Seeking Happiness

This was where I was truly at peace. Annabeth was asleep in my arms. It was only a little after nine but she was falling asleep a lot earlier these days, pregnancy takes a lot out of people. My hand rubbed up and down her belly, swollen with our child, she was due in about a month. We had hoped that we could have been married before she gave birth but, we wanted to wait until Tartarus was killed until we did that. I've spent the last two weeks begging her just to have a small ceremony just for us. Then we could have another one, a big one once all of this was over. But she can be so stubborn. She's under the impression that any second now Tartarus is just going to show up and let us kill him.

The baby started kicking, I really wish I knew if it was a boy or a girl. I had a feeling it was a girl, but Annabeth said she thought it was a boy. I had never, and I mean EVER taken a bet against Annabeth but in this one solitary moment I did. I figured it was a fifty/fifty chance, so my odds weren't too bad.

There was a light knock on the door. Not loud enough to wake Annabeth up, but just loud enough to make the baby kick again. I gently kissed her forehead, untanggled myself from her and opene he door. It was a very tired looking Jason. "Jason whats going on man? You look exhausted." He gestured for me to come outside, "I think we found him. He's been hiding in the old Labyrinth entrance. As we learned earlier he cant cross the border that keeps the monsters out. It seems that the border works more like a wall then a door. He has set up defenses but nothing we can't handle. Frank, Nico, and the Stoll brothers are waiting just outside camp. Piper and Hazel agreed to stay here and watch over Annabeth. Tartarus wanted her dead before so we didn't want to take any risk of leaving her behind."

I got dressed and grabbed riptide, with one last glance at the girl I loved, asleep and clueless I walked out the door. There Piper, her brother Glen, the one who had been taking care of Annabeth and the baby, and Hazel were waiting. "Take good care of her." Piper smiled and put her hand on my shoulder, "We wont let anything bad happen to her I promise." I took a deep breath and ran off to meet the others.

Frank had the spear in hand, his grip getting tighter the longer we waited. We had finally arrived at Tartarus' camp, it felt unreal, to be so close to finishing all of this. The problem that had plagued us for so long. We surrounded the door made out of stone, much like the one before. Before they had just walked up without a plan. Not this time. I had perfected my powers of earthquakes. I sent a small ripple through the ground and watched as a crack spread up through the door. Jason then through a great gust of wind to send the pieces of the door flying in every which direction.

Visible blackness seeped out of the cavity that was Tartarus' "home". I heard that too familiar laugh, "So after so many months, you have found me." Slowly he emerged from the shadows, just enough moonlight to illuminate his blond hair. "Oh look you've managed to complete the spear. How does that little runt Leo fair? Dead I presume, otherwise I doubt you could have completed it." Jason lost his temper for a split second, and a streak of lightning struck the ground right next to where he was standing.

The Stoll brothers had flanked him, Jason took the left side, I took the right, and Frank we head on with the spear in hand. We had practiced this formation at least a hundred times. Father I pray to you now, please let this work. Frank Lunged with the spear, but at the last minute turned into an anaconda the spear fell at my feet while Frank wrapped himself tightly around Luke's body. Jason blew wind all around Tartarus' face, making it impossible for him to think, or tell which direction he was facing. Conner tackled him from behind while Travis grabbed his legs. Tartarus tried to yell out but Jason's wind drowned out any sound he made. I walked up to the squirming disoriented deity, the spear in my hand. I just needed to find a non lethal place to stab Luke.

Travis held down a leg for me, a perfect spot, yes it might hinder Luke's walking for a while but at least he wont be possessed. I lifted the spear above my head and thrust it down aiming for his thigh.

At the last second Tartarus squirmed and I missed my target.

Notes