Can you believe it? It's an update! Yup. Believe it or not, I'm still alive, and I'm here to finish this story :D

Well, without further ado, I'll start the chapter.

Annabeth's POV

All scenery stretched to the ends of her sight was endless, white, puffy clouds floating daintily across the cool air and cradling her sore body. Annabeth groaned and pushed herself up to a sitting position, wondering how the wispy clouds could support her weight. She rotated her head to observe her surroundings but nothing exceptional stood out from the smoky scenery.

Just as Annabeth tried to remember how she got here, clouds in front of her rose, morphed, and condensed into the shape of a body. As the figure slowly etched into a recognizable form, Annabeth gasped with realization.

The cloud twisted and stretched, with parts branching out into arms and legs. Its color tanned into a rosy pink. Slowly, the visage melted and smoothed into the most beautiful face Annabeth has ever seen.

"Aphrodite," Annabeth murmured, "It's you, isn't it?"

"Glad to see that you recognize me," The Goddess responded.

"Where am I?" Annabeth angrily demanded, "I remember I was just talking to Percy a moment ago."

"Ah, yes, Percy, right," Aphrodite replied, "We'll get to him later."

The Goddess snapped her finger and nearby clouds morphed into a table and chairs.

"Care for something to drink?" She asked.

"I don't have time for this," Annabeth growled, "If you have no important business with me, then send me back to Percy."

"I'm afraid I can't," Aphrodite asserted, smiling sadly, "You see, it was Percy himself who sent you here."

Annabeth was silent with confusion for a few seconds, trying to remember the events leading up to this moment, then quickly responded with, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, before I answer your question, I would like for you to answer mine," Aphrodite said and asked, "Do you love Percy?"

"Well, of course I do!" Annabeth exclaimed, flushing slightly.

"Do you trust him?" Aphrodite questioned.

"I don't see where this is going-"

"Do you trust him?!" Aphrodite repeated, a little louder this time.

"Well, I guess he's sometimes clumsy and does stupid things," Annabeth responded, "But I do in the end trust him with my life."

"HA!" Aphrodite laughed, then added, "All you girls are the same. Whether weak or strong or independent, you girls always end up trusting a boy you love. You think your loved ones are so pure that they'd never bring you to harm. It's almost saddening how ignorant you humans all are."

"What do you mean?" Annabeth snapped, "Percy would never do anything to hurt me."

"Would he?" Aphrodite asked amusingly, "Let me tell you something. All creatures are self-serving. He doesn't love you so that you can be happy. He loves you because you are a body with a conscience that makes him happy. He'd fight for you, and give his life for you, yes. But all this sacrifice is his desire to preserve his own source of joy. He does it to avoid being riddled with guilt. He does it to protect a treasure he wants for himself. But for you? Just for you to be happy? No, this is something humans inherently feel not."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Annabeth replied, slightly bewildered.

"Fine. Let's add an example, shall we? Let's say, for instance, a woman cheats on a man, and the man finds out. The man would be furious, would he not?" Aphrodite asked.

"In most cases, yes, I suppose," Annabeth answered hesitantly.

"Well, why?" Aphrodite asked, "Why is the man angry? If the man truly only wants the person he loves to be happy, wouldn't he let her do whatever she wants?"

"It's a commitment!" Annabeth answered, "It's called trust! We do it to show our devotion to each other in relationships. Of course anyone would be mad if his or her partner breaks this rule!"

"You're not getting the point!" Aphrodite argued, "People create this so-called 'rule' for their own sense of security. If a woman leaves her man for another guy, shouldn't the first man be happy for her that she found someone who can make her happier? The fact is that he is not! The reason manifests itself here: we care for others for our own sake. To Percy, you are no more than an object to him, an object that exists solely for his own happiness. Like his Riptide sword. Like his other possessions. He keeps them and takes good care of them for their uses, not because he wants those possessions to be happy."

"If that is your perception of things, then I feel sorry for you," Annabeth replied, shaking her head, "It's a wonder how you became the Goddess of Love despite how little you know about that emotion."

"I figured you'd disagree," Aphrodite said, giggling, "And that is why, right now, I will prove it to you. I will show you, let you see with your own eyes the real Percy Jackson."

"Huh?"

"Just yesterday, in his dreams, I approached Percy and gave him the power to mind control you," Aphrodite explained.

"Mind control?" Annabeth nervously asked.

"Yes. He had to do a few things in order for it to work," Aphrodite continued, "I don't remember, but it was something like making you drink something and making you say a specific word. I think the word was 'big', but I could be wrong."

Annabeth's face paled a bit, "Big? I think I remember that was one of the last things I said before I suddenly passed out and got over here."

"Yes," Aphrodite whispered, "You see? Without your knowledge, let alone your permission, Percy has performed these rituals to mind control you. You thought Percy was noble, innocent, and kind, but look at what he's done without your consent. His own desires consumed him, and he couldn't resist but try and take over your mind."

"I don't believe this," Annabeth replied, "This is some kind of joke or hoax. Send me back. This isn't funny, Aphrodite."

"If you don't trust me, then I can show it to you right now," Aphrodite replied, grinning rather triumphantly. She snapped her fingers and a television formed into place. The screen displayed a bird's eye view of Percy's room, and in the center was Percy himself sitting across from Annabeth.

"This is a recording of what has happened in the room," Aphrodite explained, "While we were having our little chat, I myself missed out on what happened next. But we can watch that together now, can't we?"

The Percy in the screen looked up at the televised Annabeth and asked her, "There was this thing I read about that other day. Something about the Huge Bang Theory?"

The real Annabeth shivered slightly. She remembered quite well Percy asking her this in the exact manner.

"You're so hopeless Percy," The televised Annabeth replied, "It's called the Big-"

But the Annabeth in the screen never finished her sentence. Her head suddenly drooped a tiny bit, and her eyes seemed absentminded.

"Annabeth?" Percy nervously asked. There was no reply.

"No way," the real Annabeth whispered.

"Shocking, isn't it?" Aphrodite replied, laughing.

"That foul, dirty-" Annabeth started, but she was suddenly lost for words.

"You should probably save your worst insults for later," Aphrodite chirped, "This is just getting started."

Percy's POV

"Annabeth, you can put your hand back down now," I muttered, and the girl's arm immediately dropped back down on her lap.

The situation felt quite surreal. Even though I haven't yet made Annabeth do anything significant, I was already taken over by a strange feeling of happy dominance.

There was about a million things I wanted Annabeth to do, but I wasn't sure where to start. I haven't really planned this far yet. Up till this point, I was sort of silently wishing the spell to take effect by accident, but I didn't really keep my hopes up. It was really quite exhilarating when Annabeth finally said the magic word.

However, there was one particular thing I wanted Annabeth to do with me. The desire took place quite a while ago, but hasn't truly developed until recently. Perhaps now…

I kicked myself. Ah, what was I thinking? That is simply much too far. Make Annabeth jump around like an idiot? Maybe. Make her do my school homework that my mom left for to enhance my "education"? Also maybe. But make Annabeth do that? No. Definitely not.

But…

I looked at her docile, blank face. What Annabeth would never know would not hurt her, right? This is to satiate my own yearnings at the expense of hardly anything. So what's stopping me?

Slowly, I crept up to the motionless girl, telling myself that everything will be fine. There is a reason why we are humans and not angels. We make mistakes. We have our wants. Is it not perfectly normal to sometimes give in to them?

Soft gales of wind drifted through my open window, gently brushing aside a part of Annabeth's shirt, unveiling her prized dagger. I stared at her weapon and remembered how she got it.

She was only six, if I can recall correctly, when Luke first handed her the Celestial Bronze dagger. Annabeth had just run away from her harsh uncaring family. She once told me she hated spiders, but was constantly tormented by them at her old domicile. Her step-mother rarely cared for her well-being, and ignored Annabeth's pleas to exterminate the fearsome pests. Her father was always out for work, and rarely had any chance to see his daughter. Almost since the moment of her birth, Annabeth was alone.

And out of abject misery, Annabeth finally had enough and ran away from home. Only a few years after she could walk, Annabeth was trapped in a world full of deadly monsters hungry to kill and consume her. For months, she stumbled aimlessly alone, unable to trust anyone, unable to have a single friend to depend upon.

Finally, the Gods had mercy on Annabeth one day by bringing her to Luke and Thalia, who almost immediately became her trusted companions. Without a doubt, those two were her entire world, and she would do anything for them.

Unfortunately, soon after, Thalia "died" protecting them to send them to Camp-Half Blood. Years later, Luke betrayed her and the entire camp when he went to join Kronos. To make matters worse, just a few weeks after Thalia was revived, Annabeth was separated from her again when Thalia left Camp-Half Blood to join Artemis and her gang. At this point, Annabeth was once again deprived of her two best-friends. All she had left was me.

She declined Artemis's offer to join the Goddess as well and be with Thalia for me. How many times did she save my life in combat? Looking back, Annabeth made so many sacrifices for my sake.

And I? Just what was I about to do? I had already betrayed Annabeth by attempting to mind control her. And if that wasn't enough, I was planning to do far more. Is this really the way I'm going to repay her? Agh! What an idiot I've been.

I stood up. A drop of water fell on my hand and I realized I was tearing up slightly. I cleared my throat and spoke in my most genuine of voices, "Hey, Annabeth? I know you probably couldn't hear me right now. But you know what? I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not telling you about my dream I had with Aphrodite, for not explaining to you my new powers, for losing to my own desires and mind controlling you regardless. Annabeth, I didn't want to betray you. If Aphrodite gave me the power to mind control you again, I would not do it. Before, you held emotions of mine that I myself did not fully understand. Before, I was blinded to only see your face, your body, your capability to fulfill my own selfishness. But now, I see your heart, your sacrifices, your care. Forgive me, Annabeth. I saw it too late. You may never hear or know of this, but I swear, from this moment forth, to never do anything to harm you or to take advantage of you again."

There was no response from Annabeth, but I didn't need any. My resolution was for myself, and I was thankful to make it before I did anything completely unforgivable.

"Aphrodite," I called out, "Please end this mind control thing. This is enough. I had had enough."

I sat and leaned back against a wall, waiting for the Goddess to respond.

Annabeth's POV

There was absolute silence up in the clouds when Annabeth and Aphrodite heard Percy's speech.

"What? This doesn't make sense!" Aphrodite exclaimed, "Why isn't he doing anything? This is nonsense!"

Annabeth gave a silent sigh of relief and replied, "Did you think that every person is completely heartless? Self-serving? You may have given up your own husband to be with Ares instead, but the rest of the world does not have to follow you. There are good people in this world, and you just watched with me proof."

"No. Something's wrong," Aphrodite mumbled, "Was Percy pre-warned? Did he know we were watching? Somebody must have told him what was going on…."

"Stop it, Aphrodite," Annabeth said, "No one warned him. I admit that Percy have somewhat given in by mind controlling me in the first place, but that was the end of the road. I don't want to rub it in your face. You're a Goddess, and I respect that, but it would be sensible to accept the possibility of loyalty in relationships."

Aphrodite looked back at Annabeth with a pained and hateful face, "Fine. Very well. Your Percy didn't betray you, not this time at least. But one day, his love will ebb away. We'll hear what you say then when that day happens."

"Yes, yes. We'll see. Are you ready to send me back now?" Annabeth asked, smirking.

With one last angry glance, the Goddess waved her hand, and Annabeth felt her mind drifting off to sleep.

Percy's POV

"Annabeth? Hey? Are you awake now?" I asked.

Annabeth groaned and rubbed her eyes open.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," She answered, smiling when she saw me.

I sighed in relief. It had been only a few minutes since I cancelled the mind control, but those long seconds felt like eternities.

"Well, I'm glad you're back," I said, "You kind of passed out there."

"Passed out?" She replied, "Explain what you mean?"

"Well, um, we were just talking," I stammered, "And all of a sudden you blanked out."

"Is that so?" She answered, grinning in a way that I didn't quite like, "Would you happen to know what caused me to blank out?"

"Er," I murmured, "Not really?"

Smack!

I staggered back a little after Annabeth slapped me across the face.

"You idiot!" Annabeth snarled, "I saw exactly what happened."

My heart dropped.

"What do you mean?" I replied.

Annabeth grabbed the nearest book she could find in the room and clocked me on the head with it.

"That's for mind controlling me!"

"Oh my Gods!" I cried out, "Annabeth, how did you..?"

"Aphrodite showed me everything when I was unconscious," She explained, "And I got to see all your pathetic acts while you were attempting to mind control me."

Wow. I am completely busted.

"Annabeth," I began, "I know you probably won't believe me but-"

Suddenly, the girl lunged at me and knocked me to the ground. I expected Annabeth to start strangling me right there, but to my great surprise, I felt her lips suddenly pressed against mine. My body began to relax a bit, but I was completely confused.

"Well," She added after she broke away, "That's for not doing anything worse afterwards, I guess. You really had me worried there for a bit."

I was shocked. Wow, was I really off the hook?

"Annabeth, what I did was really stupid-"

"Yeah, you're right. It was probably one of the dumbest things you've done by far, and that's saying something," Annabeth confirmed, "But I guess just this once, I'll let it slide."

There was a silence for a bit as we both sat still next to each other.

"Hey, Percy," Annabeth said, "What was it that you were planning on doing anyways when you mind controlled me?"

My heart suddenly started racing. Should I really tell her?

"I won't get mad, I promise," Annabeth added, "I'm really quite curious to know."

"Well, in that case," I said, "I'll only tell you if you promise to do it for me afterwards."

Annabeth hesitated for a moment and said, "Fine. Very well. I trust you. What was it?"

I whispered in her ear what it was, and the look on her face afterwards was priceless.

Finally, after an entire year and a half, I finished this. Three chapters in almost 20 months! Woohoo!

I'm sorry for not updating very often. I'm pretty busy, but I hope the end was to your taste. I leave it to your imagination what it was that Percy wanted, and what happened afterwards.

Please review and tell me if I should write more PJ fanfiction! Also, if you guys really disliked this and want an alternative ending, tell me that as well, and I'll write one. I actually do have a good alternative ending in mind.

Anyways, thanks to all you people who stuck with this story from the start! And for all you newcomers, I hope you guys enjoyed the story as well.