Demons And Angels

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Percy escorted the group through the Institute, to their rooms. Only Jason went to his room though, Thalia and Piper shoving Annabeth into her room and closing the door behind them.

He tried to just leave them, let them talk and go into his room . . .

But he ended up just sitting outside her room, drawing a better hearing rune on his arm and closing his eyes to concentrate.

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Annabeth fought her shaking hands as Thalia closed the door behind them. She flexed her fingers as she went over to her desk and looked for something to distract her. But all the paper work was in Percy's room, they had spent the whole day pouring over his notes.

Now she had to face two of her closest friends.

Who wanted the truth she still didn't want to admit to herself.

No, she had admitted it to herself. That's why she ran away. She couldn't let the others know, ruin their lives just because her own heart shattered.

What she wouldn't do to just have Percy's reassuring presence right now. A thread inside her tugged, and she glanced to the door. He had to be right outside there. She didn't know how she knew, but she did, she knew he was right outside if she needed him.

She did need him. Right after she at least tried to talk with them.

Tell them the truth.

"Spill it." Thalia said, crossing her arms and leaning on the door. Piper nodded her agreement as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Uh . . . um . . . " Annabeth stuttered, and she never stuttered. It was enough for Thalia and Piper to go on high alert, and close in on her. "It, um, something happened to me. Was um, almost done to me." She folded her shoulders in and folded her arms, trying to shield her soul from what had happened. "And uh, I, uh, couldn't . . . Tell you guys . . . B-be-because, um." She took a deep breath and a tear rolled down her cheek.

She wiped it away before they could see and turned to her window. She couldn't face them as she said it. "Because, you both . . . Know and care for him." Thalia and Piper went utterly still, sucking in breaths and letting her keep talking. "Um, what happened, um."

"Did someone hurt you?" Thalia asked. "Do we know the jackass that laid his hands on you?" She hissed, and a glance over to her told Annabeth that Thalia was now on a war path.

"Uh, yes." She nodded turning back to the window. "Yes, and yes. Uh . . ." She ran her hands over her face, her movement jittery and harsh.

"Who?" Piper whispered.

"I'll give you a hint." She gave a broken laugh and collapsed further into herself. "You brought him here with you."

Both girls stopped.

"Luke." Thalia breathed. As if her heart had shattered and fallen down to her stomach.

Annabeth bit her lip and nodded, barely a jerk of her chin downwards. "Annabeth," Piper reached out, only for the blonde to jerk away, "I'm so sorry."

"Why should you be?" She laughed again, covering up the creak of the door. "You didn't do anything."

"Exactly." Thalia said, running a hand through her hair, eyes burning holes in the floor. She slid to the side as a shoulder brushed past her, a dark figure she knew had been outside.

Percy wrapped Annabeth up in his arms and tucked her blonde head into his chest. "I'm going to give you ladies a mission, one I'm sure you're more than happy to carry out." He whispered, his voice low and sweet, like a death song echoing over mountain peeks. "Get me Luke. Get him in to the basement of the Institute, and I'll take care of everything else."

Thalia and Piper nodded, stalking out on a night breeze.

He said nothing as he held Annabeth, only Picking her up and sitting down on the bed when her knees gave out. She sat in his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his neck. Savoring the sea-salt scent of him, the strength that was never letting go of her unless she told him to.

He held her, one hand locking onto her back and one locking around her legs, his hand buried in her curls.

The solid mass of him was enough to even out her breathing, the anger pouring off of him-not at her, never at her, but at Luke-was a tether in the storm that was her emotions.

And she held on, held onto the chain linking their souls.

He hummed softly, rocking her a bit, not to compare her to a child but to let her collect herself.

She pulled back ever so slightly, to peer into his green eyes. Eyes that were already trained on her, swirling with emotions as if he had harnessed hurricanes in his very soul. And the only window into that churning sea was through his eyes.

Annabeth placed a hand on his cheek and smiled, a broken and feeble smile. He smiled back and his arm around her legs moved to her waist. "What are you going to do?" She asked him, not about her, but with Luke.

"That's up to you." He breathed, bending his nose to graze her neck. "I can torture him within an inch of his life." She shuddered, but not at the violence lacing every syllable. "I can let him go with a warning." He chuckled, the sound skittering down Annabeth's skin and bones. "Or I can rough him up a bit, let him limp out of here, with a very clear message that I will hunt him down if he tries anything like that again on anyone."

Annabeth gripped his arm, her grey eyes churning with such raw emotions as she stared at him.

"Of course, I would love to see you get a few good hits in while we're at it." He traced shapes on her waist as he grinned at her. "And I can call in a few friends who would be more than happy to take a shot at the pervert."

"Who?" She asked, letting his fingers draw a burning line down her side, to trace circles on her upper thigh.

"Nico for one, scare the shit out of him with his fangs." He chuckled. "Then there's Hazel and Frank." He held her chin and smiled. "Leo and Calypso, Conner, Travis, his girlfriend Katie. They would all love to take a swing at someone like him." He growled that word out, as if say his name was too much of an acknowledgement that he shared the same air as them.

"I would love to see that." Annabeth laughed, her voice a rasp. "However, I think this is too personal." Percy nodded, holding the side of Annabeth's neck, letting his thumb move back and forth. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek and let her head rest on his shoulder once more.

Percy smiled softly. "Anytime, Wise Girl."