Hey guys! New chapter. I probably won't be updating this quickly normally, but I just wanted to get the story moving. This chapter is not my favorite, but it had a lot of information that needed to be said for the rest of the story to be understood later. Just so everyone is clear, when the dots/linebreaks are there, it usually means switching POVs, and the entire story will ONLY be Annabeth's and Percy's POV. I understand that Percy is a little OOC right now but when we get to know him better later you'll understand. :)

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed! You guys are the best. Feedback is always awesomesauce. :P

Onto the story! Read, review and enjoy! :)

- March 14th, 1774 –

Percy breathed a sigh a relief as he entered the tavern, filled to the brim with shouting, drunken men. The stench of unwashed bodies and cheap whiskey was so strong his eyes watered. Shaking his head, he made his way to the stairs and spoke the owner in low tones.

"Just got back. No word yet from Carleton – Gage told me everything he's heard so far."

The innkeeper nodded grimly and went to the back to fetch more ale. Percy kneaded his forehead with his free hand and began up the creaky stairs leading to his room. The people of Boston were being forced into housing the soldiers recently shipped from England, but the innkeeper, a unwavering Loyalist himself, was more than willing to host a senior officer, even one so young as Percy. He had been one of the most promising soldiers back in London, and General Howe had taken a personal interest in him from the start.

So as a reward here he was in this God-forsaken land, these colonies. The kindling of rebellion had first been lit during the Boston Massacre in 1770, only four years ago, had been fed with the Boston Tea Party last year. After that King George had sent in ships of soldiers to Boston, to "keep an eye on things," as Howe had put it.

Percy pulled off his plain brown cloak, noticing the mud spattered on it from that chance encounter with the girl. He shook his head. Leave it to him to be so careless on his way back from Governor Gage's mansion. When he took off his officer's bright red coat and dressed as one of the townspeople as incognito, he had to be more careful.

And letting the tiny bifocals show, letting the charm fall out of his pocket… he shuddered. If someone were to find that out, it would be death for him. It had been good that he had given them to that silversmith the doctor had told him about on the way home.

He wearily pulled his boots off and lay down on his bed, the uncomfortable straw mattress poking him in all the wrong places. He shifted, trying to find a position more comfortable, but his exhausted body and mind soon gave up and fell asleep.

•

Annabeth laughed, feeling lighter than she had in months. She loved when Thalia visited – not only because Luke forgot about being the handsome, intelligent young man he normally was and instead stuttered and blushed like a five-year-old, but also the matters of the growing tension in the colonies was abandoned. Since Thalia and her brother, Jason, were patriots, Frederick's opinions of the "hot-headed rebels," as he called them, were received rather frostily, and their beliefs in turn.

But Annabeth was glad to leave the realm of politics, at least for a while. She didn't want to think of the soldiers or the rebels or anything about the growing unrest. She just wanted the happy days before the Boston Tea Party. The way things had been.

She listened quietly as Luke and her father discussed the store, as Thalia teased her younger brothers, as her stepmother, smiling, brought out a pudding for dessert. She felt contented, happy.

Just then, the two soldiers the Chases were hosting burst in the front door, laughing drunkenly. Annabeth saw Thalia stiffen, saw Luke almost involuntary stand up protectively.

"Gentlemen, your rooms are this way," Luke said firmly, gesturing down the hall.

The soldiers giggled like little boys and one imitated his voice mockingly. "Gentlemen, your rooms… are this way…" one said and burst out laughing. Annabeth saw Luke's jaw clench.

"Lieutenant Nakamura, I will escort you," Annabeth's father said, taking the drunk officers gently by the arms and guiding them down the hall and depositing them in their rooms. He returned to his seat a moment later.

Annabeth felt her heart sink. The formerly warm room seemed to have chilled a dozen degrees and Thalia's face had crumpled. Annabeth knew Thalia would never stoop to crying, unlike many women; that just wasn't something she ever did. But right now she seemed very close.

"I hate it," Thalia's whisper broke the silence. "I'm sorry, Dr. Chase. But… they not only have the invaded our country, they have also occupied our homes, our families. This is our private life, and they have felt the need to intrude."

Dr. Chase looked grim. "'Tis not our place to question the Crown, Thalia, even if you believe their actions are unprecedented."

Thalia's cheeks flushed. Annabeth winced, knowing what was coming. "So we can simply live here and let the Parliament decide what is best for us, without a say in the matter? What if they do something radical? Would you let them draft young Matthew or Robert into the Navy and simply let them go to their almost certain deaths, because it isn't your place to question it?"

Dr. Chase looked startled. "Thalia, England is our mother country. Would you defy your own mother simply because you want your family to be safe…" he trailed off, realizing the irony of the statement a second too late.

Thalia's blue eyes flashed dangerously. "I did defy my own mother when she abandoned Jason, and it was to keep my family safe. I will not sacrifice someone or something I love simply because of other people's foolish morals. If something is wrong, 'tis wrong, no matter who is forcing it upon us!" She stood up, glaring. "Thank you for the wonderful supper, Mrs. Chase, but I think it is time I make my departure." With that, she grabbed her cloak and left, slamming he big front door as she did.

Luke stood up and started to go after her, but Annabeth held him back. "Don't," she said softly. "I will." Luke nodded, his jaw clenched as he stare out the window at Thalia's retreating figure.

Annabeth glanced at her mother for permission, and was granted a small nod. She hugged her stepmother, whispered "I might end up spending the night," and received another nod. She quickly flung on her cloak as well and hurried out the door to go talk to Thalia.

The moment she stepped out the door she could feel the cold. The rain had turned to sleet, and every step she took she had to battle the wind. Within moments, however, she caught up with Thalia.

"Do not talk to me," Thalia growled, then glanced over. Her face softened when she saw it was Annabeth. "I'm sorry, I thought you were Luke."

Annabeth tried to shield her eyes from the stinging sleet. "Why don't you want to talk to Luke?" she asked, raising her voice slightly over the wind.

Thalia sighed. "He's… he's just so indecisive. He isn't a Patriot or a Loyalist, and cannot seem to come to terms with either of them. 'Tis almost as though… as though he's just trying to decide who the winning side is, instead of the beliefs and values that come with both."

Annabeth was quiet. She and Thalia had known Luke since they were all children, and she could feel herself understanding what Thalia meant. Luke was only an apprentice at her father's store because his own father was in jail for stealing, and his mother had died years ago.

"Annabeth, do you even know what you are? Do you have a perspective for the colonies?" Thalia asked her.

"I… I don't really know," Annabeth admitted. "Sometimes, I'm with my family, and everything seems to make perfect sense from the Loyalist point of view. But other times, I'm with you, or Jason, or even just overhear a conversation in the street, and I realize… I'm not like my family. I don't think the colonies should be ruled by a king across the ocean, a king who knows nothing of our lives and our affairs. I'm just so… so confused, Thalia."

Her friend nodded in understanding. "If you had to make a choice, though – ignore the consequences, and just think of what you feel is right. What would you choose.

"I would be a patriot," Annabeth said without hesitation.

Thalia raised her eyebrows. "That was easy."

Annabeth groaned. "It's just… Thalia, my family is everything to me. If I lose them because of the way I see things, what else do I have to live for?"

"So really, it's not the belief you're struggling with. It's the consequences," Thalia summed up.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Annabeth answered with a sigh. She pulled her cloak closer around her shivering form. The wind had died down a bit, but the icy slush raining down had not stopped, and the cloak did little to keep the drizzle out.

Thalia glanced at Annabeth. "Follow me. I want – I need – to show you something. For you to meet someone."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, but followed her friend. She trusted Thalia. Although the other girl was four years older than she was, they had always been best friends.

After winding through the dark, abandoned streets for what seemed like hours, Annabeth's fingers were so cold she couldn't even feel them. "We're almost there," Thalia promised.

After looking warily from side to side, as though making sure no one was following them, Thalia entered a silversmith's shop. Annabeth's brow furrowed as she followed her friend. Why was she leading her here?

A low murmur of voices greeted them, flickering candlelight piercing the darkness. Thalia confidently led Annabeth to the back of the shop, where two men were hunched over a table, talking. One, with grey hair, bifocals and a large middle, stood up as he noticed the newcomers.

"Thalia," he said in greeting. "Who is this?" His voice held a tinge of caution.

"Dr. Franklin. This is my friend, Annabeth," Thalia answered, a hint of answering defiance in her words.

Annabeth tried not to stare. The Dr. Franklin? The inventor? How did Thalia know this man?

Dr. Franklin nodded. "Sorry to be suspicious, miss, but it's hard to trust anyone these days." He sighed heavily and pulled out a few chairs. "Please, sit."

At Thalia's example, Annabeth sat warily. The other man at the table, who had not said a thing, leaned forward, casting his shadowed face into the candlelight. His large square jaw and deep-set blue eyes were foreboding. "And what brings you here tonight, Thalia? Do you have any news?"

Thalia shook her head. "None since the bit I told you last week," she answered. "However, Annabeth here has a few questions."

Annabeth felt a twinge of panic. "Um, I do?" she said uncertainly.

"Yes, you do," Thalia said impatiently. "Dr. Franklin, Revere – Annabeth comes from a Loyalist family. However, she feels more sympathetic towards our side. The problem is, she knows very little, and I thought you would be able to answer her questions better than I would."

"Thalia, you have proved valuable to our cause, and I trust your judgement in bringing this girl to us tonight. However, at the moment we have some more important things to worry about," the man Thalia had called Revere said.

Thalia's eyes flashed. "Do I need to repeat myself? Annabeth comes from a Loyalist family. She has a senior officer staying in her house, and their family's store is frequented by many prominent Loyalists in Boston. Not only that, but her father is a doctor, and Annabeth is often his assistant on calls. House calls, I might add, to some of the most well-known, wealthy Loyalists in the state. She will prove much, much more valuable than I ever have been."

The men, grown and independent as they were, seemed almost intimidated by Thalia's words and inflection. Although she didn't understand what Thalia was talking about, Annabeth didn't blame them. Thalia's midnight-black hair and striking blue eyes made a combination only more intimating when she was angry about something, and her nerve to speak to the men like that, even though women usually didn't address men in the first place, was outstanding. Frankly, if Annabeth had been the one on the other end of that glare, she would do more than just look rather taken aback.

The two men seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes, then Dr. Franklin turned to Annabeth. "What do you want to know?"

•

Percy groggily rose. He had only had a few hours of sleep since he fell asleep at sundown. Pulling on his muddy cloak, he slipped on the pair of ratty boots he had worn earlier, on his mission to the Governor's mansion. Now, he would be going to a much different location.

He listened cautiously at the door. It seemed all the soldiers had gone to their respective homes in various places in the city. The innkeeper usually locked the doors at midnight and went to bed at 1, and after glancing at his pocket watch, Percy nodded with satisfaction. It was safe for him to leave now.

He stole from his room, down the stairs, and out the door. He braced himself for the cold, and the sleet hit him full on. Gritting his teeth, he pulled his cloak closer and turned down an obscure street, making a roundabout way to his destination.

It was only a few minutes until he had reached his journey's end, but it seemed like much longer with being paranoid about being followed. If he was found out by one of the soldiers, or worse, a fellow officer…

He opened the door to the small shop and closed it behind, shaking the sleet off his cloak. He heard low voices and flickering candlelight from the back, so he silently made his way there.

When he reached the doorway, he froze. There was Dr. Franklin and Paul Revere, and a young woman he had seen around the various meetings before.

But there was someone else, too.

The same girl he had run into that afternoon.

•

Annabeth felt overwhelmed, but at the same time, so content. She finally had information about the opposing side, the one she had secretly yearned to know more about since she was twelve years old and heard the word "Patriots" after the infamous Boston Massacre. She knew, without a doubt, what side she had ultimately chosen.

It was a large – no, more than large, huge – decision to make in one night, but really she had just been waiting for the opportunity since she had met Thalia and heard a bit more tantalizing facts about the rebels.

Then they all heard the front door open, and someone entered the shop.

"Jackson," greeted Revere, standing up to shake the other man's hand.

But the young man, Jackson, was frozen, staring at Annabeth. She wondered why, then saw his strangely bright green eyes and knew. This is the man I bumped into earlier! She realized.

Jackson shook himself and suddenly seemed to notice Revere's outstretched hand. "Sir," he greeted him in a low voice. Now Annabeth was positive, after hearing his voice again.

He nodded to the rest of them before pulling up a chair.

"Annabeth, Thalia, this is Neptune," Revere said. "It's a code name, since he is one of our top spies and if he were found out…" Revere left it hanging, but they all knew: anyone caught as a spy was either hanged or faced the firing squad.

"Dr. Franklin, I have some news."

The inventor nodded. "Come with me." He and Neptune exited the room.

"Annabeth, Thalia, let me show you my newest project, given to me only this afternoon by Neptune," Paul Revere said. He pulled two small silver pieces out of his pocket. Annabeth realized that one of them was the tiny pair of bifocals she had picked up from the street after Neptune had dropped it. "See, here is the model. Then, see this one." He showed the girls a small, silver whistle, with the tiny spectacles on the top. "We will be giving these to all our spies."

"They are, indeed, interesting, but what is the point?" asked Annabeth.

Paul Revere nodded, looking pleased. "Good job, Annabeth. You are beginning to question things. That will come in handy later." He paused for a moment, then continued. "Have you ever heard of the early Christians in Rome, about 60 AD?"

Annabeth and Thalia shook their heads.

"Well, they had a sign – a crude fish, easily drawn, easily hidden. Because Christianity was illegal, they had to be careful when talking to strangers. To see if they were also Christians or not, they would often use their feet to draw one line, one half, of the fish in the dirt. If the stranger was a Christian, he or she would complete the other half, and then they both knew it was safe to divulge information."

The girls nodded. Annabeth began to understand where he was going.

"Well, these whistles are our fish," he said, smiling. "When we are talking to someone, we will take out one of the whistles, maybe play with it, turning it casually in our fingers. If the other person is also one of our spies, they too will take out their whistles and just keep it in their hands, for the other to plainly see. Then both will know it is safe to speak plainly."

"But will all spies receive one, or just the ones with the most dangerous information?" Annabeth asked.

"Mostly our top spies. If you choose to be one of us, Annabeth, you will start with small tasks, trying to find out small bits of information. When you are ready or have already found out information that is extremely useful to our cause, and you are not afraid to risk your life for it, then you also will receive a whistle."

Annabeth nodded, trying to push down the feeling of overwhelming nervousness. "But – what information do you even need?"

Revere looked grim. "Anything and everything even hinting at where British troops are or will be, what Governor Gage is up to, and even information about weapons and gunpowder. Anything you think could be beneficial to the Patriots."

Annabeth felt panic. "But how will I know?"

Revere nodded towards Thalia, who had been sitting quietly and listening the whole time. "Your friend will help you. Go to her first if you hear something. And Annabeth – be cautious. Although I fear this unrest will only end in war, I do not wish for countless lives to be spent any sooner than you do. Make sure you are not caught."

Annabeth nodded firmly. "I will be careful."

To herself, she added, I will never get caught.

And that's all for today! Reviews are PSLs. :P

Love ya'll!

WM