Annbeth rolled her eyes, following Rachel wearily. She kicked small stones as they rounded a corner. Rachel yelped suddenly, and Annabeth's head shot up.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled.

Percy looked at her with wide eyes. His wrists were cut and bleeding and he walked with a limp. His jeans were ripped at the knees and his hair was sticky with blood.

"How did you get out? And, what happened?" Annabeth hissed.

"That's a lot of explaining...."

"Seaweed Brain..."

"Wise Girl...?"

Annabeth wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. Percy was tense and his arms hung at his sides, unsure of where to go.

"Percy,"

"Annie."

Annabeth grabbed his hands and wrapped them around her waist. Percy watched her, slowly relaxing.

"Jackson!" Percy's head snapped to the left, looking for the source.

"Run," he muttered and pushed Annabeth towards Rachel.

"Percy-"

"Go. Please," Percy begged.

Rachel grabbed Annabeth's arm and ran, dragging Annabeth behind her. Annabeth tried to pull free, but Rachel's grip was like iron. Percy was in trouble, and she was running in the other direction.

~

Annabeth laid down on the couch. Percy's couch. She pulled the fuzzy blanket over her head. The smell of the sea immediately touched her nose, and she whimpered.

Annabeth felt the couch shift underneath her, and she lifted the blankets from her face slowly. Sally was sitting next to her, her hand resting on Annabeth's shin.

Annabeth cocked her head, "I thought you were at the police station?"

"Rachel called." Sally smiled, "Said you had run into him and he had told you to run. Also, that you seemed upset. What's going on, Annabeth?"

Annabeth sighed, "I know who took Percy."

Sally's eyes were glassy, "Who, Annabeth?"

"Luke Castellan." Annabeth said quietly.

~

Percy glared at Luke, "And you expect me to do what?"

"Don't come back. Let me go, and I won't bother you nor Annabeth again."

Percy sighed, "If you don't keep your promise-"

"I swear on my life that I'll keep my promise, Percy."

Percy hesitated. This was a good deal. He knew Annabeth had gotten Luke 'tattled' on. She had most likely told his mother and he had brought it to the police. And now, Luke was offering to leave everyone alone if Percy let him go and didn't turn him over to the police.

"Deal." Percy muttered.

Luke smirked, "Thanks, Percy."

~

Annabeth sat up straight as the door to the apartment opened. She hopped over the back of the couch and ran to the door. Percy stood in a the doorway, looking oddly ashamed.

"Percy!" Annabeth ignored his expression and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hey, Wise Girl." Percy grinned.

"What happened? How did you get free- I mean..."

"He let me go." Percy said plainly.

"What? Why? Not that I didn't want him to-"

"He got 'turned in' so he was forced to let me go instead of possibly put himself at risk."

"Wait, so technically you let him go?" Annabeth blanched.

Percy looked down, "Yeah. Pretty much,"

Annabeth forced him to look at her, "Don't be ashamed of that."

"I only did it because he said he would leave you alone...."

Percy looked at Rachel, who was leaning against the doorframe. "I'll tell you later."

~

Annabeth filled up a plastic bag with ice cubes, since the Jackson's didn't have any icepacks. Annabeth, honestly, found that odd. Annabeth wrapped the baggie with a washcloth and padded back into the T.V room, where Percy was lying on the couch.

She sat down next to him, setting the baggie under his head.

"You're going to need stitches, Seaweed Brain. How did this happen?" Annabeth asked him gently.

"My sassy side found a way to make an appearance," Percy smirked drowsily.

"Okay, lesson learned: Don't ask Percy questions when he's on pain meds."

Sally smiled and brushed her son's hair out of his face, "Percy, can you focus, baby?"

"The ceiling is so-" Percy stopped talking.

Annabeth laughed, "Get some sleep, Seaweed Brain."

~

As Annabeth stepped out of the room, she was greeted my Rachel.

"So..."

Annabeth looked at Rachel, swiftly tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "Yeah, I guess he didn't need our help."

"Guess not," Rachel smirked.

Annabeth smiled, "He seems perfectly capable of helping himself. He refused to tell me why he wanted to help me, though."

Rachel smiled knowingly, "Why don't you go ask him?"

Annabeth looked at Percy sleeping peacefully on the couch, "When he wakes up."

~

Percy groaned and sat up, a bag of water falling down from under his head. Annabeth was sitting in the loveseat, reading a book. Percy squinted to see the title.

The Fault In Our Stars.

Typical Annabeth.

"Annabeth," Percy croaked.

Annabeth looked up from her book, quickly standing up. She made her way over to the couch, sitting down next to him as soon as she got there.

Percy opened his mouth to say something, but Annabeth beat him to it. "Why did you let him go?"

Percy looked her in the eye, "Later."

"It's already later."

"I don't care. Later."

Annabeth sighed, "What did you say to Luke to piss him off enough to crack your head open?"

"I told him I was smarter than he looked," Percy said innocently.

She laughed quietly, "Typical Percy."

"Typical Annabeth, reading a romance novel where the guy dies in the end anyways."

Annabeth smacked him upside the head, but her eyes quickly widened. "Sorry!"

Percy smirked, "Your actions-"

"Shut up."

Percy's smirk grew, "Okay."

Annabeth shook her head, "You can be so submissive."

"Only for you," Percy winked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Thanks," she said sarcastically.

"Anytime." Percy snuggled into the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

"I've noticed you enjoy staring at ceilings," Annabeth smirked.

Percy looked at her, perplexed, "Staring is fun, is it not? It's absolutely amazing to make people feel uncomfortable."

"So, you're trying to make the ceiling uncomfortable?" Annabeth asked smugly.

Percy blushed, "Not exactly."

"Okay, it's later."

Percy groaned.

"So, Percy. Why did you let him go?"

"Because he said he would leave you alone."

"Why did you want him to leave me alone?"

"Because I couldn't let you marry him."

"Why would you care? You're just the new kid who hates the popular girl for-"

"Because I love you."