A/N: Trigger warning: there are mentions of abuse in this chapter. If it triggers you in any way please be careful.

Also disclaimer – none of the characters are mine.

Percy's POV:

As soon as the helicopter touched down at the academy, I jumped out the door and practically ran to my dorm room. We had a couple of hours before dinner started and Mr. Solomon's class was our last for the day. Annabeth kept on giving me weird looks on the way back, and I can't help thinking that maybe she found something out. All I know is that I needed to get out of the copter fast, before she started asking the questions that I'd been trying to avoid for years.

"Percy! Wait!" I hear Annabeth shout. "We need to talk!"

We definitely do not need to talk, I think in my head. I look back to see Annabeth whispering something to Jason and Thalia, but I don't even want to think about what it is. I briefly think that maybe Zach mentioned what we talked about to some of my friends…but there's no way he would do that. He wouldn't betray my trust like that. Plus, he doesn't know enough about me. There is no way he would put two and two together. With that, I push the thought into the depths of my mind.

As I get closer to my dorm, I realize that this is the first place they would look for me. Hmmmm I think. Where can I go that they wouldn't even think of looking for me? I remember over hearing Bex and Liz talking about Cammie disappearing into secret passage ways on a regular basis. Maybe I can find one that would hide me long enough to get my act together. I am going to have to be more careful than I have ever been if I want to keep my secret hidden.

I wander the halls for a while, looking for a place to be alone. Emotions are swirling through my brain like a hurricane and I am so lost and confused that I don't even know what to do about anything. Maybe training will help me regain control before I blow the whole schools water systems or do something else I am going to regret. I can already feel the pounding and rushing in my ears – a tell-tale sign that sooner or later I am going to lose control if I don't let off some steam. I walk by a window and look outside to see it pouring rain. Oh well, at least if I am outside I won't destroy the school. I head towards the front doors and wander into the rain, making my way to the P & E barn.

I ran through the biting rain to the shelter of the barn. Peeking in first to make sure it's empty; I dash inside and pull off my soaking hoodie. It won't do any good wet, if anything; it will just hinder my movement. Then, I start training. Riptide practically jumps from my pocket to my hand. It's been to long since I've done some proper sword training, and my body has been craving it. I start on a dummy and with each swing, memories and worries come to the surface…and then fade into nothing.

Swing. Sneaking into the apartment after school as quietly as possible, only to have Gabe chuck an empty beer bottle at my face. Jab. Laying in my bed, waiting for Gabe to come in and attack me with his belt after mom goes to bed. Duck. Tending to my broken ribs or my torn up back alone at 2 AM so that Gabe doesn't find out. Jab. Hiding the pain Gabe inflicted from Mom so that she doesn't worry so much – she worries enough. Duck. Running through the shadowed alleys of Manhattan in the dead of night, trying to avoid all of the gangs and dangerous men. Swing. Walking into a liquor store as an 8 year old trying to convince them I was 21 in hopes of pacifying an unbelievably drunk Gabe. Swing. Finding out about camp and finally getting away from Gabe's demands only to fight for survival against monsters from a storybook. Jab. Lying to all my friends about the scars on my body and the nightmares in my mind. Swing. Falling into Tartarus and reliving all my childhood memories, facing my deepest fears, while simultaneously trying to hide it from Annabeth.

I finally fall back onto the hay exhausted, troubled thoughts swimming through my brain before I fall into a restless sleep.

Annabeth POV:

I watch Percy dash into the mansion with worry racking through my body. I can almost feel his pain, but I have no way to stop it and no idea what is really troubling him. I shout after him before I turn to Jason and Thalia standing next to me. I whisper, "we need to talk. Let's head to our dorm. I don't care if we are breaking rules. We need to figure out how to help him together." So we make the trek from the helicopter to the girl's dorm pretty much unseen. There we throw out ideas on what to do and what could possibly be hurting Percy this much.

"Something is hurting him and if we don't do something, he is going to destroy himself," Jason says. "I know he hasn't been sleeping and he only eats when we force him to. We have to help him!"

"I know Jason" Piper says coming up to hug him in any semblance of comfort. "We all feel the pain he feels to a certain extent, but only Percy knows what is truly troubling him."

I look up from the spot on the floor. "That's not exactly true. Zach came up to me after the mission today and said that he thought it had something to do with Percy's childhood. He said that Percy said some pretty horrifying stuff today." I look at all my friends faces to see varying forms of acceptance. The idea seems plausible.

Thalia though looks a little doubtful. "As probable as that sounds, it doesn't exactly make sense that it would only be affecting him this much now. I mean Percy hasn't actually seen Gabe since he was like twelve right?" Thalia says, pushing off the wall from her spot by the door to come sit next to me. She pulls me into a tight hug, practically dragging me onto her lap. At last, the overprotective Thalia shows herself. Ever sense I was little Thalia had a habit of pulling me onto her lap to comfort me or protect me. Even now it brings a wave of safety with it that is rare in our lives.

Nico brings up a legit explanation thought that I hadn't even thought about. "I think the most likely explanation is Tartarus. Percy has probably struggled with this for years, but Tartarus makes you relive your worst nightmares and memories. Percy probably felt like he was a little kid at the mercy of Gabe again and it probably drug up all of the fears and habits that Percy had as a kid. To him it doesn't matter that it happened years ago. Tartarus made him feel like it was yesterday."

"I guess you're right Nico," I say. "I didn't even think that this is all still a product of that evil place. But do you really think Percy's childhood was that bad? I mean he never says anything about it."

Leo pulls himself to sit from his position sprawled out over Hazel's bed. "Percy seems like he had one of the better childhoods out of all of us. I mean you guys have said that Gabe was a pretty bad person, but Sally is like the mother of all demigods. She wouldn't let anyone hurt any of us like that, especially her own son. And plus Sally would never marry someone who was that harmful." Leo raised a good point and everyone seemed to agree to it for the most part. I'm not sure I completely agree, but it does make sense. I really can't see Sally letting any of that happen.

"I think the only way Gabe could have hurt Percy was if Percy never said anything to his mom about it" Frank mentions from where he is sitting with Hazel wrapped in a tight embrace. "and from what you have said about Percy's relationship with his mom, that is probably just as unlikely as Sally allowing it to happen. Percy seems like the kind of guy who tells his mom everything."

"Yeah" I say, but I am thinking, unless whatever he would tell her puts her in danger. I don't say anything to the rest of the group, but it's looking more and more like Percy's childhood was as horrific as Zach had said it might be. And from glancing at Thalia, Jason and Nico I can see they are thinking the same thing. Before any of us can say anything to the others though, there is a knock on the door and Liz pokes her head in.

"Dinner is going to start pretty soon. Cammie, bex, the guys, and I are heading down. Would you like to join us?"

"Sure, Liz" Piper says, jumping up along with the rest of the group. I see Zach in the hallway as we head out, looking around like there is someone missing. That's when it clicks that I haven't seen Percy since the helicopter. I say as much to Thalia.

"He looked pretty stressed and tired on the way back. Plus you and I and probably Nico and Jason still need to confront him about what we talked about. Let's give him some space and if we still can't find him after dinner, we can look for him. Anyway, Liz is right dinner is about to start and I, for one am starving."

Of course, Thalia would think about her stomach right now. But I guess she's right. I make eye contact with Zach, and can see the concern lurking in the depths of his eyes. I make a promise to myself to include him in our hunt fir Percy later. After all, he was a huge help in figuring out what might be wrong, the least I can do is include him.

A/N: Hey y'all! I'm sorry its been so long. Life's been busy and I'm not the best at finding time to write, so I apologize. As always, if y'all have any ideas, comments, or critiques feel free to let me know. I love all of the reviews that y'all send me. Also a late Merry Christmas to you and Happy New Years.