Hey guys! Quarantine has got me chilling (sort of) and coming at you with another chapter already. Hope you guys enjoy!

PLEASE REVIEW!

I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Rick does. Nor do I own Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen does.

CHAPTER 2

Mrs. Gardiner had really outdone herself this time. The inside of assembly hall was spritzed up like no one had ever seen before. The large ballroom was glittering, as elegant streamers hung delicately from the ceiling, and the grand chandelier sparkled in the reflection of the spotlights that danced about the room. The wall of the room was lined with chairs for people to sit if they wished, and there was an inner ring of tables, all of which were covered in beautiful arrangements of snacks and drinks. In the center of the ballroom, surrounded by the circle of tables, was a large dancefloor.

The gala was well underway already, and the live band was playing a slow methodical tune, so the dancefloor was already covered with waltzing couples. As Annabeth made her way around the room, she caught sight of a few of her siblings. Mary, the middle sister, was sitting in the far corner of the room, her nose stuck in a book. Lacy and Drew were both dancing with some young businessmen and were flirting heavily as they did so. Annabeth grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing tray, and made her way over to where Piper, and another one of Annabeth's best friends, Rachel Dare, were standing. Rachel was the sort of girl that, if you were a guy seeking to move up in society, you would want to seek her out, and possibly more. Her father owned what seemed like half of New York City, and he was probably one of the few people at this gala, who could compare to the not-yet-arrived guests of honor in wealth.

Rachel was an interesting girl, the thing that stuck out the most when you first saw her was her hair. It was a fiery red color, wild and untamed seemingly, as it fell in big, bushy curls down her back. She had large, friendly green eyes and pale skin, and despite her father's wealth, she did her best to play it off nonchalantly. Rachel loved to paint more than anything, which was one of the reasons she and Annabeth had bonded so quickly. Annabeth, being an architect, appreciated good art as much as anyone, and she loved to draw in her free time as well. The two girls could ramble on all day about their latest artistic endeavors, and probably would have began to do so right there at the gala, but then the room fell silent. Annabeth, Piper, and Rachel turned to see what had caused everyone else to go silent, and that was when they noticed the newest arrivals.

The first and foremost person was a man. He was tall, with short blonde hair, and a nervous, yet steady demeanor. He had a friendly aura about him, but you could also tell he was not to be trifled with. Annabeth, and probably everyone else, knew who the man was immediately. Jason Grace. Behind him stood four more figures, two of which appeared to be young women, one seemingly a few years older, and the other just slightly younger than Mr. Grace. The other two were gentlemen, who, in Annabeth's opinion, could not be more different. The older man seemed to be of similar age to the elder lady, and he looked like he had made a quick stop at the bar on his way here. His hair was disheveled, his top button undone, and he had already downed one glass of champagne, and was reaching for another.

The other man was younger, around the same age as Mr. Grace by the looks of it, though he was something else entirely. Annabeth didn't know how to explain it, other than that he looked as if he could care less about anything around him. The way he carried himself, you knew that he believed himself to be better than anyone else, and that you better think twice about approaching him. His suit was tailored and seamed to perfection, and everything about him was meant to say, 'I've got it all figured out.' Everything, except his hair. His hair was a mess of dark, raven locks that would give Rachel's hair a run for its money in the wild and untamed department. It was messy and tousled and was a very odd trait for the otherwise rigid man.

The group had by now been approached by Demi Gardiner, and the rest of the room returned to its previous engagements. Annabeth turned to Rachel, she figured if anyone would know something about these people, it would be her.

"Who are they?" she asked, gesturing in the general direction of the newest arrivals.

"The man you see in the front, the blonde one, that's Jason Grace obviously."

The three girls were huddled together, their gazes turned towards Mr. Grace and his party, as was most of the room's gazes.

"And the two ladies behind him," Rachel continued her exposition, "are his sisters. Mallory, she's the older, shorter one with the auburn hair, she's married to the elder man behind her. And then the other one is Jennifer." Annabeth beheld the eldest Grace sister, and she couldn't help but think that the girl's demeanor was so very similar to the dark-haired man standing next to her. She was tall and thin, with straight, dark hair that fell to her shoulders, and a very haughty expression on her face.

"And the two gentlemen behind them?" Annabeth inquired of Rachel.

"Well, like I said, the older one is Mallory's husband, Mr. Hurst. He's a big shot political attorney down in D.C., at least, when's he not a sloppy drunk."

As she said this, Mr. Hurst grabbed another glass of champagne. Rachel was about to continue, but at that moment she was interrupted by Aphrodite rushing over and grabbing Annabeth and Piper's arms, pulling them away. Rachel just shrugged and walk off towards the snack tables. Aphrodite pulled the two girls over towards the back of the room, near the wall, but where they could still easily see the Grace party.

"Girls, girls," Aphrodite seemed almost out of breath, "I've just been told the most interesting of news, mainly in regard to the identity of the other gentleman accompanying Mr. Grace." She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"He is Jason Grace's closest friend, and his name is Perseus Jackson. And can I just say my dears that our fortune has taken a mighty turn for the better, because Mr. Jackson is also a man of incredible wealth."

Piper rolled her eyes, "We get it mother, he's another rich guy. We've seen those before, you know?"

"Oh Piper, he is NOT just another rich guy. Do you know who he is, or what he does?"

Both girls shook their heads.

"He is the CEO of Poseidon Enterprises; he inherited the job after his father passed away a few years ago. His wealth makes Mr. Grace look like a freaking pauper!"

"Quiet mother!" Piper tried to cover Aphrodite's mouth with her hand in an attempt to calm the bubbly woman. "We don't need him to hear that. Besides, I highly doubt he's THAT much richer than Mr. Grace."

"Oh, on the contrary my dear girl, Mr. Grace is a millionaire," Aphrodite said the word millionaire slowly, for emphasis. "Mr. Jackson is a billionaire, and he has an estate up near Montauk that is said to be one of the most pristine and beautiful houses in all the northeast."

Annabeth had heard enough. "So, what you're saying is that he is even less likely than Mr. Grace to give a rip about us?"

It was at this moment, that Annabeth ate her words… somewhat. The trio was interrupted by Demeter Gardiner, and Annabeth was extremely shocked, for who should be standing behind her? None other than Jason Grace himself.

"My dear Aphrodite," Mrs. Gardiner said as she embraced her friend, "and my dearest girls. How are you two?"

"Very well."

"Quite well, Mrs. Gardiner."

Both Piper and Annabeth replied at the same time, nether of them quite as flustered as Aphrodite at the moment.

"Oh please, Annabeth, call me Demeter, or Demi even." Annabeth smiled at the friendly informality.

"Now if you three don't mind, Mr. Grace," She turned and gestured to the man behind her, "Has asked me to introduce him to you all."

Annabeth thought her stepmother was going to have an aneurism, as the blonde man stepped forward to shake Aphrodite's hand, a friendly smile ever present on his face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Chase. Mrs. Gardiner has told me a lot about you already."

Aphrodite seemed to recover from her bewilderment and was now donning her most welcoming and charming expression. "The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Grace. I hope you have found your time here so far to be pleasant?"

"Indeed, I have enjoyed myself immensely so far."

"I'm am extremely happy to hear so. I would like to introduce you to my stepdaughter."

Mr. Grace smiled, and turned to face Annabeth as Aphrodite gestured towards her.

"It's very nice to meet you…"

"Annabeth Chase," Annabeth gave him her most welcoming smile as she shook his hand. He returned the gesture, before turning towards the young girl on the opposite side of Aphrodite.

"And this, Mr. Grace, is my daughter Piper."

Jason stared at the young lady standing in front of him, hesitating for second, until Piper reached out her hand in greeting.

"Piper Mclean, it's nice to meet you."

Annabeth smirked as she saw the starstruck look in the eyes of Mr. Grace that so many young men had when they first beheld the brunette beauty. But this look had something else too, though Annabeth could not quite say what.

"I-I… the pleasure is all mine, Miss Mclean."

Jason quickly turned back towards Aphrodite, but he then turned to grab the arm of someone passing by them. Annabeth realized that it was none other than his friend, Mr. Jackson. His prideful aura was even more apparent now that he was up close.

"Percy, come here, I want you to meet someone." Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows at the name by which Mr. Grace called his friend. Short for Perseus, she assumed.

"Ladies, I would like to introduce my friend, Percy…"

"Perseus." Jason's friend interrupted him.

Mr. Grace rolled his eyes but continued on. "Perseus Jackson. This is Mrs. Aphrodite Chase, Miss Annabeth Chase… and Miss Piper Mclean." Jason gestured to each of the women as he introduced them, stumbling over his words as he introduced Piper, causing Annabeth to smirk again.

Mr. Jackson made no effort to greet any of the women individually, as he merely nodded his head in their general direction, before turning and walking off. Mr. Grace watched him go, before turning and giving the girls an apologetic smile, and then walking off after his friend.

"Well," Aphrodite began, "I must say that Mr. Grace is quite a charming fellow, very good looking as well, wouldn't you girls say?" She didn't even give the girls time to answer. "But, his friend, that Mr. Jackson, is not what I was expecting. So cold and unfriendly, I don't see how Mr. Grace can be friends with him!"

"Quiet mother, he'll hear you!" Piper chided.

"And I don't care if he does! That is no way to behave towards anyone! He should be ashamed of himself!"

Aphrodite would have continued on with her rant, had they not been interrupted again by Mr. Grace approaching, who gave no indication that he had heard her tirade, thankfully. He greeted each of them with a pleasant grin, before turning his attention to Piper alone.

"I was wondering, Miss Mclean, if you would like to dance?"

Piper was frozen in shock, but she eventually snapped out of it, as her giggling mother nudged her. Piper smiled at Mr. Grace, and took his hand, letting him lead her towards the dance floor. She looked back behind her shoulder, and gave an excited, yet also a bit panicked smile towards Annabeth, who gave her a knowing smirk and a thumbs up.

Line Break

The evening carried on, and Annabeth was content to sit in one of the chairs that lined the wall of the ballroom. Her stepsister Mary was sitting next to her, still reading her book and not paying any mind to the events going on around her. Annabeth scanned the room, and she rolled her eyes as she saw Lacy and Drew, the two youngest sisters, giggling as they stood with a group of young men. Both of the girls had only just graduated high school, neither opting to go to college, as they saw it far more worth their time to endlessly chase after wealthy bachelors.

Annabeth's eyes then rested on a pair of people currently waltzing on the dancefloor. This was the second time that Jason had asked Piper to dance with him, and Annabeth wasn't sure what to make of it. Mr. Grace obviously had a thing for Piper, but so had many other guys, and usually Piper didn't let them get past one dance. Annabeth wondered what it was about this particular man that had allowed Piper to grant him another song with her. Surely Piper was not blinded by the fact that he was THAT much wealthier than the average man seeking to be noticed by her. Annabeth knew Piper better than that, and she concluded that maybe, Mr. Grace was possibly more than just good looks and money.

As she turned to continue scanning the room, her eyes rested on someone standing not too far off from where she herself was sitting. Her eyes narrowed. Percy Jackson leaned against a pillar jutting from the wall of the room, as he sipped a glass of champagne and stared out at seemingly nothing in particular. Annabeth watched as he was approached by none other than his supposed 'closest friend', who had just finished his dance with Piper. Annabeth was just in close enough proximity to barely hear their conversation, but she made sure to not give that away, as she pretended to stare in the opposite direction.

"Come on Percy," Jason said to the other man, "I will not have you sulking about all night. Go ask someone to dance, or at least talk to someone, make conversation, be friendly."

"I have no wish to do either," Mr. Jackson said matter-of-factly.

"And why not? They are plenty of beautiful girls here tonight. Any of them would be more than willing to get to know you."

"I do not know what women you are referring too, as I find hardly any of them attractive. But I will concede, the girl you have spent most of your time with is very pretty indeed."

"Well, I'm glad you think so too. Because if you don't mind my saying, I think she is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

Annabeth had to fight to keep herself from smiling at Mr. Grace comments regarding her stepsister.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Jason."

At this point, Jason's voice grew quieter, and Annabeth had to strain to hear what he was saying.

"Hey Percy… look over there. That's her stepsister, Annabeth. What about her? Don't you think she's pretty?"

There was silence for a second, and Annabeth could feel a pair of eyes boring through the side of her skull.

"She's alright I suppose, but nothing special. I'm not a big fan of blondes."

"First of all, Percy, I'm offended. Secondly, you're crazy dude. But fine, if you wish to sit here by yourself all night, then by my guest."

Annabeth heard the sounds of the irritated man storming off. It wasn't long before his friend left as well, though she didn't know where he headed off to. She thought back on the conversation she had just heard and rolled her eyes. Luckily, she could care less about the opinion of a one Perseus Jackson, as the guy was a conceited jerk. The fact that he had a vast fortune made Annabeth hate him only more. She couldn't understand how him and Jason could be such close friends, and yet so different.

Line Break

Aphrodite strolled into the house in blissful glee, followed closely Mr. Chase, and all of the girls. Annabeth and Piper had driven over to the house earlier that day, and left their car there, as they had ridden with the rest of the family to the gala.

"Oh, my word, Mr. Chase, Piper was the talk of the gala! The way Mr. Grace looked at her, you could tell he thought very highly of her. You know, he asked her to dance twice before, and then he danced one with Rachel Dare, which vexed me so very much! Oh, but then he danced one with Annabeth, and then… guess what?"

Mr. Chase sighed, "What my dear?"

"He asked Piper to dance yet again! Oh, there may very well be something there, don't think Mr. Chase?"

Line Break

Annabeth sat in the driver's seat, as she and Piper made their way home, both thoroughly exhausted. Annabeth took a second to glance over at her stepsister, who was leaning back against her seat, her head turned to stare out the window.

"So," Annabeth broke the silence, "Jason Grace huh?"

Piper turned her head, and Annabeth could see the faint smile on her lips.

"Yeah, he's something."

"Just how much of a something is he though?"

"What do you mean Annabeth?"

"Oh, come on, Piper, don't play stupid. The guy was crazy for you."

Piper bit her lip, as she stared down at her lap. Annabeth tapped her thumb against the steering as she came to a stop at a light.

"What do you think of him Piper?"

"I… I'm not completely sure yet. I only met him a few hours ago…"

"But?"

"But… in those few hours, he was… amazing."

Annabeth grinned triumphantly at her sister's concession.

"Stop it, Annabeth. I know what you're thinking."

"Me? Thinking?" Annabeth feigned innocence.

Piper rolled her eyes, but she was grinning too now.

"What's he like?" the blonde girl asked.

"Well… he's very polite obviously. And he's very… kind, and he's funny… and I'm worried Annabeth."

"Wait, what? Why Piper? You've never been worried about a guy before."

"Yes, but this is different… he's different, Annabeth. When we were dancing, he actually asked me about my interests, and he listened, and he cared. He asked me about my job and my family, and I was almost scared to tell him, but I did anyways, and he doesn't seem to care about the fact that I'm nothing but a writer for a fashion magazine, or that my family's wealth is nothing compared to his."

Piper was talking extremely fast at this point.

"Annabeth, I'm not saying I'm in love with him, but I think…"

"You like him?" Annabeth asked with eyebrows raised.

"I-I do, Annabeth. I think I really do. He is the sweetest, most gentle, most kind man I have ever met. And I don't know where this is going, because while he may have acted like he doesn't care about my status, the truth is that I am way beneath him, and so this may all be nothing. He may decide to never talk to me again for all I know."

At that very moment, Piper's phone dinged, and her screen lit up.

"Or…"

Piper stared at her phone, and her face went red, as her lips curved up ever so slightly, just enough for Annabeth to notice.

"Piper… OR what? What did you do?"

Piper turned to stare at her sister, her cheeks rosy and dimpled from grinning.

"Oh, um… it's a text from Jason."

"Wait… Jason?!" Annabeth asked, more surprised by the use of his first name than the fact that Piper had just received a text from said man.

"Yeah… he may have asked for my number."

Well there's chapter 2. Hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm going to try to have chapter 3 up as soon as I can.