Chapter Text
Chapter 1 - Returning Home
Percy – POV
Walking through the streets he grew up in seemed surreal, as if he didn’t fit anymore, like he was watching himself from above. Neither Annabeth or he fit anymore, even just a walk down the street was causing their nerves to skyrocket. With too many strangers, noises and possible threats. Ever since escaping the pit they had these nerves and reactions, but today was the first day they were in a crowd of strangers again, and it was almost too much. Without the grounding force of holding her hand, he didn’t know what would happen, but just having that comfort from her proximity made it better, well bearable at least.
“Do you think she’ll be home?” he asked Annabeth, for at least the 20th time today.
“Yes, Seaweed Brain. She doesn’t need to work on Thursday’s, remember I visited her at least once a week when you were gone, and her schedule hasn’t changed.”
“How do you know that? What if...”
“I know”, she cut me off, “I asked my mum last night at dinner okay and she confirmed.”
“You talked to your mum, for me? But you never talk to her anymore, after… um. After what happened?” he asked softly, barely even breathing.
She smiled up at me, with that small spark of mischief and hope he so rarely got to see these days and gave his hand a squeeze.
“Anything for you Perce.”
His sea green eyes met her storm grey ones as they recognised the mutual bond they shared. Deeper than anything else, that connection they had forged while in the dephs of pure misery, so he swept her up in a hug. They clung to each other as if the world depended on it, and for them it did, together they had made it through hell and together they would stay, now and forever. Only when a shoulder bumped him hard in the side, as a pedestrian hurried past with the typical New York rudeness, did he come back to his surroundings. They were still in the middle of New York and had just hugged for who knows how long on the side of the road, but he was happy, he wasn’t alone.
“Ok, not far to go then.”
…
As they finally reached the building he remembered as his, well his mums at least, he felt his nerves start to boil again. That deep roiling in his gut of anticipation, terror, and hope. While it hadn’t been his choice to leave 8 months ago, he had Hera, resident Cow queen, to thank for that. He still could have done more to communicate, to reach out, to try. Just more in general. But he had been a coward, too scared and scarred to face his mother in the middle of the quest, and now it was over he was terrified she wouldn’t forgive him. Or at the very least just look at him differently. Each step up the stairs raised his anxiety, they had forgone the lifts of course, Annabeth and him couldn’t bear using lifts these days. Even with their demigod physique the 8 levels they climbed weren't easy, well his body was doing fine apart from his lungs which were burning. Still not fully recovered from the smog and poison in the air inside Tartarus.
Annabeth next to him was no better but they had been through so much worse than a few measly stairs, so they barely even noticed. Their hands still tightly clasped together were clammy with sweat and anxiety, even as they squeezed out our secret pattern of - long, short, short. A pattern they invented as they had walked through monsters and smoke to remind each other they weren’t alone with a short ‘I love you.’ Not speaking, but still communicating that one most important message, that got them through the pain and the dark together.
Opening the door to his level was a shock, with all the familiar scrapes on the walls, the strange green and black patterned carpet, and the lights dim but somehow inviting on the walls. The number 811 standing out proudly in its bright bronze plaque, but to him it signalled so much more, home, fear, hope, the past, love, forgiveness, and desperation. He was home but as he stood there looking at the number, he froze as a thought clanged through his mind. How could he inflict himself, so broken and bettered on his mother? How could he do that to her after all she had done for him?
“Wise Girl,” he start to plead. “I can’t do this, what if it goes wrong, what if she doesn’t want me anymore?”
He start shaking like a leaf, the shudders coming from deep in his bones and rattling out of him in heaves and shakes, like an internal earthquake. I guess I’m not the son of the Earthshaker for nothing right? he thought. But just as the anxiety started to take hold of him and shut him down, he feel the sweet touch of Annabeth’s lips on his and her hands wrapping around his neck.
“It’s ok,” she breaths into him, “we are here together, as we promised each other, always together ok? Your mum is gonna be so excited to see you, she will probably cry with you and then try and smother you in food. It’s gonna be ok.”
As her words floated over and through him, he felt myself start to settle, his heartbeat slow and the panic subside. With Annabeth beside him, with him, he could face anything and anyone.
“I love you Wise Girl. How do you always know what to say to me?”
“Because you’re an idiot, Seaweed Brain, but your MY idiot and I love you too.”
Just as he was about to kiss her again a loud thunk sounded behind him. Without thinking his one hand flashed to his coat pocket, while the other forced Annabeth behind him, already starting to swing head high with Riptide at the attacker.
Paul – POV
As he was coming up the Elevator grocery bags in hand he wondered if today would be any better. For months his wife Sally Blofis had been slightly off kilter, not that he could blame her. His stepson Percy Jackson had been gone for over 8 months with only one short call a few months ago and then complete dead silence. Making it even worse they hadn’t heard from Annabeth either, while Annabeth was technically only Percy’s girlfriend as far as he knew, she and Sally had really bonded over the first few months of Percy’s disappearance. They had known each other before, as Annabeth had been Percy’s best friend for years, but over those few months she had almost become a daughter to them both. He knew Sally secretly (maybe not so secretly) hoped that Annabeth would one day become her legal daughter, she just balanced Percy out so well and they both knew she cared for him deeply. Her fanatic searching for him was more than enough evidence of that.
As he arrived on his floor and the doors opened, he heard murmured voiced that sounded in their late teens which he found strange. The other 11 apartments on this floor only held a few elderly couples, some single adults and 2 families with kids under 10. No teenagers or young adults. As he came closer to his door, he spotted bodies belonging to the two voices, one belonging to a tall boy around 6’4 wearing old and battered jeans and an orange shirt that looked to be hanging off him a few sizes too large. And an elegant young woman coming up to the young man’s chin, around 5’8, with long golden ringlets cascading down her back and a similar thinness to be seen through her own orange shirt. They were tangled together face to face and seemed to both be the anchor that kept them tethered to this world.
His breath caught, weren’t Percy and Annabeth’s camp shirts orange? Then he heard the last of the girl’s whispered words.
“Because you’re an idiot, Seaweed Brain, but your MY idiot and I love you too,” and he knew, only one couple used names such as Seaweed Brain.
As his brain recognised the two as the ones he was just thinking of, Percy and Annabeth, his fingers slipped, and the grocery bags hit the floor with a loud thunk. He barely even saw what happened, before suddenly he was staring down the 3-foot length of a shining bronze sword.
Percy looking at him with a barely contained snarl and a gaze so vicious and all seeing that he almost bolted. Those sea green eyes he remembered were almost pitch black as if the sea was in violent storm in the middle of the night. There was an unforgiving almost inhuman tightness to his stance, as if he could move in an instant in any direction, which he guessed he just had. As those eyes scanned over his body, with his simple old school clothes and glasses they suddenly started to clear as a look that almost passed as horror crept over Percy’s face. Percy suddenly backed away looking desolate. But Paul gave him no time for pity as he jumped forward and swept the broken looking young man up in a fierce hug.
“Your back, you came back and your alive,” the words tumbled out of his mouth. “You both came back and I’m so grateful your just both back. Come here Annabeth don’t think I didn’t spot you too!” he said as he folded her into the hug as well.
“Oh, my gods Paul! I’m so…” Percy started to apologise.
“No,” he interrupted, “I don’t know what exactly you went through these last 8 months, but I know they wasn't your choice, so don’t you dare apologise for actions and reflexes built into you. It’s not your fault son. And Annabeth I can’t thank you enough for bringing him back to us, thank you so much.”
The words seemed to catch Annabeth off guard, as if she didn’t expect anyone to thank her for bringing Percy back, so she just hugged Paul harder.
“Come on,” he said, “help me bring these groceries in so you guys can go great Sally, she is gonna be ecstatic!”
Then he bent down to get pick up the groceries and pushed Percy to open the door.
Percy – POV
Percy pushed open the door and immediately the ever-present scent of baked cookies filled his nose, the sweet memories of his childhood and his mum.
“Sally dear”, Paul called out from behind him, “I have a surprise for you!”
“Paul,” an exasperated voice called from inside, “it better not be some strange pickles that were on sale again, last time it took me a week to figure out what to do with them!”
The three of them stepped out of the landing and into the living room, with the voice coming closer from the direction of the kitchen. He was staring intently at that doorway when she stepped through, her greying brown hair fixed messily out of her face and her kind blue eyes intent on the bowl she was mixing in her hands. Her face had more lines than he remembered but those ever-present smile wrinkles were just as strong and prominent as before, and she was wearing the blue apron he remembered buying for her when he was 15, only 2 years ago really but it seemed like a lifetime.
“Honey,” she started to say, “did they have the…”
Then her eyes caught sight of him and Annabeth, still standing together hips almost touching and she dropped the bowl she was working on. The glass shattered on the floor and flew in all directions but no one seemed to notice or care. Tears were flowing freely down Sally’s face and she looked like she had both seen a ghost or been given the best gift ever. Which in a way were both were true.
“Hey mum,” Percy choked out, “I’m back.”
Then Sally rushed to her son and threw her arms around him, still weeping and just held onto him for a long time. She held him to just ensure he was real and really, truly there and not her hallucination. It took her a couple of minutes to realise a few things, one he was a lot thinner than he used to be, as well as taller. Two Annabeth was there too, and they both carried the small travel duffel bags that usually held their belongings. As Sally stepped back holding him at arm’s length, she started to notice other things, his eyes had a new haunted cast to them, the backs of his arms and hands were covered in small time scars and both him an Annabeth had recovered that grey streak in their hair from holding up the sky. Annabeth gave off the same sad air as he did so Sally gave her a long hug too.
“Thank you so much dear, for bring my son back to me, just as you promised.”
This seemed to cause Annabeth to tear up as she said.
“He actually saved me and brought me back Mrs Blofis, most of those scars are my fault.”
“No,” Percy stated with a sudden intensity, “it was my choice to fall with you Beth and I haven’t regretted that choice for one second, I could never have lived without you. So don’t you dare blame yourself okay! Never for that.”
Sally and Paul shared a curious glance, neither of them knew what the young couple was referencing but they could both tell that it was bad.
“Whatever happened Annabeth dear, I already know it wasn’t your fault, and call me Sally, you’ve more than earner that right 100 times over,” Sally stated emphatically.
“Okay Sally,” Annabeth said meekly, again grabbing his hand, as if for stability, as a blush formed on her cheeks.
“So, looking at your bags I’m assuming you guys are coming to stay, for a bit at least?” Sally asked.
“Yes, if that’s ok mum?” Percy said, “we don’t really want to be at camp right now…. or forever, we just don’t know yet.”
His voice was laced with a deep agony as well as a whole load of anger.
“Do I have to ask what happened? Is something wrong?” Sally started to say. But he cut her off neatly.
“Please not right now mum, we just wanted to ask if its ok if we can crash here for a few weeks while we sort out what we want to do?”
“Of course, dear,” Sally responded and then did a small double take, “by ‘we’ do you mean both of you? As in together?”
He just looked at his mother with those haunted eyes and didn’t even blink, “Yes mum, together.”
The finality in those words quelled any further questions Sally might have had, they weren’t forceful or belligerent but held such quiet pain and desperation that she knew she couldn’t separate them. Whatever had happened it had happened to them both and they obviously needed each other, and it wasn’t as if she didn’t trust them. Well Annabeth at least was the most sensible girl she knew, so she didn’t want to make a fuss of it.
“Ok, you guys know where your room is I guess, so why don’t you go drop your stuff then come back down?”
Sally – POV
As Sally watched her son walk down the hall to his, well now that Annabeth were sharing it, she guessed it was ‘their’ room, she felt a mixture of emotions. While she was ecstatic Percy was home and on top of that Annabeth, who she saw as a daughter was back too, she couldn’t help but wonder what had changed the two so much that they refused to leave each other at all now. She knew Hera had separated them forcefully, by taking Percy away and Annabeth was absolutely frantic for a few months trying to find him, but this seemed more than that, something deeper and more permanent.
Turning to her husband she asked, “Do you think we should ask or just trust them for now?”
Paul seemed to consider for a moment, “For most teenagers I would separate them or at least demand a good reason, but with those two? With how they’re looking right now and all they’ve been through; I just don’t know. Pushing them might not work and might just drive them away at this stage.”
“At least we can agree on that,” she said, “that way he stated ‘together’ seemed so final and desperate that I don’t think we could even separate them now. Physically we haven’t been able to for years of course but I don’t think anything we could do would do anything right now. And you're also right, they’re not normal teens, they are far more mature than most adults even, so if they need this I think we should support them.”
“Yes,” Paul agreed, “do you need help with dinner while those two get settled?”
“Yes, thank you dear,” she said, “could you cut the onion while I get everything else ready, I think a simple spaghetti should work well tonight.”
Percy – POV
“Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.” Percy said relieved as he and Annabeth entered his room.
The familiar blue walls, bed spread, and desk shoved in the corner, the closet that took up one side of the room and the surprisingly clean floor.
“Of course, it wasn’t trouble Seaweed Brain, just like I told you,” Annabeth smirked, “I'm always right you know, and yes your mum cleaned your room.”
“Yeah, I can see that, looks strange without its usual floor clothes, doesn’t it? But it feels good to be home Wise Girl, it feels safer than camp, which is strange. But it feels so good to just be able to relax a bit and not worry about quests, or your safety, or anyone else for a bit,” he sighed.
“Yes, it does,” Annabeth agreed as she strode to the closet opening the doors. “It does feel good to be home, which is wherever you are now, in case you didn’t know that yet.”
Smiling with contentment he said, “Me too, Wise Girl.”
Then her stormy grey eyes caught the colouring inside the closet, half of it was painted a suspiciously matching shade.
“Percy,” she asked, “why is half of your closet grey?” and as she opened the shelves, “and empty?”
“Um, Wellll, I might have made space for you in my closet not long after we started dating on a impulse, in case you ever moved in with me,” he blurted barely pronouncing each word. “Just like, as a safety net you know, and to fuel my dreams of being with you forever?”
“Aww, Perce, that’s so sweet, even if its slightly strange as we were only 16 at the time. But I love you too you know,” Annabeth replied burying her face into his chest.