Hello. This is my fourth chapter tonight. I just was on a roll!

Disclaimer: If I owned PJO or HoO would I really be dreaming up this fanfic? No! I'd be off somewhere wallowing in money!

Ch 4

ANNABETH

The stars twinkled cheerfully when I stepped out of the captain's quarters and onto the deck. I sighed, breathing in the cool sea air. Today was...interesting. Those merfolk were different. Almost...human.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" A voice startled me out of my head. The merman with sea green eyes, Percy, was staring at me.

"Shouldn't you?" I responded, walking towards him.

He shrugged. "Kinda hard to sleep with your hands chained above your head," he said pointedly.

"Your friends managed."

"Your crew managed."

I sighed. This would be a lot easier if they didn't talk.

"Why?" Percy asked. Crap. I said that out loud.

"Because then I wouldn't have to deal with the sass," I said.

Percy stuck his tongue out.

"Very mature," I noted.

Percy rolled his eyes. "But really. Why?"

"I've been doing this for so long, and the merfolk have never talked back or anything. They've always just sat there, resigned. But you...I don't know. You're making me question everything. Everything Luke taught me."

"Well maybe this Luke person was wrong."

"About what? Life?" I massaged my temples. "I shouldn't be talking to you," I said.

"Why?" Percy asked again.

"Because you're cargo and I'm captain."

"Yet here we are."

I stood there for a moment. Percy had this expression on, one that looked incredibly stupid, but clever and cute at the same time. It was captivating. It almost made me want to laugh.

His brow furrowed. "Why did you come out?"

I shrugged. "Fresh air?"

"That's not it."

I thought about it. "I guess...way down deep inside...subconsciously...I just kinda wanted to tell you that I'm sorry."

He gave that look, the one that said Really? and spoke. "Sorry? You kidnapped me and my friends, locked us up, and you're sorry?"

"Yes?" I said. For the first time, I was stumped.

"Well that's nice to know," Percy remarked sarcastically. "Must've had to dig way deep for that answer."

"Look, I really am sorry!" I said.

"If you're so sorry then why don't you let us go?"

I kinda exploded. "Because I can't! Luke expects a new shipment in three weeks, and if I don't have that shipment then he'll be disappointed and Zeus knows what else! I can't just let you back into your realm because you'll probably do some voodoo magic or something and curse me so that I can never step foot on a boat again! Besides, this entire crew counts on me to protect them from an angry Luke and the best way is to keep Luke happy and the only way to do that is to make quota and currently you fill quota! So I'm sorry! But I can't let you go! I have responsibilities!"

Percy was quiet for a long time. When he finally spoke, I was ready to leave him alone. "I know what that's like."

"You do?" I asked softly.

He nodded. "My dad is on the Council and he expects me to take his place one day. But all those lessons, they aren't me. But still, I have duties, responsibilities, commitments. So I run. I ditch. I leave. Hades, we had snuck out when you caught us!"

A small smile crept onto my lips. Then it disappeared. "Your friends don't like me."

Percy shrugged. "You think I'm different?"

I considered him carefully. "I don't blame you and your friends. What I do is despicable. And yet…"

"Yet what?"

"Yet I don't think it is. But I know it is and arrgh! Everything is so confusing!" I closed my eyes.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he said, like he was talking to a wounded animal. "Just breathe."

I took a shaky breath. "Thank you," I said.

He shrugged. "I am different, you know. I think I understand you a little better now."

The smile came back. "I'll see what I can do about those chains," I told him.

Percy nodded his thanks. I walked back to the captain's quarters, satisfied that I had gotten that off my chest.

Percy's nice. And funny. And kinda dumb. But nice dumb. He has his reasons, I have mine. He's just another person with responsibilities. I frowned. But he's not. He's a merman. He's cargo. I shut my eyes in frustration. I didn't know what was right anymore. Gods. I would have to talk to Percy again in the morning.

My eyes flew open. When did I get so chummy with a merman?

See! Percabeth! Toldja so.

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*dramatic voice* Until we meet again! *staff appears in hand* *slams staff against ground* *disappears*