Hey guys! For the first time ever, I didn't update the next day. I updated three days later. So here is chapter five!
One they've finished their food, Poseidon sighs and mentions that he thinks it's time for him to say goodbye. All the children stare at him and assure each other he's just joking.
Percy's vision blurs slightly,"You're kidding right? Right!" He screams slamming his hands on the table. The puddles the ice made on the floor start to shake slightly.
Poseidon shoots him a sympathetic smile. Percy bursts into tears.
"No!" Percy cries,"don't leave!" Hot, salty tears begin to stream down his pink cheeks. His real daddy was practically the only adult he had ever had in his life. Gabe took the other two away. He didn't want this one to go away too. He clings on to his legs and holds on.
Annabeth looks down at Percy's fragile state. She sighs and wraps her arm and legs around Poseidon's other leg. Bianca grabs onto Poseidon's arm and Nico climbs onto the same leg as Annabeth. Percy continues to wet the rich fabric of Poseidon's pants.
Poseidon hesitates. Seeing his son crying like this, pleading for him to stay with him. And in front of girls too, wow. "I'll lead you to the edge of camp," Poseidon decides. "This is against all the ancient rules..." The truth is, Poseidon not only had grown close to his son, but he had grown close to the other children too. Abandoning them made him feel sick to his stomach. Like the butterflies in there were demons, gnawing away at his insides until there was nothing left. And he detested it. He couldn't let it happen again.
Percy sniffs and Poseidon cups his face in his hands and uses his thumbs to wipe away his tears. He looks him straight in his matching eyes and speaks. "Percy, you have to be strong." This is why Poseidon doesn't like to get close to his offspring. They became chained, and that chain is easily broken. He didn't know what his children felt like after that. Betrayal? Probably.
Annabeth and Bianca both get out of the booth and pull Percy into a hug. "Percy you're our stranger, and when Poseidon does leave, you'll have us. Forever," Annabeth says.
Nico comes over and joins the hug.
Percy sniffs again,"Thanks."
Poseidon leads the children out the door and into a taxi. "Manhattan," he says.
The short man looks through the rear view mirror at Poseidon. "You got da moola?" He asks.
Poseidon waves his wad of cash side to side. He, Percy and Nico are sitting in the three middle seats and Annabeth and Bianca are giggling in the very back.
"Well, y'all do look rich anyways..." The man says.
They start on the road and it takes them more than a day and half to get there discluding several bathroom breaks and 'I just need to stretch!' breaks. All the children fell asleep within an hour of the ride. Poseidon was extremely nervous. He was supposed to be at a small meeting with the other major gods, but instead was in a hot, stuffy car with a drooling child on his shoulder.
~Meanwhile at the meeting~
Zeus quickly finishes settling everyone down and does a quick scan of the room. And of course, Poseidon does not have his bottom in the groove of his seat.
"Where's Poseidon?" Apollo asks.
Athena is quick to answer,"he had some extra work to take care of down in the mortal world." It wasn't a complete lie, he was down there.
Apollos eyes brighten and Artemis groans.
"I feel a haiku coming on! Poseidon is gone, in the world below us gods, I am finished now," he says. He gets up from his seat and bows. A few of the gods sarcastically clap and Apollo smiles.
Zeus's piercing blue eyes bore into Athena for a few seconds before he sighs and begins the meeting.
~Back to them~
They reach Manhattan and Poseidon is the first one out of that yellow van. He hard someone chuckle and his green eyes slowly meet grey ones.
"Athena."
"Poseidon, you took a mortal taxi all the way from Nevada? Las Vegas, Nevada when you had several other transportation options of your own?" Athena laughs lightly.
"Mom!" Someone yells. Annabeth makes her way out of the van and towards her mother. Percy follows her out with Nico on his tail.
Athena bends down and hugs her daughter,"You're looking well Annabeth," she says, standing back up."What's with the fancy clothes Poseidon?"
"We had a run in with Aphrodite," he admits.
Athena's eyes widen,"does she know?"
"Yeah...so does Hades."
"Our dad?" Bianca asks climbing out.
Athena sends Poseidon a questioning look. "These are Hades' children?" She asks.
Poseidon nods but quickly explains how they were in the Lotus Casino and had only aged a few months.
"I should trust Hades more," Athena mutters.
"Shouldn't we all..."
"So,"Athena begins. "I just came to let you know about what happened at the meeting."
"Did you cover for me?" Poseidon blurts out.
"Yes, yes," Athena says. "But Zeus looked like he was actually thinking."
Poseidon bursts out laughing,"that probably took a lot of effort."
"Not the time Poseidon! Zeus saw right through me, I'm sure! He stared at me like he was trying to get me to crack open and admit every dark secret I know. But don't worry, I'm a hard boiled egg, you can't get my shell off that easily."
"That was an interesting metaphor Athena," Poseidon says.
"And a good one too!" She and Annabeth snap at the same tune.
"Like mother like daughter," Poseidon mutters under his breath.
Annabeth smiles,"thanks!"
So I hope you enjoyed.