Percy Jackson AU Shorts; Story III

Characters: Percy Jackson, Sally Jackson (mentioned), Poseidon, Annabeth Chase, Zeus, Athena, Amphitrite, Aphrodite, Ares, Hera, etc.

Ships: Percabeth (mentioned), Sally/Amphitrite/Poseidon (mentioned)

Series Description:

A group of short Percy Jackson AU works

Description:

Percy Jackson knows there's a good chance he isn't the child of the prophecy. That doesn't mean he's gonna let someone else take it from him, which leads to a couple of reveals. Part of my Percy Jackson AU Shorts, and Percy Jackson and his Confusing Parentage.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Percy Jackson & The Olympians, or Heroes of Olympus, I've ignored Trials of Apollo as I haven't read them yet. Please don't sue me!

Review Responses;

addalittlesmoke - I'm glad you liked the characterizations! Also no problem, I'm trying to do a better job of writing more and posting more regularly. Thanks for reading!

Percy Jackson, Son of The Sea III

Sally Jackson's Apartment, Manhattan [Normal School Year of 2008]

The black haired woman stopped in front of the door, her hand poised as voices rung through clear as a bell.

"No. I'm taking the prophecy, I have enough of Poseidon's blood. It has to count for something."

"Percy. Just hear me out please. I'm only asking you to consider it. Lady Athena offered you a way out, a way that will hopefully end better than whatever that prophecy has predicted, doesn't that warrant at least a little bit of thought?" A feminine voice she was all too familiar with pleaded.

"You don't know what you're asking me to do. I know what it means and I don't want to do this to you Mom, but I don't have a choice, I can't fail again." There was something thick in his words, it pulled at her heartstrings as she unlocked the door with the key Sally had left her. She slipped inside, Sally with her arms braced on the counter, and her raven haired boy on the opposite side. There was water pooled in both their eyes, though his were better hidden from view. "I want to Mom, but I can't… I can't fail again."

"Percy, you haven't failed-"

"You don't know that. I failed twice only just over a year ago, not to mention last summer. Mom… twice. I can't do that, especially…" Percy's gaze fell away and her mocha eyes narrowed on him.

"Perseus Jackson, I'm quite certain Sally raised you better than to argue with her like that. So will someone please explain what's going on?" Both sets of eyes darted to her, but Percy's face twisted with determination.

"Hey… Mom? Mother? This is still awkward." His determination contorted to befuddlement. "Mom, Sally Mom, not you Mom, doesn't understand what she's asking me. I can't do it. Can I go to my room?"

Sally nodded, her hand slipped the few trailing tears from her face when Percy wasn't looking. Percy's shoulders were low, and his step didn't have the same beat it normally did. She practically glided to the counter and took Sally's hands in her own.

"What's happened Dear?" A small, hollow wet, chuckle escaped Sally's throat at the old endearment. But her lips curled upwards ever so slightly.

"I'm pretty sure that's Paul's line now Amp, not yours." Amphitrite merely raised an eyebrow at her. "Lady Athena came to me yesterday while Percy was at Camp. She said that there was a way to remove any lingering effects The Prophecy might have given his relation to Poseidon. She asked me to broach it with him, he didn't take it very well."

Amphitrite squeezed. She bent forward and softly bumped her head against Sally's.

"I… I just want my baby to have a life, to not feel like there's this weight over him, that he might not live any longer than the admittedly short lifespan of Demigod already suggests. He won't even really let me explain. As soon as I said what it could do he shut down. Denied it. I… I've never seen him like this before. I'm worried Amp. I don't know what's going on and that frightens me more." Amphitrite nodded and planted a small kiss against Sally's forehead.

"Our son is as stubborn as the sea, a trait he gets from his Father and I. Allow me to try and break his resolve?" Sally let loose a small out of fluttering laughter. Sally squeezed Amphitrite's hands back.

"Alright, just maybe use more modern language, don't want to confuse him by saying something Shakespearean." Amphitrite shook her head and released Sally with one last kiss to her forehead.

The apartment was small, if Sally and Percy had joined her and Poseidon beneath the waves they would have been royalty, each of their bedrooms would have been at least twice the size of this minuscule place. But Sally had made her choice, and as much as she dreamed of her son beneath the waves, Perseus was as much her son as Sally's she knew she could never get him to abandon the surface, not completely. She knocked on the door, yes she is aware of mortal customs, his voice echoed into the hallway barely fit for a person.

"I'm not going to do it." Amphitrite smirked and rolled her eyes. She twisted the knob and poked her head in, he was on his bed, staring out the window.

"What exactly aren't you going to do? Because right now it looks like you're ignoring one of the most important rules of royalty, properly addressing one's guests." He spun and stopped to look at her, the smile on her lips died at his serious expression.

"Mom explained it, I bet. I'm not taking the out." Amphitrite nodded and lowered herself onto the bed. He purposely scooted a bit away.

"Percy… your mother, and now I, and quite frankly your Father, siblings, and girlfriend will be quite concerned that you didn't consider the option, at least hear what it entails. You should never make a decision before you have as much information as possible." She tried to reach for him, he moved his shoulder at the last second. His sea green eyes were stormy as they locked on hers.

"I know what happens if I take it, I'm not willing to do that. I failed once, I won't fail again." Amphitrite could see it, the flicker of sadness and despair that resonated at the core of his anger. She was more than aware Percy had lost friends, had fought battles, and done more than most Demigods could ever hope to achieve, but she knew he hadn't done them alone, but he seemed very alone right now. His arms were tucked around his legs, and his shoulders were hunched, curled towards his chest.

"Who did you fail Percy?" Her words are as quiet as she can make, and soft as she'll allow, she needs answers after all. Percy looked away.

"Before The Labyrinth, before you're whole show up on Olympus. There was a quest. Five of us set out, four of us came back. That was when we rescued Annabeth, so technically only three of us came back. There was a girl, she was young, fresh to the mythological world, an unclaimed and unknown Demigoddess. She joined Artemis and The Hunters, and left her little brother in my care back at Camp. Zoe, Artemis' former Lieutenant, brought her along on the quest, despite there being more qualified hunters in her ranks. Her name was Bianca diAngelo, and she died because of me." Percy's voice was barely a whisper, and Amphitrite held her hand and tears at bay through sheer force of will. She couldn't interrupt, not right now. "Her brother, Nico, caught me as I escaped Camp to join the quest. He made me promise to keep his sister safe. She died because of my stupid plan, it should have been me, but she wanted to correct her mistake. She disabled one of Hephaestus' automatons that had come alive because she took something from one of his junkyards. She was electrocuted to death when it crashed into power lines with her still inside… we couldn't even find her body. I… you found me the night after The Solstice, after I had to tell Nico I failed. There were these skeletons Atlas had created that had chased us across the country they attacked in the Camp and Nico banished them, literally sent them straight to The Underworld, when I, Zoe, and even Thalia hadn't been able to so much as scratch them in the grand scheme. Before I could stop him he stepped into shadow and disappeared. Nico and Bianca, children of Hades. I have to be the child of The Prophecy, because if I'm not, then it falls on him. I can't fail him, not again."

Percy's face was streaked wet and his hands were balled into fists in the covers of his bed. Amphitrite encircled him in her arms, her chin pressed into the top of his head as she tucked him close to her chest. She'd seen Sally do it a hundred times when she'd kept her eye on them, but it was so different to be able to do it herself. She barely felt her own tears that slid down her cheeks, her baby boy growing faster than any child should have to, all because of Godly blood.

"It's okay baby, let it out. I'm here." Amphitrite whispered, Sally joined her, and Percy was wrapped carefully in both their arms. Sweet nothings echoed between the two mothers to Percy until he finally dropped off to sleep, where Sally and Amphitrite had a silent conversation.

Paul found them like that an hour or two later. He'd taken the return of both Sally's ex's in stride, far better than Sally had any right to ask of him. Paul knew Percy was troubled, that there was a lot going he wasn't entirely clued in on, but seeing Percy tucked into their arms he knew that needed some more time. He closed the door and picked up the phone. Pizza sounded like a good idea tonight, he might even try his hand at baking some cookies… his memory of his dorm oven on fire quickly came up, maybe he'll leave the baking to Sally.

A/N;

I always felt like Bianca and Zoe's deaths were key to how PJO turned out, but, and it's a young adult novel so I get it, I felt the ramifications of their deaths and the effect it would have on Percy were never fully explored, add to that my little idea of Percy being more Amphitrite's than Poseidon… and well you get this thing, whatever it is. Probably a little depressing, not in the best mood as of late because work hasn't gotten too much better and things at home are weird and not really okay. I hope you all enjoy it. Sorry for radio silence on all the stories, I just got caught up in my own ideas and prepped for D&D that I just kinda lost the fanfiction thing I had going. I make no promises about really getting back into the swing of it, a lot is changing in my home life right now and stuff is really up in the air. Also Taxes are a thing; (insert words I should most definitely not write where possibly young children might somehow read them) [ironic I know given I curse in some of my works… I'm ignoring that]. See you all next time! Quick heads up, the next one in this story will technically take place before this, sorry. I don't think they needed to be in chronological order.

-Six Out