Contains some mature subject matter.
Prologue
Percy Jackson and Jason Grace raced down the dark and narrow corridor, the barks of possessed hellhounds echoing against the tunnel walls.
"They're catching up!" Jason said.
No duh, Percy wanted to say. They had been running for so long. Both boys were in excellent physical condition-Jason with his legion training and Percy with Chiron's guidance. However even they had their limits. The swords in their hands had long started to feel like deadweight.
You will willingly give up your own safety.
Percy wasn't sure if the goddess was somewhere in the cave cackling at their struggle or the exhaustion was finally getting to him and he was hearing things.
If Percy and Jason even for one moment ceased to protect themselves, they would promptly meet their doom. The thought was enough for Percy to keep running.
"What's that, up ahead?" Jason panted.
At the end of the corridor, was a door the color of the ocean at midnight. Silvery light peaked from the slits of the bottom and sides.
That's not right, Percy thought. The goddess had said that the only way out of the corridor was up. Was there a flight of stairs behind that door? Climbing stairs made him feel like throwing up. And from the sounds of Jason's heavy breathing, he would agree completely.
But there was nowhere else to go. The walls that brushed their shoulders was as solid and cold as ever. The barks of hellhounds were getting louder.
"Go!" Jason said, as if sensing Percy's hesitation.
The door had no doorknobs so Percy shoves it open, and as soon as both boys were behind it, they slammed their backs against the wood, desperate to keep the hounds out.
There was a thud against the door, then insistent scratching, loud barks and howls of possessed hellhounds hungry for demigod blood.
"Don't worry about them," said a pleasant voice. "They can't get through."
Both boys turned around to find a girl standing on the sand. They appeared to be on a stretch of beach, on a night where the full moon was out. Waves lapped at the shore and just the sound of it energized Percy.
"My waves calm you," the woman observed.
She was beautiful. Ivory skin and glistening silvery hair that reached to her waist, despite her youthful face. A platinum crown was wrapped around her head, with a crescent at the center of her forehead. Her lips were oddly grey, but on her it looked perfect. Her dress seemed to glitter in the moonlight.
"Selene, Goddess of the Moon," Jason said.
Selene smiled. "Very good, Jason Grace."
Noticing Percy's curious look, Jason shrugged sheepishly.
"I've been reading up on those books Annabeth got me for Christmas," he said.
Something drops heavily on Percy's gut at the sound of Annabeth's name but he tried to push the thought away.
"Are you Roman?" Jason asked the goddess.
"I am neither Greek nor Roman," she explained. "I am before the time of the Olympians themselves. But to you, Jason Grace, I am Luna. I am often associated with Artemis or Diana. As is my brother Helios with Apollo, but this is irrelevant to the situation at hand. Come heroes. Sit."
She gestured to a campfire that Percy was sure was not there before. The goddess sat gracefully by the fire across them and smiled kinky.
Selene looked harmless enough but Percy could never tell with gods. She could pull out a weapon and smite them to their deaths and he may never see it coming. It worried him that Jason and him were too tired to do anything about it.
"Dine," the goddess offered, as if sensing their hesitation.
With a wave of her hand, plates of food appeared by the fire. Mainly barbecue but a pie that was all blue caught Percy's eye.
Both boys shared a look with each other as if having a conversation telepathically. Simultaneously, they both sat down. The slight beach wind carried the smell of food to their noses and it was all too much. They had been living off crackers and were forced to eat them running and the thought of having a proper meal without anything chasing them was wonderful.
Throughout their meal, Selene didn't say anything. She gazed at the crashing waves and the moon that seemed so much bigger. It was as if they were in a romantic movie. The thought weirded Percy out so much he choked on his pork ribs.
"I know you wonder why I appear before you," she said, looking back at them. "Your quest has been completed and I am merely here to end this unnecessary difficulty of reaching your home. Até is simply doing this to amuse herself."
"Até?" Jason repeated. "The Goddess of Mischief?"
A few days ago, before they entered the tunnel, a woman had appeared to them. She was completely naked. If it weren't for her long blood red hair, they would have seen every inch of her.
She had tempted them. Gazed at them with hooded eyes, biting her lips ever so slowly. But they did not fall for her tricks and obviously this angered her more than she let on. She waved her hand and a passage appeared on the ground: the entrance to the tunnel. She had told them they had passed a test and that this was the quicker way home.
"That redhead girl is Até?" Percy asked.
"Like all of us, she has many forms," Selene said. "But yes. The woman you saw was Até and she has tricked you. The hellhounds are of her doing. Being close with the waves, I am therefore close with your father, Percy Jackson. And has instructed me to bring you and Jason home."
"Thanks?" Jason said awkwardly. Percy knew exactly what he was thinking. The gods never just wanted to help. There had to be something for them-always.
"You doubt me," Selene said, her eyes peering at him. "I do not blame you. I am aware of the situations and trials the gods have put you in. Have put you both in." She smiled. "But you are right. I do need something from you both."
Tentatively, Jason put down his burger, as if thinking Selene would hand them a cheque for their dinner.
"You both faced and conquered challenges away from home," she said. "Yet you should be aware that there are challenges at home waiting for you as well."
A similar expression passed though both the boys' faces and the goddess laughed.
"Oh dear, your friends are all quite safe," she assured. "I am speaking of your other halves."
An image of Annabeth came to mind.
"You both have put a rift between you and your other half, have you not?"
Percy felt like he had been punched in the gut.
"How do you know that?" he choked out.
"Piper," Jason muttered under his breath.
The goddess shrugged. "I am also the goddess of solutions. How may I know the solution if I do not know the problem?"
This registered somewhere in Percy's mind but it felt like somebody had shoved him away carelessly, with no regard for his feelings whatsoever. Like Tyson would if there was a sale on peanut butter.
"I don't even-" Jason stammered.
"Know the problem?" Selene offered. "Of course you do. But alas, you are mortal and can only see your side of it. This is the reason of my presence, demigods. To show you a different point of view. The solution to your problem."
"How?" Percy asked.
"Well, any minute now-oh dear!"
Jason and Percy jumped, swords at the ready as Selene started to change into something else.
"Probably a shapeshifter," Percy snarled."But an evil one, not like Frank-"
"Piper?"
"What? No!"
But it was Piper. Percy gaped, jaw slacked at the image of Piper McLean sitting at the very spot Selene, wearing the very same dress. Before he could say something dumb like, "Piper is the Goddess of the Moon and Solutions?", she started to speak.
"Oh Jason," Percy sighed longingly. "I wish you would come home from your quest. I miss you so much."
She looked at Jason, who sported an expression the mixture of shock and flustered-he'd never heard Piper sound so longing. She looked at him the whole time but like Jason wasn't really there. Like she was speaking to him in her head, but thinking he would never hear her.
"But I suppose it wouldn't matter if you'd come home," Piper sighed, dejectedly this time. "You're always so busy…legion training, council talks, duties of a praetor… Always so busy putting your duties before yourself. Always so busy being a Roman."
"Pipes…" Jason muttered.
"What about me?" Piper demanded. "You're never around. What am I supposed to do? I want you to come home, Jason. I need you to come home."
Piper McLean sighed in a way that made Percy's face flare up and feel even more like he should't be hearing this. This was incredibly and absolutely private. On the other hand, Jason looked torn between passing out and sprinting all the watt home to his girlfriend that missed him a terrible amount of much.
Once again the goddess' features started to change. Her hair grew increasingly lighter and eyes stormier.
Percy let out a squeak he would later deny.
"Percy," Annabeth Chase said. "Why aren't you home yet?"
"Uh," Percy said brilliantly.
He'd never seen Annabeth look this way. Her grey eyes looked up to him widely, lips parted and eyes slightly hooded. She looked so wanting. He felt light headed.
"I know I've been busy with the construction of the buildings I designed," she continued. "I've neglected you a tiny bit and I'm so sorry, Percy. But I need you to come home now. Come back to me, Percy, please."
By the time Selene had turned back to her old self, two wide eyed and slacked jawed demigods stood before her.
"Camp," Percy wheezed out.
"W-we have to go," Jason said, wild eyed.
"To camp," Percy agreed, the wildness getting to him too. "To Annabeth."
"And Piper," Jason said.
Selene smiled knowingly at both of them. She waved her hand and a portal appeared next to Percy. It showed kids in purple and orange shirts, going about their daily activities.
"Go," she said.
They didn't need telling twice.
They caused quite a shock, appearing out of practically nowhere. They were just suddenly standing there, demanding for their girlfriends.
"Piper!" Jason exclaimed happily, having spotting her holding a class on medicinal herbs.
As he sprinted towards her, Percy turned to Will Solace, from the Apollo cabin and shook him by the shoulders.
"Annabeth," he said.
"She's over at the council building!" Will said, trying to get out of his grip. "Get off, Percy! What's gotten into you?"
Percy sprinted in the direction o the council building, never looking back to see Will's confused face.
Meanwhile, Jason had successfully tossed his girlfriend over his shoulder.
"Jason, put me down!" she protested.
"We're going home!"
"I'm in the middle of a class!" Piper cried out, pounding her fists on his back.
"Class dismissed! See you next week!" Jason called at the kids.
The young demigods shrugged. Most of them had been forced by Chiron to take the class, claiming that it would help them as much as swinging a sword around for practice would. Anything to let them out of class was absolutely entertained.
"Next week?" Piper protested. "No, I'll see you tomorrow! Come back tomorrow!"
"No! Don't come back tomorrow! You're teacher will be gone for a whole week! At least! I am praetor, listen to me!"
And with that, the might Son of Jupiter sprinted off to his home, a very confused girlfriend on his shoulder.
The Son of Poseidon was up to equally mind boggling activities. He had burst in a meeting with the council, surprising everyone.
"Percy's back!" somebody exclaimed, but his eyes scanned the room only for Annabeth.
"Annabeth," he panted, spotting her. He had ran all the way but seeing her, he exhaustion evaporated into a memory.
"Percy?" she said, clearly shocked. "What are you-oh!"
He had lifted her off her feet, twirling her around, savoring the feeling of her arms wrapped around his neck and the smell of her.
"Annabeth," he said, nodding to the doors still wide open from his intrusion.
"What is it you need, Percy?" Reyna asked, a slight, amused smirk on her lips as she eyed the couple.
"Annabeth," he said.
"Percy, I'm sorry but I'm busy. I can't-"
"Annabeth," he said exasperatedly.
Annabeth looked at Reyna apologetically but she just smiled, as if reading Percy's actions and intentions.
"Go ahead. You've done enough for us to cope without you for a while," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Wednesday," Percy corrected.
"Today is Wednesday, Percy," Reyna said patiently.
"Yes. Next. Annabeth will be back next Wednesday."
"Next Wednesday?" Reyna repeated, eyes narrowing.
"Yes, good," Percy smiled, pleased. "Annabeth."
Without further conclusion, he sprinted out of the council building, Annabeth demanding explanations the whole way.
Later that night, Annabeth Chase stared half amused and wonderstruck at Percy Jackson.
He had an arm draped across her belly and his naked torso rose and fell with every breath.
He had surprised her with his actions this afternoon. Always they both seemed so drained everyday and she had expected him to fall straight to sleep when he got back from that quest with Jason. But my, my. Not often were the children of Athena proved wrong, but this time, Annabeth happily was.
She placed a hand on Percy's cheek and stroked the skin with the pad of her thumb. There was a slight scratch by his nose, from a battle, probably. The thought made her move closer to him and out of instinct, Percy tightened his grip around her.
Sleepily, he opened his eyes to look at her and a smile spread across his face. Surprising her completely, he pulled her flush against him, so their chests were against each other, and Annabeth let out a little yelp.
Percy bent his head to kiss at the skin just bellow her ear and said, with that up-to-no-good grin, "Wanna go again?"
In the house a corner away, Piper lay breathless on the bed. She had her head on Jason's naked chest and she could hear his heartbeat.
He was asleep now, one arm tucked behind his head and the other wrapped tightly around her.
Being with Jason, like this, so intimately was always so amazing but she'd never felt as satisfied as she did right then.
She felt like everything was amazing because he was amazing and she felt amazing.
Piper fell asleep smiling.