I'mmmmm back! So this is chapter 11, and let me tell you it's intense. Grab some popcorn because it's about to get real.
Annabeth woke up sometime during that night. The only reason she knew that it was night was due to the lack of light in her room, which she appreciated. Her head was killing her, and she was sure that sunlight wasn't going to help that. Annabeth didn't remember a lot after getting to the cave. There were small flashbacks, so she knew that Percy had been the one to find her. She also knew that he had been the one to bring her here, but she wasn't quite sure where here was.
There was an IV in her arm, so that was a decent clue as to where she was. Not to mention she was feeling pretty hazy, and there was no way that was just how she was. By this point she was about 90% sure that she was in some sort of hospital, but she also doubted that it was a conventional one. Percy didn't seem like the type to take his business outside his house.
Speak of the devil that was when she noticed the figure that was resting in a chair across the room. Annabeth's vision was still slightly fuzzy, but she was pretty sure that it was Percy. The figure had the same broad shoulders and boyish slouch that she had come to know him for. Smiling softly Annabeth took a moment to think about him. Percy was loyal to a fault. Even though she had been nothing but terrible to him; he was the only person that she knew she could trust. Percy had braved a storm for her, and from what she could remember made sure to protect her as best he could, and that had to say something.
"Percy," Annabeth croaked trying to get his attention, but she quickly realized that she was going to need water in order to do that. Something about passing just makes a girl thirsty. Water sounded great, but she wasn't sure if hot or cold was going to be better. Cold water sounded like it would hurt, but hot water never really quenched thirst. However, Annabeth wasn't going to get any water if she couldn't get Percy's attention. Moving was a painful experience, but Annabeth reached behind her and pulled the pillow from behind her head, aimed, and fired. She would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little pleased when it hit Percy square in the face.
Percy startled awake and looked around the room quickly. If it hadn't hurt to do so, Annabeth probably would have laughed at how confused the boy across the room from her looked. "Annabeth?" he asked as his eyes made contact with her. "You're awake!" Eye roll. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" If he talked any faster he could be on a commercial, but Annabeth couldn't tell him that. So instead she made a motion for water. "Water? Oh! You want water!" Percy shouted as he ran out of the room. And to think this man runs a huge crime family.
Percy came back shortly with some water and handed it to Annabeth. He monitored her closely to make sure that she didn't spill it, and when she did okay holding it herself he nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. "So how are you feeling?" Percy asked looking up through his eyelashes.
"Like death," Annabeth deadpanned.
"Well that makes sense seeing as you almost died." This time it was Percy's turn to roll his eyes. "There isn't anything seriously wrong with you, luckily. Just some bruising, but it will probably hurt for a while." Annabeth nodded along.
"So can you fill me in on what happened? I remember the choking, and some running, and there are flashes of you, but I don't remember the rest."
"Well you took off running while I took care of Thalia, and seemingly no one noticed as you made it out the door. After that it all kinda gets boring. You passed out and I found you," Percy desperately hoped she wouldn't ask about how worried he'd been. He knew that it showed when he found her, but he also hoped she didn't remember that. Annabeth was already overwhelmed, and throwing his mixed up feelings on her wasn't going to help.
"Wait, Thalia, oh my god where is she?" Annabeth started looking around the room. "She doesn't know where I am right?!"
Percy reached out and grabbed her hand. "Annabeth, calm down. Thalia is in the cells right now with the rest of her posse. She can't get to you here."
Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief. "What do you mean the cells?"
"Well we have a prison of sorts in the basement of the house. It's where the people that cross us end up staying."
"Wait you put your family down there?" Annabeth asked in disbelief. "Why?"
"Because you are family now Annabeth. You are one of the most important parts of this family, and they don't get to treat you the way that they did. You did nothing to them, and they still acted like assholes, and now they will pay the price." Percy spoke with so much intensity it pushed Annabeth back into her bed.
"But Percy they've known you forever. Don't you think maybe you should let them off?"
"No I don't think I should just let them off!" Percy yelled as he got to his feet. She noticed that he pulled at his hair when he was riled up. "They could have killed you Annabeth! Killed you! You are my wife Annabeth, and even if you're not happy about it they have to respect that. I chose you, so in turn they have to honor that. That's how this family works, and I'll be damned if they just 'get off' because they knew me."
The speech was impassioned. Something in his tone told Annabeth not to mess with it, even if she didn't really agree with him. "Percy come here," she told him as she reached out for him. When he didn't make a move to cross the room she beckoned again. "Percy." This time he did listen and took her outstretched hand.
They both sat there for a minute just taking the other one in. Annabeth knew that she owed Percy her life, and for that she was grateful, but she was never going to feel safe in this home again. Anyone in the house had access to her, and as she had learned, many of them didn't like her. Percy was the only person she trusted, and even then it was fleeting. Percy was an okay guy if you looked past all the crime, but that didn't mean that she was ready to be married. In fact, she still just wanted to go home, but something in Percy's eyes told her that she needed to comfort him before she brought that up.
"Percy I'm okay," Annabeth said squeezing his hand. "Look, I'm all right." She brought his hand to her chest to feel her heart beat, and it was there: slow and steady.
Percy kept his hand on her chest for a few moments before looking up at her. "Annabeth I am so sorry,' he said sounding broken. Something in him cracked looking at her, and Annabeth couldn't find it in her to be mad at him.
"Sorry for what Percy? You didn't do this."
"I know, but I should have been there to stop it!" Percy yelled bursting up from the bed again. "This is my house and I'm in charge, and I should have been able to stop it! Tell me Annabeth do you feel safe now? Are comfortable being here?"
She was taken aback by his question. That was not how she thought that this conversation was going to go. "Percy I'm not trying to be a bitch, but I don't think I've ever felt safe here. I was forced to come her after an arranged marriage I didn't know about, then there was a gun fight in the foyer, and then your friend tried to kill me, but don't think that this is what is making me feel unsafe Percy. I've never been safe here." Yep she was came off as a bitch.
"Annabeth," he practically whimpered. "I never meant to make you feel unsafe, and I promise I would never hurt you. You know that right?"
"Percy you got a choice in all this. I was just collateral damage. I know that you aren't trying to hurt me, but Percy this is all new to me and it hurts a lot. Imagine being ripped away from everything you've ever known, married off to a stranger, then thrown into a mob house. Percy it's really scary." Annabeth was trying not to cry, but it wasn't working. Percy wasn't going to hurt her, but his life was going to, and she needed a way out.
"Beth you don't need to be scared," Percy whispered as he reached for her. Surprisingly Annabeth let him pull her onto his lap. "I'm gonna watch out for you this time. We'll figure it out. And while I can't do anything about the marriage, I promise I'll do everything in my power to minimize the damage. You're safe here."
"No I'm not!" The outburst surprised both of them. "I will never feel safe in this house. The people here all hate me, and I feel like any turn I take is going to lead to my death." She was being dramatic and she knew it, but it was all part of the plan. If Percy pitied her maybe he would let her go.
"Annabeth, no one here is going to kill you. I'm going to make sure of it. I'm sorry that you feel that way about this house, but no one is going to hurt you. I've taken care of it."
"Yeah like you took care of it last time? Percy this house is like hell for me. It reminds me of the life that I lost. Please don't make me stay here." If Annabeth was telling herself the truth she felt bad for doing this to Percy, but the selfish part of her won through.
"I didn't know they were going to act like that or I would have handled it, and you really don't have a choice but to stay here. I'm sorry Annabeth, but this is where you live now. I get that you miss your old life, but don't expect me to send you back out there to get killed because it's not going to happen." Annabeth almost growled when he didn't take the bait.
"But you told me that Kronos couldn't kill me anymore! If we got married I was no longer the heir and he couldn't come after me! Why can't I go home?"
"Annabeth I run one of the largest mob families in the country. Do you really believe that I don't have enemies of my own? Enemies that are more than happy to off you in revenge because let me tell you you're in for a surprise. If anything you're in more danger now than ever."
"Then what was the point?" Annabeth screamed as she jumped off of Percy's lap. "What was the point of the marriage if I'm still going to end up dead?"
"Annabeth calm down. You are not going to end up dead. The point was that I have the ability to protect you from those people while your mother did not. You are in a secure compound with a multitude of protection, so I don't want to hear about there being no point."
"Secure?" Annabeth scoffed. "So what happened when that whole other group, or family, or whatever you call them ended up in the foyer? Because that was secure."
"That was a brief oversight and the work of a spy that is now no longer with us." Annabeth gulped. "That is not the norm, and it won't be happening again. Annabeth you are my wife now whether you like it or not, and that makes you a main target for anyone that wants to get back at me."
"I don't like it! I already told you that I didn't ask for any of this, and now you're throwing it in my face? Not to mention that we aren't together. Maybe you should tell them that and then they'd leave me alone!" At that Percy snapped. He stalked back across the room and grabbed her wrist.
"I have let you disrespect me for too long. This marriage was not my first choice either, but you don't see me throwing a hissy fit about it every other day! It is time to grow up and smell the roses Annabeth. This is it. This is your life now, and I told you that I was going to be a loyal husband to you. I have been nice and compassionate up until this point, but I'm done with that now. Nothing is good enough for you, and if you want to villainize me for not letting you go out and get yourself killed then do it.
"I have worked my ass off to make this place a home for you. I stopped working as much and I look after you and that stupid cat. I check up on you everyday, even when you're a real bitch to me. I put my friends in cells to protect you, then I marched for hours through the woods trying to find you to protect you from the incoming storms. I froze my ass off all night because you needed the blanket more. Not to mention the fact that I did all of this after you spent weeks treating me like shit. It's enough Annabeth I get it, you don't like me and there is nothing I can do to change that, but you are not going to disrespect marriage to me. You can yell at me and hate me. You can hate my family, but marriage is important and it means a whole lot more to me than it does to you. It is binding so make it work," Percy growled.
This was a side of Percy that she had never seen. Suddenly it all made sense why he was so feared. His face with centimeters from hers, and Annabeth had never been more terrified in her life. Gone was the sweet Percy that always knew what to say to her, and it was all he fault. "Percy," Annabeth cried. The tears had long since started falling, and it felt like they were never going to stop. "Percy, please," she cried again pulling on her wrist.
Suddenly Percy stood up and let her go. Glowering he looked her in the eye. "You don't want to be in this house fine. We'll leave tomorrow," and with that Percy turned on his heel and stormed out. The lock of the door clicked, and Annabeth that she wasn't going to get out. Instead she sat on the bed crying and pondered what Percy meant by 'we'll leave tomorrow.'
So that's the chapter. Intense right? I could feel it as I wrote it, and dang. What did you guys think of the new Percy that we saw in this chapter? Is that the real Percy? Plus what about Annabeth? Anyway, let me know what you thought!
Emily