Taken

Epilogue: 7 Years Later

-Annabeth POV-

"Annabeth, careful with your hair! I don't want to have to do it again!"

"Relax Thalia, I won't ruin it," I said while looking at myself in the mirror in awe. Thalia had done a really good job with the hair, and to be honest I was surprised as I had no idea that Thalia could actually do hair like this without Piper's guidance.

"Yeah, just don't be coming to me when you screw it up."

I rolled my eyes, but the smile I wore still remained. As I admired my reflection, I realized that I never really felt this beautiful in a long time. My hair was done up in an intricate bun, small white flowers in different parts of the hair, making me look like some sort of princess.

I knew that Jackson was going to have a field day with this. He'll probably have them all picked out by the end of the reception.

My smile got even wider at the thought of Percy Jackson. It has been 7 years since we decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend, and even though our relationship has had some really tough spots, we have always been able to talk through it and work it out.

I'm always amazed that for so long we had hated each other, while as of now, our relationship is blossoming and blooming like flowers in springtime. Every day I seem to fall even more in love with him, and I never thought I would ever be this happy.

Especially with him.

I was kind of surprised when Poseidon and my mother actually believed that our relationship was going to be a good idea. In all honesty, with their rivaling businesses I thought they would be a bit more spiteful. Of course, they warned us about the press that was going to be following us around after all that has happened, and our parent's high status, so we were ready.

Sally, Percy's mom, was a completely different story.

-Flashback-

"Annabeth, I don't know why you're so nervous. I mean, you've survived torture two times over, being in a collapsed building, and putting up with me for our high school career. I promise meeting my mother will not be bad."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair wearily. "I know, it's just that you love her, and just from hearing about her I think she's amazing, so I just want her to not hate me."

Jackson laughed, and turned to face me before he opened the door to his mother's apartment. "Annabeth, trust me, she already loves you."

I scoffed. "Yeah, she loves the girl who nearly got her son killed. Multiple times, actually."

He rolled his eyes, and sheer annoyance crossed his face. "Please, Annabeth, just loosen up. She knows that it wasn't your fault, and if anything, has given me grief for nearly getting you killed."

I looked up at him open mouthed, not knowing what to say, and a smug smile crossed his face as he quickly opened the door before I could react.

He walked into the apartment, clearly at peace with himself, and walked into the small living area with a couch and a love seat in front of a T.V. before plopping his rear onto the middle of the couch, placing his feet on a coffee table in front of him.

"Mom! I'm home!"

"Is Annabeth here too?" I turned to where the voice came from, and saw a very beautiful woman walk into the room.

"Yup."

The woman's blue eyes widened at the sight of her son making himself right at home on the couch. "Good God, Percy Jackson are you really going to be this rude? I've taught you better!" She walked over to my boyfriend and smacked his feet off the coffee table and glared down at him.

Percy merely grinned sheepishly and apologized. "Sorry, mom."

The woman shook her head, and crossed her arms. "I'm not the girlfriend you have been being rude to."

Percy rolled his eyes, and smiled at me, winking as he apologized, "Sorry, girlfriend. Will you ever forgive me?"

His mom turned toward me and smiled kindly. "You can say no, don't let my son fool you."

I laughed, and shook my head. "He's just being a goofball, miss. It's very nice to meet you, Miss Jackson."

She smiled at me, and walked over to where I was and shook my hand. "It's very nice to meet you too, Annabeth. And please, call me Sally. You saved my son's life, and not to mention you have made him a much better boy since you have been together. I think you can call me by my first name."

I bit my lip, trying to hide a very childish smile that was about to cross my face. For some reason, when Sally gave me praise I felt an elation of happiness course through me. Something about making her proud of me was very endearing.

I suddenly understood why Percy was so fond of his mother.

Over dinner with Percy and Sally, I learnt a lot more about the insane childhood Percy had, and I got to see some baby pictures, much to Percy's disdain. But I knew underneath the annoyance he was very happy that I was getting along with his mother like I was.

Needless to say, that night was the beginning of a long time of Sally and I teaming up on Percy.

-Flashback Ends-

Sally had become a second mother to me, and has always been there for me when my mother couldn't. It was nice to be able to know that there was always someone who would be there, besides Percy of course, but it was nice to have a stable motherly figure in my life.

My mom started to stay home more often after I returned from being kidnapped, and she started to be more of a mom again. It was nice to see and to actually carry conversations with her, many of them including the brother and son that we both miss so much.

My mother had decided to start a charity in Malcolm's honor, to help kids with mental illnesses, to keep them safe, and to ensure the safety of the people around them. Luke's mental instability had led him to make some decisions, and my mother had made peace with that.

I was very pleased to know that many kids have already benefitted from this program.

And I know that Malcolm was looking down on us with a smile on his face.

"Annabeth? Are you okay?" I was drawn back to reality at the sound of Juniper's soft voice coming from behind me.

I saw that she was dressed in her bridesmaid's dress, and I knew Thalia had finished her hair as she modelled a beautiful braid that curved over her shoulder. It reminded me of the one Rapunzel had in Tangled.

"Juniper, you look beautiful," I complimented, smiling at her through the mirror. She smiled at me, and squeezed my shoulder lightly.

"You do too."

I looked back at myself in the mirror, and started to see more than just the hair and the makeup. I saw what was underneath. I had a lot of scars from my experience, and wearing this dress, I knew that a lot of them were going to be visible.

The makeup artist had asked if I wanted to cover them up, as some of them were pretty nasty from the building falling on top of me. Yet, I knew that if I covered them up I would never forgive myself. I needed to accept what happened and move on.

I like to think of it as a big "Screw you" to Luke. Hell, even being here with my friends is a big enough "Screw you." I wasn't supposed to survive, yet it did. I just wish I could give the bird to Luke one more time.

"Thank you, Juniper," I said, and walked away from the mirror, grabbed a bouquet of flowers, and joined Juniper as we headed out the door and to the common area of the church.

"You completely missed it, Annabeth. Thalia was about to kill Rachel for messing up her hair. But luckily the guys were right there to hold her back," Juniper gushed, laughing at the memory. "I'm surprised Piper didn't step in or anything."

I snorted. "I don't blame her. After seeing that, who would want to take the chance with ruining their hair? So, how do the boys look?"

Juniper giggled, and I knew she must have been thinking about Grover. "They look very sharp, Annabeth. Don't you worry- those tuxes make them look like real men."

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "On a scale from 1 to Chuck Bass?"

She giggled again. "Definitely Chuck Bass."

We continued our search for the common area until we were thrust upon countless decorations and flowers and displays that only meant one thing. We were at a wedding.

"There you are!" Piper exclaimed. "Don't want to be late, now do we?"

I shrugged, and looked at Juniper who's face had turned red in embarrassment. "Wouldn't dream of it, Piper."

Piper looked absolutely stunning. I mean, her mom was a model, so it was in her blood, but boy was she beautiful. She was glowing, and for good reason. She was going to get married in approximately three minutes to the man of her dreams, who was already waiting for her at the alter.

Piper's father was next to her, and I smiled at the quiet words that were being spoken between father and daughter. A longing feeling swept over me, and I had to squeeze it away. This was Piper's day, not mine. I didn't have to worry about my father, not today.

"Hey Chase." A voice breathed in my ear as two arms wrapped around my waist. "You look absolutely exquisite this evening."

I rolled my eyes at his cheesiness, and turned in his arms so that I was facing him. "You don't look so bad yourself, Jackson. This seems like it's going to be good practice for you."

He laughed, and kissed me lightly on the lips, carefully minding my makeup. "I can't wait for the real deal, Miss Chase."

"And I can't wait either, Mr. Jackson."

"Hey, love birds! Break it up! We gotta go!"

We both turned to see a very worked over Piper who was hanging on to her father's arm for dear life. That is one part I will not be too excited for. The nerves must be horrifying.

We quickly broke apart, and took our places as the best man and maid of honor. We would be walking out together before Piper and her father, and I just got jitters at the thought of being able to do that myself sometime in the future.

The mental picture of seeing Percy at the end of the aisle just gives me the chills.

"Ready to go, Chase?" He asked, leaning down to quietly speak in my ear before it was our turn to walk.

"Ready, Jackson. Just don't let go."

"Of course not, Chase. Of course not."

He led me down the aisle, and I grinned at the sight of Jason Grace at the end of the aisle, twiddling his thumbs with an anxious look on his face. His eyes brightened when he saw me and Percy, and I winked at him knowing that he was just excited that Piper was next.

Percy and I got to the alter and split off, taking our spots respectively. The music shifted, changing into Canon in D. As soon as the new music started to play, the double doors re-opened dramatically with Piper and her father waiting behind them.

I looked at Jason, who was looking at Piper with tears in his eyes and the widest smile I have ever seen on his usually so serious face. They were both so in love that sometimes it was physically demanding to have to be in the same room as them, but I knew that they would say the same thing about me and Percy.

Piper and her father made it down the aisle, and her father shook Jason's hand and kissed Piper on the cheek before taking his seat in the pew beside his ex-wife, who was in tears.

The priest started the ceremony, and I watched in pure joy as Jason and Piper became Mr. and Mrs. Grace. I knew that soon I would be taking Percy's name, and I couldn't wait for the day that I could introduce myself as Annabeth Jackson, instead of Annabeth Chase.

Percy wasn't going to be able to call me Chase anymore, though. That was kind of a bummer.

"Do you, Jason Grace, take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for better or for worse, from this day forward, until death do you part?"

Jason's voice spoke out confidently, "I do."

There was not a dry eye in the room.

The priest turned to Piper, and spoke. "Do you, Piper McLean, take this man as your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, for better or for worse, from this day forward, until death do you part?"

Piper let out a laugh, "Heck yeah I do!"

The audience laughed, and the priest chuckled a bit before speaking, "Jason, you may now kiss your bride."

Jason swooped Piper into a kiss and dipped her, completely sweeping her off her feet. I whooped and cheered as loud as I could, along with everyone else in the church. Amidst the chaos my eyes met with the sea green eyes of the man I love.

I ran my finger over the ring that was on my left hand, and winked.

Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher once stated to "expect the unexpected." I never really understood what it meant, as if one would expect something to happen, they wouldn't be unexpecting it, therefore it made absolutely no sense at all.

But now, looking into the eyes of Percy Jackson, my once arch nemesis, a boy who went to hell and back with me, and now my future husband… I knew exactly what good old Heraclitus meant.

-The End-

I'm crying right now as I write this… this story has been my baby for years, and now it's done. I've loved writing this story, even though at many points it was depressing and emotional, but that's what it's all about. The roller coaster. The fun. The chance to be emerged into a world that is not your own.

Thank you, readers, it's you guys that make me excited to upload each chapter, and I cant wait to see what you have to say about what I have in store for you.

My next story is called "Hecate's Daughter and the Dissipating Mist," and the prologue to the story is out and ready to be read by you. I won't be taking as long to update for this baby… hopefully.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

~GoGreen43