Soldier Chapter 1

Prologue

Twenty five year old architect Annabeth Chase who graduated from Yale University and now worked as the second leading architect for Olympian Industries never expected to fall in love with the guy who ran her over in the park one day while she was jogging. She really didn't expect to fall in love with a guy who was in the army and the son of one of her bosses, and someone her mother completely hated.

Twenty six year old Army staff sergeant Percy Jackson who joined the army at eighteen never expected to fall in love with the girl he ran into at the park while he was home on leave. He especially didn't think he would ever fall in love with a girl who worked for his father's company and was the daughter of the women who absolutely hated his father and anything to do with him including his children.

July 1st 2012

Annabeth Chase groaned and rolled over to turn off the annoying beeping her alarm was currently making. She didn't know anyone else who woke up at six a.m. on a Saturday but she diffidently knew her roommate and best Thalia Grace diffidently didn't wake up this early on any day. Annabeth liked waking up at six every day, she didn't like breaking her morning routines, she would wake up eat a granola bar with some water and then jog in central park for an hour, then she would come home shower get dresses for work and eat a more filling breakfast and be at work by nine. The only time she ever disrupted her routine was on the weekends if she had gone out with friends the night before. Since she didn't go out and get completely wasted like Thalia did last night she got up at six and did her normal morning routine. She dressed in black yoga pants with a purple tank-top and put on her black and purple Nike running shoes. She put her hair up in its signature ponytail and strapped her iPhone to her arm before she left her apartment. Once outside in the New York air she started towards Central park which was only two blocks from her apartment. She had just passed one of her favorite fountains in the park when she was very painfully knocked to the ground.

Groaning she opened her eyes looking straight into the face that had run into her. He had the most beautiful sea green eyes she had ever seen. He was lying with his hands on both sides of her arms, so that he was just barely hovering above her. He was staring at her forgetting that he was lying on top of her, she blinked and awkwardly coughed "Umm do you think you could get off me know?"

He blinked and said "Oh uhh yeah, sorry about that" he quickly got up and handed her his hand which she took and painfully stood up, at her pained expression his eyebrows scrunched together and he asked "Are you okay, are you hurt anywhere?"

"Oh yeah I'm perfectly fine after being knocked over by a guy twice my size" Annabeth said sarcastically. He was about a head taller than her with broad shoulders and dark shaggy hair that was almost in his eyes. He had a slight stubble of hair on his jaw along with a white jagged scar underneath his right eye that was about an inch long. He was wearing a black fitted work out shirt with black and silver basketball shorts and black Nikes. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Are you hurt do you need me to take you to the hospital or anything?" he asked worried again.

Annabeth smiled and said "I don't think the hospital is going to do anything about a bruised butt".

He laughed and put his hand out "I'm Percy Jackson by the way".

Annabeth took his hand and shook it "Annabeth Chase".

"So Ms. Chase would you like to get a coffee with me?" He asked smiling at her.

He had an absolutely gorgeous smile that made his eyes shine; it made her knees weak which is something she had never felt before. "Sure I could use a coffee, but I think it's only right if you pay since you are the one who knocked me down" she said smiling at him.

"Of course" Percy said laughing; he started towards the Starbucks that was across the street with Annabeth walking next to him. "I truly am sorry for knocking you down; usually I'm paying more attention than that".

"It's fine, I used to play basketball in high school, I can handle someone knocking me down, even if it is a little embarrassing" Annabeth said.

Percy laughed and said "I think it was more embarrassing for me since I'm the idiot who ran into you". They crossed the street and walked into the coffee shop were they stood in line.

"So what had you so distracted?" Annabeth asked.

Percy got a dark look on his face, which meant obviously it was something he didn't really want to talk about.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that" Annabeth said quickly.

Percy blinked and looked at her, his face softened a bit and he said "No it's fine, I just saw an ex-girlfriend of mine in the park while I was running".

"Oh I'm sorry. I know how ex's can be" Annabeth said honestly.

Percy smiled and said "You've had some bad break ups to I take it?"

Annabeth nodded her head "Only one really bad one".

They stepped up to the counter and Percy asked "What would you like?"

Annabeth ordered her usual summer time drink "I'll have a grande caramel Frappuccino"

"And for you sir?" the barista asked batting her eye lashes at Percy who completely ignored her

"I'll have the same thing" Percy said pulling out his wallet.

"Your totals ten dollars. What name should I call out?" She asked staring at Percy.

Percy handed her the money and said "It's Percy".

"My name is Cassie by the way" the barista said smiling at Percy.

Percy nodded his head and awkwardly said "Uhh it was nice to meet you". He quickly took Annabeth's hand and led her to an empty table by the window. Percy let go of her hand making Annabeth realize how much she missed it, at that thought she quickly shook her head. She just meet the guy there's no way she could already have feelings for him.

"Sorry about that, it drives me insane when girls do that" Percy said sheepishly.

Annabeth laughed "It's alright, I understand, but I don't think she got the hint. She keeps looking over here".

Percy looked at the barista out of the corner of his eye, when he noticed her watching him he groaned. "So…" Percy started but was interrupted by the barista calling his name; he stood up and said "I'll get those".

Annabeth watched him go up and the barista hand him the coffees, she slipped him a napkin which most likely had her number on it. Cassie winked at him as Percy quickly turned around and headed back towards the table. Obviously he didn't like being flirted with like that in public.

He sat her coffee down and said "So are you from here?"

Annabeth took a drink of her coffee and said "No, I'm from San Francisco actually. Are you from around here?"

"Yep born and raised in Manhattan. What made you move across the country?" He asked.

"I went to college here. But I've always loved Manhattan; my mom lived here so I'd visit every summer. After college I just never left". She said smiling.

"My mom is from here, but my dad's actually from Greece. So I'm half Greek, I actually speak it fluently" Percy said stirring his drink.

Annabeth laughed "Are you serious, my mom is from Greece, so I'm half Greek as well, I speak Greek and Latin fluently".

"Wow. So where did you go to college?"

"Yale. What about you?" she asked.

"I didn't go to college. I joined the army when I turned eighteen, and I've been in ever since" Percy said looking out the window at all the people on the street.

"Oh, well that's a good job, what made you join?" Annabeth asked.

Percy looked at the table and said "I don't really know, I have ADHD so I like being constantly moving, I didn't even think about the army until a recruiter came to my school and said he had ADHD and that the army was the best choice for him. So my mom and I looked into it, and I instantly feel in love with it and the day I turned eighteen I signed the papers. I've seen more of the world than I ever could have by doing something else".

"Wow you must really love it. When you speak about it your eyes light up and you smile a lot" Annabeth said smiling at him.

Percy smiled and said "Yeah I guess I do. So what did you major in?"

"Architecture. I've always been in love with it, I love looking at buildings and figuring out what they were built with and I love researching new ways to safely and effectively build new things. I really love ancient architecture like ancient Greece and Rome". She stopped herself, she knew if she was able to she would keep rambling on and on and he would eventually get bored.

"And you say I love my job. Have you ever seen yourself talk about architecture, your eyes light up and you look so happy. So do you work here in the city?" Percy asked amused.

"Yeah, I actually work at Olympia Industries. I work with my mother Athena Olympiad".

Percy looked shocked "Your mother is Athena Olympiad?"

"Yeah, do you know her or something?" Annabeth asked skeptically.

Percy coughed and said "Yeah, uhh my father is Poseidon Olympiad".

Now it was Annabeth's time to be completely shocked "Your father is one of the big three".

Percy smiled sheepishly "Yup, owner of all the major fishing and boating companies in the world".

"Holy shit, your father is one of the big three and you're in the army" Annabeth blurted out.

Percy laughed and said "I want raised by my father, which is why my last name is Jackson, my mother raised me, I didn't know who my father was until I was fourteen, when he suddenly showed up. He wanted me to work for the company and I was going to but then I learned about the army and decided to take that path. When I retire I plan to go to school to be a marine biologist and work for one of his aquariums".

"Wow. So that means you're related to my best friend Thalia?" Annabeth said.

"Do you mean Thalia Grace?" Percy asked.

Annabeth nodded her head "Yeah she's the daughter of Zeus".

"Yeah she's my cousin; we meet the summer my father showed up at the annual family reunion, we haven't kept in touch the last couple of years though. Do you know who Nico is?"

"I've heard Thalia mention him before but I've never meet him" Annabeth said finishing her coffee.

"Yeah he's Hade's kid; he's a detective here in the city. I stay with him when I'm home on leave. He and Thalia never really got along so I guess that would explain why you've never meet him" Percy said smiling.

"That makes sense" Annabeth looked at her phone and said "Wow we've been here an hour. I have to get going, I'm meeting with my mother for some work stuff".

"Oh okay. Uhh it was nice meeting you Annabeth. And I'm sorry about knocking you over" Percy said sticking his hand out.

Annabeth smiled and shook his hand "It was nice meeting you to Percy. And its fine, I'm just going to have a bruise for a couple of days. Maybe we'll see each other some other time" she said before walking towards the door. Inside she was hoping that he would follow her and ask her out, she made it outside and almost completely past the Starbucks building before she heard someone yelling her name.

She turned around to see Percy running at her, he stopped in front of her and said "Uhh what are you doing tomorrow night?'

"Nothing except, watching some crappy TV" Annabeth smiling.

Percy smiled and said "Well would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

Annabeth smiled and said "Yeah I'd like that".

Percy smiled widely and said "Awesome, so uhh I'll pick you up at six, is that alright?"

"That's fine" Annabeth grabbed a napkin off the table and wrote down her address "Here's my address". She handed it to Percy and said "I'll see you tomorrow Percy" she said before turning around and heading back to her apartment.

"See you tomorrow Annabeth" Percy called out. The entire walk back to her apartment Annabeth was smiling, she hadn't smiled this much in a very long time.