A/N: At long last, the final chapter! I can't thank you all enough for your patience as I've struggled to finish this, and I hope the end was worth the wait. Please know I've read every review and taken note of every follow/favorite, and every single one means a lot to me - I never expected this to gain such a following, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to check out my other stuff if you like my writing, & I hope you enjoy this last chapter! Rick Riordan owns the characters, I've just had some fun. Thanks again! :)

Annabeth splashed some cold water on her face and studied her reflection in the mirror while she waited for Percy to come upstairs. She knew she should trust Piper, knew she had to give Percy a chance to explain himself, but that didn't mean she wasn't upset. Even without all the added drama, the mere fact that they'd barely spoken in the last month was tearing her apart – if nothing else, Percy was still her best friend, and the awkwardness between them hurt a lot. And the whole stunt with the necklace…well, she was trying not to think about it too much – if she did, she was liable to get angry, and she desperately wanted to keep her head on straight for their little chat.

A sigh and a soft tap on the door brought her out of her thoughts.

"Annabeth? Can I come in?" Percy sounded hesitant, like he thought his friend might bite his head off rather than respond verbally.

"Sure." Annabeth did her best to keep her tone neutral and resumed her seat. She forced herself to keep her gaze fixed on Percy as he entered the bathroom and took Piper's spot on the floor – there was no way she was going to appear weak now. Percy took a deep breath and opened his mouth several times as if to say something, but he couldn't seem to get the words out.

"Just spit it out, Perce," Annabeth said impatiently after his fifth failed attempt.

"Annabeth, I don't know how to say this," he began.

"What, all of a sudden, you can't talk to me?" she interrupted, trying very hard to keep her volume level. "I thought we were friends, Percy. I thought we were friends, but now you can barely even look at me, never mind tell me what the hell is going on. We haven't spoken in weeks, haven't hung out properly in even longer, and I don't even know what to think about this whole joke with the necklace. What happened, Perce? Why don't you want to be around me anymore?"

"Because I love you!" Percy blurted out.

"You can't even – what?" Annabeth stared at Percy, completely flabbergasted. His face was bright red and he was biting his lip, but his expression was sincere.

"I love you, Annabeth," he repeated, his eyes pleading with her to listen.

"Don't let Rachel hear you say that," she replied dully.

"Rachel," he muttered. "If it weren't for Rachel, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Annabeth asked. "Look, Percy, all you're doing right now is confusing me. You make it sound like this whole mess is your girlfriend's fault."

"She's not my girlfriend," Percy said quickly.

"You broke up?"

"No."

"But you said she's not your girlfriend anymore," Annabeth said with a frown.

"No, I didn't," Percy replied. "I said she's not my girlfriend. No 'anymore'. There can't be an 'anymore' because she was never my girlfriend in the first place."

"Ok, now I'm really confused. Can you speak in plain English for once please?" Percy sighed.

"I owe you the truth, Annabeth," he said, running a hand through his unruly hair. "I should've told you the truth a long time ago. I thought this was the best way to go about it, but clearly, I was wrong. Everyone else had already told me how much of an idiot I am, and I have no doubt you'll do the same, at the very least. All I ask is that you hear me out until I'm finished – if you never want to speak to me again afterwards, I don't think I'll blame you, but at least I'll know you know the truth."

Annabeth said nothing but nodded, and Percy took it as a signal to continue.

"That time at the diner, when I asked you about Rachel – well, it wasn't entirely false. She seemed cool, and I wanted to get to know her better, but not really for the reasons you thought. What I really needed was help with a problem."

"A problem?" Annabeth asked. "What sort of problem, and why didn't you just ask me? You know I would've helped."

"It was kinda hard for you to help when you were the problem," Percy said.

"I was the problem?"

"Annabeth, do you know how hard it is to admit you're in love with your best friend?" Annabeth's eyes widened, but she said nothing, knowing Percy had finally gotten the ball rolling and would have an easier time finishing uninterrupted. "I don't even know when I realized it, but sometime between…oh, I dunno…when we met and now, I did. And it was terrifying. I was afraid it'd ruin our friendship if I told you, afraid there'd be this invisible wall we couldn't break down if you didn't feel the same way."

"I still don't get how Rachel fits into all this," Annabeth said when Percy paused. "If what you're saying is true, why did you go out with her?"

"I already said I never went out with her," Percy countered. "Rachel was in a couple of my classes, and she'd noticed how close you and I are. One day, she commented on it, and I realized she could be the perfect person to help me. She got our friendship, but she was an impartial judge, unlike Piper or Thalia. No way could I ask the guys about it, they'd just give me grief. So I took Rachel out for coffee, and she's been helping me ever since."

"Helping you what, Perce? You still haven't said what she's been helping you with."

"She's been helping me figure out how to bridge the gap with you," Percy said. "On that coffee date – meeting, whatever you want to call it – she asked me straight up if I liked you. Rachel's a bit blunt, but awfully observant – although she said it didn't take much to see how I felt about you."

"But…the volleyball game…the necklace…she kissed you, for gods' sake, Percy!" Annabeth was having a hard time wrapping her head around everything Percy had told her thus far, but she was beginning to get an idea, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"Yeah, about that," Percy said sheepishly. "She'd just wished me good luck – I was planning on asking you out that night. I wasn't expecting her to kiss me, and as soon as she did she seemed to realize it was a mistake, but as I found out pretty quickly, you'd seen."

"You bet I did," Annabeth muttered. "How did you know?"

"Piper and Jason cornered me right after that," he admitted. "I don't think I've ever seen Piper get so mad before – she nearly slapped me right then and there, but Jason held her back. Said something about leaving that to you."

"I might take him up on that," she said darkly. "Continue."

"I…well, that's pretty much it, I guess," he said. "Rachel helped me design the necklace – I wanted it to be something really special – and…well, I know it doesn't make up for it, but I'm really sorry," he finished lamely. He shut his eyes, bracing himself for Annabeth's response.

"Percy, do you have any idea how much this has messed with me?" Annabeth asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've cared for you for I don't even know how long – since your mom's wedding at least, probably even longer – and your response is to make me believe you're with another girl? Do you realize what you've done?"

"Believe me, I know," Percy said with a sigh. "I messed up, big time. 'Sorry' doesn't even begin to cover it, and I understand if you're mad at me."

"Mad? Percy, I'm furious," Annabeth replied with a dry laugh. "Some part of me is saying you greatly deserve this." With that, she slapped him as hard as she could. Before he could react, she took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"But as angry as I am, another part of me is glad you told the truth," she said softly. "I really, really don't appreciate what you did, but I can't tell you how happy I am now that I know you feel the same way I do." Knowing she couldn't say anything more, Annabeth gently touched her lips to his. It was much like the kiss they'd shared at Sally's wedding – short and sweet, nothing more – but it effectively said everything they'd left unspoken.

"I think we should get back to the party," she said. "They're probably wondering if I've murdered you yet." Percy chuckled.

"Yeah, we should. But…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out the velvet box. "I know I went about this entirely the wrong way, but I do still want you to have this." He flipped the box open and removed the necklace from its cushion. "I can't even begin to tell you how much you mean to me, and I can only cross my fingers and hope that you'll give me a second chance." In response, Annabeth turned away and pulled her hair back from her neck, allowing him to attach the chain. She opened the bathroom door and gestured for him to follow, and once they got to the top of the stairs, she threw her arms around him in a hug.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I'll try to make it up to you, I promise."

"Percy, it's ok," she replied quietly. "Just being here with me is enough." She looked up at him and smiled, the pendant around her neck glittering in the low light.

"I love you, Wise Girl," Percy said, softly kissing her forehead. Annabeth hugged him once more, hoping to convey how she felt now that she knew how much he meant it. Entwining his fingers gently with her own, she started to lead him back downstairs.

"Love you too, Seaweed Brain."