Nico

College stuff started to come in about a week later. Letters for Percy and brochures for me.

It was Percy's third letter. He got rejected from both colleges in New York. So we knew for sure he'd be out of state. Which was fine. We were planning that I moved out with him anyways.

He got accepted to the University of Minnesota Duluth.

So of course, we had to celebrate that night. We didn't plan on his dad showing up. Or mine. Or any gods.

Poseidon

Zeus, Hades, and I were in the area. Zeus owed Percy an apology. I owed him a Christmas present. Hades was with just for the hell of it. To get away from the underworld for a while.

At least Hades likes his wife. Mine won't sign the divorce papers.

I fucking miss Sally, okay. It's not healthy at this point. We haven't been together for over 18 years.

It seems like a lot longer than that.

Paul answered the door and, although slightly confused, let us inside. To a mini party.

I mean, there was 4 people there. But it obviously a celebration.

And then a voice gave away that it was five people.

"You aren't my mother," Percy joked. "My mom is over there, trying to get Susan into something nice so we can leave."

That's when I realized that Sally was wearing a dress, and Paul was wearing a very clean cut outfit. Sally was trying to get a baby, I'm assuming who is names Susan, into a cute little dress. She must've been about a year old.

She was adorable. I'm just saying.

We asked where Percy was, and they told us in his room.

"Percy, where's my tie?" Nico asked, which threw all three of us off. Hades and I shared a confused look. Last I checked, Nico and Percy didn't get along.

"I don't know," Percy told Hades' oldest son. "Wherever you put it last. I haven't seen it."

We made to Percy's room, and saw the two boys in there. Both wearing very nice outfits.

Something must've happened that I missed. I know Percy's a senior, but school doesn't get out until the very end of May.

I wonder if it's maybe Paul's birthday. It's not Sally's. Not Percy's or Nico's...

Why was Nico here? Annabeth, I'd understand. Annabeth and Percy have been together for God's know how long now. I didn't think they'd last that long but... I was proven wrong. Nobody thought they'd last longer than a year.

Zeus took Percy out into the hall and we were left with Nico, so was looking for a tie. Once he found it and went to put it on, he noticed us.

"Poseidon, Dad..." Nico remarked and stopped, tie in one hand and a phone with the flashlight on in the other. "What are you doing here?"

He turned off the light and put his phone away.

"We were in the area," Hades told his son. "Zeus owed Percy an apology after this summer, and Poseidon had something to drop off. I would've dropped off something had I known you were here."

"Got it." He commented and went to put his tie on.

"Why are you here?"

"Because when Sally and Paul found out Mom and Bianca were dead they weren't having it." Nico explained to the two of us. "I didn't have a choice, they made me move in."

Yeah, that's.... That's Sally.

Sally

Dinner was amazing that night. But Poseidon and Hades were still there and uh... It didn't end well.

Hades had said something to Nico and Nico got really defensive about whatever was said and they started arguing while Poseidon tried a little too hard to be the good dad and uh... That started an argument, too.

Percy had made up his mind about his dad. He wants nothing to do with him. He's fine with Hades, Ares, Aphrodite, Athena, and so on. Anyone but Zeus and his father. And Hera. Her, too. He will have nothing to do with those 3 gods.

And his dad just didn't understand that Percy wasn't going to change that. Not for a long time. Not until his trust issues are gone. Not until Percy gets better himself. It just won't happen. I'm still not sure if Percy trusts Paul. After Gabe he... Gabe messed both of us up pretty bad. I thought his dad would help, but he didn't. He hurt it.

He made Percy want to open up to people less. Poseidon almost ruined how my kid thought of himself. Because Percy was so excited to meet him. He was upset with him, of course. But he wanted to hear what happened. He tried to be understanding.

And Poseidon just made that hard, until Percy stopped being understanding and forgiving towards his dad.

Poseidon lost Percy's respect. He will never get it back.

In this situation, he was trying to give Percy a Christmas present.

"No, give it to Tyson." Percy insisted. "I don't want it."

"Come on, Percy," Poseidon insisted. "I got it made for you."

"Well I don't want it."

The god of the seas sighed.

"Percy, I'm trying to be your—"

"Dad?" Percy finished off, keeping that wall of his up. The one that Gabe but up for him, very willingly. And his voice cracked."Well you should've tried doing that six years ago. Or 18."

"Percy—"

"No," my son wasn't having any of this. "You had your chance. You blew it. How does it feel?"

Poseidon was kind of hesitant to answer, not getting it was rhetorical.

"Well it," he started off, "it uh—"

After 30 seconds of this stuttering, Percy let out a laugh that was... It wasn't healthy.

"Forget it." Percy told his dad. "You just don't..."

"Per—"

"I said to just forget it!"

It was getting to him. Percy was starting to become vulnerable. He looked like he might cry. But of course, Poseidon didn't consider that when Percy started to walk away.

"Percy, just please talk—"

Poseidon got the door to his face when Percy slammed it. Which shut everyone up.

Hades

Okay, arguing is one thing.

How does Poseidon manage that out of Percy? For him to get so upset that he slammed the door on him.

With how alarmed Nico got by that, we stopped arguing instantly and suddenly he didn't care that we were in the middle of an argument.

Walking away from me, he went over to Percy's door and gave Poseidon a look, which made him step back. It took Nico about 2 or 3 minutes to pick Percy's lock to get into his room.

"Just let him be." I insisted, knowing how terribly this would end. How pissed Percy would be.

"Let him be?" Nico questioned my judgement. "I would let that be for literally anyone else. Trust me, when he gets like this, Percy can't be left alone."

"Why not?" I asked, not getting the drift everyone else knew about.

" Because he has problems." My oldest living kid told me as he continued to pick the lock. "Problems that are now probably back after square one because of an argument. Which is the stupidest reason so far."

After another few seconds, the door was unlocked and Nico got inside to a Percy that was bleeding and freaking the fuck out in terms of some sort of anxiety attacked.

And then I remember the one conversation I had with Sally when Percy had been new at camp. I was nice to Sally while she was down. I treated her like a lady. And she told me a lot about Percy. And she told me he had anxiety and depression really bad. She was hoping camp and having his around would help that in ways that therapy and meds and Sally couldn't. To fill that gap in his life.

But Poseidon is brutally honest and he doesn't care what you think. He was honest with Percy that he didn't want to have a kid with Sally. He wanted to be able to be with her and now leave because of a kid. Poseidon didn't want Percy.

Conversations like that went on all the time between up. Percy tried to give him another chance and Poseidon shot him down.

Percy reached his limit. And when Poseidon tried reaching out, he didn't want it. He didn't want to risk trusting his dad just to have it broken again.

At this point, Percy had built a wall to Poseidon. And as unhealthy as it was, I don't he'll change that.

They were back to square one.