Hi guys!
I've honestly been struggling so much in finding motivation to write lately, so I'm sorry for that. However, I plan to see this story through to the end, no matter how long it takes. Thank you so much for bearing with me. Please accept this really late and probably too short and, in my opinion, kind of rushed-feeling update. I only like about half of it but I'm at a loss as to how to fix it and it's probably just me anyway. You've waited long enough. Enjoy!
My life had never been anything close to predictable. As a half-blood, that was just kind of how things worked. Even without the monster attacks and quests that popped up way more frequently than I would have liked, things had never exactly been what you'd call normal. But even with the regular chaos, there were also a few things that never seemed to change in my life. The comfort that came with being in my parents' apartment was one of those things and I found that I was extremely grateful for that right now—and not for the first time.
Sunday dinner at my parents' had been a weekly occurrence since shortly after Annabeth and I first got married, and it had quickly became something I looked forward to each week. It almost always took place at their apartment, and even as the kids started coming and our family grew, my mom never grew any less enthusiastic to have us all crammed in the small place—none of us ever really minded either. Sunday nights usually included dinner and either board games or movies, and even when life was hectic and stressful with three kids and full-time jobs, they made the prospect of the upcoming week a little less daunting.
Tonight was no different. Annabeth and I arrived at six like always and my mom had dinner—chicken marinara this time—hot and ready for us. We hugged hello and were quickly directed to the table. A few minutes later, the food was served and the normalcy of it all was almost enough to pretend we weren't all well aware of just how long it had been since we'd heard anything from the boys.
It had been the longest eight days I'd had in some time, during which I gained a whole new respect for my mother for all my constant questing and disappearing I put her through growing up. Travelling around risking my life and saving the world was one thing, but being the parent at home waiting for news was infinitely worse. By this point, I would have given my right arm, sword included, for some sort of update as to what was going on with them. Over a week had passed and so far we'd heard nothing.
Nights were the worst. During the day, with the regular distractions of life, it was possible to get by without going too crazy over it, but laying in bed each night, with nothing else to think about, all the horrors from our own quests came flooding back to me. I'd never wanted any of that for my kids and the idea of the boys having to endure it now, even if it was just a quest and not the start of another world-ending war—at least I prayed not—I hated knowing they were in danger. Even worse was the fact that we still didn't know much about the quest itself, as neither Logan nor Nicky had contacted us since setting out and, apparently, learning more about their objective. I didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, I knew firsthand how secretive the Olympians could be at times and it wasn't a very large stretch at all to think that whatever Demeter wanted from the boys, she'd sworn them to secrecy and threatened to smite them from the planet if they didn't agree. On the other, I'd certainly withheld my own large share of information from my mom over the years and while I hoped our sons knew how very different the situation with us was, I couldn't help wondering if they were trying to keep us from worrying the way I'd done with her.
Ignoring the elephant in the room and withholding the questions I knew she wanted to ask, my mom addressed Annabeth and asked instead about her parents' upcoming move to New York. "They've found a few houses they're interested in," she answered from beside me. "They're planning to visit the end of next month to see them in person."
"Are they still looking at Long Island?" Paul asked.
"They like the area," she explained, "but they're actually leaning more toward Westchester now. That's where most of the houses they're looking at are."
My mom nodded. "I can understand why they like it there."
Annabeth mirrored the action. "I think they're anxious to have it all over with."
"Well they've been in that house for a long time," my mom replied, "I'd imagine it's a lot of work to pack up thirty plus years of your life and move it across the country." I considered that and was appropriately intimidated. We hadn't been in our house for half that long and even with our modest lifestyle; the thought of doing that seemed daunting.
"It is, for sure. My brothers aren't too far from them though so at least they can make the trip on the weekends to help with the bigger stuff. I just hope Theresa asks for the help when she needs it."
"How do they feel about the move?" Paul asked. "Your brothers."
"I think they're fine with it," Annabeth answered him, "I haven't heard anything to suggest otherwise. Matthew, at least, plans to leave California once he and Liz are married anyway. Bobby's happy there but he lives over an hour away from San Francisco and they're both busy so I'm not sure how much of the girls my parents really see anyway." She glanced at me. "I think they're happy for the opportunity to see more of us once they're here."
My parents nodded and after a slight pause, my mom spoke up, her tone gentle. "And how do you feel about it?" It was no secret that, despite the huge progress that had been made in the time since, the initial years between Annabeth and the Chases had been rocky at best. She'd grown much closer to her father and his wife since growing up and getting married, but the vast distance between them for the majority of that time had probably been a somewhat protective factor. I'd be lying if I said the same thought hadn't crossed my own mind since the move had been announced. We'd discussed it more than once.
Annabeth took a thoughtful breath. "I'm okay with it, I think," she admitted before elaborating. "I want my dad to know my kids and to be in their lives, and I think it might be good to have them closer. They handle things with me a lot better than they used to, so it should be okay." She lifted her gaze from where it had been fixed to the table and met my mom's eyes. Something passed between them and the meaning was clear. It would be okay; she'd make it so.
My mom had long since been more than a mother-in-law to Annabeth, years before we even considered getting married. There were some days that I was pretty sure she loved her more than she loved me and I wasn't entirely convinced the feeling wasn't mutual. They'd formed a bond way back during those months I'd been missing before the Giant War, and nothing, it seemed, would ever be able to come between them, even all these years later. It was something I was incredibly thankful for, actually. Of all people, Annabeth deserved that much.
"Will you all be travelling out to California for Matthew's wedding?" Paul asked now, broaching the subject she'd mentioned in passing before.
"We aren't sure yet," she responded, "Obviously, I'd like to be there but they're getting married in October and it's hard to go anywhere during the school year." She paused for a second and looked between them, "If anything, we'd maybe see if you'd mind watching the kids for the weekend and go ourselves."
"Whatever you need, honey," my mom assured her, "It's no sacrifice on our part to have them. You know we're always here."
I smiled. "I'll let you know," Annabeth promised.
The rest of dinner passed like that, uneventful and pretty normal. I asked Paul about Goode and the attention shifted to him as he answered me. It always surprised me that anyone could want to teach high school for as long as my stepdad had by now—my own four years in that environment had been more than enough to make me never want to go back, thank you very much. But Paul loved his work and the kids he taught, and even though he was easily old enough to retire by now, he had no desire to. And honestly, the kids at Goode were probably better for it. He was one of the most dedicated teachers I knew and the students loved him.
As it was nearly July, school was out for the summer but Paul had agreed to help with a bi-weekly summer bridge program the school district was having this year to help students who struggled get the upper hand on some of the curriculum before the new year started and they fell even more behind. I respected the idea a lot, having been in that position myself, extenuating circumstances aside, and I was not at all surprised Paul had wanted to be a part of the endeavor.
"Some of the students are there because their parents forced them," Paul explained, addressing Annabeth's comment about the kids' willingness to come in and do work during the summer, "But a surprising amount are there because they want to be. They do care and the extra help really benefits them. So overall the attitudes toward it aren't too bad."
"Aside from the fight you had to break up on Thursday," my mom added wryly from beside him.
"Well, yeah, if you can even call it a fight. The kid was attacked without provocation. I made sure the principal knew that."
My mom shook her head. "Kids these days."
"Oh, they're absolutely insane," he agreed, grinning.
My mom shook her head again and then addressed us all. "Alright. Has everyone had enough to eat?" When we informed her that we had, she stood and moved to gather the empty plates. The rest of us moved to help and were quickly shot down. "I've got it," she said, "You all stay and figure out whether we're watching a movie or playing a game." With that, she disappeared into the kitchen. Annabeth looked prepared to get up anyway but I stilled her with a hand to her thigh and stood up myself to take the leftovers to the kitchen myself.
"So what do you think, game or movie?" I heard Paul ask Annabeth as I left.
My mom was a step away from the doorway on her return trip for the dish I held. She jumped slightly and shook her head at me for not listening, but smiled as she took the leftovers from my hands to refrigerate. I crossed to the sink and ran the water to start the dishes. "Thank you, Percy."
"You're welcome," I said easily, not turning around.
It was quiet between us for a few minutes as she packaged the food in a container and put it away before bringing the dirty serving dish to me. She set it on the counter beside the sink and did not leave right away. She laid a hand on my shoulder and I met her eyes. "You okay?" I asked, unconcerned.
"You haven't heard anything at all?"
I looked back down at the plate I was scrubbing and, after a second, sighed. "No." I rinsed it and set it aside to dry before grabbing another.
She remained next to me for a second before sighing herself and stepping away. She grabbed a dishtowel from a drawer and took up a spot on my other side, reaching for the dishes I'd already washed. "How are you holding up?" she asked, drying a frying pan.
I thought about it for a five count before answering honestly, "I don't know." I glanced at her. "I know I underestimated everything I put you through as a kid." She smirked. "We have it way easier in comparison."
She looked at me again, serious once more. "There is no comparison," she said firmly. She waited until I met her gaze before continuing. "Nothing about what you and Annabeth are going through waiting for news is in any way less unspeakable than what I did when it was you. As a parent, it goes against every instinct to let your child be put in danger. I never felt more helpless than when you were off on quests and I couldn't do anything to protect you. Never." By now I had stopped my work and stood with my hands resting on the sink's edge before me. My mom reached over and laid her hand on mine. "You know better than I ever could just what sort of things those boys are facing; you lived through them yourself. So don't believe for one second that you aren't allowed to be worried sick just because I had it worse. There's no such thing. Okay?" She waited until I nodded. No longer able to meet her eyes, I swallowed against the lump that had taken up residence in my throat. This was the most vulnerable I'd allowed myself to be since that IM with the boys.
"That being said," my mom went on now, reaching up to run an affectionate hand through my hair, "If those boys are anything like their parents, and I know they are, they'll figure out a way to be okay. You have to believe that."
I nodded, glancing at her. "I'm trying to. It's not easy."
"Oh, I know that, believe me." I smirked and then leaned over to kiss her cheek, which, as always, made her smile.
I turned back to the sink then and decided to stop wasting water and get back to work. But I did feel better. As always, my mom had made sure of that.
We worked together for another couple of minutes, our conversation topic shifting to happier things, when Annabeth's voice sounded from the other room. "Percy!" Her tone had me setting down the silverware I was rinsing and hurrying from the room, my mom on my heels.
I found her in the living room with Paul, some unidentified board game half set up on the coffee table, both transfixed on the Iris Message that had appeared in the middle of the room, bearing the image of a familiar figure. I hurried over to join them, my pulse quickening.
In the IM, the Centaur's lips turned up slightly in greeting when he saw me, though the action did not meet his eyes. "Hello, Percy."
"Hey Chiron," I replied, my voice guarded even in my own ears. "What's going on?" I looked between the activities director and Annabeth. My parents looked on from behind us.
Annabeth shrugged, her gaze not leaving the camp activities director at the same moment he spoke up from the IM, "I wanted to update you together."
"Have you heard from the boys?" she asked him.
"I suppose you could say that, yes," he answered. His next words had my heart stumbling in my chest. "The quest members returned to Camp Half-Blood less than an hour ago."
"Thank gods," I said as Annabeth's hand found my own, relief clear in the action.
"Are they okay?" she asked, "Were they successful?"
I couldn't decide if it was just my imagination or if the Centaur hesitated before saying simply, "It was a difficult week for them but your sons are both alive."
Now I was worried. What on earth did that mean? Alive did not necessarily mean okay and Chiron seemed to be choosing his words carefully. I didn't like that.
Annabeth stilled beside me, which unfortunately shot down any doubt in my mind that I was reading into things too much. "What does that mean?" she demanded.
"I think it's best if I wait to give you more details until you can be here in person," Chiron replied, deflecting. "How quickly can you both get here?"
Beside me, Annabeth suddenly looked more scared than I'd seen her in years and honestly I couldn't say I was doing much better. "Oh gods," I heard from behind us. From the corner of my eye, I saw Paul wrap an arm around my mom's shoulders.
I felt my wife's eyes on me as I turned back to the Centaur who was our mentor and friend. I couldn't read the expression on his face, but with as many years as Chiron had been doing what he did, that meant little. He was silent, waiting on an answer. I met his gaze. "We're on our way."
I'm sorry, I had to do it. I'll do my best to update soon, I promise.
Thanks for reading!
