Hola, friends! First of all an apology is due. But then I told you people before only that this was gonna be a crazy time. Never the less, here I am! I'm sorry for taking so much time and not posting it earlier. I had to read my story again just to get into the rhythm again. Lol.

This and the chapter before had not been planned with the original thing I had in mind. But a friend suggested it so a thank you to that person.

So I am not putting an author's note towards the end but I think you know what it might have said anyway.

Another thanks to be inserted here to all of you. Every review, every follow and every favorite alert puts a huge smile on my face and every time you guys do any of that know that you are making someone's day just a little more brighter. Love you all!

But there is always that one review which staggers your gait a little. No, I have not based this story on Fifty Shades of Grey my reason being I have never read that book. Its totally from my mind, just inspired by a story from the regency genre.

Anyway, enjoy! This chapter has a Percabeth moment! And you guys are free to love this story from this point on. Its like a turning point. We have to have Percy and Annabeth as a team to conquer the world, right?

He was sitting on the floor with his back to the couch, his elbows on his knees which were propped up and his head in his hands.

I have a weak heart. Something which I am not very proud of. I can't see people or anything, in general, in pain. I cried for three whole days when I was seven and my guinea pig had died because I felt a little guilty that maybe his death could have been avoided if I had paid a little more attention coupled with the state in which he had taken his last breaths.

But Percy was no guinea pig and he was definitely not dying.

Whatever had happened. Whenever it had happened. We had been friends for long. Longer than reluctant fiances. I walked over to him and sat down besides him, shoulder to shoulder. He reeked of alcohol and he didn't notice me. I put one hand on his shoulder and the other over his hand which was holding his head.

'Talk to me, please,' I said to him. Pleading with my heart.

He shook his head and leaned back against the couch, clutching my hand in his tightly, staring at the ceiling. His beautiful sea-green eyes were rimmed with red. Alcohol, again.

'Percy, please, say something,' I said.

He looked towards me and said-

'I didn't know.'

'Know what?' I asked as I pushed some of his hair away from his forehead.

'That you loved someone else,' he replied simply, looking away.

'Yeah, about that,' I said, trying to keep the guilt and idiocity I felt at myself, away from my voice. I had been bad. Maybe a little too much. 'I lied.'

He released my hand abruptly. immediately, I felt the coldness hit the place where his hand had been. He looked at me and said sharply-

'What?'

I shrugged helplessly. 'I didn't know what else to do!' I replied in a high pitched voice. Following his lead, I got up as well. He staggered a bit and I extended my arm which he shrugged away.

Ouch. That hurt.

'I can't believe this!' He said, his hand going to his forehead, trying to focus, I am sure.

'You can't blame me!' I tried to reason. 'This was bound to happen!'

'And why would that be true?' He said looking at me in total frustration.

'I can't believe you still don't get it! You threatened me into making a lifelong commitment to you,' I said to him. 'That's why that would be true.'

And with speed which I thought shouldn't be possible for a drunk guy, his hands shot out and grabbed my arms and I was forced to look into his eyes.

'I want you, Annabeth, I want you in my life,' he started.

'Yeah, that's obvious,' I said in a matter-of-fact tone.

He shook me gently.

'God dammit, Annabeth, listen for once,' he said, looking straight at me. Yeah, I really needed to keep my commenting-after-every-half-a-sentence habit under control. See the surroundings and the circumstances, Annabeth, I said to myself.

'We were friends. You and I. You liked me. There was no one in your life. So I proposed to you before anyone else would.'

I started to say something, but he put a finger on my lip. This was distracting, cause his finger felt really good against my lip. Really good. But I shook the feeling away as he continued-

'But you refused. So I tried again. But that couldn't go on forever, right?' This time when he paused for breath, I didn't interrupt.

A pained look crossed his face and he said- 'So I did what I had to do. I am not proud of it, don't get me wrong. But I want you here. With me.

'I was ready to pay for what I did. For the rest of my life, Annabeth. How many people are ready to do that in today's world, huh? I would keep you next to me. No, I wanted to keep you above me. I want the world and I want to give it to you. Lay it at your feet.

'But you make it so fucking difficult,' he said with a lot of force to the words. Each seared into me. I never really had tried to think from his view. Bad strategy, on my part. 'Every time I break ice, you just make more of it. Where did that girl go?' He said, searching with his sea green eyes, literally into mine. 'This isn't you, sweetheart.'

He was breaking my heart.

A tear left my eye and he brushed it away, gently.

'Don't be sorry. I totally deserve it,' he said. 'I just want you back.'

Another tear left my eye...

'Oh please don't cry,' he groaned, pleading me with his eyes. 'You don't know what your tears do to me.'

There! He did it! The dam broke. I threw my arms around his shoulders and sobbed into his shirt. He put his arms around me and held me tight, his lips kissing my temple.

He stroked my hair and gathered me closer to him. The best thing was that he didn't say anything. Just let me let it all out.

We stayed that way for a long time. He was right. There had been nothing wrong. I liked him. Only his method had been wrong. The rest had been just the repercussions.

When the crying stopped, I pulled back a little, just enough to look at him and somehow I think, he wouldn't have let go of me more than that, either.

'I'm sorry,' I said. He cupped the side of my face and brought his lips down to mine. This time as soon as his lips met mine, I kissed back. I could tell he was surprised a little but he deepened the kiss, turning it into an open-mouthed one.

My hand went to his hair, entangling in them, holding his face to mine.

I pulled back and looked into his eyes and whispered, 'This doesn't change anything between us. I still don't like you very much.'

But he just smirked at me and said, 'At least the hate has changed to dislike,' in a total naughty boy tone.

God! Those two women had lost a wonderful boy to care and love!

'So that was that,' I said when Rachel didn't say anything to the entire episode. When she continued to regard me apprehensively from her place in front of me, I pinched her. This time Giraffe, uh, I mean Jared had let her up.

We were sitting in my room for the past hour. The rest of the day yesterday had gone pretty normally. He had cooked dinner, we had talked and joked as we usually did. Just smiled a little bit more. He had kissed me goodnight gently and we had parted ways for the night. His eyes are so beautiful.

'You are so falling for him,' she said finally, with a disappointed expression.

'Uh. Am not.'

'Yes, you are.'

'Where did that come from, anyway?'

'You've been sitting here smiling away like a stupid airhead for the past hour. Annabeth,' she paused for a dramatic air, 'and you have never ever done that before.'

I pursed my lips together. I was not liking her very much. Much less the things that she was saying.

'I don't like him. But I am surprised at you! You were supposed to be just a little bit smarter than that,' she said, working up. A lecture was due, we both knew that.

'I can't believe-' she started but was interrupted by a knock on the door. Thankfully. I jumped to my feet and opened the door to see Percy standing there. We smiled at each other till Rachel's voice cracked the silence.

'Oh get over yesterday's make up, you two,' she growled and yanked me away from the door and then to Percy she said in a low dangerous voice, 'you stay away from her.'

'Umm Annabeth?' Percy tried to look around Rachel towards me but again she cut him off.

'Talk to me you-' She had taken to a no cursing oath and it had been taking up a lot of her patience lately.

Percy shrugged and looking at Rachel he said- 'There is a formal after dinner cocktail tomorrow night, and Annabeth, I would love to have you there with me and introduce you to everyone as my fiance.'

'Tomorrow?' Rachel sputtered.

'Yeah,' Percy replied.

'You are telling me this now?' Rachel thundered at him. Something tells me she did not hear a word he said after cocktail.

'Well, I didn't want to freak you out since we had been engaged for just a few days,' he said still looking at Rachel, pretending to address me.

'How will she be able to get ready in a day?' Rachel asked him wide eyed. 'You boys take half a second to get ready. You people think everything is so simple. How is she supposed to get a dress ready for tomorrow?'

She really was behaving as if the entire world's worries lied on her shoulders. I was thoroughly enjoying myself. Percy noticed my expression and scowled in a do-something-SOS expression.

'I have scheduled a beautician who will come here tomorrow and Annabeth can pick a dress and she will do whatever needs to be done,' he said. Clearly, he knew nothing about anything he was saying. Poor guy!

'When?'

'Eight thirty.'

'When will she come, you fool?'

'Seven.'

'Are you mad?' Rachel shouted. Now Percy looked a little scared of her. Aww.

'Hey Percy,' I said coming to his rescue. 'Give me her number and I will fix an earlier time slot. And Rachel,' I said pulling her back into the room. 'Stay the night and help me get ready tomorrow, okay?'

She nodded, her expression softening a little. Percy threw me a grateful expression and I smiled at him.

'Seriously get over it,' she said to him when he started to smile back at me so he just grimaced at her and left.

'He isn't that bad, you know?' I said to her.

'Yeah yeah. Side with the enemy, why don't you? Why am I not surprised? You should have dated more in the school years maybe then I wouldn't have to whisper your every move into your ear. Fat good it seems to be doing anyway cause you are not listening. Now where did that best friend thief go? I want to know his tie color.'