CHAPTER 1

"Beep Beep!" the phone bleats in quick succession followed by a long vibration. A lean hand with long elegant fingers and smooth tan skin picks it up and glances down at the message.

"S.O.S! BIG NEWS! COME NOW… (or as soon as you can)" followed by the smooch and stunned emojis. She lets out a sigh, but hits the call button anyway. After a few rings an excited voice answers, "REYNA! Oh gods! Please you need to get over here right now!"

Reyna smiles to herself at the girl's excitement. "I'm sorry Pipes. I'm meeting with a client in ten minutes. I'm not sure how long the meeting will last, but I will come right over as soon as it's done, ok?"

"Fiiiiinnnneee," Piper concedes. "But hurry ok? It's BIG BIG BIG!"

"Any chance you can tell me right now what it is?"

"Nope! No way. I need to tell you in person." A moment's pause and then, "Better yet, bring pyjamas because you are spending the night. Oh there's so much to plan and talk about!"

Reyna frowns. How much does Piper need to tell her? "Ok, my love. I'll see you in a bit." She ends the call, places the phone back down onto her mahogany desk, and leans back absently in her chair. She swivels around to gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows of her 40th floor office, eyes not really seeing the view but rather thinking about what surprise Piper has. The more she thinks about it, the more certain she feels she knows. She's interrupted from her reverie by the ringing of her phone. Hitting the speaker button, she calls, "Yes Ryan?"

"Mr. Khtonios is here to see you, Ma'am."

"Thank you Ryan. Send him in please. Also could you bring me a cup of coffee and some of that whiskey Hades is partial to? I think we might need to soften him up a bit."

She can hear the uncertainty in his voice when he answers, "I don't think that will work today Ma'am."

She frowns, confused, when a moment later her glass door is pushed inward and a tall, dark-haired man in his late twenties enters her office. He has dark eyes and wears an immaculate, expensive black suit with a white shirt, complete with a black tie. She leans back in her chair in understanding and annoyance. "So your father sent you to do his dirty work."

"Hello Reyna. It's always a pleasure to see you."

"I don't have time for your tricks and charms James. I need your father to authorize the settlement. The other party won't settle for anything less than your father's signature."

The brunette sighs and pushes his fingers through his hair, causing a few strands to fall forward onto his forehead. He points to the couch across from her and says, "May I sit?"

She nods, and he perches on the couch's arm. "Reyna, they want my father to kneel and kiss their feet. My father does not beg. Especially from those bastards over at Olympus Inc. Zeus is mad if he thinks my father will give in to his demands."

She feels a rising irritation start to boil in her stomach. She'd worked on this deal for months, negotiating back and forth between the two parties, trying to get them to reach an acceptable compromise. She'd stayed up late most of those nights going through the list of demands trying to find loopholes and concessions that would please both parties. Finally they'd all come to some sort of agreement and all she needed was for the two parties to sign off on the deal. Now here was James telling her that all her hard work had basically amounted to nothing. It's hard not to feel resentful of her job when these moments arise.

But she pushes the irritation down and plasters her most diplomatic smile on her face. "James, we went through this deal with a fine-tooth comb. We've had twenty-four depositions. We've reviewed all the claims, all the here-say. I personally sifted through all the case-files. If this goes to court we won't win. $20 million is not that much. Please just take the deal to your father and have him sign it. Please." She holds the folder out to him offering it like a platter of food.

James shakes his head and begins to pace agitatedly in front of his desk. "Do you know how much humiliation my father has endured at the hands of those… those pompous fools? My father was supposed to be on their Board of Directors – a co-founder of Olympus Inc. until that goddamned son of a bitch Zeus kicked him out." He turns and glares at Reyna, raw anger pooling in the depths of his dark eyes.

Her stomach twists uncomfortably and her shoulders tense when James resumes his pacing, his hands twisting and gesturing aggressively. He rants on – this has obviously been waiting to pour over for a while. "They used him to take over the company and when they didn't need him anymore they shoved his ass out the door. Then they tore down his reputation – do you know how hard it is to do any respectable thing when people think you're a creepy stalker?!" He's breathing heavily, but after a few moments he takes a huge gulp of air, straightens up, pushes the few strands of hair that had fallen loose back, and faces her. "So you see Miss Ramirez, how this deal isn't agreeable to my father. If we sign this, we're basically admitting to all the accusations pointed at us – half of which aren't true. For one thing, my father did not sexually assault Persephone. This whole scandal is tearing my family apart. Where's your justice Ms. Ramirez?"

Reyna gets up and moves in front of him. "James," she says sternly, looking him right in the eyes, "it doesn't matter what is true or not. Honestly most of the time it's just about who can twist the facts more convincingly. If this goes to court, everything your father has built since Olympic Inc. will burn. Your whole life – everything you know – will be over. You'll never find work here. Take the deal. $20 million is a small price to pay compared with what else is at stake here. I am your attorney, I have your best interests at heart. Please, trust me."

He sighs, then slouches against the side of her desk. He takes her hand and presses it to his lips. She shifts uncomfortably, looking around to make sure no one can see them. "James-"

He sighs again and releases her hand. "I know… purely platonic. It's not fair any of it, is it?"

"If you haven't learnt it already, you will soon: life's not fair. It's cruel and it will beat you down. If you want something you have to take it. But sometimes you have to lose first, ok?"

His mouth hardens into a straight line. "You drive a hard bargain Ms. Ramirez. Even when we were in college I couldn't keep up with you." He stands up straight and steps closer to her. He stretches down and takes the file from her hand, then places a rough kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you later sweetheart." Then he stalks out of her office.

She collapses on her couch, releasing a long-breath she hadn't realized she was holding. James had his father's angry fire, but he also had his mother's heart. She knew he would persuade Hades to see reason and so she knew she'd won that fight.

But this… thing she had going on with him was dangerous. If someone found out about them… well it would jeopardize this whole deal she'd worked so hard on.

"Ryan!" she calls loudly. A sandy-haired, owl-glassed boy pushes his way through her door. "Make me that coffee to go, and please cancel all my other appointments. I'm going to see an old friend."

Ryan nods and bustles off to do as he's told. Picking up her phone she fires a quick text off to Piper. On my way. See you soon. A few seconds later her phone beeps. OK! Can't Wait!"

She smiles and gathers her things, pushing work out of her mind for now.

A few minutes later she's on the highway pressing 75 miles an hour in her red mustang convertible. The top's down and her hair flies free behind her. She smiles to herself. Reyna loves driving. She loves the rush and how in control she feels when she drives. She loves the split-second decisions and the thrill of maneuvering windy roads. She loves the rev of her engine and the speed that just takes her breath away. Her mustang had been her own personal treat when she'd completed her first year at Bellona & Athena Law - a toast to all the long hours and sleepless nights she'd endured to get here. It hadn't been an easy ride.

Soon she's out of the downtown core of Jupiter City and turning onto the boulevard that fronts the series of beach-side condos that mark the limits of the city. She turns into the garage of the last one, parks, and takes the garage elevator up to the penthouse. She has to swipe her key-card because it opens straight into the foyer of her apartment since her apartment is the only one on the floor. The elevator's doors ding open onto a spacious foyer with a shoe closet to its right. The floor is tiled with plates of tan marble. From the foyer, a few steps lead down into the living room with comfy slate coloured couches curved around the wall with a mounted T.V. above a fireplace. To the left of the living room is a grand kitchen with granite counters, countless cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and complete with a large island ringed by bar stools for eating. To the left of the foyer a staircase that curves upwards towards the bedroom and bathroom. Tucked underneath the stairs is a small powder room.

She kicks off her shoes and sighs at the feel of cold tiles under her feet. She makes her way to the kitchen and pours herself a glass of wine. Whilst her head is buried in the cabinet, a voice says, "Would you like me to cook you some dinner Miss?"

Reyna pulls her head out of the cupboard to smile at the plump woman. "That won't be necessary Patricia. I've just come home for a shower and some clothes. I'll be staying over at Piper's tonight."

Patricia nods, but asks, "Do you want me to fill your bath Miss Reyna?"

Reyna laughs. "No thank you Patricia. I think I'm old enough to draw my own baths. Go home Pat. Be with your family. Your children need you more than I do." She walks over to the woman and plants a kiss on her cheek. "Buenas noches mama," she says softly.

"Let me see you out first dear. You work too hard."

"GOOOOOO!" she chastises in response.

The woman clucks with disapproval but picks her purse up off the island and heads out. "Sleep well Miss Reyna."

Reyna smiles at her as she retreats through the door. When it clicks shut, she fills her glass with wine and heads upstairs to shower and pack a few things.

Thirty minutes later she's back on the highway speeding towards Piper's million dollar estate just north of the city. When she finally pulls into the gravelly driveway, the brown haired Cherokee girl is running towards her, excitement making her kaleidoscopic eyes sparkle. Reyna is barely out the door when the girl flings her arms around her neck.

"Ooooohhhh I am sooooo happpppyyy you're here!" she squeals.

Reyna gives her a quick squeeze before pulling back. "How could I say no?" She pulls her duffel bag out of the backseat and together she and Piper make their way back to the house, exchanging pleasantries and laughing excitedly.

When they finally reach the kitchen, Reyna drops her bag on a stool before she notices the blond and curly haired women watching her. When she does, a smile breaks across her face and she makes her way to them.

"Annabeth! Hazel!" she greets, giving them both hugs. Turning back to Piper, she says, "This must be some news. The whole gang is here."

Piper laughs, pours a glass of Chardonnay, and hands it to Reyna. "Come on!" She leads them through the back door onto a large porch where several chairs and wicker couches are occupied by several other people. Instantly her eyes are drawn to the electric blue ones that smile up to her. She gulps before she says, "Hello Jason." He smiles in response and she turns her attention to the others. "Percy, Frank, Leo, and… Nico!" She settles down next to the pale-skinned boy and plants a kiss on his cheek. "It's been too long!"

Nico returns the kiss and says, "Well you do make yourself a stranger sometimes."

"Well, what can I say? Your father has had me on my toes for a while now."

Nico smiles. "Yes he can be quite demanding."

Finally, a tall, pale girl, with black spiky hair and startling blue eyes comes out onto the porch. She sees Reyna and takes the empty spot next to her. "Hi Rey!"

"Thalia," she says tilting her glass at her. Turning her attention back to Piper who had settled on the arm of Jason's chair, she asks, "So? What's the big news?

Piper and Jason smile at each other for a moment, before she turns to beam at the rest of them. Finally she announces, "Jason and I are going to be married!"

Thank you for taking the time to read my new story. I'm really uncertain about this one right now, so please please leave your reviews and let me know what you all think... Especially of James. I wasn't sure how a new original character would be for you guys so let me know what you think of him in this story. Ok good reading everyone!