Hello peoples! This chapter was written by … NOT AWSOMEKELLY … buuuut … RAININGTEARSOFCHOCOLATE! Are you befuddled? Have we mastered the art of befuddlement? Oh, please tell me you're befuddled. Are you befuddled?

No, huh? Ah, well. Back to law school.

DISCLAIMER: Oh, come on. Didn't awsomekelly already go over this with you? Ugh. Fine. I don't own PJO. Nor do the other two peeps that have control over this account. Happy now? Huh? YA HAPPY?

Percy…

"Mom? Where are you?"

Percy…

"Mom?"

PERCY…

"Mom, I'm coming!"

Why did you leave me, Percy?

"I'm coming! Just hang on!"

How could you leave me?

Look what you've done, Percy.

"Paul?"

She needed you!

Help me, Percy!

"Mom, I'm coming! I'll help you!"

It's too late, Percy.

"No!"

It's too late.

"No!"

You can't save her.

"MOM!"

There. There she was!

"MOM!"

Percy knelt by her side. She lay outstretched on the ground.

"Mom, it'll be okay."

No, it won't.

Percy turned his head. Paul was standing in the doorway.

You're too late, Paul told him.

"No!"

She's dead. She's dead because of you!

Percy turned back to his mother. She was gone.

You left her, Paul spat. You left her to die!

Percy wanted to protest more, but he felt faded. Like he was slowly being pulled out of the world … slowly losing the image … losing touch … he couldn't feel anything, couldn't see anything … and then he saw blue, and he felt something soft beneath him. Above him a ceiling fan rotated, like a spiral that sends you into a trance. He was dizzy, he couldn't think straight. He told himself to move, to get up, but nothing happened. It was like someone pulled out the USB cord and his power source was gone, and he was on his own …

Lying safe in his bed, he broke down. It was bound to happen someday. Tears flowed from his eyes, ran diagonally down his face, and came to a rest on his pillow, staining and dampening the surface. He reached to pull the cover over his eyes, to emerge himself in total darkness. But the cover wasn't there. Glancing quickly over the side of the bed, he saw that he had kicked his blankets onto the floor. So he just lay on his mattress. Trying to be strong, he stifled the weeping.

Hey. At least he was awake.

Half an hour later, the confused teenage boy walked groggily into the kitchen of his home. He wasn't totally awake yet, and each of his steps carried his entire weight. He rubbed one of his eyes with the palm of his hand and sat down at the table, waiting for the usual routine: Sally would walk into the room, scold him for sleeping in so late in a playful manner, then laugh, and they'd have breakfast together.

But then he corrected himself. Ever since she'd gotten sick, she stayed in bed even later than he did, sometimes even all day.

Today, however, he found a note. Alas, it wasn't from Sally, it was from Paul, and this was how it read:

Percy,

Your mother has an appointment with the doctor today. She probably won't be back until about 1.

If you see this note, and it's after 11, come to my room. I want to talk to you about something.

Paul

Percy glanced at the clock. It was almost ten o'clock. He'd have to wait.

To Percy it was obvious what the "something" that Paul wanted to talk about was. Sally had probably told Paul the previous night about the trip he might be going on.

Sighing, he trudged into the living room, where he collapsed onto the couch and turned on the TV, trying to take his mind off of things. Yet his dream kept flashing into his mind.

Maybe I shouldn't go, he thought.

The sound of a gunshot snapped him out of his thoughts. Confused, he looked up to be NCIS playing on the screen. Figuring it was the last thing he needed at the moment, he started flipping through the channels. Death, death, death, paranormal, boring, boring, death, boring, kiddy show, kiddy show, kiddy show …. Percy pressed the power button on the remote control. Enough of this.

Finally, eleven o'clock rolled around. Percy stood and, now more awake, walked to his parents' room and knocked softly on the door.

"Come in," came a call from inside.

Percy entered to find Paul sitting on the edge of his bed. He beckoned. Percy sat down next to him and looked at him expectantly. "I saw your note," Percy said.

Paul laughed. "I assume you know why I want to see you?"

Percy nodded. "About the trip, right?" Then something occurred to him. "Hey, shouldn't you be at work?"

"Took the day off. Wanted to talk to you and Sally. Listen, son." Paul moved a bit closer to Percy. Percy, feeling a bit uncomfortable, scooted a bit in the other direction. Sighing, Paul continued: "You shouldn't be worried about your mom. It'll be okay. It's just the flu. I can take care of her."

"But what if it gets worse? What if –"

"Percy, it's okay. It's nothing we can't handle. You know your mom. She can handle anything."

Percy nodded. It was true. She had dealt with Gabe, the crudest person on Earth (and the worst stepdad for a kid ever), for years before Percy talked her into divorcing him. Beforehand she had been too stressed to go through with the process, but finally she had done it. And good thing, too. A month later he was killed in a car crash. Now THAT would have been a lot of paperwork.

"And even if it does get worse, you've met her doctor. He's a great guy. Remember?"

Percy did. Paul was right.

"Besides, you love Annabeth, right?"

Percy nodded.

Paul smiled; he knew he was winning. "Well then, what's better than spending an entire year living with her?" Then he smirked. "You two might even get a chance to … you know …."

Percy looked at him, pale face contorted, utterly horrified. "PAUL! God! We're seventeen!"

Paul chuckled. "Okay, okay, relax. I was just kidding. Still, you know you want to."

Percy punched him on the arm. Hard. "Shut up!"

"Do you see? You've got it made! A whole year with your girlfriend, without your parents to watch you. Most guys would kill for a chance like that."

You left her to die!

Percy gulped. "Don't say kill."

She's dead. She's dead because of you!

Paul looked at his queasy stepson. "Are you okay?"

He nodded weakly. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Paul let it drop. If Percy didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't going to push him. "So what do you say, Perc? You ready for the time of your life?"

"But Mom –"

"But nothing. I'll be here to watch over her."

"But your work –"

"I'll start taking less hours. There'll be less pay, but we won't need as much with only two people."

Percy sighed. It made sense.

"You want to go, don't you?"

He nodded. "Of course I do. A whole year with Annabeth – it'd be awesome. But … Mom …"

Paul raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"

Finally he caved. "Okay. You're right. I'll go."

Grinning, Paul slapped his stepson on the back. "There you go!"

Percy stood. "I better go call her, tell her my decision."

"You do that. And Percy –"

He turned at the doorway. "Yeah?"

"Don't turn me into a grandfather anytime soon, okay?"

Percy smiled for the first time that day. "You got it."

He left to go call his girlfriend, leaving his stepfather to be alone.

Paul thought, I just hope I can take care of her. Otherwise …

He didn't finish his thought.

He couldn't.

Hmm. I tend to use a lot of one-line paragraphs, huh. Humph.

Okay. Now that awsomekelly and I have gone, the next chapter will be written by OMGIhavebluehair. Chapter 3 coming soon!

Oh, and before I forget - I don't own NCIS, either.

Awsomekelly - I LIKED THIS CHAPTER! I THINK ITS BETTER THAN MINE! YAY!

Awsomekelly OUT!

Hey! What are you doing in MY chapter? GET OUT OF HERE! WAIT FOR YOUR TURN!

*chases awsomekelly off-screen*