Note: I am very much aware of how STUPID Poseidon's "modern" name looks in this story. Bear with me, I couldn't call him Poseidon. No one in this century names their kids Poseidon.

EVERYTHING'S WEIRD AT FIRST

Percy was speechless. All his life he'd wondered who his father was. Who was the man his mom had fallen in love with? When had he ever thought about them? What was so important that he'd left them? Most importantly, why was he here now?

The teen stood there, unmoving and unresponsive as seconds ticked into minutes.

"Sir, welcome," Chiron greeted, finally breaking the tension and wheeling himself around his desk. "Come in, we were just about to start."

"Long time no see Chiron," the man said. He stood in the doorway, crowding it with his bulk, before clearing his throat and stepping around Percy with unease. "I presume this is him? If he isn't then I have just made this a very awkward situation."

"Awkward?" Percy squeaked out, hating how strained and weak his voice sounded. Emotion boiled up inside him. It wasn't anger, it wasn't resentment; it sure as hell wasn't love. It was just overwhelming feeling. "That's what you're calling this?"

"Son...," the man started, reaching out.

"Don't," Percy said, dodging the outstretched hand. He stepped back and looked his father in the eye. Clenching his fists, the teen steadied himself with a deep breath. "Y-you can't just...come back and pretend. You can't just ignore the past fifteen years. You just can't."

"Percy, your father had his reasons," Chiron said sagely. He nodded towards two armchairs set up in front of his desk. "Reasons we're here to talk about."

Hesitation wracked him. Percy wasn't sure of what to do. His mind wanted to scream, to yell, to shout out his indignation. But he didn't feel up to it. The teen was tired after all that had happened...that was happening in his life.

'Reasons', Chiron had said. The word echoed in Percy's mind, bouncing off old memories of seaside trips and fervent fights. So many things had happened because his dad left, and now he was being offered reasons.

"Percy," his prodigal father called, making his way to one of the armchairs and settling down. "If you want to talk about this, you should take a seat. This might be a lot for you to take in."

"Does she know?" Percy asked, surprised at the strength behind his words. At the two adults' confused expressions, he clarified. "Does my mom know he's here?"

"No," Chiron replied after a pause. "No she doesn't."

"Good," the teen nodded, plopping into the seat adjacent from his father and laying his bag on his lap. He pressed his palms against his forehead; they felt cool against the growing headache.

"So," the yet-to-be-named man started. "Where should we start?"

Another calming breath, Percy slowed down on his exhale. He lowered his hands and rested them on his backpack. Its well worn surface was comforting and familiar. Only one question was on the forefront of his mind, the one that he'd asked over and over again until he'd noticed his mom's tear-threatened eyes whenever he did. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mar Posei," Percy's father replied. He leaned back, elbows planted firmly on the chair's armrests and hands laced together at his chest. "Or as the business likes to call me, Don Mar Posei."

"Don?" Percy parroted. It sounded like something out of a Soprano movie. "As in...Mafia?"

A dry chuckle from Don Mar Posei's as he explained. "It's a nickname I've been given. You see, I control the comings and goings that happen on the seas. Trade, travel, tourism, anything that happens on a dock, has to go through me."

"I don't get it...," Percy mumbled, turning to Chiron for help.

"If you take your father's last name and add the 'Don' to it," Chiron started. "It becomes 'Poseidon', the Greek god of the seas."

Don Posei nodded and elaborated. "The title Don Posei was a joke at first. But as the Posei family gained power, the name stuck. So in reality, I'm nothing but a businessman."

"If you're so successful," Percy began, clutching his bag so hard his knuckles turned white. His voice was eerily calm as he continued. "Then why did you have to leave your family?"

A grimace twitched onto Don Posei's face at the word family. "There are reasons Percy."

Reasons, reasons, reasons. The word kept popping up. It was starting to grate on Percy's patience. "So tell them to me."

"I have power," Don Posei stated, putting a finger to his temple. The faint wrinkles on his brow creased as he went on. "And with the power comes danger; enemies that want to bribe or blackmail me. I knew that the more I associated with you, the more they would target you. I didn't want you getting caught up in my business."

"Well guess what," Percy said. Memories rushed through him. Of losing count of how many times they'd moved houses, of running back home because he'd been told to never stay out after dark, of finding Gabe Ugliano and finally settling down to a life of turmoil. Stinging in his mouth as the taste of copper and salt filled it bought him back to the present. He'd been biting the insides of his cheeks. But it was good; the pain was making all this feel real. "They came anyway."

"Percy, calm down," Chiron instructed. The older man stayed behind his desk but Percy felt the guidance counsellor's brown eyes trailed on him, waiting, watching, for him to compose himself. "There's nothing more your father could have done to keep them away. Sending you extra security would have just been like painting a bulls-eye on you and your mother for all those who didn't know about your existence."

"Why couldn't you take us with you?" the teen pleaded, grasping for a reason. Any reason at all. He needed to know that they weren't thrown away just because Percy was a bastard and his mom wasn't married. He wanted to say more, but his throat was clenched with frustration and vehemence. No words would come.

Don Posei didn't answer right away. They stayed like that, stuck at a stalemate until the businessman finally answered. "The family wouldn't allow it."

Percy felt like he'd been turned to stone. Cold filled every part of him with numbness and ache at the same time. So it was true. The very thing he'd suspected since he'd been old enough to understand. He and his mom...they were unwanted.

"So that's your reason," Percy confirmed, getting up from his seat. He slung his bag onto his back. Its familiarity wasn't helping him now. "That it was too dangerous for you to come near us and too much trouble for you to take us in."

"Percy that isn't...," Don Posei started.

"Isn't what?" Percy exclaimed, letting his maelstrom of emotions out. "Isn't true? Tell me it isn't true!"

"PERCY," Chiron boomed.

The teen jumped at the crippled man's call. In all the time he'd known Chiron, Percy had never heard the man shout. Yet as he looked down at the old man in his wheelchair, Percy saw no anger, no irritation. It was just patience.

"Percy," the guidance counsellor repeated. "You need to understand that this situation is what you make of it. If you just listen to reason then—"

"Reason?" Percy screamed. "Your reasons aren't changing the truth. I'm just a-a bastard and nothing's ever going to change that."

"Percy it is not as bad as you're making it out to be," Don Posei said. "Now that you know about all this, I can help you. I can help Sally."

"No," Percy said. He strode past his father and to the door. "We needed you before and you weren't there. You can't just suddenly come into my life and be a dad. It doesn't work that way!"

Percy flung the door open with a resounding bang and found himself staring at wide grey eyes.

"Percy?" Annabeth said softly. Shock poured off her countenance. She'd seen Percy like this before: when he'd fought Gabe in his apartment. The hatred on her tutee's face brought back memories of the incident. Her irritation at this morning's locker note vanished. "What's up? I heard shouting."

Resentment bubbled up inside of him and he hated it. This was Annabeth, who despite her questionable methods, had only ever helped him. But he couldn't stop himself from envying her. Annabeth probably had a normal family, not perfect, but normal. And that was all Percy ever wished for.

"Just leave me alone," he said gruffly, pushing past his tutor.

"What?" she said, watching him walk away. She wanted to follow him but something held her back. Turning to face the occupants of room 230, she asked. "What the heck happened to him?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The grey autumn sky wept. Raindrops pitter-pattered around him, constant and steady. Percy liked rain. The chilling deluge calmed him and cleared his head. And up here, on the rooftop, no one would bother him.

He laid there, arms and legs splayed out with his head cushioned by his sopping wet backpack. Too many things were happening at once. Too many thoughts were rattling in his head.

His eyes closed involuntarily as he revelled in the feel of the water rolling off his face.

First priority was to keep this a secret from his mom. This was going to be the first real lie he'd told her in almost eight years. They didn't lie to each other. That's not how their broken little family worked.

His brow scrunched with confusion. He could still hear the rain but couldn't feel it.

"Percy get up," commanded a familiar voice.

"Argh," Percy groaned, laying an arm over his eyes. "Annabeth, go away."

"No," she said. "Now get up."

"Annabeth, I'm serious. Go away."

"Percy, I'm serious too," Annabeth repeated. She yanked on his arm and nudged him with her toe. "Come on, at least get to the covered area."

"Fine," Percy said grouchily. Opening his eyes, he saw her staring down at him. She held a Tupperware in one hand and a clear transparent umbrella in the other. His clothes squished noisily as he shifted around, getting to his feet.

Together, they walked to the small covered area just outside the door leading into the school.

"You know," Annabeth said as she closed her umbrella. "I think your mom's really nice."

Percy gave his tutor a funny look. "What?"

"She's like the perfect moms you read about in little kid's books," she continued, pretending he hadn't said anything. "When I saw you two together in your apartment, it made me wonder. Maybe if my mom stayed with us, then she'd be like that too."

"What?" Percy asked, more forcefully this time.

Annabeth turned to him with a sad smile on her face. "Percy, I met my mom a little over four years ago, when I entered CHB. I was so little when we met, so there wasn't as much angst but...even with a ten year old, you get bad feelings. Where had she been? Why wasn't she coming home with us? You think it's the worst thing to ever shake your life but you get over it."

"Was it weird?" Percy whispered. "Letting her back in?"

"Everything's weird at first," Annabeth replied. She set her umbrella down, leaning it against the wall. She took her Tupperware in both hands and popped the top off. "Like blue cookies."

His eyes widened in surprise at the dozen chocolate chip cookies stacked up inside, all coloured bright blue. "You bake?"

"No," she confessed, handing him one. "We had Home Ec. before I came up here. Ms. Tia looked at me funny when I dumped the food coloring in, but hey you can't please everyone."

Percy took a bite out of the cookie and chewed. For some reason, it was sweet and salty. Sort of like what Annabeth was like. He swallowed and looked at the cookie contemplatively. "Hey Annabeth?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," he smiled. "A lot."

"You're welcome," she said, before whacking her tutee on the upside of his head. "And that's for the post-it. What idiot asks someone to forget about something like that?"

Percy zoned out, half-listening to her rant about his stupidity, half- chewing his cookie. It was mostly the cookie, but she didn't need to know that.