Okay, second last chapter guys! I really hope you loved this story! Happy Reading!
"Helen!" Frederick Chase yelled. Calming his tone, he said, "Helen, I'm done with you saying things about Annabeth like that."
Helen tried to interrupt but Frederick didn't let her. "After you sent her away from our house, I didn't know where she went. You told me she went to her trip and I believed you. But you didn't tell me the trip was two days later. Why did you send her away two days before?!" He screamed the last part at his wife.
"She was trying to ruin our relationship, Frederick! Don't you see? We've always fought because of her, it's always been her. Goodness knows what nonsense she feeds you. And if she's going now, let her go. I don't care. I can only say good riddance to bad rub-"
"Stop." Frederick's anger had gone beyond all limits now. He maintained a calm tone. "You won't let me get out of this house to meet my daughter, because you think she's… rubbish? Well, let me tell you. You wouldn't want to live in a house that has rubbish in it, would you? So, get out of my house. I'll file for divorce this very second."
Helen gasped in shock. "So, this was her plan. Telling you that I sent her away and posing some melodramatic tragedy that will turn her father against me?"
"Helen, I have had enough. Because of you, my daughter hasn't even talked to me and you say she's been plotting against us? That boy who called me, I could hear the truth ring in his voice. He told me that she had said she still loves me and forgives you. She had been stabbed a few minutes ago. Still, you can bear to think ill of her. I can't believe it!"
"And I can't believe that you're actually believing her, a teenager than your own wife! Forgive me? For what, may I ask? She's always been rude to me, never talked straight, and always behaved like I'm her step-mother!"
"Because that's what you are! I will believe my own daughter, Helen, and not you. And I'm going to get her from the hospital and you will not stop me!"
Frederick ran down the steps of his house, Helen shouting things at him which he hardly heard. He opened the door of his car, sat down and drove to Philadelphia, prepared for a long journey.
Watching Annabeth sleep was pleasant. Percy had been about to go when she had begged the nurse to let him stay. Reluctantly she had agreed, with a strict warning to Percy not to disturb or excite her. He had agreed, happily.
Sitting beside her, now, watching her mouth slightly open, her eyes closed, gave him more peace than he could imagine.
Annabeth was in a room. Percy was standing in front of her with his usual smirk. She smiled at him and leaned in for a kiss. Pulling apart, she saw his face more clearly.
It wasn't Percy. It was Luke. She gasped and backtracked a few steps, till her legs were stopped by something hard. The bed. Luke sneered, walking towards her. The distance, though previously small, seemed large now to Annabeth.
Luke was now four Lukes walking towards her. She stood petrified, as the four Lukes neared her. Then, she saw that it wasn't four Lukes. They were Michael, Dylan and Ethan along with Luke.
All of them had the same sneer painted on their faces. Annabeth couldn't move, he legs were frozen, neither could she scream. She stood silently in shock as they reached her and she tried to push them back but realized her hands were tied together.
Luke pushed her on the bed and the four faces with their mocking sneers closed in on her. Her voice finally pushed through her restraints, screaming, "No!"
Annabeth sat up in bed, gasping and eyes wide, full of terror. She kicked out, throwing her hands about, realizing they were free. Percy, who was sitting beside her, had dozed off for a few minutes. He woke up to see Annabeth in a frenzy.
"Annabeth, calm down," Percy said, holding her hands together. "Calm down." Annabeth stopped struggling as the pain hit in and her vision cleared. She groaned and Percy helped her lie down.
Stroking her hair, to calm her down because she was still shaken and breathing heavily, he said, "Calm down, Wise Girl. It was only a dream."
She turned her eyes on him. They were full of tears. "They were there. They were going to…"
"It's alright. They're not here. Only I am. Okay? You're safe." Percy said, trying to calm her down.
Her stitches on her stomach were paining like hell, but she could only focus on her nightmares. "Percy stay with me. Don't leave." Her hand clutched at Percy's.
"I'm always here with you, Wise Girl," he said, gently. "Go to sleep now."
"No, they'll come again. I don't want to see them, again." Annabeth said, positively freaking out.
"Annabeth, they won't come again." Percy said, still stroking her hair. "I'll fight them for you, okay?"
"Even in my dreams?"
"Especially in your dreams. They won't harm you again. Now, go to sleep." He kissed her forehead and Annabeth closed her eyes. Percy brushed off her tears as Annabeth drifted off to sleep.
Percy bristled with anger, his thought back to Annabeth's terror. I won't let them get out of prison. Not after what they did to Annabeth. He promised himself that Luke would get what he deserved.
Hearing Annabeth relate her story to her Father and the police was the hardest thing he'd ever done. She looked as if she wanted to forget all of it, but it wasn't so easy with her nightmares and the police.
She had explained how it had all started, how he had threatened her to be his girlfriend, how he had abused her for the first time. Percy couldn't believe it when he heard that Rachel was used by Luke to keep him away from Annabeth. She continued, her hand holding Percy's tight. "I told Calypso what had been happening to me because she had seen the belt marks on my back. I told her to promise me she wouldn't tell anyone. The last day when we had the singing contest and a party, Luke was taking me to his room. He was going to-" She paused, gripping Percy's hand tighter. "He was going to force himself on me but Percy interrupted. I had tried to overpower him but breaking a vase over his head, but he caught my hand and crashed the vase to pieces."
"How did Percy come to know you were there?" an officer asked Annabeth.
She looked at Percy, who started to explain. "Calypso had told Leo everything after she witnessed Annabeth being taken off by Luke. Leo made a plan to hide Thalia in his own room along with all the other friends. Jason and I went to Luke's room. We found them fighting with a piece of glass in their hands. We took Luke off, but he must have called his friends. I told Jason to go and call the police and the doctor, but the other boys must have knocked him out. Leo found him on the stairs when he was going to his room. Annabeth and I fought all the boys and knocked them out. We thought everything was over and we were just exchanging a few words when Annabeth saw Ethan rise with a knife behind me. She pushed me to the side and took the knife herself." The last part was really hard to say, but he forced it out of his mouth.
"I see," the officer said, taking down whatever was said in his notes. "Thank you for helping us out with the information. I hope you may get well soon."
The police left the room, leaving Annabeth, her Dad and Percy behind.
"Why didn't you say something to me when Helen told you to go?" Frederick finally said.
"I- I'm sorry, Dad. I thought maybe it would be right to leave you two to yourselves for some time. I had heard you fight over me and I thought it's because of me you can't stay happy. You didn't talk to me much and saying all this to you seemed like complaining to me. I'm sorry." Annabeth said after Percy helped her lie down again on her bed.
"Don't be sorry, Annabeth. I should have paid more attention to you." Coming over and kissing her forehead, he said, "I promise that will never happen again. I'm going to divorce Helen and we'll stay together happily ever after."
"Dad, no-"
"This is my decision, sweetie. I don't find Helen as charming as I found her so long ago. It's quite the opposite. I'm sure she and I will both be happy away from each other." He smiled at her. "But don't you worry about that. Rest and get well as soon as possible. Enjoy your life. Now, you've got a boyfriend, too."
Both Percy and Annabeth blushed. Frederick laughed. "It's okay. You don't need to be embarrassed. I totally approve of your relationship."
Percy smiled at Annabeth and she returned. Annabeth was free of all her troubles now. She was happier than she had been in days, maybe even in months.
Yeah! Now, only the last chapter… I hope it will be satisfactory ;)) till the next chapter!