A/N: Hi again! Thank you so much for the reviews again! I'll put the credits at the end for you all - this chapter is not the most exciting, in fact hardly any of the chapters are exciting but I've decided to take it slow and build it up gradually.

AND I'm soooo happy because I got a distinction in my violin exam! 139! YAY!

All rights go to Rick Riordan and also Sam McBratney who wrote my all time favourite childhood book 'Guess how much I love you' it's sappy but adorably sweet in my eyes.

Any tips and requests are welcome! Love you all so much - bye!

~Cocoa!

Chapter 10

Annabeth

Another wet autumn day, where the sky thundered with a sheet of grey clouds and streaks of lightning. The rain pounded on the streets around me, tumbling and turning in the atmosphere and soaking into my coat.

I could feel the tip of my nose turning red and my fingers going numb from the icy breeze. I wore a dark red woollen hat – the one I always love to wear when it's cold. Percy's house isn't far from here; it should be only a few roads away.

I haven't always been a big believer in destiny, but there's this nagging pull at the back of my mind – telling me everything is somehow going to work out. Maybe it was destiny that brought Percy all those miles from Manchester – all the way to the heart of London, to my specific orchestra. It didn't feel just like a coincidence, I'm sure of it.

The houses here are tall and wide, with more than three storeys and large windows emanating light and warmth. A ginger cat walked down the side of the road and disappeared into somebody's garden; a couple were laughing on the opposite side of the road, both in their seventies or eighties but with smiles like children.

That could be us, one day...

Me and Luke.

Me and Percy.

Don't worry about tomorrow, just let everything happen naturally. And if destiny existed, then Percy and I will someday learn to love again, I wouldn't be with Luke anymore and I would have no sadness burdening my heart. Though, from experience life isn't that simple.

I felt a flash of déjà vu as I walked up the steps to Percy's house and underneath the dark wooden porch, decorated with lilies. I rang the doorbell and waited, wrapping my coat around me tighter and clenching my hands together for the merest hint of warmth.

Footsteps thudded from behind the door and the latch opened, revealing a pretty, curly black haired girl with an ecstatic grin across her cheeks.

"Mummy! You're back!"

Even though it was raining, she ran outside and jumped into my arms. I picked her up with a little bit of effort and carried her inside, our matching curly hair entwining with each other.

"Oh Ebony, I'm so sorry I left in such a rush last week," I put her down in the large spacious hallway and looked around, admiring the beautiful carvings in the wood and exotic plants against the windows.

"But it's ok – because you're back! Can I show you my tree house? Daddy built it for me in the garden!"

Actually where is Percy? "I'd love to – though maybe when the rain stops."

"Ok, that's cool. Do you play the piano? Daddy has been teaching me it, I want to be as good as him one day," she took my hand and pulled me into the cream walled living room.

The whole room was bigger than the entire ground floor of my house, and that's saying a lot. Book shelves, glass surfaced tables, soft sofas and a flat screen TV filled the entire space. In the hearth, a warm open fire lit up the dark red rug in front of it, in a cosy, flickering light.

"Where's your Dad?"

She frowned and then ran over to the patio doors and pointed down the garden. "He's there! I remember – he wanted to fix the swing 'cos the rope snapped off the tree branch."

The figure in the distance looked up, his black hair buffeting in the wind and shining with droplets of rain. His top was soaked through and plastered to his chest revealing the firm muscles underneath. Our eyes met and he gave me the thumbs up, pushing the swing to show that it's fixed.

Running back, he disappeared in the back door and entered the living room, dripping with the rain from head to toe.

"Glad you could make it – it's really lovely weather out there, isn't it?"

Laughing, I replied with the same amount of ease I had all those years ago. "You should probably get dried; you're getting water all over the carpet."

"Can't I get a hug first?"

"No!" I yelped, backing away as he approached me with open arms.

He grinned and flicked water in my face and promptly ran out of the room, but not before I saw the devious smirk on his features.

"Can I show you my room?" Ebony said; her face was like the girl equivalent of Percy's, though I could see her chin was the same as mine and her eyes were shaped almost identical to me.

We made her Percy, can you believe that? This wonderful creation, this beautiful innocent life.

"I'd love to see it."

She giggled and ran up the winding staircase and gestured me to follow.

"It's really big – but Daddy says I can always grow into it 'cos I'm only four years old but he also says I'm mature for my age."

"I'm sure you are," I said warmly, following her into her bedroom.

And god was it amazing.

First thing? The size. It was as big as the living room downstairs – in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if all the rooms in this house was massive.

Fancy furniture and delicate ornaments decorated the room. In the middle of the end wall, a large double bed stood firmly, scattered with blankets and soft, cuddly toys and pillows of all sizes.

A balcony overlooked the garden, with a glass door in between, letting in enough light to fill the room.

"This is my favouritist teddy in the whole world! He's called Eddie." she picked up a large well used, light brown bear and hugged him to her body. "Do you have a favourite toy?"

"Well, I've got a stuffed owl that I've had even since I was a baby."

"Is it really dirty?"

"Very," I told her with a grin. "And I've had to repair him at least twenty times but I've never abandoned him."

She placed the bear gently on her double bed and sat down on the edge, looking at me expectantly.

"Are you staying the whole day?" she turned around and gave me large puppy eyes, reminding of Percy. "Please?"

"Of course I can," I said smiling at her. "What do you want to do? I can take you to see the wonders of London – "

"With Daddy?"

"Yes, with Daddy."

"Can I take my camera? Daddy gave to me for my birthday on the – "

"17th of June," I finished.

"How do you know my birthday?"

I shrugged and sat down next to her. "I could never forget the day you were born – it was one of the best moments of my life..."

"Are you crying?" she asked suddenly.

Was I? I wiped away the wetness in my eyes, wondering why on earth it was there.

"It's ok to cry. Daddy says it's good to cry because it lets out your emotions instead of keeping them to yourself," she put her palm in mine and a spark of warmth ignited. "Daddy cries too, sometimes I hear him at night. It's because he misses you, you know? I don't like it when Daddy cries; it makes me sad as well."

Oh Percy...just look at the state we're in. If only you didn't end it all those years ago. Why did you? Why did you?

The wild turmoil of emotions inside of me slowed to a halt; all I felt was a numbing pain in my stomach.

"I wish...I wish I could help..."

"You could marry Daddy," Ebony suggested hopefully. "And then nobody will be sad anymore."

"If it were that simple, I would."

If I wasn't going out with Luke.

If Percy would tell me the reason.

If somehow, we could learn to love again.

"Come on, I'll take you out on a day trip."

We stood up and ran down the stairs and out into the hallway, Percy was downstairs in the kitchen with his mind focused on a half ripped recipe.

"Hey, Percy!"

He looked up and dusted off his top. "Yeah?"

"Is it ok if I take Ebony into London?"

He nodded. "That's fine, I'm just preparing dinner – "

"Daddy! You should join us!" She bounded up to him and dragged him into the hall way. "Let's go, let's go!"

I smiled to myself at her playful innocence and followed her out of the door. For the first time in five years, I somehow felt part of something...a family feel, a glow, a tingle in my fingers.

"Mummy, look! This is the camera Daddy got me," Ebony rummaged inside her large coat pocket and held up a shiny black device, which looked like it was worth a thousand pounds. "It's waterproof so it won't be affected by the rain."

"That's really good – that must've been a fortune to buy," I looked up at Percy, whose hair was already soaked from the rain.

It's not the best day to go on a day trip, but it doesn't matter. All that is important is letting Ebony know I still love her.

XXX

The city is as busy as usual, full of vibrant noise and traffic. Though it is raining, the pavements are still crowded with people, hurrying from shop to shop.

Ebony held onto my hand, her mouth stretched upwards in an excited smile. We had been walking around the shops for the past hour and I knew that her energy would run out soon.

"Mummy! Mummy! Can we go on that wheel?"

She pointed to the gigantic white loop in the distance, with crowds of people milling around below.

"The London Eye?" it's expensive... she gave me her puppy eyes again and I knew I couldn't win. "Ok, just for a treat."

"Yay! Thank you mummy!"

I could feel Percy's gaze watching us interact and felt a strange tingle down my spine. The night of our first time together flashed before my eyes... don't think like that...ugh, don't think like that.

It had crossed my mind many times before, but now that Percy had moved into London, now that I was standing right next to him, it kept returning to the forefront of my head, no matter how hard I tried to push it back.

"Smile!" she took, what must've been the hundredth photo, of us today. They mainly consisted of Percy and I, looking at each other awkwardly with some interesting background behind us.

"Your turn," I said, snapping a picture of her.

She laughed and ran away towards the London Eye with us following her closely behind. The line was long to wait in, but somehow Percy managed to get us to the front – partly because of his fame and partly because the paparazzi and lovesick fans were trying to tug on his clothes and crowd around him, screaming and shouting.

The door of the pod shut behind us, leaving us protected from the wind and rain as we slowly started moving upwards.

Ebony ran up to the side, jumping on and off the railing and staring at the London skyline.

"Look, that's Buckingham palace," I pointed down to the building near the Thames.

"That's where the queen lives, isn't it? Daddy met the queen, didn't you Daddy?"

Percy stood next to me and smiled, his eyes fixed on the skyline. "Yes – just once though."

I raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You've spoken to the queen in person?"

"Yeah – I was playing in a concert and the queen sat in the royal box, it was probably the most nerve racking moments of my life – "

"More nerve racking than your very first concert?" I smirked, remembering his nervousness on the night I first met him.

"Even more so. Anyway, afterwards she talked to me in person about it."

"Wow..."

And I wanted to kiss him there and then.

But I didn't, because...because...

Snap.

"Gotcha!" Ebony squealed, showing me the picture on her camera. "Look! Your noses are almost touching!"

Percy and I lurched away from each other, blushing with embarrassment. Gazing at the photo on the small screen, I realised that it did look like we were about to kiss. If Luke saw that...

You don't love Luke, do you? Why don't you just end it with him?

XXX

I ran the bath water and filled it with Ebony's favourite bath bombs, making sure that it wasn't too hot or too cold.

Percy and I hadn't talked much to each other today, maybe it was a good thing not to get to close, because what could ever happen between us again?

'If he's the one who makes you happy, fight for him' Hazel had said.

I can't do this anymore...I just can't.

I slumped down on the floor, feeling drained completely of energy. Ebony appeared in the doorway, wearing her pink fluffy dressing gown and her black curls brushed out of her face.

"Mummy, what's the matter?"

"I'm just tired, that's all."

Tired with hiding my emotions. Tired with the awkwardness between Percy and I. Tired with the complexity of the situation I'm in.

"Do you want to spend the night here?"

"No, it's fine sweetie. I'll have to get home soon – I promise I'll visit you tomorrow after work."

She looked at me with concern but didn't question anything. I helped her to get bathed, and carefully combed the knots out of her hair.

I tucked her into bed, with her eyes already drooping.

"Goodnight darling," I whispered.

She shifted and sat up, reaching for a book on her bedside table. "Can you read me a story before you go?"

I couldn't say no and I still felt like I needed to repay her for not being there her entire life. So I sat down next to her on the bed and she snuggled into my side, handing me the small book.

"Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown's very long ears – "

"That's me," she pointed at the delicately drawn illustration on the page. "And that's you."

I smiled, though for some reason it didn't quite reach my eyes.

"He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening.

"Guess how much I love you," he said.

"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

"This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.

Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms.

"But I love you this much," he said.

Hmm, that is a lot, thought little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That is very high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare, I wish I had arms like that.

Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet.

"I love you all the way up to my toes!" he said.

"And I love you all the way up to your toes," said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head.

"I love you as high as I can hop," laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.

"But I love you as high as I can hop," smiled Big Nutbrown Hare - and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above.

That's good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that.

"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river," cried Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you across the river and over the hills," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think any more. Then he looked beyond the thorn bushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be further than the sky.

"I love you right up to the moon," he said, and closed his eyes.

"Oh, that's far," said Big Nutbrown Hare. "That is very, very far."

Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him good night.

Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, "I love you right up to the moon –

And back."

I shut the book and smiled at Ebony's sleeping face, rested upon my shoulder with her breathing warm and even.

Getting up slowly, so as not to wake her, I tucked her in the bed and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Goodbye darling."

Ever so quietly, I turned off the lamp and left the room, making my way down the long winding staircase and past all the large pictures that decorated the hall.

A light flickered in the kitchen and I saw Percy sitting at the marble topped table, a book open and his hand cupped around a mug of tea.

"Thanks for letting me stay today; it's been a real pleasure to visit."

Percy looked up and his smile wavered and his beautiful green eyes seemed sadder than usual. "No thank you for being so good to Ebony; she's waited all her life to see you and I...I'm just glad you could be here today."

I down casted my eyes, heat rising to my cheeks.

"Can we...can we be friends again? I...just really miss you, it's hard for me to - to live in awkwardness like this."

Silence.

I daren't look up, afraid of what I might see in his expression. "Look, if it's about that 'reason' you won't tell me, it doesn't matter. I don't care what the reason is...if you truly know me, you would know that no reason would make me love you less."

"You can't say that when you don't know what it is," he said quietly.

"Oh why can't I? Or is it just you being a coward?" I fired back, sick of his stupid secrets. "Go on, tell me."

"I'm a coward then," somehow, his voice refused to get angry. That only made my anger rise, burning, burning, fire in my heart. "Annabeth, it doesn't matter why we broke up. We live in different worlds now, you've got Luke, and I've got Ebony."

"Ebony matters to me," I hissed, glaring at him. "She's part of my life now. You matter to me, why can't you see that?"

"I can see that, Annabeth. And you matter to me as well."

"Then why can't you tell me?"

He didn't reply.

Gritting my teeth in exasperation, I stormed out of the kitchen and out into the hallway. My head was spinning with the searing emotions that whirled around endlessly, trying to bring me down.

"Annabeth, wait."

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned around slowly, desperately holding in my anger.

"Friends?" he said.

My eyes shot open, dark and accusing. "You think I could be friends with you after that?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"You thought wrong."

Another pause. We stared at each other, my eyes full of fury and frustration and his dark with sadness and...Longing?

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's strange how two people can love each other, but hate each other at the same time."

"I don't hate you. I merely dislike you."

"If you say so."

He gave me one last smile and walked away.