Chapter Text
Percy’s feet moved across the cobbled floor in a practiced flow of movement. She felt herself get lost in the familiar movements as her mind wandered to the events leading up to this very moment.
A few months ago during the battle of Manhattan Luke took Annabeth’s knife and took it to his mortal spot, ending Kronos and himself. Kronos obviously wanted the last laugh though because there was a blinding flash and then she was waking up on a beach thousands of years in the past, in ancient Greece. Imagine her surprise also when she found a much much younger Luke passed out besides her.
He was about seven now.
Luke didn’t seem to remember much, thankfully, he said that the last thing he could remember was hiding in the closet from his mom. She knew it wasn’t May Castellen’s fault but the sentence still broke her heart, the fact that Luke was so afraid of his mom.
She thinks somewhere Kronos still lingers in the back of his mind. She sees him in the way that he just seems to drift off into space sometimes, the way his eyes will flash gold on occasion. She hopes it stays as a distant prod in the back of his head, she dreads the day it doesn’t.
Once she had gathered her bearings and figured out where and when they were she quickly stumbled into a problem, they had no money. Luckily she was able to trade an elderly woman, who obviously took pity on them, for the time period appropriate clothes with the jewellery she was wearing (not including her camp necklace of course).
That still left them with the issue of having no money to afford the other necessities, and unfortunately for them Percy could not sew or weave which seemed to be the only socially acceptable job for women outside of being a mother and housewife.
As Percy had no plans of getting hitched any time soon that left her with very few options. So she began dancing in the streets for petty coin, they made good money on that most days, if you included the pickpocketing her and Luke did as well.
Luke being a son of Hermes was a natural and growing up with Gabe in new york was what made her talented as well. She set rules though, never anyone who looked like they needed it as much or more then them and never any of the soldiers that wandered about either.
Growing up Percy would hang around this youth centre to avoid going home to Gabe whilst her mother was still at work. The youth centre offered many different activities run by volunteers to help steer the ‘underprivileged youth away from the wrong path.’
She hated being treated as if she was already signing up to a life of crime just because of where she lived. But she did thoroughly enjoy the dance classes that Ms Raliano would put on every two weeks. The type of dance would change every three months, Ms Raliano said it was to keep them all interested.
So anyways Percy wasn’t too bad at the whole dancing for money thing, enjoyed it most days even. She had Luke either linger in the crowds that would gather or have him sit down somewhere where she could glance over and keep an eye on him.
She knew ancient Greece was far from safe, the deities, monsters and people all making it so. She was terrified something would happen to Luke whilst he was under her care so she never let him out of her sight for long.
They travelled from city to city to avoid attracting too much attention by staying in one place. She wanted to avoid drawing in monsters by lingering in one place for too long, she also wanted to avoid the Gods for as long as possible.
Travelling often was also a way avoiding the apt attention of the men that would frequent her performances. She’d get propositioned sometimes, some were by men offering to make an ‘honest woman’ out of her. Some were by men offering to pay a pretty coin to spend the night with her, some men didn’t offer to pay at all. Not all men took no for an answer, but that was fine, she could handle herself just fine, she’d picked up a mortal dagger on her travels after all. One for her and one for Luke of course, she still had Riptide and Luke still had Annabeth’s dagger but those wouldn’t work on mortals.
She was scorned by the men and women for having a child out of wedlock, of course that wasn’t the case and she told anyone who asked that Luke was her little cousin but people only see what they want to see. It didn’t help her reputation any, but then what does reputation matter to her anyways? Her priority lies in keeping Luke safe and finding a way to get them both home.
She taught Luke everything he could need to know when she had the time. How to fight (an unfortunate necessity), how to read, maths, how to navigate using the stars, everything she could about the ocean and sailing without stepping on a boat (she was afraid she would alert her father of her presence if she did). Everything she knew she tried to teach to Luke, obviously there were still lots she hadn’t yet taught Luke but she will.
She twirled around and glanced over at Luke, relieved to see that he was still sitting off in the corner. She nearly stumbled as she spotted someone else near him, the sight filling her with panic.
She rushed through the remaining steps to the dance, quick to finish it off prematurely. She leaned down and swiped the bag of coins she had set up to collect the coins people threw at her, not even bothering to barter for more. She ran over to Luke quickly, stepping in front of him slightly to shield him from the person, or more accurately God in front of them.
“Can I help you sir?” She says breathless, planning to play oblivious.
She waved her hand wildly behind her back, gesturing for Luke to stand up. She was glad that Luke got the message and stood up, she could feel his hands clutching her skirts as he peeked around her legs and up at the God standing in front of them. She’s sure that he doesn’t recognise the fact that it’s a God, or if he does he has the sense not to mention it until later.
“Not at all miss,” the God in front of her looked her up and down, studying her. “I saw this little lad all alone and simply wished to know if he required assistance of any kind. I take the boy is yours?”
She nodded her head, “yes sir.” She unintentionally omitted the fact that Luke was not her son, which was what his question was. In defence though Luke is hers, he is under her care and she is the one taking care of her little (older?) cousin. For all intents and purposes for the time being he is hers.
Later the fact that she accidentally claimed Luke was her son to the father of said boy would hit her. In that moment she would wish (not pray, never pray) that Hermes had not realised that Luke was his. After all the God in this time would have no recognition of siring Luke, and it’s not like the Gods particularly care about their children either so hopefully even if he did realise that Luke was his son he did not care about that fact. (She felt so guilty at wishing for this, knowing how much Hermes' lack of care hurt Luke back in their time.)
The God hummed, “Is that so?” He looked her up and down again, a deep feeling of discomfort filled her at the repeated action.
“Yes sir,” she repeated herself. “I’m afraid that it’s getting rather late now and we must be off.” She quickly picked Luke up, holding him tightly against her, and hurried off hoping to disappear into the crowds before the God could get another word in.
She made her way to the docks, ducking into a desolate alley once she made it there. Despite the fact that she may have temporarily sworn off the sea, ships and everything sea related she couldn’t deny that she felt safer the closer she was to the ocean. Right now she needed the assurance of an emergency exit, she wasn’t ready to let the Gods learn about her or Luke, not yet.
She did her best to stick to coastal cities and towns simply for that assurance that she could disappear into the oceans depths if need be, she even tried to travel along coastal paths for as long as possible for that very reason.
She put Luke down and crouched down to his level. “Are you ok?” She asked, checking him over.
“Yeah, no cuts or bruises or coconuts” Luke said, showing Percy his unmarred skin as proof.
Percy laughed, shaking her head fondly, “the saying is ‘no ifs or buts and definitely no coconuts’ Luke.”
“Oh… was that my father?” Luke asked quietly, almost like he didn’t want to know.
Percy took a deep breath, “yeah” she admitted just as quietly.
“And he can’t know us yet,” Luke parroted the words she spoke to him many times back to her.
“That’s right,” she nods her head, reaching out to grab his small hand in hers.
“Becasue of my dreams?” Luke’s words were impossible quiet, if she wasn’t so close to him she doubts she would’ve heard him.
“No, no Luke,” her hand left his and gripped his shoulders tightly, “your dreams have nothing to do with why they can’t know us yet, I promise you.”
She was lying though, and she feared Luke knew. Percy couldn’t deny that Luke’s ‘dreams’ didn’t play a part in her reluctance to reach out to the Gods. Luke’s dreams were either old memories replaying in his head or the dull whispers of the modern Kronos stuck in his head. They had both taken to calling the instances that Luke heard Kronos ‘dreams’ whether he was asleep or awake.
“Cause you don’t trust them?” He asked instead.
She nodded, “and because we’re not supposed to be here.”
Luke nodded like he understood the exact reasoning behind her words, she wouldn’t be surprised if he did. “We’re supposed to be back home with Mom.”
“Yes, we’re supposed to be where May is, and we’re not, so we've gotta get home.” She nodded her head along to his words.
“Mom doesn’t trust my Dad either, she’s always crying and screaming about it when she goes all green.” Percy’s heart broke at Luke's words as he reaccounted the moments the oracle took over May Castellen, no child should see their mother like that.
“I know sweetheart, we’ve gotta go now though ok? We’re going to explore a new place.” Percy stood, holding Luke hand in hers and leading him out of the alley.
“Percy?” Luke asked tentatively.
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to leave when we get back home to mom?”
“...No, you’re stuck with me now kid.”