"Why?"

"Why didn't you help us?"

"Why didn't you protect us?"

"Why didn't you save us?"

"Why did you let us die?"

I stared up at my friends as I sat on the ground. Everyon but Annie glared down at me, weapons drawn.

Tears streamed down my face and I looked down. I don't have an answer.

I don't have an answer to anything that they've asked. Not to the point where they would be satisfied.

I didn't react as an arrow lodged in my shoulder. I swallowed my pain and stared at the ground. I deserve this. I let them die, they deserve to be mad at...no, they deserve to hate me.

Piper threw her dagger which lodged itself in my stomach. My hand flew to it in reflex and I did what you shouldn't do if you've been stabbed, I pulled it out. Then I slid it across the ground back to Piper.

"Here." I mumbled.

Blood poured from my stomach, seeping between my fingers as I held my hand to the wound.

A hammer hit me in the ribs and I heard an audible crack.

They all descended on me and my vision quickly faded to black.

My eyes shot open and my hand covered my mouth, muffling the small scream that left it.

Breathing heavily, I tried to roll over only to find that I couldn't because someone was holding onto me.

I struggled against their grip, unsuccessful, though I tried harder when they started to wake up.

"Percy? What's wrong?" They mumbled, tightening their grip.

A whimper escaped my throat and I mentally cursed at myself for showing weakness.

"Kiddo, what's wrong?" Their voice hardened and they tried to force me to roll over.

They succeeded and I found myself staring up at Dad, who in turn, stared at me.

I wrapped my arms around him burying my face in his shirt. Needless to say, I didn't actually answer him.

He sighed. "What was it?"

When I didn't answer he pulled me away.

"Perseus, what was your nightmare about? Camp in flames? Parents dead? Or-" He cut off once my body started shaking.

"Thanks. Now I'll probably have those." I mumbled looking away from him.

"Percy, answer the question."

"My friends blaming me. Hurting me." I rubbed my shoulder. "Nothing new."

Dad sat up. "You should not be as okay with this as you are."

"Why shouldn't I, Dad? I couldn't save them. I let them die. I'm pretty sure they're justified in hurting me."

He sighed. "No they aren't."

"Did you not just hear what I said? I let them die. I couldn't save them. My fatal flaw is loyalty and I couldn't save the people that I'm loyal to."

"They aren't justified. You forget Percy, I was there when they died and you were doing everything in your power to draw attention to yourself so everybody would target you instead. You were doing everything in your power to keep them safe and when you couldn't do that, you destroyed everyone standing in your way."

I raised an eyebrow. "I let them die Dad. Not sure how you can't see that. I let my friends and my girlfriend die horrible deaths and I walked away with a bloody nose."

"And extreme mental trauma." Dad mumbled.

"Don't try to pin the way I am on that. I've been this way for a while, the wars just made it worse. Annie knew and I'm guessing she told Chiron but they're the only ones who knew before I told you and Paul and Mom. Still wish she didn't know but..." I shrugged wiping my eyes. "She knows and there's nothing I can do about it."

Dad pulled me into a hug and held me close to his chest. I rested my head on his shoulder and I tensed when he rested his hand on the back of my neck.

He gently rubbed the back of my neck and my eyes almost closed.

"Let me guess, Mom told you about that."

"Yeah, what do you think we were talking about before I brought you here? She said that you always pass out when she does this."

"No, I used to pass out when-" I yawned "-I was little. Now I just...Now I..." I trailed off losing my train of thought. "What was I going to say?"

"You were going to go to sleep. It's late." Dad kissed the side of my head. "You and I are going to be having a conversation in the morning."

I groaned and struggled against his grip, but he held tight.

"Now child listen to me. You are not getting out of this. It doesn't matter how long it will take for you to talk to me, we will talk. It doesn't matter if you tell me much or not, but we are going to have a nice little conversation. Conversation meaning you actually have to respond to what I ask okay?"

I groaned. "Dad, I've told you I can't tell you why I'm the way I am. I'm just like this."

"I am aware of what you've told me. Now go back to sleep." He released me and let me lay back down.

A sigh escaped my lips and I closed my eyes, not reacting as Dad wrapped his arms around me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Hugging you."

"Why?"

"I said I was going to do everything in my power to keep you safe. And by hugging you I can try to keep you from having another nightmare."

I sighed. "You're just delaying the inevitable."

Okay, not gonna lie

I thought it was way later than it was and updated the wrong book

Oops

But I typed this all today within 2-3 hours

Give or take cause I fed my animals, ate, walked around my house without shoes. tried to catch a stray cat, looked at something for my mom, tried to load notifications on my phone, and looked through about a hundred pictures on my phone.

Not necessarily in that order

NOW

I'll give you two choices

Fluffy fluff fluff

Angsty angsty angst

Nobody answered the last time......

Anyway

See yah