Work Text:
It wasn't uncommon for Percy to wake up screaming after he got back. Sally had long since gotten used to both her newborn daughter and her seventeen year old son waking her up at night. Normally Paul would take care of Estelle and she would help Percy, but Paul was on a work trip so she had to check on both.
She made her way to her daughter first. A quick check showed the little one was only spooked awake by her brother. Not that Sally would tell Percy that. Grabbing the little one Sally carried her down the hall to Percy's room. The boy was sitting up in bed holding his chest breathing heavily. He glanced over when she stepped into the room his hand flying to the pocket of his night pants almost faster than she could follow. His eyes were hard and looked her over like she might be a threat. She swallowed thickly, but didn't let it bother her. Even if he was so trapped in her head that he pulled his sword on her it wouldn't hurt her, and she would never be scared of her son.
The moment passed quickly and Percy relaxed, as much as he ever did now, leaning against the wall. It broke Sally's heart to see him like this. He watched her taking in the fact she held his fussy sister. He sighed his shoulders slumping and leaned his head back till it hit the wall.
"Did I wake her?"
"No, sweetie, I haven't been able to get her to go to sleep yet." The lie came easily to her.
Percy glanced at the clock on his night stand then back to her calling out her lie with a raised eyebrow. She just smiled at him. If he wanted to call her out on he could but she wouldn't change her answer. Percy shook his head with a small smile.
"You know a walk normally puts her to sleep. What do say want to go on a walk with me?"
Percy looked at her his eyes already falling close only to jolt back open. She didn't think he would be getting back to sleep right away. He nodded standing and grabbing his shoes from where they landed when he took them off before bed. Sally smiled leaving to get the stroller ready for the baby. If nothing else at least Estelle would get more sleep tonight.
Percy met her at the door and they left the house. Percy had one hand lightly wrapped around the stroller as if he thought he might need to be able to reach it quickly. Sally lead them down streets she knew well. Estelle fell asleep in minutes, and her older brother didn't look far behind her. Each time Percy blinked his eyes seemed to take longer to open back up, and Sally felt him put more and more of his weight on the stroller. Maybe this walk would help both of the children.
Sally had just turned them around to make their way back home when it happened. The night itself seemed to attack her son knocking him away from their group. Percy jolted awake, but his movements were slow. He fumbled trying to get the cap off his pen, and Sally saw the hound circle him. Percy get the cap off and put himself between the hound and them, but he was slower than Sally had ever seen him. Sleep trying to pull him under even as he tried to fight, and to Sally's horror his blade flew from his hand when the hound stuck him again. Sally looked between the beast, Percy, and his sword. There was no way he could get it back and by the time it returned to his pocket he'd be dead. She wasn't going to watch her son die!
Sally rushed for the dropped blade grabbing it in both hands just as Percy was struggling to his feet. His movements were unsteady and sluggish. She never should have brought him out of the house so tired. She lifted the blade, a passing thought wounding how her son wielded it so easily when she could hardly pick pick it up, and charged the beast while it stalked toward her baby boy. She managed to cut its side getting it to turn towards her. When it did she plunged the blade into its eye turning the beast to dust. She dropped the blade as soon as the monster was gone and rushed to Percy's side checking for any cuts.
"You killed a hellhound." Percy said as she hit her knees in front of him.
"Yes yes." She said absentmindedly as she looked him over. She didn't see anything but that didn't mean that he hadn't broken any bones.
"Mom you killed a hellhound!" Percy sounded more awake than he had before. She worried about if he hit his head.
"Come on Percy lets get you home. You should take a shower." She wished they lived closer to the ocean or a lake, but they didn't so a shower was the best way to heal any problems she couldn't see.
"Are you okay?" She paused at how worried he sounded. "Your hands are shaking."
She looked at them and he was right they were. "It's fine. Lets get you home." She could panic later when her babies were safely in bed.
"Okay." Percy said getting to his feet and helping her up.
Sally rushed them all back home. Once inside she rushed to start the shower praying to Poseidon that Percy would be okay. When she went to grab him she found him putting his sister in her crib with more care than she saw him put into most things. Love shining in his eyes as he watched her sleep. Sally paused just a moment smiling at how happy he looked before rushing to get Percy to some water.
What if he had broken a rib and it punctured a lung, or if he hit his head and she just didn't see the crack? What if her baby was in pain? She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the shower pushing him under the flowing water. He laughed as the water soaked his clothes. After a second they dried off and he grabbed her arm drying her clothes too.
"I'm fine. If i were hurt I'd be healed now." Percy told how shutting off the water. "Lets go make some tea."
Percy took her hands leading her to the living room and lightly pushing her on to the couch. He watched her as he went to make them tea. She still felt like she was shaking. She had fought monster before during the war, so why was she so panicky right now? Percy handed her the a cup of tea.
"It fine to panic. Happens to campers sometimes too. When they get attacked when they think their safe or when they have their mortal family's to protect. Everything always feels worst when you have a helpless kid behind you." Percy said as he sat next to her. He turned on the tv finding some old black and white show and turning the volume down low so not to wake the baby.
They sat watching the show and drinking the tea. Percy fell asleep before she did leaning on her shoulder like he used to when he was little. Knowing both her babies were safe and sound she fell asleep too.