Author's Note:
Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate it! Thanks to Ella Enchanted for submitting an OC to be Luke's love interest! And others who submitted their own for the bonus Thalico chapter titled "The Wedding"

Disclaimer: Don't own anything!

Chapter 14 - Sophia Johnson

She woke up shortly after six the next morning and was dressed and out of the house by seven thirty. When she arrived at Luke Castellan's office at nine, she had already been to the produce market and then the flower market to take pictures. She had added another shot to her series on Chinatown for her gallery show. And she had picked up Fred at the vet. While waiting for Luke, she was lost on her thoughts. Seeing Nico again had been a blow. It had revived too many memories. But that was over now. She knew it. She could live with it. Her new life had begun.

"My, don't you look chirper this morning—and beautiful. That's a marvellous coat." Luke said as he appeared at the door. "You're in a hurry."

"After twenty six months, wouldn't you be too?"

"I know, princess, I know." As he removed the hat and crushed it in a waste basket bin just below. "And that will be the last time you'll ever wear that hat."

She heard the clink of the delicate instruments in the little metal pan, and she felt the tape being pulled slowly from her forehead and her hairline. With every millimetre of skin it freed, she felt that much freer, until at last she felt nothing more, and she heard the little stool whoosh softly away from her. "You can open your eyes now, Sophia. And go look in the mirror." She had made that trip a thousand times. At first only to see a tiny glimpse, a hint, a promise, and then bigger pieces of the puzzle. But she had never seen Sophia Johnson's face free of tape, or stitches, or some reminder of what was being done. She had not seen her face completely bare since it had been the face of Annabeth Chase two years before. "Go on. Take a look."

It was crazy. She was almost afraid. But silently, she stood up and walked slowly to the mirror, and then she stood there with a broad smile, and a narrow river of tears gleaming on her face. He stood behind her, at a good distance. He wanted to leave her alone. This was her moment.

"Oh god, Luke, it's beautiful."

He laughed softly. "Not its beautiful, Annabeth. It's you're beautiful. It is you, you know."

She could only nod and then turn to look at him. It wasn't so much that her face had changed without the few strips of tape on her forehead, but that it was over. She was entirely Sophia now. "Oh Luke …" she wiped her tears. "Look, I can even get wet now and I don't melt."

"And you can take the sun, though not excessively. And you can do anything you want to for the rest of your life. What's first on the agenda?"

"Work." She chuckled and sat down on the little swivel stool he had abandoned, and with her legs tucked up under her chin she spun herself around. "And my gallery show tomorrow."

"Oh my! How time flies. Is it tomorrow?"

"Yes, and I feel nervous."

"You're the most beautiful girl in the world and the most talented artist ever. No reason to get nervous."

She smiled at his encouraging words as she scrutinized herself in the mirror.

Her gallery show the following morning did have a great start. Silena was there with Luke together with some friends from medical school. And her eyes widened as she noticed a new girl whom Luke seemed to be pouring too much attention. Her hair was black and mid-back layered, dark brown eyes, light brown skin and an amazing figure. Her hoop earrings match well her personality. Luke's eyes seem to dazzle whenever he looked at her, much to the embarrassment of the girl.

"Hi! Sophia. Meet Moriah Jonelle Blackmon," he said proudly. Sophia smiled as she sensed something between the two.

"Hello Moriah. Glad to meet you." Yes, she was glad Luke had finally set his eyes on other girls. She was not in the least jealous.

They stayed until a huge crowd came and almost filled the gallery. Reporters came and some media people. By afternoon, customers came to flock the show all eager to have a glimpse of her work. And she was on the afternoon flash report of San Francisco television. Kevin Stutler was very ecstatic. And she got the hell of a surprise when Nico called her up in the evening.

"Hello?"

"Miss Johnson?"

"Yes." She didn't readily recognize Nico's voice.

"I don't know whether we've met or not, but I met an artist who looks like you at a store near the airport after Christmas and …" He felt a little uncomfortable and after what seemed like an eternity she said nothing.

So it was Nico. Damn. How had he found her? And why had he bothered to?

"I … was that you?"

She was tempted to say no, but why lie? "I believe it might have been."

"Good. Well, at least we've met. I'm actually calling you because I've just heard about your very successful gallery show today at the Montpelier Gallery on Post Street and I've seen some of your works. I'm enormously impressed Miss Johnson."

Sophia was suddenly curious."I'm glad you liked my work Nico."

"You remember my name!"

Oh my! Why had she mentioned his name again. "I have a memory for those things." She just said.

"How fortunate for you. I have a memory like a sieve. In any case, I'd very much like to get together with you to discuss your work."

"In what sense?" What the hell was there to discuss?

"We're doing a medical center here in San Francisco, Miss Johnson. It's going to be an enormous project, and we'd like to use your work in every building as the central theme of the decor. We're not quite sure how, but we know we want your paintings. We'd like to work it out with you. This could be the assignment of your career." He said it with tremendous pride, and he was obviously waiting for a gasp at the other end of the line, a shriek of enthusiasm, anything but what he heard.

"I see. And what firm are you representing?" She waited, holding her breath, but she already knew the answer before he said the words.

"Jackson Group of Companies."

"Well, no thanks Nico, it's just not my speed."

"Why not?" He sounded stunned. "I don't understand."

"I don't want to get into it with you, but I'm not interested."

"Can we get together and discuss this?"

"No."

"But I've already spoken to Kevin Stutler, the gallery owner… I—"

"The answer is no. Thank you for your call." And then, very quietly, she placed the receiver back into the cradle and walked back to her seat. She wasn't going to do business with them. That was all she needed. She was through with Percy Jackson. He didn't want her as his wife; she didn't want him as her employer. Or anything else.

She needed to remind Kevin not to give to any crackpot her private telephone number. But Nico was no crackpot. He worked for Percy Jackson. It was good Nico did not call her up again that evening. But in the morning, he surprised her again as she got ready to go to work.

"Hi, Miss Johnson. This is Nico again."

"Look. I thought we got this thing settled last night. I'm not interested."

"But you don't even know what you're not interested in. Why not have lunch with my associate and me, we'll talk? It can't hurt, can it?"

Oh yes it can, Nico, oh yes it will hurt. You don't know how the pain of seeing you all people will stab my heart. "I'm sorry, I'm busy." She wasn't giving an inch, and sitting in his hotel room, Nico rolled his eyes at Thalia. She was sitting there holding a folder and she wondered why Nico looked at all pissed at the person on the other end. And he couldn't understand either. What the hell did she have against Jackson Inc? It didn't make sense.

"How about tomorrow?"

"Look, Nico … I won't do it. I'm not interested. And I don't want to discuss it with you, your associate, or anyone else. Is that quite clear?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But I think you're making a huge professional mistake. If you had an agent, he'd tell you just that."

"Well, I don't have an agent. So I don't have to listen to anyone but myself."

"That's your mistake, Miss Johnson. But we'll keep in touch."

"It's nice of you to be interested, but really, don't bother."

"All right, all right. But I'll drop you a card. If you change your mind, call me. Here or in the Philippines. I'll be at the Jackson Hotel for the next three months, and then back at my office in the Philippines. There's still plenty of time to discuss this."

Maybe for you but not for me. It's two years, too late. "I'm afraid I don't agree." And once again, she closed her cell phone. This time she turned it off just in case Nico will call her up again.

It was still freezing cold as Nico huddled in his trench coat, and ran all the way from the subway exit to Jackson Inc.'s office in San Francisco. It was still seven o' clock in the morning and he wanted to come early for work. He had an enormous amount of loads to do. There would be a board meeting with Sally and Paul Blofis together with the whole San Francisco team. Thalia went ahead of him and was now waiting at the office.

There were already a number of people in the lobby of the building and the elevator was almost full as he rode upstairs. Even at that hour, the business world was bustling. He entered his office. He emptied the contents of his brief-case on his desk, and began to sort through the papers and reports. Everything had gone splendidly. With one minor exception. And maybe something could still be done about that. He looked at his watch again after a few moments, grew pensive, and then decided to give it another try. It would be a major coup if he could come into the meeting with that one last piece of good news.

Nico had brought a few samples of Sophia Johnson's work; he had had to buy them at the gallery. But he had been sure they were worth the investment; once Sally and Percy got a look at her style, and saw just how good she was, Sally herself would probably get into the act, and talk the girl into signing. He smiled at the thought that would have sent shivers up Sophia's spine.

He dialed her number and waited. It was an insane thing to do but he wanted to try for the last time.

"Hello?" She sounded groggy when she answered the phone.

"Uh … Miss … Miss Johnson, I'm terribly sorry to do this to you, but this is Nico again. I'm going into a meeting this morning with the head of our firm, and I want more than anything to tell her that you'll work with us on the medical center. I just thought that-—" But he already knew he had done the wrong thing. He could sense it in the silence that overwhelmed him from the other end, and then suddenly she came alive.

"You called to tell me about your meeting with … for Hades sake, what kind of business is this? I told you no, didn't I? I don't want anything from the Jackson Group. What the hell do I have to do? Get an unlisted phone number?" As he listened to her, he closed his eyes, partially in embarrassment, and partially because of something else. The voice. It was strange. He didn't know why, but it sounded familiar. And it didn't sound like Sophia Johnson. It was higher, younger, and different enough to strike a chord of memory that bothered him. Whom did she sound like? "Haven't you gotten the message yet, for Hades sake?"

Her angry words brought him back to the present and the reality that he was indeed speaking to Sophia Johnson, and she was far from pleased with his phone call. "I'm really sorry. I know this was an insane thing to do. I just hoped that—"

"I told you. No. I will not listen to, discuss, consider, ponder, or further speak to you about your medical center. Now leave me alone." And with that she hung up on him again, and he sat there with the dead phone in his hand, smiling sheepishly.

"Okay, guys. I blew it." He said the words to himself, or thought he did. He hadn't seen Percy leaning easily in the doorway of his office.

"And what did you blow?" Percy grinned at his friend amused at seeing him get goose bumps early in the morning. "And what was that phone call about?"

"The one and only hair in my soup today." He ran a hand through his hair in irritation and sat back in his chair. "Absolutely everything went the way we wanted. Your mother is going to be in ecstasy over the reports. With one exception. Granted it's a minor problem, but I wanted everything to be perfect."

"Should I start worrying?"

"No. I'm just pissed. I found an artist. A girl. A marvelous painter. I mean really a huge talent, Perce, not just some kid with a Brownie. She is brilliant. I saw her current show here in San Francisco, and I wanted to sign her for the lobby decor in all the main buildings. You know, the artistic motif we all approved at the last meeting before we left."

"And?"

"And she told me to drop dead. She won't even discuss it." He looked beaten as he said it.

"Why? Too commercial for her?" Percy looked unimpressed.

"I don't even know why. She went into a tailspin from the first time I called her. It just doesn't make any sense."

But Percy was smiling at him with an expression of cynical amusement. "Of course it makes sense, my friend. She's just holding out for big money. She knows who we are, so she figures she'll play hard to get and hit us up for a fat contract. Is she really that good?"

"The best. I brought you some samples of her work. You'll love them."

"Then maybe she'll get what she wants. Show me later. First, there's something I want to ask you." Percy looked momentarily serious. This was a subject he'd been meaning to bring up for weeks.

"Anything wrong?" Nico was quick to pick up on his mood.

"No, in fact I feel like a horse's ass even asking you. It shows how out of touch I've been. But… well… is there already something between you and Thalia?"

Nico threw him a piece of paper. "Stop Percy. You know well that hard lady. Maybe I'll end up with Mary Smith for real if she will not come to her senses one of these days. I shall not wait for her forever."

"What can't you wait forever?" Thalia was standing on the doorway overhearing Nico's last sentence.

"Well, the everlasting flower is not everlasting after all. It had started to wilt."

Percy stepped aside to make way for Thalia as she entered the room, amused at seeing the two with their morning ritual.

Thalia looked at him hard as Nico continued."By the way Perce, can you stand as best man for Mary and I's wedding? Maybe we could set it by June. June's wedding will be perfect don't you think?"

"Ah..err..I think so." Percy said

"Okay done pal. Mary will just contact the wedding coordinator one of these days. I can't wait to tell her the news."

Thalia said nothing as she turned her back and leafed through the reports. Both men are looking at each other amused and watched Thalia dropped one of the folders when she heard the word "wedding coordinator". Then the two laughed out loud. Thalia threw them the box of staple wire.

"Go to Tartarus, you jerks." And she left the room. A bang of laughter was heard.

Everyone was already seated when the meeting in the boardroom started. Percy and Nico were still wearing that amused smile as they sat next to each other while Thalia went at the far end side still wearing a frown. She refused to look at Nico obviously brooding over his so called upcoming wedding. There were twenty two people in all as each brought out reports from their briefcases which laid on the shiny oval oak table.

Sally as chairman was sitting at the head and beside her, Paul Blofis. Percy noticed how frail Paul looked. He could have been tired from his trip but he looked over fatigued and haggard. Is something wrong with him? He looked sick. Annabelle, Percy's secretary, carried an armful of files and Sally and Percy were engaged in an earnest conversation. Little by little Sally had been turning over the reins over to Percy, and was surprised to find it a relief. Then she looked around at the faces, making sure everyone was there. She smiled as she saw pale faces. She had grown so accustomed to seeing tanned faces in the Philippines and it was a bit of a shock to come to San Francisco and realize how pale everyone was with the change of weather. Sally looked as chic as ever in a simple Dior dress, black wool, and four rows of very large, perfectly matched pearls. She was wearing very little makeup. Even Percy thought she looked unusually tired and was probably working too hard on this project, and ten other projects as well. His mother had her finger in every pie baked by the firm. That was just the way she was. And Percy was following in her footsteps. She admired the total dedication of his work for the past two years. That was how successful empires were kept healthy, infused by the life's blood of those who nurtured them. Sacred guardians. Keepers of the holy grail.

Sally was the first to speak. She reached over for the first folder in front of Annabelle and began questioning the group, department by department, discussing the various problems that had come up in the last meeting, and checking up on their solutions. All went well until she got to Nico, and even there she was immensely pleased with what he and Thalia had to say. They explained their progress with the San Francisco Medical Center, the results of their meetings, all the new developments, and she checked off a list in front of her and looked over at Percy with pleasure. The San Francisco job was taking shape splendidly.

"We only had one problem." Nico said it a little too softly and her eyes were instantly on him again.

"Oh? And what was that?"

"A young artist. We saw her work and liked it very much. We wanted to discuss the possibility of signing her for the lobby art in all the major buildings. But she wouldn't talk to us."

"What does that mean?" Sally did not look pleased.

"Just that. When she found out why I called her, she almost hung up on me." Sally raised an eyebrow in query.

"Did she know whom you represent?" As though that would change everything. Percy concealed a smile, as did Nico. Sally had such overwhelming pride in the firm, she expected everyone to want to do business with them.

"Yes. I'm afraid that didn't sway her. If anything, it seemed to anger her more."

"Anger her?" For the first time all morning there was color in Sally's face, but her expression was grim. Who did she think she was, this young woman who turned up her nose at Jackson Inc.?

"Well, maybe anger is the wrong word. Maybe scared her off would be more appropriate." It wouldn't, but it suited the need of the moment. To pacify Sally. The two bright red spots in her cheeks began to fade, to everyone's relief, especially Nico's.

"Is she worth pursuing?"

"I think so. And we brought some samples of her work to show you. I hope you'll agree."

"How did you get samples of her work if she wouldn't agree to discuss the job with you?"

"We bought them from the gallery. It was an extravagance, but if there's any problem with it, I'd be happy to buy them from the firm myself. She does beautiful work." And with that, Thalia quietly went to a table near the back wall and came back with a good-sized portfolio from which she took three very handsome paintings Sophia had done. One was a park scene, its composition simple; it showed an old man seated on a bench, watching some small children at play and a dog playing under a tree. The painting could have been sentimental, but it wasn't: it was compassionate. The second was a wharf scene, the vitality of its crowds not detracting from the grinning shrimp vendor who dominated the foreground. And finally, a shimmering view of San Francisco at dusk—the city as tourists and residents alike loved to see it. Nico said nothing. He merely propped up the painting and passed it for everyone to see clearly how fine the work was. Even Sally sat in silence for a long time, before finally nodding.

"You're right. She is worth pursuing."

"I'm glad you agree."

"Percy?" She turned to her son, but he seemed lost in thought as he looked at the work. There was something haunting and familiar about the quality of the art, the nature of the subjects. He wasn't sure what it was, but it instantly put him in a pensive mood that he fought to shake off. He wasn't sure why the paintings bothered him as they did and he looked at the signature Sophia Johnson at the lower left corner. It was as if he knew the artist so well and even he had to agree that they were remarkably good work and would enhance any building with the Jackson Group name on it.

"Do you like them as much as I do?" Sally persisted. He looked at his mother with a silent, sober nod. "Yes, she's the best. Nico, how do we get her?" Percy asked.

"I wish I knew."

It was Paul Blofis who spoke. "Money, obviously. What sort of girl is she? Did you meet her at all?"

"Oddly enough, I met her the first time I arrived here in San Francisco. She's a strikingly beautiful girl, in an almost unreal way. She's almost too perfect. All you can do is stare at her. She's poised, pleasant—when she wants to be—and obviously gifted. She looked expensively dressed so I don't suppose she's starving. In fact, the gallery owner said that she has some sort of sponsor. A doctor I think he said a famous plastic surgeon. At any rate, she doesn't need the money. And that's really all I know."

"Then maybe money isn't the answer." Sally said but Paul Blofis was looking at the paintings. Sophia Johnson. Suddenly he looked as pensive as Percy. An artist sponsored by a famous plastic surgeon? He had a mad, unreasonable thought. It would be an outrageous coincidence, but what if … "How old is this girl?"

"Hard to say. She was wearing kind of a big hat the first time I met her; it sort of hid her face. But I'd say she's … I don't know, twenty-four, twenty-five maybe. At the most twenty-six. Why?" He didn't understand that question at all.

"I was just curious." Paul said. " I'll tell you what, Nico. I'm sure you did your best, and it's quite possible that there's no getting to this girl at all, but I'd like to give it a try. Leave me the information, and I'll get in touch with her myself. I have to be in San Francisco anyway, sometime till end of the week. Maybe she'll feel more awkward turning down an old man than a young one."

"You'll get to her?" Percy asked.

"Yes if that would mean signing her up for us."

Nico smiled. He is happy everyone agreed how the artist was worth pursuing.

Sally stood up, expressed her satisfaction with the meeting, and thanked everyone for coming upstairs. While Paul got from Nico all the information he needed about Sophia Johnson. The brass-bordered door to his office closed softly behind Annabelle a moment later, and the rest of them followed slowly toward the elevator, commenting on progress of the job. Everyone seemed pleased, and relieved that Sally had been too. Paul was among the last to leave the conference room, and the rest had already gone downstairs when Annabelle came rushing out of the inner sanctum and signalled for Percy. She looked terribly frightened.

"Mr. Jackson! Mr. Blofis… he's…"

But it was Sally who reacted first, literally running to his office, with a thunderstruck Percy and Nico at her heels. And once there, it was Sally who knew what to do. Where to find the pills, which she rapidly gave him with a small glass of water, supporting him, with Percy's help, from his desk chair to the couch. He was pale grayish-green, and he seemed to be having a great deal of difficulty breathing. For a terrified moment; Percy found himself wondering if he was terribly ill. He quickly searched for his phone and called the company doctor but he waved weakly from the couch, and then spoke in a barely audible whisper.

"No, Percy … don't call …Happens … all… the time." Percy looked instantly at her mother. This was news to him, but it couldn't be to Sally, or she wouldn't have known where to find the pills, what to do. My! How much of the world around him had he grown totally oblivious to in recent months? And he didn't even know what's happening around. He began to wonder just how sick Paul Blofis was. He knew that he saw rather a lot of Dr. Winfield, but he had always assumed that was to make sure he was fit, not because he had any major problems.

While Paul on the other hand, was catching his breath. No, he didn't want to die yet. He needed to see Sophia Johnson if really she was the girl. And if she was, he needed to redeem himself from the sin of the past.