A/N: So I'm back! School is a mess, y'all. Now, I'm forced to let you know, there will be some Lukabeth coming up. I apologize, DemeterChild. It had to happen sometime.
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO…or Twinkies.
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Percy's POV.
"Alright," I said, bored. "I came to the stupid cave. I'll get the stupid lamp. Is there anything else you need? A toothbrush, maybe?" He ignored my comment and pushed me into the cave. I caught my balance and looked around the cave it was exactly how it looked. Since I'd ditched the monkey, I didn't have to worry about it touching everything. I walked closer to the back and grabbed the lamp. On my way back out, I saw the carpet. I started to walk past it, thinking that it was unnecessary, but I was drawn to it. Somehow, it reminded me of something. I picked it up. It was lighter than I expected…it felt almost like a scarf.
In any case, I took it and the lamp and tried to leave. The cave, as expected, began to collapse. I saw Luke trying to get in.
"Give me the lamp, Jackson!"
I didn't even have to think about it. I ran to a clear spot and waited for the cave to stop shaking. When it did, I rubbed the lamp and waited on the genie to come out.
"Grover?" I asked, bewildered. "Why are you the genie?"
"I'm not sure, but kinda sucks so far. There's no space in here!" He whined back. "Anyway, I can give you three wishes."
I rolled my eyes. "I have read the story, Grover!" Call me what you like, but I was immensely proud of my knowledge. "I wish that you were free and could do whatever you wanted." Immediately, a puff of smoke appeared. Grover didn't look any different, but he was smiling now.
"Thanks, man! Let's get out of here. It smells underground." We left the cave and ended up at the palace, to see Annabeth. I wanted to bring her the magic carpet. When we opened her door, we saw her surrounded by guards.
"Um, Percy?" she said, though she already had my attention. "Yea, this is definitely a trap."
No kidding!
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Annabeth's POV.
The guards already had their orders, so three grabbed him immediately. They didn't move, however, and the room was silent.
I broke it. "A little help…Grover?" We both looked at him. He looked frozen in place. We heard laughter and turned. Luke stood in the doorway.
"Did you forget," he said through his laughter, "how powerful I already was? Grover is nothing, no matter how much power you give him. He honestly never was. Guards, do what you must…and bring Annabeth to my room." I couldn't make out the words, because his mouth was covered, but Percy definitely uttered some very curse-like words on his way out. The jerk just laughed some more. I took it upon myself to make sure he had an idea of what Percy should've said.
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Percy's POV.
They took me to a cliff and, very anticlimactically, threw me off. I was laughing on the way down, thinking about how stupid Luke really was. Throwing me into the ocean? Seriously?
I hit the water. It hurt. For any ordinary person, this would have made sense, but I'm the son of Poseidon! Water is supposed to work with me. The realization hit me then-I have no power in these dreams. I only had training. I swam as hard as I could before realizing that I wasn't going to get anywhere. I was praying and cussing and screaming, and then I was just sitting on a rock on top of the cliff.
"What the- "I started, before I turned and saw Grover. He smiled and said simply, "I am not useless."
"No way, G-man, not even close! Now, come on. Clarisse has probably killed Q already." Grover got back to their cell and stepped out of the super deep shadows. We saw Clarisse in the corner sulking while Q sat across the room eating a cookie. Grover and I did a double take.
I spoke first. "How did you keep Clarisse from killing you…or eating you alive?"
"And how did you get a cookie?" Grover added. Q held up a finger, and we waited impatiently for him to finish to cookie and answer us.
"I had help," he said finally. As we were about to ask for him to elaborate, Nikki stepped out of the shadows in her usual jeans and heels and sat in Q's lap, eating a Twinkie. "I brought my purse!" she said happily.
"Yea," muttered Clarisse. "And she stuck a gun in it." We looked at Nikki. She shrugged.
"Where'd you expect me to put it? I just got here. No time to find proper storage!"
"Okay…" I said. There was no real point to questioning her about it. It's common knowledge that you never know what you'll find in Nikki's purse. "Whatever," I continued. "We need to go save Annabeth…without her seeing me," I continued, frowning as I remembered the rest of the story. Everyone nodded and began to follow me out, but Nikki stopped when we were out.
"Why can't she see you, Percy?" she asked. I knew Nikki well enough to know that it wasn't an innocent question.
"Because if she sees me," I muttered, "she might do something she'll regret." I realized how that sounded a bit too late, and I blushed as Clarisse laughed.
"But what?" Nikki continued, hiding her laughter. I started to respond, but I thought of something and narrowed my eyes.
"You've definitely seen the movie."
"No," she said, with sugar coated sarcasm. I hate you sometimes, Nikki.
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Annabeth's POV.
So, I'd like to reiterate:
This sucked.
Luke had gotten the guards to lock me up. He'd left the "sultan" alone, as he wasn't important. I, however, was stuck in Luke's room…as a maid. I had to do EVERYTHING for him. What kind of idiot can't even comb his own hair? While I was doing that, he looked at me from the mirror. Now, you might've imagined a normal, rectangular mirror. Unfortunately, he's "too good" for something that plain. No, he has a giant hourglass shaped mirror. The entire room is time themed. There's even a giant glass hourglass sitting in the middle of the room, sand and all. Weird.
Anyway, he looked at me with a glint in his eyes. "You know," he began as he stood up, "it doesn't have to be like this. You don't have to work for me."
I should've just stayed silent, but pride wouldn't let me. "Oh, I know! And I hope you know that when I wake up, I'm going to find you and kick your-"
He cut me off as he turned around. "Is it worth it, Annabeth?" I didn't have a comeback for that.
"Is what worth it?" I genuinely wanted to know.
"Being against me. Fighting me. Hating me."
Against my will, a pang went through my chest. "I don't hate you, Luke. I just hate what you've become." He smiled and pulled me closer. It's his stupid eyes. I can never break his gaze, is the problem.
"Annabeth, I'm still that guy! I can prove it. Stay with me."
I knew I couldn't, and I didn't really want to, but he seemed so sweet and inviting…but it didn't really matter, because at that moment I saw Nikki. My eyes widened, but I don't think he noticed. I watched her try to tell me something. "Distract…Luke's…triflin'…behind." I cocked my head so that she'd know I was asking why. "Percy's…here!" I nodded slightly, and then focused on Luke.
"Ok." I said, lowering my voice a bit to sound older.
"What?" he asked, sounding confused. Evidently, he's not as cocky as he seems.
"I said ok, baby," I was having serious trouble with this. Flirting is more Nikki's department…or Silena's…well, really anyone's but mine. "I want to stay with you. Forever."
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Luke's POV.
I'm not an idiot.
I might not have noticed anyone behind me, but I could definitely see her reacting to whoever it was. So I looked around. Sure enough, there was Nikki, hiding behind me. She was good, but not in a room covered in mirrors. I looked some more. There was Q, Clarisse…and Percy. Percy, looking directly at me, watching me hold Annabeth close. Eyes dark with jealousy.
This should be fun.
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Annabeth's POV.
I can't believe I just said that. I guess it caught his attention, because he kissed me. On the mouth. In the mouth. Hard.
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Q's POV.
Dang, man.
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Nikki's POV.
Oh, this won't do.
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Percy's POV.
No. NO. Please Annabeth, push him away or hit him or anything but kissing him back…
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Annabeth's POV.
I don't know who jumped up first. All I know was that the first person I heard was Nikki.
"Hell," she said simply before she pulled me off of him. She went to push him out of the way and he grabbed her arm and threw her back. She tripped over her heels and fell.
Before she could even start to get up, Luke was trapped against the wall by some unbreakable bond. Grover stepped out of his hiding spot.
"I am NOT useless," he said smugly as he approached Luke. Q, Percy and Clarisse followed. Luke didn't look at all surprised. Clarisse was fastest. She slapped him.
"You DO NOT lock me up. I'll kill you!" she yelled. She didn't have a chance, as Q punched him in the face.
"You don't touch my girl." He hit him again. Nikki jumped in and got her hit. I had to wonder why they were just beating him up, and then I remembered: this is a dream. An incredibly long, realistic dream, but a dream all the same. They were really just having fun.
Percy was next. When he stepped up, Luke didn't give him a chance to say anything.
"Go ahead and hit me, Percy. I still get the girl, in the end." I started to protest, but I didn't have a chance.
"You think so?" Percy asked him. He turned and looked at me. His eyes were begging me to play along…not that it was completely necessary. He stepped closer to me, and we kissed.
Almost.
Apparently, Aphrodite was playing a game, because it happened again. The dream began to fade. I would not let this happen. I tried running back to the dream, tried jumping for it. Nothing worked. Aside from Percy cursing, the last thing that I heard before slipping away was Nikki.
"Y'all need to stop playin' with people!"
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A/N: So…yea. I know. It wasn't lovely. But it was the best I could do right now. I'm thinking about writing another story, but it would probably be one of those where they aren't half-bloods…and Annabeth fans wouldn't appreciate her suffering. Percabeth fans would probably be okay, though…Tell me what's up with that, and review this. Coolie!