So… once again a long wait, so I'm sorry. RL happened and it kind of sucked, although there were a few good moments. I'm just, I don't know, not with it. I apologise if this chapter is rubbish as a result. Anyway, enough of that! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited or followed – every single one is important to me.

To the guest who reviewed about the "with privilege comes responsibility" -I can see what you mean, when I re-read it, it was slightly confusing, but if you look at it, it did mean what it normally does, I just put the words a different way round. And thank you, this sort of comment is exactly what I like, and you are very sweet for saying I am your favourite author. You know how to flatter a girl!

I don't own anything.

Read, enjoy, review!

Percy Jackson.

A bit of an enigma really. There were all sorts of rumours of course – that he'd slept with every girl in his year, that he played and dumped, that he definitely didn't know the definition of monogamy or fidelity – but they were just rumours. Annabeth knew better than to believe them. Yet…

Don't all rumours have to have some spark? Some basis in fact to start them off? She didn't know what to believe. All she knew was that there was a boy/man/human being of the male gender standing in front of her who had addressed her directly and she still hadn't responded. She had just sort of stared for a minute at his face and he was starting to get uncomfortable if his body language was anything to go by.

Annabeth opened her mouth and muttered, "Uh, hi?" unsurely just at the same moment that he started to speak again -

"You going to stop star-"

Both stopped for a moment to let the other say what they had been saying again. After no-one filled the slightly awkward pause they started to speak, once again talking over one another. Instead of stopping this time and trying to be polite about it, Percy burst out laughing, holding his stomach as his head tipped back. Annabeth just stared at him, slightly confused - it hadn't even been that funny.

But, as the seconds passed and Percy didn't stop, Annabeth let a smile slide across her face, which slipped into a grin and finally into a full on laugh. There was something so ... enigmatic about Percy. It was inexplicable, but there was an element to his laugh (well, his every action, but his laugh in this particular moment) that just drew you in. Annabeth knew from experience that Percy didn't laugh often, at least not around people their age at school. He was so 'cool' about life, with his passive mask permanently in place, that it was almost offensive. Yet that made this laugh all the more entrancing. She knew it was a rare occasion, so she treasured it and knew that he meant it. She could see that in the way he put everything into it - he didn't hold back in fear of being ridiculed. The richness of it was like a hug, picking her up and drawing her in and it was impossible not to respond in kind.

After their laughter had died in to chuckles and then eventually into quietening, heaving breaths, Percy held out a hand. "Hi. My name's Percy."

Well, duh. It wasn't as if his name was one of the most whispered words between the girls at college. She didn't move. "I know what your name is."

Sighing, he said, "I know that you know what my name is. I know yours too. But we've never actually spoken and if we don't introduce ourselves there'll always be a little thought at the back of our brain saying 'what if they were a stalker and that's how they knew our name'. Or at least there would be for me." He shook his hand slightly in a way that she guessed was supposed to be urging.

Reluctantly, she reached out a hand and shook his. "Annabeth." She freed her hand from his firm grip as quickly as politely possible and gestured onwards. He smirked at something for a moment and she considered asking him what was so amusing, but decided to let it go as he started to walk beside her. "I hope that satisfied your paranoia, although I'm pretty sure that you just told me a lot more than you should have done on a first meeting. Now, I've got warning bells going off, although they are less specific." He raised an eyebrow. "Mine just says 'crazy man alert! Get away! Get away!'" She smiled up at him (and it really was up because he was a good four inches taller) to show that she was just teasing.

"Well, you got one thing right. I am a man!" He thumped his chest for emphasis and frowned fiercely. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"We've got another caveman. There goes my hope for Prince Charming." Sarcasm rules.

Looking slightly offended, Percy clutched his chest. "Oh, how you wound me, fair damsel! I am most certainly capable of charm. I shall have to prove it to you." The 'fair damsel' scoffed, but said nothing. "Fine! It will be my mission to prove myself to you!"

He got no response, so he left it as they walked on down the path. Annabeth could see the twins up ahead, waiting at the gate in the distance just as she had asked, and gave a sigh of relief that they had obeyed. The boy - no, man - beside her cleared his throat and asked in a normal voice, "So, why are you walking this way all of the sudden?"

She briefly considered lying to him, but seeing as this was probably his normal route home, she would have to put up with him every week from now on and she didn't want to deal with maintaining a lie on top of that. It was better off that they started honestly - maybe they could even be friends in the future. She almost snorted at the thought. "Caroline - my step mum - decided she was going to work late Thursday evenings and refuses to let me look after the boys on my own. We're going to my Gran's instead which, as you can tell, is this way." She pointed in the vague direction they were heading.

"The boys?"

"Yeah, my little brothers. They're twins. Look, you can see them there. Matthew and Bobby, aged 11."

He smiled as his eyes followed where she was pointing. "Oh yeah. Little monsters or little angels?" She thought for a moment.

"Well, Bobby on his own is adorable. Not quite an angel, but as close as you'll get that age. Matthew on the other hand, he's a trouble maker. And when they're together, Bobby is no longer an angel, I can tell you. It's sometimes like a miniature whirlwind." Her smile gave her away though - she obviously loved them, no matter what she said.

They were only a few metres away from the boys now so the conversation stopped. Matthew bounced towards them, ignoring Percy. "Can we play in the playground? Please? Pretty please?" Annabeth shook her head and ushered them through the gate.

"Not today, maybe another day. Gran is expecting us now and as this is the first time we're doing this, I really don't want to be late." Under her breath she muttered, "I don't want to give them another reason to believe I'm not good enough to look after you."

A tap on the shoulder reminded her of Percy's presence and she halted rather abruptly. Turning to see him she smiled quizzically at him. "I go ... this way." He gestured over his shoulder.

"And I go this way," she responded slightly baffled, indicating the opposite direction. Annabeth didn't know where he was going with this. "Right so...bye?" It came out as a question. She saw something flash in his eyes before he quickly blinked and it was hidden again.

Suddenly he reached out and took her hand in his in a surprisingly gentle way. However, when she tried to pull he hand away, it remained safely ensconced in his. His grip had been deceivingly light. She looked up at his face and he chuckled under his breath. "I saw how quickly you took your hand out of mine when we shook hands earlier. I don't know whether you have an issue with me, boys or just touching in general, but we're somehow going to train you out of it. Starting today." She didn't realise it was possible to sound so smug, but he had managed it.

Smirking at her, he enveloped her single hand in both of his. They were warm, with slight calluses, and she could feel the strength in them, reined in to hold hers with gentle care. Slowly he lifted her hand until it was an inch from his face and she could feel the warmth breaths on her sensitive skin. She started to worry her hand was all sweaty and nasty.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, so she lifted her eyes to meet his inquiringly, if shyly. This was obviously what he had been waiting for because, while holding her gaze, he lifted her hand that last inch to meet his lips. It was only a fleeting touch - soft, dry, just brushing her knuckles really - but the hairs on the back of her hand all stood on end, as if her skin was electrified by his touch. As suddenly as it began, the kiss was over, but he held onto her hand, stroking the back of it gently. The feel of his calluses sweeping lightly across her skin was infinitely distracting.

"I bid you good day, my lady. Until we meet again." His eyes sparkled with mischief and - plotting? - if eyes could express such a thing. It made Annabeth wary. Finally he released her hand and turned to go on his merry way. His parting shot was thrown carelessly over his shoulder. "And don't forget to breathe!"

It was at this point that Annabeth realised that not only was she slightly lightheaded from lack of oxygen, but that her cheeks were burning a fiery red.

Coming to her senses, she whirled away from the boy who was sauntering into the distances and back to the two boys. After realising they once again had her attention, they spoke up. "Ew! Did he just kiss you?"

Bobby chimed in. "Yeah! And who was he anyway? I don't want any old shmuck kissing my sister!" She shushed them, although there was no-one around to hear.

"Hush! His name was Percy and I agree, I don't want any old shmuck kissing me either."

"Is he an old shmuck then? 'Cause we can get rid of him for you if we like." Their faces lit up with glee at the prospect of causing mischief.

"I ... don't know. I haven't decided yet. You can meet him next week if you like BUT," she lifted her voices over their responses, "I have the final say as to whether he's good enough and if I decide he is an 'old shmuck' then I will be doing the getting rid of, not you." The poor boys - they looked like they had been told that they couldn't have pudding for a week. "Alright! Now that's cleared up, it's time to go. Gran will be wondering what happened to us."

...

Ten minutes later, she was knocking on a polished black door, the boys stood to either side of her. After a moment, the door swung open and Heather, her maternal grandmother, appeared with smiles wreathing her face. With a hurried "hi Gran!" the boys rushed her and into the house. Turning back slightly, Heather called, "There's a brownie on the table for each of you if you want it!" The loud whoops in reply assured the girls that they most certainly did want it. Heather turned back to Annabeth. "Do come in. Did everything go alright? I was expecting you back slightly earlier than this.

Annabeth walked through to the kitchen, where the twins were already devouring their brownies. "Yeah, it was fine. I just came across a friend and we got talking. Sorry, I know you expected us here on time, especially as it's the first time." Heather waved her hand dismissively.

"Tea?" Annabeth nodded her assent. "You don't need to worry about that. I don't particularly care when you get home – I know you young people like to have a life. I once had one, you know." Annabeth smiled. "Honestly though, it doesn't matter to me. I just want to know you are safe. Maybe if you send me a text next time you come across a friend? It would give me a better idea of when to start dinner too."

"Sure." Annabeth loved her Gran; when her real mum had died, Annabeth had been too young to understand much more than, "Mummy's not coming back anymore." She had been sad, obviously, but also resentful because she thought her 'mummy' didn't love her enough to stay around. After a few weeks, she started to believe that no-one loved her.

It was at this point that she had noticed her Gran's grief and had taken it upon herself to look after her. In this exchange, where Annabeth got a loving maternal figure and Heather got a loving little carer that had resembled her own girl so much, a deep bond had been formed. It had never been broken since.

Matthew and Bobby stood up simultaneously. Bobby, very politely, said, "Thank you Gran, it was very tasty. May we go and play now?" Heather smiled and told them of course they could go and play and, if they could work out how to hook it up to the TV, she still had their old X-Box and games in a cupboard upstairs. The two ran off in search of it.

"Ah yes, I remember those days. So much energy, so little to do with it," Heather said. Annabeth laughed, agreeing, before her expression became pensive and concerned.

"How are you doing? I know you were complaining about your back a few weeks back. Did you get that seen to?"

"I thought it was supposed to be the grandmother who was over protective and always worrying about the grandchild, not the other way around!"

"I just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself."

Heather sighed huffily. "Yes, well, I'm not about to die yet. I've got a good few years left in me, I'll have you know. In fact, Henry – you know my brother Henry – has invited me out to New Zealand for a week in the summer. We'll going walking and climbing and we're even considering hang-gliding!"

"And don't forget shopping!"

"How could I?" The two women stayed in the kitchen, sipping their tea and exchanging stories and information about their lives. After half an hour or so, Heather sighed. "Well, I suppose I better get on with tea."

"Do you want me to help?" Heather looked indignant at the suggestion.

"No! That's the only good thing about this arrangement for you, that you don't have to cook, and I'm not going to take that away." Annabeth looked confused. "Your father and Caroline did tell me about your reluctance, you know, and I agree you could do it on your own. However, I'm not complaining because it means I can spend more time with you. Their reasons may not have been right, but the actions they took are. It all turned right in the end, yes? Anyway, out of the kitchen with you. Go and relax before you do all of that nasty studying after tea." At this, she forcefully pushed her out of the room. At the doorway, Annabeth turned round and flung her arms round her grandma.

"Seeing you is a pretty big benefit to this whole arrangement too," she whispered in her ear, before heading into the lounge. After sitting on the sofa for a few minutes doing nothing, she fished her phone out her school bag. After looking at the screen, she realised she had never actually responded to Owen's message.

OwenSawyer: You at your Gran's yet? Was it as bad as you thought?

AnnabethChase: Yeah, I got here about 45 minutes ago, but we were catching up. Sorry to keep you waiting.

OwenSawyer: How is she?

AnnabethChase: Good. Still in denial over the fact that she's edging towards seventy.

OwenSawyer: I would be too if I were her.

AnnabethChase: Well then she must be justified in her refutation! And no, it isn't as bad as I thought. The boys behaved and I had forgotten the one bonus of this plan.

OwenSawyer: Refutation? I'm not even going to ask. And what bonus - that you don't have to cook?

AnnabethChase: Well, that too. Okay, so there's two bonus'. The other one is that I get to spend more time with my gran.

OwenSawyer: You're such a granny's girl.

AnnabethChase: Hell yeah.

OwenSawyer: So…

AnnabethChase: So…

OwenSawyer: Did anything interesting happen today?

Annabeth thought about it for a moment. Thought about that low rumbling voice as it had called out from behind her. Those sparkling green eyes with a lock of ebony hair falling carelessly in front of them. Those gentle lips against her hand and the challenge in his voice as he told her that he would charm her. Turning back to her phone, she typed out a message and sent it, just as the boys came in and began to hassle her, forcing her to neglect her virtual conversation.

AnnabethChase: Nothing. Getting told off by a teacher in the library for talking was as exciting as it got today.

So, another chapter finished. And once again I apologise profusely for the delay, especially so early on in the story. Anyway, let me know what you think, any theories or any ideas that you'd like as part of the story. I can't guarantee anything, but I always appreciate suggestions!

PS. Is anyone going, or has been, to the UNIQ Oxford university summer school. I just found out I got a place, and it would be nice to know I'm not alone, or what to expect.

PPS. Is anyone watching Emma Approved? Because BRENTANNA IS FINALLY A THING and I need someone to squeal with. Those two are so adorable, and Brent Bailey is my perfect man. *Sigh* I just had to tell someone

Xxx much love