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

Wow, 45 follows and 27 favorites! Thanks everyone! And I know you all are super eager to find out what's going on, but keep in mind that this is only the beginning of the story and I can't just reveal everything at once.

A Twisted Tale of Cinderella

Chapter 4

Poseidon pushed Percy into his son's room upstairs and slammed the door behind him.

"What the hell do you think you were doing back there?" Poseidon demanded. His face was red with anger. "If I hadn't been there to stop you…" He stalked towards Percy and grabbed the blade out of his hand.

It didn't seem like his father was going to finish his sentence. So Percy filled in the rest in his mind. If Poseidon hadn't been there, Percy was sure he would have taken Annabeth's life. Although he chided himself for his moment of hestitation, he swore that next time he would be able to go through with it. He imagined himself plunging the blade into her back right into her heart.

He glared back at his father when he placed the knife on the table. "What is she even doing here?" Percy demanded. "I thought you were going to kill her not invite her into our home!"

Poseidon let go of his anger in one loud sigh. Percy didn't follow his example. His father put his hand on Percy's shoulder. "Percy, you have to understand. She might come in handy one day." His voice was soft and gentle as he tried to reason with his outraged son.

But Percy knocked his hand away and backed up against the table. Now that he wasn't near her anymore, he wasn't distracted with her beauty or soothing voice. He could think clearly now and focus on his anger. "She's an Olympian… I want her dead. I want them all dead!" He shouted.

Poseidon put his hands up towards Percy in a defensive gesture. "Calm down, son. We can't be rash about this. I'm just as angry with the Olympians as you are. But this girl," he lowered his hands, "she's innocent."

Percy paced the room as he absorbed what his father was saying. But he didn't want to be reasoned with. He wanted to kill that girl. The knife's blade gave off a glare from the angle Percy was standing and caught Percy's eyes. "Let's cut off her head, Father." He beseeched. "Let's cut off her head and have it delivered to them."

Poseidon's face remained neutral and he took a seat at the table. He placed his hand on the knife's handle and brought it closer to him, further from Percy's reach. Chrysaor and Triton walked into the room then: Chrysaor with his stupid smile that Percy wanted to shoot off his face and Triton with his jealous frown. Triton sat down next to Poseidon and Chrysaor sat opposite them.

"At least let me cut out her eyes." Percy begged. "I can't stand to look at them."

"You will not lay a hand on her." Poseidon warned in his sternest voice. He exchanged looks with Chrysaor and Triton. "None of you will. Do you understand?"

Triton and Chrysaor both nodded. Triton would never go against his father's words. And Chrysaor… It took a while for Percy to figure out why Chrysaor so readily agreed. He was never the most obedient of Poseidon's sons. But then Percy remembered their conversation near the stairs. Chrysaor just wanted to have sex with her. How typical of him to put his desires before family business.

Percy clenched his fists and averted his eyes when Poseidon turned towards him. He didn't need the knife Poseidon was guarding. It would be so easy for him to run back down to the kitchen, pull out another knife, and be done with it before the other three caught up with him.

"Do you understand, Percy?" Poseidon repeated himself.

"No." Percy said, doing his best to keep his voice composed. "I don't understand why you're allowing that woman to live. I don't understand how you can be in the same room with her without being consumed with rage." He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from outright yelling at Poseidon. The taste of blood dripped onto his tongue. He turned towards Poseidon and he thought he might whimper out his next words but he willed himself keep his voice steady. "Did you even love my mother?"

Poseidon's stare and voice hardened. "I'm warning you."

Percy gave his father an insolent glare but he felt stinging in the back of his eyes so he veered his gaze towards his brothers. Chrysaor looked at Percy and smiled, as if daring him to speak out against Poseidon. Triton crossed his arms when Percy finally relented and took a seat next to Chrysaor. The stinging sensation was gone and the tears that had formed melted away without spilling down his cheeks.

Now that he had his son under control, Poseidon cleared his throat. "I was lucky enough to find her." He explained. "Well, more like stumbled upon her. She was working as a waitress and cook in some diner. At first, I thought they had hid her there but that can't be true. When I returned home last night, I got reports that they were still searching for her. It's a good thing I took Sally's last name when I did. It's not safe to be an Atlantean in those parts of town."

Percy leaned his head on his palm and gradually, Poseidon's voice receded further and further until Percy couldn't hear it anymore while he thought of Atlanteans. He already knew the whole story. Poseidon operated under two names: Jackson and Atlantean. He's known as Poseidon Jackson almost everywhere, but especially in the south and along the East Coast, as founder of Trident Inc., a manufacturing company of ships as well as an overseas transportation agency and owner and breeder of champion race horses. However, the public doesn't know that he took his wife Sally's last name when they married and passed it on to their son Percy.

But in more private and secretive circles, Poseidon still uses his birth name as an Atlantean. None of Poseidon's sons bared the Atlantean name, but they were still considered Atlanteans for carrying Poseidon's blood.

But his mind wandered again and although he didn't want to think about her his train of thought shifted towards Annabeth. The gods must have been laughing at him earlier as they watched him try to flirt with her. And he hated himself for it. Of all people, she had to be an Olympian. But he remembered how gorgeous and shapely she was… No! No! That woman was one of them and he'd be damned if he ever let himself–

"She thinks she's here for a job. She'll be your maid from now on, Percy."

"What?" Percy murmured but wanted to shout. After what her family has done to him, he didn't want her as a servant. He wanted to see her suffer.

"You're the only one out of the four of us who doesn't have a personal attendant." Poseidon explained. "And this way, we can keep a close eye on her."

Percy slammed his hands down on the table and stood up. "She's an Olympian! No, I don't want her!"

"Then I'll take her." Chrysaor piped in.

"Go ahead and take her!" Percy roared.

"No." Poseidon said. "The rest of us will be traveling in the next couple months and Percy's the only one who will be staying. We can't risk transporting her now. She might be seen."

Chrysaor ignored Poseidon's logic and put his arm around Percy's shoulder. "Just say the word, brother, and I'll take her off your hands." He winked.

Percy clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails dug into his flesh and drew blood. Chrysaor saw his little brother's bloody fingertips and grimaced.

Even after his father and brothers left the room, Percy brooded. Annabeth was to be his servant and he had hated her before he even met her. If his father thought Percy would play along and treat Annabeth as any other servant, he was dead wrong.

Percy swore to himself then and there. If he couldn't kill Annabeth, he'd do the next best thing. He was going to make Annabeth's life such a living hell that she's going to wish she were dead.

Annabeth was finishing plating the stew when Poseidon walked back in. "Annabeth, come, I will show you where you will report to every day." Annabeth nodded and followed him out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of the food she prepared.

Poseidon led her to a room that was almost four times as big as her new room with large windows framed by blue curtains. It was luxurious and unlike anything Annabeth had ever seen, even within her old lifestyle before her father passed away. Poseidon motioned for her to set the tray down on a square table next to one of the windows.

"My son should be around here somewhere. Oh, here he is!"

The man that Annabeth encountered in the kitchen earlier walked into the room from the balcony.

"Percy, my boy, this is Annabeth. She will be your caretaker from now on. Annabeth, meet my son and your new boss, Percy."

Percy and Annabeth silently stared at each other. Annabeth still couldn't believe it was only her first day on the job and she already had a panic attack. She shivered when she remembered Percy sliding his hand over her arm. Her heart raced then but she took deep breaths through her nose to force herself to calm down.

"Well, I'll leave you two to get better acquainted." Poseidon said, closing the door behind him.

Percy sat down at the table and sniffed the food.

"I, um, I hope you like it, sir." Annabeth whispered. She wanted to apologize to him about the incident in the kitchen, but she was afraid she would only angry him. The foul mood he was now emitting was nothing like how he was in the kitchen earlier and it frightened her.

Percy didn't respond and only narrowed his eyes. He brought a spoonful to his lips as Annabeth gulped. If he didn't like it, what would she do? Percy didn't look like a fickle man, but Annabeth didn't want to judge him too quickly. But maybe he wasn't as Triton described. Lost in her thoughts, Annabeth didn't notice Percy was enthusiastically eating. She gave a sigh of relief, which directed Percy's attention towards her.

"It's disgusting," Percy said as he put the last spoonful to his mouth. "If this is the best you can do, I'm afraid you won't last very long." He placed the spoon in the bowl and was about to stand up but when he looked up at Annabeth, he suddenly knocked the bowl off the table and it shattered on the ground.

Annabeth flinched and her breath was caught in her throat. She didn't understand. If he thought her food was disgusting, why did he finish it so quickly? She was about to voice her question but she thought twice. Percy glared at her.

"Good. You know not to talk unless I want you to. Maybe you do have promise after all." Annabeth sadly nodded at his words, making Percy's frown deepen. "Now get this cleaned up and don't let me see you for the rest of the day."

"What about–"

"Shut up!"

Annabeth recoiled. Her shoulders shook with fear and she wanted to hide behind one of the chairs but Percy stood up and loomed over her.

"I don't want to hear your voice and I don't want to see your face at all today. Just do what you're told and get out. Now." He walked back out onto the balcony without looking back.

Annabeth waited until he was out the door before she bent down and cleaned up the mess. She all but ran out of his bedroom.

The next day, Annabeth found out that Triton was right. It seemed as if Percy Jackson was the spawn of the devil himself.

"Servant, make my bed!"

Annabeth rushed through the door with Percy's breakfast to see him fresh out of bed in his blue-striped pajamas.

"Yes, sir." She sat down his breakfast tray and uncovered it.

"Shut up and get to it, woman!" He barked and started eating.

Annabeth walked up to his king sized canopy bed and began making it neat and tidy. She was an expert at housework, making it seem like she was born to perform them. It was because she had been forced to complete such tasks for so many years for fear of being beaten. Now all she feared was Percy's yelling.

She glanced up to see if Percy was enjoying the food only to see him glowering at her. "While you're at it, clean the rest of the room, too." He said and gulped down a glass of orange juice.

Annabeth didn't answer him this time. She didn't want him to yell at her again. Instead, she grabbed the feather duster that she tucked into her apron earlier and began dusting.

Percy watched her. Unbeknownst to her, Percy found her fascinating. The way she moved, the way she talked, the way she looked, and it all intrigued him. When he saw her for the first time yesterday in the kitchen, he was ecstatic to see someone so lovely in his own home.

But he turned his eyes away from her. I hate her, he reminded himself. Annabeth brought this onto herself, Percy darkly told himself. She committed the great sin of being born into that family, those damn Olympians. And now she had to pay. He could have given her an easy life, even enjoyable if she agreed to share a bed with him in the future. In fact, had she just been a low-class worker like the others, he would have had her last night. But no, this Annabeth girl would not receive any of his generosity.

"Take these back to the kitchen now." He said, pushing the tray away from him. Annabeth hastily stopped dusting and picked up his tray. Right when she finished exiting the door and was nearly at the first step of the staircase, Percy called out to her. "Servant woman! Come fluff my pillows!"

Annabeth hurried back into the room setting the tray on the table. Percy was back in bed, sitting upright with the covers up to his waist. His caretaker fluffed his pillows and watched as he lay down with his hands behind his head. She tried her best not to let her frown show but from the look on Percy's face, he could tell she was getting angry.

Ridiculous! Annabeth thought and snatched the tray off the table to take to the kitchen. She had only been gone a few minutes but when she returned to Percy's bedroom, he was out of bed again with the blankets falling off the bed.

"Draw me a bath and make the bed again." He commanded and began taking off his shirt.

Annabeth shielded her eyes from him and rushed to the bathroom where she turned on the hot water. His bathroom was as big as her new room with a tub was even larger than Percy's bed. When the water level got to the appropriate height she turned off the knob but turned around so quickly that she bumped into Percy who came to stand right behind her. Luckily for Annabeth, he still had his pajama bottoms on.

She jerked away from him in surprise, trying to get away from the uncomfortable proximity. But when she stepped back, she was already so close to the tub that she tripped and fell in. Annabeth was submerged in water for only a split second when Percy grabbed her and pulled her up and out of the tub. Annabeth yanked her arms out of his hold and scurried towards the door.

"You okay?" He asked but he didn't look concerned at all. Percy smirked at her teasingly when she wiped wet hair out of her face.

Annabeth wanted to glare at him but then he untied the drawstring for his pants. She squeaked a raspy "excuse me" and rushed out the door.

"This room better be spotless when I get out of the bathtub!" Percy shouted while she was descending the stairs.

Annabeth clutched a hand to her chest above her heart. Her breath was heavy. She hurried towards her bedroom and changed into her spare uniform. But she wondered why she was putting herself through this. The day barely started and Percy was already driving her mad. It was like he was going out of his way to make her job hard. Annabeth knew that this was nothing compared to the torture she endured with her stepfamily but she didn't understand why Percy was acting like this.

When she first met him, she interpreted his behavior as friendly although a little cheeky. He introduced himself to her and even offered to show her around New York. Of course she knew he was flirting with her. She wasn't an idiot. And although she thought he was probably one of the most handsome men she's even seen, even more handsome than that blond deliveryman, she was not flattered in the least.

Maybe he was angry that she rebuffed his advances? And maybe that's why he wanted to get rid of her.

Annabeth's eyes narrowed as she towel dried her hair and opened the drawer where she hid her paycheck. The amount was so much. It would only take a few months working here with that demon Percy for Annabeth to save enough money to buy back her father's company.

Walking up the stairs and seeing that the door to the bathroom was still closed and steam seeping under the door, Annabeth started cleaning as quickly as possible.

She couldn't let Percy drive her away. She needed to win back her father's company. That is her goal, her ambition, her dream. Over the years, she watched her father's company be run into the ground by the new owners her stepmother sold it to. Annabeth needed to rescue her father's legacy. And nothing was going to stop her from making her dream come true.

Percy Jackson wasn't going to intimidate her into leaving. There was nowhere else for her to go. She could always return to Grover and Juniper, but then there would be no hope of getting her father's publishing company back. Annabeth knew she needed this job even if she had to deal with Percy Jackson.

New hope ignited in Annabeth's heart. If she bought back her father's company, the last three years of her stepfamily's cruelty and her new job of bowing down to Percy's every whim will all be worth it. There was nothing that could deter her spirit.

Annabeth had just finished dusting when Percy walked out of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist and his hair damp and swept to one side. Annabeth stood up but kept her eyes on the floor, evading his vicious glare.

"I trust you've laid out my suit, servant?" He demanded, clutching his towel and walking towards Annabeth until he was directly in front of her, staring her down.

Annabeth looked up into his eyes and they toughened even more when she made eye contact with them. It was so easy to keep her spirits up when Percy wasn't glaring at her.

"Have you gone deaf?" He questioned.

"I've laid out your suit." Annabeth answered, tearing her gaze from his and gesturing towards the bed.

Percy grabbed his clothes and walked back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

Annabeth hugged herself. Percy scared her so much and he hadn't even struck her like her stepfamily used to do. She stared at the bathroom door as she wondered if Percy would ever lay a hand on her. The thought made her legs weak and she had to lean on one of the chairs for support. But then she remembered the check in her drawer. Only a few more of those and she could resign her post and be on her way.

Once she remembered her goals, the means to achieve them didn't seem so daunting. But it made her think. She would have to travel back to her hometown in Virginia to repurchase her father's company. And that ran the risk of coming into contact with her stepfamily. Matthew and Bobby's evil smiles appeared in her mind as a haunting image.

Annabeth's heart raced. The confidence and determination she held just a moment ago diminished again. Making her dream a reality was going to be harder than she thought.

Percy left out the door without giving her further instruction. He was dressed in a dark blue tailored suit that Annabeth thought brought out the width of his shoulders and the brilliance of his eyes. But she dismissed her thoughts when he turned a scowl her way and exited out the front door.

Annabeth looked around the lobby after he left. Medusa and the other red-haired maid, Nancy was her name, were nowhere to be found. The other servants were probably busy with their duties. Perhaps she should take advantage of Percy being out of the house to finish cleaning his room. She hated how he watched her clean, just waiting for her to screw up so he could shout at her.

She went to the upstairs supply closet and gathered a broom, dustpan, mop, and bucket and headed to Percy's room. When she got inside, she realized she forgot cleaning solution.

Annabeth didn't know when Percy would be back, but she took her time going back to the supply closet. Poseidon's home was a work of art. She often caught herself staring at the staircases or carvings on the doors, just admiring their beauty.

She wasn't disappointed to find the upstairs supply closet didn't have any solution. Annabeth would have to go back downstairs and that meant more exploring.

She found a library downstairs adjacent to the atrium. The tall walls were lined with thousands of books. A giant fireplace was across the room from the door. Comfortable furniture was littered all over, with a particularly cozy sofa near the fireplace. Annabeth walked along the walls with her hands grazing the spins of books. She wanted to sit down and read one of them, it didn't matter which, but she knew there was work to be done.

As she approached the door to the library she stopped in her tracks. A strange noise was reverberating from behind her. It sounded like… growling. Then a booming bark made her jump and she turned around. If she weren't so intent on living through this, she would have fainted.

A black dog stood a few feet behind her near one of the couches. It was larger than any dog she had ever seen before and it looked angry. She must have woken it from a nap. Slobber dripped from its mouth as it barked at her again and charged.

Annabeth ran out the library. She wanted to close the door behind her and leave the monster inside but it was right on her heels. She could hear its pants and the pads of its feet hit the marble floor. It barked again and Annabeth screamed. She ran faster and faster, up and down the stairs, in and out of different rooms to try to lose the creature but it was too fast and nimble for a dog its size.

She ran up what she thought was her seventh flight of stairs when she nearly crashed into Tyson. He smiled when he saw her but Annabeth grabbed him off the floor and ran with him. He laughed and told her to run faster. The dog barked more and more.

Her legs were getting tired of all the sprinting and stair climbing she felt herself start to slow down. She went into a room that must have been Tyson's nursery. Toys were all over the ground and Annabeth almost slipped from stepping on one that squeaked.

The dog barked and Annabeth heard more squeaks from the toy. She stopped and turned around. The dog had Tyson's poor little toy in its mouth. She thought the beast might eat it but it threw the toy down to look at her and Tyson. Oh, great, she had run right into a corner. Tyson laughed more and tried to escape her grip but Annabeth hid him behind her.

"What are you doing?" Tyson said.

"I'm protecting you!" Annabeth declared when the dog barked again. Then she screamed when the dog ran towards them.

"What's going on in here?"

The dog stopped in its tracks and turned towards the voice. Triton had entered the room.

"Oh, thank the gods you're here, Mr. Triton! Call animal control!" Annabeth was out of breath. "That beast was attacking us!"

"Beast?" Triton looked from Annabeth's petrified face to the dog, which started chasing its tail.

Tyson ran out from behind her and hugged the dog. "This is Mrs. O'Leary!" Mrs. O'Leary barked and when Tyson let her go, she slowly approached Annabeth.

Annabeth pressed herself against the walls as the Mrs. O'Leary came closer. The dog was panting with her tongue out. Just because it didn't attack Tyson didn't mean it wouldn't want to tear Annabeth apart. "Please," Annabeth pleaded, "I didn't mean to wake you. Please don't eat me." She shut her eyes tight and readied herself for the dog's bite but all she heard was loud sniffing and a nose pressing into her stomach before moving down her leg and to her feet.

"It's alright," Triton said. "Hold you hand out."

Annabeth did what he said and lifted her hand towards the dog in hesitant movements. Mrs. O'Leary sniffed her hand a few times before running her tongue over Annabeth's palm and nuzzling her snout into Annabeth's arm. Annabeth's legs gave out and she sunk to the floor as the dog licked her hand more until she started petting Mrs. O'Leary's head. Now the dog's panting started to look like smiling.

"But, I thought…" Annabeth continued petting Mrs. O'Leary but looked towards Triton. She was using the opportunity to catch her breath. "She was chasing me around the house. I thought she wanted to bite me."

Triton smiled when Mrs. O'Leary licked Annabeth's cheek. Annabeth shut her eyes tight to avoid the drool. "She probably thought you were playing."

Mrs. O'Leary wagged her tail and laid down on Annabeth's lap. Her weight was heavy on Annabeth's legs. And although the dog seemed fierce and ready to attack at first, Annabeth couldn't help but smile at her. Back home, she used to care for the sweetest Doberman, before Bobby decided to use Annabeth's beloved pet as target practice. Even with all of Annabeth's pleading, he didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

The memory made Annabeth's eyes water. But she didn't want Tyson or Triton to see her sobbing so she successfully held back all but one tear. It ran down her cheek as if in slow motion. She tried to wipe it away when Percy's brothers were looking away but Mrs. O'Leary licked it off her face.

Annabeth hugged Mrs. O'Leary's head to which the dog cuddled further into Annabeth. She wanted to stay and play with the dog more but then Annabeth remembered what she was doing before this fiasco.

"Up, Mrs. O'Leary." Annabeth commanded and the dog obeyed her. She turned to Triton and Tyson, her cheeks red and hot. "I'm sorry about that. I must get back to work now."

Tyson asked Annabeth to stay and play with him but she promised to read to him later and he let go of her skirt and let her walk away.

Annabeth finally finished sweeping and mopping Percy's room. Mrs. O'Leary tried to get in a few times but Annabeth shooed her away and closed the door. The beast whined and Annabeth almost gave in but the floors were still wet.

She thought of what to do next. There were a total of four doors in Percy's room. The double glass doors furthest from the entrance lead to the balcony. Percy's room was on the third story but it still afforded a gorgeous view of the gardens. If she looked even closer to her left, she could spot the horse stables.

Annabeth reminisced on going horseback riding with her mother and father. They both liked to coast along and enjoy the scenic routes. But Annabeth loved to go as fast as possible, feeling the wind in her hair, the sun on her face, and the adrenaline coursing through her body. She hadn't been on a horse in so long. In the three years she's been in their custody, her stepfamily always chaperoned her when she worked in the horse stables.

The door closest to the entrance was the bathroom. While scrubbing the inside of the tub, Annabeth remembered one of her favorite ways to relax was to soak in a warm tub while reading a book. Come to think of it, she hadn't done something like that in a while, either. She hadn't done anything she enjoyed since her father passed away.

Across from the bed was Percy's closet. It was even larger than the bathroom. One whole wall was just for suits. Annabeth went through and rotated them so they wouldn't gather dust. Then she shined every pair of shoes. The wall opposite the suits was for Percy's more casual clothing and less formal wear. There was a dresser in the corner where Percy kept his undergarments and socks.

The third wall of the closet across from the closet doors housed a large mirror. Annabeth looked at herself. She had never been one to care much about her appearance, but she still liked to look nice. For a servant's uniform, she thought her outfit looked cute and it was certainly functional. Though she lost a lot of weight in the past three years, the uniform was a little tight around her chest and shoulders. She would have to fix that later.

Annabeth imagined what she'd look like in her old clothes. She never thought she'd miss wearing long skirts of fine fabrics or tops with intricate prints. She also hoped to gain the weight she had lost while serving her stepfamily. Most of the weight returned since she left them and started working for Grover and Juniper. Hopefully by the time she leaves Percy, she'll have regained all the weight.

In the mirror, she spotted a clothes hamper hidden in the corner. She needed to stop dwelling on the past. There were chores that needed to be done and she wanted to be out of the room before Percy got back.

After she opened the door and let Mrs. O'Leary in, Annabeth went to drop off the cleaning supplies back in the supply closet. When she got back, Mrs. O'Leary was laying down next the foot of the bed. Annabeth grabbed the hamper from the closet. Before she made it to the exit, she noticed that she forgot the last door on the other side of the room. Percy already had a bathroom and a closet. What could the other room be? A study? Maybe before she did laundry, she should clean up in there.

Annabeth approached the door. She put her hand on the knob and tried to turn but it was locked. If it was locked, Percy didn't want her in there. But what if it was untidy? She tried to open it again by jiggling the knob and pushing her weight into it but it didn't budge. Mrs. O'Leary whined behind her. Annabeth sighed and let go of the door. Maybe she would ask Percy about it later. His face materialized in her mind and she got goose bumps. On second thought, she'll ask no one.

She picked up the hamper again and turned towards the exit only to come face to face with Percy. Annabeth gasped and dropped the hamper, spilling the clothes on the floor.

"What are you doing?" He snarled.

"I-I was," she started to say.

"Stay out of there." He said. "See that dog?" Percy pointed at Mrs. O'Leary and she started to wag her tail. "Go in there and I'll sic that dog on you."

Annabeth nodded and bent down to pick up the clothes while Percy watched her.

Was he serious? Would that adorable dog attack her just because Percy commanded? From the corner of her eye, Annabeth could see Mrs. O'Leary walking toward them. She stopped between Annabeth and Percy and he gave his pet a pat on the head.

"I raised her since she was a puppy. She'll rip you apart if I wanted her to." Percy threatened.

"Mrs. O'Leary?" Annabeth said. She didn't want to believe it. Maybe if Triton or Tyson hadn't been there with her earlier, Mrs. O'Leary would have bitten Annabeth.

But when Mrs. O'Leary heard Annabeth say her name she started wagging her tail faster and licked her chin. When Annabeth didn't react and only stood up, Mrs. O'Leary started whining, putting her head under Annabeth's hand.

Percy looked at his dog incredulously. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth was open. There was also a tinge of pink in his cheeks and on the top of his ears.

Annabeth wanted to laugh but settled on scratching Mrs. O'Leary's ear. This sweetheart dog wouldn't attack her and from the look on his face, Percy knew it, too. He was just trying to scare her. She headed to the door with the giant dog following her.

"Mrs. O'Leary!" Percy called from behind them. Annabeth looked down and saw that the dog was still following her. "Mrs. O'Leary!" Percy called again and then whistled. This time, Mrs. O'Leary obeyed him and went to stand by her master's side.

Annabeth let a smile cross her face when she was on the stairs. Percy's darling pet had accidentally embarrassed her master. She was about to think that the look on Percy's face was darling, too, before she realized what she was thinking and shifted her thoughts back to her chores.

Thank you for reading!

I'd like to take this time to urge everyone reading to please be patient. This will be a very long story, perhaps 30+ chapters and it's only chapter 4. Percy and Annabeth will both be developed to be as close to the percabeth we love. It will take some time, but it will happen. Please stick with me until then and hopefully longer. :)

Please review.