Chapter 1: Mafia? No, Greeks.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Percy Jackson. They belong to Rick Riordan.

I only own Kaia Faridah Jackson.

Kaia means "pure" in Greek and "the sea" in Hawaiian. Faridah is an Arabic name meaning "matchless pearl".

Should've been strikethrough but I can't figure out how to do it on fanfiction . net

I was warm. Floating in the darkness.

I can't move. Where am I?

Who am I?

§§§

There's a voice. Kind. Loving.

Soft.

I don't understand.

§§§

There's another voice.

Rumbling, like waves against a cliff.

I like this one more.

§§§

I can feel my body.

I can move, kick the walls of my prison.

Let me out!

§§§

The Wave voice is back.

Don't leave! Let me OUT!

§§§

Let me out!

Let me OUT!

Let Me OUT!

LET ME OUT!

§§§

Maybe I shouldn't have wished that. I hope someone invented brain bleach, I can do without knowing what being birthed feels like. It's scary, constricting and cold. So cold. Someone's holding me.

So, my new mum is Soft Voice. Where's Wave Voice?

I scream my little lungs out.

§§§

Mum is single. Or something.

I'm six months old and can crawl everywhere. Our apartment is small. My room, mum's room, living room/kitchen and a bathroom with no bathtub. It's not like I hate showers, but baths are so much more relaxing. My old mum always complained about me staying in the tub for hours. I loved it.

The good part of being a baby: I can bathe in those baby-sized bathtubs. New mum says I get my love of water from my dad. Weirdly enough, dad's name is Poseidon. Cool.

Still, he must've been teased horribly in school. Maybe. Would kids tease him for being named after the Greek Sea God? It's not like you can get an embarrassing nickname from it. Pose? Don? Bah.

My name, on the other hand... mum has horrible tastes. To be fair, she was expecting a boy. Dad has never had a daughter. How many kids does one man need to have before you can say 'never'? Three? Six?

There are no babies here. I'm my mother's only child. So, my dad is a Casanova who doesn't believe in birth control. Although... Mum says his children died young. Killed. Does my dad have a serial killer with a grudge after him?

Mum says dad will love me. He loved all his children, but I'm the daughter he has always wished for and never thought he'd get. He'll love me more, she says. He won't let anyone hurt me, not even 'Zeus'.

I really hope it's just a coincidence that the guy mum thinks is most likely to kill me is named after the King of the Gods and Brother of Poseidon. Otherwise... my possibly-very-likely Greek obsessed paternal grandparents have a serial killer son with a grudge against my dad.

I wasn't reborn in the Mafia again right? Family feuds. Names that sound like code names. Rich parents. Mum says dad wanted to bring her to his PALACE to protect us.

She refused. Dad's married, with a woman who birthed his 'Heir'. Mom doesn't want to intrude. Dad and stepmom have an arranged marriage, and an open relationship. Mum knew he was married before they fucked.

Yep, mum has the pride of a mafia woman (doesn't want to intrude? As if! she just didn't want to be the 'other woman' with a bastard), with none of the training to back up her confidence. Hope she doesn't get us killed.

I should train my Flames again. Do I still have them?

§§§

There's a man above my crib. He's handsome: curly black hair, sea green eyes, the same nose and cheekbones I see in the mirror. Daddy? I coo. I can't speak yet. Damn it all but it's a lot harder than it looks. My vocal cords, lips and tongue just won't cooperate. It's so hard with no teeth. I can feel them poking through but they just. Won't. Come. OUT!

Bullet wounds hurt worse, but this is just plain annoying.

"Hello, my little princess."

My likely-dad picks me up and cuddles me close. He's awkward, you can see he hasn't held a baby in a while, but he seems to remember how to fast. He's just rusty. No wonder, with his serial killer brother running around.

"Why the frown?"

Dad looks sad, like me frowning was his fault. That won't do. I smile, giggle and wave my hands up at him. He smiles back. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Andrea used to smile like that. His eyes are shining like the sea beneath the sun. No wonder his parents named him Poseidon. His eyes are ever-changing, like the sea.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, my little sea princess. Not even Zeus. He broke the oath twice, he has no right to kill you. You don't see me murdering his kids, do you?"

Definitely Mafia. Wait. What oath?

§§§

So... my dad's not into organized crime. I don't think he's human. Unless humans around these parts can appear in a shower of golden sparkles heralded by a sea breeze. A breeze, in a closed room, in a city nowhere near the sea. I'd think he was a Mist, but I'm a Mist and those aren't Flames. Would I be able to tell if they were?

It smells of algae and salt water. Surprisingly pleasant, comforting. Nothing can hurt me while I'm with him. I've never felt so safe.

Dad panics when he sees me crying, but I can't help it. I've always wanted to find my safe haven. A home. He should've been my home, my Sky, but he wasn't. Why?! Why did he betray us?! A place where I didn't have to run, to kill or steal to survive. In my father's arms, I felt like the world can't touch me. Dad won't allow it.

I'm not going to hide behind him forever. Just for now. While I'm this defenseless.

§§§

Dad's a God. Poseidon, Earth-shaker, Storm-bringer, Father of Horses, King of Atlantis. The Sea God. How do I know?

Well, dad rants. A lot. Mostly about his shitty brother and how much he hates Olympus' politics. He says the Seas' politics are easier. I think it's 'cos he's King and his subjects love him.

That tells me dad is either insane or the real Poseidon. Given the teleporting, and making a sphere of water for me to play with with no Flames, what the fuck?!... my dad's a God.

I learned his titles when he said goodbye.

I now have teeth and can talk properly. My first word was "Dada". Obviously, I was a daddy's girl. In this life. I wasn't anything in my last one. Dad cried. He cried when I walked for the first time too. I thought he would be happy, but...

He holds me tightly, kisses me all over my face. He looks me right in the eyes. He isn't crying happy tears.

"I'm sorry, my little princess."

He kisses my forehead. Lightly, sweetly. Like a goodbye. I start crying too. I can taste the salt on my lips. My vision goes blurry but I refuse to look away. My dad's leaving. I can feel it.

"I have to leave, you'll remember me if I don't. It's better for you to think we never met, rather than believe your father abandoned you. You'll hate me, and I know you won't remember this. Or understand." He laughs. It's a bitter laugh full of pain and anger. Daddy doesn't want to leave. He has to, but why?

"But know this. You're Kaia Faridah Jackson, daughter of Poseidon: God of the Sea. Earth-shaker, Storm-bringer, Father of Horses, King of Atlantis. The only daughter I ever had or ever will. You're a Princess and no one, not even Zeus can take that from you. A demigod's life is hard and I can't be there for you as I would like to, the Ancient Laws forbid it, but I'll always watch over you. No monster or god will hurt you. I'll protect you until you can do it yourself. Probably even after."

He kisses my forehead again and disappears. Only the blue Dolphin plushie he gifted me remains to prove he's ever been here.