The Bread Thief | Percabeth | Victorian Era AU

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕰𝖑𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓: 𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖑𝖊𝖓 𝕶𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖘

**A/N: I literally cried my ass off writing this chapter. I felt so many things and I hope you guys like it. Things are getting very . . . real. I don't know how long I'm making this story since I didn't plan it, but let me know what you think. There's nothing more I love than feedback from you amazing people. I know how the story ends, and all I'm going to tell you is that's it's very realistic.**

Annabeth and Anne walk around the small jailhouse looking for the second corridor. Francis, the leader of the gangs in town, took care of the guards and Annabeth gave him several coins and food.

Anne taps Annabeth's shoulder and points to a sign. "Corridor two," she whispers. "He's down this way."

Annabeth turns the corner and squints her eyes to see through the darkness. Corridor two was the darkest hallway in the building. She tip-toes and tries to stay quiet because she didn't bribe any of the other prisoners and they will not hesitate to make noise. It is only a matter of time before someone notices the missing guards and sends more.

Anne steps on a wrapper.

"Shhh," Annabeth hisses. "You have to stay quiet. Watch your step."

"I wouldn't have to watch my step if you would let me light a lantern," Anne says, annoyance creeping into her voice.

"Absolutely not," Annabeth scolds. "Are you a ratbag? I thought you were supposed to be good at sneaking around. Lighting a lantern is not the way to stay hidden."

"Annabeth?" The voice came from the cell closest to them.

Annabeth feels like someone punched her in the stomach. "Percy?" she whispers so quietly she almost couldn't hear herself. She reaches for her key and unlocks the cell. "Oh my goodness," she gushes, unable to keep the tears from her eyes. Her eyes begin to adjust to the dark and she sees the new bruises and lashes that lay on Percy's face that weren't there in the courtroom. She gently touches them with her fingers and Percy hisses in pain. "What did they do to you?" Annabeth whispers. "You . . ."

"I'm okay," Percy whispers. Annabeth can tell by his voice he is crying. "Why are you here?" he asks. "My execution is tomorrow."

She shakes her head stubbornly. "No, it is not. Come with me," she says. "Please?" she adds almost silently.

She helps Percy to his feet and leads him from his cell. He grabs her wrist and pulls her back towards him, pressing his lips against hers, and running his fingers through her hair.

Annabeth can't comprehend what is happening. She tries to find the science to tell her why she is feeling the way. The reason that tells her why her stomach is trying to turn itself inside out and back again.

She gives up and lets her mind become clouded.

Percy pulls away and runs his thumb across Annabeth's lips, studying her face.

"Why would you do that?" Annabeth whispers.

The corner of his lip quirks up in such a way that it was almost unnoticeable and almost sad. "There is a big chance we're going to die tonight, and I really didn't want to die without knowing what your lips felt like."

She opens her mouth to find some witty response to tell him, but Anne snorts. "Okay, Love-birds. As much fun as that was to watch, there is a whole army of guards coming this way and have to go. Now."

Anne rushes ahead and Annabeth helps Percy down the hall at a medium pace. When they burst out through the backdoor, Annabeth breathes the cool, night air.

"This way." Anne leads them through a series of twisted alleys and corners through the darkness. "I have a safe house that I am assigned to when I go out on missions. We can stay there and regroup. We have to make a plan. And no matter what, we cannot get caught, because even if I survive, the Queen will kill me. After all, I'll be outed."

Percy starts to pick up his pace and can keep up with Annabeth and Anne. "Outed as what?" he asks.

Anne flattens herself against a wall and a series of soldiers come running by. "You didn't tell him?" she asks Annabeth.

"Well, there wasn't exactly a lot of time, was there?"

Anne pokes her head out into the street and ushers Percy and Annabeth across. "I'm Queen Victoria's assassin. If she wants someone dead, I kill them. I've been an assassin since I was seven." She glances at Percy before picking up a rock and sliding a key out from under it. "I was sent here to kill Annabeth's father so Hermes would advance and become the new head of the Magistrates because Frederick wasn't punishing anyone the way he was supposed to which caused crime to spike. Annabeth discovered me my first night undercover and told me to complete my mission and she wouldn't interfere--"

"Wait, you let her kill your father?" Percy interrupts as they slip inside the tiny, worn house.

Annabeth smiles grimly. "You really can't be that surprised, and besides, that's not even the most interesting part of the story."

"Anyway," Anne continues, making it clear she doesn't like interruptions, "You being brought into the courtroom that day caused Annabeth to curse her father out in front of the entire courtroom after you left which completely foiled my plan and I had to extend my time in this awful town." She lights a candle. "I came up with a new plan that worked, however, Annabeth came up with a little plan of her own, which involved killing her future husband the same night I killed Frederick. Then we used that plan to break you out before your execution."

Percy's eyebrows knit together as he looks at Annabeth. "You killed Luke," he says.

It wasn't phrased like a question but she answers anyway. "Yes. If I didn't kill him, he would have killed me--or at least had me killed by someone. He was pretty pigeon-livered."

"What do we do now?" Percy asks the girls. "We can't go back out there."

Anne sighs. "For now, we stay put. I'll help you with your injuries from your time in the jailhouse. Annabeth will come up with a plan. Percy, you . . ." She pauses. "Just try not to die."

"Thanks," he mutters from his chair.

Anne gets up and leaves the room. She opens a hatch in the floor and goes down to a basement.

"Thank you for coming back for me," Percy whispers once she is gone.

Annabeth looks at the floor and forces her tears to stay away. "It was my fault you were in there, to begin with." She tries to keep her voice steady but it breaks anyway and she sighs.

Percy gets up from his chair and sits next to Annabeth on the worn couch. "It wasn't your fault, love. We live in a screwed world. You were helping me for so long, and every second in there was worth it if it brought me closer to you." He kisses her cheek and laces his fingers through hers. "It seems like so long ago I was just your houseboy."

Annabeth smiles sadly. "Percy, you were never just my houseboy."