Warnings: This is Nico/Percy so if you do not like slash you will not like this.
Some chapters may contain descriptions of graphic content (i.e. physical abuse, torture etc.).
Some chapters may contain canon character death.
This chapter contains adult themes and suggestions (BDSM, bondage).
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters unless otherwise specified. This story is not for monetary gain.
Enjoy!
~o-o-o~
The cabin leaders and Romans were gathered around the Ping-Pong table, or what was left of it anyway. Percy had broken many of the chairs and tables after he'd spoken with the Oracle, so most of the demigods were left standing. They didn't know why he had done it; the teen had gone into a panicked frenzy for what appeared to be no reason. The son of Poseidon had been brought back by Nico, and the two were now in the Hades cabin. Before gathering Will had set Percy's broken arm and splinted it with ease. It would be healed up in no time with the help of ambrosia. The demigods gazed between each other, waiting for someone to speak up first.
"He's too erratic." Reyna finally shattered the silence. Low grunts and nods were offered in return. Chiron was not present at the meeting, the Romans requested matters be handled by demigods only. Initially there had been some protest, but to maintain peace the request was fulfilled. The centaur's advisement would be considered only if it was necessary. "He'll end up getting everyone who goes to Rome killed. Did you see the crack in the earth?"
"His dad is the earth shaker." Travis murmured.
"Regardless of who or what he is, he's dangerous." Clarisse agreed with Reyna. "We can't allow him to go."
"Plus he's kind of…strange." Miranda pointed out. A few others nodded.
"Aren't we all?" Leo spoke. "Nico told us Percy was troubled. We have to help him. Maybe this is the best way."
"What good is a son of Poseidon who won't go near water?" Reyna asked.
"Thalia is afraid of heights." Leo argued.
"She's not one of the seven." Clarisse countered.
"I think Nico is right about this. I think Percy is supposed to go to Greece-Rome, wherever." The son of Hephaestus insisted. "And Nico has been right before. He was right about Piper and me freeing the Queen, right about us running into the Romans at the wolf house, right about us working together on this. Nico wants what is best for demigods."
"Leo has a point. If it weren't for Nico, I know a lot of us wouldn't be here." Lou agreed. "During the Titan War, he always did what was best for demigods. He put himself in danger; he almost sacrificed himself because of that prophecy, because of Luke."
"It was the Titan Lord!" Annabeth snapped. She turned her head away with a blush of anger and embarrassment dusting her cheeks. The daughter of Hecate rolled her eyes but otherwise said nothing.
"Anyway, we've seen the way he is around Percy. He might be acting…differently. This is more personal." Clarisse countered. "What if Nico's judgement is clouded?"
"I'm not so sure." Annabeth murmured. Clarisse shot the daughter of Athena a look.
"Because you know him so well. You can't stand looking at him, much less talk to him."
"Just because Nico and I aren't friends doesn't mean I'm blind." Annabeth gritted. "I agree with Leo. Nico has always done what's best for us, all of us. I sincerely doubt he'd turn his back for one son of Poseidon. Besides, we have a backup plan if Percy falls through."
"Maybe some of us don't agree with the backup plan." Butch threw in. "Are we sure we can trust a Roman demigod who is as Roman as they come?" Reyna huffed in offense.
"Are you implying I'm less trustworthy because my mother only exists in Roman mythology?"
"I'm pretty sure I was stating." Butch glared.
"We are not starting this again." Hazel snapped. "We're all demigods, not Romans or Greeks. If Mother takes over, it won't matter whether our parents are from Italy or Greece, we're all dead! So pull yourselves together. We are in this together and we need to work together. Leo and Annabeth are right; Nico's intentions have what's best for us in mind."
"You're just saying that because he's your brother." Pollux argued.
"I agree with Hazel. And if you all don't, I'll charmspeak it into your heads." Everyone focused on the daughter of Aphrodite. Disgruntled looks told her that they weren't happy with the threat. She didn't care; this circular, nonsensical bickering was starting to drive her crazy. "Percy…he's…hurting, and we should be helping him, not pushing him away. He's a good person. Did you see him with some of the younger kids? He's sweet."
"It could be a façade." Miranda murmured, but her tone was low, unconvincing.
"What could he possibly gain from making kids laugh?" Piper asked, genuinely curious. Miranda had nothing to offer. "Sweet talking us would be far more effective. He doesn't try to hide he's a bit…umm…odd? Socially awkward? Doesn't matter, it's pretty clear he's not trying to win us over, just the opposite, actually."
"That's a good point. I tried talking to him, since I'm a legacy of his dad's, and he went really quiet and didn't have all that much to say. He just dodged questions or offered vague answers. He seemed nice enough, just really distant." Frank informed.
"That's the sort of impression I get from him, which is precisely why he shouldn't go." Reyna argued. "You have to be able to trust him. And after what he did to Nico, can we really?"
"I think so." Everyone turned to Jason. "There's something…charming about him. He kind of reminds me of a stray puppy." The son of Jupiter received flat looks from everyone. "Oh, come on! No one sees that?"
"No."
"Ah…well, maybe. He is covered in scars." Hazel muttered.
"Yeah, did you see them all? It looked like he was tortured." They all went quite after Lou spoke. "I-I'm not saying he was."
"Could he have been?" Reyna asked. "Because…that changes everything."
"No, there's no way." Annabeth insisted. After a few wary glances were exchanged the leaders focused on the son of Apollo present. He was sitting quietly on the arm of the couch. "You treated him Will, what do you think?"
"If we hope to defeat mother, we all have to work together." Will replied and stood. "Excuse me." He left to the infirmary.
"Are all the sun god's kids weird?" Leo asked.
"I think that's a bit unfair coming from you, Leo." Hazel teased. The Latino blushed faintly. "We're all weird like you said. That's why we're such a great group." The teens started chattering until Jason straightened and cleared his throat to gain their attention.
"We have plenty of time to decide." Jason announced. "There will be more chances for debate as to who ends up going. Perhaps we should proceed with caution around Percy." Nobody protested. "Like he's a stray puppy." Everyone glared. "Fine! Fine, let's contact New Rome." Jason motioned Reyna and Annabeth. The trio left to make a call and the meeting was dismissed.
~o-o-o~
Percy hung out with Rachel on Thursday. She agreed to skip out on an art meeting. The teen was anxious to tell his friend. She meant so much to him, if anything happened to her…he would never be able to forgive himself.
"It's so good to see you! I had hoped we could hang out on the long weekend. How was that camp?" Rachel embraced Percy once they met up. Percy returned it. "Whoa, you ok?" The redhead asked and arched a brow when she met her friend's gaze.
"I have to show you something important." Percy took Rachel's hand. The mortal didn't protest and Percy brought her back to his place.
"Please tell me you're not in love with me." She teased, hoping to lighten the mood.
"Madly. I can't stop thinking about you. Not a day goes by where I don't look out into the rising sun and see your face in the light, beaming at me with beauty and grace." The male laughed when Rachel grinned.
"I knew it! And what does my prince charming have to win me over with?" The redhead took her friend's hands. He was quick to twirl her in a mock dance. Rachel smiled softly as she remembered when they first met.
~o-o-o~
Rachel grumbled to herself as she dragged her feet through the halls of Goode High School. It was early, well before school started, and only teachers and keeners were milling about. Unfortunately, Rachel had to come early, lest she want to be dropped off in some fancy car and expose to the student body the wealth her family had. She hated being the daughter of a rich family most of the time. The last thing she needed were other kids hanging off her arms hoping to get something out of her, reminding her of what she disliked. Suddenly she hit a wall.
"Oof!" Rachel bounced off but didn't fall. Her eyes met sea green. It became apparent that she did not hit a wall. The teen had ebony hair and handsome features. He looked a bit like a trouble-maker; Rachel didn't mind that so much.
"Do you need glasses?" He asked. Rachel blinked and frowned.
"No."
"Then why did you walk into me?"
"I wanted your attention." Rachel chirped in reply. "Seems to have worked." The teen frowned and righted her before letting go.
"Leave me alone."
"I was kidding. I didn't mean to bump into you. I was spacing out. What are you doing here so early?"
"Leave me alone."
"I'm Rachel."
"Leave me alone."
"Oh, come on! Can't I have a name?" The green eyed male looked her over.
"No." He replied and turned away. Rachel pouted, and then slipped her hand into his pocket and snatched his wallet. "Hey!" The teen dashed after her when she ran off with his wallet, his locker and things forgotten.
"Perseus Jackson? That's a kind of old-fashioned name." The redhead muttered when she read his school ID. Perseus caught her and held her middle as he grabbed for his wallet. She handed it back and spun in his arms before wrapping hers around his shoulders. "Forward, I like that." He blushed and then frowned.
"You're annoying." He didn't shove her away, so the redhead took that as a good sign.
"Whatever, you think I'm cool. So, are you new in town, Perseus?"
"I-I really prefer Percy."
"Ok, hi, Percy." Rachel let go and offered her hand. "I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare and you will be honoured to call me your friend." Percy stared at her, before he smiled softly and accepted her handshake.
"You are privileged to have me acknowledge you as such." They grinned at each other and headed back to the male teen's locker.
~o-o-o~
When Percy stopped dancing he dropped her hands. It was a bit unusual, but Rachel let it slide.
"I have nothing. But…tell me what you see." Percy withdrew Riptide.
"A pen?" Percy uncapped it. Rachel gasped. "A…a sword? Where did you get that? Is it some sort of CIA thing? I knew you worked for the government!"
"Not that. Rachel…" The redhead sensed her friend's serious tone and her smile vanished. She reached for the blade, but her hand went through.
"What…is it?"
"It's celestial bronze." Percy answered as he capped the weapon and slipped the pen back into his pocket. He beckoned her to the living room and they sat down. "I'm a demigod."
"Are you ok?"
"You know what? I don't know." Percy smiled, it was forced, the mortal could tell. She had known him long enough to know false smiles from true ones. She set her hand on his knee. "There's…something called…the Oracle…"
"Of Delphi." Rachel breathed. "She…is she the mummy?" Percy arched a brow, beckoning the girl to continue. She blushed and turned away. "Ever…ever since I met you, I've felt drawn to you Percy…like you're…meant to show me who I am, what I'm meant to be, you know? Lately…I've had these wild dreams, all centred around…a corpse. It scared me at first…but…this…it's about this, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Percy leaned in close. "You don't have to do this." He whispered. His lips were a breath away from hers. Rachel turned and pressed her cheek against his soft lips. Percy's hands slid around her waist and he hugged her. Rachel set her hands on his shoulders. For a long time, Rachel thought she and Percy would end up together. They had such good chemistry, shared secrets and stories. She loved the time she spent with him. Percy even trusted her enough to tell her about the abuse. She didn't know who or why, but Percy went to her when he was broken and there were many nights she tended to his wounds and rocked him until he calmed down. But as they grew older it became more apparent that they were only friends, which the redhead was fine with. It was more than enough for her. Romance wasn't something she particularly cared about. There were others who showed interest but none of it ever drew Rachel in. She was fine with being single and remained chaste because of it. The mortal sighed.
"Don't let me go." Rachel breathed.
"Never." Percy's lips moved against her skin and sent chills down her back. "I can bring you to camp, whenever you're ready." The redhead moved closer, into Percy's lap, set her head against the crook of his neck and held onto him.
"Tonight." Rachel stated.
"I won't lose you."
"It'll take more than a spirit for you to get rid of me." Rachel pulled away. Percy held his touch as long as she allowed. His eyes were soft, silently telling her she could back out. "I want to. This feels right, Percy. This is how things are supposed to be."
"I trust you." A warm smile lit up Rachel's face, and the glow was contagious as Percy returned the gesture. They watched each other for a long moment before the son of Poseidon turned away. "I'll call Nico. He'll bring us to camp."
"Your stalker?"
"It's gotten worse." Percy frowned falsely; his eyes hinted at amusement.
"Percy and Nico sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Rachel sang as Percy grabbed the phone. "First comes love, then comes marriage and lastly super-hot sexy man sex!"
"RACHEL!" Percy shouted. "God! No! Just no!"
"Maybe he'll tie you up, since he's stalking you."
"Oh, you are so dead."
"Better stay faithful! You don't want Nico to punish you-"
"STOP!" Percy cried, his face as red as his friend's hair. "It's not like that!" Rachel gave him a flat look. "Ok, it is…sort of like that, but-it's complicated and not like that."
"Everything with you is complicated. You're like one of those plantation desks men had, with all those secret compartments that have special ways to be unlocked." Percy was on the phone at this point and only stuck his tongue out at the redhead. "Practicing?" The teen started coughing as his cheeks burned generously. After a brief conversation Rachel arched a brow when Nico appeared out of nowhere. "Handy. Makes following Percy easy I bet."
"Absolutely." Nico grinned. "Pleasure to see you again, Rachel."
"Oh stop." Rachel laughed. "We're teenagers, no need to be so formal." Nico smiled, nervously Rachel noted, and the teen offered one of his hands to each of them. Rachel gaped when they emerged from the shadows. The camp was beautiful, a perfect, serene place with soft grass and clear skies. The place was so lively and the warmth it emitted made Rachel feel at home. The only thing that ruined the look was the corpse Rachel had seen in her dreams, standing on the porch.
"I have waited far too long for this." Rachel turned. The male was young, around her age with sky blue eyes and sunny blond hair. The mortal hardly paid any attention to the rest of him; his gaze held hers in a captivating stare. He smiled warmly at her and his eyes sparkled with a strange adoration, like she was precious to him. "Do you feel it, my Pythia?" His voice was gentle and soft, whispered to her, only her. In this moment she was his world and to the mortal's surprise, it didn't scare her.
"Yes."
"Speak and it will embrace you." Green surrounded the girl and the feeling of wholeness and purpose encompassed her.
"I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate." Green condensed around her; soon it was all she could see. She felt the spirit pressing and filling her, visions flooded her mind: the past, the future, it was all a blur. It clouded her thoughts so fast and the images changed in a flash but seemed to go on forever. Maybe they did. The mortal didn't know what she was seeing, it was too much all at once and there was not enough time to make sense of it. Rachel gasped when it vanished. Everything she had seen was just out of reach of her conscious thought. So frustrating and yet she knew if she could reach it, madness would claim her. Her body ached; she was exhausted. Percy leaned over her, his face furrowed with worry. The mortal didn't remember collapsing, but she wasn't surprised she had. Her limbs felt like jelly.
"Are you ok?"
"I think so." Rachel leaned up some. "It worked?"
"Yes!" Rachel looked over, the god, Apollo, grinned brightly. "My beautiful new Oracle. You're going to be fantastic." The god winked and vanished. Rachel turned to Percy.
"You're sure?" He pressed.
"I'm just really tired." Rachel smiled sheepishly. Percy looked at Nico.
"She needs a place to rest."
"I'll talk to Chiron."
~o-o-o~
AN: This will not be a Percy/Rachel story, however; their interaction was meant to be intimate. They love each other platonically, but I wanted to really show how solidified it was. I tried to echo canon a bit there too. Percy remarks in PJatO that he likes hanging out with Rachel because she reminds him of the mortal realm, so I went that route with her reminding him of being a normal teenager.
Rachel's words come right out of the book.
The Pythia is another name for the Oracle at Delphi.
The K-I-S-S-I-N-G song thing, I don't own that, and I don't know who made it up, it was just a little rhyme I learnt when I was a kid.
Italics are a flashback.
HM