No!" I shouted and moved to look inside the hole.

"Percy, look." Nico pointed out the window.

I followed his finger and watched as they pulled Annabeth into a black car. Her face was covered in dust and her golden curls were messy and limp. But at least she was still as round as she had been a week ago.

"Kezi!" Athan snapped and pulled me out of my thoughts. "What do you think you're doing?"

Kezi stood right next to the opening and looked like she was going to go in.

"There's a note in there. Someone has to get it and the floor won't hold any of you."

"I'll get it." Easton volunteered and laid down on his stomach, inching forward until he could reach the note. A loud crack echoed through the room.

Nico and Athan scrambled for Easton's feet as he started to slip into the new hole.

Easton handed the note to me right after they pulled him up.

Percy,

I can't believe you actually found me here. I thought I'd be stuck here forever.

I'm writing this because I don't think you'll be able to save me just yet. I can hear them talking to one of the tour guides. She said something about a French architect. Who did you bring with you?

Now they're saying something about a… Heinz plant? Percy, I don't know what that is, but I think they're taking me there. Please, come save me, Percy. I don't know how much more of this stress I can take.

They're unlocking the door, Percy. I don't have much more time to write.

I love you.

The baby is okay so far.

Oh, and Percy… Luke kidnapped me.

I swallowed hard and squeezed my eyes shut. Luke must have escaped through the Doors of Death when they were open. I can't believe he did this. I thought he had died a hero- that he had given up this kind of stuff.

I guess I was wrong.

I handed Annabeth's note over to Nico, who read it quickly and handed it back.

"I'm sorry, Percy."

I shook my head and looked around to see where the others were. Kezi and Athan were both cleaning the cuts on Easton's arms.

Kezi suddenly froze. "Someone's coming. We need to get out of here."

Athan threw the medical supplies back into the bag, Nico checked the hallway quickly, I slid the panel back into place, and Kezi helped Easton off the floor.

We raced down the hallway and out the back door as quietly as we possibly could. We stopped near the water fall.

"Does this go into one of the rivers?" I asked Kezi quickly.

Kezi shrugged and shook her head. "I- I don't know. I've never really thought about it."

"We'll risk it." I decided quickly, adrenaline and my ADHD taking control. "Nico, how many people can you shadow travel with at a time?"

"Two besides me. Why?" He asked.

"We need to get to the Heinz plant as quickly as possible." I explained hurriedly. "Who do you want to take?"

"I won't take Kezi. I don't know what would happen if a pregnant person were to shadow travel."

I shook my head. "I'll take her in the river."

"What?" Kezi and Athan asked at the same time.

"Kezi, how much longer until they get there?"

"Half an hour, max," Kezi shook her head. "I'm not going in the river."

"Don't worry about it. You're a granddaughter of Poseidon; you'll be fine."

"That doesn't mean I can breathe underwater!"

"I can make it so you can. I'm Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon."

We got to the plant in just under half an hour. The car was already there.

"Let's go!" I urged Kezi as soon as we stepped out of the river. She stretched her shoulder and followed closely behind me.

We slipped quietly through the door and stopped dead in out tracks.

The other three were already tied up in the corner with Annabeth.

"Hello, Jackson. Nice meeting you again." Luke stepped out of the shadows and eyed us up.

I looked around to see if there were any guards with him.

"Don't worry about the guards. I sent them away so I could fight you one-on-one, for old time's sake. Then after I kill you, I'll take Annabeth and your baby for my own." Luke's eyes flicked over me. "How's that?"

Luke stepped forward and narrowed his eyes at my feet. "Do I see an extra shoe?"

Annabeth

I don't think that Luke noticed the girl who slipped in behind Percy. When they saw us and froze, she had hidden herself almost perfectly behind him, all except for her left foot.

Luke stepped towards them menacingly. "Come out, come out whoever you are." He taunted.

Neither Percy nor the girl moved a hair.

Again Luke took a step forward. "I said to show yourself."

Again neither moved.

Luke pulled out his sword and turned it over in his hand. "Fine. We'll play it the hard way: if you don't step out from behind Percy right now, I'll kill you both."

Percy glanced back over his shoulder and there was a slight movement behind him. In sync, they each took a step in opposite directions so they were now standing side by side.

Luke smirked a menacing smirk and advanced to stand directly in front of the girl with long, red hair tied back into a ponytail. Her dark green eyes glinted dangerously as she stared right back at Luke.

Luke sneered at the glint and hissed in her face. "Is this your 'French architect,' Jackson? 'Cause she's as American as apple pie. Isn't that right, Blake?"

Percy stepped towards Luke. "Leave her alone, Luke."

"Step away or I'll kill her." Luke raised his sword a little.

"Luke she hasn't done anything to you. She doesn't know you." Percy countered his hands up in defense.

Luke put a finger under Kezi's chin. "He has no idea how much you are involved. Does he, Kezi?" Kezi's eyes narrowed at him. "That's right, I know exactly who you are, your big brother told me all about you while I was a bartender in Boston. He threw me off Annabeth's track. After all, they had classes together over at Harvard, she was a good person. Why would I want to hurt her?"

My mind reeled. Blake. Blake. Where did—oh! Jayce! From Calculus! He had a little sister named Kezi who he'd left in Pittsburgh. And her boyfriend had been—Athan Astley? Could they still be together?

I glanced at the guy sitting right beside me. He had black hair and navy blue eyes; I think that's what Jayce described him as having.

I caught the guy's eye and jerked my head towards Kezi. He seemed to understand and gave a slight nod. I nodded in return and then turned back to where Luke stood.

Luke started to walk around Kezi as though inspecting her. "You're just a baby. Such a shame someone so young would have a baby of their own. What a waste of a body. You could have been a cheerleader or some other sex toy. I'd have paid for it, especially a fiery redhead."

Athan shifted angrily beside me and did his best to huff through his gag.

Kezi stared resolutely ahead, her expression not changing in the slightest.

Percy pulled out Riptide and made a move to slash at Luke. Luke parried and turned away from Kezi.

"Still room for improvement, Jackson." Luke grinned evilly. They slashed at each other a few more times before Luke kicked Percy in the chest so that he fell hard.

"It's not time to kill you, yet." Luke laughed as Percy struggled to breathe.

Luke turned back to Kezi and moved to stand behind her. He leaned in close to her ear and looked at Athan. "Maybe I can help you get rid of that baby now, before it can do any more damage to this beautiful body of yours, huh? Show the jerk who knocked you up who's really in control?"

Kezi's eyes had stayed locked on Athan's the entire time Luke spoke.

Although she looked more annoyed than anything, Kezi managed to let out a loud shaky breath and buried her face in her hands. Luke moved in front of her and placed his free hand on her shoulder.

Once Luke's back was to us, Athan slammed his shoulder hard into one of the stacks of boxes on his other side, setting off a chain reaction so there were boxes scattered all around us. We were now completely separated from Nico and Easton.

Luke turned around quickly when he heard the noise. Kezi used the distraction to kick his sword out of his hand and pulled him into a headlock with her knife pressed to his throat.

"Who's in control now, jerk?" She hissed in his ear.

As Percy helped Kezi wrestle Luke to the ground and tie him up, I felt a sharp pinch in my abdomen.

The next thing I knew, I was doubled over in pain and sitting in a puddle. Athan noticed and did his best to try to untie the rope binding my hands together.

Before I knew it, I was spacing out as another wave of pain hit me.

Percy

I whistled for Blackjack and he showed up in record time. I hauled Luke onto the Pegasus' back and Kezi tied him down. We turned to assess the damage as soon as they'd taken off.

My eyes landed on Annabeth. She was pale and sitting in a puddle. Athan sat behind her, trying to keep her from falling backwards.

I sprinted over to them and Kezi followed after as best she could.

I pulled the gag gently out of Annabeth's mouth and then proceeded to cut the binds around her hands and feet. I took her gently in my arms.

"Percy, it hurts." Annabeth grunted.

"I know. We'll get you out of here and to a hospital. Just hold on." I whispered to her and looked around to find Kezi, who had just finished cutting Athan free.

Annabeth grabbed hold of my shirt. "No, Percy." Annabeth winced. "It's moving too fast. Too much stress."

I had no idea what to do. I looked up helplessly at Kezi. She nodded and pulled Athan to his feet. "We'll find Easton." She turned to Athan. "Stay on the lookout for some place soft—or at least cleaner."

They took off to where Easton and Nico had last been seen.

I moved Annabeth out of the puddle and put her head on my lap, taking hold of one of her hands and using my free hand to brush the hair out of her face.

"You're going to be okay." I whispered to Annabeth over and over again. "Everything's going to be okay. Easton's a son of Apollo, remember?"

Kezi and Athan's calls for Easton echoed around inside the giant room. My heart dropped when I heard Kezi exasperatedly call out "Easton, where the hell are you?" Kezi always seemed to know what was going on. Maybe she even had kept a level head for the past few days. Maybe what I thought were mood swings was just her messing with people for the fun of it. She certainly had managed to keep everything in line.

Annabeth groaned as another contraction hit her. I prayed to the gods that they would find Easton soon as I stroked Annabeth's scrunched forehead soothingly.

Shouts of delight echoed along with the shifting of boxes and one not-so-pleasant shout.

Easton came hurrying around the corner of a jumbled pile of boxes less than a minute later carrying the bag with the medical supplies. Athan came after him with an arm load of sheets.

"Let's move her over there." Easton pointed to a clearer, cleaner spot of floor.

Athan spread out some of the sheets and I laid Annabeth down on them, again placing her head in my lap.

Easton gently tugged off Annabeth's dirty pants. I had to look away as he pulled off her underwear and tossed a sheet over her. Thankfully, Athan was in a corner tearing some of the sheets into smaller pieces.

Easton turned and pulled out an alcohol wipe and rubbed down his hands before he tried to prop up Annabeth's legs. Annabeth fought him.

"Come on, Annabeth, you've got to let me do this." Easton advised her.

Annabeth squeezed my hand tightly. "Percy, I'm scared. I don't want to."

I squeezed Annabeth's hand back and kissed her fingers. "Annabeth, sweetheart, he's just checking, okay? Just let him look."

Annabeth nodded and pulled her legs up as I stroked her forehead.

Easton put the sheet back down a few moments later and sighed. "She's right; I don't even think there's enough time to put Kezi arm back into its socket."

Kezi and Nico stumbled around the corner, Kezi cradling her left arm and Nico leaning on a makeshift crutch.

"Forget me. She's in a hell of a lot more pain than I am." Kezi continued to walk back to the corner where Athan was starting to make a sling out of one of the torn sheets. Nico limped along behind her.

Annabeth grimaced again and held my hand tighter than she had before. Easton checked her again.

"Athan, get a couple clamps and some scissors wiped down with alcohol and tie a sheet around me, would you?" Easton directed and stood up for the sheet.

Annabeth relaxed her grip a bit and looked up at me, her gray eyes full of pain. "I really do want this baby now, you know." She whispered as her eyes filled with tears. "But I didn't want it to come like this. I wanted it to be born in a hospital in New York, Percy, where it's safe. What if something happens here? What if something goes wrong?"

I leaned down and kissed Annabeth's forehead gently. "Nothing is going to go wrong, Annabeth. Easton's good at what he does."

Annabeth still looked doubtful. "I love you, Percy."

"I love you, too, Annabeth."

Annabeth smiled a weak smile. "Kezi," she called. "Kezi, come sit with me." Annabeth called.

Easton sat back down by Annabeth's feet, not touching anything. I must've made a face because he grinned and shook his head. "They often go a bit crazy during this."

"So you have delivered other babies?" I asked.

He gave a slight nod. "A couple. Never in a warehouse, but this isn't the worst place."

Kezi placed the tools Easton had asked for by Annabeth's other foot along with another piece of sheet and then sat down somewhat awkwardly near Annabeth's other shoulder.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Hold my other hand, would you?" Annabeth asked with a smile.

Kezi looked down at her limp arm and then at her good hand and took hold of Annabeth's free hand. "Sure."

"Good. Do you trust him?" Annabeth asked.

"Who? Easton? Absolutely. He's fixed a lot of my injuries." Kezi nodded and looked down to Easton. Did you drug her? She mouthed.

Easton held his fingers up to show a little.

Annabeth nodded contentedly. Suddenly her face scrunched up and she groaned in pain.

"This is it." Easton said as he moved into place. "Push, Annabeth."

After what felt like forever of Annabeth groaning and screaming and squeezing my hand until I thought it was going to fall off (Kezi eyes were actually crossed), a different scream echoed through the building.

How is that?

I just happened to click on my polls because I was bored and it just so happens that it is the second anniversary of my poll! Go figure. And only twelve people have participated...

Disclaimer- There was an old lady who made me disclaim, why, oh, why did she make me disclaim. Perhaps she'll die!

Please review if you have the time/internet connection!

Update 5/25/2013: I just noticed that I skipped what was supposed to be Chapter 3! I can't believe I did that and didn't even notice until now!

The Epilogue will be coming out shortly. I'll post it as soon as I get most of the sequel written. Only two more weeks of school (including a week of finals), then we'll see.

More good news: I once complained about my biology teacher and the state's new test. I actually got an advanced score on that. No idea how, since I guessed on more than half of them. Oh, well, guess I'm just good at BSing.

Be back soon!