Please review if you enjoy! I would be willing to continue and/or add to the story, but for now this is it!

Summary: Surrounded by friends, he feels strongest, with Annabeth at his side he feels safest, at Camp Half-Blood is where he belongs, but his mother will always be home.

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, or any of the characters in the Percy Jackson world. All credits go to Rick Riordan.

He shouldn't be nervous.

Well, maybe he should be.

Should he be?

Percy gulped. He was seeing his mother again for the first time in… how long was it again? Too long, that's all he knew. He went missing around October, so that means… ten months? Percy's eyes widened. Eight of those months he hadn't really been conscious, so for him it felt like two months. And those two months had been some of the craziest, most hectic, dangerous, and terrifying two months he'd ever experienced. And half of the time he didn't even remember.

But for his mom, who'd suffered ten months without him, worrying, praying, crying…

Percy felt his guilt expanding in the pit of his stomach. He had barely been able to stand being away from her for a few months. How has she felt, all those months? How much pain had he caused her?

She knew he was coming, of course. He had asked Chiron to let her know she was coming, partly because it was dangerous, and partly because he was scared. Yes, he, Percy Jackson, was scared. And he didn't want his second interaction with his mother (although, really, could that voicemail he left in Alaska really count as interaction?) to be a short, two minute call to let her know that he was coming. He wanted to hug her and feel safe again and take in the smell of blue chocolate cookies that always lingered around her, and…

Percy just wanted his Mom.

A hand squeeze pulled him out of his thoughts.

He turned his head, his green eyes searching for grey. Annabeth's lips quirked up at him slightly as she squeezed his hand again. The comforting gesture helped Percy relax slightly, but looking at his girlfriend did not. Her limp, blonde hair was not as shiny as it had been just a month ago, and her grey eyes were not as bright. There were circles under her eyes, and how thin she was getting scared him. He knew he couldn't be looking any better, and his thoughts drifted to his mother again, as he squeezed Annabeth's hand back.

How would she react to seeing him? Was she as worn as he and Annabeth were? He doubted that, since he and Annabeth had been through Tartarus after all, but maybe…

Maybe it was worse for her.

A sudden ding pierced the silence, and Percy flinched. He and Annabeth were now more sensitive sudden sounds or movements - after Tartarus, that is, and today was just a stressful day in general.

The door slid open smoothly, and the couple, still holding hands, walked out into the hallway. They stood together for a minute, facing each other. Percy closed his eyes. It was time.

However, before he could move down the hall towards the apartment, an older lady shuffled up to them, her hands gripping a small lavender purse. Short, curly, white hair covered her head, and her blue eyes twinkled as she looked up at Percy and Annabeth. "Hello there, kiddies," she said sweetly.

Annabeth glanced sideways at her boyfriend. Sometimes the most innocent looking person was a monster in disguise.

Percy was suddenly smiling widely though, and he didn't even notice Annabeth's caution. "Mrs. Harrison!" He exclaimed brightly.

The lady - Mrs. Harrison - who had been about to enter the elevator Percy and Annabeth had just exited, suddenly looked up, surprised. She squinted at Percy through her thick, round glasses, but quickly broke out in a bright smile when she recognized him.

"Why, Percy, dear!" Mrs. Harrison smiled as he leaned down to hug her - Percy dwarfed her by almost a foot. She patted him lightly on the back. "It's so good to see you! But how many times do I have to tell you? You can call me Sherry," She looked at him sternly, but her twinkling eyes gave her away.

"Okay, Mrs. H," he told her lightly, and she chuckled. "This is my girlfriend, Annabeth." He put his hand hand lightly on Annabeth's back. "You saw her picture at my mom's apartment, remember?" Mrs. Harrison had befriended Percy's mom last fall, even though Sally and Paul had only bought the nicer, larger apartment shortly after the Titan War last year. Percy could remember Mrs. Harrison sending cookies - ones that were almost as good as his Mom's, and that was saying something - at least a few times in just the few months before he was kidnapped. He could only imagine how close his mother and their welcoming neighbor had gotten while he had been missing.

His heart clenched as he thought about all that he had missed - eight whole months of his life, plus another two months of traveling across the world. Luckily, Mrs. Harrison's ever-present smile brought him back to the present.

"Of course I remember! It's wonderful to finally meet you, dear," Mrs. Harrison beamed, and even though Annabeth was usually uncomfortable around strangers, the blonde couldn't help but smile. "Did she join you in Greece?" The older woman asked Percy curiously.

Percy heard Annabeth quietly sucking in a quick breath, and he was suddenly on high alert. How could his sweet, elderly neighbor have known all that had happened in the last few months? He almost took out Riptide, before he remembered that this was Mrs. Harrison he was talking about. He swallowed thickly. "Greece?"

Mrs. Harrison blinked and smiled. "Yes, your mother told me that you were visiting your father in Greece."

"Oh, of course," Annabeth broke in confidently. Percy looked at her in the corner of his eye. Of course she had processed everything that had happened before him. She nodded. "Yes, Percy invited me to join him over the summer, even though he left back in October. We just got back." The lie came easily to Annabeth, and Percy smiled.

"That sounds like so much fun!" Mrs. Harrison clapped her hands, and any previous uncertainty Percy had in the few moments before disappeared. "Your mother never did tell me why you left in the middle of the year, though?" The older woman looked expectantly at Percy, even though Annabeth answered again.

"Percy completed a college course in marine biology in Greece." Annabeth said smoothly with a proud smile - it surprised Percy how truthful she seemed. Of course, he couldn't help but hope that she was really proud of him. "He also continued his education with a private tutor at his father's house." Annabeth added the last part quickly when Mrs. Harrison still looked a little confused.

Mrs. Harrison, seeming satisfied and slightly impressed, smiled brightly. "That sounds amazing! Did you just see your Mom now?"

A lump formed in Percy's throat. "It's my first time back, actually." He gestured down the hallway. "We were going to head over there now."

Mrs. Harrison grinned. "Then don't let me keep you, dears!" she told them, pressing the button to go down.

"Where are you headed?" Annabeth asked politely when the elevator didn't arrive immediately.

"Just shopping for groceries," Mrs. Harrison waved a hand lazily. "Of course, I'll be sure to add all my secret ingredients for cookies now that you're back!" She winked, patting Percy on the shoulder.

Percy grinned. "I look forward to it."

The elevator arrived, and Mrs. Harrison leaned forward to give him a kiss on both cheeks. Percy had to lean down to make sure she could reach him, but it was the thought that counted. "Go ahead now! I've been smelling good stuff coming from your mother's apartment all day!" She told them cheerfully, before stepping into the elevator with a smile and a wave.

As soon as the door closed, Percy turned to Annabeth, his smile disappearing. The nerves had overwhelmed him. His mother was right in there - and however much he wanted to run in and hug her right now, he couldn't. Because as soon as he walked in, he knew he would break down in tears.

"Stop pressuring yourself."

Annabeth's firm, soft voice told him. Percy looked at her.

"Just stop, okay? It's selfish," she told him harshly, and even though his girlfriend's words hurt, he knew he needed it. "Your mom and I mourned together before we found you," Annabeth's voice softened. "And however hard it was for me, it was even harder for her. Eight months of worry, of pain, of sadness…" Annabeth trailed off. She shook her head. "We didn't even know if you were dead or alive, Percy."

Percy ran a hand through his unruly black hair with a frustrated sigh. "I know. I know. I just… What if everything is different? What if she's angry with me? What if she doesn't want me to do this anymore?" He waved his hands randomly, referring to his life as a demigod. "What if she doesn't want to do this anymore?" his voice was pained.

"Percy, she loves you. She loves all of you, and all of the baggage that comes with you," Annabeth told him. "And yes, sometimes your demigodish-ness worries her and causes her pain and frustration, and more work than she deserves, and-" Annabeth abruptly stopped and sighed when Percy face grew more and more pained. "Okay, enough talking." She roughly grabbed her boyfriend by the shoulders and turned him down the hallways towards the apartment. "We are going to visit your mother, and we are going now."

She led him down the hallway determinedly. Percy, though nervous, tried to collect himself before they got to the door.

It didn't work.

As they stood in front of the door, Annabeth waited expectantly for Percy to knock. She raised an eyebrow at him when he cast a glance at her. He sighed, and brought his hand up to the gray door inscribed with the golden numbers 63.

It took about one second for the door to swing open.

Paul peered at them with wide eyes, and Percy's heart clenched when he noticed the dark shadows beneath his step-father's blue orbs. His salt-and-pepper hair ruffled messily, as if he either forgot or simply didn't care to brush it that morning. A shadow of stubble covered his chin, and his top button of his blue shirt was undone. He stared at them for what seemed like forever, but was probably just a second, before breaking into a wide grin. Paul surged forward, enveloping Percy in a tight hug.

For a moment, the Son of Poseidon just stood there, shocked, before he returned the hug with his step-father. As one of his only real father-figures besides Chiron, he'd grown close to Paul. Percy could feel his eyes watering already, and he cursed himself. He hadn't even seen his mother, and he was already tearing up.

Paul pulled away after a second to embrace Annabeth. Percy smiled when he saw her face as Paul hugged her. His girlfriend looked both shocked and happy. She too was already starting to tear up.

Paul looked at the young couple with watery eyes, still beaming. "Come in, come in," was all he could manage as he led them inside. His voice was hoarse, but Percy knew that he as well wouldn't be able to speak very well either right then.

As soon as he entered the apartment, he was overwhelmed with so many different feelings - sadness, nostalgia, fear, surprise, and happiness. Everything was the exactly the same, but at the same time, it was different. The two couches were switched, and they'd gotten a new coffee table. The bookshelf was re-organized (Percy couldn't help but wince when he thought of how worried his mom would've had to have been to reorganize her and Paul's entire collection of books - and trust him, that was a lot). There was a new painting too, and a decorative new lamp on a little table. And yet, some things were the same. Their large window looked out over New York City's sky line, letting light stream in. The blue painted walls were still covered with pictures of Percy through the years - from being a baby covered in soapy bubbles in the tub, to a fun trip to the water park when he was ten (one of his only trips, since Gabe liked to "save money" - or, really, use it for himself), to the most recent - a picture on the last day of summer almost a year ago. The photograph captured the moment perfectly, and Percy can he feel his eyes watering as he looked at it with nostalgia. It's him, with Annabeth by his side as usual. They're both surrounded by grinning friends - Grover was standing on Percy's other side, and he has an arm wrapped around a glowing Juniper. Travis and Connor Stoll are smirking next to a beaming Katie Gardner and Malcolm Green. Even Clarisse is pursing her lips at the camera. There are countless others in the background, but the faces Percy spots immediately makes him ache the most. He's seen them at Camp, of course, but seeing how easy it was back then - how innocent and happy and fun - makes him hurt like no physical injury ever could.

And the smell - it surrounded Percy like a warm blanket. He could smell lasgana - a favorite of Percy's that Sally rarely had the time to make - cooking in the oven, and the usual scent of old books, cookies, and faint oranges remained. Percy stopped in the middle of the room, closed his eyes, and breathed it all in.

Paul cleared his throat. "Sally's in the bathroom. We thought you were coming a little later. I'm surprised you managed to get Percy here on time," Paul said to Annabeth with a bright but shaky smile as they took a seat on the couch. Percy, luckily, came out of his daze and joined them.

Annabeth glanced at the clock, her smile widening, but her voice was still a little shaky. "As was I." This morning, Percy had woken up early out of nerves, making it unnecessary for Annabeth to force him out of bed. However, that didn't stop Percy from stalling on their way. Annabeth still couldn't believe how stubborn her boyfriend could be sometimes.

Paul opened his mouth to say something - probably something about what had happened that last two months of their lives, not to mention Percy going missing - but then Percy stopped him.

"Who painted that?" he asked suddenly.

Paul followed his gaze to the new painting on the wall, a small piece of art that pictured the ocean, a sunset, and a familiar looking cabin. Percy's eyes were stormy and hard to read.

Paul chose his words carefully. "Your mother, actually. She looked forward to showing it to you for when you got back."

Percy stared at the painting for another second before turning to Paul. "You re-organized the bookshelf," Percy stated. His eyes were wide.

"And yet everything is almost the same," Paul smiled tightly. "We kept all of your books too. In your room. It's all still the same," he told his stepson assuredly, unsure how Percy would take it.

Percy nodded silently. Paul was suddenly very nervous. His stepson was not acting at all how he thought he would.

Annabeth seemed to notice, too. She reached over and took Percy's hand, giving it a light squeeze. Paul could feel something - something big - pass between them. They shared a glance, but neither said anything. He could only imagine what they had gone through to form a bond that strong.

Actually, now that Paul thought about it, he couldn't imagine what his stepson and stepson's girlfriend had gone through. And that…

That was what scared him.

In the silence, a tired - and yet still excited - voice floated down the hallway from the back.

"Paul?"

Percy tensed suddenly as he heard steps coming down the hallway.

"Paul, do you think Percy will be here soon? I don't think I can wait any-"

Sally Jackson entered the living room, but she quickly came to a halt. Her jaw dropped. Both Percy and Paul stood up.

"Sally." Paul was the only who could speak. Percy and Sally just stared. "They got here early. They-" He stopped suddenly when both Percy and Sally surged towards each other, arms wide open.

The silence was broken when Sally began sobbing into her son's shoulders. Percy, too, was crying, but you could only see his shoulders shaking as he embraced his mother.

"Oh, my baby," Sally cried into his shoulder. "Oh, Percy, you're safe, you're home." She closed her eyes, squeezing out more tears. "I love you, I love you so, so much."

Percy didn't say anything for a moment. He just hugged his mother, his head buried into her shoulder.

After a minute, he pulled back, wiping tears from his eyes. Sally reached up and brushed her thumb across his cheek, smiling tightly as she wiped his tears away. This was what she should be doing - she was his mother; he was her son.

Percy, his eyes wet, his nose running, his hair a mess, his skin blotchy, still stared at her with those familiar bright green eyes. Sally almost started bawling again just looking at them. How many nights had she cried herself to sleep, wishing she could just see those eyes again?

Percy cleared his throat, and blinked the last few tears out of his eyes. He only managed to mutter two words to his mother, but just to hear his voice again...

"I'm home."