"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, he has the flu or something and he's got a fever and-" the girl swallowed hard. "And he's weak and... and... please help my brother."

"Let me take him," Percy scooped up the little wisp of a boy and looked him up and down.

"What's going on?" Annabeth got up. "Who is this?" She could barely see.

"Annabeth, I need you to clear out a room upstairs for me!" Percy called to his wife.

She stood and inspected the scene for a few seconds, and glanced at the girl. The greasy hair and bedraggled appearance led her to guess that this was Cindy. Annabeth would ask questions later. She then disappeared up the staircase. She could hear them talking downstairs as she made the bed in the guest room.

"Can you do something?" The girl whined in a shaky baby voice.

"I'll do what I can. What's his name?"

"S-" she cleared the rasp out of her throat. "Sorin."

"Sorin?" He repeated for confirmation. "That's cool. How long has he been like this?"

"Just a few hours, after he went to sleep. I'm sure it's not serious, but I panicked, y'know, 'cause he's so little."

"I understand," Annabeth heard footsteps as Percy brought Sorin upstairs. "How did you find my house?"

"I, uh," she bit her lip. "I might've followed you home one day."

"Why did you-"

"Just once, in case of an emergency! I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter now," he brought her into the guest room that Annabeth prepared and laid him down on the mattress.

"Nice place you got here," she looked around.

"Thanks," Percy backed into the doorway and looked at the two ladies. "Uh, Cindy, this is my wife, Annabeth."

"Hi," Annabeth took the girl's grimy, gloved hand and shook it gently.

This girl is dangerous, she thought in the back of her mind.

"Nice to meet you," Cindy squeezed her hand and let go. "Is he okay?"

"He seems stable," Percy examined Sorin. "Annabeth, thank you for getting the room ready. Could you take Cindy back downstairs?"

"Yeah," she put a hand on her shoulder. Cindy was only 15, and yet she towered several inches over Annabeth in her heeled boots."Come on, I'll get you something to eat."

She led her down the stairs. "Just sit down. You may be here a while. Do you have allergies?"

"Thank you," Cindy sat down at the kitchen table. "No, I don't."

"So why did you come here, out of curiosity?" Annabeth made cold sandwiches.

"Uh, he was sick, and I didn't know what else to do," she murmured.

"Not take him to a hospital?"

"I panicked, I guess."

"Huh," this didn't add up. "I didn't know you had a brother living with you."

"He doesn't," Cindy said quickly. "I snuck home to check on him, and he looked really bad."

"Oh, I see," the girl was a bad liar. She was hiding something, but Annabeth didn't quite feel it was her place to pry. She'd take it up with Percy later.

Who happened to be coming back down the stairs just then. Cindy stared at him expectantly.

"How is he?" Annabeth dropped ice into three glasses. Two, she filled with soda, one with fizzy water.

"He's okay. I soaked his whole face in rubbing alcohol, so his fever should go down a little. But I put in an anonymous question to Will about his symptoms. He may have a stomach flu, or listeria. You stay away from him."

"Listeria?" Cindy frowned. "What's that? "

"It's an infection," Percy sat down. "Most likely caused by food poisoning. He'll be fine. I'd like to keep him here overnight if that's okay."

"Anything you need to do," she said with wide eyes. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," he waved a dismissive hand.

"It's gonna be alright," Annabeth set a platter of cookies, sandwhiches, and drinks on the table. "You can stay here too, if you'd like. You can sleep in the couch or take a sleeping bag to the study upstairs. It's up to you."

"Oh, I couldn't," Cindy shook her head and sipped from her glass.

"It's not an inconvenience," Annabeth bit into a cheese sandwich. She knew that this girl was potentially a problem, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. It was entirely possible that they couldn't help her brother. Was this what Catherine meant? She'd talk to Percy about it later. "We have plenty of room."

"I guess I'd like to stay with him," she bowed her head apologetically. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome," Percy broke a cookie in half and stared at it. "Just don't tell the other students. I'm not keen on being stalked."

Cindy giggled. Annabeth just smiled weakly and ate in silence. She felt so uncomfortable. Upon first inspection, she couldn't imagine this girl as a problem. Looking closer, she caught wind of something dark and dangerous stirring in this child.

"So since I'm here, is it too late for me to get some tutoring on Chapter fifteen?" Cindy leaned so close to Percy, it made Annabeth squirm.

"I think we have a little time," he wiped his hands. "Do you have your book?"

"No, I didn't think to bring it, obviously!" She finished her soda and started inhaling cookies.

"Oh, that's fine, I probably have mine somewhere," he stood up. "I'm gonna go look for it after I check on your brother."

"Okay," she swung her legs as he left the room.

Annabeth was left alone with Cindy Ford. The silence was so awkward. She couldn't think of what to say to her. The way Catherine spoke of her made her sound as if one wrong word might set her off. Cindy was the first to break the silence.

"So, Anna-, uh, Mrs. Jackson," she laced her fingers around her empty glass. "How do you feel?"

"I feel alright, thanks. How do you feel?"

"I feel okay. But I'm kinda scared, y'know?"

"I understand," Annabeth twirled a cookie between four fingers. "Your brother's gonna be okay."

"Yeah, I know," she lowered her eyes.

"Your brother's fever's gone down a little, and I found the book!" Percy emerged from the hallway with his history textbook. "You ready?"

"Yes!" Cindy sat up. "I'm ready!"

"Great," he started flipping through the book. "It's getting kinda late, but we can squeeze in an hour."

Annabeth excused herself. "Well, while you guys are doing that, I'm gonna turn in," she came around the table to Percy and squeezed his shoulder. "Goodnight, you two."

"'Night," Percy looked up from the book and gave a lopsided smile. Cindy just wriggled her fingers.

She could hear them talking as she lay in bed, and wouldn't be going to sleep any time soon. She sat awake and zoned out as she waited.

"Hey," Percy came into the room and shut the door behind him.

"Finished so soon?"

He climbed into bed next to her. "Session's over. Cindy went to sleep on the couch."

"Good," Annabeth pulled herself upright. "I need to talk to you."

[A/N: does anyone still read this? ...anyone?]