Percy's mother, Sally Jackson, looked exactly as he remembered, save for a few more gray hairs and slight wrinkles around her eyes. Her blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she stared at her son, taking in his appearance like she was afraid she would never see him again if she looked away. She wore a blue dress he remembered she had for years that he said he thought looked lovely on her. It warmed him to know she kept it even though she had been considering throwing it away when he had made that comment all that time ago.
"I'm so sorry..." He held onto her forearms as he pulled away slightly so he could lift one hand to wipe away the stray tear that fell. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry."
Sally didn't say anything as she shook her head before framing his face with her hands, pulling him down slightly so she could kiss his forehead. "Don't be sorry, baby. I'm just glad you're home now." She released him, stepping back to clear the doorway. "Are you hungry? I'm just about to finish some pasta. I always make extra in case... Well, we won't have to worry about leftovers tonight. How long can you stay?"
"Um..." Percy opened the zipper of his duffle bag, peering past the weapons to check on the amount of clothes he packed. "At least three days. I could stay a bit longer but I'd have to go to the store or something."
His mother nodded, moving to the stove to stir the noodles in the boiling water. "Paul will be getting off of work soon. He's on detention duty again for the week."
"And Estelle?"
"Afterschool daycare. Paul picks her up usually since he's close by. They should be home in maybe an hour." She turned to him, leaning back on one of the counters. "Tell me what you've been up to. Where have you been?" She hesitated before continuing. "....What happened?"
Percy sighed, sitting heavily on a nearby stool. "Well, let's see..." He drummed his fingers on the countertop, his eyes seeming to look at something no one else could see. "After we- The Seven- defeated Gaea, the gods saw fit to grant us one gift, as they do." At her nod, he continued. "Well, they're also judgmental bastards- and I'd apologize for my words but, honestly, I don't want to. Zeus wanted to punish me." He rolled his eyes, shrugging. "Gaea was awoken when my blood hit the ground, so Zeus- we've been calling him Richard at work, thought that I should be killed rather than rewarded. In his eyes, the larger battle wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been there."
Sally looked as though she wanted to speak but she could see, despite his flippant attitude, that it was a hard subject to discuss. Instead, she silently urged him on, a gentle smile on her face. She hoped that he still thought of her as one of his rocks even if she hadn't been able to be there for him in years. She was there now, though, and that would have to be enough.
"The Council didn't like that." He tilted his head, green eyes shimmering with muffled delight at the memory. "In fact, none of them did, not even Ares- though, thinking back on it, it does make sense. Ares loves war, thrives off of it, but he also likes an acknowledgment of victory- and he hates being used. Anyways, Zeus said that he would spare my life if we made a deal."
His mother took in the smirk playing at his lips, the way his eyes darkened with glee, and she knew her son finally showed his smarts and outwitted the King of Olympus. She had always hated how he dumbed himself down but she knew it was due to the years he had spent living with Gabe and being bullied. His childhood and experience as a demigod changed him- some would say for the worst but Sally was his mother and she was nothing but proud. He went from a timid child to a predator hiding in prey's skin, waiting for the moment to strike. He told everything in his eyes when anyone dared to stare into them and, once they did, that was when they were caught.
"Zeus wanted many things- and so did I. Of course, he's not used to anyone questioning him and his word but I am. When I first came to Camp Half Blood and was claimed as a son of Poseidon, everyone was wary around me and didn't want to trust a word I said."
"You spun lies." Sally's words weren't accusatory. They were full of pride. Of course, she wouldn't want her son to lie to his friends but she also knew that the world could be cruel and unkind and one had to embrace their darkness to see the light. "You made yourself someone to be trusted."
Percy shrugged, smiling blithely. "And they can trust me. I didn't lie about that, I am powerful and I can be merciful. I don't judge someone on their past or who their parents may be." He was comparing himself against Zeus but it wasn't like it was hard. "Zeus wanted me to stay out of Camp Half Blood and New Rome. I can only set foot in there with an invitation from another god with approval from Zeus or Queen Hera themselves. He wanted me to kneel before him and apologize."
Sally stared at him for a moment, her thoughts running a mile a minute. To stay away from both of the camps, the places he viewed as a home... She wanted nothing more than to wring Zeus' neck for daring to harm her child. "And what did you do?"
"I knelt... And then I made my demands." Percy smirked, crossing his legs, and he definitely wasn't the timid child Sally remembered raising. He was powerful and he was fierce. "Zeus cannot interact with or contact my family and anyone I deem my friends. He cannot demand my assistance in any matters for Olympus, seeing as he kicked me from the camps, and he cannot take away my abilities as a son of Poseidon. The Olympians could always hire me, of course." He tilted his head, amusement clear on his face. "But I'm very expensive." He chuckled before waving his hand. "All of this was sworn on the River Styx."
"You were kicked from your home and asked to kneel. Some would see that as a loss."
"I see it as only the beginning. I'll miss everyone at camp, of course I will, but it doesn't mean I won't see them again. We'll just have to pick a new hangout spot."
Sally chuckled, nodding her head. "And where's this new hangout spot of yours?"
Telling his mother about the diner was one of the easiest things Percy had ever done in his life. He loved talking about everyone, how he was the first ever employee there and had to run about trying to find more people in order to keep the place afloat. It was due to Percy and his inability to leave struggling people alone that the diner was full of demigods and mortals about to see through the Mist.
Telling his mother about the Winchesters was a little... harder.
She wanted to know all about Dean and Sam, which was nice, but then she wanted to make sure they knew to never harm her child. Sally also wanted to tear John Winchester limb from limb but she was mollified when Percy told her of his interaction with the man.
"Are you sure it's alright that you live with hunters?"
"For now." Percy shrugged, spinning slightly side-to-side in his stool. "I mean, even if it was, May would definitely get pissed off if they tried to kill me or something."
"Ah, yes, the daughter of Hercules. I'd like to meet her one day."
The son of Poseidon grinned widely. "Honestly, I'd love for you all to visit one day and meet everyone at the diner. They're... actually really cool people. They're family."
Sally could see the slight fear in her son's eyes, the uncertainty of whether or not she would accept the fact that her boy had found another family to call his own. She reached over and covered one of his hands with her own. "They must be perfect."
He took a shuddering breath, eyes beginning to line with tears, before he spoke. "Honestly, they're fucking terrible."
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words: 1,434
song: Stay - Why Don't We (Official Audio)