Woooo, new chapter. I've actually kept to the update schedule. Go me. So this is back in America for a bit... you know, because that side ain't done hun.

Disclaimer: I'd love to own the world, really I would but I think we all know I'd suck. KK I don't know.

Chapter 21:

"What do you mean he won't talk to you?" Picquery asked. "You've had months with him." Her best interrogators had the decency to look embarrassed. One stepped forward.

"Sorry Madam President." He apologised. "But Grindelwald insists that he will only talk to Percival Graves."

"Absolutely no!" Picquery's advisor, Sawyer, said. "We'd be handing him one of his most faithful servants, we might as well give him his wand."

"That aside." Picquery said, still finding it hard to believe that 'that' Percival Graves was a traitor. "We don't know where Graves is."

"Maybe Grindelwald has a few ideas." One interrogator muttered bitterly.

"Under no circumstances is Grindelwald to know that Graves has escaped." Picquery said sternly. The last thing she needed was the man knowing he had an advantage over MACUSA. Still, Picquery couldn't help the nagging feeling that Percival could be innocent and there were larger things at play. She had to resolve this quickly. "Fetch me Jackson Duval, I want to speak to him." Jackson Duval was the best wizard tracker in the world, at least to her knowledge. If anyone could find Percival Graves it would be him.

Meanwhile, in London, Percival was chatting to Maya through the floo network.

"… and you won't believe what that idiot Fawley did." Maya said, her eyes shining with distaste.

"Something stupid?" Percival suggested. Maya laughed. There was a soft thump. "Hang on, the mail has arrived."

"Uh mail?" Maya asked. She stared as he came back into the room holding a few letters. "You mean post."

"In America, we say mail." Percival explained. He flicked through the letters. Some were addressed to Adriana while a couple were addressed to him. He recognised one scrawl as Newt's, the other was a familiar yet unexpected scribble. Tina. He hadn't expected to get a letter from her, after all they were still in an awkward place.

"You know Percival, you should write a book on American's so that us British wizards can understand them." Maya said. Percival smiled as he opened Tina's letter curiously. It was urgent. A warning that she was coming to Britain with another wizard named Jackson Duval. Percival had heard of him. He was a famed wizard tracker. The man had hunted down countless wizards and witches who had tried to escape justice. He was dangerous, and he was looking for Percival.

"Maya, when Adriana gets back tell her there's a problem." Percival said. Maya looked at him questioning. He knew that Maya knew about his situation so he felt he could tell her. "A wizard named Jackson Duval is on his way over. He's here to take me back to MACUSA." Maya frowned.

"They should know you're innocent by now." She said tersely, but she nodded and agreed to pass on his message. It took four hours for it to be relayed and for Adriana to show up at the house.

"Percival!" She called, clearly scared. Percival came to her, wand gripped in his hand, making his knuckles turn white. He relaxed at the sight of her. "Sorry it took so long, the man you mentioned turned up." Percival clenched his wand again.

"Did he ask you about me?" Percival asked, slightly rougher than he should have.

"Yes, I told him I never got the chance to meet you." Adriana said with a small smile. Percival didn't know how she could smile at a time like this. "Well, I couldn't exactly announce that I'd helped you break out."

"Was Tina with him?" Percival asked, hoping that she was just so that he knew someone from America was on his side.

"Yes, she was." Adriana said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Percival stared at her, was that jealousy? It shouldn't be his focus but it made him feel something. Percival cut off the emotions quickly.

"Perhaps I should go into hiding?" He suggested quietly. He knew Adriana would be against it. "Jackson Duval is very good."

"No chance." Adriana said. She grabbed his hand, making Percival flinch at the sudden movement and contact. "I told you, you can stay here as long as you want. I don't want… You don't have to go if you don't want to." Percival stared at her long and hard. Clearly there were others thoughts, other feelings playing in Adriana's mind. It really wasn't the time. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Thank you." He said. She smiled, taking it as a victory. Percival opened his mouth to say something else, something so very important. A knock at the door interrupted him. Adriana cautiously opened the door a crack.

"Tina." She said, somewhere between surprise and annoyance. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to Percival." She said. "It's important." Adriana sighed and let Tina in. "You need to go back to your office."

"Why?" Adriana asked, not looking entirely pleased about leaving Percival with Tina.

"Jackson's kicking up a storm. I think he knows something." Tina said.

"Right, I'd best go deal with it." Adriana said. She looked at Percival uncertainly. He went to her, kissed her hand and muttered goodbye.

"What can I do for you Tina?" Percival asked. Tina shuffled nervously around him. "Perhaps you'd like to sit down?" Tina stared at him.

"No, no." She said in a fluster. "Look Percival… I… Let's focus on the problem at hand." Percival nodded grimly. "Jackson and I… MACUSA." Tina stopped and took a deep breath to organise her thoughts. "MACUSA is having no luck interrogating Grindelwald. The reason I'm here, the reason Jackson's here, the reason you need to come back to America is that… the only person Grindelwald will talk to is you." In that moment Percival felt his world shatter. Of course, the man couldn't just leave him alone. Percival wanted to move on but monsters only sleep for so long. This was what he wanted to escape but no, the claws were back and they dragged him further and further away from his happier, new life. Percival cursed aloud. He didn't want to. But he was still a Graves, he was still an Auror at heart. He couldn't turn his back on MACUSA or the magical community. He would do the right thing, even if it killed him.