Percy was in the Poseidon cabin with Tyson. He was on the top bunk while Tyson was on the top. Percy had Oscar with him too, who had spent every waking moment crying. It took an hour to get him to go to sleep.
"Ok, I think he's down for the count," Percy finally said. "Try not to wake him."
Percy saw Tyson nod through the mirror opposing the bed. Tyson hadn't cried yet, or at least not that Percy had seen. He made sure his son was comfortable, then stood on the bed and stuck his bed over the rail of the top bunk.
"Ty, how are you handling this?" he asked.
Tyson sighed thoughtfully and looked down at his hands. "Jase told me that if anything happened to any of them while they were gone, that is was very important for me to try and be positive and calm, and to remember that everything was going to be A-OK," he said.
Percy sat back down in the bottom bunk. He never thought he'd hear Tyson say "A-OK" is such a sad voice. He tried not to imagine his son talking to Tyson, telling him it would be ok. Little did he know. Percy wondered that if Jase still would have gone if he'd have known what was going to happen. Then he felt guilty because he knew Jase still would have come to save them. Jason Jackson had the same fatal flaw as his dad, and nothing would have stopped him from helping the people he loved. Percy hoped Charlie Valdez was worth it, then felt guilty for the thought.
"I could go look for him," Tyson suggested quietly and unsurely.
It took Percy a moment to digest what his half-brother had said. When it had really sunk in, he jumped up and once again stuck his head over the top bunk.
"What?!"
"I'm a cyclops, I could survive the jump. I could look for him and-"
"Half cyclops, and no. That's not going to happen. I've lost one person to that place, I'm losing another. We just have to wait. I've already threatened the gods, there's nothing else we can do," Percy insisted.
"I could-"
"No. Drop the subject. There's not way I'm ever letting you do that, so don't even think about it. And even if you did go, Tartarus is a big place. You'd never find them."
Percy didn't want to admit that for a moment, he considered it. He was so desperate, he'd actually considered letting his brother venture into Hell.
"Tyson, don't go. I really need a brother right now."
Tyson climbed down and sat beside his brother. They didn't speak. Tyson was secretly glad that Percy wouldn't let him go. He'd do anything for his nephew, but the thought of going into Tartarus -especially alone- terrified him.
Percy let the subject drop once the dinner bell rang. He wasn't really hungry, but he got up anyway. Regrettably, that meant he had to wake up Oscar.
Annabeth was waiting for them at the entrance to the pavillion. She took Oscar from Percy's arm and kissed both of their cheeks. She laced her arm through her husband's and lead him to his seat.
"Come on, Seaweed Brain," she said softly.
Percy didn't respond. There was an extra place setting at the table. Nobody had told the nymphs not to prepare the table for all six Jacksons. But nobody moved the plate. Adora was napping and Casey was sitting at the Demeter table with her friend Nathan, so the table was practically empty anyway.
Leo and Calypso didn't sit down. They were leaning against the large pillars and picking absently at their food, not eating it. Neither of them were speaking but they were were pressed so closely together that their elbows hit each other when they tried to pick up their forks. Percy doubted that was why they weren't eating.
Will was walking down the center aisle towards the Hades table, but froze in front of the grieving couple. He stared quizzingly at Calypso, even tilting his head as if he were trying to figure something out.
Percy knew that look. He'd seen it four times. Dropping his fork, he stood up and speed-walked towards the couple.
"Wait, you're-" Will didn't get a chance to finish his question.
"Not here!" Percy interrupted. He grabbed Leo and Will and pulled them outside then grabbed Leo's arm, dragging him out of range of the demigods' hungry ears.
"Percy! What are you doing?" Leo hissed.
"This is for your own good, I don't think you want an announcement like this in front of everybody right now," Percy explained. He gave a pointed look to Will.
Before the doctor could speak, Calypso gasped. She clutched her stomach and whipped her head towards the son of Apollo. Will nodded. Leo's gaze switched between the two for a moment before his eyes landed on Calypso's hands. Something clicked. Realization struck him like a state of the art bullet train.
He clamped his hands over his mouth and tears sprung to his eyes. His legs shook and the look of uttermost grief crossed his face. He looked to Percy.
Percy and Leo had never been particularly close. But right now, Percy was the only person that understood the mixture of pain and happiness that Leo was feeling.
"Leo-"
Percy was interrupted by a pair of arms tightening around him. He hadn't expected the hug. But he understood it. He knew that Leo needed a friend right now, that he didn't want to show his pain in front of his wife.
Calypso was pregnant.
