Percy's POV

I was woken up by screaming.

I quickly jumped up off the floor to see Annabeth thrashing and struggling against something that wasn't there in her sleep.

"Annabeth!" I shook her shoulders. "Annabeth wake up it's just a dream!" I shook her awake this time. She shot up, her face streaked with tears and her eyes filled with fear. Her breathes were shallow and ragged.

I sat in front of her on the bed, and scooped her up and into my lap. I hugged her and held her close. She cried for a while as I held her, and my heart was breaking. I hated seeing her like this, distraught and in pain and scared. I wanted to kill Luke for doing this to her.

We sat in silence, the only noise coming from Annabeth. I was stroking her arm when she quickly got off of me. "Stop!" She pushed me away. I tried to hide the hurt in my eyes.

"Did I do something wrong? I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean t—" I started apologizing frantically.

"N-no. I..." Annabeth shook her head. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Annabeth." She wouldn't meet my eyes. "Annabeth, look at me." I gently tilted up her chin, forcing her to look into my eyes. "You have absolutely nothing—you hear me? Nothing to apologize for. I don't ever want you to hear say sorry for this again. Got it?" I looked deep into her eyes. Her grey irises were dull, lacking their normal bright, storminess. They looked broken. She nodded miserably.

"And I swear to you," I took her hand. "I will kill him," I decided it was best not to say Luke's name. "If it's the last thing that I do." I promised.

"Percy you don't h—"

"No." I cut her off. "He did this to you. And if murdering him wouldn't require the authorities to get involved," Annabeth gave me the faintest little smile, but it made my heart feel warm. "I would do it. But I don't care, if I get suspended for a whole month for beating the shit out of him. I'll do it."

I waited in silence for Annabeth to say anything. She finally nodded slowly, whispering, "Thank you."

"Try to get some rest." I tucked a stray hair behind Annabeth's ear.

"Okay." She whispered. It seemed like all she could manage. Like she was so broken at the moment, that she could barely even raise her voice in the slightest.

I hated it.

It killed me.

Annabeth wasn't her loud, obnoxious, beautiful, incredible self. She couldn't be.

And Luke took that away from her.

And I would take his ability to produce children away from him.

I just have to wait until break is over.

Then, I can beat the shit out of him as I please.

><•><

"Annabeth, you okay?" Piper leaned in and whispered to Annabeth.

Annabeth had dipped her head down like she normally did when we passed Luke in the halls. I glared at him like I always did, and he kept walking. We've been back for about a week now, and I would've beaten Luke up on day one but Annabeth stopped me.

She had become more fidgety around Luke, and she wouldn't meet his gaze. But other than that, she had done well with acting like everything was fine. She was loud again, and she laughed, which was good to hear, even though it wasn't truly real.

"Yeah," Annabeth started. Piper gave her a look. "No." She sighed. "I need to tell you all something." Annabeth announced to the group, effectively stopping every conversation.

"You sure?" I looked at her.

"Yeah." She nodded. "I'm sure." It sounded more like she was talking to herself than me.

"Alright." I nodded.

"What's up?" Leo asked. His arm was hung over Calypso's shoulders. She had become a part of the friend group after that first party. We had hung out a lot more, yet she and Leo still weren't dating. Leo needs to stop being a bitch and make a move.

Funny, when we had this conversation, he told me I should take my own advice.

I gave him the middle finger.

"In private. Come on." Annabeth led us all out of the school. No one really seemed to care that this large group of teenagers was just waltzing right out of the school in the middle of the day.

She led us farther and farther, until I recognized where we were. I smiled as we reached the bleachers. This place held some good memories. Annabeth looked back at me, and we had a silent conversation.

This okay? She asked.

Yeah. It's just fine. I smiled at her.

She led us all underneath them, and we all huddled in, I being closest to Annabeth. It was a lot more cramped under here when there's nine people instead of two.

"So what's so important that you dragged us under the bleachers? Are you gonna tell us that you guys actually were making out in the janitors' closet?!" Leo asked excitedly.

I glared at him. "No, dipshit." I retorted.

"Fine." He smirked at me like, I know you're lying.

Did I wish I was lying?

Yes.

Was I?

No.

"I need to tell you something. Something that's really fucking me up right now." She started.

Under different circumstances, I would have laughed. But I didn't, mostly because I was too busy being angry and focusing on Annabeth.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked, her eyebrows were furrowed with worry.

"I mean," Annabeth took a deep breath. I gave her a reassuring smile, taking her hand. "The night of Piper's Christmas party, I..." She faltered. "I ran into Luke." She paused. "I was going to use the bathroom upstairs. And he... approached me." I could tell that she was stalling, but I didn't blame her. I couldn't imagine what she was going through, and to tell this to her friends? It can't be easy. "He kept trying to get me to dance with him, but I refused. Then, he grabbed me by the wrists. I fought him and I tried to get him off of me," Annabeth looked angrier now, but like she wanted to cry at the same time. "But I was drunk, and he's twice my size, and apparently sober. He dragged me down the hall, past the stairs..." Annabeth took a few minutes to recollect herself.

Reyna and Calypso's faces fell, as if they knew where this was going. Everyone else seemed to catch on as well, their faces becoming sympathetic, and their eyes sad. Annabeth continued.

"He shoved me into a bedroom, and he locked the door. And he..." Annabeth blinked back tears and angrily hit her lip. Her grip on my hand tightened. I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb. She took a shaky breath. "He tried to rape me."

"Annabeth." Piper whispered with tears in her eyes. She tightly embraced her best friend, letting a few tears slip out. Piper pulled away after a long moment, Annabeth briskly wiping tears away.

"Thankfully, Percy heard me yelling for help, and he saved me." She gave me a gratefully yet small and teary smile and my hand a squeeze. I smiled back at her.

Piper wiped her eyes. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?" She asked.

"I don't know," Annabeth sniffled. "I-I guess I was ashamed." Her voice was small again.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Anna. This isn't your fault—" Reyna grabbed Annabeth's hand.

"It's Luke's." Calypso finished.

"And he's gonna pay, I swear to god, Annie. I'll hit him with my wrench, and I'm not kidding." Leo said, his face completely serious.

Annabeth smiled. "Thanks Leo."

"Oh you think it's only Leo? Luke's not the only one on the football team." Frank chimed in.

"I don't care what's gonna happen. I just know that he's not gonna get away with this." Jason had a determined look in his eyes.

"We're gonna get him." Hazel said with pure empowerment and anger on her face.

"All of us." I looked at Annabeth, taking her hand.

She looked up at me, and she smiled, more tears brimming her eyes. "Thank you guys." She laughed as a few tears streaked her cheeks. "God, I'm crying too much! I'm not even on my period!"

Everyone laughed.

"Let's go kick some douchebag ass!" Leo yelled.

We all cheered.

And it was the most heartwarming death threat that I had ever witnessed.

><•><

"Hey Castellan!" I barked. Everyone in the cafeteria fell silent. Luke turned and stood up, facing me as I strode towards him.

"Oh, look who it is. Jackass and his little posse." Luke smirked.

"Oh you find that funny don't you?" I asked before punching him straight in the jaw. He stumbled back, completely thrown off guard.

His jock friends began to stir, but the rest of the crew stood around the table, glaring them down. No one moved from the table. I had to admit, we were pretty scary when we wanted to be. Even Leo. The only person who wasn't there was Annabeth. But she would be here soon.

"Finally stepping up you little bitch?" Luke asked with a snarl as he held his jaw where I hit him.

"Yeah, I am, you fucking dick." I spat, stepping closer to him. I felt everyone's eyes on me. I put all my focus on Luke and my anger from what he'd done, ignoring the stares.

"Well, that's great." Luke threw a right hook at my face, but I easily caught it, twisting his arm. He turned, and tried to hide his pain. "Help me, you dumbasses!" Luke barked.

A few of his cronies went to stand, but Reyna and Frank stared them down. One guy took one look at Hazel, snickered and stood. Hazel kicked him back into his seat. He didn't move again. Hazel might have been small, but that didn't mean she wasn't scary or powerful. Clearly something this guy didn't understand.

"I've got him!" I called to Annabeth. She appeared from a random table, pulling her hood down. She confidently strode towards Luke, a look of pure rage on her face. Her eyes stirred dangerously and angrily, and they looked stormier and brighter. The corners of my mouth turned up in the tiniest bit at that. She was getting her fire back.

"Castellan." Annabeth scowled and gave Luke the scariest death glare I've ever seen—part of me wanted to cower in fear.

"Oh, back for more?" Luke snickered and I pulled his arm back more, causing him to wince.

"You son of a bitch. You're a vile, putrid, disgusting human being. And you should be ashamed of yourself." Annabeth got right in his face. "You ever, fuck with me or my friends ever again," Annabeth's voice had the most dangerous and threatening undertones. "And I'll beat the shit out of you. I'll hurt you so badly, you won't be able to walk for a week." She threatened. Luke gulped, an the fire in her eyes seemed to get brighter. "Don't fuck with us."

Luke snickered, he muttered something incoherent.

"Oh, you think it's funny?" Annabeth nailed him right in the side of the head, a right hook that would have broke a pro-boxer's hand. If Annabeth was in any kind of pain, she didn't show it. Her jaw stayed clenched and her eyes were still stormy. "Don't come near us, ever again." Annabeth got right in Luke's face. He didn't respond, and I threw him to the floor.

We all walked away, leaving everyone in the cafeteria stunned.

•••

Authors note

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE