"Before we start, I think I've figured out the price." Percy says.
"And what would that be?" Hades asks.
"Any sensation described in the book I feel again here." Percy says. "It's not comfy I'll tell you that much."
"Oh, this'll be fun." The demigods say sarcastically.
"Don't remind me." Percy groans. "So much has happened."
The demigods grimaced, remembering some of the events they'd experienced.
Nico breaks the tension starts reading.
GROVER UNEXPECTEDLY LOSES HIS PANTS
Everyone busted out laughing.
"How?" Connor asked.
"You'll see." Percy said, chuckling.
"Tell us." Travis pleaded.
"The book will tell." Percy said cheekily.
Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.
"That wasn't nice." Hera sneered.
"He was creeping me out." Percy said.
Grover gasped fake-offended then laughed. "Yeah I admit I wasn't on my best at that moment."
"Doesn't give you an excuse to abandon your friends." Hera grumbles.
I know, I know… have to be sixth grade?"
"Nope I would leave to." Leo said.
"Thank you!" Percy said. "Someone agrees with me."
"Honestly, most of us would if someone was doing that." Nico said.
The demigods all nodded. Hera huffed.
Whenever he got … beeline for the restroom.
"Thank you for letting everyone know that." Grover says.
"You're very welcome." Percy said happily.
Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.
"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.
The Stolls smirk.
"We moved." Percy stated.
"Dang." They say disappointed.
"Most of us know your address anyway." Thalia said.
"What?" Percy asked. "Why?"
"Your mom is great. It's a safehouse." Will says.
Percy smiled. "Alright then."
A word about my mother, before you meet her.
"Amazing." Nico said.
"Brilliant." Annabeth added.
"Welcoming." Clarisse says.
"Kind." Will smiles.
"Wonderful." Percy adds.
"Beautiful." Poseidon smiles.
The gods looked at him in shock. Did the sea god still love this woman?
Her name is Sally Jackson …plane crash when she was five,
Artemis glared at Zeus who looked down, mainly to avoid the glares from the demigods and his brother.
and she was raised … and no diploma.
"That poor woman." Athena said. "She should have been able to go to school."
"She started night classes a few years ago." Percy said.
"And started her first book about a year ago." Annabeth added.
"Good." Athena said.
The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.
Poseidon smiled at the memory. Sally truly was beautiful. He wondered when he would be able to see her again.
Aphrodite smiled to herself, sensing the god's feelings.
I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile.
"You visited?!" Zeus demanded.
"Oh, stop brother of course I did." Poseidon waved his hand.
"Most of us do, at least once." Hermes points out.
"The rules-"
"Are old and can be changed." Poseidon tells him.
"They are in place for a reason!" Zeus exclaims.
"We can discuss this another time." Artemis says, waving to Nico to continue reading.
My mom doesn't … Not dead. Lost at sea.
"Clever." Hermes said.
"Very." Artemis agreed.
"How did you meet her?" Athena asked.
"I was very lucky." Poseidon said.
She worked odd jobs… I wasn't an easy kid.
"Yeah I wasn't." Percy said quietly.
"We know." Thalia said.
"None of us are easy kids." Will points out.
Finally, she married … him Smelly Gabe.
"Hate him." Thalia, Nico, and Annabeth growled.
"Why?" Aphrodite asked.
The three didn't answer but glowered at the floor. The others who didn't know about Gabe looked at each other confused.
Poseidon looked worriedly at his son. Was his stepfather horrible? "Percy?"
"It's fine in the end." is all Percy said, not looking at anyone.
That didn't comfort anyone.
I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.
Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Hera and Demeter wrinkled their noses. That was absolutely disgusting. Even Clarisse looked vaguely disgusted.
Between the two … is a good example.
"What happened?" Thalia asked Percy seriously.
"The book explains." Percy said, not looking at his friends. He had realized what was about to come out. He'd only ever told Thalia what happened to him, who had a similar situation with her own mother
"Read Nico." Clarisse commanded.
I walked into our little … "You got any cash?"
"Really?!" Hermes exclaimed. "You just got home!"
Percy shrugged. That was normal.
That was it. …handsome or something.
"Definitely not." Aphrodite sniffed.
He managed the …punch my lights out.
The room was silent, and Percy braced himself for the incoming storm.
"WHAT!?" Nico, Grover, and Annabeth screamed.
There was a crackling coming from Thalia. Even if she knew it still infuriated her.
Poseidon paled and looked over his son.
"You never told us that." Nico whispered.
The other demigods looked at him sadly. They never would have known had they not read these books. No one deserved that, especially Percy. He'd been through enough already.
"Percy." Poseidon said quietly, none of the other gods daring to break the moment. "Did-Did he ever hurt you?"
Percy shifted under the gazes of everyone in the room. He hesitated a moment.
"Percy please." His dad pleaded.
"...yeah." Percy whispered just enough for everyone to hear.
Poseidon closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He didn't need any natural disasters today. Percy's friends look murderous. No one hurt their friend, if they did, they got hurt themselves.
Clarisse, Frank, Jason, Leo, and the Stolls were already thinking up a plan to wreak the most havoc.
Poseidon leaned over to Apollo and whispered something in the god's ear. Apollo nodded. Percy sighed knowing what was going to happen after this chapter was over.
Thalia looked over at her cousin. Percy nodded at her. He'd be fine they just need to move on.
"Please continue now." Apollo said to Nico, who nodded, and started reading with a strained voice.
"I don't have any cash," …up everything else.
Athena's eyes widened. "Your mother is a genius."
"She really is." Percy smiled.
"You took a taxi … "The kid just got here."
"At least he's ... decent." Piper scowled.
"Am I right?" Gabe repeated.
Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.
"Disgusting." Artemis said, while the other females nodded in agreement.
Poseidon scowled. This man was not a person his son should be around.
"Fine… "I hope you lose."
"He will." Dionysus said.
"Good." Poseidon said.
"He's paying attention?" Percy asked Annabeth, who laughed.
"Your report card came… cigars and stale beer.
"That's horrible." Hazel said.
Percy shrugged. "It wasn't too bad. After a few days, the smell went away."
Hazel scowled. "It's still horrible."
Percy just smiled and motioned for Nico to continue reading.
I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.
"Love the sass." Thalia said.
"He's that sassiest of them all." Nico said. "Now I'm trying to read."
Gabe's smell was almost … my legs felt weak.
"I hate this." Percy said, looking at his shaking legs.
"I feel like we're going to hate it a whole lot more later." Jason says, not wanting to think about what his friend has been through.
Everyone groans thinking about what happens in the future. Percy was in for some, quite literally, painful reminders.
I remembered Grover's … rolled through me.
Percy suppressed a shudder. Poseidon looked at him worriedly. If these tiny descriptions were affecting his son, would the more detailed ones be worse?
I felt like someone… and my fears melted.
Percy gave an inaudible sigh as his tension melted away.
"Mama's boy." Ares sneered.
"There is nothing wrong with that." Hera shot back.
Ares just muttered under his breath while Nico continued reading.
My mother can … not even me or Gabe.
"That woman has strength." Artemis noted.
"A very smart woman too." Athena added.
"She is." Said the demigods that knew her.
"Oh, Percy." … when I came home.
"Oh, you're lucky." Leo said. "I don't get candy."
"I'll share next time." Percy said.
There was a round of cheers from all the demigods at that.
"Dibs on taffy!" The Stolls exclaim.
"You all need cereal." Demeter muttered.
We sat together …really glad to see her.
Percy smiled. He missed his mom. He hadn't seen her in what? A couple of months? A year? He hoped he could get back home soon.
From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?"
I gritted my teeth.
So, did everyone in the room.
My mom is the …jerk like Gabe.
"She is now." Annabeth said. "Well not a millionaire. But definitely someone a whole lot better."
"Very true." Percy said.
"Who did she marry?" Poseidon asked, wondering who this man the two were talking about.
"It's in the books." Percy said. "Probably, but he's great."
Poseidon nodded, accepting the answer. For now.
For her sake…suddenly didn't seem so bad.
"You tried." Will says. "But mother's always know."
"They really do." Percy agrees.
Until that trip … would sound stupid.
"Should have told her." Percy grumbled.
"Yes, you should have." Came the chorus from his friends.
"Thanks guys." Percy deadpanned, smiling.
"But... She's a mortal." Hermes said confused.
"Clear sighted." Nico said.
The gods nodded in realization.
She pursed her lips… "Montauk?"
"I love that place." Percy and Poseidon said, then smiled at each other.
"Like father like son." Aphrodite said smiling.
"Three nights—same cabin."… Didn't you hear me?"
"Let me fight him." said Jason, surprisingly. "No one should treat a woman like that."
Piper smiled at him, glad that she was his girlfriend. She had no doubt that he wouldn't do anything he could to keep her safe.
Artemis looked at him. Maybe not all males were as horrible as she thought.
I wanted to punch him… get out of here.
"Please do." Nico says.
"We did." Percy tells him. "For a bit anyway."
"A bit?"
"How do you think I got to camp?"
"I was on my way…He won't let us go."
"He better." Aphrodite said. "Mother-son time is very important."
Poseidon nodded in agreement. No person should ever deny a mother time with her child.
"Of course, he will… Sour cream. The works."
"Bribery always works." Apollo and Hermes said together.
"It really does." Percy smirks thinking of Charon.
"But a wife should not have to bribe her husband." Hera sniffed.
Gabe softened a bit. "So, this money for your trip ... it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"
Everyone flinched at the shriek that emitted from Aphrodite.
"A CLOTHES BUDGET!? I am taking this poor woman shopping." the love goddess said.
The demigods laughed. Aphrodite had never met a stubborn Sally Jackson.
"Yes, honey…soprano for a week.
"DO IT!" Ares and Clarisse yell.
"Wish I did. But I wanted to go to the beach." Percy said.
"Whimp." Ares muttered.
But my mom's eyes …what he thought?
"She loves you that's why." Annabeth says, holding his hand.
"I'm sorry… sarcasm in my statement.
Athena snorted. "There is no way I blessed this... pig with a brain."
"Yeah, whatever… forgotten to tell me, okay?"
"Seriously." Athena said. "How did you find this woman?"
"I have no idea." Poseidon said. "But I am very glad I did."
Aphrodite squealed but was shushed by Zeus who was sitting right next to the goddess.
For a …ready to leave.
There was a chorus of cheers.
"Leave!" Apollo said. "To the beach!"
"I want to go to the beach now." Hermes said.
"Maybe later." Poseidon said. "But we're reading now."
Gabe took a …"Not one little scratch."
"Not like he's going to be the one driving." Frank said. "He's twelve."
Percy laughed and shook his head at the confused faces.
Like I'd be the one driving. I was twelve.
And now everyone else was laughing.
But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.
"How?" Hades asked.
Percy shrugged. "He would."
Poseidon frowned at that.
Watching him … been shot from a cannon.
"That was very powerful." Zeus said, narrowing his eyes at Percy.
Poseidon caught the look and glared at him. "We are not harming my son."
"I didn't say we were going to." Zeus said, but looked away.
Nico continued reading.
Maybe it was just …mom to step on it.
"I would have done the same." Leo said.
"I think all of us would." Nico said.
"True." Leo affirmed.
Our rental cabin … too cold to swim in.
Athena and Annabeth shuddered. "Spiders."
"Cold water?" Everyone else asked.
"Yup." The two water-oriented people said.
I loved the place.
"Of course, you do." Annabeth said.
We'd been going … she'd met my dad.
"That's so sweet." Aphrodite coos.
"Mom." Piper groans.
As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea.
"Beautiful." Poseidon whispered.
Aphrodite smiled at the love the sea god still held for this mortal. True love is truly beautiful.
We got there at sunset… brought from work.
"Okay what's with the blue food?" Katie asked.
"Weelll..." Thalia started.
"It explains." Nico said. "Shush."
I guess I should explain the blue food…rebellious streak, like me.
"You have an obedience streak in a sea of defiance." Thalia said.
"That was poetic." Percy said while the others laughed. It was an apt description. "Sure, you're not a daughter of Apollo?"
"She isn't." Will laughs.
"Oh shush." Thalia said grinning.
When it got dark… quit the candy shop.
"She has her dream now." Annabeth told Percy.
"Good." Percy said.
Eventually, I got up …tired of hearing them.
"We all listen to these stories." Will says.
"Sometimes it's the only think that kept us sane." Katie adds.
"This is why we need to visit." Hermes huffs.
"The rules-"
"Are out of date." Apollo says.
"He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."
The gods and demigods looked between Percy and his dad.
"He's a mini Poseidon." Hades said.
"That he is." Apollo said.
"Cool." Hermes, Travis, Connor, and Leo said.
"How did you all not notice." Clarisse says.
Mom fished a blue jellybean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."
"I am." Poseidon said.
"You don't even know what he's done yet." Hades said.
"Doesn't mean I can't be proud." Poseidon said. "I can see how he interacts with his friends. I can tell he's a good person. That is something to be proud of."
Percy smiled at his dad. It wasn't everyday your godly parent said something like that.
The others looked slightly put out but if anyone deserved a proud parent it was Percy. Not that it didn't still sting that they'd never been, and probably wouldn't be, told that.
I wondered … sixth time in six years.
"It doesn't matter to me." Poseidon smiled.
The other gods looked at him. How could he express his emotion so easily? They all struggled with things like that.
"How old was I… A warm glow. A smile.
"You visited." Hephaestus said, tinkering with something.
"I did."
"Humph."
I had always … stuck with Smelly Gabe.
Percy slumped in his seat, feeling some of that heaviness and anger as he had before.
Poseidon looked concerned.
"He's not angry anymore." Annabeth says. "Remember the price."
"Are you going to send …don't want me around?"
"That was not kind." Hazel scolded.
"I wasn't thinking." Percy said.
"Obviously." Thalia said.
I regretted the words as soon as they were out.
"Good." Hera huffed.
My mom's eyes … I'm not normal," I said.
"Thank the gods you're not." Will says. The other demigods nodded in agreement.
Percy blushed slightly.
"You say that as if …"Safe from what?"
"Monsters." Jason said.
"Quests." Frank said.
"Death." Hazel added.
The demigods all nodded in agreement. It was all true.
The gods frowned.
She met my eyes, … middle of his head.
"Loophole." Poseidon grinned. "Nothing says I can't send someone in my stead to check on my son."
Zeus huffed. The other gods looked thoughtful.
Before that… meaty toddler hands.
The god's eyes widened at the display of strength. Many of them were thinking this child to be a threat to them. But they couldn't do anything about it here.
In every single school… I didn't want that.
"So, you risked you and your mother's safety for a beach trip?" Piper asked.
Percy looked down and blushed. "I didn't know it was quite that serious at the time."
Piper sighed but nodded. It was true after all.
"I've tried to … "A summer camp."
"CAMP HALF BLOOD!" All the greek campers screamed.
My head was spinning… mentioned it before?
Percy sighed and looked down. Annabeth took his hand. He smiled at her softly and kissed the back of her hand.
"I'm sorry, Percy," …I had a vivid dream.
"Your dreams are the worst." All the demigods said.
"Are they really that bad?" Apollo asked.
"Yes." Percy said.
"How often do you have them?" the sun god asked.
"All the time." Percy said.
"Even during naps?" Hermes asked.
Percy nodded.
"Must not get much sleep then." Hermes noted.
"Not really no."
The two gods just hummed leaving everyone else to guess what they were thinking.
Will looked at his friend concerned. Ever the healer he wondered how he never knew of this issue. Of course, Percy didn't like going to people for his problems. He caught his father's eye. Maybe they could come up with something to help him.
It was storming on the beach… kicked at the eagle's wings.
"You are really mad at each other." Athena said.
The two gods just shrugged. How could they know?
As they … running in slow motion.
"Hate that feeling." Leo, Jason. and Nico said.
I knew I … I woke with a start.
Percy jumped slightly. "This is getting annoying."
Outside, it really … "Hurricane."
"Smart woman." Athena said.
I knew that was crazy… hair stand on end.
Percy rubbed his arms trying to make the feeling go away. It didn't help much.
Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice—someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.
"Grover?" Katie asked.
"Yup." Percy said.
My mother … "What were you thinking?"
"I wasn't." Percy said.
"That much is obvious." Thalia said.
My mother looked at … Didn't you tell her?"
"What's behind you?" Poseidon asked.
"Spoilers." Grover says. "It's all okay in the end."
"Yeah, the end end though." Percy says.
I was too shocked ... where his legs should be ...
"This is taking you a long time to process." Piper noted.
"I was shocked." Percy said. "Didn't expect it."
My mom looked at me … Both of you. Go!"
Poseidon was gripping the armrest he was against. He had a feeling he'd be stressed for the foreseeable future.
Grover ran for the … There were cloven hooves.
"That's the end of that." Nico said. "Now I'm hungry."
Poseidon looked to Apollo who nodded. Percy groaned internally as they looked to him.
"Alright, alright, let's go." He said standing up.
The two gods nodded and led him out of the room.
The other just watched them leave.
"So, food?"