I've been busy with my classes and APUSH is kicking my ass right now, so I haven't been able to update lately. Hopefully now that my schedule has become routine again, I'll be able to return to regular updates. Distortion of Destiny will be updated fairly soon. I just have to do some last-minute editing.

A/N: Some long deserved Perlia relationship development.

Thalia Relives the Past

Thalia watched as her friend fidgeted every few seconds, keeping his eyes on the horizon. He appeared proud of himself for getting the ship going, yet at the same time jumpy. She wanted to say something to him, but she wasn't sure what she could possibly do. She wasn't good with comforting. She settled for gazing out at the sea, watching unnervingly as it churned.

She found herself thinking of her previous dream and Lord Poseidon's threats. As long as you remain at sea, the waters will work against you, he had said. He desired something from her, in order to ensure her own safety. She hadn't received any more signs from him, which both worried her and relieved her.

Part of her wanted to tell Percy, but she knew that it wasn't his battle to fight. She could handle it all on her own. Besides, he looked like he couldn't handle any more stress at this point.

"What's wrong?"

Thalia shrugged in response to his question. "I don't feel very comfortable."

"Sea sick?" he asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

She shook her head. "I don't think so. I just feel antsy, like I want to get off this ship."

"Maybe it has something to do with Zeus being the King of the Skies?"

"Maybe," she agreed quietly, and resisted the urge to admit that it felt like much more than that.

A giant reptilian monster slithered through the water. It wasn't the first monster that they had seen in the sea. Her eyes caught sight of a large volcano, with smoke billowing out from the top of it.

"What is that?"

"I have no clue," he answered honestly. "I think it's best if we stay away from it."

"Steer far around it," she ordered.

It was silent after that. They sailed on and on until the volcano was just a red speck in the distance. Glowing sea spirits swam just below the surface of the water, and Thalia knew that the women had to have seen her. It seemed that they wanted to get clear of the ship after seeing the daughter of Zeus aboard.

"Thalia?" Percy asked suddenly, breaking their long silence. When she let it be known that she was listening, he continued to ask, "What do you have against Cyclopes?"

"They're monsters," she replied with finality, not wanting to delve too far into it. "I don't go out of my way to socialize with them."

"No," he disagreed, shaking his head. "You were about to tell me something back in that old shelter…what were you going to say?"

Thalia took a deep breath. It appeared as if there was no way to get around answering his questions. "The night Grover was escorting us to camp, he took some wrong turns. Annabeth told you that, right?" He nodded. "The worst of those wrong turns was into a Cyclops' lair in Brooklyn."

"They've got Cyclopes in Brooklyn?"

"He tricked me," Thalia said, barely restraining her aggravation with the subject. "He split us all up inside a maze of corridors in an old house in Flatbush. For a Cyclops, he was clever, Percy."

"How did he trick you?"

She closed her eyes tightly at the memory. "He could disguise his voice, just like Tyson did. He—he pretended to be Luke to lure me in, then he copied Annie's voice to get Luke inside."

Percy frowned at the story. "And what about Annabeth?"

"She was only seven years old," she replied. "He didn't even have to trick her. She tried to find Luke and me, and she wasn't able to see anything."

"But demigods have enhanced senses, don't they?"

"Slightly enhanced senses, but Annabeth was too young to have really developed most of her abilities. He got Luke, Grover and me all tied up and gagged, and he hung us from the ceiling. He was starting a fire…and that's when Annabeth walked in."

"Did he notice her?" he asked.

"Naturally," the demigoddess responded. "I was trying to figure out a way to untie myself and get all of us out of there."

"Did you?"

"If not for Annabeth, I would have been fucking fried like a chicken," Thalia remarked, unable to help the way her chest practically deflated.

"What did she do?"

"She stabbed him in the foot, and he cried like a baby." She didn't look over at him, but she could practically see his expression of disbelief. "It distracted him, and gave her enough time to cut me free. I killed him while she freed Luke and Grover."

"That was brave of you to charge him alone."

"I wasn't brave at all," she argued. "If it wasn't for Annabeth, I would have never got the chance to play the hero in the end."

Percy sighed, but dropped the subject. They fell into silence once more, neither of them really knowing what they could safely say to one another. "Maybe you should go below," he suggested, glancing at her briefly. "After taking that candleholder to the head, I think you need some rest."

She wanted to say no, or tell him that he should be the one to get some rest, but she didn't have it in her to argue. It was true—she was worn out from the day's events. Thalia cuffed him on the shoulder, before she descended into the cabin.

The hammock was extremely uncomfortable, just like the one that she had reclined in on the steamship. Despite the conditions, her eyes began to close after only a few moments. Before she could fall into a deep sleep, though, images flickered quickly through her hyperactive brain.

Where was Annabeth? Had she, Clarisse, and Silena made it to land? Had they gotten stuck on Circe's island, too? She felt guilt surge through her veins, succeeding in once again keeping her from sleep. If one of the pirates managed to hurt Annabeth, Thalia didn't think that she could ever forgive herself.

The daughter of Zeus took a deep breath, willing herself to relax. She had to stop allowing her guilt to override her. She already felt guilty about the way she had treated Tyson. Even though the Cyclops was unaffected by fire, she doubted that he could have made it out of the ship.

With the distressed faces of her fellow campers and the Cyclops flashing through her mind, she gave up on trying to sleep.

Instead, she sat up in the bed, and took inventory of everything around her. There were large barrels of food, wine, and other supplies. Quite a number of drachmas littered the wooden floor, but there weren't any more treasures in sight. The cots were old, worn, and uncomfortable, and she had to guess that they were made of reeds. She was pretty sure that there were about fifteen rat skeletons, and the place reeked of its age.

The ship definitely could have been much cleaner, but she honestly had not expected much else from Blackbeard and his goons.

Thalia sensed the shift in the wind before she felt and heard it. As soon as her mind registered the fact that a storm was brewing, she broke out of the quarters. She quickly made her way across the deck, clearing her throat to get Percy's attention.

"What is it?" he asked in concern, seeing that her smooth skin was even paler than it usually was. "What happened to resting?"

"You need to get below," she said, grabbing his hand. She looked to the sky, furrowing her brows. "It's going to storm soon."

Percy bit his lip. "Father says we're going to be nearing the island of the Sirens soon. Is there any way you can hold off the storm?"

The daughter of Zeus shook her head. "Something is interfering."

"Interfering?"

"It is probably Poseidon's domain that's limiting my power." When he looked confused, she explained, "I'm farther from my father's domain, and closer to Poseidon's right now."

Percy nodded in understanding. "How are we going to keep from reaching the Sirens, then? We won't be prepared to sail past them if it storms."

"We'll think of something. Go below. I'm right behind you."

When they were in the captain's quarters, the two of them tried to relax. Percy took the bed on the left (which appeared to be a lot less comfortable), while Thalia climbed into the bed that she had used before. She slipped her arms beneath her head, trying not to focus on the way the waves lapped at the sides of the ship.

Thalia closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself. It worked a little too well, and she ended up almost asleep. She didn't even bother to open her eyes when she felt a weight settling down onto her bed.

"Hey," Percy whispered, his hand reaching out to touch her shoulder. She shifted last minute, and trapped his palm between her warm sheet and the bed. His voice was tense as he said, "Thalia, can I bunk with you?"

"Sure, whatever," she mumbled, although she wasn't so sure that he could understand her.

When she heard no response from him, she finally opened her eyes. What she saw would have made her laugh if she wasn't so tired. Percy had something strange sticking out of one of his ears. She thought it made him look like a total dork.

"That's a real cute look, Percy," she laughed.

He rolled his eyes. "It's candle wax. If we manage to get too close to the island of the Sirens, it should block their singing out. Here," he said, handing her two handmade earplugs. "Put them in your ears."

Before she could argue with him (come on, she was going to look ridiculous), he slipped wax into his other ear. He pointedly stared at her, and she slid in her own with an exaggerated sigh. She scooted over, making room for him in the small cot.

They got underneath the itchy blankets, and Thalia immediately turned to where she wasn't facing him. She felt him turn to face her back, trying to provide enough space between their bodies. It wasn't working. The cot was only so large, and their tall, teenaged figures were almost too big for it. Thalia could feel the heat of his body, and had the urge to snuggle back against him. She attributed her urge to tiredness, and repressed it.

In moments, they fell asleep.

A long time after, singing voices filled Thalia's unconscious brain. She had previously been dreaming of arm-wrestling a Sphinx for a pack of bacon, but her mind was soon filled with different images.

Her baby brother Jason was walking alongside her mother, gripping the blonde's hand unsurely. His electric blue eyes, so much like her own, watered as their mother led him to the edge of the woods. To the Wolf House.

She moved to walk closer to them, to stop her mother, but something was holding her back. Strong hands held onto her waist, preventing her from advancing. Desperate to get to Jason—to save her beautiful, innocent brother—she thrashed her arms and kicked her legs. She struggled against the arms restricting her. She barely heard the sound of someone else groaning in pain as she clawed at her assailant.

The only thing her mind could register was the fact that she was about to lose her little brother all over again.

She broke free of her attacker's clutches, and she blindly followed the singing voices, somehow navigating her way through the dark night. She violently threw herself at a barricade, barely registering the sting of it as she sprinted onto the main deck of the ship.

A storm was raging outside, but she was unable to feel the harsh raindrops pelt her skin. A faint shout pricked at the back of her mind, but it was quickly drowned out at the sound of her mother calling. The tall blonde woman, a mortal goddess, stood from the shore of an island in the middle of the sea, and she smiled brightly at the sight of Thalia. The woods were gone. The Wolf House was nowhere in sight. Jason stood on her father's shoulders, his chubby baby arms high in the air as he babbled almost nonsensically for her.

"Lia! Lia!"

Thalia's desperation was soon transformed into hope and happiness. She had to reach that island. She had to reach that shore. She had to reach her family.

"Jason!"

Thalia hardly felt it as she leapt over the side of the ship, and plunged into the icy sea below.

She kept her head above water, and although she had never been a skilled swimmer, she managed to remain afloat. Her arms and legs paddled frantically as she made her way to the rocky shore. Lightning streaked above, and thunder echoed through the sky, but the noises failed to catch her attention.

Zeus grinned proudly. He spread his arms wide. "You've done it, my daughter! You have saved your brother, and you have saved Olympus!" She pushed herself harder at his words. "How does immortality sound as a reward?"

Waves violently tossed her off of her course, but she always sprung immediately back. The water churned, displeased as it sensed the essence of Zeus in her blood. Her limps powered through the defiant waves, and kicked at the angered Oceanids beneath her. They grappled for her in frustration, peeved that the Princess of the Skies would dare to venture in their domain.

Two of the sea spirits managed to grab her by the ankles, and no amount of Thalia's force could shake them off. She was pulled under the surface of the water, and the beautifully singing voices faded away.

Thalia lost sight of what she was doing. Her startlingly blue eyes flickered open, but the sea water stung so badly that she had to close her eyes again. Where was she? What was she doing in the water? What the hell was grabbing and pulling her?

She fought off the numerous demanding hands that ghosted across her form, but her actions held no positive results. She struggled to hold her breath, but found that she was quickly running out of time. She had to breathe. She needed air.

The hands firmed and nails dug into her skin. She felt them pierce through, drawing blood. Her strength began to ebb, and her will was gradually deteriorating. The figures, whatever they were, were drawing all of her energy out of her. So far from her father's domain, she would not be able to recover or fight very easily.

Just when she was seconds from unconsciousness, she felt the violent hands drift away from her. She tried to open her eyes, but was unsuccessful. Strong, comforting arms wrapped around her, and then suddenly she no longer felt the water. She coughed and sputtered, throwing her face against the firm surface in front of her.

"Shh," Percy shushed her soothingly, setting a hand on her wet hair and pressing her against his chest completely. She noticed that he had formed a sort of protective air bubble around the two of them, and he had taken the wax out of his ears. "You're okay now. You're all right."

"Percy," she said, stunned, peering up at him in confusion. "What—?"

"The wax fell out of one of your ears while you were sleeping," he explained shakily. His throat bobbed slightly as he met her eyes nervously. "Who's Jason?"

Thalia felt her heart sink. None of it had been real. There was no loving family awaiting her. She had been so sure…but it had all been a trick to lure her to her death. For the first time in a long time, she broke down. Tears streamed down her face, and she sobbed against Percy, feeling even more ashamed as he tightened his hold on her. She was weak and pitiful and so incredibly stupid.

She felt the son of Poseidon tense, but she refused to look at him. He shouldn't see her like this.

"The toy car…"

Thalia cried harder, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly. She shook her head against him, begging him not to continue.

"You got so upset whenever Tyson messed with the car. You wouldn't explain why."

He held onto her tighter whenever she tried to wiggle away. "Thalia," he said, sounding close to tears himself. "Jason…was he your brother?"

Thalia wanted to lie to him. She wanted to pull away. She wanted to tell him to leave her alone. Instead, she found herself straightening her posture and burying her head in the crook of his neck. Thalia nodded against his smooth skin, unable to do anything more.

Now, after so many years suppressing her never-ending guilt, someone else knew about Jason. Someone that wasn't one of her parents. Thalia suddenly felt so vulnerable. She had thought that the secret of her little brother would always be kept from everyone else.

Percy gulped, pressing his cheek against hers. "Oh, Thalia. I'm so sorry."

Even though she still wasn't sure that she was ready for Percy to know, she had to admit that she was glad that it was him who found out.

The demigoddess' sobs declined into mere sniffles, and her tears were dried as she lifted her head to make eye contact with him. "Let's get back to the ship," she whispered, and her voice was hoarse and tired.

Although he obviously knew that she was still distressed, he nodded. "We have already passed the island."

"Island?"

"Island of the Sirens," he explained softly, his thumb lifting to wipe a lone tear from her jaw.

"Oh," she said, releasing a shaky breath. "So, you saw…?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

Percy grabbed her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "Come on."

No sea creatures bothered them as they levitated in their air bubble and broke through the surface. Thalia resisted the urge to shiver as the demigod manipulated the currents to carry them towards the hull of the Queen Anne's Revenge. With Percy holding her above the water, she no longer worried about sea spirits grabbing at her. It had been a terrifying experience, but she had the creatures to thank for breaking her from the Siren spell.

Whenever they reached the side of the boat, Percy began to call down a rope ladder. Thalia placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. After her pitiful crying fit, she figured that pitching in to help might make her begin to respect herself again.

Tightly gripping his hand, she attempted to manipulate the air. There was a painful twinge in her abdomen, but nothing happened. The breeze did not change direction; no air current lifted them. She practiced for hours and hours at her aunt's house. She didn't know why her powers weren't working.

"You're worn out," Percy's soothing voice spoke into her ear. "You need rest, Thalia. And besides, we're in my father's domain. You aren't at the top of your game."

It stung her pride, but she sighed and allowed him to draw down a rope ladder. He insisted on her climbing it first, but he stuck closely behind her to ensure that she didn't lose her grip. It angered her that her body was so tired, but she could only feel grateful for him. If he hadn't been there…if he hadn't saved her from the vicious Oceanids and Sirens…

Thalia propelled herself over the railing, landing ungracefully on the deck. She noticed that Heracles' armor was soaked, and she could only frown in disappointment as she reached out to pull Percy over.

The son of Poseidon waited until they were back in the quarters to speak. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing in his concern. He politely turned away as she began to strip out of the wet armor.

"I'll be fine," she answered quietly, slipping out of the sandals. "The fucking tunic is soaked through, though." The daughter of Zeus widened her eyes as she saw Percy suddenly take his shirt off. "What are you doing?"

"You can wear my shirt. I willed it dry. Did my son of Poseidon thing," he said simply. Percy gently handed her the white V-neck, and sent her a confused look whenever she didn't look up from his naked chest.

Gods damn, was he always that good-looking?

Gods damn, did she really just think that?

"Thalia," he called softly. She looked up at him, surprised. "Whoa. You just doze off for a second."

The demigoddess gave him a half-smile, but it wasn't very heartfelt. "I guess I did."

"By the way," he said, before he turned around to give her privacy, "there are some clothes in one of those crates to your left. If you can handle wearing pirate clothes until the tunic dries, I'm sure that you can find something to fit you."

She reluctantly tossed off the wet tunic, pulling his shirt on over her bra. It only went a little bit past her waist, and it wasn't enough to fully cover her underwear. Embarrassed, she admitted the fact to Percy.

"Just find some pants to wear," he said sheepishly. "I won't look. Promise."

Knowing she could trust him, she walked around him to get to the crate. It creaked as she opened it, and she fought off the urge to cough as dust invaded her lungs. She hesitantly reached inside, weary of rat carcasses. Her hands tugged at a pair of old leather trousers and her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"This'll have to do," she murmured to herself.

With a sigh, she pulled on the trousers and struggled with tying the front laces. How did people even wear these pants? For all she knew, they could have been socks.

"Here," Percy said, suddenly right behind her. He reached around her waist and his fingers flew to the strings, somehow quickly tying them the proper way. "Don't ask me how I knew how to do that."

"Are we farther from the island?"

"It's out of sight," he confirmed with a nod. "We're far. Don't worry."

"Hmm," Thalia merely said in reply. "I feel like such a loser right now."

Percy cracked a smile. "I guess I'll just have to dress like a pirate, too, then," he said, walking to the open crate. "You know, to make you more comfortable."

"You don't have to do that, Percy," she responded flatly. "Unless it's for your own pleasure, of course."

"I can't help it that I have a knack for fashion," he quipped, pressing an article of clothing to his chest and spinning around to face her. "What do you think?" he asked, striking a pose. "Too flashy?"

Thalia shrugged, not in the mood to humor him with a joking answer.

He slid on the sailor's vest. It only took him seconds to change into a pair of leather trousers. In no time, he was prancing humorously across the floor in his pirate's garb.

Even though she wanted to laugh and have a good time, she couldn't help but allow the sinking feeling in her stomach to bring her spirits completely down.

Percy released a breath of air, noticing that Thalia wasn't appearing to feel any better. He sat down on a closed crate, motioning her over. She reluctantly sat down on the barrel next to him, and she didn't bother making eye contact.

"I saw what they were showing you, Thalia."

"Just spit it out, Kelp Head."

"When I was trying to stop you from going outside—when I touched you—I saw your family calling you."

Thalia closed her eyes tightly. "What of it?"

Percy nervously reached for her shoulder, settling his hand onto it as a means of comfort. "Annabeth told me that the Sirens manipulate your greatest desire and your most fatal flaw."

The daughter of Zeus opened her eyes, staring off at the wall. "There's not a second I don't miss him," she admitted, her voice soft and shaky. "Every day, somehow, I end up thinking about him, about what happened."

"Your greatest desire…"

"Is to go back where it ended—where I lost him," she completed. "I dream about doing it all over again, but making it there in time to save him." She felt her eyes water again, and silently cursed at herself.

"What happened to Jason? What happened to your brother?"

Thalia expelled a shaky breath. "I wish I knew, Percy. Gods, I wish I knew."

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closely to his side. "You don't know what happened to him?"

"I know my mother got rid of him," she said, and her words were laced with asperity. "I don't even know why."

Sensing that she did not want to say any more about her brother, he changed the subject. "What about your fatal flaw? I thought it was power," Percy said, rubbing her back in soothing circles.

"Apparently, it isn't my most fatal flaw," she replied flatly.

"Then what is?"

"I thought it was obvious," Thalia mumbled. "It's guilt, Percy."

He nodded. "I didn't know it was possible to have more than one fatal flaw."

"Yeah," she said sullenly. "I didn't either."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked in a whisper.

Thalia glanced away from him. Was there anything he could do? Should he have felt obligated to do something in the first place? Her emotional turmoil wasn't his problem. It was incredibly wrong of her to burden him with her issues. It wasn't bad enough that she was cowardly. She had to be selfish, too, didn't she?

The daughter of Zeus stood from the crate. "You can steer the ship," she said plainly, hating the hurt expression he wore. "It's almost daylight."

Even though he obviously didn't want to allow her to go uncomforted, he nodded in agreement. He stood from the crate, and didn't hesitate to take her by the hand. "Come on. You're about to get your first lesson in steering, Sparky."