And hey! We're back :D I hope you're enjoying the final half of this fic ^^
Also... it's getting spicer :D
giotherpg: thank you for your review! Your wish came true, here's the rest of the fic!
iv.
"Is this really necessary?" Annabeth questioned Beckendorf's decision behind his back.
A visit to an art gallery. Perseus Jackson decided to become visible to the public eye all of a sudden and started to work as an art collector and conservator. He had meetings with clients, he had visitors in his studio and seemed to actually use his degree for something. Whether it was for the good or not was a matter of perspective. The criminal went to the gym daily; he even bought his own fucking groceries. Observing him had been nerve wrecking. Especially since probably he knew that he was being watched and therefore enjoyed every second of Annabeth's annoyance. The detective felt like a true voyeur. He hadn't done anything suspicious unless being a little piece of shit counted. Jackson didn't separate his waste for an instance. Prick.
When Luke told her that Jackson had planned the opening of a gallery and proposed that they should go, the blonde almost laughed. A public event where no invitation was needed. A ballsy move. It seemed like Jackson really gave no fucks. Unfortunately, Beckendorf caught wind of it and now she was forced to go.
"I'm afraid so," Luke said as he rubbed his temples. He really wasn't in the mood for a fight with Annabeth. She was an opponent that just maimed you with arguments.
"What's going on, Annabeth?" her colleague asked. "You wanted to find Jackson the entire time. You've worked for years on this and now you're basically backpedaling. This is so not you."
For better or for worse, Annabeth didn't talk about Luke with her meeting with Jackson at The Grove. Something told her that she should hold onto the information.
"I don't know. Just a bad feeling I guess," she confessed. Annabeth didn't know what would happen once Jackson was aware of her presence. And he would definitely see her.
"You're not alone." Luke patted her shoulder. "Grace, Beauregard and hell even that di Angelo informant guy said they would be present. Jackson must have pulled a big gig if even the Italians are interested in his shitty joint. Nothing will happen to you."
I'm not so sure about that, Annabeth thought, but the only thing she did was nod.
A month had passed, and the day of the gallery opening was finally there. Annabeth stood in front of the building where soft string music could be heard from the outside and guests flooded in. Annabeth saw how undercover cop Jason Grace entered. He quickly glanced in her direction but turned around. Annabeth understood; he was a valuable asset who could not let his cover get blown over.
The blue dress that she wore hugged her curves tightly and the high heels that she chose made the detective regret every life decision that led up to that exact moment. Her soles would be burning the next day and it wasn't like in the movies. An attempt to run in those things would be a one-way ticket to the ER. The wire in the dress didn't make the discomfort any better.
"Chase, everything's fine?" asked Beckendorf in her ear. Of course, she had been bugged.
"Yes, everything is good. I'm moving," she said.
Annabeth mingled with the crowd and entered. The blonde actually stood in awe and registered all the modern pieces. Pop art, minimal art, abstract expressionism, all sorts of different post-modern works that fought for space but harmonized wonderfully together in the rooms. How the fuck was that criminal scum be able to display works from Andy Warhol, Helen Frankenthaler or Jackson Pollock?
They had to be either stolen, bought for a large sum, rented, which was not the style of the Greek syndicate or, something that was Jackson's supposed specialty, be forged. A waiter offered her champagne which she politely declined. As much as Annabeth would love to cloud her mind, she could not afford it on that evening. She had to look out for Jackson. The blonde made her first round at a slow speed.
"Can you see him yet?"
"No, not yet. Oh, there he is! With Chiara Benvenuti!" A known mafia bride. Chiara was surrounded by her bodyguards like always as she pointed towards a picture.
"Good," Beckendorf breathed into her ear. "Perhaps we can finally raid this place."
The painting was an abstract piece with lots of red elements. Blood that was spilled on the dance floor. Something fitting for a coldhearted villain.
"Of course, painting it was a task, but I thoroughly enjoyed it," Annabeth heard Jackson say. The way Benvenuti laughed made her rage. Jackson joining her, didn't make it any better. The fact that Benvenuti stared at his tanned chest as he had left some of the buttons of his shirt open, pissed the detective even more off.
Jackson's sea green eyes shifted to the right and caught her staring at him. A pleased expression rested on his face and the smile could almost be considered to be honest. Embarrassed, Annabeth turned around and immediately left the corner. Fuck that mission. Fuck everything. Fuck that man in particular and the uneasy feeling that rested inside her heart. She saw Luke mingling with two people in black suits, they looked like they would fit the description of some of the Golden Age's lackeys. Luke was irritated but there was no time for explanation. Annabeth needed alcohol, she needed it badly.
"Chase, what's going on dammit?" hissed Beckendorf as he heard her frantic steps. She was glad he was unable to see her in that pathetic state.
"Nothing," Annabeth lied. "Don't want to blow cover."
Fortunately, another waitress was making her rounds and Annabeth grabbed a glass which she nearly inhaled. She was wandering through the gallery and tried to figure out her next steps. Too little, too late.
"You left me waiting. Good evening, Detective."
Annabeth almost let the glass fall as she heard his deep voice behind her and felt his large hand around her waist. A scent of musk and fresh sea breeze crawled into her nose. The grip wasn't extremely tight, but it was clear that Perseus Jackson had no intention of letting her go.
"Fuck!" hissed Beckendorf into her ear. It was too early to storm the place. They had nothing in their hands against Jackson.
"You have quite the collection," Annabeth complimented him.
"Thank you, love." She punished him with a sour look that made his grin only widen.
"Interested in buying?"
"If it's real perhaps."
"Oh, my dear Annabeth, everything is real." The warmth of his hand spread throughout her entire body. Her glass was empty, and he gave it to one of the lackeys.
"Mister Olympianidikis," the boy nodded and ran off with it immediately. Oh, the power of someone in the higher hierarchical position of a crime syndicate.
Jackson accompanied her through the gallery and showed her his favorite pieces.
Annabeth could picture Beckendorf walking up and down in the small van, nearly losing his shit at the man babbling about oil colors or frameworks that he or other painters used. Jackson was hindering them on purpose. Something was going on.
"There's something I want to show you. Follow me." He took her hand and walked to a hidden niche. Jason Grace who stood in the corner and spoke to a woman eyed them with suspicion.
A white door was there with the words Emergency Exit engraved on it. A cold and naked hallway was in front of them. Lights were off and the moon was the only orb that illuminated the place. They were alone.
"And what are you supposed to show-" Jackson cut her off. With a brutal kiss.
A spark that set the entire place in flames. Annabeth did the one thing she was not supposed to: not use her intelligence. Her arms automatically wrapped themselves around his neck as she fiercely kissed him back. Their lips fought a battle against their lungs, and they dived into each other again and again. Taste. That was all they thought.
Percy pulled away from Annabeth. She was beautiful. Her citric smell was divine. The delicate updo was no more. The lipstick was smeared. Her lips trembled and there was something else written in her eyes. Lust. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. A wild look was on his face. He kissed her again. He held her close to his body and pressed her against the wall.
Annabeth felt how one of his hands slid underneath the dress. Did Annabeth exchange the boy shorts for a thong in the last minute? Yes, she did. Did she regret that decision? No, she did not. But his hands had a different goal in mind. The yanking made her shriek into his mouth. A solid welcome for his tongue. The wire underneath her dress was no more. Only then did he place his tight grip on her ass.
Oh, two can play this game Annabeth thought and grabbed the wire that stuck out of his collar.
"Guess that no one's listening in on us anymore," Percy commentated.
"It seems like it," Annabeth agreed. A calm before the storm. A storm that broke loose as they kissed each other again. Percy's lips wandered.
"Who told you to waltz in this place with this fucking dress?" He claimed her neck with kisses. His beard tickled her. "You look perfect!"
Annabeth wished she could retaliate the compliment. Percy looked fairly handsome in the beige suit, but her brain was short circuiting and only focused on not moaning too loudly and enjoying the feeling of being pressed against him. The probability of her colleagues rushing in that compromising situation was way too high.
Percy broke the kiss off for good. He made a move towards the staircase. A foot was set to the lower step. "Come with me!" His hands reached out for her.
Annabeth was panting. Heart or sanity who would win? Annabeth made one decision that would seal her fate forever. She took his hand and the unlikely pair fled out of the building.
As soon as they opened the backdoor, Annabeth heard a frantic scream for her name. There was no turning back now. A black car was waiting for them in the hidden alley. It looked like Castellan didn't do his homework properly and had received the wrong plans of the building to study.
Percy held the door open for her and she slipped into the limousine. Percy followed. "Leo!" he barked. The vehicle moved with screeching tires and drove through a garage which led to a tunnel that Annabeth had never seen. She stopped paying attention to it as Percy claimed her lips yet again.
The car ride was a blurry memory. They entered another garage which was when the car stopped. "We've arrived," announced the chauffeur.
Percy nodded to the front and then exited the car. He reached out for Annabeth and helped her out of the car. "Where are we?" she asked as they entered an elevator.
Percy pressed a key card against the board. "My home."
There was no time left for sightseeing. They immediately entered the bedroom. His jacket was tossed aside, her dress slid to the floor. Both of them fell to the bed. Both of them never wanted to leave the bed.
Annabeth woke up to the wonderful smell of coffee. Her eyes fluttered and the memories hit her. The wonderful night she had shared with a wanted criminal. Her naked body was wrapped in satin sheets. The blonde sat up. Her pale body was sore and ached but in the best way. She didn't remember the last time she had sex with anyone; work had been way too busy. She didn't want to remember. What Perseus Jackson did to her would be fairly impossible to top.
Said Perseus Jackson entered the bedroom in nothing but sweatpants and two mugs. Oh yes, he did enjoy his daily workouts. "Morning," he smiled.
"Morning," she replied and thanked him for the cup. A delicious aroma took over the room. Annabeth took a sip.
"Mmhh," she delightfully sighed. Two pumps of hazelnut and heavy cream, just the way she liked it.
"Yes, I did do my homework," he laughed and drank his tea. "You aren't the only people that study others. Was seeing me work out at least fun?"
"Shut up, Jackson," Annabeth blushed. He laughed.
The cop finished her cup and Percy put it on a nightstand. "And what do you want to do now?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Something's coming to my mind." His light eyes darkened, and he cupped her face. Annabeth pushed the blanket aside, revealing her perfect self.
"That insatiable?" she laughed but didn't receive an answer as she felt his lips on hers again. Her hand went on to grasp his black curls.
"Very," he said as his hands roamed over her very naked body.
Putting the blue dress on again felt wrong. Percy wouldn't have minded for Annabeth to stay the entire day at his apartment, but he knew she had a point when she said that her colleagues would search the entire city for her. Turning brick by brick if they must.
"I honestly can't come up with a good excuse for my boss. You didn't think this through." Annabeth wandered through the modern apartment. It was bathed in light and had window fronts that showed her the entirety of Manhattan and the green of the Central Park. A dream apartment. The Golden Age had money, no doubt in that.
"Well… I actually have an idea," Percy started. Annabeth turned to him with one cocked eyebrow and her hands on her hips.
"That sounds like I won't like it," she predicted.
He opened a cabinet and showed her the bottle.
"Are you fucking serious?!"
"Well as you've said. I didn't think it through," he shrugged with a goofy grin. It made him look adorable. Stop Annabeth. No time for that. Percy grabbed a cloth as well.
"Let's just say that I never had the honor of being treated that way," Annabeth muttered. But she agreed with him. It would make the lies that were about to come out of her mouth easier.
Percy kissed Annabeth one last time and brushed a lock out of her beautiful face. "Sweet dreams, Annabeth," he wished her.
Then he pressed the drenched cloth over her nose and mouth. Her eyes rolled back, and she was embraced by darkness. Annabeth slumped down but Percy caught her.
Four hours later, Luke Castellan and Jason Grace made their way to Annabeth's apartment, looking for possible clues. Both of them were fucking pissed. At Jackson, at Annabeth, at the entire fucking operation. The police force was frantically looking for her. They got Paris Olympianidikis for kidnapping at least. If they would catch him.
Luke had a key to Annabeth's apartment because they were close friends. Annabeth had actually defied orders, nearly ruined a mission and drove him to the hospital as his wife gave birth three years ago. He had to find her. Not to make it even, but to know that his friend was safe.
"Look for anything useful," Luke commanded. Jason nodded.
Luke entered the living room and Jason worked through the bathroom which was followed by the bedroom. He nearly slipped to the floor.
And there she was, sleeping like a princess.
"Annabeth?! Annabeth! Luke, she's here!"
The next thing Annabeth remembered was waking up in the hospital. She knew that everyone was pissed at her. But Castellan had defended her for the stupid act of following a criminal to nowhere. Jason had seen where they left, and Annabeth thought the Sergeant could hear important information. Who would have guessed that the wiring would be cut off?
Examinations. DNA samples were taken to get a hold of Jackson. Questions. So many questions. A knock. Yet another person that wanted to annoy her. "Yes?" Annabeth sighed.
"Annabeth," Beckendorf entered the hospital room. Annabeth felt patronized but of course her hands were tied. She refused to speak with her boss about a certain criminal. She covered up the truth and enjoyed living her life in lies. The young detective had no family who anyone could call. That made Beckendorf extremely worried about her.
The tall man took a seat next to her bed. "I'm not here to tear you apart, pretty sure Captain Dougenis had the pleasure." Yes, he had. "I want to hear from you what happened."
The blonde retold her vision of events. "I don't know," she sighed. "It was a trap. I can't remember how I ended up in my apartment." Annabeth spoke a little truth in her web of lies.
"The way our connection cut off as soon as you left the exhibition… I thought it was static. Then you were gone." Oh no, he heard us making out Annabeth thought. She tried to suppress the panic that was bubbling up in her and was glad that Percy had discarded the wires. The technicians at the police department would have immediately figured out that there had been no static. She remembered almost everything. The staircases. The car. The apartment. The way he felt between her legs. The way she straddled him. The way he grabbed her throat. The pleasures and the cries.
Beckendorf looked deeply into her eyes. He knew that she had something to hide but was wise enough not to ask. The old man was one of the few people that blindly trusted her instincts in the department.
"Okay," was all that he said. "I'm trusting your judgement." She nodded. He was a kind soul.
"Take the next week off. You need the rest." Beckendorf stood up.
v.
Percy saw how her delicate fingers grabbed the folder and closed it. The shiny object fell into his vision.
"I like your ring." His sea green eyes shot up to her face. He saw a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Thank you," she nearly whispered and played with the small white band.
"Someone very important gave it to me a long time ago. Someone dear to my heart."
He blinked twice. She blinked twice.
A devilish smirk rested on his face.
vi.
Their affair lasted an entire year. The fact that it came to an end was saddening. But it was predictable. Star-crossed lovers from two entirely different universes that weren't meant to be. Otherwise the balance of both of their worlds would crash, burn, and fall.
Annabeth had insight into the police work and Percy had insight into the Golden Age. That was the sole reason they barely saw each other in a work related context. They actually managed to live a fairly happy life outside of the working hours. They went on secret dates, they visited museums after they had been closed and reopened only for the powerful son of Poseidon, they watched movies together, they even flew out to visit his Hawaiian mother Sally who adored Annabeth. And the sex was amazing. A welcoming bonus. Both felt happiness for the very first time. Both felt love for the very first time.
The secret studio in his art gallery was one of the few places where they could be free.
"And here's the Mona Lisa," Percy grabbed the painting out of the box. He showed Annabeth some of his latest pieces that were part of his collection or creations. Real paintings and forged ones.
"Wow, that looks so real. An incredible copy." Annabeth had visited France in her college days.
"The thing that's hanging in the Louvre?" he winked.
"Tell me you're joking." The corners of his lips pointing up was all she got.
Annabeth laid next to him a week later. They were inside of her shitty apartment. Percy had surprised her because of course he could cook as well. To the question "Is there something you can't do?" Percy only answered, "Change a tire and board planes because I hate heights."
He might have been joking, he might have been serious. Annabeth did not care. She had returned from yet another demanding shift. This time her task force had hunted down one of Zeus' kids. Aristidis also known as Ares. Despite being in his late 40s he was an annoying little piece of shit. The fat fuck tried to sell child slaves on the dark web and barely managed to escape them.
As Annabeth had entered her apartment, she was greeted by the delicious smell of parmesan that melted over fresh pasta. Seeing houseman Percy cook was not only a picture for the gods but something she could get used to. Annabeth placed her bag on the sofa and ran to the kitchen to greet Percy with a kiss. A passionate kiss.
"Aren't-" kiss. "You-" kiss. "Hungry?" he asked between their kisses.
"Well, I think we can eat later."
"Grover is right, you're a terrible liar when it comes to food," he joked. The Grove was another spot for them together. Once the customers left, the three would sit together and joke. Mostly at Annabeth's expense.
Annabeth pouted and then kissed him again. The only thing that broke her silence was her stomach grumbling.
Percy broke off from her with a roaring laughter. "Eat first. Then we can come to the more fun activities."
Annabeth pouted but Percy unfortunately had a point.
Now she was fighting against falling asleep as she laid on his chest and he played with her hair. He inhaled her smell. Raindrops were racing on the window as gravity pulled them down. The shower on the outside calmed them. "There's a good reason why you never found me. Why no one found me," Percy started.
Her tiredness was gone. Curiosity won. "The fact that my father uses me as his master forger is abundantly clear, right?"
Annabeth nodded. They didn't talk much about his business ventures in the Golden Age, but she had pieced large chunks of the puzzle together.
"I want to leave my family," he confessed.
"What?" That came as a surprise to Annabeth. Percy seemed fairly content with his life in the family business. He joked about it and enjoyed the high standards of life that came with the fruits. Then again, Annabeth had seen the dark shadows that followed the Golden Age everywhere they went. Blood, bodies, chaos, destruction.
"A rule that my father engraved into my brain was to be invisible. Live like there's no tomorrow, but don't forget to clean the remains of yesterday. The day me and my cousin Ethan were caught shoplifting seventeen years ago changed me. It changed us all. We were so naive and felt so invincible. For normal parents that would have been a tirade and grounding. Our parents think differently. For Ethan, whose idea it was to begin with, it cost him his eye."
Annabeth's eyes widened. The cruelty of parents. The fact that the Golden Age had no problem with hunting their own down was still sickening to her.
"It didn't matter. Four months in and he had been shot by the Russians, the Bratva. Nearly started an entire fucking war," he sighed.
"Percy, that's horrible." Annabeth tried to see if there was any emotion left in his eyes. There was none. His eyes were dull from the wars he had seen. Percy was blind and used to the cruelty of the survival of the fittest.
"Annabeth, I've witnessed my first murder as a thirteen-year-old. At least I haven't pulled the trigger myself yet. Not in a deadly way." He stared at the white ceiling.
Her heart broke for the boy that lost his honest smile. "That doesn't make it any better."
"No, it doesn't. It really doesn't." Percy hugged her tightly. "I want to be free. Die as a free man. Live in the sunlight and not in the shadows. Not in fear of getting gunned down by a crazy family member. My father spoke with my uncles. They gave me an impossible task. Once I solve it, I'm a free man."
"Who are you? John Wick?" she joked. She wasn't in the mood for cracking stupid jokes, but she had to uplift the situation or else the mental image of Percy losing his innocence as a child would forever haunt her.
"That guy is amazing; I'm not going to lie." Percy managed to crack a crooked smile.
"And the task?"
Percy sighed. He wouldn't have minded a smoke. "It stinks in here, the three of them had said. "He turned to Annabeth. "There's a rat."
A rat? she thought. "Someone that betrays my family. They mix up our business and create chaos from within as if they want us to implode. I have to find and either obtain or eliminate them."
Someone that betrayed the Golden Age? Whoever they were, they were crazy and suicidal.
"And what do you want to do once you're free?"
"Move to Hawaii. Be reunited with my mother again. Find a woman," he looked at her and grinned. "Marry her, pop out a kid or three. Be an artist."
Silence. Annabeth was speechless. "I wouldn't mind seeing that and being a part of that," she whispered.
Percy only kissed her.
Another month later. The fact that Percy disappeared around her birthday upset her, but that was life. He had been in Los Angeles for a gig. Which gig exactly she did not ask. Was it a legal gig? Highly debatable. It had something to do with the rat. That was all that he told her.
A small package got sent to her and she was curious to see what it was. No sender. Carefully she opened it. A small ring box was in there. Tiffany's & Co.
A card was attached to the box. Happy Birthday, Princess – P.
"Oh no…" Annabeth opened the little box. The ring had a small silver band that was covered in small diamonds. Her jaw dropped. The ring was beautiful. And it was meant to be for her?
Annabeth put it on. It sat perfectly on her ring finger. Annabeth looked at the box again. It had a code on it. The detective grabbed her phone and searched for the ring.
"WHAT THE-"
Perseus had spent fifteen thousand dollars for that little piece of jewelry.
"No…" she cried. How could he have spent so much money on her?
Annabeth ran into her bathroom and shoved a loose tile aside. She used that little space to hide something. That something was the burner phone that Percy had given her so that they could always stay in contact. Annabeth called him.
"And?" he asked.
"PERSEUS JACKSON!" she yelled.
"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND?!"
"Why? Don't you like the ring?"
"That's not what I'm saying. I love it. We have to talk about the price." Her left hand already played with the beautiful ring.
"Why? Do you want a more expensive one? Let me know which one, I'll buy it," he stated.
"What?! No! You've spent way too much on that ring! I can't accept this!"
Percy laughed. "You can and you will. It is my gift for you. Happy birthday, Annabeth."
Annabeth wanted to scream. Denying his gift felt so wrong, but it was the right choice she made.
"Once you're here we're going to have a talk. We have to return this!"
Annabeth could practically hear how he shook his head. "You're going to like the ring and you're going to keep it."
"Fine," she huffed. Annabeth accepted her fate and waited until the days of solitude would be over. Until she was reunited with her Percy again.
The year had passed. Then it happened. The day Paris Olympianidikis would fall.
vii.
"Cooperate with me, Jackson," Annabeth sounded soft. He merely raised an eyebrow.
"Cooperate and we can make a deal. Better conditions in prison, a reduced sentence perhaps and-"
"I want out," he boldly stated.
Annabeth stared at him blankly. "Pardon me?"
"You said cooperate and we can make a deal. That's my end of the line." Jackson leaned back into his chair again.
Annabeth was speechless. He had beaten her with her own game. She closed her eyes for a second before focusing on him again. Don't let him get the best out of you.
"I'll see what I can do." He smirked as he loved to hear that answer. Then she remembered what he had said.
"You said it stinks in here?" she repeated. Annabeth eyed him suspiciously.
"Yes, Detective," he truthfully answered.
"What does it smell like?"
"Colors, Detective."
"Why?"
"You should be able to see it for yourself." He scratched his temples.
viii.
They got him. They didn't get him with drugs or anything else that would give him a long sentence. But they got him with one of his forges. The good old Al Capone method. If you don't get him with the big guns, try to stick to the petty crimes. Criminals get sloppy. Especially criminals that do way too much in too many places. The meeting was over, and everyone cheered. Everyone but Annabeth.
"Shouldn't you be happy? Hell, Annabeth. You've spent more than three years on this case." asked Travis Stoll.
"It's just…unbelievable. The fact that everything comes to an end. Goal completed and all," she smiled sadly.
Annabeth dreaded her seeing Percy again. He was waiting in her apartment and probably preparing food for them. The sight of her apartment complex made her heart sink. Where once was joy, ruled depression.
"Annabeth, what happened?" Percy ran to the door as he saw her in her desolate state. The door closed and she told him what would happen in the next sixteen hours.
"I'm so sorry," she cried. Percy just held her and hugged her tightly as the tears blinded her. He fought his own tears that threatened to rise. Their future, destroyed.
"It was bound to end like this," he said. Sadness rested in his voice. But also, tranquility.
"No." Annabeth shook her head and buried her face into his strong chest.
"Whatever happens. I'll be fine. Most of the prisons and the judges are smeared." He kissed her head.
"Of course, they are," she laughed darkly. Knowing that he wouldn't be subjected to fights in prison didn't do much to calm her down. She'd rather have him next to her.
"Annabeth. I want you to arrest me."
"No. Never." She violently shook her head again and slapped his shoulder.
"I mean I'm already used to your cuffs, now's the chance to make it official," he grinned.
"Percy! Now is not the time to joke about our sex life." They shared a laugh anyway.
"I have another wish. Move on, Annabeth. Live life to the fullest," he whispered.
"Everything but that." She refused to move on. How could she?
"Find an idiot, marry him, have kids and live happily with him. Do that for me. Please," he continued.
"I want you to be that idiot," she pressed and looked deep into his eyes. "I don't care how long it'll take. I'll wait for you."
He kissed her. Don't do this Annabeth. Don't give me hope he thought.
The unlikely couple hugged each other tightly as they went to bed. One last time. It didn't come to Annabeth as a surprise to find his side of the bed cold and empty. His side. His side was no more, it was only her side.
Perseus spent the night and morning hours in the art gallery. He had one final piece to finish. He drank and smoked and cursed. The bottle of cheap whiskey nearly fell to the ground, but he managed to catch it.
The oil painting was a self-portrait. An anchor to the last few moments of his life as a free man that hid in the shadows.
The task force broke into his gallery. He had a cigarette in his mouth and put the paintbrush down as his lover approached him. He had a sarcastic smile on his lips which vanished as he registered the pain in her eyes.
"Perseus Jackson, you are under arrest," spoke Annabeth with a commanding tone.
She put him into cuffs and read him his rights. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court... A glance at the painting he had been working on ever since he left the apartment.
Annabeth knew immediately that it was them. Percy in the painting hugged her but their faces had been cut off. She saw the birthmarks on her back and the accuracy of how he portrayed his hands on her hip. Percy's final act of love to her for all of them to see. Unfortunately, all of them were blind to it. All of them but Annabeth.
The moment she was at home she ran to the bathroom and emptied her stomach. Gush after gush came out of her. Her mouth felt sour and dry, the teeth hurt and had an ugly yellow color, the tears that blinded her ran towards her nose. "What have I done?" she cried and looked at her pathetic self in the bathroom mirror.
Judgement day came eight painful months later. The judge slammed the hammer and sealed his fate.
Twelve years. Twelve years was the sentence. Perseus lost his coolness for one second. Annabeth's heart broke in two. Poseidon who sat on the other side of the room looked like he wanted to shoot the judge right then and here and Annabeth would have gladly joined him.
They were robbed of twelve years together. Percy was put into handcuffs. His sea green eyes searched through the ranks until they found her gray ones. He blinked twice. I love you. She blinked twice. I love you too. The police officers around her almost cheered.
They complimented her for the worst decision of her life. An act that had destroyed her life. Her lover was gone. And a free rat was still out there.
The trail of memories stopped. Annabeth knew that Luke was restless behind the one-way-mirror. The talk had stretched into eternity and gave little information to the hidden detective, but so much to Annabeth. Percy had been right. He was roaming freely in prison. He was able to talk with his family day in and day out. And most importantly. He knew of operations. And he knew of his own operations the best.
Finally. There was movement in the gallery. Whoever was decided to continue the work of Percy Jackson was stupid enough to revisit the place where it all began. The rat would be caught in a trap.
"NYPD PUT YOUR - no." Annabeth had the gun pointed at him. But she couldn't believe it. The rat. The rat that had cost her four years of their life.
"I'm sorry, Annabeth," he sadly smiled. Then he pointed his gun at her.
A shot.
Annabeth had closed her eyes. The bullet didn't hit her. It had hit him as Luke Castellan had fired a warning shot into the abdomen. The detectives moved to him.
"Call an ambulance!" yelled Annabeth to the cops that flooded the place. He laughed on the floor as he bled.
Jason Grace. Secret son of Zacharias Olympianidikis also known as Zeus. He not only wanted to act in revenge as Percy's brother Sciron had killed his older sister Thalia. He wanted to spite him and take over his businesses as well. The money and the gold. The cars and fame. In his twisted mind he was able to run the syndicate and destroy it at the same time. It was over.
Annabeth saw as the ambulance drove off. Percy scratching his temples as an indication for the glasses and his talk about colors to point to the gallery would be his ticket to freedom. Hopefully.
ix.
It was the first time that Percy had seen the sun as a free man again. He left prison with the clothes he entered. The deal with the district attorney went smoothly although the old man would have rather wrung the half-Greek's neck.
A black car drove up to the prison. Two people exited the car.
"Mom? Dad?"
Sally and Poseidon hugged their free son tightly.
"You are stupid!" cried Sally. "Both of you!"
Father and son winced. That was Sally Jackson for them.
x.
Quitting her job had been freeing. She had made the decision about half a year ago. Annabeth wanted to see something new. Experience something new. She was on the way to the small airport. The day was sunny and warm. A new day to start a new chapter in her life.
Annabeth arrived. "You can stop hiding, we aren't being followed," she laughed.
Percy yawned in the backseat. "I was sleeping," he excused himself.
"Of course, you were." She rolled her eyes and smiled into his reflection in the rearview mirror.
Her colleagues were upset, especially Luke, but it had to be. She had to quit for her own sanity. Beckendorf would check up on her and then see who she was with and connect the dots. But he would be wise enough not to contact her, not to rat her out. He would be happy about the fact that she had found love.
They would live with Sally and her little family for a while before they would buy their own house. The private jet that Zeus had given them would bring them to Hawaii undetected. A small sorry as the son of Zeus had caused a lot of trouble in the family. At least Jason was still alive.
Annabeth stopped the car and turned to Percy.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too," she grinned. A delicate kiss was shared.
A golden age was truly upon them.
The End.
So… last thoughts? I have to admit, since this is a short twoshot, I have ideas for a more fleshed out fanfic. I really like this universe of the Greek syndicate and all the mysteries around it ^^
There's so much more to all of this, trust me. But for now, there are other fics that have my priority, especially The Fool, my long Percabeth soulmate AU ;
I hope some of you are interested in my upcoming projects!