Chapter Text
The rest of summer flies by.
Grover finally gets his searcher license from the council. And on July 4th, he gives his friend a hug and wishes him the best of luck, and he hopes to see him again soon. He knows no searcher has ever come back from looking for Pan. But something in his gut tells him that Grover is going to be different.
Chiron was under investigation for how he handled things. Or rather, lack of handling things in some cases. Nothing had ever really been announced to camp, but somehow it had become camp's worst-kept secret. Though nothing had been done so far. Percy wasn't sure if they were waiting for the summer to end to do anything (if they were going to do anything) or what.
In the meantime, he has a decision to make about whether to go back home. Something that should feel easier than it is, apparently, since he still hadn't made a choice by the end of the summer. Where he ends up on the last day staring at the form, unsure what to do. In all of the communication he had received from her. She had never once said what had happened with Gabe.
But he had just assumed that she had gotten rid of him. Because he had made it clear that if Gabe was there, he wasn't staying.
He didn't need the man's protection. And as much as he loved his Mom. He couldn't handle being around someone like Gabe. Not when it wasn't necessary.
But what if she hadn't done anything about Gabe? What if he was still living in their apartment?
What if he came back to the same 'room' he had for years now? Ever since Gabe had decided that his stuff took priority over Percy.
He needs to go for a walk to clear his mind before he can decide.
Because right now, just sitting in the cabin letting his brain go in circles wasn't helping.
Which was, of course, how Luke managed to get him.
Their relationship had never really recovered after the incident with the pegai. And then Percy actually managed to succeed on a quest.
Luke never says anything directly to him. But his actions make it obvious he's not happy about any of this. Percy has his guesses as to why. But for the longest time, that's all they are: guesses.
And Percy would have been fine with and lived with the change in attitude from Luke. Especially as he now had actual friends that cared about him. If it weren't for the fact that Luke was the actual thief all along. And had apparently been planning to try and kill him for months.
Joy.
Thanks to a couple of dryads getting him back to camp in time. And Chiron, with some help from Lee, he survives the attack from the pit scorpion. But it was close to him earning a permanent trip to the Underworld.
It's a slow process to explain everything. Between being exhausted from nearly dying. And how much Luke had basically dumped on him about what he was actually feeling wasn't an easy task.
But eventually he thinks he gets everything.
Chiron looks absolutely devastated to learn what Luke had actually been up to. Lee doesn't even really look that surprised by the development. Which, actually, considering most of the camp had heard his rants against the God at some point.
He thinks only a few people probably didn't see that coming. And one of them was Chiron.
Chiron goes to exit the room, saying. "I must report on this to Olympus at once."
Well, that was nice to see someone taking it seriously. Though how much Zeus would listen to Chiron was a whole other thing, considering the argument Zeus and his Dad had had back in June.
But at least it wasn't just his Dad that was seemingly worried about what was happening. So that was something.
Chiron pauses in the doorway, as if remembering something, and turns back for a moment. "Lee, your family's already been alerted as you asked me to. Just make sure to give Argus plenty of time to return you to the city when you are leaving."
"Yeah, I know."
Percy frowned in confusion at that. As far as he knew, Lee wasn't a year-rounder. But he thought all summers only were supposed to be gone by the end of today.
Or at least that was the impression he had been given up until today.
But then again, while people actually talking with him had improved since he had been claimed. It still felt lacking in some areas. So not having the right information wouldn't surprise him.
"You're staying?"
"Just for a little while longer. You nearly died. I want to make sure you're okay before I head back to my Pa's place."
Oh.
That was unexpectedly nice.
Lee lets a bit of quiet pass before adding. "I know you miss your Mom. But I already talked to Mr. D., and he said it would be okay for you to stay for a few extra days. And I really would press that you do. You're going to need some time to recover from this; you nearly died even with our help. I can send you home with aftercare instructions, but it would be easier if I had you here to keep an eye on for a while longer."
Percy scrunched up his nose in confusion. "Chiron didn't mention anything about staying longer."
It wasn't that he didn't trust Lee's opinion. Not after being on a quest with him anyway. He was just confused about why Chiron didn't suggest that as well. Or apparently that Lee had gone to Mr. D. about that. That felt like a Chiron thing.
But then again, he hadn't been paying that closely to how camp ran…
Lee made a displeased face at that. "No, he didn't. And I'm not entirely sure why. You nearly died and he just-"
He cuts off there before he goes off on what seems to be a building rant. But Percy gets the gist of it anyway. Lee doesn't approve of the way Chiron's treating him, or well, not treating him.
It's still weird at times to see other campers caring about what happened to him. Especially considering how things originally started with him and them before the pegasus coup.
But it's nice; he's not going to lie.
Especially after having years of only his Mom caring about what happened.
It's still weird at times to wrap his head around. Especially after camp had behaved when he first got claimed. But he's slowly getting used to it.
"Just another thing with him that needs to be addressed. Anyway, you need to be looked after for a few days after what happened. Maybe a week's top if we spend some time in the ocean to help with that. But I, in good conscience, can't let you just go home right after nearly dying."
Percy hesitated. He did want to go home but after things had calmed down Lee had been good to him. And he had no reason not to trust his opinion at this point."I'll need to Iris Message my Mom to let her know what's going on. But if you really think it's better I stay. I'll stay."
"Thank you."
Mom wasn't picking up the Iris Message.
It wasn't entirely unusual, he had to admit.
He had only gotten a handful of letters during the summer, but any attempts at Iris Messages had failed. He had just thought she was busy with other things and couldn't take his calls.
Separating from Gabe, finding a new place, things like that. He hadn't really put too much thought into the lack of them or the lack of answering the occasional Iris Message he had tried.
But now…why wouldn't she be answering them?
Was she still with Gabe and just hadn't told him? But why? He had told her that if she stayed, he wouldn't be able to come home again. Because the danger Gabe posed far outweighed any benefit of seeing his Mom.
Which hurt to admit, but it was the truth.
He hopes he's wrong about his sinking suspicions about Gabe. And that it really is his mom; she has just been too busy. But he can't shake the worry entirely. He guesses he could ask Lee to come along just in case. But just as quickly as the idea occurs to him, he dismisses it.
No, he can't ask anyone to go back with him. He won't let Gabe hurt anyone else. Even if Lee had volunteered to help if needed.
He would deal with this. Just like he had dealt with everything else with Gabe.
Lee gets a sympathetic look when he mentions the unanswered calls, and Percy already has a feeling he knows what he's about to say before he opens his mouth. "Percy, have you maybe considered that she might be pulling away from you?"
No.
And he knows he's never been the easiest kid. Despite every attempt to the contrary at times.
But they had always been there for each other.
Well, he technically has his Dad now. But even after everything, it feels more like a distant relationship than a real one. And he doesn't know if that will ever change.
"She always talked about being terrified about losing me if I came to camp. Why would she just suddenly change like that?"
"Mortal parents, in my experience, can be weird and not in a good way. I hope for your sake that's not what's going on. But she definitely wouldn't be the first parent to say one thing and then change their mind later when actually separated from their kid for the first time."
"She's all I have."
He technically had his Dad. But considering how absent he had been from his life up until this point, he didn't have much hope that this was going to change now that he suddenly knew who he was.
Not with the way the other kids talked anyway.
Lee gives him a sad look at the comment. "I know. I'm sorry, kid."
"What am I going to do if she is leaving me?"
"You have camp. I know it's not easy to lose a parent. Especially like this. But you'll find a lot of the kids that are here year-round, unfortunately, will understand what you're going through."
Yeah, he remembers hearing a few stories like that around camp. But he thought, maybe foolishly, that things would be different.
It was supposed to be him and his Mom against the world.
Until he guesses she finds a way out of that.
Two days.
It was two days between when he nearly died from the pit scorpion. To when Lee said he was finally doing well enough to go home.
And two days of not hearing anything from his Mom.
He kept trying to tell himself that she was busy with things. And that there were plenty of reasonable excuses for why she might not be answering his Iris Messages.
But as time crept on, it became harder to excuse as 'she's just busy'. Especially with Lee having pointed out that she might be pulling away.
He didn't want to think that's what was happening.
But there are only a handful of explanations for why she wasn't answering him. And none of them were good.
Both of them knew that.
So Lee insisted on coming along with him. Apparently, just to talk to his Mom about a couple of things. Percy suspects he also wants to make sure Gabe is actually gone.
He appreciates that someone is looking out for him. Even if his Mom should have done something about Gabe by now.
She had the means; he had made sure of that. There was no reason to keep the loser around, just sitting there and causing literal pain to both of them.
So why would Gabe still be there?
Unfortunately, reality and expectations don't always match. And he could smell the fact that Gabe was still living in their apartment before he even saw the man.
He freezes in the doorway. Despite the fact that part of him knew this was a possibility that had been playing in the back of his head for literal days now. He had been hoping that it was wrong.
But there was no mistaking Gabe's smell or voice.
"Percy-" Lee begins.
"We need to go-" He says, grabbing the older boy's arm and dragging him back into the hallway.
Maybe it was cowardice to decide to just avoid Gabe. Rather than actually do something. But he couldn't stand being around him again.
He had meant what he had told his Mom. As long as Gabe was in their apartment, he wouldn't come home. He couldn't come home. His protection had never really been that. And was completely useless now.
And she knew all of this.
And yet still kept Gabe around. Why?
It wasn't until they were outside the apartment building, and a couple of streets down from it, that Lee said something to him. "I thought you said he was gone."
"I thought he was."
He hadn't had many letters from his Mom after the solstice. And the few he had hadn't really talked about Gabe. He just had assumed she didn't want to talk about him.
Which was fair. He didn't want to think about the man either.
But he had let himself believe that he was enough for her to leave.
Because he loved his Mom, but he thought he had made it clear that as long as Gabe was here, He couldn't ever return home. There wasn't even a reason to at this point.
He knew how to fight monsters now. Gabe's 'protection' was null and void.
So why was his Mom still with him?
"Am I not good enough?"
The question was more muttered to himself than to Lee or anyone else. So it's surprising when he actually hears another voice say. "You are plenty good enough. Your mother…just can be stubborn in ways that are a problem at times."
"Dad," He blinks a couple of times in surprise. He hadn't actually been expecting to see him. He had just been expecting him to send some pegasi for him and Lee, and that would be the end of it when Percy had sent the prayer after they got out of the building.
"Perseus, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"At least physically," Lee added. "Made sure he couldn't do much else."
"Thank you, Lee Fletcher, for watching out for my son."
Lee flushed in embarrassment at that. "That wasn't why I did this. I just wanted to make sure Percy was safe. I've heard too many stories of kids going home going sideways after being at camp. This was one time I could stop it."
"I understand; however, the effort is still appreciated."
Especially considering how things had started at camp when he had first claimed his son. Knowing he had another demigod looking out for his child when he couldn't was a relief. The naiads and the pegasus could do more than people realized. But there was still a limited number of them.
"Should we stay?" Percy asks.
Truth be told, he doesn't want to stay. He didn't want to hear whatever his mom had to say about all of this. About why Gabe was still here. Nothing she says is going to make any of this right. But if he has to, he will.
His Dad shook his head. "No. Even if my conversation with your mother is productive. I think some things need to be addressed before you return again. Among them, I don't want you near your stepfather for obvious reasons. And I doubt even with my interference this will be something cleaned up tonight."
Percy quietly wonders if his Mom will even listen to him. Or if this will just make things worse since it feels like this all got started by her being kidnapped. But he doesn't actually voice that thought.
"There are a pair of pegasi over in the nearby park to take you back to camp. I will follow up with you, Perseus, later this evening."
Percy feels numb on the flight back to camp. None of what happened feels real. He had watched it all happen in front of him, and yet it felt like it had been happening to another person.
Lee keeps giving him concerned glances on the flight back. But he doesn't say anything until they're dismounting from the pegasi. "Are you okay?"
Percy just shakes his head. He doesn't trust his voice right now. He's afraid if he speaks, he'll end up crying.
"Florence, Johnson, I thought you two were supposed to be gone for the summer." Mr. D's voice draws his attention to the God who is over on the Big House front porch.
"Percy's going to be moving to the year-round program," Lee answered for him.
"And you, Florance?"
Lee shook his head. "Just staying to make sure he's okay. And then I'll be heading back home like planned."
"And you, Percy, you going to be okay?"
He blinked in surprise, not expecting the use of his name out of the God. But he guesses that shows the actual seriousness of the situation.
"He wasn't supposed to be there."
He's still in shock about what happened. His Mom had only been with Gabe because he couldn't protect himself. That's what he had been told. So why had she stayed after he had learned to protect himself?
He misses the exchanged look between Lee and Mr. D. too busy caught mulling in his own thoughts. He had always been worried he might lose his Mom. That he might be too much. But his Mom had always told him everything was okay.
Until it wasn't, apparently.
"I'll let the cleaning harpies know that Cabin 3 is going to remain occupied after all. If you need some clothes or anything, talk to one of the older kids that stay. They can take you into town for shopping. There's a fund specifically set up for your kind of situation."
Percy blinked a couple of times. "I didn't hear about that before."
Not that he was supposed to need it before, really, he guesses. Since he had rescued his Mom from the Underworld in the end. But there had been a two-week period of his life where he had thought he didn't have her.
Mr. D. massaged his forehead at that revelation. "Of course, why am I not surprised? He is always particular about how certain campers receive information. And with you having no siblings to correct it-" He cuts off there before the rant can go any further. Though Percy has a feeling it wasn't going to get better for Chiron. "Make sure to talk to my twins when you get a chance. So I can make sure he didn't conveniently leave something out, and you had to go to one of his favorites for information. Especially since both of them have left now."
"Annabeth left?" He asked in surprise.
Of course he hadn't really talked to her since she had complained about him going to his Dad. So he had really no way of knowing. But it was still a surprise since he remembered her saying she had been living here for five years.
What had apparently changed while he wasn't looking?
"Yeah, she's trying the summer thing again. We'll see how well that goes with Chiron's coddling though."
Going by the tone in Mr. D's face, he probably expected her to be back in a little over a month. Which honestly…considering how long it had been since Annabeth had lived out there from what he remembered.
He's not sure he's entirely wrong.
Chiron really didn't seem to set up some people for success. But that was a whole other thought process he really didn't have the energy to get into right now.
Right now he just wanted to go back to Cabin 3. Curl up and forget everything that had happened in the past few hours.
"Can I go back to my cabin now?"
"Yeah, just make sure you speak with someone about setting up your cabin activities, lessons, and such for the year before the weeks are out. Unless you change your mind on the year-around thing."
Yeah, he was even more unsure how he felt about all of this right now. But he just didn't have the energy to decide. That was an untangling to do after he had a nap at the very least.
Lee eventually left him to get some rest when there was a knock at the door. And he opens it to find his Dad standing on the cabin's porch.
He blinked, a bit surprised at first. In the chaos of trying to understand why he had lost his Mom as he had. He had almost forgotten the fact that his Dad had said he was coming over before he had left Manhattan.
"Are you alright, Perseus? I understand that seeing that…mortal must have been incredibly difficult. Did he hurt you?"
Percy quickly shook his head. "I'm fine. Gabe didn't hurt me." Not this time, at least.
"Perseus-"
"I'm fine."
Because if he was anything else other than that right now, he would have a meltdown. And he couldn't be doing that.
He's surprised by the softness in his Dad's tone when he speaks next. "It's fine if you're not. Home is supposed to be safe, and your mother refused to provide that even when she had the means."
That was the start of the first crack in him holding it together. He's not crying yet, but he can feel the threat of them. "He wasn't supposed to be there."
"I know."
"He was supposed to be gone. I even offered to help if she couldn't do it. But she said no."
"Your mother's always had a hard time accepting help."
Part of him will wonder what that means in a couple of days. But he can't linger on it now. Instead, he asks as the fight against the tears finally gives out. "Am I not good enough?"
He already knows the answer. He's been told the answer time and time again over the years. But he thought he was at least worth more than his stepdad.
Apparently not.
His Dad pulls him into a hug at that, picking him up off the ground. Placing a kiss on the top of his head. It's a gentler gesture than he expected, from a God he's always been told is destructive. "You are plenty good enough, my son. No matter what anyone else might say or do otherwise."
"But then why did Mom pick him over me? He hurt her; why would he stay with her? She didn't need to anymore. I can protect myself, and he does nothing, but she still stayed."
That was maybe the worst part. Gabe had no use anymore. All he had done was hurt her and him. And the only benefit his mother had from that relationship was a protection that was null and void.
And yet she had still stayed.
He doesn't understand it.
His Mom had always said how much she loved him. But it felt like it had all disappeared in the aftermath of the Minotaur attack. Because if she truly loved him, why was she still with Gabe?
"I'm afraid that is only a question your mother can really answer."
"I don't want to talk to her right now." He says, mumbling, burying his head into his Dad's Hawaiian shirt. "I don't want to be alone. I want to be with you." Though just as quickly as he says that, he starts backpedaling. "I mean I can-"
"Percy, it's okay. I can take you back to Atlantis with me. I just need to inform Dionysus of it first."
"Really? I'm not being a problem?"
He can feel his Dad take a deep exhale against him. "No. I can promise you are not."
The next hour is a blur. His Dad doesn't once put him down while he talks to Mr. D. about what he's doing. And thankfully Mr. D. doesn't question it, or else he might have had a second meltdown.
He's half asleep on his Dad's shoulder when they arrive in Atlantis. He hears a hushed, quiet conversation with Amphitrite, but much like with Mr. D., he's too tired to try and even track what is being said. Instead, he just burrows further into his Dad's side.
Some part of him feels like he should be embarrassed for acting like a five-year-old around his Dad's family. Another part of him is too tired to care. And is just happy he's being allowed to do it.
(He doesn't want to think about the fact it's been years since it felt like he could have a moment like this with his Mom. Not since before Gabe had married her.
Because before Gabe, there were other boyfriends that didn't like that he existed. And only put up with him because they had to in order to get to his Mom.
He's not sure if he's ever actually met a boyfriend of his Mom's that actually even tolerates him, really. Most of the ones that she got together with to 'protect' him. Didn't like having kids.
Which would be fine if his Mom didn't already have him.)
He doesn't know what is going to happen from here. And he is too tired right now to even try and figure that out.
But at least he has somewhere for now. However long that ends up lasting.
After that day, things start settling into a new routine.
Weekdays in Atlantis, learning from tutors both about this world and the mortal world. (He doesn't fully understand how his Dad found someone to tutor him in mortal subjects. He decides he doesn't need to know.) Weekends alternating between camp and his Mom. Eventually.
Though the latter takes some time after everything with Gabe.
It hurt something on a level and in words he can't really describe yet, coming back to find Gabe still there. It reinforced the idea he had grown up with: that he was never good enough and more trouble for his Mom.
(Words she had never said, of course. But others had said sometimes when they thought he wasn't looking. Other times purposely in his earshot.)
Technically, from what he knows, this probably wouldn't be approved by several Gods if they knew what was going on. But from what he can tell, at least right now, no one was about to go telling Olympus about what was happening. So things were good.
Visitations with his Mom were hard. Since it reminded him of what he apparently had lost (if he ever had it) during the Minotaur attack.
Part of him still hoped he might eventually go back to living with her. But things weren't exactly easy. Something seemed to have broken after everything with Gabe, and Percy wasn't sure it was possible to fix it.
Not in the way he really wants anyway. Which was to go back to how things were between them before.
She had never physically hurt him, but what had happened with Gabe… Well, something had changed that day. And no amount of apologies and explanations was ever going to really change that, unfortunately.
He loved his Mom still. That never was going to really change. But knowing that there was a limit to how far she would go changed things.
(It wouldn't be until he was older that he started to understand why his Mom had struggled with Gabe. But that would be several years down the road.
Right now all he knew was that his Mom had married Gabe for him. And seemingly somehow he was not enough for him to leave him.
Despite him being the whole reason they were in that situation to begin with.)
And there had been talks with his therapist about how they had ended up in this situation. How it was never his responsibility to make sure his Mom got out of the situation. Let alone how they got into the situation to begin with.
Unlearning that he wasn't responsible for the responsibilities and feelings of the people he cared for had been a long task after being put in that position so often growing up. And still being put in that position after being in the Greek world.
But he eventually realized that they were trying to push him into it. And didn't understand the concept of taking no for an answer. Then they really didn't truly care for him.
That was still something he struggled with at times. But he was getting better at that idea at least.