Sorry for the wait! I've been kinda busy lately, plus I've been overseas. On with the story!
Oh, and if it wasn't clear enough, this story is supposed to be OOC
Annabeth felt uncomfortable, like she was in this strange polyamorous agreement with Percy and Ryan, even though this was the whole point of the bachelorette. Dating one by day, the other by night, it was plain weird, even for someone who's had their fair share of weird experiences (she and Percy had the gods to thank for that).
Thalia had left two days after, preceded by many goodbyes and over-the-top crying (c'mon, they did it for the cameras), which was a huge relief to Annabeth, much as she loved Thalia, because she was starting to become a fourth wheel.
Which left them all alone. Again.
The tension between Ryan and Percy was broken, though. They both resigned to the fact that they would have to share, and Annabeth felt kind of crappy about that. She was wasting another month and a half of one of the guys' time, which she voiced in a conversation with Ryan over dinner, but she stupidly voiced it at the wrong time. Ryan, she could see, was on edge about something and was already kind of tense when she questioned him.
"I hate to say this, but what are you going to do if, and I mean if, I choose Percy?"
"The question is, are you going to?" Ryan annoyingly replied.
"Don't turn this into a question I have to answer. What are you going to say?"
"What do you want me to say? That I'll be completely fine with it?"
"So you'll be mad?"
"Of course, Annabeth, don't be stupid!" Ryan said, losing his patience. "I really like you and I will be mad if you pick him, of course I will!"
"So I'm the bad guy, now?" said Annabeth, raising her voice a little, too.
"No, Annabeth, you're never the bad guy. I always am. I'm the douchebag, I'm always wrong, and you're the victim."
"I'm not saying that. I just feel bad-"
"You should have known you would feel bad, stop acting like a middle school girl. I can't pat your head and say any decision is okay. You're just emotionally manipulating people now."
"Oh. Good to know."
Ryan's voice softened a little when he heard the sudden amount of hurt in Annabeth's voice. "Sorry, that was over the line. We just both really like you, and it is kind of annoying when you just expect both of us to be okay with all the choices you make. Percy thinks so, too."
"Why did you snap?"
"Apology accepted?"
"Okay, why'd you snap?"
"I'm on edge."
"What do you have to be on edge about?"
"Someone called Grover telephoned the house today. He asked for you. Someone called Nico also called. They thought I was Percy and said something about half-blood hill. Why haven't I heard about these friends much when we were dating? They seem to be very old."
"Why are you being so suspicious?" Annabeth asked.
"Remember when I dropped you off at that hill? You said it was a strawberry farm of some sort. I remember you saying something about a Nico. I looked at the place on Google Maps. Researched it. Loads of odd things happen around there. Strange weather, and missing people."
"What are you accusing me of?" Annabeth said, trying to be nonchalant, even though a million curse words ran through her head that very instant.
"You know what."
"What, me not telling you the name of the hill?"
"You're a group of criminals, Annabeth, aren't you?"
Annabeth suddenly felt relieved. "Oh my gods, Ryan, no we're not!" It would be a long shot if Ryan guessed the truth about half-bloods, but she was still scared for a second.
"Then how do you explain this?" Ryan pulled out a picture of sixteen year old Annabeth and Percy closing in on a woman with a sword in Percy's hand and a dagger in Annabeth. Obviously a monster, but clouded by the mist.
"How did you get that?"
"I'm determined. Were you about to kill this woman?"
"No, that's just the mi- never mind."
"Are you criminals, Annabeth?" Ryan said, clenching his teeth.
Annabeth's phone chose that moment to ring.
"Monsters at the apartment, come ASAP. Help!" Percy muttered into the phone.
"I'm sorry Ryan, Percy called, it's an emergency, I have to go back to the apartment." Annabeth said, putting her jacket on.
"Wait, I'm coming." Ryan said.
"NO!" Annabeth yelled. "I mean, no. Stay here. I'll be back in half an hour."
"No, I want to come. I want to see if this is shady."
"Ugh, Ryan, just stay!" Annabeth said, exasperatedly, and tried to walk out of the door. Ryan followed her. Annabeth just sighed and began to run the two blocks to the house. The mist would trick Ryan, anyway.
When she got to the house, she broke in through the window, ignoring all of Ryan's questions. Ryan followed suit, much to her annoyance.
She heard a loud thump from the living room and sprinted in that direction.
Percy was surrounded by three empousai, and by the looks of it, there were originally five, two of which he had managed to kill. Not bad.
Ryan screamed. Annabeth didn't know what he saw.
When Annabeth found a sharp kitchens knife and stepped onto the scene, the empousai were no match for them. Percy ducked. Annabeth swung from behind. Five piles of dust remained. They were silent for a few seconds, breathing heavily.
"What," Ryan said, "was that?"
Annabeth and Percy looked at each other, trying to come up with a plan.
"What just happened?" Percy asked Ryan, trying to gauge what he saw.
"I should be asking you that? There were three- three demon ladies. DEMON LADIES!"
"Shit." Percy said.
"Yes, shit. Why didn't the Mist work? I know for a fact that he doesn't see through it." Annabeth said.
"What's the Mist? You're both criminals!"
"We're not criminals!" Percy and Annabeth exclaimed together.
"Then what just happened?"
Percy and Annabeth took turns coming up with bullshit, all of which he saw through.
"Just tell him." Percy said, flopping down onto the couch.
"No!" Annabeth said.
"What other option do we have?"
They sat him down and explained in the driveway, where there were no cameras. It took an hour to do so. Even so, he didn't believe them. However, he admitted that it would take a genius to make all of that up.
"Holy shit. No way."
What have we done? Annabeth thought.
But she wasn't done questioning him.
"Why in the world would you jump to such ridiculous conclusions? Even for someone suspicious, that was a tad too far."
"I just saw something fishy and investigated."
"Bullshit, you wouldn't go to such lengths. How did you find out about all of that?"
"I'm telling the truth!"
Percy, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, piped up. "No, you're not. What are you not telling us?"
Ryan sighed. "I can't say, I'm sorry."
"You're sorry? Annabeth told you the truth about us. You owe her the truth too." Percy asserted. Annabeth shot Percy a grateful look.
He considered this for a few minutes. "You can't tell anyone this, not even Thalia."
"Yes, that's besides the point. We won't tell anyone. Continue."
Ryan exhaled slowly. "I've known about half-bloods for a long time. That was an act."
Annabeth jumped about five meters away from Ryan. "WHAT? How the hell could that be true?"
"Listen. When I was fifteen, this guy approached me. He explained all that shit you've just explained to me. But he told me half-bloods were evil. Wanted me to join some kind of movement or something against them. I said no, but I've been paranoid ever since. He told me that the gods you fought for were murderous and evil. He said something about Half-Blood Hill, too. When that dude called, it was obvious that you were half-bloods, too. I confirmed to make sure. I made up some crap about you being criminals to see if you would tell me."
"Was that guy's name Luke?" Percy asked thoughtfully.
"Yeah, Luke Castellan." There was a long pause.
"Did you guys know him?" Ryan questioned.
"He was our friend for a brief period before he… well, and I used to like him a lot. Even when he…"Annabeth hesitated.
"Like liked him?"
"Like loved him."
"Even when he went… bad?" Percy asked
"I thought I did, but, well." Annabeth said. And a sudden realization hit her.
She got up abruptly and went back into the house, leaving the guys in the dust. She never seemed to be able to get away from that.
Percy followed her into the house, after she saw him clearly signaling Ryan to stay where he was.
"What's up?"
"Percy, you're Luke. Both of you."
"What do you mean, I'm Luke?"
She sat down onto the bed. "Y'know, when I was fourteen and still kind of in love with Luke even though he was evil, I wasn't in love with him. I was in love with past him. I was in love because I used to be in love with him. I'm doing the same thing to both of you. I used to love you both, and I'm still holding on to that idea of both of you in the past, Percy. I'm scared of being alone."
"No, you're not. With me, at least."
"What makes you say so?"
"I just know, okay? I would leave you right now if I thought you didn't like me for present me. And I'm not the same as Luke, okay?"
"How so?" she asked.
"For a start, Kronos has not taken over my body," Annabeth laughed lightly at that. "And, secondly, Luke didn't love you. I do."
"Why do you love me? I've been a whiny, emotional wreck the past few weeks." Percy began to protest. "Don't try to make me feel better." Annabeth cut him off.
"It's funny how I thought you were so badass and indestructible when we were twelve." Percy laughed.
"That was an act. Plus, back then, I didn't give two shits about you. Now, I kind of might give one shit at least." Annabeth admitted.
"I like this one better. I like knowing the effect I have on you."
"Shut up." Annabeth muttered before she leaned down to kiss him gently.
Percy seemed to be having none of that. He pulled her in sharply, and suddenly Annabeth realized everything she was missing out on. She could have had twelve years of this if she hadn't been so amazingly stupid.
"You have quite an effect on me too, I'll have you know." chuckled Percy, before lowering her down onto the bed.
Annabeth liked this Percy better, too.
They do the thing, if it wasn't clear enough. More Ryan interaction and a little more drama in the next chapter! And less whiny Annabeth! Or maybe more.
PLEASE REVIEW! They're the things that keep me motivated and keep chapters coming faster! Any criticism, anything! It will be VERY well appreciated. Like, amazingly appreciated! So, yeah, REVIEW!
