22 Chapter 22: Explanations
[Sally's POV:]
"We're your grandchildren"
.
.
.
"I'm sorry what!?" This was not how I expected my morning to go. At all.
"M-my name's Aria Jackson and this is Coral Jackson, we're Percy's Daughters.." Percy has kids?!? I HAVE GRANDKIDS?!?! And then I proceeded to faint. I leave the rest to you Paul…
[Paul's POV:]
And she fainted, luckily on the living room sofa, I mean it's not everyday your son you haven't seen in 6 years sends their kids unannounced to your door. I better get them inside before it rains, those clouds are not to be trusted. Trust me I know New York clouds as… funky as they can be.
"Err, come in?. I'll try to wake Sally. I mean your grandma up.." this was too weird a situation.. Am I believing them too soon? Should I just go with it for now? Wait, one of them is a cyclops. Is Annabeth a cyclops? Nah, then did Percy and her break up? Cheating? Or is it some weird demigod Poseidon grandchild thing? What in the hell is going on right now.. First my wife, then my supposed Step grandkids, my gods I have step-grandkids I never thought that'd happen. Ever. Sorry Annabeth just never saw you as the mother type..
"Hun, wake up.. Please" giving her a light shake to attempt to wake her up, light stirring evidence it was working. I can not handle this on my own, I'm not equipped for demigod stuff.
"Ugh Paul I had a crazy dream.. 2 girls came to the door claiming they were Percy's daughter" I simply stared at her with a knowing look.
"It wasn't a dream was it?" I shook my head, she was in shock for sure and frankly so was I.
"Afraid not Hun, they're over there" I pointed at the corner of the room where the two girls stood in an awkward silence, can't blame them to be honest.
[Sally's POV:]
After waking up, and re-orienting myself, I took in the features of my grandbabies. They reminded me so much of Percy that I had to resist the urge to cuddle them then and there while offering some blue cookies I store above the fridge. You never know when Percy might need one, plus Estelle adores em like her big bro. Anyway back to the grandbabies, well kids, the older one looks at least 9 maybe 10? And the younger one around half that, but Percy had only been gone 6 years, did he hide them from us? Is this why we've never seen him since? HOW DARE HE HIDE MY GRANDBABIES!
"So um, hello, m-my name is Aria Jackson and this is my little sister Coral Jackson." She spoke with such a cute voice that my maternal instincts took over and I hugged the cuteness right out of them. A few seconds later I released the confused grandbabies and spoke a little too fast.
"What are kids your age doing out in such bad weather?!? Where's your father? Is he ok? Are you eating well? Are you hungry now? Should I run a bath for you two?" Did I accept this a little too fast? Maybe but what can I say? Once a mama bear, always a mama bear. She took a second to process what I said, sensing there was a lot to say. I indicated towards the sofa for them to sit while subtly hinting (8 times!) to Paul to fetch some cookies of blue variation, any grandchild of mine will be a fan no doubt. He laid them on the coffee table.
Coral finally spoke with a more higher pitched cutie voice while Aria snacked- brutally murder the cookies in the meantime.
"Tou-cha.. I mean Dad is missing and and we thought we'd find you, Dad thought you left" she went silent leaving me with a crazy amount of jaw dropping questions, Percy is missing? He thought we'd left? What? Aria picked up from there.
"Umm this is quite the long story.. A lot has happened. Right so…" and she began to tell the arguably most interesting story I've ever heard, to the point I almost wanted to make a book about it. I think I'd name it the wolf curse since apparently my son is now a wolf. Why is my life never slightly normal… I listened on for an hour or so as she went into moderate detail about it. Seems my Garden will have to tend itself today hope the Nymphs can handle it.
Once I was caught up on the… Out-there story, I realised a key point. My son, now a wolf, was likely the werewolf that the council had been speaking of and actively hunting.. I knew Artemis was hiding something with that golden tinge on her cheeks.
Hmm I'm not sure how I feel about her courting Percy but his love life is not for me to interfere… Unless it involved a goddess which it does.. the man-hating goddess in love with my son HAH! I'm not letting her live that down for the next millennia or two especially when I finally have to reveal myself.
"So It's good to see my grandkids have had such an action packed life.. I wish I could've been there through all that. Why did he never check again?" I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly salty about it. Then again I am hiding a whole second life from him but that's besides the point.
"Dad said it was a difficult place to return to so he decided against returning and focused on raising us. He said the same sort of thing when we asked why he didn't try going back to camp with us." Percy openly paranoid? That's something I wouldn't expect to hear.. Ah wolf Dad mode makes sense.
"Umm.. Grandma Sally? Could you tell us about dad? Like before he knew he was a demigod?" Aww I just wanted to snuggle up with them! I think I know the perfect bathtub story for such an occasion!
[Percy's POV:]
"I've a sudden urge to bury myself in the snow and freeze to death" I have no idea why.
"Maybe don't do that? Should I be worried?" Asked a very concerned looking Acanthis, truth be told I didn't blame her considering.. I hope I wasn't suicidal before my memory loss cause that'd suck royally.
"Anyway, are you ready to go?" I asked my small brown feathered friend.
"I'm a bird, I don't exactly have anything to pack" she made a good point there.
"Huh, I guess I'm the same in that department" she rolled her eyes and once again nestled into my fur to sleep.
"Damian, are you getting on or what?" asked a very eager Medusa, this was a weird thought, medusa rushing someone to go on a drive with her.
The trailer had been packed full of medusa's junk, luckily she managed to manipulate the mist to hide us when we were riding in it since technically being in there while the vehicle moved was quite illegal. I had a nice do-wolf cushion at the back and of course acanthis had my fur. She refused anything else, she may not say much, but she's always just there. Reyna claimed the bunk suspended above me; Anna and Emily shared the pull out bed near the middle. It was a massive upgrade from just the pickup truck we had arrived in. Now I could be annoying AND have space. So I Clambered on where Reyna and the rest were waiting for me near the front window overlooking the pickup.
"So I was wondering could we take a detour first? I need to meet an old friend of mine. I promise it will barely change the travel time!" Naturally we were all suspicious, I mean while she may have turned a leaf she was still technically a monster and so her "old friend" probably was as well and well monsters and Demigods generally don't mix well in most cases.. Actually demigods don't mix well with anyone, other demigods included sometimes, we really need to work on that.
"And who is this friend of yours medusa, I swear if this is a trap I will have a new set of leather boots" said an expectedly suspicious Reyna, Luckily Fidi was at the back playing and out of earshot.
"Why would I try such a thing? I'm vastly outnumbered and to be completely honest it'd be many times easier to turn you to stone in your sleep instead" Oh we are so doing sleep shifts now.. "Besides I swear on the Styx I this detour visit will have no harm to any of you, I think that covers it? Plus I think she might have something that can help in the cold weather of Alaska" I saw no direct flaws and by Reyna's continued silence I assumed she didn't either.
"Hmm fine, but any funny business and snake boots will be what warms me instead. That I swear on the Styx" I forget how intense she can be when defensive. Kinda hot can't lie, is it weird to think that as a wolf? Oh well the thoughts already sailed heh sailed.
"I'll keep that in mind… so err this is the place just off the freeway about a few hours drive from here should only add about 30 minuets to the total journey time" this got me a little more suspicious, as the time it takes to go there is 30 minuets so either she is not mentioning a 'visitation' time or she intends to bring this friend of hers along. For now I'll just be mindful no need to trigger investigator Ramírez for petty things.
Not really caring to watch them plan the route for the next 15 minutes when google maps could do it in 10 seconds? .. I left to go see what Fidi was up to. It was a hot wheel track, where the Pluto did that even come from?!? I guess Fidi wasn't your typical doll kinda Gal, unlike Aria.. Aria? Probably another old Percy memory not worth the head pain. For the next few hours I just focused on entertaining little Fidi while the world flies past at a speed I could easily run while asleep..
[3 hours later:]
"That's the place! Welcome to Aunt May's Emporium. I get all my extra crafts from here usually by delivery. Her Fabrics can't be beat!" ok I have a few guesses.. Ok one guess and I don't like it. The mobile home? Came to a stop and we all got off save for the young ones who were snoozing together in a cuteness display that meant I had to fight my instincts just to leave the trailer. Worst part is I didn't even really want to fight it! But I couldn't leave Anna and Reyna alone in case of some underlying trap since now I think about it a trap doesn't necessarily have to be harmful to be trapping.. Still I was curious, well at least curiosity kills cats and not wolves.. right?
The Building in question gave me the heebie-jeebies, rather than a small and modest shop like the name made you think, it was more like a large warehouse with a smaller shop front. Creepy.
"Ok so where is this friend of yours?" asked a still understandably cautious Reyna.
"Hmm it's a little late, probably closed up shop for the day, likely in her living room browsing the discovery channel again haha" ok I cannot get used to a laughing medusa, it's not bad heck cute even, just feels wrong y'know?
"You first!" stated my apprentice, who I should probably give some actual training to soon. Though I think she's already gained a large amount of boldness.
"Loving the trust there sugartops, but sure follow me, you don't even have to go in through the front, we'll probably see her through the window.. Just don't freak ok?" That's never a good sign.. Or is it? If she were trying to trap us she wouldn't say that.. But that also means she IS hiding something, but at this point I think we all knew that in all honesty. Also sugartops???
"Hold up, did you just call me.. Sugartops?" yeah that is a weird one even for me.
"What? You are so small and well remind me of a sweet…. Wait, not in the food way! More like err a err.. Yeah I can't save that one" all I could do was laugh in response at her true personality showing through.
"Anyway! Wait here, I'm gonna knock on her window so she comes outside as I'm sure you all still think this a trap" hey you have tried to kill me in the past I think I'm entitled to some suspicion!
"Sure, but we'r- I'm watching you medusa and my spear is ready for some skinning" she's really stuck on the whole snake boots thing, starting to think it's more fashion than threat.
After a court eye roll She slithered, still slightly unsettling yet mesmerising to watch, around the corner and after a few moments and the sounds of light chatter, she reappeared from the back area with the monster I had suspected from the start.
Arachne.
In a woolly jumper and socks? What the?
