I: I guess I'll need a new shirt…

Chapter Summary:

Annabeth's running a little late for her job at Daedalus', an architectural office, but still has to stop by her favorite coffee shop: Thalia's Delights. While visiting with her cousin and friend, she meets Percy, a handsome marine biology major. Will the small spark between them become something more?

Annabeth smiled as her children ran into their comfortable living room, right up onto her lap. She'd been working on new designs for her architecture company, but that could wait.

7-year-old Ella Mae, who had her mother's gray eyes and her father's black hair, was pulling on her brother Jesse's blond hair. Jesse Leo Jackson, her ten-year-old son, was the exact opposite of Ella Mae, with his mother's blond hair and his father's sea green eyes. Their other sister, Meg (Megara Ann), who was twelve, rolled her green eyes and pulled a lock of black hair through her fingers. She had her father's hair and eye color, but her face and build was her mother's.

Annabeth closed her laptop and put it on the mahogany coffee table in front of her. "Mom! We have a question for you." Jesse had always been the spokesman of her three children, and this time was no different. He stood to attention in front of her, with the other two giggling on the couch. Meg liked to pretend she was a grown-up lady, but she still played like a child.

"Yes, Jesse?" He grinned.

"Can you tell us how you met Dad?"

"What was that about Dad," Percy asked as he walked in, chewing on some popcorn. "Move over, Ells, you're in my seat." He sat down next to Annabeth, and put his arm around her. "Now, what was that about Dad?"

Annabeth chuckled. "They want me to tell the story of how we met." Percy rolled his eyes. "Oh, that story. Go ahead, couldn't hurt to hear it again. It's such a beautiful story." She playfully smacked him. "Kiss-up."

"Okay, kids. How did I meet your father?" She grinned. "That's real simple. I spilled coffee on him."

Fourteen Years Previously…

Annabeth was late to work, again. She worked at an architect's office in the city, but she lived halfway across Manhattan and was constantly within a few minutes of being late. For example, just last Tuesday, she'd punched in and slammed into her office at exactly 8:28:35, precisely 1 minute and twenty-five seconds early. (Annabeth had a slightly eidetic memory.)

Despite the evidence, she did actually have a routine. First, she walked the four blocks to the bus station and took a bus to a little café that was six blocks from work. She got a mocha cappuccino and walked the rest of the way to work.

Today, the power on her block had been out from the thunderstorms that'd been traumatizing the city for a week, and she was up an hour late. Granted, she normally got up at 6 and didn't need to be to work until 8:30, but she took a long time to get ready and had to account for the walking time.

Today, Annabeth made it out of her apartment at 7:45, having rushed. She was wearing her work clothes: a black skirt that was an inch or two past fingertip-length, skin color pantyhose, a white button-up shirt unbuttoned just low enough to be interesting over a dark purple camisole, black heels, and a black work jacket that had a middle button that she'd left undone.

She was generally very proud of her composed appearance, and her hair and wardrobe accordingly were very neat. Today, she'd decided to leave her hair down, something she only did once in a while. Her hair, blonde, curly, and unruly, was a time-eating hassle to deal with, so she didn't.

She carried a black purse, which was currently ringing. "Shit!" She grabbed the Blackberry out of her bag, and hit "answer." 'Annabeth, did you forget that you promised to send me that email this morning dealing with the new case?' It was the head of her company and mother, Athena.

"Shit! I'm so sorry, Mom. The power was on my block was out this morning! Is it alright if I meet with you first-thing at 8:30?" Annabeth was seriously hoping that she didn't get a lecture from her mom. If there was anything she knew about Athena, it was that she wasn't very tolerant of excuses, unless they were rational and valid.

'It's alright, my dear. That hurricane blowing in has been rather annoying, hasn't it?' Annabeth nodded before remembering that she was talking on the phone. "Yeah, yes it has. I'll see you at 8:30, then?" 'Yes, thank you, Annabeth. Until then.' Annabeth said, "Bye," then hung up. She breathed a sigh of relief as she walked up the stairs to the bus that was just pulling up. She glanced at her watch. 7:55. Okay, so since it takes me ten minutes to walk to work and get to my office, and the bus ride takes five minutes, I have twenty minutes at the café.

When the bus pulled up at the bus station next to the café, Annabeth was one of the first people off, having been in front. She walked up to the café, and right up to the counter. "Wow, Thals, you're slipping a little." Thalia, the owner, jumped a little and turned. Her electric blue eyes narrowed for a moment, and Annabeth took in her appearance as Thalia walked around the counter to give her a hug. "Got a date?"

Thalia grinned. "Yeah. You noticed?" Annabeth nodded. Thalia was endowed with an ample chest, long legs, and a thin frame, which, along with her gorgeous eyes, worked to her advantage. Dressing up, she wore her short, spiky black hair with the sides braided in front, a black, low-cut shirt, and long skinny black pants. Over the black shirt was a dark blue cardigan, and as always, Annabeth envied her footwear. She wore black boots with dark blue stitching and lightning bolts.

"You look good, Thals," she said. When Thalia asked for her order, she replied, "The usual. Who's the guy?" Thalia sighed. "His name's Apollo, and he's so hot." Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "And what does Artemis think about this?" Thalia's mom, Artemis, was a feminist who didn't like men very much, and tried to keep Thalia from dating. Annabeth had no idea how Thalia came into the equation, other than the fact that Thalia visited her dad, Zeus, quite a bit. She also visited her favorite uncle, Poseidon.

Their grandfather, Kronos, had six kids. Artemis was also from that family, but was so distant a relative from Zeus that it didn't matter. Thalia's other uncle, Hades, was a bit bitter and over controlling, but he had a son, Nico, who was pretty cool. Annabeth had met him a few times, and liked him pretty well. Annabeth's mom, Athena, had the same mother (mother only, Annabeth figured that might have been part of Artemis' problem with guys) as Artemis, so she and Thalia were cousins, but Annabeth and Nico were only third cousins.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "I'm twenty-three, 'Beth. She can't control me forever. Here's your mocha-cappuccino, extra chocolate, extra cream." Her eyes flashed to the door, and she grinned. "Here comes that cousin of mine. No, not Nico. You know, Poseidon and Sally's son, the one I wanted to introduce you to." Annabeth's eyes went to the door, and widened. A guy about her age had just come in, and wow. He had messy black hair, a strong, muscular build, and startling sea green eyes that made her want to know him. "That's Percy? He's hot." Thalia gagged. "Yuck. Don't even say that." Annabeth's eyes traveled over his shirt, and his dark blue jeans, all the way down to his shoes.

"What does he do again?" Thalia looked thoughtful for a moment. "He's in college majoring in sea life…. I think. Don't remember. Something with the sea…" Annabeth wasn't really listening, too busy thinking about Percy. "I'm going to go over and say hi." Annabeth started walking over to where Percy had sat down, and missed the smirk that Thalia flashed her way.

She reached the table just as he stood up to go over to the counter, right into her coffee. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Oh my god! Are you al-Are you-Are you laughing?" He was chuckling merrily to her frantic attempts to apologize. "What's your name?" She gulped. "Annabeth Chase. I'm so sorry about your shirt! I'll-" Percy stopped her babbling with a raised hand. "Annabeth, don't worry about it. I can get a new shirt. It's alright. Really."

Annabeth finally calmed down. He motioned her to sit down, and she took a seat, glancing at her watch. 8:05, plenty of time. Percy sat down opposite her, and she only then noticed Thalia laughing her ass off. Bitch. Annabeth mouthed. Thalia stopped laughing, and motioned for Annabeth to talk to the man next to her. "So, you're Thalia's cousin, right? Percy…." Percy finished for her. "Jackson, yeah. What did she say about me now?"

Annabeth laughed lightly, relaxing a little. "Well, she says that you're dyslexic, that you're really nice, and that you're very smart and very agitating." Percy shrugged. "I guess. She annoys me, too. Why'd she mention the dyslexia, though?" Annabeth blushed. "Probably because she knew I'm that way too. She also said that you work with the sea, or sea life, she thinks." Percy looked affronted. "She thinks? That girl, I swear. I'm a marine biology major at NYU." Annabeth smiled. "How old are you? I'm twenty-four, working on finishing my Bachelor's in architecture right now, along with working with the Daedalus Company."

He flashed her a smile, and she felt her heart flutter, warring with her rational mind. "I'm twenty-four too, and working on my Bachelor's too. What interested you in architecture?" Annabeth smiled. "It's always been my dream to build something permanent, something great, you know, something that will stand for a hundred years as a monument to man's creativity. Also, my mom's into wisdom, like me, and she thinks that architecture is 'the career of the wise.'" Annabeth blushed. "I'm inclined to agree with her," she confessed. Percy smiled, looking impressed.

"What about you? Why marine biology?" Percy shrugged. "I guess, because it's always been something in common between my dad and I. It's always been something we both enjoy, something we both love." Annabeth smiled and nodded. Her eyes flashed over her watch, and she jumped. "Oh, shit!" 8:20. Damn, I'm going to have to run! She looked at Percy, panicked, and said, "I'm going to be late for work! I have to walk!" Percy touched her arm, and butterflies flew in her stomach. "How far is it?" Annabeth stood quickly, paying Thalia and hugging her cousin goodbye.

"It's six blocks. Thank you for sitting and talking with me, it was fun. Bye!" Annabeth started towards the door, not even thinking about how rude she was being. "Annabeth! Wait!" Percy jogged over to the door, and said, "My car's right outside, I'll drive you. There aren't a lot of people around." That was true, the usually crowded streets were strangely free of traffic jams.

"Okay! Thank you, Percy," she said gratefully. He nodded. "No problem. Family, right? Well, extremely extended, anyway. What are we, thirds? Fourths?" Annabeth chuckled a little as she got into his car. "I think thirds. I know Nico and I are thirds." Percy smiled. "Oh, you've met Death Boy, have you?" Annabeth gave him a strange look. "Turn left here. Your other left, Percy! Anyway, yeah. Death boy?" Percy gave a childish grin as they pulled up to her building. Annabeth checked her watch. 8:25, five minutes early, nice. "Yeah. You know, he's in school to be a homicide detective…" Annabeth, getting the (slightly morbid) joke, laughed. "You're all right, Seaweed Brain." Percy raised his eyebrows. "Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth laughed. "Yeah. I figure, you're a marine biology major, right? Plants count, and it goes along with what Thals told me about you." Percy chuckled. "Okay… Wise Girl." It was Annabeth's turn to raise a blonde eyebrow. "Wise Girl?" Percy grinned. "Yeah, it's from what you told me about your mom." Annabeth nodded. "Well, thanks for the ride, Percy."

He smiled. "Anytime, Wise Girl. Any time."

"And that kids, is how I met your father." Annabeth smiled as Meg 'awwww'd. "It's so romantic, Mom!" They all gave her and Percy a hug, and then they were gone. She turned to Percy and gave him a kiss. "You know, that offer's still valid." Annabeth chuckled. "Is it? I would've thought it became a given after you said 'I do.'" She laughed as he grabbed her and tickled her. "I was serious. You're my Wise Girl, and I'd do anything for you." She turned and kissed him. "And you're my Seaweed Brain. I would go to the ends of the earth for you."

So, hey! This is my second PJATO fic, and my third fic overall, so I hope that you guys like it! There will, as I said in the summary, be more, it's just that they're a work-in-progress. This is kind of my trial run, to see how this story is received and if I should actually make it a one-shot. If you want more, I might just need a little persuading! *hint hint*

If you like the way this was written, hated it, or have some suggestions for other meetings, leave a review!

Thanks for reading!

AthanasiaElpis, signing out. *beep*