Chapter Text
ELEVEN YEARS LATER
Percy Jackson was on cloud nine, which wasn’t something people usually said when summer was over and they had to start school. However, this year things were different.
There was a new kid at Percy’s school named Grover Underwood. He was completely obsessed with Greek Mythology and environmentalism just like Percy was. And despite only knowing each other for a few days Grover became Percy’s first friend.
One day after school when Percy was certain that Grover really was his friend he decided to tell his family about him at dinner.
He was practically vibrating in his seat with excitement. “You know how I’ve been really happy lately? Well there’s a reason. I think, I think I might’ve made a friend. He’s a new student if you can believe it.”
In all of Percy’s years of attending his school there had never been a new student or even a new teacher. Just the same old faces year after year, since kindergarten. He thought he’d make it all the way to eight grade without meeting any new children, but sixth grade decided to surprise him this year.
Percy looked up to meet Dad and Finn’s eyes, and for a split second they both looked horrified.
Percy felt his stomach twisting up inside of him. His family was looking at him as if he committed some kind of crime. Because last Percy checked befriending someone wasn’t against the law.
“A new student.” Dad stated. “Percy your school doesn’t get new students.”
Percy started shrinking into his chair, squirming under his Dad’s scrutiny. He began to pick apart his chicken as opposed to eating it.
“Well this year we did, and I got lucky because he didn’t befriend anyone else, and leave me for the popular kids. Not that they wanted to befriend him anyways.”
“What’s his name?” Finn asked with the same expression one might have if they were being walked to a guillotine.
Beads of sweat started to form on the back of his neck as Percy swallowed hard. “Grover Underwood.”
Recognition flashed through Dad’s and Finn's eyes.
Percy drew his eyes brows together. “Wait you know Grover?”
“Don’t be preposterous Percy. Of course not. We just find the name highly unusual.” He said before forcing himself to chuckle. “I mean the only person I know named Grover is that little puppet from Sesame Street. The show you adored so much when you were little.”
“Right.” Percy said intent of going back to playing with his food. He had lost his appetite completely from this conversation.
"Percy I'm sorry," Dad said, "I just want to ensure this kid isn't pretending to befriend like that one kid from first grade."
"Oh." Percy said in understanding.
"Don't feel bad, we're the ones who behaved poorly." Dad said before a lightbulb lit up in his mind. "In fact, Percy, why don’t you invite your friend over to dinner Friday night. I’d love for the opportunity to meet him.”
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The first thing Grover noted about the Jackson household was that it was right on the beach. The water was only a few feet away.
Mr. Jackson must’ve had faith that Lord Poseidon wouldn’t send any storms or tsunamis their way.
The house was also away from all of the other houses. And while it was connected to the street you’d have to drive down an insanely long driveway to get to the road.
It’s like Mr. Jackson intentionally wanted to be away from everyone else.
As if he was hiding something.
Grover tried not to let it get to him. There was no reason to look into too much.
When he got to the front of the house he could tell it was very expensive looking.
Percy’s father must’ve made a lot of money as a marine biologist, which wasn’t a field that Grover thought would be making a lot of money. But what did he know, really? Maybe he came from a well off family?
He rang the doorbell and noticed that the door handles were golden sea horses just like the ones outside of the Poseidon cabin.
Within few seconds the large ornate doors opened and a man who be Mr. Jackson greeted him.
Immediately he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and he suppressed the urge to shudder.
The man smiled at him, but it was anything but friendly. It felt more like a grin that a cat would give when seeing a mouse. Like a predator playing with its prey.
“You must be Grover Underwood.” The man said with a thick British accent.
Grover forced himself to smile. “Pleasure to meet you Mr. Jackson.”
Mr. Jackson extended a hand out for Grover to shake and Grover hesitantly took it.
Mr. Jackson’s skin was warm and fleshy. A good sign indeed. But that didn’t stop goosebumps from spreading throughout his entire body. Nor did it stop him from noticing how strong of a grip that he had. Grover half expected the man to rip his hand right off his body.
But he didn't; he eventually released his hand. “It’s a good thing you came tonight.”
Why did that feel like a thinly veiled threat?
“Percy has been raving about you these past few days. I of course had to meet the one who claims to be my son’s friend.” The way he said those words made it sound like he genuinely didn’t believe Grover was Percy’s friend. That he was some sort of intruder or some sort of monster that wanted to rip Percy to pieces.
“Right.” Grover said, feeling his Adam’s Apple bob up and down.
“Well don’t just stand there. Please come in.” He said, stepping out of the way.
When Grover moved to walk past him, he got the whiff of something.
He couldn’t describe it, it just felt off.
Almost fake.
Like Mr. Jackson was wearing human perfume or something.
Like a monster wearing human skin.
No it couldn’t be.
His best friend's father couldn’t be replaced by a monster.
There has to be an explanation for why sirens kept blaring in his head.
Maybe he was just a terrifyingly overprotective dad.
That was what Grover prayed for, because he didn’t want Percy or his older brother to get “orphaned.”
Though at least if their “father” was a monster, Percy wouldn’t be entirely alone. He’d still have someone to turn to.
When he stepped inside Mr. Jackson quickly locked the door behind them, blocking his only exit with his body.
Too late to turn back now.
Mr. Jackson moves forward closing in on Grover, when Percy rounds the corner.
Grover moves as quickly as possible over to his friend, never once turning his back on Mr. Jackson.
If Mr. Jackson was some ungodly creature he’d need to stay close to Percy to protect him.
He couldn’t be responsible for the death of another demigod.
“Hey Grover, it’s good you could make it.” Percy said obliviously to how terrified his friend is.
“Yeah.” Grover said, chuckling nervously. “Really glad I could make it tonight.”
Before he walked further into the lion’s den he quickly rambled out. “But I can’t stay too late otherwise Mr. Brunner and Ferdinand will come here and y’know get me.” He said making direct eye contact with Mr. Jackson.
It was good after all to let the monster know that if he disappeared others would come for him.
Even if his Uncle Ferdinand was MIA.
“Whose Ferdinand?” Percy asked.
“Oh, um he’s another exchange student living with Mr. Brunner.” He shifted nervously from one foot to the other. “But he’s not in our grade though. That’s why you haven’t met him. He also doesn’t go to our school either, cause he’s super older and really strong.”
He was cringing at his own pathetic excuse on the inside.
All Mr. Jackson did was raise one perfect eye brow.
I know that’s a lie, he said without speaking.
Percy shrugged. “Okay then, uh follow me.”
Grover did as he was told, but he was following Percy too closely who stopped. “Personal space dude.”
“Sorry.” Grover squeaked out before he followed at a respectful distance.
The entire time that they walked Mr. Jackson followed after him. Almost as if he was preventing Grover from turning back. It was creepy and Grover felt like prey being stalked by a predator.
As he walked past various rooms he did his best to take a look around for an escape route.
He didn’t find any alternative exits, but he did discover the house was without a doubt the most “oceany” thing he had ever seen.
Even the ocean paled in comparison to the Jackson house.
Do not tell Lord Poseidon that.
Everything was blue and covered in marine decor. Miniature boats, sea shells on every table, statues of marine animals and even some horses too, walls adorned with pictures of every sea creature you could possibly imagine.
Grover tried really hard to not think about the ocean and horse connection.
Really hard.
Besides, Poseidon couldn’t have kids anymore.
Didn’t stop Zeus.
But uh Percy’s dad’s a guy.
Poseidon’s bisexual.
Hey, maybe his mind should just be quiet.
He’s reading into things too much.
Annabeth must be rubbing off on him.
If Annabeth were here she’d tell him there’s no such thing as coincidence.
Good thing she isn’t here then, because he will believe this is all a coincidence.
Yes he will sleep better believing that.
He also noted that for someone who loves the sea so much there aren’t any fish.
Maybe Mr. Jackson doesn’t like keeping helpless animals captive.
Yet he’s keeping Grover, a helpless animal captive.
After an eternity they reached the dining room where another man in his early twenties was sitting. This must be Finn, Grover thought.
And no Grover did not think about the fact that he was named after the limbs of a fish.
He could not be an older demigod child of Poseidon.
Nope.
He looked like an older version Percy which made sense seeing as they were brothers, except he had long black hair in a ponytail. He also dressed well compared to his father’s tacky shirts.
He wore a satin blue shirt and black business casual pants with fancy boots.
He was clearly the money maker of the family. Perhaps a big city lawyer or something. Or a corporate CEO with enough money to own four homes, one for each season.
Whatever he did for a living Grover did not want to find out, because unlike his father he didn’t mask his displeasure at Grover’s presence. He made it very clear that he disapproved of Grover's mere existence.
The man’s eyes were an abyss, cold and uninviting. A place of misery and death. A silent warning.
I will drag you to the depths.
A monster in disguise.
At least that’s what Grover thought these two had to be.
He wasn’t entirely sure; they didn’t smell like monsters. They just smelt fake.
The second Percy laid eyes on him that man’s persona immediately changed. He gave a warm radiant smile, and his dark eyes started to look light blue just like Percy’s.
He affectionately ruffled Percy’s hair when he sat next to him, only for Percy to laugh and playfully bat his hand away.
They were close.
Or well Percy was close to his brother.
The real Finn must’ve been slain by this shape-shifting people eater.
“So this is your friend Grover?.” The Creature Known as Finn asked.
“Yeah he’s really great.” Percy said.
Not-Finn turned his attention to Grover.
“We’ve heard so much about you these past few days from Percy. It’s an honor to meet you in person.”
“Right.” Grover said uneasily.
“Finn, why don’t you go get our dinner while I get to know our guest better?”
“Of course father.” Finn said before he got up from his seat. As he moved to the kitchen an image flashed in Grover’s mind of Finn doing the slit throat gesture.
He was almost certain that Finn somehow projected that image into his mind.
“Grover, you said you were an exchange student?”
“Um yes.” Grover said shifting awkwardly.
“You have no accent, where are you from?”
He tugged at his shirt collar. He really couldn’t tell Mr. Jackson that he was a satyr right now regardless of whether he was human or a monster. Not in front of Percy at least. “Oh it’s really boring, you probably don’t wanna hear anything about my home.”
“Oh no I do." He said with sly smile, as he leaned forward. "I find it fascinating to learn all about my son's friend.” Why did it feel like Mr. Jackson knew what he was and wanted to watch him make a fool of himself coming up with an on-the-fly cover story.
“Well um I’m not a foreign exchange student I’m from America. And I live in California. Well, used to before I moved here, I mean.”
“Where in California?” Mr. Jackson asked. He was doing a great job of behaving casually in front of Percy. He just appeared like an interested person making conversation and not someone trying to catch another in a web of lies.
“Oh um Los Angeles.”
“You didn’t tell me lived in LA.” Percy said. “Though it's no wonder you left, I heard it’s a shithole.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard- I mean, mean it is. It is a shithole, pardon the language. Too many cars and washed-up celebrities."
“LA really?" Mr. Jackson said enthustistically. "You know I used to know someone who lived out there. He works at a recording studio called Dead on Arrival.”
Dead on Arrival?
Was that a cover name for some mafia or monster nest?
“Perhaps you might meet him someday."
Oh yeah that was a threat.
He was gonna send his monster best friend and they were gonna tag team to beat Grover’s ass.
Percy’s brow scrunched up. “You didn’t tell me you knew people in LA?”
“Oh he was just somebody from my past. We haven’t spoken in years, really.” Mr. Jackson replied casually.
“Oh.” Percy said, before Mr. Jackson continued interrogating him.
“Your family lives in LA then, what do they do for a living?”
Grover’s parents were very much dead, he was taken care of by his Uncle Ferdinand who was also likely very much dead so he didn’t know what to say.
Say something intelligent, Grover’s brain screamed at him. Something that would make a monster or a serial killer want to leave you alone.
“Oh um they both work for the FBI.” He said.
There was silence for quite a while until Percy asked, “is that even something you're allowed to tell us?”
Grover scratched the back of his neck. “Um probably not now that I think about it.” He glanced over at Mr. Jackson, begging him to not kill him with his eyes. “They’re super strict and protective of me, so they probably wouldn’t like me mentioning what they do for a living.”
“Right,” Percy said looking weirded out and confused,” we’ll if they don’t want you talking about it we should probably drop the subject.”
Grover smiled, hoping that Percy’s suggestion would be enough to get his “father” to stop asking him questions. And thankfully it was, because he didn’t ask anything else, instead opting to watch Percy and Grover discuss video games. All the while Mr. Jackson kept his eyes trained on Grover.
In a few minutes, Finn returned with a dish of pasta.
Normal looking pasta.
No human flesh.
Just pasta.
Finn set it down on the table and everyone began to serve themselves. Grover was about to scoop some up into his mouth when a thought entered his mind.
Normal looking pasta that could be poisoned!
“It’s vegetarian,” Mr. Jackson said as if reading his mind. “Percy mentioned you don’t eat meat.”
Grover had to do a double take because Mr. Jackson was seemingly being nice now.
Finn on the other hand scowled, likely wishing he could sink his teeth into a meatball or Grover’s flesh.
He kept staring at him which caused Grover to grab a forkful of pasta and shove it into his mouth. It was delicious, no taste of anything off kilter.
Maybe they weren’t monsters and Grover was just paranoid.
“This is really good pasta.” He said trying to be friendly. “What kind of sauce is it?”
He asked that question and he pictured Annabeth speaking to him.
Use your head and think you know something’s off about these people.
Finn muttered under his breath only loud enough so Grover could hear it.
“The blood of the damned.”
Immediately Grover started coughing, nearly choking on a stray piece of pasta.
“Grover? Are you okay?” Percy asked.
Through several coughs Grover answered. “Fi…..ne just…..fine.” Percy rushed into the kitchen and came back with a glass of water which Grover downed in an instant.
Afterwards he took several deep breaths as he watched Finn like a hawk. The man practically smirked at him, taking delight in his misery.
He started to get up out of his chair to excuse himself to make an emergency call to Chiron when Mr. Jackson made an unreadable expression and suddenly Grover heard the noise of dripping water.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Why could Grover hear running water?
And why did the sound make him feel like he was in the middle of tsunami?
He gripped the hand rests of his chair, knuckles turning white.
Mr. Jackson was still for a minute, listening to the water before he let out a fake sigh. “I think the bathroom sink is acting up again.”
The plumbing was acting up? If Grover didn’t know any better he’d think Mr. Jackson was behind it. But he didn’t know any monsters that could make pipes spontaneously burst.
Or make him feel like he was about to be dragged out to sea.
“Damn it.” Percy cussed.
“I’ll go fix.” Finn said as if he knew this would happen. “Percy, can you lend me a hand?”
“Sure.” Percy said before he got out of his seat and followed after The Creature. “We really need to hire someone who actually knows what they’re doing to take a look, you know.” He said to his brother.
“Don’t worry I’m sure the plumbing problems will stop soon enough.” Finn replied with a knowing smile.
They’ll stop soon enough because Finn is going to eat Percy!
The monsters are separating them so they can pick them off!
Grover needs to do something!
“Now that we’re alone there’s some matters that need to be discussed.” Mr. Jackson said, with a smile so unnatural it sent chills down his spine. “Follow me.”
Still he summoned the courage to pry himself off of his chair, almost against his will.
He followed Mr. Jackson as he led him to the stairs of a dark basement.
Now Grover wasn’t a horror movie fan but red flags kept flashing before his eyes.
This is a trap.
This is a trap.
This is a trap.
When Grover walked down Mr. Jackson quickly locked the door and moved behind him so he couldn’t turn back.
He kept walking forward, forcing Grover to descend down a staircase into the dark abyss below.
While on the way he stepped in a puddle, getting his feet wet. He could only pray it was water and not in blood.
When they reached the bottom Mr. Jackson turned on a light that dimly lit up the room. Grover searched for anything he could use as a makeshift weapon if worse came to worse.
On the walls he could see various ocean lover trinkets, like the ones upstairs.
An animatronic singing fish, some sea shells, pictures of boats, scientific diagrams of marine creatures, and harpoons.
Harpoons!
Yep.
He was a goner.
On the off chance that he wasn’t a monster he certainly was a killer.
And Grover knew with every fiber of his being that if he said or did the wrong thing he’d never make it out of this room alive.
Mr. Jackson wordlessly led Grover over to a makeshift police investigation table with two chairs and a lamp.
Grover didn’t need to be told to sit down.
Mr. Jackson sat across from him, eyes never leaving Grover’s.
“Listen to me.” Mr. Jackson said with a voice so powerful that it froze him on the spot.
It reminded him of someone, or something that he had encountered before but he was too frightened to remember who or what.
“I know why you’re here.”
Yep.
Yep.
Definitely a monster.
Definitely a monster.
He should make a run for it now, maybe he can grab Percy in time and they’ll both live.
Grover tried to pick his legs up to make a run for it. Yet he couldn’t move them, they felt like they were frozen.
Though when he looked down at them they were perfectly fleshy and furry looking.
Did Mr. Jackson literally freeze him to the chair or something?
That was the most likely case.
And if that was true then he needed to get out of here fast.
He tried twisting and turning out of his seat to free himself.
Mr. Jackson sat the entire time unconcerned with Grover’s distress. He kept speaking as if he wasn’t watching someone struggle for their life.
“I also know that you’re a satyr.” He could no longer deny that Mr. Jackson wasn’t part of his world. He could no longer convince himself that his imagination was running active again or that he was assuming the worst.
“A failed satyr at that” Failed satyr? Did Mr. Jackson know about Thalia? It would make sense if he was a monster. They probably all knew Thalia’s name based on how many times she’s killed them. Maybe Mr. Jackson knew that he was friends with Thalia and wanted revenge on Grover.
Still outright calling Mr. Jackson a monster wasn’t smart. It would be best to feign ignorance and give his mind time to come up with a plan.
Grover swallowed hard “You’re….You’re clear sighted.” He said hoping, praying that was the case. But deep down he knew it wasn’t. He knew Mr. Jackson was more than what meets the eye.
“You have no idea how clear my sight is.”
That should’ve relieved him. Mr. Jackson somewhat confirmed that he was mortal.
However, something about Mr. Jackson made him more fearful than any monster could.
And he still felt that deep down Mr. Jackson was a creature wearing human flesh.
“I know you intend to kidnap my son and bring him to your little demigod camp.”
He was quite informed for a supposed mere mortal. Perhaps he was a legacy and that’s why he felt so powerful. Maybe one of the Big Three had a child that survived into adulthood and had human offspring.
Yes! Yes! That had to be the case. Not just for Grover’s sake. But it would explain why Percy had a strong aura around him. Same with his other son Finn.
But Finn didn’t smell like a demigod.
Neither did Mr. Jackson, his scent smelled fake, artificial somehow.
He’d have to put a pin in this because Mr. Jackson thought he’d kidnap Percy.
That misconception needed to be cleared up immediately.
Otherwise Grover would be joining the animatronic fish on the wall.
“I’m not going to kidnap your son. But he needs-“
“You will be taking him nowhere.” He said voice booming off the walls. How Percy didn’t hear that and come running to his aid Grover didn't know. Or maybe he did, and the reason Percy wasn't here was because Not-Finn had killed him already. “Do you understand me?”
Grover gulped. “Yes, but Percy’s an incredibly powerful demigod. I can tell. Whoever his mother is,” Grover noticed Mr. Jackson seemed offended somehow, “she’s probably an Olympian which means he’ll need lots of protection. You seem to know a lot so do you know who that might be?”
“Percy’s godly parent is for me to know and you to never find out.” Someone didn’t like talking about their ex, Grover noted.
“What about Finn?”
Mr. Jackson looked amused at the mere suggestion that Finn could be a demigod. “Finn is Percy’s half brother. He’s no demigod.”
“Well alright, but Chiron-“
Mr. Jackson’s eyes darkened. “What about Chiron?”
He knew about Chiron too?
“Well he’s with me. I’ve been staying with him. When I found Percy I knew he was a really powerful demigod so I requested help with what I was originally going to do which was transport him to camp. But I will no longer be doing that. The reason I called him for help is because I couldn’t afford another screwup not if I wanted to-“
Mr. Jackson didn’t speak, he merely shot Grover a look and the satyr shut his mouth.
“Not if I want to?” He asked with a snarl and Grover pictured him with razor sharp fangs ripping into his throat.
He stood up and leaned down at the table, slamming his hands into it.
“This entire friendship with my son has been nothing more than a lie, a fabrication.” His voice oozed with venom. “A means to use him to get what you want, which knowing satyrs means a Searcher’s License to find the god Pan. Correct me if I’m wrong here.”
“Lord Pan.” Grover said as he fidgeted with his shirt collar. “I’m guessing the correct me wasn’t meant to be taken literally.” Mr. Jackson glared at him, but Grover couldn’t be silent.
He had to fight for his friendship with Percy even if that got him harpooned like a whale. “But you are wrong about one thing. My friendship with Percy is real. He isn’t a tool to get what I want. I care about him.”
Mr. Jackson scoffed, in disbelief. “Why? You hardly know him?"
Grover began wringing the fabric of his shirt in his hands. “Well, he stood up for me at school. Kids were picking on me throwing peanut butter sandwiches at my hair. They offered Percy a chance to join in the fun, to become their friends, and become popular. And he responded by kicking one boy between the legs, punching a girl in the nose, twisting someone’s arm, and biting another kid’s ear. I’ve never had someone do that for me before. I’d have to be pretty stupid to wanna screw up a friendship like that.”
Mr. Jackson considered Grover’s words and his expression softened. Grover breathed a sigh of relief.
“Percy didn’t tell me this occurred. I'm surprised he didn’t get in trouble.”
“Well Chiron controlled something called the Mist to keep him from getting detention or being expelled. The Mist is-“
“I know what the Mist is.” He said waving a hand dismissively.
I know what the Mist is.
Gears started turning in his head. There was more to the story here. Mr. Jackson wasn’t an ordinary clear sighted mortal. There was something else lingering beneath the surface.
Mr. Jackson called him a failed satyr. How could Mr. Jackson know that he failed to bring a demigod to camp? How could he possibly know about Thalia?
He thought back to his earlier idea of Mr. Jackson being a legacy. It didn’t fit. A legacy of the same age of Mr. Jackson would’ve never met Thalia. He’d have no way of knowing about her.
That and Mr. Jackson had an aura of raw unfiltered power.
He shared it with his son Finn.
Finn who was not a demigod.
And the more Grover thought about it the more it reminded him of Mr. D when he first arrived at camp. How angry he was at his father for punishing him.
That same power it could only come from………
A god.
And Mr. Jackson was so heavily entwined with the ocean and horses……
And the sink conveniently leaking when he tried to call for help……
It couldn’t be……
And yet…….
It made too much sense.
Lord Poseidon seemingly read his mind. “I see you’ve figured some things out haven’t you.” It was not a question, and Grover knew better than to lie to one of The Big Three.
He stammered. “I believe….so my Lord.”
“I was never too concerned with you finding out the truth about me, you know." He said as his eyes began to glow. "After all satyrs have no souls, they cannot speak after death.”
That was the most sickening thing Grover had ever heard in his lifetime, so much so that Grover's stomach started to twist itself into knots.
“But I’ve started to like you, Grover. Honestly.” He said softly. “And I’d really hate for something unfortunate to happen here, but if someone is a threat to me or my family-“
Time to say anything that will keep him alive!
Without pausing or so much as breathing Grover rambled out a string of words.
“I swear, I won’t tell anyone. I won’t tell anyone about you or Finn, or Percy. I won’t hurt you or Finn, or Percy! I swear it! I swear upon the River Styx.” The sound of thunder boomed in the distance.
Lord Poseidon smiled genuinely. “Good. Now why don’t we head back upstairs? You’re probably hungry I’m assuming.”
Grover blinked, getting whiplash from how quickly Lord Poseidon changed moods.
“You…You’re not going to kill meeee?”
“I said I like you Grover and I do mean that, even if you are the worst liar I’ve come across.” He laughed rolling his eyes playfully. And somehow seeing Lord Poseidon being light hearted was the most terrifying he had ever seen. “I’m from LA, my parents work for the FBI, I live with a buff guy who will beat you up named Ferdinand. I can tell you truly care about my son and I know now you won’t hurt my family.”
“Besides,” he said, suddenly looking downcast, which made Grover hawk. He didn’t think gods could feel much less express such profound sadness. “Percy’s never had a friend before. And I don’t want to be the reason that friendship ends. I’m truly sorry for scaring you. I just needed to make sure my family and I were safe. Same with Triton he just doesn't want a repeat of what happened with Pallas."
Who is Pallas, Grover wanted to ask. Were they a satyr?
"If possible, I hope, we can start over and put this behind us.”
“S…sure.” Grover stuttered, because what else could he say. He followed Lord Poseidon as they left the basement before he realized he’d eventually have to return to his apartment with Chiron.
“Um my Lord, I have a quick question?” He said and they both stopped. Well two actually now that I think about it.” Lord Poseidon didn’t say anything so Grover decided to go ahead and ask. “First, what do I say to Chiron? Since he thought Percy would be going to camp.”
“Say you didn’t find anything out.” Lord Poseidon said sternly. “That you’re clueless as to who his godly parent is and that he's likely a minor goddess's son. The rest you’ll leave to me.”
Grover tried not to gulp but failed miserably. He didn’t want Chiron to do anything stupid or rash, but he knew he couldn’t warn him. “Right well um onto my second question, does Percy know anything? About you know you or Finn?”
“He doesn’t know anything about Triton or I being gods and he’s not going to find out.” Lord Poseidon said through clenched teeth.
Percy was clueless then, which meant Grover couldn’t confine in him about how scary his father was.
He had to keep it to himself and smile through the horror.
Then he let out a sigh looking so much like a tired father and not the ruler of the seas. “I’ll tell him eventually, when the time is right. For now I just want him to be safe and happy.”
Safe and happy.
Underneath it all Lord Poseidon was a loving father, even if he was a walking eldritch abomination.
When they returned to the dining room Percy and Finn walked in moments after them.
“We finally got that sink fixed.” Percy said in relief. “I thought the water would keep going forever.” Lord Poseidon shot Grover a knowing smile, and Grover decided to look down at his shoes.
They were nice black shoes, well not really nice. They were sneakers but they were comfortable and sturdy.
“So what did you two talk about when we were gone?” Percy asked, sitting back down at the table.
Grover shoved a bunch of pasta into his mouth, refusing to answer.
“Oh nothing really,” Lord Poseidon said casually, “just some small talk. But I will say this Percy, you’ve picked an excellent friend.” Percy beamed before he turned his attention to Grover.
“I think we’ll all be seeing a lot more of you from now.”
Grover felt his throat go dry. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.