Chapter Text
The second Poseidon returns to the palace, Amphitrite ends her meeting in the throne room. She can sense the change in her husband's mood and it doesn't bode well, especially as he has just returned from an exceptional meeting on Olympus.
This change in mood is all the more worrying given that the ruling couple have been in excellent spirits for several days now. They've received good news, wonderful news in fact, that the god of the sea is once again carrying a child. It's been decades since this happened, and unfortunately it didn't end well last time. 1967 was the year when the world experienced its first major oil spill, when oil poisoned the sea for the first time, when the royal family discovered that this poison was also spreading through the king's ichor and when the ocean lost an unborn child.
But Amphitrite doesn't want to focus on this child who hasn't had the chance to live, she wants to think about the child who is growing up within Poseidon. So she quickly makes her way to the quarters she shares with her husband, and in particular to the room containing a new nest.
Amphitrite enters the room and sees her husband, lying in the nest with a look that mixes anger and anguish.
"My love, what's going on?" she asks softly, placing a comforting hand on Poseidon's lower back as she lies down behind him. He steps back to get closer to her, instinctively seeking her touch.
"My niece... She threatened to kill Percy... again. What does he have to do to show them he's trustworthy?!" spits Poseidon, mad with rage and worry.
He doesn't need to specify which niece he's talking about. Only Athena is still actively looking for ways to kill Percy. Amphitrite and Poseidon are well aware that the problem isn't even the boy himself, or the danger he might represent, but rather his parentage.
"Breathe, my love," Amphitrite murmurs softly, stroking Poseidon's back. Her other hand comes to rest on the god's belly, as if to protect the unborn child as another of their pups is threatened. "Everything's going to be fine, okay? You've got people constantly watching over Percy and Sally. Nothing can happen to them. Besides, she will have a war on her hands if she takes this step. You know that even your brothers are on your side, and she won't go against her father. So there's nothing to fear."
Amphitrite continues her caresses and takes deep breaths, inviting Poseidon to do the same. And little by little, the tension eases in the god's shoulders. He's afraid Athena's threats aren't just threats in the wind. And Percy is so vulnerable, he could die a thousand deaths without even divine intervention. He's a constant source of anxiety for Poseidon now. Just like the fragile puppy growing inside him at the moment. The god puts his hand on top of his wife's hand. He needs to calm down for him.
"How are you feeling?" whispers Amphitrite softly after a few minutes of calm.
"Better," is Poseidon's reply, despite his still-present anger towards Athena.
Amphitrite's gentle caresses soothe him, but what really helps to calm his anxiety is the bond he has with Percy. It allows him to feel that his son is alive and well, and that he seems happy. Given the situation, the god couldn't hope for better.
"She has to let go," Poseidon says simply after a moment.
"And we'll find a solution together, I promise. But remember, you have many allies among the gods. Percy has made many friends and saved Olympus. He has more people looking out for him than any of our children," Amphitrite tries to reassure.
"He also has many enemies," counters the god.
"Enemies who know what will happen if they try to hurt him."
"It would be so much simpler if he'd accepted divinity." sighs Poseidon.
"I know love, but it's not too late for that," replies Amphitrite. She's convinced that, in time, Percy will change his mind. But for that to happen, fate has to let him live long enough.
It is on this hopeful note that the conversation ends, Amphitrite hears Poseidon's breathing settle and she feels him leaning more and more on her as he falls asleep. She watches him for a few minutes, relieved to see his face relax in his sleep. When she's sure he's sleeping peacefully, she gets up and returns to the tasks ahead, but she's relaxed and confident. On his best days, Poseidon can become destructive when it comes to protecting his children. But a pregnant Poseidon is a different matter. Today, fate seems to be on their side: her husband calmed down easily and the storm passed without causing any damage.
It takes less than an hour for Amphitrite to realize that she was wrong to think so. She feels her heart clench with anguish as she hears Poseidon's distress call, audible only to the family. Unlike other sea creatures, his distress calls are extremely rare. Not having been born in the sea, it's not something he's innate with, he's had to learn to use it. And his pride prevents him from using it most of the time. For him to use it now means the situation is serious. So Amphitrite drops everything again and teleports to their bedroom door. Less than a second later, Triton appears at her side, also alerted by the calls.
When they enter the room, they are relieved to see that Poseidon is there, alone, still lying in the nest. There's no obvious threat. But the sea god's eyes wander frantically around him, resting for only a second in one place before moving on to the next. Amphitrite approaches Poseidon slowly, and makes sure she faces him so as not to startle him. She then kneels at the edge of the nest.
"My love, what's going on?" she asks softly and calmly.
"The puppy... where's my puppy?" asks Poseidon, panic clear in his voice.
The goddess immediately knows which puppy Poseidon is referring to. He's talking about Percy, the only non-adult puppy and, above all, the only puppy that isn't immortal. Amphitrite has no doubt that her husband is in the grip of a crisis triggered by Athena and his pregnancy. This is what she feared earlier, but thought she'd avoided it. She was wrong and regrets leaving the room so early. She could have prevented things going so far if she'd been there when Poseidon woke up. But what's done is done and she'd have plenty of time to feel guilty later. For now, she had to act and calm him down.
So Amphitrite placed a hand on Poseidon's cheek and gently forced him to look into her eyes. "Percy is safe in Sally's apartment, sound asleep considering the hour. He's fine, I promise, my love." she reassures him.
Poseidon looks at her for a few seconds, as if trying to understand what she's saying. Which he fails to do, as he asks again, "Where's my puppy?" and tries to stand up.
Amphitrite prevents him from doing so and forces him to lie back down gently. She tries to talk to him slowly and calmly, while Triton settles down next to his father. The presence of one of his children helps calm him down for about 3 minutes before things get seriously out of hand. Despite their best efforts, the waves of anxiety roll in one after the other, with no rest in between. With each passing minute, Poseidon's searches and calls become more frantic, and the god becomes less and less aware of his surroundings. Amphitrite knows there's only one thing that will calm her husband, and that thing is a demigod named Percy.
"Triton, fetch Percy and bring him back immediately." orders Amphitrite as she takes Poseidon in her arms, hoping to manage to soothe him at least a little with closer contact. And in doing so, she also prevents him from getting up. She doesn't want him to hurt himself in his frantic search, or to leave the safety and privacy of the room.
"But the ancient laws?" asks Triton, worried that this gesture might provoke a war between his father and Zeus. Percy has already visited Atlantis several times, but always with the authorization of Olympus. This drives Poseidon crazy, but he plays along so he can spend more time with his son.
"Leave your uncle to me, Triton. The most important thing right now is to fetch your brother and bring him back here," replies Amphitrite. She knows Zeus will understand. He's seen his brother in this state before, and he won't let him suffer needlessly. And if he needs convincing, Amphitrite is sure that Hestia will help him in this task. But that's a problem for later. The only thing on her mind right now is her husband.
Amphitrite gently cradles Poseidon against her, whispering words of comfort in his ear. She's not sure if this helps, but she keeps on doing it. The god clings to her, like a sailor to a lifebuoy, and between his distress calls, he lets out a desperate "puppy". Amphitrite feels her heart break every time. She can't even imagine what state Poseidon will be in the day he loses Percy for good.
Fortunately, this time it only takes a few minutes for Triton to return with Percy wearing pyjamas and clearly having just woken up. The young man is confused as he is pushed into the nest by his brother. He's about to open his mouth to ask what's going on, but Triton shushes him.
For the moment, Poseidon hasn't yet sensed his puppy's presence, so Amphitrite lies back in the nest, with her husband still pressed against her.
"My love, Percy is right behind you," she whispers into Poseidon's ear.
Once again, the god doesn't seem to understand Amphitrite's words, too lost in his own world. The queen slowly manages to detach her husband from her and turn him around, despite the distress calls becoming louder and more frantic. But it's for a good cause, because the second Poseidon sees his puppy, Percy finds himself engulfed in his father's arms in a matter of seconds. The god sighs with relief as he whispers "puppy" again, but in a much happier tone than before.
Amphitrite and Triton smile softly as the distress calls finally cease. It will take Poseidon a day or two to recover, and it will surely be longer before he agrees to let Percy out of his sight for more than a few minutes at a time. Amphitrite is sure there will be many protests from the teenager because of missed classes and other trivial things like that, but he'll stay for his father, she's sure of it.
"Do I have the right to an explanation?" finally asks Percy, as Triton lies down behind him in the nest. Despite his anger at once again being treated like an object by the gods, and despite his confusion at Poseidon's behavior, Percy lets out a yawn. Who knew that a nest was so comfortable and that he would feel so safe in the arms of his father and brother?
"Go back to sleep Percy, we'll explain everything tomorrow." promises Amphitrite, closing her eyes in turn.
The little family falls asleep serenely, huddled together. And for the first time since Tartarus, Percy sleeps for hours on end without being awakened by a nightmare. And when he wakes up the next morning, there are not four of them in the nest, but seven. Percy has to admit that it's strange to meet Rhode and Benthesikyme for the first time in this way. Or even to see Kymopoleia again. But then, when has his life not been strange?