[A/N: Okay, so I made a mistake. This chapter isn't CASTLE OF GLASS, that's the next one. This one's WHAT I DID FOR LOVE. And that isn't my only mistake. When I posted the titles of the chapters, I wrote26: KNOW THY ENEMY and 27: EVEN THE SUN SETS. I mixed them up. the correct ones are 26: EVEN THE SUN SETS and 27: KNOW THY ENEMY.

readwritereview: Yeah, I noticed that, too, when I was rereading it.

Juzko Disco: I didn't know that would mean that much to you, but thank you. Anyway, to answer your questions, I thought The Mark of Athena was just plain awesome. Partly because we get to be inside Annabeth's head. She had been there from the very beginning but she wasn't given much chance to be viewed fully by the readers. Because of The Mark of Athena, we got the chance to get inside her head. It's also because of this book that I got curious on how Annabeth's mind works when it comes to Percy, that's why I decided to write this story.

After this, I don't know if I'll be writing another one. I'll most likely be working by then, so I'm not sure. But I'll try. Writing is my stress-reliever.

My favorite Percy Jackson books are The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian and The Mark of Athena.

Okay, this might sound weird, but apart from Percabeth, I'm also curious about Percy and Reyna. I don't know. i feel like if given the chance, their pairing would be pretty interesting.

Thank you again! :D

schoolsucksass: Thank you. :D

So, yeah. You know what I'm going to say, please leave a review and while you're at it, tell me WHAT YOUR FAVORITE LINE/S FROM THIS STORY IS/ARE. Just curious. :D

WISE GIRL'S SEAWEED BRAIN
Chapter 21: WHAT I DID FOR LOVE

PERCY

I wanted to surprise Annabeth, but I was the one who got the shock of my life.

I had been miserable for a couple of days, ever since that morning when I woke up on Samantha's bed, without any stitch of clothing on me and my friend hugging me, also wearing nothing.

I felt like time ceased to exist. All I could see was Samantha's naked body pressed tightly against my bare skin. I was so disoriented at first that I wasn't sure what I was seeing. I had no idea how I got there. I remembered talking to Barry and the guys. I could still recall Thalia's phone call. And then after that, Samantha came up offering a drink to me. A drink I accepted and drank.

Oh, gods . . .

There was something in that drink. I was sure of it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have passed out and had been totally aware of what was going on around me. I wouldn't have woken up on my friend's bed, hugging her naked body against mine.

For a while, I stared at Samantha's sleeping form, my brain struggling to form an explanation, other than the one that was inside my head. Why was I naked with a girl on a bed? There was only one sane reason for that, but I didn't want to accept it, because I knew what that would mean.

I was brought back into reality when Samantha squirmed and her lips accidentally brushed the middle of my chest. I bolted up right, ignoring the throbbing pain inside my head, and yelled, "Holy Poseidon!" I figured Dad won't be too psyched having his son call his name after he had sex with a girl.

Nasty Furies, was that what really happened? Did Samantha and I . . .?

No. No, it couldn't be. Annabeth. Oh, gods. What would Annabeth say when she found out?

Samantha was thrown at the side of the bed, the blanket covering her body flew away from her and I was given my first view of a fully naked woman. My face burned and I felt like Jake Mason was trying to coax a jar of Greek fire into my throat.

"Perce, I can explain," Samantha said quietly.

I felt like punching something, or someone. How could I have been so weak? I should've resisted! "Sam," I said, my voice shaking and my eyes traveling from one point to another, except for her eyes. "Tell me, did I do something to you last night?"

Samantha bit her lips and looked down. I felt my world crashing down. It's over now. I had just ruined even the littlest chance of having Annabeth back. "No," I whispered. "No. Please tell me nothing happened."

She looked up and there were tears in her eyes. "Perce, I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" I asked, flabbergasted. "I was the one who . . . who corrupted you! Gods, you should be killing me right now."

"I didn't mean to, Perce," she said, sobbing quietly. "Please, don't resent me." She looked up and I saw her face reddening. I wondered why until I remembered that I wasn't wearing anything.

I dove to the side sand retrieved my boxers, which was lying discarded at the foot of Samantha's bed. I quickly put it on and searched for my pants. I put it back on when I saw it and searched for my shirt. For some reason, I couldn't find it. I stood up and tried to face my friend. "I'm so sorry, Sam," I said in a quiet voice. I knew how pathetic my words were. I wanted to say so many things to her but I couldn't. The guilt weighing me down was enough to smash me straight into Tartarus.

"Perce, no," she said, standing up while holding her blanket to cover herself, but her grip must've been loose for it fell to her feet. Instantly, I felt that burning sensation again. There were sinful thoughts running in my mind, thoughts that are considered normal for a teenage guy like me, but sinful, nonetheless.

Samantha blushed and bent down quickly to retrieve the blanket to cover herself up. She tried to approach me when she stood up but I bolted and ran to the door. I know that was very coward of me, but I didn't do it for myself. I was afraid of what I would've done if I stayed. My body was feeling weird. It wasn't something I hadn't felt before. Blame my raging hormones, but what was happening felt like those feelings were magnified to a hundredfold.

I spotted my shirt in the middle of the living room. How in Hades did that get there? I put it back on. Only then did I notice that the skin of chest and torso felt weird and a bit sticky. My face burned to a whole new degree of embarrassment and guilt.

When I looked up, I saw Amber smiling down at me. I knew that one. It's the one she always wears whenever she has found out something about someone and is about to unleash it to the whole school.

"How was your night, Percy?" she asked, smirking.

I heard a pair of feet running down the stairs and I knew it was Samantha. I bid a quick goodbye to Amber before heading to the door and jumping into my car. I saw Samantha trying to catch up with me but I ignored her.

Mom and Paul were home when I arrived. They tried to ask me how the party was but I went straight into my room and locked the door. I heard them knocking on but I blocked the sound out as I crawled under the covers.

I closed my eyes and tried to deal with what I was feeling. The guilt, the shame, the self-loathing . . . it was too much, even for me. My thoughts drifted to Annabeth. She would definitely hate me now. I had practically cheated on her. Did I? She wasn't even my girlfriend when Samantha and I went all the way.

Was that supposed to make it okay? No, of course not. The thing I didn't understand was how I, who was feeling relatively fine one second, ended up having a – on loose terms – one night stand with a girl? A girl who wasn't just a normal girl, but my friend.

Samantha . . . Styx, I used her for my personal gain. I used her to relieve myself of the urges I was feeling.

What kind of person was I?

My phone rang and I picked it up. It displayed Samantha's number. I tossed it back to my bed and ignored its constant ringing. I knew I was acting cowardly but I didn't know what to say to her. I knew I had to face my mistakes like a man, but I didn't think I'd want to deal with it right then.

Finally, my phones stopped, only to ring again after a few seconds. I buried my head under my pillow to block out the sound. Thoughts of what Annabeth would say ran in my mind. No doubt she would be really disgusted with me now. She would never want to be associated with someone like me.

I was too exhausted and I fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes, falling light of afternoon was shining straight into my face. It took me a second to remember what happened last night and I felt my chest tightening. I wanted to stay in my bed for longer but I knew I couldn't. I had to face the consequences of my actions now.

I stood up and went out of my room. I found Paul watching television. I knew Mom was at work so I didn't ask. He looked up when he saw me approaching and gave me a kind smile. "Good noon, Percy," he said. "There's meatloaf in the ref. Just heat it up."

"I'm not hungry," I said. I was in a desperate need for a confidante and I thought Paul was the perfect one. I knew wasn't a judgmental person and would hear me out first. "Paul?" I called. He looked over his shoulder to me.

"Yes, Percy?"

"Am I a horrible person?" I asked.

He knitted his eyebrows and turned the television off. He motioned for me to sit beside him. When I did, he said, "Why would you ask that?"

I shrugged. "Because I feel like I am."

"You're not," Paul said quickly. "I'm not saying it because you're my wife's son but because you are my son, Percy." The way he looked at me made me feel all warm inside. I wasn't used to having a man look after me. I grew up with Mom raising me and the prospect of having a father figure was as strange as seeing Nico di Angelo attending a party. But that moment, I knew I made the right choice of making a room for Paul in my life.

"I know what kind of person you are, but you're definitely not horrible," he continued. "I know your Mom would agree, and Grover, and Tyson, and Samantha, and Annabeth." He smiled at me as he ruffled my hair in a fatherly gesture. "Now what brought this on?"

I debated whether or not I should tell him. There's a good chance that he'd tell Mom then I'd be definitely sent to the Underworld permanently. One look at Paul and I knew I could trust him to keep it a secret until I figured out what I wanted to do.

"I did something awful, Paul," I said in a quiet voice.

Paul leaned closer to me. "And what is it?"

I took a deep breath, and in a barely audible whisper, said, "I slept with Sam."

"You slept with Sam?" he asked, confused. "I can't see anything wrong with sleeping with her."

I was annoyed. "Paul, I didn't mean I just slept with her; I mean that . . . that something happened between us."

Realization dawned on him. "Oh," he said. "I see. Were you wearing protection?"

Another state of panic gripped me. Was I? I couldn't even remember. What if I got her pregnant? What if I knocked Samantha up? My Mom would disown me. Samantha's parents would probably skin me alive. Annabeth would definitely despise me.

"I don't know, Paul," I admitted, burying my face in my palm. "I have no reason to bring any, you know, with me. There's a good chance that I wasn't protected last night."

Paul nodded slowly. I waited for him to get mad at me, to yell at me, but he didn't, which I wasn't sure if I was thankful or annoyed for. "Were you aware of what was happening?"

"No," I said. "I don't even know how I got there, Paul. Right after I drank the punch Sam gave me, everything just kind of blurred together."

"There's something in that punch, then," Paul concluded.

"I kind of thought about that by myself, thank you very much."

"I can't believe she'd spike your drink," said Paul. "Are you and Samantha together when it happened?" I shook my head. "But you're not with Annabeth, are you?"

"No, Paul," I said. I had a pretty good idea where he was leading so I added, "I love Annabeth, Paul, and I'm planning on getting her back. That's what makes this situation awful. I made my choice two days ago. I would do anything so Annabeth and I would get back together. I knew there was still a chance for us but now . . . they're all gone."

"No," said Paul, "they're not, Percy. Not yet." I looked at him, asking. "There's still a chance for you and Annabeth. You just have to tell her in the right way. There will be repercussions and consequences, but if you really love her – which I know you do – you'll face whatever they are and wait for her to forgive you."

"I know, Paul," I said. "I know I have to tell her about what happened. It would kill me if I keep this a secret. But what if she becomes disgusted with me that she'd never want to be with me again?"

"Then you'll have to let her go," Paul said.

"Paul, I made the mistake of letting her go once, I won't do the same thing again."

"Percy, loving doesn't always mean you'll get what you want," he said. "I know this might be confusing for a teenager like you, but you must understand that Annabeth is a girl and this kind of thing is a big deal to her. You can't expect her to be okay when she finds out that you slept with another girl, even when you weren't together when it happened."

"That's why I'm prepared to do whatever it takes for her to forgive me," I said.

"She will," said Paul. "I know how much Annabeth loves you and I know she'll accept you again. You just have to give her time."

I frowned. "You just said a while ago that I'll have to let her go."

Paul chuckled. "Percy, I was merely answering your question; I didn't mean that you'll lose – that was just one of the possible scenarios on how this would turn out." He looked at me and I felt like I was having a conversation with Chiron. "You're a good kid, Percy. You'll know what to do," he said, standing up.

"What, no more advices?" I asked.

Paul grinned at me. "Giving advices to people is probably the most annoying thing. You see, no matter what they hear from others, people always end up doing what they want, or what they think they should." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know you're mature enough to know what you have to do."

I nodded. "I know what I have to do for Annabeth, but what about Sam? I practically used her."

"Apologize to her," said Paul. "That's the only thing you can do, Percy." He smiled down at me. "Now, if you'll excuse me; I have somewhere else to go." With that, he went back to the room he was sharing with my Mom, leaving me alone.

I sat there for a moment, thinking. I knew I'd do whatever it takes to win Annabeth back, but what about my friend? She's just a victim in this situation, as much as Annabeth. A victim of mine. That moment, I knew Kronos couldn't possibly hate me more than I hated myself.

I decided to fix things one by one, starting with the girl I loved. I went back to my room and took a shower. When I went out, I picked my phone. There were twenty missed calls, all from Samantha, and about a hundred text messages.

I sent her a reply, telling her we'd talk tomorrow before going down to my car.

I made my decision and was on my way to Annabeth's apartment when a flower shop caught my eyes. I stopped by and bought a bouquet, complete with a card. After paying for the flowers, I went back to my car and drove.

I knew Annabeth would be home by this hour. She didn't stay full time at Olympus. Usually, she'd go there after school and go home around seven-thirty.

My heart was beating like crazy as I walked to her front porch. I took deep breaths to steady myself and checked that I still had a square of ambrosia with me. You never knew. Annabeth might end up stabbing me with her dagger.

Her front door was ajar and I took a peek. The scene that gritted me burned my eyes like I was using Hydra acid as eye drop. Annabeth was hugging a guy. It took me some time to recognize the face.

Mitchell, son of Aphrodite.

The air around me seemed to have been stripped of oxygen. I couldn't breathe. I felt like a giant was using my chest as a trampoline. I threw the bouquet to the floor and ran outside, slamming the door behind me.

Was Mitchell the real reason why Annabeth broke up with me?

My vision was blurry. I impatiently blinked back the tears. I jumped back into my car just as the door opened, bathing the road with white light. I quickly started the car and stepped on the gas, shooting the car forward in a sudden burst of speed.

The last thing I heard was Annabeth's fading voice calling my name.

ANNABETH

I caught a cab a few seconds after the tail lights of Percy's car disappeared. I didn't even bid Mitchell goodbye as I gave the taxi driver Percy's address.

My heart was beating like crazy all the way. I knew Percy misinterpreted what he saw. He'd probably assuming now Mitchell and I were having an affair. The bouquet of flowers sat on my lap as I tried to calm down my nerves.

Lucky for me, traffic was on my side. There weren't that many vehicles outside, which was weird, given it was Saturday, but I wasn't complaining. I arrived at Percy's apartment after ten minutes. I tossed my payment to the driver and got out, ignoring his comment about my behavior.

I ran to the door and knocked. There was no answer. I knocked again. Once again, no response. I rapped my knuckles against the hard wood until my hand was sore. Each passing second was met with a new set of tears.

I slowly sank down to my knees and cried. He'd hate me now. I hugged my knees to my chest and buried my face on them, crying. I'd done it again. I'd hurt him again. Why was I like this? Why do I always end up causing Percy nothing but pain?

I was wary of time. I had no clue how long I sat there crying my eyes out. Next thing I knew, light was coming from behind me and there Percy was, looking down at me, his face expressionless and cold.

Seeing his face again nearly knocked me off my feet. I wanted to cry again but I knew Percy wouldn't appreciate it.

"Hey," I greeted. "I've been sitting here waiting for you."

Percy smirked. "For what reason, Annabeth? So that you can rub your relationship with Mitchell to my face? No thanks."

"Percy, it's not like that – "

"How stupid do you think I am?" he nearly yelled. I cringed, unused to this side of Percy. "I walked in on you alone in your apartment, hugging. Now if that isn't what I think it is, then please, tell me. Enlighten me."

Tears welled up in my eyes again. I grind my teeth and forced them back. "Aphrodite sent him to talk to me," I said. "We had a conversation earlier. She was trying to make me see how wrong I was for letting you go. I was still convinced that I did the right thing – "

"Of course you were," he said, cutting me off. "The star daughter of Athena who's always right."

That was worst than getting stabbed. Percy's words were hurtful but I knew I deserved them.

"So she sent Mitchell to talk to me," I finished.

"Funny how Mitchell was the one who convinced you when the goddess of love herself couldn't," he said.

I wanted to be angry at him, for being so harsh, but I couldn't. I pushed him away when I broke up with him. I had to do whatever I need to for him to forgive me. "Mitchell went through the same thing as you," I said quietly. I hated myself for the quiver in my voice. "He talked to me about what happened with him and his girlfriend, how she didn't run away when he needed her." I looked up to see his sea green eyes softening. I took strength from that and continued. "Mitchell told me that it was his girlfriend who helped him by staying with him. She loved him and made him realize what he really wanted."

I experimentally took Percy's hand but he pulled it back. That simple gestured made my knees buckled, but I forced myself to be strong. "I ran away, Percy, when you needed me the most. I took off when I should've stayed and I'm not proud of that. I'm actually ashamed and I hate myself for hurting you, for not being there for you." I took his hand again and this time, I didn't let him pull back. I held onto him tightly and pressed my lips into his palm. "Now I'm here, swallowing my pride saying I'm sorry for what I did, and asking for one more chance. I promise not to hurt you again and love you in the right way. One more chance, Percy. Please give me the chance to make things right."

His face remained expressionless and I waited . . . waited and waited. He didn't speak. He just stood there, looking at me. Each passing second brought a new wave of dread in my chest. What if Percy didn't want to be with me anymore? Again, I couldn't breathe at the thought.

"Have I lost you forever, Percy?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I was afraid of the question itself or the answer I might receive.

As an answer, he pulled me to his against his body and crashed his lips to mine, most likely bruising me. But I didn't care. All I knew was that I was beyond happy by that point, knowing that Percy would take me in his arms again.

We broke apart when I felt the need for air. My tears were flowing continuously now but Percy kissed them away. "I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry for hurting you."

Percy placed a finger against my lips. "Shh," he said. "It's okay. I understand why you did it."

"Still, I'm sorry if – "

He didn't give me the chance to finish as he kissed me again. I held him around his neck and kissed him back. Percy lifted me off the ground and I wrapped my legs around his waist. We made our way inside the house, still connected on our lips.

My emotions were running high and I knew they contributed to what I was feeling but I didn't care. If it happened this night, I would never regret it. I jumped off of him when we reach the living room. He gave me a questioning look but I shoved him forcefully on the couch. He fell and gave me look of shock but I jumped on him again, straddling his waits, before lowering my face to his, kissing him again.

His hands snaked around my waits and I started unbuttoning his shirt. Percy shuddered when I ran my hands up and down the bare skin of his chest and stomach. He then tugged on the edge of my top and I let him pull them off of me. He sat up and kissed my bare shoulder, making me feel electricity run through my entire body.

My hands went down on his stomach again and reach the waistband of his jeans. I was about to unbutton them when Percy said, "Stop." I looked up to him in confusion.

"Don't you want to?" I asked, barely containing the disappointment in my voice.

Percy chuckled, but there was sadness in his eyes. I knew it would take time for that to fully disappear, and I made a promise I would be there with him. "I want to," he said. "But I don't think this is the right time. I don't want it to be just make-up sex, Wise Girl."

When he called me that, I almost cried again. Hearing him call me Wise Girl solidified my belief that he had accepted me again. I pushed him down and laid my chin on his chest. Percy looked down at me but he went cross-eyed since we were too close. I laughed at him. "You're right," I said. "I don't want our first time to happen right after we just got back."

Percy smiled sadly and I wanted to ask him what the matter was but he silenced my question with a kiss. "I love you, Wise Girl," he murmured in my ear.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain," I answered.

Percy tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and kissed the top of my head. "Promise me you'll never leave again," he said.

I looked up to him. "I already did."

"I just want to hear it," he insisted.

"I won't leave you. Not now, not ever. I promise," I said, kissing the middle of his chest. He moaned and I smiled.

"I love you," he said again.

I laughed. "And I love you."

Our lips met again. It would've been wonderful except Sally and Paul chose that moment to come barging in the door.

"PERSEUS JACKSON!" Sally yelled.

[Caught in the act! Ha!

Next - Chapter 22: CASTLE OF GLASS (for real now)]