Chapter Nine

Bear with me, if you can. And bear with Annabeth for a little longer. You are welcome to voice your thoughts and opinions on this story.

As always, these characters do not belong to me.


Annabeth laid on the top of the climbing wall at the agency, staring up at the ceiling. She had only left the gymnasium to sleep and in those fits of uncontrollable hunger and other needs. She had found her perch some time ago although Annabeth could not remember specifically when. Since that time she had been up there, letting the rest of the world pass her by.

Annabeth had no energy or enthusiasm to do much since her return. She had no reason to train or maintain her fitness anymore now that she was suspended. She knew she should not think that way but it was inevitable. Her life was slowly draining out of her and no one was there to care.

She could think of one person who would care, despite having every reason to detest her. She pictured him now with her eyes closed. Black hair. Unique green eyes. An easy smile playing around his lips. She scrunched her eyes, trying to get the memories to stop. She wanted to go back to the black emptiness but the memories continued.

His hand secured around hers, tightening in reassurance. His thumb lazily drew circles on her hand… Annabeth clenched her hands at her side. The gentle rhythm of his breaths steadied her as she lay on top of him. Annabeth shifted uncomfortably on the hard wood at her back. Annabeth let his heartbeat relax her. Was it just her imagination or were their heartbeats synchronised?

Annabeth sat up, her heart thundering in her ears. She brought her fists up to her temples. She hunched over, trying to squash the pain out of her chest. As if her dreams of him weren't enough. She saw him whenever she closed his eyes. All of her questions she thought of, she wanted to ask him. She was not strong enough to pretend to her fellow agents that she was okay this time. Maybe that was why she kept finding places to hide.

She heard voices in the gym but she ignored them. The agents learned to leave her alone after she had gotten back but they could not help their stares or whispers. The agent that betrayed the orders of her firm was quite the subject of gossip. Three pairs of footsteps; that was what Annabeth could distinguish through her closed eyes. They were talking and laughing amongst each other. Annabeth thought of Silena trying to get her to wear make up one lunch time and Annabeth dodging her attempts while the others laughed. She found one laugh particularly stood out amongst the others. Annabeth fell to her back with unnecessary force.

The footsteps hesitated at the noise, their laughter dying down. Annabeth kept her eyes closed and their murmurs carried up to her. Their tone suggested they had no desire to keep their voices low.

'They say her brain just snapped and she's turned into a vegetable,' a girl said.

'Not a vegetable,' another girl disagreed. 'They have to keep her drugged. Otherwise she'll just run rampant and start attacking everyone.'

Annabeth never thought petty gossip would be in the agency but she was mistaken. To her surprise, she was unaffected by their taunts. Usually by this time, she would be restraining the urge to knock them senseless. It was always a thrill for the weaker agents to see the strongest fall. It gave them a chance to prove their worth, which wasn't much anyway. It also appeared to bring out their childish antics.

'Are you kidding,' a boy exclaimed. He dropped his voice to a dramatic whisper. 'The real reason is because the boy rejected her even when she said she refused to kill him.'

Well, that's closer than most, Annabeth thought to herself, although the rejection part made her squirm.

'Stormed out of the place, he did. Screaming insults at her. Telling her she was a freak and a liar and a murderer. She couldn't hack it and now she wants nothing more than to throttle him but she can't now that she is indefinitely suspended. So, she's going mad with anger.'

Annabeth snorted quietly. Mad with anger. That's a new one. Yet, his words stuck with her. It was not true, Annabeth was adamant about that. There was a part of her that thought his version was what she was expecting to have occurred that night and … Annabeth sucked in a deep breath … Percy had completely reversed that perception.

There was another reason Annabeth was hiding and it was only until the taunts that she realised what it was. Guilt. She had never thought of Percy in a high regard. She was snobbish, believing she was superior to him and to the others at the school. She had always thought of herself as an exceptional mind but if anything, Percy had shown her how narrow her mind had become. Ironically, she could see him now as a much deeper entanglement of emotions and thoughts. She could feel the tears begin to well behind closed eyelids as pictured that small quirk of a smile he did.

The agents below her snickered; they wanted her to try and contradict them. Annabeth considered climbing down and fighting for her cause but it would be a waste of time and a breach in protocol. Seeing as she had already defied the agency she should probably not test the Board further.

There was a gasp and then scuffed shoes as someone hastily moved. Annabeth frowned in confusion at the intrusion of sound but stayed where she was. She was surprised the agents below had suddenly gone quiet. She supposed, taunting an unresponsive person loses its amusement very quickly.

There was a slight noise but before she could identify it, Annabeth was kicked in the ribs. Annabeth gasped, her eyes flying open. Another kick connected with her diaphragm before she could find the source of her assault. Annabeth hissed in a breath. As the next kick came, Annabeth brought her hands down and blocked it. Annabeth grabbed the attacker's legs and pulled them out from underneath them. They was a thud and a grunt as Annabeth leapt onto her fallen attacker. Her fist was raised to strike and then she saw Thalia, her first and closest friend, glaring at her.

Annabeth scrambled away from her, her feet slapping against the boards. Thalia sat up, her gaze no more sympathetic than before.

'Well, it's good to see there is some fight left in you,' Thalia grunted, lurching to her feet.

'What are you doing?' Annabeth exclaimed, annoyed. 'You could have killed me!'

'A near death experience might stop this selfish slump you're in.'

Annabeth turned away. 'I could've killed you.'

Thalia snorted. 'Yeah right. You've been in your loft here for a week. Another three moping around without training, so I've heard.'

'A month,' Annabeth murmured to herself.

She had lost an entire month since her suspension. It should have bothered her more than it did but she kept thinking it was a month without spending time with him. She was busy thinking of her selfishness towards the friends she betrayed that she hadn't stopped to consider the friends she had made here at the institute. These were the agents that had stuck by her through the harshest of times and some of the best moments of her life. Had she become so close-minded that she could only see one side of herself at a time; her double life and her existent one?

'What was it about the case that's got you all raddled? This isn't you.' Thalia had lowered her voice though it was still edged with steel.

'Maybe it is now.'

Thalia sighed, sitting beside her. 'Everyone has gone through this problem at some point in their career. Look at Clarisse and Chris.'

'She wasn't ordered to kill him,' Annabeth countered. 'She just had to locate him and she brought him back. I hardly think I could do that with … him.'

Thalia glanced in her direction. 'You really feel something for this kid?'

'I don't know,' Annabeth admitted. 'I'm just … confused.'

'It's just a phase,' Thalia said thoughtfully. 'Maybe the suspension was a good thing.'

'Oh yeah?' Annabeth asked sceptically.

'It'll get your mind back on track.'

'I'm suspended, remember?'

'Only for the time being. Once they think you're over this,' Thalia waved around them, addressing her moodiness as a passing virus. 'You'll be back in the field.'

'Mm…' Annabeth murmured, staring out ahead of them.

Silence befell between the two of them. Thalia preoccupied herself by picking at her nails. Annabeth took the time to watch her friend. She had not changed much in the time Annabeth knew her. Same short, black spiky hair. Same black attire although her leather jacket looked newer than the last time they crossed paths. Her combat boots were worn and even torn in some places. There were a few more piercings along her ear lobe than before but they hadn't bothered Annabeth as they did for the other agents. It was the same old Thalia; stubborn, persistent and most of the time a grouch but she still cared for those she loved.

Annabeth rested her head against the wall, nudging Thalia's boot with her shoe. Thalia cast a sideways glance in her direction.

'I'm not leaving without you,' Thalia muttered. 'Seriously, how can you stay up here all day? I'm going stir crazy.'

Annabeth smiled dolefully. 'Apparently I already am.'

Thalia groaned exasperated, getting to her feet. She turned and held out a hand to Annabeth. 'C'mon. Come back to life.'

Annabeth glanced at Thalia's hand, thinking back to the last time Thalia held her hand out to her that way. They were strangers at that point, entering the agency at the same time, both bound for the unknown. Annabeth had seized up just before the entrance, her fear rooting her feet to the ground. A young Thalia had glanced back at her and with a fond roll of her eyes; she helped Annabeth through the doors of the agency, before leaving her to figure her own way around.

Even at that age, Thalia was strong, brave and confident. Annabeth vowed after their meeting that she would become that brave and confident. It was a month after their initiation that Annabeth had met up Thalia, who recognised her and then never let her out of her sight, until she had to leave on assignments. She had always come back, sometimes bruised and battered but that didn't deter Thalia from making sure Annabeth was healthy and happy before tending to her matters. Thalia always put Annabeth before herself, even after months of separation. Annabeth watched as her own arm lifted, her hand clasping Thalia's, allowing her to lead her away from her cocoon of despair.

Annabeth's arms shook from exertion as she climbed down the wall. Annabeth wondered when she had grown so weak. Thalia all put dropped from the wall, landing dramatically in a cat-like pose. Annabeth rolled her eyes and she slipped on the last rung. She saved herself from falling but it began to scare Annabeth how unsteady she was from a month without training.

Thalia continued to walk out of the gym room and Annabeth had no choice but to follow. The three bodies that belonged to the voices earlier were sprawled on the ground. The boy was groaning, still on the ground and the two girls were staggering to their feet. When they saw Thalia they scooted away, their eyes fearful.

'What happened to them?' Annabeth asked, staring them with disinterest.

Thalia turned, watching the two girls with disgust. She kept walking, shrugging. 'They must have tripped.'

'Because people look that scared when they trip,' Annabeth noted as they entered the hallway. She tried not to smirk. 'How long are you here for?'

'Not long. Chiron called me back to check on you. Clarisse filled me in when I got back an hour ago. I didn't think anyone could worry Clarisse besides Chris. Or her version of worry, which is just more grunting.'

Annabeth fell silent, feeling guilty again. They entered the mess hall and Thalia filled Annabeth's plate to the brim. Thalia ignored the stares of the other agents directed at the two of them as she worked her way through to find a spare table. To Annabeth they felt like annoying pinpricks against her skin but she tried to ignore them as Thalia had done. Once seated Annabeth ate slowly, Thalia not letting her leave until her whole plate was empty.

Thalia stretched, yawning audibly and causing a few of the closer agents to glare at her.

'I'm beat.' Thalia rose to her feet. 'Now, if I hear you are back up in your little hidey hole, I will drag you down to the mats and beat the shit out of you.'

She walked away, calling over her shoulder as she went, not caring that she had just threatened an agent. 'I will see you early tomorrow morning to train.'

'Now I can see why they called you,' Annabeth muttered, placing her plate back to the kitchen, although she wasn't really surprised. 'You take no bullshit. This is your fault.'

Annabeth had walked past Clarisse and Chris in the hallway. Chris smiled apologetically while Clarisse gave her a non-committal shrug, not needing an explanation. They continued past her and Annabeth watched them go, shaking her head. She could feel a familiar fire in her stomach as she pondered if her stubbornness could outmatch Thalia. Maybe Thalia would be able to help her to move on from Percy.