Annabeth

Percy had decided to help with manual labor. Martha had threatened to beat him up with the washing stick if she ever saw him near the boundaries.

Annabeth sighed. She looked down at her wheat caked hands grimly. She had liked to move around the kitchen in her house and cook simple things like soup and porridge or maybe beef curry sometimes but grounding flour with her bare hands had never crossed her mind.

"How d'ya think are we goin ta eat dearie?"

Anastasia snapped Annabeth out of her misery.

She was a short bald (almost) women with barely any teeth and a lot of wrinkles. She, unlike the other widows, found Annabeth's company a little unwelcoming.

"Nay what are ya watin for? The flour isn't gonna soften itself!"

With that she banged the steel pot down, making Annabeth jump out of her skin. Despite all her politeness she glared at the wrinkly old women who glared right back at her.

The broken window behind the wooden loft swayed and banged shut.

"Tis gonna rain soon."

And then she was gone, leaving Annabeth by herself in the small tin room with a pale of water and a mountain of dry wheat which she had to grind into smooth soft flour.

She desperately wished for someone to invent the grinder.

She sighed again and poured water on the snowy wheat and set to work. With her hands busy her mind drifted off. She thought about what was going to happen a day from that day. It somehow felt a bit unnerving. The time she had spent at the rebel camp seemed to be a distant memory. She wondered how Chiron was….. and Calypso? Had she safely made it out of that bonfire?

A shiver ran through her body at the thought of Calypso being captured and tortured with her small body. It was all her fault. If only she hadn't dragged Calypso with her…..

Annabeth looked down and grimaced. The flour had become a sickly grey paste. She added more wheat and tried again. After an hour, which felt like eternity, Anastasia came back and tusked.

"Concentration! The young people have none!"

After that she sent Annabeth away.

She stepped out of the dingy shack and took a deep breath of the clean winter air. To be honest it wasn't so cold that day. To her right the paddy field swayed with the wind. Annabeth couldn't remember seeing anything like that ever before. She put her hand on the maple tree beside her and marveled at its leafless structure. Kyte sure was filled with maples.

After that she broke into a run and went straight for the well.

Annabeth almost slipped on the mossy stones. Percy's shirt was dripping wet. He was lugging barrel after barrel of water and filling the wheeled drums.

"We need water to run the place and our old waists aren't too happy about that."

Martha had scowled at Percy but Annabeth had noticed that she was glad for his help. It really did look like hard work.

Annabeth had actually come to wash her hands. But a nasty idea made her smile.

She went right at Percy and wound her flour covered hands around his wet torso.

"Hey!"

He complained and flailed around to get rid of her. Annabeth just held tight and laughed. When Percy finally managed to free himself Annabeth just looked at him and burst out laughing.

Percy looked flushed. He was covered in what smelled like rotten wheat. Which was wet.

"Oh no you didn't."

Annabeth gasped as he put a whole barrel of water over her head. Annabeth stared up at him. His hair was damp and sticking to his forehead and he was greeting her with his rare lopsided grin.

Annabeth grinned in return and rubbed her sticky hands on his face.

Percy protests died when she covered his mouth.

Percy picked her up in a swoop and marched towards the well.

"Hey! Wait!"

"Nuh uh. You are going down."

"Wha?"

He set her on the stone edge and grinned at her.

"You can swim right?"

Annabeth glanced down at the inky dark water way far down from where she was.

"Even if I could that's a well."

Percy looked confused,

"So?"

Annabeth threw her hands up dramatically and said, "So, it's too deep and I'll drown and die."

As if on que she slipped. The air whistled by her.

Before she could scream Percy had his arms wrapped around her waist and was grinning down on her.

Annabeth realized she had been breathing hard and that a few strands of hair had slipped from her tight bun.

She punched his chest hard.

"You jerk!"

"I what?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Never mind just put me down."

"No."

"Percy-"

Annabeth was cut short by his lips. She was shocked for just a second before she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him back. She took in the salty and watery taste of his lips, his tongue. Percy smelled like the earth after a rain. Annabeth sighed. This was what she would miss on returning back to the rebel camp. She knew that as soon as they got there Percy would turn into his usual ruthless 'leader of the second squadron' self.

Percy pushed his way between her legs and pulled her closer, it was strange how he didn't seem to bother about all the flour that Annabeth was covered in. Neither was Annabeth worried about getting wet even after she had had taken a bath. Their kissing grew almost savage when a weak voice drifted towards them,

"P-Percy?"

They broke apart hastily. Percy pulled Annabeth down from the edge of the well and looked away, his heaving chest going up and down in rhythm with hers.

Annabeth saw him blush deep from his ears to his neck and knew that she looked somewhat like that. How embarrassing, she thought, being caught making out by a well like silly hormonal teenagers. Which they were but Annabeth had felt like she was well over fifty after everything that had happened.

"Kate?"

Percy managed.

The girl in a simple black tunic with her veil turned over was staring at her feet. Her hair reminded Annabeth of red maple leaves.

"Y-you said you wanted to go look around the boundary?"

Annabeth's breath hitched,

"Again? Are you scouting?"

Percy nodded. His eyes had hardened again, all play and mirth gone like they were never there.

"We need a clear passage for day after tomorrow."

Annabeth looked at this Kate again and was unnerved by her glassy green eyes. She was a bit too pretty for Annabeth's liking, even with those freckles dusting her nose.

"I'll accompany you."

Percy shook his head,

"Smaller the group the better it is."

Annabeth swallowed. She knew he was right and she didn't know this place as well as Kate did. She didn't even know which part of Kyte she even was in. She bit her lip and nodded.

Percy gave her a small smile and traced her lower lip with his thumb,

"Don't nibble otherwise there won't be anything left for me to nibble on."

Annabeth turned red, really red from her toe to the root of her hair.

To that Percy's smile grew completely devilish.

Annabeth swatted him away,

"Just don't get caught."

"I'll try."

"Try hard."

"It's not like I want to be tortured to death."

"Percy!"

Annabeth glared at him but couldn't for long because it was completely unfair how beautiful his eyes were.

"I was just teasing you."

With that he leaned and gently touched her cheek with his lips and whispered.

"Since you are so concerned for my welfare there is something I must tell you but I'll tell you when I see you again. Hold on to that and you'll surely see me again, okay?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and pushed him by his shoulder and looked into his eyes,

"Off with being so dramatic Percy Jackson just come back in an hour. That's your curfew."

Percy's eyes brightened with mirth,

"Yes ma'am!"

And then he was waving back at her as he walked down the slope with Kate, a red and black blur in Annabeth's eyesight. She wondered why her chest was tightening. She would admit that she was a tad bit jealous (a whole lot) but she wondered why she was scared.

Wind rustled past her and she shivered in her wet cloths.

Well she needed a change of clothes and some warm coffee….. or even warm water would do. With that she decided to just wait for Percy to return.

The dark clouds rolled over her head. She looked up.

Anastasia was right, it would rain soon.

Leo

When first Leo landed in Kyte of late February 1914, he was sure he had ended up in the wrong time period. He had landed directly on top of a mob of angry white geese in a pond. At least he had come to know that his time machine couldn't float.

But it was a nice place. All covered by trees and bushes. No way anyone who didn't know about that little shallow pond would be able to find it.

A sticky white blob fell on his shoulder. He looked up and saw a very angry bird he couldn't possibly identify. He sighed,

Oh well, he thought, it's a blessing that birds can't fly machines.

Because right then a couple of geese and some unknown species of bird really hated him.

For some time he walked aimlessly in the wilderness after installing a small magnetic tracker in his ship. He chose to believe in his calculation about Annabeth's time leap and wandered.

When the sun was almost kissing the sky goodbye he realized how pointless his wandering was. It wasn't like he could expect some red sign boards or hot girls with coconut shells for bikinis to point him towards Annabeth.

When he had almost given up hope he heard a strange rustle.

Leo swallowed. He had been lucky up until then to not have been swallowed by big-foot or a cheetah because Kyte in his days barely had animals. He wasn't so sure about it a hundred years before his time.

He waited and waited but nothing happened.

Then he carefully tiptoed towards the rustling. He ended up at a clearing with parched ground. A bonfire must have lit the ground recently.

He drew closer to the rustling bushes when a sharp stench of urea and cheap booze hit him. Leo hesitated and tusked. Could it be Annabeth?

With that he bravely went through the tall bushes (he wasn't a big fan of snakes and thorns) and stepped right on top of dirty caramel hair.

Leo noted the upturned earth and scratches on the pale white skin of the girl's body. She way very dirty and smelled awful. Leo bent down and pushed her hair out of her face. He checked her pulse and winced. Her pulse was strong but erratic and she was burning up.

Leo looked around and snorted at the discarded white containers. If only the cleanliness ministry could see this. They would have an aneurysm.

He thought about leaving her behind. He looked at her torn tunic and noted that she must have been molested and then dumped there. He was probably wasting his time. The girl was too sick and too thin and might not have a will to live. He had to somehow find Annabeth and get out of there.

Just as he retracted his hand from her forehead she whimpered. Leo stilled. His heat pumped hard and blood rushed to his ears.

What was he thinking? He chided himself and quickly shrugged off his long crappy coat and wrapped it around the girl and picked her up. He shivered as the wind blew. His green 'Lady Killer' T-shirt and baggy old jeans weren't enough. He looked down at the girl in his arms and sighed. He would have to spend some coins. Good thing he stole his school's collection of the rebelling era in fifth grade. Now he just had to locate a town before the girl died.

Go Leo!

He glumly thought that and then started walking again as huge dark clouds blocked out whatever little light was left of the day.

"Great" He mumbled, "Pnemonia is just what I need after drenching in cold rain."

Annabeth

Annabeth had given him a freaking hour. But it was night fall already.

"If he did something indecent to poor little Kate I will rip his head off!"

Martha swore to the other old women there.

Annabeth had had enough of them bad mouthing Percy for the last five hours,

"For god sake Martha we are in a church! Don't you think you shouldn't plan murder?"

Martha's eyes darkened,

"Much worse things have happened in this church girl."

Annabeth bristled. She exactly knew what had happened. Percy had filled her in.

"Those filthy bastards Annabeth. I'll kill them all."

He had been so angry for their sake. Their disgust in him made her angry.

"I'm leaving." She stood up hastily, "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Don't be so dramatic-"

Before Annabeth could really snap at Martha, Anastasia cut in,

"Nay, nay Mrtha dea the boy hath been mor u'eful than the blonde princess. Let's ave a little faith in 'im."

Annabeth was stunned. Anastasia was the oldest there. The other ladies standing around her in the pew nodded. Why was she helping her? Annabeth thought that the old lady had made it clear that she hated Annabeth.

Martha coiled up and barked, "How dare you ask us to trust a man Anastasia. Even though you are old like a shrew even you haven't been spared."

Annabeth flinched at the hatred in Martha's voice and looked again at the small and frail form of Anastasia.

The emperor or king or whatever was a monster. The rebels have to bring him down.

But it's unfair, she thought, Percy didn't deserve their anger. After all he would never do something so horrible.

At that very moment the doors to the church cracked open. A very worried Samantha walked in with a shivering Kate in blankets.

Martha shot up like a loaded gun.

"See! I told you he couldn't be trusted! See what he did to little Kate!"

Martha's voice didn't reach Annabeth. Martha couldn't see what she was seeing.

Annabeth got up and asked in a very clear voice,

"Where is he?"

A fresh shiver ran through Kate.

Annabeth's chest tightened.

Martha snorted, "Of course he ran away. What did you expect from him after doing something this disgraceful", then she grey angrier,

"He deserves to be burned alive and…."

Burned alive.

The memory of about more than two months ago passed through Annabeth's mind. The witch burning. Percy had saved her and had gotten hurt in her stead.

She looked again at Kate and covered her mouth. Annabeth wasn't shivering like her. She was abnormally still.

Finally Anastasia cut through Martha's rant,

"What happened to the boy Kate?"

Rachel hiccupped.

Martha glared at Anastasia, "You have gone senile Ana. How can you-"

"Do be quiet for once in your life Martha!"

Tears were rolling down Samantha's face.

Annabeth closed her eyes. She wished they would stop talking. She already could see what had happened.

When Kate finally came to and spoke Annabeth felt like scratching her ears out of her head.

"We were rounding back and covering our tracks about half a mile north of here. We should have been quiet but I screamed."

Annabeth finally looked at Kate's mopey red face.

"They were upon us in a second. Percy pushed me down and tried to cover me but- but they caught him and beat him and-"

"Stop speaking." Annabeth whispered weakly but Kate continued.

"I couldn't do anything. I just stayed in the bushes and covered my ears and cried I-"

The blood had drained from everyone's face. Martha looked like she would panic any moment.

Kate sniffled,

"They took him alive."

And then her body shook with suppressed sobs, trembling with fear and something else Annabeth couldn't be bothered to be bothered about.

Everyone had gone silent as if already in mourning.

Annabeth couldn't stand it,

"Why did you scream?"

Kate paled.

Martha snapped out of whatever trance she had been and looked disapprovingly at Annabeth,

"Now's not the time to pester little Kate. She need rest and-"

"And I need to know WHY DID SHE SCREAM?"

Kate took a step back at Annabeth's scream. A minute passed, another one and then another one.

When Kate didn't say anything and Annabeth didn't yell again Martha made to take Kate away,

"It wasn't fair."

She whispered softly. Annabeth almost missed her,

"Pardon?"

Kate's glassy green eyes bore right into Annabeth's vibrant grey ones.

"You were so happy when I was- am rotting in this place all alone and empty." She swallowed, her eyes growing bitter,

"I asked him to take me to the festival instead of you."

Annabeth's blood rushed, warm and furious. Her ears rand with his soft and sly whispers,

"There is something I must tell you but I'll tell you when I see you again."

"He refused so I-"

Annabeth lunged at her.

Thunder rumbled.

Luke

The stony prison of the palace looked spooky under the burning torch light. The footsteps of the iron clad guards drowned out the moaning and screaming and scratching of the prisoners.

Luke's black cloak dragged behind him and swept the floor. At the end of the hall in a particularly narrow prison, the guards stopped.

Inside, in the dim light Luke could see a man shackled all over sitting and staring out the tiny window. His nose was broken and bleeding and bruises were turning black and blue all over his pale body.

"You saw this man with the lady in the portrait?"

Luke's husky voice was a low whisper, almost unspoken and invisible.

The guard fiddling with the huge ring of keys frowned and looked at the man inside the cell.

"He is… "

Luke nodded once.

The guard finally got the key and pushed open the barred gate with a disturbing clatter.

The man didn't turn.

Luke stepped in with his lamp and the first thing that he saw was a glint of gold. A ring.

Luke crossed the distance between them in a single stride and snatched the man's shackled left hand up from where it and been on his upturned knee towards the torch.

Annabeth Chase.

The hand was snatched back. Luke looked down. For a moment he was mesmerized by the man's lean, strong built,his coiled muscles, his murderous sea-green eyes beneath his thick black hair sticking to his forehead.

A horrible image of him holding Annabeth in a way Luke never head flashed through his mind.

Luke snarled and without thinking run a sword through the man.

He didn't even scream.

It started to rain.

I'm so sorry for the very late update but it's that time of my life where my fate is decided. Yes it's time for university! College!

:c I'm afraid I'm not doing quite well and am very confused. So I'll update again but not very soon. But no matter what I'll finish this story!

Tell me what you guys think! Do you think someday I might make a decent writer? Please do tell! Until next time!