Hey! Well, thank you for all the reviews! They make me really happy, and I do consider every suggestion. I had to laugh when so many people PMed me or reviewed asking if Luke was going to betray them though, haha I'm not that mean! Or am I? *Enter evil laugh here* Well, read on!

~Annabeth~

"Silence!" The gavel pounded on the table. We were sitting in Court on the benches to the left of the room. Looking around, not many people were there. I saw news reporters in the back of the room with a few older people. On the other side of the room Thalia, Nico, Piper, Jason, Hazel, Frank, Connor, Travis, Katie, and Leo all sat with their families. Beside me, Percy was clutching my hand. Luke sat beside him.

I was wearing, against my will, a black dress that came down to my knees. My hair was down, curly as usual, and held back with a sparkling gray headband. Did I mention I hated dresses? Percy was dressed in a black tuxedo that made his eyes pop out. His hair was sticking up like usual. Luke was dressed identical to Percy.

"Remember what I told you before we came, ok?" Luke whispered to us. We nodded. Just as Luke had parked the car outside the building, Luke turned around to us.

"Now," he said, "you realize you don't have to do this. You don't have to be witnesses. If you still do, just stick to the yes or no answer. It will be safer. If they tell you to drag on in detail, then so be it, but other then that, yes or no."

Thinking about it, it was a good idea. I hardened my grip on Percy's hand as the judge started to speak.

"We shall begin the trial. Gabriel Ugliano, Jewell Chase, you have been accused of child abuse and kidnapping. Ms. Chase, please come to the witness stand and state your story." Jewell walked up and sat in the chair beside the judge. She cleared her throat, looking straight at me. I cringed slightly.

"First of all, Your honor, I just can't believe that this is happening. We were all such a happy family! However, I guess I'll start just before my husband died. You see, we were all just so happy," she started.

Yeah, happy. I thought.

"We loved each other so much! The bond between Mr. Chase and Annabeth was so tight, way, you couldn't break it with a chainsaw! But, he did love his step children to. You should have seen them play with him, such a delight. Every night, he and I would sit down with little Annie," I glared when she called me that, "and help her with her homework. It was such a nice feeling, to know I had a happy home to come home to after work. However, he died a few years ago. That shock sure did change everything. After a few months, the boys got over it, just as children do, but Annabeth was never the same. I, of course, mourned for my husband, but I didn't let it take over me. Soon, I just had to take care of my family." She wiped a fake tear from her eye.

"Sorry. But yes, everyone went on with their lives, except for Annabeth. She cried late into the night every night, and eventually it woke the boys up! They thought a monster was in her room, so they told me to lock the door so it wouldn't hurt anyone else! I knew it was unfair, but after talking to Anabeth she agreed."

What! I never agreed! I didn't stay up late crying! I was furious.

"And during the day, the poor child wouldn't talk to anyone, not even me! In fact, I basically had to tell her to speak! But she kept her grades up in school, never got a complaint about her, so I let it go. Then she started to get lazy. She would never help around the house, never take care of the boys, and wouldn't do anything I asked her to do! If she did it was sloppily done and rushed through. What choice did I have except to punish her?" She concluded.

"What type of punishments, Ms. Chase?" Asked a lawyer.

"Well, I would ground her. First, maybe just a day or two. However the longer it went on, the longer she was grounded. I think she got up to four months, once."

"Anything else we should know?"

"She has a tendency to sneak out. Yes, just a few weeks ago, or maybe if was months? I don't know, but she and that Jackson boy snuck out to go to the local carnival with a group of friends. She was grounded then, so of course I had told her no!"

"Thank you, you may sit down."

I put my head down of Percy's shoulder. They just couldn't believe her! I was not lazy, and I never rushed through any of my chores! I didn't even realize I was trembling.

"Hey, you are going to be fine. We all know nothing she said is true." Percy whispered.

"Except the jury and everyone up there. They don't really know, Percy."

"They will. They will." I nodded, wiping away the tear that formed in my eye.

"Now, Mr. Jackson? Would you please come to the chair?"

Well, how was that? Jewell has a way of twisting things, hmm? Lol, well, next chapter should be up soon! Maybe Sunday, but soccer season has started and I have practice 4 times a week, so it is getting harder to get on now. Anyway, hope you liked it! Review:)