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Percy hugged his mom tightly, barely believing that she was back. Hades had kept his promise to return Sally Jackson if he gave the god his Helm, despite the fight that happened in the Underworld.
Percy could have stayed in his mother’s embrace forever, but their moment was broken by Percy’s stepfather- Smelly Gabe- yelling.
“Hey Sally! There’s a guy at the door, says he has a package.” Gabe’s coarse voice rang through the NYC apartment, probably loud enough that the neighbors could hear him. “Says it’s for the brat.”
Percy’s fists clenched. Despite everything his mother did to make Gabe’s life easier and to meet his wants needs, the guy was still a jerk to her. And yet Sally stayed with him, to protect Percy.
(She shouldn’t have to suffer for him.)
“We’ll be there in a moment, Gabriel!” Percy’s mom called back, her voice noticeably softer and kinder.
That taken care of, Sally returned her attention to Percy, noting the scowl that had crept onto his face the second he heard Gabe.
“Do you want to get it, or do you want me to take care of it?” She gently asked her son, already knowing what his answer would be.
“I got it, Mom.” The scowl disappeared as Percy looked at Sally, immediately melting in the face of the love he held for her.
Sally nodded, and stood up from where she had been crouched in front of Percy. “Then you go get that, and I’ll deal with Gabe trying to kick you out.”
Percy hugged his mom again quickly, before walking out of the apartment and closing the door behind him as Gabe’s voice started to rise again.
“Hey there, little cousin.” Percy’s attention was drawn by the guy standing in front of him in a UPS delivery outfit. “Long time no see.”
“Hermes.” Percy’s brows knit together in confusion. “What are you doing here? I thought you were spending a year at the Lotus Hotel?”
“Gods can be in a lot of different places at the same time.” Hermes shrugged. “There’s a part of me still at the Hotel and a lot of other parts off doing various deliveries. Speaking of, I got a package for you.”
Hermes reached into the satchel at his side and pulled out a box that seemed vaguely familiar but also that Percy was certain shouldn’t have been able to fit there.
“I could have just popped it into your room, but I wanted to check up on you after the whole mess with Ares and the Bolt.” Hermes explained, a light smirk on his face. “Good job getting it back, even if it was a little late despite your friend…’borrowing’ my chariot keys.”
Percy gulped. “We’re sorry about that, but we needed to get to the Underworld as fast as we could.”
Hermes laughed, handing the box to Percy. “Don’t worry about it. I can appreciate a good theft, and the daughter of Athena was surprisingly good. Almost like one of my kids, though I suppose that’s to be expected after all the time she spends with Luke.”
A phone ringing cut off whatever Hermes was going to say next, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket with an annoyed expression. “Sorry kid, gotta go.”
Hermes began to glow, and Percy looked away as the god disappeared in a flash of light.
Percy looked at the box in his hands and instantly knew why it had seemed familiar. It was the box he had sent to Olympus with Medusa’s head in it. On the front was a note in wavy handwriting that simply read “Return to sender. It is still needed.”
Somehow Percy knew that his dad had sent this back to him and as Gabe’s voice rose again from behind the door, he thought he knew why.
Stepping back inside, Percy walked right into a heated argument between Sally and Gabe. He very adamantly refused to let Percy stay in the apartment, but Sally hadn’t drawn Poseidon’s attention simply for her looks. She was equally stubborn, and neither side was willing to give any ground.
“He is my son!” Sally yelled, uncaring if the neighbors would hear. “He deserves a place to live with us, and you will suck it up and give it to him or so help me gods!”
Gabe raised a hand threateningly, and Sally flinched.
“Want to repeat that again?” His voice was low and threatening in a way that Percy knew all too well. “I said no, and that’s my final answer.”
Sally’s flinch played again and again in Percy’s head. Gabe had hit his mother. He didn’t know when or how much, but he had hit his mother and that was unacceptable.
(He had said he wouldn’t, he had p r o m i s e d)
Percy stomped forward, not knowing what he was going to do, but knowing he couldn’t just do nothing.
Sally saw him coming and the look on his face and stepped past Gabe to grab Percy and guide him into his room for the second time that day.
Closing the door behind her, she turned to see a look on Percy’s face that she had seen only a few times on Poseidon’s while she had known him.
“Percy, you can’t just go after Gabe.” She told him in an exhausted, defeated tone.
“I can make him go away forever, Mom.” Percy was angry, and didn’t bother trying to hide it. He’s hit you. I can’t just do nothing.”
Sally gave a tired laugh. “You sound like your father. He offered me a palace under the waves, did you know that? But I’ll tell you the same thing I told him. I have to take care of my problems myself.”
Percy’s anger deflated at that. He understood what she was saying but at the same time-
“I can’t just do nothing.” Percy repeated, his tone pleading as he held up the box. “If I show him what’s in this box he’ll go away forever.”
Sally looked at the box and somehow knew instantly what was in it. “Percy, I’ll say it again. I have to deal with my own problems. You shouldn’t have to worry about this, you’re only 12!”
“Sally, get the kid out of here!” Gabe banged on the door. “I own this apartment and as said owner I want him out!”
Sally sighed. “Go back to Camp. We’ll figure out what to do about this later.”
Percy reluctantly nodded, but put the box on his dresser defiantly. “I’m leaving this here for you. If he ever becomes a problem again then I want you to be able to defend yourself.”
Sally’s smile was melancholy. “Thank you, Percy.”