Story by: chocoyum4

Song by: Mark Schultz

A/N: I changed a little of the song instead of her being his mom she's his wife. Oh and I don't own PJO or the song! =) Enjoy!

published: 5-30-09

revised: 6-9-12

Letters From War

She walked to the mailbox,
on that bright summer's day,
found a letter from her man,
in a war far away

I could hardly contain myself as I waited for the mailman to leave. The seconds ticked by as I watched him fill each box with the right letters. He closed the last one, climbed back into his truck, and drove slowly down the street. As soon as he was out of my line of vision I ran from the window and out the front door. Instantly the sweltering heat enveloped my and I knew a light sheen of perspiration would coat my brow until I stepped back into the coolness of my home.

My eagerness to reach the box overwhelmed me. Today was the day I was to receive a letter from my husband, who was on his first tour of duty in Iraq. We had been married just two months before he was to leave. He had been gone from me for two weeks already, and I missed him with every fiber of my being.

Quickly, I opened the box and shuffled through the mail. "Bill…bill…bill…yes!" I squealed with delight when I found the letter from my husband. I shoved the box closed and ran back into the house then locked the door behind me. Dropping the rest of the mail on the counter, I ran up the stairs into the study, and locked the door behind me and unplugged the phone. I didn't want any distractions while I read his letter.

He spoke of the weather
and good friends that he'd made
Said I'd been thinking 'bout dad
and the life that he had
That's why I'm here today
And that the end he said
You are what I'm fighting for

He wrote: Dear Annabeth,

I miss you so much! I wish you could be here, maybe when this is all over we could take a vacation here… then again maybe not. The weather so far has been sweltering hot, (what I wouldn't give for a trip to the beach to cool off in the waves!) but there hasn't been too much trouble. I've met some really cool guys here. Even though we haven't been here long, it's almost like we're a family. These men are my brothers. I'm glad I came. I've been thinking a lot about Dad lately and about his life and everything that he's done. I think he would be proud of me. That's why I'm here. You are what I'm fighting for Wise Girl. There's nothing else to it. I love you and I promise to come home.

With all my love, Percy

It was the first of his letters from war

I smiled and set the letter down, then grabbed a piece of paper from the printer and looked franticly for a pen. Finally, I located one on the floor, and placing a hand on my stomach the removing it quickly, I sat down again to write.

She started writing
You're good and you're brave
What a father that you'll be someday
make it home
make it safe

Dear Percy,

I miss you too! I'm so glad that things are going well. I've been so worried about you! I'll sleep easier tonight, that's for sure. My sweet darling you are so good and brave! You're going to make a great father once you come home. That's right. I'm pregnant! I'm about 3 months along now, which means I'm due in December. Maybe you'll be able to come home soon after? Please be safe. I love you so much, we both do.

Wise Girl

She wrote every night as she prayed

Late in December
a day she'll not forget

The baby was due any day now. It was going to be a little boy. We had decided to name him Trident after Percy's father who had been named after the Greek god Poseidon. I hoped he had my hair, but Percy's eyes. I couldn't wait to hold him in my arms for the first time.

Rubbing my hand over my very large stomach I waited, because I was hoping to receive another letter from Percy today. Little baby Trident kicked, almost as if he was just as excited as I.

I watched from my window again waiting for the mailman to leave, my coat already on and the snow falling lightly on top of the blanket of white that already covered the ground. I ran out and nearly fell to the ground as I raced for the mailbox.

I shuffled through all the Christmas cards, found his letter and clutched it to my chest, and then I quickly scurried as fast as a severely pregnant woman can, inside away from the biting cold. I couldn't contain myself any longer and as soon as I threw the others on the counter.

Oh her tears stained the paper
with every word that she read

I ripped open the letter it said:

"I was up on a hill

I was out there alone

When the shots all rang out

And bombs were exploding

And that's when I saw him

He came back for me

A man set me free

And that man was yours

He asked me to write to you

I told him I would, oh I swore"

It was the last of the letters from war

I sank to my knees the floor was hard and cold against my body. My tears stained the paper as I read it over and over again. My heart was in pieces and no one but my Percy could put it back together. Oh how I hoped how I prayed he was alive and he would come back to me! He had too! He just had too! He had to come home to see his little boy. He had to because his unborn child needed him! Because I needed him!

Suddenly severe pain shot through my abdomen. I sobbed as I scrambled for the phone and called my mother. My water had just broken.

Trident was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. He had my color of hair, but Percy's unruliness, and he had Percy's eyes. That made me both exceedingly happy, and torturously sad. It was painful to look into my baby's eyes, yet I couldn't stop myself from doing so.

Each night I would read one of Percy's letters to Trident, and I would show him a picture of his father. Even if he had to grow up not knowing him in person, I wanted him to at least recognize his father, and be proud of him.

And she prayed he was living
Kept on believing
and wrote every night just to say

As soon as Trident was asleep, I would write a letter to Percy. I never sent them, but I prayed that maybe someday I'd get to deliver them in person. So I continued to write:

You are good

And you're brave

What a father that you'll be someday

Make it home

Make it safe

Still she kept writing each day

The days wore by slowly but surely. I watched from the window when Trident was asleep, and I watched my baby boy grow up. Never ceasing in writing my letters.

Then two years later
autumn leaves all around
a car pulled in the driveway
and she fell to the ground
and out stepped a captain
where her man used to stand

Two years later I was sweeping off the front porch, while watching Trident play in the front yard, thinking about my Percy. The colorful leaves of autumn reminded me of camp when he would push me into the piles of leaves and I would pull him down with me. A cool breeze brought me back to the painful present as my eyes quickly found my boy. I sighed and looked to see a car pull up to the drive way, quickly calling Trident to me. But Trident didn't come.

The door to the car opened and a man stepped out, holding his arms open wide as my son ran into them. I sank to my knees as I watched Trident finally meet his father for the first time.

Hot tears streamed down my face as the captain stood up, Trident in his arms, as he walked around the car. He set our son down, and told him to go on inside. Trident did as he was told, and Percy, ran forward took my hands helping me stand. He looked into my eyes and pulled me close to him.

He said "hon I'm following orders

From all of your letters

And I've come home again",

He ran into hold her

And dropped all his bags on the floor

Holding all of her letters from war

"You came home" I whispered into his shoulder my joyful tears dripping on to his jacket, my sobs echoing through the neighborhood.

"I told you I always would." He whispered back. I pulled him to me and kissed him full on the lips.

Bring him home…

He had come home and he had made it back safe. I silently thanked God for the precious man that he had returned back to me. I took his hand and we walked up the stairs and sat on the steps just like when we were kids.

Bring him home…

I smiled and was mesmerized by his sea green eyes. Oh how I had longed to look into them for so long. How I had missed his gaze day after day. "You came home" I whispered still not comprehending the miracle that just took place.

Bring him home…

"I love you" I whispered.

Ok what do you guy's think? The song is Letters From War by: Mark Schultz. Tell me what you think and if you haven't heard the song look it up! It is incredibly sad/sweet. I cried the first time I heard it! Thanks! =)

~chocoyum4~

Did you like the new version if you've read it before now?