A/N: Sorry for the wait!

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Chapter 12

Annabeth and Percy's two cousins sprinted quickly towards him. Apollo tried to soothe him down, but he was clutching the bullet wound tightly. He wouldn't let anyone touch him. Even Apollo's brotherly friendship with him made him be in shock.

Percy's mood was completely different from when he blacked out. He was slightly calmer before he blacked out, now he was a mess. His hair was damp and stuck to his forehead, which covered up a scar placed on his head. He was shaking and was paler than his usual paler tanned skin. His eyes, instead of a sea green, looked haunted due to the nightmares he had before.

"I've got him all patched up. I'm done here," Apollo announced but when he took a glance look at Percy and changed his mind. "But I think I'll stay here for a while."

"Percy, I'm really sorry," Annabeth began hurriedly, but he wouldn't accept the apology.

"Its fine Annabeth," Percy muttered. "So you called my cousins then?"

Thalia and Nico appeared behind Annabeth, grinning widely. Their smiles faltered when they saw Percy but they kept on smiling just for the sake of him. Unfortunately, he caught the uncertain smile.

"Can you give me a mirror?" Percy asked to Apollo.

"Sure," Apollo replied and handed him a mirror worriedly.

Percy tried to grin as he took the mirror but it came more as a grimace. It turned into shock and a frown when he looked at himself.

"Hey," Thalia touched his good shoulder and continued lies evident in the next words. "It's not that bad right?"

Thalia was expecting a bitter laugh, a grimace, anything that was bad.

"I guess," Percy said uncertainly.

The people who were near Percy sighed in relief. That was until he smashed the glass mirror on the sand angrily.

"It's his entire fault. Everything is his fault!" Percy shouted angrily.

The sudden mood change was startling. The glass mirror shattered and broke into tiny pieces. Someone was bound to get their feet cut on the beach sometime. Annabeth almost jumped up in shock, and saw that Thalia, Nico, and Apollo were all trying to calm him down. They must be used to it, she thought.

"Perce you're ok now!" Apollo said to Percy.

Percy whirled to face Apollo. "Is it? Is it really over? The minute I get home..."

Percy placed his head on his knees, covering his face from the world. His body racked of sobs and the cousins didn't know what to do. Whenever he talked to them, he always seemed so strong. They thought he could face it. Apparently he bottled up his feelings inside.

Since nobody would move, Annabeth took charge. She had seen him get shot, seen his expression when he talked about his life, she knew he was angry inside. She could see right through him, through his well hidden facade.

"Percy, please calm down," Annabeth whispered, and went forward to hug him.

It was a new experience for both of them, and Percy stiffened at first, but later relaxed under Annabeth's comforting grip. Her shoulder was getting wet, but she didn't care, just as long as he was alright. That was all she cared about.

Thalia and Apollo smiled slightly, it was good that Percy finally learned to trust someone else. Nico was thinking of how he and Bianca used to hug like that and he stiffened.

"Thanks for coming guys," Percy's voice was slightly muffled. "How did Apollo get here by the way?"

"I used that GPS thing that I have. It's used for asking and praying to the gods. It's kind of like walkie-talkies." Nico replied.

Percy smiled at him. "Thanks again."

Nico shrugged it off like it was nothing, but it meant a lot. He had once betrayed Percy when he brought him to his dad, so he was glad that he trusted him.

"So what are you going to do now?" Annabeth asked. "You can't go back there!"

Percy didn't answer. He didn't have to. Everyone knew he had to go back or else he would become homeless.

"He'll come with us." Thalia said firmly. "Nico and I can take him in. He'll live with us."

"But what about your step-dad?" Annabeth asked.

Percy looked at Annabeth sharply, while Nico pulled her aside. Thalia just looked at her with slight sympathy. Why she did that, no one knew.

"One rule while you're with Percy. Never try to talk about his step-dad while he's around. Trust me. Unless it's important." Nico told her.

"One question, why did Thalia look at me with sympathy?" Annabeth asked.

"You always seem to catch everything don't you? I caught it too, I don't know actually. Although she is the only girl aside from you that Percy trusts, so she might know something that I don't..."

And now Annabeth was a bit scared. What would Percy do? She was expecting something huge, but got a simple 'please don't mention him' and him looking away. Thalia sighed in relief.

Nico was talking with Percy and Apollo about him staying at his cousins place when Annabeth whispered something in Thalia's ear.

"What made you look like me like that?" Annabeth whispered quietly.

"He trusts you, and we're best friends so I'll tell you. He can be really angry sometimes. I said something and my place was quarterly destroyed." Thalia said simply. "And... Well, just so you know, he tried suicide once. Had these pills and everything. Damn, now that I remember it, it was actually really scary. He had these overdose of pills..."

Thalia's voice shook a bit, and even Annabeth looked a bit strange with her wary expression.

"You don't have to tell me," Annabeth told her.

"No it's ok. If it wasn't for me and Nico calling Apollo with our 'GPS trackers' he would have d-died." Thalia turned away from Annabeth so she couldn't see her expression.

Annabeth looked haunted when she heard the story. Looking at Percy now, joking around with his pale face, he looked like the person who was suicidal.

"Ok, now I have to go. See you," Apollo gave Percy a brotherly hug and waved at all of them before going back to his Maserati Spyder and driving off.

"I have to go home too," Percy said before remembering that he was staying at his cousins's place.

"You're staying with us Kelp Head," Thalia punched Percy in the shoulder and he winced.

Thalia looked confused. She hadn't punched his bullet wound shoulder. But then she remembered him showing them that he had an old bruise there.

"Sorry Percy," Thalia said apologetically.

"It's ok," Percy responded but was still wincing when they all stood up.

Annabeth looked at the time and nearly freaked. Her dad was going to be really angry.

"Sorry guys," Annabeth said as she slung her backpack on her shoulder. "I really have to go."

Annabeth gave a wave to all of them and ran towards the direction of her house.

"Can we go now?" Percy asked.

"Sure Perce," Nico replied before he grinned maniacally. "Hey you want to drive?"

The cousins expected him to say no because his shoulder hurt.

"Yeah!" Percy said enthusiastically. "So I suppose you two want to drive together?"

"Why would we want that?" Thalia asked in confusion.

"Well maybe you're a coupl-"

"Don't even finish that sentence Jackson. We don't like each other. Me, like Death Breath?"

"Very funny Thals."

Percy had heard this conservation more than a million times already.

"I guess I'll take either one of yours then." Percy said quickly.

"Take mine, and Thalia can drive with you."

"It was bound to be you anyway."

Nico shielded away from their view and took a sharpie and a piece of paper out of his backpack. He wrote a few words in capitals on it and hid it behind his back.

Percy got on Nico's motorcycle and Thalia got on with him. Nico stuck the sheet of paper on Thalia's back. Then got on Thalia's motorcycle. Out of habit, the two cousins put on their helmets, giving Percy no helmet. And he, being the idiotic person he is, forgot all about it.

A/N: There is going to be NO Thalico. Do you people want to have Percy have a motorcycle crash? Do you think I should start a 3rd story? And the praying to Apollo was answered by the GPS trackers.