MAELSTROM [femPercy x DC]

Chapter 19 - "Goodbye, Jason"

After about twenty minutes of 'Percy the Piñata', Percy (who was black and blue) along with Thalia, Annabeth and the rest sat down for an actual talk.

"So... where even were you?" Hazel asked, curiously.

"In the Himalayas with my aunt. She's a Roman demigod, oddly enough. A daughter of Bellona"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she trained me."

"How have you been?" Frank.

"Alright. Peachy. I've spent most of my time training and basically becoming stronger. I do jujitsu and judo, and uh... I learnt some Kendo as well...Uh... yeah."

"We should spar then." He said softly, with a small smile.

Percy hesitantly smiles back, only to get cut down again by the next question. From Thalia.

"Why did you go?"

"Well... mom was missing, the war was over, after Tartarus I wanted a break, and the police forced me to move to the mountains to stay with Auntie Lia. Her name's actually Talia. Without an H."

"Why no contact?"

"Huh- Neeks? When did you get here? But to answer your question... I don't actually know. I supposed I just wanted a break. You're the most amazing family, but to be honest, or godly family has enough drama to compare with the Kardashians...I just wanted some off time I guess. And then afterwords it was just hard to come back, especiallY since I left right after the war, I didn't feel lik I had the right to just waltz back into your lives."

"Percy... that doesn't justify it!" Thalia said, her voice slowly raising in volume.

"Where the actual hell were you when Jason died?!"

She was crying. Percy was too.

"I didn't know! I'm sorry!"

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T HERE!"

Percy couldn't argue. She just looked down, not even noticing the continuous flow of tears from her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry."

She felt Thalia slump against her softly.

"Why did you go? Why couldn't you have stayed-? Even if I'm out with the hunters, or you in the Himalayas, you could've at least IMd once..."

"I'm sorry Thals, I'll never do it again, I swear."

Percy bit back a sob

"I'm sorry"

-

After the heartfelt conversation, things were almost back to normal. Key word being almost. It was still a bit peachy with Thalia, but they'd get over that. They had to. For both of their sake.

"So... tell me what's been going on with you." Annabeth said, smiling slightly.

"Not much. Im finishing school, and I have a job as a butler. Well, apprentice butler. I work for a classmate. Hm.... I have a cousin on my mom's side. He's a legacy of Bellona, I told you about his mom, my auntie Talia. She's a bit cold, a bit hard to warm up to, but I've been melting her heart, I swear. She's been getting nicer. I work for an organization... but I can't tell you much about that. Sorry."

"Don't apologize, it's alright. I'm in college, second year in architecture. Our class has been renovating New Rome. Oh and there's a portal between the camps now, so that we can visit easily. It's been cool."

"Yeah..." Percy mumbled, before peeking up.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot! I made some blue cookies for you guys!"

"..."

"..."

"Blue cookies?" Came a collective gasp from all of her friends, before, for the second time that day, she was run over by people in a rush to get some cookies.

Percy laughed. At least some things were still the same.

-

Percy had just gotten some flowers from the Demeter cabin, and walked through the portal. It was time for her to visit her cousin's grave.

She walked down the cobbles streets of New Rome, nervous at the thought of seeing the shrine they built Jason.

'He died because I wasn't there to help Apollo... no, I must stop these thoughts. Talia said. A box of memories...I must not dwell. Jason wouldn't want me to."

Percy pauses in front of a beautiful small stone structure. A statue of the only Pontifus Maximus in the legion's history, Jason Grace.

Percy knelt by the base of the statue, breathing heavily.

"Hi, Jason. I'm- I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there, to watch your back. And I'm sorry I never got to say goodbye. So... goodbye. I hope you're having a good time, in Elysium. Or did you go for rebirth? Cause I know you'll definitely make it to the Isles of the Blessed. You're a good guy. And I'm sorry that you couldn't have lived longer. I'll live for you. I'll make sure to keep smiling-"  Percy broke into sobs, "-and, and to finish your project, and to always help others, because that's what you would have done. And I'll make sure that I make you proud of me. You'll be proud of me, I swear."

Percy quickly arranged the roses by the foot of the statue, and stood back up, rubbing her eyes. She looked at the stone face of her once most loving cousin, before turning away.

"Goodbye, Jason."

-
A/N Two chapters today. This one is a bit short, but I hope you like it. It's a sort of forgiveness/ closure chapter. It does have a bit more angst than my usual chapters, but that is sort of expected. Drop a vote and comment what you think. Also, regarding the whole Maelstrom situation that the bats are looking at (they kinda being after her and all that), it'll probs come back soon, I have a plot in mind, but I want to see what you guys would do if this were your story. How would you take it from here? Let me know! Hope you liked the chapters, and have an amazing day or night wherever you are!