Safely landing back on solid ground, I felt like I was going to be sick, but the baby started crying. Again. Dear gods! I'm not cut out for this! I tried cradling him, back and forth, making funny faces at him, begging that he would stop crying before he woke up everyone in the camp.
"Ah, Percy, I see you have returned, and not alone by the sound of it." My head shot up at the sound of Chiron's gruff voice. A playful glint in his eyes. Damn it!
"Did you know? Did you know about this?" I nodded down, indicating to the baby still sobbing and squirming in my arms. Chiron just laughed.
"I might have heard something about it through the grapevine." Mr. D "In fact," he now stood, towering over me like a horse on steroids, inspecting the kid with calculating eyes. "I might have been the one to suggest you as the perfect candidate as Luke's guardian." I gaped up at the old centaur. The betrayal. How could he?!
"B-but why? Why me?" I didn't understand, I couldn't be the perfect candidate. I knew nothing about raising kids! I followed him, as he casually made his way down the hall to his office, completely unaffected by the fact that he had signed me up to babysit a de-aged traitor, who use to have the biggest vendetta against Olympus.
Why were The Fates so unkind to me? Just once in my life, could they just leave me alone?
Chiron chuckled. "Listen, Percy, I chose you because I knew no one else would be brave enough to raise Luke. He's hurt too many but you were the only one who realised him as the true hero of Olympus. I chose you because I know that you will have the best influence on him, the boy needs a real father figure; someone he can look up to, someone who can save him from the darkness. I believe that person to be you. You have constantly proven to be the best of us. Be the person to save Luke when no one else is willing to do so." He paused, giving off that creepy, ancient, absent-minded look. "Besides, I have a feeling that you will need him just as much as he needs you."
I wanted to ask him what he meant, but he stopped me with a show of his hands. "I'm sure you have many questions, Percy, but just remember that The Fates do everything for a reason," I wanted to argue that The Fates only do things for their self-amusement. "but right now, I think it's time you went to bed. Both of you." I looked down and realised that the baby had finally stopped his wailing and was now peacefully asleep in my arms, his tiny fist clutched tightly around my index finger.
<•>
"Percy?! Percy! For the love of Olympus, wake up! Percy!"
I groaned. I hated waking up. I mean seriously, after everything I've been through, don't I at least deserve a sleep in? I'm only human!
"Percy?! PERCY! Perc-" had I had it my way, I would have happily ignored the constant knocking but a sudden ear-piecing howl jolted me from my slumber, my hand instinctively searching for my pen. Immediately, my ADHD brain jumped to the only logical conclusion; an attack, and so with the little grace I could muster; I quite literally stumbled from the cozy confines of my bed and headed for the door, fully armed with a ballpoint pen and my pyjama pants.
And then I tripped. I tripped over the damn thing making the utterly hellish noise; the baby.
"Percy? Are you alright? What in the name of Athena is going on in there?" I groaned as the memories of the previous evening came flooding back. Why was it always me? Between the unyielding knocking and the baby's abominable screams, I could confidently say that I will be getting one Hades of a headache today. Great. "PERCY! Would you just open the damn door!" The knocking continued, furiously picking up pace. It made me want to bang my head against the floor until I blacked out—then I could spend the day in the infirmary; the nice, peaceful infirmary... "PERCY!"
"OKAY!" I shouted back. Why the Hades did people need to be so loud? With a groan, I sluggishly hauled myself up and let my sleepy feet carry me to the door.
I opened the door upon Annabeth's attempts to unpick the lock—the lock of which I installed to keep troublemakers like the Stolls out—all the while muttering unintelligible things about my laziness—which I will undoubtably deny in the future. "And good morning to you too, Wise Girl." I tried to appear smug and fully awake as I leaned against the door frame. Annabeth, in turn just rolled her eyes and barged right past me. Okay, so no morning kiss...
Grudgingly I followed her back inside after closing the door. Back to the screams and wails that seemed to echoed with in the small sea stone cabin...
STYX! How could I have forgotten?! "Annabeth! WAIT!" I quickly rushed to her side, grabbing her wrist so her body twisted to face me. How am I suppose to explain the baby to Annabeth? "Just let me explain!" I hastily held my hands up in surrender, fully prepared for my girlfriend's wrath. "I swear on the River Styx, I have slept with no one!"
"What?! Percy, what are you talking about?"
"The baby!" I waved my hand in the general direction in the squealing kid. Annabeth just sighed and picked the baby up from the cardboard box I left it in last night—solid proof that there is no way I can keep the kid alive!
"Percy, Chiron already told me everything." Oh. Of cause he did. She rolled her eyes and settled on the bed, rocking the baby back and forth until he was quite.
Peaceful bliss.
Then I realised. "Hey, do you mind looking after him whilst I have a shower?" A slight nod of the head was the only confirmation I got. Annabeth didn't even bother to look away from the now snoring lump of squishy skin and muscles in her arms. I didn't hesitate, running to the bathroom, locking the door behind me.
What am I going to do? What am I going to do! I leaned heavily upon the sink, my knuckles tuning white as they curled around the basin. Day one of parenthood and I was already tired. How on earth did Mom survive?! Running the tap, I quickly splashed the cooling water on my face, not even bothering to make sure my hair stayed dry.
The water felt nice. Refreshing. I looked up and glared at the half-living man staring back. Damn, I look like I've just been through Tart- that place... Just thinking of its name sent a shiver down my spine. Never, ever, ever am I going back down there. Ever!
I sighed, maybe raising this kid will be the one battle that I just can't win... No. Don't think like that! "I can do this." I firmly informed my reflection—he didn't even look half convinced. "I. Can. Do. This." I gritted out but I knew it would take a miracle to convince me; an eighteen year old boy, who failed to graduate school, that I could raise a kid. And trust me, miracles seem to avoid me like the plague!
At least I had Annabeth.
Quickly taking advantage of the peace and quiet, I stripped and turned the shower on. Perfect. The feeling of the water on my back, trailing down my skin and pooling at my feet. The temperature wasn't too hot nor too cold; just right. I didn't want to leave.
I could almost, almost, fall... asleep...
"PERCY! Hurry up, the baby's crying!" More knocking.
"Just hang on!" I yelled back, reluctantly finishing off my shower. Using my water abilities to dry myself, I quickly put on the same clothes I was wearing yesterday and grudgingly opened the bathroom door. Annabeth was pacing back and forth with the baby, tucked up against her shoulder, patting the kid's back—he looked a bit red in the face, but not like angry red, more like in-pain-red.
"Oh, thank the gods!" The moment Annabeth saw me, she quite literally threw the baby at me... well not exactly threw him but close to. "Here." She said in that voice that meant you had to do what she said or else. The moment the kid was in my arms, he instantly stopped crying. I looked down, hoping he wasn't dead or anything, and sighed in relief when he looked up at me with those big blue eyes. The same eyes that made me remember the man they once belonged to. The same eyes that I saw on Olympus during the Titan War.
Annabeth echoed my thoughts. "He has Luke's eyes." I looked up at her and saw her saddened look. I instinctively took her hand in comfort.
"Yeah, he does." I tried to smile. We both tried but it felt like we were smiling out of lost hope. She tilted her head slightly and her eyes darted between me and the baby in my arms.
"What are you going to name him?" I blinked, the question taking me completely off guard. To be honest, it wasn't something that I had given much thought to but then again, I guess I couldn't always refer to it as 'the baby' or 'him', Hades, I probably shouldn't refer to him as 'it'.
"What's wrong with 'Luke'?" I asked stupidly. She let go of my hand and her face looked a little crushed.
"Percy." She whispered. "You can't call him that."
"Why not?"
"Because," she stressed and hesitated for a moment, as if she wasn't sure what to say, which was weird because Annabeth was one of the surest people I know. "What will you tell him if he asks you why you named him Luke, or what if the name triggers memories from his old life? Either way, he will ask questions, and what are you going to tell him? That he was once an evil man that tried to take over the world?"
"Yes!" She gave me that look, and in realising my mistake, I nearly tripped over my words trying correct it. "I mean, no. But if he does ask then I will tell him the truth. The Gods chose me to look after him because this time I can save him. I can save him from himself."
"Oh, Percy." She gave a tight smile, but I knew it was forced. "You're such a Seaweed Brain. Sometimes... you just can't save everyone." She rested her hand on my cheek and gave me a hopeless look.
"What are you talking about?" Her hand fell, and she went to sit on the edge of the bed. Defeated. I went to sit with her, gently placing the now sleeping baby—Luke—on the bed. "Annabeth?"
"I've been thinking—a lot since Chiron told me about... why the Gods summoned you. And I've come to a decision." I looked down at my hands, already fearing where the conversation was going. "Well, it's just that... we've been through so much, and there will never be enough time in the universe to tell how much I love you and how much you mean to me. Percy, I want you to know that you are and always will be my best friend. But this thing with... Luke, I don't think this is an adventure I'm ready for."
I could feel salty tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. "Are you breaking up with me?" I couldn't bare to look at her.
"No, silly!" Her laugh was half-hearted, as her hand snaked into mine and I couldn't stop myself from entwining our fingers, from holding on.
"Then what are you saying?" I turned my head slightly, a tear trekked its way down my right cheek. Annabeth was trying her best to hold back her own tears but it was useless, we both knew it.
"I can't help you raise Luke. There is no possible parallel universe where the two of us raise Luke together. I'm sorry but I think it's time we walked our own paths. I feel like we're both running a race and I just can't keep up with you anymore. I mean after the wars and... the Pit," I felt her squeeze my hand. "And the time when it use to be Luke, Thalia and me—the memories are just too painful. Do you understand? Percy?" Despite everything, I did understand and I was mentally kicking my self for assuming that Annabeth would just help. It wouldn't be fair.
I looked back at her and nodded, biting my lip to keep the tears at bay. Her lips twitched slightly upward as she launched her self at me, arms wrapping around my shoulders. "Thank you." She whispered and I hugged her back.
We sat on the bed, just enjoying the comfort in knowing that this wasn't our end.