WAH! SOB! CRY! THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER! I included the epilogue at the end, so this is the last chapter for this story :'( I appreciate everyone who read and reviewed this story. It was amazing to hear everything you guys had to say about this story.

One last time, I want to thank Clara Fonteyn and Stolen Silent Stars for beta-ing this story. They were very supportive and amazing.

ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!

Because I Love You

Percy's confession had made Poseidon grin like there was no tomorrow. Percy himself had felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off his chest.

"I really love her," Percy repeated, feeling his stomach flutter slightly.

Poseidon just grinned more if that was even possible. "Then what are you still doing here?"

Percy just smiled. "Thanks," he said, rushing around his desk and past his father out the door.

Percy rushed to the elevator and clicked the down button more times than was necessary.

"Come on, come on, come on…" he mumbled. Finally, after five minutes, the doors opened and he stepped inside, hitting the floor level button. He paced in the small room as he waited for the agonizingly long ride to end. It seemed to last forever.

The doors opened and he sprinted out, only to run into a worker carrying lots of folders.

"Shit!" Percy cursed. He fell over the guy, sending both of them to the ground and causing the papers to scatter everywhere. Percy scrambled up onto his feet, limping slightly.

"Sorry Alfred!" he called back. "I have to go!" And then he pushed the building doors open and started sprinting down the street. Meanwhile, Alfred looked at the big mess that used to be his neatly organized papers.

Percy hadn't run like this in a few years. He was getting really tired already, and he still had a good three blocks left. Realizing he wouldn't make it if he continued on foot, he stopped to see if he could catch a cab. He saw quite a few other people milling around on the curb, also trying to get a taxi. He immediately ditched the idea and scoured the streets, looking for another option.

Stopped on the curb was a garbage truck, two guys emptying trash cans into the back where the mini-wasteland was.

Percy was then struck with an idea—an odd, crazy, smelly idea that just might work.

Percy walked up the street, and as soon as the garbage guys went back in the truck, Percy sprinted towards the back of the truck where there was a small lift so he could ride on the back. He hopped on and latched onto the small handle. Then, the truck started moving down the street towards his destination.

"Yes!" Percy exclaimed. The truck kept moving closer and closer, and soon he could see the Swanson Architectural building. "Yes, yes, yes!"

But then, right at the last second, the truck started turning onto another street, away from S.A.

"Wait—no, no!" Percy exclaimed. He let go of the handlebar and collapsed on the side of the street, flat on his face.

"Ow…" he groaned. He stood up and rubbed his cheek where it had gotten scraped slightly. He shook his head and started running towards the building, which was only a block away now.

He felt a new burst of energy when he turned around the street corner and saw the glass doors. He pumped his legs harder, willed his whole aching body to move farther. He finally came to the glass doors and he burst through them…

…only to run into the person he needed to see: Annabeth herself.

"Oof!" he grunted, slamming into her small body and flopping on top of her.

"Ow!" Annabeth exclaimed. "What the hell?"

"Sorry, sorry!" Percy exclaimed, getting off of her and pulling her to her feet. She scowled and flattened out her skirt. When she looked up and saw it was Percy who had run into her, she stopped and blinked, all her hurt feelings crashing back down on her.

"P-Percy?" she stuttered. Despite her feelings, she couldn't help but feel good at seeing him again. And, well, he looked like crap. "Why are you here? And why are you all…sweaty?"

"I came here to tell you…that I'm sorry," Percy said, staring into her stormy gray eyes. "I'm not saying that I kissed Rachel, because I didn't. She kissed me. But I am sorry that I hurt you so much. I don't like fighting with you because I hate when I can't talk to you or see you."

Annabeth swallowed hard and crossed her arms, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "Do you really believe I can just forgive you like that?" she replied. "How can I trust you, Percy? I really like you, Percy. A lot. But why would you want to stay in this…scam marriage when you could actually be with someone you want to be with?"

Percy took a deep breath and stepped closer to her. He lifted his hand to her face and wiped away the single tear that had dripped down her cheek.

"Because…because I love you."

Annabeth shook her head. "You're lying."

Percy just sighed. "You're so stubborn." Then he took her face in his hands and gave her a hard kiss on the lips.

And Annabeth couldn't help but kiss him back, a smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

When they pulled apart, she said, "I love you too. More than you could imagine."

He grinned, but then it reduced down to a small smile. Suddenly, he grabbed her hands and knelt down on his knee.

Annabeth smiled, a few happy tears coming to her eyes.

"Annabeth Chase, these past few months have been…interesting, to say the least. We've been through so much—all thanks to my dad—but oddly enough, I wouldn't trade any of it for anything else. I got to fall in love with you, which was the best part, and so I ask…will you marry me? For real?"

Annabeth laughed and tackled him in a hug. "Yes!" she exclaimed. He grinned and held her tight.

There was clapping and cheering all around, and the two looked up to finally notice the workers who had gathered around to watch their exchange.

Annabeth turned her sights back on Percy, the man she loved more than ever. He was her everything now. She buried her face in his neck, taking in the sweet, pine-like scent that was Percy. She felt his arms around her waist and his lips on her cheek.

"I love you so much," she mumbled.

Percy sighed happily. "I love you, too."

Just then, Poseidon barged into the building. He was grinning. "Oh happy days!"

Percy rolled his eyes. A few minutes later, Mike came down from the elevator. When he saw Percy and Annabeth wrapped with each other, he grinned and then bounded (yes, bounded) into the lobby and congratulated the two.

Then Poseidon turned to Mike. "See? Our plan didn't go to waste."

As they proceeded to fist pump each other, Percy and Annabeth, who weren't quite out of earshot, slowly turned around and stared at the two. Annabeth's eyes narrowed dangerously. "'Plan'?" she asked accusingly.

Poseidon froze and looked over at Annabeth. He swallowed nervously. "I'm sorry, dear?"

"What plan?" Annabeth glared, towering over the two business men, hands on her hips.

Poseidon laughed nervously as Mike's life flashed before his eyes. "It's n-not really that big of a d-deal…"

"So then tell us what this 'plan' is…" Percy demanded, crossing his arms.

Poseidon then proceeded to stutter their 'brilliant' plan to his son. "W-well, I mean, it was all Annabeth's dad's fault really—"

"My dad was involved with this too?" Annabeth interrupted incredulously.

"Y-yeah…I mean, he's a buddy of ours, and we all met up in Europe over a poker game and we got to talking about you kids and the company and one thing led to another and then—" by this time he was talking fast an stumbling over his words. "—poof,we had a plan and that was to have you two kids marry and, uh, hopefully fall in love. Of course, we never thought it would actually work, but we were hoping. And now that it has, well, you can imagine our joy and now the companies are stronger than ever and—"

"I can't believe it," Percy mumbled. "You set all this up?"

"Well now, you make us sound like villains. You're happy right?"

"Yes, but you lied to us! Tell me: were the companies ever in trouble?"

Poseidon swallowed and glanced nervously at Mike. "Uh…no, actually. We just needed a convincing story to have you guys marry."

"And what, pray tell, were you going to do if we ended up hating each other's guts even more? Would you still have us get married under all these false pretentions?"

"Of course not. We would have told you then."

Annabeth couldn't believe this at all. "I can't understand your guys' logic. I have been tortured these past few months dealing with this Seaweed Brain—"

"Hey!"

"—and yes, I do love him, but I had been arrested, forced to live with him, embarrassed beyond belief, and I had to lie to people I cared about! All because you guys and my dad couldn't help but gossip like old biddies and try to mess up our lives!"

Poseidon and Mike swallowed. "So…we should run?"

"Precisely."

They chuckled nervously and took a few steps back until they hit the glass doors. They then proceeded to exit and hightail it down the street, making their way back to the company Overseas Inc. where this whole thing had started about three months ago.

Annabeth glared at their retreating forms and huffed. Everyone in the workplace looked on at them in stunned silence for a few minutes before returning back to their work.

Percy walked up to his steaming fiancée (for real, this time) and wrapped his arms around her. He sighed. "My dad never changes."

Annabeth smirked at turned around in his arms. She leaned up and gave him a kiss. When she pulled back, she said, "We kind of owe it to them, though. Without them, we wouldn't have met and we wouldn't be here right now."

"I guess you're right." He grinned down at her. "So, now what do we do now that all the excitement is over?"

"Well…" She ran her hands up his chest and locked them around his neck. She leaned up and gave him a kiss then pulled away so they were barely touching. "We plan the wedding. And of course you'll have to meet your new in-laws…"

She laughed at Percy's grimacing expression. "Greaaaat," he moaned. "I can't wait."

"You'll be fine. My dad and brother's will love you."

"Don't you think that would be awkward seeing as we're all guys…?"

She slapped his arm. "You know what I mean."

He smiled. "I know. I just love teasing you." He stared into her eyes, her gray, stormy eyes he could never get enough of. "I love you," he mumbled.

She grinned. "I love you too."

~-Epilogue-~

A few weeks later…

"Oh…my…GOD! Annabeth, that's beautiful!"

Annabeth grinned as she held out her left hand to show her best friend Thalia the diamond ring she was now sporting. A few days after finding out the truth and confessing their love for each other, Percy and Annabeth finally had the chance to live "normally." Poseidon and Mike eventually called off their body guards when they realized Annabeth wasn't going to stab them with pencils anytime soon for what they did.

A few days after that, Percy and Annabeth stopped by the jewelry store and bought a nice diamond ring for about two and half thousand dollars. It wasn't much for Percy, considering he was a CEO. Annabeth had had a bit of fit about it, but then she gave in and fell in love with the ring. It was a .75 carat diamond set on a silver and gold band with some smaller diamonds surrounding it. It was actually a pretty reasonable price for it.

"Thanks, Thalia," Annabeth pulled her hand back and stared at the ring.

"I still can't believe you guys were set up." Thalia shook her head. "I knew Mike and Poseidon were up to something."

"I'm just happy that things worked out."

"I am too. You guys are good for each other. I can tell you're happy with him."

"That's what it's all about, right? Happiness."

"Yeah, it is." She smiled. "In the end, that's all that matters. If I wasn't happy with Luke, I wouldn't be marrying him in a few weeks, even though he is ruggedly handsome and charming."

"I am, aren't I?"

Thalia and Annabeth turned to find Luke walking up to their booth in the café. Annabeth rolled her eyes as he grinned at them and then gave Thalia a kiss. Annabeth couldn't help but smile. In a way, she had always envied them for their compassion and love that they shared. But now, she wasn't jealous. She had Percy, and he was anything and everything she could ask for.

"Well, I need to get home to my fiancé," Annabeth announced. "I'll see you guys later."

She smiled at them and then slid out of the booth and got a taxi to take her home.

"I'm home!" she called out to the apartment. In a few seconds, she was whisked up by familiar arms. She squeaked and wrapped her arms around Percy's neck as he carried her bridal style to the couch.

"Jeez, Percy," she sighed. "Don't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry," he said, sitting down with her in his lap. He gave her a big kiss on the lips and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm glad you're home," he said after pulling back for air.

Annabeth grinned. "I'm glad to be home."

And right then, they both realized how glad they were that they had agreed to the fake engagement.

Because, in the end, it was all worth it.

Sigh. It was worth it. All great things must come to an end...

...so something even greater can happen! In this instance-the sequel! Of course, it probably won't be out til next spring...I'll post a note when it actually does come out.

Anyways, thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing this story. I had so much fun reading reviews. Everyone was amazing and I hope that you will all give one, last, final review for this story! Thanks for reading!

-Akatsuki Child