Ch. 2:

June - (Or, as Hera calls it, the month of new beginnings)

The biggest mystery of Olympus Rehabilitation Center seems to be the reason Annabeth is there, and why she's been kept there for so long.

Leo and Percy have made it their mission to find out the reason, and have come up with several theories.

They at first believed the whole, 'I'm a genius' had not been real, and a product of Annabeth's, in theory, insane mind, but they soon realize this is not the case when she chooses chess during Game Night (and doesn't lose a game), when she kicks everybody's ass at Scrabble, and then proceeds to smile her way through Cranium and emerge victorious even though her only team mates were the shy Hazel and Hazel's loyal companion Frank – both of which only spoke to each other and communicated to others with nods or hand gestures.

Leo will admit, however, that he should've seen their smashing win in charades coming.

They soon find her physical stature isn't anything to be joked about either. She's great at capture-the-flag, and when they play basketball with a couple other kids in different therapy groups at Olympus Rehab, (they find out that it's an annual thing), there is a tense battle between Will Solace and the other captain Clarisse over who gets Annabeth on their team.

Annabeth could be considered pretty, and has proven her worth in intelligence and physical stature.

Which brings them back to square one.

Despite the fact that she could probably manipulate you into loving or hating her in under a minute, and maybe the fact that Annabeth is a real bitch to people she doesn't like. Which, granted, is everybody save perhaps Hazel – and by extension, Frank – and her two friends, Thalia and Luke, that she goes on, and on about.

This doesn't deter the pair a bit, and only make them more determined to find out why she's the current longest-standing resident of Olympus.

"Where's Jason?" Percy asks, handing Leo his lighter while Leo simultaneously handed over a couple crumpled five-dollar bills.

"Jason's trying to get his file from Piper," Percy says, accepting the bills and stuffing them into his pocket.

Leo smirks, "What did you give her for this?" He holds up the lighter, flicks it open, then close.

Open.

Close.

Open.

Close.

"I told Jason that Piper has his file," Percy says, shrugging innocently.

"Does she actually?" Leo asks, curious. Jason Grace's amnesia and possible relation to vice-president Zeus was a huge rumor that had been sweeping Olympus the last couple weeks, and Leo was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Percy shrugs again, "Either way, Piper has the biggest crush on him, I'm doing the both of them a favor."

"Hey," Annabeth says, suddenly walking into the community room.

Leo and Percy immediately clamp shut, and Annabeth's face darkens slightly as she slides onto the couch next to Percy.

"Hand me the remote," Annabeth asks, and Percy hands it over, and awkward silence settling in the room.

"How come Thalia and Luke never come to visit?" Leo asks suddenly, before Annabeth can turn the TV on.

Annabeth tenses for a moment, "They- They live in California."

"They're imaginary, aren't they?" Leo says, a stubborn tone in his voice as he flicks the lighter open, and then close.

Each time it opens, the lighter makes a metalic shhh.

Open.

Close.

The lighter opens twice before Annabeth replies, a frown on her face.

"No. They aren't. They're real."

She hands the remote back to Percy, "Here. I'm not in the mood anymore."

The door slams shut behind her.

Percy had a couple letters to give to Hera for mailing to his mom, and his best friend Grover back home, and he made his way to her office, trotting down the white-washed halls at a moderate pace.

The door to her office is cracked slightly, and Percy spies the trademark blonde princess curls inside, and he pauses, listening at the door.

"….I need these mailed," Annabeth says, and she tosses two letters onto Hera's desk.

Hera doesn't look away from the computer monitor, "Are these going to friends of yours from college?"

College?

Oh wait.

The genius thing. Right.

"No, I didn't have any friends in college," Annabeth says, tapping her arm impatiently, "They're going to Luke and Thalia. And the smaller one is going to Berkeley, to ask my professor if he won't accept me as an intern so I can start my work now."

Hera finally takes her eyes off the screen, and an expression on her face that Percy can't comprehend.

"Annabeth… Thalia and Luke died six years ago, remember?"

Annabeth's brow furrows, "No, no- you can just mail them to my mother. She'll get the letters to them."

"Your mother died just before you came here," Hera says gently, "Your father sent you here because you were having trouble coping – remember?"

"NO!" Annabeth shrieks, and Percy flinches at the utter pain in her voice, "That's not true!"

Annabeth buries her face in her hands, sinking into the nearby sofa. Hera gets up, and runs a soothing hand on Annabeth's back. Annabeth shudders with each sob, and Percy's heart breaks a little.

And then, Annabeth just stops.

She lifts her head, her face rearranged into the usual derisive sneer. She stands, shouldering off Hera's hand, "Mail those to Luke and Thalia, Hera."

Annabeth nods once before she walks out the door.

Percy recognizes the look in Hera's eyes now.

Pity.

Percy so screwed over his head right now. Hera's coming down the halls, on her annual "random" search for illegal substances, and he promised Will Solace he'd stash his weed for him if he gave him twenty dollars.

Percy's saving up to surprise his mom at the end of summer, but he might end up with no money and in jail instead.

Great.

A knock sounds on his door, and he stuffs the bag into his back pocket, plasters on an innocent(ish) grin, and opens the door.

It's only Annabeth.

"Um, can I help you?" Percy asks nervously.

Annabeth raises a brow, "Did I interrupt something?"

"No- no, I was just…"

Annabeth nods for him continue.

"Where's a good place to hide something?" Percy manages to blurt out.

"What exactly are you hiding?" Annabeth asks, setting down Percy's laundry.

"Drugs."

Annabeth frowns, "I guess I was wrong. I thought you had ADHD or dyslexia, I didn't think you did drugs. You certainly don't look the part…" she murmurs to herself.

"I don't. It's a friends."

She rolls her eyes, "I'm guessing you're getting paid?"

Percy doesn't answer, but Annabeth can already surmise as much from his expression.

"Fine. But you're delivering the rest of the laundry," Annabeth says, dragging the overflowing basket in and pushing it by Percy's bed, "Come on."

Annabeth leads Percy down the corridors, past the community room, the cafeteria, the gym, down a flight of stairs, into an obscure passageway, then up three flights of stairs.

Annabeth nimbly runs ahead of Percy on the stairs, leaving Percy behind, huffing.

He arrives at a generic metal door, and he pushes it open hesitantly.

The pollution of the city blocks out most of the stars, but the North Star still glimmers in the light. The moon's pale light glimmers and makes Annabeth's grinning face appear to have a childlike innocence that Percy wouldn't usually associate with Annabeth.

Annabeth nods over to a pile of boxes in the corner, "I hide all my stuff up here. Just stick it in one of those boxes."

She sighs, looking out over the quiet streets, and makes to go back inside.

"Annabeth, um, thanks," Percy blurts out suddenly.

Annabeth smiles, and it knocks Percy out of breath to see what her genuine smile (not her derisive sneer or her haughty smirk) looks like.

Percy sticks an awkward hand out, "Friends?"

Annabeth takes it hesitantly, awkwardly, and nods, "Friends."

Khione looks at Leo, examines him coldly.

'They say her hair is so big, it's full of secrets,' Piper had said sarcastically at dinner once.

Leo puts up a facade of relaxed calm, despite the prickling fear tugging at his chest as her dark eyes take him in.

"So, what exactly do you want to know?" Khione asks.

Her voice is steely and icy, matches her pale skin and ebony hair perfectly. Her eyes are brown, almost hazel, and the darkness seems to cling to her eyelashes and the cold aura is beginning to chill Leo.

"Annabeth Chase. Everything about her," Leo says back, struggling to keep his voice level.

Khione sneers, the corners of her mouth lifting to reveal a perfect set of glimmering white teeth, "Obsessed much?"

"More like out to get revenge," Leo replies.

Jesus Christ, every minute those teeth are looking more and more like fangs.

Khione's smile deepens, "You know I don't just give away information, right?"

"Of course. What's your price?"

"We could do the usual... A secret for a secret..." Khione says, or voice drifting at the end.

"Or?"

"Or I think there are other much more interesting ways for me to be paid," Khione says, her hand trailing down Leo's arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Her eyes are suddenly a dark black, and not the cold brown from earlier, and Leo nods, eager.

Whether for the information, or the payment, he's not quite sure.

"Hey, Wise Girl!" Percy says, waving Annabeth over to the empty spot next to him at the table.

"What?" Percy asks, but his mouth is full of pizza so it comes out as a, "Wa?"

Annabeth wrinkles her nose, but Leo bulldozes forward, "Thalia and Luke, those are your bestest friends, right Annabeth? Your BFFs?"

"Actually Luke is my cousin and Thalia is his girl-" Annabeth begins but Leo cuts her off.

"I heard that your mom died, Annabeth," Leo continues, his voice suddenly cold.

The dining room is silent. Hazel has a worried look on her face, and under the table, Frank is gripping her hand.

All of the other ten eyes are locked on Leo and Annabeth.

"Excuse me?" Annabeth asks, and her voice is small, like a mouse.

And a mouse-voice doesn't suit smartass Annabeth at all.

"I heard your mom died, and you were going crazy," Leo repeats, slowly this time, as if he's explaining this somebody who's stupid.

Annabeth's not stupid, however.

Far from it.

Her knuckles are white on her cup. If Percy concentrates hard enough, he can teeny, tiny white fractures in the glass.

"...So crazy," Leo says in a mocking, sing-song voice, "That your dad dumped you here because he couldn't handle having a person who's odder than a seven-dollar bill in his care."

"I- I'm not-" Annabeth begins, but her voice is faltering, and now, everybody in the dining room knows who's done their homework, and who hasn't.

Leo's obviously been preparing this for a while, and Annabeth is paying for it.

"Of course, Luke and Thalia were prepared to adopt you once they turned eighteen," Leo says, not finished, "But that didn't happen, did it?"

Annabeth is clutching her chest, looking as if she can't breathe. Her face has gone pale, and her blonde curls are hanging lank by her slack jaw.

"Where are Luke and Thalia?" Leo asks, "Are they dead?"

Annabeth shudders, and the tears finally spills over, and she shoots up, running out of the room. She manages to shoot one betrayed look at Percy before she leaves, and the sound of her sob echoes in Percy's head.

Are they dead?

"...Ha! And her face when I told her father! Priceless!" Leo said, sniggering. He leans back, his arms behind his head and preening like a pompous, satisfied cat.

Leo was interrupted in the middle of his tirade, however, by a rather sudden and quite painful punch to the face. Percy reeled back, a shocked but satisfied expression on his face.

"I-" Percy began, but his voice trembled with fury, "Don't talk about her like that!"

He stomped out of the community room, leaving behind a shocked Leo with a blooming bruise forming underneath his left eye.

Piper put down her magazine, standing up from the couch. She leaned over Leo, a large frown crossing her symmetrical features.

"What?" Leo snapped, prodding his tender cheek, "Y'gonna punch me too?"

Piper shook her head, leaning back a little as Jason helped Leo up.

"It's just that I have plans that involve all seven of us, and some parts involve the voluntary cooperation of Percy and Annabeth. So I would like if you please apologized to them as soon as possible so that my plan can move along smoothly," Piper said, the coldness of her eyes and the firmness of her voice letting Leo know that she did not mean the 'please' nor was it a request.

She got up, and exited the room, most likely to nick more things from Hera's office.

"Why were you so set on destroying Annabeth anyway?" Jason asks, pulling Leo onto the couch as he signaled to Hazel for some ice.

Hazel nods, and Frank trails behind her.

Leo huffs, his hand still not moving off his darkening bruise.

"She was fuckin' there when she died. When both of them died. And she survived? And she din'?" Leo's slurring his words and Jason can't understand what he's saying anymore.

"Not fair," Jason hears Leo whispers, "I fuckin' saw here there and she was only one who survived and that's not fair."

"When who died?" Jason manages to get out between Leo's insane mutterings.

"Calypso."

A/N: So yeah, in case you haven't realized by now, everybody's a little OOC. But canon pairings, and all that jazz. So... um yeah.

Is where I ended a cliff-hanger? I guess so. Maybe.

Thanks to everybody who reviewed, and I'm glad most of you found it funny (that was the point...)

Next Time,

JJ