. Lonely Lullaby
Disclaimer I don't own PJO
Chapter 11: Hello New York!
Annabeth's POV
To say leaving was a breeze would be a lie. First of course there was me shipping all my stuff off while Luke was at work. Then there was the fact that I didn't exactly tell him I was leaving. Honestly though, does he really need to know? I mean I ran before it's nothing that anyone wouldn't expect. I left a note on the counter and met Jason outside the building where he is driving with me to the airport. I throw my suit case in the backseat and he gives me a reassuring smile.
"You're doing the right thing Annabeth." I nod.
"I know."
Getting to the airport didn't take any time at all. It was waiting for the plane that was agonizing. It was late to fuel up and then Luke showed up. Heaven forbid I ever be in the clear! Pissed didn't even begin to explain what he looked like. Furious on the other hand, that's spot on. I could see him from down the hall pushing past pedestrians with only one thing on his mind; me. It was too late to run and hide so I just decided to face it head on. When he finally stood in front of me he grabbed both my arms.
"What the hell are you thinking?" He shouts at me. "You think that just a note is going to make everything okay? I forbid you to take that job!" He says his fingernails diffing into my flesh and I wince.
"Sir, I'll need to ask you to step away from Ms. Chase." Jason says intervening.
"And who are you?" Luke asks enraged. Jason reaches into the inside of his jacket pockets and pulls out a badge.
"I'm Jr. Detective Grace of the New York Police Department. Now please sir if you don't step away from her now I can and will handle you myself." Luke as mad as he is drops his arms to his sides and steps back. I can still feel the pressure of his fingers on my skin.
"Well Detective Grace," Luke says like his title is s venom in his mouth, "for what reason is Annabeth leaving?" I can tell Luke is not impressed at all by Jason. Jason is Thalia's little brother. Jason graduated this year and quickly went into training. It was easy for him to get a job since his father is head of the agency. Luke simply doesn't want to take someone younger than him seriously.
"Well for one, she's been missing for almost two years." He starts ticking them off on his fingers. "Two, she was given an exclusive job offer." Luke holds up his hands.
"I don't see these as viable reasons." Viable reasons? Bitch please my fist in your teeth could be counted as a viable reason. Luke tries to pull me towards him against his side but Jason steps between me and him.
"Look you bastard, you can't take her away from me." I gasp as Luke wretches me backwards.
"Mr. Castellan! Let go of her!" Jason booms with a controlling tone all Grace's possess. People are starting to stare now.
"No Jason I've got this." I'm tired of other people fighting my battles. I'm a big girl that knows how to fight. Before I know what I'm doing I bring my fist back and with all my power I bring it forward as hard as I can. The adrenaline pumping through me numbs the pain. "That is for taking away my apartment." I place a kick to his stomach, knocking him to the floor. "That is for not letting me leave when I wanted to." I have my knees pinning down his shoulders and I bring my hand down against his face. "And that's for just being an ass-hat and making me endure your bitchy behavior for two years." Then I bring my hand down on the bridge of his nose and hear a sickening crack. People gasp around me. "And that's just for being a prick in general." I got up and dusted my hands off. Now that's how it's done son! I turn to Jason. "You can call security now. I'll meet you on the plane." I say and walk out to the plane like the badass I am. I don't look back because if I did now I'd be tempted to run back.
A few hours later I was back in New York, on my way to the Grace's. Jason had told me his father was ecstatic that I was back and that Thalia will most likely be too. To say I was nervous was an understatement. Jason smiles at me reassuringly and rings the doorbell. I take his hand for comforts sake and he squeezes it. Mr. Grace opens the door with a stern expression on his face.
"Annabeth, good to see you arrived safely." He opens the door wide enough for us to fit through. I don't let go of Jason's hand until Mr. Grace gives us a questionable look. I drop his hand and I hear the pounding of feet on the stairs and see Thalia, in all her glory, launch herself over the stairs onto me in a bone crushing hug and starts bawling her eyes out. Then she composes herself and then punches me hard in the arm.
"How dare you leave me alone with all these idiots Chase!" She screams at me and erupts into happy laughter and we hug each other again. "I swear if you ever do that again!" Mr. Grace and Jason leave the room awkwardly.
"I missed you so much!" I squeezed her.
"I missed you too Annie! Don't think I'm not totally pissed that you left though." I smile.
"I know you are, try to forgive me though?" I ask and she nods.
"Aside from that, I made some really great food and we were just about to sit down." She says raising her eyebrows.
"You know my favorite word is food." I say and we race toward the dining room.
The next day I was rushed off to the police station to answer questions. Which of course is never as cool and fun as it sounds in movies. It was hard enough to be locked in the car with Zeus this morning let alone a group of officers, detectives, a reporter, and a typist.
"Miss. Chase, you disappeared May 30th, 2013, at a graduation party, correct?" I nod. "After this you caught a plane too San Francisco, California, to stay with a friend, Luke Castellan, age twenty five, correct?"
"Yes sir." I say my throat dry.
"Who was Luke to you?" He asks.
"He was a friend who felt like a brother but also a boyfriend in a way." I let the truth roll of my tongue without thinking it through first.
"Is it true a true statement that you wanted to leave after a month or so being there, but Mr. Castellan kept you in the city?" I swallow hard.
"Yes."
"Why didn't you call the authorities?" I laugh escapes my throat.
"I already had enough attention on me. I didn't need any-more problems." I say bitterly. He sighs.
"You often drank alcohol while in the household correct?"
"Yes is that a problem?" Of course it was a problem I'm still underage.
"Yes and judging by the number of bottles in the fridge I'd say he probably didn't mind drinking with you." I roll my eyes. This is becoming more annoying by the minute. "We also found a significant amount of razor blades in your apartment. What exactly were you doing with those blades?"
"None of your business." Zeus scoffs.
"Annabeth, it is my business as long as you are sitting in my department."
"Well then consider me gone." I grab my bag and stand up.
"Annabeth sit back down!" Mr. Grace calls and I bang against the steel door.
"Open the door Zeus!" I shout and two members pull me away from the door and sit me back down. "I swear I'll…I'll…." Who am I kidding I can't do anything. I guess I can just be childish and stay silent.
"You'll what?" Since the typist has nothing to type and the questions have stopped being fired at me the only sound in the room is my steady breathing and the tapping of a pencil. An understanding passes over Zeus's eyes as he realizes what I'm doing. "I never thought you'd be one to give someone the silent treatment. To think, I thought you were above that." He teases. Just like Thalia he knows exactly how to push my buttons and when but I refuse to let him win. I will come in final victory.
"Give it a rest Grace this has to be overwhelming for her." A man speaks from the other side of the room.
"Shut it Erickson! This is my department! I call the shots, not a nineteen year old girl!" He booms. This is enough to quiet the room entirely.
"C-can you call Jason please?" I ask quietly. He sighs and gestures at another officer in the room and he sprints out of the room.
Fifteen minutes later Jason walks through the doors and looks at me with pity. I can only imagine what I look like; vulnerable, angry, scared. I was a mess with my puffy red eyes and tear stained cheeks, sniffling in the darker corner of the room. I'm pathetic I know that. Jason scoots onto the floor next to me.
"Hey." He says. "I heard you were being a little testy and you wanted me to come help."
"Yeah, it's just the questions were getting a little too personal and I couldn't take it anymore." I emotionally choke out. "I can't take it anymore…" I say looking up at him. He turns more so he's facing me.
"Look Annabeth, I know it's hard but you need to tell them what's going on so they can help. Maybe not today or tomorrow but just promise me you'll open up to them, for your sake." I nod and he smiles. "Good girl, now come on there's someone here who wants to see you." Rasing my eyebrows questionably at him, I stand up and follow him through the door. I love the smile I get and the opening of his arms as I run into them like in a sappy movie. The floodgates open and my body racks with sobs against his and he hugs me. I take in his indescribable scent of the sea and vanilla. My arms wrap around his waist from behind and he kisses the top of my head.
"It's glad to know your back." Despite the fact that earlier in the week I was upset with him I want to take advantage of the fact that at least he's here and that he cared enough to show up.
"It's good to be back," I laugh through my tears and when he laughs he shakes against me.
"By the way, you're going to want to get cleaned up by tonight." He says and I raise my eyebrows.
"That's a surprise." He says. All be by the Grace's to pick you up later okay?" He asks and I nod. Jason smiles and wiggles his eyebrows at me.
"What are you guys up too?" I ask and he just walks with me to the car.