Between the battles: Heroes of Olympus one shots

Percy Comes Home

PERCY

Percy's stomach churned nervously as he grasped Annabeth's hand. They were in a taxi navigating the busy streets of Manhattan. About a week had past since the battle of Half-Blood hill, and for the moment there was a lull in the rebuilding efforts, so Percy had decided to go visit his mother, let her know he was alive.

He had enlisted Annabeth's help, because he wasn't sure he could get through this on his own. They still hadn't recovered from Tartarus, Percy still had nightmares as well as Annabeth. They both had scars, physically and emotionally, and Percy thanked the gods every day that they had survived.

The death of Leo laid heavily over the camp, and Percy blamed himself as did the rest of the seven. He knew it was his fatal flaw talking, but he felt sure he could have found another way, something that didn't involve any of his friends dying.

Annabeth squeezed his hand, shaking him out of his thoughts. "We're here" she whispered, and when Percy looked out the window he saw his mother and Paul's apartment building.

He climbed out of the taxi, and held the door open for Annabeth. She paid using the credit card she had produced in Rome from Daedalus' laptop, which had been lost in the maze beneath Rome.

Together they walked up to the doors, and the doorman pulled them open. Annabeth looked over at Percy with concern, and said, "Percy, you're not your usual happy self. This is your mother, you know she loves you, are you nervous?"

Percy shook his head. "I don't even know why I'm nervous. Its just... I haven't seen her for almost a year. The only contact I had was a voivemail in the middle of the night from Alaska. I feel like I let her down, but I don't know why."

Annabeth grabbed his shoulders. "Percy Jackson. YOU are the two time saviour of olympus, living legend in camp half blood. You defeated the titan Khronos, helped kill the freaking EARTH GODDESS! How could you have POSSIBLY let down your mother?"

Percy grinned. "Leo was the one who killed her." But Annabeth's message came through.

Percy took Annabeth's hand, and they made their way over to the elevators. As they stepped inside, Percy couldn't help but remember the last time he and Annabeth were in an elevator. Tartarus. At least the music in this elevator was slightly bearable.

As they duo stepped off the elevator, Percy grew even more nervous. As they approached the door, it became unbearable. Percy wanted to shake off Annabeth's grip and turn and jump down the firescape. But he steeled his nerves, and raised his arm to knock on the door.

The knock seemed to echo throughout the building. Percy heard muffled voices through the door. Footsteps approached the door, and the lock slid back. He squeezed Annabeth's hand so hard he probably cut off the circulation, but she looked over and gave him a reassuring smile.

The door creaked open, and Sally Jackson opened the door.

She was still looking over her shoulder, but then she turned and faced Percy and Annabeth. Her eyes widened, and she dropped her mug. It shattered on the carpet, coffee soaking into the floor. She stood in the doorway, stunned, and no one made a move until Percy tried to crack a grin through the tears pooling in his eyes.

"Hey mom, I'm home."

"Home," Sally echoed, and she reached out her hand a tentatively touched Percy's cheek. She felt his skin, and her face seemed to lose thirty years of worry. "My baby is home."

She grabbed Percy and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Percy hugged her back, just as tightly. He felt tears falling onto his shoudler, and he felt tears falling out of his own eyes. His mom rubbed his back, and he clutched her even tighter.

He hadn't felt this safe in a long time, since before he was 'relocated' by Hera. Since before he had boarded the Argo II, before they had sailed to Greece, even since the battle of camp Half-Blood.

He was finally home.

"Oh gods Percy! Don't ever scare me like that again!" Sally exclaimed through her tears.

She held Percy at arms length, surveying the damage. "You've gotten taller!"

Suddenly, she noticed something. "PERCY JACKSON! DID YOU GET A TATOO?!"

********
First one shot I ever wrote. Yay.

It was horrid.

But I hope I'll get better.