"No."

Percy looked up and saw the whole table trying to hide their snickers. He felt a small blush invade his face at his recent humiliation, but he tried again. He was already heart-torn. After everything he'd been through, pride wasn't much to add to the list. "Annabeth, please," desperation was clear in his voice. "Please. Can't we go somewhere else and talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about," Annabeth replied coolly.

Percy mustered his courage and jumped off the cliff, sacrificing the rest of his pride—something he'd regretted not doing earlier, "I love you. Let's talk about that."

Annabeth was tired. Tired of analyzing everything that had happened. Tired of living in the past. Before, Annabeth usually lived in the future—with a handful of visits to the present. Annabeth was a goal-minded person who always looked ahead. She planned ahead. Thought of her choice after her next choice. So after breaking up with Percy, there was no doubt that she hated what she had become, not even counting her depression.

So she had no idea what she was doing now, bringing the past back from the very grave she had forced it into. She had no idea why she told Percy to wait for her by the door. She had no idea why she was giving her car keys to Thalia and telling her she'd see her later back at her apartment. And she really had no idea what she was doing when she got into Percy's car and drove off—both with no destination in mind.

Actually, all Annabeth could do at the moment was take advantage of Percy's preoccupation and discreetly stare at him. All she could conclude was that Percy looked as handsome as ever, and that his touch still had the same effect on her. Annabeth felt the car stop and looked up to see a neon sign. Despite the blindingly bright lights, she had no trouble reading it: Hestia's where there's a place for everyone.

Annabeth got out of the car and walked in through the door that Percy held open for her. She was hit by a wave of warm air that engulfed her soon after Percy closed the door. It was not a suffocating warmth, but more of a comforting one. It seeped through your muscles and joints, soothing and relaxing them.

The inside was quaint, yet much bigger than you'd expect. It appeared to be a place often frequented by truckers, yet still clean. The place was intimidatingly large, but still homely with its warm lighting. A woman who looked young—but with eyes that revealed her wisdom and old age—showed them to a table and handed them menus. Annabeth didn't even need a second to register the five items on the menu: a cheeseburger, French fries, pie—one slice or the whole,—a milkshake, and coffee. The woman waited at their table, there being no rush for her to wait on her two other patrons.

A second after it was put in her hands, Annabeth handed the menu back to the waitress and ordered a coffee. Percy did the same. They waited politely for the waitress to leave before Annabeth looked up expectantly at Percy. She heard the speakers playing the end of the song You and Me and starting Glitter in the Air-she'd have to figure out the radio station later... The waitress quickly came back with their cups, giving Percy a few more seconds to figure things out. He had no idea where to start. "Um…with Bianca we weren't—we nev—"

"I know," Annabeth interrupted quietly, "she's with Artemis."

"Oh...," Percy wasn't sure where to start after Annabeth revealed that she knew about Bianca, "I've never cheated. I never cheated on you. I won't ever cheat on you. If—if we get back together…." Percy gripped his coffee cup harder as he continued, "Ca—cause you are all I ever think about. Not just from when we broke up, but ever since you asked me to be your boyfriend for fifteen minutes. You've turned me into the world's saddest and most desperate man. I can't get you out of my head.

"My life should be fucking fantastic right now," Percy declared, getting frustrated with his pathetic emotional state. "My best friend just got married. I just got a promotion. But I'm not living any of it. I'm not living in my own body. I'm living in my head," Percy spoke bitterly, gesturing to his head with a furious movement. "I've been reliving every word we ever spoke, every look we ever shared, every touch that shot a flame through my body. I can't live like this, I'm going crazy," the words slipping past his lips in a barely audible whisper as he pushed his hands through his hair, looking as if he were trying to pull it out.

"I know."

Again those two words. Percy whipped his eyes up furiously at her, ready to yell at her for not eliciting a bigger reaction. For belittling his emotions. For not taking him seriously. But then he looked at her. He saw her. He knew she had been through the exact same things he had. Had performed the same pitiful actions. Had experienced the same emotions. So he said nothing.

"I love you." This time it's Annabeth who said it, still looking at her coffee cup; never having looked up from her coffee cup while Percy poured his heart out to her.

Percy filled with a slight hope. He asked what he's wanted to since the day she walked out: "So…can we start over?"

Annabeth takes a moment to think, leaving Percy hanging on the verge of his seat, waiting for his fate to be decided. She looks up from her coffee cup feeling more strong-willed than she had in weeks. "No." She was never a person that walked backwards. "Let's just, continue…"

AN: So what do you think? I know it's kinda short... More importantly though: this is the last chapter. The End. I've been thinking about it, and the few other chapters I was going to put in didn't really go with the plot-line. They were more of just fluff I wanted to write, so I decided to make it separate one-shots (watch for them, they'll be coming soon).

Anyways, there will be an epilogue that I'm really excited to write. I thought of it during the first chapter and have been waiting a long time to write it. But please review! Did you like this chapter? Did your heart stop when you read her say 'No?' What was your favorite chapter to read? Which song did you like the best that I used? I know it sounds like some kind of homework your high school teacher would give you, but please review! I know it might be impossible, but I would love it if this story reached 200 reviews. That would just make my life!

The songs I put in this were You and Me by Lifehouse and Glitter in the Air by Pink.

PercabethFax97 was the one that got where the speech was from in the last chapter. We think it was from the episode Calling, season 2, if you're a Smallville fan. An 'OMG! FINALLY' episode if you're a Clana fan XD

Haha now I feel like an obsessed fangirl :P REVIEW!~