"Nico." Percy breathed in upon seeing our old co-worker. The large man behind him violently pulled his hood off, throwing his black hair all over as if it wasn't messy enough. I winced to myself, it looked painful and I knew how strong my father's guards were.

I slipped my hand into his and gave a short reassuring squeeze. He latched on, clutching it as he watched; his eyes never straying from our friend. "You were found sneaking in our building." My father grunted in his heavily accented English only so the prisoners could understand. "Inform us of your intention and your punishment will be lessened."

My eyes stayed closed longer than normal after I blinked because I knew that wasn't going to happen. The two men I did not know stood tall with their mouths pulled in a tight line while Nico kept his eyes fixed on the floor. "Isn't there anything you can do?" Percy asked me, his tone becoming a mix of anxiety and desperate.

I shook my head. "My father knows Nico was in our team, but that will not keep him from delivering a sentence."

"What if he tells him why we came?"

"It will only anger my father with America, he will send our own out to do what...what I did." I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat when I admitted I had done just what Percy had been sent in to do. His grip lightened for a moment before tightening again. "Or worse."

My father started getting irritated with the lack of confession from the three men. The men behind them would whip at their feet if they didn't answer right away, and the most any of them had said so far is "I'm not telling you anything." which only came from the two 'ninjas' as Percy calls them.

Nico stayed silent.

Eventually aba got so frustrated and called a break where he pulled me aside. "Navah, that quiet one was in your squad, talk to him." He commanded.

I sighed, walking into the individual holding unit that reminded me more of a demented jail cell. I used to spend a lot of time in them when I was younger. "Nico?" I called, not seeing him at first. I clicked on the light, easily finding him in the corner. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" He spat bitterly, turning his back so he was facing the corner and away from me.

I sat next to him. "I am sorry." I told him uselessly, staring at my hands.

"I don't know how you do it," A pair of deep brown eyes met mine, softening from their previously distant and steely state. I relaxed a bit, glad he didn't completely blame me. "Live here, with him, or handle this on a daily basis. It's hard to imagine even you growing up here."

"This is the life I did not want any of you to have to deal with. It is harsh, not forgiving, I would not wish it on even my worst enemy." There was a pause where neither of us spoke, Nico moved to sit closer to me. His skin was ice cold. "Why did you, Percy, and Chiron come here?"

"Joy freaked out when she found out you took some files." He muttered into his hands. "She got this fight squad ready and we flew out here. A bunch of midgets attacked us separately, do you know where Chiron and Percy are?" He finally looked up at me through his dark brown/black hair.

I shook my head. "Percy found me around oh-three hundred and has been with me since then, I have only just heard about any of you being here. I am trying to think of where they could have gone and not yet been found by the...midgets."

Nico chuckled a bit but it faded quickly. "What will your father do to me?" I looked down at the tightly packed dirt floor. "Annabeth?"

"I could not tell you, trespassers from the village are lashed and forced to serve in the army. Spies...well I have only encountered a few." Nico bumped my shoulder, asking me to continue. "An Iranian spy was burned alive, one from Korea dropped in the desert-"

"Ok," Nico lowered his head, hiding behind his overgrown hair. "You can stop, I get it. Nothing good."

I shook my head but didn't bother saying anything. "What do you suggest I do?" Nico asked, desperateness seeping into his voice.

"Nico, there really is nothing." His expression cut something inside me, I gulped, uncomfortable with the sensation. "I will talk to my father, try to stay warm." I added the last bit as a shiver ran through my body thanks to a rush of cool air.

Walking out of the cell, a guard pushed a block of stone in place to act as a door, sealing whoever was inside from any shred of light of the outside world. "Father," I called to him.

"Did you find why he and they came here?" He demanded the information from me the moment I got within his sight.

"You must promise me," I warned, throwing in a wag of my index finger for good measure. "You will spare his life."

The cool expression stayed on his face as he seemed to consider the idea. He looked me over, searching my face. I steeled my expression and lifted my chin. "And what of the two other men?"

I waved it off, only caring of what happened to Nico. "I could care less of their fate."

This seemed to give my father a spark of joy, as if he was happy he could punish the trespassers. "I suppose I could spare the boy..." He trailed off, rubbing his chin sarcastically trying to make it seem like he wasn't giving in. "But he still must serve at least a year of labor in the kitchens."

I allowed myself a sigh of relief, leaning forward to hug him. "Toda aba. House him well, and it will be the last I ask of you."

"Now Navah, I've given you plenty of leave alre-"

"Please."

My request made him stop, his face relaxed. "How could I say no to that, alright bat, he will be in the best worker's homes, but his sentence is moved to two years and I will hear no more on the subject!" I couldn't help but smile.

"Yes sir." Aba smirked at me, tapped my cheek a few times before making his way back into the courtroom.


"Two years?" Percy exclaimed after we had returned to my quarters. He was pacing in a small circle in the middle of the room. We were alone since the kids were in class which allowed him just a bit more room.

"Percy." I half snarled half scolded. "He was going to be sentenced to death! He will be treated as well as he could be while he is here."

"W...w-when Joy hears about this-"

"She will do nothing." I interrupted again harshly. "Percy, she sequenced a secret espionage mission against a United States ally. She is lucky enough my father seemed to forget Nico and them were American. Now hush and sit down, you are at risk here as well."

The black haired man sat reluctantly across from me. "Why would I be at risk?"

"My father does not know you are here, and I cannot keep you locked in this room for the rest of your life, you must leave. Go back to America, CSI. Tell Joy if she wants a war, she can send another of her 'squads'." By the end of my rant I was spitting out the words, glaring at the floor.

"You can't just expect me to go back to my old life and leave you here, you're too important to me," I started shaking my head, closing my eyes tight to keep the tears from seeping out. Percy picked up my hand. "Now listen to me Annabeth, you are part of my life now and I can't-I won't-let you go. I..I can't live without you."

It was harder to shake my head with him pressing his forehead to mine. "Percy.."

"Dammit Annabeth, I love you! Just...please...say it back."

I closed my eyes and backed away from the grip on my cheeks. "No."


Merry Christmas guys!

Always yours,

~Arty