It's nearly 2 am, and I don't know what this is but it's the end. This isn't beta read, I'm half asleep, and emotional, but I hope you enjoy. I wanted this to be more than it is but I also love what it is.

This is the last chapter of 'Money Isn't Everything' (God do I hate that title now) and I want to thank everyone who has read this mess despite it's cringey title, summary, and first twelve chapters. I love all of you, because this has been a constant part of the last two years of my life and I don't know what my life would have been without it. Thank you for reading this mess, and I hope you enjoy the end of it.

Epilogue

Hazel POV

"Hazel sweetie," I feel someone shaking my shoulder, probably dad, "You need to wake up. Jason's party is in two hours and we promised Sally we'd help her set up."

I groan in answer but open my eyes anyway to see him smiling fondly down at me. Sunlight is streaming through the crack in my curtains. Jason is finally graduating today, after years of tutoring and weekend classes so we're throwing him a surprise party. I kind of just want to keep sleeping though, which is a bit out of character, but apparently high school will do that to you.

I groan again, and dad laughs, "Come on Happy Hazel, Nico is already up and dressed. Your brother who spends 65% of the day sleeping is beating you at this."

I sigh, but sit up and push my duvet partly off, "That's just because he slept for a full twenty-four hours."

Dad shakes his head with a fond smile, "I know sweetie, but if you don't get ready soon your mom is going to come in here. You know how scary Taby can be when she's angry."

I giggle, because it's a complete lie. Mom isn't scary when she's angry, you just can't disagree with her. She'll make you do what you have to do with firm words and a slightly disappointed frown. No room for argument or anger.

He chuckles along with me, "Alright Hazel, I'll be back in ten minutes. If you're not dressed, or in the process of getting dressed, there'll be big trouble."

He leaves, and I sit in bed for a couple of minutes before forcing myself to completely abandon the warmth and comfort of my bed. As soon as my feet touch the floor I regret it, it's cold. I hop my way to my desk, trying to touch the floor as little as possible. On the desk, adjacent to my bed, there's a clean pair of socks lying on top of my sketch pad. I hurriedly tug them on, not caring that they're pink and covered in unicorns.

Today is a very big day, even though Jason probably won't want to make too big a deal of it. He'd struggled through school and was graduating a year and a half late. For some this might not have been impressive, but for Jason who's missed years of essential formal education it's nearly a miracle. Nearly as big a miracle as both Percy and Thalia being in university. Nearly as big a miracle as our lives these days.

I smile slightly to myself, not quite as big a miracle as that. Nothing will ever be quite as big a miracle as that.

I pull on my still relatively clean, if a bit paint splattered, jeans from yesterday. It's harder to find a clean bra, eventually I give up and put on the same on I've been wearing for weeks. So much for that. I throw on a freshly washed jumper before rushing across the passage into the bathroom. Usually my hair takes forever, but today I can't be bothered to do more run a brush through it. They've all seem me look worse anyway.

The bathroom is cold, as always, and I'm glad I made the decision to put on socks. I hiss as I step in a puddle of water by accident, Nico must have forgot to put down the mat when he showered again. On second thought, it might have been a bad thing I decided on socks today of all days.

Dad peeks his head around the door, "No fancy hairdos today, huh Happy Hazel?"

I roll my eyes at him, "I don't have fancy hairdos much ever, dad."

"That sentence didn't make much sense, sweetheart," he says, laughter colouring his voice, "Your mom says you should hurry or she'll give Neeks your waffle."

"Nico would never eat my waffle," I smile at him, "Besides, I'm already done."

He rolls his eyes at me now, "What about brushing your teeth?"

I make a face at him, "Who brushes their teeth before they've had breakfast? You certainly don't."

He sighs dramatically and raises his hands in mock surrender, "Alright, you got me there. Just get downstairs you little devil, and make sure your mother saves me another waffle."

I don't bother answering him and instead make my way out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. Throwing off my wet socks I make my way into the passage, putting them in the washing basket on the way. Thankfully the passage is carpeted. The walls are covered in pictures, from the day of me and Nico's adoption to Percy and Thalia's graduation and so many moments in between. It's sometimes hard to believe we have this. Me and Nico didn't have a home for such a long time, not a real one. Then we found a family, and now we have a home.

My favourite picture on the wall is the one right at the end by the stairs. It's two pictures really, side by side. The second was taken on my first day of high school, age fifteen. Our smiles are bright, and we look healthy. The first is old, fading slightly. It was taken by Apollo when I was eight. Our smiles are still bright, but we all look like skin and bones. Percy and Thalia in particular. Their eyes are guarded and dead, but still filled with so much love as they look at us. Nico clings tightly to my hand, Leo is leaning heavily on Percy, and Jason stands father away from us. His posture slouched.

We put them up to show how much we're changed since then. How far we've come. Everything we've managed to accomplish. To show how our problems are now accidently stepping in puddles of water with socks on, and not wanting to get out of the warmth of our beds. One big days like this one I like to look at them and remember that. Remember how much our lives have changed.

Percy POV

I raise my eyebrows at Thalia who is pacing back and forth in my small room at my mom's house. She's more nervous than Jason was when he left this morning. I don't really have much space to judge though. I spent last night staring at the glowing stars on my ceiling (courtesy of Hazel) and coming up with all the possible ways today could go wrong.

It's somewhat of a tradition now. I worry the night before, Thalia worries the day of, and in the end nothing disastrous actually happens. Nothing too disastrous anyway.

"You two okay in here?" my mom peeks her head around the door.

"Yeah, we're cool Ms Jackson," Thalia says, still wringing her hands nervously.

She raises her eyebrows but chooses not to comment, "Alright then. Why don't you come help Paul with the bunting? He's hopeless."

"Sure," I abandon my textbook, and pull Thalia with me past my mom and into the living room where Leo and Paul are clearly struggling.

"Percy!" Paul calls out, relief evident in his voice, "Thalia, do either of you know how to do this?"

Thalia raises her eyebrows, anxiety forgotten in place of being coolly indifferent, and takes the scrunched up blue bunting from his hands. She throws one end to me and we string it up around the room easily.

Paul sighs in defeat, "I should have known the two of you would do that. I should probably stick to my books."

"Maybe," Thalia remarks sarcastically, stepping off the arm of the chair she had been standing on, "Or maybe me and Percy just have the ability to do anything."

"Except English," Leo says and Thalia smacks on the back of the head.

The doorbell rings and Paul hurries to answer it while Leo and Thalia continue to bicker. Hazel and Nico have arrived with Simon and Taby. Will, Calypso, Frank, and Grover are set to arrive in an hour. Piper will be bringing Jason with her. Annabeth is already here, helping my mom in the kitchen. They get on like a house on fire, my mom was never happier than the day I told her we were dating. Apparently, everyone but us had seen that coming.

"Percy!" I suddenly have arms full of Hazel, "Can you believe it, Jason is almost done with school!"

"I know," I manage to say even though she'd squeezing the life out of me, "It's been a long time coming."

She let's go of me and sighs wistfully, "I can't wait until I'm done with school."

I laugh and ruffle her hair, "It'll happen one day, Haze."

She makes a disgruntled noise, "High school has changed me, I woke up after Nico today. After Nico."

"No longer our sweet blushing Hazel who wakes up at the crack of dawn?" Thalia asks, pulling her to her side.

"I don't blush," Hazel contradicts herself by doing just that.

Thalia chuckles and flicks her noise, "Sure thing, sweetie."

Hazel goes to find my mom, grumbling about stupid adults. Thalia raises her eyebrows at me and shakes her head. I roll my eyes back at her, Hazel hates teasing and her default it to tell us we're stupid when we tease her. Which is often.

Thalia grins suddenly, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I heard back from Luke. Since they're technically not criminals anymore, both he and Reyna are coming today. They were going to bring more people, but I reminded them it was supposed to be small party."

A lot of change had come about in the last few years. Piper and Annabeth had made sure of it, and we'd helped. Couldn't make changes without evidence of why they needed to be made. We became the token homeless kids. None of us minded, in the end. Not with what it achieved. Thalia had grumbled sure, and I had been sceptical, but it worked. Reyna and Luke had been allowed to tell their stories, all people declared criminals in the Hunter's and the Titans had been pardoned. Apollo and Artemis came out of hiding as heroes.

Suddenly the parts of the city the rich never saw where brought into the light. The blown-out buildings pull of homeless children, rooftops that were home to more than just pigeons. Underground hideouts that tried their best to help people, and not hurt them. It was almost like a revolution, a new age. We were not dirty street rats, we were people, we were children and now they see that. There are still people who don't of course, there always will be, but most people are willing to help and bring about change. Like the six stupid rich kids Ethan almost stripped naked.

"Luke is coming?" Annabeth appears from the doorway into the kitchen and wraps her arm around my waist.

"Yeah, to see Jase," Thalia says, grin still prominent on her face, "And Reyna too."

"That's great," Annabeth smiles and I lay my head on her shoulder despite being taller than her.

Thalia makes a face, "Alright, I'll leave you two to it. I still have decorating to do, and children to wrangle before Jase and Piper arrive.

I raise my eyebrows and call after her, "Are you really one to talk, Grace? Who's coming again!"

She flips me off without turning around and Annabeth stifles her laughter in my shoulder. No one really understands what the Thalia Luke thing is, but there is a Thalia Luke thing and that is all that really matters when it comes to taking the piss.

We slip into a comfortable silence, just watching everyone go about their business. Thalia is teasing Nico about something, his ears turning bright red. Taby is engaged in a deep conversation with my mother, probably about her book. Paul and Simon are trying to figure out how best to put the candles on the cake. Hazel and Leo are fight about… something.

"So, are you ready?" Annabeth asks letting her head fall onto my shoulder, finally breaking the peaceful silence.

I raise my eyebrows, and smirk down at her, "Am I ready for what?"

She just rolls her eyes and punches my arm, "You know exactly what. To see your kid finally graduate, it's the first of many."

Technically Jason is not my kid, or Thalia's, and the credit goes to Sally and Paul Blofis for everything he's done. His name is even Jason Blofis on all official documentation now. But at the same time, he is my kid. Me and Thalia raised him from terrified child to bitter teenager together. We may not have been very good at all parts of it, but we kept him alive for years. We fed him, and clothed him, and kept him warm. We made him read books and stole old workbooks from abandoned school buildings. So maybe we get some of the credit too.

I rest my head on hers, "Not really, and let's not talk about the next three thanks. I'm going to pretend Leo is not graduating in a few months, nope."

Annabeth laughs, "Yeah okay, not happening."

She starts talking about architecture things and I try to listen, I really do, but my brain is not good at theses things. I blame it on years of only needing to think about not dying. Also, that Annabeth's voice is really soothing and kind of lulls me to sleep in a good why. I don't need to understand what she'd saying to appreciate how beautiful she looks when she talks about her passion though. The most beautiful. Thalia might call me a dork when I say it, but it's true. When Annabeth talks about what she loved she glows, even if my eyes glaze over slightly.

The door bangs open and a breathless Grover stands in the entry way, with a panting Will, Frank, and Calypso trailing behind him. Everyone freezes and stares at him as he attempts to get his breathing under control enough to talk.

Eventually he manages to gasp out, "Jason… early… coming."

There are a few seconds of frozen silence before Thalia swears, and everyone springs into action. Annabeth rushes to help Paul and Simon with the candles, and I sprint into the kitchen to help my mom and Taby organise the food on the table as planned.

We just manage to get everything done and organise ourselves around the room before Piper and Jason arrive, smiles on their faces. Jason halts in the doorway at the side before him. There is a huge banner proclaiming "WELL DONE, YOU GRADUATED", food on every surface, blue bunting and multicoloured fairy lights draped all over the room, and people everywhere. It's a lot.

"What...?" Jason breathes, and then tears start streaming down his face.

Immediately both me and Thalia are pulling him into our arms as he gasps for breath, muttering "Sorry. Sorry. I just- oh my fucking god. I graduated."

It takes a few minutes for him to calm down, and everyone has moved away to give him space. At some point we've sunk to the floor, and it reminds me of that night in the hospital. When Jason was in my arms, and my mother was right there for the first time in years.

Jason pulls away, him face red from embarrassment and wipes his tears away with his sleeve harshly, "Sorry, I was surprised is all."

Thalis ruffles his hair and chuckles, "Sure thing, Jase."

"Yup," I smirk at him, "Those were all tears of surprise and absolutely nothing else."

"Fuck you guys," he mutters, pushing Thalia's hand away from his hair and getting to his feet, "It was just surprise."

"Of course," Luke's voice louds from behind us, and I do not jump, "That's exactly what they were saying, Jaso, weren't you listening?"

Embarrassment forgotten for now, Jason gapes at Luke before running to hug him and then Reyna, "What are you guys doing here?"

Luke winks, and smiles cockily, "Your big sis invited me, and we weren't going to miss your big day."

Reyna ruffled his hair, "I was going to bring all the Titans, but your sister said that they wouldn't all fit in here."

Thalia slaps her lightly on the arm, going on a rant about how 'haven't you seen the size of this apartment' and 'don't paint me as the bad guy'. We join the party, and I automatically gravitate to Annabeth's side. Everyone congratulates Jay, and my mom stuffs him full of food. Piper sticks to his side like glue.

Luke comes up to us after about an hour, "Hey Annie, how's that degree coming?"

She tips her glass in his direction, "It's good, don't call me Annie."

"Sure thing, Annie," he smirks, "And is this ruffian treating you well?"

"Hey!" I protest, "Who are you calling a ruffian, Mr 'I still live on the streets because I ain't going soft'?"

Annabeth gives him a playful glare, "I don't dare ruffians, Luke, and he's treating me just fine."

Luke laughs, "Nice catching up, Annie, but I have a girlfriend to find and kiss."

"Ew," I say, and he laughs harder waving goodbye as he leaves in search of Thalia. Then I start, "Wait, girlfriend? Wait you asshole, your girlfriend?!"

He doesn't bother turning around, just grabs Thalia by the waist and pulls her in for a kiss. She hits him before melting into it.

"Finally!" Reyna yells at the same time Nico shouts, "Gross!"

Leo rolls his eyes, "Get a room!"

"Don't scar the kids, Thals!" I grin as she flips me off.

"Don't you start, you're sickeningly in love you dork," she yells back, clearly unamused.

I laugh quietly and the adults in the room completely ignore us. Engaged in their own adult conversations. I'm glad Thalia and Luke have finally got their shit together though, it's been a long time coming. As Reyna said, finally.

I lean my head on Annabeth's shoulder as she talks to my mom, and she absentmindedly starts running her fingers through my hair.

On days like today, the big days, I often find myself marvelling at how far we've come. Most the of the time we're too busy living to feel any nostalgia, but on days like today the world, and our lives, seems to slow to allow it.

Seven years ago, almost exactly, we were six scared kids who'd run from things far bigger than us. I was a scared kid who'd rescued a bunch of rich kids who knew no better. Thalia was a scared kid who longed for the life she'd left behind. Jason was bitter, Leo was sick, Nico was so young, Hazel was so hopeful. Now we're older, safer, and still scared but of different things. We're no longer scared of death or bad weather or where our next meal will come from. We're scared of bad grades, exams, and screwing up our relationships. All because of a stupid group of rich kids.

Jason is happy. He's graduated, he has a girlfriend and a home and friends. He plays sport and loves it. He wants to become a doctor and help sick and dying children who have no one else. He has college acceptance letters piled on his desk in his room. He has a group of friends at school willing to support him despite his past. He has plans and a future beyond just surviving to see the next sunrise.

Leo is happy. He's so close to finishing school, even if he still hates it. He's studying for final exams, applying to colleges, and getting ready to follow his dreams to become an engineer (or if that isn't all it's cracked up to be, a mechanic). Him and Calypso are weirdly dancing around their feelings, but everyone is pretty sure they'll be a thing within the next year. He has his own room, and proper parents now. He goes out after school and complains about PE. He's healthy now, not sick.

Nico is happy. He wears black and mumbles. He blasts music loud enough to make the floor shake and sleeps into the late hours of the morning. He gets good enough grades, and twists words into something beautiful. He has friends and they discuss the meaning of life and how to overthrow the government. He annoys his younger sister and rebels. He sneaks out to visit his boyfriend (Will) when he's been grounded. He has parents and his own dark cave of a bedroom. He doesn't carry the weight of the world on his thin shoulders anymore.

Hazel is happy. She has a home, and a real proper family. She paints and draws and smiles. She makes art with the proper supplies now, not stolen pens and recycled paper. She lights up people's worlds with her giggles, just like she always did ours. She rides horses on the weekend, and groans about homework because she 'just doesn't get maths'. Not even the biannual check-ups she still has to endure can stop her from grinning so wide it must hurt. She is still hopeful, but she is also so so much more.

Thalia is happy. She'd studying to become social worker and a teacher. Despite her grumbling she clearly enjoys it. She says she wants to help kids like us learn and grow. She has friends in her old foster sisters. She has a boyfriend who loves her more than anything. She has half an apartment and a love for coffee. She has a job. She has dreams and a future. She doesn't have dark nights spent sitting at the edge of our building wondering.

I am happy. I'm studying to become a psychologist, because I eventually got sent to one and it helped me so much. I have a girlfriend who comes alive over everything she loves. I have a job giving tours in an aquarium. I have my mom back, and with her a dad too. I have the other half of an apartment. I have a life, and hope, and dreams.

We're all happy, despite the odds. We're full of hope, and our secrets have been laid bare to those who love us in spite of them. Our lives are like the daydreams we all used to have in our weakest moments, and we have worked for out happiness. We deserve it.

Later after everyone has left or fallen asleep watching Finding Nemo Thalia turns to me, dried tears on her face.

"What do you wish for?" she whispers, a small smile on her face, "I wish for my boyfriend to kiss me goodnight every night. I wish for my exams to go well. I wish for my essay to be an A grade. I wish for my coffee to always be just how I like it. I wish for this happiness to last for ever."

I stare at the ceiling, "I wish for Annabeth to always feel so much passion. I wish for my presentation to go well. I wish for our dishwasher to work every time. I wish to never have to resort to drinking coffee. I wish for my next essay to not have more than five spelling essays. I wish we stay a family forever."

She takes my hand in the semi-darkness, "Night Perce."

I smile and squeeze her hand, "Night Thals."

Woah, we're done. It's been a long two and a bit years. I hope you enjoyed the product of my blood sweat and tears. Reviews are always appreciated.