This one is going to be completely AU, after Percy and Annabeth have been married for a while and things start going downhill.
#2: The Ring

"There we go. It's official," Annabeth Jackson—no, Chase now—said, signing a piece of paper. The man across from her sighed with relief.

"Finally. This has taken way to long. Rachel's waiting for me," He replied, rubbing a hand through his black hair.

She snorted, her gray eyes flashing. "Always Rachel."
He glared. "Do you want to talk about Luke?"
Annabeth opened her mouth to snap a reply, but the other man, their lawyer, interrupted first.

"Wait, let's review this first: Percy got the apartment, Annabeth got the car. Percy half the furniture and decorations and Annabeth got the other half. Correct? Any question?"
They both shook their heads. He pulled the packet of paper over and signed each spot he needed. When he was finished, he clicked the pen and flipped the packet closed.
"
Now it's official. You two are no longer Mr. and Mrs. Jackson."

They both thanked him and left, out the door, down the hall, and out the double doors. The sudden sunlight made both of them blink, so when someone called Annabeth's name, they both had to look for a second.

It was Luke. Percy snorted in disgust and got into the waiting car. He greeted the red-headed driver with a kiss and they drove off.

"How are you, Annabeth?" Luke asked, his arms around her waist.

She grinned up at him, threading her arms around his neck. "I'm great. I'm single-"
"Not quite."
"No. I mean I'm not married and I don't have to get married..." He leaned down and kissed her. "Until you get impatient."

He pulled away, laughing. "Want to go out?"
She smile and let go of him, only to grab his hand again. "I'd love to."

"Annabeth. Annabeth!"
"Huh?"
She looked around. Luke was sitting across from her, smiling from ear to ear.

"You were somewhere else."
"Yeah."
"Where?"

She shrugged, brushing sweaty blonde hair over her shoulder. "Oh, about a three months ago. When we went out for ice cream for the first time as boyfriend and girlfriend."

He raised an eyebrow. "What's so special about that? Was that the time you spilled your sundae on me?"
I wasn't thinking about that part," She thought, but instead said "I've never spilled ice cream on you!"

He gave a low, quiet chuckle. "Yes, you have. And often."
She stuck out her tongue just as the restaurant door jingled open, and a couple came in, laughing and brushing the rain out of their hair. Annabeth looked up, and saw sea-green eyes. She blinked and shook her head. He was still there, his arm around Rachel like it was glued there and asking for a table for two.

"Annabeth?" Luke looked over his shoulder and back again quickly. He leaned forward over the table, suddenly completely serious. "Do you want to leave?"
She shook her head. The waiter took them to a table across the restaurant, thankfully. "No. You don't have to do that."

"You sure?"

She nodded. They ate some more bites, until—of course—someone had to go to the bathroom.
"Say something," Annabeth hissed over the table to Luke. He looked startled.
"And then I said, well, if you're her grandma, then who'm I?"

Annabeth burst out laughing. Percy stopped at their table, staring.

She glanced up, casual. "Percy! Oh, hi."

"Hi, Annabeth. Luke. Well, I've really got to pee—err, use the restroom."
He made a beeline for the bathroom. Annabeth sat back in her seat, blowing a lock of straightened hair out of her face. Luke, noticing, smiled and reached across the table to play with it.

"I love your hair like this," He mused.

I know.

"Waiter, can we have a new table? This one's too far in the corner! Oh, my gosh! Annabeth?"
Annabeth peeked over Luke's shoulder. Rachel was standing in the middle of the restaurant, waving. Annabeth gave a hesitant wave back and immediately regretted it.

"Oh, sir, that's okay. I'll sit with these people, we're friends."
Rachel came over and sat next to Luke, flinging one arm over the back of the chair.

"Wow, it's been what, a 3 months?" She laughed.

"Yeah, about," Luke replied.

Percy came back. He almost walked right by, but Rachel grabbed his wrist and hauled him back. He sat next to Annabeth, a bit tense.

The waiter came and took Rachel and Percy's orders. Luke and Annabeth continued picking at their food.

Rachel and Luke started talking, with occasional inputs from Percy and Annabeth.

"Wait, Annabeth. Didn't you say you had to be somewhere at seven? Should we go?" Luke glanced at his watch and then looked around for the waiter.

"I have to be somewhere at seven. You're welcome to stay here since I don't want you to find out that there's actually nothing at seven," Annabeth muttered under her breath, just like she usually did when Luke asked something and stopped listening a second later.

Percy started choking on his water. She glanced at him sideways and saw that he was laughing.

"Yeah, can I have the check please? Separate from theirs?"

The waiter nodded and disappeared.
"Huh? What's so funny?" Luke asked, looking from Annabeth's small smile to Percy's grin.

Percy started laughing again.

The waiter delivered their check, Luke left a pile of cash with it, and then they got up to leave.

"Well, it was nice to see you, Percy, Rachel," Annabeth said with a flattering smile. They both returned it and watched them walk out.

Percy watched them go. They walked out and stopped on the sidewalk, a ways from where the window was. Luke took Annabeth's hands in his and kissed her, short but deep. She smiled and squeezed his hands; then they were both walking, away from each other and away from Percy.

Five Days Later

It was late. Rachel had wanted to go to the park, so they had, and then they'd stayed out until the uniforms came and told them that the park was closed. The moon high in the sky, Rachel had walked him home. Now, back at his apartment building, he slumped against the elevator wall. He was tired, but he also wished he'd spent the night on Rachel's couch. Well, maybe not her couch. But it was hard—just seeing Annabeth the other day after not seeing her for almost 3 months and then their anniversary coming.

The elevator doors opened and he trudged out, forward and around the corner, where he stopped short. There was a figure standing at his door, a blonde one, fiddling with the lock.

"Hey!"

The girl swung around. It was Annabeth. He came up closer to her and could see that she was drunk. She was listing sort of to the side and grinning too wide.

"I can't get in."
"I had the locks changed.
"Why?"
"Annabeth, we're not married anymore," He told her slowly. She blinked.

"Oh! Sorry. I forgot." She started pawing through her purse. "Have you seen my car keys? I had them in my pocket..."
Percy unlocked the door and she went in, plopping down on the floor. He maneuvered around her and took off his jacket.

"Ah hah! Found them! Do you know who invented car keys?"
"No."
"I think I'm going to thank him. Or her." She stood up and swayed slightly. He faced her, crossing his arms and spreading his feet apart a bit.

"You're not driving tonight."
She frowned. "Why not?"
"Because you're drunk. It's not safe."
She sighed. "Oh, yeah. I think I got a little bit more drunk than I meant too." She dropped her keys on the carpet and took off her jean jacket, her purse strap tangling with the sleeve as they both fell to the floor.

"You meant to get drunk?"
She nodded. "Yep. Luke's busy tonight, and it's our anniversary today. Tomorrow."
He stared at her, a bit astonished. Then the phone rang.

"I got it!" She yelped. She climbed onto the couch and he gave her a gentle shove and she fell sideways.

"Ouch!"
He answered the phone and went into the kitchen.

"Rachel?"
"Percy! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot! Do you want to come over?"
"Your car's in the shop."
"Oh, yeah. I can call a cab-"
There was a crash from the living room. "What was that?" She asked, sounding alarmed.

He sighed. "Annabeth. She came over here, completely drunk, and wanted to drive home. I wouldn't let her."
"Oh." Rachel's tone was a tiny bit colder. "Are you sure? I mean-"
"She was going to go thank the man who made car keys."
"Okay. Well, at least you won't be alone."
"She's sleeping on the couch."
"Yeah. Well, bye."
"Rachel-" She had hung up. He started to redial, but there was another crash from the living room. Shaking his head, he went back to where Annabeth was. She was standing in front of the mantel, sweeping the plates off of it.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, making her look over.

"These plates are ugly." She told him, and swept the last one off. It hit the floor and shattered. "Were they from Rachel?"

"Well, yeah."
She shook her head and started wiping the wood. Percy sat down on the couch.

"Ooh!" Annabeth went to the end table and opened it, rummaging around until she found what she wanted: His wedding ring.

He watched as she laid down on the couch, her feet propped on the end and her head in Percy's lap.

"Annabeth-"
"Sh." She put her finger up to his lips. Then she started trying on his ring, all her fingers.

"It's only going to slightly fit your thumb," He sighed, rubbing his face. She'd done this many times before, usually in the mornings when they were both in bed.

Annabeth grinned up at him. "You're right."

She went back to playing with it, and he stared in silence for a while until he realized she was quiet.

Her eyes were closed, her hands clutching the ring on her stomach. She was breathing through her nose, her nostrils flaring slightly with each breath. On impulse he ran his fingers through her hair; it felt weird—not because he wasn't used to, but because it had been straightened. But it wasn't as straight as it had been the other day.

Carefully, he lifted her head and slid himself out from under her. She sighed in her sleep but didn't wake. He found a blanket and spread it over her and slipped a pillow under her head. She wouldn't let go of the ring.

Feeling sad, Percy went to bed.

"You have big fingers," Annabeth complained. Percy opened his eyes to see her laying on her side, playing with his ring.

"Or you have little ones," He groaned, rolling over. She laughed and swatted him.

"Don't go back to sleep! I'm hungry!"
"Go make breakfast, then."

He could almost see her pouting face through his closed his eyes. Partly to prove to himself that he was right, he rolled back over and glanced at her.

She was doing the exact expression he thought she'd be doing. He laughed.

"What?"
"Come here."

She did.

Percy woke up, feeling startled at the dream that had been an exact memory of one of their mornings. His stomach growled, telling him it was time to get up.

Annabeth was still asleep on the couch when he went into the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of cereal. She only woke up when he opened the dishwasher, sitting up and moaning. He started making coffee, figuring she'd be ready for it when it was done.

She was. Accepting the cup gratefully, she sipped it a couple of times before glancing up at him.

"Thanks."
He shrugged. "You feel okay?"

"No."

"Figured. You want some breakfast?"
She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Not right now."

"Hey," He said. "You okay?"

She shook her head. "I—it's just weird, waking up here. Because I recognized it immediately, and I was fine. But then I remembered why I was here and it wasn't what I—what I wanted."
"It's weird for me too. Do you still have my ring?"
She looked down at her hands. One was holding her mug, the other was clutched tightly in a fist. Slowly, she uncurled it. Percy's ring glinted in it, surrounded by the red rim of the imprint. He reached over and scooped it up.

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?"
She shook her head. "Not yet."
They sat in silence for a moment as Annabeth looked around. "What happened?"
He followed her line of sight to the broken plates. "You."

She turned a shade of bright pink. "Sorry."
"Don't be. They were ugly plates."
She finished her coffee and Percy got up and put it in the dishwasher.

"Are you going to want to go back soon?"
She shook her head. "Not really. Luke's going to be there." She winced. "I mean, if that's okay."

He nodded. "Yeah. Do you want to shower?"
She nodded and left. Percy sat on the couch, head in his hands, and stared at the ring.

"Hey, do you happen to have any of my clothes?" Annabeth called. He twisted around. She was leaning out of the bathroom, her shoulder and neck bare.

"Probably."

She came out in a few minutes. Her hair was wet and curly again, and she was wearing a tee shirt from years ago and shorts.

"Percy?"
He came to her, standing close—not as close as he usually did when they were married, but closer than normal people would.

"Yeah?"
"You still have some of my clothes," She told him slowly. "And my shampoo. And conditioner."
"Why didn't you want to go back to Luke?"

She blinked. "Because this is our day," She whispered. "And he doesn't understand that."
"Because if I get rid of your stuff, you'll really be gone."

They stared at each other, a bit scared and a bit startled.

"Annabeth," Percy started, having no idea what he was going to say.

"What did you think I was doing with Luke?"
"What?"
"That's what started it. The fighting, I mean. You thought I was doing something with Luke."
"I don't like Luke. I never have. I thought he was being—too close to you."
"What about Rachel?"
"What about her?"
"You weren't..."
"No. Never. Not until we were working on divorce."
She looked surprised. Maybe it was because they'd never called it that.

"Divorce," She said slowly. "I don't know about you, but it just feels like...like we were just taking a break that lasted too long."
"What happens at the end of a break?"

He'd been moving closer and closer, and now they were only inches apart. She breathed in sharply; she hadn't been this close to him for months, and it felt wrong-because she knew what would happen if she got closer, and she wanted it, but she couldn't.

"I don't know. What happens?"
"You do know."
"Yes. I'm just scared..."
"Of what?"
"What about Luke, and Rachel?"
He stared intently at her, his fingers on her chin, holding her. "Screw Luke and Rachel," He said, firmly, and kissed her.

2 Months Later

"Luke's still calling. Can we change our number?" Annabeth asked, pulling her hair up. Percy rolled over and looked at her. She laughed. "What?"
"It's too early to talk about Luke," He moaned, squishing a pillow over his face.

"Terribly sorry. What isn't it too early to talk about?"

"Nothing. Wait, no. Food."
"Great."
"Fingers. You."

"Fingers?"
"You know..."
"Oh, about your big fingers? I swear, we're going to have to do something..."
He glanced over at her. She was wearing his ring again, on her middle finger, and it was clinking with her ring.

"What're you looking at?"
"You."

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