Don't kill me! I so wasn't planning this but this is the final chapter of Stranded. I know. Very sudden and I usually give you guys more of a heads up but when I was editing this, I realized that this is where I wanted to story to end. NOT TO WORRY THOUGH! THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE! I'm in the middle of writing it. There are some things, however, I would like to discuss so please make sure you read the Author's Note at the end of this chapter.
asebisi980: There are two Annabeths that I love to write: Sassy Annabeth, and Drunk Annabeth. This is because I'm like her so it's really easy to write and I get to pull out all the stops.
TyberAurora: Do you know how hard it was for me to keep them apart? Like... You don't even know. You think it's hard to read about it? I could literally fix their relationship in two sentences at any point in the last two or so chapters but couldn't because I HAVE TO KEEP TO THE PLOT I MADE OUT! T.T I honestly cannot have nice things. I really can't. UGH! Sorry. I hope I didn't sound rude there. I just... I have a lot of feelings and... yeah. It's 2 am and I'm tired. Oh! you want unnatural heat? Try Houston. It's death. You step outside and you think you've automatically started sweating but no, it's just the humidity in the air.
KayIsDaughterofHades: Athena's reaction to their relationship will be addressed in the Epilogue.
HoOisawesome: I actually like Rachel. She's like the Sassy friend that I've always wanted.
Guest (Guest): Thank you so much! When you say novels, do you mean my own work for reals for reals, or like, more fanfiction. If the latter, maybe. I'm getting deeper and deeper into college so free time is very scarce. I'm a bio major in premed so I'm kind of like... going to die if I'm not constantly studying. If the former, I haven't written anything as of late but I've got some stuff floating around in my head for a possible story.
Jonny (Guest): I'm sorry you feel that way. But, honestly, if you want to read finished stories, there is a filter where you can select completed stories. This is the last chapter (minus the epilogue) so yeah. And if you read my Author's notes, then you'd know that update every other week and that I'm pretty good about keeping to that. I feel ya, Bud. I don't like wondering if a story will ever get finished, too. Lucky for you, this one is.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Percy Jackson and the Olympians... Obviously since I am in no way, shape, or form Rick Riordan.
Annabeth bit her lip, unsure of how Percy would react to the bombshell she'd just dropped. So far, he'd just stood there, unmoving, unspeaking, frozen. "Percy?" She took a step forward, resting her hands on his biceps. "Percy, talk to me."
"The island?" was all he said. Annabeth nodded.
"Yes."
"How long have you been planning this?" Annabeth shrugged.
"That doesn't matter." Percy shook his head and stepped closer.
"How long, Annabeth?" The blonde architect looked down.
"It's been a few months now," muttered, just loud enough for Percy to hear.
"A few months? So… We were together when you started this."
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, leading them to the couch in the study.
"I wanted to surprise you when it was finished." She could see him piecing everything together in his head.
"So… when you were working over time, you were really working on this?"
"I was."
"And…" A look of realization and regret came over his face. "I was the idiot that broke up with you."
"Hey," she placated. "We're both to blame. I should have talked to you instead of brushed you off." She placed a hand on his cheek, her fingertips playing his hair. "We were terrible communicators. But now, we can talk about everything. It was good that we took a break. We learned how to talk, put our friendship first." Percy nodded.
"Everything happens for reason," he stated.
"Exactly." She kissed him. She missed being able to do that. It was torture having to be around him and know that she couldn't do any of the things that she normally did. However, now that they were back together, she could enjoy all of the perks that being a girlfriend had. They pulled apart and she cuddled into his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist. He responded by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.
"Well, I, for one, am glad that we're past all of that."
"Same here."
"So… When can we see the house?" he asked after a while.
"Leo says it should be done in another week or so. My mom made some suggestions and I sent them to him. It'll take a while to make the improvement. Thankfully, they haven't finished the part my mom edited."
"I'm guessing you and your mom are good now?"
Annabeth smiled. "We are. We made up earlier this week."
"I'm so happy for you, Annabeth."
"Yeah."
"Oh! By the way, what are you doing tomorrow?"
"Nothing, why?" She tilted her head in curiosity.
"It's the unveiling of the shark exhibit."
"That's tomorrow? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, I was planning on taking you there tonight for a sneak preview."
"But then the whole debacle with Rachel happened. I'm sorry. I ruined your plans."
"I beg to differ," Percy chuckled. "I wanted to spend tonight seeing if we still had a chance and apparently, we do."
"Mmm," Annabeth hummed. "If it happens, it happens."
"And it happened." They kissed once more.
"I'll be there tomorrow."
"You will be. I'll pick you up at eight. And, just so you don't freak out, Rachel is coming too and I've already promised her a ride."
"That's fine, Percy. I wonder if she has any embarrassing stories from your childhood." She gave him a knowing smile and he laughed sarcastically.
"Nice try, Wise Girl. Rachel isn't the type to blab."
"Oh, Percy… All girls are the type to blab. You just have to find out what they're willing to blab about."
Percy went home that night after bidding Annabeth goodnight with a kiss. After closing the door behind him, she went to bed, ready for the next day.
•-•
Percy was at her apartment at exactly eight in the morning. Annabeth opened the door, dressed and ready to go. It was slightly disorienting seeing him in a suit. A tailored suit at that. She'd seen him wear a button down and even a tie, but never a full suit. It reminded her of Neal Caffrey from White Collar, except Percy's eyes were green and his hair was more windswept than gelled back. It was very sexy. "Hello there, Mr. Jackson," she smirked, pulling him into a kiss.
"Hello, Ms. Chase," he greeted once they pulled away. "You're looking especially beautiful today." Annabeth smiled at the compliment. She'd spent extra time that morning to find the most appropriate dress and accessories. Eventually, she settled on a teal sundress, a white leather jacket, and matching white wedges. For accessories, she decided on her owl earrings and necklace once more. She also took extra care on her hair and makeup, knowing that there was going to be press at the reveal.
"Thank you." Luckily, his tie was the same color as her dress, only a few shades darker and his grey suit accented her eyes and accessories. It could have been just a coincidence since Percy's tie also accented his eyes, but Annabeth liked to think that they were synced to the point where they could just tell what the other was wearing. "I didn't take you for a tie clip kind of guy," she noted as she locked her door behind her and they began their descent toward his car.
"Oh, I'm not," he said. "But Rachel is an artist and dabbles in fashion so she insisted that I wear one." He shrugged. "Says it'll make me 'hip.'"
"I did not say hip," the redhead deadpanned. "I said it would make you look like you had some sense of style." Annabeth giggled.
"Hi, Rachel," she greeted. "I'm sorry I freaked out last night."
"No biggie. I would too if the guy I liked had a girl wearing her pajamas in his home with no previous explanation," she replied, directing the last part of her statement toward Percy who was increasingly growing red. Annabeth laughed, deciding that she would like Rachel.
"Well!" Percy jumped in, figuring that he better stop them from bonding over a 'let's-make-fun-of-Percy' moment and Annabeth actually got his childhood friend to spill all of his most embarrassing moments. "We are already running late for the big reveal so let's get in the car and go." Rachel climbed into the back seat while Annabeth sat in the front with Percy. The three made their way down to the Aquarium, the car ride strangely silent. Annabeth and Percy held hands over the console; Rachel was on her phone the entire ride.
When they arrived at the Aquarium, Rachel separated from the couple and decided to look around before the Aquarium officially opened at ten. Annabeth and Percy made their way to the underground level of the shark exhibit. "Wow," Annabeth marveled. "It's so beautiful." She watched as the sharks swam around their habitat. She designed it but Beckendorf and his team did so well in giving it some life. It was the first full habitat and exhibit hall that she'd ever designed so she wasn't sure what to expect but it came out so amazingly.
"It's all because of you," he said. Annabeth smiled. She remembered the late nights spent researching and designing the entire exhibit. She'd decided on two levels, an upper stadium like level for demonstrations and shows and a lower underground level where the guests could see the sharks in their habitat. It was a work of art on paper and even more beautiful in person.
"No." She looked into his eyes and smiled. "It's because of us." She looked back at the exhibit. "We built all of this… together."
"We did," Percy agreed. He put an arm around her shoulders and checked the time on his phone. "Come on, we've gotta get to the main doors for the opening."
"Are you giving a speech?" she asked once they reached the front.
"Yeah."
"I can't wait to hear it. Good luck," she wished, pecking his lips and leaving to stand with Rachel in the crowd.
•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
At exactly half past ten, Percy straightened his tie and cleared his throat before stepping onto the stage by the entrance. Because he was the head researcher for this project, he was selected to give the opening speech. The only problem was that he hated speaking in public. He gave a smile for the press that was there covering the opening and stepped up to the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he greeted. "Thank you all for coming. I know that you all want to see our newest members of the Aquarium family so I'll try to make this short and painless." He paused for the chuckles to spread throughout the crowd. "My name is Percy Jackson and I am the lead researcher for this exhibit and it is my pleasure to be here with you all and introduce you to the wonders that are the Sand Tiger Sharks. I've had the pleasure of studying these fantastic creatures for three weeks before opening this exhibit to the public and everyday I've found myself surprised by their behavior and ability to form habits. My hope is that you all will find yourselves surprised by the things you will learn about each of these animals." He looked down at Annabeth who was giving him two thumbs up. He smiled back at his audience and knew what he had to do. "But, before I let you all explore the beautiful exhibit, I would like to share some of the credit with the architect who made this facility possible. Without her, these sharks would not have the luxury of being in a habitat so close to home in a beautiful facility. So, join me in giving a round of applause to Ms. Annabeth Chase." He held out a hand for Annabeth to take and helped her onto the stage. She didn't say anything as it wasn't planned, but the two of them smiled and waved for pictures before he guided her toward the large red ribbon in front of the doors.
Knowing that Annabeth was the architect, she never got the limelight for the buildings she'd designed. The only limelight she got was for being her parents' daughter. It was time he showed the world what Annabeth Chase could do. He was handed the giant pair of scissors and held out one of the handles for Annabeth to take. She was right before, this exhibit was theirs. It was the first thing they'd really done together and it was proof that they could make something beautiful.
Together, they snipped the ribbon and smiled again for the cameras before stepping off to the side so that the people could enter the building. Percy's hand found its way around Annabeth's waist to rest on her hip. "That was a beautiful speech," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She turned to look at him. "Was the ending with me always there or was that one of your spur of the moment things?"
Percy smiled his boyish smile – the one he knew she loved so much. "Which one gets me more brownie points?" Annabeth laughed the laugh he loved so much.
"I don't know. Depends on your reason."
"Let's just say that I figured you deserved your moment to shine because of something you did, not because of something your parents did." Annabeth turned so that they were facing each other and her hands were wrapped around his waist.
"Hmm… I think that deserves a brownie point," she smiled.
"Only one?" he asked, a smirk on his face. He leaned in close.
"Mhmm."
"I thought that would have gotten me at least a hundred," he stated matter-of-factly.
"A hundred!" Annabeth laughed. "Oh really? Well… maybe I'll consider it," she said before leaning forward the rest of the way to kiss him. They connected and he was about to pull her closer before a flash snapped them back to reality. They turned toward the direction of the burst of light only to see a paparazzi running off.
"Are you kidding me?" Percy asked, his day suddenly ruined. He never had to deal with paparazzi before but he understood why celebrities hated them so much. They ruined private moments. The mood was officially killed.
"Percy, let it go," Annabeth placated.
"What? Are you serious?"
"I don't care if he spreads that. Our business is our business and if it spirals into a terrible scandal, then all I'd have to do is make a statement with the truth." She fixed his tie and jacket lapel. "Besides, I kind of like the idea of the world knowing that you're mine." A beat. "And I'm yours, of course."
Percy smiled again. Annabeth always knew what to say to him and that's what he loved most about her. "I love you," he told her.
"And I love you."
•-•
After an hour of exploring the exhibit and the facility and also watching the demonstration in the stadium, Annabeth and Percy decided to leave. Rachel ran into some of her other old friends and decided to stay behind, saying that she'd have them drop her off at the apartment later that day. So, once the couple bid the redhead goodbye, Annabeth and Percy went back to Percy's car and began driving all the way back toward Manhattan.
"So what do you want to do now?" Annabeth asked. "It's noon and I don't have any plans."
"Well," Percy began. "I was thinking that you and I could get some lunch at that Greek restaurant you like so much, go for a walk in Central Park, and then maybe go up to the top of the Empire State Building."
"Really?"
"Or, if you're not good with heights, we could always catch a Broadway show. Or something."
He could see Annabeth trying to figure him out in the corner of his eye. "How about we go to the Met?" she asked, a skeptical yet challenging look on her face.
"The Met?"
"Yeah."
"Uh…" Percy didn't like museums. He had ADHD and dyslexia so staying still and reading the little plaques that came with each exhibit made him want to pull his hair out and go crazy. But, Annabeth was the exact kind of person that would love to go to museums and learn new things. And anything that made Annabeth happy, made him happy. "Sure," he acquiesced. "The Met it is."
Lunch was amazing and so was their brief stroll in the park. But Percy wasn't worried about those things. He'd done those things enough times that it was a second nature to him. No, the real challenge was coming up. And, they were standing on the steps in front of it.
He'd paid for their admission into the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Annabeth led the way from there. He'd tuned out of what she was saying after the Greek exhibit. Instead, he focused on the way her eyes shined as she explained what something was and why it was important, the way her smile was the brightest he'd ever seen only because she was surrounded by knowledge and years of history. He knew then, that he could go into the museum a million times just to see the look of childish wonder on Annabeth's face as they went around.
"You're not even listening to me, are you?" was the question that brought him back to reality.
"Uh…" was his smart response. Instead of the earful he was expecting, his girlfriend simply laughed.
"Oh, Seaweed Brain… What am I gonna do with you?" He gave her his best innocent look and hoped that it would be enough for her to let it go. "Come on," she finally relented. "Let's go home."
And there you have it! A nice happy fluffy ending.
Now... to the serious stuff. You may have noticed that it took me over a year to write this. To those of you that have been there from the start, thank you for sticking with me. To those of you who've joined me recently. Thanks for giving me a chance. But, I'm not perfect and I don't have a beta (personal decision - don't ask) so I may have left some story lines open. This is your chance to be like, "BUT FLUFFY! WHAT ABOUT _?" I just need y'all to let me know if there's a story line that you absolutely want me to close. and I'll take care of it in the epilogue. But please, don't be rude about it. A simple, "Yo Fluffy! Whatever happened to _?" will suffice. Cool? Cool.
Hmmm... Should I put a deadline for this? I should. I'll say... Next Saturday (July 11th) is the last day for you guys to give me loose ties that I absolutely need to tighten. That's reasonable.
Thanks so much for all of y'all's loyalty to me. Until next time (two weeks from now).
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