Beneath the Surface (A PJO Fanfic)

I Didn't Forget About You

A month has passed. 

A month without contacting his friends or doing much outside of interacting with people in his new family. 

He meets Apollo, Poseidon's distant cousin, who happily gives him the cream for his scars, and the marks that have covered his skin for years are already beginning to fade. He's also adapted to his new life and due to a few blood transfusions his anemia is at a manageable level. 

He doesn't have to take those gods awful pills anymore for the flu either.

Leaning against the counter, Percy turns the phone his father got him around and around in his hands. It's a nice one, an iPhone 5000 or whatever number they're on now, and he has a basic understanding of how to use it. 

He needs to call Jason and probably Annabeth..... but the idea of finally and truly confronting everything that's happened is daunting. 

Grumbling he finally unlocks the phone and scrolls through his contacts to find his friend's number, the one that he's had memorized since Jason got his own phone three years ago.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jace. It's Percy."

There's no response at first and then - "Percy! Are you fucking kidding me?! I thought you were dead! Everyone thought you were dead! There were cops at your house and everything! Your mom wouldn't say anything and it's been a month and a half. No, wait! Don't tell me this is one of the freaky calls from the afterlife or something!"

Percy's ears are ringing slightly. "No, it's not. I'm alive.... and I have a lot to tell you. "

"Well then what are you waiting for?! Speak!" Jason cries.

So Percy explains. It's a bit of a long conversation especially since Jason wants to know every detail and interrupts constantly to ask questions. It ends with Percy saying he has to call Annabeth and that he'll call him back so they can figure out when everyone can meet up. 

Jason informs him that there's this modern thing called texting and that it will make things a lot simpler.

The call to Annabeth is filled with a lot of arguing and more swearing than the previous call but ends much the same way.

- O - O - O - O - O - 

Poseidon is still coping.

He's still coping with the fact he has a son and that said son is full of problems of his own. He's still coping with the fact that Hestia decided to move in with them last week and that Athena is here way too often for Poseidon's comfort. 

He's definitely still coping with the fact that three teenagers will be arriving here in about an hour, two of which are girls, and will be spending the whole day with them.

His son is currently camped out on the couch, taking a nap before he has to face the thirteen or fourteen hours of nonstop gaming and activities he's expecting. 

He's gotten better since the few blood transfusions, but Dr. Micheal had to admit that the anemia will never revert back to being completely dormant. He'll still have to deal with the unnatural fatigue on a semi-regular basis. 

Poseidon worries almost constantly that Percy won't be able to make it through the day and will just collapse without anyone there to bring him home. Percy worries that Poseidon will somehow become more of a mother hen.

Sighing, he sits on the chair across from his son. Hestia is out shopping with Apollo's sister, Artemis, and they're probably talking about the latest feminist issues and scorning certain men who take women to bed before marriage. It's the weekend and Athena's not due back until Tuesday. He supposes he must be thankful for the little miracles. 

The doorbell chimes, echoing loudly through the front entrance. Poseidon sighs and shakes Percy's shoulder gently, mumbling for him to get up before going to let them in. He's finally going to meet the friends that Percy told them, at least what little bit they could get him to talk about. People who have kept to themselves as long as the teen has usually aren't too willing to open up.

The three he finds when he opens up the door seem nice enough. Well, the two blondes do. The girl with spiky black hair looks a little bit like the type to beat the crap out of you if she doesn't like the look on your face.

"Ah hello, you must be Percy's dad," the blonde hair girl says with a hesitant smile. "I'm Annabeth. This is Jason and his sister Thalia." 

It's a bit hard to picture those two as siblings, but Poseidon doesn't say anything as Jason gives a little wave and Thalia nods a hello. He clears his throat. "Ahh yes. Well, I'm Poseidon. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Come on in then."

They all shuffle forward into the large hall just as Percy emerges from the living room. He's wiping sleep from his eyes and he still looks quite tired, making his dad frown slightly. As soon as he catches sight of them though, his face lights up. "Hey, guys! Long time no see!"

"And just whose fault is that?" Thalia scoffs with a roll of her eyes, but she's already moving forward and hugging him.

 Percy chuckles slightly. He doesn't reply, only pulling her close for a moment before letting go. Then he gives Jason a quick hug. Annabeth steps up last and when he pulls her in close he can't help but inhale the familiar scent of strawberry shampoo and books. 

In all the hustle and bustle of the last month and a half, he hadn't really got a chance to miss his friends, but now he knows that it's been lacking without their constant chatter.

They settle on the couch to play video games of all things. Poseidon bought the Xbox about a week ago for his son to keep himself entertained during his rougher days. However, Percy doesn't play it often, instead choosing to sleep whenever he can. They choose to play Mario Cart now.

Pizza shows up thirty minutes later and is finished off rather quickly.  

Percy acts as if very little has changed besides his new home. He doesn't allow his fatigue to show and he certainly doesn't mention it. When Jason calls for a game of two-on-two in the drive (they do have a net), Percy is all for it. He even changes into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, something that shocks his friends. His scars are barely visible though and he's more than happy to get some sun on his rather pale legs and arms. 

It's after the third round that Percy calls it quits, wanting to watch a movie before dinner. 

His friends can't tell, but his dad can. He's exhausted already and he's not entirely sure he can make it through such a high-energy day to the end. The movie is a nice reprieve even if he doesn't take a nap like his body really wants. 

Hestia, who slipped in at some point, makes spaghetti for supper.

"So Mr. Herondale, what do you do for a living?" Annabeth says, trying to break the awkward silence that's descended with the presence of the adults. 

Poseidon swallows the bite he just took and smiles at her. "I own a company that deals in oceanic exploration."

"He makes it sound fancy when he says it like that, but they're all just a bunch of deep sea divers and he tells them what fish to poke," Hestia says, smiling at the teens. That seems to ease the tension somewhat. Still, when Percy's friends leave after eating, they don't know quite what to say to Percy's relatives. 

Poseidon barely closes the door before Percy practically collapses onto the bottom step leading up to the second story. 

"Good day?" the millionaire asks casually.

"Yeah, it was pretty great." His son gives a very tired but very big smile before his eyes promptly roll back in his head and he falls forward. 

Poseidon sighs. Percy defiantly wasn't ready physically for a day like this, but emotionally he desperately needed it. So really it couldn't have been helped. He calls for Hestia even as he hefts the black-haired boy over onto his back and starts up the stairs. Tonight they can all turn in early.

And so what if he hovers close to Percy all night, just to make sure he's fine.