Drive, Just drive

(author's note :I apologize if this chapter is a little rough, I actually hadn't planned on posting the story so early, But after seeing so many people like and favorite the story, I am going to continue from here,)

8 hours, That's how long it took to get from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Percy, Damned with ADHD felt like it was Simply sitting in the car while his mother drive those 8 hours..

He loved his mother, He really did, She was what motivated him to Go on a quest that accidentally led him to finding the master bolt. Really he lucked out on that one. He was not even old enough to drive yet. That's what makes it even worse. It's not like they could have rotated who's driving and who's riding shotgun. This was a tedious long drive but they manage. fortunately or unfortunately, Annabeth and Thalia are also were Riding with them.

He hadn't seen Annabeth in months, Sure, they messaged each other, And occasionally used burner phones (monsters be damned.). But being in person was so different so awkward.

Thalia Grace was having fun. Gods Almighty, Sally Jackson was a riot.. And it was hysterical. See ing. Percy squirming like a guinea pig, As she retold several embarrassing baby stories. Much to persey's chagrin.

Although some of them gave her pause. Him as a baby strangling snakes hit a bit too close to home, has her brother pulled the exact same shit. Not Heracles, But Jason.

Gods she missed him, Hell she would have loved to tell Sally about Jason.

There was plenty of stories

Him accidentally making sweet, stupid Love to a stapler When he was a baby giving him a adorably precious little scar.

the time he shocked her and gave her the wickedest hairdo that she's still couldn't replicate. (Seriously her hair was sticking up for Days)

Or the time She was able to paint his nails And give herself a matching color.(He got into Mom's nail Polish kit Thalia went along with it)

Jason was a handful but she loved him.

The way his eyes just lit up with his dopey ass smile was frankly adorable and She wished she could have spent more time with him..

However, despite her want of talking about her little brother, If she couldn't make herself do it. Maybe it was a shame of allowing her mother to just sacrifice him to Hera, maybe it was the pain of loss. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn't able to look at Percy Annabeth or Luke without seeing her little brother. She tried her best to keep in her tears, And hide the pain. But but it's still still hurts.

Frankly the more she interacted with Sally, The more Thalia grew To silently resent her mother.

Sally Was too kind, The mother she would have wanted. She was caring, loving, attentive and all around pretty cool.

Thalia was frankly jealous of Percy for that fact. Her mother was a drunk, washed up Starlet that Zeus decided to bang twice for some reason. Hell in some ways she was glad to be rid of her mother after she decided to take one too many drinks Then drive home.

She was partially glad that Jason didn't have to see her mangled body.

Wherever the hell he was, She prayed that he was safe that he knew love and care

"The life of a demigod was sad and filled with tragedy. But the friendships forged in fire and **** can last lifetimes.," Chiron had told little Annabeth when she was in 8-year-old.

For the longest time she never already felt that. Until 4 years came by, some traumatized 12-Year-Old came into her life.

Percy Jackson was the first person that Annabeth finally felt genuine connection too on equal grounds. She couldn't quite call it sibling behavior, It was far too strong and far too different but there was feelings. She still trying to figure out what they were but they were feeling. Feelings that took a while to develop, Was it The fact that he actually took her seriously? Was it the fact that he was able to make her laugh Even in the most dangerous of moments.

Or was it the ruthless Street smarts he had as opposed to her book smarts.

All in all, Percy was her first real friend. Grover was not always there, Luke was aiding the Titans rise and Thalia was a goddamn tree for A good part of her life.

She didn't know why her heart pounded when she saw Percy smile, But she did feel it. And it felt weird. It felt nice. At first she thought it was madness, And she talked to Mr. D about it. Unfortunately once she described what she was feeling he laughed her out and told her to go talk to the aphrodite girls.

That was a betrayal, Mr. D was one of the parental figures that she had for a good 4 years of her development into a From kid to tween.

And to have him just laugh her off about it, saying that "she'll figure it out when she gets older or wiser" What the hell was that? That wasn't advice that was just blowing her off.

When she asked Sally, The closest thing she had to a mother besides her actual godly mother, Sally (crouching to eye level) simply said" What your feeling is natural and healthy, But it's a journey that I cannot take with you, My advice is to Simply go with The Flow of the ocean. You're growing into a wonderful young lady and I'm proud to see it, But I cannot help you with this. " At least She was honest.

Annabeth didn't know what to do. She joked with Percy And occasionally stole glances when he wasn't looking, And blushed. She didn't know what was coming over Her.

But it was nice sitting beside him.

What she didn't know was the fact that this would be the closest they would get until weeks later.

Sally Jackson was a ball of anxiety waiting to explode.

You would think being the mother of a demigod was easy. Just raise them till they were 12. Send them to camp and try and help them when they can.

What they don't tell you about is the emotional baggage of never knowing when you'll see your baby return home again. What they never tell you about is the fact that you're likely going to be the one to have to You dig your childs grave If you even have a body.

And the fact that her son was like the most potent of catnip for monsters was even worse.

She knew she shouldn't be thinking this, Especially driving in the winter snow in Maine but she was. She tried to humor The children riding with her By telling embarrassing stories (Her son could take it, A little embarrassment is healthy in the long run)

but this was tense and scary. It was supposed to be a simple mission pick up two demigods who were powerful, And then get some sort of Ride back home.

With Percy, Thalia and Annabeth she thought it would have been fine, But she couldn't help but feel like something was going to Go wrong. Call it motherly instinct, call it paranoia. But something was going to happen.

Even seeing The children walk to the Westover school after she dropped them off was not a assurance that everything would be all right.

As soon as they were in the school, Sally decided to get a hotel. Sleep away some of the anxiety. Desperately praying that The children would be safe. And that all of them survive whatever perils that they would encounter.

She had sent Percy's burner phone a text, telling him text her what happened and she would to rendezvous with him if he needed it.