She finds him in a room; it's not his bedroom because it's been years since he lived in this room when he wasn't being shipped off to schools and even then it hadn't been his. Smelly Gabe had made sure of that by making it his "study."

With leaving his muddy boats that reeked of moldy garlic pizza (aka Smelly Gabe himself), that even after all these years was stomach turning, on the dirty windowsill. To making his room hard to breath in because of his nasty ass cologne and cigars. To making it hard to live in with the mostly empty bottles of beer on the floor, desk, and one on the windowsill next to his boots. It had been a miracle Percy had never stepped on one of those-

"Percy what happened?" Despite the seriousness in her voice, Percy can't help but stare at her instead of answering.

There's no baby bump; no little sister on the way and Percy had known so since Grover - Grover who Percy hadn't seen since he'd dreamt of him while on a quest with Hazel and Frank - had waken him up from memories (because his memories are his nightmares now) that had him screaming his head off.

He had had woken up everyone (who still been asleep, there'd been a few already awake) in their dorm at Yancy. Yancy and a young (except Grover wasn't actual young) Grover. Wrong; so very wrong.

"Mom," he manages to croak out and gets off the bed. He immediately hugs her despite the fact the blood on his knuckles isn't dried and just breathes. She smells like the candy shop Grand Central that she use to- no, still works at.

Despite the tears in his eyes along with Smelly Gabe's blood on his knuckles his mom doesn't immediately demand answers because she's not only the best person in the world but the best mom in the world. Instead, she runs a hand through his mess of hair and hums softly as though he's still a baby instead of a seventeen year old demi-god that's in his twelve year old "troubled kid" body.

It feels too soon when his mom finally pulls somewhat away from him to stare at his face - at his eyes and she had to see something in them. "Oh, Percy," she whispers softly before pulling into his hug and it should probably matter that he's too old for hugs but it doesn't. When this is all over he's going to buy her a World's Best Mom cup and so much more because she's always been good and so patient despite everything. Except was this ever going to end? Two great prophecies and Apollo showing up at their place a mortal and now this.

The realization makes him tighten his grip, to anchor himself. Because he needs to have something, someone, to keep the broken glass that was his soul smooth. And this time it's his mom not Annabeth. Even though everything in him wants nothing more to go to Camp Blood he can't because when he does finally get there his wise girl won't be there. Annabeth who'd be so young despite not really being a child and Percy thinks that might be what (once again) shatter the glued glass in him.

After his mom got him to sit back on the bed with her and she'd taken off her uncomfortable high heels that were part of Sweet on America uniform she asks that question again.

"What happened Percy," her voice while gentle was stubborn. She was gonna find out was wrong with him because he was her boy and she would do anything to protect him. Even if that meant sending him away and staying in an abusive marriage and Percy had never done anything to deserve that.

"It's a long story," he confesses as he stares anywhere but at his mom.

"Tell me from the beginning then."

Finally, Percy stops staring at the beer bottle on his floor that had some beer still in it (less than a shallow) and looks at his mom.

"I accidentally vaporized my pre-algebra teacher," it sounds like a joke but there's no humor in his voice.

A/N: This originally was an oneshot (posted on ao3 under the pen name youngjusticewriter) but it turned into the first part of The Sea Doesn't Like to Restrained series that includes:

• I scream too loud when I speak my mind.

• And I'm thinking "Damn, if the ocean could talk."