Indigo Eyes

Chapter 48

"You know about Blowfish and you didn't tell me?!" Percy exclaimed only to be smacked again.

"Blofis. He'll be back in a minute, Percy. Tell me what's wrong," Sally urged and Percy told her everything that happened with Annabeth and the prophecy, but mostly circling back to the whole Annabeth thing and how no one seemed to be searching for her.

"Oh, Percy..." Sally sighed, her eyes tearing up as she tried to keep it together for the children's sake.

"Yeah. So they tell me there's nothing I can do. I guess I'll be coming home," he said before Cressida pushed him out of the way.

"Actually he won't," she spoke for him. "You and I both know your son. He's even more stubborn than I am, people will tell him no and he'll still do what he thinks is right no matter how many rules he breaks."

"I am right here," Percy said but neither woman cared.

"You're going with him, aren't you?" Sally asked hopefully and Cressida nodded.

"Of course. And I'm working on a plan. We'll be fine," she lied.

"Wine Vine," Percy called, knowing that the prophecy literally said that she would be burned and she turned to him.

"Shut up," she whispered before looking back at Sally. "Obviously it's going to be dangerous but Annabeth would do the same if the roles were reversed."

"We'll be fine, Mom," Percy said as he stood behind her again so his mom could see him.

"You know that's not true," his mother admonished. "But I know your heart is always in the right place."

"'You're... you're telling me to go?" Percy asked in surprise and his mother pursed her lips.

"I'm telling you that... you're getting too old for me to tell you what to do. I'm telling you that I'll support you, even if what you decide to do is dangerous. I can't believe I'm saying this."

"Mom-"

The sound of a toilet flushing down the hall cut them off.

"I don't have much time," Sally said. 'Percy, whatever you decide, I love you. And I know you'll do what's best for Annabeth - or whatever Cressida tells you to do."

"True," he admitted and he got smacked on his arm again.

"Because your positive thinking plans are works of genius."

"They work don't they?"

"Debatable."

"Debatable? How's that -"

"I have to go!" Sally interrupted. "I love you. Be safe, both of you," she farewelled before she waved her hand over the mist and the connection dissolved, leaving them with one final image of her new friend Mr Blowfish smiling down at her.

"Ok, before we get to this whole plan of yours, can you please tell me how you knew about that guy in my apartment with my mother?"

"Ok, first off, you need to calm down," Cressida said. "I don't know too much about him but he seems like a nice guy and you know that's a big endorsement coming from me."

"Can you explain please?" Percy said tiredly as he collapsed onto his bunk and she sat down next to him.

"Your mom sent me a letter about a month ago. She wanted me to Iris message her so I could help her with a story she was writing. We were workshopping some ideas and she mentioned one from this guy in her writing seminar," she began. "Percy, you should've seen the way her eyes lit up when she talked about him, how happy she got."

"I know," he admitted. "But it's always just been my mom and me. Even when Smelly Gabe was around, it was still just me and my mom. And now -"

"And now this guy might be in the picture. I get that," she said. "But surely you have to know that after everything your mom has done for you, she loves you. And that's not going to change if she falls in love again. You know she deserves to be happy. "

Percy sighed. "You're really good at this whole reassurance thing."

She chuckled. "Yeah, well when you grow up needing a lot of reassurance, you tend to be pretty good at giving it as well."

"Hey," Percy said as he nudged her shoulder. "Don't be like that. You're going to be just as happy as my mom apparently is with that guy because not even the gods could help him or anyone that mistreats you or her on my watch."

She smiled at that, but the feeling in her chest felt a little bit different than when her brothers said something caring. "You're sweet," she admitted as she leaned a little closer to him, their shoulders pressed together and Percy prayed that his cheeks weren't flaming red - they were.

"So, uh, what's, what's this plan of yours?" he stammered.

"Uh, unfortunately, it's not much seeing as I only started planning it when the meeting ended," she said. "Thalia and everyone else will probably leave tomorrow before sunrise seeing as the Hunters wanted to leave as soon as possible. Following the van into the city should be easy enough, Argus always takes the same route, but from there..."

"We can't predict what they're going to do asides from going west. If we lose them, we're never going to find them."

"Exactly."

"Ok," Percy sighed. "Well, we clearly don't have much time to come up with a solution. We've already missed dinner. I guess we just have to follow them and hope that we don't lose them."

"And ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, another quality, Positive Thinking Percy Jackson Plan."

Percy shoved her shoulder as she wobbled, laughing. "You suck."

"My plan may not have been finished but at least it doesn't rely on the power of positive thinking," she pointed out.

"My plans have kept us alive so far."

"Ah, but the question is, for how much longer?" she teased but the amused look on Percy's face faded.

"You realise that if we do this, you could get hurt. Or worse."

"I know," she said, her hands linked together as she propped her chin in them. She sighed. "I know." She sat up straighter, her expression full of determination. "But Books would do the same for me. And you can't exactly fight a prophecy."

"We can try," Percy said. "We just have to make sure you don't get tired."

Her laugh was a little cynical. "Considering I'm perpetually exhausted, that's going to be a bit of a challenge."

"Hey," Percy said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "You're going to be ok."

"But Annabeth-"

And in what could be described as a bit of a bold move for Percy, he cut Cressida off as he pulled her onto his shoulder in a hug, one of her hands clutching the fabric of his shirt as the other rested on his back.

"You're both going to be fine. You are. I promise."

And for perhaps the first and only time in his life, Percy Jackson prayed to Dionysus that he'd be able to keep his promise.