I'm probably totally biased when I say this, but I genuinely think this has been one of my favorite Chapters to write so far (beaten out only by Chapters 4 & 5, along with the ending of Chapter 3. Hope you guys like it as much as I do!

Again, no real action in this Chapter, but we do get a lot of information about the lives of Percy and Annabeth in this AU, plus there is the mentioned kiss at the end (and the aquarium tour is mentioned, a tour which I swear will feature in the next Chapter)

Responses:

hproxx1999 - Yup, Stana Katic. And Nathan Fillion, as revealed later in this Chapter.

Demigod 12 - Glad you're enjoying it so far, here's an update for you!

AutumnLeaves03 - Yup! Couldn't resist the Aladdin reference.

JustLucky05 - Always happy to have a new reader! Glad you like it so far, hope you enjoy this Chapter too!

Sweet Cats - Adorkable is exactly the word I would use to describe this. Thanks! Also, Sims 1 was February 4th, 2000.

stormrunner - Glad you liked it, it just seemed to fit with his character.

ANNABETHALWAYS - I know that. And I love Solangelo, I really do. However, the idea for this story came to me before we knew Nico was gay, and I couldn't resist putting him with Rachel, so that's how this ended up.

Disclaimer - I do not own PJO/HoO and all related characters/materials. I am also getting tired of repeating the same thing over and over again.

"So, Annabeth, what's your next question? Or have I managed to stump you after only eight questions?"

We both knew I was joking. Even after only a couple of days of having known each other, I could already tell that Annabeth was not, and had never been, the kind of person who would give up after only asking a few questions. My girlfriend paused to consider her words carefully, and a smile played on her lips as she spoke again. "Well, you already know about Bobby and Matthew, my twin half-brothers, but what about you? How many siblings do you have?"

"Well, you already know about Triton, my half-brother from my father's first marriage. Aside from him, the only other sibling I have is Tyson".

"Tell me about him?"

I smiled softly. "There's not really much to tell. He's my full brother, born about six months after my parents divorced, so about two and a half years younger than me. He's a senior in high school at the moment, planning to do a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University"

"And the two of you get along well?"

I could tell she was genuinely curious about what kind of relationship Tyson and I had, and I couldn't help but smile as I answered. "Aside from Grover... and now you, of course... he's my best friend".

"I see. Maybe I could meet him sometime?"

I nodded. "I'd like that. Anyway, next question. When's your birthday?"

"July 12. Yours?"

"August 18. Alright, next question?"

Annabeth grinned. "Who's your celebrity crush?"

I shrugged. "I can honestly say I've never really thought about it. But if I had to choose, it would be either Stana Katic or Keira Knightley. What about you?"

"Interesting choices. I'd honestly have to go with Daniel Craig. Ever since I saw Skyfall a couple of years ago, I've kind of developed this... This love of his character. My second choice would be Nathan Fillion".

Well. That's actually more fitting than I had originally expected. I mused, knowing exactly what I'd ask next. "Alright... Favorite fictional character?"

Annabeth looked thoughtful for a few minutes as she considered an answer, responding after a couple of minutes. "Wow, that's a hard one. Are we allowed to choose the player character?"

"No, because that would just make it too easy".

Annabeth nodded "In that case... It's still an extremely hard choice, but I think I'd have to say my favorite would be Hawkeye from the MCU".

"Jeremy Renner's character, the master archer who spend at least half of Avengers brainwashed by Loki before being knocked unconscious by Black Widow and freed of Loki's mind control?"

When my girlfriend nodded, I smiled. "Good choice. Actually, aside from Ulfric Stormcloak in Skyrim, he'd be my top choice as well".

Annabeth laughed, and I found myself admiring the way her grey eyes sparkled in the light as she did. "Fair enough. Now, for my next question... what're the two best things about your job?"

Ah. I was wondering when a question like this would come up. "For one thing, I've always felt this sort of affection towards water and marine creatures. I've always found them fascinating, and my job gives me a chance to work with them basically as much as I want and get paid for it. And secondly, school field trip days. I realize that having a group of children running around the aquarium doesn't exactly sound like a lot of fun, but almost all of the children that I've shown around have actually been really well-behaved, and they seemed to show a genuine interest in listening to what I'm trying to teach them about the animals. So now you know what I like most about my job, what's your answer to the same question?"

"Well, first would have to be that I get to help people design the houses of their dreams, and the feeling of satisfaction I get when I see how much they like the finished product just can't be beaten. And secondly, it allows me to work on my dream, which has always been to build something permanent".

Maybe we could do that together... I thought, though decided not to voice my thoughts yet. It was way too early in our relationship for that kind of discussion. "That's actually rather fascinating. Alright, next question. Do you have any nicknames?"

"Only one, but I'm not exactly fond of it. Back when we were still friends, Luke and Thalia used to call me Annie, and, when Luke and I broke up, I developed a hatred for the name" Annabeth replied softly, before gesturing to me, indicating that it was my turn to answer the same question that I had just asked her. "Thalia gave me the nickname 'Kelp Head', referring to my fascination with sea creatures".

Annabeth smiled softly, shaking her head. "Doesn't sound exactly right. How about... Seaweed Brain?"

I considered the suggestion for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. "I'll admit that that does sound better than Kelp Head. Fine. Only on the condition that I get to call you Wise Girl".

"I like the way Wise Girl sounds. Much better than Annie, at any rate. Agreed then. Now... Are you a cat person, a dog person, both, or neither?"

"A dog person" I responded instantly.

"Me too, funnily enough. Cats are just far too sneaky".

"I agree. They're like little furry ninjas".

The comparison caused my girlfriend to laugh. Gods, I love her laugh. It's like music. "That has got to be the most brilliant comparison I've heard for a long time. Anyway, next question?"

"Ah, right. Yes. Do you prefer salty snacks or deserts?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What, no option for both?"

"That would just be too easy. So, which will it be?"

"Salty snacks" she replied.

I nodded. "I completely agree. Can't beat a bowl of salted, buttered, popcorn and a movie".

"Oh, so true. Okay, what quality is your automatic 'no fucking way' when pursuing a potential relationship?"

"Someone who purposely betrays, lies to, or cheats on their partner. And yours?"

She paused, considering her answer carefully. "I really want to say blondes with blue eyes and scarred faces, but that might be a bit too specific. Someone who lies about the kind of relationship that they're looking for, I guess".

"Makes sense. Okay. How long did it take for you to start enjoying coffee after you first tried it? Personally, it took me a week".

Annabeth considered the question briefly. "Two weeks. It took me a while to figure out exactly how I like to have my coffee. First couple of weeks, it was either too sweet, too bitter, or too creamy. Alright, what is your favorite article of clothing or accessory that you own?"

"My jacket. It was a gift from my step-father (the one who was formerly my English teacher, not the one who turned out to be a violent and abusive drunkard) when I graduated high school. What about you?"

She reached a hand up to the locket around her neck, cupping it in her hand. "This locket. It was a birthday present from my mom when I turned 13".

"For the record, it really does suit you".

Annabeth blushed. And it makes her look all the more beautiful... I seriously hope she can't hear my thoughts right now. "Thank you, Percy. That means a lot to me, it really does".

"I was just stating the truth. But you're most welcome. Alright, last question. What animal are you the most afraid of?"

"Spiders. If there's one near me, I just... freak out. I can't stand even just thinking about them".

She shivered slightly as she spoke, and I had the sudden urge to wrap my arms around her and pull her into a hug. And I would have, if I wasn't sitting across the table from her. "Perfectly understandable. I think they're horrid little insects too".

The blonde woman managed a small smile, and took a large gulp of her coffee, quickly finishing whatever was left of the liquid. "Well, actually they're arachnids, Percy. Eight legs instead of six".

I nodded. "I know. I was trying to lighten the mood a little".

"And it worked, I'll admit that much. Now it's your turn to answer the question".

I sighed, quickly finishing my own coffee. "Considering my career has me working with sea creatures, it's going to sound really weird when I say this, but it's Moray Eels that freak me out the most. They're fish, but with their snake-like body, protruding snout, and wide jaws, they look like freaking death. Plus they can be up to eight feet long. I'm telling you, you don't want to mess with those things".

Annabeth nodded. "Noted. And this has been fun, getting to learn more about each other".

I couldn't help but smile as the two of us got to our feet, and I pulled her into a hug, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "It really has been. Now, about we head back to the aquarium, and I can give you that tour I promised?"

She smiled eagerly, returning the kiss before pulling away and taking my hand. "Lead the way".

So there we go. Feel free to leave a Review whether you enjoyed the Chapter or not, I genuinely love hearing from you guys!