"Press charges."

"Lou…" Annabeth warned.

"Just press the goddamn charges for cryin' out loud! Look at Alvie! Those lil' sh-" Louisa stopped herself, noticing Charlie was watching her with big emerald eyes from the end of Alvie's bed. "Those lil' ba- bug- Dammit!"

"We know what you mean, Lou."

"I need a non-swear word name for 'em."

"Jerks. Toe-rags. Scumbags." Percy suggested.

"No, too common."

"Mama, is you OK?"

"No, Charlie. Mama isn't OK. Mama's havin' a mental breakdown."

"Again?" Charlie shook his head before simply saying, "OK." Louisa ruffled his hair, beaming. "Where Daddy?"

"He's workin'."

"He be back soon?"

"Ish."

"With choccie cake?"

"Maybe."

"Awesome sauce."

"Scum." Percy offered. "Dirt. Uh… Wise-girl, any names?"

"Mm?"

"Names."

"For what?"

"'N' she calls herself smart." Louisa muttered. Annabeth didn't even have the heart to glare at her sister-in-law, returning her worried gaze to her son.

In the last week, Alvie's condition hadn't improved, but it hadn't gotten worse either, if you don't count the fact that his heart had stopped twice in as many days. He was still on the ventilator, a heart monitor and a steady supply of morphine helped as well.

Annabeth felt Percy's hand on her shoulder as she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Louisa scooping Charlie up and leaving the two of them in peace.

"Talk to me, Wise-girl." Percy pleaded, his tone concerned, yet friendly. Annabeth didn't, reaching out to take Alvie's hand. Percy wrapped his arms around her. "Is it about that nightmare you had?" She tensed.

"How-?"

"You were crying in your sleep." Percy pulled her onto his lap and held her securely. Annabeth put her arms around his neck, resting her head against his. "What was it about?" Annabeth felt her tears returning, biting her bottom lip to stop if from trembling.

"Alvie didn't wake up. They turned everything off…" Tears fell and she closed her eyes. Percy simply held her while she regained control of his emotions. "What if he doesn't wake up? What if-?" (What if mean old Art was up to her old tricks again?)

"Positive thoughts, Wise-girl. That was just a nightmare."

"Percy, you know better than anyone about demigod dreams." Percy didn't respond to that.

"Alvie. Will. Be. Fine."

"But-"

"No 'if's, no 'but's." He demanded stubbornly. Annabeth looked down and his expression softened. He brushed her hair behind her ear. "Everything will be fine." He assured.

"Is it too much to ask you to promise?"

"I'll promise anyway, Wise-girl." She gave a watery smile. Percy kissed her lightly, before being distracted by the door opening.

It was Crystal, still wearing her sling.

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, with shadows underneath indicating she hadn't slept well. Her hair was up in a lazy, messy bun. She was in a right state.

Joy and William were with her. Joy held a bouquet of roses. She glanced at Alvie and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Brave boy…" She mumbled. William regarded Alvie's unconscious form for a few seconds, scowling. Annabeth felt Percy tense angrily, but she hadn't noticed what had triggered his usually dormant temper.

Crystal burst into tears and her mother instantly started comforting her. William looked on coldly and Annabeth felt her own temper rising. Percy grabbed her hand quickly, catching her gaze. They had the same thought but weren't reacting.

"Whoa, there's people."

"Well done, Lou."

"Mama, who's that?"

"Alvie's gir- friend. Not girlfriend. Unless I missed somethin'." Annabeth shook her head. "Oh OK. Friend, Charlie, that's Alvie's friend."

"The one he-?" Charlie made a pushing motion.

"Yeah." Louisa replied quietly. "Eat that bloody chocolate cake 'n' sit still for five minutes." Charlie was handed to Annabeth. Louisa instantly flexed her arms. "All that chocolate cake- the kid's gettin' heavier by the second."

"Aw, leave him alone, Lou." Annabeth smiled weakly, running a hand through Charlie's curls.

"I thought he was your favourite?"

"Ya look pissed off, bro. Did I miss somethin' else?" Percy and Louisa held each other's gaze for a few seconds. "Oh." Louisa eventually said, as if that summed everything up. She turned and came face-to-face with William. "Who are you?"

"Crystal's dad."

"Stepdad." Crystal corrected, getting control of her tears. She glowered at William.

"OK, that's three people who ain't happy with ya."

"Four." Charlie piped in. "He no look nice."

"Wow. Charlie doesn't like somebody." Annabeth held the small boy at arm's length. "Has Mama put something in your cake?" Charlie looked at the last bit of chocolate cake in his hands curiously, before shrugging it off and shoving it in his mouth. "Aren't you a little piggy?"

"OK, five now. Or six if I can included you." Louisa looked at Joy quizzically.

"I'm staying out of this." Joy mumbled. William glowered at her before glaring at Louisa. Louisa met his gaze defiantly, folding her arms.

"You're an arse."

"What did I do?"

"It's not so much what ya did, it's more ta do with what ya said." Louisa replied casually, turning away and wandering over to the fruit bowl on the bedside table. She picked at the grapes.

"What did I say then?" William asked irritably, rolling his eyes at the ceiling.

"First of all, if ya roll ya eyes at me again, you'll be blindly cleanin' 'em off the wall. Second, ya know damn well what ya said." William glanced at Annabeth and Percy. Annabeth's suspicions hit the roof instantly.

"What'd he say?" She demanded, looking at Louisa.

"Tell 'em or I will."

"How do you even know?" Louisa picked a few more grapes and stood in line with William.

"Don't question what I do, alright?" She bounced a grape off his head. Despite his temper, Percy smiled. Crystal gave a half-sob, half-laugh from her mother's arms while Charlie giggled. "I hate people like you. All talk 'n' no action."

"Like you?"

"Oh, no. I do whatever shit I say."

"Lou, language."

"Charlie, don't repeat that." Charlie nodded obediently, giving an angelic smile. Louisa kept bouncing grapes off of William's head. He was quickly getting annoyed with her. "Tell 'em."

"I didn't say anything."

"You did. To Crystal. Which is why she's more upset than usual about this whole thing."

"What did I say and when did I say it?" William sighed, bunching his fists in annoyance as another grape ricocheted from his forehead.

"Tell. Them. Or. I. Will. Make. You." With each word, Louisa fired a grape at him.

"Fine!" William snapped. "Just drop the goddamn grapes." Louisa smirked, looking at the handful of grapes she possessed.

"I know how ta annoy Leo now."

"What did you say?" Annabeth ordered sharply, glaring at William. Charlie got down from his aunt's lap and went to stand with his mother. William sighed, glancing at the ceiling as if to look to God, asking why he was stuck with these lowly peasants. Louisa threw another grape at him.

"With immense sarcasm, I said it was a shame Alvie got hit." Annabeth reacted before anybody, drawing a knife from her sleeve and holding the blade to William's throat in a second. Louisa started eating the grapes casually.

"Anything else?" Annabeth snarled. OK, admittedly, the knife was celestial bronze, but William didn't know that.

William studied her face for a few seconds, his expression hiding the fear clear in his eyes.

"He's a freak."

"I've got a good knife if ya want it." Louisa told Annabeth through a mouthful of grapes. Annabeth held her hand out in a demanding flourish, not removing her glare from William. Louisa pulled a normal knife from her sleeve, flipped it over and pressed the handle to Annabeth's palm.

"You're all freaks." William sneered.

"They're not!" Crystal shouted, tears streaming again. "You never liked Alvie! He did nothing wrong and you threaten him!"

"You did what?!" Percy was on his feet now, his hand in his pocket. Riptide wouldn't help with mortals. Hopefully his sister had another normal knife.

Crystal turned to address Alvie's parents.

"That day Alvie stayed at mine and I called you to pick him early. That thing had threatened him!" She jabbed a finger at William. "You said there was something wrong with Alvie and you left bruises on his arm!"

"Now that was hardly intentional, was it?" William scoffed.

"I hate you!" Crystal screamed. "What did Alvie do, huh? Why don't you like him?!"

"I told him to stay away from you so you wouldn't end up hurt again!"

"In case you haven't noticed, Alvie is fighting for his life having saved me from getting hit by a bloody car!"

"And left you injured in the process!"

"I could be dead! That is a heck of a lot worse than a fractured wrist, you stupid fat idiot!" William tensed.

"What did you call me?"

"Oh, don't like that, huh?" Crystal laughed coldly.

"Crystal…" Joy warned, trying to hold her daughter back. Crystal pulled free, meeting William's glare with a defiant one of her own.

"You're a possessive, spoilt little brat with your head up your ass, snapping your fingers and expecting everyone to come running while the world revolves around pathetic scumbag William." She spat at his feet. Louisa picked Charlie up and covered his ears. "You're a fucking waste of space and I'm just hoping and praying for that day when you realise that nobody wants your shitty existence on this planet anymore and you decide to go and dig your own bloody grave because nobody will want to waste their precious time on bastards like you."

Crystal would have gone on, but a soft, yet pained moan caught her attention.

Everyone looked round. Alvie was grimacing and groaning quietly. It was as if the disturbance and tension in the room had upset him even in unconsciousness.

"You should go." Louisa told William, setting Charlie down. "Before either me, her or him," She indicated Annabeth and Percy in turn, "Figure out that there ain't much distance between us 'n' you. 'N' that it wouldn't be that hard ta kick ya sorry ass."

William glanced round at them all, fuming. His gaze lingered on Joy.

"Come on." He turned to leave, but froze at the door when he noticed Joy hadn't move. "I said come on."

"I'm staying here." Joy told him flatly.

"You're coming with me." William growled, storming forward and grabbing Joy's arm. She squeaked in pain.

Something snapped in Percy. One second he was staring at William, wanting to kill him and the next he had William by the throat and pinned up against the wall.

Louisa looked quizzically at Annabeth, pointing at her brother. She was the tempermental one- Percy was so stealing her gig.

"I'll explain later." Annabeth mouthed. She was trying to listen to what Percy was muttering threateningly to William, but even in the shocked hush of the room, she couldn't hear him.

Eventually, Percy threw William aside. William left hastily and Percy slammed the door closed after him.

Slowly, Alvie relaxed.

"No-one like that guy." Charlie said. "What you say to him, Unki Percy?"

"Nevermind." Percy muttered. Annabeth noticed his temper simmering under the surface and moved forward, holding onto her Seaweed Brain until he calmed down.

"Grape, anyone?" Louisa smiled.