Fair is Fair
Part 1
6 years had passed. 6 years was a very short time for an immortal but for a mortal it couldn't go slower.
Percy was immortal but I felt like 16 had passed. It dragged on.
He dug his feet into the sand letting the salty seawater fill the holes. The water glimmered with the orange and pink light of the setting sun. The sea air ruffled his hair, like his father use to. Maybe it was him.
"Hey, Percy!" Grover called from the beat up white jeep. He turned to look at them. "We headed to Camp Half-Blood, you want to come?"
Annabeth popped her blonde head out over the top. "Come on Seaweed Brain!" she waved her silver wedding ring glinting in the dying sunlight. He smirked at the nickname.
"Naw I'm going up later this week. I have to get some stuff sorted first!" he called back.
"You sure?" they asked simultaneously.
"Yeah. I am!" his best friend and his ex drove off after waving goodbye.
Annabeth and Grover got together after Percy and Annabeth broke up. It wasn't a betrayal on Grover's part Percy actually played matchmaker. Besides Grover had her first. And Annabeth… well she may have been his first girlfriend but defiantly not his first relationship; she was more like a sister. And he couldn't really move on after Luke.
In the middle of a kiss he would slip and say 'Luke' instead of 'Annabeth.'
He would look at anyone with blonde hair and they would morph into Luke. He could stare at Annabeth for hours and she would still become Luke.
He would become very still when that happened. He wouldn't breath he would be catatonic in all senses, tuning out the world. Sometime he would come out of that state in tears.
He would collapse, falling to his knees tears wetting the floor.
Percy remembered the first time that happened. He was 17, a year after Luke died, and he was about to propose to Annabeth. He was split. Part of him was in it but the rest refused, and rebelled.
He got down on his knees ring box in his hand, she smiled brightly.
"Annabeth will you-"he stopped as a scar appeared on her face under her eye. "Annabeth will you-"she suddenly went from dainty Annabeth to perfectly muscular Luke.
"You don't love me Percy? Just because my body is gone you think its okay to go off to someone else?" he yelled and everything around Percy was gone, just pure blackness.
"Luke? Luke?" he called out crawling backwards.
"Luke!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Percy!" Luke screamed back, the sound trailing out like he was falling down a hole, it echoed around him. He covered his ears.
A scene appeared in front of him. Luke was reaching out for him; terror was flowing in his eyes as he was falling down the giant hole to the everlasting darkness.
"Luke!" he shrieked reaching for him, but every time he got close it got just out of reach.
He started crying out to him tears streaming heavily down his face and off his chin onto his shirt.
"Percy!" Annabeth shrieked and the blackness faded and several concerned faced were looking down at him. He sobbed into his sleeve sitting up as Annabeth rubbed his back soothingly.
That night as he slept in his cabin alone he sobbed into his pillow.
Percy winced at the memory. How he had hurt Annabeth deeply. They obviously broke up and she started dating Grover.
He sighed remembering their wedding. He was Grover's best man and stood by him as they exchanged vows and paid tribute to Hera praying that they would have a happy fertile marriage. They were happy and perfect for each other. They were complete.
The sun had finally gone. Apollo was finally halfway around the world and Artimis was rising the stars twinkled happily above.
It was time he went home or Misha, his half-sister, and his parents would worry.
"Goodbye Dad, see you tomorrow." He whispered. Percy picked up his shoes and walked off to his car. He started up his beaten worn station wagon. The vehicle shuddered to life and he sped off listening to 'Saltwater Room' by Owl City.
He hummed along and tapped the steering wheel. As he looked out the side window he stopped. Luke stood gazing at him with his traditional smile on his face. A car passed between them and he was gone.
A horn blared behind him and he sped forward jumping out of his phase.
He opened the front door to their small apartment.
"Percy!" Misha said from the couch.
"Howdy munchkin." He said lifting the five year old with ease.
"Percy, how are you doing? How were your classes?" Paul asked from the table.
"Hey I'm doing fine, and class is okay besides how WRONG the teacher is in mythology." He said setting Misha down. He grabbed the orange bottle off the counter and popped it open picking out two small white pills.
"Hey Percy!" his mom called walking into the room. She noticed him swallowing the pills. "Bad day?"
"Happened 3 times. I thought he was my boss, I saw him in the store, and then he was on the street staring at me. I almost caused a collision." Sally looked at him worriedly. "And the best part is I am going to camp in two days to help. I am a senior counselor, who can't even help myself." He chuckled bitterly.
She smiled sadly. "I want to go to camp!" Misha cried tugging on Percy's navy blue shirt.
"But Misha," he said bending down to her level. "Who would protect mom and dad?" he asked with fake surprise.
She gasped. "I do so never mind I will stay here!" he smirked brightly.
"Oh, Percy we have an appointment with Misha's teacher tomorrow."
Percy looked at Misha. "Okay I have all jobs tomorrow. What did you do?"
She giggled and ran off. "What did she do?"
"Well Misha took your minotaur horn to school." Sally started. "And stabbed or jabbed at a kid. He needed 16 stitches."
"How did she get a hold of it?" he asked eyes wide in shock.
"I don't know. Percy I thought you locked it up?" he slapped his forehead.
"I left my damn keys on the counter! I remember her playing with them and I told her about it then I left for a bit. She must have gotten it while I was gone."
"Damn it to Hades Percy!" Sally hissed and he cowered down. "Oh sorry for that. I just wish you could stay for a while this summer and help me with Misha."
She was stressed slightly and frustrated and it was very evident. Everyone had gotten used to the major mood swings since Misha was born. She was born a trouble maker and the frequent visits by Poseidon weren't helping.
She sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. "Percy will you be okay tomorrow?"
"Yeah, ma I will be fine!" he said hugging her.
He stood and locked up at the window and screamed. Luke was looking back at him glowering angrily.
"Percy!" a voice growled in his head.
He slipped and fell to the ground, sliding backwards into the kitchen table. He could faintly hear someone cry as he cowered down whispered a prayer to the gods. "Luke!" he cried out tears falling down his face.
That night as he was curled up in bed holding his small circular locket he thought. He thought about Grover, Annabeth, Tyson, the gods, and Luke. He stayed on Luke for a longtime. He thought about his hands his legs the steady beat in his heart, Percy's unsung lullaby, and his eyes. They were a beautiful blue that would always have a glint in them that he loved.
"Sally will Percy really be okay by himself tomorrow?" he heard Paul ask full of concern. He didn't blame him he wouldn't trust himself alone.
"Paul through all these years I trust his judgment that he will be fine. Percy is grown he can ask for help and protect himself." She comforted. Percy held up the locket and it spun around showing the combined symbols of the winged shoe beneath a trident carved on celestial bronze metal. Inside was a picture of them Annabeth had taken when Luke was trying to teach him archery.
The tan hand that had rested their long ago started burning with longing.
He touched it lightly and winced. It most defiantly hurt.
Percy glances around his room once again and sighed. He drifted off to sleep curled up tightly in his soft white sheets.
His dreams were anything but relaxing or pleasant.
He was back in the labyrinth with only his pajamas on. And he was chilled to the bone.
"Percy come on!" Annabeth yelled frantically in tears. "He is right behind you!"
"Percy!" someone roared and Percy turned around to see Luke surrounded by monsters eyes pure gold. Was he back in the past? If he was he certainly didn't remember it. A javelin was thrown past him and he heard Annabeth scream. He didn't turn, he felt the shock and sadness run through the empathy link he still held with Grover.
"Percy! Come on!" Grover yelled his voice cracking.
He shook himself out of the shock and turned around and ran. Annabeth was nailed to the wall her grey eyes glazed over blood dripping out of the edges of the hole from the javelin. The blood was seeping down her shirt, head hung. Annabeth was gone.
Percy ran. He ran past Grover taking sharp turns and just going where his feet would take him. The old brick like floors and walls turned to marble. It was dirty and warn, Percy didn't recognize it.
"Make your choice Persues Jackson!" a voice boomed.
"What? What choice!?" he yelled and suddenly the maze rushed away only to be replaced by the 12 Olympians sitting high above him.
"You lead him here?!" Zeus boomed.
"Fool!" Athena hissed.
"How could you?"
"Percy, why?" he heard his father ask.
"We brought him back and you betrayed us."
"No! No! I don't know just give me a chance!" he cried.
And he woke, bolting straight up in bed heart pounding and locket landing in his lap, etching face up.
TBC!
I know it was mean to leave you hanging like that but… I did lol. Hope you liked it! Tell me what you liked and I will update before next week!
Love you all! Remember reviews stoke the flame called my heart lol.