Hey guys!

So, here is the new and better (I hope so, anyway) chapter one! I did this mainly because I felt that I could actually improve on my older chapters, as I think my writing has gotten better over time. Oh and in case anyone's confused, this is all in Annabeth's POV - unless I indicate otherwise.

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Chapter 1: Surprise

I hated stairs.

I mean, considering I worked out more just training at Camp Half-Blood, stairs really shouldn't be a problem for me. The only problem was, at Camp Half-Blood, I didn't have to fight carrying something like twenty pizzas.

Which wasn't even my idea in the first place.

Because, apparently, some people just HAD to invite a whole bunch of their friends over for lunch, and the only edible thing was pizza.

Percy Jackson would be the death of me someday.

And of course, being the classic Seaweed Brain that he is, he didn't plan anything until one hour beforehand. And then he had abandoned me at the pizza place, rushing out the door in a great hurry.

"Percy!" I said in exasperation as he dashed out of the restaurant. I threw up my hands in disbelief. He'd just left me like that!

I was about to turn around when I heard the shrill voice of the blonde girl behind me.

"Oh my god, did you just see that hottie?" she practically screeched at her friend. "Drop. Dead. Gorgeous."

Irritation swept through me. She was exactly the type of girl I hated: shallow, self-centred dolls.

"Well, why does it matter to you?" An annoying voice piped up in my head. "It's not like you're his girlfriend, right? You lost that chance."

I felt the tears start prickling at the back of the eyes, and wiped them away furiously.

I couldn't go back to this anymore. It was in the past.

And it had to stay there.

I stumbled, my untied shoelaces coming back to haunt me. I knew I should have tied them. It wasn't because I was distracted or anything.

But of course, my day couldn't get any better, right? Because, since the Fates apparently hated me, something else just had to go wrong.

All the pizza boxes tumbled onto the floor.

"Oh crap," I cursed under my breath. I was seriously considering just giving up and leaving the stuff there.

"Annabeth?"

I didn't have to look up to know who it was, and I swallowed the lump in my throat that occurred when I heard his voice.

I looked up to see Percy standing on the top step with a disapproving look on his face.

That was the final straw. I had just had a crap-tastic day, and I was not in the mood for Perseus Jackson and his looks. Especially not on my birthday, which wasn't turning out the way I wanted at all.

I opened my arms, letting the rest of the boxes fall. If he wanted it, let him get it himself.

"You know what?" I said, shrugging my shoulders and smiling at him sweetly. "If you have a problem, you can carry this up yourself." I stomped up the stars and brushed past him.

He said nothing.

I stepped into his house to find all the lights off. But before my brain could register anything that was going on, the lights flicked on, and I heard a loud shout. "Happy birthday, Annabeth!"

I gasped as confetti rained down on me.

Everyone was there. My friends, my family, my cabin mates. How long had they been planning this without me knowing? There were streamers and banners hanging around the room, as well as an iPod dock on the corner in which to play music.

A chocolate cake took pride of place on the glass dining table in the centre of the room, with vanilla icing spelling out my name and the number 17 beneath it.

The whole thing was mind-blowing.

I turned around to find the mastermind of the whole plan casually leaning against the door. His dark hair was mussed up and messy, (as usual), but his sea green eyes were playful, but I saw the sadness and despair and longing in them.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, keeping the tears back. I ran to him and flung my arms around his neck, nearly sending us both down the flight of stairs. He caught his balance, though, and wrapped his arms around me.

I couldn't shake the feeling about how right they felt there, how strong he felt, like he could take care of me forever. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was meant to be there.

Don't be stupid. You made your choice. You can't back out now.

"Happy Birthday, Wise Girl," he said quietly. I drew back, but he stepped closer to me.

I heard my cabin snickering, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Thalia and Nico elbowing each other in the ribs. The blood rushed to my cheeks at once, but I ignored it, and focused on Percy.

"Seaweed Brain!" I yelled, punching his arm. "When the hell did you do this? I came around just this morning!"

"Yeah," he said, running a hand through his hair, making it messier than it already was. "Well, I sent you to buy all those pizzas-which I managed to rescue, by the way-and we were almost finished when I heard what sounded like Typhon clomping up the stairs." I whacked him on the back of the head. It wouldn't have hurt, him being invincible and all.

"So, then I came out the door hoping to delay you, when you apparently got irritated and you started going up. I signalled Thalia to let her know you were on your way, and she just turned off the lights and everyone hid. Piece of cake."

He said it like it was no big deal, but I knew the amount of work and planning that must have gone into this.

"Thank you so much!"

"Can't keep her hands off him, can she?" I heard Thalia mutter to Nico. "Can't they just get together instead of dropping hints all the time?"

I found myself blushing furiously, and pulled away quickly. Percy let me go and stepped away, although I got the feeling he did so reluctantly.

I went to hug every other one of my friends, and the party was in full swing, when Percy nudged me. "There's someone who wants to see you," he said, quietly. "It'll be best if I don't come with you. She doesn't like me very much."

I headed out onto the balcony, where Sally kept her garden. My mother, the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, Athena, was waiting for me. I hadn't seen her since she appointed me the official architect of Olympus, which was more than a year ago.

"Hello, Mother."

She smiled. "Happy birthday, Annabeth. How are your plans for Olympus going?"

I was confused by the change in subject. "I'm working on them, Mother. I thought we agreed that we would put them into place once I graduated?" Had she changed her mind?

I found myself looking back into the house, searching for Percy among the crowd of people. It was an instinctive reaction for me now, I realized. I was so used to his presence that him not being there felt…unnatural.

I turned back to find my mother watching me carefully, and blushed. A look of respect appeared in her eyes, although I could see the slight irritation in her face.

"You are still not over Jackson, are you?"

My mother had been beyond elated when Percy and I were…not together. She respected Percy, but she still didn't like him. I ducked my head, and nodded slightly.

I heard her sigh, and she stepped forward. "I don't know about him," she said, and I heard her frustration. I could relate to it. I hated not knowing anything.

I looked up to meet her stormy grey eyes. They looked distant, like she was somewhere else, not here in front of me. "Perhaps some people do deserve second chances," she said quietly. "Goodbye, my daughter."

Before I could blink, she was gone.

"Annabeth?" I turned to find Thalia walking towards me, looking slightly worried. "Lady Artemis wants to talk to you."

The goddess appeared in her twelve-year old form, her long auburn hair braided over her shoulder.

"Annabeth, it seems that you are rethinking the decision that you made last summer. You are a brave and intelligent young girl. You can have so much better than this. Do you want to join us?"

Join the Hunt. Free from boys. No more heartache. It was drawing me in, tempting me. Come on, it whispered to me. What do you have to lose?

"Think about it, Annabeth," Artemis told me. "Boys break your heart. You trusted Luke, and what did he do?"

I felt the sadness overcome me as I thought about Luke. He was a hero now, and I knew that in the end, he had done the right thing. He had sacrificed himself to save Olympus, but I would never be able to forget his betrayal.

Artemis continued.

"He let you down. I know you have feelings for Percy Jackson, but reconsider, my dear. You could have so much more by joining us."

It was a simple question. Yes, or no?

Come on, Annabeth. You don't want to be hurt again, do you? You're the daughter of Athena. Be wise. Take the safe route.

It was too much. "Could I have a few minutes?" I asked the goddess.

"Of course," she said, walking away and leaving me alone with Thalia. I looked up into the electric-blue eyes of my best friend. She had an arrow in her hand, twirling it in her fingers.

I could be with her. I would have a new family, one that would never let me down. I could be Annabeth Chase, Hunter of Artemis, independent, and powerful, and free. Wasn't that who I wanted to be?

Thalia knew what I was thinking. "Annabeth, don't do it."

"You did it," I pointed out. "You think you're the only one who can do what you want?"

"Annabeth, I had nothing to hold me back from joining the Hunt, and everything to gain by joining it. Don't run away from your problems. I know the only reason you want to join is to get away from Percy."

"It's not…I-" My voice cracked, and tears formed in my eyes. There was no use lying to Thalia. She would see right through me.

Her voice softened as she tried to convince me.

"Think about Percy, Annabeth. He'll be heartbroken if you leave him. He gave up immortality for you. He looked out for you, and he did everything in his power to keep you safe. Tell me, when has he ever let you down like Luke?"

I tried to cut in, but Thalia was on a roll, and there was no stopping her.

"When Thorn took you, he was the only one who suffered more than I did. All he cared about, more than anything, was finding you, and saving you. He snuck out and followed us on the quest. He was ready to sacrifice himself to save you in the Labyrinth. He looked out for you in the battle, and you were the person that was constantly on his mind. It was always 'Where's Annabeth?' or 'Is Annabeth safe?'"

Thalia imitated Percy's voice, and I let out a small laugh. She sighed, and put the arrow back in her quiver. "You both were doing fine. What made you break up, Annabeth?"

It was a simple question. But the tears spilled over onto my cheeks as the memory resurfaced in my head. You have no idea, I thought bitterly.

"Come on, Wise Girl. What's wrong?" Percy followed me as I walked away from him. "Please Percy, just leave me alone!" "No. I won't." He was suddenly in front of me, barring the way with his body. "Tell me, Annabeth, I promise I won't leave you."

I couldn't. He sounded too much like Luke. And Luke had betrayed me. I couldn't trust him. I couldn't trust Percy anymore. What if he…?

"Get out of my way Jackson!" He stood his ground, crossing his arms, and leaning against the door. I was trapped. I couldn't get out. Why did I have to do this in the Athena cabin?

I couldn't give him the love he deserved. He was sweet and loving and caring, and he needed to find someone better for him than me. Someone who didn't have doubts about his love and trust.

He wouldn't let go. I could see that. And then I did what I never thought I would.

My heart broke at the thought, but I had to do it for him. I couldn't be with him anymore, and he needed to realize that.

My voice was steely. "I don't love you, Percy. I can't love you. And you need to find someone who can."

I wanted to run and hug him, to kiss him, to tell him it was all a lie, a ruse to keep him from pursuing a relationship with me. But being the heartless person I was, I continued.

"And I can never see you as more than a friend."

No! I screamed internally. It isn't true. Please, please don't believe it, Percy. I love you. I love you so much.

And I broke him.

I saw it, the anguish and hurt and despair in his bright green eyes. All I wanted to do was to run to him, hold on and never let go. But I forced myself to stay where I was, even as my heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Okay, then," he said in a choked voice, and I could see how he was barely keeping himself together. "If that's what you want-then-it's okay. I won't stop you."

I couldn't speak. I couldn't think. My mind, my soul, my reason for existing. Gone.

He opened the door, and stopped just before leaving, turning back for a second. And in a broken whisper, I heard him say three words. "I love you."

The door closed.

I curled up into a ball and let the tears come.

"Annabeth?" I felt Thalia's arm around me, supporting my shaking shoulders as I buried my face in my hands and sobbed my heart out.

"I just-I just didn't want to be hurt anymore. I thought if I stayed away from him, it would lessen the chance of that."

I heard Thalia sigh, and then sit down on the porch swing beside me. "Annabeth, I don't know anything about love. I've never, nor will I ever, experience it. But I know this: for anything to work, you have to take a risk. Because that's life.

And yes, you'll get hurt. Not once, but many times. And yes, you'll get the bad moments, the times when nothing goes right. But not every moment is like that. There are the good times, the times you spent with Percy, with me, with everyone who cares about you. And you know what?"

I looked up, wiping the tears away. "What?"

She smiled. "The trick is to notice them when they come around."

Thalia was right. Percy had never hurt me like Luke did. He had never left me, or abandoned me when I needed him. Every bad moment, every time I was stressed, or sad, or depressed, he could cheer me up no matter what. He knew me like no one else.

Even when I had hurt him so badly last summer, he still stayed by my side as my best friend, being the shoulder I needed to lean on.

And in that moment, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into places, and the answer clicked, simple as that.

I love Percy.

And to be honest, that was all I needed to know.

Thalia squeezed my hand and stood up. "I guess it's a no, then?" she grinned, eyes sparkling. I grinned back at her. "A definite no, Thals."

"I think you don't need my services anymore," Thalia said, giving me a last wink before walking back into the house.

I leaned on the railing, looking out at New York, bustling and busy. New York would always be my home. It was the place I had experienced love, and bravery, and friendship. It was the place with the good times and bad times, the moments that made me who I was today.

"Annabeth?"

Percy's voice was anxious but hopeful, and I turned around to find him walking towards me. "Hey-" I started, but he cut me off, coming so close to me that I had to back up into the railing.

His eyes locked with mine-green into grey. "Why didn't you join the Hunt?" he asked me, and this time, I knew what my answer would be.

"Because I love you, Seaweed Brain."

His hands cupped my face, soft and gentle as he leaned in and kissed me.

My hands moved of their own accord, one tangling in his raven hair, the other curling around the back of his neck, pulling him to me.

He still smelled like the sea and the ocean breeze, his lips soft and sweet like they always were. I missed this, I realized. I missed kissing him, and being his girlfriend.

And I would never make that mistake again.

"Well, FINALLY!" I heard applause and wolf-whistles, and quickly pulled away, blushing. Percy pulled my face to his, planting a soft, feather-light kiss on my lips, before wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Get a room!" I heard Nico shout through the din the crowd was making: specifically the Aphrodite girls. "Percabeth is like, the greatest couple, like EVER!" I heard one gush to her friend. "Better than Romeo and Juliet!"

Honestly, people. This is my life, not some sappy romance film.

Although, admittedly I did like the Leonardo DiCaprio version.

"Real mature, Nico!" I heard Thalia snicker. "It's not our fault you have no one to make out with!"

I laughed as Nico shot Thalia a (not literally) death glare. I was glad he toned it down. He had the same look his father Hades did-intense and scary.

Percy pressed his face into my hair, planting a kiss on the top of my head as he whispered three words to me. "I love you."

*Percy POV*

I love you, Seaweed Brain.

I didn't need the whys, or the hows, or whens. All I needed to know was that she loved me, and I could live with that.

And now I did.

Annabeth's grey eyes were filled with tears as I leant down and kissed her.

I forgot everything else the moment my lips were on hers. She was the only thing that existed; the only thing I knew in that moment. The feel of her silky blonde hair under my fingers; my arm wrapped around her slim waist, pressing her to me, and her soft lips on mine.

I wasn't aware of the applause, or the whistles, or the audience we had. All I knew, all I wanted was her. Annabeth.

She pulled away first, before I pulled her face back to mine, and pressed a light kiss to her lips, fitting her mouth to mine.

She rested her head on my chest, as I wrapped my arm around her. I didn't hear the comments, the laughter or the teasing. I didn't care what the rest of the world thought.

Because the girl I loved, the girl I had fought for in nearly a year, was now mine again.

And I would never let her go again.

So, I hoped this chapter was better than the previous one! I hope you guys understood why they broke up now. Annabeth was still scarred from Luke betraying her, but Thalia's speech made her realise what we all did in the first book: they belonged together. ;)

I knew I said I would put it up at the end of the week, but surprisingly I managed to finish it today!

So, twenty reviews till the next chapter is up?

Till next time!