Edited 10/30/18
My favorite version of the song up there 👆. Wait until I tell you to play it. It's for effect:)
It was that morning actually, that I finally decided on names for the twins. September 16th, six days after the babies were born and my wife died. Her funeral will be later today and I'm not sure I'm ready.
As it was, I stood in the Poseidon cabin in my suit and tie, with Luke sitting on the bed looking glum in his own suit. Ariana looked serene as she made slow twirls in the mirror in her little pink dress.
The babies were laying side by side on the bed, the girl in a little teal dress and the boy in a black onesie that had tie printed on it. I stood, staring at them intently, the makings of names on the tip of my tongue. We've all been simply calling them 'the girl' or 'the boy' or even 'the babies'. It'd be nice for them to have names. Especially on a day like today.
A name came to me for the girl and I gave Luke a look and gesture to the babies before dashing out of the cabin. People tried to stop me the whole way to Cabin 13, people telling me they were sorry about what happened, or wanted to know how I was doing.
I pushed past them all; I had a mission. I knocked on the door of the dark cabin and waited. Nico answered the door, a three year old Maria hanging onto his legs. "Oh, hey Percy," he said searching my face for a reason to be knocking his door at a time like this.
He jerked his head, allowing me to follow him inside. "So what brings you here?" He asked in a soft tone, treading water. "I need to ask your permission," I said.
Puzzled, he asked, "For what?" "Well, I was thinking of naming my daughter Bianca, but I couldn't do it without having your permission first." I was talking fast, twisting my hands.
His face broke into a grin. "Percy, of course you can name her Bianca. I love that. Thanks for asking, it means a lot."
I smiled and saluted him before heading back to my cabin. The cabin was still standing when I got back, so I decided Luke had done a good job babysitting.
I sat down on the bed beside the babies who just sat there silently looking around the room. I thought about the names some more and finally settled on them. I was satisfied with my choice and it finally felt right.
"Bianca Zoë Jackson," I told the girl.
"And Ethan Iapetus Jackson," I told the boy. He looked at me and squawked his approval. I laughed and then there was a knock on the door. My mom opened it and stepped in. "Oh, Percy..." she said.
I called her the night Annabeth died. That was six days ago. I told my mom that we'd found her, that she'd given birth to twins, and then died. Mom continued to call me almost every day to see how I was doing, but she could never make it to come see us.
She stumbled to me and wrapped her arms around me in a huge hug and just held me there. Her eyes were spilling tears that she quickly palmed and she kissed my forehead, though I had to duck for her to reach.
"Nana," Ari called without the usual enthusiasm. Her and Luke gave Nana hugs and then she looked at me. "Now I wanna see my grand babies!"
I showed her the bed they were currently laying on and she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh Percy, they're beautiful! What are their names?"
"I actually named them like, five minutes ago," I said. "Bianca Zoë and Ethan Iapetus."
"They're perfect, Percy. How are you today?" She asked. I looked down. "I'm scared," I muttered like a child. "I'd be worried if you weren't. It'll be alright," she tried to soothe.
"Well, I'll see you out there," she said before leaving. First they were going to bury the body in the growing graveyard and then Nico would lead the ceremony where I was expected to burn the shroud.
"Well, we better get going," I told Luke and Ariana as I started strapping the twins into their stroller. Deciding the kids and I looked good enough to head out into the crowd, I took a deep shaky breath and pushed the door open, pulling the stroller out behind me into the frigid September morning air.
Jason was waiting for me outside. He patted my back and we walked together to the grave yard where they'd be burying Annabeth in her ornate coffin that Leo and some others made.
Jason leaned over and scooped up Ari, swinging her around and sat her on his hip where she giggled. The sound of laughter sounded strange to my ears. Like it was a forbidden sound. But it was welcome all the same. It actually reminding me of Tartarus a little, in the sense that we were able to laugh in the darkest of times.
Luke was such a good big brother. The whole time I was pushing the double stroller to the cemetery, he was leaning his head over, and watching his siblings, whispering to them and soothing them. He somehow kept them quiet.
Upon reaching the grave sight, I saw many familiar faces. Nico stood there, conducting other campers while Will stood nearby holding Bee, tears streaming down his face.
Frederick Chase was sobbing harshly while Helen tried to hug him and calm him down. Bobby and Matthew, who were both twenty(when did that happen?!?) where standing with their heads down, eyes watering.
I looked around some more to see that Leo and Calypso were there with their kids and Piper and Riley joined Jason next to me. Reyna stood near Thalia and Hazel, Frank, and Emily were there too.
Looking at the coffin, I imagined her laying there, pale and still; peaceful for once. She's wearing her navy blue knee length dress. The one she wore on the Fourth of July all that time ago, the night I proposed to her. She's got her hair nice and curled, fanned out around her head like a halo. Apollo and Aphrodite kids did something magic so she looked like she normally did, not like she just delivered two babies and-and died.
She was also wearing her Camp Half-Blood necklace, heavy with so many charms from so many summers. I took a shaky breath and left the stroller with Piper. I kissed both Luke and Ariana on the top of the head and walked over to the coffin where Leo, Jason, Frank, Will, Nico, and I were pallbearers.
We picked up the coffin and walked it to the hole in the ground. We set it gently on the bands and they lowered her down slowly. We all got roses to lay on the coffin and as we each went to set one down, three campers sang a song.
It was an Apollo girl Lily, an Aphrodite girl, Lacy I think, and Malcom, Annabeth's half brother. They sang Hallelujah in perfect harmony.
Ok now you can go ahead and press play
Well I've heard there was a secret cord
That David played and it pleased the lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
I slowly slid to my knees, as they lowered the coffin into the earth, some part of my brain rationalizing that if I sank into the ground, I could be with her forever. I sensed someone on their knees next to me and saw that it was my mother. She wrapped me in a hug and closed her eyes to the music.
Well your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
She tied you to the kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Luke and Ari joined me on the other side, my left, and buried their faces in my side. I wrapped my arm around them.
Well baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used live alone before I knew ya
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
I could feel the song in my bones, the Hallelujahs ripping through my soul.
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
I felt like I should be crying, like the strong emotions I'm feeling should conjure tears, but I couldn't bring myself to cry. It was like my body wouldn't let me. So I just sat there, swaying to the music, feeling all of it.
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah