Hello marvellous readers!

This is kind of the final part of the dream sequence thing I've got going on. I'm not feeling it to speak a truth. I'll not lie and tell you I set out to make this a weird series thing, nor did I have any intent to make a big dramatic ending story to it (maybe I'll have a crack at it one day though!) – because in truth, I'll say again, I had no idea this would grow into what it has!

I am, at this very moment, in the middle of two very big assignments that are due in the next few days and call this a little therapeutic break. In truth, I had no intention of posting this, but I appeared to have disappeared off the face of the earth and I love every single person who's taken the time to review my writing.

It's not much, but I offer to you my stress relief, hopefully for your enjoyment.

Alas, ownership is still not to be.

Thank you x

0.o.0.o.0.o.0.o.0.

As they go

It was when he woke up feeling sand beneath his cheek that he guessed something wasn't quite right. Blinked dazedly he shifted himself up onto his elbows, warily looking around and ignoring the scratchy sand on his face.

He was on a beach... which was strange because he was pretty sure he'd gone to sleep in a bed. Percy shook his head a little to clear away the cobwebs and hauled himself into a sitting position and took stock of his surroundings. Sand, right, sea, check, sunny skies... again, pretty sure it was night time a few minutes ago but whatever... He shifted to look behind him and was met with hills and a strawberry field and a couple of buildings. He narrowed his eyes, the tips of cabins. One even had grass on the roof... wait...

He bolted upright into a standing position, clutching at his dark hair. This wasn't Camp Jupiter. This was Camp Half-Blood. His Camp Half-Blood. He grinned brightly and made to dash into the camp in search of a familiar face and damn if it wasn't amazing to even have familiar faces! Feeling totally giddy (and also disregarding any manly dignity) he started to flap his arms crying,

"Annabeth! I'm back! I'm back! I'm- ack!"

Only for his foot to catch on something and send him gracefully flying face first into the sand. Percy groaned, face smarting and looked down to scowl at the offending item. He blinked and felt the colour drain from his face,

He... was wearing that stupid praetor bed sheet thing!

He groaned and rolled his eyes. Fantastic. He was dreaming, again.

He sat up quickly, eyes wide. He'd just been speaking to Juno... Hera... whatever. He looked out into the sea, suddenly feeling breathless and highly irritated at the same time. He'd been carrying her across that damn river again, as she very happily informed him that eight months of his life had been spent having a sleep. Something about him being glue... And Annabeth. He groaned again and put his head in his hands, feeling defeated before anything had even really happened.

He seriously didn't want to be glue.

Percy looked up, fingers tangled in windswept dark locks, out into the ocean. He swallowed heavily. He'd come here all the time, whenever he needed to think, be closer to his father or just... just to feel like... like he was in charge. Like he was in control of something. He controlled the water. The Gods controlled him; pulled him this way and that and made him fight and sleep and bleed for them.

He closed his eyes, feeling farther away from his father than ever. Even when his memory was missing, he didn't really spare his father a thought, but now that he remembered laugh crinkles at the edge of eyes so similar to his own, weathered hands and a proud, sturdy hug... the fact that he remembered everything now and his father still hadn't... still wasn't...

He scowled bitterly, feeling a frustration he hadn't felt this strongly since he was twelve. Percy grimaced, he hadn't even been claimed out of love. Claimed because he was needed on another mission, another quest that was sure to leave either himself or his friends dead.

He narrowed his eyes at the still waves; would this one be any different?

Hera seemed to be putting all her eggs in it, he supposed. But then, she hated heroes. As long as whatever they had to do got done, he doubted she'd shed any tears if any of them kicked the bucket.

Huffing, he slumped so his head was held up by his arm, leaning on his knee. He raised a brow at the sea.

"Come on Dad, can't you even get back at her a little bit? Not even a tiny smiting?"

"Ha, well I definitely wouldn't complain."

He froze, heart feeling as if it were about to rush out of his chest. He hadn't heard that voice in... in eight months. A kiss outside his cabin with a cheerful, content goodnight. Content in a morning that wasn't coming. Percy let out a long breath and turned to look up at a face he was sure he was going to see searching for him anxiously from the front of a boat. A girl he'd dreamed about, who meant so much to him that even Hera couldn't take her away. He was going to see her in the morning. A morning that was going to finally get here.

He blinked up at her, silhouetted in the sunlight. Her grey eyes were wet but her smile was blinding him more than the sun.

"Nice bed sheet, Seaweed Brain."

And as reunions went, that was probably the best greeting he'd ever heard.