All characters belong to Ricky Riordan and stuff and wow this is annoying to type every time.

Author's Note: Please be aware, this chapter includes some slightly sensitive topics like suicide. Just a disclaimer for those of you who don't want to read that kind of stuff.

Chapter 11

Percy got out of bed and kissed Annabeth. "Good morning, Wise Girl."

Annabeth groaned in response. "Why did you wake me up?"

Percy shrugged and kissed her again. She flipped the covers back over her head and went back to sleep.

When Percy was sure she was sleeping. Percy lifted the blankets and checked on Annabeth's side wound. It was clotting, and the stitches were holding it together. But now that Percy looked at it better, it actually looked more like a knife wound. But how did Annabeth hide it from him this whole time?

He put the covers back over her and crept out of the room.

. . .

Annabeth awoke to yelling. The shouts were floating up the stairs easily. The louder one was undoubtedly Seaweed Brain, but the other...? Annabeth listened closer and recognized her dad's voice.

She tried to get up, but it was too painful. She rolled out of the low bed onto the ground, but it still hurt. Annabeth lay there, listening, because she couldn't get down the stairs.

She only caught the last bits of the argument.

"You have hurt her for too long!" Annabeth recognized Percy's voice shouting at her dad. "And I swear, if you used a knife on her, because that side wound that put her in the hospital? That looked like a knife cut. If you harm her again, so help me I might kick you out myself or we'll move out!" Percy's voice got louder by the second, and Annabeth didn't think that was possible. He got to the point where she could hear him clearly. "I'm gonna ask you one more time, Frederick, and you better answer me. I know you didn't tell me the truth last time." Annabeth gasped. Percy had already done this? "Why. Did. You. Hurt. Annabeth?"

"Because it was her fault her mom died!" Annabeth's dad exploded. "You think I didn't have grief either? Her mom was the love of my life, and she didn't want any children. She just wanted to be happy." His voice cracked, and Annabeth started sobbing a little. "But then she got pregnant, and she didn't want it. She wasn't so cruel that she would stop the baby from coming, she didn't want to take a life away from existence. So she gave birth. And when she was born, Amanda knew that Annabeth was the bane of her existence.

"She tried to leave Annabeth at an orphanage, but they wouldn't take her. Then she tried to leave her in the street for someone to take, but then Amanda was so guilty for what she tried to do. She brought Annabeth back inside, and left." His voice broke. "They found her body the next day, all evidence pointing to her jumping off a building."

Percy didn't take it, though. "That is no excuse to abuse your own daughter!" Percy seemed like he was going to say something else, but the house was quiet.

That's when they heard Annabeth crying.

. . .

Percy raced up the stairs, like he was running a marathon against death. He stumbled into Annabeth's room and found her on the floor, crying.

"Hey, Wise Girl. How'd you get on the floor?" Percy murmured soothingly, as if nothing had happened. Annabeth looked up at him with red eyes. He didn't see, as he was busy trying to get her down the stairs.

Once he settled her in the wheelchair, Annabeth grabbed his face and forced him to look at her, because he wouldn't have otherwise. "Perseus Jackson, what the hell just happened between you and my father?"

Percy looked nervous. He didn't want to explain that to Annabeth, but he had a feeling she already knew, but just wanted to hear it from him. So he took a deep breath and started talking.

"I had to. I'm just gonna put that out there, because it's the reason I yelled at him. Wise Girl, he hurt you, and that's something I never wanted to ever happen to you. He needed to realize what he did. I don't think he knew that he hurt you so bad, and I'm hoping he was drunk the night he took a knife to you. That was crossing the line even further. He crossed it when he first hit you three years ago. Your dad never faced the consequences for what he did, and I made sure he realized what he did, that's all. So I would appreciate it if you didn't kill me." Percy braced himself for what Annabeth said next.

Nothing came. Not for a solid two minutes. Percy stood there, waiting, and finally she took a deep breath. Percy flinched a little, expecting a torrent of yelling. But she didn't speak. Then after another two minutes, she actually spoke.

"Okay."

Percy was confused. "Wait. What? All that, and all you said was 'Ok'?" He shook his head as if Percy thought he was dreaming. "Where's the onslaught of yelling that kills me?"

Annabeth shook her head in response. "Gods, Seaweed Brain, you should be happy I didn't yell. I was about to. But... I think I need to talk to my dad."

"O-"

"Alone, Seaweed Brain."

"Can you let me at least push you over to him?" Percy asked desperately.

"No, I can do that on my own. Now go... wherever." She commanded.

Percy left, mostly because he valued his life.

. . .

Annabeth breathed slowly and pushed herself into the living room, where her dad was sitting on a couch, running his hands through his hair and wiping his glasses.

"Dad?" She whispered.

He looked up and saw Annabeth in the wheelchair. Then he started crying. "Oh gods, what've I done to my beautiful girl? She didn't deserve any of it!"

Annabeth stayed where she was, watching her father break into pieces before her eyes. She couldn't stand listening to this much longer, so she asked. "Dad, I have one question for you. I need you to answer it truthfully." He nodded eagerly. "Is what you said to Percy true? About Mom?"

Her dad sniffled. "Truthfully, yes. It was. Your mom didn't want kids, but then you wouldn't have been alive. She tried to get rid of you, but she felt so guilty that she threw herself off a building. So I took my pain out on you. But don't blame Percy for this. I know you guys are friends, and he was looking out for you. I deserved that from him." He was sobbing again after he finished talking.

But one word had caught Annabeth's attention. Friends. Annabeth smiled. Her father didn't know.

"Ok, Dad, I'll lay off of my boyfriend. But I think we're going to move out soon. I-I'm not sure if I can handle... any of this." With that, Annabeth spun her chair around, leaving her shattered father to contemplate what she said.

. . .

Percy waited on the front porch because Annabeth would kill him if he heard anything of their conversation. Which he actually found a little hypocritical, because she'd listened in on him and her dad this morning. But Percy was too afraid of her, even with the wheelchair, to tell her so.

Annabeth rolled up to the front door, knocking on it to let Percy know that he could come in. He got up in one smooth motion and walked inside.

The first thing Annabeth said to him, even before he stepped foot in the house, was "How do you feel about moving in together?"

Percy burst out laughing. Annabeth frowned at him and asked what was so funny. Stifling giggles, he said, "Wise Girl, did you even need to ask? We've been staying at the same house, in the same bedroom for months now. And you're asking if I want to move in with you."

"Ok. So it's a yes."

"Yup. And I have the perfect place."

Annabeth frowned again. "How? I only asked you now."

"Ah, you see, my Wise Girl, that does not mean I haven't contemplated it yet." Percy said in a fake sensei voice.

Annabeth giggled. "Can I see this so-called 'perfect place'?"

"Sure," Percy said already putting the address into his phone. "It's not too far from here.

. . .

Percy had gotten his own car a while ago, so he drove them about ten minutes, still in San Francisco, to an apartment building. It looked a little run down on the outside, the dull paint peeling off in some places. But it felt very welcoming.

"Percy, this place looks a little worn. Are you sure it's good?" Annabeth asked hesitantly as he got her wheelchair out of the trunk.

Percy sat her down, then replied cryptically, "You haven't seen the inside yet."

He pushed Annabeth in, and the first thing she noticed was the smell.

It was an amazing scent, kind of fruity but perfume-like, all at the same time. It was too aromatic and beautiful (if you could call a scent beautiful) to explain. Then she saw the walls. They were bright yellow, but not so bright that they hurt your eyes. Kind of like a dimmed lemon. As they went up each floor in the elevator, stopping at each floor so she could see how it looked, Annabeth noticed that each one's walls had a different color. There were mostly different shades of yellow and green, some white, but there was a blue floor, too, that Annabeth instantly liked.

There were sconces lining the walls, brightening up the building even more. Percy took them back to the blue floor once they finished going to every level, and there were about 15.

The blue floor, floor number 6, was the one Annabeth liked best. Percy obviously liked it too, because blue was his favorite color. He rolled her down the hall, to a door marked 602. Using the key he'd gotten from the landlords to see if he wanted it, Percy unlocked the door. Annabeth was stunned.

It was a much larger space than she'd anticipated. The walls were a maroon color, vibrant and welcoming. There was a window at the far end of the living room, and Annabeth pushed herself over.

It was a beautiful sight, overlooking a garden blooming with flowers behind the building. There was also a stream, with clear, running water, and Annabeth saw fish in it, too. There were people hanging out there, and it seemed like the perfect place to do so.

Next, Annabeth went to the bedrooms. There were actually two, so she and Percy could sleep in different rooms, or they could have a spare room. One was painted in a light lavender color that reminded her of a crystal she'd once seen in a museum. There was a window there as well, brightening up the room even more.

Annabeth rolled over to the other bedroom, and on her way, she found Percy leaning against a wall, smirking. She only shook her head and continued to marvel at the sheer beauty of their possible home. The other bedroom was just as nice, but it was a light green, one you would associate with springtime. It took Annabeth's breath away.

The bathroom was a cream color, the sink and toilet white, a large mirror embedded in the wall above the porcelain sink. Annabeth nodded in approval.

The last room she saw was her favorite. It was kind of small and rectangular, with windows on both sides. There was a small cushioned ledge, perfect for reading. The space next to it looked like it could fit a desk. Just what Annabeth has always wanted.

She went back out to Percy, speechless, nodding happily.

. . .

Two weeks later, they started getting their furniture. Annabeth insisted they get a bed and desk first. She and Percy agreed on sleeping together in the green bedroom.

And they were content. For the first time in a long time, Annabeth and Percy were both happy.