"Go," Apollo whispered quietly to Officer Poseidon. Apollo was his young rookie partner, and although he could sometimes be hot-headed, Poseidon trusted him to have his back.

Presently, they were at a suspect's house, about to make an arrest. This morning, the police received an anonymous report from a neighbor that the suspect, Ethan Nakamura, was in possession of a large amount of illegal drugs. When Poseidon and Apollo showed up at his house, there was no sign of Nakamura, so the pair drew their weapons and walked through the unlocked door.

"Police! Come out with your hands up!" Poseidon ordered, poking his gun around every corner before stepping around it.

Suddenly, shots were fired behind the two. Poseidon and Apollo whirled around to see their suspect fleeing the house, a gun dangling in his hand.

"Freeze!" Apollo shouted, but the suspect merely turned his head and fired three more shots at the officers. Poseidon raised his weapon and fired.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

Percy jogged out of his house at precisely half past five. Gabe would be out playing poker and boozing up at a friend's house all weekend, so he didn't have to worry about being back late.

Percy turned the key in Gabe's 1995 Ford. It took a few tries, but it eventually started up, and he backed out of the driveway.

He reached the school and parked his car, then headed towards the stadium. Jason was already in his uniform, waiting for him outside the locker room with Colin and Rose.

"Nice," Percy remarked, as Jason transferred his siblings' hands to Percy's. "You ready?"

Jason grinned. "Oh yeah."

"Grace! Get in here!" Coach Hedge yelled from inside the locker room.

"See ya!" Jason said, as he spun around and headed to gather with the team.

"Bye!" his siblings called as they wiggled their fingers at him. "Good luck!"

With a child holding onto each of his pinkies, he lead them towards the stadium. They climbed to the middle of the stands, where they would have a good view of everything.

Since they were a little early, the stands were only half full, but Percy knew that by game time there would hardly be room to stand. He looked up at the sky, noting that it was a little cloudy.

His eyes fell on the girl that was seated in the same row several yards away. She was sitting alone, and he couldn't help but stare. He had seen her around at school, although he never talked to her, but he knew her name was Annabeth. She was the smart, quiet type, and even though she got plenty of attention from boys, she never payed them a second glance. She was extremely pretty, with her curly blonde hair blowing in the cool October air under her white knitted hat, and her grey eyes reflecting the storm clouds. She was wearing a bright yellow scarf and a green fitted jacket, with black jeans and the kind of short boots with heels Percy didn't know the name for.

He was startled and jumped when a small sticky voice whispered close to his ear, "Is she your girlfwiend?"

Percy turned to see Rose staring at him with her warm chocolate eyes. He smiled and shook his head.

"Nawh."

"But she's pwetty."

"I know."

Rose giggled and started humming to herself.

Percy glanced back over at Annabeth, then quickly looked away when their eyes met. He felt an awkward kind of excitement in his chest from the way she looked at him. It was nice, and Percy wanted to feel it again.

Thoughts ran through his mind. She's sitting alone... I can just go up and- no. I have the kids with me. Oh wait! I might score some points that way... They're pretty adorable. Hmm...

He was just formulating a plan to go talk to her when a buzzer sounded throughout the stadium, making everyone look around. An announcement blared through the speakers, "ATTENTION. THE GAME WILL BE DELAYED FOR 10 MINUTES WHILE WE SORT OUT TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. THANK YOU."

There were audible groans throughout the stadium. Percy was just about to get up and introduce himself to Annabeth when a guy started clambering over the bleachers towards her from behind.

Great, Percy thought, recognizing the figure heading towards her, assuming he was her boyfriend. Just figures she's dating the biggest jerk in school. Luke Castellan. He had been on the football team before the coach threw him off for his bad grades and his even worse attitude. Percy had gotten into several fights with him, most of them ending on a draw, with bloody noses and black eyes for each of them. Percy couldn't think of a single person in school who wasn't on Luke's bad side, and watched with annoyance as he wrapped his arms around Annabeth from behind.

Annabeth's reaction was not at all what Percy had been expecting. She immediately threw Luke's arms off her and stood up, nearly falling head first into the next row. Luke grabbed her waist to prevent her from losing her balance, but she spun around and slapped his hands away. They began a heated argument, not loud enough for Percy to hear, but the gestures and facial expressions were obvious. He could tell Annabeth was getting upset, and when Luke grabbed her by the shoulders he shot to his feet.

"Rosie, Col, stay here, I'll be right back," he told them, rushing over to the arguing duo.

"I told you to leave me alone!" Annabeth was saying, struggling against his grip. "Ow!"

"And I told you that we're not done!" he growled, shaking her roughly.

"Hey!" Percy said loudly, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around. "Knock it off!"

"Stay out of this, Jackson!" Luke snarled as he slammed his palms into Percy's chest, sending him tumbling backwards into the row above.

Luke turned back towards Annabeth, who immediately slapped him across the face.

"Get lost, jerk!"

Luke pulled his hand back, as if he was about to hit her, and she closed her eyes tight and turned her head away.

"That's enough!" Percy shouted, on his feet again, as he gripped Luke's wrist as tightly as he could.

Luke whirled around, but Percy pulled his wrist to twist his arm behind his back and yanked upwards. Then, he shoved Luke towards the end of the row, making him stagger towards the exit, clutching his arm.

"Get out of here, before something bad happens to your face!" Percy yelled at him, balling his hands into tight fists.

"Be careful what you say," Luke warned.

"Be careful who you mess with!" Percy shot back. "Leave!"

Surprisingly, with his wounded pride, Luke headed down through the exit.

Percy pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He exhaled a puff of air through his mouth, which immediately turned to fog in the chilly air. He turned to Annabeth, who looked upset.

"Are you alright?" he asked kindly. The tone of his voice surprised him, he couldn't remember ever hearing himself talk like that to anyone.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, still looking shaken, but sounding more angry than harmed. "He's just a such a jerk! I mean, we used to be best friends, then we finally decided to date over the summer. I called it off because he was getting too into it. He thinks he's all that, all the time, and when someone tells him he can't get what he wants, he just blows up like that! Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, as if she just realized Percy was there. "I didn't mean to rant at you."

"No, it's alright!" Percy said quickly, in the same gentle tone. "I understand. I'm sorry he was bothering you like that."

She nodded absently.

"By the way, I'm Percy. Percy Jackson," he introduced, holding out a hand for her to shake, something he observed Jason doing quite often but hardly ever put into practice himself.

She smiled and shook his hand. "Annabeth Chase."

What a pretty name, he thought, smiling like an idiot.

"So, are you here alone?" he inquired.

"Oh, yeah." she said, gesturing to the empty seats next to her. "I don't really have anyone to go with, but I like the excitement of it all."

"D'you wanna hang out with me?" he asked. "I'm kind of babysitting my friend's sibs, but I'm sure they'll like you," he smiled hopefully.

"Sure," she grinned back, nodding. They walked over to where Colin and Rosie were sitting nervously. Rosie's trepidation vanished immediately when Annabeth sat down.

"She is your girlfwiend!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "She can be a pwincess too!"

Percy blushed deeply, but it was hardly noticeable as his cheeks were already red from the cold.

"Rosie," he said, ignoring her comment. "This is Annabeth. She's going to sit with us, okay?"

Rose nodded enthusiastically, while a tear dripped down Colin's cheek.

"Hey, bud, what's wrong?" Percy asked, confused.

"That was scawwy," he sniffled. "You used a loud scawwy voice."

Percy half-smiled and gave Colin a hug.

"Hey, I'm sorry, Col," Percy said soothingly. "I just had to be loud to get that guy to go away. He was bothering Annabeth."

Colin sniffed a few more times, then nodded. "Can you use your quiet voice from now on?"

Percy laughed. "Yes. I promise."

Annabeth sat down in between Rose and Percy.

"So, whose sibs are these?" she asked Percy.

"Jason Grace's. I'm sure you know him," Percy told her.

"The class president?"

"Yupp."

"The one that's playing today?"

"That's the one."

"He's good looking and all, but they're adorable!"

"We know," Rosie cut in, and Annabeth laughed softly.

Suddenly, the marching band came out, playing the school's song, followed by the football team. Everyone was standing up and cheering, so Percy lifted Colin onto his shoulders and Rosie stood on the bleachers to see. The three of them cheered when number 21 ran out onto the field.

"Go Hawks!" an overenthusiastic dad yelled from several rows down. "You got this! You got this!"

Manhattan's team, the Hawks, were welcoming the challengers, the Pythons, for the second time. Last month, the Hawks crushed the Pythons in an embarrassing defeat, and the Pythons were back with a vengeance. The players did not look happy as they strolled out behind the home team, and they all had angry glints in their eyes.

A freshman girl came out and sang the national anthem, and the stadium roared with applause as she sang the final notes. The teams lined up, and the game began.

After only a few plays, it started to drizzle. Percy turned up his collar then turned to pull Rose and Colin's hoods up.

"Do not get sick on my watch," he muttered, also zipping up their jackets.

The air was getting colder, and by halftime the Hawks had only scored 6 points, from a spectacular touchdown executed by Jason. After that excitement, the energy in the stadium picked up for a few minutes, but now people were starting to leave. The stands were now less than half full, so Percy decided to move up to the front row, the closest to the field. Rose and Colin were still in high spirits, and kept waving and jumping up and down every time they saw their big brother.

"So, is this game boring you?" Percy asked Annabeth.

"Not at all!" she said, cheeks flushed from the cold and enthusiasm. "I like just being out here, watching these guys put their heart into the game. It's okay if they hardly score."

Percy smiled. "Hardly any of the other girls stuck around after it started raining," he noted.

"Well they're stupid and don't know what they're missing," she said matter-of-factly.

Percy considered that for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

The halftime show, which had consisted of an elaborate cheerleading display, was over, and the players were back on the field, more determined than ever.

When play resumed, both teams played aggressively, each scoring 20 points in the next few minutes. The Hawks still had the lead by 4 points.

The linemen were slipping and sliding in the mud formed by the light rain, but that hardly slowed them down. The quarterback was now the target of many forceful tackles from the defense, and he hardly had any chances to pass to Jason.

When the Pythons had the ball, the Hawk's defense attacked with just as much vigor, stopping nearly every one of their passes.

The football was turned over to the Hawks again, with 5 minutes left in the game. One of the coaches called for a time-out, and each team went into a tight huddle. After a few moments of consultation, the teams returned to the starting lines, each with a new strategy. The Hawks had to get the ball at least 20 yards, or they'd have no hope of scoring this round. The whistle was blown, and the football was hiked to the quarterback.

By some miracle, the quarterback saw an opening, and he ran 10 yards before throwing the ball to number 21, who was near the end zone. Jason rushed forward to catch it, but so did two of the defense. They were both at least twice Jason's size, but he kept running for the ball, determined.

One of the defense slammed into Jason's chest, crashing their helmets together. They both hit the ground hard, with the defense landing on top of Jason, and rolled a few feet before stopping their momentum.

Meanwhile, the other defensive player had tried to catch the ball, but it had slipped through his fingers and instead bounced away on the field.

"Foul! Foul!" Annabeth was shouting, and hopping up and down while the crowd jeered loudly. Percy had stood up immediately as soon as he saw the Python heading towards Jason, and now, as he craned his head to see them, he saw the defense push himself up off of Jason and stagger to his feet. Jason hadn't moved.

"Boo! Foul!" Percy heard his voice join the crowd, as paramedics in bright white uniforms rushed onto the field.

The referee finally announced a spearing and a passing interference foul, while seemed to satisfy the crowd.

"Oh no," Percy muttered, as he saw the medics slowly started to remove Jason's helmet.

"What happened?" Colin asked, jumping on the bench to see what was going on, as it started to rain a little harder.

Percy pulled him down. "Sit down and stay here," he told the kids. "Watch them for a sec, will you?" he asked Annabeth, who nodded.

He quickly clambered over the bleachers and onto the field, then sprinted to his friend. A referee tried to hold him back, but he said "I'm here watching his siblings, and his parents aren't here, let me through!" and the referee let him pass.

One paramedic was examining the boy who had tackled Jason, and the other was trying to get a response from Jason, who was conscious, but not moving. Percy knelt by him concernedly, angling his body to keep the rain off Jason. His right knee made a deep hole in the mud, and he leaned back on his right foot, his fist resting on his left knee.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked the paramedic.

"Give me a second, kid," the professional answered, to which Percy huffed, annoyed.

"Hey, can you hear me, kid?" the paramedic asked Jason loudly, slapping his cheeks softly.

"His name's Jason," Percy told him, and the annoying paramedic glared at him.

Jason nodded almost imperceptibly, then coughed. He started taking short, shallow breaths, and it looked difficult for him.

"Are you in any pain, Jason?" the head paramedic asked, and Percy sighed loudly at the stupid question.

Even lying on the ground, injured, Jason still had the morality to give Percy a look, as if to say "be polite!" Jason gave a tiny nod to the medic.

"Alright, Jason. Can you move at all?" the technician asked, looking him over.

Jason closed his eyes and focused for a moment, but then snapped his eyes open, panicking, shaking his head no.

"Okay then, I'll be right back, I'm going to go get you a stretcher. Stay here," he ordered, then jogged off towards the equipment room.

"Oh my god. Where does he think you're going? Idiot." Percy mumbled to Jason. Jason gave him a reproaching look, so Percy said, "Sorry, but really."

"C-could you-" Jason started to choke out, but Percy put a hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll call your parents and drive Col and Rosie to the hospital."

"N-not at the s-same t-time." Jason told him.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, whatever. I'll make sure they have warm clothes, and that they're fed and happy until your parents get back."

"Don't f-forget their-"

"I'll get the booster seats, don't worry. I've got it under control."

Jason smiled gratefully, but his smile turned into a grimace as he remembered the stabbing pain in his chest. He took a few shallow breaths as the rain kept falling, soaking his blonde hair.

Percy squeezed his friend's shoulder while he focused on breathing. "Hang in there, man," he said. "You'll be alright."

Jason nodded slightly, his face still twisted in pain.

The bumbling paramedic had returned with a stretcher and friend, and they lifted Jason onto the stretcher.

"PLAY WILL RESUME IN 10 MINUTES," an announcement blared through the speakers. The crowed gave Jason a respectful ovation as he was carried off the field.

Percy jogged back to his group.

"Hey guys, Jason has to go to the hospital, so we're going to go with him, alright?" he told Rose and Colin, kneeling down to their level. Their lips immediately started to quiver, but Annabeth cut in.

"Hey now, it's okay. Jason gets to ride in the ambulance, and they'll put the siren on for him and everything!" she said enthusiastically. "And you'll get to see around the hospital!"

The kids faces brightened at this, and Percy smiled at Annabeth gratefully.

"Thanks," he mouthed to her.

She nodded. "Do you need any help? I could go with you, if you like," she offered.

"Oh, no, I couldn't," Percy protested.

"Psh, I have nothing else to do. It won't be a problem. After all, you helped me out today."

Percy grinned. "Alright, thanks. Come on, I parked this way."

Both of the teens held the hand of a child, and they headed for the parking lot. They stopped at Jason's car to grab the booster seats, and Percy called Mr. Grace while Annabeth installed them.

Mr. and Mrs. Grace were understandably distraught, and promised to be there as soon as possible, but wouldn't be for at least 4 hours. Percy promised to call them with updates, and hung up as he slid into the driver's seat.

He spotted the ambulance, and the paramedics loading Jason into it. Percy started up the car to follow as the ambulance blared out of the parking lot. The rain had let up a little, but he still had to turn the windshield wipers on.

By now, Percy was feeling anxious and worried, so he absentmindedly grabbed the pack of cigarettes his stepdad had left on the dashboard and lit one.

He had just raised it to his lips when Annabeth snatched it out of his hand and put it out in the ashtray.

"What-?"

"There are kids in here!" she scolded, tossing the cigarette out the window.

"Oh, right, sorry. I'm not thinking straight," Percy said distractedly.

"Besides, that's terrible for you." she said, obviously disapproving.

"Yeah, tewwibow!" Rose piped up from the backseat.

Percy glanced in the rear view mirror.

"Sorry guys, my bad," he apologized. After a moment's thought, he added, "Don't tell Jason."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N

So, how was that?:) Hope you liked it! Sorry for the long wait for this chapter, I made it extra long to make up for it! Next update will be sooner:)

Thanks for all the follows and favorites you've all given me! I really appreciate it!

Please review and tell me what you thought:) Thanks for reading!

Xoxoxo,

EmMarie