Forever
A/N: WARNING! THIS WILL BE TOTALLY UNREALISTIC. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK PLEASE!
for/ev/er: For all time, for always.
For young Percy Jackson, forever had a different meaning. It meant trapped. It meant lies. It meant leaving. It meant his dad's promise. It meant change. And he absolutely hated change. Loathed it, even.
He first heard the word from his first best friend, in first grade. His mother had finally found a stable job and was going to stay in that neighborhood for a while, so it was good to make friends. His name was Anthony, and they met at school. They went everywhere together, lunch, recess, everywhere. They were best friends.
"Percy, you're going to be my friend forever." He had said, before leaving to the cubbies to hang up his coat. That day his mom decided to pick their feet up and move. Again.
Which meant, not forever. It was never forever. Percy didn't even get to say goodbye.
And his father, who his mom said was lost at sea. Forever. His mom didn't say forever, but Percy knew. His father wasn't there to see him grow up. He was forever lost. He missed Percy's childhood, never could replay it if he did come back. Percy knew his father lost Percy's childhood forever.
Percy pushed the sad thoughts away from his mind, smiling for the first time for a long time since his mom remarried Gabe. They were going to Montauk, just him and his mom. Sure, it wasn't forever, but Percy didn't want forever anyway, no matter how perfect a moment was.
Because the beauty of appreciation is to be happy that it ended, it made it that much more magical. Percy was a firm believer in embracing the ending and remembering the moment. He thought it was the key to happiness, and I suppose, with his past, was true.
He closed the last of his suitcases and took a deep breath. He couldn't wait to breathe in the salty but delicious air of the beach. Water calmed him, even as a baby. So that stupid wave machine that your parents used to calm a baby down was like Zen to him. One of his deepest secrets was that he never gave up the wave machine until sixth grade, where they sold it at a garage sale. Percy was proud to say that he cried when they lady bought it for ten bucks.
He looked around his shabby room, saying his silent goodbyes to the room, before grabbing the doorknob and walking outside and into the living room, praying Gabe wasn't still there. Sadly, of course, he was with his poker buddies.
"Oh look, it's the little brat!" He slurred, coming close to Percy, too close. His breath reeked of cigarette tobacco and beer. Percy forced a smile and sidestepped him, meeting his mom in the kitchen, and hiding behind her. The only thing you can do when your a eighth grader harassed by a smoking, alcoholic like Gabe.
Sally, his mother laughed softly, hugging her son close to her chest. Percy thought his mother smelled like flowers, cinnamon and rainbows. If rainbows even had a smell.
"Okay, Percy. You ready to hit the road?" She asked, trying to smooth out her son's unruly tresses of dark hair.
"Yeah mom." Then he lowered his voice, "The sooner we get away from Gabe, the better."
His mom smiled a sad smile and leaned down to kiss Percy's forehead. "Sure, honey. Let's go."
And with that, she, Percy and Gabe's Corvette hit the road.
The smiled at each other, when they both looked at each other at the same time. They didn't talk much on the ride, who needed to? They just enjoyed each other's presence, the silence was more of an understanding.
Yeah, Percy was what one called a 'Mama's boy'. And he was damn proud of it.
When they arrived in their little corner of the universe, which was in a convenient forty minute drive away, they were thrilled. They left the Corvette next to their cabin they rented and unloaded, hurrying for there were storm clouds heading their direction.
"Mom! Come on! There storm clouds up ahead! Let's get in the cabin!" Percy shouted, the wind strong and loud enough to cut sound off.
"I'm coming Percy! Just hold on!" She yelled back, but then there was a crash. Percy jumped to see what was wrong, and saw his mom crumbled on the floor, panting. She shifted slightly, moving her sleeve up slightly, and Percy gasped. Her arm was covered with bruises and cuts.
Percy quickly kneeled down and picked his unconscious mother up, hefting her over his shoulders and into the cabin, lying her down on one of the shaky bunk-beds.
'So Gabe has been hitting her. That ass!' Percy thought, wetting a paper towel for his mom. He pressed it against her forehead and winced when he heard the wind pick up outside.
He knew the storms were always worse at the beach, but this was ridiculous!
Percy heard a strangely familiar battle cry coming from outside, getting louder and louder until it crashed through the window. It was Grover, but... Not Grover. The top torso and up was fine and normal, same old curly hair and everything, but the waist down, was pretty bizzare.
He was a donkey? Percy blinked. "Woah. G-man, what the hell are you? Gah, my best friend is a donkey." he asked, bemused.
"First of all, it's Hades." Grover paused, getting the strange look from Percy, "Explain later. And yes, the legs are real GOAT legs. Not donkey, thank you very much."
"O-kay. Why are you here?" Percy asked, smiling when his mom woke up. "Hey mom. Grover has goat legs and came here, crashing into the window."
Sally's eyes widened. "Oh, no. Percy, get to the car."
"Mom-"
"Now."
And they all ran to the Corvette. With each clap of thunder they jumped.
There was a roar, and Percy's mom stepped on the pedal.
"Mom's what's wrong?" Percy asked, touching his mom's arm.
"Percy, I'm sorry. So sorry." Sally sobbed out.
"For what, mom? You didn't do anything! Why are we running? Mom!" Percy yelled, confused as his mom continued to drive full speed while crying.
Percy looked at Grover for back up. He shrugged uncomfortably and looked behind one last time.
"Mom! Let's get out of this car!" Percy yelled and they opened the doors.
Sally, Grover and Percy all started running away from the ditch, a little hold up when Sally got her long skirt caught on a root from the ditch.
During that time untangling her, Percy finally got a good look from what they were running from. About ten feet tall, the bottom half was all man, but replacing feet, were hooves. The torso and up was completely bull. The head was enormous, and with each breath of air came into the nose, the ring attached to the hugs nostrils would move.
They pulled some more at the dress, but to no avail.
"Percy, I want you to listen to me. There's no hope for me." Sally murmured, cradling her son's cheek for possibly the last time, "Go with Grover. Save yourselves, Camp is right up that hill. You'll make it, I know you will." She cries
"MOM! I won't leave you! Not now, not ever! You have to come with us!" Percy sobbed out, tears flowing down his face.
"Sweetheart, they won't let me in anyways. I won't make it. Just go!" Sally smiled sadly, squeezing Percy's hand.
"Mom. No, no, no." He chanted but it was too late. Grover pulled him back and the Minotaur approached. "GIVE ME THE BOLT, PERSEUS JACKSON!" it roared
"I DON'T HAVE THE BOLT!" Percy yelled back, reaching for his mother. It was too late. The Minotaur picked Percy's mom up, and held her. Sally fainted in the monster's enormous fist.
"Fine, be like that foolish demigod. Say goodbye to your mother then." The monster laughed evilly, holding Sally even firmer. "No! Give me back my mom!" Percy screamed.
"Give. Me. The. Bolt!" And with each piercing word, the monster took a step closer.
"I don't have your bolt." Percy growled, then looked at Grover. He was munching cans nervously, almost in a trance-like mode. "Give me some cans, Grover. Now." Percy snarled, not waiting for an answer and taking two from Grover.
The Minotaur laughed a dark chuckle, and then snorted. "You think puny aluminum cans can protect you?" It mocked.
"No. But it can do this!" Percy said, then threw a can up, and it plugged into the monstrosity that was the Minotaur's nostrils. As it staggered back in shock, Percy readied his next throw. When he got back on both feet Percy threw for the other nostril.
The monster thought it could sneeze it out, because it was cutting off some of his oxygen, but it was too tight of a fit. He started having a wheezing fit, and staggered into the ditch, the fall caused such a vibration that the tree above it crumbled and landed on top of the monster, crushing it... And Percy's mom. The monster and Sally disappeared with a flash of light,
His mom was gone... Forever.
Percy crashed into the dirt, overwhelmed. His mom was gone? He lost the one thing that he thought was forever...
Grover scrambled to his knees and picked Percy up and hoisted his body over onto his shoulders and trudged his way to camp.
How will Percy handle this? Will he be scarred forever?
God! I finally try to write something that makes sense, and it's probably the most over used thing ever: Re-writing The Lightning Thief. And it's short. And unbelievable. And fake.
FYI: This is a slash fic. Which means, Lercy. Luke/Percy stuff. It's going to build then crash, then build again, just letting ya know.
Drop a review, whatever.
BY the way, please no gnomes who say, "THIS IS SO WRONG! AND GAY!" And whatever when it does become Luke/Percy. I put a warning, please don't say anything if you don't like it. It drives me crazy, and it's kinda funny. Lol.
Tell me what I need to improve on, cause I suck. At the moment. Actually, most of the time, but what-evs. If you wan't something better, read my story Love at McDonalds, it's Lercy as well.