This is more of a shorter filler chapter. Again, there's a bit of fluff. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for the reviews!

Disclaimer: These characters were born from the mind of Rick Riordan, and yes, they have belly buttons. I think.


Percy

It was weird, knowing that somebody else was in your house when you've been living alone for almost seven years. During college, I lived with two roommates, which is how I met Jason and Beckendorf. But during my masters and afterward, I had always lived alone. And I've never really had anyone sleep over, because, I mean, a 28 year-old man doesn't typically have sleepovers or slumber parties, so… yeah. Knowing Annabeth was in the other room made me weirdly nervous.

On normal Saturdays, I would wake up at eleven, do some work until one, eat blue pancakes, do some more work until five, go to the gym, and if I was lucky, hang out with my friends until late at night. But my weirdly hyper belly woke me up at seven today. Grudgingly, I decided to get my butt up and take a shower.

As the warm water trickled down my skin, I thought of the one thing that I had refused to allow myself to think about. The assassination attempt.

There was something that kept bothering me about it. I mean, yeah, the shooter was on some floor above the lobby, but how did Annabeth end up there? If she was on the elevator, then the elevator would have stopped. It wouldn't have opened up and ejected her twenty feet. If she was on the stairs and was blasted away a hundred feet then that would have made sense, but my office was on the thirteenth floor. Why would she try to go up thirteen sets of stairs?

But damn. Annabeth. I didn't know what to do. No other girl had made me feel this way. Not even Rachel. There was something about her that made me want to jump into a fire. In a good way. Was there such thing as a good way to jump into a fire?

And I really wanted to be friends with her, if not more. But all the stars had aligned to keep us as far apart from each other as we could be.

I mean, yesterday was a perfect example. I really enjoyed her company, and she made me want to hear that laugh again and again. But I couldn't dare put her in the spotlight like I did yesterday. The paparazzi would likely ruin her way of life. And as much as I wanted to spend time with her, I didn't want to put her in the path of those two assassins ever again. I knew I shouldn't risk her life just because of my selfish desires.

I had all the reasons in the world to stay away from her. Everything inside me was warning me to keep her at a distance, lest one of us gets hurt. But some weird, supernatural force kept drawing me towards her.

It was all kinds of messed up.

Speaking of messed up, during the days between the assassination attempt and Annabeth's release, I had visited my mentor Chiron. I asked him about what I should do regarding recent events. He had simply told me to be patient, and the mystery behind it all would unravel. And as much as I admired Chiron, his vagueness frustrated me beyond the highest degree. How was I supposed to just sit and wait?

Shortly after that, the police had questioned me about the shooting. I told them all I knew, including the news about Thorn's threat. The next day, they called, informing me that Thorn had gone into hiding. They claimed they would try their best to find him, as soon as possible.

As if. No doubt they would forget about him in a couple of days and focus on some other job. Who cared about some pampered rich guy when more serious things were happening?

Shaking my head, I turned off the shower and dried myself off. I wrapped my towel around my waist and walked into my room to look for some clothes to wear.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have come in!"

I screamed and leapt in fear so rapidly, it was a miracle I didn't drop my towel. Annabeth was sitting in front of my display wall, likely examining the pictures hanging there. I felt her eyes rake across my half-naked body, which normally I would tease her about, but my heart was thumping too wildly for me to comprehend anything.

I placed my hand over my heart, hoping that would calm me down. "No, it's fine. I just got scared."

Annabeth took a sudden interest in her toes, and I finally got a good look at her. She was sitting in her wheelchair with my shirt and boxers on, and damn. She looked really, really, really good. Like, amazingly good. Even though my shirt was probably 3 sizes too big on her, she pulled it off so well. The shirt was slipping off of her shoulder enticingly. My boxers showed off her long, tan legs, which I could stare at all day. I guarantee you, I almost drooled.

I drew myself from my trance. "What are you looking at?" I asked while grabbing a T-shirt, shorts, and boxers from my closet.

She blushed. "Just your pictures. Is this your mom?"

I slipped my shirt over my head and walked up to the picture she was pointing at. "Yeah. That's my mom, my friend Grover, and yours truly. I think that was on my first day of summer camp?"

Darn, those years had been some of the greatest of my life. I had a lot of fun, and it kind of turned my attitude around about school and my abilities. It was a great confidence booster, and Chiron happened to work there too over the summer. It also gave me a respite from Gabe. But my mom wasn't so lucky. I called every day to make sure he hadn't done anything bad and to try convincing her to leave him. But I always received the same dialogue. That I needed a father figure, and I should try to appreciate his presence.

Annabeth smiled teasingly at me. "Puberty did not treat you well, did it?"

I gulped. There was something so beautiful about her. From the slight curve of her lips to the sterling silver of her eyes and the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. I wanted to know every little detail. I wanted to feel her smooth skin under mine. Most of all, I wanted to taste those soft, flushed lips again.

Desire flushed through my body like water splashing down a pipe.

Screw it. Screw the fact that we couldn't be together. I didn't care. Please, gods, just let me do what I wanted to for once.

I bent down. My face was a couple inches from hers. "You're talking to a 2018 candidate for People's Sexiest Man Alive, Wise Girl."

She blushed lightly but kept up our banter. "Egotistic much?"

I crossed my arms. "Well, I dare you to bring me a picture of you going through puberty and actually looking okay. Then we'll see."

Annabeth smirked. "Easy. Is that all?"

Impulsively, I leaned closer. "If only." And I kept moving my face forward. Slowly, so she could pull away if she wanted, but quick enough to make my intentions clear. But I stopped when our lips were millimeters apart, because I wanted her to close the distance.

My stomach started squirming in its place. I wanted this so badly. I needed this more than you could ever imagine. And maybe it was just lust. Or maybe it was deprivation from any love-related pleasures. But all I knew at that moment was that I really wanted her to kiss me.

I could feel her breath on my lips, and I grew increasingly anxious. Would she come to me? Or would she shove me away and leave, like she did that day at the coffee shop?

The moment our mouths touched, my insides started burning with passion. Gods, she felt so good. Her lips were so soft, and she tasted like strawberries, and I didn't know what I had done to deserve her, to feel this feeling. I just knew that I wanted to stay like this for the rest of my life, kissing her, touching her, and showing her that maybe I could make her happy. That maybe she should be with me. And that if she stayed with me, then I wouldn't let her down.

Annabeth pulled away slightly, making me want more. "We really shouldn't be doing this."

I kissed her again, fiercely but gently, before replying. "I don't care."

She put her hands on my neck, running her fingers through the hair on the back of my head, and I shivered with anticipation. I could feel her smile against my mouth as I wrapped my arm around her waist and leaned in further.

It was over all too soon. Annabeth gave me a slight push and told me to put my pants on. I'm sure she meant it teasingly, but I could see the blush spreading through her cheeks.

Complacently, I slipped into the bathroom to put the rest of my clothes on.

I exited to find Annabeth on the phone with someone. The moment she saw me, her face turned as white as whipped cream. She put down her phone and gave me a shaky grin.

"What happened?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing major. Just a junk call."

I raised an eyebrow. "Was it one of those dumb scams? You looked scared."

She gulped and nodded. "Yeah."

But I could tell there was something wrong. Something she wasn't telling me.

I let it go, because she obviously didn't want to talk about it. "Well, I shall make pancakes. How many do you normally eat?"

Annabeth widened her eyes at me. "No, you aren't making them alone. I…" She faltered when she realized she couldn't reach the stove from her wheelchair. "Never mind."

I smiled at her. "It's ok. You can crack the eggs."

I pushed her to the kitchen and pulled out of the ingredients for my mom's famous blue pancakes. Out of all of the things my mom had taught me to make, this had easily been the recipe I used most often. I had them every weekend and couple times during the week. I may not make them as well as my mom does, but I still love eating them. Actually, I love eating, period.

Annabeth and I put all the ingredients into the bowl and I switched on the mixer, which started vibrating vigorously in my hand. I jokingly pointed it at Annabeth as if I were going to stab her with it, and she laughed.

"Arrr, matey. It be time for you to walk the plank!" I exclaimed.

"Shut up, Percy." she remarked. "Should I turn on the TV?"

"Sure," I replied.

Annabeth wheeled herself to the couch and searched for the remote while I blended the pancake mix. By the time my mix was smooth and creamy, the TV had been turned on to E! News.

"Percy, it's us." Annabeth warned.

I looked up. Sure enough, a picture of Jason, Piper, Annabeth and me was plastered on the screen. Annabeth raised the volume so we could hear what the reporter was saying.

"In other news, could our favorite self-made millionaire be finally moving on from the single life? Yesterday, Perseus Jackson had gone out with a couple of friends, including Jason Grace, heir to Olympus Airlines. However, this outing seemed like less of a friends' night and more of a double date. Jackson was seen holding a certain blonde's hand, and Grace left with the brunette in tow."

I looked at Annabeth with wide eyes. Did that mean they didn't see us leaving together? And they didn't realize that Annabeth came to my home?

The reporter continued. "One of the girls has been identified as Piper McLean, daughter of the famous actor Tristan McLean and the model slash makeup-mogul dubbed Aphrodite. But who is the other beautiful mystery girl? And could there be more going on here than a simple friendship? Has the notoriously single Perseus Jackson found the one at last?"

The show went on to show a clip from an interview from last year, where I had said I would only date if I was seriously attracted to the person in question. I snorted. There may have been some truth to what the reporter was saying, but I honestly found it funny how they made it seem like the world's next big mystery. These guys made a huge deal out of every little thing. I wondered if people actually believed their BS.

Annabeth stared at me like I was crazy. "They put up our pictures, and you laugh?"

I dumped blueberries into the pancake mix and shrugged. "I'm used to it by now, and I'm actually really happy they didn't catch us coming here. Hopefully, they don't get us again, though. I don't want them to attach themselves to you."

Annabeth looked shocked. "But haven't they already?"

I shook my head. "If they don't see us together for long enough, they'll give up on trying to find you. Besides, the fact that they couldn't identify you is good. That means there's a lower chance of them invading your privacy."

She nodded sadly. "I mean, I kind of expected this, but it still feels really weird, you know? I'm… a bit scared."

Smiling, I walked over to her wheelchair and kissed her on the head. "I used to be too. But as invasive as they can seem, they're actually harmless. They can only find out what's on the internet, so as long as you don't have anything groundbreaking there, you've got nothing to lose."

Annabeth visibly relaxed, and I went back to making my pancakes. We sat at the island together to eat and made smiley faces on each other's food with whipped cream. Annabeth complained about how I was going to make her gain 20 pounds, but I ate twice as much as her on a regular basis and gained nothing. She shoved me when I vocalized that, but I didn't really get why.

After breakfast, she called Piper to pick her up. But apparently Piper wanted to talk to me?

"What's your master plan?" she demanded.

"What?"

"How are you getting her out of there without the paps taking away her sanity?"

I laughed. "I'll leave for work soon, and I'm 90% sure they'll all try to follow me. Once they've left and the coast is clear, you can pick her up from the back gate."

"Coolio. By the way, how do I get rid of my freaking picture? It's everywhere! I can't go anywhere without seeing my face plastered on some screen!"

"I only wish I could do something about it. I honestly don't know why they're making such a huge deal out of this. Normally, they care more about Justin Bieber and the Kardashians than me."

"Huh." Piper was unimpressed. "Well, I'm expecting you to bring us home safely. One more pic goes up on there, and I'm kicking you in the balls and sending you straight to the Underworld."

"Point taken."

Piper hung up.

Annabeth asked, "What did she say?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Threatening to kick me in the balls and other assorted insults."

Annabeth cracked a smile and gestured for me to sit on the sofa next to her. I did.

She looked at me hesitantly. "Percy, I have to thank you."

I blinked. "For what?"

"I… I treated you pretty badly at first, and you know that, and within a day we went from hating each other to liking each other, and then you know, I ran away, which, I shouldn't have done, but I also know exactly why I did it and, I guess I'm just trying to say sorry. For all the crap I put you through and more. And even though we both know this probably won't work out, even though we come from completely different worlds, I'm really thankful that you gave me the chance to spend time with you."

"Don't say that. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I got you into this mess, and here I am holding you hostage while I should be getting you out of it. I don't blame you for that day. You shouldn't blame yourself either. And never, ever sell yourself short. You're better than you think you are. Just believe it. Like I do."

Annabeth gaped at me. "Woah. Did the Seaweed Brain just say something sentimental?"

I grinned and leaned forward, so my nose was almost touching hers. "Big word alert."

Annabeth laughed and kissed me on the nose. "There he is."

Within the next couple minutes, I grudgingly left the apartment with a light smile on my face. For obvious reasons, I was beyond giddy.

Once I reached the front gate, hordes of paparazzi attacked me with questions about where I had been last night and what I was doing. I had already done some post-date cleanup by tweeting the link to the E! News article about us and captioning it with a "lol". Hopefully, they would assume that meant they were being absurd. If not, then I just had to offer a statement that said it.

I wordlessly pushed past the crowd and hopped into my car. It took awhile for me to navigate through the cameramen without smashing into them like a GTA driver, but I managed. I could only pray that this would drag them away from my home and let Annabeth leave in peace.

Gods, I had so much work to do. The guest lists and logistics had been finalized for the Triton gala, but I still had to oversee the preparations and stuff up until the end of next month, when it would be taking place. Plus, I still had that report for the EPA to deal with and I needed to create that schedule of all the projects we were undertaking, plus their budgets and involved branches.

As I was navigating through the busy streets, my ringtone echoed through the car. It wasn't a number I recognized, but I picked up anyway. "Hello?"

"Hi, Percy. It's Chris."

Recognition dawned on me. I had given the hospital staff my number and requested that Chris call me once he had fully recovered from surgery. He was probably delivering on that promise.

"Hey. How are you?"

Chris's voice sounded hoarse as he stammered, "I'm fine. Don't, like, don't worry about me. I just wanted to…" He wanted to apologize. I could tell by the tone of his voice. And as much as I wanted to, I couldn't blame him for it. He was just another target in Thorn's messed up game.

"Chris, it's okay. I get it. You were scared." I assured.

"That doesn't make it excusable, Percy. It was a terrible thing to do and I shouldn't have done it."

"Chris. Trust me. It's fine. I'm okay." I calmly stated. "But just tell me, did Thorn or the assassin threaten you? Did they say something that scared you?"

He paused. "Uh…" So in other words, yes. They did.

"You're safe, Chris. They won't hurt you anymore. It's okay if you tell me."

Chris took a couple deep breaths and finally sighed. "Yes. Thorn did. He said she would kill my wife."

"She? Who's she?"

"The assassin. The one that shot us that day. It was a she. I think she had dark hair. Almost black. She didn't show her face, but I caught a glimpse of her hair." A wave of chills descended over me, and I gulped. A she? I didn't expect that. Based on what I knew, women were far less cruel and willing to kill than men were.

I desperately wanted to question him more, but I knew I shouldn't. He was stressed. He was in recovery. I could tell that he wanted nothing more than to drop the topic. That assassin had really rattled him, and I didn't want to make him feel worse. "Thank you, Chris. I hope you feel better."

He murmured a weak "okay" and his voice faded to silence. But before I could hang up, he cried, "Percy, just know that… I owe my life to you now. If there's anything you need me to do for you, please let me know."

"Chris, you don't need to-"

"Please, Percy. Let me do this for you. It'll help ease my conscience, if not make you feel better."

"I…," my voice cracked. "Thank you, Chris. Stay safe."

I hung up. My mind was racing with the new information I had learned. One dark-haired female assassin was on my tail. Maybe that would help me keep an eye out if she were to stalk me. But the other assassin?

And regarding Chris, if I were in his place, I didn't think I would have done things differently. It angered me, how people so screwed up in the head thought it was okay to play with people like Thorn had done to Chris.

Gods. What was going on? My life had taken a weirdly exciting turn ever since that night at the bar, and I couldn't figure out whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. I guess time would tell.

Once I reached the ever-familiar confines of my office, I sprawled myself on the floor and started typing up my report. I was the kind of person who couldn't stay in one place for long. I still felt the effects of my ADHD on a daily basis. However, I had powered through dyslexia years ago with the help of my mom and Paul. I still was a slow-as-heck reader, but I definitely saw improvement from my public school years.

I spent the rest of the day alternating report-typing with jumping jacks, but I couldn't push away the strange feeling that something bad was going to happen, very soon.