My deepest sympathies to those affected in today's bombing in the Boston Marathon and to the hundreds affected by the even worse bombing in Iraq today, killing many more.

Annabeth dropped the towel she was using to dry her hair, her hands instantly going to the towel wrapped around her body. As she turned around slowly, she was face to face with none other than Major Luke Castellan, in simpler words, her superior in rank. He was simply leaning against the wall, his left leg crossed over his right. When Annabeth turned around, he took a good, long look at her covered body, whistling appreciatively, "Nice."

"Major Castellan!" Annabeth Chase let out an uncharacteristically high pitched squeak of embarrassment, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," he grinned, advancing closer.

Annabeth shivered as his footsteps echoed against the tile floor till she mustered the courage to yell, "Stop!"

Major Castellan looked in surprise, stopping in place, "Something wrong?"

"Don't come any closer?"

"What do you think I'm going to you?" he asked, his blond eyebrows raised slightly, almost invisible in the dim lighting of the barracks.

Annabeth Chase backed up till she was up against the sink, "Whatever it is, don't do it."

Major Castellan looked at her once, turned away with a disbelieving look, his hand brushing over the blond fuzz of his hair. Returning to face her, he chuckled, "You think I'm going to rape you or something? Calm down Captain Chase. I respect my position enough to have some discretion."

"You never answered my question: what are you doing here?" She asked, still trembling at the prospect of what could have been.

"You never answered mine," he countered.

"I asked first."

"Fine, I wanted to take a shower. Happy? You know how cold the water gets when everyone showers at the same time."

Annabeth snorted once, "Right. Then what's up with calling me sexy?"

"Cut me some slack. You're the only girl I see around here. I need some affirmation for my orientation," Luke grinned, winking once.

"Sounded like an insult to me."

"If you say so, Chase. Now go put on some clothes before I really get indecent thoughts," Luke turned around and headed to the bunker section of the barracks as Annabeth hid back behind her shower curtain to change. He sat down pensively on one of the lower bunks, disgruntled at the recruit's messy 'housekeeping' and unfolded bed.

He was initially shocked upon seeing Annabeth in the showers. Granted she had a valid reason to shower before the men, it was to avoid encounters like this. What puzzled him most was not Annabeth Chase, but the new recruit Percy Jackson.

During the roll call for new recruits during dinner, there was a pause as the caller checked Private Perseus Jackson as absent from the mess hall. Luke scratched at the growing blond stubble at his chin in perplexity. That name. Percy Jackson. He had heard it somewhere before. Regardless, the association with the name was definitely not pleasant. He felt a shiver run through his spine, causing him to shiver at the very thought of the name.

Whilst he was still in deep thought, Annabeth had come back out, fully dressed, what was remaining of her blond hair in a bun, "Major Castellan?"

"Hm?"

"Is the mess still open?"

"Shouldn't you know that by now?"

"I know it's closed, but is there any possibility that it may be open?"

"Chase, you know how strict the kitchen staff are. Can't do anything about it. They are sticklers to their schedules," Luke shook his head sympathetically. It was near impossible to complete the dusk training without having eaten something.

Annabeth's stomach grumbled as if in rebuttal of Luke's statement. She looked at him sheepishly. Luke got out of the bunk, kneeling down in front of the small, wooden lampstand next to it. Rummaging through the drawers, he found what he had been looking for, "Aha!"

Tossing a cup at her, he kept one for himself.

"Mac and Cheese?" She asked, her eyebrows scrunched in disdain.

"Want to trade? I have Ramen."

"No thank you. I'll stick with this."

"Just be happy you have something to eat."

"You thank it's alright to take this? It does belong to the marine after all."

"He can deal. He probably just got a proper meal of fajitas in the mess," Luke said unsympathetically as he brought out the electric kettle, plugging it into one of the outlets for the water to boil.

"I missed Fajita Monday?" Annabeth asked, incredulous.

"You like Fajita Monday? The hell is wrong with you? I skipped it voluntarily."

"Idiot. You could have starved," Annabeth punched him lightly in his shoulder, surprised a little by how buff they were. "Have you worked out lately?"

"I was always ripped. You were just too blind to see it," The beep of the electric kettle went off; Luke poured generous amounts of steaming hot water in the respective cups. Without even waiting for the water to cool off or even for the noodles to cook, he began spooning the burning noodles into his mouth, "Hot! Hot!"

"You are such an idiot. Tell me how you became a major again?"

"Captain Annabeth Chase, I do believe that is the second time you have called your commanding major stupid. Next time, you won't be so lucky. Watch what you say," He took off the seriousness by grinning, teasing the girl like they had done so in the past.

"Whatever Lukey," she said, knowingly saying the name just to see his reaction. The response time was immediate. Luke dropped his cup of Ramen, the boiling water spilling over his pant legs. He howled in pain as he looked at her murderously, "Don't ever mention that again."

"Why, does it remind you too much of Thalia?" The mood immediately fell somber at the mention of Thalia. Thalia had been Annabeth's best friend in high school. Luke was two years their senior, yet he still had a crush on the eccentric, black haired girl. Thalia had always teased him for this crush, her laughing face forever engrained in their minds. Thalia had died a month before Luke's high school graduation. She was in the car with her mother when they were killed by a drunk driver.

"Look, Luke, I didn't mean that."

"Forget it, Annabeth."

"Luke, I really— She was my friend too."

"I know, I know," Annabeth squeezed Luke's hand in comfort; he didn't recoil from the touch. The two simply sat there in silence. Major Luke Castellan was taken back to his days five years ago. Annabeth and him and been first lieutenant at the time, him the captain. They were always promoted at the same time. But the particular incidents that Major Castellan involved the days where his stress had been reduced.

One particular memory stuck out in particular. One in which he had thought he had lost Annabeth for good. Annabeth was a deluxe package, a sister in some sorts, a friend in another, and at sometimes, even a love interest. He had never expressed these sentiments out loud, either out of fear of rejection. Luke wasn't the best at expressing his feelings in particular, but there was the aspect of respect. He respected their friendship over the tiniest amount of love for her.

He remembered sitting on the makeshift bunker with her in the Afghani desert, the dry weather causing everyone's throats to be parched. They had been passing around the canteen, each taking a measly sip out of it before passing it on. That had been a few hours before the deadly Taliban attack, killing dozens of marines and navy men alike. It had been one of the deadliest missions he had ever embarked in.

Going back to the scene at hand, he remembered a particular one in vivid imagery: Annabeth's wound. She had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stepping in front of him. The sword intended for him was intercepted by her, wounding her deeply in the side. Luke had steadied the falling Annabeth, the crimson colored blood seeping through his hands as he attempted to pry out the sword. He knocked the attacker out cold with the hilt of the weapon in fury. The image was still deep in his mind after five years.

"Luke," Annabeth said softly, breaking the silence, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"You sure? You can tell me about it, you know. If it was because I re-dug memories of Thalia, I'm really sorry."

"I was just remembering the good old days of being a Captain, easiest position out there," he said, giving her a smile, hoping it would throw off her concern.

"Major Castellan. I am offended."

Luke got up, careful not to hit his head on the top bunk. He patted her once on the back, "C'mon. We should head back to training." He put his arm around Annabeth's shoulder as the two walked out, bantering carelessly.

Little did the two notice the figure hidden in the dark shadows just a few bunks down from them, listening carefully to everything they had said. The green eyes fluttered open in the eerie darkness, giving it almost a fluorescent glow; a bright smile from the man lit up the room the otherwise pitch black room. He had been right after all. He had come to the right place.

Like? No like? Let me know with a review. Let's try to get 50 reviews, maybe? Am I asking for too much? I will try to update this and 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant simultaneously, but the other one only has 2-3 chapters left. The next two months are really hectic, so bear with me and my irregular updates.

Anyway, make sure to read, fave, follow, add to community, or whatever you do. Trust me, those really do act as incentives to authors to write more.

~TJ