Chapter 24

Poseidon arrived at the hospital in the morning once he found out the news from Percy. Crystal refused to come, so he went alone. He saw Percy sitting outside of the room he was led to.

He stood up seeing him there.

"Is she alright, Percy?"

"Yeah. She's going to be fine, Dad." he said with a small smile.

"Thank God. Are we not allowed inside?"

Percy's brows furrowed, "Athena Chase is here. She wanted to talk with Annabeth alone."

Poseidon sighed, "I see."

He looked at his son and saw for once that he didn't have that false mask that he always had on. Percy let himself look sad, troubled and exhausted. Annabeth was changing him. Only she had been able to change his son's stone cold depressed heart and she didn't know how grateful he was towards her for that.

"Explain to me why I found Percy Jackson's face inches from yours?" her mother gave her one of her fierce glares that had always made her tell the absolute honest truth.

Annabeth scoffed at her mother's nerve. How could that be the first thing that comes from her mouth?

She simply stared tiredly at her irate mother, looking absolutely exhausted and drained. Her mother's eyes softened for a moment then returned to its previous cold glare.

"Well?" she asked her again.

Sure, Annabeth understood why Crystal had hated the low poor life that was supposed to be hers. But the fact that she had been financially spent and at a disadvantage with money wasn't what made Annabeth's life as a teenager more difficult, like Crystal might have thought. It was the pressure. For ten years, she had to meet up to her mother's impossibly high expectations for her. Her rough scolding and fierce disappointed glaresbrokeAnnabeth and made her want to work even harder than before or sometimes cry herself into a protective shell. She guessed it was a good thing, since she got full scholarship to Harvard and Dartmouth, but right now she resented her mother terribly for being so strictly harsh on her. Don't get her wrong, Athena never abused her. It was just that the last ten years hadn't been the best days of her life.

"I was going to kiss him." she said flatly, throwing her mother off guard and making her even more furious.

"Excuse me? You were what?" she asked, her grey eyes filled with horror.

"I said I was going to kiss him."

"Why?"

"I love him."

Athena's grey eyes filled with incredulous horror.

"He's your brother! Even if he's not by blood!"

"And I love him." she smiled with a sweetness that battled her mother's cold rage.

"I'm not going to allow it."

"I wasn't asking for your approval."

"You can't! I'm already taking you home with me!"

"What?!" This was when Annabeth exploded, "You can't do that, mom."

"Yes, I can, so that you won't do anything even more foolish. Hearing about your incident I had to come here to make sure it didn't leak to the public that you were almost raped. I've worked too hard, Annabeth. Too hard for the reputation that I have obtained and I'm not going to have you ruin it just because you have childish feelings for your un biological ex- brother. Don't ruin this for me. I expect that much from you."

Annabeth closed her eyes, trying to calm her nerves. Those were the words that always came out of her mother's mouth. Every. Single. Time.

I expect that much from you.

She said it like it was her duty as her daughter to do so.

It was true what her mother said about her own reputation. After Annabeth had gone to college and became successful, Athena's reputation rose and she started rising up into exclusive social groups using fear to gain power. But, her mother wanted more influence and a lot more power in her hands.

"Don't you care about how I might be mentally and physically drained?!"

"You're stronger than that, Annabeth. I didn't raise a weakling."

"I have work to do here, mother."

"Well, you'll just have to cancel it."

"Is there a problem here?" a voice sounded from the door. Annabeth's face brightened up. It was Poseidon.

"Dad."

He smiled warmly at her, "Are you okay, Annabeth?" Her heart pained.

If only her mother gave her as much care and consideration as Poseidon.

"I'm fine."

He nodded and turned to Athena, "Nice to see you again, Athena. Haven't seen you since the switch."

"Hello Poseidon." she said with regal, cold elegance, "I see that you had the nerve to just let my daughter and your son be together."

Percy came in as well, hearing Athena's words.

"I'm grateful for Annabeth being here, Athena. She's helped Percy leave his tortured, depressed self. And that's something no one has been able to do. You don't know how grateful I am." he turned to Annabeth and smiled.

She smiled back.

"Well, I should let you know that Annabeth is going back to California now. So it would do you well Poseidon to keep your son away from my child, before more heart breaks happen."

Annabeth's eyes fell tiredly down to her hands, very well aware that both father and son were staring at her.

"I'll check up on you, before you're discharged, Annabeth." Athena said before walking out with Poseidon following after her.

"Oh gods." Annabeth said, slumping back onto her bed, wincing from the impact.

"Hey, hey. Take it easy." Percy said as he came up beside her bed and gave her a comforting grip on her arm.

Annabeth refused to meet his gaze, it hurt too much. She just wanted to run away from all things that were being thrown at her— away from reality into that blissful, amazing state of grace that she always felt with Percy around. She pursed her lips, trying to not break down, though one tear betrayed her and strayed down her face.

He ever so gently brushed it away and took a hold of her chin, making her face him. Her eyes looked anywhere, but him.

"Annie, look at me."

She slowly raised her eyes to meet his, tears threatening to fall.

"It's going to be okay, alright?" he said with a smile that reached deeply to her heart. It pained her that she wouldn't be around to see that smile anymore.

"You don't get it. When my mom says something is going to happen, it does happen."

"And are you going to just let it happen?"

She looked up at him and smiled, her confidence returning from seeing the look in his green eyes— a look full of love and trust,

"No. Of course not." she said.

Thalia got to the prison and stormed inside. She demanded to see him and they brought him out to the private meeting room. He looked miserable, his sandy hair contrasting much from the orange prison jumpsuit he was wearing. His hurt and tortured blue eyes looked up to see Thalia and his face lightened up in shock.

They handcuffed him as Thalia sat there, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Thalia." Luke said warily, "What are you doing here?"

"Making you feel even worse."

His face cringed from her words, "I feel terrible. I feel so terrible. I'm so sorry."

"Well, it's a little late for that. Don't you think?" she said keeping her dead set frown on her face.

"Tell Annabeth I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do with myself." Tears were filling up in his eyes as he tried to get out of his restraints and Thalia saw in him that poor abandoned little boy she met in the streets when she had run away home.

"Look, Luke." She said standing and slamming her fists down on the metal table and leaning closer to him, "That doesn't change what you did to her and how much pain and suffering you caused her permanently"

"I know. I know and I'm sorry. So sorry. I let my drug problem end up hurting her. and I'm so sorry."

"And it doesn't help at all that you slept with a colleague."

Guilt was written all over his face, "I picked up the drugs because I was so ashamed and afraid that Annabeth might find out. I don't blame her for cheating on me at all. I deserved it."

"Well, at least you know— Wait.. what?" Thalia said shocked with widened eyes.

Luke looked scared up at her, "What?"

"Annabeth cheated on you with Percy?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?" Luke asked.

"Uh. no." she said. She was silent in her thoughts for a bit before speaking up again.

"If that's true though, that still doesn't excuse your actions."

"I know."

She got up and walked out of the room. And just as she was about to leave she turned to him.

"I was going to give you the beating of your life for ruining Annabeth, but just for old times sake—I won't. Besides, there's security cameras everywhere…. Bye, Luke. Have fun in prison."

Then she was gone, leaving a blue eyed scared and pained Luke in his orange jumpsuit sitting handcuffed in the metal iron cage of a room.

- line break-

Crystal felt conflicted at first. She had almost been the cause of someone's death. That being Annabeth's. Never did she know that Luke would burst like that. She just thought that they would simply fight and break up, leaving Annabeth heartbroken like she wanted. She never meant any of that to ever happen.

And yet .. a little part of her blamed Annabeth. She had it coming to her. What with sleeping with Percy for real and being at Luke's place when he was drugged up high. It was Luke's fault too. Hell, it was everybody's fault.

She was the least to blame in the situation. No one would be able to tell her different. She wasn't going to let herself be weak and get soft like Rachel. And she was definitely not going to apologize for what happened— that would show weakness and cowardice. And she especially didn't want to show that to Annabeth, of all people.

-line break-

Percy was lying in the hospital bed with his arm around Annabeth, watching her read . She had her dark rimmed glasses on, which was so incredibly adorable on her. He couldn't help but smile every single second he was with her, while playing with her curls. She scrunched her nose up when she came to a confusing part in the book.

It was sort of funny how cute she could be—when in the bedroom, she was the total opposite. And boy did he know.

Her ribs were still broken and would need to a few days more or for it to be fine for her to move around.

Her neck was thankfully healing. But her bullet wound was still pretty bad, so that's why she was still not discharged. He buried his face in her neck, taking in her wonderful lemony scent. She laughed and nudged him.

"Stop, Percy. It tickles."

Smiling, he responded by nipping at her ear. Her breathe hitched as she bit her lip from making any sound out of her mouth. He chuckled at her.

"I hate you." she said glaring at him.

"Hey, what can I say." he leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Your body wants me…badly." His hand reached slid down to her thigh and stayed there, not going any further.

She pursed her lips, her face burning up.

He smiled and kissed her on the cheek before taking out his iPhone. Placing an ear bud in her ear, he placed the other in his own and started his music. She closed her eyes, enjoying the the bell like beats. It was one of her favorites and she smiled, drowning herself in the music.

West Coast- Coconut Records.

And I miss you

I'm goin' back home to the West Coast

I wish you would've put yourself in my suitcase

I love you

Standin' all alone in a black coat

I miss you

I'm goin' back home to the West Coast

Percy looked down at her in the middle of the song. This song fit perfectly. He didn't want her to go. He didn't want to be ten excruciating years without her again. The thought was unbearable. He squeezed her hand, making her eyes flutter open, looking up to him—seeming to think the same thoughts as him, since her expression became darker and run down with sadness.

They had given her the inheritance even, to get her to stay. Also since she had deserved it. And now it wouldn't matter since she was… leaving.

Leaving to the west coast.. California.

How was he going to survive?

Thalia walked into the hospital room and saw them cuddled together. Percy's hand laid fondly on her stomach. His other arm around her shoulders, his hand in her hair.

So, it was true. They had slept together. The magnetic attraction between them was almost tangible.

She sighed, smiling slightly at both of her best friends. Who would have thought?

Thalia knew they were just too lovey dovey as siblings to be normal. She had to admit, she wasn't that surprised.

The news about how Annabeth was going to leave again soon had spread everywhere. She was leaving. And Thalia thought it all to be unfair.

Screw her mother.

And what of them?

Gods, at least Annie was safe and alive.

Passing a dark haired girl who came from the room, Athena Chase walked in to immediately appalled at the sight she saw. They were sleeping in the same bed, the boy's arm wrapped protectively around her.

They needed to be separated.

Her daughter wasn't thinking clearly with this boy clouding her thoughts with their false acts of love.

Something had to be done, especially since she wouldn't be around for very long. Her daughter's future had to be secured, before it was too late.

Author's Note:

Sorry about the line breaks. The stupid thing won't let me put an actual line break. Hope it didn't distract the reading.
REVIEWS! I LOVE THEM! The next chapter update is coming pretty soon. I'm a couple of chapters ahead of you guys and I can't stop typing. Haha.

Thanks for all the love, you lovely people!

~Annie