I don't have any part of any ownership of Percy Jackson or the HOO/PJO story lines. I wish I did, though!
Conversations With My Dad, the Sea God
Chapter 3
I don't like being flashed by Dionysus. Or by any of the other gods either, but for some reason I can't put my finger on, just especially not by him.
When we flashed into the conference room, I saw that Chiron, Rachel Dare and a very teary eyed Annabeth were all there. In the corner of the room by the door was a young woman I didn't know. Everybody had various serious expressions on their faces; Chiron looked almost ill however.
Mr D cleared his throat and asked me to sit down. I picked the seat next to Annabeth and went to put my arm around her; I asked her very gently, "What's wrong, Wise Girl? Why are you crying?"
The young woman in the corner started to say something, but Rachel and Chiron both 'shushed' her, and Rachel said, angrily but softly,"You've done enough here tonight! Sit there and say nothing, do nothing and let them work this out, together!"
I tried asking what was going on, but Annabeth took my hand closest to hers in both of her hands- so strong but so fine and small- and she looked up at me.
"Seaweed Brain, you know I've really come to love you, right?"
Uh-oh. I already didn't like where this was going…
"Percy, you know this, right?", she asked again, focusing my wandering attention on her. I hated how my attention could wander like that. I did notice that the woman in the corner hadn't moved or spoken since she was shushed. I also noticed that Annabeth called me by my name. REALLY Not Good.
"I'm with you, Wise Girl, go on"; I resolved to just shut up and let Annabeth talk, and I looked her right in her beautiful gray eyes. And they were very troubled eyes right then.
Annabeth took a deep breath and went on; "Percy, I'm really sorry about not making time for you these past two months. And all the time that I spent with you and your mom and Paul really made me feel a part of a real, live family. And maybe that's why this hurts so much for me. I really do love you, my Seaweed Brain; and you have always been the only one who ever had my back absolutely and completely. My "fall" proved that to me, like nothing else ever could."
She still couldn't say "Tartarus"; well, neither could I. But where was this going? I was beginning to get a bit upset, myself.
"Percy, sometimes peoples' feelings can change. And sometimes they begin to realize that the change is a deeper one than they could ever have thought might ever happen. And that's part of why I haven't been around lately. These changes are mostly all inside me, and that's what's been so hard for me. It's why I haven't known how to talk about this. For the first time in my life I don't have a plan, and I don't know what to do! And what really scares me is how you'll react to all of this".
Suddenly, my Wise Girl started weeping openly and she turned her head to Rachel; "I don't know if I can go on…". Rachel put her hand on Annabeth's cheek softly and said, "You have to, Annabeth; you know this. I told you what I foresaw, and you have no choice; only the whole truth now. All...Of...It. Now."
Rachel glanced at me and I could see the steel in her. "Percy, please just bear with us here. This isn't easy for any of us".
Mr D broke in at that point; and I immediately noticed that he had gotten our names right for once. But why now?
Uh-ohhh…
"Perseus, I want you to realize just how very conflicted and difficult this is for Annabeth here. Over the past several weeks, it came to me that she was a little… off. Not her usual self. And that kind of behavior in anyone as important as you or Annabeth can have effects on everyone at Camp. This kind of anxiety borders on the edges of my own domain of mental illness. And Annabeth's dreams have been filled with scenes of destruction here at Camp… and also of you."
I was completely shocked at what Dionysus had just said. And suddenly, I knew exactly where this was going. I turned to the woman in the corner and said, "Hi. I'm Perseus Jackson. But everyone calls me Percy. What's your name, and how long have you and Annabeth been seeing each other?"
If the shock on everyone's faces could have been preserved for all to see, I think that I'd have a picture that I never wanted to see again. Mostly because it just reminded me that they all thought I was a wooly-headed loser with not that much going on for himself. Other than an amazingly smart and beautiful girlfriend. Or former girlfriend?
I thought back to the day I woke up in camp after killing the Minotaur. Hades still had my mom captive and I felt awful. I'd been out like a light for three whole days, drooling in my sleep. "I'm a loser, Grover. I can't be 'special'; not in a good way".
The "G-Man", my best friend in all the world, and even before camp looked at me and said,"Percy, no pitiful loser could have killed the Minotaur. Okay?" And he was right.
I gathered strength from the knowledge of how much I'd accomplished since my first (conscious) day at Camp. I had led and helped win two wars, both major conflicts, and protected both Olympus and the gods in each one.
I'd fought and defeated both Titans and Gigantes and also Ares himself, starting from my first Quest at age 12. Who the heck else ever did anything like that? I won a Praetorship on the battlefields of New Rome, acclaimed unanimously (except for Octavian) by the entire Legion. I'd been offered godhood by Zeus, himself! No one could lay any claims like mine.
"I'm still waiting for your name, miss", I asked the mysterious and very quiet young woman. She'd been looking right at Annabeth this whole time, who by now had her face buried in Rachel's shoulder. Funny thing that; I didn't think Annie and Rache liked each other very much. I still hadn't gotten any answers from this stranger. But at least I was feeling more self-confident. And I think Annabeth was seeing that now.
"Percy? Are you ok?", she asked me, glancing quickly with bloodshot eyes at her 'friend'. I turned to Chiron and said,"Since nobody else had enough manners to introduce me to this… person, could you please…?"
Chiron, who was sitting in his wheelchair looked suprised at my request. He turned to the young woman, and said, "Percy Jackson, this is Maria Tollander, a clear-sighted mortal. Ms Tollander, I have the honor of introducing our Camp Leader, Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, Hero of Olympus, Bane of Titans and Giants alike, Bane of Gaea and our most prolific Questor. Percy is also Praetor of the Roman Twelfth Legion Fulminata, by Battlefield Acclamation after having defended successfully the city of New Rome and defeating the Gigante Polybotus."
Wow. Whatta mouthful! All that and a bag of potato chips…
This 'Maria' seemed kind of impressed, but was determined not to show it. "So Annabeth wasn't exaggerating about you. Funny, I'd have thought you'd be taller". "And I would still like to know about you and Annabeth. I'm already at a disadvantage here. I know almost nothing about you, miss". I had little reason to be impolite here. But I was already getting angry at her seemingly rude 'tude.
"Annie and I met at the Greek Club, an activity sanctioned through Cooper Union's JointStudentActivity Committee. Annie is a whiz in the language and a mutual friend suggested I approach her about Greek language lessons".
"And then…?"
"And then we sat and had a coffee at this little place on campus. We started talking, and she agreed to tutor me. We met three afternoons a week for about four months, starting late last year, about October."
I was starting to hate this conversation. It was like pulling teeth from a Cyclope! Details, details! I had to know it all about this car wreck that was my relationship.
"I do know that a bit more had to happen for there to be THIS kind of problem. So what happened to start you two in a relationship?" I think I hit the nail on the head because Maria suddenly went pale and Annabeth looked up from Rachel's shoulder. Her WET shoulder…
"Percy, it wasn't Maria's fault. It was mine".
And we all turned our heads in shock at Annabeth just as her mother, Athena flashed in, screeching out, "WHAAAAAT!?"