Author's Note: Shorter chapter here but the material was harder to write. Not very action packed yet I know but when it ramps up its not going to stop so enjoy the calm while you can. A couple of errors I wanted to address from the last chapter: Estelle has brown hair (just to confirm since at one point I said black and another I said brown). I also meant for Sally's series to be called Peter Johnson, which would be a nod to Dionysus' nickname for him. Unfortunately I messed that up in that chapter but it will be called Peter Johnson going forward. Lastly, I just want to thank you for all the support so far, it's a great motivator to get more chapters out. I have a lot of the story planned out, it's just about having the motivation to write it, so thank you for helping me with that. I also appreciate new ideas, if I think they're good and I can incorporate them I for sure will. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 9: I Break Up With a Married Woman

Percy gazed out across the ocean, his foot tapping impatiently as he tried to breathe to steady his nerves for what was to come. His mom had told him that Annabeth would be arriving shortly, and he had been unable to sit still ever since. His best friend and former girlfriend had lived 20 years of her life without him, and now he was going to have to face the reality that she had moved on and created a life without him. Seeing his parents and sister had been a nervous excitement, the thought of seeing Annabeth weighed on his chest like a bowling ball. There was no excitement, only dread.

He had contemplated not seeing Annabeth, and going straight to Camp Half-Blood, but his mom had warned him that Annabeth's children would be there and she would inevitably find out that he was back. So now he was stuck waiting for her to arrive with the man she had replaced him with.

He wanted to at least give Teddy a chance, but the thought of someone else with Annabeth made his stomach churn. The intensity of the waves against the shore increased and the wind picked up, whipping around him with vengeance. He took another breath to try and relax and the environment responded in turn, with the wind dying down and the waters calming.

The words of his father still dwelled on his mind. To him the threat of the Annunaki seemed very real, and Percy was willing to trust that the sea god understood the reasoning behind Chronos actions better than he did. He thought back to when he had fought the titans and the giants. It had taken everything out of him, pushed him to his limits and then beyond. The thought that there was something worse out there was terrifying, but his dad was right: he needed to be prepared for it.

"They're pulling up now!" His mom called from the condo, and Percy felt his breath catch in his throat. It was the moment of truth and so he sent a quick prayer to his father that it went well, and if the sudden gust of sea breeze was any indication, his father heard him.

He turned back towards the condo and waited. He heard a commotion as his parents and Estelle greeted them and laughter drifted out of the open doors. Percy felt his heartbeat pick up as a figure emerged from the back door and cast their eyes across the beach.

Annabeth's blonde hair waved in the wind and Percy was taken aback at how little she seemed to have changed since the last time he saw her. She had gotten older, obviously, but it was still his Annabeth. He pinched himself as the thought crossed his mind. She wasn't his anymore, she was with someone else and the sooner Percy came to terms with that the better it would be for everyone.

At first Annabeth seemed to be confused, frowning as she surveyed the beach, then her eyes found Percy. Blue found grey and Annabeth looked as if her world was falling apart. She began walking towards him slowly, her hands covering her mouth as tears began to stream down her face. When she was within a few feet of him Percy broke the silence.

"Hey Wise Girl."

Annabeth shook her head, "This isn't real. It can't be. Everyone said you were dead. Nico said you were dead."

"You know death and I don't have the best relationship. I'm always playing hard to get." Percy answered with a smile, trying to ease the tension since Annabeth looked as though she was about to break down crying.

Annabeth reached out with one hand and touched his chest as though trying to make sure he was really there. He opened his arms and then Annabeth stepped forward to accept his embrace. A part of him had hoped that when they were back together, finally reunited after all this time, Annabeth would choose him. But as he stood there holding her he couldn't shake the feeling that it felt wrong. Whatever spark he had expected to happen between them when they touched didn't happen, and Percy felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. As they pulled out of the embrace Percy looked down to see her stormy grey eyes staring back at his. They were the same eyes that had nursed him back to health when he was 12, and the same ones he had fallen in love with, but they no longer captivated him the way they had before. Maybe it was the sense of betrayal that he couldn't quite shake, the feeling that she should have waited for him no matter how long it took. She had moved on, and Percy realised there was a part of him that was never really going to forgive her for that.

Despite that he smiled at her. She was still one of his best friends, and a part of him was glad that she had managed to find happiness. Her bottom lip was trembling as she looked up at him, and she seemed more scared than she was happy to see him.

"You were gone so long. I'm sorry Percy. I met someone else, I it had been so long, you weren't coming back, I didn't kn-"

Percy stopped her by putting his finger to her lips. The weight in his chest fell away and the anxiety that had been building up just seemed to disappear.

"It's okay, Annabeth. I understand. I don't hate you for it."

The relief on Annabeth's face was evident, and she smiled for the first time, pulling him back into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're alive, Seaweed Brain. I hated myself for letting you die."

Percy shook his head, "There was nothing you could have done. You shouldn't have blamed yourself for what happened."

Annabeth pulled away and wiped her tears away, "Nico told us that you were dead, but he couldn't visit you because his father forbade it. Were you not actually dead?"

"I was trapped in ice. Don't remember anything when I was in there, just remember the cave collapsing and then waking up 20 years later."

Annabeth frowned and rubbed her chin, lost in thought for a moment. "Why would the gods not tell us you were alive?"

"My father said none of them could reach me, so they thought it best to tell the world that I had died. Another brilliant decision on behalf of the gods." Percy finished with a laugh.

This brought a chuckle out of Annabeth, "The worlds been quiet while you've been gone Percy. I can only imagine now you're back, the worlds gonna go to shit."
Annabeth said it as a joke, and Percy didn't have the heart to tell her that she was probably right. She was retired from the whole hero schtick, he was about to get back into it.

"So…I'm guessing there's someone you need to introduce me to?" Percy said with a raised eyebrow.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him, "Be nice, he's mortal but knows all about you. Meeting you is going to be like meeting a rockstar."

Percy grinned, "That's how everyone should react when they meet me for the first time."

Rolling her eyes Annabeth beckoned Percy to follow her back to the condo. Walking inside Percy saw his family sitting around the living room with an unfamiliar man amongst their ranks. His brown hair was cropped short and he wore a tailored suit with large rimmed glasses. He looked about as typical a college professor as someone could, but he had a kind face and smiled as he stood up to greet Percy.

"Hey I'm Theodore, but friends call me Teddy. I was just hearing you came back from the dead, I guess they'll have to add that to your list of accomplishments."

They shook hands and Percy could tell that Teddy was a little nervous about meeting him by the beads of sweat on his forehead. "It's nice to meet you too Teddy. I'm Percy, but I guess my parents already told you that."

Teddy nodded and then rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the ground awkwardly, "I hope there's no bad blood between us…considering the circumstances."

Percy smiled at him, "None at all. Thank you for making her so happy."

Teddy sighed in relief and the smile returned. "I just want to say hearing the stories of your adventures is one of the most amazing things I've ever heard. You are a hero Percy, and none of us would be here without you."

"I couldn't have done it alone," Percy replied, casting a look at Annabeth, "I had a lot of help along the way."

Teddy beamed at his wife with pride, "I'm a lucky man."

Annabeth blushed and moved to stand by her husband's side. She turned back to Percy and gave him a motherly glare, "Alright Percy, I want to hear everything."

Percy took a seat between his mother and Estelle and began to recount everything that he had gone through over the past few days, leaving out some key details in regards to the Annunaki but he finally mentioned the Kraken.

"You fought the Kraken?" his mother exclaimed, cuffing him over the ear, "You didn't tell me that."

"Because I knew you'd react like this." Percy replied laughing.

"So Chronos," Annabeth interrupted, "I don't know much about the primordials, but they don't interact with mortals often. The only other ones I can think of are Gaea and Tartarus, and they were both trying to kill us."

Percy nodded, "He seemed like he wanted to preserve humanity rather than destroy it, which was a nice break from past tradition."

"But why would he go out way to bring you back? It just doesn't add up."

Percy didn't know how much he wanted to tell them, but he figured he couldn't hide everything forever. "He said that a threat was coming, and Olympus would need as much help as they could get, so he brought me back to help fight."

Annabeth shook her head, "You and saving Olympus, name a more iconic duo."

"Percy and Artemis," Estelle whispered under her breath, so Percy was the only one who could hear it. He pinched her arm in response and she yelped before giggling. "Calm down little bro, I'm just kidding."

Percy raised his eyebrow, "Little bro?"

"Yeah, you're only 18 right," Estelle shrugged, "Sounds like that makes me your older sister."

"I'm 38," Percy retorted.

"Could've fooled me."

The adults in the room watched them bicker back and forth like siblings, which made sense considering they were siblings.

"So what are you going to do now that you've got your life back?" Teddy asked.

"Camp Half-Blood. My father asked me to go, he wants me to train there to prepare. Who knows, maybe I'll even be lucky enough to get a quest."

Annabeth snorted, "Lucky you." she said sarcastically, "It does mean you'll be able to meet our kids though."

"Ah yes," Percy replied, narrowing his eyes at her, "Percy and Jason."

Annabeth blushed but defended herself, "I named them after two of the greatest heroes I've ever known. I'm not ashamed of it."

Percy frowned, "Why are they at Camp though? They are only legacies after all."

Teddy grinned, "Thanks to this girl. She was hired by Olympus to redesign the Camp, and she made a whole area so that legacies could live there even though they technically don't have a godly parent. They still have a scent so it helps keep them safe."

Percy looked at Annabeth, impressed, "Look at you living your dream."

Annabeth smiled, "Resdesigning camp was the best thing I've ever done. To make it the best possible home for future generations of demigods was both an honour and a privilege."

"Okay calm down, you haven't won a Nobel Peace Prize for it yet." Teddy laughed, "You can save the speech."

Annabeth hit him in the chest but Teddy just pulled her closer. Seeing the two of them interact Percy was surprised that he didn't feel any pang in his chest. He wasn't quite sure if he had reached a stage where he was happy for her yet, but he didn't hate her for it. The betrayal remained, but considering the circumstances Percy knew that it was unfair to place that blame at her feet. The son of Poseidon had, once again, been stiffed by fate.

"So you're flying back tomorrow then?" Sally asked, and soon the conversation moved on to discussing travel plans and what their plans were for when they returned to California. Percy tried to pay attention, he really did, but ultimately found he didn't care that much about what his now ex-girlfriend was planning with her husband. Maybe he was a bit of an asshole for it, but the bitter taste in his mouth hadn't faded yet.

"Sorry," he interrupted, "I'm gonna go back out to the beach. Lots on my mind." He tried to make it as least awkward as possible, but doubted it came across that way judging by the concerned glance that Estelle sent his way. He made his way out of the back door and towards the edge of the beach where the waves slowly crashed into the shore. The sun was setting behind him and cast a red glow across the water. He had a couple minutes of peace before footsteps behind him indicated that he was no longer alone.

"You handled that better than expected." his sister said, coming to stand by his side, looking out across the ocean.

"Not the hardest thing I've had to do in my life."

"Yeah but it's easier to just stab at a problem than talk through it. You did good."

Percy didn't know if he agreed with her, but if she thought that then hopefully the rest of them did as well. At least the hardest part of his return was over, the person he had been most scared to face had seen him and tomorrow would be flying out of his life. Annabeth had already said goodbye to him once, when she thought he was dead, now it was his turn to say goodbye to her. They stood in a comfortable silence as the last rays of sunlight disappeared and moonlight replaced it. The reflection of the moon on the water cast the beach in a silvery glow, and Percy remembered what Estelle had said about the tides being drawn to the moon.

"Estelle," he whispered, and her eyes turned to study his face, "In those stories you read and wrote about…why did I fall in love with Artemis?"

Estelle frowned, "I've never really thought about it. The focus is always on why Artemis falls in love with you. In the stories she would always fix your broken heart, and that seemed to be enough."

"My heart is broken," Percy mused, "But I think in the real world, outside of those fantasies, Artemis isn't going to be the one to mend my heart. I've got to learn to do that myself."

"Forget the stories Percy," Estelle sighed, "Your life might be full of adventure but it's not always about the adventure. Sometimes it's about taking the time to figure out who you are and what you want out of life. Sure there's this threat coming, but if you don't know what you want out of your life then what exactly are you fighting for."

"For my family, for you."

Estelle shook her head, "That's a noble cause Percy, but if you win this fight what are you left with. My life is my own, and while I want you to be part of it I can't live your life for you, only you can do that."

They stood in silence for a few moments while Percy processed everything she had said. "It was Annabeth," he finally replied, "At the end of all the fighting, after all the loss, I had Annabeth. She was my rock, my tether to a normal life."

"You're never going to be normal Percy. Someday you have to embrace that. Your tether is gone, there's nothing holding you back. No limits, no restraints, no what ifs in the back of your mind. From here on out, it's your choice how you live your life. You can curse fate and the gods for losing Annabeth, but if you don't make your life worth living from here on out, the only person you have to blame for that is yourself."

She was starting to get on his nerves, probably because deep down he knew she was right. "When did you get so smart?"

"I've always been smart, you just haven't been around to see it. Someday soon you'll catch on to the fact I'm always right." She pulled him into a hug and gave him a tight squeeze before returning to the condo, and leaving him alone in the pale moonlight.

"No limits," he repeated, "No restraints."

The waves seemed to swell, reaching further and further towards him. The waves, usually dark and mysterious, now appeared ethereal, shimmering with a gentle luminescence. The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a soft glow over the vast expanse of the ocean. Its silvery beams cascaded down, creating a shimmering path across the water, as if nature itself was laying out a sparkling carpet just for him. The air was cool and crisp, carrying with it the faint scent of salt and adventure.

Percy knew he faced an almost impossible task in front of him. Everything pointed towards Enlil and the Annunaki being a greater threat than anything else he had faced before in his life. But so far everything he had faced he had beaten. He remembered a quote from one of the old sportscasters he had watched while his old stepdad Gabe played poker. He had always said 'You can only beat the teams in front of you.' He had faced down gods, titans and giants. He had fought the earth itself and journeyed to hell and back. Chronos had given Percy a shot, even if it was a long one, to save everything he cared about. If Percy needed purpose in life, then for now at least, this was it.

He would go to Camp Half-Blood and work with the trainer that his father was sending. He would ready the demigods for war and negotiate with the other pantheons to stand alongside them in the fight against the Annunaki. He would find out where the Annunaki were imprisoned and do everything in his power to make them stay that way. And in the meantime, he would find his new limits and break them. Even if the other pantheons refused the call, even if the demigods and Olympus refused to fight out of fear, even if he was standing alone against the Annunaki, Percy was determined to give them one hell of a fight.

Estelle was right, maybe he was too worried about the Annunaki and not about his own life, but that was going to be Enlil's problem, not his.