Sun-Queen: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are appreciated, don´t be shy! Reviews are my motivation for writing! The more the faster the next chapter will be out!
Thank you for reading this! ^^
Disclaimer: I don´t own Percy Jackson! It all belongs to Uncle Rick!
Chapter 1 [Stupid Plans run in the family]
"Is it possible for a Son of Poseidon to drown?"
That thought wouldn´t leave him alone. Maybe it was wishful thinking by now, he was pretty sure he was desperate enough that he would willingly read every book that Athena has if he could escape this torture. Yes, it really was that bad.
Percy was man enough to admit that most of his plans were stupid and suicidal. It was a known fact nowadays, but he didn´t know that it ran in the family.
Percy expected that Gods that were older than a million of years would be smart enough to consider everything, so that nothing could go wrong.
Obviously not.
This time it wasn´t his fault and that´s something new. Normally it would be his plans that could go wrong in the worst way possible. Which it usually did. But it was different now. His Dad was responsible for this mess.
At least he had something which he could use to defend himself next time somebody insulted his plans.
Still, what in Tartarus made his Dad think it would be a good idea to ask Percy to have dinner with him, Amphitrite, and Triton?! Even Percy could tell it would end in a disaster! He tried to politely decline, but when his mother looked at him pleadingly to go along with it and he remembered the sad expressions on the kids in camp, when they were told that they would likely never meet their godly parent, he agreed.
It wasn´t so bad at the beginning but Triton was a jerk and Percy could only take so much. He really tried to keep his temper in check, he didn´t want to make a scene. The cold looks from his step-mother and the provocations from his half-brother made it really hard though.
He knew why they were like that, to have your husband cheat on you and almost rub it in your face with the child, having a half-human half-brother that was apparently your father´s favorite as well made it kind of hard to act friendly towards each other. Percy wasn´t heartless and so obvious. He knew it had to hurt, that didn´t excuse all of their behavior though.
"How was your trip in Tartarus?" Triton sneered with a smirk on his face, ignoring his mother´s shocked look and his father´s reprimanding growl. He knew he went too far, but it frustrated him. The whole evening was spend trying to make the half-blood trash angry, to hurt him, to provoke him into a fight, but he only snapped back a few retorts and tried to be civil again.
"Who does he think he is?" He thought in envy and jealously. Triton hated that half-blood more than anything. He got everything, their father´s love and approval, he was offered immortality for Hades´s sake! But he didn´t accept it! The nerve-!
"Triton!" Amphitrite hissed in a low voice. Even though she didn´t like the half-blood, she had to respect him at least a bit for all he had done and that comment clearly went over the line. Triton shrunk a bit in his seat at her glare.
Poseidon, who had been oddly silent watched his demi-god son carefully, waiting for his reaction. He was incredibly angry with Triton for that blow, he knew what his oldest had tried to do and he didn´t like it. He was disappointed because he hoped that they could sort out what issues they all had and be a bit more like family to each other, but it backfired.
Percy was uncharacteristic silent. For a moment, he felt like someone stabbed him in his former mortal spot and he was drowning in flashes of Tartarus, but he quickly felt numb. Anger boiling in his stomach that Triton would be so low.
He hadn´t even be hungry to begin with, so with no appetite he set down his fork. He started to reconsider why he had even agreed. His friends were right, he could be so stupid sometimes and naïve.
"Certainly, better than eating with you here." Percy shot back, voice cold and his face blank as he watched the dumbfounded looks he got in return. Triton´s mouth hang upon at such a comeback, surprise and shock on his face.
Tartarus would forever haunt him, but it wouldn´t control his life.
"You know what? I think I am done here." Percy continued as he stood up, making sure to force a smile on his face. He turned to Poseidon who still tried to progress what was currently happening.
"I apologize for not being able to stay until the end, Dad. The food was delicious. Thank you for inviting me, but I don´t think this is going to work out." It really wouldn´t but that wasn´t the point he was trying to get across now, he finally reached his limit. It was bad enough that Annabeth and he decided to break up, saying they needed a time out after all they had been through. It was partly for that reason as to why he had agreed to come to dinner. His mother had been worried sick about him.
He deeply regretted coming here now.
"However, I have to say, I am truly glad I haven´t accepted immortally." Percy watched the hurt look on his father´s face, mentally wincing slightly at the sight.
"What, too good to be a god like us?" Triton spat, an angry glare on his face after snapping back. That damn-!
"Nope. Just glad I don´t have to deal with family that hates me and would kill me without hesitation for eternally." Percy answered smoothly as Triton gaped at him. Not wasting the silence that had fallen over the room he continued.
"That was part of the reason I turned it down. The main reason was Annabeth, though. But it was still the right choice, because the kids at camp aren´t so bitter anymore. Which brings me to my next point." Percy commented, wincing slightly at Annabeth´s name, before turning to Amphitrite who looked surprised.
"Could you image what would have happened if you gods treated all the demi-gods like you treat me? Not to say that you are so bad, I guess it has to hurt to see the child from the woman that your husband cheated you on, not to mention I don´t really care about your cold behavior, trust me I have had worse, it doesn´t bother me, but you would have demi-gods trying to kill the gods because of bitterness and hate." Percy explained flatly, his eyes burning in anger, regret, and guilt as he opened his mouth.
"After all, Kronos couldn´t have risen without Luke and his army." He finished quietly letting the information sink in as Amphitrite winced slightly.
"And you. Would it be really so bad to be civil to the demi-god children of Dad? I mean give me a few years and I will be gone anyway." Percy was aware that he sounded a bit like his mother. It did come off as if he was scolding his half-brother and step-mother.
Triton scowled but stayed silent, which was strange because normally he would have glared and tried to start a fight.
"Maybe that´s why Dad tries to spend more time with me?" It was stated like a question, just a remark thrown into the room, but he watched Triton´s scowl turn into a frown. He looked like he was deep in thought.
"Well, it doesn´t really matter anyway. Thank you for having me, it certainly won´t happen again. Dad I will see you…later?" Percy said goodbye as he watched Poseidon nod, giving him a weak but soft smile which looked sad and send him back home.
When Sally inquired how it went, Percy wouldn´t give her details just a small smile filled with exhaustion. She would nod, giving him a kiss to the forehead while Paul ruffled his hair as his mom told him to go to bed.
The nightmare of Tartarus was vivid and clear in the next morning when he woke up, sweating and panting, feeling himself tremble. He found that it wasn´t as horrible as the evening before as he started to feel cold.
