Well, this is it, gang! Enjoy!

Put on your war paint

"There's no such thing as monsters."

Two weeks had passed since the showdown at the Baltic Theater, and still those six words remained with Percy. At first, they'd irked him—made him feel guilty about what he'd done to Kronos and the rest of the CIA. But the more he replayed the mantra in his head, the more it settled in somewhat… comfortably. Like it was nothing more than a school lesson—something one would learn in fifth period between algebra and biology. It was a simple truth—monsters didn't exist.

There was no true evil in the world, and no true good to go against it. There were only people—men and women who did what they wanted and fought for what they believed. Kronos had been right that night when he'd told Percy how alike they were. He just didn't see it at the time, and hadn't been ready to accept it.

But now he knew—they had been alike, each doing everything they could to protect what they thought mattered above all else. For Percy, that was his family. And for Kronos, it was the law.

But another important realization Percy had come to over the past two weeks was that just because he and Kronos had been the same, it didn't mean that they couldn't be mortal enemies. It didn't mean he owed it to the former CIA Director to go easy or to let him go. If he did that, he'd be playing the hero—trying to paint himself the absolute good. And he'd given up on that illusion a long time ago.

So while he had felt guilty at first, he was glad to say that that feeling had passed completely. He was satisfied with what he'd done, because of the reasons for which he'd done it. Any regret he'd had over the specifics of the end of their war had vanished.

Now, regret for the losses he'd suffered on the way—that was another story entirely.

These were the jumbled thoughts going through Percy's head as he knelt before the headstone in New Calvary Cemetery that afternoon, the springtime sun beating down on him. His fingers brushed against the cool granite, tracing the bottom line of the E at the end of the newly-engraved name on its surface.

He was tired of burying loved ones. And he swore to himself that this—with how deeply it cut him—would be the last time.

With a heavy sight, Percy rose to his feet, pulling his eyes from the engraving and staring aimlessly over the cemetery. A hand set down on his left shoulder—a bit too hard, actually, causing him to wince as pain flared in the still-healing gunshot wound carved there.

"Ah, sorry," Grover said hastily, retracting his hand at once. "I keep forgetting…"

Percy shot his best friend a dry smirk. "The sling doesn't remind you?"

Grover's eyes fell to the thick bandages suspending Percy's arm and he shrugged guiltily.

"I just…" he went on with a frown, "I know it goes without saying, but… I'm still here for you. After everything we've lost, I just think maybe… Well, it's nice to hear it sometimes."

Percy smiled—though he could tell it looked sadder than he'd meant it to. "You're right. Thanks."

"He's not the only one," the person on Percy's right added. "I know I haven't exactly been part of this for very long, but… We're family, sort of. You can always count on me, too."

Percy shook his head. "There's no 'sort of'—we are family. You've more than proven that much. I'm not saying I want another war or anything, but… I know who to call on for help if the need ever does spring up."

Jason chuckled, sliding his hands into his pockets. He'd just gotten out of the hospital a day earlier as a result of the fight with Kronos, and still here he was, playing the part of a good friend so naturally. It was funny for Percy to compare their relationship now to the way they'd met—with shady threats and secret uprisings.

"Don't jinx us," he warned good-naturedly. Expression turning serious, he went on, "On the subject, though… I've been doing a little cautionary work while I was stuck in the hospital. The CIA is swearing in their new Director on Monday—and he's a close, personal friend of mine. We shouldn't have to worry about them for quite a while."

Despite the lingering ache in his heart, Percy grinned. "You get more useful by the day. Have I mentioned how glad I am you're in charge?"

"You mean how glad you are I work for you," Jason corrected him with a smirk.

Eyes going back to the headstone before him, Percy felt his grin falter. "Actually, I…" He breathed out and turned to look Jason in the eye. "I've decided to step down. I don't belong on top."

The smile vanished from Jason's face. "What?" he said in surprise. "Why?"

"You don't think this war was your fault, do you?" Grover asked suspiciously.

"No, no," Percy insisted. "I don't mean it that way. I mean… It's not that don't belong there, it's more that…" He reached a hand out absently and touched the top of the gravestone. "I belong here, instead."

A look of understanding crossed Grover's face. "You mean… you're taking your dad's place."

"Yeah. And…" Percy turned back to Jason. "I want you to take Zeke's."

Jason studied Percy's face for a second before his eyebrows shot up. "You're serious."

Percy shrugged his good shoulder. "It was supposed to be you all along. We just didn't know you existed."

Jason gave a short laugh of disbelief. Shaking his head, he muttered, "I don't know what to sa—"

"Just say you'll do it," Percy told him. "Really, right now, that's all I need to hear."

"Okay," Jason agreed. "I'll do it."

"Good." Percy grinned in satisfaction. "And hey—now that, you know… all the cats are out of their respective bags and everything, you can start using your real name. You're a Grace, after all. It's time people knew it."

"'Jason Grace'…" Olympus's new central head recited with an expression of contemplation. "That's gonna take some getting used to."

"Sounds right to me," Percy observed.

Jason smiled. He reached out a hand, which Percy took and shook, sealing the deal. "Thanks, man," he said sincerely. "For everything."

"Back at you."

"I'm gonna head back," Jason decided. "Got a few calls to make. Frank's still in L.A., been trying to set me up a meeting with Harley. Must be easier said than done, though, because he keeps telling me the time isn't right yet."

As Jason glanced upward in a helpless gesture, Percy smiled to himself. He remembered Frank expressing interest in Harley's new secretary the last time they were there, and he half-suspected Frank was simply stalling to give himself a bit more time on the west coast.

"Good luck," was all he told Jason.

As Jason left, Grover said, "I should probably go, too. Told June I'd be home by five for dinner. You want to come with?"

Percy took a slow breath. "Nah, I'm gonna stay. Tell her hey for me."

"Sure thing. And Perce…" Grover glanced at the headstone. "You gonna be okay?"

It took Percy a while to answer, but when he thought back on everything—on how he'd changed in the past two years alone—he knew that, whatever time it took, things would turn around. They always did.

"Yeah," he replied confidently. "I'll be fine."

Grover smiled. He reached out a hand and almost touched Percy's injured shoulder once again, only stopping himself at the last minute. With a sheepish chuckle, he settled for giving him a pat on the back instead. Then he left him alone.

And Percy knew he would be fine. Because despite everything he'd lost, he still had family left. And he knew that as long as he breathed, he would fight for and protect that family. He'd promised as much time and again, after all.

That comforting thought was still settling in when he was interrupted once more a few minutes later by a new arrival approaching on his right. "Sorry I missed the funeral," a somber voice said.

Percy frowned. "What the hell are you doing out of the hospital?"

Beside him, Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I'm perfectly fine. Look at me."

He did as she asked and remained unconvinced. He saw bruises on her face and arms, and the top edge of the length of gauze he knew was wrapped tightly around her chest and shoulder. The gunshot wound she'd suffered at Kronos's hands had very nearly cost her life, and it was still obvious by looking at her.

He arched an eyebrow and she shook her head. "Okay, well, it's not as bad as it looks, alright? Let's go with that."

"Fine, fine. You're already here, so I guess there's no arguing it now."

"Right. So…" Her eyes drifted to the headstone in front of them. "How'd it go? Or… do you not want to talk about it?"

"Not yet," he decided, sliding an arm around her back and returning his gaze to the engraving as she leaned into him. "Ask me again in a few days."

She chuckled softly. "Alright, then. Subject change. Did you tell Jason?"

"Yeah. He took it well—really well. Seems it was the right decision for all of us."

"I talked to Reyna and Leo this morning," Annabeth informed him. "And you'll be happy to know they've both agreed to sign on, too—for good. They can't move back to Detroit—at least not yet—so they're gonna stay in New York for a while. They didn't outright say it, but I think Reyna convinced Leo to give Hank another chance."

Percy felt himself smile. He'd been more than a little surprised to learn that Leo was actually Hank Beckendorf's long-lost illegitimate son (seriously—how small was the world?). But that surprise had quickly turned to hope that that meant their new allies might possibly be there to stay. After the losses they'd all suffered, a few gains were more than welcome.

"Good," he said aloud. "We could all use a bigger family right about now."

Annabeth shifted against Percy's side, and he could hear the grin in her voice when she said, "I'm glad you think so."

"I'm glad we get to stay here, too, to be honest. I missed New York during that time I was stuck in Chicago earlier this year. I love it here. Grew up here, after all."

Annabeth giggled. "And you turned out alright."

"Hey," Percy chided. "You agreed to marry me."

"No, I'm serious. It's… reassuring. Because of you, I know this will be a good place to…" She hesitated, drawing in a quick breath. "…To raise our child."

Something about the tightness in her voice gave him pause—like she was bracing herself for an impact. "You mean, like… our theoretical, future child?" he asked.

"No. I mean… our definite, confirmed future child."

"Wait." Percy swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "Are you trying to tell me…?"

Annabeth pulled back a step and nodded, placing her palm against her stomach. Though her meaning was now perfectly clear, she still lifted her gaze and said with a tiny smile, "I'm pregnant."

He stared at her. "What?"

She shrugged in admission. "I found out in the hospital. They were going to tell you, but I wouldn't let them. I wanted to do it myself. Apparently, it's been almost six weeks—since the day I got back from Vegas, remember?—so… it's kind of a sure thing by now. …We could all use a bigger family, right?"

It barely registered that she'd just expertly changed the meaning of his own observation. "No, but… How? After…"

"The beating I took when we fought Kronos?" she guessed correctly. "I don't know. They said it was kind of a miracle I didn't miscarry." She glanced down, a small smile spreading her lips. "I guess the kid's tough. Just like its parents."

As the facts settled in, they brought a certain clarity. Percy couldn't ever remember being more surprised in his life, but was that necessarily a bad thing? He felt nothing negative aside from shock—no fear or guilt or worry. That was a good sign.

He swallowed again and let his eyes fall to his fiancée's abdomen. He didn't see a difference in her apparent weight, but she was wearing loose clothing. And she had just come off a two-week hospital stay.

"So… We're really…?"

"Having a baby?" she finished his sentence once again. Her smile widened and she reached out to take his hand in hers. "Yes. We are."

Finally the last of the surprise vanished and Percy grinned wildly. Laughing, he threw his good arm around Annabeth and pulled her into a tight hug that definitely aggravated his remaining injuries and probably also aggravated hers. She didn't show it, though—only laughed along with him and returned the embrace.

The news made him feel better inside—like the first, tiny ray of daylight pushing through the clouds after a storm. Not enough to obliterate all the darkness, but enough to provide a promise that soon the sun would return. Soon the shadows that seemed so powerful and undefeatable would fade, passing away beneath the golden skies of the morning. It was a wonderful feeling—the hope and the reassurance that despite their tragic past, they still had a future. And that future was looking brighter by the second.

"You don't know how great it is to see you happy," Annabeth said with a wide smile a minute later. "I've really missed that."

Percy grinned. "I'm not the only one who's been all frowns and glares lately," he pointed out. "Maybe… this will fix us both."

"It'd better, because I'd rather not bring this poor kid into a broken, messed-up family."

"I didn't say we weren't messed up."

Annabeth punched his sling-free arm and he laughed.

They fell silent for a few long minutes, both staring at the gravestone before them and everything it signified. Before he could stop himself, Percy asked Annabeth soberly, "Do you regret any of it?"

She turned to him with a frown. "What?"

"Everything we've lost, and everything we've had to do. I mean, look at you—you used to be a government agent. And now here you are, starting a life that hinges on organized crime. I know you want this, and I'm not trying to talk you out of it or anything. I just want to know. I want you to be happy."

She lowered her gaze, eyebrows drawing together. "Of course I have regrets," she said. "If I could go back and do it all again… Maybe I'd change a few things here and there. But at the same time… I wouldn't want to risk changing it all. I've done bad things, but no matter how much I hate that, I love that those bad things somehow brought me to you. I love that, even though we had to fight so hard to get here, we get to start a family together."

Again she slid her hand into his and went on, "When you say I started out fighting crime and now I'm living it, it sounds bad. But I guess… I don't really think of it that way. It's like you've said to me before—it's all about family. Back then, clearing my name and getting revenge was all I cared about. My mother was dead to me—I thought I had no family left. But then, thanks to you… I realized that I was wrong. I do have a family. And all I want now is to be with them and protect them."

She lifted her chin and turned her head, stormy gray eyes staring into his. Somehow he was struck by the resolve that burned so clearly in them. "You taught me," she said, "that family is worth anything. And I want to live that way from now on—just like you do. If protecting that family is dangerous or… or illegal, then so be it. Love is more important than law."

Feeling heartened by her answer, Percy grinned. "I've always thought so, too. But it sounds kind of hot when you say it."

She rolled her eyes, chuckling, and raised both hands to his chest to give him a playful, backward shove. Then she grabbed his shirt and pulled him back toward her, grabbing his mouth with hers for a brief yet meaningful kiss.

"We should head home," she said a minute later. "I… may have exaggerated a little before about being perfectly fine. I kind of want to lie down for a while. And… I'd really like you to stay with me."

He smiled, taking her hand. "Always."

Before they departed, Percy took one last look at his father's grave. Parker had told him that he needed to be a brother to the organization, rather than the father he himself had tried to be. But maybe, Percy started right then to wonder, he could be both—father and brother, family and friend.

Like Annabeth, he'd made a lot of mistakes in his life. He had more regrets than he could ever hope to count, more moments he wished so badly he could do over or forget. But since when did infallibility inspire pure and perfect trust? His mistakes made him human—and that made him belong. It made him someone the organization needed—someone they could see, could reach out and touch. Someone they could come to for help, someone they could confide in. Someone each and every member could trust. The Grace brothers were trustworthy enough, Percy knew, but they we also unapproachable. And somewhere inside, he knew—that was where his father and uncle Zeke had failed, and that was where he would succeed.

Plus, Annabeth's hand in his told Percy a very important thing on top of that—any time he needed it, he would have help. The organization had no shortage of people prepared to give everything for its sake. And that—more than influence, more than money, more than the abilities of any of its leaders or specialists—was what made it strong.

Kronos had said that nothing was immortal. But he was wrong. So long as it had one member willing to fight, Olympus would live on forever. And the foundations for that immortality were already being laid by the very people Percy had come to know and love. And it made him endlessly proud and happy to be a part of it.

Olympus was a family. And if there was one thing Percy and Annabeth had learned since that fateful day when she'd chosen his table in the Blue Lantern café, it was that family—more surely than anything else on earth—would never die.

Is... is this real?

Is it really over?

Dang, I feel like I've been working on this series forever. I can't tell you guys how awesome it feels to be done with it, and to be happy with the ending and with the trilogy as a whole.

So as always, mega-sized "Thanks you!"s to every one of you, whether you've been with me since the beginning or joined in along the way. This series has been a blast to imagine and to write, and it wouldn't have been nearly as much so without all of your support and excitement along the way. Starting now I'm going to take an indefinite break from fanfiction writing to work on an original idea I've been developing, but because of all of you my stint on ff-net is something I'll always look back on with extreme fondness. You're all responsible for the fun I've had, not to mention everything I've learned here, and the many ways in which my writing has improved over the years. So thanks bunches for that!

Lastly, how about dropping me one final review? I'd love to know there are still people who enjoyed this, even after my long and unsuspected break.

Have a great life, everybody! And, for what might be the last time, LATER DAYS!

-oMM