We Could (Percico)

The End

Nico

When everyone returned in the summer, absolutely nothing was the same.

Leo and Calypso weren't together. Jason was dead. Piper couldn't afford to come out here. Percy and Annabeth weren't getting along. Thalia wasn't doing too hot. The only things that were the same was Hazel and Frank being happy together and me being in the closet because fuck Will. After trying to give me a "prostate exam" I reported his ass and that was the end of the only date I've been on.

Of course, the council was back to wanting to kill each other.

So between not having a representative for Zeus, Will being replaced with Austin, Clarisse being back for the summer, and Conner being on his own with Travis in college full time, it's a mess.

"Wait, what happened to Will?"

"He did something dumb and got kicked out." Austin answered, shrugged. "I don't know what it was, the only person that does that could tell us anything won't say who they are. He talked with Chiron and he was gone by sunset."

"That's... Brutal." Annabeth remarked. "Speaking of which, where's Jason?"

"Jason... Died." Leo broke that news to her pretty flat. "A number of months ago now. Back when Apollo was still mortal and what not. He says hi to everyone, by the way. He said he'd stop by and pay us a visit once they finish the building at Camp Jupiter."

"He's... He's dead?" This was news to Annabeth. She must've never gotten the letter. She didn't show for the funeral. "What happened?"

"Caligula." Piper answered. "We helped Apollo and Meg out and Caligula killed him in the midst of it."

She was still greiving. After all, it was her boyfriend.

I think I was more pissed off about it than I was sad. Leo, too.

I don't think it even affects Percy anymore. He didn't seem very different at the funeral.

That's about as peaceful as that meeting got. After that, trying to get down to business, Clarisse and Austin would not stop bickering. Annabeth kept nagging at Percy, who didn't look like he had the energy. Grover kept telling her to leave him alone, which got Annabeth upset. And I mean, the day Pollux gets along with Conner is the day I die from shock.

Leo leaned over to me. Worried.

"I don't remember this much arguing." Leo remarked.

"Yeah, that's because now that we're not worried about getting killed, we can worry about killing each other." I assured him, shrugging. "It's normal. We get nothing done in these meetings, Percy just bullshits it off to Chiron and makes the decision while ignoring our bullshit."

"That's... Fucked up."

"I never said it wasn't." I agreed with him, crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair. "It's fun to listen to, though. Some rivalries are just too deep. Ares and Apollo. Athena and Poseidon. Zeus and Hermes have been going at it for a few years now. Not here. On Olympus. Well, everyone's been at Hermes' and Apollo's throats lately. Piper will never be trusted by people. Neither will Conner. That's how it is."

"How does the gods arguing affect us, though?"

I shrugged.

"I wish I understood it. My dad stays out of everyone's shit down in the underworld just like yours stays down in his shop most of the time. We don't have to worry about it."

"Oh, cool."

I think the funniest part of the meeting was watching Percy slowly go from being tolerant to looking like he was going to stab the next person that spoke.