Verse 2
"I have been in Vietnam as a journalist reporting the war for ten whole years, Bianca was only one of the girl that I worked with. It wasn't my duty to protect her, it was Luke's job to protect the reporters. Before the we decided to get fully involved in this bloody combat, I had no one to trust, no one to protect me, do you think I didn't try to give up my job?"
Annabeth's out burst had surprised the four sitting cozily on the couch. "But you shouldn't be a therapist, because your experience made you a person that find suppressing emotions hard." Piper said calmly.
"You think I want to do that?" Annabeth raised her voice at her friend, it was the first time Piper had seen her do that. "I knew I can't, my early life had sculptured me into a weak useless piece of crap. I don't even want to live my life after coming back. But I did this just to fulfill Bianca's wish okay?" She glowered at her friend with her steel gray eyes. The look frightened Piper, she flinched a little under her intense gaze.
"Don't say her name." Nico growled.
"Get over it Di Angelo." Annabeth snapped. "If it wasn't for her, you won't even see me here sitting in front you."
Nico was about to say something as a comeback, but he was cut off by Piper. "Let's not fight in here shall we? Talk everything out." Her request sounded weak, because sitting with four people who had seen just more than deaths was a fearing thought, they would have the mind to do anything if they were paranoid enough.
"You're the one to say McLean." Piper wanted to snuggle closer to Jason, but she feared that Jason would do something soldier like, and that thought made her more insecure. This was not the Annabeth she knew, it was not the friend she remembered. She couldn't believe how much a person could change by a war. "You forced me to tell them about my past, your forced this personality out of me. I knew my past is nothing fearful compared to theirs, but you kept wanting me to tell them, you kept wanting me to rub it in their face, to show them, to remind them of the bloody war and the bloody vicious battlefields. You think they've not seen enough? You think I haven't seen enough? I've been in war indirectly for 10 years. After I came back, I tried to wipe out my memory of these ten fucking years, but you just have to make me remember every single one of it." Piper stared. She didn't know what to say, or how to respond. The other three boys seemed to be calmer for some reason after listening to Annabeth's out burst. "If Bianca," she glared at Nico, warning him to not say a word about mentioning his dead sister's name, "hadn't die, I don't need to suppress all the feelings and anxiety I have and be a fucking shrink. She told me she wanted to bring all the soldiers that are suffering from the trauma of the Vietnam war out of their agony. She asked me to do that for her, I could've just told her no, and told her that if she would just dodge that bullet everything would be fine, but I didn't, I agreed and promised her that I'd do that. Not because I want to help people overcome their pain while I'm drowning in mine, I only did that because she'd been on my side for long enough for me to consider her as a worthy friend." Annabeth finished her speech by glaring at every single person sitting in front of her.
They all cringed under her piercing gaze, Piper looked away when her eyes land on her. Seeing the reaction from Piper, Annabeth soften her stare. Before this, Percy, Jason and Nico had always thought of Annabeth as another chick that Nico had fucked and a girl friend of Piper's. They never know a woman like her exist. They only know that this warfare ruined their life and their teenage time, the only thing they could to was to spoil themselves, do whatever they want to make up for the youth taken away by the government.
From that day forward, Percy's opinion towards this Annabeth girl had changed. He no longer think of women as a tool, but he started to see the positive aspects in them.
"Hi." One day, he stepped into the cozy looking clinic of Annabeth's, not sure what had gotten into him, he didn't back out the door the moment he saw the title.
"Hi, do you have an appointment with Ms Chase?" The female receptionist asked.
"Uh… No…" Percy stuttered, suddenly aware of the fact that he was actually in her personal clinic.
"Then she won't see you. I'm sorry." The woman said apologetically.
"Oh, okay then." Percy ruffled his own hair dejectedly. "How do I make an appointment?" He turned around suddenly when he was about to push open the door and leave.
"Ms Chase's currently not taking in any new patient." The woman replied diplomatically.
"Oh well…" He stood there awkwardly. "Then, goodbye."
"Bye." The receptionist smiled and waved at him as he pushed open the door.
"Drew, what's taking you so long to send me the files?" A feminine voice, much deeper and steadier than the receptionist's sounded in the waiting room.
Hearing the voice, Percy turned around and went back into the clinic, thinking that he had heard the voice somewhere. Determined to find the owner to the voice. Finding the sound strangely appealing to him, he stepped inside, not caring that he had made a bunch of noises by bumping on to the side of the glass door.
The conversation inside stopped immediately, two women turned and stared at him, both had a the same emotionless face but held different meaning in their eyes. His eyes slightly widened when he saw who the deep voice belonged to.
"You didn't have an appointment I remember." Drew informed.
"You're right I don't." He said strategically, walking away, hoping that Annabeth would recognize him and call him back.
"Percy Jackson." He was lucky that she did.
"Yes Ms Chase." Making his way back onto the platform that Annabeth was standing on.
"Do I have anything scheduled now?" She asked her receptionist. Drew checked the stack of paper on her desk, and shook her head. "Then come with me." She gestured to Percy. "He doesn't need to be recorded." Annabeth told Drew before she led Percy into a private conference room, a room that she rest in, and the only room that she would not allow a patient to visit. "Make yourself at home." She commanded and sat down on her normal seat — a cozy indoor swing chair.
That was the last sentence she had said after entering the room and for the next ten or so minutes, she just stared, stared at Percy and at her surroundings. Nobody talked and no one made a sound. Heck, even no one pulled out their phone and ignore the other's presence.
"Why are you not talking?" After minutes of pacing around, he sat down. "You led me into this room, and told me to make myself at home, but you have said nothing. What are you therapists for? Just sitting there and staring at their patients like animals?" Percy was starting to lose his patience.
Annabeth nodded, observing him with a gentle calm eyes. "Why are you so nervous?" She asked softly, her voice barely missed by him.
"Is that all you've got from ten minutes of silence?"
Annabeth changed a seating position, but made no address to Percy.
"Why are you so anxious?" She tried again, still in the same soft tone.
"Stop asking questions and answer mine." He demanded. Standing up and started pacing around like he'd done when he first got in.
"When I told you to 'make yourself at home', most people would just flop themselves on the sofa, or went for the food on the table, and relax. I knew all of that wouldn't happen on you, because you were a soldier, you are cautious with everything. No matter you are conscripted or not, you were still trained to be like a veteran." She started her analysis slowly and calmly, knowing that her strategy against most patients wouldn't work on him.
"You expected me to lecture you and directly go into your problems, but I didn't, because I want to know more about you. But my many years in Vietnam taught me that you do not talk to a soldier under extreme stress like you talk with normal people, because anything may trigger them into harming you." She paused, to let that sunk into him.
"You kept pacing around and you haven't touched anything in my room yet, I take that you are insecure and scared of being in a room with me or in a closed space. At first I thought it was the latter, because you kept looking at the door and the windows, but then you sat down, and you relaxed, perhaps you have forgotten where you are and what you are doing and have forgotten my presence." She continued, seeing that he had settled down a little. "So I went with the previous option. Maybe it was my outburst yesterday that gave you a very different impression of me, or maybe it was because of yesterday's conversation, you know more about me and hated me more. Nevertheless, you stood up again, remembering what you are doing. I know you don't like the feeling of being trapped, because that's the fear of all soldiers. I fear that too. You still wanted to get out of here, because this place is closed and foreign, it will be hard for you to adjust." She stopped, thinking that there was no need for her to say anything more.
From Percy's demeanors, she knew that he had calmed down, but his mind was telling him that calming down and listening to the order of a lady was not acceptable, so he frowned and spat. "If you know all that, why do you even ask?"
Annabeth remained silence, it was not because she didn't know the answer the the question, but it was because if she answered it, it would mean that she supported Percy's subconsciousness, the one that told him to defiant. She needed the calming and normal part of him to take over the control of his brain, so she shut her mouth.
Percy laid down on the couch next to Annabeth, stretched out his legs and pillowed his head on his folded arms, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression.
Time ticked away, just like that. They made quiet short conversations, but all starting with a rude comment from Percy. Annabeth chose to respond according to the situation and mood he was in. Occasional laughters could be heard to ease the tension that would start to build from time to time. When finally Annabeth announced. "You can go now." Although still in her soft gentle voice, the simple words still held its power, Percy felt that there was no negotiation. Reluctantly, he sat up.
"Can I come here tomorrow?" He asked hesitantly, like his mouth had betrayed his mind.
Annabeth nodded, standing up from her chair. Taking her time to stroll to the door.
"Come here for lunch." She said as he walked out of the door she held open for.
"A date?" His traits from the troops surfacing.
"I keep my relationship with my patients professional." She shook her head. Closing the door behind her as she walked him out. It was a first to her, she find this guy in front of her special, thinking that maybe he should have a special treatment.
"This is bullshit. Total bull." Percy rolled his eyes, plopping his arm on his knee in front of him. Not meeting Annabeth's stare.
"It is. I agree. But that's what I do, and apparently people find my bullshitting helps." Annabeth shrugged. That agreement earned her a humorous chuckle from Percy.
Percy had been going to Annabeth's for some time now, he went there every twice a week. Although, this was only between the two of them, Piper had noticed the magnificent change in Percy's attitude towards life. Truth to what Annabeth had predicted, Jason didn't need therapy, he only needed Piper's love, and that was what she had given him.
Every time Percy showed up in Annabeth's room, they talked, about everything that was going on and that had gone. To Percy, his problem were not really resolved to any extent, but he did find himself enjoying each chat with her.
"You said you keep your relationship with your clients professional." He said during one of their luncheons.
"Yes." Annabeth nodded. Dumping her trash into the can by the door, her eyes didn't leave him as she did so.
"But I'm technically not your client nor your patient."
"True."
"So does that mean we can bring this elsewhere?" He asked, this was one of his normal moments.
"No."
"And why's that?"
"Because…" She was about to answer when the door burst open, nearly hitting her in the face. "Jeez." She muttered when she dodged just in time and after the face of the person behind the door came into focus of her eyes.
"Your next appointment is here Miss." Drew announced, Annabeth nodded at her, dismissing her. She noticed her reception's eyes lingered on Percy a little longer before closing the door. She smirked at her retreating figure, but switched to a poker-face when she turned her attention back to Percy.
"Well, our time's up." She declared, opening the door and holding it for him waiting for him to get out.
"Do I get to stay and wait until you finish work?"
"No."
"I'm not your patient, and I'm not your client, I'm a friend of your best friend's." He argued.
"You're not a faculty." She reasoned simply and used her head to gesture him to go out.
He stood up, with a sigh. Packed up his stuff and threw away his trash. When he walked past her by the door, he leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "you haven't answer my question yet." Then he sauntered out with a lopsided grin. Annabeth looked stunned for a moment, but recovered quickly. She stepped out, closing the door behind her and spotted Percy walking out of the clinic just after a short exchange of words with her receptionist.
"Have Piper call me tonight." Annabeth said, appearing by the door just after he stepped out. It was one of the very few times that she had walked someone to the door. Giving her receptionist a look, she headed back to her current appointment.
Piper called on behalf of Percy just like Annabeth had asked before he left her clinic today. And the result of the call was an invitation for a sleepover at Piper's house for everyone.
"I'm not the one that suggested this meeting, she did." Piper declared once everyone was gathered at her house, she pointed at Annabeth, and pushed all the responsibilities on her.
"Oh come on Pipes, here I thought you're the host and you're the emotion expert." Annabeth teased, spinning in the chair that she was sitting on. She was particularly in a good mood, which was beneficial to everyone seated in the room currently, because this meant that she wouldn't go all shady on them.
"I thought you're asking me out for a second." Percy said, sitting down on the chair next to her, putting a hand on her thigh that was quickly swatted away by her. Piper gave her a suspicious look but was quickly replied by a sugar coated smile from her. Ignoring Piper's eyes that were darting between her and Percy, and ignoring Percy's comment from earlier, she started to address to the issue that she discovered and propose her solution to it.
"Nico, don't expect you to warm up to me any time soon, in fact, I don't expect you to ever forgive me." She said, looking at Nico who sat right across her.
"Just cut the shit and get to the crap."
"As you wish sir." She replied politely, getting a chuckle from the person next to her, Percy. "I want you to accompany me to an event tomorrow." She requested, her tone formal and serious, it sounded like a demand with no space for negotiation.
Nico pursed his lips, glowering at her, but didn't reject her immediately, he had audiences. Not wanting to take his personal hatred towards her to public, he planned to agree to the arrangement. "Just the two of us?"
"Yes, just us. It doesn't concern any of them here." She answered.
And the next day came very quickly. Annabeth scheduled to meet Nico in Piper's apartment as usual, they hailed a taxi and went to the place Annabeth planned to visit — the cemetery.
"Why are we here?" Nico asked grumpily. He didn't like people, and this cemetery just happened to be crowded by people on this day.
"Because she died on this date." Annabeth replied, respecting him and not mentioned the name of his sister.
"Why do you want me here?"
"I want to show you something."
"Why now?"
"Because this is the time she asked me to do so." Annabeth bent down, took out a shovel out of her bag and started to dig. She didn't have to dug down deep to find what she wanted. A letter.
"It's addressed to you. Read it."
Nico stuck out a shaky hand and took the letter from her, he examined the front and the back of the envelope, but made no action in opening it. Annabeth understood that he didn't want to open it in public, because he didn't want to show emotions, so she only assigned herself the mission of taking him to the graveyard and handing him the letter. Her job wasn't to make sure he had read it.