To Awesome as Annabeth- You cow! I want Rolos, why do you deprive me so? And Sebby was two weeks! There's a difference! I wasn't counting the time Crystal broke up with Alvie 'cos that would mean Math to work out the exact time they've been dating. No thank you.

Crystal was supposed to be meeting Alvie here, but instead of a nice welcome, she was grabbed briskly by the hand and dragged along after him.

"Alvie, what-?"

"I'll explain, I promise."

"They haven't-?" She started, but found she couldn't continue. They had managed to hide for just over a month. If they had found Alvie now…

He darted into a small toy shop. She had no choice but to follow.

"I'm not sure how they found me, but I need to get you somewhere safe first. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do!" The amount of times he had helped her so much over the last seven years and saved her life, how could she not trust him?

He grabbed her around the shoulders and she was suddenly blinded by white-golden light.

When her senses returned, she found herself in a tangle of limbs with Alvie on his bedroom floor.

"Sorry. Still haven't got the landing right…" He looked a bit pinker than usual and Crystal detached herself to save him the embarrassment of somebody walking in. Unfortunately, she sat up too quickly and her head span sickeningly fast. Alvie shakily got to his feet and helped her up, sitting her on his bed and then stumbling about the room, muttering under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Um… it's shadow-travelling, but… lighter." He frowned. What had his mother said? Something about Apollo and the speed of light…

"And who ruined our date?" She asked, lying down and kneading her forehead.

"I'm not sure. Police, maybe. I don't know." Crystal just nodded. "You should be OK in a minute." Alvie soothed. The bed sank next to her and she felt his hand on her forehead. Her mind cleared a fraction and she managed to open her eyes. "We'll have to leave."

"Leave? And go where?"

"Somewhere."

"And you want me to come with you?" She sat up on her elbows and stared at him, hope bubbling in her chest.

"Well…" He faded pink again. "You… you can… if- if you want, obviously…" She laughed and jumped up, attacking him in a hug and sending them both crashing to the floor.

They heard footsteps clattering up the stairs. Crystal hurried to her feet, laughing at Alvie again as he struggled to comprehend what just happened.

"Is everything OK?" Percy called through the door.

"Yeah!" Crystal giggled. "Just beating Alvie up."

"Well there's a surprise." Percy came in then, smiling. "Why don't you use the front door like normal people?"

"One, we're not normal and two-"

"There's people after me." Percy's smile disappeared.

"What people?" Alvie stammered through his replies again, getting to his feet and brushing himself down. When he proposed the idea of leaving with Crystal, Percy scowled. Alvie trailed off, looking to Crystal uncertainly.

"Just stay here. We can help."

"But-" Alvie began. Percy shook his head firmly and left. "Dad!" Alvie ran after him, Crystal tailing behind him.

"No, Alvie."

"Percy, what's going on? Sage, stop killing your brother and shush a sec." Sage fumed quietly, but let Callum go. He jumped to a safer distance instantly; collapsing on the sofa to Lilly's left.

Annabeth was redirected into the kitchen, Alvie and Crystal following anxiously. Percy explained the situation. Annabeth was as against the idea of them leaving just as much as her husband was. They were both adamant that they could help and didn't listen to Alvie insisting that if he stayed someone was going to get hurt.

"And what about Crystal? If you're in as much trouble as you say, what's to stop her getting hurt?" Annabeth reasoned.

"I want to go." Crystal shot back, trying to keep her voice level.

"And we want you both to stay." Percy retorted. Crystal opened her mouth to argue back, but Annabeth cut across.

"Where will you go then? One of the camps? They can't track you there."

"They're not going anywhere!"

"They'll be safer at a camp!" Percy didn't look happy about this, but at least he would know where the pair would be.

A heavy knock on their front door bought silence to their home.

"Do I get that?" Callum hissed, appearing in the doorway. Another knock, more impatient than the last.

"Open up! We know you're in there!" They hit the door again. "Alvie Jackson, open this door!" Percy's hand instinctively went to his pocket and Annabeth drew a knife from her sleeve. As an afterthought, she got an ordinary knife from the block.

"No!" Alvie hissed, horrified at the sight of the knives. "You'll get in trouble!"

"It'll be fine, Alvie." Annabeth said firmly. "Get upstairs and stay quiet." He shook his head, almost defiantly, shocking his parents. Alvie had always behaved, following instructions as best as he understood them.

Now he had nerve.

Percy blamed Crystal.

Annabeth blamed Nico.

Before either parent could persist; white, glowing lines criss-crossed the floor, spiralling and shooting in many directions. Alvie's eyes were of equal colour and his harassment had been replaced with a fierce look of determination.

There was something you didn't see every day.

The pentagram dispersed to the rest of the home, covering the floor and climbing the walls at a steady, unwavering pace. Callum had an ADHD moment and used the lines for an abstract game of hop-scotch before Sage grabbed him.

Another hammering on the door- that poor mahogany- but it was muffled, as were their following shouts.

A full minute passed before all attempts of entry and threats were completely silent. The lines faded thirty seconds later and Alvie's eyes returned to normal.

He turned to face his parents, a bit dazed, but still with that resolute look.

"I'm going to go." He glanced at Crystal. "You can come if you want." She nodded, taking his hand and smiling.

"Where will you go?" Annabeth quizzed.

"Away." His mother made to argue, but Alvie continued talking. "The less you know, the safer you'll be."

"Alvie-" Percy's voice caught. "Let us help." For all of his psychic abilities and Crystal's unyielding confidence in him, Alvie wasn't comfortable with defending himself. His pacifist nature could get him into even more trouble.

"I can't, Dad. If they can't get me, they'll come after all of you."

Alvie and Crystal left not long after that. They took what they needed and vanished. To where, their concerned parents didn't know, but Alvie had been right. With him out of the picture, the people after him were now hounding the Jacksons, Valdezs and di Angelos. It had only taken a frustrated Louisa cracking and a knife close to hand to drive them away.

They got word from Alvie and Crystal two months after they left. They were fine, tired and jumpy, but fine. Alvie had braved pegasi- and heights- to fly to the other side of the country, where they would be less recognisable.

"We're going to get a ferry in the next few days and leave."

"And go where?" His mother questioned fierily.

"Out of the country."

"Yes, but where?" Annabeth pressed.

"England, maybe. Or France."

"We could go and see Francis." Crystal smiled, trying for a positive spin. It didn't have the effects she hoped for and her smile eventually slid away.

"England has the Keepers." Percy told them.

"They're worldwide, Percy."

"We know the English ones though." Percy looked back at the IM. "Are you sure you can't go to a camp?" Alvie paled slightly. "What? What is it?" His son shook his head and Crystal took pity.

"Without going into too much detail," She began, laying a comforting hand on Alvie's shoulder, "if we go to either of the camps, they won't be there much longer."

"Why?" They both shook their heads. "Just be careful then." Percy sighed.

After cutting off from the IM, Alvie turned to Crystal.

"You can go home if you want to." He said quietly.

"I did not run around the country for two months for no reason, Alvie." She looped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and passing a hand through his hair. "You're stuck with me now."

"Thank you." She sat sidelong on his lap, still with her arms around him.

"No need to thank me, silly. I find this being-on-the-run-with-a-fugitive-thing hot." He blinked blankly at her and laughed softly. "You noodle." He looked so adorably perplexed that she had to give him a kiss.

Ideas. Anyone? I feel like these last few chapters aren't so great…