Annabeth led him down the hill to the huge house looming in front of them. Percy took in his surroundings in a state of awe. Boys and men with bare chests wandered about, their lower halves resembling those of goats. Some stood in strawberry fields, playing on wooden instruments, causing the plants to grow faster than normal plants. A group of kids threw a Frisbee back and forth to each other, but an occasional camper would appear out of nowhere in mid-air, snatching the Frisbee and flying away with it, with the use of a pair of winged sandals.
Annabeth let go of Percy's hand and walked up the front steps of the house onto the wrap around porch. She looked back at him. He was staring at the house. It was familiar. He knew that much.
"Come on Percy! Mr. D should be in here; it's too hot out for him," Annabeth called from the steps, which didn't give her to much of distance from him, but she was yelling anyway.
"I'm right here Annabeth, stop yelling!" Percy replied before hurrying up the steps. Annabeth grinned and opened the door.
The house looked perfectly normal. Big comfy couches, a plasma TV, surround sound system and a door with stairs going down to what Percy guessed was a wine cellar. It was a large open space, with a grand flight of stairs going up to the second floor. Annabeth tugged on his jacket sleeve and he followed her as she raced up the stairs.
"Annabeth slow down, whats the big rush?" Percy complained, pausing half way up the stairs.
"Geez, you really let yourself go after the accident, didn't you?" Annabeth chided as she waited for him patiently, tapping her foot.
At the end of the hallway, she pulled on a cord and Percy followed her up a flight of stairs that appeared from the ceiling into the attic of the house.
"It's not dusty anymore," he noted aloud. Annabeth looked at him in surprise.
"You remember?" Percy nodded. He recognized this place, as changed as it was. A window had been added, a large one with sunlight streaming in. The walls and ceiling had been painted and enchanted, and Annabeth and Percy watched as rolling fields turned to turquoise waters filled with a coral reef and fish of all kinds. A manta ray that seemed to be almost real glided across the ceiling. Fairy lights were stranded along where the walls met the floor, giving off an eerily but beautiful light. On the far side of the now spacious attic was a complete set of living room furniture. Two beanbags that had been splatter painted sat across from one another, a lamp next to either one. A futon with its back to Percy and Annabeth had a tye dye cover on it. A pair of feet stuck up over the top of the futon.
Percy took in the space and saw a poster with darts sticking out from it. It was a painting of him. He seemed to be eighteen. One dart was stuck right between his eyebrows, at the very top of his nose.
"I see you're still mad about me leaving," he said. Where did that come from?
The feet disappeared and a pale face covered in freckles and framed by a wild mass of curly red hair replaced them.
"Percy? Oh my gosh Percy!" The face screamed and it leapt over the couch, a body attached. The young woman ran at him full speed and smacked into him. Two hands started poking and prodding his sides and arms, before grabbing his cheeks and pulling him down so they were at the same eye level as the woman who owned them. Two bright green eyes bore into his navy eyes with an intense cross between focus and disbelief.
"How did you find him? I thought he was dead! You are dead! Perseus Jackson you're supposed to be dead! Oh my gods how are you alive?!? Annabeth, Percy is alive! Oh my gods does Chiron know? What about Grover? And Nico and Clarisse and Thalia! Oh my gods your poor parents! Poseidon doesn't even know you're alive! He thought you were dead! Your poor mother and Paul! Oh gods! Percy!" and than she slapped him. Hard. Percy turned his head back to her and rubbed his jaw. A bright red hand shaped mark covered the left side of his face.
"What the Hades was that for?!?" He asked incredulously. She just slapped him again. On the right side of his face. Suddenly she was pounding him on the chest, and kicking him and punching him.
"You know very well what that was for! Who in the world do you think you are? Zeus?" Thunder rumbled. The woman glared out the window.
"You think you can be dead for fifty minutes, come back to life, not tell us and just walk away!? You know how worried we were? How devastated everyone was? Annabeth built a shrine for you! A freaking shrine! Every camper from Poseidon cabin goes there to pray! Flowers that have been dyed blue are left there! When campers give their food to the gods some whisper your name! That's what this all for! For scaring us! For the storms of tears people shed when we buried your flag from that first game when you were twelve in your tomb! For making us worry! For leaving us!" The woman stopped and looked up at Percy, hands gripping his shoulders tight, her own shaking as tears streamed down her face.
"For leaving me," she added in a whisper, green eyes filled with hurt and tears. She wiped them away and released Percy from her vice grip. A tan hand appeared on the new woman's shoulder. The red head looked over to Annabeth, who was standing behind her.
"Rachel. Rachel, he doesn't remember," Annabeth told her. The woman, Rachel, looked shocked. She looked at Percy and approached him. He backed up against a wall, bracing himself for another attack. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. A gentle hand moved away his shaggy black bangs and a warm finger traced the scar on his forehead. Percy reopened his eyes. Rachel was staring at the scar, a new batch of tears threatening to spill over. She met his cautious gaze with a steady wet one.
"You don't remember me? Do you know who I am?" She asked quietly. Percy relaxed his hands and shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I don't." The woman began to cry and Percy swallowed her up in his arms. She buried herself there and cried. Annabeth smiled sadly. Rachel sniffed and gave a quiet hiccup and looked back up at Percy, than turned to Annabeth.
"He remembers you though." A statement, no question mark. No tone, no change in sound. Rachel's voice was cold, betrayed.
"Yes. Only barely though."
"Of course he remembers you." Rachel replied. She walked away from Percy.
"Rachel," Percy said. She stopped.
"Your name is Rachel."
"Seeing as how Annabeth called me that earlier, you don't remember. That doesn't count." She said stiffly.
"But I do. I do remember. Rachel, come on, I know you. I can tell."
"Than tell me Perseus," Rachel said, turning suddenly. Her arms crossed over her chest. "Tell me how we first met."
"I was running. You were on vacation. At the Hoover Dam. I was being chased by skeletons and you sneezed and I stabbed you with my sword. You hid me in the bathroom and sent the skeletons to the generators," Percy said with his eyes squeezed shut. He opened them and looked at Rachel hopefully. Joy was written all over her face, but she quickly composed herself.
"Fair enough. What's the name of your sword?"
"Um….Riptide."
"Huh. Well, okay. I guess you're legit." Rachel said with a smile and Percy grinned. She walked back to him and gave him a hug.
"Oh my gods you need to tell Chiron!" Rachel exclaimed and pulled Percy down the stairs and down the hall. Annabeth followed, laughing quietly.
"Why am I being pulled around by women today?" Percy asked aloud. Annabeth just laughed as Percy stumbled down the stairs behind Rachel who was now screaming at the top of her lungs.
"CHRION! CHIRON! CHIRON!" She screamed. Chiron came out of one of the doors in his wheelchair, zooming over the slick hardwood floors.
"Yes Rachel? Rachel whats wrong? You look like the cat who swallowed the canary! Whats going on here?!?" Chiron panted. Rachel had forced Percy down behind her so Chiron couldn't see.
"You'll never guess what the owl dragged in!!" Rachel said gleefully.
"The owl? Rachel I know you're the Oracle and all, but why are you speaking in riddles? You are not giving a prophecy! You need to see Apollo again dear, you're not right in the head!" Chiron exclaimed. Annabeth stepped out from behind Percy and came to Rachel's right side.
"Hey there Chiron. Long time no see," she said bashfully. Chiron just looked from Rachel to Annabeth and back.
"Annabeth! My dear it's been so long! Two years correct! Ever since Percy…well. Anyway. What brings you here dear girl?" Chiron asked in surprise.
"Actually, it's the accident. I wanted to talk to you about that. But, when I was at The Site, I kind of found someone. But it's more that he found me," Annabeth said, a blush creeping into her cheeks. Percy stepped out from behind Rachel to her left side. Chiron gaped at him.
"Percy? Oh dear gods! Percy! Dear lad where have you been? What happened to you! Oh gods your poor parents! Your mother was in a right fit at your funeral!" Chiron exclaimed, wheeling himself over.
"I'm sorry sir, Chiron. But I have no recollection of who you are or what this place is," Percy apologized. Chiron nodded, eyes watering with joyful tears. Percy showed him his scar.
"Of course," he said simply, eyes tracing it.
"Percy, could you try? Chiron he remembers me. He remembers Rachel. All he has to do is try," Annabeth explained. Hope filled the old centaur's eyes; Percy had been by far one of his favorite campers and students. Percy nodded and shut his eyes, picturing the man in front of him. At first, there was nothing except for what he had just been through. Re-meeting Rachel, seeing Annabeth again, being at this camp as the others called it. The four of them remained silent for five minutes, waiting for Percy to speak.
"That's alright Percy. Perhaps you will remember in time," Chiron sighed, hope vanishing from his friendly eyes.
"Chiron," Rachel said in a kind voice.
"It's alright my dear," he said as he wheeled away. Percy felt awful. He closed his eyes in disappointment.
In a flash he was twelve, in a classroom where armor lined the walls. A man with thinning hair and a scruffy beard was in a wheelchair before him in a tweed jacket. He smelled of coffee.
"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's…it's for the best."
His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips.
I mumbled, "Okay, sir."
"I mean…." Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say. "This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."
My eyes stung.
Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out.
"Right," I said, trembling.
"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say … you're not normal, Percy. That's nothing to be---"
"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."
"Percy----"
But I was already gone.
Percy's eyes flew open.
"Mr. Brunner!" He called after Chiron. Chiron stopped and his wheelchair turned.
"Leaving Yancy was right for me." Chiron smiled and moved to get up. Percy gave a gasp as the man he remembered as his favorite teacher rose higher and higher, until his lower half had disappeared and become the strong lower section of a snow white stallion.
"I agree son, it was. Now, let's see about getting you reacquainted with some old friends of yours."
