Favorite : Change for the both of us

Chapter 31

Percy's POV

The days pass, and Christmas is getting nearer. I can't wait, personally. It's going to be my first ever Christmas with the Olympia family, which means it's going to be great. However, a couple of things worry me. One: I've haven't got anyone any presents. Walking is still a bit of an issue for me, and when I'm not at home I can hardly make it more than a couple of metres without Poseidon fretting and forcing me to sit down. Plus, everyone around me glances at me sympathetically (they must recognise me from the news). I hate it, so I try to keep walking out in public at a minimum.

Two: Kronos. The police still haven't found him. He was last spotted in here in New York - near Poseidon's aquarium, actually. How he's still hiding out so close to home I'll never know. But what I do know is that until he's found and behind bars for sure, I'm probably never going to be left alone again in my life. Before the abduction, that would have peeved me off. But now, I'm more than happy to sleep in Poseidon's bed and spend the days at Zeus's when he has to go to work.

What's surprising is that none of mom's boyfriends have been around recently. I'd have thought that at least one of them (coughHughcough) would have approached me at some point, because recently I've been all over the news. Hermes took a selfie with me the other week and put it on his site, saying that I'm his cousin. I'm pretty sure that I was in a magazine last week as the boy who-was-abducted-by-an-extremely-dangerous-man-but-more-importantly-is-Hermes-Olympia's-cousin. Talk about priorities.

We've been trying to act normal, me and my dad; like the abduction never happened. It's scarred us both, mentally and, in my case, physically. Despite our efforts, it's hard to forget. I can't yet complete some of the easiest every-day tasks like simply washing the dishes, writing or even running around the house. I wake up every night with a nightmare. Some nights they're not too bad and I'll wake up just gasping, quiet enough for me not to wake Poseidon. But then other nights, I'll lash out and scream and cry. Poseidon stays up with me for the rest of the night when those types of nightmares happen, reassuring me and stuff.

I feel guilty. I know I shouldn't, because it's not my complete fault Annabeth and I were taken, but the guilt is there. Maybe, if I'd have told someone about Kronos in my room, it wouldn't have happened. Annabeth and I wouldn't be scarred. I wouldn't be forcing Poseidon through nights of no sleep (he's trying to hide his tiredness from me). Everything would be how things were meant to be.

Why was I such an idiot?

It's Christmas Eve. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for all of us – we're probably going to spend the morning together, me and Poseidon, but then the rest of the day is devoted to the family. Zeus and Hera are throwing a big party at their place, which will probably last into the evening.

"Where are you going?" Poseidon asks me, frowning as I head towards my room rather than his that night.

"Uh, my room," I say, looking back at him. "I think I'm going to sleep in there tonight,"

Poseidon looks confused, and a little worried. "Why?" he questions. "Are you not feeling well or something, Percy?"

"No, I'm feeling fine..." It's more about how you feel. Tomorrow is important, and if you're tired because of me I'm going to feel guilty. "I just...I want to see if I can handle things myself tonight, that's all,"

"Alright," Poseidon sighs, not looking convinced. He places his hands on my shoulders, ridding me of any chance of escape I may have had in the first place. "What's really up? The truth, Percy,"

"That is the truth,"

"No, it's not,"

"Oh, really? How can you tell?"