DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Charles de Gaulle Airport. For your safety and comfort we ask that you please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened for we will be landing shortly. In behalf of the US airways, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we look forward to seeing you on board again. Have a nice day and welcome to Paris!"

Annabeth, Percy, Luke and Thalia all decided to spend their vacation going to Paris. The four best friends have all planned something to do there. Some kept their plans to themselves but some ranted on and on and on about it. As usual, Percy didn't sleep a wink but when the flight attendant announced that they will be landing he scurried of to wake the three others. All of them went into the luggage area to get their things and the moment they stepped out of the airport . . .

"This is unbelievable! Look at this! There's no city like this in the world, there never was" Annabeth hushed as she saw the beautiful scenery of Paris. Annabeth had been in Paris several times with her dad that's why Thalia and Luke were baffled by her sudden excitement. But Percy, who knows that his girlfriend was a sucker for romantic things and the classics, understood her reaction. He was more baffled by Thalia, who watched Audrey Hepburn and Jane Austen with Annabeth, for not knowing this.

"You act like you've never been here before" Thalia said as Luke wrapped his arms around her waist.

Annabeth just smiled as she hooked her arm around her boyfriend, "I don't get here often enough, that's the problem, and can you picture how drop dead gorgeous this city is in the rain? Imagine this town in the 20's, in the rain, the artists and the writers!" she gushed.

"Why does every city have to be in the rain? What's so wonderful about getting wet?" Luke frowned as he and Percy hauled the last of their baggage on the trunk of the cab.

"I love the smell of the rain" Percy pointed out. Annabeth smiled at him and she started to kiss him. Percy wrapped his arm around her. Before the both of them could get more absorbed in the kiss, Thalia pulled them apart and made them enter the cab.

After dropping the bags at the Ritz, the four of them began sightseeing. They went to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Matisse Museum, Notre Dame de Paris (where Percy and Luke insisted they wanted to see the hunchback), Chateau de Versailles Gardens and they even went to Disneyland Paris.

They were completely exhausted but still hyped by the fact that they were in the most romantic city in the world. It was almost midnight when they decided to eat. They entered a restaurant named Le Stella, where they had the best French food ever. Now, they were back in the gardens of Versailles . . . well, Annabeth and Percy at least. Luke and Thalia decided to head back to the hotel because they were so tired

Annabeth and Percy were sitting on one of the benches and they were both looking at the Parisian skyline.

"I can never decide whether Paris is more beautiful by day or by night" Percy told his girlfriend.

Annabeth looked at him and rested her head on his shoulder, "No, you can't. You couldn't pick one. I mean I can give you a checkmate argument for each side. You know, I sometimes think, how is anyone ever gonna come up with a book, or a painting, or a sculpture that can compete with a great city. You can't. Because you look around and every street, every boulevard is its own special art form and when you think that in the cold, violent, meaningless universe that Paris exists, these lights, I mean come on, there's nothing happening on Jupiter or Neptune, but from way out in space you can see these lights, the cafes, people drinking and singing. For all we know Paris is the hottest spot in the universe."

Percy didn't understand a thing she said but he thought she was pretty adorable and inspiring when she does that.

"I'd do it again, you know" Percy said, changing the topic.

"Do what?" Annabeth asked.

"Us" Percy said simply. "All of it. I'd do it again. I'd choose you every time"

"Thank you" Annabeth smiled.

"For what?" Percy asked.

"For loving me . . . even though I'm just an Annabeth Chase"

"That's why I love you, because you're Annabeth Chase" Percy said as he cupped Annabeth's face

"Oh come on, Percy! Don't do this to me. I might get used to this" she joked.

"Then get used to it. Because I'm not planning to stop"


"Percy, wake up" Someone nudged Percy awake. It was actually 7am in the morning and all Percy wanted to do was sleep because it was almost 2am when he and Annabeth arrived at their hotel and now Luke was waking him up. "Come on, man. Help me here" But Percy wouldn't budge. It wasn't until he heard Annabeth's voice that he began to stir.

"Baby, come on. You need to wake up. Please" Annabeth said in the sweetest and most pleading voice she could muster.

Percy shot out of the bed when he heard that, "I'm up"

Luke sighed in relief, "Good. You two need to help me"

"Help you what?" Percy and Annabeth asked together.

"You'll see" Luke said as he threw them both their coats and hauled them out of the room.

"Wait, aren't we going to wake Thalia up?" Annabeth asked curiously.

"No" Luke said shortly as they walked through Paris streets. Percy and Annabeth looked at each other as if asking what the hell is Luke's problem but Percy's eyes just said 'you woke up earlier, don't ask me.' So they just follow him until they stopped in front of Tiffany's.

"Whoa!" Percy exclaimed. "What are we doing here, man?"

Annabeth just stared at the shop. She was completely speechless.

"Don't tell me . . . you're going to propose to Thalia?" Percy asked, his eyes bulging. Sure he too was planning to propose to Annabeth on the near future but not now that they're going to graduate college.

"Well . . ." Luke said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was planning this the moment we decided we're going here. I know she likes it here and I wanted this time to be special."

Annabeth entered the store and the two boys followed. Percy, who still can't believe the situation he was in, was trying to convince Luke that what he's doing was complete insanity. They were still in college, for Pete's sake!

"You know what they call the three rings of marriage, Luke? Engagement ring, wedding ring and SUFFERING!" Percy said as Luke began examining the rings.

Annabeth glared at him because of that so Percy backtracked.

"You told me when we were young you wouldn't marry. That marriage is just like horses and you hate horses because their shoes are permanent" Percy reminded him.

"Yeah, who makes that kind of commitment to a shoe?" Annabeth, who was looking at some necklaces, asked.

"Geez! Just help me choose a damn ring!" Luke told them.

Percy looked at the old man who was in charge of the store. The moment he laid eyes on him he knew he saw him somewhere. He knew that some mystery was connected to that man, like he was haunting Percy for a long time. Percy didn't know, but the fact that the old man was the traffic police he saw when his car broke down was standing on front of him, looking at him like he was some interesting specimen about to experience the most exciting adventure of his life.

Percy sighed but he stopped talking. He walked around the store aimlessly. He was not really helping Luke choose a ring. He was thinking about why he's acting that way. Maybe because he's just afraid he'll lose his best friend. He went into the far corner of the shop and that's when something caught his eye. It was a necklace with a green rose pendant. It was so beautiful that he couldn't take his eyes off it. He thought it was absurd that something this beautiful would be put at the back of the store, like whoever looks hard was worthy to own it. Maybe it's really like that: beautiful and worthy things are hard to find. You need to look hard and work hard in order to find it.

Something from Percy's childhood came back when she saw the green rose charm. His mom once said that green rose is a symbol of unending love, a love that will never fade, and a love that will survive against all odds.

It's a symbol of true and great love.


It was nighttime in Paris, the four of them were in Versailles garden. Recently, it became their favorite spot. Luke was sweating bullets but Thalia didn't seem to notice, or if she noticed, she's turning a blind eye.

"Um, Percy and I need to go" Annabeth said. This was Luke's cue that he was going to propose soon.

"Yeah. I mean, I wanted to show something to Annabeth" Percy added. This statement made Annabeth frown in confusion.

"What?" Thalia asked, totally confused. "Um, okay then"

"See you later" Annabeth said as she waved goodbye.

She grabbed Percy's hand and the two of them hid in a nearby brush so they can spy on their two best friends.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Percy asked.

"No. But I need to see this. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Annabeth said as she shushed him up.

From a distance, they saw Luke nervously wringing his hands and Thalia talking. Then after a few moments, Annabeth saw Luke go down in one knee, brought out the ring and said whatever he needs to tell her. She saw Thalia nod and cry. The two lovers hugged like there's no tomorrow and it was not until Percy hugged Annabeth that she realized she was crying, too.

"I'm happy for them" Annabeth cried.

"Me too" Percy said as he kissed her head. "Hey, I have something for you"

Annabeth looked up at him, "What is it?"

Percy brought out a box that obviously held something bigger than a ring. He opened it in front of his girlfriend and she saw the green rose necklace. Annabeth looked at it with awe.

"Oh Percy, it's so beautiful" she whispered. "I-I can't accept this" She almost cried.

"Sure you can" Percy smiled. "Something this beautiful . . . deserves to be seen on someone worthy of its beauty"

Annabeth shed silent tears while Percy hooked the necklace in her neck. She caressed the rose as she looked at Percy, eyes full of happy tears. Percy kissed those tears away.

"Whenever you doubt my love for you, just look at this necklace. It will remind you how I'll always love you."


It was their last day in Paris when they decided to do it. It was actually Luke and Thalia's plan. The day before their flight back to New York, they decided to go back to Notre Dame de Paris to have a make believe wedding. Thalia always wanted to have a wedding on some of the most unrealistic churches and now that they have the chance to make that dream a reality, they weren't going to let that opportunity pass.

Luke and Thalia were standing in front of the altar, preparing their vows while Annabeth recorded all that was happening. That's the only plan, though. Say their vows, kiss and celebrate outside.

"I, Luke Castellan, choose you, Thalia Grace, to be my wife. In front of God and our friends . . . I promise to love and cherish you throughout the good times and bad times. I promise to try to remember to put down the toilet seat and to replace the toilet roll when it finishes. I promise to remember this day with love and roses. I will love you always"

"I, Thalia Grace, choose you, Luke Castellan, to be my husband. In front of God and our friends . . . I promise to love and cherish you through every obstacle that may come into our path. I promise to learn how to change a tire and how to refill the screen wash when it runs out. I will comfort you when your team loses and drink beer with you when they win. I will love you always"

Annabeth and Percy weren't surprised by their very good choice of words. The two were always being crazy whenever they're together. They were just very happy for them. But what Luke and Thalia did next made them want to take back their happiness.

"It's your turn" Thalia told Annabeth and Percy.

"Turn to what?" was Annabeth's smart answer.

"They want us to fake marry too" Percy said, dumb stricken.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no!" Annabeth exclaimed. "I mean, we're not ready for this."

Percy didn't say a word.

"Just do it" Luke said as they pushed the two at the center of the altar. Thalia grabbed the camcorder from Annabeth and started recording their part. Annabeth sighed as she gave up protesting. She and Percy didn't even have vows.

Annabeth sighed as she looked directly into Percy's sea green eyes and suddenly this whole thing didn't seem much of a bad idea.

"I, Percy Jackson, take you, Annabeth Chase, to be my wife. In front of God and our friends, I promise to be there for you. When you need someone to encourage you, I want it to be me. When you need a helping hand, I want it to be mine. When you long for someone to smile at, turn to me. When you have something to share, share it with me. Though life may not always be as perfect as it is at the moment, I vow to always keep my love as pure as it is today. I promise to be there for you in your laughter and your tears, in your sickness and your health, in your comfort and in your fears. I know that our love is heaven sent, and I promise to be there for you for all of your life."

"I, Annabeth Chase, take you, Percy Jackson, to be my husband. In front of God and our friends, I vow to be patient with you and the circumstances in our life. I vow to be there when you need me, to fill your days with sunshine, to comfort you and encourage you, to love you with all my heart and with all my life. I vow to love you through sickness and health, through the good and the bad, through richer and poorer. You're everything I need and at this moment, I know that all my prayers have been answered and all of my dreams have come true. This is the moment I have waited my whole life for. I promise to give you my all and I know that I could not ask for more from you. I love you and I always will"

When they finished saying their vows, Percy and Annabeth kissed tenderly. It took all of Thalia and Luke's power to separate them.


They were now on the flight back to New York and Thalia and Luke were already sleeping. Percy, who was being soothed by Annabeth, was trying to drink as much caffeine as he can to keep him awake.

"Baby, come on. You need to sleep. I'm here, you don't need to be scared" Annabeth said as she took Percy's hands in hers.

Percy sighed, "I'll try, hon."

"I won't let go, I promise."

Percy smiled as he relaxed into his seat.

"Whatever happens tomorrow . . . we have today"