Hooray! The first chapter of my new story! I am literally soooooooo excited to share this one with you. It has been in the back of my mind for quite a while. Do you remember that this was one of the stories I had in my poll selection last year? I was silently hoping it was the one to be picked. Oh well. That's why I'm doing it now!

I don't really know how each chapter will look like at the moment. I was thinking each chapter could be someone's experience in their other dimension at first, however, I have a feeling those chapters would end up VERY long. I guess I'll just end the chapter whenever I end it. ;)

And... hahaha, I had to fix the title error in the introduction of the actual series I'm basing this story on. *blushes* So, technically, the series is called the Firebird series, but the first book is also called A Thousand Pieces of You. So yeah. Oopth. Ten Thousand Skies Above You is the second book. *face palm* I get the order mixed up aaaaalllll the time. It took me forever just to figure out which book was the first when I got them from the library. So... sorry for that mix up! XD

SHOUT OUT!
I will announce that I do not own any of the Percy Jackson characters or Firebird characters. Credits goes to Rick Riordan and Claudia Gray. I will not be announcing this statement anymore. Bye.

CHAPTER 1

MARGUERITE CAINE

On the streets of Manhattan, Percy held Annabeth's hand in his own as he swung it to the pace of their walk. After weeks of training at Camp Half-Blood, he was glad to have the chance to get away and take his girlfriend out for a date. It had been a long enough time since their last one and he was starting to feel bad about it. Now that he had the opportunity to steal her away from all the commotion at camp, he was taking advantage of their free time to spoil his girl a bit. Somewhere around the corner was a new soda shoppe designed to look like it belonged in the 60s. Annabeth hadn't seen it yet, so he was very much pleased with himself for finding a new spot to spend some one-on-one time with her.

"Can you please tell me where we're going?" she begged him for the hundredth time. "You know I hate secrets."

"Sorry, wisegirl, but this has got to stay secret."

She hung her head back and groaned. "Every time, Percy. Every single time. Why do all our dates start with me not knowing anything?"

With a smile, he looked over at her hoping she was just as pleased with him as he was. "Annabeth, this is literally the only thing I can do with you that you don't already know everything about. For once, I'd like to know that I can do something my own girlfriend doesn't have to tell me how to do or spurt random facts about it."

"Excuse me, seaweed brain, but I can't help being smarter than you. If you don't like it, don't date me. I'm sure my mom would be quite happy about that."

"Maybe I won't," he offered with a challenging glance. She stared right back.

"Fine. Doesn't bother me one bit. Let's go back." As she turned and tried walking back the way they came, Percy pulled her back and laughed at her.

"Seriously, Annabeth. You'll like it."

She grumbled under her breath. "I better."

"Hey! The dates I take you on are always a lot of fun."

With a roll of her eyes with his annoying comment, she focused her attention before them. "Do you remember the day we were supposed to go the movie theater? You got expelled from school that day after setting the school on fire. That was one example of a date that went wrong."

"Okay, that isn't fair. We weren't even dating at that point."

"Another example," she went on, ignoring his statement, "is when you took me out for dinner that one time. The food wasn't fully cooked and I spent the rest of the night throwing up with food poisoning."

"That," he pointed out, "wasn't my fault. You're not very fun."

With a smirk, she bumped into him playfully. "I'm just bugging you, seaweed brain. I loved every one of the dates you took me on. Except the two I mentioned. Those really sucked."

"See? This one will be just as amazing as before."

She laughed at him. "Well, as long as there are no monsters wanting to kill us along the way, I'll rate this one a success."

"Good to know."

"Now, can I please have at least a hint about where we're going?"

He looked at her after moment in thought. "Nope. You'll have to wait and see."

Just then, as they were about to turn the corner, the two of them were suddenly bulldozed by a force strong enough to knock them both off their feet. It became clear soon after that the force was a person as a heavy weight fell on top of them. Blinking out stars, he felt the person pull away and rush up to their feet hurriedly, swearing under their breath. Then a girl's voice gasped. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! Here, let me help you up!"

His vision now clear, he found himself staring up at a girl around his age with long, frizzy curls, offering both her hands to him and Annabeth. She wore a jean jacket over top a short white dress and a seriously heavy-looking necklace around her neck. With the size of the jewel in the middle, he could guess the thing was worth a fortune at the very least. Maybe that was what made the impact so powerful.

"Thanks," he blinked the last of the stars away and took her hand. Annabeth followed suit. "Do you always run around corners like that, or is that more of a hobby?"

"Percy," Annabeth scolded.

Taking in the two of them with a fast glance lasting no longer than two seconds, the girl quickly ran up to the corner of the building, her body pressed flat against it, and peered around the corner. Percy could see the relief wash over her when she let out a sigh. She looked back at them. "I'm so sorry. To answer your question, I don't run around corners like that, no. I was..." She studied them again as if something suddenly occurred to her. "Can I trust you?"

He and Annabeth looked at each other confused. "I don't know," Annabeth decided. "Depends on who you are."

"Seriously. It's important."

After a moment of careful thought, she nodded. "You can trust us," she said, though still a little cautious.

"Okay, okay," the girl uttered, holding up her hands as if trying to stop them from saying something more. She let out a nervous sigh. "I know we just met, but I think I may need your help."

"Um... sure," Percy shrugged. "What can we do for you?"

Seriously, she was full of nervous. After he asked, she glanced around at her surroundings again as if looking for something or someone. Her whole aura was starting to make him feel uneasy. "We can't talk here. Do you have a car or something? Somewhere we can talk where there aren't so many people around?"

Confused, he furrowed his brows and pointed down the street. "Uh, yeah. My car's just over there. Are you in some kind of trouble or something?"

Hesitation crossed her face like she was worried she went too far. "You said I could trust you. I guess I'm going to have to prove that you can trust me too." Reaching her hand out again, she offered it to him and Annabeth. "My name's Marguerite Caine. I know it's a lot to ask, but if you're willing to help me, this might be one hell of a ride."

Marguerite shut the backseat door of Percy's car and shuffled herself over so she was positioned between the driver and passenger seats. Leaning forward, she looked at the two of them with an expression that showed she meant business. "The reason I crashed into the two of you back there was because I was being chased by a few guys."

"You break the law or something?" Percy teased. Annabeth flicked him on the arm and he swatted her hand away.

"No. In fact, I kinda wish it was that easy." He didn't like the sound of that. "You see, I got myself into a bit of trouble. I don't actually belong here. I don't live here."

"So you ran away?" Annabeth asked. "Where are you from?"

"I mean, yes I live here, but... at the same time I don't... well, it doesn't matter," she waved her hand, leaving Percy and Annabeth more than confused. "What does is the fact that very bad men have been on the lookout for me and my friends because of something we have." Percy watched as she lifted the heavy necklace over her head. Resting the giant jeweled piece in her palm she explained further. "This necklace is a very special item. There are only two of them in the entire world and they know we have them."

"Please don't tell me you stole those," Percy muttered. Annabeth seemed just as concerned of that possibility as she studied the peculiar necklace carefully. Thankfully nothing strange happened when she did.

"Don't worry. I didn't steal it... well, not from them at least," Marguerite added lightly. "It's my parents'."

Great. The one day he had free to take out his girlfriend on a date was the one day they ran into more trouble. You know, he was starting to get really tired of being a demigod.

Marguerite went on. "The people running after me have been chasing me and my boyfriend for a while now. I've had some pretty close calls, but I've managed to lose them for the moment. My boyfriend however..." her face darkened very suddenly. "He hasn't been so lucky."

Not liking where this was going, but also not sure what else to ask, Percy stared at the necklace. "What happened to him? And what's so important about that necklace? You know, other than the badass jewel in the middle."

Lifting an eyebrow, she said, "Nothing you need to know. At least at the moment. To answer your question about my boyfriend, he's been taken. Where? I don't know. I was in the middle of eavesdropping on the guys that took him but... you can see where that got me," she muttered motioning around her.

"What does this have to do with us?" Annabeth asked with suspicion.

"That's the part where we really have to trust each other."

Both Annabeth and him shared a look. They had absolutely no idea what was going on or what this girl wanted. Percy was even surprised he let a total stranger into his car in the first place. Part of him expected her to break out of a disguise to reveal a monster ready to kill them. Then he'd never hear the end of it. Annabeth would rate this date as one of the worst. At the same time though, Marguerite didn't seem like any mythical creature he had ever run into before. She looked and acted very mortal.

"I know it's a lot to ask," she added, seeing their expressions. "Really though, the favor I'm going to ask the two of you is small compared to what I'm needing to do."

Annabeth adjusted herself in the passengers seat. "What's the favor?"

Biting her lip with obvious thought, she suddenly stretched her arm out so that the necklace was nearly touching them. "Take it."

"Wait, what?"

"You just told us that men were chasing you because of this thing," Percy fought back. "And you want us to just take it?"

"I don't want you to keep it," she assured the two of them. "In fact, please don't. It's the only thing I can use to get back home. I just need to find a safe place to hide it until I can get my boyfriend back. Trouble is, they know that I'm the one carrying it. Giving it to a couple of strangers isn't my first choice, but I can't risk leaving it in a hiding place without someone there to watch over it. If they ever find it... bad things would happen. Very bad things."

"Nothing like being vague. Or putting us on the spot."

"Please," she begged. "I need you to do this. Will you help me or what?"

Gee. He didn't know. Help the girl with a group of enemies who had just apparently kidnapped her friend because of some chunky jewelry? Just another Monday for ya. "What do you think?" he asked his girlfriend. He could see the gears turning inside her head, pondering the question.

"If we do, how much danger does that put us in?" she questioned.

"Um..." Marguerite hesitated. "That I can't really say. Look, if you're not able or willing to take such a risk, I'll gladly ask someone else. I don't like getting other people involved, but at the same time, I don't really have much of a choice at this point."

Annabeth let out a heavy sigh. "No. Don't ask anyone else. We can handle it. You'd be surprised by how much we actually deal with."

A genuine smile grew on the girl's face, almost as if the pressure was pulled off her for a moment. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means. Now about hiding the thing. Do you know where you could stash it until I can take it again? Of course, I'd like to see first hand where you put it, so if I could tag along for a little while..."

Then silence. There was no possible way Percy would ever let the necklace into his mom's apartment. He didn't want to risk putting her or Paul in any danger. As for Annabeth, her dad didn't even live in New York. There wasn't any safe place to keep the thing hidden where other mortals couldn't get at it.

Oh, wait a minute. There might be one place...

Percy shrugged. "There's camp."

"Camp?" Annabeth asked as if that was one of the worst suggestions he could give. "Percy, we can't take her to camp! She's not -" she stopped herself short before trying again, this time mouthing it. "She's a mortal. We can't get her over camp boarders! And what about the danger the necklace could bring to everyone?"

"Annabeth, no one will be able to find camp," he whispered back.

"Yes, but -"

"Do you have any other ideas? I'm sure Chiron will allow her in just for a short while."

"But what about the kind of camp it is? Not everything can hide through the mist."

"That's why we cover for what she can see. There aren't that many things she would question if we tell her it's all a re-enactment."

"Percy..."

He felt Marguerite's eyes on them as she waited patiently for an answer. Mulling it over in her mind for a few more seconds, Annabeth sat back and ran a hand through her hair, muttering something to herself. It sounded like something to do with him getting his way again. Then she sighed. "So much for our date. Take us to camp."

"Great," Marguerite said. "Now how far away is this camp of yours? I'll need to be able to find it again, possibly the quicker the better."

From the corner of his eye, Percy saw Annabeth shaking her head in disagreement with their decision. "Just a short drive. Don't worry about it." He started his car and everyone buckled up. "Your necklace will be in good hands."

And so now, they were just pulling up to Camp Half-Blood. The parking lot where the strawberry farm vans were was hidden deep in the trees to keep from people stopping by to check the area out. Therefore, Percy had to drive through a long, narrow, off-road trail to where he was able to park beside one of the vans. Throughout the ride, they had made conversation to their new friend, asking her questions to maybe get to know her better. Unfortunately, most of the answers were just as vague as she had been earlier or not applicable at all. The further into conversation they were, Annabeth's face grew more perplexed by the minute. At this point, she just about had a full-out pout on her face. Even to him though, things weren't adding up. This girl was hiding something bigger than the people she and her friends were running from. Something much bigger. He was almost afraid to ask her what it was.

"Here we are," he declared, putting the car in park. "Now, uh, little warning, you might not be able to enter camp for the first little bit. Don't worry. Annabeth will get someone who will let you in."

"Me? Really?" Annabeth raised her eyebrow.

"I drove."

"Why can't I enter with the two of you?" Marguerite asked. "Are no visitors allowed or something?"

"It's not that," Annabeth stated. "It's simply... er... well, kinda. But not that you aren't welcome. We just don't get visitors that often, that's all."

"Oh," she muttered with puzzlement. "Okay."

"Really, it's no big deal," Percy assured her. "The people at camp are all pretty friendly. Except Clarisse La Rue. Stay clear of her."

"Who?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes at him. "Percy, stop it. You aren't helping." Turning back to the confused girl sitting in the back seat, she reassured her. "You don't have to worry about anything. However, you might have to prepare yourself for what we do here. Our entire camp is actually based on the Ancient Greeks. So you'll see people re-enacting sword fights and stuff like that."

Marguerite perked up a bit. "Oh! Just like that camp I used to go to as a kid. It was themed Kings and Castles. People dressed up in suits of armor and carried fake swords around everywhere. Sure. That sounds like fun."

"Uh... yeah. Just like that. Maybe a little different though in some areas." She turned back to Percy with an expression that told him that if anything went wrong, it was on his shoulders. "Let's get this over with." She then unbuckled and got out of the vehicle. Percy and Marguerite did the same and began following the daughter of Athena up the steep trail to camp's gate entrance. This time they traveled in silence, everyone to their own thoughts. He was sure Annabeth's mind was going crazy because his was.

Marguerite suddenly tripped on a tree root and quickly grabbed onto his arm for balance.

"Gosh. Do you always make this trek each time you come here? There has to be an easier way to your camp."

"Not really, no," he said. "It's a pretty secluded camp so we don't like taking the chance that random people might wander in or something."

"Who would there be all the way out here?" Not even bothering to answer her question, he trekked on and tried to compose what they were going to tell Chiron.

Annabeth had a point, he realized. They had no idea how much danger they were possibly putting the camp in by bringing this girl with them. If the people chasing her and her boyfriend wanted this necklace so bad - even to the point of kidnapping - it was almost certain that what Marguerite had in her possession was costly enough to kill for. And now he and Annabeth were going to take if off her hands and hide it somewhere in their camp. He just hoped they were regular mortals and not monsters. However, if that be the case, at least they knew how to fight if it came to that. All the same though, he was hoping that these guys were actually just mortals. Then they wouldn't be able to get into camp even if they did find it.

Walking on, they managed to reach the gate, signalling the boarder of camp. Thalia's pine tree stood tall with the golden fleece wrapped around its base, strengthening Camp Half-Blood's magic. And, of course, Camp Half-Blood's sign was engraved on the top of the wooden gateway over top two lit torches. All this was normal for him and Annabeth, a regular sight to see, however he noticed Marguerite stare up at the Camp Half-Blood sign with interest.

"So what does 'Half-Blood' mean exactly?" she asked with her eyes still glued to the sign. "Is it something to do with the theme of your camp or should I be scared right now?"

"It's just the theme," Annabeth was quick to answer. "You don't have to worry at all. Just don't wander around on your own."

"Sure. I can do that," and she began walking towards the gate. Shortly after, before Marguerite could step foot on the other side, she was suddenly stopped in her tacks as a force held her back, leaving her standing there fighting with the air. She tried again until, with confusion and slight fear, she stepped back staring at the gate. "Uh, what the hell?"

Annabeth glanced at Percy with an expression that meant something was just confirmed. "Wait here," she told the two of them, not even bothering to give a reason why Marguerite couldn't pass. She and Percy simply watched as Annabeth crossed into camp easily and without any problem. He could tell by the way of her walk that she was still pissed at him. Nothing new.

"So... " Marguerite murmured hesitantly after a while. "That was weird. Why was she able to cross over and I wasn't?"

"Uh... security system," he decided because, technically, it was.

"Security...?" She scrunched her nose. "I don't know what kind of system you use, but I'll tell you right now that my parent's and sister would be all over how you managed it." She paused for a moment. "Man, you guys really are secluded, aren't you?"

Looking at her expression, he scratched his head and pulled his attention off her. She was probably just as confused about them as they were about her. "It's complicated," he explained lightly.

"How long do you think this will take?" she said after a few seconds, trying to change the topic.

"Will what take?"

Shrugging and motioning to the camp she said, "I don't know. Whatever she's doing? Oh, and I guess I never got your names."

"Oh." With a friendly smile he then offered his hand. "Percy Jackson."

"Nice to meet you," she said shaking his hand.

"My girlfriend's name is Annabeth Chase. And she shouldn't take too long. She just needs to ask permission for your admittance from our camp director."

"That's good. The quicker the better. I need to get back to Manhattan as fast as possible. I'm not sure where my boyfriend is being kept and would like if I could rescue him sooner than later."

That struck him as odd. "Didn't you contact the police? I mean, that's their job, isn't it? The guy got kidnapped."

Marguerite shook her head. "I can't because that's what they would expect. I don't wanna risk..." She stopped herself. "No. The police would only make things worse. I have to do it on my own."

"Are you sure? This all sounds kind of dangerous."

She laughed weakly at that. "You have no idea."

I'd like to bet that I do, actually... he thought to himself. "And you're doing this on your own?"

"Doesn't matter. Once I rescue him, we'll both be together to stop the man in charge. I'm not really alone. My family and friends can offer backup if things get worse."

Not exactly sure what "backup" or "man in charge" meant, he didn't push for an answer anyway. Hopefully he wouldn't have to worry about this much longer. Marguerite didn't want to take very long with this rescue, so that hopefully meant that they wouldn't have this necklace in their possession for more time than necessary. What Chiron thought about all this was starting to make him wonder though. He hadn't the slightest clue what he was going to think. Would he actually let Marguerite's necklace enter camp? Would she even have his permission to take foot across the boarder?

For now, the two of them had to wait to find out.

"And you brought her here?" Chiron asked with a raised eyebrow, his elbow resting on the chess table he was sitting at. Annabeth had found him playing a game with one of the satyrs on the porch of the Big House.

"Yes, granted it was Percy's idea. She sounds genuine enough, I guess. I don't like the idea of bringing a total stranger into our camp, even if it is just for a moment or two, but if she is in the amount of trouble she's in..."

"Then she could potentially bring trouble here," he finished her sentence. "Did she tell you who or what was chasing her?"

Annabeth crossed her arms and leaned against the railing of the porch. "Not really. All she said was that there were a few guys. She's not a demigod though. She already tried crossing the boarder but I purposely didn't stop her. I don't think we need to worry about monsters."

He nodded thoughtfully, mulling over what she just informed him with. After a while, putting the chess pieces away, he then rolled his wheelchair away from the table and made his way over to the ramp leading off the porch. "I don't know who this person is, but I feel once I meet her, I'll have a better way of determining whether or not she will be allowed to enter. If not, you and Percy are to direct her elsewhere, understand?"

Following him off the porch and onto the dirt path directed to camp's entrance, she nodded and began pushing his wheelchair like a regular mortal would. "I understand."

"I don't want to risk endangering our camp. A mortal could have easily mistaken such a necklace to be a regular piece of jewelry. If it is, by chance, an item with ancient magic, I don't want it entering a single foot into Camp Half-Blood."

"How will you know if it has ancient magic?"

"I'll know it when I see it," he muttered. "I've come across many things during my life that have deceived the eye of its magic, but I have learned to see past such things."

"You think there is a possibility that this necklace Marguerite has could be one of them," Annabeth said as more of a statement than a question.

"If she said there were only two in the entire world, there is a high risk."

Now just entering the woods where camp's entrance stood, Annabeth could see the hill start to decline, though at a more subtle descent. Only after they crossed the gate would the hill steepen, so Chiron was still safe in his wheelchair without turning into his centaur form.

"Marguerite said that she stole them from her parents," she suddenly remembered. "Unless her parents work in a history museum, how would they have any connection to ancient items like that?"

"A quick questioning won't do any harm."

Eventually, they found Percy and Marguerite standing where she'd left them. They looked like they'd been in the middle of a conversation before spotting them appear through the trees. Marguerite still had a confused expression, probably from what the two of them had been talking about. As soon as she spotted Annabeth pushing Chiron in his wheelchair though, she straightened and swallowed nervously as if she didn't really know what to say.

"Uh, hi," she shyly waved.

Chiron nodded at her and took a moment to study her. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. My name is Mr. Brunner and you must be Marguerite. I do hope not to sound inhospitable when I say this, but I have reason to believe Annabeth and Percy had told you about the conditions for visitors already," he smiled in a friendly manner.

"Yes, they have," Marguerite answered. "Sort of." Her face scrunched up. "In truth I'm still confused about it, but that doesn't matter. Mr. Brunner, I know I'm kind of intruding on you guys and I apologize about that, but I had told my friends here that I had a small favor to ask of them." That was her cue to take her necklace off and show off the jewel just as she had for the both of them.

Annabeth made sure to study Chiron's expression as he looked at it for any recognition.

"A group of bad men are after me because of this necklace. It's incredibly valuable and there is only one other just like this. There is a single man who is fighting for these necklaces and if he gets his hands on them, bad things could happen, and not just the kind where he robs stores and gets rich. I'd go into more detail, but we don't have time for that. So, obviously, I've been trying very hard for a while now to keep them from him and his followers. I had asked if it was possible to hide it in your camp for a short time so I could help my friend. He's been kidnapped. I would come back for it as quickly as I can so you wouldn't have to worry about it for long. This is the only thing I have that can get me back to where I belong so I will need it back."

With a slightly raised eyebrow, he waited for her to continue.

"I truly apologize for putting you all on the spot like this, but it's important. I..." she sighed like she was desperate. "You guys are my last hope. So..." she looked at Chiron as if trying to read his mind. "Do you think you would be willing to help me out? Just for a little while at least? All you have to do is hide it."

Chrion stared at the necklace in her hands with a face so twisted in concentration that Annabeth thought he had zoned out completely. However, she watched him slowly shake his head. Marguerite frowned. "I do not recognize this item," he murmured under his breath.

Marguerite looked a little surprised. "I just... I just told you... Um, this is one of my parents' inventions. They make... jewelry. There aren't anything like the two of these in the world."

His gaze lifted to her face. "Your parents made this?"

"Yes..." She was starting to feel uneasy, Annabeth could tell.

"What is it your parents do for a living then?" he asked lightly but with purpose. Annabeth herself had questions she wanted to ask this new girl like where she really came from, and how she got into trouble as deep as she was in, in the first place.

"They're scientists," Marguerite answered as if she didn't really want to share that bit of information. "The both of them. Sometimes to pass time, my mother would make jewelry. This just happens to be a prized piece."

"That's quite the piece of jewelry."

"It is."

He started fingering his beard the way he always did when he was trying to put pieces together. "Do you mind telling me where you're from? What kind of scientists are your parents? What do they do?"

She opened her mouth to answer but stopped almost immediately as if she was about to say something she wasn't supposed to. Instead, she tried again, though she didn't sound as certain of herself. "Manhattan. I live in Manhattan with my parents. They like working on, uh, machines and learning about... space. Really, I've never really been into all that so I can't really tell you. I prefer painting."

"I see." They shared a moment of silence as he thought, looking once more at the necklace in her hands. He seemed as though he was trying to find a reason why he couldn't let her leave it there with them. Really though, it looked like a regular chunky piece of jewelry. "Is there any way these men can track the necklace here?" he asked.

"No..." she sounded hesitant. "No you're fine. They can't track you here."

There was still suspicion in him from what Annabeth could tell, but knowing that they couldn't track the necklace to their camp was good news. Thankfully their camp was harder to get to anyway.

Finally he sighed. "Very well. You may leave your necklace here. However, I will have you know, given the policy we have here, that visitors may not enter. You can fully trust us to keep your necklace safe for you," he smiled with an assuring nod. "When you wish to retrieve it again, you may phone our camp and Percy and Annabeth will send it down to you in a set place in the city. Does that sound like it would work for you?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you so much," and she handed him the necklace, but not too eagerly. "What number could I reach you at?"

Surprisingly, Annabeth actually found a piece of paper and a pen in her bag Chrion could use to write down the camp's number. Marguerite pocketed the piece of paper in her jean jacket and smiled. "Thanks again. I don't think it should take too long, but whatever you guys do," her face suddenly took on a more serious expression. "Please don't play around with it. It's incredibly delicate."

"We understand. It will be in good hands," Chiron assured. "Percy, Annabeth, I believe she will need a ride back into Manhattan. We will talk again, Marguerite Caine," he smiled friendly at her. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"You too," she smiled back and then faced Percy and Annabeth. "And thanks for the ride, you two. I feel like I'm seriously taking advantage here."

"It's no problem," Percy said. "Now, let's get you back to the city. Your boyfriend's probably waiting for you."

She sighed and straightened again as if trying to stay strong. "Right. Let's go."

As she began heading back down the trail towards Percy's car, Annabeth stared at him and shook her head. "This is one of those dates, Percy. This is one of those dates."

There you are folks! How did you like the first chapter? I apologize if Annabeth and/or Percy seemed OOC. It's always so hard for me to start a story and keep the characters acting like themselves in the first chapter. Am I the only person who struggles with that? Do others understand my struggles? Let me know in the reviews. ;P

Anyways, thanks for reading and look out for chapter 2!