Marriage-Wise
Annabeth slowly opened her eyes, her body aching all over, her mind still cloudy. She gasped out, as her mouth was dry and she felt thirsty. Almost at once, a glass of water was handed to her, and she sat up, sipping it haltingly, swallowing the liquid a little at a time, for her throat was aching. When she was satisfied, she felt herself stronger, her mind clearer, and she turned to find out who was the person that gave her the water.
"Mom!" She breathed a sigh of relief as she looked around and saw she is back in their hotel room. She was in her night gown, on their bed. Mrs. Jackson was sitting beside her on the bed, after putting away the glass of water on the bedside table.
Annabeth looked at her, uncertain of the older woman's feelings for her. "How. . . how did you find me?"
Smiling, she replied, flattening the sheets as she did so. "We traced you through your credit card. It just took a much longer time to find you, you were in one of the less safer districts of Tokyo. Poseidon contacted some of his former colleagues, they helped us find the inn. Your father already knows what happened too, and he's glad you're found. He's been calling every hour to talk to you."
She shook her head gently. "I. . . I didn't realize I've ran that far. I wasn't. . . thinking properly, I guess."
Percy's mom pursed her lips. "Yes you weren't."
There was an uneasy silence. When she spoke again, tears flowed freely from the younger girl's eyes. "I. . . I want to go home, Mom. I want to go home to Daddy. I know you'd hate me for doing so but I can't be with Percy anymore. I am so. . . so hurt by what he did. I wish I hadn't met him, I wish I didn't fall for him so easily, and I regret having married him after only six months. I can't take what he did! I can't accept his reason, it's not rational, what does he think of me? I don't want to talk to him, I don't want to see him ever again!"
Annabeth covered her face with her hands, sobbing quietly. Still silence. Annabeth pleaded to her mother-in-law, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mom, for rattling on. I know Percy's your son and you'd side with him more than with me, and I understand that, I truly do. I just wish you wouldn't hate me for my decision. I have come to love you as the mother I never had, and it would break my heart more if you'd hate me."
Mom took both her hands and told her in a gentle but firm voice, "I do not hate you, sweetie. I just let you talk so you'd get it all out of your chest. I do not side with Percy, or with you either. It is with marriage that I take on my side."
Annabeth looked at her with sad eyes. "But that's just it. Percy didn't respect our marriage, Mom. He kissed another woman on our honeymoon. On our honeymoon! With me looking on!"
Mom sighed and shook her head. "Think, Annabeth. Would Percy do that to you intentionally? Did he give you any reason to doubt his love for you before that. . . unfortunate incident happened? Did you, even in one second, see any hint of infidelity from him from the first moment you met him until before yesterday? Because if you can think of one single time he did, I will personally struck him in the face for you!"
Inspite of herself, Annabeth smiled, albeit thinly. Mom continued.
"You cannot think of any, because there wasn't, Annabeth. I know my son. He has had many girls before you, but he didn't look at them the way he looks at you, or care for them as with you. Don't you think he deserves to be given a chance to at least be heard?"
Annabeth closed her eyes. "I didn't want to hear his explanation because I was too hurt, Mom."
"But you see, sweetie, that's how couples make marriage work. However hurt you are, you two should talk. If you don't feel like talking, then just listen. Even when you're angry at each other, you talk, you listen. You may throw all the things you want at him, but listen to him, talk to him. Mind you, I couldn't count the times I wanted to strangle my husband, but as you can see, he's still alive, isn't he?"
Annabeth couldn't help but smile again.
Mrs. Jackson went on to say, "And it doesn't matter if you've known him for a short time before you got married. Dad and I got married after only three months. The beginning was a very rocky, rough road but we did our best to make it work, and that's why we're still married after 31 years. Because in the end, honey, it's not the length of time that makes a marriage successful, it's the amount of effort we put into it."
She asked her, anxiously, "But what about fidelity, Mom? What about faithfulness to each other? Doesn't it count?"
Stroking her hand, Mom pressed on, "It is true that fidelity is important to a marriage. It should be held in high regard by both of you. But there are times the act of being faithful can best be found inside the heart, and not by mere actions."
Annabeth frowned, looking at her inquiringly.
The older woman further explained, "You see, Annabeth, seeing your husband accidentally kiss another woman cannot compare to my pain as a new wife to Dad. Being an undercover agent sometimes necessitated him to be with other women, kissing them and seducing them and. . . well, you know what I mean."
Mom sadly shrugged her shoulders. "At the start, we were always quarreling over it, and I also wanted to leave. But you know what made me stay all these years? He told me that when he's kissing another woman, he sees only. . . me. No one else, but me. There was only me. He said it made his work bearable, even though there are times he'd be so ashamed of himself. But knowing that in his heart, I was the one he's with, makes his job, and himself, tolerable. And all these years that we're together, I knew it was true. I have never felt differently."
Annabeth swallowed. "Percy said. . . he said he thought it was. . . me. . . he was kissing."
Mom smiled at her, nodding. "Nowadays, some couples give up on their marriage at the slightest misunderstanding, or just a trivial squabble over personality differences. They choose to leave at once because filing for a divorce or a separation is easy. But think about this, Annabeth: what if there isn't any choice? What if you put it in your mind that you have no choice but to stay? That thought would make you try your very best to work things out, wouldn't it?"
Standing up, Mom smiled down at her and said, "Honey, the secret to a successful marriage is not in giving in to your spouse or being blind to all his faults. The key is to never give up. Even when the whole world gives up on you two, you don't give up on each other. You hold on to each other, even if you're hanging only by a thread. . . you don't let go. As long as love is alive in your hearts, put your best effort in nurturing it by trusting and understanding each other and through open communication."
The young girl can only stare at her, speechless.
With that, Mom went to the door, letting Percy in, then she went out, locking the door behind her.
Percy slowly walked inside, sitting down on the sofa opposite the bed, facing Annabeth. She briefly glanced at him before lowering her head again.
He looked like hell. His face was haggard, his hair uncombed. His stubble was growing thicker, the bags under his eyes are obvious proofs that he hasn't had any sleep. He was still wearing the same dress shirt and blue slacks from yesterday, but it was now crumpled and creased.
"Annabeth..." he tentatively spoke.
Annabeth didn't look up, just sat there on the bed, staring down at her hands.
He heaved a deep sigh, and continued, "Annabeth, I know it's very hard to believe, but I really thought it was you. We. . . we were fooling around, weren't we? You told me to close my eyes and count, and you'll be back kissing me. That's why I thought. . ."
He stopped when he noticed she didn't even move.
Clenching his jaws, he lowered his head, his hands raking his hair, and said,"Do you. . . do you really want to go home? I'm hoping you'd stay till this afternoon, because the contract signing has been rescheduled. But if you choose to go home now, I'll. . . I'll make arrangements, I'll tell Grover to book you a flight."
"Shut up."
Percy lifted his head. She spoke without even looking at him. Disheartened, he covered his face with his hands, saying, "I know you're thinking I'm staying because of Khio-... her, but I'm not, Annabeth. I begged Mr. Kaguya to reschedule the contract-signing today, because I searched for you everywhere yesterday."
"Shut up and come here."
He whipped his face up, and he saw her, her hands outstretched to him, tears flowing down her cheeks. He flew to her, if that were possible, jumping onto the bed, as he plunged into her arms, and they hugged each other, crying and kissing each other's face at the same time.
"God, I love you, Annabeth! I love you so much! I love you!"
"And I love you too, Percy, I love you, I love you!"
Percy spoke through his tears as he hugged her tight, never letting go."Don't do that again, please, love, please! You can hit me all you want, you can very well kill me, but please, don't, don't run away like that again. I won't be able to forgive myself if anything bad happened to you! I was going out of my mind searching for you, I wanted to turn this city upside down, go to every nook and corner just to find you! I'm sorry, I'm sorry I said those awful things, I'm sorry I lost my temper, I won't do that again, I promise!"
And Annabeth, in between sobs, told him, "And I'm sorry I put you through all that, love. I'm sorry I didn't believe you, that I didn't trust you enough, that I didn't listen to you. I'm sorry I ran away thinking only of myself. I'm sorry I was such a spoiled brat. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry!"
Percy cupped her face in his hands and smiling through his tears, he said,"I don't care if you're a spoiled brat. Because you're MY spoiled brat, and I wouldn't have you any other way."
Suddenly, she flinched as she felt him press against one of the bruises on her torso. "Does it hurt?" he asked, with a worried look on his face.
"A little bit," she grimaced.
Tenderly, lovingly, he kissed forehead and then laid her down flat on the bed, carefully and gently kneeding her sore joints but still keeping her in his arms. He looked down on her, holding her chin, and gave her a warm kiss.
He was lifting his head away but she prevented him by encircling his neck with her arms, pulling him closer to her body. With much concern, he gazed at her eyes searchingly, as he said, "Are you. . . sure? Your still not completely aren't healed and you were running a fever last night. . ."
She didn't speak. In reply, she unbuttoned his shirt, one button at a time, her eyes never leaving his. Electrified by her touch, Percy moaned as he swooped down on her lips, and she eagerly met them. And all the jealousy, pain, bitterness, regret, fear and anger were washed away as they rode together in the ebb and flow of the tides of their love - restoring, strengthening and intensifying their vows of forever.
...
Five days later, the newlyweds were in a shuttle car who will drive them to the airport for their trip to Paris. The contract had been signed, and Mr. Kaguya proved to be a very understanding family man who toured them around Tokyo, even taking them to his own home to meet his wife and sons. Khione never spoke a word again to Percy and Annabeth during their meetings. Annabeth felt her mother-in-law had a hand in that, and she's eternally grateful for having her. Grover and Leo are staying in Japan to prepare the other legal matters needed for their project, while Dad and Mom are going home after a few days.
Percy and Annabeth were both smiling, exchanging knowing looks and teasing each other when suddenly, an armored van cut off the shuttle car they were in, causing the driver to hit its brakes and bring it to an immediate stop.
Five heavily-armed men wearing gas masks got out of the armored car. Their movements are precise and quick. Breaking the window glasses, one of them tossed a tear gas canister inside the car, filling it with blinding smoke.
The couple held on to each other tightly, even as darkness overwhelmed them.
