HELLO MY FRIENDS I AM SO SO SORRY IT HAS BEEN SO LONG I AM A TERRIBLE HUMAN BEING. I was at camp for two weeks and then within 24 hours of getting home, I left with my family for our annual vacation, during which I was gone three weeks. I just got home last Sunday, and guess what? School starts in about... 43ish hours for me. Yayyy. ._. BUT I have a chapter for you guys and I promise the story will be picking up the pace soon! Hopefully we should be getting back to our schedule of every Saturday. :)

And now, onto the story! :)

April 2nd, 1775

Of course, of course Annabeth realized she was in love with Percy Jackson while he was courting someone else.

Because why would it happen any other way?

She fumed to herself as she stormed down the busy wharf front. Venders called and housewives shrieked; children raced around playing tag, and stray dogs fought over fallen bits of food. The wharf was so loud and chaotic that it was the perfect place for Annabeth to figure out her feelings.

Or, you know. Just avoid them in general.

It was just so hard. Rachel had kissed Percy – something that could easily cause a scandal if Annabeth decided to share it with anyone, but her own pride prevented her from doing so. Percy had been hers, before Rachel had come, and now –

And now he was someone else's.

It wasn't even so much that Percy was courting Rachel now; it was the fact that he had promised Annabeth he would always be there for her. They had been best friends and partners for almost a year, and not being able to spend time with him, to tell him secrets, to giggle after the visits with Major Pitcairn – it hurt more than Annabeth could fathom.

Of course, it didn't help the irrational surge of jealousy every time Annabeth thought about that kiss she had witnessed. Before their argument and Rachel's arrival, she and Percy had been – well, friends. There was no reason for jealousy to physically spike her heart every time she pictured Rachel on her tiptoes, kissing her friend.

It wasn't really hard to figure out that her feelings were – well, less than platonic for her former best friend.

Deep in her thoughts, Annabeth didn't realize she was about to crash into someone until she felt a pair of steady hands on her shoulders. "Slow down there, 'Beth," someone's voice broke into her thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"Luke!" Annabeth gasped, taking a surprised step back before throwing her arms around him. "What are you doing here?" Ever since Luke had moved from the Chase's house, his visits had become scarce. Annabeth hadn't realized how much she'd missed her friend until his arms tightened around her in a secure embrace.

"I was just getting some food for my supper tonight," he explained as they pulled apart. "Thalia will be there, and I – " he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck, "I wanted it to be perfect. For her."

Annabeth laughed delightedly, realizing that it was the first time she'd laughed in days. "Oh Luke, when will you just propose to her already?"

He took her arm gently, chuckling as they began walking down the cobblestone street together. They turned, avoiding the cluster of small children playing hopscotch. "Well, she's just – she's Thalia. Besides you, she's the most independent woman I know, and 'tis a bit intimidating." He looked nervous. "Do you even think she would accept?"

Annabeth felt a surge of pride at Luke calling her an independent woman, instead of the little girl he had grown up with. "You've only been courting for almost two years," she answered teasingly. "I have seen you two together, and you both always look so happy. I don't think for even a minute would Thalia refuse if you asked her to marry you."

Luke smiled, relief sweeping over his chiseled features. He opened his mouth to reply before shutting it again in a firm line.

"Luke?" Annabeth questioned, brow furrowing. "What's wrong –" Suddenly she saw where Luke's glare was pointed, and her own face wrinkled into a frown.

Percy and Rachel were walking towards them, completely involved in their own little world. Rachel was holding Percy's arm, laughing about something, her wild red curls waving in the salty breeze. Percy looked dignified and handsome in his red officer's coat beside her, but his face betrayed a dorky grin at Rachel's antics. Annabeth felt a surge of sadness – had she and Percy ever looked that carefree?

They were only a few feet away when Percy stopped, finally noticing Annabeth and Luke.

"Hello," Luke said stiffly.

"Good afternoon, Luke," Percy answered, just as stiffly. He inclined a cold nod in her direction. "Annabeth."

Annabeth pushed down her feelings and lifted her chin a notch. "Officer Jackson." She felt a twinge of satisfaction as she saw him wince.

"Uh, Rachel, this is Luke Castellan, one of Miss Chase's friends," he said, turning to his fair companion.

Rachel offered a bright smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Castellan," she said with a sweet curtsy. "And good to see you, Annabeth."

Annabeth tried not to notice the delicate lace on Rachel's pale green dress, and the expensive trimmings on the matching hat. She glanced down slightly self-consciously at her faded pink frock, remembering how she had worn it at her grandparents' house last summer, right before she had gotten sick.

How things had changed since then!

"Good to see you too," she answered with as much hidden venom in her voice as she could muster.

Before the exchange could get any more awkward, Luke turned to Annabeth. "Would you like to come to dinner with me tonight?" he asked quickly.

Annabeth bobbed her head. "That would be lovely, thank you." She saw Percy's jaw tighten out of the corner of her eye. "Well, we should probably be on our way," she said sweetly. "Good day!"

"What the hell was that about?" Luke demanded once they were out of earshot. "It was bad enough when I didn't like him, but you were as cold as ice, Annabeth!"

Annabeth winced, scuffing the toe of her worn leather boot against a cobblestone. "We had a – falling out," she admitted. "I believe he is now courting Rachel, and we – we are no longer friends." She swallowed the lump in her throat.

Luke turned to her, his icy blue eyes soft in the way they were only around her and Thalia. "I'm sorry. I – I know how much he meant to you."

Annabeth smiled tightly. "Thank you, Luke." They walked in silence for a bit before Annabeth spoke up again. "Did you mean it when you asked me to join you for supper tonight, or was that just to have an excuse to leave?"

"Oh! I meant it," Luke answered quickly. "Thalia and I haven't seen you much of late, and I'm sure we would both love your company for tonight."

Annabeth grinned up at her friend, feeling better than she had in weeks. "Why thank you, kind sir," she said, teasing. "I am sure I shall enjoy your company as well."

"Just a bit?" Luke answered, just as teasingly.

Annabeth smiled, holding his arm tighter. "Just a bit."

•

And so Annabeth slipped back into an easy routine. The officers had little to do around Boston, so Percy was often at the Chases' house, and therefore Rachel was often at their house. Because of this, Annabeth slipped away as much as possible, spending every second she could away from home.

It wasn't so much that she disliked Rachel, she realized during a walk in the spring sunshine one morning. In fact, if Percy were out of the picture, she knew they would probably be good friends. But she couldn't help feeling like Rachel had stolen Percy from her, however irrational it was. Rachel and Percy could share so many inside jokes, memories of places they had visited and things they had done back in England – Annabeth knew that even if she made an effort to spend time with the couple, she would simply be the third wheel.

Not that it was technically any different from spending time with Luke and Thalia, but still.

She spent as much time with her old friends as she could, given the circumstances. Thalia worked as a governess for a rich Loyalist's young children, and Luke had started up his own mercantile. Mr. Chase had had to hire another apprentice to run his, but he had given his blessing in Luke's endeavors.

Between helping out at Luke's new shop, accompanying Thalia to assist with the children, and helping Luke decorate and furnish the newly-finished house, Annabeth was kept busy every day.

Her parents fretted a bit at her being gone from dawn to dusk, but when she told her father that she and Percy had had a falling out, he nodded, understanding, and let her go. She usually had supper at Luke's house, sometimes even spending the night in the guest room with Thalia.

It was – all right. Not how she wished her life was, but this was it now. She loved Luke and Thalia, looking up to them both as friends and mentors. They had helped raise her, constantly looking after her and including her as a child, and whatever she could do to help them now, she would.

Especially if it meant not having to see Percy and Rachel constantly together.

One night as she and Thalia were washing the dishes after supper at Luke's house, he pulled her aside. "May I talk to you for a second?"

Annabeth nodded, surprised. "Certainly." Drying her hands on a dishcloth, she told Thalia, "I'll be back shortly," and followed Luke.

"I'm planning on asking Thalia to marry me," Luke began, but was cut off by Annabeth's squeal.

"Finally, you bonehead!" she squeaked, throwing her arms around him in excitement.

Luke shushed her, chuckling. "Be quiet, 'beth. Yes, I'm proposing. I know a lot of young men simply ask, but – I want this to be special. We have been courting for a very long time, much longer than normal, and – "

"Yes, yes, I know," Annabeth said impatiently. "You have to do this right. I'll help."

Luke looked relieved. "That's what I was about to ask," he admitted with a shy grin. "I just – I don't even know where to start."

"How soon are you planning?" Annabeth asked, bouncing up and down on her toes.

"As soon as possible?" Luke shrugged. "I don't even know. What do you think?"

"How about tomorrow?" Annabeth suggested, and Luke choked.

"Tomorrow?"

"Oh, hush," Annabeth said bossily. "Alright, so I'll leave the shop early to come here and make supper tomorrow. It'll be all ready by the time you and Thalia get here, which means you will both finish eating before 'tis dark out. By that time of evening, the wharf will be quiet, and you can go for a walk along the shore."

"I am a bit disconcerted that you have this planned out to such detail," Luke said dryly.

Annabeth placed a finger over his lips, shushing him again. "Now, you can ask her while on the walk, and then come back and I'll have dessert or tea or something waiting." She grinned up at him, excitement beaming in her smile. "Shall that be all?"

Luke grumbled something about over-eagerness, but Annabeth pretended not to hear. "Yes, Luke, you're welcome for finally helping you ask your eventual wife to marry you. It was my pleasure."

A grin broke through Luke's face. "Thank you, 'beth," he sighed, and started to reach for her hand, before changing his mind and wrapping her in a hug.

Annabeth snuggled closer in her friend's arms. "You're welcome," she teased. "Now, you better not mess this up."

"I'll try not to," Luke promised, kissing her forehead. "I'll try not to."

•

April 14th, 1775

Annabeth literally couldn't stop smiling.

Her two best friends were finally, finally, engaged. Every single detail of the proposal she had helped Luke plan had worked beautifully, and she felt a surge of pride at the thanks Luke had expressed as the three of them sat at the kitchen table, drinking tea and talking excitedly about the future.

She relived the memory of Thalia blushing, actually blushing – something she didn't remember her friend doing in all the years she had known her. Between Luke's shy grin and Thalia's flushed cheeks when they returned, it had been easy enough to guess what had transpired.

Now she walked quickly along the dark wharf, knowing she was late. Annabeth felt a quick surge of sadness, knowing that her parents had probably not even noticed her absence. If she and Percy were still friends, he probably would have been worried and stayed up for her, but now? Annabeth guessed that he, too, had failed to notice… or care.

She took quick steps, along the cobblestones, pulling her cloak closer against the still-chilly night air. The streets were dark, empty, and deserted. Annabeth shivered and walked faster.

Suddenly she stopped, hearing low voices and seeing the flickering of a lamp around the corner of a small alleyway. Instincts kicking in, she hurriedly ducked behind a couple of wooden crates just as two figures turned the corner.

" – king wishes the harbor to be closed, to punish these upstart young rebels for their impudence during that scandal with the tea they had," she heard one man say quietly. "What do they call it nowadays – the Boston Tea Party?"

Annabeth started. She knew that voice! It was one of the other officers she and Percy had run into during their days as partners. Officer Octavian was a thin, malicious fellow, stubborn and cruel, one of the men who would whistle crudely at women in the tavern.

What he was saying, however, was new information; Annabeth knew Paul Revere hadn't said anything about knowing the harbor was closing.

Her only problem was that the silversmith had left town a few days earlier.

She quieted her thoughts in order to listen to the other man's response. "Are you sure? What about the Loyalists in this city? Are they to suffer along with the rebels?"

"Apparently," Octavian sneered. "Everyone in the city is to be cut off." The men continued on, leaving Annabeth behind the crates, holding her breath.

After they were gone, she let out a long breath and stood up. How could this be happening? She didn't know when the harbor was to be closed, but she also had no one to go to with this information.

Except –

Except Percy.

Annabeth bit her lip. Everything in her screamed to not go to Percy, to not torture herself with the memories of them being partners, knowing everything about each other. Now she was using him as a last resort in desperate times, and it hurt.

But she knew she had no choice.

Within moments, she had reached the large Chase home. She opened the heavy front door, wincing as it creaked, and took of her shoes and cloak. In the dark, she tried to feel her way down the hall, towards Percy's room.

Suddenly she ran into something. With a muffled cry of surprise, she fell backwards, only to have someone catch her and steady her gently.

"Are – are you alright?" she heard Percy ask. She closed her eyes slowly.

"Percy?" she tried, whispering. "I – I have something to tell you."

In the dim light, she saw his jaw tighten. After a moment's hesitation, he gestured towards the parlor. "Let's go in here to talk."

Annabeth stepped into the room quickly, the dying fire casting some light on Percy's face. He looked older, Annabeth noted; older and gaunt and weary. His green eyes had lost the sparkle she normally saw in them, and he rubbed the stubble on his face absentmindedly.

She steeled her heart. This wasn't about them.

Quickly she explained what she had heard in the alleyway. Honestly, she had no idea what Percy could even do, but she knew he had other connections as Neptune. Maybe he could spread the word, maybe even get the news to Paul Revere, who would know what to do.

"So – so can you tell someone?" she finished quietly, not daring to look up at his face.

His voice was hard as he turned away from her, and Annabeth felt the fragile ball of hope that had been growing inside of her shatter into a million pieces. "Tell someone?" he asked incredulously. "Annabeth, you're not honestly expecting me to believe you?"

Annabeth felt a wave of both exhaustion and anger hit her. "Believe me?" she repeated in disbelief. "Percy, do you expect me to just make something like this up?"

"At this point, I don't even know anymore," Percy said hotly. "How would I know if you're simply making this up to get attention, or to trick me into saying something that could betray me?"

Annabeth couldn't believe her ears. Even all the responses she had imagined Percy giving – ignoring her, anger, annoyance, irritation – not believing her hadn't even crossed her mind.

"You mean – you mean you don't trust me?" she asked again, disbelievingly. "After – after all we've been through together?"

Percy ran his hand through his hair, the simple gesture hurting Annabeth's heart with the desperate familiarity. "Seeing how you've been acting lately – "

"How I've been acting?" Annabeth repeated, pushing back the tears suddenly gathering in her throat. "You're the one who pushed me away, you're the one who – "

"Let's not get into this again," Percy answered roughly, wearily. "My point is – I don't believe you, nor do I trust you. I'm going to bed." Without a second glance, he left the room, his footsteps echoing in the corridor.

Annabeth felt all the energy drain out of her body, and she collapsed onto the horsehair sofa, shoulders quaking with inaudible sobs. How could this even be happening? she wondered. How could someone I love – loved – so much not even trust me anymore? Her mind flashed back to a time when Percy would have believed anything she told him, even if she said blueberries – his favorite food – were actually purple, not blue.

Well, maybe not that far. But almost.

And this wasn't even about just her. The whole city of Boston could suffer because of Percy's stubbornness.

She rubbed her eyes, brushing away her tears savagely. She would just have to do it herself. If she could help Boston, could help her home, then she would.

Despite her exhaustion and the desperate longing to go upstairs and sleep, Annabeth got to her feet and lifted her chin. She carefully pulled on her boots, fastened her cloak again around her shoulders, and slipped silently out the front door.

Maybe she would fail, but at least she would be doing her best.

And that's it, folks! Thanks to Helena, as always, for basically keeping me alive during rough days, and ALSO for betaing this (because she's just that amazing). Love ya, girl! Check out her story Childhood - I promise you will not regret it.

To one of the reviewers last time who commented on how Rachel and Percy kissing could be a scandal back in those times - yes, I understand that back then things were a lot more strict, especially concerning public affection, and especially between unmarried couples. However, just from knowing Rachel, Percy, and Annabeth's characters from the book, I feel like they would be the kind of people to not really care about social constructs as much (especially Annabeth and Percy, but you guys will see an example of that later.) ;) I also think Annabeth's pride would have prevented her from telling anyone that Rachel and Percy kissed. Thanks for your question!

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review! Thoughts, questions? Tell me! I love to hear from you guys. :)

See ya'll next week!

WM