Hello! Thank you all for your amazing reviews. They always lift my spirits up.

I do not own anything from Rick Riordan's Universe

Riley Korsten: (a boy) I am so so glad you're liking the romance of my story because you think is well developed. I feel honored. And, don't be afraid to ask for help if you want to start a fanfiction. We all want our stories to come to life, so try it! And ask for advice if you ever feel lost or unmotivated. We are all here to help each other grow. Just by reviewing you're making me become a better writer :) Thanks again! Keep being awesome.

Enjoy!

Chapter 28

Despite the massive hangover headache, the uncomfortable fancy dress, and that she reeked of alcohol, Annabeth was having one of the most amazing mornings of her life. Instead of the usual cold and clean-smelling bed she woke up in since she had moved to her new place, Annabeth was now embraced by pure heat and the smell of Percy's cologne.

Oh, gods. She had really missed him.

Annabeth wanted nothing more to close her eyes and spend the rest of the day snuggling under Percy's arms, but her hangover had other plans. The headache got to a point where the heat coming from the sleeping Percy was barely suffocating. She needed aspirin and then she could go back to sleep.

Opening her eyes, Annabeth found a sound asleep Percy still wearing his clothes from last night. They had accidentally fallen asleep, but Annabeth didn't exactly remember what they did after they kissed. Nothing too scandalous yet, since they were both dressed.

She tried shuffling away from his arms, but he had a strong grip. She gently rubbed his cheek.

"Percy?" she whispered.

No answer.

"Hey," she slapped him softly until she got an annoyed grumbling. "I need an aspirin."

Percy finally retired his arms mumbling something close to the word 'bathroom', before turning away from her. The snoring began again just a few seconds later. With a small smile, Annabeth finally got up from her bed. She stood too quickly realizing her mistake when the world started spinning and she had to grab the wall to avoid falling.

Carefully, she stumbled into the bathroom and looked for the aspirin bottle she had made Percy buy a long time ago, along with a first aid kit. She got two tablets out before heading into the kitchen and gulping them down with a glass of water. After placing the empty glass on the sink, Annabeth laid against the counters and took a deep breath.

For the first time in a long time, she felt at peace. Her mind was blank, and she just felt the urge of relaxing and letting life take its own course. She wasn't worried about the future and had decided to live the present. Gods, she was even getting philosophical and all.

Piper would freak when she told her…

Annabeth frowned. What were they again?

She shook her head. That was a problem for her future self. Her present self just wanted to go back to Percy's arms and sleep until she got tired of sleeping.

This time, before going back to bed, Annabeth took off her dress and folded it before leaving neatly on top of Percy's desk chair. She was only in her underwear, but she suspected Percy would hardly have a problem with that.

She hurried back under the covers and passed a hand over Percy's sleeping form. It was really good to be back.

The next time she woke up, her headache was still strong, and there was some annoying knocking on the door. She closed her eyes tighter and passed the sheets over her head so she could ignore the banging and go back to sleep.

However, it persisted, and Annabeth felt movement next to her, as Percy got up from the bed and went to open the door. At first, there was silence and then a muffled conversation. She was prepared to ignore it and keep on sleeping, but the voices got a little more audible and Annabeth recognized who Percy was talking to.

Annabeth sat quickly on the bad as the sheets fell to her side. A very confused Calypso was standing on the entrance as Percy tried looked uneasily at her. Calypso's eyes traveled through the room until they landed on Annabeth and then turned sad.

Oh, gods. Annabeth understood what she was seeing. A girl with just her underwear in the bed of the guy who was supposed to take her to the movies the night before,

Godsdammit.

"I was worried," Annabeth heard Calypso's voice saying, and she took the opportunity of getting back into her dress, while Percy explained why he had ditched her.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have understood" Calypso asked, on the verge of tears. Annabeth couldn't see that. She grabbed her heels and purse and quickly made her way towards.

"I'm gonna go now." She announced, her face red from embarrassment. Calypso blinked confusedly before she stepped aside giving her free space to skedaddle away. Before leaving, Percy shot her a look saying Help me.

Annabeth replied with a different look saying, you got into this mess on your own, you fix it. It wasn't her fault that Percy had played with other girls' hearts while they were broken up. And she surely didn't want to be in more drama now that she had cleared most of her own.

So, she gave him a comforting smile instead, along with a slight nod towards Calypso, and finally left the very awkward ambiance their meeting had created.

HeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreakenjoyyou

Annabeth couldn't erase the silly smile from her face. She had worn it all the way through the subway ride to her quick shower and was still present even as she combed in front of the foggy mirror.

What was she so happy about? It was just a kiss, and they didn't even talk about their current status. Were they a couple again? She hoped. Were they ready to give it another chance? Only one way to find out.

Once her hair was dry and she had fresh clean clothes on, her cellphone rang.

"You ditched me." Percy's voice said when she picked up. He sounded a little irritated, but she detected some humor in his voice.

"It seemed like you had it under control. Me being there would have only increased the level of awkwardness. Besides, it was a private conversation you needed to have." She sat on her bed, turning down the volume on the T.V.

"Yeah, I know."

"How did it go?" Annabeth asked, nervous about his answer. He sighed. "That bad?"

"It's never easy to end things with someone."

"I thought you were just friends."

"You know what I mean."

She did but still…

"Are you regretting it?"

"What?"

"Letting Calypso go. She's really a nice girl, terribly kind and wealthy."

He chuckled. "Have I told you how cute you sound when you are jealous?"

"I'm not." She sighed. "Okay, maybe a little. But can you still answer…truthfully?"

A few seconds passed. "No," he answered, and Annabeth felt her whole body relax. "It did hurt but I don't regret it."

"Okay…"

What else could she possibly say about it? Why did it hurt? What did she say about finding Annabeth in his apartment after he ditched her the night before?

"So…" Percy started saying, regaining her attention.

"So…" she tried to keep the butterflies down. Why was she acting like a teenager? "I'm planning to make my famous Panacotta and Bacon sauce tonight. Care to come by?"

She felt him smile. "Sounds good, why should I bring?"

"Oh, you know, just the basic ingredients for Panacotta and Bacon…My fridge is kind of empty right now."

He chuckled. "Just text me the list, and I'll be there as soon as possible."

HeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreakenjoyyou

"Do you know why Jason has been acting so weird lately?" Annabeth asked as she added salt and pepper to the sauce.

Percy shrugged as he eyed the timer on the corner. He was in charge of the pasta, which was currently boiling at a high temperature. "What do you mean by weird?"

She stirred it up a little with her wooden spoon, before setting it down and resting against the counter. "Piper said he's been really over the edge lately, and that he acts weird whenever she asks him about it. I thought maybe you had noticed the same, or he had talked about it with you."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows as he thought. "No, that I remember…Maybe he's just stressed about work."

"Well, whatever it is, he should talk about it with Piper soon, otherwise I don't think they'll last much longer."

He crossed her arms and frowned. "Piper wants to break up?"

"I mean I'm sure she doesn't want to, but she's growing tired of the situation. Can you blame her?"

He shook his head. "I guess not…I'll try talking to Jason."

She nodded. "That'd be great."

"You know, your place is not that bad," Percy said, changing the current song on his portable speaker. He gave her a warm smile. "It has your touch all over it."

"My touch?"

"Good taste. And super clean."

Annabeth laughed. "Thanks, I guess."

"How come you don't like it?"

"It's cold, empty, and boring."

"Just like you?"

"Hey!" she punched him, while he laughed. "I'm not cold or empty. Maybe a little boring."

"I'm just kidding, Wise Girl. And you are definitely not boring. Or do I have to remind you how crazy my life has been since I met you?"

She laughed. "Mine has been a rollercoaster too."

He raised an eyebrow. "More highs than downs, I hope."

"It depends."

"On what?"

She smirked. "On what happens today."

Percy smiled back, just as the timer finally rang.

Dinner was incredible. They chatted easily about their families and friends, avoiding sensitive topics successfully. Percy even had a little bit of wine, but only because Annabeth had bought the sweetest one, she could find, and she had made him feel guilty for tricking her last night.

He only had two sips, but it was enough for her.

"This can't be good for your health," Percy said, as she poured a second glass for herself.

"In the first place, it was your fault that I got drunk yesterday. And, in second place, this is the last one, I promise. I didn't take my meds today, so my liver won't be as exhausted."

"That really doesn't make me feel any better," he said grabbing the dishes and dropping them in the sink. He didn't take her glass, so she kept drinking her last round.

"I think Hestia is gonna take them away though. Or at least, tell me to take less of them." She said, finishing her wine and joining Percy at the sink. She grabbed a towel and started drying the pans he had already washed.

"How do you know?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the sink.

"Well, I haven't seen Luke in months, I'm no longer having panic attacks, and I'm actually feeling happy," she said proudly.

"Isn't that because of the meds?"

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows. "No…I mean, they can't be that magical, can they? They just help, but I am the one who has to improve by myself, right?"

But what if he was right? What if her happiness would rely on chemical substances for the rest of her life? Was she weaker than the others? Had she failed at being a normal human?

"Hey," Percy said shaking the water off his hands and then cupping her face. "Ignore me. I'm clearly not an expert on the topic, and I do believe that you've improved by yourself. Just know that with or without meds, the most important thing is that you feel happy and healthy, okay? Who cares what the others say?"

She smiled, sadly. "Okay."

He pulled her into a warm and comforting hug. Annabeth closed her eyes and inhaled Percy's ocean essence. It was calming but powerful, and it made her feel like everything was really okay.

"You managed to get over your panic attacks without medication," Annabeth told him, her eyes till closed and her head resting on his shoulder.

"I'm not sure I'm the best example of moving on. I did have a lot of avoidable rage issues."

"Yeah, but you turned out okay."

He chuckled. "That's debatable."

She incorporated herself, but their bodies were still close. Percy held her lightly by the waist.

"Well, you are a little bit of a womanizer," she joked.

He narrowed his eyes. "That's more genetics than mental problems. And I would call it being more of a flirt than a womanizer. Besides, I only do it when I'm not committed to someone."

"Aha."

"It's true!"

"Whatever."

"And what are you complaining about?" Percy said with a smirk. "Thanks to my flirting abilities, I have lots of experience. I didn't hear you complaining about them while we were together."

She wrinkled her nose. "You're giving yourself far more credit than you deserve."

"Really?"

He pulled her closer, his grip stronger on her waist and Annabeth flighted the blush creeping into her face. Percy smiled mischievously and whispered into her ear, "Then why do you still blush like a teenager every time I pull you closer to me? One might say you should have to get used to my touch by now."

"In my defense," she whispered as his lips hovered over hers. "I haven't been touched like this in months. I'm even getting turned on just by watching the Property Brothers."

Percy's vibrant laugh sent a shockwave through her body.

"I'll definitely remember that."

"Please don't," she begged. "The last thing I need is…" she took a sharp breath when Percy started leaving butterfly kisses on her neck. She closed her eyes and let her body lean towards him. She wanted nothing more than to lose herself in the moment and kiss him for eternity, but there were more urgent matters at hand.

"Percy?" she asked already out of breath.

"Mmm?"

"We need to talk." The kisses stopped. "For real, this time."

He sighed, the warm breath tickling her neck, and she almost winced when his lips left her personal space. "Yeah. We should."

She took his hand and led him to her bed until they were both seated and looking directly at each other's eyes. She refused to let his hand go, and he seemed comfortable with that.

"You already know how I feel about us," Annabeth started, trying to hide her quick heartbeat. "I want to try it again. And, yesterday I got the hint that you might want that too…but I need you to be more forward now. What do you want, Percy?"

She was sure her palms were sweating, and she was playing with her necklace out of nervousness. But Percy's eyes never left hers as he said, "I want to give us another chance…" Annabeth let out a sigh of relief. "…but I do have some conditions."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Go ahead."

"First, we can't decide for the other," he said with determination. "I make my own decisions when it comes to my personal life. Of course, we can ask for advice, but the other doesn't have the last call," he clenched his jaw. "Except in extreme situations."

She nodded. "Sounds okay."

"Second," he continued, as he pushed a rebel blond curl behind her ear. "We talk everything out. Doesn't matter if it gets messy or complicated or awkward, and however long it takes, we talk until the last word is said. Even if we agree to disagree. Nothing about running away to other countries, okay?"

She laughed softly. "That's reasonable."

"And third…" He paused for a second, making sure he had her full attention. "…our relationship is the priority. I know you love your career Annabeth, and that's one of the things I admire of you. But I can risk having you dumping me again for a job. It's okay if you still want your career to be first, but I would have to be honest now and say that maybe we are not for each other." He squeezed her hand. "I just want to make sure we're both on the same page and are willing to make compromises for the other."

Annabeth took a deep breath. "Okay," she said.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Okay, okay? Or more like okay, I get it and I need to think about it."

She laughed. "I agree to your terms."

He opened and closed his mouth several times. "Don't you wanna give it a little thought? Talk it with Hestia? Or Thalia? Or Piper?"

"I've already done that, Percy, ever since we broke up. You have no idea how many times I talked about us with them. But this is my decision, so yeah. I'm sure I can live with your terms."

"Okay…Is there anything else you'll like to add?"

She pursed her lips. "Can we start slow? I want to make sure I'm emotionally ready for everything again."

He smiled warmly. "No problem."

"And is it okay if we wait a while before telling our friends? I want us to be more stable before they decide to stick their noses in our relationship."

"Got it. Something else?"

She looked around before saying, "Nop. That's it."

He slid closer. "Sure?" Honestly, she wasn't in a position of asking anything from him. He had always given her his all.

"Sure." She also moved closer, cupping his right cheek with her hand.

"Can I kiss you now, then?" He smirked. "I promise not to put the Property Brothers on for a long time to take things slow."

Annabeth laughed. "I shouldn't have told you that."

"Oh, please do. I want to know everything like that from now on," he said, as he joined their foreheads. "What would be next? That guy from Extreme Make-Over…"

Annabeth shut him up with a kiss. They had talked enough.

HeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreakenjoyyou

The news' set was so busy, Annabeth was afraid somebody would confuse her as a collaborator and would force her to clean, direct or shout at something.

It was thrilling and chaotic in a kind of way, which made her understand why Travis loved his job so much.

She still couldn't believe that Travis had managed to get Athena on the channel for an interview. That guy really had a way of pushing people to do things according to his will. Not that it annoyed her, it was because of it that she was about to have a proper conversation with the best lawyer in the country.

While the team was finishing the preparations, Annabeth noticed Travis approaching her with a hands-free device on his ear and a clipboard on his hands.

"You look like a walking cliché," Annabeth pointed as she watched the cameramen run around the set. She kept in mind the place where Athena would sit for her interview.

"Clichés are underrated. They are extremely fun and laughable," he answered with a mischievous smile.

"Of course, you'd think that way."

He winked at her before attending a call on his device. Just then the lights behind the set diminished and the anchor, Hercules, stepped in and took a seat next to Athena's place. He had a perfect pearly smile, combed hair, and marked dimples. However, Annabeth knew all the scandals he had participated in, for the last years. He was a national jerk, but a very famous one.

Annabeth watched as Hercules yelled at a poor assistant for ruining his spotlight, when Travis finally hung up and said, "So, I didn't know you and I had kissed."

Her eyes widened and her face turned red. "How did you…"

"Oh, Percy gave me a piece of his mind a couple of days ago," he said amused.

"Travis I am so, so sorry. I was drunk and I wanted him to be jealous and I shouldn't have said that. I swear I told him I was the one who started it." She frowned. "He had no right to take it out on you."

To her relief, Travis chuckled. "It's fine, Annabeth. It's fun to see him pissed."

"Only you, Travis, only you." She sighed. "What did he say?"

"Something about me taking advantage of your mental state, how I should be ashamed of myself, and other colorful things." He smiled. "It was enlightening."

"And what did you say?"

He smirked. "That it had been an incredible kiss, and that I hoped I could repeat it."

"Travis!"

"What? I saw an opportunity for chaos, and I took it. Besides, I think I helped in the purpose of making him jealous."

"Oh, gods…" she muttered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Did it work?"

"What?"

"Was he jealous? Are you guys back together?"

Annabeth bit her lip. "Um, no," she lied.

"Hmph." Travis shrugged. "Oh, well. It was fun."

Thankfully, the program started the countdown and Travis had to go into another room to finish his tasks. Why hadn't Percy told her about his conversation? And why did he do it if they were already together?

Annabeth waited patiently for Hercules to drown Athena in questions that weren't even related to her career. She rolled her eyes every time he asked if the famous lawyer was currently dating someone or if she was pregnant, and she could see Athena was irritated by them too.

Someone must have thought the same as her because at one point Hercules looked annoyingly towards the producers and finally started making questions about her latest cases and lawsuits.

When everything was finally over, Athena headed towards her dressing room and Travis appeared once again beside her.

"You do realize I have to ask for her permission first, right?" Travis asked, looking at her with a grin. "I would love to see her face if you appeared suddenly in her room, but sadly I could lose my job for that." His smile vanished. "And I do like my job."

"I understand. I'll wait here while you ask her."

He gave her a thumbs-up before disappearing into the sea of people now leaving the room, surely to go write another note or help in the production of another show.

Minutes later, he came back with a proud grin.

"You can meet her."

Annabeth blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah," he said indicating her to follow him with his hand. She obliged. "She was cursing Hercules when I entered, and I thought she was going to kick my sorry ass out of her room. But, when I said your name, she looked surprised and told me to bring you." They walked through the maze of hallways. "You must have really caught her attention somehow."

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows. Malcolm had said the same, but why? What was so special about her?

Travis knocked on a white door that had the name of Athena in a removable sticker. "Miss Pallas? Miss Chase is here."

"Come on in," an elegant voice replied from the inside.

"Good luck," Travis said giving her a small squeeze on her shoulder before leaving towards the same direction they came in.

Annabeth took a deep breath before grabbing the doorknob and opening the door smoothly. The room was almost her apartment size, and it was ten times more elegant. There were bouquets of expensive flowers on the small center table along with extravagant sweets and wines.

Athena was sitting on the sofa with several folders and documents scattered on the table, reading glasses on hand. Her grey eyes scanned Annabeth as she closed to door to give them so privacy and the blond woman felt intimidated by them. They did seem familiar though.

"Miss Pallas," Annabeth greeted with a nod. "I'm so sorry for the interruption."

"Miss Chase." Athena greeted back, "Please sit."

Annabeth followed her instructions and sat on the couch in front of hers. The lawyer's posture was flawless, and she oozed an aura of superiority and wisdom. Annabeth wished she could be more like that. Confident and rational. Athena also had the fame of being cold and hard, so she didn't completely envy her.

"You cut your hair," Athena commented even while her eyes were on the documents instead of Annabeth's head.

"Uh, yeah." Annabeth ran her hand through her ends, surprised by her attention. "I did."

"It's practical."

"I suppose." Athena wrote something down on the document, and Annabeth figured she would better get to the point of her visit before her hostess lost her patience.

She cleared her throat. "I wanted to apologize once again, Miss Pallas, for my behavior the day we last saw each other. It was highly unprofessional."

Athena finally looked at her, her face an enigma. "Agree."

Annabeth tried not to grow red for embarrassment. "I heard you didn't continue the contract with Miss Williams. I sincerely hope it wasn't because of my doing. She is really a great architect and you deserve the best."

She could have sworn her eyes turned softer for a second, but when she tried to look with more detail, the lawyer adopted the same poker face. "I had my personal reasons," was her answer. She set all the papers down and dedicated her full attention to Annabeth. "So, Miss Chase, what can I help you with?"

Finally.

Annabeth had no problem in reciting the story she had rehearsed over and over again in her head for the last few days. She told her about the abusive environment, the unethical work, and the dangerous practices of Arachne.

Athena was incredibly focused on her speech. Annabeth wasn't even sure if she blinked during the entire story. When she was done, Annabeth played with her necklace as she awaited the answer of the famous lawyer.

Athena put on her glasses and resumed the reading of her documents. "Do you have any proof?" she asked, nonchalantly.

"Emails with Tartarus's threats, and I even have one where the head of HR offers me really good deals to buy my silence."

"What about the dangerous blueprints? Can you get them?"

Annabeth bit her lip. "I guess I can ask an old workmate for them, but I don't know if it'd be possible."

"We need them if we want them to answer to old the clients they had misguided. We also need to pass them through different assessors to verify they are indeed dangerous."

"I-I'll get them," Annabeth asked, bewildered. "So, you're taking the case?"

Athena raised her eyebrows. "I am. By what you've told me, Arachne is a danger to society. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't act soon against them. I do need your help with proofs and testimonies…but this is already a won case."

"That's wonderful, Miss Pallas," Annabeth tried hard not to let her excitement show. "But we need to discuss the payment issue…"

"It is unnecessary. I'll do it for the well-being of society." She said, dismissively, leaving Annabeth more confused than before. "Anything else, Miss Chase?"

"Um…no. That's it."

Athena nodded and got a small card out of the sea of papers. She handed it to Annabeth. "Write an email to this address. My assistant will send you all the instructions and forms you must follow to place a valid lawsuit. Do you need any compensation for psychological abuse?"

Annabeth frowned. "No. I just want to stop them."

"Okay then. Get me the proofs I asked for, and we'll meet formally in a week to go over the situation. My assistant will give you date and time." Athena sent her a last meaningful look. "That'd be all."

Annabeth took it as a sign that it was time for her to leave. "Thank you again, Miss Pallas." She said grabbing her stuff and going back to the door.

"May I ask…" Athena started saying before Annabeth could exit the room entirely. "If they were as abusive as you say, why did you stay so long?"

She thought about it for a second, "I wasn't in a good place myself," was her answer.

For just a moment, Annabeth saw a flash of sadness through the lawyer's eyes, but it was gone almost instantly. "Good day, Miss Chase."

Annabeth gave her a polite smile before closing the door and heading out of the studios. She was still dazzled by Athena's kindness to her. She had never heard stories of her being a charitable being before, so why now? And why with?

Well, she'd have a lot of time to figure that out. They were going to see each other a lot after all.