Happy New Years! I'm extremely excited for the year 2012... and for those who believe that the world is going to end, oh well. Not my problem. The contest is still up, it will be till' the end of this story... which just so happens to be in the near future.

So, here comes the chapter you've all been waiting for...

~GoGreen52

Chapter 27- Alive

-Annabeth POV-

I'm bored. Sitting here, waiting for the police to finally capture Luke. They lost track of him while they still needed evidence to prove my testimony. No one has ever been able to find him ever since, hence why I'm in witness protection.

I was sitting on my hotel bed, listening as Piper, Jason, and Leo was talking the next room. They were pretty peeved that I shared our secret with Mrs. Jackson, but I know her, and she would never be a problem to National Security.

I've already read the new copy of Pride and Prejudice five times, and I was in the mood for something different. So, waiting to ask if we could go back to the bookstore, which I know would probably be a sad hope to have, I listened in on their conversation.

"It's not good that we have someone who knows. An outsider like that could make or break this assignment," Jason said, causing me to scowl. Jason is wrong; we can easily trust Mrs. Jackson.

"I don't know... Beth seems pretty stuck on the fact that we can trust this Mrs. Jackson. I agree with her, I mean, she invited us with open arms into her house, and cooked for us. What kind of psychopath would ever do that?" I heard Piper say, and I smiled. Thank God she's on my side.

"Piper, you're forgetting the key trick in keeping someone safe- trust no one."

I heard someone shift a bit. "So, you don't trust Leo or me?" Piper asked, and I could just see the rage burning through her eyes... poor Jason.

"No, actually I don't. The only person here I trust is that girl in the next room that needs us to protect her. We can't have any weaknesses. We can't have any lose stones on our barrier. She needs us, and we need her to be alive for the testimony. Do you hear me?" Jason spoke, brining a tense feeling to the room…

"We hear you," Piper and Leo both said, only a mere second apart.

I heard some scuffling noises, and some footsteps. Crap! I really didn't want them to know that I was spying on them. It would probably lower their trust in me... I didn't need that.

I quickly grabbed Pride and Prejudice, and laid down on the bed, as if I had been like that for the whole time.

I looked up as they walked in, seeing Jason, who looked tense, Leo who looked as fine as ever, and Piper, who looked pretty darn angry. See what you did, Jason?

After seeing Piper's state, I sighed, and looked to see what part I was 'reading' in the book. When I looked down, I saw something wrong, which was pretty crucial to reading a book. It was upside down. Oops.

I looked up to see everyone looking at me, a knowing look on their faces. Piper spoke up, "Let's give her a break. We were yelling pretty loud in there."

Jason just shook his head, and walked away. Leo took a sigh, gave me a small smile, and went after him.

I gave Piper an apologetic look, and she, realizing I knew what was going on, slumped back into a chair. I knew Piper liked Jason, but I also knew that he was completely clueless when it came to love. So, Piper was basically on a Jason's love roller coaster.

Poor girl.

She did something that surprised me- she actually got up and started to walk out, following the two boys. My guess is that she was going to go and apologize to Jason. And she didn't do anything wrong, either.

Hence, making me mad.

"Piper, where are you going?" I asked, giving her a look that told her I knew what the answer was already.

She sighed. "I have to go apologize to Jason... I was being pretty rude just right there," Piper said, taking a sudden interest in her feet.

"Piper, you really didn't do anything wrong," I said. "Jason was just overreacting, as usual."

Piper shook her head. "I should know by now to not disobey his orders. He's in charge of this operation, Bethy. I shouldn't do anything that he says not to do."

I smiled in amusement. She needed a complete break from being an FBI agent, from being on Jason's team, and from being in love with Jason. "Look, from an outsider's point of view, you're turning into a complete Jason clone."

She opened her mouth to interrupt. "But-"

"No buts. You're going to go on a walk with me, just as friends. I'm going to show you around town. Besides, you really need the break."

"If I do that, Jason's going to kill me."

"Well, he'd have to get through me first."

Piper smiled, and nodded very slightly. "I'm just going to leave a note, telling them we went to get some food... saying you were starving to death."

"Perfect. That's actually pretty close to the truth. How about we go to that one hot dog stand on 32nd street? Then we can hit off a few stores," I said, checking my wallet. I had plenty money to buy for both of us. "I'll buy- seeing it is a getaway for you."

She shook her head, about to say something, but I cut her off. "Shut up. Now, leave the note, and let's go."

Piper grabbed a notepad that the hotel supplies for us, and left a quick note.

I grabbed my wallet, shoved it in my back pocket, not really up for lugging around my purse. It was getting pretty cold, but not too cold, so I didn't think of wearing my marshmallow jacket.

Piper and I walked out of the complex, and went for those hot dogs. They were my favorite in all of New York, so I left with a nice smile on my face. We went around, shopping in various places, all around.

Once we were really walking up across the place that I have been so many times, I stopped in my tracks.

Thal and Juni's Corner

Piper kept on walking, then realized I wasn't with her. She turned around, to see me, staring at the door of the old book corner. Piper looked at me carefully, seeing the pain that was clear as day on my face.

"You want to go in?" she asked, her voice softer. By now she was right next to me. I couldn't hear the honking cars, or people talking anymore- all I could hear was Piper. I nodded, and walked in.

"LOOK OUT!"

I turned around to see someone running up to me, something shining in his hands. I backed up against the door, my eyes wide.

He stalked towards me, and smiled. I immediately knew who it was- Luke.

Just a millisecond before he stabbed, Piper shoved me out of the way. I heard a groan of pain, and the sound of footsteps running away.

When I had the heart to open my eyes, I saw Piper, holding a spot on her stomach, and her eyes closed. Her face was a complete grimace- she was in pain.

"Piper, let's go," I said, getting up, and taking her with me. We walked into the store, where I knew my friends would help her.

"Hello, welcome to- oh my God!" Juniper exclaimed, running up to us. "What happened?"

"Stabbed, call 911," I said, nearly getting it out. It's been awhile since I had to support this much weight. Over the past year, if I needed something, they would get it for me.

Thalia, who had already seen the charade, had the phone out, and was dialing 911. Juniper helped me get Piper to a couch and lay her down. "Juniper, can you get some towels?" I asked, looking into her eyes. They widened, but ran to get some towels. It took me a second to realize what I just did, but I shook it off. That could wait for later.

I moved my focus to Piper, whose eyes were open, but a bloodshot. She looked in immense pain... trust me; I know what it feels like.

"Piper, just keep your eyes open, okay?" I asked, shaking her a bit.

"Okay," She said, her voice extremely timid. If I didn't know Piper, I would think she was shy.

"Keep thinking about this assignment. Think about Leo. About Jason," I said, trying to get her to keep those eyes open.

She groaned. "Jason's going to kill me this time."

I laughed a bit, and put my hands on top of hers, trying to stop the blood loss.

Juniper finally got back with the towels, and I quickly replaced my hands with them. Juniper was looking at me, though, not focusing on anything else... but me. At that moment, I knew she knew my secret. Great. Now Jason's going to kill me too.

I ignored her, and made small talk with Piper, until the ambulance finally got here.

The EMT's strapped her to a gurney, and got her out of here immediately. I looked at Juniper, and we met eyes again.

"I'll meet you in the hospital. We need to talk," she told me, and I nodded. Thalia was helping out; get her in the ambulance, so she couldn't hear. I ran off into the back of the ambulance, with Piper. Thalia gave me a small smile, and the EMT's closed the doors.

They were trying to stabilize her, putting gauze on her wound. I watched in helplessness as Piper slowly closed her eyes, and her heart monitor went flat.

The EMT's went into work mode as soon as that happened, and grabbed the defibrillator and shocked her, trying to get a pulse. Her body flopped, and flopped.

After every clear, more and more tears went down my cheeks.

That stab was meant for me, not her!

I thought about everyone who cared about her and what would happen if she... if she didn't make it.

I had no idea what Jason would do. Leo would probably cry, knowing how much of a softie he is. It would be the end of the world for me- I mean, after all, this is my entire fault.

Just thinking of that made me cry, in horror of what I had just done.

I watched as they gave up on her.

I watched as they announced her time of death.

I watched as the monitor started beeping.

Well… here's the chapter. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Tell me.

CONTEST:

Reminder- The contest is still going on! If you want to submit an OC, feel free!

Example:

Name: Percy Jackson

Godly Parent: Poseidon

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