Sorry for leaving on a cliff hanger in the last chapter. Enjoy :)

Chapter 2: The Past

Annabeths POV:

Percy was trembeling in the corner between his bed and the wall. I felt like it was all my fault. I let them tie him up, I let them mess with him.

"Percy, I'm so sorry." Percy looked at me with a blank stare. Normally, his eyes are alive. The sea green colour that looked like waves crashing against the shore, had no life. They completely lost their spark. I reach out to touch his cheek, but he flinches away from me. I touch his tan cheek with the tip of my fingers. His skin is cold, and that scares me. I managed to coax him out of the corner and onto the bed. His forehead is bleeding, so I grab a cub of salt water from the spring in his room and touch some to his head. The gash starts to close, but unfortunately, the water can only do so much, and now there's a scare on his forehead.

"Percy, can you tell me what happened?" I say in a calm voice hopeing to sooth him. There's a 15 minute window of silence. I can tell by his face that he's continplating on wether he should tell me or not. In fear of making him break down again I take him by the shoulders, laying him on my lap. I start stroking his forehead and humming to him.

Percy's POV:

I'm such an idiot. I can't even controll myself and I hurt one of my friends. I want to tell Annabeth what happened but I'm scared she'll treat me differently. She starts stroking my head and playing with my hair. I can't stop my self. I start bawling like a little child in his mothers arms.

"I-I'm... sorry-" I say inbetween sobs.

"Sh, sh, sh." Annabeth consoles me. "It's ok. You're safe, here with me." I look at Annabeth and decide I'm going to tell her. I owe her that much.

"P-promise, you won't treat me... diferently." I make her promise and start to unravel the story. "I-t started when I was t-three." I manage to choke out. "My mom married my first stepfather, Gabe. He was great for all about 30 seconds, but then he started. He s-started..." I trail off into a line of sobes. Annabeth hugs me, pulling me close into an embrace. I finally muster up the courage to continue speaking. "He started to-to... hit me and my mom. I m-made him promise if... if I let him hit me, he wouldn't touch her." I let out a strangled cry.

"Percy." Annabeth said sternly. "When did it start."

I tried to gather my thoughts. "When he basically walked through the door. So when I was th-three." I sobed into Annabeths arms. I felt to dumb, so vulnerable, so weak. And yet all I wanted to do was cry.

"I-i'm so sorry, Percy. That never should have happened."

"Th-thats not a-all." My voice was cracking. I couldn't stop it. "H-he w-would lock m-me in the bas-basement of the a-apartment building and-" I couldn't speak anymore. My throat closed up, and all I could do was make short choking sounds as I tried to catch my breath.

Annabeth held me close as I weeped in her arms.

"I-its okay." Annabeth said reassuringly. "He can't hurt you anymore."

I was shaking in her arms. God dam it. I thought. I'm such a baby. I'm crying over a man who's been dead for years.

An eternity later, the cronch horn blows, telling us it's time for dinner.

"Do you feel like eating?" Annabeth asks

"Y-yeah," I reply with a half-hearted grin.

Im not sure how to keep the story going, so this might be the last chapter if I come up with new ideas. Thanks for reading :)