Homecoming

Chapter 11 – Burdens of the Past

Despite the fervent invitation to the daughter of Zeus to stay as long as she needed, Thalia remained in the Jackson-Blofis household a mere three days. The decision on her departure was largely due to the risks of having two children of the Big Three in one location for too long. The fear of monster attacks, and the potential of bringing harm to Percy's mortal parents and little sister was all the motivation Thalia needed to resist the urge to remain longer than her already unplanned stay.

Before she departed however, Percy and Annabeth sat Thalia down at the kitchen table and showed the blueprints for their estate to be built in New Rome. This wasn't a means for the young couple to brag however, but to gift the blue eyed demigod with a room dedicated permanently to her. It had been Percy's suggestion initially, though Annabeth had been toying with the ideal herself for a while, to transform one of the guest rooms to a bedroom solely for Thalia, so that regardless of what she chose to do, whether to stay with the hunt or abandon it, she would always have a place to call home.

It was incredibly difficult to get the daughter of Zeus to let her guard down, for her to become emotionally vulnerable, but in that moment when her two best friends had revealed that she would always have a place in their lives, she broke down in tears. She had never known what it had been like to have a home. At seven she ran away from a neglectful mother who, for all she knew, murdered her younger brother, and spent so much time on the streets, avoiding monsters and hiding from authorities who would force her in foster care, that when she found Camp Half-Blood, she could no longer remember what it was like to be stationary.

This was why the Hunters appealed to her adventurous wanderlust so fully, because it was all she had known. But now, she began to grow fatigued from the constant nomadic life she led. She wasn't certain what direction she wanted to take, for that she still needed to consider what to do, but it was comforting to know that she had a place to call her own, if or when she chose to visit.

And so it was, that Thalia had chosen to leave the comforts of the Jackson-Blofis home and gather her own thoughts, try to determine what direction fate was guiding her. And while the demigod couple missed their friend, they were equally thankful that they had time to just spend together. There was some measure of their need to just be together, sharing in their comfort that seemed to resonate with their need to resolve so many of their issues.

They were the only ones to understand what they have endured, the fear of their separation while Hera played with the lives of the seven as if they were pawns on a chessboard, the wars they faced...Tartarus, so many events that they suffered, that only the closeness of one another brought any lasting comfort.

So it was that the pair of heroes found themselves in one such moment of comfort, walking through the neighborhood park as they made their way through the walking trail. This was the same park Sally had taken Percy nearly two months ago to have their private talk, and it was a relaxing trek through the wooded fields. And while Percy still skirted the duck pond, he had led his girlfriend towards a fenced-off area with a small playground.

When they had journeyed through the park two weeks ago, the young man could not help but notice how Annabeth's eyes continually gravitated to the playground, as though drawn to its empty swings and abandoned slides. He had thought perhaps she was considering making a playground in the back yard of the manor she was planning for their home in New Rome, but the look in her eyes was not hopeful in the way they got when she imagined their future together, but withdrawn and sad, as if her mind was pulled to a memory she had repressed until coming face-to-face with the object of her disappointment.

Percy had sworn many times to do anything to keep that expression from Annabeth's face, and so, for reasons he was not even sure of, guided her to the playground, and released her hand as he moved to stand behind the swings, his hands on the chains as he watched his precious Wise Girl. Arching and eyebrow and pursing her lips, she shook her head at his antics before moving to take her seat on the swing and waited as he began pushing her, causing her to swing higher. From time to time, she would urge him to to push her higher, which he complied, and the laughter that escaped her lips was music to Percy. He knew in his heart that he had never heard anything as beautiful as her laughter and he felt incredibly proud that he was the reason for her apparent joy.

For several minutes the pair stayed this way, with her kicking her feet and swinging higher while Percy would push her forward to keep the momentum going. Finally, Annabeth arranged her shoulders free of the chain and, at the height of her forward swing, launched herself into the air, landing firmly on the ground and raising her arm as if she had just performed a perfect dismount from a complicated gymnastic routine.

Her smile as she turned back to Percy was one of absolute peace and beauty as she walked up to her fiance and slapped him against the chest. "Tag, you're it!" she said, taking off at a run around the playground, causing the slightly stunned son of Poseidon to blink a few times before taking off after her. She had always been faster then Percy in leg races, and so he had to push him extra hard to finally tag her and play keep-away enough to make the game an actual contest.

Finally, while he was 'it', he had turned suddenly, engulfing Annabeth in his arms when she had come upon him to tag him, causing their legs to tangle and resulting in the pair falling to the ground. Breathless laughter filled the air as the lay together, Annabeth on top of Percy, their smiles shines within their eyes. They were not aware of how long they had remained that way, but eventually, the laughter subsided and the smiles slid from their faces, replaced by expressions of complete serenity.

They were lost in each others presence, laying as they were, eyes locked and drinking in the fullness of their love. Lifetimes could have passed between the minutes they shared and still would not be enough to encompass all they felt for one another. At last, Annabeth lowered her head to rest upon Percy's chest, her right hand moving to setting over his heart, while her left hand slid beneath him, settling at the point of where his Achilles spot had once anchored him. She smiled against the fabric of his hoodie as his arms tightened around her, holding her closer to him.

"Thank you for this Percy," she said after several minutes of silence, her eyes drifting closed as she breathed deeply his scent. "Did I ever tell, that was my first time on a swing."

"Seriously?" He asked, the words slipping out unexpectedly as he turned his attention to the mop of golden curls that hid her face from him.

She didn't so much as respond as she nodded her head, as though not sure how to explain the lack of a simply childhood pleasure she had been deprived of until this moment. "It's...uh, well...I guess as I've gotten older, I kind of understand how difficult it was for my dad. See, when Matthew and Bobby were born, my dad had nine whole months to prepare to be a father, but, Athena just dropped me on the doorstep one day, out of the blue, no warning, no time to prepare, just, 'hey, here's your kid, raise her well,' so it's understandable I guess, that he really didn't know what he was doing.

"Anyway, my dad, I guess he figured, you know, daughter of Athena, I must be completely devoted to learning, so, when I started school, he gave the teachers instructions that instead of going out for recess I was to be kept inside with extra lessons.

"I lost count how many times I used to stare out the window, watching those kids on the slides or swings, running around and having fun, just wishing I could be one of them," she said, her voice tightening slightly as she started drawing random images with her fingers against the fabric of Percy's shirt. "You know, kids just being kids."

She had fallen silent for several minutes as she rested her head against Percy's chest, her smile softening as she relished the feel of his fingers threading through her hair. To her, his touch was better than ambrosia. "So, when I finally ran away, I remember Luke, Thalia and I came across a school building, it was after hours, so there was no one around. It was cold, and we needed shelter, so Luke picked the lock and we hunkered down in one of the classrooms.

"They were both exhausted, and I promised to take first watch. I probably spent half my shift staring at the playground. It had everything, swings, monkey bars, slides, even a balance beam. I so wanted to sneak out and swing on the swings. When Thalia woke up for her shift, she found me staring at the swingset, promised we'd take a little bit of time in the morning to just let me enjoy it.

"Never happened through," she said, heaving a sigh at the memory, "That next day was the day Grover found us, practically dragged us from the school while convincing us we had to leave at that moment. Good thing we did too, a group of Dracaenae arrived not five minutes later. We barely made it out.

"Anyway, when we did finally make it to camp, and after the trauma of losing Thalia, I started training. The lava wall, sword practice, obstacle course, capture the flag...all games utilized for training us to be warriors. Still...I wanted to just swing on a swing set."

The two remained as they were for several minutes, Annabeth continuing to draw random images against Percy's chest while he continued stroking her hair. "How come you never told me that before?" He said at last, his voice deep and husky.

Shrugging her shoulders as best she could from her position, she responded. "I was never expected to. Apparently camp took the same approach as my father to alleviate my boredom or when the hyperactivity got too bad. I was given lessons on the foundation of Democracy as implemented by the ancient Greeks, I read Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War', Miyamoto Musashi's 'The Five Rings', Plato's 'The Republic', 'Modern Strategy' by Colin Gray, 'The Wit and Wisdom' by George Patton, and MacArthur's farewell speech to the graduates of West Point, and that was just my first year.

"It got to the point that I started believing that's all I was meant to do," she said, before finally raising her head, her eyes fixed on Percy's brilliant green irises. She raised her hand to cradle his cheek, a soft smile tugging at her lips as he moved into her touch, a simple act that spoke of the absoluteness of their relationship. "And then you came into my life.

"There are so many reasons I love you Percy, too many that I will ever be able to articulate, but one of the greatest gifts you've ever given me is the ability to laugh. I've learned so many things in my life, some would say too many...but you were the one who taught me how to live, how to laugh, and how to love.

"If Athena had her way, all of her children would be locked away in a research lab or library or anyplace really that was surrounded by research materials and expected to spend their entire lives doing research and studying. And if it weren't for you, that's exactly where I'd be, trapped in my own mind, studying until my brain turned to dust.

"You saved me long before we ever started dating."

Percy's expression was largely unreadable, a rarity for the blonde demigod as their eyes held each other in committed solidarity, their attention fully absorbed for only the treasured person they held in their arms. "Why are you telling me all this? I mean...don't get me wrong, I'm really thankful you want to share this with me but...what brought all this on?"

Annabeth lowered her eyes as she smiled slightly, her mind working out how best to answer the question. "Because you deserve to know. I know I can get too absorbed in my work, and I know that sometimes I seem to get frustrated when you pry me out of my focus or distract me, but you have no idea how happy I am that you're there to keep me from slipping too far into my projects or assignments.

"I never want you to think I take you for granted or that I don't appreciate all you do for me. Gods I love you so much it hurts. Because I'm terrified that I'm never going to be able to have the words to say, or that I even know how to prove it to you. You've done so many things for me to prove how much I mean to you, I don't know if I've ever shown you that I love you to the depths of my soul Percy. You are all I ever want in this world, and I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

And with those words she leaned forward, kissing Percy fully, her lips moving against his in the familiar dance. After a moment, her lips parted, allowing him to deepen the kiss, the soft yet purposeful ministrations merging the two lovers, mind, body and soul as they lay in the grass, sheltered from any passerby who might be traversing the park at this late hour.

With a sense of promises to come, the pair at last separated, breathlessly admiring the lover they held in their arms. At last, Percy tapped Annabeth's thigh, an indication that he wished for them to move positions as she rolled off her fiance.

Rising to his feet, he held out his hand and helped her to rise, before guiding the two of them back to the swing, his fingers never releasing his grip on her hand. As he sat on the wooden seat, he tugged lightly at her hand, indicating his desire for her to join him. A smile parted her lips as she moved to sit upon his lap, her arms encircling his waist as his rested upon her hips.

As he stared at her, lost as he was in her beauty, he brought the backs of his fingers to graze them gently over the baby-soft skin of her cheek before his fingers unfurled to fully caress her face in his hand, enticing her to close her eyes and lean into his touch. "Please don't ever think that I don't know how much you love me Annabeth, I can see it every time you look at me. I see my future every time I look in your eyes, and it never fails to take my breath away."

As they gently swayed on the swing, Percy tightened his embrace on Annabeth and lowered his head to rest against her chest. "I want to thank you for all you've given me too Annabeth." He said softly, his eyes closing in comfort as, just as he had done, she began threading her fingers through his hair.

It took several minutes perhaps for the young man to find the words he wished to speak, but when he did voice his thoughts, it drew a confusion from the brilliant young woman.

"I'm not stupid," he said softly, as though this was a deeply ingrained truth that he wanted desperately to be known as fact. Nothing further passed from his lips as he remained as he was, cradled against the embrace of his fiance, the only place of sanctuary within his life.

For quite some time, Annabeth contemplated the source of his declaration, wondering perhaps if she had unintentionally insulted him, or if something had spurred the comment. She could think of nothing that incited this statement and so, merely pulled him closer while kissing the crown of his head. "I know that Percy."

"You're one of the few people who do," he said, and though his words were often spoken in a lighthearted tone, there was a shakiness to his voice that brought a worry to Annabeth.

"You told me, how when you were younger you wanted to just be a normal kid, to play on a playground like everyone else. I know exactly what you mean," he paused while his fingers softly slid over the curve of her jawline, down the column of her throat, before reaching her back and moving purposefully up and down the length of her body. He smiled slightly at the hitched breath that caught in her throat from the action, but he focused his full attention on her captivating eyes that burned with a knowledge he envied every time he looked at her. He swore she became more beautiful every time he saw her, and he had no idea how that was possible, but it was the absolute truth.

"You were the one who made me believe I was worth a damn," he said, his eyes shimmering from past experiences he had never wished to relive, yet felt encouraged to do so, because she deserved to know. "Gods, I don't know how many times I came home in tears because my classmates mocked me because I couldn't read. Twelve years old and I couldn't read two sentences because the letters all jumbled up together and the words made no sense.

"Even with my IEP on file, some teachers would still call on me to read, either when they were feeling bored and wanted a good laugh in the class, or just feeling vindictive. Made me resent school, my teachers and classmates, I hated everything about school, but I didn't want to. I wanted to make my mom proud, you know, wanted to prove I was worth something.

"And sure, my mom tried desperately to keep telling me I was smart, it just a different kind of smart, which doesn't make any sense. But still, she kept trying to convince me I had the brains to be successful..."

"But you didn't believe her," Annabeth said, breaking the tenuous story Percy was telling, as way of giving him a moment to collect himself as a few, fat teardrops fell to his cheek.

Shaking his head, he drew in a shaky breath before he continued. "She was my mom, she's biased. Besides, if she didn't believe in me, who would? It's difficult to dismiss dozens of students and teachers, and have the proof laid out with every failed test thrown in your face to back it up.

"Then there were the fights and the expulsions. How could I ever make my mom proud when I was such a colossal screw-up? My mom deserved a son she could be proud of, not me..."

"Percy, you aren't a screw-up," she said, kissing his forehead and using he thumb to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Saying it doesn't make it true," Percy whispered as he took another deep breath to calm his emotions. "But, remember when you said that I was the reason the kept you from slipping too far into your own mind. That you felt trapped without me?" he asked hopefully, his eyes shifting marginally to one of hope. "You were the one who made me believe I was worth something. You believed in who I was, not because I was the son of Poseidon, or because of some stupid prophesy, but because you believed in me.

"You were the first person to ever do that for me. I mean, like I said, I can't count my mom, she's biased, and, you being the smartest person I've ever met, if you trusted me, maybe there was something about me worth believing in.

"You were the one who gave me hope Annabeth, who made me believe I might be worth something. So yeah, when you said you hope I never take you for granted, gods I hope so much that you know that I will never take you for granted either."

Cradling his face in her hands, Annabeth kissed his forehead before moving her lips to kiss each cheek before finally pressing her lips against his in a slow kiss that softened the rigid posture of the young man. When she at last pulled away, she wore a gentle smile on her lips. "Why didn't you ever tell me any of this before?"

"Because I was scared," he said, shrugging his shoulders as he tried to find to the words to explain his motivations. "When we first met, I was so afraid you would judge me or mock me for being stupid because that's what I thought...or, I don't know, worried that you might judge me. I mean you were so confident and sure of everything, and I was a stupid kid who stumbled on my life as a demigod, I guess I just expected everyone to look at me as if I was dumb or weak. But then, after we became best friends, I didn't think about it so much, and then when we started dating, well, didn't really seem like a reason to tell you all of that.

"But you shared with me something deeply personal about your past that you hadn't shared before. I wanted...I wanted you to know how much I need you in my life, just like you said you need me. But more than that, I wanted you to know why I doubt myself so much. I know you've never openly asked the question, but I see it in your eyes, why you wonder when I feel I'm not good enough...that's a big part of it.

"And then Gabe never helped. Always talking down to me, always grinding down any self-confidence I tried to build up. I never told my mom any of that stuff, I didn't want her to feel guilty that he was actively trying to tear me down. I know it's dumb, and it's all in the past...but..."

"It's not dumb," she said, placing her fingers over his lips to stall any further comment. After a moment, she asked, "does it bother you...when I call you Seaweed Brain?"

He offered her a slight smile as he shook his head. "No, it's a term of endearment."

"Good," she said, kissing his lips again before pulling back to stare pointedly into his eyes. "Because I want you to know Percy, you are not stupid. You are extremely clever and observant, though...you can be a little dense when it comes to your personal relationships, like, for example, a certain daughter of Athena wanting to date you a year before we actually got together," she replied, giving him a teasing smile as she continued. "But what you've shared gives me a better understanding as to why. I'm grateful you trust me enough to share that with me, and I'm going to make sure you never doubt yourself again Percy, especially where you and I are concerned. Because...you are the very greatest thing that has ever belonged to me, and I love you more than any words can ever say. You are my other half. And we are going to spend the rest of our lives together."

"Good," he said, his hand moving to take her left hand in his, his thumb trailing over the contours of the engagement ring. "Because I'm lost without you Annabeth. You're the rudder to my ship, my compass, my North Star. I know this last year has been really rough, but honestly, I wouldn't change any of it, because I have you and you have me and...I know it's been a long, exhausting road, but we're still pushing forward.

"I think New Rome is going to be a fresh start for us, college, and then the house you've designed, a place where our kids won't have to worry about being teased because the dyslexia won't let them read...and we're going to build a big playground for them."

"With lots of swings," she said, smiling at the plans that seemed so silly yet so significant for the pair. Because this was a promise, a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel to which they could cling to. It was already coming together. Within a couple of weeks they would be traveling to San Francisco, spending two weeks with Annabeth's family, and taking their time touring New Rome.

The future was laid out before them, and for just this moment, they allowed themselves to believe in the future they had planned. No gods, no fates, no prophesies, just Annabeth and Percy, and a promise of a tomorrow that, despite everything, they could envision for themselves.

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A/N: Another chapter down. This chapter was actually a bit tougher to write, I wanted one more chapter before the visit with the Chases and the tour of New Rome. Those chapters I've already, mostly mapped out and know what direction they are going. But this one, there was several different ideas playing around in my head. I decided to go with this route, because I read so many stories where Annabeth beats up on Percy or treats him horribly and he acts like it's all okay...I don't see their relationship that way. They are deeply in love and need each other desperately. But I also wanted to touch base on some real life issues of their pasts separate from the continual monster attacks and nightmares and PTSD.

Anyway, hope you liked it. If so, please drop a review, favorite, follow, whatever. But thank you for reading.