Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Percy stood at the saltwater spring in his cabin, rubbing Chiron's coin in his hand and trying to figure out what to say to his mom. Annabeth was missing, and he really wasn't in the mood to have one more adult tell him that doing nothing was the greatest thing he could do, but he figured his mom deserved an update.

Finally, Percy took a deep breath and threw in the coin. "O goddess, accept my offering."

The mist shimmered. The light from the bathroom was just enough to make a faint rainbow.

"Show me Sally Jackson," he said. "Upper East Side, Manhattan."

There, in the mist, was a scene Percy did not expect. His mom was sitting at their kitchen table with some… guy. They were laughing hysterically. There was a big stack of textbooks between them. The man was thirty-something, with longish salt-and-pepper hair and a brown jacket over a black T-shirt. He looked like an actor—like a guy who might play an undercover cop on television.

Percy was too stunned to say anything. He wondered if some god was playing a cruel trick on him. This can’t be real.

His mom and the guy were too busy laughing to notice his Iris-message.

The guy said, "Sally, you're a riot. You want some more wine?"

"Ah, I shouldn't. You go ahead if you want."

"Actually, I'd better use your bathroom. May I?"

"Down the hall," she said, trying not to laugh.

The actor dude smiled and got up and left. As soon as he did, Percy unfroze. He took in an unsure breath.

"Mom!" He said.

She jumped so hard she almost knocked her textbooks off the table. Finally, she focused on the mist. "Percy! Oh, honey! Is everything okay?"

"What are you doing?" Percy demanded. He tried to relax. Maybe the guy was just a new neighbour. Maybe he was helping her with moving something, or… or-

She blinked. "Homework." Then she seemed to understand the look on his face. "Oh, honey, that's just Paul—um, Mr. Blofis. He's in my writing seminar."

Percy’s heart pounded when he saw his mum smile as she mentioned his name. She had been enjoying being with that guy, he knew he hadn’t imagined it. Percy stared at her, confused that she didn’t see the problem in that. "Mr. Blowfish?"

"Blofis. He'll be back in a minute, Percy. Tell me what's wrong."

Percy fidgeted. He wanted his mom to be happy. He wanted her to enjoy her life. He just thought that- with her taking classes, and with Percy being there most of the year, and with no men around… He thought she was happy with that. She was safe.

His mom was looking at him expectantly. She always knew when something was wrong. He couldn’t tell her what he thought about this Paul guy until he knew more, but he could tell her about Annabeth. The other stuff too, but mostly it boiled down to Annabeth.

His mother's eyes teared up. Percy could tell she was trying hard to keep it together for his sake. "Oh, Percy…"

Percy hated seeing his mom cry. He quickly tried to change the subject. "Yeah. So they tell me there's nothing I can do. I guess I'll be coming home."

She turned her pencil around in her fingers. "Percy, as much as I want you to come home"—she sighed like she was mad at herself—"as much as I want you to be safe, I want you to understand something. You need to do whatever you think you have to."

Percy stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you really, deep down, believe that you have to help save her? Do you think it's the right thing to do? Because I know one thing about you, Percy. Your heart is always in the right place. Listen to it."

Percy was brought back to the last day he ever saw that man; with Medusa’s head, and the look in his mom’s eye. "You're… you're telling me to go?"

His mother pursed her lips. "I'm telling you that… you're getting too old for me to tell you what to do. I'm telling you that I'll support you, even if what you decide to do is dangerous. I can't believe I'm saying this."

"Mom—"

The toilet flushed down the hall in their apartment.

"I don't have much time," his mom said. "Percy, whatever you decide, I love you. And I know you'll do what's best for Annabeth."

Percy caught his breath, feeling overwhelmed. Everything was happening so fast. He felt like he was losing grip of something important.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because she'd do the same for you."

And with that, Percy’s mother waved her hand over the mist, and the connection dissolved, leaving him with one final image of her new friend, Mr. Blowfish, smiling down at her; it made Percy’s skin crawl.

Percy stared at the saltwater spring. The longer he stared at it, the louder the gurling of the spring got. He heard it over his thoughts. He felt the noise rear up something in him; some feelings of fear, some of defiance. He didn’t know why he was feeling like this; he usually loved the sound.

His thoughts were torn.

He worried for Annabeth. Percy wouldn’t admit this to anyone, but he missed her. He wanted to talk about it with his mom because she always made him feel better, but now…

But now…

Paul Blowfish?

Being separated from Annabeth and seeing his mom with this Paul guy…

Percy paced the room.

Two of the most important people in his life….

Long buried emotions threatened to overflow in him. He was getting agitated; he knew it by how the saltwater in the spring was slowly starting to bubble and boil.

I can’t protect them.

I can’t know they’re safe unless I’m with them.

It’s my fault- I should have been there…

I should have been there…

Percy grabbed his head. Dark energy filled his lungs. He felt restless. Useless. He paced faster; faster.

Flashes of memory blinded Percy. Annabeth disappearing down the cliff. His mom flinching when that man raised a hand against her.

Annabeth is gone. Mom is alone with some guy.

Percy felt helpless as he felt everything slip out of his control. He heard laughter floating around in his mind. He knew that laugh. It belonged to the worst monster he’d ever met; the first monster who had ever made him feel so weak. The man was dead, but he still had so much control over Percy’s life.

“I should have been there!” Percy yelled as he fell to his knees and punched the ground with his fists. The saltwater exploded like a geyser, the hot water steaming as it doused everything. Percy let himself feel the scorching water on his skin. He wondered if it could harm him.

How could I have let this happen again?

He didn’t remember falling asleep, but he remembered the dream.

Percy was in a barren cave, the ceiling heavy and low above him. Annabeth was kneeling under the weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She was too tired even to cry out. Her legs trembled. Any second, Percy knew she would run out of strength and the cavern ceiling would collapse on top of her.

Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks.

Luke gathered up Annabeth's listless body and carried her away from the goddess.

A man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole cavern ceiling would collapse. It wasn’t Gabe’s anymore. It wasn't Kronos’ either. Kronos's voice was raspy and metallic, like a knife scraped across stone. Percy had heard it taunting him many times before in his dreams. But this voice was deeper and lower, like a bass guitar. Its force made the ground vibrate.

Percy woke with a start. He was sure he'd heard a loud banging. He looked around the cabin. It was dark outside. The salt spring gurgled peacefully as if nothing had happened. His skin glistened from his dream, but was otherwise unharmed. There were no other sounds but the hoot of an owl in the woods and the distant surf on the beach.

He thought of his dream as beads of sweat rolled down his neck.

Annabeth.

Luke had her. She was in danger.

I need to save her.

He thought of his mom- of that guy in their apartment. He desperately wanted to call her and tell her to run. The guy wasn’t trustworthy. She shouldn’t be alone with him.

Something caught his eye in the moonlight. On his nightstand was Annabeth's New York Yankees cap. Percy stared at it for a second, feeling like he was making an impossible choice. He closed his eyes.

“Percy, I think you’re enough like me to understand. If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”

His mum has always been strong enough to take care of herself. She could make these decisions on her own; she didn’t need her son to tell her who to and who not to trust.

He opened his eyes.

That didn’t mean Percy had to trust the guy. It just meant that right then, Percy trusted Luke less.

He jumped as he heard something dense thumping on the door. BANG BANG.

He looked back at his comfortable bed. His bronze shield still hung on the wall, dented and unusable. On his nightstand was Annabeth's magic Yankees cap. On an impulse, Percy stuck the cap in his pocket. He had a feeling that once he opened that door, he wasn't coming back to his cabin for a long, long time.

Chapter Text

It all happened so fast; too fast.

It was Percy’s birthday. He hadn’t told anyone because it always fell right after camp, so none of his camp friends could usually come, and he didn’t have that many mortal friends. Besides, getting older didn’t seem like anything to celebrate since he had the big prophecy about him destroying or saving the world when he turned sixteen. Now Percy was turning fifteen. He was running out of time.

His mom threw him a small party at their new apartment. Paul Blofis came over. Percy had met Paul Blofis a few times before, and Percy wasn’t sure if he should be glad that his body cringed less and less when the man came over. He seemed nice, but Percy couldn’t- wouldn’t- shake the feeling that the man could switch at any moment; show his true colours. A shiver fell over Percy every time Paul Blofis laughed or drank a beer with his mom. Percy kept a close eye on her at all times.

Yet, he couldn’t deny how happy his mom looked around Paul Blofis, or how Percy himself felt around the man. Paul Blofis felt different. He was clean and intelligent. He had put in a lot of effort to help Percy with Goode Highschool and always asked Percy how he was and what he was up to. He made his mom laugh and helped her with chores and cooking when he was around, especially when she was tired. They had spent just over a year together and already knew so much of each other. They moved together as comfortably as Percy and Annabeth did- well… Percy thought, chewing the inside of his cheek, not anymore.

Truthfully, Percy wasn’t sure where he and Annabeth stood after their quest. His heart ached as he realized he would much rather face Paul Blofis with her by him. Percy shook his head out of the thought. Annabeth had more important things to worry about, and he wasn’t even sure how she felt about him anymore. After what happened under the volcano, and then with the final line of the prophecy- it all felt so uncertain.

Besides, Percy trusted his mom’s instinct.  

Tyson came to his party, too, and his mother baked two extra blue cakes just for him.

While Tyson helped his mom blow up party balloons, Paul Blofis asked Percy to help him in the kitchen.

As they were pouring punch, Paul Blofis said, “I hear your mom signed you up for driver’s ed this fall.”

“Yeah. It’s cool. I can’t wait.”

Percy had been excited about getting his license forever, but his heart wasn’t in it anymore, and Paul could tell. Percy guessed it was that teacher aura. In a weird way he reminded Percy of Chiron sometimes, how he could look at someone and actually see their thoughts. Percy realized that this was why he felt so comfortable around Paul Blofis so quickly, and reminded himself to stay vigilant. His body was allowing his mind to feel safe around Paul Blofis and he kept willing himself to be aware of the something, anything that screamed: untrustworthy. It was like falling asleep in class and constantly waking up to make sure the teacher hadn’t caught him snoozing.

“You’ve had a rough summer,” the man said. “I’m guessing you lost someone important. And… girl trouble?”

Percy stared at him. “How do you know that? Did my mom –“

He held up his hands. “Your mom hasn’t said a thing. And I won’t pry. I just know there’s something unusual about you, Percy. You’ve got a lot going on that I can’t figure out. But I was also fifteen once, and I’m just guessing from your expression… Well, you’ve had a rough time.”

Percy nodded. He’d promised his mom he would tell Paul the truth about him, but now didn’t seem the time. Not yet. “I lost a couple of friends at this camp I go to,” I said. “I mean, not close friends, but still –“

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. And, uh, I guess the girl stuff…”

“Here.’ Paul handed Percy some punch. ‘To your fifteenth birthday. And to a better year to come.”

They tapped their paper cups together and drank.

“Percy, I kind of feel bad, giving you one more thing to think about,” Paul said. “But I wanted to ask you something.”

Percy’s breath stuck in his throat. He scolded himself for relaxing, and realized Paul Blofis had that affect on him and his mom. Around the man, Percy and his mom felt almost safe. Percy frowned, not sure what to think of that. “Yeah?”

“Girl stuff.”

Percy’s frown deepened. “What do you mean?”

“Your mom,” Paul said. “I’m thinking about proposing to her.”

Percy almost dropped his cup. His mind reeled. He had never imagined Paul to become a permanent part of their lives, the idea of marriage had not occurred to Percy and it hit him like a truck. “You mean… marrying her? You and her?”

It was so fast; too fast. His heart beat erratically in his ribcage.

Another husband? Another step-dad?

“Well, that was the general idea. Would that be okay with you?”

“You’re asking my permission?” Percy croaked.

Paul scratched his beard. ‘I don’t know if it’s permission, so much, but she’s your mother. And I know you’re going through a lot. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t talk to you about it first, man to man.’

‘Man to man,’ Percy repeated. It sounded strange, saying that. His thoughts were spinning. He was suddenly reminded of how he felt on Mount Othrys last year. Percy thought about Paul and his mom, how she smiled and laughed more whenever he was around, and how Paul had gone out of his way to get Percy into high school. His mom deserved happiness, and even Percy had to admit that Paul was nothing like his ex-step-father. He found himself saying, “I think that’s a great idea, Paul. Go for it.”

Paul smiled really wide then. ‘Cheers, Percy. Let’s join the party.

Percy bid farewell to Tyson and Nico. His mom had insisted they both take some cake home, and Percy couldn’t help but smile at how odd the pair looked; an excitable cyclops and a son of Hades, both looking very happy about their cake slices.

Tyson gave Percy a big hug, and Nico wished him a happy birthday, the surprise guest nodding solemnly as he and Percy remembered what they had discussed. Percy thanked the boy and watched them leave, his body feeling heavy with premonition.

He felt much older than fifteen. His mind was flooded with thoughts of the quest, the battle, camp, of Annabeth, of Rachel, of Calypso. Then he would remember Kronos, Luke, Typhon, and the prophecy, and his face would be shadowed with a brooding look. Soon after his mind would be filled with thoughts of Poseidon, Nico and his plan, the curse, school, Paul.

The proposal.

His mom.

Percy pulled himself out of his thoughts and found himself staring into an empty hallway. He closed the door and leaned his forehead against it, wishing he could forget about it all. He felt like he was in the midst of everything, like the fate of the world was in his hands; and he felt so out of control.

This was why, perhaps, when he heard his mom scream, Percy left his mind behind and let his instincts take over.

It was all over in a blur. Percy’s limbs tensed and moved impossibly fast. The pen in his pocket was unsheathed. He was in the kitchen in seconds. His mom was behind him, the man was in front of him, Riptide against his throat, Percy’s left forearm against his chest. Percy was still shorter than Paul Blofis, but the man’s eyes were filled with shock and fear.

His mom called Percy’s name urgently, softly; like she did when he woke up with a nightmare. Percy didn’t hear it. For a moment, his senses were assaulted by the smell of grease, the taste of blood, the sound of poker chips.

Paul Blofis took a deep breath, staring at Percy as if he had never seen the boy before. “Percy,” he breathed, “where did you get a baseball bat from-”

“You will not touch my mother again,” Percy snarled through clenched teeth. Blood pounded in his ears.

“Percy, honey.” His mom touched his arm gently. “Baby I’m alright, nothing happened-”

“Mom,” Percy’s eyes betrayed him, filling with tears. With everything on his mind, he couldn’t believe he had let this happen again. He couldn’t believe he had let his mother down. “I’m so sorry I didn’t see-” his voice broke. Percy’s armed still surged with adrenaline, and Paul was keeping as still as he could. Percy looked on the floor. He knew Riptide couldn’t hurt the man, but he didn’t need a sword to kill a man who hurt his mom. He forced himself to take a breath and try again. “Are you okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine, Percy,” he could hear the concern in his mother’s voice, “nothing happened, sweetheart.”

Percy frowned. “But… I heard you scream.” Percy remembered the sound and glared up at Paul Blofis again, the man who had asked to marry his mother just hours before.

And Percy had said go for it.

He tightened his grip on Riptide. “Mom, if he hurt you-”

“Oh, Percy. It’s alright- I wasn’t screaming.” She softly grabbed Percy’s shoulders and slowly pulled him away from Paul Blofis. “I was laughing at a joke, I wasn’t screaming.”

His mom enveloped Percy into her arms, who was still too shocked to make sense of the situation. Suddenly he was back in their kitchen. Suddenly he realized Riptide was unsheathed and he had been ready to kill the man who made his mom’s life easier and made her laugh. Percy’s eyes widened as he leaned into the hug, realizing he had just ruined that for his mom. Even his tears didn’t know what to do; he was simply… frozen.

Percy’s mom combed her fingers through his hair. He felt her chest vibrate as she spoke to Paul, probably asking him not to press charges against her crazy son. Percy closed his eyes tightly. He wondered how she could be so okay with him ruining such an important part of her life.

Percy’s ears picked up the sound of Paul’s voice.

“Unless you’d prefer me to leave, Sally, I really would rather stay.”

Percy let out a deep breath of relief as his mom held him tighter. He realized both of them had been expecting Paul to leave their lives; decide it was all too much for him.

Percy felt a hand much heavier than his mom’s touch his shoulder. “Percy,” Paul mirrored his mom’s soft voice, “I would never, never hurt your mother. I swear it.”

Percy stared at the hand on his shoulder. “Swear it on the River Styx.”

There was a moment of silence. Percy felt his mom nod, then turned around to face Paul. His mom’s arm held her son close to her.

Paul’s face looked confused, but also soft with kindness. For someone that had just been threatened, he was extremely calm. Paul was not acting in a way Percy could predict of a man. He could almost tangibly feel a new image of a man being formed in front of him.

“I swear it on the River Styx, I will never hurt your mom.”

Percy relaxed. He shuffled on his feet. Exhaustion replaced his adrenaline, and with it, a realization of the gravity of what he had been about to do. His mother squeezed his shoulder. “Sorry, uh, Paul, for attacking you. I was-”

Paul waved his hand, smiling politely. Percy could tell he was still a little freaked out, but he was trying to make the best of the situation. “You’re incredibly strong, I’ll give you that.”

Percy chuckled abashedly, which made Paul relax. Percy’s mom ruffled his hair. “Come on Percy, you look like you’re going to fall asleep standing. Let’s get you to bed.”

Percy didn’t protest. He was still embarrassed, but saw no shame or anger in his mother’s face. He allowed himself to be led to the bathroom, while Paul gathered his things ready to leave. After his mom had him promise he would brush his teeth properly, she told him she’d be back in half an hour to walk Paul to his car, which was parked right outside their apartment block. Percy nodded solemnly.

“Are you going to tell him about…?” Percy didn’t need to say it. They were both thinking of the monster that had ruled their lives for so long.

His mom’s blue eyes crinkled. She touched his cheek. “Yes, sweetheart. I think I’m ready to tell Paul.”

Percy nodded again. He watched as she turned around, about to close the bathroom door.

“Mom?”

His mom turned around. The warmth on her face made Percy’s throat close up.

“I’m sorry if- if-”

“Percy, you have nothing to be sorry for.” His mom smiled, then raised her eyebrows, “unless you don’t put that toothbrush in your mouth soon. You better be in bed by the time I’m back.”

“I promise!” Percy smiled as she walked away.

“And no Iris-Messaging! Annabeth can wait until tomorrow to see your pretty face again!”

“Mom!”

Chapter Text

If this was supposed to be the best day of someone’s live, Percy didn’t want to know what their worst day would be like.

His limbs were charged with energy, his muscles tense with foreboding. His mind was at war with itself, and it was giving him a cracking headache for which he had to take some painkillers. He did not want to be in pain or distracted on his mom’s wedding day; if only there was medication to make his hands stop sweating.

He had the horrible feeling that he’d failed. His mom was getting married again. Another man had entered their lives- he already had plans to move in with them.

Percy had promised himself this wouldn’t happen again. How had he screwed up so badly?

Isn’t that what he does best? Screw up?

Percy realized he’d been staring at his reflection in his mom’s vanity mirror, holding her make-up bag. He refused to look at it, knowing that it was a relic of darker times. He also knew, secretly, that it was the cause of his anxiousness. He shook his head and placed it on the table in front of him.

A memory was forcing its way through Percy’s mind; the smell; the sneer; the laugh; the pain.

Except the shape he was seeing in front of him was threatening to take Paul’s form.

Percy shook his head and forced himself to think about something else…

Something confused him about how meticulously Paul was planning this.

It was going to happen in front of the university they met in. A fancy dinner. A walk through Washington Square Park. The evening would be glistening with afternoon lights. He’d have a jacket for her if she was cold. He’d have a photographer ready. He’d get on one knee right underneath that arch. There’d be music, and they’d dance.

Percy remembered how he stared at the ring Paul bought for his mom. He instantly knew she would love it. It was exactly her style, and Percy wanted to ask how long Paul had searched to find the perfect one, but he held himself back.

He was just… confused.

Confused at how giddy Paul was, how eager he was to draw Percy into every detail of his plan and stop every minute or so to ask: “would she like that?” Confused at the price of the ring, his suit, her dress, the dinner, the champagne. Confused at how whenever Paul went to touch Percy it was absentminded: to pat him, hug him, high-five him. It was all so dam confusing.

His mom probably suspected at what she was being asked to dress up for- Paul was horrible at hiding things- but she gave away nothing except a sparkle in her eye when she held Percy’s gaze. He could tell his mom had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Huh. Weird.

He tried to be confused- it felt better that way. It made more sense. But he felt the feeling drain away as the two left the apartment, then came back late into the night, humming a slow love song and smiling like their best dreams had come true. Percy gave his mom a lopsided grin when she lit up at the sight of him in front of the TV, wiggling her new ring at him as if he hadn’t already studied every part of it. She hugged him tightly; he congratulated them both; she told her son she loved him, and he said it back.

By the time Percy revealed the dessert he had baked for them, as well as the full champagne glasses, his confusion had ebbed. Maybe there were mortal men out there like Chiron or Poseidon. Maybe- maybe…

“Percy?”

Unbeknownst to Percy, his mom had been standing at her door, staring at her boy. She knew that far-off look and walked to the vanity table. “Baby, what are you thinking about?”

Percy’s eyes locked with hers.

She enveloped her son in a firm and warm hug. “I know, honey… It gets me too sometimes.”

Percy felt shame creep up his throat. He knew what was going on in her mind, but did she know all that was happening in his? Had he allowed her to?

Percy pulled away from the hug, smiling at his mom. He was not telling her about his personal past with Gabe on her wedding day.

“What do you want to listen to, mom?”

“Oh honey, I don’t mind- put some of your music on”

“Mom you say that every time! There’s no way you like my music”

His mom scoffed. “Did not thou cometh from my womb?”

Percy snorted, rolling his eyes and mumbling something about “English majors…” as he put some music on.

Sally laughed off the slight and sat at her vanity table. “Okay fancy hands. Work your magic.” She took her hair out of the bun, ready to twist it into an updo.

Percy smiled and opened the make-up bag. His mother thought he was skilled with the make-up brush because he’d watched her get ready as a kid. It wasn’t untrue, and, before Percy thought about it too hard, he pulled out the green stick from the bottom of the bag.

“My Maid of Honour and my chauffeur- I’m impressed”

Percy opened the door of their car for her. “Buy one get one free”

His mom looked amazing. The sleek, deep blue dress made her eyes shine, and the mild make-up gave her skin an ethereal glow.

Dressed himself in an expensive suit that his mother had insisted she buy for him, Percy waited for her to enter the Prius before closing the door and getting in on the other side.

His mom and Paul had wanted a private wedding. With both their families having passed on or being estranged, they knew they would be fulfilled with even the tiniest wedding they could muster, at a beautiful little chapel in the city. For this reason, Percy hadn’t invited anyone either, or told many people. With the money he could muster, he’d bought a wedding cake for the couple- a surprise which he’d arranged to be wheeled in shortly after the ceremony and the signing.

Percy shut his car door and the two of them set off. They spent the time chatting to each other, laughing and teasing. Had they not been dressed in expensive clothes, Percy could have mistaken this time for any other time they’d spent together, secure in each other’s presence. As they talked, his hands started sweating again. He chewed his lips, keeping his eyes on the road as another memory threatened to intrude on him. A dining table. Poker chips. Greasy pizza and eager fists.

Percy shook his head furiously.

Their first thanksgiving as a trio.

Percy was getting used to having Paul around- at home, that is. Getting used to Paul being his English teacher this semester was a whole other issue.

About two months ago, Percy had told Paul who he really was: a demigod. He explained what that meant, and, as Percy watched Paul listen, remembered how crazy it had sounded when he’d first heard all this himself. Paul listened intently, a concentrated frown on his face that only deepened every time Sally backed her son up. Without clear sight, it was hard to prove to Paul they were telling the truth, and Percy could see the man take a leap of faith in front of him, trusting that the mother and son weren’t insane.

Since then, Paul had slowly been asking more and more questions about Percy’s life and about his past quests: if this, then why that? How does this work? What does that feel like? How are you still alive?

Some questions Percy had the answers to, some he did not.

Percy and his mom were beyond relieved to be able to speak openly about Camp Half-Blood, its campers, and the Prophecy now. Whether Paul fully believed them or thought this was a fantasy conjured by a parent to entertain a kid with ADHD, the man was engaged in every conversation Percy and Sally had about his demigod life.

In fact, they were talking about it now, and Paul was rushing to get the roasted vegetables on the kitchen table in order to hear Percy’s description of the infinite Labyrinth. The man was nodding with such enthusiasm, and Percy wondered where Paul thought he was getting these details from: a book? his imagination?

“But how did you jump from chain to chain? How did you hang on without slipping?”

“Honey, he’s fighting a half-giant son of Poseidon and Gaea, in the middle of a never-ending underground maze under America, on a quest to kill Kronos, the Lord of Time, and that’s the detail you’re stuck on?”

“What? I can’t even climb up a rope, never mind swing from chain to chain- under pressure, no less!”

Percy thought Paul might just faint if he knew even just the training Chiron had them doing at Camp Half-Blood.

The two of them were still laughing when Percy turned the engine off. They were early, and so let their laughter die down naturally. Percy and his mom were sat in the motionless car, looking at the back of the chapel in front of them. Paul would already be inside. The energy in the car was nervous and electric- like sparks off of flint stones.

Percy shot a sideways glance at his mother.

“Mom, are you happy?”

His mom smiled, looking at the chapel. They sat in silence as they remembered how that conversation had gone almost two years ago.

“Mom, are you happy?”

 “Yes. I really am, Percy. Being around him makes me happy.”

“Then it’s cool. Seriously. Don’t worry about me.”

Sally took her son’s hand, which was the same size as hers now (when had that happened?) and squeezed it. The brightness with which her eyes shone was her answer.

Percy nodded, smiling. “I mean, he’s no Greek god-”

Sally snorted and pushed at Percy’s shoulder, “Percy!”

“- but I guess he’ll do”

His mom laughed.

It happened again while they were walking down the aisle.

The chapel was beautifully decorated. A deep red carpet showed Percy and Sally the way to a golden altar, where a pastor stood smiling and Paul stood next to it with tears in his eyes, dressed in an expensive black suit.

Percy’s heart was pounding.

The music had started- it was the love song that Paul had paid the musicians to play when he proposed to Sally almost a year ago. His mom’s arm was entwined around Percy’s as they made their way down the aisle. She was holding a bouquet made of white and blue flowers. There were only four people in the chapel.

He tried to slow his breathing.

This was it. This was the moment. After today, Paul would move in and be a permanent part of their lives. He remembered how long Gabe lasted before he became a nightmare for Percy and his mom, and found himself wondering how long Paul would last.

At the thought, Percy’s hands started sweating again. His eyes flitted around the room. They settled on something reflecting light- Paul’s belt buckle.

“Let’s show you what else I’m an expert of.”

Percy’s breath hitched. His mom rubbed his arm gently with her free hand. Crack. Percy shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

They got out of the car, savouring the smell of the sea in the air. The sun was already setting.

Percy heard a whisper beside him. “Wow.”

He’d thought he would have a problem bringing Paul to Montauk. It was his and his mom’s place- their refuge. It held so many memories, so rich was this village in Jackson history.

But he studied Paul now, who had his arm around Sally. Watching the man fall in love with Montauk made those feelings melt away. Percy almost wanted to chase after them before he recognized this as a step in the right direction for him.

Sally had just finished her Creative Writing Bachelor Degree at NYU and was ‘unofficially graduated’- her commencement wouldn’t be until May. Even so, the three of them were celebrating, what with Percy and Paul’s semesters being over.

Although Percy had enjoyed English in Paul’s class, he was secretly glad his mom’s fiancée wasn’t his teacher anymore.

Sally and Percy walked Paul through their routine. After opening all the cabin windows, they got to cleaning. It was faster with three people, and in no time they were moved in to their usual cabin for the weekend. Paul had a bunch of fishing equipment that he was eager to use, so they stashed that in the corner of the living room.

Just in time to catch the rest of the sunset, the three of them walked on the beach, exchanging stories. The weather was perfect, and Percy counted that as Poseidon’s usual blessing- despite Paul’s presence.

The evening continued around the fire. Paul talked about his family and their traditions, one of which included fishing. There was so much fondness in the man’s voice that Percy took him up on his offer to learn fishing and crabbing. Percy didn’t have the heart to tell Paul that he wasn’t planning to actually let anything be caught, so he’d agreed to be taught, and they decided to set off the next morning.

The three of them stayed there until the embers merely glistened with the memory of fire.

His mom slowed down, squeezing Percy’s hand. Percy blinked a couple of times, surprised at the fondness of that memory. He looked at his mom and smiled earnestly, which she returned as the worry on her face faded away.

His mom. She was his only constant. If she could do it, so could he.

Only then did they start walking down the aisle again.

Together.

Chapter Text

Percy had meant to introduce them earlier- he really had. He just… forgot.

That wasn’t completely a lie.

He’d meant to introduce Annabeth to Paul after the wedding, but there’d never been a good opportunity. At the time, Percy and Annabeth’s relationship was tense. The Battle of the Labyrinth; Luke; Rachel; Nico’s plan; the pressure of the prophecy; the Battle of Manhattan; Athena… so many things had happened between them. By the time Percy finally kissed her and they started dating, he realized it was past time he introduced her to his stepdad, and hoped she wouldn’t be mad that Rachel had met Paul first. His only solace was that Annabeth and Paul had met, briefly, after the Battle of Manhattan.

Would he ever admit that the reason Annabeth was properly meeting his stepdad now was because his and Sally’s first anniversary had passed, Paul hadn’t transformed into a monster, and Percy was finally comfortable around the man?

Probably not.

“Percy?”

“Yeah?”

“What are you thinking about?”

“Lots of things, Annabeth.”

“Hmm… Well, try not to run out of steam, Seaweed Brain-”

Percy laughed out loud, pushing her slightly.

“-we have a dinner to get through” Annabeth finished, laughing too now.

“Paul is pretty psyched to finally meet you”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah… Sorry it took so long to introduce you-”

“Percy-”

“I just…”

Annabeth sighed. They were almost at the door of the apartment building. The air was cold and crisp. She removed her hand from his grasp to rub his back, right above his Achilles heel. “We had one hell of a summer.”

And there it was. Percy looked at her, wondering how she always managed to understand, even if she didn’t know all the details. As he wondered, though, he realized that he already knew why she understood. They had laughed together, fought together, risked their lives for each other. They weren’t just a couple; they were an extension of one another.

He smiled at her. “Yeah” his voice was a whisper; her grey eyes were calm and steadfast.

“Annabeth!”

Sally rushed to the door as it opened, instantly recognizing that curly, blonde hair tucked into a low ponytail. She tackled the girl into a hug before Annabeth could even reply, but the younger woman’s tight hold on her told her she was pleased to see Sally too.

Next to them, Percy and Paul gave each other a one-armed embrace, curtesy of Paul’s dirty apron, which he then took off.

Sally pulled away from Annabeth and touched Percy’s shoulder. “How was the walk?”

“Nice- it wasn’t too cold”

Percy smiled at Paul. “Paul, this is Annabeth”

“We’ve met before, Percy” she said drily.

“Yeah, on a battlefield, Wise Girl”

“Annabeth” Paul smiled and hugged her, which Percy had previously told her he’d do.

Annabeth chuckled and returned the hug. When they pulled apart, she said “it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Blofis”

“Please, Annabeth, only Percy has to call me Mr. Blofis” he teased, ginning as Percy’s embarrassed blush, “and thank god that’s only in the classroom!”

Sally laughed and Annabeth bumped Percy’s side with hers, smirking.

“Very funny” he mumbled.

“Ah, sorry Percy- I promise to not bring it up again.” Paul’s eyes sparkled. He stepped back and waved to the kitchen. “Come on through”

Percy and Annabeth took their shoes off, a delicious smell in the air.

“What’s for dinner?” Percy called after Paul and Sally.

“It was supposed to be Carbonara, but Paul bought the wrong sauce-”

“Sorry guys!”

“So now it’s Fettuccine Marinara!”

“Who knew there were so many different sauces?” Paul called out from the kitchen.

At the same time that Annabeth replied: “that sounds delicious!” Percy called out “they’re completely different colours, Paul!”

Annabeth and Percy looked at each other, trying not to laugh.

“Come on” Percy forced his laughter into a smile. He led the way into the kitchen.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Annabeth asked.

Percy had just been about to ask the same thing. He raised an eyebrow at her as if to say: suck up. She smiled back competitively.

“Yes!” Sally turned off the oven. “The table’s already set. Percy, can you grab the garlic bread? Annabeth, if you could take the wine and the water out of the fridge?”

The two obliged, purposely getting in each other’s way.

Paul added seasoning to the pasta and the sauce, then carried the dishes to the table. He watched the young couple and smiled to himself.

He’d often worried that Percy had grown up to fast. Sally told him that, at first, she’d done all she could to keep Percy away from the life of a demigod. Though he loathed the things that happened to her simply because she wanted to protect her child, Paul couldn’t help but agree with her opinion.

Even before Percy and Sally told him of Greek gods, demigods, monsters, Camp Half-Blood, Percy had an air about him that whispered of an age beyond his years. Sally had it too. This small family had experienced more things than the members of a much larger family experienced, combined, in a lifetime.

Paul presumed it was this- Percy and Sally’s history with that man, and Percy’s destiny- that made Percy so hesitant to accept Paul’s entrance into their lives. Paul, of course, hadn’t minded, and gave the two the patience and care they deserved. He loved Sally with all his heart, and Percy was a truly extraordinary kid. He had no problem waiting for them to accept him into their lives.

Understandably, Percy took longer than Sally did. Nevertheless, recently Percy was more comfortable with Paul. Even physically, the teenager was drawing closer, and when Percy had asked if Paul wanted to meet his girlfriend, he’d been ecstatic. Sally had laughed at how often he brought it up to her.

Now, looking at Percy and Annabeth messing with each other, Paul was grateful he’d been let into this part of Percy’s life. He’d already met Tyson the cyclops brother, Rachel Dare the painter, and Nico the son of the Lord of the Underworld, but this was Annabeth. Percy talked about her all the time.

Next to Annabeth, Percy almost looked his age.

“Dinner time!” Sally called out.

Annabeth poured white wine into Paul and Sally’s glasses and water into the rest. Having already set down the garlic bread, Percy went to get two cans of Cherry Coke, mixed with an ungodly amount of blue food colouring.

They’d meant to watch a movie after dinner. That was the plan.

But apparently at a table with an English teacher, an author, two demigods, and a single shared life-or-death experience, there are an infinite amount of stories to tell.

How did you two meet? How did you two meet? What kind of class teaches fencing? What are the gods like? Any story ideas yet? What’s your favourite book? What’s your favourite weapon? When did you first notice your dyslexia? What is the other like in battle? Why English teaching? What are your plans for rebuilding Olympus?

That last question had Annabeth talking for ten minutes without drawing breath. Of course.

“Can I ask if there’s a baby in your future?”

Percy gawked at Annabeth, taken aback. He hadn’t even thought to ask that; the idea never occurred to him before. He watched as Annabeth studied the older couple in front of her, face aglow in wake of her delicately phrased question.

Sally and Paul grinned at each other.

Percy’s mouth fell open. “Mom?”

A sibling?

“Oh, not any time soon.” Sally replied, the hint of a smile on her lips. “I would want to get settled first, get some things rolling. But after that- who knows?”

Percy’s face had broken into a wide smile without him noticing. “Really?”

Annabeth giggled at Percy’s reaction.

Paul nodded enthusiastically. “It wouldn’t be for another few years, but we have thought about it”

“Huh” Percy sat back. Warmth filled his body in a familiar way. He hadn’t even thought to ask.

“You guys will be amazing parents” Annabeth told them.

Paul’s: “that’s so sweet, Annabeth” came only seconds before Sally’s: “I hope so… I’ve had a lot of practice with this troublemaker” did.

They’d talked the whole evening. The room was warm, and their laughter and words were loose.

Annabeth had a gleam about her, one that always covered her when adults took interest in her. Sally and Paul’s questions about her life, and her questions about their lives, made her feel close to them in a way that she was unfamiliar with when it came to mortal adults.

She’d watched Sally and Paul all evening. When Percy first mentioned to her, in an off-hand comment, that Sally was marrying her boyfriend- some good looking English teacher- she’d been skeptical. She trusted Sally and knew she was a good judge of character, that marrying Gabe had been a matter of Percy’s survival, but she also felt protective, and there was something in Percy’s voice at the time that confirmed her thoughts.

Now, having properly met Sally’s husband, she knew what she was seeing in front of her was love.

Sally was leaning on the arm rest of the loveseat, her feet on Paul’s lap. The man was subconsciously rubbing his wife’s feet, talking animatedly and looking at her often. She sat, leaned into the couch, completely at ease, with a dreamy expression on her face. It was comfort. It was security. That is love.

Annabeth was reminded of what Percy had told her. He was finally comfortable introducing her to Paul. She looked at her boyfriend, heart fluttering whenever she thought of him as such, breath catching whenever he looked back at her. Comfort, security, love.

She watched the Jacksons and realized that she hadn’t always known them to be so at ease as they were now, sitting in that living room. Percy was smiling at the older couple in front of him, his mind at work as he watched them tell their account of the Battle of Manhattan. Annabeth remembered how he had been when they first met. The joking, casual exterior had the tendency to become transparent in specific situations, in which the young boy would become suspicious, high-strung, self-deprecating. She remembered how she had misunderstood this. She wondered if she understood even it now.

Sally and Percy burst out laughing, reminding Annabeth that she hadn’t been paying attention. Her boyfriend added a witty quip to the laughter, which Sally mirrored, and Percy again returned. The mother and son often did this; their humour was so similar that it was entertaining just to watch them bounce off each other.

Annabeth caught Paul’s eye, and found her delight on his face too. She knew they were thinking the same thing: they’d both hit the jackpot when they met the Jacksons.

“Did you hear that?”

“Yes honey. Remember? I was right next to you.”

“He said he wanted me to meet the rest of his friends some time!”

“He did”

“That’s a big deal. That’s a big deal right? First Annabeth and now his friends? These are people he’d die for”

“Yes honey, that is a pretty big deal for Percy.”

“Huh. Good kid.”

“Yes, he is. Mmm. Always has been… beautiful boy”

“Paul’s great”

“Yeah”

“Smart man, too”

“Yeah?”

“Has to be, to keep up with Sally”

“Yeah”

“Still thinking about the baby?”

“Yeah”

Annabeth laughed and stopped to kiss him. They had walked to Grand Central Park. It was dark, but it was still alive with people. They moved to a secluded area with enough space to serve as a Pegasus landing strip.

Percy smiled into the kiss. He loved it when she did that. “How did you even know to ask?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but the effect was ruined when she laughed. “Percy…”

She kissed him again, glad that she could do it whenever she wanted. She pulled away, watching his beautiful green eyes shine, even at night. “You’re such a Seaweed Brain”

“Yeah, okay, Wise Girl”

The sound of wings interrupted them. Excuse me, Boss. You have a permit for PDA?

Ha ha. You’re hilarious, Blackjack.

Thank you Boss. I think so too.

Chapter Text

“I want to tell her.”

Annabeth knew it was important to stay quiet. If she said something now, he would remember that he was talking and keep his thoughts to himself. His past had made him secretive… private, but subconsciously so.

“She deserves to know.”

Percy paused, like he wasn’t sure if that was what he meant. He tried again. “I know everything about her.”

They had been sitting on the pier in Camp-Half Blood in silence. He was very still. The silence was incredibly focused.

Annabeth had found him like that, after searching the camp for him. When she found him so still, she knew they weren’t going to be eating lunch with the rest of the camp- which she had come to remind him of. Instead, Annabeth sat beside him; crossed legged and leaning back against one of the wooden posts that held the pier together.

For a while she watched him. He was sat right at the edge of the pier, one leg dangling close to the water. His other leg was bent, his hands were resting clasped on his knee, his chin was resting on top of his hands. His eyes were directed at the water, but his mind wasn’t looking at it. He should’ve been cold.

She knew what he was thinking about. She knew he’d been brooding about it since the day he’d told his friends about his past. The silence stretched past lunchtime, past the time they usually had Ancient Greek lessons together.

She stared at the horizon. The air was crisp, but the sunshine remained. Sounds of life around them were distant, barely touching the intense, hushed focus that enveloped the pier like the eye of a hurricane.

“It would hurt her. Why would I tell her?”

Annabeth said nothing. She was not a part of this conversation.

“I would want to know…”

Annabeth said nothing. She was not a part of this decision.

“I would want to know.”

A few more minutes passed. When Percy spoke again, it was a whisper: “I should’ve told her a long time ago.”

Annabeth said nothing.

It happened right before he was going to tell his mom. Sometimes Percy thought the Fates enjoyed doing this, throwing as many things at him as they could; to see what would happen.

“Mr. O?”

Percy stopped suddenly, bringing Annabeth to a sudden halt too. “Mr. Who?”

The man, who had been collecting the rest of his groceries from the back of his car straightened immediately, looking around with a confused expression on his face. His eyes found Percy, and the recognition was slow.

“Hello?”

Percy and Annabeth moved out of the middle of the sidewalk after hearing other pedestrians grumble around them. Percy was about to introduce himself and Annabeth to his former teacher when the man’s face lit up in remembrance.

“Percy? Jackson?”

“Yeah!” Percy didn’t quite know what to do. He never imagined he’d see a former teacher again, but now that he did, he wasn’t sure how to approach him; as a teacher? As a friend?

“I can’t believe it” Mr. O let out a short laugh. Percy noticed the man hadn’t aged significantly in seven years and wondered if he was still teaching in the same place.

Mr. O put his shopping bags back in the trunk of his car and closed it so he could greet the young couple. “It’s great to see you, Percy” the older man exclaimed, still surprised. He walked around his car to meet them, and gave Percy a firm hug, patting the younger man’s shoulder blades affectionately. Percy was shocked to realize they were now the same height.

He chuckled briefly in disbelief. “Annabeth, this is Mr. Orian I told you about from middle-school! And this is my girlfriend, Annabeth.”

Mr. O beamed at Annabeth, “nice to meet you, Annabeth!”

Annabeth shook the hand Mr. O extended. “Nice to meet you too! I’ve only met one other of Percy’s teachers, and he said Percy is quite something to have in class”

Mr. O laughed, looking at Percy. “He was definitely one of my most memorable students-” Percy’s eyebrows shot up, “- and one of my favourites.”

Huh, Percy thought.

“He told me you were one of his favourite teachers!” Annabeth returned. “Which, as you probably know, is very high praise.”

Percy laughed. “That’s very true.”

Mr. O chuckled for a moment, until a shadow covered his face. “But in all seriousness, are you alright, Percy? I saw you in the news a few times-”

The younger couple laughed. Percy waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about that, that was all just a huge misunderstanding-”

“I saw that you had a step-dad.” Mr. O spoke with a low voice. Percy’s heart skipped a beat. “I… some things just clicked into place. I’m,” the older man looked at Percy with a sincerity that was not uncomfortable. “I’m sorry I didn’t help.”

Percy mind calmed. Annabeth’s hand was firm on his back, affirming her presence. He realized he was completely at ease, and suddenly remembered the smell of the Aphrodite cabin.

He held Mr. O’s gaze and found pain there. The pain in his face clashed against the security, safety, and kindness the man had offered Percy in his class and in his presence. The scholarship proposition, the swim team, the concern, the help with Jax Hoffman. “Mr. O,” Percy replied seriously. “You helped more than you know.”

Half an hour later, when approaching his apartment where he would tell his mother everything, Percy mentioned to Annabeth how weird it felt to have seen one of his old teachers again, just before he was going to tell his mom. He told her he felt weirdly calm; similarly to how he felt when he’d told Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, and Frank about Gabe.

Annabeth held him tighter. Her head was resting on his shoulder. “You’re finally getting some closure.”

“Closure?”

He thought about it. After all this time… am I allowed to have closure?

He thought about what he was about to do. He thought about how he hadn’t done it earlier.

Do I deserve closure?

“Mom… I need to tell you something.”

Her hand flew to her mouth. She felt like she’d been punched in the gut.

Of course it hadn’t worked. Of course that monster had used them against each other. She felt like such a fool. She felt- she felt-

Rage.

Her Percy. Gabe had abused her Percy for years. Not just that, but her son had taken it all for her.

Hot tears fell silently down her cheeks. Something she had learned to do for Percy’s sake many years ago. Something she’d just discovered had done little to protect her son at all.

Percy squeezed her. For a moment, they were the only people in the room. She appreciated Paul and Annabeth giving them room to… to what? How does someone get past misery, rage, and guilt like this?

For the first time, she regretted that she’d murdered Gabe Ugliano.

No, she didn’t.

What she regretted was that he died quickly when he deserved so much more pain…

A sob shook her. She couldn’t stop apologizing, and it took her a few minutes to realize Percy was doing the same. Their arms were around each other, not just in embrace- in protection. They had been protecting each other for so, so long.

“Percy…” her voice broke.

“I know mom” Percy mumbled under his breath as their heads touched. “I felt the same way.”

Sally remembered how Percy had realized what Gabe was doing to her. She held her son tighter as she recognized the pain he must have felt.

The rage returned like a flash flood. “That- that-”

“Asshole?” Percy supplied.

A laugh choked her sob. She sniffed and looked into her son’s eyes. Those sea-green eyes held assurances for her even now, offering comfort to her despite their shine. “Oh, oh honey…”

The windows were open in the apartment. A breeze swept in, warmer than the forecast allowed. It smelled like the sea, like salt-water, marine life, like sun-baked sand.

“Percy…”

Percy and Sally looked up to see Paul standing above them. Her husband and Annabeth were no longer on the couch opposite them, but now beside them. While Paul stood by Percy, Annabeth gathered Sally in her arms. The older woman gently stroked the younger woman’s hair, thanking her for being there for Percy when she wasn’t able to be.

Percy stood up, surpassing Paul’s height. The older man put two firm hands on Percy’s shoulders. He had nothing to say, but his steady gaze into his stepson’s eyes communicated grief, sorrow, but also pride and gratitude.

As Paul enveloped Percy into a deep hug, Percy wondered how Paul always knew what to do and not do, or what to say and not say. He was struck with the realization that genuine care and love must fill in the gaps of the not-said and the not-done; something that cannot be pretended or performed.

Paul patted Percy’s shoulder blades proudly and Percy instantly remembered Mr. O, but also Chiron and Poseidon. It had been slow progress- too slow- but perhaps Percy had been collecting examples of genuine men who cared about people. Perhaps Percy wasn’t doomed to Smelly Gabe’s image of him. Perhaps…

Perhaps he was allowed to have closure.

Annabeth watched as mother and son walked side-by-side ahead of them, mother’s arms linked around son’s elbow. It was cold outside, and the pair was dressed warmly. Even through the noise of the traffic around them, Annabeth knew Sally and Percy were walking in silence, punctuated every so often by a mutual, spoken thought. It was a dynamic she’d experienced before in conversation with both Jacksons, and often wondered how they could so well know what was on someone’s mind; empathy? wisdom?

Paul broke their own silence with a chuckle. She tore her eyes from the pair in front of her and smiled at the man questioningly.

“Just remembered when Percy pulled Riptide on me”

Annabeth knew the story. She hummed in remembrance.

“Had no idea how screwed I actually was… Thought it was a baseball bat.”

Now Annabeth laughed. She was quickly joined by Paul.

When the laughter settled, Paul asked, “what was your first impression of Percy?” as he looked, thoughtfully, at his family.

Annabeth barked out a laugh. “I… definitely misunderstood Percy at first. We didn’t get along… or, at least, I didn’t want to.”

She looked beside her to see Paul’s raised eyebrows. She was reminded of how unfamiliar she was with an adult actually being interested in what she had to say.

“It’s a whole thing between Athena and Poseidon-” she waved her hand through the air, “whatever. Basically, he was guarded, I was guarded. I assumed he didn’t like me, or at least he didn’t trust me, which was probably true at first…” Annabeth paused, thinking about some things she’d said when they were twelve that made her grimace now. “I knew there was something, but I never would have thought…”

Paul looked at her sympathetically. “I was the same.”

“What do you mean?”

“I knew there was something. I just chalked it up to bad dating experiences, or a kid that didn’t want another step-dad… which was also probably true”

Annabeth hummed affirmatively.

“I didn’t care. I just saw a beautiful, intelligent woman that answered the questions in tutorial with a perspective I couldn’t dream of having, and knew right away she was something special. I thought: whatever it is, I can turn it around, I can show her another way…”

They both looked at their partners in front of them, who were in passionate conversation with one another.

“When did he tell you?”

Her protective walls went up immediately. After she reminded herself that this was Paul, she replied “We were in Tartarus.” Paul drew in breath. Even his footsteps were silent. “Down there… well, it’s supposed to smell like things you’re most scared of and he mentioned Gabe- as a joke, I think it was supposed to be.” Annabeth frowned. “I already suspected, but then I asked him.”

A silence.

“It must still bother you.” Paul spoke softly. “Tartarus, I mean.”

Annabeth’s brows furrowed slightly. “Hm? Yeah… I have help though. Percy got through it with me, and I pray to my mother for help sometimes.”

“I have a good benefits package as a teacher,” Paul snorted, “surprisingly.”

Annabeth pulled herself out of her daze and glanced at Paul. She’d seen Grand Central Station up ahead and knew where the Jacksons were leading them.

Paul was wringing his gloved hands. “What I’m saying is: it covers therapy. For both of you. My benefits extend to partners that are technically not part of the immediate family.”

Annabeth’s mouth fell open at the suggestion.

She’d never considered it. She had assumed that there would be too much censorship of what actually happened, too many questions. She’d dismissed the idea completely just because of the money. A warmth filled her chest and her cheeks. It often felt, with what they went through together, that her and Percy were alone in their recovery of their past- who else could possibly understand? But, to be reminded like this of the larger support they had…

“Paul, I… Thank you.” Annabeth smiled at him. “Not just for that, for everything.”

Paul smiled softly as he gave Annabeth a one-armed hug. The usual enthusiastic glint in his eyes had taken on a quality of a familiar sadness.

“You kids…” he shook his head. “You deserve so much more than that.”

Chapter Text

She arrived a week late, bringing a world of chaos with her- like a true Jackson.

Percy had barely taken his seat in his Social Studies class after the bell when Paul burst into the room. Some students were taking out their take-home essays that were due at the beginning of class, and some were still walking in from the hallway, giving the English teacher strange looks. Percy couldn’t blame them. The man had a crazed look on his face- which was searching the room to find his stepson.

Percy’s eyes widened. That could only mean one thing.

He stood up quickly as he met Paul’s eyes.

The baby’s coming.

Percy’s heartbeat pounded in his ears as he gathered his things. He left his essay on the desk. His teacher was not yet in the room, but he was sure she would find out about the reason for his absence soon enough.

Paul ushered him out of the room and the pair ignored the curious expressions sent their way by students and teachers alike. The second bell had yet to ring and Percy led the way through the throng of people. They quickly got to the carpark, where it was quiet enough to talk.

“Mom called? She okay?” Percy asked as the two of them ran to Paul’s fixed-up Prius.

“She called me just now. She’s fine but we have to get there quick- I am not delivering this baby in the car. Do you have your driver’s license?”

“Yeah?”

Paul tossed Percy his car keys as they reached the car, which Percy caught one-handed. “You’re driving!”

Percy took deep breaths while driving, trying not to fall into fits of road rage every time the traffic lights turned red in front of him. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, glancing at Paul beside him. His stepdad was fumbling with his pockets.

“Nervous?”

Paul laughed shortly. “I don’t even know what about. I’m sure it’ll all go well, but…”

Percy knew how the man felt. His stomach was a mess of anxiousness and excitement.

“What about you?”

Percy stared at the road. He was psyched to meet his baby sibling; he already loved this baby more than anything in the world. He had to admit, though, that he was scared about the kid’s future. Percy’s presence near it put it into a lot of danger and the world is so full of monsters… after nine months he still couldn’t decide whether he wanted the kid to be clear-sighted or not. All he knew was that he would protect this kid with everything he’s got.

Percy didn’t know how to put everything he was thinking into words, so he replied, “this is worse than the first time I went to the Underworld.”

Paul actually laughed out loud. He finally managed to get his phone out of his pocket and tapped away furiously to call his wife. While it rung, he filled Percy in. “She called just before class. Her contractions are…” he counted off on his fingers, “longer, stronger, and more regular.”

Hoping Paul didn’t notice, Percy stepped slightly harder on the gas pedal. “Did her water break?” He asked, desperately hoping that wasn’t a stupid question. That’s what happens in the movies, right?

Paul shook his head, tapping his thigh and no doubt wondering what was taking Sally so long to pick up the phone. “If that happens at all, it’ll happen right before labour.”

Percy nodded, secretly glad Paul hadn’t made it a big deal or made that a ‘teaching moment’. Now that he thought about it, Paul never made things he didn’t understand a big deal. Something inside him relaxed a little, suddenly feeling less nervous for his sibling.

“Sally! Honey!”

Percy jumped at the sudden outburst. Paul spoke loudly, his excitement and nervous energy strengthening his voice. His movie-star smile grew on his face when he heard Sally’s voice, clearly relieved. Before Sally could respond, Paul rushed to put her on speaker. Percy smiled.

“Mom, you okay?”

“Boys!” His mom’s voice sounded relieved but strained. “Yes, Percy, I’m alright for now, but are you two close?”

“We’re a minute away, dear”

“Alright,” his mom sighed happily. Percy worried for how exhausted she sounded. “I’ll be standing by the curb.”

The car filled with protests.

“Sally, you really shouldn’t be standing-”

“Mom, go inside, we’ll get you when-”

“Paul, Percy-“ she said slowly, “you said you’d only be a minute. I’m right out here with my pillow, waiting for you guys.” The next words she said with all the determination she could muster: “I am not paying for an ambulance.”

Percy turned the corner. “Mom, we see you.”

Paul hung up the phone and stepped out of the car before Percy finished braking. He ran to the other side of the car, opened the car door in the back and kissed his wife’s forehead as she sat down, gently rubbing her back. He ran to the other side and got in, positioning Sally’s long back pillow to lean on his thighs so she could lie down. When she did, Paul held her firmly so she wouldn’t need a seat belt.

Percy forced himself not to ask questions, instead putting on his mom’s favourite music to calm everyone’s nerves. As soon as his mom was secure and comfortable, he drove off, knuckles white and heart pounding. How do you drive slow but fast at the same time?

Percy regularly glanced at the rear-view mirror, keeping an eye on his mom and Paul. He was speaking to her gently, going through the breathing exercises with her and doing them himself. Paul had been to every class with Sally, whether it was about pregnancy, labour, nursing, feeding, raising a child. He’d read so many books about the same things, Percy was pretty sure he could teach the subject. Sally had laughed at her husband; she often teased him for reading his way to solutions. She joked that he probably had a doctorate in child rearing by now.

Warmth filled Percy, and he was starting to get used to that.

His mom gasped.

“Mom?”

“Percy,” her breathing was deep and heavy. In the rearview mirror Percy saw her huge belly rise and fall and she tried to keep the pain and discomfort out of her voice when she contracted. Paul held her tighter and massaged what he could reach of her lower back.

Percy glared at the road, willing the hospital looming ahead to come closer so they could reach it faster. “two minutes, mom, I promise”

“Mmm”

Percy heard Paul call the hospital, telling them to be ready for Sally’s arrival.

Then, Percy felt it. The movement of water near him, a texture thinner than what he was used to.

“Oh!” Sally gasped again. “My water’s breaking.”

Paul quickly finished his call and hung up, reaching for the towel he’d stashed in the car weeks ago. Sally looked for it too. Percy rolled down the window by her. An impulsive fear had taken control of him- a distant reminder of what happened when a man’s property is damaged. They were so close- they had already entered the hospital parking lot. Without thinking or looking back- and keeping his left hand on the steering wheel- he sensed the position of the water, and closed his right hand into a fist. Gathering the water into a sphere, he caught a quick glimpse of the clear yellow fluid in the rear-view mirror, and threw it out of the car window into a passing trashcan- like a basketball in a hoop.

After a sound that resembled the slosh of a water balloon popping, the car was dead silent.

Percy, realizing what had just happened, felt his eyes widen as he slowed the car to a stop at the hospital entrance doors.

“Um-” Paul’s mouth was open.

“Honey!” His mom groaned.

Paul’s head snapped back to Sally, then to the gurney and nurses that had burst out of the hospital. “Right!”

Percy shook his head and hurried out of the car. He opened the door on his mom’s side and firmly grasped her arm, squeezing her hand. They didn’t have much time, but Sally beamed at her son and he helped her out of the car and drew their foreheads together- a hug was out of the question.

“See you soon, baby”

“I’ll come as fast as I can, mom”

Paul was at Sally’s side then, and quickly squeezed Percy’s shoulder. “Here’s my card, Percy- see you in a bit” he said as he held it out, already walking to meet the nurses.

Percy grabbed it and quickly got back in the car. As he drove to find a parking spot, he saw his mom, securely on the gurney, with Paul as her side, being rushed into the building.

Percy had seen many things in his life. But, by the gods, he’d never seen that.

And, to think, his mom had done it once before and willingly done it again?

Di immortales.

Before and during the birth, Paul and Percy tried to comfort Sally, to stay out of the way, so offer soothing words, and to not freak out all at once, while Sally pushed a living being out of her body. Percy must have prayed to Artemis over a hundred times in his anxiety; and, when the birth happened with minimal complications, he promised to burn an offering to her for the next month. He’d already Iris-messaged Annabeth and couldn’t wait for her to meet the baby when they got home. Tyson had built a full nursery for this baby, complete with a self-rocking cradle and nursing chair, and a beautiful celestial bronze mobile created in the same style as the shield he had made for Percy. The rest of the room was filled with toys and educational gifts from demigods, gods, and other beings alike.

It took just over five hours for the baby to arrive, but only a few more minutes for her to announce herself.

Percy hugged his exhausted mother as tight as he dared while the nurses cleaned the baby girl. Paul held Sally’s hand and they sat together in silence until the nurses returned and gave Sally her baby. His mom and Paul looked at the baby with such tenderness, such amazement- Paul even had to choke back some tears.

Estelle Blofis.

Percy had watched Paul hold her, kiss her, and look at her like this baby was his whole world, and realized he could forgive the last name.

He was the fourth to hold her.

Other than the already prominent focal vitiligo on various parts of her scalp- something she got from her father, as Paul pointed out- she looked like babies always do: eyes closed, face frowning, skin moist and wrinkly. Yet, as Percy looked at Estelle, he instantly knew she had all the love he could offer. Every movement she made had him gasping in amazement, looking at his mom, who was next to him and being fussed over by the nurses.

Sally always caught her son’s gaze, her heart fluttering at his awe. Paul was stood behind Percy, his hand resting on his stepson’s shoulders, looking at his daughter. Sally smiled softly, knowing soon she would drift off to sleep. Next to her was her daughter, being held by the most powerful demigod she knew, and already the most devoted brother: her beautiful boy. As she watched them, she remembered how Percy had worried about being near his sister and putting her in danger simply with his presence- but Sally had never been afraid for her baby’s safety. With Percy around her, Sally already knew Estelle was one of the most protected little girls in the world.

She caught Paul’s eye, who had been studying her with a smile on his face. He looked as exhausted as she felt, and Sally chuckled, knowing he’d worried and studied himself into fatigue. He walked to her, whispering “I love you” as he kissed her forehead and sat on the other side of her bed.

The two parents looked on, holding each other’s hands as Percy held Estelle, completely taken by his beautiful baby sister.

Sally remembered when she’d held him in her arms like that, not too long ago. Her little hero.