Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or any of the characters except for little Rhea

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I winced when I looked down and saw blood seeping through my uniform, the pain was still present, a constant reminder of those glowing red eyes and I felt the sword turn back into a hairpin, like it knew it wasn't needed anymore.

Putting the hairpin into one of my pockets, I began the long track back to the school, I needed medical attention and fast. As I walked further I realized with growing dread that I was beginning to feel dizzy, my vision started blurring and I paused at a large tree, pushing myself off to keep going. I ignored the red drops I was leaving behind in the white snow, intertwining with my footprints. I did not think I would ever feel so relieved about seeing the building again, my breath came out in puffs of white and I thought I could make out some silhouettes before I succumbed to the sweet lull of unconsciousness.

Chapter 6 - Revelations

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I felt like crap.

No, I literally felt like crap, my eyelids were heavy, my body felt like lead and I even thought that something might have died in my mouth.

The second thing I noticed was that-I-was-alive. Alive and breathing with all limbs attached. A glorious feeling. Another thing I could freely admit was that I had been scared - terrified even. Knowing about and sometimes seeing monsters is different from one trying to kill you. Extremely so.

When I managed to permanently open my eyes, I saw white. Infirmary?

Groaning I slowly pushed myself up, and by doing so probably alerted some nurse, because not even thirty seconds afterwards one of the school nurses entered the room.

''How do you feel sweetie?'' I shook my head, I didn't think I could speak. The nurse just nodded, and continued to check my vitals.

''You're lucky, dear. You were attacked by some sort of wild canine. You were unconscious for nearly two days, of course the school will compensate you for the lack of attention on our part. This Academy is supposed to be safe, So sorry, my dear.''

I let her ramble on, relieved that I wouldn't be blamed for what happened.

I just smiled a little, pleased that I felt stronger already than even half a minute ago. The brown-haired nurse stopped fussing over me a few minutes later, and with pat on my head (was I a dog?), she told me to sleep and left the room.

Even though I was more than a little miffed about being told what to do I agreed, shuffling a little to get more comfortable.

And tried to fall back asleep, key word on trying. Hours passed and I was tired and exhausted but I just couldn't fall back sleep, thoughts racing through my mind. I groaned, thoroughly annoyed by my restlessness.

It was a little later when I heard humming, at first it was merely a distant sound, till it started resounding in my head. The hummed sounds, whispered words, cloaked in that familiar presence took the last of my restlessness and uncertainty away, leaving me woefully tired. With a mumbled ''thanks'' I soon began to drift off, barely hearing my fathers voice speaking.

Rest. I'll watch over you, Princess.

When I woke up again, it was judging by the clock around ten in the morning. Yawning, I slowly got up, mindful of my partly healed injuries. I already felt better than before, my injuries were barely hurting and the deep tiredness in my very bones seemed to have disappeared.

My eyes widened when I saw an assortment of flowers and chocolate on my bedside table, I reached for a clearly visible card and had to blink away some tears.

Dear Rhea,

hope you get well soon. I really miss my sister. The nurses don't let anyone visit, but we're still trying.

Love, Susan

I felt a little guilty for thinking that I hadn't made any lasting bonds, I read every single card and by the end I was visibly trying not to cry. 'Those stupid brats', I cursed without any real heat.

I put it down on temporary brain damage when half an hour later, I started bawling of all things when I saw all of my new friends pushing themselves through the door. Even through the tears I didn't bother trying to stop the wide smile that lit up my whole face.

The rest of the school year went by rather differently, my new little sisters/ friends would barely leave my side for time between my little accident and the end of the school year. To my surprise I realized that I didn't mind, the longer I was Rhea Jackson the more used to this life I became; occasionally I even felt like a young teen.

It was rather liberating.

It felt like an eternity until it was finally time to go home for the summer. It was a typical summer day, without any clouds in the wide blue sky, the constant chirping of cicadas following me to the bus. I smiled when I thought of visiting Montauk again. I had been looking forward to that all year, counting the last days before summer break. I hadn't really heard from my father for the rest of the year, but sometimes before I fell asleep I could hear his voice humming some kind of lullaby. To my (eternal) shame it always made me fall asleep rather quickly.

Nevertheless as I was handing my two suitcases to the bus driver that would drive me close enough to my home so that I could get a cab for the rest of the way, I could not hide my excitement. I was going home. I was going to see my mother again. I had missed my mother terribly, and judging by her letters she did too. I managed to convince her that attack was done by the hell-hound was not a monster attack, but of a hunting dog that managed to escape from it's cage (it was the official explanation), so she did not withdraw me from the school.

It had been a hard decision to lie, but I didn't want my mother to worry anymore than she already did.

On another note, she had actually married that whale of a man, why I don't understand, although I suspect it has something to do with my demigod status. I wouldn't be asking any time soon though, provided he treated her reasonably well (which means not being violent, I couldn't expect any more from him after all).

The whole journey back home, I was busy contemplating on how to deal with my ''new-found'' knowledge of monsters and the world of Greek mythology.

The six hours went by in a flash of muddled thoughts and contemplations, unsurprisingly the cab drive was not any better, so when I arrived at the apartment door, I felt more than a tiny bit nervous.

Taking a deep breath I knocked at the door, grinning wildly when only a few moments later my mothers arms were around me.

''Sweetie, welcome home. I missed you.''

I spent a few seconds just enjoying my mother's warmth, before I reluctantly pulled away.

''Hey, mom. Me too.'' She smiled brightly at me, tugging my suitcases into our apartment, that in a way wasn't our apartment anymore. Beer cans and food wrappers were hazardly thrown around the rooms. I looked at my mother horrified, and she just gave me this sad sad smile which begged me not to ask.

So I didn't, my balling fists were the only sign of my displeasure, knowing that my mother had to live with this pig for months. It was a painful thought, horrifying and agonizing at the same time. I was angry, furious even, but I stalled my tongue and plastered a smile on my face, even as the shame in my mother's eyes grew. It was not her fault, never hers. So I told her such while looking directly into her eyes, I could tell that she believed me, but a slight bit of shame remained.

I was rather ecstatic at the thought of going to Montauk tomorrow with my mother already, and by Gabe's expression he was happy to not have to see me either. Although he expressed his displeasure of not having his personal cook at home. I spent that dinner reciting French and German vocabulary in my head, otherwise I fear I would have punched him, hard, several times. After the rather stilted, albeit delicious dinner, I retreated to my room.

I went to bed early, not even trying to hide the excitement that I was feeling. It was quite some time, before I managed to fall asleep.

''Look, Sweetie. We're back again.'' my mother's voice was cheerful, a stark contrast to the subdued tone she'd used when we were in the city.

''Yeah, back.'' I sighed, wistfully. I was back. Near the ocean, I could meet my father again. I was giddy, luckily my mom mistook the excitement for the normal vacation happiness. I wasn't about to correct her. For some reason it felt wrong to involve my mother in the other half of my life; like her part had already ended.

It didn't take us long to clean the little cabin. There was a fine layer of dust covering the furniture and not for the first time I thought that the cabin was not something my mom had to rent after all. Like the last year we made a little campfire and roasted some marshmallows, and like last year I asked about my father. It was always interesting to hear stories from my mom's perspective, little things like his dislike for chinese food or that he had a fondness for dogs. We both soon grew tired and retreated to our beds, it had been an exhausting day after all. Still I waited for a while until I was sure that my mother was asleep before I snuck out of the cabin. I had a thin, but fluffy little blanket wrapped around my body as I tracked towards the spot where he usually dropped me off. I had a feeling that this time it wouldn't matter what time I went to th beach.

Like I hoped, there was already a person there. He wore his usual Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts, staring at the ocean with a contemplative expression on his face. He didn't acknowledge my presence in any way, although I was sure he was aware of it.

I slowly sat down next to him, not quite sure what to say, so I stayed silent.

It was a while until my father spoke. ''Back again?''

I cocked my eyebrow in dry amusement. ''I guess so. You are back as well.''. He snorted but otherwise remained silent. He seemed hesitant, even nervous. It wasn't something I had ever seen him be. ''How much did you find out?'' He finally made eye contact with me, his eyes swirling with various emotions, some I couldn't even name, but I recognized blatant fear, as well as a crushing amount of hope.

I fidgeted under his scrutinizing gaze, drawing the blanket closer around my body. I was nervous, incredibly nervous, before I could think about it further I blurted out the first thing on my mind.

''Are you my father?''

He stilled, as if I had struck him before running his hand through his raven hair. ''You are way too smart, hmmm?'' he sighed softly, sadly. He suddenly continued, a flood of words pouring out of my father's mouth, like a dam had been broken.

''I'm really am so sorry, I did want to be there for you as you grew up. You have to believe me, there are Ancient Laws that prevented it, I broke them anyway but I did not wish for you to remember me. I am so sorry but I love you, Rhea. Please-'' I was horrified to see that there were tears in his eyes, he seemed honestly afraid of my reaction, so to stop his rant I did the only thing I could think of.

I hugged him.

Without any warning, I jumped up and just threw myself at him, he stilled yet again for an agonizing moment, before he fully pulled me into his lap, arms wrapped tightly around me even as he continued to apologize. I didn't stop him this time, just soaked in the readily provided comfort that my father always brought me. His relieved ramblings were just another proof of his love, another sign that he cared.

''S'fine.'' I mumbled at some point when he had finally stopped ranting, apparently believing that I wouldn't just run away from him. He seemed quite embarrassed about his break-down. Poseidon was a God after all, but even then he didn't loosen his grip on me a single moment, and I more than happily burrowed myself in his warm embrace. I had missed this feeling, the constant pressure of his presence humming all around me. Before I knew it my exhaustion caught up with me, and I fell asleep on my fathers lap, content to stay in my safe have, his soothing presence blanketing me.

This was more than enough.

As Poseidon continued to hold his only daughter to his chest, he was not ashamed to admit that he shed tears of relief.

She did not hate him, and somehow that was all that mattered.

He had been afraid that she'd be angry with him for not telling who he was last time, even as she had admitted to him that she missed her father terribly. Because while she had not resented her missing father, she forgave him under the assumption that he could not be there, and while there were Ancient Laws preventing him from doing exactly that, he was still a God, and he suspected that she at least had her suspicions about that.

He had been terrified when he sensed her fear through the bond they shared, her determination to fight that hell-hound even without any weapons. He had been terrified, but also so very proud.

And she was his daughter, his, and that alone could raise his mood in a second. His subjects were naturally weary, as while he had always been a just ruler, he was not always kind and a constant good mood, only broken by the little bouts of fear he sometimes felt - what if she does not want you? - was exceedingly rare and uncommon for him.

But now the question remained, what should he do now, that she knew?

He knew it was cowardly of him to wish that she did not know, because then he would've remained the weird, but nice man that she would occasionally see at the beach. A sort of father-figure without the title attached, another part of him however wished for nothing more than to hear her say ''Daddy'' to him one more time.

He tightened his arms around her still so small frame, even as he slowly began to hum a lullaby that he had picked up a couple of centuries ago.

She was here, in his arms, and at that moment, it was all that mattered. If she was angry, he would simply have to aologize until she forgave him.

He had time and patience after all.

A/N So this time the chapter is slightly shorter, but I've been sick for the last few days, so I haven't really had any time to write, or rather not the motivation. So this chapter there's another Rhea/Poseidon moment, it is the theme of this whole story after all ;) So I wanted to thank you guys for all the reviews I really appreciate your suggestions and support.

I hope that you will continue to enjoy my story. I'll try to update as fast as I can, maybe even Wednesday already, I have some ideas for the next chapter, I'm planning on introducing Triton after all. Fun fun fun!

Stay tuned in!