I think I might be on a roll. This is my third chapter in a week, I think.

Annabeth called off the next day's episode, much to the host's disappointment. She sat in her hotel room for hours, staring at the ceiling, looking at the lights until there were black spots in her vision.

There weren't just black spots in her vision, though. She wanted to forgive her dad, despite him thinking otherwise. He thought she was a stubborn impulsive brat, probably, without realizing he was guiltier of those descriptions than she was. Athena probably wouldn't have given him the time of day if he wasn't stubborn to the point of being a fatal flaw.

It was well and good to shun her dad on national television, but she'd been irrational. All he wanted was for her to have a luxurious future, doesn't every dad?

Well, at least she'd convinced herself she was being irrational. She'd spent way too much time in the same house as Frederick Chase, and it had become second nature to blame herself instead of focus on whom else was to blame. Her father had managed to turn her fatal flaw, hubris, on its head and turn her into a self-deprecating, frail human being, the ghost of what she used to be.

Annabeth sat up, straight as a stick in her bed after she had cleared her thoughts. That was finally when she decided that this situation wasn't her fault.

She dragged herself to a meeting with Tyler afterwards.

"No one would be interested if we brought on a crew of fifteen new guys onto the show." Tyler sighed.

"Do you want to keep the eight guys on the show?"

"No. Never in a million years." Annabeth asserted.

"Then, what do you suggest we do?"

"I… don't honestly know."

"What do we do if you don't know?" Tyler interjected, throwing his arms up in the air. "Keep two guys on the show? Have this be the shortest season ever on the Bachelorette? Annabeth, the producers, and me, as a matter of fact, won't be happyif you have only two guys on the show. The season would be done in under six episodes! We'd make half the amount of money, leading into the show being cancelled and-"

"Okay, okay, I get the picture." Annabeth interrupted. "But I can't think of what else to do! I mean, I'm really exhausted, I've just found out my dad went against everything I have ever told him not to do and I miss my job." Annabeth's voice cracked on the word 'job' and she realized she was crying.

"I miss California, I miss my friends, and to top it all off, my ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend are on the show right now!" Annabeth shrieked, before bursting into tears.

Tyler's look softened. "Annabeth, I'm really sorry."

"Oh God, I'm being a drama queen." Annabeth said, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry you had to listen to that, I'll go out and get myself back together."

Tyler stopped dead in his tracks, like he was just processing everything Annabeth just said. "Wait, did you say that your ex-best friend and your ex-boyfriend are on the show?"

"Yeah. Two of the guys" Annabeth said miserably.

"Which two?" Tyler inquired.

"Take a guess."

"The two that your father didn't put on the show."

"Well done."

Tyler looked at her, a huge smile spreading across his face. "Annabeth, this is brilliant."

"It is?" Annabeth said, raising her eyebrows. "Oh, right. New angle for the T.V show." she realized.

"We'll have promos out by tomorrow! Why didn't you tell me this before? Kick all the other guys off the show, for all I care! We can stretch this out like nobody's business! We'll have a season's worth of episodes."

Annabeth sighed. "All due respect, Tyler, I need a break. I realize I'm being whiny, but I kind of need some time to myself after everything that's happened. I want to go back to California."

Tyler sat down, in thought. "You can go back to California for the rest of the eight weeks, but come back here for the last two." He started slowly. "As long as you take the two guys with you."

"What, make them live with me for eight weeks? My apartment is too small for that! Anways, I'm not going to, even if my apartment could accommodate them."

"We can arrange for accommodation for all three of you in Cali, Annabeth." Tyler said, with a sweep of his hand. "If we pull this off, this will be the most watched season in Bachelorette history. "And as for you not agreeing, you have no other option. You signed the contract, remember?"

Oh, crap. She had. "Fair enough." She said, after a moment's silence.

Percy was at the airport seeing off eight of the guys when Tyler swung by and informed them that they would no longer be on the show.

"Sucks for them. They just wasted a week of their lives." Percy said to Ryan, waving to the guys.

Ryan stared at him for a moment, then replied. "Made good money from Mr. Chase, though. Still can't believe that happened, though. That was a sick joke."

"You're used to making sick jokes, though, aren't you, Ryan?" Percy said, then immediately regretted it. "Sorry." He said, hanging his head. "I guess I'm still bitter."

"Takes a man to admit that, though." Ryan said, thoughtfully. "And I'm not the same person anymore, trust me."

"I'm trying, trust me."

After walking to the car in mostly silence, Ryan piped up. "You know that Annabeth was in love with you when you when she was dating me, right?

Percy almost had a heart-attack and fell over. There were so many days where he dreamed of hearing that, but today was the one day he really didn't suspect it.

Percy half-snorted, half-laughed. "Yeah, right. That's why she broke my heart."

"I'm serious. Guess who made her date me? I found out after we broke up."

"The bastard. Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? I had the money. When I got banned because of drugs, he lost complete interest in me."

Percy and Ryan noticed that the car wasn't going to their hotel, but to the Bachelorette house, where they shot the episodes.

"Oh God, are we going to see Annabeth?" Ryan wondered out loud.

Sure enough, they were.

"Hi, guys, I'm sorry for everything that happened." Annabeth said. It was the first time in a decade that Percy had seen her wear tracks and a tank top, with her hair up.

"Nah, it's ok. It messed with all of us. Your dad has interfered in all of our lives." Ryan said.

"Yeah," Annabeth said, eyebrow furrowed. "About that, Percy-"

"Yeah, I know what your dad did. No explanation required."

"Oh, okay. Anyway, Ryan wants you both to come and live with me in California. The camera's won't be on for most of the time."

"Most of the time? What, are we still doing the show?"

"Uh, yeah. I understand if both of you want nothing to do with me, but, unfortunately, that's what Tyler wants."

"Fortunately, that's not the case." Percy said quietly.

Annabeth just stared.

Percy was packing all his stuff up in his suitcase to go to San Francisco when he heard a knock on his door. Thinking it was Ryan, he opened the door quickly.

"Hey, I was just- what are you doing here."

"Look, I didn't want to come here and bother you," said Frederick Chase, shamefacedly, "but I heard you were continuing the show and I wanted to ask."

"If I could win Annabeth over because now I have more money? You don't learn, do you?" said Percy, disgusted.

"You didn't let me finish! You don't understand, I belong to certain circles, and my reputations going to be ruined if Annabeth marries that-"

"Firstly, your reputation was already ruined yesterday, they filmed everything. Secondly, you don't belong to those circles, they have class and you don't. Thirdly, you made Annabeth date that when he was on the rise."

"You know?"

"Yes, I do. I can't believe I used to think you were smart." Said Percy, shaking his head and slamming the door.

Percy tried to push that conversation to the back of his head while on the plane. He was wedged in the middle of two sleeping men. The three of them couldn't get seats together because of how last minute everything was.

He finally had some time to himself and his thoughts. He hadn't let himself think about his night with Annabeth until that point. The conversation flowed so naturally and he couldn't help but think- no, he knew , that Annabeth couldn't have a connection as strong with Ryan.

Oh, shit. He was falling in love with Annabeth, again. But, this, time, he had a fifty percent chance of getting the girl. Sure, the odds weren't stacked up in his favor, but they weren't stacked up against him, either.

Okay, now review. Please.

All constructive criticism welcome and encouraged. Plus, reviewers make me feel like people are actually reading this.

So, REVIEW.

THAT'S AND ORDER.

No, I'm kidding, I would never do that to you. It's a suggestion.

No, it's an order.

Joking! Not.