Before I Die (Split Souls part 1)

44: The Best, Greatest, Most Magnificent Apology Gift Of My Life

PERCY POV

It's the Dancer, again, but she isn't alone. She's kneeling in the grass, with a young boy in front of her. 

"Do you think I can be a Kidemonas?" He asks her.

My sister puts on a thoughtful face. "Well... Are you brave?"

"Yes." He says.

"Are you... Smart?" She asks.

"Yes!"

She laughs. "I think so too."

"So, does that mean I can?" He asks hopefully.

"Well, I think you can be." She says. The boy starts getting excited. "But, you have to train more, Owlet. Once you're big and tall, and strong."

"Like Daddy?" He suggests.

"Yup. Just like your Daddy." She nods, smiling. She ruffles his raven hair, and he bats her hand away before opening his eyes. The familiar grey sends a pang through my heart.

"When do you think Daddy will be home?" He asks sadly.

My sister glances over his shoulder, before breaking into a grin. "I don't know, maybe you should... Turn around!"

The boy whips his head around. "Daddy!" He shouts, before breaking into a run. I turn and look, and my heart nearly stops beating for a second.

It's me. Other me has a huge grin, and bends down to catch the boy. Once the kid is in his arms, he says, "Hey Owlet! Didya miss me?"

"Noooo!" The boy shakes his head, grinning.

Other me gasps dramatically. "No. No, it couldn't be. I guess I'll just have to... Tickle the truth out of you!" The boy squeals with laughter as other me tickles him.

Once he stops to give the boy time to catch his breath, he asks again, "Didya miss me?"

"Ahuh!" He grins widely. "Didya miss me?" The boy asks other me.

"All the time." Other me answers.

My eyes snap open. What? What just happened? Holy shit. Holy shit. Was that my son? Oh my gods.

"So, who's the chick?" A voice pulls me out of my thoughts a bit.

I look over at Uncle T, who sips his coffee, donut in hand. "Huh?"

"Who's the chick?" He gestures to Thalia, who is still passed out, though I must have fallen over in my sleep 'cause she's kinda passed out on top of me. "I mean, I thought Annabeth was your girl."

"What? Annabeth is my girl." I frown.

"You have a chick passed out on you."

"Stop calling her 'chick'. She'll kill you if she hears." I tell him, my head still spinning from that vision.

"Oh, you know her that well already, huh?" Okay, he's got a bite to his tone. Did I really miss that up until this point?

"What do you mean?" I frown at him, confused. What did I do wrong?

"I mean, you go out for a walk, are gone the whole night, and show up with a new girl. Did you even think about Annabeth?" He practically growls at me.

Okay, I'm confused. "Yeah, um, I don't really know why you're mad at me."

"Wow, are you usually like this?" He asks, rhetorically, apparently, because he plows on. "Let me dumb it out for you. Why are you cheating on Annabeth?"