chapter eleven!
011. sunshine

percy

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    HE DREAMED that he was drowning. 

    It confused him, and it scared him▬Percy was the son of Poseidon, he couldn't drown. And yet, he felt it. He felt the feeling of desperation for breath claw at his throat, and ache▬pounding▬against his chest as the mud swallowed him whole. He felt it up his nose and in his ears. Percy coughed and choked, swamped and trapped. He had felt it when he fell into the bog back in Alaska, and Hazel had to pull him out. He had nearly suffocated; drowned in the mud. But how could he drown? 

    This is just a dream, he tried to convince himself. He was dreaming, and eventually, he would wake up and he would be fine. 

    But the mud turned his vision dark, and his mind grew hazy. He fought and battled for breath, trying to move in the muskeg, but he was frozen. He was stuck and he was drowning▬he wasn't going to be pulled out this time. Muskeg was thicker than water. Water ran past him and it comforted him▬he could control it, but he couldn't control this. He couldn't push through it and he couldn't move it. He couldn't do anything, no matter how hard he fought and how hard he tried. 

     Just when he thought his lungs would burst, the mud shifted and suddenly, he was somewhere else. He coughed and tried to grip something, but he watched his hands fall through the grey wall beside him like he was simply a ghost. For a horrible moment, he thought he was dead▬that he had actually suffocated.

    Stop panicking, Percy forced himself to breathe, and relaxed when he realised that he finally could. This is just a dream. This isn't real. 

    He felt better to find his feet on solid ground, even if he didn't know where his dream was taking him. Percy wouldn't admit it▬no, he couldn't admit it. What would everyone think if they heard that the son of Poseidon, the god of the oceans, was nervous about stepping foot into the water? For years he had used his powers, he had fallen into rivers and breathed underwater▬he had mastered the waves that listened to his commands. How could he be nervous and afraid of the ocean suddenly changing its mind? He couldn't admit it. He couldn't let himself admit it. 

    The moment he admitted that he was scared, the moment his fear began to control him. Percy knew better than anyone that fear was dangerous in this life the moment it took the lead in their decisions. He had to make decisions despite it, not because of it. He thought of Thalia, who was terrified of heights even though her father was Zeus. Her brother could control the winds, but Thalia couldn't▬but she had never even tried, because she was too scared to. If Percy was terrified of drowning, and started to believe that the next time he stepped underneath water he wouldn't be able to breathe ...

     When he was a child, he was scared of water. He was scared of not being able to swim. Of falling and his mother not being there to catch him, and he'd drown. Breathe, Sally Jackson would tell him as she tried to coax him away from the edge of the swimming pool, doing her best not to lose her patience. Breathe, Percy reminded himself now. Though, instead, all he felt was a longing ache in his chest at the thought of his mom. He hasn't spoken to her since he woke up. He hasn't seen her. He didn't know whether she knew if he was alive. And here he was, on another quest that could end with him dead, and his mother didn't even know.

     It was something that pushed Percy onwards▬that told him he would survive this. Because he wasn't going to die with his mother never knowing what happened. He would survive this, and he would see Sally Jackson again, and he would finally be home. 

    He took another deep breath and tried to figure out where he was. A long stretch of grey walls and concrete spread out in front of him, like he was standing in an underground parking lot. There were rows of stone pillars and a ceiling twenty feet above him. There were freestanding braziers▬flames that turned the hovering dust into a red, ghoulish mist. Shadows shrouded the corners, making Percy feel like he was standing in a room that went on forever. But out from the shadows and red haze were pulley systems hanging from the ceiling, sandbags and rows of dark theatre lights. 

    Percy took a few steps forward, frowning into the mysterious, lonely haze. The columns were old, not modern▬ancient, even. But there was concrete at his feet and machines creaking in the distance. He reached a group of boxes. It took him a moment, but he made out the lettering on the labels: PROPS, WEAPONS and COSTUMES. And then, strangely, next to this pile, was another pile of boxes labelled ASSORTED ROCKET LAUNCHERS. 

    He glanced up again, and that was when he saw the giant. 

    It stood at a height of twelve feet. But twelve feet was the size of the average Cyclopes and not the size of a formidable giant. Percy remembered Polybotes with a chill down his spine, and the bane of Poseidon had towered over him until Percy had been nothing but an ant in his shadow. This giant was nothing in comparison to size and didn't have dragon-scaled legs, but he had the horrible smell of his brethren and that was enough. Purple braids were woven with gold and silver coins down his back, a large black turtleneck hugged the giant's neck and chest, with black pants and black leather pointed shoes that curled at the tip. On his back, was a ten-foot, sharply-tipped spear.

   He paced back and forth, and then back and forth once more in front of a raised platform. He examined a bronze jar as tall as Percy. He wasn't happy. "No, no, no. Where's the splash? Where's the value? Otis!" he yelled into the darkness. 

    A figure emerged out of the darkness▬another giant. Percy thought he was seeing double. Otis looked exactly the same as the first giant; from the outfit to the curled jester slippers. The only difference was that his braids were green instead of purple. At the sight of him, the first giant cursed. "Otis! Why do you do this to me every day? I told you I was wearing the black turtleneck today. You could wear anything but the black turtleneck!"

    Otis the second giant blinked, very confused. "I thought you were wearing the yellow toga today."

    "That was yesterday! When you showed up in the yellow toga!"

    "Oh. Right. Sorry, Ephie."

    The first giant snarled, baring yellowing, vicious teeth. Percy had concluded that the two giants had to be brothers▬twins, even. They were identically ugly. 

   "And don't call me Ephie. Call me Ephialtes! That's my name," growled Ephie. "Or you can use my stage name: The BIG F!" his voice boomed and Percy winced. He would think that by now, there wouldn't be anything that would still weird him about when it came to monsters, but then he heard that. 

    Otis agreed. He grimaced. "I'm still not sure about that stage name."

    "Nonsense! It's perfect. Now, how are the preparations coming along?"

    "Fine," shrugged Otis. He didn't look as enthusiastic as his brother. "The man-eating tigers, the spinning blades ... But I still think a few ballerinas would be nice."

    "No!" yelled Ephialtes, furious. "No. No ballerinas! And this thing▬" he waved at the bronze jar in disgust. "What does it do? It's not exciting."

    "But that's the whole point of the show. He dies unless the others rescue him. And if they arrive on schedule▬"

    "Oh, they'd better!" Ephialtes pointed a thick finger at his brother. "July first, the Kalends of July, sacred to Juno. That's when Mother wants to destroy those stupid demigods and really rub it in Juno's face. Besides, I'm not paying overtime for those gladiator ghosts!"

    "Well, then, they all die," said Otis and Percy's frown deepened. He stepped closer, crouching behind the boxes of assorted rocket launches. He knew this was a dream, and these giants wouldn't be able to see him, but he could never be too careful. "And we start the destruction of Rome. Just like Mother wants. It'll be perfect. The crowd will love it. Roman ghosts adore this sort of thing."

    Ephialtes, however, wasn't so convinced. "But the jar just stands there. Couldn't we suspend it above a fire, or dissolve it in a pool of acid or something?"

    "We need him alive for a few more days," stressed Otis. "Otherwise, the ten won't take the bait and rush to save him."

    "Hmm. I suppose. I'd still like a little more screaming. This slow death is boring. Ah, well, what about our talented friend? Is she ready to receive her visitor?"

    "I really don't like talking to her. She makes me nervous▬"

    "But is she ready?"

    "Yes," grumbled Otis reluctantly. "She's been ready for centuries. No one will be removing that statue."

    "Excellent," Ephialtes rubbed his hands together. At last, he seemed excited. "This is our big chance, my brother."

    "That's what you said about our last stunt," mumbled Otis. "I was hanging in that block of ice suspended over the River Lethe for six months, and we didn't even get any media attention."

    "This is different! We will set a new standard for entertainment! If Mother is pleased, we can write our own ticket to fame and fortune!"

    "If you say so," sighed Otis. "Though, I still think those ballerina costumes from Swan Lake would look lovely▬"

    "No ballet!"

    "Sorry."

    "Come," Ephialtes urged his brother forward. "Let's examine the tigers. I want to be sure they're hungry!"

     The giants disappeared together into the gloom and red haze. Percy turned and raced towards the jar. He ducked behind another pile of boxes, making sure no one was around before he peered over the top. He needed to see inside, he realised. 

     He stood up and walked over. He reached out and willed his dream to push him forward▬he passed through the jar surface and stepped inside. He made a face. Inside smelt of stale breath and tarnished metal. There was barely any light. The only glow came from the dim purple of a dark, Stygian iron sword set against one side of the container. 

     Percy knew who it belonged to. He saw him huddled next to it▬a dejected-looking boy in tattered jeans, a black shirt and an old aviator jacket. Dark hair hung over sunken eyes and pale cheeks. He had always looked sick and barely alive, but right now, he looked like a ghost.

    There was a painful moment where Percy remembered the happy, bright and ecstatic kid he met before everything in Nico's life turned upside down. 

    "Nico," breathed Percy, his chest tightening with worry. But he knew the son of Hades would not be able to hear him. 

    Nico Di Angelo's eyes were closed, but he was breathing. It was shallow, and his chest barely moved, but it was there. He was alive, but he didn't have much longer. The jar was sealed▬there was no air coming in, and only poisonous air manifesting inside. On the wall near him, Percy saw three jagged marks made with his sword▬Had it been three days since he was imprisoned? 

    It couldn't be. There was no way Nico would be able to survive three days without suffocating. 

    And yet, here he was, still alive. 

    Percy crouched down in front of him. He and Nico always had a rocky past. Percy had failed to protect his sister Bianca, and Nico had lied to him, letting him be imprisoned in the Underworld by Hades his father. But despite all that had happened, and all of their differences, Percy owed a lot to Nico▬he couldn't just sit here and let him die. 

     He noticed something at his feet. Percy frowned. There was a small collection of glistening objects▬seeds. Pomegranate seeds. Three of them had already been eaten and spat out. There were five more still encased in dark red pulp. 

     He glanced up at Nico again, confused, but also determined. He didn't know what the Pomegranate seeds had to do with helping Nico stay alive, but he knew the effect was only temporary. They had to find Nico, or the son of Hades will die. 

    Percy pursed his lips and leaned forward, willing Nico to somehow hear him. "Where is this place? Come on, Nico, tell me. Tell me where you are. We're coming to save you..."

    The image around him faded. He tried to keep himself in the dream▬tried to will Nico to answer before he was gone, but it was too late. Percy felt himself stir at the sound of a familiar voice: "Percy."

     Hearing it, there was a part of him that thought he was still asleep. That it was just another dream▬a dream where he heard her speak to him, again and again. Her words were like a sonnet only for him. Dreams that had turned into a memory. He had held onto that memory tighter than anything else, reluctant to share it with anyone else. His one, clear memory during that time: Claire's face, her smile, the way she laughed ... Percy had feared that if he had spoken about that memory to anyone, it would evaporate like a dream. Not once had he risked it. 

    But it wasn't a dream. She was real. As his eyes opened, he saw her, and the sudden gripping fear that tightened in his chest released. He had her back with him. She was real. 

    There had been a time at Camp Jupiter when Percy feared he had made her up. That Claire had just been a figment of his imagination he had created to give him comfort and to make him feel like he had a place to go▬a path to follow and a destination to reach because he knew he was so alone.     

     Now that his memories had returned, he knew that feeling was just as real as Claire was herself▬they both were alone, and the destination they were searching for was down a path they walked together, always. 

    Claire was beautiful. She had always been cute when they were younger with her round cheeks and freckles over her small nose, but as they grew up ... Percy doesn't remember the exact moment when she became so beautiful, but now, he was always a little breathless whenever he saw her. 

     She smiled at him, her light blonde hair falling over her shoulders with edges that still held a touch of the purple she kept for so long. Percy stared at her, still waking up and Claire chuckled softly. He remembered his first day at Camp Half-Blood, having just opened his eyes, groggy and confused and saw her staring right back at him. She had demanded questions about the summer solstice and Zeus's missing Lightning Bolt, and Percy had been still trying to figure out whether he was dreaming, or whether she was real. 

     Claire tilted her head at him, sitting on the side of his bed. She chuckled again and Percy frowned, groggy. "What?" he demanded, his voice still stuck in the back of his throat, heavy with sleep. 

     Her chuckles returned to a gentle smile. "You drool when you sleep."

     So many memories hit him. They cleared the mud still left in his chest and made him breathe a soft grin. Percy forced himself to stop reminiscing about twelve-year-old Claire shoving him into the canoe lake and then running off (because she was just so sweet and caring like that), clearing his throat and rubbing some sleep out of his eyes. "Wh▬what's going on? Are we there?"

    Claire shook her head. "Hm, no," she tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "It's the middle of the night."

    Percy's eyes widened. His heart started to race. "Wait, what?" He was growing very aware. He was in his pyjamas, in bed. He probably had been drooling in his sleep and there Claire was, sitting on the edge of his bed▬his bed▬ "You sneaked into my cabin?"

    She made a small face, incredulous at his question. "Yes," she answered simply. "And?"

    He was blushing. "I▬It's▬There's a curfew."

    Claire stared at him, deadpanned. "You're worried about curfew?"

    "Uh, have you seen Coach Hedge's baseball bat?"

    "You're scared of a baseball bat?"

    "You aren't?"

     She scowled at him, only to then chuckle. Claire shook her head with that look on her face right before she'd tell him he was an idiot and then kiss him. 

    "Come on," Claire then leaned forward and nudged his shoulder. "Get up, Seaweed Brain."

    After he brushed his teeth and threw something on other than his pyjamas, Percy followed Claire down the hallways of the trireme. They crept along the floorboards, keeping to their toes to avoid waking anybody else up. The ship was large, but at the same time, held a warm, cozy feeling that nestled in Percy's chest and made him feel at ease▬or maybe that was because Claire was holding his hand. 

     She led him past the infirmary on the second deck, glancing around corners and he leaned forward to hover over her head to check as well. He'd nudge her at her sides when she didn't expect it and had to bite back his chuckles when she elbowed him, then told him to be quiet. When Claire declared the coast was clear of angry rampaging satyrs with baseball bats as weapons, she tugged his hand and they'd rush along, quiet and fighting back every urge to chuckle at what they were doing. They had faced monsters, titans, and legendary beasts▬nearly dying, or even dying and making their way back to this world, but right now, Percy and Claire snuck their way through the Argo II hallways with youthful hearts, feeling like they were just normal sixteen-year-olds going against the rules to spend time together. 

     When they reached the engine room, Percy pulled Claire to a stop by her hand to stare, incredulously inside the room. It looked like a jungle gym▬a very dangerous, mechanised jungle gym with pipes and pistons and tubes jutting from a central bronze sphere. Cables snaked across the floor and ran up the walls. 

    Percy pointed at it, glancing down at her. "How does that thing even work?"

   Claire glanced inside and made a face, as if this were the first time she's truly seen the engine room, too. "Uh ... No idea."

    "That's reassuring."

    "Leo knows what he's doing," she said, meeting his gaze. "Sav said it only threatened to blow up on him once."

     Percy stared at her, shocked. "You're kidding, I hope."

    She shrugged. 

    "You are kidding, right?"

    Claire just smiled and continued to pull him along. 

    They continued their way past many supply rooms and the armoury. Percy felt something ache in his chest, and yet something swell with warmth at the same time. He was happy, and he was sad. He felt Claire's hand in his again, and he was reminded of all they went through, and how they found each other once again. He was reassured that he had her back, and she wasn't going to disappear into smoke the moment he wrapped his arms around her. And yet, Percy was also reminded of where they were and what they were thrown into again▬of the danger they were facing, and how he and Claire never seemed to find a moment of peace. Now that he got her back, Percy wanted to take Claire somewhere where they were alone and unbothered▬Where they could spend their days happy, and safe, and without ever having to worry about the gods and their quests ever again. He wanted to hold her and never let go. Because haven't they suffered enough? 

    Finally, they reached a set of wooden double doors at the stern of the ship that opened up into a large stable. Percy closed the doors behind them as they stepped inside, glancing around. His nose itched from the fresh hay and wool blankets, but he felt a sense of home▬like he was back in the stables at Camp Half-Blood, and suddenly the smell wasn't so bad. Lining the left wall were three empty pegasi stalls and lining the right was a miscellaneous set of tools, work tables, sacks of food and care needs▬exactly like what they had back at Camp. 

   At their feet in the centre of the floor was a twenty-foot-square panel, see-through into the landscape below. Percy stared down and saw the dark countryside blanketed by the night and comforted by the stars passing beneath, crisscrossed with bright highways like the strands of a web. 

    He glanced over at Claire as she grabbed a blanket from the nearest stable gate. "A glass-bottomed boat?"

    Claire walked back up to him, hugging the blanket to her chest as she looked down through the glass, too. "Yeah," she murmured, a distant look in her eyes▬like she was missing something. Percy knew exactly what she was missing▬Home. "Annabeth helped design it."

     She set out the blanket on the glass so they could look down at the countryside while they sat down. As soon as Percy sat down, Claire shuffled close to him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine them sitting at the bonfire with smores and singalongs in the background. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine them away from everything▬together, and safe. 

     Claire rested her head on his shoulder, and she was quiet for a moment. Then, she murmured: "This is my favourite place on the ship."

     Percy frowned. He tried not to be incredulous, but he couldn't help it. "The ... stables?"

     She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. Percy tilted his head, trying to glance down at her▬he was worried he said the wrong thing, only to see her eyes closed and a little smile on her face when his nose brushed against her forehead. "Yeah," said Claire softly. "It reminded me of you."

      He glanced back down through the glass doors, his heart twisting. He hoped she didn't feel how tense he suddenly grew, but he knew that was unavoidable. Claire knew him better than he knew himself. She lifted her head and rubbed his back gently, her fingers lingering near the small of his back. She took another deep breath and continued, moving to wrap her arms around her knees and pull them up to her chest. "It makes me think of when we were stuck in that truck, on the way to Las Vegas. After we had to go on that stupid Tunnel of Love ride ..." She set her chin on her knees, her gaze off in thought. 

    Percy watched her. "That was so long ago," he murmured. "We were in bad shape, struggling to get across the country to find that stupid lightning bolt, trapped in a truck with a bunch of mistreated animals after arguing the entire way there. How can you be nostalgic about that?"

     Claire blushed. "Because..." she shrugged, biting her lip with a breath of shy nerves. Percy tilted his head, curious at the way she was reacting. "It reminds me of ... of where we started and all we've been through. You saved my life, twice, even though we had argued and ... and ..." She looked at him, "Well, I guess I sort of..."

     A slow grin of realisation tugged at Percy's lips as it dawned on him. "You had a crush on me since then?"

    Claire made a face and shoved him. "Shut up."

    "You had a crush on me. You liked me▬"

    "▬Shut up▬" She laughed softly and shoved him again. Percy laughed, too, filled with disbelief over what she had told him, but also feeling as though his heart had wings. "I just ... that memory is really special to me." Claire picked at her camp necklace, her fingers finding the shell he had given her when they started dating. Percy had brought it from his father's palace at the bottom of the sea. "It's just ... we've known each other for so long. We were twelve, can you believe that?"

     They have known each other for so long. And in those years they've grown up, they've been through so much alone and together▬they have gone through so much for each other. Percy's eyes found the grey strand of hair amongst the blonde behind Claire's ear; the effect of holding up the sky. She had taken it with him so he wouldn't be alone, and they had shared the burden and the weight▬together, just like they always do. He reached out and brushed his fingers near it without even thinking. His thumb gently ran along her cheek as he did, mesmerised by her. 

     He remembered what Juno told him before he arrived at Camp Jupiter. Claire Moore needed him to save her from her past, once again. Percy pursed his lips and found himself clenching his jaw. He wanted to protect her. He never wanted anyone to betray her, and to hurt her ever again. He had watched Luke destroy her. He had watched her brother Jay leave her stranded. He had watched Apollo and the gods use her and lie to her until she sacrificed herself for their needs and never her own. He remembered her crying after her mother when she was drawn in by the Sirens' call. Percy remembered the flashback Hestia had shown him of Luke and Thalia finding her, alone in that alleyway ... Her mother had abandoned her with nothing at just six years old. He never wanted her to go through anything like that again. He wanted to try and protect her from it all, but he knew he couldn't. And that hurt him. Instead, the best he could do was fight anyone who tried.

     "No," he admitted in a voice barely louder than a whisper. "I can't believe it." 

    Percy's thumb brushed an eyelash away from Claire's cheek and she leaned in. He met her halfway and gently kissed her. He cradled her head gently in both hands and for the first time, it felt as if they had truly found a moment alone in peace. He held her closer as they kissed again, his heart skipping a beat when he moved his hand from her cheek to wrap around her waist, tender and caring▬still a little afraid that for some reason, everything, including her, would disappear from not just his memory, but his life, too. 

     They kissed for a long time. When Claire finally pulled away, she rested her forehead against his and Percy let out a long breath, his eyes still closed. 

     "I missed you," whispered Claire, her voice heavy like she might cry. "I▬I searched for you, every day, every hour, I..."

     He wanted to tell her the same thing, but it wasn't enough. While he had been at Camp Jupiter, Percy had kept himself alive just by the thought of Claire. I missed you ... No, he had ached for her, he had bled for her, he had dragged himself by his bare hands through muddy waters, the thick of the trees and cracked ice; crawled with barely any breath left in him to reach even the slightest clue to her whereabouts and her existence. Everything he had done ... it had been for her. 

    Percy took a shaky breath, running his fingers through her hair to then rest on her back. "How long?" he found himself asking her, fearing the answer. 

     Claire blinked away her tears. "What?"

     "How long did you have to...?" he couldn't finish his words. The thought of her searching for him, waiting for him▬not having him around all that time ... he couldn't bear it. He was filled with guilt and anger. He should have been there with her. He should have been there for her. And yet Hera stole him away and took away all of his memories. He was furious. 

     She pursed her lips and hesitated before answering: "Six months."

    Percy took another breath, but this one was sharper and more angry through his nose. She had searched for him for six months. If she went through anything like he did those few weeks from when he woke up to when the Argo II arrived ... and went through it for six months ... Percy clenched his eyes shut and kissed her again. "I'm here," he whispered against her lips, trying hard not to cry himself. "I'm here..."

     Claire pulled away just enough to look at him, tearful. "I..." she pursed her lips and considered her next words, her brows knitting together. "Don't make fun of me when I tell you this."

     He chuckled. "Usually it's you who makes fun of me."

    She shot him a quick look, and his chuckles went away. Percy shuffled closer and cupped her cheek. "Tell me," he said to her, gently to let her know that he was listening. 

     Claire hesitated. She then sighed and met his gaze once again. "Nearly every day for the past six months I'd ... I'd sit at the docks, near the water, like we used to. I'd ... I'd pray to your dad. I'd ask him to keep you safe, I'd pray for a sign to know where you were, and that you were alive ... I'd talk to you, and I know there was no way you'd hear me, but I ... I hoped ..."

     Percy didn't know whether it was true, or whether it was linked in any way. But he had remembered her. Claire had been the one person he remembered▬he heard her voice, he heard her laughter and he saw her face in his dreams, smiling at him and running to him. Maybe he had those memories because somehow, Claire's messages and her prayers reached him▬they kept him tethered to her just like she tethered him to his mortal life at the River Styx. He didn't know, but he wanted to believe it. 

    "I heard," he whispered and her eyes widened. Tears slipped down her cheeks▬tears of relief, but also tears she had been holding the entire time he had been gone. "Your voice kept me alive."

    They sat together for a while after that, just in each other's company with the view of the countryside below them. This was what Percy wanted from the moment he saw her again▬to just be together, alone, and away from the gods and from this quest. He wished this night could last forever. When Piper and Savreen had forced the eidolon to leave his mind, Percy hadn't been aware of the presence of the eidolon until it was gone. He hadn't realised how much pain he had been in until the spirit left. From then on, his thoughts had become clearer. His soul settled comfortably back into his body. Sitting here with Claire made him feel the same way.

     His time training with Lupa and then at Camp Jupiter seemed like another one of his strange dreams▬they were just as fuzzy and unreal as the fight he had with Jason under the eidolon's control. But Percy didn't regret the time he had at Camp Jupiter. It had opened his eyes in a lot of ways. 

     It had given him an idea of what a happy ending could look like. 

     He pursed his lips. "Claire," he began hesitantly and she hummed, looking away from the scenery to face him, "in New Rome, demigods can live their lives in peace."

     Something in her expression sank and turned a little guarded. She tried not to show it and fiddled with her necklace again. "I saw it. But Camp Half-Blood is our home, it's where you belong, Percy▬"

    "I know," he said quickly. "But while I was there I saw so many demigods living without fear: kids going to college, people going to work, couples ... couples getting married and having kids. There's nothing like that at Camp Half-Blood. I kept thinking about you and me ... and maybe someday when this war with the giants is over..."

    She was blushing. She didn't meet his gaze, an expression on her face that for once, he couldn't read. Claire almost seemed ... scared. Percy cursed himself silently. He had said too much. He had scared her with his big dreams of the future, and now, maybe he had ruined them.  

    "I'm sorry," he rushed out, shaking his head and shuffling away from her slightly, knowing she probably wanted some space. "I'm sorry. I just ... I had to think of that to keep going. To give me hope. Forget I mentioned▬"

    "Wait, no▬" Claire took his hand and squeezed it. "No, that's not what I..." she took a deep breath and tried to comprehend her thoughts. "Gods, that's ... that sounds ..." she couldn't finish her sentence and Percy watched her, feeling like his heart was hanging out in between them. In the end, Claire decided to say: "It's a dream. A really, really sweet dream."

    Percy frowned at the way she said it. "Dreams can come true."

   "But what if we burned that bridge?" she whispered, hesitant to say those words. Percy felt a tear of disappointment in his chest. "The gods separated the two camps for a reason. And now, with the Romans after us ... and if we can't repair things with them ..." Claire pressed her lips together. "We don't belong there," she whispered, and she sounded like that thought hurt her, too. 

    "But what if we could?" Percy offered. He didn't want to argue with her, not after everything. He had just gotten her back. He didn't want to spend that with them disagreeing over something. But he couldn't let go of that hope. It felt important to him▬not just for him and Claire, but for all the other demigods. It had to be possible to belong in two different worlds at once. "We could have a life there. We could go to college. We would never have to worry about fighting another monster, or going on another dangerous quest for the gods ever again."

    Claire still wouldn't look at him. She frowned at the glass floor. Percy soon realised that this might have turned into being about something else. He watched her carefully. "Your brother said something to you at Camp Jupiter. What did he say? What did you talk about?"

    At the tone of his voice, she closed her eyes briefly. Claire swallowed something harsh in her throat and kept her gaze on the countryside below. She was silent for a long time. As long as Percy had known Claire, sometimes he still felt like he understood so little about her. He knew her back to front, he knew her expressions and he knew her smile▬he knew her past, and yet, at the same time, there was so much she still kept guarded with a key that Claire could never let go of. 

    That was her fatal flaw. 

    "We don't belong there," she said again, though her voice sounded much more broken than before. 

    Percy knew he wasn't going to be able to get her to say anything else. He wasn't going to argue with her. But he wasn't going to give up on this dream, either. He sighed and decided to change the subject. Unfortunately, all of this got him thinking about the gods, the war they were facing, and the dream about the giant twins. 

    "I was having a nightmare when you woke me up," he said and told Claire about what he had seen. 

    An angry glint settled in her eyes when he told her about Nico, and the giants' plan to destroy Rome which would include their painful deaths. "Nico is the bait," she murmured in the end. "Gaea's forces must have captured him somehow. But where are they holding him?"

    Percy shrugged. "I don't know. It seemed like it was somewhere underground in Rome. They made it sound like Nico still had a few days to live, but I don't see how he could hold out so long with no oxygen."

     "Five more days, according to Nemesis," sighed Claire. "The Kalends of July ... Kalends, that's the Roman term for the first of the month. The deadline sort of makes sense now. But I don't know how Nico can survive that long. We should talk to Hazel."

    "Now?"

    Claire shook her head. "No. I don't want to give her bad news like this in the middle of the night."

     Percy leaned forward, troubled. "The giants mentioned a statue. And something about a talented friend who was guarding it. Whoever this friend was, she scared Otis. Anyone who can scare a giant..."

    That caged look about her returned. He frowned, knowing she was hesitant to tell him something he knew. "What?" he asked her. 

    Claire glanced at him and pursed her lips. She sighed and held her camp necklace tighter. "I can't ... I promised Annabeth I wouldn't say anything."

    He waited for her to elaborate despite that, but Claire didn't. She just frowned down at the highways, looking lost and torn▬pained and with no idea how to solve whatever problems troubled her mind. Percy clenched his jaw. He watched to make her feel better and tell her it would be okay, but he knew he couldn't. Percy wanted to fix everything for both of them so they could have a happy ending. He wanted to fix every problem that was hurting her, but he always had to help Claire, not solve her troubles for her, no matter how much he wanted to. 

   Whatever it was she was hiding, it had something to do with Annabeth. She and Annabeth knew something they were keeping from everyone else. Percy remembered the line in the prophecy Ella spoke. Wisdom's daughter walks alone. 

    Percy had a gut feeling that he couldn't help Annabeth either. He couldn't do anything to protect his best friend, either, other than simply be there. That was hard, too. All of them have been through so much together since they were young. To simply be there made Percy feel as trapped and helpless as when he'd sunk into the muskeg. 

    Claire took a deep breath and decided to move on. She shook her head and smiled at him. "I'm sorry, this was supposed to be a night where we didn't talk or think about any of this stuff." She shuffled close to him again. "No more bad stuff until tomorrow. We're together again, that's what matters right now."

    "Right," said Percy. "No more talking about Gaea rising, Nico being held hostage, the world ending, the giants▬"

     "Percy," she chuckled. "Stop, okay? Let's just ... lie here for a while. Let's talk about anything else."

    And so, they did. They cuddled together on the blanket, comforted by each other's warmth and the drone of the ship's engine. Everything felt normal▬well, as normal as their lives could ever be. It was their normal, Percy supposed, and he cherished it. They talked about anything except the dangers they were facing. They joked and they teased and they reminisced. They enjoyed being together again after everything, and even the simplest gaze shared between them spoke a thousand words. 

    Before Percy knew it, the hum of the engine and the feeling of Claire cuddling up beside him made his eyes grow heavy, and he drifted off to sleep. 

    He was coaxed away by the daylight coming through the glass floor. Percy's eyes fluttered open and he glanced to see whether Claire was still there. He smiled to find her still fast asleep, looking as though she had a peaceful rest without any nightmares. He tucked her hair behind her ear gently▬a small gesture that had become a habit whenever he got the chance. 

     Then, a boy's voice said. "Oh ... You are in so much trouble..."

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    a/n: did i actually cry writing this cos i missed them so much?

    yes, yes i did. 

    there are so many moments in the tv show that remind me of percy and claire and it makes me emotional. like the bit where he tricks annabeth and shoves her into the staircase at the arch to take her place so she wouldn't sacrifice herself? that's percy and claire battle of the labyrinth coded i- *sobs* and the 'i'm not leaving the underworld without your mom' like uh, rick did you take my dialogue from sunshine because istg claire says something similar in the underworld to percy. also the 'thank you, you know, for just standing there' moment in the second episode is also so percy and claire coded. it makes me nostalgic. 

    it's so strange writing them from percy's point of view, because it's always been claire's. we're seeing her emotions and her thoughts we know so well because we had an entire book in first person from an outside perspective, and its both interesting and frustrating to write. because i know why claire is speaking or reacting the way she does, but i have to show insight into it from percy's perspective which - well, we all know what percy's like lol. 

    percy wanting to protect claire and never wanting to see her hurt in the way she was hurt in the first series from so many people she trusted and admired makes me sob. 

    also the 'we don't belong there' is coded for claire thinking she doesn't belong there and is scared of belonging anywhere outside of camp half-blood because of the conversation she had with timmy, but also because she thinks she doesn't deserve a happy ending after all she's been through, and doesn't think she'll ever find peace </3

     girl is reliving trauma that she's kept under the surface since she was six years old. she is reliving old feelings she had about her mother and how she left her through timmy and it hurts <////3

    (limited editing).