More TRAUMA! NIGHTMARES! Poor baby Percy! Also- Annabeth and Rachel are being so supportive, but neither of them have seen how Percy gets lol.
Replies:
Undeath9087: I'm nearly forty chapters ahead lol- and Percy and Jason would just be nodding like 'We did good' despite the fact that they did not, in fact, do much.
Thickneck: Just imagine it, when everything's settled down Percy and Jason working together, Jason just like, 'Hey Bianca, let's go get some ice cream' and Percy doing the same to Reyna and then they run into one another and Percy and Jason just like 'Oh, look at that we have to go' meanwhile Reyanca are just looking at eachother like 'Do we put them out of their misery or torment them?' and then they agree to torment them so they just pretend to be super good friends and Jason and Percy are screaming at eachother about those idiots being in love!
Jubby1905: Percy would, and now that she knows Jason is a secret shipper she'd drag him along too. Silena, Drew and Piper would just be watching like 'How the heck are those two so damn good at this they're not even Aphrodite kids'.
Drizzle: It is sailing my friend! It is sailing so strong right now. It makes my heart smile. Honestly I only chose it 'cause I thought it might be interesting and then boom, I ship it so hard.
Annabeth was the one who carried Percy to her bedroom, with Rachel leading the way, opening doors for them, and soon enough Percy was being set on the bed, and she let out a pleased noise. "Oh that's nice- an actual bed. A real bed- with springs and stuff. Now that's what I call luxury." she declared. "Oh how I've missed this."
"Awe, poor baby." Rachel's voice was gently teasing. "You do so love your bed."
"I do- sorry you two but my bed is top of my list I'm afraid."
"Sure it is." Annabeth sat down on the edge of it next to her, "Do you just want to get some sleep- do you want to clean up first? Get change?"
"Hm." Percy paused, "I know I should probably shower but- now that I'm here I really, really don't want to." she admitted, "Don't get me wrong I know the water would help me but- I still can't really stand up right now so I wouldn't even be able to shower alone." she pulled a face, "And Will said even the water wouldn't speed up the healing that much because as well as being a physical wound or whatever it's also a curse."
"Then don't bother showering right now." Annabeth said firmly. "Whatever you feel happiest doing Percy, that's all that matters."
"I just want to sleep." Percy whispered the words. "I am so tired right now."
"Of course you are." Rachel tucked Percy's hair behind her ear, "It makes sense. And we can be here- we'll stay in here with y-"
"Can-" Percy hesitated, "Can you guys lay down with me?" she asked the question quietly- not sure if she expected them to say no or not.
After all, there was still a hesitant awkward air lingering around the three of them- and Percy didn't blame Annabeth and Rachel for that, really she didn't, it was her own fault. But still.
"Of course." It was Rachel who answered first, "Of course we can. As long as it's what you want."
"It is."
And Percy felt a rush of affection when less than five minutes later Annabeth and Rachel were cuddled up in the bed with her.
Rachel was pressed against her back, arms sliding around her waist, and Annabeth was led in front of her, facing her, her arms draped over both Percy and Rachel.
"That better?" Rachel asked the question quietly, and Percy nodded.
"Yeah, yeah it is." Percy felt safer, secure with the two girls bracketing her in, shielding her from everything that might try and hurt her.
"We've got you." Annabeth promised, shifting her hand to brush Percy's hair out of her face. "And- for the record as much as we want to know what happened to you- our rule stands."
"Gods." Percy closed her eyes, snuggling closer to them both. "I honestly kinda forgot that rule."
"No lying about things but you don't have to talk until you're ready."
"It's a very good rule." Percy whispered the words, and Annabeth and Rachel fell silent too, and Percy felt herself slowly drifting off.
And Percy blinked slowly, looking around- she was good at being able to tell when she was dreaming-and she was sure this was a dream. But still, finding herself back in the pit was not fun- especially where she was.
She whirled around a terrified look on her face as she looked at the dark glassy walls of the cave- there was blood on the ground- a pool of it, dark, mostly dried, but there was something missing.
"Looking for me?" Percy spun around- and her eyes widened in horror.
It wasn't Alabaster's voice- no it was the deep earthy tones of Gaea, but they issued from Alabaster's mouth- Percy stumbled backwards, heart pounding in her chest.
He was dead- no one living would be that color- he looked- well he looked like a week old corpse, dried blood coating his face, battered and broken.
"N-no-" Percy swallowed hard, "This isn't real this is a dream-"
"Yes." Gaea's voice was a rumble, "But dreams are reflections of reality my foolish little daughter-in-law."
"Why are you showing me this?" Percy's voice cracked.
"You don't even feel guilt." Gaea sounded amused, "Do you? You're simply disgusted by the sight. I'm impressed. It seems I underestimated you. It does irk me some but- well it hardly changes my plans much-"
"What does that mean?" Percy's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest- forcing herself to look at the body.
"It does no harm to tell you know- the Grace boy would have been killed once he was captured- I do despise him yes but- well child, he was not responsible for my sons destruction."
"I-" Percy paused, "You let us think you were going to sacrifice Jason because it suited you." she blinked slowly, "Because that way Alabaster wouldn't know that you were going to kill him-"
"It was his weakness that killed my son. He and you would have died side by side- as husband and wi-"
"Oh gross." Percy pulled a face, "That's even grosser than you using a dream representation of his rotting corpse to screw with my head. You're just making me even more relieved that I ended his miserable life. Really it was a mercy killing. He was genuinely convinced I could fall in love with him which like- clearly he was so far beyond delusion that death really was the only way to deal with it."
"You think yourself better than him-"
"Well, I mean-"
"Is what you did not just as bad as the things he did-"
"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Percy glared, "You're not actually trying to break me down by making me feel bad for what I did to him?"
"Oh I know you won't feel guilty." Gaea's laugh was cruel, "That's the whole point. What are you capable of- I finally see what drew my foolish son to you-"
"Ugh." Percy glared, "Not this again-"
"What would those who say they love you think? If they saw the true you?" Gaea's voice was needling, mocking. And Percy swallowed hard, trying to ignore the cold feeling that clamped around her heart like a vise.
Was she right? Oh she knew that no one would blame her for killing Alabaster- how could they? But- but what would they think if they knew how she'd done it- that she'd taken pleasure in not just killing him but torturing him.
And he wasn't the only one. She'd enjoyed hurting Akhlys too. Oh Nico and Leo knew about Akhlys- and they at least suspected that Percy hadn't just killed Alabaster- but- they'd been down there with her.
How would the others react if they knew? Would they be afraid of her? Sure she'd used her powers to hurt people before- but usually it had only happened when she'd lost control or when she had no other choice.
Or- well, she had done it to Octavian but that had been in a fit of fury too.
What she'd done to Alabaster, that hadn't been in a fit of rage she'd been totally calm, thinking clear than she had in a long time.
"Could you blame them if they feared you?" and suddenly the scene seemed to shift- and Percy's eyes widened in shock- Gaea was still watching Percy was sure- but the corpse Alabaster was gone- and Percy was staring at herself, leaning over- huh, living Alabaster- she winced at the sight- she did look kind of demented- and Alabaster looked about as pathetic as she remembered- and then it changed slightly- and suddenly it wasn't Alabaster led on the cold ground choking on his own blood, red tears leaving streaks down his face but Rachel, her fiery curls matted with blood.
Percy screamed, rushing forward- and through the image of herself as Rachel's agonised screams and her own laughter echoed in her ears.
She turned around- and something about the screams changed- and it was no longer Rachel led there but Annabeth, her eyes filled with terror- and she looked so real, Percy lunged again but the images were just illusions, there was nothing she could touch, no way to stop it.
"Stop!" Percy screamed the word, "Stop it!" tears were pouring down her cheeks suddenly, "Please please stop-"
"But I'm not the one doing it." Gaea laughed mockingly, "It's you."
Stop it!" Percy shook her head frantically "Stop it please stop it!" she dropped to her knees, swiping her arms through the images as they flicked between Annabeth and Rachel.
"Why should I? It's not nice, seeing the truth of who you are- come to me and I will make your death swift- before you hurt those you love-"
"NO! No you're- this-" Percy's voice cracked, "You're trying to break me you- I would never hurt them I wouldn't-"
"Are you so sure of that? You know what you are, deep inside. You enjoy causing pain-"
"Fuck you! Fuck yo-"
Percy shot upright in bed- she was soaking wet, the water was cold- she willed herself dry almost instantly, shaking violently as she focused- Annabeth and Rachel were stood by the bed, Rachel gripping a now empty bucket tightly, shaking, her eyes wide.
"Percy- Percy-" Annabeth was dropping to her knees, grabbing Percy's hands, "Percy- look at me are you okay are-"
"S-she-" Percy let out a sob, "Oh gods you're both here you're both okay-" And Rachel dropped onto the bed next to Percy, pulling her into her side.
"Breath Percy- it's okay just breath- what's wrong? Was it a nightmare?"
"I-" Percy swallowed hard, closing her eyes tightly as she trembled, "It- it was Gaea. S-she was trying-" her voice cracked, "She was trying to fuck with my head." she desperately tried to force back tears.
"You're safe-whatever she showed you wasn't real." Annabeth's voice was reassuring, grounding, and Percy forced herself to breath. "Y-you-"
"Was it something to do with us?" Rachel asked gently, "You called our names."
"I-" Percy looked away, "She- she showed me- she showed me myself. Killing Alabaster. But then it wasn't him it was you and it kept changing between you two but- but it was you."
"Oh Percy-" Annabeth shook her head, "Percy baby you'd never hurt us you know that- and you had no choice Percy Alabaster would have k-"
"I hurt him." Percy's voice was quiet- and she focused on her hands, which were clasped together in her lap, "A-and I don't mean- I- I mean- I mean that I hurt him- really really bad. N-not to kill him- but to make him hurt-"
"...Oh." Rachel's voice was very sort, "Oh Percy-"
"I enjoyed it." Percy's voice cracked, "I- please- please don't hate me I know- I know it- I know I should feel-"
"No!" Annabeth's hands were pressed against her cheeks, "Percy- Percy no do not do this to yourself do not do it. Whatever you did to him- whatever- I cannot imagine what it was like for you there- and Rachel and I will listen when you're ready to talk about it but Percy- we still love you. No matter what you did-"
"I tortured him-"
"He deserved it." Rachel stated softly, "Percy- whatever you did to him he would have deserved every fucking second of it. After all the things he did to you- there's no way that he didn't."
And Percy felt tears flooding out as she broke down almost sliding off the bed and into Annabeth's arms, and Rachel was sliding off the bed after her, two sets of arms holding her tightly.
"What you did to him doesn't make you bad Percy." Annabeth whispered, "I'm not saying that torture is good but- but after everything he put you through it was just justice. You wouldn't hurt an innocent person like that."
"T-that's the thing. I don't know anymore." Percy whispered, "What- what if-"
"Percy." Rachel pressed her lips to Percy's shoulder, a soft gentle thing. "You are not bad because you enjoyed hurting him-"
"I hurt-I hurt others down there-"
"Were they a threat to you and the boys?" Annabeth crooked an eyebrow and after a moment Percy nodded.
"Then you did it in self defence- you're protective- if they were gonna hurt the boys- it makes sense that you'd react violently."
"Y-you really think so?"
"Of course we are." Rachel grinned, "And you're not gonna question the ginormous brain of Annabeth Chase are you?"
"I-" Percy managed a shaky smile, "I wouldn't dare."
