This is a new Percabeth fanfiction! It's AU, no Greek stuff whatsoever. I know I should upload my other stories before I think up a new fanfic but I couldn't help it. And besides, I have writer's block for my other fanfics anyways. School really takes a toll on you when you're a freshman and you're in a junior level class. It's hard to keep up. But I'm trying my best. I'll TRY to upload to this story and my others. Keyword: Try. I won't make an promises at the moment. My schedule's so hectic.

I read the Son of Neptune and it is just simply amazing. I love it. Though the ending ticked me off. So I had to write my own alternate ending to the book. Haha! Did you like it too and did you find the ending extremely frustrating also?

Give me some feedback by reviewing. Please. Your reviews are extremely important to me and this new upload is kind of like a restitution for not uploading in forever. So read and review and tell me what you guys think! :)

~ C

I could understand why the subject of female menstruation was a bit misconstrued. After all, the media portrayed women as being happy and carefree and dancing when they're on their cycle. However, it is any but. We get very moody and very violent and very, very temperamental. We bitch, we groan, and we moan. And most of all, we won't hesitate to take anyone down. In all honesty, it's best to avoid us women when we're receiving our Mother Nature's unwanted gifts.

Now, if only someone had told him that this morning.

...

I was hit with a rush of fatigue and weariness just as I woke up. A few seconds after my eyes snapped open, the alarm rung, a piercing wail in the silent room. My hand instinctively flung outward, thumping the snooze button. I breathed in deeply and just spared a few minutes to stare mindlessly at the ceiling plastered with glow-in-the-dark stars. Childish, maybe. But I could care less.

Just as my eyes started to close and my eyelids started to get heavy, my phone rang. Startled, I jolted upward, feeling a stab of pain rush through my lower abdominal. I sighed grimly before hastily searching for my phone. My eyes zeroed in on the black messenger bag strapped across the back of my chair. Swinging my feet over the edge of my bed, I clambered over to my desk and flipped open my phone, not bothering with preambles when I uttered, "What do you want?"

It seemed like Thalia had no regards for preambles or amicable greetings either because she barked back a, "Why the hell are you just now awake?"

"Because I came home from a conference late and overslept." I replied, running my fingers through my tangled, blond hair. "So, let me go back to sleep."

"Did you forget you have a very important meeting today?" Thalia interrupted.

I padded into the bathroom across the hall and turned on the water. I put the phone on speaker before setting it precariously on the closed lid of the toilet. Cupping my hand, I let the water pool in my palms before splashing my face with icy water. The jolt woke me up fully and I shivered from the freezing temperature.

"Annabeth!" Thalia yelled loudly.

Grabbing the phone off the lid, I flicked off the lights and walked back to my bedroom, the house comfortably silent. "I'm still here." I said calmly. "And, no, I did not forget the meeting."

I could tell Thalia had opened her mouth, ready to let out a stream of protests but I spoke before she could uttered her argument. "And I'll have plenty of time. It's what, 6:30? The meeting doesn't start until an hour later. That leaves me plenty of time to shower, get dress, stop at Starbucks before driving to the Galleria Corps."

Thalia sputtered incoherently before muttering a curt, "Don't be late. I'll meet you there."

The line went dead.

"Well then. That was rude." I tossed the phone back on the bed and ventured into the closet. There, I looked through my clothes, vetoing through each and every one of them until my eyes landed on a black jacket and a black skirt. I carefully unhooked them from their hangers and randomly grabbed a white, button-down blouse.

My phone rang again but I ignored it, laying each item over my arm before stalking back into the bathroom. It was probably Thalia calling to hurry things along. Sometimes she could be so obnoxious, I thought mentally.

I stripped out of my grey sweatpants and spongebob t-shirt, jumped in the shower and hurriedly shampooed my hair and scrubbed my body before stepping under the showerhead, letting the spray of water spiraled down my body.

In the other room, my phone rang again. I shut off the water and wrapped a towel around my body before stepping out of the shower stall, steam curling around my ankle, pooling out of its confined space.

Hastily, I threw on the outfit I'd picked out before blow drying while brushing my blond hair, feeling it rustle as it cascade down my back. On my way out, I grabbed my bag, already packed with my laptop and notebooks, my keys, and double-checked the kitchen and the windows, turning off any lights before stalking out of my apartment. Pushing the key into the keyhole, I twisted it until I heard a light click.

Taking the elevators down to the lobby, I walked through the double-doors and a cold chill from the New York weather wrapped itself around my body, swirling my hair around my neck, following me as I slid inside my car, started the engine until I merged with the traffic.

...

"An iced mocha frappe, please." I said to the man working the counter.

"That'll be 4.50." He said. I fished out a couple of bills before sliding it across the counter. The delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted to my nose and I inhaled deeply, feeling my sense awaken. "Your order will be ready in a few minutes. Next!"

I moved off to the side as another customer took my place. While waiting, I let my eyes wander. The customer that was now voicing his orders was a tall man with a broad back. He wore a plaid button-down shirt and tight-fitting Levi's. On his feet docked a pair of Converse. From what I gathered, he had black hair and was approximately around six feet tall.

When he turned around, his eyes met mine. Green meeting grey. I blinked, stunned by the familiarity of his gaze. The man stared at me for a few moment before shaking his head and moving to the opposite side, just like I had done.

As we stood, waiting for our orders, our eyes kept colliding. And each time, it sent a thrill through my body. He had dark patches of stubble along his jawline and as I continued to observe him, his jaw clenched and he kept glancing down at his watch, as if he were late for something important.

"Iced mocha frappe!" A Starbucks employee called out, setting the plastic cup down on the counter before resuming the orders. I shouldered my bag up higher on my shoulder before walking to the pick-up station and made a grab for my coffee. A hand shot out and slid the cup out of my reach.

I looked up to see the same man I'd been watching before holding a cup of coffee in his hands, smiling smugly. "That's mine." I said.

"No, that's mine." He retorted.

Disliking the way he smiled at me, I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him, my grey eyes narrowing. "That's my order."

"Actually, I also ordered a iced mocha frappe." The man said. "Sorry. You snooze, you lose." And with that, he turned and started for the door. Just as he walked past, I subtly stuck out my feet and waited for the desired result. Just as I expected, the man stumbled over my outstretched leg and the cup flew from his hands. It clattered to the floor, contents spilling all over the tiles. As for the man, he laid sprawled on the floor, eyes wide with disbelief and uncontained anger.

"Clean it up." The man working the counter barked to one of his other employees. "Another iced mocha."

I stepped forward and claimed my coffee before anyone else could. "That's mine. Thank you."

As I walked to the door, I stooped down and smiled wickedly at the man who'd decided to challenge me, today out of all days. "Should've given me my coffee. We could've avoided all of this, don't you think?" Then I stood and strutted out the door.

Behind me, I heard his vague insult, "You bitch!"

I shrugged, slid into my car, pushed my sunglasses up my nose and reversed out of the parking lot. "Yes, I am."

...

"Where the hell have you been?" Thalia demanded once the car slid to a stop in front of a majestically gleaming building. The sun's rays bounced off the dome-shaped roof and was reflected across my windshield.

"I had a bit of an incident at Starbucks." I responded vaguely.

Tapping her wristwatch, she snapped, "You're five minutes late."

I rolled my eyes. "Would you relax? It's fine. I bet they're not even here yet."

"Actually, they are. Your father and the owner of Galleria Corps. are in the conference room, waiting for you...and his son." Thalia debriefed as we entered the building that housed the most famous artworks and sculptures. The Galleria has been home to many, many, many well-known and famous piece of arts in the world. Aside from its location in New York, it is also located in Milan, Italy, Virginia, and Chicago.

The owner of the corporation, Mr. Jackson, has decided to expand the corporation and open up another gallery in Paris That's where my role lies. Chase Architecture has been one of the world's many sought after architectural companies and since my father is the current owner, my great-great-great grandfather being the founder of the company, I was entrusted with designing an elaborate structure that ties with the ancient artworks. That was as much details that either of them had shared with me so at the moment, I was in the dark.

Thalia was just my trusted, and sometimes annoying, assistant. An assistant who was babbling at top speed as we hasten through the gleaming, sparkling foyer, loaded with crystalline chandeliers and a fancy reception area.

Thalia and I walked into the elevator and waited patiently - or I was, she was just tapping her toes against the flatform, a scowl on her face - while the elevator made its course. I filed out while she followed.

I thumped my knuckles briefly against the set of wooden doors before turning the handle and striding inside, not waiting for an invitation. Seeing as I was already late, they should have been expecting me anyways.

All at once, both my father and Mr. Jackson swiveled in their seat. My father visibly sagged with relief while Mr. Jackson's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. The owner of Galleria Corps was a bulky man with a weird sense of fashion. He was muscular and fit for someone his age, he had a head full of black hair and a pair of emerald green eyes that fiercely calculating. He looked familiar.

"Sorry I'm late." I apologized before taking a seat next to my father. I smiled at him and began unloading my laptop, notebooks, and a few blueprints. Thalia took her seat next to mine and dragged my laptop towards her, booting it up. As she did so, I took count of the members present in the room. I, my father, Thalia, and Mr. Jackson. "My assistant told me that your son would also be present."

Mr. Jackson nodded ruefully. "Yes, but it evident that he's taken no regards to the time. My apologies, Ms. Chase."

Shrugging, I said, "Not a problem. Should we wait until he gets here or shall we began?"

"It's best if we wait. After all, he'll be overseeing all architectural productions and management." Mr. Jackson leaned across the table and smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling slightly. "And he'll be taking over the corporation after I retire."

I gave a tight smile, not liking the fact that his insolent son would be my superior. My superior who's very, very untimely. "As you wish."

...

Half an hour had passed before he barged in, freshly changed, with a scowl adorning his face.

"Sorry I'm late." It was the exact words I'd said before. "But this bitch at Starbucks was being such a - " He caught sight of me and his body trembled with anger. "You!"

All I did was grin. "Nice seeing you again."

As he surged towards me, his father stood up and hooked his finger on the back of his son's collar, pulling him back. "Enough." The commanding word was enough to make everyone in the room stop. "Sit down." Mr. Jackson growled to his son.

When he turned back to us, his face was friendly and carefree once again. "My humble apologies, Ms. Chase. Annabeth, this is Perseus, my son. Percy, this is Annabeth, the woman whom you'll be working with."

His words send a jolt through me. "Wait. You mean to say that he is going to be overseeing architectural produtions and management?"

"Yes. I'm afraid you'll have to answer to him on every decision. He may be ruthless and impudent but he knows what he's doing." Mr. Jackson pierced with a gaze. "Is that all right with you?"

I gulped and glanced sideways at my father and Thalia. My father's face was grim but he offered no solution. Thalia, on the other hand, was shaking her head vigorously. Then I diverted my gaze to Percy, who was smirking with absolute delight. I couldn't help but notice how handsome he looks when he smiled. A very big part of me wanted to yell no and hightail myself out of the room but another, more sensible, part of me sorted through the pros and cons of the situation. If I decline, I would lose a chance of a lifetime to work. Sure, I'd designed and helped built many structures all over the States but those opportunities weren't as big and rare as this one. If I took the job, I would gain international acknowledgment, bringing the company more business.

"How long would this construction project last?" I asked.

Mr. Jackson shrugged. "Nothing over a year, that I guarantee you."

I bit my lips, still unsure. A year would do a great deal to my sanity.

"I'll double your comission."

My eyes widened. "I'm sorry?"

He repeated what he'd said.

"We agreed on a comission of ten thousand dollars." I said hoarsely.

"And I understand that you're the most sought after architecture of all time. Now I'm fully prepared to double that comission if you'd take on the job." He retorted. "Twenty thousand dollars."

Twenty thousand dollars...

I met my father's gaze and we both thought the same thing. Twenty thousand dollars would do wonders for Nico...

The thought of my little brother, up and well, was so overwhelming that it brought tears to my eyes. Even Thalia gave an impercetible nod.

"I'll do it."