Crazy how the Poseidon cabin looks in the dark. The reflection of water onto the ceiling presents a calm feeling. Distracts you from what is really going on outside. Annabeth is lightly snoring in my arms. That calms me even more, knowing that I have my wise girl with me in my arms, and she's alive which makes me feel much better. Her ring sparkles slightly from the bare light of the water.
Annabeth obviously said yes. Tackled me in a hug, kissed me and we just held each other. Everyone there cheered for us, forgetting what had just happened moments before I proposed.
"This task force is here to take over the duties of being a demigod for you all. They will take the quests, they will fight the big monsters, they will be a bigger target than any of you, they to try and distract the monsters from you all." Zeus announces to everyone. Although this didn't make sense because you can't exactly run from your fate, I mean we have all seen what happens when you try and do.
"What about the fact that LUKE IS BACK?" some shouts at the gods. Everyone agrees, a new round of people shouting questions, eruptions of people talking.
"Luke is part of this team. He has decided to fight for everyone so that you can all have a better chance at life. Just like the rest of these wonderful people." Athena replies.
Funny how no one really cared about the girl that was named Kronos' daughter. Everyone was blinded by the fact that the gods were looking at Luke as a hero when the last time that the gods and Luke were in the same room, he tried killing them.
But for me, and I think Nico as well, we both were shocked to see our sisters alive. I mean the last time that I had seen Andy, Gabe killed her. Fast forward two weeks and we were at her funeral. The police never questioned Gabe because my mom didn't report him. I was always a little mad at her for it, we could've gotten away from him.
The last time that Nico had seen Bianca she left for a quest as a hunter. Nico had gone up to Bianca while everyone was arguing Luke's entire existence. They hugged, reconnected. I saw them whispering things to each other and then finally Nico introduced Will to Bianca. It was nice to watch. I mean it felt like Nico had actually gotten something back that should've never been taken away from him.
I walk down the steps towards Andy. Immediately she sees me and we make eye contact. I'm pushing people out of my way, never breaking eye contact while she runs towards me. We coiled together and I hug her tightly. Grasping her hair and wrapping my other arm around her waist, not letting go. I breathe in her sent. She smells like the ocean. Salty air mixed with the smell of warm sand.
"What the hell is happening Andy. Please tell me I'm not dreaming. Oh gods don't let me be dreaming." I plead out, still having my head on her shoulder with my eyes closed.
"No Perc, this is real. Everything is crazy right now but all of this is real. I'm real. I'm here, I'm not dead." she laughs out the last part, gripping me more tightly as she says this.
I pull back to get a better look at her. Of course, she has grown, we were both mere babies at the time of her death. She looks way more mature. Her smile is brighter, showing off strong cheekbones. Her eyes are a bright teal with specks of silver floating around, way different from my sea-green eyes but still ocean-like. Her eyelashes are long, full and dark. She's beautiful. She has so many features that look like mom. Her smile is like moms.
"How are you alive?" I ask her, barely believing that I am even talking to her. She's a lot more full in her body, grown-up where she isn't just a little string bean anymore. She's wearing a dress that shows her arms and legs off (which as a brother, I hate the way this dress makes her body look. My sister is not a hoe). She's got muscle, toned arms, and legs.
"I decided to join this team or taskforce or whatever they want to call us so that I could have another chance of living again. I've been training with dad since a year after I died." I'll admit, it hurt a little to hear that she's gotten to train with dad, that's all I've ever wanted to do.
"I am so glad that you are back," I whisper, pulling her back into a hug.
"Okay, so we'll need to leave in about an hour to make it to your mom's on time. I'll send out a group text while you get Ellie's gift ready?" I say to Annabeth while she does the finishing touches on her hair. She had decided to curl it a little today, enhancing the curls she already has and then does that half up half down hairstyle that girls are really into these days.
"Sounds good, you got the gift for your mom right?" She asks me turning off her iron and facing me.
I honestly stopped dead. I've always known that my girlfriend is drop-dead gorgeous, but sometimes the light will just hit her just right and I'll always be reminded that she's way out of my league.
"Annabeth you look stunning," I tell her, with my jaw dropped. She smiles and walks past me, putting on her sleeveless sweater thingy. Do you know how girls will wear those that are like a jacket? Yeah, that thing?
"Thank you, Percy," she says right before she kisses me on the cheek.
"I got that gift for my mom, the diamond necklace with three diamonds attached?" Annabeth had found a necklace that was a silver chain that had three diamonds connected to it. We thought that it was perfect because she's had, three kids.
"Okay so we have the car reserved and the gift, you sent the group message out yet?" Annabeth asks me, going through her mental checklist.
"No, I'll do that now," I tell her pulling out my phone. She nods at me and grabs Ellie's gift and puts the finishing touches on it.
Annabeth and I walk hand and hand together to the front door of mom and Paul's flat. Our friends are behind us carrying like, a gallon of gifts (if that even makes sense) and laughing their stupid heads off. Thalia got to come as well as Frank and Reyna, who we were afraid wouldn't because they are camp leaders.
"I could hear you guys from a mile away!" my mom shouts at us. She's smiling and has Estelle on her hip at the doorway.
"I am just way too excited to see Miss Estelle!" Nico says in a baby voice, slightly jogging up to Estelle and taking her out of moms hands.
"Okay yeah, you really weren't kidding when you said that Nico goes ga-ga over Estelle." Thalia laughs.
"Come on guys, lunch is already made." my mom says to us, gesturing for all of us to come inside.
Paul's bookcases that are filled with his antique collection of books are covered in white, pink, purple and teal streamers. My mom has ballooned at the top of the ceiling, all of them the colors of the streamers. A folding table with a teal cover holds the food and drinks, while another table with a pink cover holds Estelle's gifts.
Everyone is sitting in chairs or on the ground circling Estelle. Of course the flat is a little cramped because we have Annabeth and I, along with the seven, Nico, Will, Reyna, Thalia, Grover and Juniper, Clarisse and Chris, Travis and Katie and Connor.
Yeah, there's a shit ton of us that love Estelle.
"Okay, everyone!" My mom calls out, getting all of our attention. Paul is holding Estelle who is wearing a cute cream-colored lace dress that has long flowy sleeves and a pink bow.
"Thank you so much for coming to Estelle's birthday-"
"I'm only here for the food." Clarisse states. Chris elbows her in the stomach lightly. She rolls her eyes and says "I'm kidding, I freaking love the little scamp." we all smile at her and shake our heads.
"As I was saying, thank you for coming, it means a lot to Paul, myself and Estelle," she says the last part in her baby voice to Estelle. Estelle gurgles and smiles at her momma. So, of course, everyone awes.
"So right now we'll have some food, catch up, and then in a little bit we'll have Estelle eat her own birthday cake!" my mom cheers. We all smile and cheer along with her, then going back to our conversations.
"Okay kiddos, tell me what's new with the camp. You had that party with the gods and everything right?" My mom asks Annabeth and me after she grabs herself some food and drink. Annabeth looks at me with concerned eyes. 'What are you going to tell your mom?' she asks me with her eyes.
"Umm yeah, the gods ended upcoming. It was a lot actually, they gave us some news that didn't go over well with some people." I respond to her. She's chewing and nods at me.
"What did they tell you guys?" she asks me. Before I can even get the words out of my mouth there's a knock on the door. My mom raises an eyebrow at me then shakes her head.
"I thought everyone was here," she says to no one in particular. She walks to the door, her food in hand, grabs the handle and opens the door.
"Poseidon?" My mom says, shocked. I stand up and shake my head at him. I know exactly what he's gonna do.
"Are you going to try and talk to mom?" I ask her after pulling back from another hug I had given her. She stiffens and gives me a forced smile along with a laugh.
"I don't know. I mean I really want to but I just don't know if it's a good idea. I won't be able to visit her that much. I won't be able to visit you that much either." she responds to me, not meeting my eyes.
Everything has died down more, the gods decided that it might be a good idea to take their own individual children so that they could explain things better in groups. It worked out amazingly for Andy and me.
"I think you should at least tell mom. Give her some peace of mind, ya know?" I tell her, grabbing her hands and holding them. She finally looks up and meets my eyes. When she does she gives me a small smile but lets go of my hands.
"I don't even know when a good time would be." she sighs. She sits down on the log and puts her head between her legs. I sit down next to her and rub her back.
"I'll be there with you when you do tell her. It'll be okay." I encourage her. She sighs again and I continue to rub her back.
"If I may interject, I don't think that anytime is a good time kiddo." dad says to Andy, coming out from the darkness where he was hiding. I glare at him and stop rubbing Andy's back and stand up.
"What the hell dad. Why didn't you let Andy tell us that she was alive again after she sold her soul to this team or whatever you want to call it?!" I shout. Dad looks guilty as he rubs the back of his neck.
"Listen, son, I really wanted to, trust me. But Zeus said-"
"Oh yeah that's right, this was still the time that you all were Zeus' bitches." I spat angrily. Andy's head flies up from her legs with her jaw dropped. She looks kinda proud of me tbh.
"PERSEUS JACKSON!" my father booms. His face becomes red and his eyes turn really really angry. This is the first time that I have ever really pissed my father off.
"Well, it's true!" I shout. "You guys have always sat and listened to Zeus even when he had really bad ideas. I mean, he came up with this stupid rule that you guys couldn't see your kids right? And then he's all Mr. Bigshot when it comes to proving that he is the king of gods, even though he never wanted to fight in any wars. He hid away in his stupid kingdom like the damn coward he is and never-"
"ENOUGH! STOP TALKING PERSEUS!" my father shouts loud enough for the entire camp to hear. But I don't care, I still want to go on. I want to give my father a mouthful. He deserves it.
"Andy go and find Annabeth right now." my father commands my sister. I glare at him and give Andy a nasty look.
"Don't you dare bring her into this. She doesn't need to be in this conversation! This is between me and you, old man. Pops. El padre. I don't even know if I can call you anymore. You keep lying to me, not sharing things that you should! I HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW THAT MY SISTER WAS ALIVE! THAT I DIDN'T SCREW UP IN KILLING HER!" I scream. My hands are balled up and my muscles are tense.
"Percy." I hear Annabeth's calm voice say. I turn around and this is when I finally notice the hot tears streaming down my face. I'm out of breath like I just ran a marathon and my heart is pounding in my chest, trying to break out.
"Oh, Percy." she sighs and runs into my arms. She hugs me even though I'm not hugging her. I'm just really confused all of a sudden.
"It's okay Perc, you are having a trigger attack. Come on, sit down with me." Annabeth whispers. I had no idea that I was having a trigger attack. I'm not even sure what that means. But Annabeth forces me to lie down, my head facing up at the sky in her lap while she sits and plays with my hair.
"You are having a panic trigger attack, Percy. It happens with PTSD. something can trigger an emotion and cause you to have an outburst. We usually have them in our sleep because of nightmares but I think that this whole news that the gods have brought upon us, plus the return of your sister triggered something. You'll be okay. Just focus on the stars. Remember, Bob is up there. Say hello to the stars Percy." she whispers in my ear as she leans over me. When she sits back up I can see the stars. I immediately think of Bob and feel a new round of tears falling down my face.
In the distance, I heard my dad explaining when a good time to tell my mother that she is alive, but I don't focus on that. I focus on Annabeth stroking my hair and the stars and saying hello to them for Bob.
"What are you doing here?" My mom asks in astonishment. I race over to the door and stand next to my mom.
"Heyyyyy dad, thanks for stopping by and giving me that...thing I asked you about?" I said trying to make an excuse for my dad being here. I really did not want him to mess this day up for my mom. The one time that she gets a normal kid.
"Percy, stop it. Sally, I am not here to give Percy something that he asked for, I needed to talk to you. I have to explain something." he tells her, glaring at me. I make a face at him.
"Umm Poseidon, this is my daughter's birthday, I don't think that now is an appropriate time," she tells him, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
"Sally, you have to understand what is about to happen, you'll most likely want to kill me. But at least she is with you again." Dad says. I groan really loudly.
"Dad you are not delivering this well," I tell him, giving him a glare.
"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Nico yells from the living room.
"Well, I sure hope that's not what I said," Andy responds, coming around the corner. And that's when mom's jaw drops.
"Andy?" she whispers, tears forming in her eyes.
Yeah this is shit. I know. But I'm back. Not for long though
All rights reserved to Rick Riordan