Chapter 8: Protecting rights.

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NO DEATH THREATS FOR THE CHAPTER EITHER!

Percy's POV (Taking Annabeth outside Olive garden)

I tried to get the smug look off my face. It's super exhilarating knowing your going to be alone with FREAKING ANNABETH CHASE! I look over to see Annabeth lost in thought so, I decide to poke her in the side... "Percy!" She yells jumping slightly. She glares at me but, I just try to ignore it. "What you thinking about Chase?" I ask amused by the reaction I received. "Nothing really I was just thinking about..." She stops suddenly and bites her cheek. Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink. Now she was seriously making me curious... WHY WAS SHE BLUSHING?

"What are you thinking about seaweed brain?" I smile at the nickname she gave me. "Oh just how..." I kept talking about whatever but, I wasn't processing what I was saying. I wasn't paying attention. Something else had caught my eye.

I stop talking and shake my head. I guess whatever had caught my eye didn't matter so I decided to just forget about it. I turn my attention back to Annabeth who was as red as a firetruck and trying to avoid my gaze. Shoot! What did I say to her? I try to remember what I had said to her... I can mentally feel my face pale as I remember what I had said to Annabeth, "Oh just how you look really cute when you blush. I forgot to tell you but, I was infront of your dad so.. Well I wanted to say you looked Beautiful."

I come out of my little thinking process and smile shyly(I hate it when I read shyly and my mind always changes it to slyly so I have to re-read the sentence.) at Annabeth who was still blushing. "Umm..." Curse me for speaking the truth when I'm not paying attention. She finally looks up at me and smiles lightly. I smile back at her. I stop walking suddenly and wait for her to do the same. Annabeth gives me a questioning look but, reluctantly stops walking.

I look down at my shoes trying to muster up the courage to speak my mind but, my courage just left me. So I forget the courage part and just try to talk without stuttering. "Annabeth I-I can't stop th-thinking about..." I lose my voice and start quietly scolding myself for being such a wimp. I can feel her gaze on me but I don't lift my head. I was so ashamed of myself. The model of Goode High School didn't have the guts to even tell a girl he liked her maybe even loved. I wasn't going to think about that loved part yet until I at least know she likes me back.

Then I felt Annabeth's hand slowly lifting up my head so I could look at her. I might be taller then her but it wasn't by that much maybe 3 to 4 inches. She has a kind of sparkle in her grey eyes. Her eyes look so kind and intelligent. I feel my fear of humiliation leaving me as Annabeth starts to lean in. I follow her example and start leaning in ready to close the distance. I could feel her breath on my face I could smell her lemon scented shampoo and I was ready to see what kind of flaovr her lip gloss was. But a dreams a dream and...

BANG!

I scream in pain and fall to the sidewalk looking at the new bullet wound in my leg. I look up to see a man in all black holding a gun to my head. I search frantically for Annabeth. I finally find her but I'm unhappy as to where she's at. She's behind the guy in black panic written all over her eyes. I look up at the man and in my most threatening voice say, "Let her go! NOW!" He smiled a yellow toothed smile and speaks, "Come and get her."

He takes her by the hair and slams her face first into the brick wall next to us. She lets out a small scream. The man pulls out a long sharp knife and puts it to her back. "Come and get her." He kept taunting. I would have stood immediately but, my leg just wouldn't let me. He started pushing it into her skin. Annabeth was screaming now calling for me to help her. She was crying and it was absolute torture to hear her this way. So helpless. "Percy!" "Percy please it hurts!" I tried to stand again but almost blacked out from the pain. I was about to faint and I know it.

I look back up to where the man was and saw him slowly cutting down her back. It didn't look to deep but, if he cut enough there would be to much blood! I hear her screaming and sobbing and I just couldn't take it anymore. I wiped my bloody hands that had been putting pressure to my leg on my white shirt to help me not to pass out from all the gore around me. I screech in pain as I stand up hoping my adrenaline will keep me going so I could murder this guy!

I start running towards him leg flaming with pain. I grab the guys arm that had the knife and pulled it away so he could stop harming Annabeth. I punch him in the jaw then the head effectively knocking him out. Yet Annabeth blacked out too.

As soon as he was knocked out I grabbed Annabeth before she could lose her balance then fall on her back making her injury worse. I placed her down on the ground and try to keep my balance against the wall as I call 911. I finish the call then look down at my injury. Seeing how bad it was, looking at my injury was enough to knock me out cold...

-Line Break- (Still Percy's POV but in the hostpital.)

I open my eyes to see a nurse coming in with crutches. "Percy as soon as you feel comfortable enough you can grab these crutches and leave. Your mother has been sent the forms that need to be signed and all that so your free to go when you want." I give her a smile and a nod as she puts the crutches next to the hospital bed and leaves. I look down to see my leg wrapped up and looking ready to go. All of the sudden I come to a realization that Annabeth was hurt too. I had to find her! I grab the crutches and immediately stand up. I grunt as I feel the pain. It wasn't nearly enough pain to stop me now. I had to make sure Annabeth was okay.

If you saw me with my crutches you would have thought I was in an Olympic race for people with crutches. I quickly made it to the receptionists desk and asked where people could wait to see Annabeth Chase. She pointed down the hall which I quickly raced down throwing the door open. Then I saw it. Absolutely every single one of my friends was here. They all look up as soon as they see the door fly open.

All of there eyes widen when they see me in a bloody white shirt and bloody black dress pants. Then there were choruses of "Percy" and "Oh my gosh" "What happened" etc. Then, next thing I know they're all running up to me. They all had tears in their eyes. I smile at all of them but frown realizing I needed to see Annabeth. "Hey guys, yes it does hurt to get shot but, I need to see Annabeth where is she?" They all look at me and say in unison, "The doctor said he'll bring people in soon." I nod my head then decide I should go talk to Annabeth's family.

I slowly make my way over. It officially hurt to move my arms and back were aching and I can't even describe the pain in my leg. I finally make my way in front of them. They all look up at me with tears in there eyes. As soon as they see me there eyes widen and the tears begin to fall. I guess seeing me just made it all to real for them. I opened my mouth to explain myself when two sounds echoed through the room.

The first one was a loud Crack coming from my jaw, the next was my scream as I fell to the floor. I look up trying to stop myself from crying out again. It failed I started screaming. The pain in my leg was so intense and now I had a broken jaw just great! I stopped screaming to look up and see who punched me. It was Ethan. He started yelling at me, "Percy you could have gotten Annabeth killed! She could have died and It would have been your fault!" I stare at him. Anger wells up in my chest and I forget my pain. I stand up and walk up to him and in a deadly clam voice say, "Oh so its my fault some random dude shoots me and stabs Annabeth." I lose the calm tone, "BECAUSE THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! WHY DO YOU THINK I LEFT MY ROOM TO COME HERE HUH? DO YOU THINK I CAME TO GET PRAISE ON HOW I DIDN'T DIE FROM BEING SHOT OR SOMETHING! I CARE ABOUT ANNABETH MORE THEN YOU COULD EVEN POSSIBLY KNOW!"

He gets up and punches me in the leg where my new wound is. I scream in pain and agony! "AGGGHHHH!" I punch him in the eye then in the stomach he steps back from me. We were both bleeding like crazy. I try to take a step forwards but collapse from the pain of putting to much pressure on my leg. Then I hear a loud yell Come from the other side of the room. "OY What the heck do you think you two are doing?" I look over and recognize the doctor immediately. He was the doctor who healed me up when I was younger from the cuts and bruises from Smelly Gabe.

I look at my surroundings to see everyone standing up watching us with wide eyes. Lots of them were crying from the drama of the night. The doctor's eyes connect with mine then his gaze falls on my leg. He shakes his head then walks over to me and helps me up. He was probably about to ask me what happened but was interrupted by a loud...Bang. I jumped lightly hoping it wasn't another gun shot. Instead it was a nurse who had opened the door to Annabeth's room. We all look up at her. She had urgency written all over her face and called out loudly, "Is Percy Jackson here please tell me Percy Jackson is here." She was sweating like crazy. "I'm right here! Is Annabeth okay? Whats wrong?" Questions were flying out of my mouth like bullets but she cut me off. "Annabeth said she won't let anyone in except for you."

Ethan gets up from the chair that he had sat down in. His eyes were blazing with anger. "What?" He yells. "Some of us are more worried then him!" He was so angry I was expecting him to run up to the nurse and knock her out. I didn't let him move one step though, I was mad, "I ALREADY TOLD YOU I CARE ABOUT HER MORE THEN YOU COULD POSSIBLY KNOW WHICH IS MORE THEN YOU SO GET OUT OF WAY! I need to make sure she's alright." The last sentence came out quiet my voice cracking on every word as I was choking up on my tears.

"Mr. Jackson follow me please." the nurse motioned with her hands for me to follow in which I obliged. I grabbed my crutches and slowly made my way towards Annabeth's room. I was wincing in pain with every move I make. My jaw was definitely broken and I could feel the blood running down both sides of my head.

I walk through the doors to see Annabeth sitting up in her bed crying. I rush over as fast as I can (not very fast) and sit next to her on her bed and put my arm around her. "What's wrong Annabeth?" She looks up at me with tears on her cheeks and in her eyes. I take my hands and cup her cheeks with them wiping away her tears with my thumbs waiting for an answer. "Did you mean all those things you said out there seaweed brain?" I look at her shocked. She laughs lightly and says, "The walls aren't soundproof Percy and If you look right over there in the corner you'll see a t.v. screen that's hooked up to the security cameras outside my room. I saw all that happened Percy..." To say I was shocked was an understatement. I couldn't comprehend if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

She looks at me woriedly and says, "Are you alright Percy? I mean first you get shot and then you get in a fight with one of my best friends?" Tears start to fall from her eyes again. "I'm fine Annabeth yes everything hurts but seeing you like that brought more pain to me then any wound could ever do to me Annabeth. Also Ethan hit me first." I say the first part sincerely and the second defensively.

"Thanks for saving me Percy." She says softly. I rack my brain trying to find the right thing to say. Then I knew I'd found it. "When you fall I will always try to catch you. As you can see I tried to catch you and fell with you but I'll always try Annabeth." She laughs. A good strong laugh. I smile then wince at the pain that has started to finally register into my brain.

Of course Annabeth notices and and worry fills her eyes again. "I'm fine wise girl my leg just hurts from when Ethan punched it." She looked horrified for some reason. Even though she saw him punch me. "Percy are you alright do you need a doctor or some medicine or..." I kiss her forehead lingering for as long as I can without it getting awkward. I smile as I see her breathless face when I pull away. She looks up at me and bites her lip. She looks super cute when she does that. We start leaning in at the same time making me inwardly smile. As soon as our lips are about to touch I here another...

Bang! The door flies open and in comes a mad looking Ethan. Who now has one of my crouches in his hands. Crack! he hits me in the head with one of my crouches efficiently making me fall out of the bed passed out from pain...

HAHAHA cliff hanger hope you liked it please review your thoughts. The reviews make me post new chapter faster.