Annabeth sat on the windowsill, bored, and swung her legs. Her grey eyes watched as a little kid, about three, ran right in front of her. She didn't even bother to stop swinging her legs. Her foot swung up, right towards the kids approaching face and-there. The kid passed right through what would have ended up with a broken nose.

Sigh.

She tapped her fingers on the sill next to her. She couldn't read. She'd read every book this family owned four times over. The TV was permanently on Ceebeebies and there was only so much Fimbles Annabeth could take at a time. And she couldn't leave.

Siiiiigh.

Then, her arm was grabbed.

Wait, what?

Annabeth looked at the hand on her arm, then the face that belonged to it. A boy. Hair like the oceans inky depths, eyes the colour of the sea on a sunny day, teeth like pearls. A frown creased her face. This boy was unreal. No one looked like that. And nobody, nobody, could touch her.

You know, her being dead and all.

She continued to stare at the boy. And he grinned at her. Then he tugged her off the windowsill and put cuffs on her.

Wait, what?

"Who are you?" Annabeth cried, struggling against the cuffs.

"Percy."
"And why am I in cuffs, Percy?" Annabeth asked, scowling.

"Who you gonna call?" he grinned in response, obviously waiting for her to say something. She looked at him blankly until he rolled his eyes. "This is where you say 'Ghostbusters!'" he supplied. Annabeth stayed silent. And Percy whined.

"No." was Annabeth's dull reply. "I will not degrade myself with your nonsense. Answer my question please."
Percy rolled his eyes again and leaned in close. Annabeth looked at him wearily, as he whispered. "I'm a ghost catcher, Blondie."
Blondie?!

"Well, you moronic excuse for a ghost catcher, how did you see me? How did you get in here? What are you going to do with me?" Annabeth hissed.
"Special contacts, through the door –duh- and I'm going to take you to HQ."

Annabeth snorted. "Good luck with that. I can't leave, stupid."

Percy's grin came back full force, and then he pushed her out the window.

Annabeth blinked, then looked around in wonder. She was outside. Outside outside! There was grass and sky and trees and – Percy. Percy was grinning down at her, and then he was picking her up and slinging her over his shoulder.

Annabeth's scowl deepened. "How are you touching me?" she demanded.

"Why can't you just accept that I'm special, Blondie?"

"Stop calling me Blondie!"

"Then tell me your name."
Annabeth hesitated. Then; "Annabeth Chase."

"I'm going to call you Annie."

"You most certainly are not!" she cried, struggling against his grip and kicking. She was rewarded with a chuckle that caused her to shake, and grunt as his shoulder knocked into her stomach. She'd forgotten what that felt like. Then she was dumped in a car and left there. Well. Rude and cocky. She began to look around for an escape route when Percy was suddenly in the seat next to her and the car was moving.

"What is to happen at HQ then?" Annabeth asked grumpily, still twisting against the cuffs. She regretted the enquiry almost immediately as Percy launched into a lecture about how great the guild was and how they were so caring to ghost and blah de blah de blah. She tuned out after a minute or so. She mainly focused on escaping the cuffs whilst keeping as much of herself hidden from her kidnapper as possible.

"Do you ever get tired of hearing your own voice?" she broke in after an hour or so. Percy paused, then nodded, and invited her to talk for a while. "About what?" Annabeth asked, almost shy. Her people skills were rusty; it had been such a long time since anyone had seen her, let alone talk to her.

"You? Your pa-okay no. Off limits. I got it." Percy broke off his suggestion at Annabeth's almost hysterical noises and frantic head shaking that almost rocked the car. "Okay then Annie – Annabeth alright alright I'm sorry – how about music. Do you like the Goo Goo dolls?"

"Like? Love. The teenager in that house you kidnapped me from listens to them a lot, and I can now sing along to all their songs!" Annabeth laughed, and soon the two were locked in a debate over whether Florence and the Machine was better than Lana del Ray, and which of Puddle Of Mudd's songs was best.

Then they were there, and Annabeth was yanked roughly from the car. She could dimly hear Percy as she was dragged away, yelling about how this wasn't how he had seen it before and to bring her back here right now and to please stop being so rough, but then all Annabeth knew was pain.