Thank you so much for hanging in till the end. I appreciate all of your reviews and kind words. Here is the last chapter of Orchids in Manhattan.

I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name.

"She won't mind because she died five years ago."

Admitting the words out loud was a lot easier than it had been in the past. I had been given the proper time to mourn, but I believe I began mourning her death long before she ever passed. After that, I hate to admit it, but I ran. I ran away from my pain, my sin, and anything that would remind me of Annabeth.

But now, with the truth finally out, I felt like a better man. I felt hope flutter in my chest. That even though there was probably no way of us ever mending the rift that came between us, I hoped that we could atleast be friends.

"She….she died?"

"Yeah, she had an advanced stage of leukemia." I visibly swallowed.

Annabeth looked as though she wanted to say something, but she stopped and silently nodded for me to continue. A small part of me was glad that she was willing to sit and listen to my side of the story.

"I...thought that she was going to get better. She did once. When we first got married she was really sick, but it passed. Turns out the cancer was just going dormant until was too late to do anything. It got to be too much for her body that the doctors kept her in a medical coma. By the time I got enough money to get her out of it, they were afraid that she had been stationary for too long. I foolishly thought that by getting another job and getting more money, I could pay for her treatment, therapy, and the hospital bills. But even the second job couldn't even cover half of that."

I had begun to look at the wall behind her. It seemed to offer some comfort. For I knew that the moment that I looked into her grey eyes, I would have been lost and broken down right in the middle of the restaurant. So it startled me when I felt a hand tentatively reach over and grasp mine. Apparently she didn't expect for herself to do that either, she seemed just as surprised as I was. That small gesture gave me the courage to continue.

"And so, I had started to lose hope that she would ever get better. For weeks the doctors kept telling me that the chances of her waking up again were very slim. They kept telling me to say my goodbyes and let them "take away her suffering". But I was suffering because I couldn't think that she couldn't beat it. And so, I went to Grover to talk and drink away my problems. And that's where I met a man. A man, with a beautiful and smart daughter with a feisty disposition."

I stopped and tried to gage her reaction to where the story was headed. She didn't seem to mind that we were now heading into sensitive territory, if anything she was curious about my side of the story and wanted the whole truth before making another judgement call on my character. I was happy to oblige.

"And so, he offered to pay me to date his daughter. I thought that it could be my chance to finally save my wife. I didn't expect to fall completely and hopelessly in love with the man's daughter. Somewhere, between pining for my dying wife by being a good husband, and working two jobs, I had lost who I was. But, this amazing, fantastic, wonderful woman came into my life, and reminded me of who I was, and who I wanted to be. She turned me into the man that I knew my wife would be proud of, and she made me see that my life would go on."

I looked up at her and saw her chest heave with emotion, but there was no way I could stop now, the truth had to be said aloud.

"I fell in love with that woman. But I hurt her, by omitting the truth from her, I hurt her in a way that no woman deserves from the man she cares for. And so, I decided to do right by her, and my wife. My wife died a week later and then I started travelling. I wanted time to think, and it didn't take me long to realize that this woman was the greatest thing that could have happened to me, but by the time I made it back to Manhattan I was too late. She had left and I was alone and lonely."

I saw Annabeth start to tear up and she quickly looked away from me and tilted her head up to keep the tears at bay. She was trying to be the strong independent woman that everyone thought she was, but I knew that she was a woman who had her heart broken.

"You don't have to do that you know. Be strong."

"Oh yes I do," she replied. "I've had my heart broken in the most horrible way possible and now the same man sits before me and confesses that I was the 'greatest thing that ever happened to him'?! I gave up my life to you, I was ready to love you for the rest of my life but you were married and only dated me for money. So forgive me if I'm guarded around you, but I don't think my heart could take another round of being in your presence."

My eyes closed and though it pained me to hear those words, she was right. I deserved every moment that she was distant towards me. But I couldn't stop myself from hoping that we would somehow be able to start anew.

"Annabeth please," I reached for her hand across the table but she ripped it away and stood abruptly.

"No Percy." She turned from me but didn't walk away, I could hear the tears in her voice but I knew she would refuse to let any fall. "You once told me that love was like a garden, well our garden is dying, and there is no way for us to save it."

I stood as well and tried to reach for her, to reassure her that we could try and work this out that we could eventually be happy together. But she just took two more steps back from me and went to get her coat. I followed her to the front door and pleaded once more with her.

"Annabeth please, just give us a chance. Give me a chance. Give me the chance to treat you with the love and respect that you deserve. No more secrets, nothing but honesty, please." I was begging now, but if it worked, it would be worth every ounce of dignity that I was giving up.

Annabeth sighed and started to put her arms into the sleeves of her coat. I thought she was going to leave without answering me but she turned with the buttons done and said, "I am willing to listen to what you have to say, but do not be disappointed when I do not change my mind. For when my good opinion of you is lost, it is almost assuredly lost forever."

I felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. She was going to listen to me and let me try and make up for what I did. Even if she didn't forgive me right away, it would be my goal in life to try and fall into her good graces again.

Annabeth turned toward the door, but stopped with her hand on the handle.

"Percy?"

"Yes?"

"What kind of flower am I?"

I thought for a moment, trying to think back to our first conversation about gardens, flowers, and love. When I had failed to answer right away, she turned her head and made eye contact with me, her hand still on the door.

Looking deep into her grey eyes, I knew my answer immediately.

"You're an orchid like me. You're unique, special, and rare. It only takes one orchid to change someone."

With those words, she turned and walked out of the door, leaving me staring at her retreating back, uttering the words, "and you don't find many orchids in Manhattan."

The End

That's all folks! R&R