Author's Note: I made a mistake in the previous chapter in regards to Sally's eye colour. Her eyes are blue, so I will fix that mistake moving forwards.

Chapter 8: I Cry…A Lot

Percy didn't know when he started crying, but it was somewhere between his moms scream and when she tackled him in a hug.

She had looked him up and down, her jaw slowly sinking to the floor before she let out a scream and staggered backwards into the apartment. She put her hands over her mouth and gazed at him in a mixture of wonder and shock. Tears slowly started running down her face and if Percy had to make a guess that was probably when his tears started welling up as well.

"Is this…" she gasped, "Is this real? Are you real? Is this a dream?"

Percy smiled, "It's really me mom. I'm here."

That was all Sally needed to jump at him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her sobs into his chest. Percy felt his own tears fall down his face and returned the hug, squeezing her in reassurance that he wasn't going anywhere.

Percy wasn't sure how long they stood there, holding one another and crying in silence, but their reunion was broken by the sound of a door down the hall opening. An elderly woman stepped out and looked over in concern.

"Are you okay Sally?" She called over.

His mom broke their embrace and wiped away her tears. "Haha, I'm fine Doris. I just haven't seen my so-grandson in a long time."

Doris grinned, and showed the two of them a mouth only half-full of teeth, "He's a handsome one dear. I'm sure he has trouble keeping the ladies off of him."

This brought a chuckle out of both Percy and Sally, and they waved Doris off before Sally invited him inside the apartment. He had only been there once, and technically it was 20 years ago, so Percy shouldn't have been too surprised at the changes they had made, but he couldn't help taking a moment to drink in his surroundings.

Having grown up relatively poor, the luxury living room and modern kitchen blew him away. The living room seemed as though it was ocean themed, with a fairly large fish tank accompanying green and blue patterns that decorated the walls and the floor. The fish immediately swam over to him and tried to get his attention but he tried to tune them out. The kitchen was less colourful, but still tasteful, with white marble countertops and a large and complicated fridge. There was a touchscreen on almost every appliance, ranging from the fridge to the toaster to the dishwasher, and he was once again reminded of the years that had passed since the last time he was around civilization. The hallway he was standing in was fairly long, and Sally had made full use out of it, creating a line of pictures. They were mostly Percy and Estelle throughout the years, and Percy got his first look at the woman his baby sister had grown into. She had his black hair, but had taken after his moms blue eyes. She was pretty, and reminded Percy of the pictures of his mom from around the time she had met his dad at Montauk. His eyes followed the pictures and saw that she had been accepted into college, which had been commemorated with an image of her and Sally laughing at the beach while she held her acceptance letter. His eyes stopped at the last picture in the line, of himself, his mom, Paul, and a baby Estelle at Montauk. He felt tears well up again at the thought of how much he had missed out on.

His mom broke him out of his thoughts as she stood next to him, pointing at the picture of her and Estelle at the beach. "She was really worried about getting into college so we went to Montauk for her to open the letter. She wanted a bit of good luck from her big brother."

Percy felt the tears coming down again but his mother put her hand on his shoulder. He felt like he was 12 years old again, coming home from Yancy Academy and the second his mom walked into the room everything was okay again. It didn't matter how many titans or giants he fought, his mom was still there for him to rely on. He felt the weight that had been on his shoulders since he had come out of the ice fall away. Enlil, the Annunaki, his promise to Artemis, all of it seemed so silly to worry about. His mom was here and everything was going to be okay.

He turned to face her and truly took a good look at her appearance. She had aged, but gracefully. Her once brown hair was now completely grey, and wrinkles framed her face, but her eyes still shone with warmth and that seemed to make her look 10 years younger than she was.

"I…" he started, "I'm sorry I wasn't here. I'm sorry I couldn't see her grow up. I wanted to be there to be her big brother."

Sally put her finger to his lips and shook her head, "You were always there Percy. When she was young we would tell her stories to put her to sleep. She only ever wanted to hear one, the story of how her big brother saved the world. She used to play in the pool and the ocean, pretending to be a superhero like you. And ocean life loved her. When she was at the shore dolphins would swim right up to her. They knew she was your sister, and they looked after her for you."

Percy remembered how animals under his fathers domain treated him, the way they referred to him as a prince. He'd always thought it was way too much, but he suddenly appreciated the respect they had shown him and the love they had shown his sister as a result.

"So…" his mother started, "Can I ask where my son has been for the last 20 years?"

The way she said it made it sound like it was a mother berating her son for staying out past curfew, and Percy couldn't help but let out a laugh. "I uh…I got trapped in ice. I don't remember anything from when I was in it. The next thing I remember after going into the ice was coming out of it."

"And how did you come out of it?" she asked, frowning.

"A god," he replied, "Not one I had ever met before, but I owe him for getting me out of it. He got me on a boat and sent it to Boston, and then I took the train from there to here." He decided not to mention the Kraken or the man on the train, he figured it was better to save his mom the stress of thinking about that.

Sally smiled, "Well none of that matters now. You're home, and that's all I care about. Paul will be home in a bit, and I'll give Estelle a call to come over. She went to college in New York to stay close but lives in the dorms, so I'll tell her to pack an overnight bag and head over. In the meantime," she walked into the kitchen and gave him a knowing look, "I'll assume you're hungry. Time for your first home cooked meal by your mom in 20 years."

Percy's stomach roared in agreement at the idea, and so he took a seat at the counter as his mom flitted about the kitchen preparing him something to eat. He listened as his mother recounted some of the stories of Estelle growing up, from getting into fights in elementary school to winning the state swimming competition, and eventually to earning a scholarship to NYU for Classical Studies. Apparently she was clear sighted as well, and had become obsessed with the mythological world, going as far as to write a thesis paper on the lasting impact of Greek mythos on modern America.

She was supported in her endeavour by her dad, who had become principal of Goode High School and helped guide Estelle through the application process. Paul was the cool principal, and was spotted at almost all the major school events. Apparently he was getting back from one of the post-graduation parties that the school staff had thrown. It had become a tradition to throw a party after graduation ever since something called Covid. They had all had a meetup on something called Zoom to celebrate their graduation the year a huge pandemic swept across the world, and so they had continued the tradition even after it passed. Percy tried to imagine what it would have been like to have the whole world undergo a pandemic, but the stories Sally told him were so ridiculous he struggled to believe that it happened.

And then Sally told him what she had been up to. About how she had decided to be a housewife for a few years before publishing her first book. It was called Peter Jackson and the Olympians and it was an instant success. It detailed the stories of a son of Poseidon having to save the world from his evil grandfather Kronos, and Percy couldn't help but think he had heard that story somewhere before.

"Estelle just loved the stories when she was younger," Sally was telling him, "And I always tried to make them funny when I was telling them to her so it just made sense to put it to paper and get it published. You are loved across the world, they just know you as Peter Jackson. The stories aren't 100% accurate of course, since I wasn't there for everything, but they cover the main idea."

Percy smiled, he was glad that his adventures had had a benefit for his family. He wondered how much money he would be able to make if he wrote an autobiography, but the thought of having to sit still that long to write made his skin crawl.

Sally was just finishing cutting up some dyed blue chicken when they heard the sound of the front door being unlocked. There was a shuffling sound and then Paul came into view. He had also aged well, but perhaps not as well as Sally had. His hair was also grey throughout, and he had bags and wrinkles under his eyes, but he had retained his movie star smile.

"Hello dear. I didn't realise you were cooking. I wouldn't have had so much cake at the party. You know I can't control myself around free cake, and it always goes straight to my…" Paul trailed off as he saw Percy for the first time.

He looked at Sally and then back at Percy, his mind still not seeming to fully comprehend what he was seeing. Percy stood and took a step towards him, "Hey Paul, long time no see."

Paul gasped, and then just like his wife charged forward and pulled him into an embrace. Before he knew it Percy had tears running down his face again as he held onto his stepdad like he was scared he would lose him if he let go.

"Oh Percy…it's a miracle. It's a bloody miracle. We prayed. We prayed to everyone, all the gods we could think of. We spent so many days hoping you would knock on that door. We lost hope…we stopped believing…but you're here, you're here."

Percy didn't say anything, he was scared if he tried to say something he would start sobbing. He had never had a father figure growing up, and as much as he loved Poseidon he was fairly distant as far as dads go. Paul had filled that hole in his life, and to see how happy he made his mom was something that Percy would never be able to repay.

Percy finally loosened his grip on Paul and took a step back, wiping away tears as he did so. Paul shook his head as he looked at him, "H-how is this possible? Where were you? What happened? Why do you look so good for pushing 40?"

He and Paul took a seat at the counter and Percy began to repeat what he had told his mom. He was interrupted by Sally serving him dinner, and so she took over telling him the story with Percy interjecting here and there. Paul just sat there in silent wonder, looking at Percy in awe.

"It doesn't matter what you do Percy, you always manage to top it. You're a real life Captain America. We used to tell Estelle stories about you, it's all she ever wanted to hear. You were her hero. Oh my god she will be so excited to see you." He turned to Sally, "Did you text her to come over?"

Sally nodded, "Of course, she said she was one her way. She'll be here soon."

Paul grinned, "You'll love her Percy, she reminds me so much of you. So much drive, so much will. You must get it from your mother."

"You old flirt," Sally blushed.

"How did I get so lucky," Paul said, "A beautiful wife, a beautiful daughter, and a superhero as a step-son?"

"You don't think I'm beautiful?" Percy joked and the older couple laughed. It was such a wholesome moment, and Percy thought back to his fears that they may not be alive when he found out how long he had been gone. He would've traded anything in the world to have a moment like this.

He was knocked out of his stupor by someone ringing the doorbell, and Percy felt a jolt of nervous excitement as he was faced with the prospect of finally meeting his sister. The last time he had seen her she had been a baby in his arms, now she was going to be older than he was. Paul hopped out of his seat and walked towards the front door, from here Percy could hear Paul saying something."

"...bit of a surprise in there. So just be ready okay?"

Percy stood up as Paul walked back into the kitchen, and behind him walked his adult sister. He was stunned again at how similar she looked to his mom when she was younger, with long brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was tall, only a few inches shorter than Percy, and had an athletic build that he guessed was from swimming. She had a dolphin necklace around her neck and matching silver dolphin earrings. She smiled at Sally before her eyes landed on Percy. She frowned at first before turning around and looking at the pictures in the hallway. She looked back and forth a couple of times before her eyes widened in understanding. She stared at him for a few seconds, and then the tsunami came.

"What was going through your head when the Minotaur took mom? Did Hades just give her back? I thought he was supposed to be a grumpy god? Is Apollo as hot as everyone thinks he would be? Is Artemis hot because Apollo is hot and they're twins or do they look super similar and it makes it weird? Is it true you can talk to horses? Could you, like, go to a horse race and talk to them and rig the race in your favour? Because I've thought about it and like you would always win and what are the bookies going to say: that you're talking to horses? No shot they would sound insane. Also Olympus is on the 600th floor? That's so cliche, they couldn't think of a better place for it? Also does that mean the Olympians moved the second the Empire State Building was built or were they already here? They really just stole prime real estate, I lowkey have so much respect for that. Could you stop hurricanes from happening? Because if you ever wanted a job you could just help stop-"

"Estelle!" Sally cut in, "Give him a moment to breathe."

Estelle paused, then facepalmed, "Omg sorry Percy, I just have so many questions. You're like, so cool, your life is so crazy, I've always had so many questions." She walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. "It's nice to finally meet you big bro, although I kind of expected you to be older. Do demigods not age? Is it like twilight where after you become an adult you don't age anymore? "

"I was uh…frozen in ice." Percy responded, in awe of the avalanche of questions he had been faced with.

"Oh so like Captain America," Estelle said, and Paul grinned as his daughter came to the same conclusion as him, "That's so unoriginal. Would've been cooler if you'd become like the guardian of the hunters of Artemis, or maybe gotten like gamer powers or something like that. I don't know, I read a lot of fanfics. Don't get me wrong, so awesome you're back, I just expected something crazier y'know. Like your whole life has been an action movie and then BOOM 20 years in ice. Just kind of anticlimactic I guess."

Percy loved her, instantly. She was straightforward and didn't seem at all fazed that he had come back from the death, if anything she seemed unimpressed in his manner of doing it. He grinned and took a deep breath.

"I was so scared, I wasn't really thinking. I kind of forced him. He is grumpy but don't tell him I said that. I guess, I don't see it. I think Artemis is better looking than Apollo. Yes. I guess yes, I've never tried it. Yep, just gotta ask the guy at the desk for the pass. I have no idea. I've never stopped a hurricane, only started them. And yes we do age, my ageing just stopped because of the ice. Guardian of the hunters? You're crazy, I'd get turned into a jackalope."

Estelle rolled her eyes, "Well obviously at first they'd hate you, but then you'd win them over and eventually Artemis would fall in love with you and you'd win approval from the hunt. It's Pertemis."

Percy blushed, "Pertemis?"

"Yeah it's your and Artemis' couple name. You guys are so adorable. I never really shipped Percabeth since I knew Auntie Annabeth and it felt weird to write about her. It was easier to write about goddesses I'd never met. Besides, you and Artemis would make a cute couple."

By this point Percy was red as a baboon's backside, and couldn't even think of a response. Him and Artemis? That was crazy. He had interacted with her a handful of times, and while she had always been respectful the thought had never even crossed his mind. Something else that Estelle said caught his attention though.

"Auntie Annabeth?"

At this point Sally cut in, "Your friends were a great support system for us while Estelle was growing up. They would always come by and would often babysit to give Paul and I date night. Especially right after you disappeared Annabeth was here a lot. But then she…umm…she…"

His mom trailed off but Percy shook his head, "Don't worry mom, I spoke to her cousin in Boston, I know she remarried. It's okay."

He didn't know how okay he actually was but it seemed to be the relief on his moms face was evident, and so she picked up where she left off.

"When Annabeth moved to San Francisco she met Teddy. She came to visit a few times with the kids, Estelle and Percy were good friends. The age gap has gotten more pronounced in recent years though."

Estelle frowned, "No mom, he got a girlfriend, and she doesn't like the thought of Percy hanging out with someone as hot as me."

Sally rolled her eyes while Paul laughed. Sally ushered them towards the couch and then turned on an electric fireplace. The flames seemed to flicker holographically and gave out real warmth and Percy quickly found himself snuggling next to the fire as the day faded into night. They chatted for hours, with his parents and Estelle telling him stories about her growing up, and with Percy answering Estelles seemingly endless stream of questions. Eventually Paul yawned and so he and Sally stood and prepared to head to bed. His mom enveloped him in a hug and squeezed him tightly.

"You better be here when I wake up, or I'll ground your ass." she warned.

"Mom, I'm 38, I don't think you can do that." Percy laughed.

Sally shook her head, "I'm your mother, I don't care how old you are, I can still ground you."

And with a pointed look she kissed his forehead and headed to her bedroom. Paul kissed Estelle on the cheek before giving Percy a hug and following his wife. That left just Percy and Estelle, and Percy decided he had some questions of his own.

"So these fanfics you wrote, what were they based on?" Percy asked, curious as to why she would be writing about him and Artemis.

Estelle grinned, "After mom published the Peter Jackson series it gained a huge following, and people began writing, coupling you with just about everyone: Nico, Thalia, Piper, Reyna, Calypso, Aphrodite, Athena, hell even Zoe. I thought they were boring so I wrote some ones of you and Artemis, since I loved the idea of you winning her over by being the only good man she knew. Plus the moon draws in the tides y'know. Ultimate power couple."

Percy tried not to dwell on most of those names, since they made him uncomfortable, but he couldn't get the Artemis one out of his head. He remembered how she had looked in his dream, older, regal, beautiful, and felt himself blushing at the thought. Why had he hugged her? Was there really something to the idea that the moon attracted the tides?

"Any stories where I got locked in ice for 20 years?" he asked.

Estelle frowned, "Eh, there was this one author that tried that concept. They put out like 5 chapters but then disappeared off the face of the earth. If they ever write any more I'll let you know how your story turns out."

"I appreciate it."

"So…" Estelle began, for the first time, being cautious when it came to asking a question, "How do you feel about the whole Annabeth situation?"

Percy admired her bravery at asking such a personal question so soon after meeting him, but decided that that was just how she seemed to be as a person. Besides, it was nice to have a sister he could actually talk to about things.

"I don't know how to handle it." He finally answered, "I feel like my heart is broken but I can't be angry at her for moving on. I've been gone 20 years, and she thought I was dead."

"You're allowed to be angry Percy," Estelle said, "You woke up to losing 20 years of your life. You're allowed to be angry and upset and curse the gods. Those are real emotions, and you'll only hurt yourself by not recognising them. Just don't get lost in them. Think of this as a clean state, you get to start the path you want your life to be on now, and you have an amazing support system to do that."

Percy felt tears threatening to fall in the corner of his eyes and he buried his head in hands. He heard Estelle move and then felt her wrap her arms around him. For the first time since meeting her the room fell silent apart from the crackling of the fire. She held him as he shook softly, tears running down his face in a mixture of relief and frustration. He was here, his parents were alive and Estelle was all grown up, but he had missed it. He had missed his chance to be her big brother while she grew up and more than that he had missed out on the love of his life. He had to start over, when everyone he knew would be adults with families and lives of their own, he had to build from scratch. For a brief moment the thought of taking on the Annunaki seemed less menacing than figuring out his future.

Eventually the tears stopped and Estelle let go. "I think you could do with a good sleep," she said, and grabbed him by the arm and gently picked him up. He wiped away his tears and followed her to the other side of the apartment where there were two doors facing one another. One had a blue letter E and the other had a green letter P. Estelle nodded towards the P room and gave him one last hug before heading into her own. Percy eased open the door and found that his room was almost untouched from how he had left it.

His closet was still full of his clothes and his old shield watch that Tyson had repaired was lying on the nightstand. He took off the clothes he had been wearing since the village and hopped into the shower. Feeling the warm water wash over his skin rejuvenated him and helped allay the anxiety of facing Annabeth. He had told his mom that they would schedule a meeting with her before her and her new husband went back to San Francisco. He changed into some pyjamas and snuggled under the covers, being reminded that just before he had left for Greenland they had replaced his old mattress with a memory foam one. As he sank his head into a pillow he smiled at the thought of how well his reunion had gone with his mom, Paul and Estelle. It felt like he had barely been gone and they had welcomed him back into their lives like nothing had changed.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face, and for the first time since getting out of the ice he had a dreamless night's sleep.

Over the next couple of days his parents and Estelle helped him get readjusted to modern life. He learnt how to use the kitchen appliances, and Estelle showed him how to work a phone. He was nervous at first since monsters were attracted to cell phones like a beacon, but his mom eased his fears by telling him that the apartment had been blessed by Poseidon. No monsters would be coming anywhere near else they would face the wrath of the sea god.

Annabeth was apparently leaving in a couple days so his mom invited them to meet them at their condo on Montauk beach. She didn't mention Percy, saying to him that she thought it was best they rip off the bandaid all at once. Estelle decided to take a couple days off from college and join them, and so as a family they packed up for the trip and hit the road. Percy got shotgun, much to Estelles' chagrin, but she and Sally had fun gossiping in the back while Paul told Percy about how the New York sports teams had fared in his absence. When they finally arrived Percy found it was a quaint but stylish condo who's back door opened out onto the beach. It seemed his mom had done quite well out of her book series. They were meeting Annabeth the next day, and so for at least 24 hours Percy would get to enjoy uninterrupted time with his family at the beach. Or so he thought.

He and Estelle were walking the surf while his parents read books and tanned when Percy felt the familiar scent of the sea breeze. He turned, and standing next to him in his traditional Hawaiian shirt, khakis, and fishing hat, was his father.

"Hello Percy, it's been awhile."

Estelles jaw dropped as she realised who was standing next to them. She scrambled into a bow and began opening and closing her mouth like a fish. For the first time she seemed like she was lost for words.

"Hello Estelle, I see you have grown into a fine young woman. You look so much like your mother. I am proud of how you competed in your last swimming tournament, you might have even given Percy here a run for his money."

"Th-th-th-thank you my lord. It's s-such a p-pleasure to meet you."

Poseidon smiled, "If you wouldn't mind my dear, could I have some alone time with my son? We have some catching up to do."

Estelle nodded in a hurry and then sprinted towards her parents, grabbing their attention and pointing to the surf. Sally and Paul waved and Poseidon returned the gesture.

"They have missed you Percy, as have I. It is good to see your back." He turned and opened his arms towards his son, and Percy sunk into his fathers embrace. He felt tears rising up again and wondered how silly it was that he was crying all the time.

"There is no shame in crying my son," Poseidon said as though he could read his mind, "I would be more worried if you weren't."

Almost as if his tears had been waiting for the sea god's approval, they began to run down his face. Poseidon finally ended the embrace and put his hand on Percy's shoulder, looking at him with a face shining with pride.

"You were beyond my reach, beyond all our reach. I knew you were in the oceans, but I couldn't find where. My brother confirmed that you weren't dead, but since we had no idea we told the world you had died. It seemed simpler that way. I'm sorry for any tragedy that has caused you."

Percy felt himself get angry, but pushed down the feeling as soon as it came. He wondered if we would do the same in their situation, but decided he wasn't a god and therefore couldn't fully understand their thought process. He knew his father wouldn't do anything to purposely hurt him.

"It's okay dad. At least everyone could move on with their lives." He tried not to sound spiteful but didn't think he did a good job at masking it.

"Where were you?"

Percy sighed, "Locked in ice. I don't remember anything while I was in there, but Chronos came to break me out of it."

Poseidon's face darkened, "My father?"

Percy hurriedly shook his head, "No the Ch Chronos. The primordial."

That did little to ease the tension in his face. "Chronos has not interacted with our world in centuries. Why would he get involved now?"

"He said something about the Annunaki potentially coming back. He said Olympus would need me if they did."

Poseidon pondered what Percy had told him as he gazed out across his domain, "I thought the Annunaki were just stories, told to us by our mother to frighten us. But if Chronos says they are real then that is a dark realisation. The primordial of time has expert precision and infallible timing. He didn't bring you back based on an 'if' or a 'maybe'. If he says the Annunaki are coming, then we had best prepare. I must warn the other Olympians."

Percy nodded, happy that his father was taking the threat seriously. "Dad…do you have any interactions with the Egyptian or Norse gods?"

Poseidon frowned, "Very little, we tend to stay out of each other's way. Pantheons do not tend to go together well. Why?"

"I was thinking…if the Annunaki are coming…maybe the pantheons could combine to try and stop them?"

"A noble idea," Poseidon mused, "But it will be far more difficult than you think. We have clashed on and off throughout the millennia. Old rivalries die hard. But if anyone can break that cycle then it would be you Percy. I can sense it…your time in the ice has left you far more powerful than perhaps even you realise. 20 years absorbing my domain…you have only experienced the tip of your new powers. Before you go about your goal of uniting the pantheons, I would ask a favour of you."

"What is it?"

"Go to Camp Half-Blood. You will meet old friends, Chiron among them, but more than that it will give you a place to train and hone your powers. Once you have settled, go to the beach there and I will send a trainer. Chronos does not make idle threats, if he brought you back he believes you can be the difference, and we must do everything in our power to make sure you are ready for that."

Percy nodded, he had planned to return to camp at some point anyway, now he just had a reason. "I will. I'll make you proud."

Poseidon shook his head, "You have already done that a thousand times over my son. This next test you face will be your greatest yet. If it were anyone else, any other hero I would believe the cause was hopeless. Perhaps I am biased, but if there is any demigod that can change the course of history it is you Percy. You are my son, a true son of the sea. I will be watching you every step of the way, and will do what I can, but the fate of the world may once again lie in your hands."

The weight of that expectation made Percy feel like he was carrying the sky again, but he couldn't help blushing as his father heaped praise upon him. His father gave him a smile and pulled him into a hug once again. "Goodbye my son. It is good to see you again."

When he released him, he faded into the sea breeze, leaving Percy alone with his thoughts and the weight of the world on his shoulders.