Hope you like it so far. Tell me if you find anything confusing, because there're a lot of flashbacks and parallel scenes.
Enjoy.
A week had passed since the celebrity's last visit to the cell, and Annabeth was wondering to herself whether they would show up or not. She was entertained by the reaction from Nico, not that she had shown it to anyone, but Piper knew she enjoyed the show, enjoyed haunting him. Annabeth could tell from the look in Piper's eyes that she didn't like what Annabeth did purposely, but didn't dare to ask, because she didn't want to lose her closeness with the leader. Selfishly wanting the special treatment from the boss.
They usually come before visiting hours, but it seemed like they weren't planning on visiting after all, because Piper had just stood up to go and meet Jason. This time, she surprised herself with a visitor, it wasn't the celebrity, it was her ex-boyfriend Luke, Castellan. Stepping in to the conference room with Piper, she wouldn't deny the fact that she was nervous, because that was one of his very rare visits. They broke up the first time he was there, but he still agreed to remain as friends. After all, they weren't serious when they started dating.
"Hey." Luke greeted once she was seated across him, fidgeting with the hem of her uniform.
"Hey." She said, trying to appear relaxed and cool. "What makes you decide to come?" Getting straight to her question. She was never the kind for small talks, never had been and never would.
"Still straightforward, huh." He chuckled, leaning back in the white plastic chair, playing with a small piece of round cardboard in his hand he found on the table. "It'll get you in trouble in the future. Huge shitload of trouble." He said in a warning tone, but somewhere in that was laced with a playful one too.
"Cut the crap and get to the point." She rolled her eyes. "I think I am in shitload of trouble already, no surprise if anything worse comes."
"Has a celebrity come here to ask for your answers?" He asked, eyes focused on the thing he was fiddling in his hand.
"Percy Jackson?" Annabeth asked in a huff, looking away from him and scanned around the room absentmindedly. "Sure he has, but without luck."
"What does he want to know?" Luke asked, still curious.
"Dunno and don't care."
"You should you know? You're coming out in what, three years, I think it's time for you to start getting to know the outside world." Luke suggested warm-heartedly.
"Oh trust me," Annabeth scoffed, eyes resting on the cardboard piece in his hand holding no emotion. "I'll be back in here with another bullshit charge before I can even take a step out of that gate." She tilted her head in the direction of the main entrance of the jail, eyes still glued to the thing on the table in Luke's hand.
They fell into a comfortable silence, at least for him, because he really couldn't offer anything better than an agreeing nod.
"Seriously, I don't have much time." Annabeth cut him off his thought. "What are you doing here? After seven years, and yet you're still here to visit." A hinted appreciation could be detected from her accusation, and Luke knew it was the best she could express herself.
"I just want to hear your voice and see you in person." He shrugged, truly missing his friend, even if they didn't have anything romantic in between.
"I thought you only dated me to get Thalia jealous." She asked incredulously, clearly not understanding the angle where Luke viewed their relationship. "We were just fooling around weren't we?" She asked, trying to suppress her doubts.
"Yes we were fooling around, we were never serious, but," he paused, catching Annabeth's eyes, "the friendship between us was serious, it still is." He locked eyes with her, studying her like reading her soul as best as he could. "I still care about you Annie, that's why I constantly think about when will be a good time to visit you, knowing you wouldn't want any constant visitor because you fear that people will see this as a weakness."
"Yes, and now I'm regretting to sit here in front of you, recounting the history and the sparks that are long gone between us." Annabeth said, although the sadness in her voice couldn't be avoided by Luke. He nodded sadly, knowing that he had struck a sore spot and brought up the defensive Chase.
"Well, thank you Annabeth, for letting me see you." Luke said, standing up and deciding to leave early, because she obviously didn't want him there any longer. "You can get rid of me now."
Standing up along with him, Annabeth stuck out her hand for him to shook. He did and gave her a grim nod before heading out by himself. Annabeth was then brought back by a guard that she knew was scared of her, but she wasn't exactly in the mood of giving other people creeps currently.
In a private room, Piper sat in front of Jason, who had brought something for his girlfriend in jail. They laughed and smiled at each other, taking their time with each other as much as they could with very little physical contact. Jason, being the warden's son, always come to the prison and order to be allowed a private visiting room for him, under the name of inspecting in order to help with an essay that he was working on about prison life.
"Do you know a Hollywood guy named Percy Jackson?" Piper asked her boyfriend. He had been feeding information from the outside world, letting her get in touch and kept up to date with everything that was happening. Even information on her family from time to time when she asked for it.
"Of course. I've heard of him, rather famous." He commented, drawing out everything he knew on the name given to him. "Why do you ask?"
"He was here twice in the past two weeks. Once with an assistant and the first time without. He wants to speak to Annabeth, but you know Annabeth, she won't speak to anyone because of her voice so she'd always have me answer whatever questions and fend them off." Jason nodded, letting her continue. "But this time we got some stubborn ones. His assistant, Nico, went up and insulted her, called her names so she stepped out." Piper found it extremely weird and interesting at the same time, the phenomenon was some rare occasion.
Letting her finish before Jason started to speak, patiently. "Do you know anything about this prison before you got here, Pipes?" He asked, putting his hand on the table for her to take. She shook her head. "I'm not sure how much Annabeth has told you, and I don't know much about her either, but I can tell you what I do know." He offered, Piper smiled wanting to hear it out.
A knock on the window told them that the time was up, Jason signaled them to allow them a few more minutes. They went of, courtesy to Jason's identity and status in prison.
"We don't have much time, so I don't want you to interrupt me." He started, Piper nodded seriously. "Before you got in, Annabeth had been in here for six years already. Her charges and trial were never publicized, and I don't know anything about it, my dad doesn't even know about it. However, she was very influential before she turned eighteen. I was here the day she was arrested and sent in, she used to look so innocent and young, but she was independent from everything. I remember the glare I got when I sent her a pity look." He chortled at the memory.
Squeezing his hand, she gave him an uneasy smile and allowed him to continue. "Her family was infamous for a lot of things, and although I know about some, it's still not my place to say it, and what I know will only be a very small portion. You'll have to ask her for more details. However, what I do know, is that her mom was the head of some cult or something that deals mainly with drugs. Maybe the largest drug dealing corporation. Her father was an infamous serial killer to put it simply." Piper took in a sharp breath upon hearing the information.
"She never told me any of those." She whispered in a low voice.
"Of course she won't, I bet she won't even mention it." He said as if it should be a fact. "As innocent and naive as you are, you've probably crossed a lot of lines already." He laughed humorously, but the humor was quickly removed once he saw the worry lines written on her face. "No, don't worry, if you haven't receive any neglecting over the year, then I think you'll be fine. Just try to keep your mouth shut from now on, since you know more." He advised, easing her a little.
Rubbing circles to sooth her, he continued, fully aware of the time ticking away. He had to get this story out of him, and he would play the power card if necessary.
"She valued you as a friend, because she lost hers four years ago in this cell." He started, carefully examining the reaction from Piper. "Annabeth had a friend just a year after she got in here, she was still new to the environment and wanted to gain control over everything because that was how she felt secure and safe. Annabeth was already half-way through with getting everyone under the spell. She'd smuggle stuff in for them occasionally, and she would get them into the deal with drinking beer with the guards after helping out with some labor work from time to time. That friend who came along when she was nineteen was called Bianca D'Angelo."
Piper gasped at the name, something clicked in her brain. The name called by Annabeth to the boy who taunted her had the same last name. "Did she kill her?"
"No." Jason answered quickly, dismissing her thoughts. "As intimidating as she seemed to be, she's good at heart. A very caring girl with a very kind heart, she just has her own way of showing it."
"You sound like you know her well." She huffed.
"If you're choosing to get jealous now, then I think I'd only have to reserve this conversation till the next time we meet." He negotiated, getting a little impatient with the constant interruption. Piper gave him a look telling him that she didn't believe him.
"No, please, don't go, I want to know." She begged when he started to stand up.
"Next time, baby." Jason said, pushing the chair under the table, walking around it and planting a kiss on her lips. Opening the door and walked out, leaving Piper there sprawled on the table wondering had she really offended him that much to make him leave.
¢.¢
Percy was getting ready for the weekly visit once again, but this time, it seemed like he was going to be on his own.
"You've made up your mind already didn't you?" He asked Nico one last time before getting out of the room to be in his car.
"Yes, positive." His assistant replied.
"Okay." He agreed, putting on his coat as he stepping into the chilly wind before ducking into the car waiting for him in his driveway.
Percy was determined to not lose this opportunity, he would get her to talk to him, and he would open up to deals and negotiations if it meant that he would be talking to her. From the years of experience of talking with people, he could easily tell what kind of person they were and what kind of information they hold from first sight. From what he could tell, Annabeth was the most experienced person in that cell, maybe not the one with the longest sentence, but definitely got a lot in her gut.
To be able to get to know the insight of a prison, he had to find the right person to interrogate; and he had chosen his pray carefully and now he's after it.
Arriving at the gate, he went through the same procedure like the previous two weeks, cutting each meeting with the Warden shorter and shorter. He prepared a list of questions mentally as he stepped in to the common cell area.
When the guards stepped back, his eyes quickly found its way to the unlit lantern at the far corner, waiting to see the smoke coming out of it, he was sure that Annabeth was there. Taking a deep breath, he went there, mentally prepared for whatever might be thrown into his face.
"Sorry to interrupt, again." He cleared his throat, cutting their hushed conversation short. "I know the Crime Lord will not appreciate any visitors, but I will pay for whatever it is to talk to her." Percy tried in his most genuine tone. The silence was deafening, he could hear the chuckle coming from the girls, not sure which one, or both.
"A pack per question." From the smooth but sharp tone, he could tell it was Piper's voice.
He considered the option, but decided to try negotiating before giving in. "Two packs of the good ones per visit."
"No deal." Piper said immediately. "Agree or leave, deal breaker." She said, a very good negotiator.
Percy pursed his lips, trying to think of an alternative.
"Fine, I think this place is good enough for a chat." Percy decided, sliding down against a wall, next to the two girls. Eyes wide, the two girls watched, but said nothing.
Piper was just lighting up a cigaret that Annabeth passed her, but stopped in her tracks when she saw him sitting down. She scowled, but when she turned to Annabeth, she could only see amusement in her eyes and nothing else.
Annabeth offered him the pack, silently asking him to take one and suit himself, because she ain't making a sound. Percy shook his head.
"I don't smoke." He said. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Fine, I quit, will, trying to." He said unconvincingly. A smile flashed across her face, she liked to torture people and watch them suffer. She shoved the packet close to his face, urging him to take one. From the devious smirk that was making its way on to her lips, Piper could tell that Annabeth was enjoying the internal debate that was going on inside Percy's mind. She pitied him, but Annabeth wouldn't be soft on anyone.
"Okay, fine." He muttered, taking one from the pack and grabbing the lighter on the floor that Piper had just used. Taking in a sip, he spat out. "Disgusting cheap shit." He swore. "How do you survive with this?"
"Tough shit I know." Annabeth said, catching both Piper and Percy by surprise. "Deal with it prat." She said, her voice still the same as she used with Piper earlier. Percy made a mental note to bring them a bottle of drink next time.
"Tell me about yourself Annabeth." Percy said, taking another sip of the cigaret, getting used to the feeling of cheap nicotine entering his lungs. Without looking at her, he waited for her respond.
Annabeth shrugged but said nothing, Piper was too stunned to say anything for her or translate her gestures.
"Then how about you Piper?" Percy turned towards Piper, who had not been taking any sip of her own cigaret that was glowing in her hand.
"I… Uh…" Piper stuttered, not sure what to say. She hadn't seen Annabeth seeing him as an enemy, so she had no idea what to take of him.
"Relax, just tell me whatever you want." He said soothingly. Annabeth scoffed at the side, but didn't stop Piper from talking.
It was weird for Annabeth to let a stranger talk to them and sit in their corner, but she was in no mood to deal with the stubbornness of the visitor, also, she was put in a rather light mood after Luke's visit. So she could care less if they wanted to talk, as long as she didn't need to use her voice.
"Tell me about yourself, anything. Surprise me." He encouraged, glancing at Annabeth who had a genuinely amused expression on her face. It looked new to her, perhaps that facial expression had not been displaying itself on her face often lately. He was finding it a very interesting observation to make.
"Um, how's Nico? I mean, he looked haunted and pale after last time's visit." Piper stopped gaping and started to speak, but it wasn't anything expected.
It took Percy a moment to process the question and take in her nervous fidgeting. He offered a small smile that was meant to calm her down, he was here to investigate for his own movie, not to sell them out if he got anything, he was technically on their side. "He's fine, a little overwhelmed, but he'll get over it."
Piper nodded, not knowing what to do next. She was suddenly self-conscious, perhaps because of the natural celebrity aura around Percy or the fact that Annabeth was allowing everything to happen against her hidden regulations, she wasn't sure which one was creeping her out more. Her eyes darted between Percy and Annabeth, and lingered on the latter, hoping to find out a solution to this situation from her boss, but she wasn't getting anything. In fact, the eerie yet harmless smile that was slowly surfacing on Annabeth's face was making Piper's hair stand.
"What can you tell me about your daily life in here Piper?" He knew Piper would be good enough to start his investigation. He needed to use his conversation with her in front of Annabeth to prove to her that he was on their side and was worth talking to.
Piper shrugged, not sure where to start, she had a lot to spill out, and to a stranger that seemed to be uncaring about their criminal history might be a good choice. Piper could sense that Percy was just trying to get information out of them, but wasn't planning on selling them out to press more charges on them.
"My life here is boring and dull, I don't see any point of telling you that." Piper started, finally opening up, since Annabeth wasn't stopping her from doing so. "Why don't I tell you about my life before I got in here?" She offered.
Percy wanted to say he didn't really care about her life before, he was only interested in her life in jail, but now that she was talking, it was better than not, so he let it slide and let her carry on.
"I wasn't a very good kid when I was younger, before I am eighteen, I have committed several juvenile felony, DUI, DWI, you name it. Once I had some drugs in my hands and tried to sell it, but got blew up. My dad wasn't the proudest of me, but what can I say, he didn't make me proud either." She shrugged, very enjoying the recounting of her criminal life. "Then, the day I was eighteen, I got charged by theft with deception, I don't deny it, I really did do it, but that guy didn't even protest when I told him to hand me the car keys." She laughed, a merciless, humorous laugh. "Oh, how stupid was that guy. Then, here I am, charged with two years of imprisonment."
Percy smiled, trying to get some reaction to her anecdote, although he wasn't enjoying much, because she wasn't his main target. Her life wasn't as interesting as the one sitting next to her. Now getting on her second cigaret, she leaned forward and lit it with Percy's to save the fuel of the lighter.
"Oh, I have a question for you, Mr Jackson." Piper was high now, she had been so happy that someone would listen to her speech without being interrupted by the guards or being afraid of increasing her sentence in prison.
"Please, ask away." He said, glancing at Annabeth, always observing her movements and demeanors. A small idea had formed in his mind, he was now planning a biography, based on his observation on the infamous Annabeth Chase.
Piper was too concentrated on talking to think about her boss at the corner, she hadn't glance at her way ever since she started spilling towards Percy.
"Since you're friends with Nico D'Angelo, what do you know about Bianca D'Angelo? His sister I presume." She asked, completely unaware of the presence of Annabeth who sucked in a sharp breath soundlessly.
His eyes darted to Annabeth subtly when Piper wasn't looking, he sensed a tense atmosphere radiating off her corner. Turning back to Piper, he felt that it might be a sensitive subject for Annabeth, so he decided to give a blurred answer.
"I… Don't know much about her, Nico don't talk about her much." He said, it was partially true, but if he elaborate on the part where he knew about, the information still might be enough to cease Piper's thirst.
"McLean," Annabeth's stern voice broke Piper away from her trance, her head snapped to the speaker, a lace of fear flashed across her face before she looked back to Percy, as if it would prevent her from getting any potential punishment. The warning look from Annabeth's eyes was enough to make Piper curl up.
Piper decided to shut up and drop the subject, but Annabeth raised her eyebrow, an indication for her to make a move and do what she was supposed to do. She stood up and scrambled away, knowing that if she didn't do what she was told, she might be in trouble. Annabeth was always unpredictable with her decisions.
Percy watched everything unfold in front of him, amused. His eyes darted between Piper and Annabeth, knowing that a conversation was going on, or more precisely, an order had been passed down.
When Piper was gone and out of earshot, the place was quiet once again, the only sound audible was the sound of Annabeth blowing out rings.
Percy's deep chortle brought her back to the dark corner. Her analytic gray eyes focused on him, raising a questioning eyebrow at him, she stared into his eyes. His eyes were indeed beautiful, even she couldn't deny the fact that it would easily hypnotize anyone, attract anything it want, and let anybody drown and lost in them.
"You smuggle things don't you?" He said in a small voice, coming out more like a statement rather than a question. A smile was still on his face, he looked relaxed and almost fit in the place that he was in.
"'I'm known to locate certain things from time to time'." She quoted from The Shawshank Redemption, correcting him at the same time.
He smiled, knowing exactly of the reference. "'I wonder if you can get me a rock hammer'." He replied with the next line in the movie, making a creepy smile showing its way on to her lips. The smile, unlike any other ones he had seen coming from her, it was genuine, it reached her eyes. She was genuinely pleased and amazed by this young Hollywood sitting in her prohibited zone. For the first time in all his visits, her eyes met with his.
"How much do you think that will cost, from you?" He asked, the smile still tugging on his lips, knowing she was getting better about his existence there with her.
"I don't ask for money." She explained, letting her way of living in the prison slip, not completely unnoticed though. "Cash ain't somethin' useful, don't need those craps with me." She clicked her cigaret, making the burnt ashes drop to the ground next to her, where there had been a pile already.
"Then what do you ask for?" He asked, curiously.
"Cigarets, beers, wine even. Anything useful, you name it and I'll consider it." She shrugged, taking another sip of her cigaret. "They all come in packs or bottles." She informed, adding it after blowing out another perfect ring of smoke.
"How about I bring you something each time, and you decide if that's worth for a conversation with me?" Percy negotiated, striking up another deal.
Annabeth pondered for a moment, then decided to play it safe. "For example?"
"You'll just have to see." He winked.
"Then there's no deal." She cut it off quickly. "I play everything safe. Especially when it comes to this."
"Trust me, you won't be disappointed." He tried again.
"So are you going to interview me today or are you just going to sit here and waste your time trying to construct a deal with me? Cuz, I got all the time in the world."
"I've got time too." He shrugged. "And, if you don't mind, I can start interview you now."
"Then, get the packs ready."
"Didn't have them today, that's why I told you I'd bring something every time to surprise you."
"That's very kind of you, but you need to put something here as an advance payment." She smirked, finishing the cigaret in her hand. Taking over the one Percy handed her, which he had only sipped one third.
"You don't like it?" She asked humorously.
"Nah," he shook his head, "too inferior. Substandard."
"Rich prick." She shook her head, finishing off the one he left for her.
"What can I say?" He sighed, looking at her, taking in her features.
"Your deposit?" She asked, reminding him of their conversation.
"I told you I ain't got any, at least not with me."
Annabeth shrugged, knowing that there would be no deal if he kept saying that he's got nothing for her.
"How about," he got an idea, thinking that if this wouldn't work than probably none would. "I allow you the privilege of not being bound by the schedule. You don't have to work if you don't want to."
"How can you do that?" She was attracted to that idea immediately.
"I have my ways. Just think about who I am and what I'm doing." It was now his turn to smirk.
A/N: Stay tuned to my profile page for more updates on me and my stories!
As usual, worth a review?