When It Fades To Black: Percabeth AU

Cold

(All story line rights go to ChasingFreedoms)

Piper POV

Percy turned the crumpled body on the ground over and I groaned when I saw it was not Annabeth's father but Nico Di Angelo. He was a friend of mine and more importantly, he was a friend of the badassiest badass at school, Reyna Ramirez- Arellano. She'd beat me up for sure, but I couldn't dwell on that right now. Nor did I have time to wonder why he was here. I simply checked his pulse and, after assuring myself that he wasn't dead, Percy and I continued searching for Annabeth. 

I started to panic when we couldn't find her anywhere. Percy had even gone upstairs and looked in Annabeth's room. Nothing. Suddenly, I tripped and hit my hand against the wall to prevent myself from falling. The noise echoed in the wall. I've seen far too many mystery movies, of which most my father was (annoyingly) the star, not to get super excited. As I looked for some way to get into what I hoped was a secret room, I glanced down to see what I had tripped on. A bloody chain. Oh gods... My sense of excitement had been traded for a new sense of urgency to find Annabeth. I found the catch-release and pulled, and a panel of the wall slid to the side. There she was. She had no shirt, only a sports bra on, and she was turning blue. She was shaking. And there was so much blood, it stained her, the floor, the wall. I quickly pulled off my sweater, revealing the tank top I had on underneath, and I wrapped Annabeth in it. She was cold like death. I called down Percy and told him to grab Nico. 

We both went out to my pickup and loaded up Annabeth and Nico. I floored it all the way to my house, with Percy following me. I thanked whatever god or goddess was up there that no cops saw us. I'd thank whoever the hell Aphrodite was if I had to. 

Annabeth POV

14 hours earlier...

I woke up in the secret room where my father hadn't thrown me in years. I'd been hoping he'd forgotten about it. I had hoped wrong. I could here my dad whispering outside to someone. A deep male voice replied. Then the door opened. My father was holding a knife, and I couldn't move to escape him. He'd broken to many bones already for that. Once he was finished carving me, as I drifted in and out of consciousness, I remember he tels me that he'd be home late because of a meeting and that I shouldn't go anywhere. He was so cruel. I hated him. 

Present day

 I awoke in Piper's bed. I was still cold, but all my wounds we're dressed. I glanced around, and saw Piper but Percy. No. I couldn't face him after what had happened last night. I was ruined, sullied. My mind and body we're too broken, too unfixable. They still thought I was asleep. I let them think that as I listened to what they we're saying.

"Bastard. I'll kill him." Percy.

"I'll hold him down." Piper.

Now a third voice entered the conversation located right behind me. I was proud of myself for not jumping. 

"We can't focus on him right now. We need to focus on helping Annabeth." Nico? What was he doing here?

I listened to them talk about my fate for a while and they all finally left to go get some dinner from Piper's huge fridge. Piper's room was on ground floor level, and had French doors to the garden. I could make a quiet getaway now. It wasn't too far from here. I could make it. I quietly got up and left, ignoring the pain I was in. Every step sent black spots doing the polka across my vision, and the cold in my veins threatened to overwhelm me but I kept walking. I had to make it. One foot in front of the other, left right, left right, left right... 

I collapsed anyway. The pain was just too much. I fell, waiting to feel the hard gravel garden path beneath me, to reap even more pain. Instead I feel a strong pair of arms underneath me. I look up into Percy's eyes, and all I see is love and concern. I hate that. I can't stand that he cares. I'm far to broken to deserve it. He begins to carry me back to Piper's room. 

This  will only delay me. I will get where I am going. I have to.