Hey guys,

Wow, this is the last one.

So without further ado,

Enjoy!

Present Day

PERCY

Flash.

"Mr. Jackson!"

Click. Flash.

"Mr. Olympian, over here!"

"Mr. Olympian, smile for us!"

"What are your thoughts of Aquatic Industries?"

Flash. Click.

"Please, can you describe the scandal of Aerial Corporation?"

"What about Zeus Grace?"

"Mr. Jackson!"

The suited figure walked forwards, looking straight at the podium, ignoring the crowd to the best of his ability.

Even when he was a child, seeing his father on a similar stage to the one he was walking up never sat well with him. Now when he was in the spotlight to the very press releases he disliked, he felt a strange calm. How silly it felt to be the focus of over two hundred people, and most likely millions more as his face was broadcasted globally.

He slowly walked up the wooden steps, his expensive shined shoes clacking, and walked across the stage, all while taking a paper out of his inside breast pocket. He touched the microphone tapping it softly, satisfied with the sound he stared at the expecting people. "Good morning."

The jumble of voices quieted down.

"I suppose it still must be a bit foreign, a person as young as myself up on a stage like this one, but as my father never thought that age was important. I personally both agree and disagree; age gives a person their experience of life, a knowledge that can only be acquired with time and age, yet, with this passing you also lose several things. Your innovation, innocent, trust, and often good-will. It can affect your creativity and outlook of life."

He looked left and right, putting his hands on the podium. The crowd waited for him to continue, with the clicking of cameras going off like cicadas in the summer.

"Even presently, days after the event that endangered both my life, and billions around the globe, I do not know if it was age, or simple cruelty that allowed this treachery to occur. No matter, we cannot dwell on the past, and instead use it to fuel our futures. I will temporarily be taking back the position of CEO within Aquatic Industries until management has been reconfigured and the market stabilizes. I am in touch with the present temporary board of the Aerial Corporation and Di Angelo Enterprises, and the federal, state, and municipal governments to ensure that this will never happen again."

A few voices took advantage of his small pause but died down as he continued to speak, his voice controlling the area, "I hope that for all investors, businessmen and women, entrepreneurs, stock brokers, and even all civilians that were hurt in this fiasco, you look past the evils and instead welcome me warmly back into this world, at least officially that is. I plan to be everything my father was and while he did leave rather large shoes to fill luckily I have large feet. I look forward to the future, and I look forward to working with you all," he paused, "I now open the floor for questions?"

The press exploded at the end of his sentence.

"What are your thoughts on the scandal?"

"How did you survive?"

"What about the list of names of the fired workers?"

"How will you navigate the market after the bailout?"

"Does Ms. Annabeth Chase have any connections to this?"

"How is Jason Grace? News says he was released from the hospital with no injury yet he has not been seen since then!"

"What were the parameters of Luke Castellans' involvement with both parties involved?"

The teenager on the podium stopped and held his hand up. Silence was slowly restored. "I have been asked a very interesting question," he slightly drawled, "Does Annabeth Chase have any connections?" his smile turned to a frosty frown, "As far as I know the woman of which you have repeatedly insulted -rather quite thoroughly I might add- was simply present at the scene but did not have any crucial involvement. She is hardly interested in stock managing and does not like economics to be blunt. Additionally I cannot confirm or deny any questions or statements of any other parties or persons present at the incident, you will have to wait for their official statements or press releases. I also will not answer any other questions regarding Ms. Chase so please, do not ask them."

The voices rose in protest but the figure on the podium squared his shoulders and stood taller. His voice boomed out authoritatively. To reporters with graying hairs he uncannily resembled his late father when they'd interviewed him in the same manner.

"Next question."

.o.

GotS

.o.

"So, how'd I do?"

"Very sly," Peleus replied dryly, his arm still in the sling. When Zeus had knocked him out he'd also taken a beating. As soon as the ambulance had arrived he'd been whisked off to the hospital to remove the bullet in his shoulder, which had also been dislocated, "I noticed you hardly mentioned your deal with Di Angelo."

"That was an off the record deal."

Argus laughed, "And yet you'll be managing his stocks until you're twenty to make up for the fortunes that you spent under his account."

"You'd think that he'd be more grateful after I saved the economy," he huffed as they entered the car waiting for them to drive him back to the penthouse, "Jason was. How's he doing? Is he coming for dinner?"

"He replied that he might drop by."

"And Thalia?"

"She's busy finding their mother in Chicago. Seeing if Zeus was truthful behind that."

"Can't she just check his office for files? It wasn't destroyed right? Nancy spent her time attempting to find as much incriminating evidence as possible, didn't she?"

"He kept very little on paper, and had many hard drives wiped or destroyed," Argus answered, "and she doesn't have access to them anyways, any remaining disks are in the hands of the government. I asked the agent that visited when you were asleep but he wouldn't give any more information."

Percy grumbled, "Fine, fine, but Thalia's gone for now?"

"Yes."

"We're driving by then," he ordered the driver, "To the Marriot Hotel, please."

"Percy."

"It's been three days Argus, and Jason hasn't spoken to anybody…Thalia's gone off and won't answer calls and she's the best thing that he's got. He saw his father decide suicide over prison right in front of him, and has nobody with him right now."

"I thought Aphrodite and Piper were offering them their house and company."

"No, Piper texted me. Aphrodite is playing it safe, so they've gone to France to lay low until the paparazzi and news stations find something else interesting. Plus Aphrodite's main office is in Paris and they need to review everything after so many corporations had moles or were corrupt."

"I didn't know of this," Argus replied quietly.

"I don't blame you. You were busy with the paperwork and helping Peleus at the hospital, but Jason needs a home right now. Almost all of the staff at the Grace mansion were ex-cons or perpetrators themselves and he's almost eighteen so the government won't make him a ward of the state. I'm inviting him for dinner and he's staying because I won't let him sit in that empty hotel room for another day."

He sat back in his seat having said his piece as Peleus politely requested the driver to attempt to get them to the hotel as fast as possible.

Thirty minutes later, he was knocking on the suite door.

"Hey, Percy," his friend said, opening the door slowly.

He was still in the sweatpants and shirt the hospital had provided him. The clothes he'd worn before had been taken away for evidence but it was for the better. The shirt and pants had splatters of blood of his father's, and Jason had remained stone-like as the nurses at the hospital cleaned away the remaining speckles of blood off his skin. His hair was disheveled for once and he no longer radiated authority and power. He looked tired.

"Hey bro," he smiled, "We're coming to get you for supper. We decided that we could save the hassle for you. You were on the way."

"Um, I wasn't…"

"Hey man, it's chill," he slowly put his arm around his friends' shoulder and led him into the hallway slowly, taking note that Jason didn't have shoes on as they entered the elevator, "I was just thinking that it would be a real shame if you missed the spaghetti and meatballs that Peleus is making tonight."

"That sounds…nice…" his friend stared off at some part of the elevator in front of them.

"Yeah, and blueberry pie for dessert."

"Cool."

"Yup, I'm pretty excited for it."

"I'm not super hungry."

"And room service said that you haven't ordered anything. Jason, you gotta eat."

"I'm not hungry," Jason repeated again.

"Well at least come on over, give it a bite. A bite won't hurt."

"Percy, I'm not hungry!" he snapped and pushed him into the wall of the elevator.

He put his hands up slowly as Jason backed away from him, "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Bro, it's okay. It's fine."

"No it's not. I'm just like him, hurting you. My father- Zeus-"

"Hey, one step at a time. Just focus on dinner, okay?"

"But-"

He patted Jason's shoulder slowly, "It's okay. You're going to come for dinner okay? You don't have to do anything else, and we don't expect you to."

Jason swallowed and nodded, "Yeah, okay."

The elevator door dinged open to Peleus and Argus waiting for them.

"Jason," Argus warmly placed a hand on the boy's back and led him forward, "Good to see you."

He was still very quiet on the way to their penthouse, but he'd accepted the water they gave him as he sat on the couch with Percy, and watched the baseball game with Annabeth and Nancy.

The evening was a casual affair. Jason ate very little but he seemed to appreciate the company around him and even ventured a small smile at a couple funny instances as Nancy and Annabeth kept a consistent chatter about Yancy and the real world with exams and assignments that they'd temporarily neglected. When the sun went down they all went to accompany Nancy to car that would take her home after Jason followed Peleus to an extra room where he would stay.

"Annabeth," he said much later, when he was sure it was the morning instead of the late evening.

"Yes?"

Her voice echoed in the pool. They sat side by side, dipping their feet in the water. Fear had been replaced by a bittersweet comfort as he watched the water lap around his calves. Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, the water was a silent grave for the dead instead of the monster that it once was in his mind.

"Am I bad for feeling no remorse for Zeus?"

"I don't know. Do you feel anything at all for him?"

"He killed my parents, Annabeth," he answered quietly, "He was going to kill me."

He absentmindedly ran his fingers over the bandage on his forehead feeling the stitches he received underneath. She took his hand away from the wound and simply held it and he felt a surge of affection for her and scooted closer so she could rest her head on his shoulder. She was warm.

"I don't think I'm the best person to tell you what you should be feeling," she answered honestly, "You can save that for Dr. Brunner."

"But what do you think? You personally?"

"I think that," she paused and he could tell she was choosing her next words carefully, "You shouldn't hold any regret in what you did. He was a man who was willing to commit crimes to fulfil his desires of greed and power. You stopped him from continuing that path of destruction."

"I drove him to commit suicide."

"He chose that option. He could have let himself be taken by the police."

"Annabeth," he gripped her hand, "I- I…"

"Take your time," she soothed.

He took a breath and swallowed, "I'm happy that he's dead."

She didn't respond and only nodded.

"I'm not bad for feeling this, right? He's done so many horrible things."

"I don't think you are," she said, "When he had the gun against your head and you were bleeding I, -I don't know what I would have done if he shot you. Death was his choice, but I'm not upset that he chose that path, not at all. He was dangerous and now he won't hurt anybody else."

"He wouldn't either, if he were in prison."

"Shh," she rubbed her thumb softly over his hand, "It was his choice."

Percy nodded.

They sat together in the pool for much longer until even the sounds of the busy city quieted and the moonlight came through the windows. After all that they'd been through together just the other's presence was enough.

"It will get better," he said quietly.

"I know," she whispered back, "We'll get better."

She slowly kissed him on his cheek and smiled softly as he squeezed her hand and rested his head on hers.

.o.

GotS

.o.

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER

"Noah, give your sister back her phone."

"But she put her hand over the line! It's my area!"

"Charlotte," he sighed as he turned right, "Don't goad your brother."

"Excellent word choice, Hun, I was thinking urge but goad would work as well," his wife murmured. She had her feet up on the dashboard and was chewing on the end of her pen as she did the crossword puzzle from the newspaper.

"Glad I could help," he replied back as he peered into the rear-view mirror to see his son sulking on one side of the car and his sister triumphantly with her phone again, her fingers moving rapidly.

"We're almost there," he attempted to persuade them into kinder terms with the lull of the mansion.

"I know," Noah said, "I can see the lake."

"Do you remember the ground rules?"

"Yes, dad," his kids sighed in unison.

"Just making sure!"

"Don't go near the water without an adult present," his daughter answered monotone and he heard a camera shutter sound as she took another picture on her phone, most likely texting her friends with whatever technology his kids were into these days, "Play nice. If you break it, don't hide it until somebody else finds it. Noah, do you remember that one?"

"It happened once, besides, you should talk Mrs. Butterfingers."

"At least I didn't break a vase."

"That's because Bianca pushed me!"

"Or you just tripped."

"Guys," he interrupted the argument again before it got out of hand, "That vase was from your grandmother, and it was priceless. It was a very dear gift."

Annabeth held in a laugh beside him.

"Which reminds me, no being rude to your grandmother, or grandfather. Helen and Frederick are here because they are family."

He heard his son lean over to his sister and whisper something and then quiet snickers.

"And remember your manners," he quickly added as they rolled into the large driveway of the Olympian manor.

"Ah, it seems Nico and Will beat us here."

The front door opened and Nico waved at the arriving car and his adopted daughter, Bianca appeared shortly after him.

"How was the drive up?" he asked conversationally as he hugged his friend and turned around to see their kids already chatting, forgetting to help bring in the luggage for the week.

"Not too bad. Traffic is always bad on this weekend though. Maybe I should take a leaf from my father's book and simply helicopter in."

"We have the space," he replied mildly, "And a helicopter wouldn't be too expensive."

"For you, or for me?"

"You," he replied earnestly.

Nico had chosen his career path to follow vaguely in his father's footsteps. After the near-collapse of the economy fifteen years ago Di Angelo Enterprises had splintered. Like a phoenix it grew from one corporation into four total sub-companies: two subheadings for mining, industrial and commercial, one for excavations in quarries, and a tiny branch for funeral services. They all operated under the Di Angelo name yet they all had their own unique members of the board and management. Hades was an honorary member of all of companies yet he rarely interfered. After Percy had followed through on his promise and managed his personal finances for ten years, the man spent most of his days between the New York home and a small quiet villa in Italy without a concern. Unlike Hades, Nico was the CEO of Di Angelo Mining Co. and earned a paycheck that could indeed, enable him to easily afford a helicopter.

"Ah, I'm sure that you could afford one if you really wanted to, take back Aquatic Industries, nobody would object to it."

They walked towards his car, opening the trunk and each taking a cooler of food, "No, I've left it to Luke. He's better at the job than me."

"Spoken like a true idiot, you'd be fine."

"Revenue's up a whole six percent since I left," he reminded his friend, "Besides, I enjoy my job much more."

After he'd left Aquatic Industries it'd been a breath of fresh air. Up until the end of high-school he'd been the acting CEO until he'd had enough and quit. Instead he'd gotten his master in business to make it official and started up his own company of financial consulting. Additionally he wrote a quarterly review on the market and sold it to outside investors who valued his insight. He kept it limited to 1,000 subscriptions and they were always snatched up.

"And Luke's enjoying your potential paycheck."

Luke on the other hand had disappeared shortly after the incident. When Hermes and the Castellan Clan were ousted as one of the many major corporations to take serious blows, he wasn't surprised to see his name nowhere in the press releases. Instead he'd appeared six years later, opening up he'd studied in Europe and offered to manage Aquatic Industries in his stead. He'd been hesitant at first, but Luke had a different air around him. Zeus's mayhem had ruined many people's lives but for Luke it'd changed his for the better. His contributions to KING had been 'accidentally' omitted from official statements and had been overlooked.

"We both know that I have what I want."

They looked out at the scene in front of them. Annabeth and Will were chatting and he was taking the pen and crossword from her and adding a word. His children were already running off to the back pool and he could hear their laughter –with very few insults how nice they were getting along for a couple minutes. He knew Argus would be lounging in the back with Peleus somewhere nearby, his unofficial grandparents and caretakers of the Olympian manor. Soon Jason and Piper and their family would be arriving, and at the end of the week -the Fourth of July- several other friends and family would be coming up to enjoy each other's company and fireworks.

Nico nodded and smiled, "C'mon, let's get your luggage."

"Sure, just one second."

Nico waved his hand, "Of course, I forgot. Take your time and say hi for me, will you?"

He nodded and jogged off to the gazebo on the side of the lake. Along with the gazebo there was a wooden patio with outdoor furniture and a dock for swimming. Outdoor lights hung unlit, and it smelled like fresh cedar.

He passed it, and walked on the recently cut grass field next to it until he was at the edge of a rough field with wildflowers and tall grass. He picked a couple, daisies and buttercups and daylilies and even some clover flowers and laid them down in front of two small and simple light gray granite stones.

"Hey mom, hey dad."

He looked up at the light blue sky and felt the wind off the lake ruffle his hair, "I'm glad you're doing well. Nico says hi. The kids are fine, fighting with each other, but they're doing awesome. Noah's drawings are getting even better than an adult's and Charlotte's striker on her soccer team. Annabeth and I are doing great too. She's taking some time off work after she finished a big project and while the kids go to camp for the summer we're going to be going to Greece for our anniversary."

He put his hands in his pockets, and fingered the Olympian family signet ring.

"I wish you could see it. The lake is shining, and there's barely a cloud in the sky, just how you guys loved it."

He patted the tombstones softly and smiled and squinted from the sun as he looked back to the house. Annabeth was across the lake, waving an arm.

"I've got to go. Annabeth's calling, and I should probably make sure that Noah and Charlotte haven't drowned each other in the pool."

He chuckled, then he squatted down to fix the flowers. He looked back at the tombstones one last time before jogging back to the mansion and to his family.

The End.

Wow.

Just.

Wow.

That's it guys. This is it. It's almost surreal typing this, as over two years later and after 34 chapters, nights of typing and editing, writing and rewriting, moments of genius and stupidity and many a spin in my chair for both giggles and good thinks, this story is finished.

So.

I'd first like to thank all of my friends. They're the ones who encouraged me to move an idea I'd created in math class to a written story and kept being supportive all the way. Whether it be listening to my geek-outs about reviewers, or explaining plotlines, or helping edit my work, thank you.

I also want to thank all of you guys, the readers. You guys are amazing. Your reviews and comments have a special place in my heart and have made me cry happy-tears more than once.

Thank you so much for the great support and for reading my work.

Peace out,

Stads