Chapter 2

Mr. Wall

Have you ever talked to a wall? Yeah, well, it's pretty boring.

Percy sat there in what he now considered 'Hell'. The heat was infuriating. He felt like his insides might explode out of his body is the temperature rose even one more degree.

But he did have his friend, Mr. Wall. It was his friend because it didn't hurt him, or scare him, or capture him at that. It also didn't talk to him.

Yeah, Mr. Wall was more of the mute type of wood; but that didn't mean it couldn't listen.

Oh yes it did! Why was he talking to a wall? Walls don't have ears. Walls don't have brains. Walls don't ha—

Oh wait, yes they do. Never mind.

A creek in the corner of the room interrupted Percy's deep thoughts of conflict.

He turned his head and drank in the sight of a tall blonde. He quickly stood up, striating himself out, although he didn't know why.

Annabeth walked half way across the room, only to throw a piece of bread at his face. Years of sword training have given him lightning reflexes, explaining how he caught the piece of bread before it got so much as an inch to close to his eye.

He gave her a awarding smile, but stopped when he realised just what he was so triumphant about.

He caught bread.

Yeah, not really award winning.

Still she walked over to him, carrying a tray of what he hoped was more food. The tray was obviously not going to be able to fit between the bars.

She grabbed what looked like a key from her waist band. She slid the key into the lock and proceeded to hand him the tray.

Percy quickly grabbed her and pulled her into the cell with him, grabbing the key out of the lock. He was about to run out when Annabeth grabbed him from behind and pulled him down.

The key flew out of his hand and slid under the door to the cell just as the door slid closed and automatically locked. Huh, that's weird.

"What the hell! Now we're both locked in here, dammit!" Percy had never heard such foul language.

It gave him a rush.

"Well if you would not have pulled me down then we would not be in this situation." He retorted.

"If I would not have pulled you down then you would have gotten away!" Her face was turning redder by the second.

With a huff, Percy sat down. "Well I guess we will have to wait until the others realise that you are gone."

Annabeth tried countless times to reach the key that lay five feet from the bars.

After a while she gave up and slid down the wall next to him. He didn't see why she couldn't sit up against any of the other three walls, but he kind of liked the closeness.

After a while, Percy decided to break the silence that filled the room.

"So how much are you asking for me?" He questioned, hoping to not set off Annabeth's 'kill this guy' switch she had currently put on him.

"6,000 silvers." She said. Her voice was not cold and hard like he expected it to be. Instead, it was soft, quiet almost. "We sent out a dove the day before, but they haven't wrote back yet."

"Oh." He defiantly liked the idea of his family not caring enough about him to write back to his kidnappers.

That was sarcasm if you didn't notice.

"Well I have to get back there soon. I still have my soon-to-be bride waiting for me." He couldn't help but to notice how Annabeth's posture deflated at his statement.

"Yeah, would not want her to marry any other handsome man while you are away." His hole thinking process stopped. He turned to her.

"Did you just call me handsome?" He asked, a smirk appearing on his face.

"No." She said quickly. A little too quickly.

"Yes you did." His smirk turned into a knowing grin.

"No, I did not."

"Yes you did."

"No, I did not."

"Yes, yes you did."

"I did no such thing."

"Yes you did. Just admit to it."

"I. Did. Not." She said finally looking at him after a conversation of her looking straight forward. Although the tone in her voice, her grey eyes were soft as she looked at him.

Light shimmered into the room from cracks in the walls behind them. The light curved around her face. At first look you would think she was a princess, had you not seen her attire and herd her speak in her thick sluggish accent.

Percy slowly closed the space in between them. When he was just inches away from her face, she brought her lips up to meet his.

He could feel her shift closer to him as there lips moved in rhythm. He rested his hand in her leg and enjoyed feeling her shiver at his touch.

"Annabeth? Are you in here?" Annabeth shot to her feet, tearing her lips away from his.

"Yes, yes I'm in here." She called out to the person standing behind the door.

The person emerged into the room.

Percy could just make out the boys curly black hair and elfish facial features.

"There you are. We have been looking all over for you. And why are you in his sell." He said, picking up the key that lay on the ground and walking over to them.

"Oh, this idiot got me locked in here." Percy immediately felt hurt, but it dissolved as she turned back to him and winked.

The boy opened the cell door allowing Annabeth to get out of it. Then he looked at Percy. "Should we punish 'em?"

Annabeth looked back at him. "Nah. I think he has been punished enough, having to spend a great deal if time with me." She said with a knowing smirk.

Together, she and the boy walked out of the room.

Percy sat there, recapping what just happened. When he did he was left with 'whoa, did that really just happen'.

He looked up and saw Mr. Wall giving him a disapproving look.

"Don't give me that look." He said.

Mr. Wall did not respond.

With nothing else to do Percy dived into thought.

He liked kissing Annabeth. Which he probably shouldn't because he was supposed to be married in no less than three moons.

But Annabeth made him feel free, and freedom was something not even the amount of money he had could buy.

Maybe all he needed was freedom.

Maybe all he needed was Annabeth.