Author's Note:

Hey guys, this is Chapter 11 for you all! Thanks again for reviewing and favoriting the story, hopefully more readers get to see this, but I doubt it. Keep reviewing, it'll make my day, so anyways, without further a due, this is Chapter 11. READ, REVIEW, ENJOY! Xoxo

-thatasianwritergirl

P.S.: Sorry if Percy is OC here, and I apologize if I don't write well in his POV, it's hard to write the thoughts of a guy in love, it's easier for girls, considering I am one. :D

P.S.S. : Some of you guys ask what time I update, I only update whenever I finish a chapter, so stay tuned

P.S.S.S.: I am sorry for updating late, since I for one…have been busy with summer classes and been trying to read The Last Song to make this story work, for me to get ideas. So yeah…I hope my effort was worth it :D lol. So please be honest with me and tell me what you think

Jealousy, Comforting Annabeth, and the Threats

(Percy)

"Commander Perseus, Malcolm Chase is missing from the Greek camp."

These are the words that I wish that the messenger guard shouldn't have said. There are two reasons; one is because Malcolm is a friend to me in the army and it would be hard for me to bear taking the news that my friend mysteriously disappeared and the second one is now, I have to worry about Annabeth, since she ran off as soon as she heard those fateful words.

It is very unlike me to miss an important council meeting, to discuss the training scores and assigning troop positions, and to run around the camp to look for a soldier who needed a shoulder to cry on. Normally, as high officials, we are cold and cruel-hearted. We aren't supposed to care much about anything except ourselves and holding our positions in the army.

I looked everywhere…my last place to look at was in the camp center. I walked past a tent corner, where I saw a man comforting a sobbing girl, who seemed to want being in his arms at the same time trying to stuggle out of them. I notice that the man had blonde hair and concerned blue eyes. Annabeth didn't mention anything about him.

The moment I saw them, I had a sudden rage of anger boiling inside me. I never felt this way before in a long time. But I decided I had to go back for the meeting, there is no chance talking to her at this point. How could I feel this way, with no rational reason to have so, but I guess you can't really control emotions that much. I don't know why I have this feeling like I want to go there and get Annabeth into my arms, like I wanted to be the one in that man's position, holding her, comforting her while she cries. It's that feeling like you want to mutter to yourself "that should be me". Like I wanted to be the one to comfort her, make her happy….but what can I do? He's probably known her more than I did; the only option is to walk away to the meeting and interrogate her later. I knew the exact place where to be….the council meeting.

I walked back sulking to the council meeting at my tent. The officials were waiting there. They had disappointed glares, probably from me making them wait.

"Commander, you are late." a buff high official said standing up from his chair

"I am well aware; I just had to attend to urgent matters."

He didn't seem satisfied with my answer but he said. "Let the meeting begin before our young commander runs off again."

Everyone nodded and started the meeting.

LATER AT NIGHT

I went to the forest, with hopes of finding her. All throughout the meeting, Annabeth is all I could think of. I couldn't think that straight. I have everything I have always wanted and was enough for me to live with, a high position in the army, a family, not really any struggle unless it involved something about the war, but I really never experienced hardship or anything of the sort.

I looked at the grove, and there she was sitting near the lake, with her back rising and falling as I could hear sobbing noises coming from her.

"Annabeth, is that you?" I asked cautiously.

She looked at me. Her stormy grey eyes were teary, red, and puffy. She suddenly turned back to continue crying. In some way, it is like I couldn't bear to see her like this. So instinctively, I came close to her and took her to my arms. She choked and cried, leaning against my chest. I noticed her occassionally murmuring things like: 'No it can't be' or 'It's all my fault'.

Right now, I could do nothing but hold her in my arms and not say much, all I just murmured was 'Everything will be okay, Annabeth.' as I stroked her long golden hair. When she finally recovered enough from her sobbing, which involved hiccupping, gulping and wiping tears. She looked up at me with bloodshot eyes, red and puffy.

"Percy, I can't believe Malcolm's gone...he can't be…it's all my fault." she said as she leaned her head against me and looking up to my sea green eyes.

"No, Annabeth, you never did anything wrong-" I say as I put my arm around her shoulder.

"No, Percy-I feel like I am responsible for this…for everything,"

I was worried when she said that. I was partly expecting her to say she was a traitor and was in Sparta's side but instead she slowly said. "Because I think I was the one who was supposed to be kidnapped."

"What are you talking about, Annabeth?"

She hesitated, and then sighed before she started speaking. "There was this dream…or nightmare, I had…but I am not sure if it is real, but you'll also think I am crazy."

"Why would I ever think that? You are never crazy to me, who said you are?" I asked, getting out of our embrace, she stared down intently; her eyes look vulnerable and scared but also at the same time trying to see if she could trust me. "Annabeth, could you tell me about this dream of yours?" I asked her that because I thought it could solve the problem to everything.

"Alright, Percy, umm…there were two Spartan soldiers who went to my tent and they were debating whether to take the person who matters most to you, either me or Malcolm. I think they took him because he would offer them more information about the army and it would break you to see him gone. But I really don't get why I would matter the most to you." she said shakily.

She shivered at the thought and when I looked to her eyes, the stormy grey eyes looked more vulnerable than ever but instead of just being scared, her expression felt like she was terrified.

"But, Percy, I don't know what they mean about how I am the person that matters the most to you."

I just sighed and said. "It's nothing, Annabeth, I just want to protect you for your brother's sake…."

I saw her smile as I said that. I guess Malcolm meant a lot to her. He also was a more than a friend to me, he was a brother….great, I am thinking those thoughts as if I was giving a eulogy to a beloved dead soldier. But I know he isn't dead.

"Thank you for saying that, Percy…it means a lot to me."

I nodded and looked at the moon's position, high up in the sky. And I realized it is midnight or late at night….

"Annabeth, we have to go." I said as I stood up and held out my hand. This time, she smiled sheepishly and took it, before we went through the forest and back into the camp to escort her to her tent.

As we went through the forest….I was deep in thought, especially something that happened the day before Malcolm was captured.

~~~Flashback~~~

I was walking around the camp, inspecting everybody's training. I heard a swift noise, I turned and saw right away that it was an arrow flying towards me. Doing quick thinking, I dodged the arrow and shut my eyes in a split second. I looked around and saw the arrow stuck deep on the trunk of a nearby tree.

I walked to the tree to take a closer look on the arrow. I know it's not a wise act or decision for me to do, but I might as well find out about it. I pulled out the arrow and examined it. This is a Spartan arrow; all the armies had a different style of arrows. I also noticed there is a piece of papyrus parchment neatly tied into the arrow by a thin piece of rope or string, as if it was a piece of paper. I took it out and rolled it out. There were word written in literate script but it was written as if it was written with blood.

"Commander Jackson, surrender to the army or we take someone that matters the most to you."

~~~End of Flashback~~~

I never thought about it much, thinking it was insignificant, but based on Annabeth's story, it was much more than just a threat, it is a reality. She must have been subconscious when she witnessed that. But the thing that strikes me the most is….how could they consider Annabeth, a person that matters the most to me.

In my life, the people who matter the most to me is my mom, Daphne, Malcolm, Grover, and Nico. But how does Annabeth add up to those people. The main reason I am protecting Annabeth is for Malcolm's sake, since he is one of my greatest friends and he did tell me not to treat her badly…before I felt like a duty or something I just had to do half-heartedly, but now, it's like something I wanted to do.

It's strange that I notice small things about her and I liked them. How she's smarter than me, how she's different and unique (but in a good way), how her eyes shine when she talks about things she loves…..I could go on and on about it.

The enemy must've done smart thinking, because they kidnapped Malcolm just not because he's one of my greatest friends and they could get our strategy out of him, but because if he is gone, Annabeth would be sad which is strangely painful to me when I see her cry, hurt, or sad.

When we reached her tent, she slowly let go of my hand as if she didn't want to let go and she looked up at me.

"Thank you, Percy, for helping me when Luke can't." she said as she suddenly looked down, trying to hide another blush.

"Uh…your welcome."

She did something unexpected, she quickly kissed me in the cheek and went inside the tent she shared with Clarisse. (A/N: Sorry, I forgot to add she shares a tent with Clarisse, since they are the only two girls in the army )

Oddly on the way back to my tent, I found myself blushing. As I thought about where Annabeth and I stood, I realized that, I do like her…but I can't help thinking that there is something more..