Hahahaha. Did you guys think that last chapter had a hint of Percy's trauma in it? Be prepared for a truckload of it- free with a bunch of comfort as well. Poor poor Percy.
Thankfully the arrival back at camp had gone well- Chiron had been somewhat surprised to find out that Lou Ellen was a daughter of Hecate, but if he had any problem with it he didn't show it. And when Percy, Annabeth and Rachel had walked her to Cabin thirteen and introduced her.
They had been one or two startled looks- after all there were no other kids of Hecate in camp these days- they had to assume the rare few that had been at camp had left with Alabaster when he'd defected, but when Percy had caught Summer's eye the daughter of Iris had given her a small nod, a silent sign that she'd make sure Lou Ellen was looked after and treated well enough- after which the trio headed to the beach, Percy kicking her shoes and socks off once they were there, enjoying the feeling of the sand between her toes as she sped up, leaving the two other girls laughing behind her as she ran into the water, letting the familiar rush of energy and strength fill her up as the cut on her arm healed within seconds before she dove under the water, pushing herself forward, taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of freedom- and she grinned as a shark swam up to her, butting her arm gently and she laid a hand on the sharks nose, pressing her lips to its rough skin before pushing herself away again, swimming further out- checking up on the local fish before she headed back toward the beach, propelling herself up and out of the water with a wide smile on her lips as she spotted her girlfriends.
They were both sat on the sand, leaning in close to one another and talking- though they looked up when Percy stepped out of the waves, willing herself dry as she jogged towards her girlfriends, dropping down onto her knees when she reached them, "What were you two talking about then?"
"Just Lou Ellen." Annabeth remarked, leaning back slightly as she looked at Percy, "You coping?"
"Yes mom." Percy's voice was playful, "I'm fine, I was startled when I saw her eyes but- she's nothing like him." Lou Ellen was just a scared girl who had people trying to drag her into a fight she didn't understand.
"If you do need to talk-"
"She knows." Rachel gave a gentle smile, "Don't you Ariel."
"Okay Merida-"
"Hm. I like that." Rachel grinned "We have our Ariel, our Merida, now what about Annabeth?"
"Cinderella-"
"Because I'm blonde?"
"No, because of the whole step mom thing." Percy shot back smoothly before she turned to look at Rachel, "And I have a bone to pick with you?"
"Oh? And what would that be?" Rachel tilted her head, a confused look on her face, and Percy just grinned, grabbed the front of Rachel's top and yanked her closer, pressing her lips to the other girls, threading her fingers through Rachel's wild curls as the other girl kissed back, and Percy let out a happy noise as Rachel's hands were suddenly on her waist, pulling her closer until they toppled onto the sand, Percy leaning over Rachel as they kissed. She could hear Annabeth's laughter as Percy pulled back slightly, hands either side of Rachel's head as she pushed herself up slightly.
"You're so beautiful." and she really was, face flushed, that smile on her lips, her hair fanning around her head in a red halo.
"What brought that on?"
"I have a thing for girls who kick ass." Percy stated smoothly, "And you most definitely kicked ass today. It was probably the most hot thing I've ever seen- really it's worrying how distracted I got by the sight of you fighting."
"Hm, we'll have to train more then." Annabeth spoke up, "But don't mind me, really you two, I'm enjoying the view."
"Feel free to keep enjoying." And Rachel yanked Percy down again into another kiss, and Percy melted into it, fingers curling into Rachel's curls again, and then suddenly
Rachel was shifting and flipping them over and Percy laugh as she did, opening her eyes, and Rachel was on top of her, hands either side of her head as she looked down at her. "Gods Percy, have I ever told you that you're one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen?" and then Rachel's lips were on Percy's again- except suddenly Percy wasn't enjoying the moment anymore, suddenly she could see Alabaster above her, pinning her in and saying 'You're the most beautiful being I've ever seen.'
She froze up, her eyes going wide, though she wasn't seeing Rachel anymore- and she felt them burning as she blinked back tears as she was kissed, her breathing going shallow- and Rachel must have noticed something because she stopped, pulling back, "Percy? Percy is everything okay?" and Percy was shaking, barely able to even hear, her entire body frozen up in terror as Rachel moved quickly, rolling off of her, "Percy?"
"Seaweed brain?" Annabeth's voice was panicked and she was there in less than a second, reaching out and touching Percy's arm- and something snapped and Percy let out a scream, sitting bolt upright and shoving Annabeth's hand away, scrambling backwards.
"Don't touch me!" and she was suddenly sobbing, tears pouring down her cheeks, "Don't touch me!"
"Percy-" Annabeth's voice cracked, "Percy it's me it's Annabeth-" but Percy wasn't listening as her hands flew up to cover her ears and she screwed her eyes shut.
"Get away from me get away from me!"
"Oh gods." Rachel looked close to tears, "I didn't- what did I do?"
"I don't know." Annabeth grabbed Percy's wrists gently, forcing them away from her ears, "Seaweed brain- Percy it's Annabeth. It's me and Rachel-"
"Just stop it." Percy was still shaking as she sobbed, "Please gods just stop it please please leave me alone-"
"She's having a flashback." Rachel's voice was tight, "We need to just get her through it." and she shifted so that she was next to Percy, wrapping an arm around Percy's shoulder as the girl sobbed. "Percy- Percy it's us- you're not there anymore. You're safe. He's not here. Drew got you out remember?"
"Stop- stop please." Percy wasn't listening, she couldn't listen, she was trapped, locked away again, even if it was all in her head and she didn't want to listen to whatever was being said.
"Rachel's right." Annabeth's grip on Percy's wrists was gentle as she gently raised them, pressing her lips to them one at a time, "You're safe." She took a deep breath, because Percy was still refusing to open her eyes, refusing to relax.
They needed to think of something to snap Percy out of it-
"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat-" Rachel sung suddenly, her voice hesitant but slowly growing more confident, "Wouldn't you think my collections complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has everything? Look at this trove, treasures untold, how many wonders can one cavern hold? Looking around here you think, sure, she's got everything-"
And Annabeth gave Rachel a startled look before she started to join in when she felt some of the tension in Percy's hands ease, "I've got gadgets and gizmos a plenty, I've got whoosits and whatsits galore-"
And slowly Percy's eyes fluttered open and she blinked slowly at her girlfriends as they kept singing before she managed to catch her breath enough to join in too- "Up where they walk, up where they run up where they stay all day in the sun-" she let out a shaky breath and the three girls kept singing, Rachel gently rubbing circles into Percy's back as Annabeth squeezed her hands.
They only stopped when they'd reached the end of the song and Percy slumped, leaning heavily against Rachel as Annabeth kept brushing her thumbs over Percy's knuckles.
"There you go." Rachel breathed the words, "There we go."
"Do you feel any better now?" Annabeth asked very carefully, reaching forward and brushing a loose curl out of Percy's face. "You look pale."
"I-" Percy closed her eyes, breathing slowly, "I'm sorry-"
"No, no don't say sorry." Rachel pressed her lips to Percy's shoulder gently, "It's okay. You just had us scared there for a minute or so."
"Just take your time." Annabeth added, "Just so long as you come back to us."
"I'm so lucky to have you." Percy whispered after a moment, "Gods I'm a mess-"
"No, no you're not." Rachel's voice was still gentle but somehow there was a note of steel to it. "Percy- you went through something huge and you have a lot of trauma because of it. There's bound to be stuff that triggers you. We already knew that from the time you locked yourself in your room."
"Rachel's right." Annabeth lifted Percy's right hand again, pressing her lips to Percy's knuckles gently, "And we know that only Drew's allowed to call you... the P word. There's bound to be some that we stumble on by accident. Nothing to say sorry for, it's not your fault anymore than it's Rachel's-" she shot Rachel a knowing look as Rachel flushed and looked away, clearly feeling somewhat called out for the guilty expression she'd been wearing. "Or mine for that matter." she shifted, "Are you feeling calmer now?"
"Yeah, yeah I am." Percy let out a breath- and she was painfully grateful for the two girls holding her, anchoring her. If they hadn't been holding her the way they were she'd have probably bolted as soon as her head was clear enough for her to realize what had happened- it was humiliating, freaking out like that over something that should have been good- that she'd been enjoying until it had gone wrong.
"Good, that's good." Annabeth met Percy's eyes, "You're so brave Seaweed brain you know that right? The bravest person I've ever known. You're here and you're safe and you're alive Percy." she spoke calmly, "You've done so well, you know that right? I know you have bad days- and I know you probably don't think so after what just happened but you're so, so strong."
"She's right." Rachel chimed in, The fact that you struggle sometimes doesn't make you any less amazing. We love you. You know that yeah?"
"I do." Percy whispered after a long moment. Gods I- I don't know what I'd do without you guys."
"Be incredibly sad and lonely?" Rachel's voice was slightly teasing in a way that set Percy at ease, reminding her that the world wasn't falling apart, that she wasn't some
fragile piece of glass, that her girlfriend still felt comfortable enough to tease her.
"She'd be hopeless." Annabeth leaned forward and carefully pressed her lips to Percy's cheek before pulling now, "I know this is going to be hard for you Seaweed brain but-
we need to know what it was that just set you off?"
"I-" Percy hesitated, taking a slow, deep breath, "I- It reminded me of Alabaster- when- the way I was pinned in and when Rachel said I was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. The- the day Drew helped me escape he said something pretty similar while he had me trapped under him like that." she felt Annabeth's grip on her hands tighten and Rachel was pressing her face into Percy's shoulder.
"Okay." Annabeth's voice trembled slightly, there was an undercurrent of anger in her tone, "So we make a note, neither of us will get on top of you like that again, we don't want to risk triggering any bad memories-"
"I'm sorry-"
"No, no saying sorry." Rachel said quickly, lifting her head. "This is not your fault. What- what he did to you was bad and you're allowed to have moments of weakness Percy."
Percy shifted slightly, "I know." she breathed out slowly, evenly. She felt something settling in her chest, something easing and she let out a damp little laugh, "Gods talk about ruining the moment."
"You didn't ruin anything." Rachel's voice was fierce, sharp, "I don't want to be kissing you unless you're completely into it okay?"
"And I love you for that." Percy gave a weak smile, "I love you. I love you for the fact you care so much. I love you for the way you're so passionate about the environment, I love you for the way that your nose goes all scrunchie when you're annoyed. I love the fact that you thought of singing a song from my favorite movie to bring me out of the flashback."
And Rachel stared at her for a long moment, a stunned look on her face before she smiled softly, "I love you too Percy, because you're brave and stubborn and loyal and beautiful." she paused, turning her head to look at Annabeth, "And I love you because you're so smart and beautiful and fierce and terrifying but so gentle too."
"I love you for the way you fit with us-" Annabeth let a smile play across her lips, "I love you for the way you stand up for what you believe in, I love how strong you are to be willing to be with us despite knowing the dangers. I love how artistic you are- you look ridiculously cute when you have paint in your face. I just... love you."
"We might not be the most conventional relationship around." Percy said after a long moment, "But.. I wouldn't trade what I have with you two for the world, you know that right?"
"We know." Rachel breathed, reaching out and grabbing one of Annabeth's hands.
"We know."