Previously:
"Maybe another time, Piper?" Frank said. "Let's get this idiot to Will first."

"Right. Then I can kill him."

"That seems counter intuitive." Butch said.

Percy wanted to protest but he was too busy trying not to trip again. Besides, he only really had the energy to just barely keep up with the daughter of Aphrodite and glance over his shoulder at the beach. He was right; this time was different. There was some hope.

"You need to stop ignoring me, Percy. I'm trying to keep you safe."

"I'll stop ignoring you when you let me help." Percy snapped back. "It's stupid to keep your best fighter away from the fight."

"You won't be our best fighter if you keep going against Annabeth and inevitably get hurt!" Piper threw her hands up in exasperation. "What if she gets you worse than on your side next time?"

"If we can see you won't be trying to reach her every raid, then we won't have to ground you." Jason said as a way to appease him. He glanced at Piper uncertainly.

"I won't."

"You said that last time, Percy." Jason rubbed his eyes. "How do we know you're telling the truth this time?"

"It's better if you let us handle the front line for now, Percy. She makes you vulnerable." Piper said solemnly.

-
"It's better that you stay here, Percy. It would just make them vulnerable."
-

"Percy?"

Percy shook his head as if to shake out some thoughts. He glanced up at Piper and Jason, who were standing in front of him in nearly identical stances with their hands on their hips. "Fine," he said, "I'll do what you want. You can even handcuff me to Frank or Butch or something. Can I go train now?"

His response took the two of them by surprise. They looked at each other, uncertain.

"Are you sure?" Jason asked.

Percy just gave him a look as if to say, 'You're asking me that?'

"Right, yes, thank you. You can go now." Piper said quickly before he had a chance to change his mind. She even helped him up from his seat and started pushing him out of the pavilion.

The two watched the son of Poseidon trudge off, hands in pockets and head down. Looking for all the world as if Piper and Jason had taken his favorite pillow pet.

"What are we going to do with him?" Piper muttered, almost not loud enough for Jason to hear.

Jason didn't know how to answer that so he stayed silent.

"Did he just call me stupid?"

-            -            -            -

Percy hacked at the last monster that had attacked their small camp. It was dead three seconds later. Turning to Annabeth, he said, "We should see what they were talking about; 'scouting group'? Do you want to wait here while I retrace their steps?"

"It's better that you stay here, Percy. It would just make them vulnerable."

Percy glanced over at the two nine year old twin boys huddled by their campfire. The monsters have been getting more bold; forcing the camps to send out experienced demigods to help escort them to safety. The saytr that found them died just the other day as they were meeting up with him. The two newly realized demigods became very protective of the sapling he became.

Now they were camped on the beach, only a day away from camp.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "What if I scare them?" They had just escaped a...troublesome father who seemed very bitter. Especially on the topic of the twins' mother.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. You're great with kids." Annabeth said, almost coldly. With no further arguments forthcoming, she grabbed her drakon bone sword off the ground and took off.

Percy watched her go with a heavy heart. In the past, she would always be the first to offer hanging back with he kids. She had more knowledge and experience in helping traumatized demigods. Percy always felt he was out of his depth and would let her to it. He would join later once they got used to him. Now she's pulled back. No longer willing to even get to know the new people brought to camp.

—            —

"She's changed." Percy said, sitting at a picnic table with Grover a few days later. "I don't know when, but she's different."

"How?" Grover had just gotten back to camp after a long two month trip to Texas. He was checking on the nymphs and other nature spirits after the biggest and coldest winter the state has had since the 1800s. It had been a while since the two of them could sit down and have a chat.

"She didn't check with the new demigods we brought in, and practically ignored them on the way home." Percy told him about their latest trip to save the twins. "She's giving so many excuses as to we we can't even train together, and why we can't hang out. Not to mention, she gave her computer to Leo."

"Leo?" Grover said incredulously. "Why not Malcolm? And why give it away in the first place?" Grover asked doubtfully. "Or to Chiron?"

"That's what I said!" Percy threw his hands up. "She just ignored me!"

"Do you think I should talk to her?" Grover asked. "Or Chiron, or Thalia?"

"If you think you can get through to her. I've tried everything. Even a trip to Mom's." Percy said, defeated.

"Not even Sally could get her to open up?" Grover said in surprise.

"No, she didn't even want to go."

"What!" Grover was astonished. Who doesn't want to go see Sally? Or Estelle? She was only four months old and she already had the entire camp wrapped around her finger. "I'll get Chiron and Thalia to try." Grover said quietly.

"Thanks, G-man."

-            -            -            -

The memory faded away and Percy stopped slicing away at the dummy. He leaned forward to put his hands on his knees, breathing hard. He has gone all over the training arena that day. He climbed the lava rock wall until his arms and legs were sore, practiced some in the lake, and finally ended up in the sword training area to cool off. Not sure how long he'd been going at it, he looked at the sky. The sun was setting; he'd skipped lunch and is late for dinner. Will is going to kill him.

"Perseus Jackson!"

Yup, there he is.

Percy fought to get a hold of his breathing before Will saw him. Standing straight, he put his hands on his hips and started counting. By the time Will got to him, he only looked like he'd been training for about four hours.

"Where have you been all day?" Will demanded. "I've been looking for you."

"I was with Piper and Jason earlier." Percy said, avoiding the full answer. He started going through the motions to clean up the training area.

"That was this morning after the raid." Will said, dead panned.

"They talked to me for a long time." Percy protested.

It was only about 15 minutes but to him it felt much longer. He's had that feeling for a while now. That he was running out of time. Ever since he'd heard that line from Annabeth, he's felt as if he were on the edge of a cliff. Any day now, he was going to fall.

Will stared at him dubiously. He could tell he was telling the truth but something felt off. Not being able to tell what it was, he hummed. "How long have you been training?"

Percy looked at the sky again, he shrugged. "A while."

Will's eyes narrowed. "Did you come straight here after talking with Piper and Jason?"

Percy paused..."No."

"Ah ha!" Will pointed at the taller boy triumphantly. "You're lying!"

Percy sighed now. "Fine, yes."

"Percy, that's got good for you." Will admonished almost angrily. "You're getting almost as bad as Nico used to be, this needs to stop."

"But—"

"No buts! C'mon, you're going to eat, then you're going to sleep."

Percy stumbled after his hand, which had been snatched by the son of Apollo and going in the direction of the pavilion. He's been getting dragged around a lot lately, he mused.

Later, in his cabin, he sat at his desk with his lamp on, writing things out for the next day. Just because Will had banned him from training for the next week, doesn't mean he didn't have other things to do.

He had a lot to do. Like he said: he's running out of time.