Tidalwave - A PJO fanfic

One

A/N: So, I'm kinda going to speed-run the parts before River gets to Camp Half-Blood & Camp Jupiter just because nothing major happens in those parts.  Also, I'm still deciding whether or not to make this multiple P.O.Vs, let me know what you think ;) 

9 yrs.  

It was the last day of school.  I'd just gotten home and had to sneak past Smelly Gabe and his 'friends' that he was playing poker with.  Percy was finally coming home from Yancy Academy today.  I would finally get to see my older brother.  

Percy and I shared a small room on the second floor of the tiny apartment we lived in.  During the school year my mom would send Percy to a boarding school, but she didn't have enough money to do the same with me, so she tried her best to homeschool me.  

With my mom at work and Percy at school, Smelly Gabe was insufferable.  I'd soon learned how to make bean dip and cleaned up after him and his poker buddies.  I was like their personal maid whenever my mom wasn't there.  

In the few minutes of luxury silence I'd get, I'd paint or write in my notebook.  Sure, I had ADHD and dyslexia, but writing in Latin was actually kind of easy.  Kind of.  I could also read a bit in Latin, better than I could English.  My mother would get the usual crease between her eyebrows whenever she caught me reading or writing in Latin, but she tried to pretend everything was fine.  

But it wasn't.  She'd never taught me Latin.  No one had.  

The sound of steps coming up the stairs made my heart skip a beat.  Percy was home.  I ran behind the door, and as soon as it opened, I jumped at my brother.  

"Percy!"  I cried, nearly making him collapse.  "You're back!"  

He laughed, used to how I greeted him.  "Hey, River."  

But he seemed different.  Like something was worrying him.  I didn't like how stressed he was, but I didn't want to make anything worse.  So, I continued laughing as I sat down on his bed.  Percy set his backpack down and sat next to me.  

"How have you been, Squirt?"  

I flopped backwards onto his bed and sighed.  "Fine."  

His hands clenched into fists.  "Smelly Gabe?"  

My eyes watched his fists wearily.  Percy could have a bit of a temper, especially when it came to Smelly Gabe.  I had one too, but I still didn't like violence that much.  And seeing Percy want to punch the lights out of Smelly Gabe made me nervous.  

Not because I wasn't sure he could do it, he probably could.  But Smelly Gabe would punish all of us.  And I didn't know how much of his attention I could take.  Sometimes I thought of running away, but I couldn't bear the thought of leaving Percy and my mom.  

The door opened and Sally Jackson walked in, wearing her Sweet on America uniform for the candy shop she worked at.  Percy and I ran to her, and she enveloped us in a hug.  She smelled like sweets and all things good.  

She and Percy talked until Gabe came in to demand that she make him bean dip.  Me and Percy started packing for our trip to Montauk.  I couldn't wait to swim in the waters and play in the waves.  I loved water more than almost anything.  

When we were ready to leave, Smelly Gabe told us no more than a scratch was allowed on his shiny car when we got back.  No doubt he'd blame Percy if anything happened to it.  

We arrived at Montauk and immediately after we found our cabin, I ran into the water.  Percy and mom laughed as they sat down, sharing blue candy as they talked.  The cool waters felt refreshing as I played in them.  

I went under to see how long I could hold my breath.  Eventually I lost count and opened my eyes, then immediately closed them, remembering I was still underwater.  But I didn't feel the stinging water.  Hesitantly I opened my eyes again and could see clearly through the water.  Without even trying to, I was breathing under the water.  

Maybe I passed out, I thought.  And I'm having a weird dream.  

A couple of fish swam by, and I swear I could have heard them talking.  They said something about me, but as soon as I heard it, it flew out of my mind.  I was about to go follow them when I heard Percy and my mom yelling for me.  I reached the surface and swan over to them, taking the towel my mom offered to me.  

"We thought you drowned for a second!"  She told me, strangling me with a hug.  

When she let go, I huddled close to Percy, suddenly cold.  We ate blue candy and went back to the cabin.  I was about to drift off to sleep when there was an urgent knocking on the door.  Mom answered it and a boy with dark curly hair walked in with a limp.   

Percy quickly explained how his teacher turned into a monster, how a pen turned into a sword, three ladies knitting yarn and cutting it (which freaked mom out) and how everyone seemed to have forgotten Mrs. Dodds.  

We rushed to the car and mom stepped on it, driving faster than I was used to.  I sat in the backseat between Grover and Percy, clinging to my brother's arm.  My mind drifted to somewhere else, back to the calming waves, when suddenly we were airborne, weightless, flying through the air.  

We crashed, and for a moment I was disoriented and blinded.  Then I came to my senses.  Everyone climbed out of the car, though we had to carry Grover, since he was unconscious.  But he moaned  "food,"  which made Percy relax the tiniest bit.  

I looked up and froze.  There was a giant bull man heading towards us, and he didn't look happy or friendly.  The only thought I had was, I don't want to be here, I don't want to die, and suddenly I was in the ocean.  

How I got there, I don't know.  But I was just floating in the ocean.  Then the current swirled and pulled me along with it at a speed where the water started to pelt and hurt my skin.  Then it slowed down and I was brought to an underwater castle.  

In the blink of an eye, I was inside the castle and in front of a throne.  Sitting on the throne was a man identical to me.  Same blonde curled blonde hair, same sea green eyes.  

"Dad?"  I whispered.  

The man smiled at me.  "It is not your time, my daughter.  Until this squabble with the Greeks have passed, you may return home.  But for now, you must stay here, safe."  

"Are you. . . Neptune?"  

He nodded.  "Come, daughter."  

*After events of The Lightening Thief*  

I'd been with dad for almost the whole summer.  The underwater castle was super cool, but he told me not to tell anyone about it.  So, I didn't.  When it was safe for me to go back, I almost didn't want to leave.  But then I thought of mom and Percy and managed to go.  

My story would be I ran in fear and had been on my own ever since.  It didn't come easy for me to lie, but I couldn't exactly tell them I was a demigod.  Sure, Percy was one.  But I was Roman, not Greek.  Greeks and Romans didn't get along.  I didn't want to complicate things.  

When I reached the right floor of the building, I rang the bell.  

"Is this the pizza guy?"  Percy.  

"I don't have pizza,"  I replied.  

The door flung open, and Percy crushed me with a hug.  "Where have you been?"  

At that point I didn't even have to act.  I broke down in tears.  Percy picked me up and carried me inside, which was easy for him to do, since I was small.  My mom came from the kitchen and joined the hug.  

We all shared stories over cheese and pepperoni pizza.  I fell asleep on the couch, happy to finally be with my family again.  But my dreams weren't anywhere near good.