[A/N] I don't own Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan does. Please review and thanks for your support! This is my longest chapter yet so hope you fuys enjoy it! I'm aiming for 140 now! Hope to update soon! -nickytheaweshum

Chapter 10

When they finally reached the village, the sun was about to set. The sky was set ablaze as red, pink and orange mixed together to form a breathtaking mural that truly belonged in romantic stories. Clouds in the sky were mostly pink, making them look like candy floss.

In the outskirts of the village, Percy paused with Mrs O' Leary calmly panting at his side. He craned his neck to look at the girl riding on his back. She had fallen asleep a few miles back and was half lying on Percy's neck, but thankfully she was not touching him with her bare skin. Her flowing golden hair fell across her face, shielding it like a curtain to prevent unwanted onlookers.

Percy smiled lovingly at the sleeping princess and even Mrs O' Leary could sense the overflowing affection he had for the girl.

Back at the clearing, she also could tell how worried Annabeth was about Percy when Mrs O' Leary attacked him. The look she gave was not the usual "Oh my god! Are you ok?" friend type of look.

It was more the "You had better stay alive because I could never live without you" sort of thing. If they could not even muster up the courage to admit their feelings for each other, they were really oblivious. Even a dog, although above average intelligence, could tell the chemistry between them was incredible.

As she watched her owner continue to stare lovingly at the girl, she inwardly groaned. At this rate, they would be there until the gods died! In other words, a very, very long time.

Taking the initiative to get Percy out of his stupor, Mrs O' Leary gave a sharp bark, but the serpent did not even blink. Putting a paw to her forehead, Mrs O' Leary groaned once again. What was she going to do with him? Sometimes it felt like she was the responsible owner and he was the pet to stubborn for his own good.

Finally, Mrs O' Leary smacked her paw over Percy's face, blocking Annabeth from his sight. As happy as she was to see her owner so in love, there was only so much a dog could take.

Snapping out of his reverie, Percy blinked and shook his head a few times. This particular motion caused Annabeth's bare hand that had been previously swinging in midair to brush against Percy's neck, causing him to, once again, turn into a human.

As Percy turned into a human, he landed face flat on the ground with his limbs sprawled out in random directions and Annabeth sitting on his back. Annabeth's eyes snapped open at the sudden movement.

"Who? What? Whe- Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked confusedly from her perch on Percy.

"Hey Wise Girl! Umm… do you mind getting off of me?" Percy's muffled voice rose up from the ground.

Realising exactly where she was once she turned around and saw something she wished she had never seen, Annabeth squeaked and hastily clambered off. Her face burned red in embarrassment. Percy let out a moan of pain as he sat up with all the effort he could muster.

Annabeth's face turned even redder, if it was even possible as she buried her face in Mrs O' Leary's jet black fur. Looking down and seeing just what thing caused Annabeth to be so embarrassed, Percy let out a strangled noise. He sounded like something had died and its decaying corpse gave off a repulsive smell, causing him to gasp for fresh air.

The prince hastily scrambled to get dressed, his face a shade of red, but it could not even compare to Annabeth's. Mrs O' Leary just snickered.

After he had finished covering up, Percy coughed gently to let Annabeth know that the scene was completely PG-13. To cover up her embarrassment, Annabeth quickly moved on to serious matters.

"Seaweed Brain, are you sure its safe? If you turn back into a serpent in the middle of a crowded place, will it not cause us much trouble?"

"It is not like I have much of a choice, do I, Wise Girl? But the only way to stop me from turning back is to come into contact with a female's bare skin." The serpent said sarcastically.

"Don't you dare use that tone with me, Percy!" Ouch. For her to use his actual name when they were fighting means that she really did mean business.

"This is no time for jokes. My father's guards are probably looking for us right now and we can't just hold hands the whole time we are in public anyway!" A lightbulb went off inside the head full of seaweed.

"Besides I think we should change Mrs O' Leary's name for now as it is too uncom- Percy, why are you looking at me like that?" Percy was smiling goofily at Annabeth and holding out his hand.

"Say that again."

"Umm.. we should change Mrs O' Leary's name to something like Shadow?"

"No, not that. Before that sentence. Although, that is a really good idea considering that people from the palace would know the name because the people of my kingdom come through here a lot and-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, Seaweed Brain. You said palace? You lived in a palace? Are you royalty or something?"

Percy flinched but fortunately for him, Annabeth was too engrossed in her thoughts to see. "I am the son of someone who works at the palace so I went there quite often." Well, at least he did not lie. His father is the King so he works in the palace and Percy goes to visit him every alternate day, choosing to spend his time pranking the servants and guards.

Annabeth looked at him suspiciously, not quite believing him but decided to drop the matter. Percy sighed in relief as Mrs O' Leary changed into her original form and they set off towards the village to find Grover and a place to crash for the night.

The couple were walking shoulder to shoulder. When Annabeth's hand brushed Percy's, he looked down at their hands bumping each other with every step and then at Annabeth who quickly looked away as his eyes met hers.

Percy smiled that adorable smile of his and quickly but carefully grabbed her hand. It looked so perfect and fragile that it would break even upon the touch of a feather, just like the rest of her. But Percy knew better than to underestimate Annabeth.

Wincing upon all the bruises he had received from her in the previous year, Percy cringed. Feeling his grip tighten on her hand, Annabeth looked as his face. Assuming he was emotionally hurt from thinking she did not want to hold his hand, she quickly interlaced her fingers with his and squeezed his hand.

Surprised but contented, Percy brought their hands up to his mouth with Annabeth's hand on top and kissed it. Annabeth spluttered, clearly flustered from the unexpected move as she halted mid-step. Chuckling softly, he guided her to the village.

Mrs O' Leary was laughing in silent and uncontrolled mirth as the black Labrador rolled on the floor in fits of laughter. They were a romance slash comedy series all in themselves. They did not even notice as they walked off, too caught up in the moment.

Finally recovering, she shook off the leaves from her body, still panting and wheezing as she happily trotted off after her owner and his unofficial lover.

…

Slamming his mug of juice on the table, Grover looked at the sundial in the café. They should have been here a long time ago! Unless they were stopping to do something dirty. As the thought registered itself in Grover's head, his lips curled into a lewd smile as perverted thoughts filled his head.

That stream of thoughts were quickly put to a stop as someone smacked Grover upside the head, causing Grover to face plant himself into his mug of juice.

Whipping around to confront the offender, Grover snarled, then paused as he was greeted by the sight of his secret girlfriend, Juniper. Yes, even Grover had his secrets that even Percy did not know of. This was only one of the dozens.

They had first met the year before the last, about a year after Grover and Percy were cursed. Every once a month, Grover would go to buy food and stock up the fridge at the local market. He met Juniper there on that fine morning, trying to promote the café. It was love at first sight and things went uphill from there.

With her green hair and flashing brown eyes, she was a true beauty. Even if she had an annoyed scowl on her face with her arms akimbo. Grover gulped nervously. He was in for it.

Juniper Green was one of the town's prettiest inhabitants. Alas, to make up for her good looks, she was abandoned at the age of five on the doorstep of the owner of the pub.

Fortunately, the owner was a kind lady by the name of Hestia who had recently lost her own child and was sinking deeper and deeper into depression. To help heal the hole in her heart, she took Juniper into her care and welcomed her with open arms, treating her like her own child.

With her humble beginnings and the attitude of a hard worker that Hestia had driven into her in her early days, Juniper never let her fame get to her head. Unlike some people *cough* Max Porter *cough*. However, she had quite a temper which was the main reason suitors restrained themselves from flirting with her. Oh, and the fact that she got her temper from the otherwise serene Hestia. Except ten times better than the original.

Luckily, it rarely acted up. This was one of those rare times.

"Grover Underwood! Wipe that disturbing smirk off of your face! You were thinking about something disgusting weren't you?" Adding in a hurt voice, she murmured, "And it's about a girl other than me, isn't it?"

Realisation dawned on Grover as he stood up to hug the jealous girl from behind in an attempt to comfort her. Took him long enough.

"Juni… I never think about any other girls than you! I was just thinking about Annabeth an-"

"So it is another girl! You cheate-"

"Let me finish! I was thinking about the fact that Percy and Annabeth were late meeting me here. They are walking in the woods all alone. In a secluded area. With no one else around. A teenage guy and girl alone together. Get my point?"

Grover's point got across and Juniper smirked. She was the only person in the world either than Percy and maybe Annabeth that Grover trusted his life with and he told her everything, even about Percy and the curse.

Turning around in Grover's arms to face him, she said, "Guess that serpent finally got himself a girlfriend. That means I can have you more to myself…"

She pulled Grover down for a kiss and he eagerly obliged. He could meet Percy and Annabeth later.

Right now, he had a little… business to take care of.

END OF CHAPTER