The first time a monster attacked Percy while he was babysitting his sister he was mildly annoyed but he shook it off and put away the nagging little fear that told him this wouldn't be a onetime thing.
The second time it happened he was worried that this would be a constant problem.
The third time it happened he knew this was not going to be good. The monster went after the baby girl and he was terrified that she would be hurt because of him. The only reason the little girl had not died when the second Emposai attacked was because Annabeth had been coming to meet them and stabbed the monster as it was about to eat the baby girl.
When he got home he and Annabeth put his baby sister down for her nap and waited for his Sally and Paul to get home. When they returned home smiling and saw the young demigods on the couch with a frown on his face their thoughts immediately turned to the baby in the other room. Before either of them could say or do anything though Percy responded, "Don't worry, she's fine, she's just taking a nap right now but we need to talk."
Sally and Paul both sat down on the couch as Percy had gotten up and started to pace around the living room.
"Now before either of you say anything I need you to let me finish saying what I am going to say. Is that OK?" They both nodded and Percy continued, "A few Emposai attacked me while we were in the park today and one of them noticed Meredith and went after her. The only reason she is alive right now is because Annabeth was just arriving as it happened. She stabbed the monster but if she hadn't been there Hannah would be dead." Percy could see the fear on their faces as he told them that and he knew he was doing the right thing. He continued, "I can't be the reason that my little sister is in constant danger so I'm leaving. I'll find my own place or do whatever. I'll get a job and just do what I can but I need to go. Meredith is just a baby and I can't put her in harm's way just because I want to be selfish. So this has to be goodbye, I'll Iris message every once in a while but I can't risk coming to see you guys in person. I've already packed some of my stuff and will stay at Camp until I can find a new place." Percy walked over to his room to grab his bag, leaving Sally and Paul opened mouth on the couch. He had tears in his eyes but refused to let them fall so he clenched his eyes shut, grabbed his bag and walked into the living room. He put his bag at the door and walked over to his mom to give her a kiss on the cheek, a goodbye.
He hugged her and laid a kiss on his cheek but when he tried to let go she refused to surrender the embrace. She cried into his shoulder, "I just got you back Percy, you haven't even been home a year and now you want to leave forever. You're my baby too I'm not just going to let you go out into the world. You don't have any money how would you possibly survive?"
"That's for me to worry about mom. You have to focus on taking care of Meredith. I'll be fine."
"I'm not letting my little boy go. How could you think I would let you go after everything that has happened?"
"Mom this is what's best for you, Paul and the baby. You can finally have a normal life without a demigod son putting you in danger. Putting you in a position where it's either let a monster hurt you or let monsters hurt your son." Percy pulled away.
"So what am I supposed to do just forget about you? I could never do that Percy."
"I could get Hazel to bend the mist so that you never remembered having me. I could have Hazel give you the life you deserve, take away all the pain and allow you to have this perfect family. Mom after everything you've done for me let me do this. Let me do what's best for you for once. After everything that I've put you through, the quests, the almost dying, the constant worry, disappearing, saving the world, Gabe, let me do right by you. Let me have Hazel make you forget me and let you live the life you deserve."
"Don't you dare do that Perseus Jackson! Don't you dare try to take away my memories of you! Why on earth would you think that was even a slightly a good idea?"
"It's the right thing to do mom and you know it. You sacrificed so much to protect me from the demigod world let me do the same for my new sister. Let me give this beautiful little girl the life I could never have. Let me protect the most important people in my life by being selfless."
"What do you think about this idea Annabeth? This must be hitting close to home with you."
"Honestly? I hate this idea but I can understand why Percy is thinking this way. My step mother blamed me for putting her family at risk and maybe I did. You weren't at the park today, it was really close."
"But what about you? Could you really go with never seeing me again?"
"I have to do the right thing mom. You raised me to always try and do the right thing. This is the right move, my feelings don't matter."
Paul who had been incredibly quiet during this whole ordeal moved to stand up. Before he could say anything though Percy cut him off, "Paul you've been the closest thing I've ever had to a reliable father figure in my life but in the end I'm not your son. Meredith is your daughter and your first priority has to be her. I can't expect you guys to allow me to constantly put her in danger."
"Percy you can't do this to yourself we are your family your place is with us. You belong with us. You deserve to just have a happy normal life."
Percy knew that he would have to try harder if he was to have any chance of doing the right thing so he aimed his next words to hurt them, "No I don't belong with you guys. I'm a demigod, a mentally unstable weapon for the gods. All my life has been fight wars, going on quests, or doing things no one else has ever done. I don't get peace and quiet and I don't belong in a family that can have a normal life. Mom after everything I've done, with all the blood on my hands what I deserve is to be killed, I deserve to be executed and punished for all of my wrongdoings. That is what I deserve." He saw everyone flinch and it hurt to think that he caused that but he thought he was doing the right thing.
Annabeth quickly walked over to him, her gray eyes as hard as steel in that moment and said, "Don't you dare say that about yourself Perseus Jackson! Don't you dare for even a second think that you deserve anything less than a long and happy life with me."
"Annabeth I terrified you when we were down in Tartarus with Achlys. I poisoned Achlys with her own poison. I wanted to make misery miserable. I felt every curse that a dying creature laid on me and then when I thought it couldn't get any worse you payed the price of one of my choices. Calypso cursed you because I left her alone. Because I made a decision. What I deserve is to be thrown head first back into that Pit and be killed by whatever monster comes at me first. That is what I deserve, not to be happy, to be surrounded by loved ones but to be thrown back into the pits of Tartarus and pay for all of my sins." Percy knew this was true. He could feel it in his heart that he belonged down there.
"How can you even say that? How can you even for a moment think that?" Percy knew Annabeth hated seeing him look so heart broken. Hated how much pain he felt in his heart. Hated how he thought he was a monster.
"Because it's the truth Annabeth. I can say and think those things because they are true. I know they are true because how could they not be. Look at all the people I hurt, all the people I failed, all the people I forgot, all the people I let die for me. Bianca, Zoe, Beckendorf, Silena, Luke, Ethan, Michael and so many more all of their blood is on my hands. Then I forgot about Calypso, Nico, and Bob. How can I be anything but a monster if I've forgotten about all people I've failed, if I've barely given them a second thought?" In the midst of this speech Percy nearly collapsed. His voice had broken and the tears started to fall out of his eyes and Annabeth held him.
She stroked his hair as he cried and whispered in his ear, "You haven't failed them. Percy everything you have ever done even subconsciously was to honor the sacrifices they made. You took on the Great Prophecy knowing you might die honored both Nico and Bianca. You made the gods promise to free Calypso, it wasn't your fault they didn't do that. Silena and Beckendorf willing gave their lives so that all of us and the world could be safe, you saving the world honored their sacrifice. And Bob, Percy it isn't like you can just go to the underworld whenever you feel like it. Percy you haven't failed them, you did everything that was asked of you. You deserve to live your life and be happy. You deserve to have a life and live it for yourself. Not just fight for someone else but live for you and me." Percy was still silently crying into her shoulder and she was still stroking his hair, "And I'll tell you a secret, as much as thinking you abandoned me in Tartarus was terrifying I prefer it a thousand times to the thought of you staying on that island with Calypso. You know how jealous I can get, and had I ever learned that you truly did abandon me, that you left me for some island girl I would have truly been broken. Looking back now at that curse it just reminds me of how lucky I am that you came back to me."
"I will always come back to you Annabeth. You own my heart." He put her hand over his heart and she smiled.
She smiled and grabbed his hand and put his hand over her heart, "And you own mine."
Suddenly out of the midst of the quiet a cry was heard and Percy and Annabeth went quickly to Meredith's room she was awake and wanted attention. Percy and Annabeth watched her and held her and Sally and Paul watched as the two teens took such great care of the baby girl.
Percy smiled down at the little girl who gave him that baby grin and something in him just snapped. As selfish as it was he was going to stay with his family. He was going to stay with them and watch his baby sister grow up.
He looked over at Annabeth and said, "Ok I'll stay. If you stay right by my side."
Annabeth smiled there wasn't anywhere else she was going to go anyway. She grabbed his hand and stated, "Always."
Spoilers for the Trials of Apollo in this AN.
So this came from when I read the sneak peek of the Trials of Apollo and saw that Sally Jackson was 7 months pregnant with a baby girl. I kept thinking about how in Blood of Olympus Percy was basically borderline suicidal and very much into his whole guilt thing and that's not something that will really go away after a few months. I also think this is a very real interpretation of how Percy's strong demigod scent would affect his little sister. Annabeth's scent brought monsters towards her half siblings and how that experience would influence Percy's thoughts on his responsibilities. I also noticed how Percy was blamed for literally everything in BoO and was basically shit on. I wanted to take everything into account and just try to give a realistic Percy. One who thinks of himself as a monster, who is being haunted by his ghosts and is tettering on losing himself to his own demons. I also wanted to try and show that no matter what he still would do everything in his power to save the people he cares about. No matter the cost to him. Thanks for reading. Please leave me a review. Oh yeah and you can follow me on Tumblr if you want Murphydog3