"Hey, Mom?" I leaned over the back of the chair where she sat reading a book. "I'm going to go pray for a bit."

"Don't miss dinner."

"Got it."

The others had disappeared at some point, and I hadn't caught a glimpse of them for a few hours. Bracken was the one I was the most worried about, not knowing how much Greek he could understand, but it was good that they wouldn't be around to question me.

At least, if they do run across me, religion is an excellent answer to everything. Why are you talking to yourself? Religion. Why are you sitting at the edge of the yard? Religion. Why are you murdering children and eating their hearts? I hadn't done that one, but I was sure religion would also be a wonderful response.

Settling in the shadows cast by the trees, relishing the cooled air, I rinsed my hands with bottled water and lifted them towards the sky, my eyes closed. There weren't many of us who did things properly. Sometimes, the ones who did were actually listened to, and that was a stupid thing for me to think. I was the only demigod child of Poseidon alive. The connection between us wasn't exactly thrumming with competition.

"Lord Poseidon, you who are-- Fuck, I'm not. . ." My hands fell into my lap. "I can't keep doing this, Dad."

I couldn't. It said something that I was seeking him out in the first place. The end of my rope  was looking more and more like a noose, drawing tighter and tighter with every day that passed. What other option did I have?

Work-roughened hands cupped my face; gentle thumbs stroked my cheekbones. My eyelids fluttered. No one was there, or, rather, Nobody. 

That just made a pit open in my chest.

"Dad," I pleaded.

"Child." The hands vanished. Dad sat in front of me, hazy and wavering. My eyes widened. I was half up, reaching towards him, when he sighed and solidified. He waved me off. "There are simply some barriers I take care not to break."

I sat back.

"What did you want?" he asked.

My gaze drifted from the bright cyan of his shirt to one of the flower beds. Fairies fluttered around. "Can I stay with you? For tonight?" 

He shifted, folded one leg under his body. "There are laws against that, Percy."

"Please?"

The air went still. The humidity became oppressive, and I chewed my lip, staring at Dad, praying I hadn't made him upset. I shouldn't have pushed. He'd basically said no already, so why--

"One night," he said, holding up a finger. "Just one."

"Deal." Without thinking too much, I leaned against him. His hand cradled the back of my head, as he wrapped me in a tight hug. The pressure was too much and not enough. I craved the gentle but strong beat of his heart, that reassurance of life.

His chest heaved. "Are you okay?"

"M'fine."

His beard scratched my ear.

"I'm fine," I repeated.

"Someone who is fine doesn't pray to a god saying, 'I can't keep doing this.'"

I chewed my lip until it was torn and bloodied; I plucked at my shirt. Lying wouldn't work. Gods were supposed to know when we did that. "What is this place?"

"A sanctuary for magical creatures." Dad drew back, frowned, and dabbed at my lip with the hem of his shirt. "I'm sure you could have discovered that out on your own. Have the fairies figured it out yet?"

"If it doesn't concern themselves, it doesn't matter."

Dad hummed. "Well, I'll come get you later, kiddo. Just tell your mother that I'm taking you."

Groaning, I leaned back into him and clung. The thought of going back inside made something in me twist, and I was enjoying Dad hugging me. Why couldn't I have that a little longer? Why should I care if it made me selfish?

"Can we go now?"

"Are. . . are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Just tired. That was all it was.

"Perseus."

I didn't know what to say. Did I tell him the truth, or did I try to lie like I did with everyone else? Both were bad options, so I did the only smart thing. Closing my eyes, I melted against him. He was warm and comfy. Safe too.

If I fell asleep, he couldn't keep pressing for answers.

He poked me. "Are you going to answer?"

I yawned.

Dad sighed, and a soft, thin blanket draped over my shoulders. He stroked my back and pet my hair. Tension bled out of my muscles. Eventually, he was supporting my full weight.

"You should tell your mother, but I don't want to risk anything," he said.

I hummed and slung my arms around his neck. "Daddy"--Childish, stupid, dumb-- "Can we go?"

He kept pampering me with attention and gentle hands but made no move to get up. His thumb stroked along my cheek. He kissed my head. He carded his fingers through my hair. All of it piled up until my eyes fell shut, and sleep washed over me.

Poseidon

Percy slumped against me, breath steadily hitting my collar. I couldn't help but coo at her. Her calling me 'daddy' had made warmth rush through me. Already, I was making plans on what a long term room for her would look like, picking out colors and furniture as my fingers played with her hair.

Once she started snoring, I sighed. Sally needed to be informed, but Percy--- Oh, Amphitrite is going to kill me for this.

I disappeared in a burst of mist and reformed in my living room. Percy jerked in my arms. I hushed her before moving so her head would rest on my shoulder.

"What is she doing here?" Amphitrite asked. She didn't look up from her knitting. I winced. Bad sign. A very bad sign based on how fast and tight she was doing stitches.

"She asked if she could stay here for tonight."

"And you're allowing that?"

"She's my child."

Amphitrite opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off by Percy whimpering. Her fingers curled in my shirt.

"We can argue about this later," I said quietly, frowning. My presence should have been enough to keep her calm. Demigods tended to pick up on us being nearby, and Percy being my child should have meant the calm I radiated could keep her peacefully asleep. "I'm going to put her in the guest room."

"And what if we have use for it?"

I ignored her. The guest room was located too far away from my room for my tastes, and it was far too bare, but it would serve its purpose until I could arrange something better. Hopefully, it wouldn't be needed--hopefully, she only called me because the creatures of the sanctuary were making her uncomfortable--but it wasn't a bad idea to have a room set up just in case something happened.

Percy groaned when I laid her on the bed, her hands latching to my shirt. She gazed tiredly at me.

"I--" She licked her lips. Glanced at the door. "I--"

"Take your time."

"I don't. . . want to be alive anymore."

The world seemed to slow. Water turned syrupy thick, as I reached out to clutch her to my chest. Oh, child.

"Don't speak like that." My voice came out raspy. Child: that word echoed in my head. She was only a child, and she was speaking like that.

"I want to die." Her words were more assured, louder, despite being spoken into my shoulder. "I want it all to stop. I just want everything to stop."

Her voice echoed off the walls, warped into something mortal ears couldn't understand. Frozen in my grip, she didn't move when I prodded her. She stared at my shirt. 

"I don't know why I told you that," she whispered. "You don't care."

"I do."

"No, you don't."

It wasn't worth arguing with her. Instead, I rubbed her back until her whimpers and sobs stopped, and I let her move how she wanted. Knees dug into me. So did elbows. Eventually, Percy looked at me with red-rimmed eyes and hugged me.

"I didn't mean that," she lied. 

I sighed.

"I didn't."

The repetition didn't make it any more believable.

"Don't lie to me, child. Get some sleep."

Hello. I have rewritten this chapter about 4 years after the fact--almost five years technically since the original chapter went up Feb 24 2019. But uh, its better now? And longer?

Hope you enjoyed

See yah