Chapter Eight: Mercy on Me

Disclaimer: I do not own Rick Riordan's
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
and the Heroes of Olympus Series, and I do not
own the songs I put into this book either.
I only own my fan made characters and of course
the plot line.

Added Songs – In Order of Appearance
Mercy – Shawn Mendes
In My Blood – Shawn Mendes

~Author's Note~

Well guys, after forever, here I am. Sorry for this but life is pretty hectic at the moment and I am at culinary school now so that's my main focus but I am gonna try update this as often as possible. I also just listened to the two songs above in succession and it just felt right for me so here you go.

As others stood gathered outside the board room, trying their best to not peak around the corner as they heard a very loud and clear argument between Apollo and Annabeth Chase. The air was thick and awkward as Calypso leaned casually against the wall, feeling everyone looking at her when she wasn't looking.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY WANT ME TO WORK WITH HER OF ALL PEOPLE! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!" Annabeth yelled loudly, clearly upset and angry.

"I am not kidding you Annabeth. As your boss I am telling you, you will work with her and you will co-write a song with her." Apollo said firmly as Thalia glanced round the corner and watched as Annabeth laughed and shook her head.

"Don't pull the boss card on me Apollo." She said with a chuckle as she shook her head, "And here I thought maybe I should give this business one more go even though it ruined my life."

"The only one who ruined it was you when you didn't tell him the truth." Apollo bit back without thinking and Annabeth froze and stared at him with the most hurt look in her eyes as Apollo realized what he said and turned into a hurt father. "I am sorry..."

"You aren't sorry... if you didn't believe it you wouldn't have said it." She whispered as she shook her head and stepped away. "Everything bad about this business that my mom warned me about was true and so was everything she said about you. You don't care what happens to my emotional well being. Jason is miserable and lost two of his best friends, Hazel is in the hospital, Thalia gave up her dream of Julliard for me and Luke. Is. Dead because of this business..." She said with a frown as she shook her head, "Call you're lawyers, cause I am done. I am gonna buy out the rest of my contract no matter how fucking high you make it, and I am coming to get my stuff tomorrow." She said as she bumped his shoulder as she walked away from Apollo who called after Annabeth but she didn't stop, not even when Thalia tried to stop her.

Annabeth was on a mission as she walked directly to Calypso who stood up and stared Annabeth down. The silence was eerie, like snakes slithering into the room and suffocating everyone in the room as the two superstars stared each other down. For a moment it felt like they had switched places... like Calypso had taken the identity of Annabeth and Annabeth was becoming the bad ass woman everyone knew she was.

Annabeth smiled as Calypso looked at Annabeth with a soft expression, "I wanted to say I'm sorry about Luke... I never wanted any part of it... you're right about this world being toxic... save yourself before you almost lose who you are like I did for a long time." Calypso whispered as she looked at Annabeth who raised a brow and looked at Calypso like she had multiple heads. "The pink suits you." She whispered.

"And the good girl suits you..." Annabeth mumbled before she bit the inside of her cheek. "I hate what you did to both of them." She said as she looked at Calypso who bowed her head.

"Me too... I hope... I hope one day I can redeem myself in their eyes... and maybe yours one day." She whispered softly as she looked at Annabeth. "I want to make up for the past crimes I have committed. I don't care how long it takes, but I want to fix the wrongs I have done others and rebuild my image and fix people's views on who I am." Calypso said honestly to Annabeth as she looked at Annabeth, "I know it took me a long time but I thought what I was doing was need to get far in this business... I... I realized I was a really entitled little princess all my life with her nose turned out of joint all because of her fucked up family... and now the only person who ever gave a damn about me is sick..." She said as she looked at Annabeth with a sigh as she looked at Zoe. "No-one has to like me... but I hope one day you will believe me when I say I am a brand new version of who I want to be." She said with a smile as she offered her hand out to Annabeth.

Annabeth looked at Calypso with a stoic expression before she reached forward and took Calypso's hand in hers. "You got a lot of hard work to do for me to trust you ever... but I believe you Greaves... I believe you. I only give one second chance... I think I at least owe you a chance to prove yourself to me." Annabeth said as she turned her head and looked at Thalia who could not meet her eye. "He and I talked..." She whispered to Thalia with a sad smile. "If I'm gonna leave... I needed to make it right between him..."

"You can't leave Annabeth... this is your dream. Music was always your dream..." Thalia whispered as she looked at Annabeth, not failing to notice how everyone was staring wide eyed at Annabeth's admission.

Annabeth smiled sadly, "I got a new dream... him... there's a chance he will forgive me... I hope he does and if he does... then I won't subject him to this place... this industry." She said with a soft smile, "And if he doesn't, then I am gonna go home and live with my dad and then start from the beginning... and that doesn't make me a coward... it makes a good human because you all get to live your dreams out that I denied you." She said with a shrug as she smiled as she looked at Apollo who was looking at her with pleading eyes. "If you ever cared about me... you'll set me free." She said as she grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I considered it all... finishing my contractual obligation... doing one more album... doing a song for your son's wedding... but I don't think I can anymore... the pages I wrote of songs today feel like poison..."

Apollo shook his head, "Please Annabeth... I know I messed up. I know I've made mistakes that I can never remedy but please don't leave... don't leave because of my words... I will release you from your contract with no fuss, no lawyers, no fighting... just please... sing one more song... just for my son. He did nothing wrong to deserve your hate." Apollo whispered as he looked at Annabeth who had heavy almost tear filled eyes. "Will begged with me to ask you... because you're the only one who knows what hiding from the one you love is like..." he whispered as he sat down.

"What do you mean Apollo?" Annabeth asked with a confused tone as she looked at the man who seemed to just be a young man trying to find approval from his father.

"He never told Bianca that I was his father... he never told her his surname... for the entire duration of when they were dating through to their first 'I love you' to one another... he lied about his name about who his family was... she found out when I visited him as a surprise visit... she left and he said I needed to leave, and I tried to apologize but he just screamed at me that he hated me, said he wished he wasn't my son..." he whispered as he looked at his hands. "So I left... he didn't speak to me for almost a year... Bianca and him were rough and she had moved out and they were separated... Will blocked any form of communication with me and his mother called saying had change his surname and wanted to have no ties with me..." He whispered in a sad voice.

Annabeth looked at thalia who looked at her with the same look that Annabeth had in her eyes as she looked at Apollo who looks so young and vulnerable in that moment. Annabeth in that moment knew exactly what Apollo was feeling and was pretty sure that Thalia knew exactly what Apollo was going through since she and Annabeth were going through a similar thing.

"It broke my heart... but I wanted to make things right so I found Bianca and I went and I asked for just a few moments of her time..." he whispered as he rubbed his hands together, "I spoke with her, for a really long time and asked her to give Will a second chance cause Will really does love her and he is the best man for her." He said as he ran his hands over his face. "That day was the day I was involved in the car accident. It was right outside her house and she took me to the hospital... when I was coming in and out of consciousness, I could hear them talking, hear my own son crying because he was concerned about me because what if I had died... what would he have done if the last time he ever spoke to me was the day he said he hated me and wished I wasn't his father... what would he have done if I had died believing my son hated me..." He whispered with a thick voice as Annabeth sat down and listened to the man talk and put his heart and soul out in the open.

It made Annabeth think of what could have happened... what thalia would have felt if the last words Thalia said to her were those said that night in the cemetery... What Annabeth would have felt if Thalia died thinking that Annabeth didn't love her or care about her...

"When I woke up he was sleeping on the bed next to me, holding me. He had dry tear stains on his face and he was holding onto me for dear life... I just hugged him and said it was gonna be okay... and it was. Bianca had moved back in with him and they were better than okay, they were happy and my son changed his name back and we were whole... when he proposed to Bianca, the first person he said he wanted to sing their song for their wedding had to be you, because no one can communicate those feelings of strife and heartache and coming back from it like you can." He whispered as he looked up at Annabeth. "I ask for nothing else... just write my son the last song you will write and then you are free..." He whispered as he looked at Annabeth with heavy eyes. "That's all I ask." He whispered to her.

Annabeth sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair as she sighed. "I will think about it... I just need time." She whispered to him as she went and sat next to him and put her hand over his. "When is the wedding?" She asked him, realizing she didn't know the exact date.

"I know its not a lot of time but its November the 24th. I hope you do it, but not for me... for Will." He said as he stood up as he headed back to his office as he wiped his eyes and entered his office, leaving Annabeth sitting on the chair watching him as she sighed and looked at everyone look at her.

"Look guys... with everything that has happened... I am conflicted and torn but I just... I need to leave... I honestly don't know if I will come back to this industry... but for as long as I can remember, I lost out on stuff in life because I had to protect my image and in the end, people I loved got caught in the cross fire, killed and lives ruined... I don't expect anyone to like my choices but I need to do this for me... before this industry ruins everything I am." She whispered as she looked at them all. "You can all hate me but this place has been a true dream but it has so many downs... and because of me people's dreams were put on the backburner for mine and lives got ruined... Frank, Hazel, Leo, Jason, Luke... Thalia... your lives were ruined cause of me and knowing that... I can't stay. It may seem cowardly but you deserve the chance to chance your dreams." She whispered as she looked at everyone.

"Annabeth... I know I have redeeming in your eyes to do but I know why you are doing it... I think it's brave... taking a risk on leaving your dream to find yourself again cause once you begin in this industry, you forget who you are without music." She whispered as she looked at Annabeth with a smile. "But if I may, I don't think any one of these people here regret joining you on your journey. Even if some communicated it, don't blame yourself for it... cause I think no matter the outcome, even if shit spiralled insanely, they would all still make the same choice." She said as Annabeth looked up at Thalia.

"Annabeth... I regret a lot but you know me... my emotions can get the best of me and I say shit that bites me back hard in the ass... but I wouldn't change my choice. I'd always follow you here than go to Julliard if I was given the chance to go back and to make that choice again... I'd always choose you." She whispered as she looked at Annabeth. "I know we have had a rough patch this last year... and I've made mistakes but I love you Annabeth... you're my family. I don't want to lose you." She whispered as she looked at Annabeth with honesty in her eyes as thalia came over to Annabeth and knelt down in front of her friend. "No matter what choice you make... I will always be here to support you and love you comfort you." She said as she squeezed Annabeth's hands and looked at her friend with deep emotion filled eyes.

Annabeth sniffled, realizing tears were falling down her face as she let out a weak sob as all the churning emotions filled her, "I'm so tired thals... I'm so tired..." She whimpered out as the sobs started getting louder and immediately Thalia hugged her friend as Annabeth sob and before she knew it, there was more than one person embracing her as her tears fell and she was embraced by the one thing she always knew she had but forgot were always going to be there because of everything that had ensnared her and broken her down...

Family...

She wasn't alone... she never was. She just needed be reminded that she wasn't alone. She knew that these people would always be her family and that no matter when she went in her life, she was going to be okay and that she was always going to have a family.

Percy had been situated in his bedroom for a long time, just laying in bed, thinking about a lot of things that had been on his mind after today, after seeing Annabeth today. He wasn't going to lie and say he was not confused because he was. He was more confused than he had ever realized he had expected to be.

He knew facing her and talking with the woman who had lied to him would clear some pain and it did... but it also left his feelings raw and exposed, especially when she kissed him...

Even though she had a different name, different identity, a different appearance, she was still the same woman that made his heart skip beats whilst racing just at the feeling of a single touch. That was all it took. A single touch and he was hooked in every way humanly possible because he knew... it was her. She still made him feel the same things he'd always felt from the very start when he met her.

He lay there, asking himself what he was going to actually do. Do about his feelings, about their situation... about everything? There was so much to consider now since he had listened and since he had felt everything she made him feel. His heart was clenching and his soul was intensely yearning once more... he was a man lost in the love for a woman he didn't know if he could fully ever forgive for lying to him...

It was late but the truth is he didn't know what he was going to do. Laying here in the dark, the moonlight shining into his room and illumination him as he glanced next to him, to the side she used to sleep... well the side she rolled from to find solace and comfort in his arms as she slept...

The first night... the day he found out the truth... he couldn't sleep because it was the first time in a long time he had slept alone cause they had practically been living together for a while... he still was not used to sleep on his own...

Knock knock knock

The sound of knocking on his door brought him out of his head and made him sit up. Who could be here at this time of night? It was fairly late and many people were most definitely sleeping even if New York doesn't really sleep. He climbed out of his bed and made ran his hand through his hair.

He was gladly going to tell whoever it was that was here to fuck off so it's why he didn't even bother to put a shirt on. He made his way to the door, everything he wanted to say at the ready as he opened the door but froze when he saw who was outside. The last person he saw today was Annabeth... in his car but she was standing outside his door, looking different from the woman he last saw...

She looked nervous, playing with the strap of her shoulder bag as she bit her lip and sighed. "Hi Percy... i... I know I'm the last person you want to see but... but I just needed... I wanted to talk... a bit more to you... I felt that there as things I left unsaid that I need to get off my chest." She whispered to him as she looked at him with wide and expressive eyes that were red which meant she had been crying earlier.

Percy was a bit frozen as the memory of the day he found out the truth and he shook a little. He was terrified now, terrified of the possibility of facing his feelings of conflict that was ensnaring him in his mind. But he still let her in...

"Come in..." he whispered, realizing that thankfully the paparazzi was gone since they stopped trying to stalk him now since they were more focused on Annabeth's sudden appearance at the hospital. He moved out the way and let her in as she took off her beanie and Percy took in the added pink in her hair and the nose ring. "Can I get you anything?" He asked her with a nervous voice as he closed the door and locked it behind her.

She turned round and looked at him and bit her bottom lip, "Um... maybe just some water please..." She said as she put her bag down on the couch as she sat down, biting her bottom lip as she looked around. Percy admittedly was thankful he had cleaned this place up. The last thing he wanted was for her to see how much he had fallen apart...

"here you go." He said as he handed her a bottle of water and sat down next to her, but made sure the bag separated them.

"Thank you." She said as she took the water and opened it and took a sip, wetting her lips and calming her nerves. "I promise I won't bother you for too long... and I thank you for hearing me out and just letting me say this to you even though I don't deserve the right to speak." She said as she looked at Percy with heavy eyes. "These last few days have been... some of the hardest... especially facing you today... because I know I can't undo any of the damage I caused... but I still needed to tell you something." She whispered as she turned and face him.

Percy shifted and looked at her, giving her his attention because now she wondered what he was going to say to her now.

"Today I got told a story by someone who has really been a supporter for a long time... he made me realize that I need to find out who I truly am because... because I haven't been myself in a long time." She whispered as she looked at him with her hands shaking. "His story made me realize that if I were to die tomorrow... I don't want to have any regrets... that if this is the last time I would speak to a person I love or be with a person I love... I wanted to make sure that they know how I really felt." She said as she took a gulp of water and sighed. "Percy... being with you as Anna is something I don't regret... I regret lying to you about who I was but the truth is I was always me when I was with you." She whispered to him as she gulped.

He was listening to her words and realized he too could understand what she was saying... if she died tomorrow... what would he regret... not telling her he loved her, forgiving her... being with her... he would most probably regret it all... the six months of time he could have spent with her if he'd listened to her and given her a chance to explain and maybe had a chance to learn to forgive her...

"I... I know that there will probably never be anything else between us because I hurt you... badly." She whispered as she looked at him, "I just... I needed to tell you that I never expected to fall in love with someone I met in the coffee shop when I was walking around as Anna in my quest for a single day of normalcy... I never expected to form such a strong bond and a deep emotional connection with you... I never expected to find someone who made me feel the way you do... the way you still make me feel and I know I have no right to do this to you but... I need to know if you can think that you can forgive me... so that if something happens to me... then at least I can be at peace knowing there was a chance you wouldn't hate me." She whispered as she looked at him.

Percy was not sure what to do or say. He'd only just started fixing his head... figuring his head out... he had only just started to repair himself but he honestly didn't know what to do or say to her. "I... I don't know Annabeth..." he confessed to her as he looked at her. His eyes were filled with so much vulnerability.

"I know... I just hoped that at least I'd be at peace... that I'd have the strength to forgive myself for ruining the life of a good man that I didn't intend or sought out to hurt." She said as she wipe her tear rolling down her face as she sighed, "I'm sorry for bothering you. I am gonna go because I shouldn't have come. You probably wouldn't even care if I died... cause I'm not the woman you fell in love with." She said as she grabbed her bag and stood up and headed to the door and unlocked it with his key and opened it, but only partly because a hand pushed the door closed and she looked at Percy who had emotions burning in his eyes.

Annabeth turned round, her back pressed against the door as Percy's arms and body framed her as she looked at him as his hands clenched besides her shoulders. "Anna... Annabeth... you got a few things wrong." He said as he leaned his forehead against hers as he took a shaky breath, "I would care if you died... cause you are the woman I fell in love with Annabeth Chase... I fell in love with Anna Olympia... and that is who you are... and it fucking terrifies me." He said with a heavy and shaky breath. "Annabeth... I'm scared..."

"What are you scared of Percy?" She asked with a shaky breath and a gulp as she bit her bottom lip and looked at him with vulnerable and filled with so many churning emotions and a thin gloss of tears.

"Of the fact that even though you lied to me for six months... built this identity that I fell so helplessly in love with..." He whispered in a thick voice as he clenched his hands against the door as he let out a shaky breath, "I am scared of the fact that a large part of me knew Anna wasn't the real you... scared that I love you Annabeth Chase... my feelings aren't for Anna... they are for you and that scares me..." He whispered as he looked at her. "I poured my heart and soul to a person I knew... and its like they just easily moved on... like my heart knew it was falling in love with Annabeth Chase and not Anna Olympia." He said with a wet eyes as he shook.

Annabeth couldn't lie and say she didn't feel anything when he confessed his fears. Her biggest fear was that he wouldn't see her as one person but two and those feelings were just for Anna... but they were for her and she felt like everything was closing in on her. Percy loved her, Annabeth chase and it terrified him. It terrified her too because she didn't know what to do or say as she let out a shaky breath.

"Please have mercy on me, take it easy on my heart, even though you don't mean to hurt me, you keep tearing me apart... would you please have mercy on me..." He said with tear filled eyes and Annabeth's soul was struck to the cord. One of the many things that she had confessed to Percy was when she had a hard time expressing herself, getting stuff off her chest, she sang a song to communicate what she meant... and that's what he had just done and her heart clenched.

"Help me, it's like the walls are caving in, sometimes I feel like giving up, no medicine is strong enough. Someone help me, I'm crawling in my skin, sometimes I feel like giving up but I just can't... it isn't in my blood..." She sung softly as she looked at him with lost eyes, knowing what they were communicating.

If it seemed cliché to be in an almost musical style scene but it just fit the moment... the two of them so lost for words at everything that had transpired. Annabeth had hurt him and she was hurt too...

"It isn't in my blood..." Percy whispered to her, "I need somebody now, I need somebody now, someone to hold me up, I need somebody now..." He looked at her with heavy eyes with churning emotions as he leaned his forehead against hers, his hands finding purchase on her waist as he could feel her heart beating against his as he held his eyes closed, his heart racing as much as hers.

"I can be that somebody... if you give me the chance." She whispered as she reached up and cupped the back of his cheek with her one hand, her other pressed against his heart. "I am so sorry Percy for hurting you. I swear to you, I won't ever do it again... please... please don't make me forget every moment with you... please..." She pleaded. Annabeth didn't want this to be over. She didn't want their love story to disappear into nothingness. They had both suffered and she had paid for the crime she had committed against him... all she wanted was a chance to prove to him that she loved him and never meant to hurt him.

Percy looked so lost and uncertain, like he was drowning but the truth was for one single moment, he just wanted to forget it all... forget his pain, his heartache and the betrayal for just one single night... so instead of answering her, he leaned his head against hers and breathed deeply as he cupped her hands to his face as he looked at her, "I just wanna forget... for one night..." He whispered in a soft mumble as he leaned in and placed his lips on hers.

She let out a light gasp but in an instant, she was kissing him back and their lips were moving against each other in the softest most reverent kiss as their hearts beat against on another.

Annabeth felt her back pressed against the door as her hands ran up and down his chest, his bare chest and his hands worked at the shirt she was wearing it, pulling it up and off. For one night, they both just wanted to be what they once were...

Happy and loved...

And as Percy picked Annabeth up and carried her to his bedroom, he knew that he most definitely was in love with Annabeth because his feelings for Anna were exactly the same but not as strong anymore...

He loved her the way he always had from the moment he met her, and they together, for one night, forgot all the anguish and hurt that had been bestowed upon them because one tried to protect the other.

They didn't care what tomorrow would bring, they existed in the present and the now.

Sooooo yeah, I was torn about this chapter but I like the development it's gonna bring for my future lovely characters. Hope you enjoyed it guys. More to come soon, I promise, just finally getting my life a bit more under control.

Culinary school dudes, no joke. XD hope you liked the chapter. I will see you all soon my lovely fictioneers.

~Michaela~