Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

A/N: Read the A/N at the bottom for the rating info. The flashback will just be some explanations, not torture.

Chapter 9

Sally was the first one to break off the hug. She stared at her son, but still kept the bright smile on her face. She temporarily forgot all about Paul as she noticed all the scars and bruises that were still fresh from Tartarus, some even reopening and making the entire carpet red.

"Nico, could you fetch a bucket of water please?" Sally asked, tearing her gaze off the bruises and scars. "There should be a bucket on the cabinet on the left."

The son of Hades nodded solemnly, and started making his way into the kitchen that smelled suspiciously of his ruined pancakes. Nico looked around, and true to Sally's words, the cabinet on the left had a bucket in it.

The bucket made Nico laugh. A lot. He thought it would just be an ordinary bucket, but he was wrong. It was a bright blue pail that you would see little kids play with on the beach. And right on the sides had a huge sticker saying: Percy's Blue Bucket.

Still laughing, Nico took out 'Percy's Blue Bucket' from the cabinet and walked back to the living room with a grin on his face.

Thalia noticed the grin straightaway. She looked down on what her cousin was holding and understood why Nico was grinning. The huge sticker words were noticeable for anyone to see.

"Nico," Sally spoke, her voice with an amused and happy tone to it. "Did you fill it up with water?"

Nico's grin faded, while Thalia'a only increased. With only a sheepish smile to his face, he left again.

"And Thalia?" Sally spoke kindly.

"Yes Mrs. Jack- Sally?" Thalia answered, stumbling over her words.

"Do you have any ambrosia or nectar on you?"

"Yup," Thalia responded, popping the p. She searched her pockets until she found a bag of ambrosia. "It's here."

Smiling gratefully, Sally took the bag and opened it rather hurriedly as she stared at her son once again. She took out two ambrosia squares, before gently giving them to Percy.

"Here it is," Nico bought the now heavy bucket filled with water to the living room.

"Thank you," Sally responded while taking the bucket. She turned to her son, who had already eaten the ambrosia squares. "I'm going to pour the water over you ok?"

Percy just nodded numbly, remembering the water torture he had experienced, and wincing every so slightly. He had already eaten the ambrosia squares so he didn't know why his scars weren't healing. He only felt himself feel slightly reenergized. An energy drink might have done more effect in this case.

"I hope this works," Sally whispered as she lifted the bucket up and splashed the entire contents on her son.

Sally watched with a hopeful expression as she saw the water splash on her son. She saw the water absorbing in Percy's scars and bruises, trying to heal them.

It didn't do anything at all. Percy saw the water fall to the floor, as if it were defeated. He grimaced as he looked down on himself, maybe hoping that the scars would heal.

"Why won't they heal?" Nico asked as the bucket hit the ground with a loud thud. "What's wrong?"

"I-I had a flashback," Percy muttered slowly. "Before I mean. Kronos said that the scars would never heal. I'm guessing he meant any method at all."

And that was when Sally Jackson broke down. Tears escaped from her eyes as the final truth finally dawned on her. Her son had gone to Tartarus. He had been tortured, and his scars could never heal. And even though Percy could escape Tartarus, Paul would remain dead.

"I'm going to use the washroom," Thalia said awkwardly, not interfering the mother and son time.

"Me too," Nico added, but then after seeing his female cousin's glare, he added, "after Thalia of course."

Satisfied, Thalia left, leaving the others behind. Nico hurriedly followed her, as the other two occupants glanced at him.

When the two cousins finally left, Percy turned to his mother. She hugged him again, tears soaking his already dripping torn shirt. She stroked his hair comfortingly, still not believing that her son was still here, alive.

"Mom I'm here," Percy mumbled, confirming her happy thoughts. "I'm alive, and I'm here."

"I know," Sally responded, her falling tears becoming less and less. "It's just that you're not the only important thing I lost in my life."

"What?" Percy asked, bemused at her response. And that was when he noticed who was missing in the apartment. "Where's Paul?"

"H-He's dead."

The son of Poseidon froze and became still and stiff. Sally noticed this, and looked at him, worried. She felt the shuddering and the way his eyes closed, only to open again with one eye dark green and the other was gold.

"Tell me Percy," Kronos spoke as he took off his gloves. "When do you think you'll be free?"

Percy's bloodied lip opened as he answered unwillingly, not wanting to be hurt again. "I have no idea."

Kronos snorted, sitting down on a chair. "My instincts tell me that something good is going to happen."

"As long as it's not anyone but monsters, its fine with me," the son of Poseidon responded, his lips curling up in a small smile, as he knew that good for Kronos meant bad for him.

"Oh don't worry," the Titan Lord spoke again, not even surprised. "It's not your family."

Percy breathed out in relief too soon. He couldn't help but look at Kronos' gleam in his eye, and he shuddered involuntarily. He wanted to look somewhere else, maybe a cyclopes' one huge ugly eye, but he couldn't. His eyes were transfixed to the gold eyes.

"Real family that is," Kronos continued, sneering it, with a sadistic tone. "I think it's going to happen to your..." He lashed for extra effect. "Step-family. Or should I say stepfather?"

"No," Percy's voice cut out through the silence. Not Paul, he thought, thinking of his stepfather and his mother, happy together. "Not Paul."

"Who said I was going to do it? I said I had a good feeling. Maybe Poseidon would drown him when he's going to the beach...?"

It never occurred to him that Kronos could have been right...

Now, in the present time, Percy already had a feeling that Paul could have drowned in the beach. He blinked and his eyes went back to normal. His eyes gazed at his mother, who was staring at him in worry... And horror?

Pushing the feeling aside, Percy asked his question. "How did Paul die?"

"In a beach," Sally finally spoke, worry still in her eyes. "He drowned."

"Poseidon," Percy said angrily, storing the information. "He did it right?"

Sally nodded slowly, still embracing Percy in a hug.

"And that's why you don't interfere," Thalia listed off the final reason, and glared at Nico, and they both stepped into the tiny living room.

"You sound like Annabeth," Nico joked, before realizing his fatal mistake.

At the mention of the name, Percy's head snapped up. Once he saw it was just his cousins, he calmed down by only a small fraction.

"You idiot," Thalia shoved Nico. "Don't mention that name ever again."

The son of Hades nodded, sending an apologetic look towards Percy. He didn't even notice the look.

"I'll make some blue pancakes for all of you," Sally suddenly said, breaking the tense silence.

"I think I used up all of the blue dye," Nico replied sheepishly.

"I always have at least two extra bottles," Sally smiled, before patting her son's back and walking towards the kitchen.

When Sally was gone, the cousins rushed to Percy. It wasn't that they couldn't do that when she was there, it was just that they didn't want to interfere.

"Perce," Nico started, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Percy sighed heavily, and smiled at his cousins.

All of them knew it was fake, but to prevent any more problems, the cousins smiled back genuinely.

"I had a flashback," Percy announced, mumbling it so ever so slightly.

The two cousins stared at Percy, wanting and not wanting to hear more.

"Kronos said he had a good feeling, and that Poseidon could drown Paul in a beach," Percy continued.

Thalia was slightly pale as she spoke: "That's what Sally told me."

"And that's the death that I felt."

"That's it," Thalia stated rather lazily as she continued. "Our parentage has corrupted us."

Percy snorted, as he laughed, agreeing with his cousin all the way. He stared at them, and his mind wandered off to Kronos and Tartarus. He reminded himself that he was free, and that he was home. Yet, he could still remember the Titan Lord saying that Tartarus was his home. The one that he would stay in forever...

"You're wrong," Percy whispered, and felt the eyes of his two cousins on him. He smiled at them, but it didn't reach his eyes. "The gods have corrupted us."

"True, true," Nico spoke, adding in to the conversation. "I still can't believe that Hades, and Artemis voted for you to not go to Tartarus though."

Thalia frowned at the mention of Artemis. "I wonder if I'm still her lieutenant."

"You'll never know until you talk to her you know," the son of Poseidon said finally, rolling off the sofa and landing on the ground with a thud. "Ow."

Despite the fact that Percy had winced, his cousins just laughed as he stayed in his falling position. Thalia's sky blue eyes twinkled as she saw her cousin smile. Nico just grinned, showing his teeth he had forgotten to brush.

"Food's ready!" Sally called out from the kitchen.

To Percy, the food was better than the gods' food. To Thalia, it was Elysium. To Nico, it was better than the food in the Underworld. In all, they all agreed that Sally's cooking was the best.

In Olympus, inside the cube:

"I have a brilliant idea," Hades said sarcastically.

Everyone turned to him, confused and irritated at the same time.

"How about we all shut up, and wait till this stupid cube deactivates?" Hades continued, glaring at all the noisemakers irritably.

"I agree with that statement. One huzzah for Hades," Dionysus agreed, slumping on his throne wearily.

"For once, I wish Demeter would start her threats again," Hermes said, grinning at the goddess as she slept.

The 'brilliant idea' didn't do anything except make everyone be quiet for at least a few seconds. After that, everything went haywire again. Apollo sat down next to his sister, who preferred sitting on the ground.

"Artemis," Apollo said her name cautiously.

"Yes?" Artemis turned to her brother, bemused.

"If you had a secret, would you tell me?"

The goddess of the hunt snorted, but then she saw that her brother was serious. "I don't know. It depends what it is I guess." Then her silver eyes narrowed. "Why? What secret do you have?"

"Thalia contacted me," Apollo finally said, before sighing. "She wanted me to heal... Someone."

Artemis got the wrong idea. "Which hunter is hurt? Tell me!"

"No hunter of yours is hurt!" Apollo hissed. He got closer to her, and snapped his fingers, and headphones appeared to cover their ears. "Just wait."

Lyrics played, but it was just Apollo saying 'Percy got out of Tartarus; I don't know how he escaped!'

The reaction was immediate. Artemis stared at Apollo in shock, but then she remembered her lieutenant and her cousin's look when they left. They were desperate to get Percy back, she knew.

"Don't tell anyone?" Apollo whispered pleadingly. "Please?"

"I won't," Artemis responded, knowing the consequences.

The god of the sun breathed out before coming up with something else. "Swear on the River Styx?"

Artemis rolled her eyes, but nodded. "I swear on the River Styx."

Silence took over the two siblings while noise could be heard from almost everyone. And soon, the sun god took inspiration, and started to talk again.

"Also..." Apollo continued, before seeing the exasperated look on his sister's face. He cracked a small smile before continuing. "Why are you so willing?"

"Zeus is wrong," Artemis spoke, frowning. "He had no right to send Perseus to Tartarus. Even though he is a man, he saved my life. And for that, I am grateful. Now that he escaped, he does not deserve to be hunted by everyone."

"That's true," Apollo nodded, before grinning. "Was my singing awesome?"

A/N: Really sorry for the late update, I was busy and I lost track of the days since I updated. Anyway, I said in last chapter that this is going to be changed to M, but I changed my mind:

One, because I decided that since the cruel parts are only in the beginning chapters, and I'm going to change the chapters and put warnings every time there's something M rated. I've got some reviews and PM's that it isn't gory enough to be M, so I'm changing the summary to 'very strong T.'

So now, whenever there's a cruel part, I'm going to put an A/N in the beginning chapter and put up a warning. I'll do that to the beginning chapters as well. Hope you all understand. Thanks for all the support on a different note!

Mandi2341: Sorry, still going to be T, but I'll put up warnings so you, and everyone will know when there's a cruel part.

Duon: Well, thanks for reading both stories. You'll see in the upcoming chapters.

Malcolm (Guest): Thanks for that, I appreciate it.

angelfabeth: Thanks for pointing out that mistake, it was supposed to be don't, so thanks!

Sunburn of Darkness: Still going to be T, thanks!