Percy Jackson one shots

Of Crying Babies and Picture Fixing

Jason was getting seriously tired of the crying. He wasn't sure why Payton wouldn't just go to sleep. His kid never cried this much.

It had been about eight years post-war. That was how Jason characterized his life now. Post-Mom. Post-praetor. Post-Piper. Post-war. And now, post-Payton.

After the war had finally ended, Jason and Piper had grown closer and closer. Their relationship had been perfect for him at the beginning, but once all of the fear and stress had been removed from their lives, they realized that they were in love and that they wouldn't go back for anything. They got married about six years after the war. Piper got pregnant one year later. And now Payton was one year old. Things were good.

Well, except for the part with Payton crying like a freight train. That was most definitely not good.

See, Jason just wasn't used to it. Whenever Piper was around, their kid never cried. And why would he? Even without her charmspeak there was just something about her. Hell, when she was gone, Jason felt like crying too. He didn't blame Payton. This sucked.

Piper was gone on a "quest" with Annabeth and Hazel. They said that they were going to "help the Hunters of Artemis with a problem," but Jason had begun to doubt their motives when Piper had stuff her purple bikini down into her duffel bag. Why would she need that if she was going to be fighting monsters? But Jason hadn't said anything. He had just smiled, kissed her on the forehead, and let her run off with Annabeth, yelling that they would be there waiting for her when she got back.

She needed to come back now.

Jason checked his watch again. She had been gone for three hours. He hit his head against the floor.

"Payton," Jason begged, lifting his head up and drawing their one year old son into his arms for the four-thousandth time. "Please, baby, stop crying. I miss Mommy too, but she's not going to come back just because we're crying."

Payton stopped for a second and stared at Jason with electric blue eyes. Sometimes Jason wished that he would have gotten Piper's eyes, but Piper loved the blue. Jason's son tipped his head to the side slightly, and Jason smiled down at him.

Then the kid burst into tears again.

Jason sighed and rolled over so his back was against the floor. He held Payton to his chest and let him cry because he just didn't know what to do. He had already tried everything.

About ten minutes later (Payton was still crying, and there was no end in sight), Jason's phone rang. He tried not to shuffle Payton on top of his chest as he held the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" He asked, barely glancing at the caller ID.

"You guys don't sound very good."

Jason sat up, cradling Payton against him as he tried to speak over the crying. He said, "Percy, you've got to help me. I don't know what to do. He never cries like this, and it's just because she's not here."

Percy hummed and shouted something that Jason didn't catch. He spoke into the phone and said, "You're in luck then. Grab his jacket and hat and get over here. Luke and Sophia just built a pillow fort, and I'm about to get Chase up before we have dinner."

Jason thanked the gods. He slowly got up from the floor and shifted Payton to his other shoulder, "Thank gods. You're saving my life."

"Yeah. Just don't forget his hat! It's really cold out there," Percy said.

"Alright. We'll be over in a few."

"Okay," Percy said, hanging up.

Hurriedly, Jason coaxed Payton into his small jacket and hat. The two items just seemed to make him cry even more, but once Jason had him in his arms again, one of his little hands fisted the material in Jason's shirt.