Percy

Percy was struggling to sit up in his bed. He pulled himself into an upright position and placed his back against the wall behind him. He groaned at the creaking of his ribs and repositioned his healing leg. He had been getting better, able to walk on his own, until he sprinted across all of camp to get to Annabeth. It seemed to halt the healing process, maybe even sent him back a few pegs.

The door reopened and Annabeth stepped in, holding his breakfast. He brightened up as she walked in the room. He still was not yet used to the fact that she was here. That he could hold her any time he wanted to. She was never leaving him again, she said so. Annabeth was followed closely by Grover and Thalia. He forced a grin at the both of them. He was happy they were here. He loved them and couldn't believe they were really with him. However, his grin slid off his face because all three of them wore identical grim expressions.

"Hey buddy." Grover came in and sat on a chair by his bed. Percy nodded at him and then turned his gaze towards Annabeth in a 'what is this?' manner. She didn't sit next to him on the bed, but instead pulled up a chair. Something was wrong.

"Percy." She grabbed his hand. Immediately Percy's heart rate picked up. Something was wrong something was wrong something was wrong.

"Did someone die?" He immediately blurted.

"No one is dead. And no one is going to die." Thalia said forcefully. Percy looked around at all of them and they seemed to exchange glances. What were they not telling him? What had happened?

"Do you remember what Nico told you?" Thalia asked carefully.

"Nico says a lot of things." Percy muttered.

"In the tent?" Thalia looked at him expectantly. Percy knew exactly what she was talking about, but would rather not go back to that memory. Whenever he remembered it, his chest began to feel tight and breathing became more difficult.

"That I let a bunch of monsters out, right?" Percy tried to avoid eye contact. The room began to grow hot.

"Yes." Grover said breathlessly. "We need to fix that."

"Ok..." Percy's foot bounced up and down with nervous energy. Why were they all staring at him like that?

"We uh... found a way to fix the crack in the barrier between worlds." Grover said.

"Well that's great." Percy looked up at them, nodding. "What has to be done?"

They all exchanged glances again. The longer they stayed silent, the more the pressure on Percy's chest increased. He wanted to move, to wiggle around to get rid of some of his nervous energy, but with his broken ribs and leg, he couldn't move much. They weren't retaining eye contact with them and he was about to burst out speaking when Annabeth finally broke the silence.

"You have to go back, Percy." She said in a hushed and defeated voice.

"Back? Back where?" Percy asked in a shaky voice. If they were talking about what he thought they were. No. He just escaped. He was free. He was safe. He can't go back. Not to where those monsters are. Where his torturer was still probably in that room. Oh gods that room. He would have to go back to that room. Feel all that pain again. No he couldn't. They kept telling him he was safe.

"Percy." Annabeth's voice broke with his name and that's when he knew it was true. They were really sending him back there. His breathing picked up and he could barely hear anything over his heart beating. It was so loud, how did they not hear it? The room increased to unbearable temperatures and his vision tunelled.

"No." He muttered, putting his hands over his face. "No no no no no no no."

"You won't be alone. I promise Percy! I'll be with you and so many others volunteered. It won't be for long. Just enough to close it, then you'll be back here." Annabeth grabbed his wrists and pulled them away from his face.

"No!' He jerked his arms away from her. He couldn't take a deep breath. He almost sounded like he was choking.

"I can't go back! I can't!" He grabbed his hair in his hands. Why were they all still staring at him?

"Percy, we'll be with you. You'll be safe!" Grover exclaimed. Percy didn't want to be safe anywhere but here. He wanted to stay here always and never have to go back.

He finally emerged from his hands and looked at Annabeth. "I can't do it." He broke off sobbing.

"Yes you can." Annabeth said deliberately.

"No! No I can't! I can't because every time I tried to be on my own I got captured. I'm just going to get captured again. They're gonna break my leg again or ribs or worse. And- and their laughing. I can't hear their laughing every again. I hear it in my head all the time, but if I hear it again, I'm gonna loose it. I can't go back. I can't!" He sobbed.

Annabeth looked at Grover and Thalia with a horrified expression. Thalia was looking at him with sad eyes and Grover had a face of stone.

"Okay. You don't have to go." Annabeth pulled his body to her chest and held him as he couldn't breathe. She looked at Thalia and Grover over his bowed head. They all knew he had to go, but they couldn't force him.

Annabeth said it would be his choice, and he chose.

0000000000000000

Two days later

Annabeth

Percy and Annabeth were standing shoulder to shoulder outside of a downtown New York apartment building. Percy had his arm around Annabeth for balance, but he was standing much better on his own than he had recently. Through his arm, Annabeth noticed his increasing heart rate and shaky movements.

"Let's go." She said, reminding him that he had to go inside the apartment too. Percy let loose a shuttering breath. He had not been at this apartment since he was sixteen, only a couple months after the Titan War. Hera had then abducted him, only to lull him out of his magical sleep after eight months. He then spent that summer fighting in the Giants War, only to then be trapped in Tartarus for a year. All being told, Percy was now eighteen, having been gone from this apartment, and from the person inside, for almost two years.

He looked at her, fear creeping into his eyes as Annabeth helped him walk inside the building. An elevator stood in the corner of the first room. They both stepped inside, pushing the button they both had many times. As the elevator rose, Percy turned towards her.

"What do I even say?" He asked desperately. Annabeth took in a deep breath.

"I think it'll be for the best if I talk to her first. Break the news, let her process, then you come in. I think it'll be too much if you just walk through the door." Annabeth gave him a sidelong glance.

"She- she really thinks I'm dead?" Percy's fingers drummed against his leg, his nervous energy showing through.

"Everyone did." Annabeth's chest tightened as she thought of that still lasting grief. Even though he was back and alive, Annabeth was having a hard time just turning off those pre-existing feelings of grief. It is hard to press stop on your emotions. Even though Percy was right here in front of her, some small part of her still grieved for him.

"She's never given up on me before. She always believed I was alive. Even when no one else did." He looked down, remembering when he had been blown up in the volcano all those years ago. The camp had thrown him a funeral, but his mother refused to believe it.

"It's been two years. She did believe until after the war. Until Chiron came and told her what happened." Annabeth shuffled her feet. It had been right after Leo "died" and Chiron had asked if she wanted to come with. She had denied. She couldn't handle it.

The elevator reached her floor and Annabeth stepped out. Percy remained in the elevator eyes glassy. Annabeth stuck out her hand for him to take it, and he did hesitantly. She helped him walk to the apartment door. He stood off to the side while Annabeth raised her hand to knock. She hesitated, her knuckles inches from the thin wooden surface. She glanced back at Percy and his desperate eyes.

"Remember, stay here. I'll come get you when it's time." Annabeth whispered. Percy gave a small nod. Annabeth knocked.

"One second." Sally Jackson's voice came from inside the apartment and Percy made a guttural noise. His eyes shined over and he looked as if he was going to collapse given how much he was shaking.

The door swung open and Sally was wearing an apron. She gave a large smile at the sight of Annabeth. In the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw Percy reach for her, but he didn't move.

"Annabeth! I'm so glad to see you. I just made some cookies for when Paul comes home. Please come join us for dinner." Sally ushered Annabeth inside. Annabeth shot one last glance at Percy on the other side of the door. He had tears already dripping down his face and he looked as if the last thing he wanted to do was let the door close.

Annabeth came into the apartment and sat down. Her throat was dry and she was unsure how to bring up the topic.

"Mrs. Jackson," She started.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Sally?" Sally tisked.

"Sally," Annabeth tried again, ignoring the lump in her throat. "I have some news and you might want to sit down for it."

Sally turned around in concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine." Annabeth twisted her fingers, knowing Percy was listening to every word through the door. "Just please sit down."

Sally looked nervous as she sat next to Annabeth on the couch. Annabeth grabbed her hands and tried to ignore the shaking. Annabeth wondered if this is how Chiron told her that her son was dead. Now the roles were reversed.

"As you remember, we had a battle at Camp last week." Annabeth's voice was shaky. Sally nodded.

"Well, we uh... we got a sort of surprise at the battle." Annabeth tried to hold her eye contact, but every piece of her wanted to drop it.

"A good surprise?" Sally asked carefully.

"Yes. I... um... Percy-" Annabeth started. Sally's eye brows shot up at the mention of her son's name.

"He's alive." Annabeth finished. Sally's face had not changed. After several beats of silence, she opened her mouth as if going to say something, but then closed it. She continued to stare at Annabeth, but her eyes weld with tears.

"What?" That one word was so shattered and carried so much grief. Just the sound brought Annabeth to tears.

"He's alive. He came to the battle. He escaped Tartarus. He's alive." Annabeth begged her to understand. Sally pulled her hands away and placed one shaking hand on her mouth. She closed her eyes and tears leaked out, trailing down her face. A sob ripped through her throat.

"Sally." Annabeth tried again to grab her hands, but Sally moved away.

"He-" Was all she managed before breaking down again.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. It was Percy, it had to be Percy. The sound of his mother crying was too much for him and he was asking to come in. He wanted to console her. Annabeth whipped her head back to Sally, trying to come up with a million solutions to make the situation better, but came up empty.

"Who's at the door?" Sally's voice was odd.

"I-" Annabeth was at a loss for words when the knocking came more quickly this time. "He's here, Sally. He's at the door. He's here and he wants to see you."

Sally's eyes widened as she stared at the door, unable to move. Annabeth stood up and walked to the door. Before she turned the knob, she glanced back at the tear stained trembling mother. She hesitated, then swung the door open.

Percy made eye contact with his mother for the first time in nearly two years. Sally let loose a trembling scream as she clamped another hand over her mouth. Percy walked through the room quickly, all effects of his injuries gone in his adrenaline. He threw his arms around her, sobbing right along side of her. She didn't hug him back, the shock being too much.

"Mom." Percy croaked out. That one word must have triggered something in Sally, because that's when she finally hugged him back, clutching him as if he was a lifeline. Annabeth moved away from the couch. She was no longer required.

"Oh- oh my- Percy." Sally managed through tears and muffled by his t-shirt. She pulled him back and held his face in her hands. She eyes caught on every single inch of his face, lingering on the changes. She cried again, thumb catching one of his own tears.

"My baby." She whimpered. She pulled him back in, unwilling to ever let him go again.

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Sorry that was a long one