Three years later—

Percy was sitting at the table next to the window at Starbucks. Even after being released three months ago, he was unaccustomed to simply being out in the open without metal bars in front of his face.

He had been given something short of a three year sentence as the investigation of Luke's murder continued, digging up information from his previous connection with Kronos whilst in the Navy. He hadn't appealed, knowing fully well that he was responsible for his vengeful acts. He remembered the day well, Annabeth's face fully captured in his mind, one of curiosity…and approval.

His face, currently expressionless, was wary of the meeting. Three years later and he was going to see Annabeth again. Well, not exactly. She had visited him in prison two months into his sentence. She hadn't said much other than that she had been promoted to Major and might be called overseas at any given time. She had come back for short five minute visits every few months or so, talking general topics. In fact, they didn't stray farther than how the weather was like, the Luke subject a taboo.

After then, all connections had been cut off. He had heard nothing from Annabeth or the Marines in the year and a half since their last meeting. Surprisingly, it was Nico DiAngelo, once creep extraordinaire, who kept close contact with him. He wouldn't say their relationship was entirely friendly, but it wasn't as hostile as it once was. Besides, he owed the guy his life.

Now, how did he come across Annabeth? It was only a week ago where he heard the first news of the blonde-haired major. And who had helped him? Nico DiAngelo. The guy claimed he had some connections but didn't care to elaborate. Not that Percy wanted to know why either. He was able to put him through with Annabeth.

His hands trembled as he entered the number on his iPhone. What if she had cut of all ties for a reason? What if she hated him? What if…? But he quickly put aside those worries when he heard someone on the other side of the line pick-up.

"Hello?" a familiar voice responded, sounding exhausted.

"Hello, Annabeth," he whispered, disbelieving.

"Who is this?" she asked warily.

That was it. She had forgotten him. He knew this was a bad idea. Why the hell did he have to go call her? He should just hang up; forget everything before he made a fool of himself. Wait, it was too late. He was already a fool.

"Hello?" she repeated.

"Annabeth, it's Percy," he finally managed, his voice shaking at the end.

"Percy?" her voice said, the tone not changing. Percy felt his heart sinking. She really had forgotten, hadn't she?

"Oh!" came the strangled voice. He heard a soft thud on the ground coming through the line. "Percy," she said with unease in her voice.

"Hey, how are you?" he chuckled uncomfortably.

"Jackson!" she suddenly yelled, reminiscent of their past. "Three years and you ask 'how are you?'"

"Well…" but he was interrupted.

"How did you get my number?"

"Nico DiAngelo," he replied uncertainly. Annabeth had met the other man but didn't particular hold him in high respect.

"I see. Well, I'm really not that surprised to be honest."

"You never answered my question," he said, not really listening to her words, more content just to hear the voice.

"What?"

"How are you?"

Percy could almost sense the smile on the other side of the line as she replied, "I'm fine Percy. I got back from deployment from Afghanistan last week. I was there for nine months?"

"Nine months?" he asked in a strained voice. There she was serving her country while he sat in jail as a delinquent.

"Yeah, it was kind of an abrupt mission. I'm sorry I couldn't inform you. It completely slipped my mind."

"Why'd you stop visiting me?" he asked, not recognizing his own voice through the emotion that threatened to overcome it.

"Hey, are you okay?" her concerned voice asked.

"Answer the question."

"I— I couldn't any more. Percy, I can't explain…I know, I know this isn't the excuse you're looking for…But I really can't explain."

"Annabeth," he said again, this time his tone a little gentler and more pleading.

"Look Percy, I just got back. How about we meet up a week from now at Starbucks?" she finally decided. He jotted down the address and time, eager to see her nearly after two years.

Percy looked at the cup in front of him, swishing around the now cold coffee inside of it. That's it. She wasn't going to show up. So much for having his hopes up so high. The time currently read 9:37 A.M. They had agreed to meet at 9:30, and knowing Annabeth, she was never late.

He continued playing with his cup, deciding that waiting a few more minutes wouldn't hurt. He reprimanded himself for not getting her cellphone number when he had the chance so that he could text her.

A bell rang signaling that another customer had entered the café. Percy looked up, and lo and behold, there stood a flustered Annabeth. Her hair was much shorter than before, almost a buzz cut, a giveaway of her deployment time. She stood at the door momentarily scanning the room until her eyes fell on Percy. Her gray eyes briefly lit up as she started walking in direction of his table.

She took a seat across from him, not saying anything. She had a smile playing up on her face, and Percy thought she couldn't look any better than she did now.

"Hello Percy," she said, her voice exactly how he had remembered it.

Percy felt whatever had been restraining him slip away, suddenly free of any inhibitions.

"Hey…Major," he added on an afterthought, throwing in a weak chuckle.

Annabeth didn't say much to that, settling with a "how have you been?" instead.

"I've been doing fine. Prison…well, was like prison."

Annabeth nodded in understanding, "And Kronos?"

"Lifetime sentence. Once they dug up all that he had did, I don't think even a lifetime sentence covers it," Percy grimaced. "But I never asked. How was, you know…deployment?"

"It was fine. Not much different than back here, still cut off from most of the world."

Although the conversation seemed forced at the beginning, Percy found himself relaxing ever so slightly. As though he had been wound up until then. He listened to her talk about her nine months abroad, waving aside his own story. After all, there isn't much to tell about one's time in jail. At points he found himself just staring at her, unbelieving that he actually got to see her after two years.

"Percy, Percy," she waved her hand in front of his face, "Are you even listening?"

"Huh? Sorry…" but he didn't sound apologetic in the least bit. Annabeth noted this with a knowing look of her own.

"So, care to explain…"

"Look, I haven't seen you or anyone really in the last two or so years. When you visited me in the cell, you were my only connection with the world. It got lonely. Though I have all the freedom in the world now, a considerable amount more than my past few years in jail, the marines, and the navy, I'm completely lost. I have no idea what I'm doing with myself. I was, to be honest, terrified when you stopped visiting me. I thought I had done something wrong…You severed all the ties so quickly."

"Percy…I really don't have an excuse. I was scared quite frankly. If I kept seeing you. I know it's not really rational, especially since you've proven to me time and time again that I shouldn't have to worry about you…I was still scared that getting involved with you would result in some trouble."

"Oh."

"I'm really sorry Perce. Yes, I, Annabeth Chase, will admit that I was worried about my reputation without even thinking about how you would feel…or how I would feel for that matter. I tried to push aside some of my feelings for you, trying to rationalize it. But, I realized that whether I knew it or not, you were definitely a part of my life now. And as cliché as it sounds, it was too late for me to recognize this and tell you. I was already deployed, and I had to focus on the task on hand."

Percy didn't say anything, waiting for the words to sink in first.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked hesitantly, waiting to gauge his reaction.

"I—" but he stopped. "You—" he tried again, still unable to put his response into words. Sure, he had only been waiting to hear this for the last few years, but now that she had said it, it hadn't really hit him. It was like stumbling around the darkness, the light at the end of the tunnel a few hundred meters away, but he had yet to reach it.

He understood exactly where she was coming from. She was the perfect Annabeth Chase, a Major in the United States Marines. Why should she bother mingling with low-life like him? Whether he liked it or not, Percy had voluntarily been associated with Kronos at the beginning. That was entirely his fault. He had blundered, and it had cost him his life.

Annabeth looked at him with a humorless expression on her face, "Percy, stop it."

"What?"

"I know you. You're blaming yourself for this distance that came in between us. It's not your fault. You understand that right?"

"But I was the one who was involved with Kro—"

"No, I cut off ties from you for fear of my reputation. I was selfish and high-headed. You're not as low as you think."

"Thanks," Percy said wryly.

Annabeth cracked a smile, "Honestly, the whole incident…from the moment you stepped foot during marine training with your stubble and arrogant attitude, it was always a misunderstanding that was bigger than us in which we got embroiled."

The two sat silently once again. Percy noted that this happened to be a common trend today. But it wasn't uncomfortable. It was just them. Annabeth had begun to play with his now freezing cold cup of coffee. She made a strange face as she lifted the cup to her mouth.

"So, where does this leave us?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, I always did enjoy going out for a cup of coffee," she said, putting the cup back down.

"Uhm…Well…" Percy began, his cheeks slightly tinted.

"Didn't peg you as the stammering type when I met you," she replied with a wink. "But I gotta head out." She stood up while Percy scrambled to do the same. She held out her hand with amusement evident in her gray eyes. He hastened to shake it.

And with another good-bye and quick wave, she left. Percy felt something in his hand, something that hadn't been there before. He opened the crumpled piece of paper that Annabeth had slipped into his hand.

Call me. With a number scribbled on the bottom, he smiled. Maybe things weren't so bad after all. Just maybe.

So, this story is finally over. I know the ending wasn't the best, but I really just needed to get this story done. This will be my last full length story on here and my other FF account (meaning I won't be finishing the ones under Lord Voldemort XIV). If I (being as stupid as I am) decide to start another story, I probably won't be finishing it since I have the attention span of a two year old kid. I'm surprised I even finished this piece with the lack of motivation.

I'll update my one-shots when I'm up for it. Probably more at the beginning of the summer. But most updates will probably end when the summer is done and classes resume. I've lost inspiration lately. I still have ideas…Just not sure how to implement them. Anyway, I'll see how things go.

So for the last time, tell me what you think.

~TJ