First And Final Loss

Annabeth sighed annoyed when someone ran into the courtroom at the last minute.

He shrugged his jacket on, while apologising to everyone. "Sorry your honour! I couldn't get through traffic." He explained and to her surprise he walked to the other desk.

"You've got to be kidding me." She muttered under her breath. Was this guy really the other lawyer? Well she was going to beat his ass.

"It's okay mr. Jackson, just don't let it happen again." Her opposite lawyer, Mr. Jackson, nodded fiercely and got his papers out of his back.

This was going to be an easy win she thought.

Except that it wasn't. Her firm mostly defended big companies and this was one of those cases. Her company who made paint maybe had made a mistake and there were now toxic gasses in them. But they weren't sure of it. The company had told her that it was all a lie and a desperate attempt to get some money.

But as it seemed now, the opposite side had a lot of proof and witnesses. Wow he was really trying she thought while he was talking, trying to make his point.

Normally the lawyers for the site of the prosecutors, so the people that were suing her company, weren't really interested and did the case only because it was pro bono. Which was required to do once in a while. She didn't really hate doing pro bono cases, but it wasn't her favourite to do so.

But this guy was really good, she had to admit.

Though this was just a short moment where Annabeth was trying to get the case dismissed. Which she didn't which only increased her irritation with everyone around her. She didn't know who she was the most angry at, the judge? That guy? Or herself?

Annabeth was already very irritated with him so she chose the Jackson guy.

It was a good thing that she loved her job, because she predicted that she was going to spend a lot of time on this case.

The most rushed out of the court when they were done, but Annabeth waited. She wanted to talk to him. She normally introduced herself to her opponent. It was mostly a strategy to try and to intimidate the other.

He was also still there, organising some papers and putting them in his bag. She had to admit that he was handsome. He didn't really look like a lawyer though, of course he had a suit on that the most had. But with his messy hair and how his mouth quirked up sometimes was controversy. She hadn't ever seen him before but he seemed around her age, 28. And he seemed nice.

"Hello, I'm Annabeth Chase. I thought that introducing myself would be the polite thing to do."

"Oh yeah. Sorry. I'm Percy. Uhm, Jackson. Percy Jackson." He was stuttering, the quite opposite from what he was during the lawsuit.

She shook his hand softly and couldn't ignore the sparks that were going through her when they touched. Yet squeezed his hand kind of firmly, as her mother had thought her to do so a long time ago.

"I guess I see you in court again in two weeks, Annabeth. Nice meeting you." His smile was kind and she kind of felt terrible that she was only doing this to try to intimidate him.

"Yes, see you then."

-------------

She saw him earlier than two weeks. And it wasn't in court.

It was actually at a bar.

A week before her case with Percy continued she went to a bar where they usually don't go, but one of her best friends and colleague, Jason, wanted to go there.

"Why are we even going here?" She asked, walking besides him.

"Someone invited me and I thought that it would be nice. She's a paralegal in a smaller office."

"A she?" She teased her friend and gave him a whistle. "Shut up. We met a few weeks ago and have been going out."

"And you didn't tell me!" She exclaimed sarcastically with fake shock. He just rolled his eyes and walked on.

The bar was nice. It was smaller and there were a lot of groups. Jason grabbed her arm and dragged her to a table where three people were sitting. "Hey Piper!" Jason called and a girl, native American she assumed, looked up and got up. "You made it! And you brought a friend! Hi, I'm Piper Mclean."

"Hi, I'm Annabeth Chase, nice to meet you. Jason is crazy about you." She whispered as Piper pulled her into a hug.

"Come come sit down." Piper ushered them. Annabeth pulled a chair by the booth and sat down on that one, while Jason sat down next to Piper.

"Frank, Hazel, this are Jason and Annabeth. Annabeth, Jason, Hazel and Frank."

The boy and girl, Frank and Hazel apparently, looked nice. Frank was a big Chinese guy and Hazel an African American girl but beautiful frizzy hair and eyes that seemed to be gold.

"What do you guys want to drink? I can get it for you." Piper offered.

"So are you friends of Piper?" Annabeth asked as Piper left. "Yeah, we all work at the same office."

"It's a law firm right? Since Piper is a paralegal."

"Yes, we're lawyers there. Actually with our college friend who is also our best friend and Piper that is our whole firm actually. We have some interns once in a while but it's just us right now.

"I'm glad they aren't too nerdy and typical lawyers. We're more relaxed. Are you a lawyer too like Jason?" Piper asked when she sat down and put their drinks down. Annabeth thanked her, but got a bit uncomfortable, because she in fact was a lot like a typical lawyer.

"Yeah, Jason and I work at the same firm. Hentower Jones. I've been there for almost six years now." She told them and sipped her beer silently.

"Okay I got your drinks guys! It's easier when you're a girl. Piper just walked in and got her drinks. Unbelievable." This guy rambled and put more drinks on the table."

When he looked up and she saw who it was she was sure the colour drenched out of her face. But he didn't seem to notice. "Hi, I think that you're Jason? Heard lots about you." He told her friend and hung over the table to shake his hand. And when he almost fell Hazel, Frank and Piper just pulled him back by his shirt laughing loudly.

"Oh I'm Percy by the way! And your friend here." He turned to her and something like recognition flashed into his eyes. "Hey, Annabeth!"

"You know each other?" Jason asked with surprise. Percy sat down sipping his water while then looked up at her, giving her a crooked smile. "Yeah, we have a case together. Well against each other. We see each other in a week right?"

"Yes." She said stiffly, getting some colour and voice back. "Can't wait."

"Me neither, though I need to confess that I'm going to beat your ass." He told her while still smirking. She just scoffed in response, not really impressed. "Oh he's the stupid paint pro bono guy!" Jason exclaimed which earned him a kick from Annabeth under the table.

Everyone burst out laughing and she grew red.

"We don't actually do pro bono." Frank said after a while.

"We are bono." Hazel joked. Which earned a few eye rolls and laughs from Piper, Percy and Frank though she and Jason didn't get the joke.

"We mostly only do cases like that. Hazel and I defend class actions against big companies and Frank sometimes, but he mostly does environmental things." Percy explained.

"Oh, you're that kind of firm."

"Oh and you're that other kind of firm. Let me guess. Harvard big shots. You only get in if you went to Harvard and your firm has the names of the partners' last names?" She only rolled her eyes in response.

"You didn't go to Harvard or any Ivy League I suppose then?"

"NYU." He answered shortly.

What's the name of your firm?" Jason asked, seeming really interested in them. Which Annabeth didn't really understand, normally they laughed at little firms. They were people who couldn't get into a big firm and started their own.

"Oh this is actually a funny story." Frank started. "So when we were all studying and still in college and all Percy and I lived together. We still do actually. But that doesn't matter now."

"Certainly because you are going to ditch me for her." Percy muttered to which Hazel lightly pushed him. "We can't live together again like in college Percy. And besides, my apartment is nicer than yours."

"Okay, our firm name. We named it after three greek words; πιστός και φιλικός και ηδονή (Pistos kai filikos kai édoné; pronunciation) It means Loyal and friendly and joyness / delight. But here comes the funny part; the first letter of πιστός is pi and that is the P so that's Percy. And the second one is φιλικός is a phi which is a F so that's me; Frank. And the last one ηδονή is the èta which is the H so Hazel."

"We actually added Hazel at the last part since Frank and I thought of the name in our second year I think. But it all adds up so that's funny. And Hazel is a real joyness and delight." Percy added, the last part sarcastic.

"Asshole." Hazel muttered. Percy just kissed her cheek in a brotherly way in response. "Love you too."

"But the worst part is that they didn't even include me!" Piper exclaimed, which made everyone burst out laughing again.

"But it is a cool name." Jason commented and Annabeth couldn't help but agree. She was a sucker for greek.

"But let's talk about you two now." Frank said and they started to chat about cases and lawyer stuff to Pipers complaints.

---------------

A couple of hours she was all left alone with Percy after all the couples had left. She had to admit that it wasn't as awkward as she thought it would be. She didn't want to leave at all.

"Why are you only drinking water?" She herself only had a few beers, so she wasn't really drunk.

"Oh, I don't like alcohol, even the smell-" He pulled his nose up making a disgusting face which made her laugh.

"Why do you hang out at a bar then?"

"The rest seems to enjoy it so I just suck it up." He shrugged. "Did you ever even drink?"

"Not a single drop. It's just not really my thing I guess." He lifted his water at her and took a sip not taking his eyes off of her.

"Well you can taste mine if you want? Maybe you will like it." She suggested pushing the beer across the table to him.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure I won't like it." And he shoved the glass back to her. "Oh come on try it. Don't be so dull! Can't hate on something that you never even tried." And she shoved the beer back to him.

"Annabeth, I'm good." He said through gritted teeth and shoved the glass back harsher. She hadn't expected it and the glass fell on her, thus all the beer spilling over her.

Percy jumped up and ran over to her exclaiming apologies.

She just walked to the bathroom grumbling a string of curses aimed at him.

"Annabeth, wait! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- wait!" He walked into the bathroom after her and luckily for him there weren't any people there.

"I shouldn't have pushed it so hard back. I'm sorry. And oh God your whole blouse is ruined. I have an extra dress shirt at the office, it's not far away. You can get that one on. I can go get it or you can come with me, otherwise you need to wait longer."

She only nodded, wanting something clean.

"Do you want my jacket? It's cold out here." They were walking on the street and since it was late and she had it cold she wanted to say yes. But her pride and a voice in her head told her to just decline. So she did.

"Oh come on. I basically threw beer at you. I need to make it up to you. Come on, just put my jacket on. I see that you're shivering."

She just shrugged and ignored him, speeding up the pace. "Okay, then I'm just going to jump it on you."

He grabbed her hand which immediately stopped her and she turned to him. "Don't be so stubborn." He gave her a crooked smile, sweeter than his normal grin that he had smiled all night and placed the jacket over her shoulders.

"Thank you." Annabeth told him and continued walking. "Yet I still think that you're an asshole." She added.

They were silent after that, because she was still kind of mad at him and Percy seemed too deep in his thoughts.

"Okay it's over there. So follow me." He spoke up and pulled her to the building.

"Oh my keys are in the pocket of my jacket. Wait." He put his hands in her- well his pockets and fished some keys out.

"Well welcome to our office." Percy said and closed the door behind her. "Home sweet home I guess."

"It's wow." She looked around the place. It wasn't very big as she expected, but she didn't actually mind.

It was an open space with a counter right in front of her. She assumed Piper's. There was a couch on her right, but she wanted to see more of the office.

There was a hallway to her right with a couple of rooms. Four had glass walls and in one was Percy.

So she walked into the room that he was. An office, which she assumed was Percy's. Only a single desk was standing here, other than in the other room where there were two desks.

"Here it is. I keep a spare one here." He turned around to her and handed her the dress shirt. Not even surprised that she was there.

"Where can I change?" She asked, holding it up. "Oh you can do it here, I can leave. Or in Hazel and Frank's office. They are the one with the two desks. Stupid right? We moved in here about a year after we graduated. We had saved up and all and it cost us extra to buy this one, because there was another office with two rooms where we could put desks. But no- that would get annoying Percy. Two years with this office they put their desks together." He scoffed, but he had a smile of fondness on his face.

"And when I commented about it Hazel only told me that Frank and I already live together so that I can't complain. Everyone always thinks that Hazel is the sweetest of all of us, but actually she is the wickedest."

She only laughed at him and held the shirt up. "I guess I'm changing here."

"Oh yeah, sorry you need to change. I can get you something to drink? Maybe some coffee to sober you up?"

"Yes, thank you." She replied and Percy walked out.

Percy still didn't come back so she decided to look for him herself.

"Are you waiting in here for me?" She amused as she saw him standing in the kitchen with two cops of coffee.

"Yeah, didn't want to walk in on you changing and all and since the walls are glass for a part and all... Wow you look great in that- er- but here is your coffee. We can sit in the conference room." She followed him into a room with a large table.

"Well we call it that way, we mostly just eat here."

"You actually eat together?" She never lunched stand alone with the whole office and around a table. He just put the cups down and sat down onto the table and she did the same.

"You, Hazel, Frank and Piper are close right?"

"Yeah, you could say so. Especially Hazel, Frank and I. Since Frank and I have lived together since we were 20 and we met Hazel during law school."

"Did you ever date someone here?"

"Oh gross no." Percy exclaimed while scrunching his nose up. "Hazel and Frank are engaged if you hadn't noticed; it's the only thing they talk about. And besides that Hazel is like a sister to me and I just don't see Piper that way and she does not see me that way. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just curious. Things can get messy when people are really close." He only nodded drinking his coffee while it was still too hot for her.

"Is it actually nice to work here?" She asked later, after taking a tentative sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it? I'm working here with three of my favourite people in the world and well- Piper." He joked, shooting her a grin. "But seriously it's great. I love getting to help people and those big firms just kinda creep me out I guess. It's just making as much money as possible and selling your soul. I didn't become a lawyer for that."

"Hey! I did not sell my soul. And I care about my clients. Maybe some of them don't but it has some pros to work for a big firm. Like we and I, myself, never have to worry about money. I can grow as much as I want in the company and I help people too."

"Yeah I guess if you put it that way. It was kind of stressful in the beginning. We worked in mine and Frank's apartment in the beginning. It was just Frank and I for six months. Hazel got a really good job offer and we didn't want to slow her down. We put our whole savings in it. My mother and I fought about it a lot in the beginning. For the first one and a half year we didn't even have money to hire a paralegal. Luckily Piper isn't really in it for the money- well of course this is her job but she doesn't mind when it's lower some months. It's not like we don't cut our own paycheck then."

Annabeth hadn't really ever thought about the struggle you would have when starting your own company and especially after just graduating.

"Though some of the people at your firm and other big firms do not care about their clients or the people they are destroying."

She didn't respond to that. Arguing wouldn't help and she couldn't disagree either.

"You're a corporate lawyer right?" He asked after the brief silence. "Yes. You aren't I think?"

"No, that's more Hazel's thing. Frank does environmental stuff. One of my friends, Grover Underwood, is an environmental lawyer too, he helped us out in the beginning. Mostly for free, though we are going to pay him back eventually. I mostly do the defendance for people against big companies. So what you would call pro bono. Sometimes divorces, though I don't like those. Too close to home. And I don't like going to prison either if it has to for a case I mostly give it to Hazel and Frank. Hazel doesn't mind but Frank doesn't like them either."

"Why do you don't want to go to jail?"

"I don't think those rapists and murderers want me as their lawyer anyway and I don't want to be theirs. I became a lawyer to help people. And I don't want to help them. Besides I don't want to run into someone there."

"Who?"

"Oh, you don't want to know. It's a long story." He had a soft smile on his face and his eyes were kind, though she sensed that this wasn't that nice of a story.

"Well I have all the time in the world."

"Really? It's late. I can just bring you home if you want."

"Nah, I rather stay here with you, I think."

"Well I don't know what you want to know?" He started to pace around and his friendly manner changed into something darker, though it wasn't aimed at her.

"That until I was six we didn't have a lot of money? So that my mom married a guy who seemed decent enough but, oh surprise surprise, turned out wasn't? That he began to hit after a year and I let him so that he wouldn't do it to my mom? That we had this stupid deal that if he could beat me up whenever he wanted he wouldn't hurt my mom? How he would lay three objects in front of me and only say "Chose." Or just beat me straight up? How I didn't have any friends in High School because everyone thought that I was a bad kid and when I went to college and the first day I met Frank and two years later Hazel? How when I was 20 I moved in with Frank because I couldn't take it anymore? For what a coward I was? I still came back of course, so that he wouldn't get too frustrated. Every wednesday and the weekends. And that I was too scared to go to someone until I was 21? And I only went to the police because Hazel and Frank found out. Of course I had thought about it a lot. We talked about divorce cases all the time at school. I knew we had a strong case, but I didn't want to testify. The truth is that I am just a big coward and still am. I don't know what I will do when I see him sitting there." Percy rambled to her in only a couple of breaths.

"I'm so sorry Percy." She could only stammer out, not knowing what to say which was an entire new thing for her. "I don't think that you're a coward. I think that it makes you braver."

She scooted closer to him and leaned in lingering over his lips. "Certainly not a coward." She whispered and kissed him. It was a sweet kiss and she could feel him smile against her lips.

She moved so that she was hovering above him, while still kissing and he moved his hands around her waist all the while she moved her hands in his hair, messing it up even more.

"I am going to beat your ass at trial later." She mumbled between kisses.

"Yeah, I don't think so." He mumbled back, moving to kiss her neck.

"Let me see your files and witnesses then." Percy immediately pulled away at this looking at her with shock and sadness in his eyes.

"Is that why you're doing this?" His voice cracked and he was panting slightly, his hair even messier than it was before.

"No, no, no. Of course not! How could you think that! I said it in the heat of the moment." She assured him and kissed him again, only now he didn't do anything in return. Not kissing him back and his hands down next to him, just sitting there lifeless.

"Or did you already look into them when you were changing?" His voice sounded betrayed.

"No! I don't even want your files; it was something I said in the heat of the moment. I like you Percy, a lot. I never felt something like this for anybody ever and especially not this quickly."

"I like you too. Well I thought. But then while we were kissing you asked me to see my files and witnesses? And especially after I told you something that personal. Was it all because you wanted to know more about the case?" He asked, his voice slightly cracking at the last part.

"Why would I care about that? I can assure you that it wasn't my plan or anything. I promise. If you just kiss me again and let's forget about it."

She kissed him again and he kissed her back. Until he pulled back and shook his head. "I think that I can better bring you home. I can't do this right now." He explained and she just nodded getting off of him and sitting down on the table besides him again.

"I ruined it didn't I?" She asked as they were walking to her home. "No, it was my fault. I don't know the moment was just gone I think. It's probably for the best. We've only really met each other this night. And you're still a bit tipsy. And you taste like coffee and beer together."

"No!" She exclaimed, dragging the 'o' out. "That's so gross. I'm so sorry." Though she had a big smile on her face. But it was fine since Percy laughed with her.

Percy and she laughed and talked until they arrived at her door. "Thank you for being a gentleman, Percy. Not all guys would do this, you know."

"Sure. I'm just different that way." He joked and winked. "Go to sleep now. You're getting a bit weird if I'm being honest." She just laughed again for the thousandth time that night and opened the door before she spinned around on her heels.

She gathered her courage, being a little bit tipsy helped, and tiptoed to kiss Percy softly on his cheek.

Without looking back she spun around and went inside.

---------------

It was around noon when her phone rang. Not a weird thing of course, since it was a normal Monday at her office.

"Hello, Annabeth Chase here. What can I do for you?" She said her standard phrase.

"Hello, it's Percy. Am I interrupting?" He asked and Annabeth couldn't help but ignore the butterflies erupting in her stomach.

"No! Glad that you called. How did you get my number though?" She bemused.

"I asked Piper, who gave me Jason's number, who gave me yours. I needed to call you because I really needed to apologise to you. After I told them today what happened between us Piper and Hazel almost beat me up. I realise now that you weren't interested in my files or anything and that it was really in the heat of the moment. I was just being stupid and doubting everything. Because how can someone as amazing as you really like someone like me?"

She was silent for a minute, not knowing what to say.

"Don't say that. And you don't need to apologise. I get it. All's forgotten."

"But besides apologising I wanted to ask you something. I think I really like you. Well scratch that- I'm sure I like you. And I know that it sounds stupid since we only really talked one night, but I can't get you out of my head. So do you maybe want to go out sometime? Maybe coffee or lunch or something else?"

"Percy-" She started but he interrupted her. "I get it if it is too weird or not professional to you. Hence we having a case against each other. But we can keep it professional. We just don't talk about it."

"Percy, I'm seriously going to say no however. If you keep on rambling and interrupting me." She stated and she could almost imagine the stupid grin on his face.

"However?"

"I wanted to say yes. But if you think that it is too difficult and humiliating after I beat your ass at court."

"I think that I can handle it. And you're the one that is going to lose."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah sure. Are you free tonight?"

---------------

"You know I used to look down on your kind of lawyers." She confessed. It was their second date and things had been going great. It was two days until their case against each other and they hadn't spoken a word about it.

They were having dinner, which they cooked together, at her apartment. He looked up at her, eyebrows raised and a slight amused smile on his face.

"I always thought that you were lawyers who couldn't get into Ivy League and after that not into a big firm and needed to start on their own or at an unknown small firm. But now I see that maybe my kind of lawyers are too stuck up and looking down." She explained. He still had this stupid expression on his face and she lightly kickek him under the table.

"Owh! Where was that for!"

"You! Why do you have such a smug expression. You should be shocked or something."

He only let out a laugh. "For the record I really couldn't get into an Ivy League school. And you know that my kind of lawyers do not really like your kind right?" Mocking the word 'your kind'.

"Well of course I didn't expect them to like me."

"They think that you're stuck up with your Harvard or any Ivy League diploma up your ass." He stated blankly with still the same expression on his face.

"Okay, I do not have my Harvard diploma stuck up my ass." She responded.

"Hey! I don't think so." He grabbed her hand and kissed it softly. "But some of them are."

She rolled her eyes but with a big smile on her face. "You're sweet. And to be honest I really admire what you are doing. I am too stuck up and scared to start my own firm. The stress I would get from it. And having to live together with your best friend when you're 28."

"Do I need to take that as a compliment or?"

"A compliment. It's just that I had this plan for my whole life. Until I was 16 I wanted to be an architect, but then we had career days at school and architecture had more become a dream and a hobby. But when some lawyer came to speak I was blown away and figured that that was what I wanted to do. And from then on I made this whole new plan; I was going to go to Harvard and go to work at this big firm in New York. And later become the manager partner. I just wanted to get as far away from my family as possible. And New York seemed perfect. My family and I still don't have the best relationship but it has improved."

"Well that plan kind of worked out right?"

"Well, yeah. I guess so. I just forgot about things like love and children and family- a personal life. But don't you have a plan?"

"Mmh, I don't know." He bemused. "I don't really think so. I only really had a couple of goals; I wanted to have enough money so that I could kick my stepfather out and support my mother so that she wouldn't have to go back to work multiple jobs. And I wanted to help people, so those two and becoming a lawyer went together."

"You really support your mother?"

"Mostly in the beginning when he just left. My mother had always wanted to become a writer and she wanted to go back to school. Since she couldn't do both things because of life- and well me. And I figured that I lived with Frank and I split the rent anyways and I just needed to cut back on some things and we could split my pay check. So the half went to my mother and a quarter to the firm and a quarter to me."

"Did your mother agree to it?"

"Oh no." He laughed out. "I've never seen her that mad when I told her my plan. But eventually she really wanted to focus on her writing and we agreed that she is going to pay me back one day. Though it isn't really necessary. But that was only the beginning. My mother published a few books and she earns her money from that and she remarried with this guy who is an English teacher named Paul. I even have a little sister now. Her name is Estelle and she is amazing, even though she is only 5."

"Don't you feel some resentment towards them?" She remembered how she felt when she was younger and her dad remarried and had twins.

"Well no... I don't think so. I'm just happy that she got a life like what she has now. And they involve me as much as possible. I don't hate Paul, he's a nice guy and a good father. I don't really feel like he is my father or something, but he is good to my mother and Estelle. And I'm happy that my mother is happy now and that it didn't work out with me and my father that's fine. I still love my mom."

"You're a really good person. I needed such a long time when my dad remarried after he and my mother divorced. Of course I still talked to my mother and was at her place during the weekends. And I guess that until I was like 16 I accepted that my father didn't replace me."

"Come on! You were 5 right when they divorced right?" She nodded. "Well I was around 21 that is a big difference Annabeth! And your father wasn't married before with an abusive guy who hated you and who you hated. So I think that it's a big difference. And 16 is still very young." He convinced her.

She just nodded along though she didn't really agree. "What do your parents actually do for a living?"

"Oh my mother has this big architecture firm and my father is an American and Military history professor. My mother always wanted me to take over her firm when I was younger. I can still remember the look on her face when I told her I was going to Harvard to study law. We haven't really talked since."

"Well her mistake right? And you still have your father right?"

"Yeah, he and I are on good terms now."

He smiled at her and to her own surprise she smiled back. She normally didn't really like talking about her family, but she felt good while talking to Percy.

"I really like your pasta." He told her as he was eating, still holding her hand from when he had kissed it.

"Come on, you made the most of it while I cut some vegetables."

"I think you cut them amazing."

"Kiss ass." She snorted and while smiling brightly.

"No no, remember that's your kind of lawyer thing." He reminded her, just laughing loudly.

------------------

"Hey Annabeth! What are you doing here?" Piper asked as she walked into the office. It was pretty different at day than at night.

"Oh, I'm visiting Percy. I figured out that we could go to court together since our case is in two hours. I hope that he is not too busy."

"Oh, no you can just walk in his office. He is probably just working on the case." Piper answered. "Oh and about how he reacted when you kissed I'm sorry he can be really stupid."

"No it wasn't his fault it was mine. I don't know why I said that, but it was wrong and I shouldn't have said it." She was silent for a second until she remembered why she was there. "But I'm going to see him now." She smiled kindly and waved at Piper who returned the gesture.

When she walked into the hallway and saw Hazel and Frank across from each other both typing away she couldn't help but smile. They really looked in love. Yet when she looked at the office across from theirs her smile even grew wider. Because there was Percy busy talking to someone on the phone. And though she wasn't supposed to feel this way for him; they only went on two dates after all and they had a case against each other in a few hours.

She knocked lightly against his door amused at the way he shot his head up. He smiled brightly when he saw her and covered his phone so that he could talk to her. "Hi." He beamed still smiling brightly. "Oh shit I'm calling. Uh, you can sit there. I'll be done in a minute." He promised and pointed at the couch standing at the corner in his office.

"Everything is going to be fine. I will be questioning you and the opposite lawyer is really nice so you don't have to worry. Just answer the questions honestly and all will be fine." He was silent for a second while smiling up at her still listening. "Anything else? No? Great. I will wait for you outside court. Bye see you later Carrie."

"Witness?"

"A nervous one. Very nervous. Especially for you. She thinks that you're going to be a total bitch to her." He explained sitting down next to her. "But I assured her that you're very nice."

She rolled her eyes and kissed him softly. "Very nice indeed." He responded after she pulled away from the kiss.

"Frank and Hazel are watching aren't they?" Percy whispered before pecking her lips and standing up after that.

"Yeah. I thought by the way that we could maybe have lunch and go to court together. If you're free?"

"Of course sounds great. But it's Hotdog Friday actually so are you okay with lunching here?"

"Sure. What is Hotdog Friday?"

"Oh it's a tradition Frank and I have since we became friends at NYU. We would always have hotdogs for lunch on Fridays and later Hazel joined and later Piper. It's actually my turn to get them so will you join me?" His smirk was brighter than ever and he looked too cute that even if she had wanted to decline, she couldn't.

"No doubt."

"Hey Freddie how are you doing?" Percy exclaimed as it was their turn on the hotdog car. Annabeth hadn't actually ever really eaten a hotdog. At least not recently.

She kind of felt like an outsider and like everyone knew that she didn't belong here. For her idea she could better have a big neon sign above her head with: "I don't belong here!"

But Percy didn't seem to notice it and held her hand as he was chatting with the seller, Freddie apparently, about all and nothing.

Percy looked at his side to see her and probably finally noticed that she wasn't really comfortable, because he squeezed her hand and gave her an encouraging smile.

"Just the usual Percy?" Freddie asked, interrupting their moment.

"Uh yes only we have a guest today with us. So I don't know what she wants." He looked at me expectantly.

"Hi. I'm Annabeth by the way. And I don't really know what I want. I'm not sure if I've ever eaten a hotdog."

"Let me fix one for you then. I'm sure you'll like it." He assured her and she agreed with him. He began writing the order down until he saw their linked hands. "Percy! You didn't tell me that this was your girlfriend!"

"Oh- well, uhm." Percy began growing red. "It's not really offi-"

"Yeah, I'm his girlfriend. Does he bring a lot of them here then?" She asked, interrupting him and squeezing his hand lightly. They hadn't really spoken about the topic of being boyfriend and girlfriend, but she already felt they were after their first date. And aren't you supposed to do those kinds of things after their second date? Anyways, they were already comfortable with kissing and holding hands. And besides that Annabeth wasn't in the mood for a red and stuttering Percy standing there for five minutes. She didn't think the people behind them would either.

Percy just didn't do much after her statement; he only stood there his mouth agape.

He didn't even have enough time to recover to protest when she paid for the hotdogs. She practically dragged him with her when they said goodbye to Freddie.

"Girlfriend huh?" He asked out loud. She didn't really know if it was aimed at her or just his thoughts out loud. "Well we don't have to put a label on it or anything, but to be honest I really like you and this is kind of our third date... So yeah, I would love to be your girlfriend, you to be my boyfriend. If you're okay with that."

"Okay?" He shouted. People weren't even staring, New Yorkers just don't care she guessed. "More than okay! Amazing!" He pulled her into a hug and she hugged him back with one arm, the other one holding the bag with hotdogs.

When they headed back they both couldn't stop smiling. Only when they arrived back at the office and a woman who looked very nervous was sitting on the couch in the hallway their smiles faded.

"Carrie! What are you doing here? I thought that we had agreed to meet at court. Are you alright?" He sat down next to her. "Can I get you something to drink? Tea, water, coffee?" He offered but she just shook her head. "That nice girl, Piper I think, is already getting me something. She said that I needed to wait here and that you would be back in a moment."

He only nodded. Standing up and gesturing for her to do the same. "We can talk in my office." He gave her a kind smile and quickly walked to Annabeth.

"Hey, this is really important for my case. You can just start lunch without me. I'll catch up with you later. I gotta fix this right now. She's really nervous." He explained quickly, kissed her cheek and walked to his office.

Annabeth hated herself for even thinking about it. But she couldn't help but think of several things of how she could ruin Percy's arguments if Carrie was too nervous and would mess her testimony up. And it gave her some confidence that she had everything sorted out, while Percy with around one and a half hour until the case still had things to fix.

Annabeth called everybody over for lunch and in less than five minutes everyone was gathered around the large table.

"So how are you and Percy going?" Hazel asked.

"Uh what?" She asked a little bit overwhelmed by Hazel's question. "Like how do you think he is? How are things going between you two and all. That stuff."

"Oh that. Yeah, uh I think that we're doing great. We just started officially dating actually." And she told them the whole story. Normally Annabeth didn't like sharing things that much. But Percy's friends had something charismatic.

"I think that you two are a good fit." Piper reasoned. "You two really balance each other out and are both competitive. He likes that. Plus you're a beautiful woman. Percy can also sometimes be too arrogant; he is not an arrogant person or anything. But sometimes he thinks that he is better because he is helping people as a lawyer. And he has mostly a prejudice against Ivy League lawyers. I think that it is good for him to see that there are lawyers like you and who has a Harvard diploma."

"You know he has actually been really sweet about me being a Harvard lawyer. He hasn't been cocky or condenisending at all."

"Don't break his heart Annabeth." Frank suddenly said. He hadn't spoken much during their lunch and Annabeth couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at this.

"He doesn't really date a lot. Or trust people very easily. Especially about the Gabe thing. We know that he told you he doesn't do that a lot he is ashamed or something which is completely stupid. And he really seems to like and trust you. Like he is in some sort of trance. When he and Rachel, a girlfriend back from college, broke up about two years ago, we couldn't get him to do anything. He didn't want to come out of his bed or eat anything. Quite dramatic really." Which earned him a smack from Hazel. "It was only work and not going bankrupt were his only motivations. They dated for a long time I think- how long was it Hazel?"

"I don't know, I think it was from 22 until 26?" Hazel guessed. "Yeah that was it." Piper added.

"Well she was mostly here. She's an artist so she could spend a lot of time here. She even rented that one small office there to work when Hazel and I began to share an office."

"Why did they break up? It sounds like a good match."

"Well yeah it sounds like that. But Percy never actually told her about the Gabe thing and Rachel didn't like it that he hadn't told her and lied to her about it. They dated a bit while he was in trial against Gabe but he still didn't tell her. We still don't know why he didn't tell her. But that doesn't really matter- the point is that he is already head over heels for you and I don't want him to get hurt. So if you are ever going to break up with him do it gently."

"Head over heels?" She choked out.

"What head over heels?" A voice behind them spoke.

"Nothing. We were just talking about you." Hazel told Percy. Percy groaned out loud as he said next to Annabeth grabbing a plate and a hot dog.

"Oh fine keep this a secret from me." Percy teased while eating. "You were scaring her huh?" He asked and when nobody answered he just rolled his eyes.

"Annabeth I don't know what they said and I guess that nobody is going to tell me-"

"How was Carrie?" Piper asked distracting Percy.

"She was just very nervous and needed some reassurance. After a cup of tea and going to the case fastly she was alright." He explained.

"Now something fun to talk about." Hazel started and everyone seemed to know what was coming except for her.

"Oh what?" Annabeth asked not knowing why Percy didn't look excited. "They are planning their ultimatum of leaving me." He told her overdramatically.

"Oh quit the drama Percy you are our biggest fan." Frank told him, rolling his eyes. "Until you were going to leave me alone to die." He argued.

"Okay what is this about?" Annabeth asked not really knowing where this was going.

"Our wedding. Frank is going to move out and they both are having a hard time with leaving each other. But we are not going to live in that trash apartment of yours with the three of us. Again." Hazel explained.

"I was just joking Hazel. Geez, take a joke." He grinned and everyone else just rolled their eyes. "Okay, but what is the new wedding news?" He asked and Hazel lightened up immediately.

"Well we have determined our honeymoon! We're going to Canada!"

"It is going to be so great two months together in Canada!" Frank added with a big smile.

"Two months? A honeymoon is normally only a week or so right?" Piper asked. After everyone congratulated them.

"Well yes, that is what we wanted to discuss later with Percy actually."

"Oh we can do it right now. I mean Piper is as good a partner as we are. And I'm probably going to talk about it with Annabeth later anyways." He said nonchalantly. Looking like his mind is running a thousand miles per hour.

"We wanted to take a longer honeymoon so we're adding a bit of our vacation days." Frank explained looking at Percy.

"Why are you looking at me like I am about to break? I'm happy for you; I am happy that my two best friends are getting married and having the vacation they deserve. Really guys. Since when am I some selfish and bitter person who thinks the world revolves around me? Because you need to inform me if I am." He explained and stood up to walk over to them and hugged them both at the same time.

"I would want to get as far away from me as possible too you know." He joked and they laughed in return. Only when Hazel pulled away she was silently crying.

When Percy asked why she only shook her head. "I thought that you were going to be so mad at us." She told him as Frank wrapped an arm around her.

"Why would I be mad? You are going on a honeymoon! Just five minutes ago you called it something fun!"

"Do we need to go? This seems personal." Annabeth whispered to Piper. "Nah, they do this all the time." Piper responded and Annabeth just slumped a little down in her chair.

"Well we are really leaving you! You two," She pointed angrily at Frank and Percy. "joke about it all the time but now we are leaving and I feel guilty for it."

"Why would you? Because you and Frank are getting married?" Hazel nodded and Percy just sighed. "Hazel, Frank is just as much a part of that as you. And maybe I am going to like being alone a lot."

"No! You're going to hate it, Percy!" She cried out, Frank and Percy shared a look and a smirk. Percy wrapped Hazel in a hug. "You're coming back right?" He asked softly and Hazel only nodded again. "Well then you are not leaving me. I would be mad if you were leaving me for those Candians." He assured her and Frank just rolled his eyes.

"And you can hang out at the apartment all the time. So I am not going to be alone. We have known each other for over seven years and you thought that I was going to be mad?"

"Well I don't know. You and Frank talk about it all the time. And you've lived together for an eternity. And now he is going to leave you. And-"

"We were only joking Hazel. I don't mind being alone if you two are happy."

"But it feels like now we are just another one of the people who are now one of the people who hurt you." She confessed.

"Hey Hazel, that is not true. You are just living your life and I love you two. You are my best friends and I am so happy for you two you deserve the world and you are not hurting me with leaving. I am going to see plenty of you. Here at the office, dinners it's never ending actually." Hazel let out a sob and laughed.

"I'm good now thanks." She muttered and he kissed the top of her head softly in a brotherly way. When Hazel unwrapped herself from the hug Percy gasped loudly. When she asked what it was his mouth was still agape. "You're leaving me! I don't know if I can handle it Hazel! I think that I am going to hate you forever now." He shouted, the sarcasm dripping off of his words.

Frank laughed really hard and high fived Percy. Hazel muttered a string of curses and stomped really hard on Percy's foot.

"Son of a bitch!" He shouted and grabbed his foot jumping around and cursing. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Frank asked laughing.

"You kiss Annabeth with that mouth?" Piper called getting only more laughs.

Percy rolled his eyes and sat down again. "We still have to talk about what we are going to do when you're gone for three months."

The laughter died and Annabeth felt a little bit queasy being there. "Do I need to leave?" She asked, already standing up. But they all assured her that she could stay and so she sat down again.

"I can ask Grover if he can help me out those three months."

"Maybe we can take some associates again? They can help and do stuff and don't have to make much money."

"Yeah, but Grover and I are the only ones who can answer their questions and for the first month they need to do everything with us so they are only slowing us down."

"I can help." Annabeth suddenly said. "I can take my own vacation and help you out here. It's not like I am actually going on vacation anyways."

"You know that we do very different cases than you normally do, right? And we probably earn half of your paycheck."

"I want to help you out. And trying some new things wouldn't hurt." She reasoned.

"We can talk about the details and a contract later.

They all nodded and Percy shot her a grateful look and thanked her.

Hazel told them all the details of the honeymoon and what they were going to do there. Percy and she eventually had to leave for court so they went on their way.

"Shall we call a cab? You're a New Yorker you can do that easily. Like with the whistle." Annabeth told him.

"Stereotypes." He scoffed. "And maybe I am not from New York."

"Yeah, that's why you have the accent."

He rolled his eyes. "And I'm proud of that." He whistled and immediately they had a cab. "Sorry, my girlfriend- wow still weird to say that- wanted me to whistle, but you can go. We are going to cycle." He explained and the cab driver shouted a string of curses at him before driving off.

"So that's settled." He walked over to a bike, which was apparently his, and unlocked it to walk up to her with expecting eyes.

"You can hop on the back. You know in the three months that you're going to be here a cab is going to be too expensive." He explained.

And to her own surprise she did sit on the back and held him tightly. Laughing loudly on their way.

-----------------

Annabeth was sure that she was going to win. She had never lost a case after all. And especially not this kind of case. Easy peasy lemon squeezy she thought.

Only did Percy fool her. He had everything ordered neatly and the evidence was piling up on her. She hadn't expected this much and so many witnesses.

She had to admit that it was kind of hot when he was pleading his case.

But that didn't matter right now. She needed to stay focused. If she wanted to win the only thing that she could do in her eyes was settle. That way they would both win and maybe if she brought it convincing Percy wouldn't notice her bluffing when she would tell him that it would be the best for the both of them.

"Your honour? Can we have a suspension of five minutes? I need to talk some things through with my client."

The judge just nodded and let the infamous hammer fall.

While she quickly tried to explain everything to her client she walked over to Percy and asked to talk to him.

"Okay, I think that we need to settle."

"Wow straightforward. Hot." He smirked at her and winked, but she wasn't having any of it. At least that was how she acted.

"My client can give your clients a nice amount of money. What do you think of 10.000 each?"

"Or what?"

"What?"

"What are you going to do if I do not settle? You're only trying to settle because you think that you're otherwise going to lose. Otherwise you wouldn't want to settle. But now if you settle you can talk it into winning for yourself. So I'm afraid it's a no."

"What do your clients want? It's a reasonable amount."

"They want your company to never make paint again and each 30.000. Hospitals are expensive you know after paint poisoning."

Annabeth sighed. Her client wasn't ever going to agree with those terms. But if she continued it would all get worse and worse.

"Do I need to remind you that you are obligated to give the offer to your client?"

"Do I need to remind you of that fact? You declined directly either."

He cocked his head, feigning curiosity. "You never declined and my clients gave me strict instructions of what they wanted. See I actually know them."

"Well if you continue the case and do not settle I need to use my secret evidence." Percy bursted out laughing at this and they earned a few looks from the few people that were still left in here.

She grabbed her bag and handed him a map which didn't contain any files. But Percy didn't need to know that.

"Why didn't you use it before then?"

"I didn't want to embarrass my boyfriend in front of everyone." The lies fell so smoothly off her lips that she was almost proud of lying so smoothly.

She handed him the files and Percy didn't even look at them for a second before he walked away to the garbage can, waved the files at her and threw them away.

"Bullshit. We're not going to settle."

"How did you know that the evidence was garbage?"

"Now if it really was something important you would have cared more that I just threw your "super secret evidence" away don't you think?"

"You know you're smarter than you look?"

He laughed and gathered his files. "I get that a lot. Surprising huh?"

Annabeth let out a light laugh and, still needing to tiptoe even in heels, tiptoed to whisper, "By the way you look really hot right now." Hoping to throw him off of his course enough so that he would make mistakes and become the red and stuttering mess he was at the hotdog car.

But he didn't. "You look really hot too. Especially in those heels and that outfit." He whispered back. Throwing her off of the wagon. Damn, why did he have that effect on her.

Unfortunately she did lose. The only good thing was that her first loss was that she lost from Percy. When she told him this a lot of years later he would only kiss her and call her cheesy.

Percy won with 35.000,- dollars and the company never got to make paint again. Which was fair if she was being honest. And if she was being even honester she couldn't wait to do a case like that for herself. Only then on the people's side.

Only if she would know that she would never leave doing those cases. And that her vacation extended and extended until she finally just quit her job and permanently began to work at Percy, Hazel and Frank's firm. That she would eventually marry that lawyer who was her first and final loss.

And that she loved him for it. 

A/N

So this is a long one. I spend around 10 days writing this one. I really like the lawyer stuff, but that is probably because I want to become a lawyer. And I don't think that Harvard lawyers are stuck up or something. Just for the story. And sorry for the (maybe) rough language? I don't really think it's that bad. Anyways... have a great day!