A/N

sorry it took so long to post these chapters. I've been dealing with writer's block. Enjoy!

Percy awoke to find Annabeth out of his arms, thrashing in her vivid nightmares. He sat up and grabbed her arms, pinning them to her sides. She shook violently, trying to escape his grip. He held her like that until she calm down, then he leaned over and kissed her on her ice cold forehead.

Annabeth took hold of his hand holding too tight for Percy to escape. With no other real choice, he lied down, then noticed he had an audience.

Chiron was sitting in his magic wheelchair with concerned old man eyes. Behind him, Malcolm was arguing with Piper. Percy guessed it was about him, as Malcolm kept gesturing towards Percy, clearly unhappy with him. However, Percy couldn't help but laugh as he saw the fight; nobody could win a argument with Piper and a few select other Aphrodite kids that could charm speak. For a kid of Athena, Malcolm was pretty stupid.

Clovis and Nico were in conversation too. It appeared to be a Q and A. They both often stole worried glances at Annabeth.

"Percy," Chiron began, "please tell me you have a good explanation of why Annabeth is in your cabin in your bed with you."

Percy sat up and nodded than told his audience what had happened.

"I had just woken up from a nightmare of my own. I was drenched in sweat and shaking. I heard a knock on my door. I got up and opened the door.

"She was shivering in shorts and tank top. Tears were streaming down her face. I opened my arms to comfort her. I was going to pick her up and bring her back to Athena cabin, but I was shaking really bad. I didn't want to drop her, but she was in such bad shape that if I didn't let her stay, something bad could have happened to her."

That wasn't a lie, and everyone in camp knew it. Camp Half-Blood was a death trap for any half-blood that didn't follow the rules, or one that had gone insane. The woods are over ridden with monsters. Harpies roamed the grounds ready to eat campers out past curfew. The Hephaestus cabin sometimes lost dangerous inventions.

Once they'd lost fire breathing metal dragon. It had gone haywire and would sometimes surprise the camp with an attack, (Burn cabins, eat Satyrs, and trample campers, the usual.) until Leo came along and tamed it. Nothing in the woods now was quite that dangerous, but to a mentally ill demigod, everything was much worse.

"So I let her in." Percy continued, "She sat down on my bed, and I shut the door to block the wind. When I walked back over, I put a blanket around her because she was shivering.

"Eventually she decided to lie down. I got up to sleep in Tyson's bed, but she gripped my hand really tight like she is now, so I had no choice but to stay. I was going to wait until she fell asleep and loosened, and then move to the other bed, but I was really tired. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep before she did."

Percy lied about that last part. After all, Malcolm had gotten them in trouble once when Percy was trying to comfort a crying Annabeth in the Athena cabin, and that was before they started dating, long before Tartarus.

Thankfully Chiron didn't catch on to the lie, he just nodded. Malcolm seemed to buy the fib, but he continued to glare at Percy. Clovis had fallen asleep on Tyson's bed, face first into the pillow. Nico continued to stare at Annabeth, his worried look increased. Piper was the only one who had caught the lie.

She was incredible at reading people's faces. She was staring into Percy's eyes sorting truth from fib. Percy received a face like One good reason, and I won't tell.

Percy nodded in response.

"Oh thank the gods." Said a voice in the corner of the room.

Percy turned to see an Iris Message in the salt water fountain.

"Mom?" Percy asked when he saw her shimmering image. "How long have you been listening?"

"I heard the whole thing honey. I thought that you and-" she stopped herself.

"You thought that me and Annabeth slept together?" Percy asked horrified that his mother would ever think like that. "Why would you even think that?"

Sally began to repeat the beginning of "The Talk" to her son and Percy cut her off.

"Seriously mom, I have common sense."

"You also have a scarred mind. Tartarus made you mentally ill, we all know it. People not in their right minds often do drastic things."

Percy sat back against his head board and turned to Piper.

"How long have we been asleep?"

Piper shrugged. "Day and a half."

"A day and a half?" Percy yelled. "We've been knocked out in nightmares for a day and a half, and no one bothered to wake us up?"

"We tried, but," Nico said

A mumbling Clovis cut him off.

"Translation?" Percy asked.

"You too were in a really deep sleep." Clovis translated.

"How deep?" Percy asked.

Everyone looked at Nico, and Percy knew the answer before he even spoke. Oh gods.Percy thought, I was almost dead.

"I could see you guys dying." Nico said. "Annabeth's really close now. We need to do something."

As if on cue, an uncomfortable groan escaped Annabeth's mouth. Percy got an idea, though he needed some answers first. He began wrapping Annabeth's body in blankets, as he worked, he talked.

"Why didn't anyone take us to the infirmary if we were on Hades' door step?"

"We tried," Malcolm answered, "but when we tried to move you, you guys would spasm."

"Who else knows?"

"Leo, Rachel, a few Apollo kids, your dad." Piper answered.

"How come so many of you know?"

"Malcolm found you guys." Piper replied. "He told Chiron, who couldn't wake you up with his magic. Chiron had Clovis try and enter your dreams to have you wake up, but you both formed barriers that are keeping out all magic. They had me try and Charmspeak you out of your comas, but that didn't work. Rachel dragged Nico here this morning on a hunch, and with one look at you, he pronounced you almost dead. We've kept an Apollo kid in here since."

"By the way," Piper continued trying to lighten the mood, "You owe Will a dessert, Kayla a pegasi lesson, and Austin a hot shower."