out his massive purple hand and might have plucked Annabeth up like a weed, but Bob interrupted.

"Begone!" The Titan leveled his spear at the god. "You have no right to meddle!"

Meddle? Tartarus turned. I am the lord of all creatures of the darkness, puny Iapetus. I can do as I please.

His black cyclone face spun faster. The howling sound was so horrible, Annabeth fell to her knees and clutched her ears. Bob stumbled, the wispy comet tail of his life force growing longer as it was sucked toward the face of the god.

Bob roared in defiance. He charged and thrust his spear at Tartarus's chest. Before it could connect, Tartarus swatted Bob aside like he was a pesky insect. The Titan went sprawling.

Why do you not disintegrate? Tartarus mused. You are nothing. You are even weaker than Krios and Hyperion.

Percy hissed quietly at those words, apparently displeased that Tartarus was treating his friend so callously.

The light in his eyes flashed again, but Annabeth touched his shoulder gently, and he calmed. Even Percy had no chance against a being this powerful.

"I am Bob," said Bob.

Tartarus hissed. What is that? What is Bob?

"I choose to be more than Iapetus," said the Titan. "You do not control me. I am not like my brothers."

The collar of his coveralls bulged. Small Bob leaped out. The kitten landed on the ground in front of his master, then arched his back and hissed at the lord of the abyss.

As Annabeth watched, Small Bob began to grow, his form flickering until the little kitten had become a full-sized, translucent skeletal saber-toothed tiger.

"Also," Bob announced, "I have a good cat."

No-Longer-Small Bob sprang at Tartarus, sinking his claws into Tartarus's thigh. The tiger scrambled up his leg, straight under the god's chain-link skirt.

Tartarus stomped and howled, apparently no longer enamored with having a physical form. Meanwhile, Bob thrust his spear into the god's side, right below his breastplate.

Tartarus roared. He swatted at Bob, but the Titan backed out of reach. Bob thrust out his fingers. His spear yanked itself free of the god's flesh and flew back to Bob's hand, which made Annabeth gulp in amazement.

She'd never imagined a broom could have so many useful features. Small Bob dropped out of Tartarus's skirt. He ran to his master's side, his saber-toothed fangs dripping with golden ichor.

You will die first, Iapetus, Tartarus decided. Afterward, I will add your soul to my armor, where it will slowly dissolve, over and over, in eternal agony.

Tartarus pounded his fist against his breastplate. Milky faces swirled in the metal, silently screaming to get out.

Bob turned toward Percy and Annabeth. The Titan grinned, which probably would not have been Annabeth's reaction to a threat of eternal agony.

"Take the Doors," Bob said. "I will deal with Tartarus."

Tartarus threw back his head and bellowed—creating a vacuum so strong that the nearest flying demons were pulled into his vortex face and shredded.

Deal with me? the god mocked. You are only a Titan, a lesser child of Gaea! I will make you suffer for your arrogance. And as for your tiny mortal friends...

Tartarus swept his hand toward the monster army, beckoning them forward.

DESTROY THEM!

Chapter Text

Annabeth dove for the chains holding the Doors of Death. Her drakon-bone blade cut through the left-side moorings in a single swipe. Meanwhile, Percy drove back the first wave of monsters. He stabbed an arai and yelped, "Gah! Stupid curses!"

Then, he clenched his fist and waved his hand in a sweeping motion across the air. About a dozen telkhines disintegrated. She had no idea how, but knew this was not the time to ask.

Annabeth lunged behind him and sliced through the chains on the other side.

The Doors shuddered, then opened with a pleasant Ding!

Bob and his saber-toothed sidekick continued to weave around Tartarus's legs, attacking, and dodging to stay out of his clutches.

They didn't seem to be doing much damage, but Tartarus lurched around, obviously not used to fighting in a humanoid body. He swiped and missed, swiped and missed.

More monsters surged toward the Doors. A spear flew past Annabeth's head. She turned and stabbed an empousa through the gut, then dove for the Doors as they started to close.

She kept them open with her foot as she fought. At least with her back to the elevator car, she didn't have to worry about attacks from behind.

"Percy, get over here!" she yelled.

He joined her in the doorway, his face dripping with sweat, and blood from several cuts, as well as a thick layer of monster dust.

"You okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "Got some kind of pain curse from that arai."

He hacked a griffon out of the air. "Hurts, but it won't kill me. Get in the elevator. I'll hold the button."

"Yeah, right!" She smacked a carnivorous horse in the snout with the butt of her sword and sent the monster stampeding through the crowd.

"You promised, Seaweed Brain. We would not get separated! Ever again!"

"You're impossible!"

"Love you too!"

An entire phalanx of Cyclopes charged forward, knocking smaller monsters out of the way. Annabeth figured she was about to die.

"It had to be Cyclopes," she grumbled.

Percy gave a battle cry. At the Cyclopes' feet, a red vein in the ground burst open, spraying the monsters with liquid fire from the Phlegethon.

The firewater might have healed mortals, but it didn't do the Cyclopes any favors. They combusted in a tidal wave of heat. The burst vein sealed itself, but nothing remained of the monsters except a row of scorch marks.

"Annabeth, you have to go!" Percy said. "We can't both stay!"

"No!" she cried. "Duck!"

He didn't ask why. He crouched, and Annabeth vaulted over him, bringing her sword down on the head of a heavily tattooed ogre.

At almost the exact same moment, Percy yelled again, causing another vein to erupt with water from the Lethe. A bunch of empousa and dracaena paused on the spot, looking around confusedly.

She and Percy stood shoulder to shoulder in the doorway, waiting for the next wave. The exploding vein had given the monsters pause, but it wouldn't be long before they remembered: Hey, wait, there's seventy-five gazillion of us, and only two of them.

"Well, then," Percy said, "you have a better idea?"

Annabeth wished she did.

———-————

As Bob's attacks started to slow, the monsters turned to watch, as if sensing that their master Tartarus was about to take the spotlight. The death of a Titan was worth seeing.

Percy gripped Annabeth's hand. "Stay here. I've got to help him."

"Percy, you can't," she croaked. "Tartarus can't be fought. Not by us."

However, she wasn't sure if that was true anymore. Percy was powerful, and ever since Akhlys, even more so. He might be able to hold Tartarus off, if only for a few seconds.

However, she couldn't stand to let him charge to his death. Annabeth also knew that Percy wouldn't listen, especially if he knew he had a chance, no matter how slim.

He couldn't leave Bob to die alone. That just wasn't him—and that was one of the many reasons she loved him, even if he was an Olympian-sized pain in the podex.

"We'll go together," Annabeth decided, knowing this would be their final battle. If they stepped away from the Doors, they would never leave Tartarus. At least they would die fighting side by side.

She was about to say: Now.

A ripple of alarm passed through the army. In the distance, Annabeth heard shrieks, screams, and a persistent boom, boom, boom that was too fast to be the heartbeat in the ground—more like something large and heavy, running at full speed.

An Earthborn spun into the air as if he'd been tossed. A plume of bright- green gas billowed across the top of the monstrous horde like the spray from a poison riot hose. Everything in its path dissolved.

Across the swath of sizzling, newly empty ground, Annabeth saw the cause of the commotion. She started to grin.

The Maeonian drakon spread its frilled collar and hissed, its poison breath filling the battlefield with the smell of pine and ginger. It shifted its hundred- foot-long body, flicking its dappled green tail and wiping out a battalion of ogres.

Riding on its back was a red-skinned giant with flowers in his rust-colored braids, a jerkin of green leather, and a drakon-rib lance in his hand.

"Damasen!" Annabeth cried.

The giant inclined his head. "Annabeth Chase, I took your advice. I chose a new fate."

Chapter Text

Damasen leveled his lance and charged.

The monstrous army swarmed him, but the Maeonian drakon flattened everything in its path, sweeping its tail and spraying poison while Damasen jabbed at Tartarus, forcing the god to retreat like a cornered lion.

The whole field exploded as several more veins erupted, thrown at Tartarus by Percy in a huge tidal wave. It didn't affect the Primordial much, but did cause him to topple backwards and caused a momentary distraction.

Bob stumbled away from the battle, his saber-toothed cat at his side. Percy gave them as much cover as he could—causing blood vessels in the ground to burst one after the other.

Some monsters were vaporized in Styx water. Others got a Cocytus shower and collapsed, weeping hopelessly. The rest were doused with liquid Lethe and stared blankly around them, no longer sure where they were or even who they were.

Bob limped to the Doors. Golden ichor flowed from the wounds on his arms and chest. His janitor's outfit hung in tatters. His posture was twisted and hunched, as if Tartarus's breaking the spear had broken something inside him. Despite all that, he was grinning, his silver eyes bright with satisfaction.

"Go," he ordered. "I will hold the button."

Percy gawked at him. "Bob, you're in no condition—"

"Percy." Annabeth's voice threatened to break. She hated herself for letting Bob do this, but she knew it was the only way. "We have to."

"We can't just leave them!"

"You must, friend." Bob clapped Percy on the arm, nearly knocking him over. "I can still press a button. And I have a good cat to guard me."

Small Bob growled in agreement.

"Besides," Bob said, "it is your destiny to return to the world. Put an end to this madness of Gaea."

A screaming Cyclops, sizzling from poison spray, sailed over their heads.

Fifty yards away, the Maeonian drakon trampled through monsters, its feet making sickening squish squish noises as if stomping grapes. On its back, Damasen yelled insults and jabbed at the god of the pit, taunting Tartarus farther away from the Doors.

Tartarus lumbered after him, his iron boots making craters in the ground. You cannot kill me! he bellowed. I am the pit itself. You might as well try to kill the earth. Gaea and I—we are eternal. We own you, flesh and spirit!

Percy sent a wave of the drakon's poison straight at Tartarus, distracting him for a second. Tartarus brought down his massive fist, but Damasen sidestepped, impaling his javelin in the side of his neck.

Tartarus growled, apparently more annoyed than hurt. He turned his swirling vacuum face toward the giant, but Damasen got out of the way in time. A dozen monsters were sucked into the vortex and disintegrated.

"Bob, don't!" Percy said, his eyes pleading. "He'll destroy you permanently. No coming back. No regeneration."

Bob shrugged. "Who knows what will be? You must go now. Tartarus is right about one thing. We cannot defeat him. We can only buy you time."

The Doors tried to close on Annabeth's foot.

"Twelve minutes," said the Titan. "I can give you that."

"Percy...hold the Doors."

Annabeth jumped and threw her arms around the Titan's neck. She kissed his cheek, her eyes so full of tears, she couldn't see straight. Bob's stubbly face smelled of cleaning supplies—fresh lemony furniture polish and Murphy Oil wood soap.

"Monsters are eternal," she told him, trying to keep herself from sobbing."We will remember you and Damasen as heroes, as the best Titan and the best giant. We'll tell our children. We'll keep the story alive. Someday, you will regenerate."

Bob ruffled her hair. Smile lines crinkled around his eyes.

"That is good. Until then, my friends, tell the sun and the stars hello for me. And be strong. This may not be the last sacrifice you must make to stop Gaea."

He pushed her away gently. "No more time. Go."

Annabeth grabbed Percy's arm. She dragged him into the elevator car. She had one last glimpse of the Maeonian drakon shaking an ogre like a sock puppet, Damasen jabbing at Tartarus's legs.

The god of the pit pointed at the Doors of Death and yelled: "Monsters, stop them!"

Small Bob the saber-toothed crouched and snarled, ready for action.

Percy hissed, and the first line of monsters exploded into dust, buying them a few seconds.

Bob winked at Annabeth. "Hold the Doors closed on your side," he said. "They will resist your passage. Hold them—"

The panels slid shut

Chapter Text

Percy raised his sword. He hurled himself at the giant, but Polybotes swept his hand through the water, leaving an arc of black oily poison. Percy charged straight into it faster than Jason could yell, "Dude, what are you thinking?"

However, the poison didn't even seem to affect him, instead blasting away from the demigod as Percy charged right through it.

Jason could have sworn the demigod's eyes had momentarily turned the same green as the poison, but he had probably imagined it.

Noxious clouds expanded around the giant, filling the ruins like thick cigar smoke.

Jason scrambled backwards, but not fast enough. However, his ventus proved a useful filter. As the poison engulfed him, the miniature tornado spun faster, repelling the clouds.

When some got too close for his liking, Percy simply flicked his hand, sending it away. Kymopoleia wrinkled her nose and waved away the darkness, but otherwise it didn't seem to affect her.

"Kym!!"Jason yelled. "Is this really what you want?'

The storm goddess looked rather bored, idly spinning her metal disc. "Unlimited power? Why not?"

"But is it any fun?" Jason asked. "So you destroy our ship. You destroy the entire coastline of the world. Once Gaia wipes out human civilization, who's left to fear you? You'll still be unknown."

Polybotes snarled and tried to charge at him, but Percy distracted the giant by seizing his massive trident and jerking it wildly to the side.

"Actually, Jason Grace," Kym said, studying her fingernails, "now that you mention it, I do enjoy being feared by mortals. I am not feared enough."

"I can help with that!" He yelled as Percy kicked the giant in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards.

"AUGH!" The giant staggered.

He flew to Kym's side. "You know gods depend on mortals. The more we honour you, the more powerful you get."

"Wouldn't know. I've never been honoured!"

She ignored Polybotes, who was now stampeding around her, trying to swat Percy and yank Jason out of his whirlwind. He was doing pretty badly, as Percy had managed to get the giant's trident-arm tangled in his own net.

"I can change that," he promised. "I will personally arrange a shrine for you on Temple Hill in New Rome. Your first ever Roman shrine! I'll raise one at Camp Half-Blood as well, right on the shore of Long Island Sound. Imagine, being honoured –"

"And feared."

"-and feared by both Greeks and Romans. You'll be famous!"

"STOP TALKING!" Polybotes swung his trident like a baseball bat.

Jason ducked. Kym did not. The giant slammed her in the ribcage so hard that strands of her jellyfish hair came loose and drifted through the poisoned water.

Polybotes's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, Kymopoleia. You shouldn't have been in the way!"

"IN THE WAY?" The goddess straightened. "I am in the way?"

"You heard him," Percy pitched in, catching onto Jason's plan. "You're nothing but a tool for the giants. They'll cast you aside as soon as they're through destroying the mortals. Then no demigods, no shrines, no fear, no respect."

"LIES!" Polybotes tried to stab him, but Percy sent him flying backwards with a stream of water. "Kymopoleia, when Gaia rules, you will rage and storm without restraint!"

"Will there be mortals to terrorize?" Kym asked.

"Well ... no."

"Ships to destroy? Demigods to cower in awe?"

"Um..."

"Help us," Jason urged. "Together, a goddess and a demigod can kill a giant."

"No!" Polybotes suddenly looked very nervous. "No, that's a terrible idea. Gaia will be most displeased!"

"If Gaia wakes," Jason said. "The mighty Kymopoleia can help us make sure that never happens. Then all demigods will honour you big-time!"

"Will they cower?" Kym asked.

"Tons of cowering! Plus your name in the summer programme. A custom-designed banner. A cabin at Camp Half-Blood. Two shrines. We'll even throw in a Kymopoleia action figure." Percy added.

"No!" Polybotes wailed. "Not merchandising rights!"

Kymopoleia turned on the giant. "I'm afraid that deal beats what Gaia has offered."

"Unacceptable!" the giant bellowed. "You cannot trust this vile Roman or his Greek companion!!"

Percy's eyes flashed dangerously, seemingly offended at being referred to as a 'Greek companion'.

"If I don't honour the bargain," Jason said, "Kym can always kill me. With Gaia, she has no

guarantee at all."

"That," Kym said, "is difficult to argue with."

As Polybotes struggled to answer, Jason charged forward and stabbed his javelin in the giant's gut. Kym lifted her bronze disc from its pedestal.

"Say goodbye, Polybotes."

Chapter Text

Even in the midst of the fight, Jason didn't, couldn't fail to notice that out of all the demigods fighting alongside the gods, Percy was the only one that looked truly godlike himself.

Him, and a bearded man Jason assumed to be Poseidon, stood side to side, driving Otis and Ephialtes closer and closer to the edge of the cliff.

The two moved in unison, the demigod easily matching his father in battle prowess. Percy shouted in defiance, slamming his hands on the ground.

The entire Parthenon shook with the force of the earthquake that followed, knocking monsters, giants, demigods and even some gods off their feet as easily as if they were pebbles.

In that moment, Jason could have sworn that Percy's eyes glowed.

——————————————-

Porphyrion laughed. 'You demigods have learned nothing. We need only one more thing from you to make our victory complete.

The giant king smiled expectantly. He seemed to be looking at Percy Jackson.

Piper glanced over. Percy's nose was still bleeding. About to shout out a warning, her voice suddenly failed her. Staring wide eyed at the blood trickling down his chin, she was speechless. Then again, could she really call it blood if it was a rich gold colour, thick and beautiful, instead of the red it should have been?

Percy Jackson wasn't mortal. He was a god, and Piper suspected he may have been for a while. After Tartarus... he hasn't been the same.

A single drop of blood- no , Ichor, fell from his chin. It hit the ground between his feet and sizzled like water on a frying pan.

The blood of Olympus watered the ancient stones.

The Acropolis groaned and shifted as the Earth Mother woke.

-------------------------------------------------------

Gaea never expected to be defeated by demigods. Yes, there was the whole Prophecy of Seven thing, but she assumed that they would have help from the gods.

However, that wasn't the case, although that Son of Poseidon had seemed awfully god-like, he wasn't a god. At least not yet.

The primordial of the earth had been shocked- no, not shocked, astounded, when the Child of Jupiter and the Fire User had managed to get her off the ground, and even more stunned that the Roman Brat managed to keep them aloft with the storm.

Maybe she shouldn't have been surprised when she noticed that he wasn't the full cause of the storm in the first place.

He had started it, but someone else was guiding it, making it stronger than he ever could.

She didn't... couldn't, know who it was. Not until it was too late.

The Aphrodite's girl's voice weakened her, but it certainly didn't defeat her. No, she was too powerful to fall asleep just because a little demigod told her to.

No. It was the boy that caused her fall.

Then again, could she call him 'boy' anymore, when he was so much more than that? He certainly wasn't mortal, but he didn't seem to be a god either. No.

In fact, the Ichor that ran through his veins bore the most resemblance to her own.

No, this boy wasn't a mortal or a god. He wasn't quite a primordial either.

Perseus Jackson was something else, something new.

Something powerful.

Hence, the last thing Gaea felt before she faded was a tug in her gut as she felt her whole body tremble with the power of the earthshaker, the Ichor in her body dissipate into thin air.

The last thing she saw as she glanced to the ground was a young boy that wasn't really a boy, monsters around him decimated, surrounded by golden dust and red blood.

Bright eyes, glowing with power, more power than should have been possible in such a weak mortal body. Sea green eyes boring into her own, know that she was gone. That he had killed her.

Then, she was gone.

Chapter Text

"Annabeth, about what happened down there? I- I didn't mean to. I never knew that it would change me. If I knew I never would have... I don't want to leave you-"

She cut off her boyfriend with a simple "I know."

Just as he could tell what she was thinking, she could see the worry, fear and love in his face.

"What's going to happen now?" He asked.

"I don't know." She admitted. "But whatever it is, we'll do it together.

Annabeth looked into his eyes, noticing the doubt and worry within them. He didn't know whether or not they would be able to do whatever's next together, now that he was...

He glanced up, meeting her gaze. His sea green eyes, now flecked with specks of gold, were so much brighter than humanly possible.

His expression hardened, forcing any doubt away. Her boyfriend smiled, flashing impossibly white, almost pointed teeth.

"Always." He responded.

She smiled back, tracing a finger down his cheek. She would never leave my wonderful, loyal, brave, and although she'd never admit it, very good-looking boyfriend. No matter what obstacles were thrown their way, they would face them with each other.

Now and forever.