Annabeth

"I think these emeralds would come in handy sometime."

Annabeth announced as she plucked the cool green stones from the discarded dress. Percy and Annabeth had got on a merchant's huge supply cart and had escaped the cold mountains of Freezing and it's infamous asylum. Annabeth had hinted to Percy's whereabouts before finding her a couple of times but he had pointedly blown her off. At last she had grown irritated and given up on it.

As the cart had finally jerked it's way to a roadside shack (the driver wanted dinner) Percy had pulled her out and fetched a bucket of water and a huge men's white shirt along with a crisp long brown skirt. Apparently the merchant dealt in clothing and medical instruments.

Annabeth finished buttoning her shirt and stepped around the huge maple tree which had been shielding her from her companion.

Percy had been sitting in the exact same position for a very long time. Annabeth could tell that his shoulder's were stiff from his posture and she knew that his knee hurt from when she had pulled in him in the mental hospital, his left knee had hit the cold sterile tiles pretty hard.

"Hey." Annabeth called softly as she herself dropped down beside him, her back loving the feel of the coarse tree bark more than that of Kihone's soft cushions.

She noticed that he was wearing a loose white shirt like her's with it's long sleeves rolled up to his elbow. He had kept his dark, probably tailored pants and his black cloak was draped on one of his knee which was propped up, the other (injured) leg was lying flat on the ground.

"Hello." He replied in a bored tone as he continued to stare forward.

Annabeth frowned. Why was he trying so hard not to look at her. She was completely dressed for heaven's sake. Did he peek while she was changing and was too embarrassed to-

"So you really are not a noble huh?"

Annabeth quickly looked away as her face started to heat up. She couldn't- wouldn't let him her her mind.

"What led to that big discovery?"

There was a small hearty sound. Annabeth turned when she realized that it was actually a laugh... a good natured one.

"I do not think that they would through any mighty noble in an asylum."

Annabeth smiled as she too faced forward, staring at the small shack with a roaring fire inside it. She realized that the sun was starting to come up. The damp air settled on her nostrils. She inhaled the woodsy aroma with content and closed her eyes.

"So didn't I"

There was moment of silence, birds started to hum in whispers. A cool wind trifled with Annabeth's open hair and raised the hair on her neck.

"You speak very strangely." Percy finally admitted.

Annabeth smiled a little with her eyes closed.

"Yes, I do."

"So-" he hesitated, "I was... glad to see that you were unhurt... but all that blood on your dress..."

He trailed off, clearly giving Annabeth a choice. She could blow him off like he did her or bare her soul to him.

She took a deep breath.

"I saw my sister."

Annabeth was rather surprised to notice that her voice didn't waver and surprised to find that Percy's deep eyes were completely settled on her, watching her.

"Is she... a maid there?"

Annabeth snorted.

"I don't know what she was to them. They- they killed her. It was her blood that you saw."

Annabeth waited for him to say sorry to say that he knew her suffering but when he didn't, she felt a little... unsettled. At this point she was supposed to thank him for his condolence. What now?

"She was captured?"

Annnabeth shook her head, a little bit wildly.

"That's the whole point. She shouldn't have been there. It should be impossible-"

Percy frowned as he interrupted her, "Annabeth, the nobles capture hundreds of beautiful town's girls as payment every year for-"

"You don't understand!"

Annabeth threw her hands to either sides in frustration, hitting Percy's aching knee.

He winced.

This time Annabeth skipped her turn of saying sorry.

"I don't see how capturing your sister is different, no offence."

Annabeth huffed but stayed quiet. He wouldn't believe her.

But Percy had surely mastered the art of pestering pretty well.

"What happened to her? What caused her death?"

"I- "

Annabeth was about to snap at him and ask for privacy but she decided against it. This piece of information could be useful for the rebellion and for the downfall of the nobles and there was nothing else in the world that she desired more than that.

"Before dying she said that the king cut open her's and several other people's brain and made them think that time was faster or slower... sort of like he was manipulating them. She was bleeding through every possible opening of her body... so were the other corpses there."

"I presumed there would be others." He mumbled under his breath.

Annabeth nodded.

Then with a jolt she sat up straight. Some of the other corpses were wearing dresses from around her century. She had seen a purple hoodie, a plaid mini skirt, even ripped designer jeans.

Suddenly her palms started to sweat. How was this possible. Could her crazy classmate, Leo be behind this? She couldn't be so sure. If a kid like Leo could make a time machine then surely a couple of other's could too or maybe, just maybe, the king could be using one to travel forward in time. It seemed like a brilliant plan. The population of Kyte had increased in the twenty-first century and no one will think that a time machine could abduct their beloveds and he wouldn't have to aggravate his countrymen, all by simply killing the people from future. They would never know and in a twisted way be safe.

Annabeth clamped a hand over her mouth.

How many people would that make?

She didn't know. But she had to share this knowledge with her good friend then. She should have thought about it earlier.

"You know why I think my sister shouldn't have been killed? Why killing her should have been impossible?"

Percy gave Annabeth a sidelong look, his eyebrows perking up as he replied,

"Because she is your sister?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes despite herself. Sometimes even the leader of the second squadron could be so dense.

"Promise me you wouldn't regret freeing me from that loony bin."

She said, looking him square in the eyes.

He looked very confused and to that she altered her words, "I mean the asylum."

Percy's eyes swirled to a perfect shade of green mixed with very little blue. Annabeth gathered that he was a bit incredulous, sad and a little mad all at once. She was surprised that she could tell that about him. She had always been a quick study but this wasn't something she had studied, not consciously anyway.

"Why would I even think like that?" He asked, as for the first time after their reunion they locked their eyes on each other completely.

"Because-"

Annabeth found it really hard to speak while looking into his beautiful gem like eyes. Her heart was beating erratically and her lungs were begging for more air.

Percy seemed to be in the same trance.

As he slowly moved in towards her she thought he would kiss her. And maybe he would have if she hadn't blurted out'

"I'm from the future! From the twenty-first century."

Percy stopped, inches from her very hot face, his eyes wide in surprise.

"What?"

And now Annabeth balled her fists. She had to do this. She had to make him believe her. This was important. If The king could bring in humans from the future, who knows what kind of other weapons he could also transport. Something deadly which the rebels had no idea about? That could change history. And Annabeth was living in history. As wrong as she was in that period of time she was confidant that she was there for a reason. And that was it.

"Don't you think it was really strange when the first time you saw me in that snowing night? Don't you think my skirt was too short to be modest and that I was too lightly clothed for a winter night?"

Percy was looking at her like a stone, not moving or even twitching.

Annabeth wracked her mind for a better reason.

"Didn't you think that it was strange that I asked about which year it was? Because I know that you heard me back then even if you didn't answer me."

And Annabeth could literally see the events of that cold first night pass through his head and the realization set in.

"But that is impossible."

He whispered.

Annabeth nodded, leaning back a bit. She couldn't think quite straight while being so close to him.

"But it's true and Chiron believes me too."

At the mention of his old mentor Percy nodded briskly.

"Indeed. Then it must be true. No one can lie to Chiron and get away with it."

Annabeth knew that. She had experienced Chiron's intelligent brown eyes seeing through her, looking up her very soul, first hand.

"Well my sister is also from future. And so were the other- victims."

She paused, making sure that Percy was following her. He jerked his neck once, asking her to go on.

"But that's not the only thing he can get from future. Our science and weaponry are very, very advanced. If he decides to use something like that against the rebels then-"

She couldn't finish her thought but she didn't need to. Percy did it for her.

"Then we will die like cattle. That would be our doom."

As if on queue, a bulled soared between them and got embedded in the tree they were leaning against.

"Catch the trespassers! This is the protected part of the forest!"

Annabeth looked around. She couldn't have guessed. There were maple trees all around and they hadn't seen any animal either.

"We cannot be captured by the empire dogs. They'l not show mercy... do horrible thins to you and-" Percy whispered as he tugged at her sleeves, pulling Annabeth to her feet.

"I think I saw a boundary wall a few miles from here while riding. Let us be quite and quick."

Quite and quick. Those to words did't mix together. Annabeth knew that. But Percy proved her wrong. He moved like a shadow and always kept her by his side. His arm was back around her waist, guiding her through the thicket. Annabeth stayed alert. By this time she had grown used to the uneven floors of the forest and wasn't a burden anymore. She even kept Percy from stumbling whenever looking around and walking posed to be difficult.

How Percy had managed to see the well hidden boundary wall, was beyond Annabeth's understanding. She could have missed it while standing right in front of it. The wall itself made of bamboo, was completely covered by creepers and leaves. Even the bamboo had a greenish tint.

They were almost there. But their luck had to run out at some point.

The doors were shut. There was no way of summoning anyone from inside. In other words they were doomed.

"Sh-shit!"

Annabeth let herself curse which said a lot because Annabeth Chase was not the cursing type. She thrived on being prim and proper and perfectly well mannered just like her overambitious mother, who indeed would have disowned and shun her if she could have heard Annabeth then, as all those years of pent up curses were flying out of her mouth at that moment.

"Shit! Fucking hell! Son of a-"

Percy clamped a hand on her mouth while the other one wrapped around her waist to push her back against his chest. Together with her he jumped into the nearby tall bushes, not caring, of course, about the alarming amount of deadly spiders found in Kyte.

"Quiet!"

He whispered against her ears, his heart beating too fast against her back. Annabeth tried hard not to focus on hard muscles caging her in. Honestly tough, what was wrong with her? He was the only one in that scary past who she trusted and had befriended and maybe... liked.

Okay screw that last part. The drugs they had injected her with in the asylum were definitely messing up her mind.

For one dreadful moment, she wondered if the drugs really were deadly.

"Hush." Percy whispered as heavy footsteps thundered their way.

Annabeth tried to grow completely still. But the way Percy was literally breathing down her neck made her wonder why that phrase was used in a negative way. Surely it didn't feel too bad...

"Scatter away! We are near those crazy old widows' home!"

"But what if they are hiding here?"

"Let us come back here for another search after a few minutes! Now move soldiers!"

Annabeth couldn't see the owners of the voices, her back was to them, but she had noticed the moment her neck had met the cold morning air instead of Percy's light but warm breaths, that he had craned his neck the other way to see them. She gulped and dared to speak after it was all quiet and still again,

"Now what?"

Her voice was too low because Percy didn't reply at first and leaned over her shoulder to bring his ear near her lips.

"What?" He asked in another whisper.

Stupid! Idiot!

Annabeth wanted to say those out loud. He was practically engulfing her with his arms around her waist and was brandishing his pale neck with a thin, protruding blue nerve. She wondered if if it was the same one which appeared inside one of wrists. She wondered if she would be able too feel his pulse if she touched that nerve of his.

Up close she noticed that his neck had few prominent scars and suddenly she wanted to distance herself and move even closer to him at the same time. The scars were really thin and white and and longish and stayed hidden beneath the high collars of his jackets but he didn't have one anymore.

A red blush creeped up her cheeks as she inhaled his woodsy seaside smell. She was right. She was intruding on his privacy by looking- staring at his scars. She should move back.

Percy wiped his neck back like a hungry cobra and spied over his shoulder, loosening his grip on her.

Annabeth bit her bottom lip in anticipation. Were those noble dogs back already?

But Percy's shoulders relaxed and after a moment the grass around them shuffled a bit as two old wrinkled ladies dressed from head to toe in black approached them.

Their faces were veiled but Annabeth could swear that they were as wrinkled as their hands.

What had those noble dogs said? Some widows' home?

As both of the old ladies stood over them and scrutinized them through their black veils, Annabeth felt a little weird. Weren't those old ladies supposed to be good and kind and take them in at the sight of their helplessness.

But they just stood there, one of them quite a bit healthy and short and the other one was as tall as Percy with a slight gait. Both of them were covered in black lacy gowns, even their silvery hair were tucked beneath a black rose hat. Their dark gloved hands clutched wooden canes and the tall ladies slightly stooped structure somehow made her more aloof.

Percy quickly pulled me to my feet and stepped forward in greeting,

"Good Morning ladies. It has been quite a day."

The ladies regarded Percy carefully before exchanging a wry look. The stout, short lady replied,

"Perhaps for you young ones. We must ask you to immediately vacate this clearing as we do not want the royal soldiers to bother us."

Percy raised both his eyebrows in a very innocent gesture, as if troubling those old widows' was a sin he had vowed never to commit.

"Certainly not. But we seek shelter. Would you be so kind to-"

"Absolutely not!" The tall one shrieked.

Annabeth winced. Were they saying that they would leave them out to die?

The short lady rubbed the tall one's shoulder soothingly and said in a new but soft voice, "Now, now Martha."

Martha the old lady glared at Percy before snapping," The girl could say but not you! An unmarried man who would take us for his slaves all together with your hidden friends!"

She looked around, as if expecting a dozen of ninja's to pop-out out of nowhere.

Percy stood straighter, taller than even the taller lady, and just for a moment Annabeth thought he would give those old cranky ladies a piece of his mind but instead he said,

"Fine. Then that is how it should be."

"No!" It was the first time Anabeth had spoken.

The old grannies looked startled, as if they had expected her to be mute.

"You cannot leave him here to die! That's... that's cruel! How will you live with yourselves then?"

The shorter lady's spotted cheeks flamed as she stared at the ground,

"We had an awful experience with a band of men before, that is all."

Percy opened his mouth but Annabeth knew what he was going to suggest. She knew that she wouldn't agree.

"No! No! I'm not leaving you behind!"

She turned to the ladies and spoke through trembling lips, "Please- you have to-!"

They had to! They couldn't do this to her. If Percy stayed out he would be captured and tortured to death. She couldn't stand even the thought of what the Noble's would do to him. It felt as if someone was trying to squeeze her heart with burning hot iron chains.

"It's okay Annabeth. I'll fare for myself."

Percy grabbed her shoulders and tried to push her towards the two old ladies. But she stood firmly on her heels. Refusing to move. If he was planning to die then at least he could clue her in.

The stout women looked up and spoke in an excited way, "We have a church. Perhaps if you were to get married both of you could stay!"

Annabeth jumped on that opportunity, anything to keep him safe... anything to keep him alive and breathing.

"Yes!"

"Absolutely not!"

They ended up saying that at the same time. The old ladies glared at Percy for his indecency towards a girl but kept their thoughts to themselves and backed away.

"We cannot stay out for too long. Just through a stone over the wall when you... if you make up your mind."

,They said as they swiftly vanished behind the wall-gates.

And the whole time they were walking away, Percy and Annabeth glared at each other, neither one of them refusing to back down.

"This is ridiculous Annabeth! You are wasting precious time.!"

He hissed when the ladies were out of earshot.

Annabteh balled her fists and raised her chin,

"You think marrying me is ridiculous?"

Percy's eyes caught fire, he stepped even closer to her and hooked a finger under her chin, forcing their eyes to collide, making Annbaeth's pulses spike high.

"Do not try to manipulate me. Go inside the safe place.."

"I won't! You have to come with me!"

Percy shook his head, "No Annabeth I can't, this is insane!"

"For god sake we could just tear the marriage documents and forget that we got married later!"

Percy stared at Annabeth like she'd lost her mind.

"Do not tell me that you are naive enough to not know the marriage rituals."

Annabeth did knew them. A semi molten gold ring would we crafted and sized right around her finger, the burns caused by it would never let them forget that everything comes at a cost... even happiness. Then Percy's name would be branded on that ring on her finger... forever... marking her as his.

She would take that over being alone ever again.

But later if you ask her she would admit that she hadn't thought at all or used her brain even a little back then. All that had mattered was Percy and her erratic heart which was shrinking by the minute.

"Annabeth... no..."

Percy whispered tenderly as he lightly touched her cheeks with his fingertips, making Annabeth tingle from head to toe.

"I won't go in there without you Percy! You can't make me."

He couldn't. She stubbornly grabbed both of his hands and laced her fingers through his,

"There! Now you can't get rid of me. And even if you find a way to push me in there without you I'll find a way to follow you…. in death and in life."

Percy shook his head rapidly with his eyes closed, but when he opened them again, she could see them glowing with anger and something….. more intense.

"This is not why you should want to get married Annabeth. Do not throw your life away!Not for me! Not for anyone!"

Annabeth rested her forehead against his chest, she couldn't face him anymore. It was as if she was lying to him about her desires which she couldn't understand herself.

She spoke against the sound of Percy's heart beating… hard,

"My sister died. And now you will die because of me. So would it be so bad if I die too... anyway?"

Percy sighed as a cool breeze swept past them.

She could feel his hard muscles resigning against her. She waited, tensed for his reply although she knew that her blackmail was too good not to work.

"Fine! We'll go about your way."

He leaned down and picked up a big, cold pebble and handed it to Annabeth.

With great determination she threw it over the walls. The gates started to creak and open instantly as the ringing of church bells reverberated from inside.

Hey guys! I'm sorry for the eons long wait but exams are looming over my head. Please bear with me and tell me how this is going.!