ONE

Percy ignored the doorbell when it rang but groaned when knocking followed, pounding hard on the door. He slowly peeled his open and with a yawn he pushed himself off of the couch and stood. A curse escaped his lips as his foot collided with the coffee table and he fell to the floor. The annoying sounds continued and he hurried up and headed for the front door. He opened the door bleary eyed and frowned at his step father's face.

Paul had a few bruises bandages on his face and his hair was disheveled as he stared at his stepson.

"Paul? Don't you have keys?" Percy asked him annoyed. "Wait, where's mom?"

"I wish you had phone," Paul muttered stepping inside. He hurried into another room before hurrying back out a minute later with a bag and Percy's shoes in his hands. He tossed them to Percy who raised an eyebrow but put them on nonetheless.

"What's going on?" Percy asked finally completely awake. "What happened to your face?"

"Come on," Paul responded. Percy noticed the man was shaking slightly. Blood was on his shirt and one of the lenses on his glasses was cracked but the man ignored it as he looked around nervously. "The cab is waiting."

"What about your car?"

Paul shook his head and lead the way out of the apartment. Percy followed close behind as they headed to the cab. In the cab Percy looked back to Paul who bounced his leg up and down impatiently as he stared out the window.

"What happened?" Percy asked his step father quietly.

Paul ran a hand through his already messed up hair. "On our way back from dinner a-a drunk driver ran a light..."

Percy's eyes widened full of worry. "Is she okay? Both of them?"

"They have to be."

~~~~

"Seaweed Brain!"

Percy gave a sideways glance to the Iris Message which appeared beside his head. In it Annabeth stood with her arms crossed looking annoyed. He looked back down at his sandwhich uninterested. "Yeah?"

"That's all I get? You were supposed to be here on Olympus at noon! It's almost six-"

Percy slashed a hand through the connection.

"You were... talking to a person?" Paul guessed sipping his coffee.

Percy nodded. "Annabeth. I was supposed to go to Olympus earlier..."

Paul said nothing but swirled his coffee clearly not interested in the hot beverage. Slowly Percy stood up from his chair and dumped his sandwich in the trash despite the fact he hadn't taken a bite. "I'm gonna head over there, maybe pissing Zeus off will make me feel a bit better..."He took a step toward his mother in the hospital bed and before kissing her on the forehead. "I'll be right back mom."

"Don't piss him off too much," Paul told Percy as his stepson headed for the door.

Percy's lip twitched into a small smile. "No promises."

~~~~

Percy stepped out of the elevator on to the 600th floor and glanced around. He had somewhat expected Annabeth to be standing there ready to chew him out for being seven hours late to this super special meeting. Whatever, at least he showed up. Honestly he just wanted to stay in the hospital all day but he figured he'd just make an appearance at the meeting before leaving again, he'd receive less yelling from the girlfriend that way.

He slowly walked toward the council room. He could hear loud excited chatter as he pushed open the door and stepped inside. Inside the large room was crowded with talking and laughing people. Percy scanned the area and eyes turned to him and people waved before they went back to talking to other people. He wove through the crowd searching for Annabeth so she could fill him in on what had happened.

"I'm surprised you even showed up."

Percy turned and looked at Jason who stood beside him. Jason shook his head. "Seven hours late really bro?"

Percy shrugged. "What'd I miss?"

"Boring stuff. Long speeches plans for the future and lots of food."

"It would all just go in one of his ears and out the other," Nico put in walking by. He gave a small wave before continuing on his way.

Percy rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Jason. "Anything else supposed to happen?"

Jason adjusted his glasses. "Something is supposed to happen soon, but no one really knows what."

Percy nodded. "Have you seen Annabeth?"

"She was talking to Thalia somewhere that way," Jason answered motioning off to left.

"Great description," Percy said rolling his eyes. He was about to walk away when Jason's hand grabbed his wrist. Percy turned back to the other boy confused.

Jason's blue eyes were full of concern. "Are you okay? You look like you were crying..."

"I'm fine," Percy said pulling his arm away. He quickly hurried deeper into the crowded space before Jason could speak. He walked through the crowd avoiding small talk. He just wanted to talk to Annabeth. She always knew exactly what to say to make him feel better. It took a while but he finally found her laughing with Thalia.

Thalia noticed him and waved, "Kelp Head!"

"It's about time," Annabeth huffed. "Well what do you have to say for yourself?"

Percy ignored her question. "Can I talk to you? It's important."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow but nodded. She lead the way away from everyone and around an empty corner. "What's wrong?"

Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "My mom is in the hospital. T-they don't know how she'll do."

Annabeth's eyes widened before she pulled him in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. I feel like a horrible person. You have stuff going on and here I am planning how to yell at you for being late."

Percy chuckled a bit. "You didn't do anything wrong. It was that stupid drunk driver..."

"Is Paul okay?" Annabeth asked pulling back from the hug.

Percy shrugged. "Physically? Yes. Mentally? As much as anyone can be."

Annabeth looked Percy in the eye. "And you?"

Percy didn't answer the question. "I'm not staying. Will you just let me know what that thing that is happening later is? Jason already caught me up."

Annabeth nodded. "Do you want me come with you."

Percy shook his head. "You don't have to. Stay here and listen for the both of us. Or just you cause I wouldn't listen anyway."

Annabeth rolled her eyes a smile on her face. The two walked back to where other people where gathered. Percy gave his girlfriend another quick hug and kiss before he headed toward the exit.

"Percy!"

Percy turned around and smiled at bit at Grover. "Hey G-man."

"What's wrong?" Grover asked him immediately concerned.

"Huh?"

"I could feel it," Grover told him. "I could feel your emotions and for the past day..."

Percy frowned and looked at the crowd around him not really want them to get involved in his personal problems. "I'll tell you about it later."

"Percy whatever it is I can help."

"Not right now. I'll call you later. I need to go."

Grover frowned. "Percy please. We haven't talked that much since everything. Can we just talk?"

Percy nodded. "I'd like that but, I really need to go. I'll call you as soon as I can."

"Just don't get yourself hurt alright?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "I don't ever plan on getting hurt."

"You get hurt a lot though," Grover shrugged. "Plus you in danger is us both in danger," he added as an after thought.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Our empathy link," Grover explained. "If something happens to one of us it happens to both of us. Just like I feel your emotions and you can feel mine."

"You do realize I'm a demigod. Danger comes with it."

"I know that."

"So basically I'm always putting you in danger then," Percy said bluntly. "Sorry."

Grover's eyes widened. "N-no!" He shook his head quickly. "That's not what I-"

"Yes it is."

"No. Perce, I swear I wasn't-"

"Can we get rid of it?"

"W-what?" Grover asked surprised.

"Can we get rid of it?" Percy repeated. "If I'm just putting you in danger then why not?"

"But-"

"And you're clearly worried, and your my best friend, I don't mind having it but, if I'm hurting you I'll get rid of it. What do you want?"

Grover looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He froze unsure of what to say or do clearly not expecting this. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times before beginning to respond. "I-"

Both stood up straight suddenly as a cold shiver ran down their spines. As the feeling vanished both couldn't help but feel that something was... different... missing.

Grover was the first of the duo to speak. "It's gone..."

Percy nodded. "That's what you wanted right?"

"That's not what I meant!"

Percy shrugged. "It's better this way right? I can't hurt you now," Percy said his voice wavering. "I need to go." He began to walk through the escrows once again as Grover hurried after him. He exited the doors and walking toward he elevator when Grover caught up.

"Did I do something?" Grover asked Percy.

Percy shook his head. "No."

"Clearly I did."

Percy sighed and turned to face the Saytr. "You're my first true friend. I thought the link was always something special for us. But I guess it's better this way. Maybe things aren't as special as I thought."

Grover tried to find the words to say but no words left his lips. Percy nodded as if that was what he was expecting. He gave Grover a parting wave before walking off.

He pressed the elevator button with a sigh.

"Something wrong?"

Percy turned to stare at the unfamiliar person beside him. "I'm fine."

"So you claim," the person shrugged. "But may I ask you a question?"

"Sure?"

"What would you say to me offering to heal your mother? I can bring back your unborn sister too."

Percy stared wide eyed. "Is there a catch?"

The person shrugged but a smile was on his face. "Isn't there always?" The elevator dinged and the door opened and the man stared at Percy. "Aren't you going down?"

Percy took a step forward before he stopped and turned back and looked them in the eye. "Do you promise to heal them?"

"I always keep my word."

"Then I accept."

~~~~

Annabeth walked through the hospital until she came to the correct room she entered it and smiled as she saw Paul embracing his wife. Both had a smile on their faces.

Paul looked over as she entered. "Hello Annabeth. Percy with you?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I haven't seen him since he left last night. He said he was coming here."

"He hasn't come back here..."

"Probably went to the water to think," Sally said softly.

Annabeth chuckled. "Most likely. Are you okay?"

Sally nodded. "Doctor said its a miracle." She smiled and held her stomach. "And they thought I lost her but she's fine too."

~~~~

"He's been gone for two weeks! I swear if Hera took him again..." Annabeth trailed off letting her threat hang as she paced back and forth.

"He didn't just walk off," Thalia put in. "His mom was hurt. He wouldn't just leave her."

"How is she by the way?" Nico asked.

"She's fine now. More worried about Percy than herself," Annabeth sighed.

"Where haven't we looked?" Piper frowned.

"No one at Camp Jupiter has seen him," Jason sighed walking in. "Frank just called- after four failed Iris Message attempts. Actually, I think Hazel did the last one."

"Grover?" Juniper asked turning to him. "Can't you try to find him with the empathy link?"

All eyes turned to Grover who stared at the floor. "I-I can't."

"Why not?" Annabeth demanded.

"He and I- we uh- it's gone. The empathy link. We got into a fight sorta and got rid of it..."

"When was this?" Piper asked confused.

"On Olympus the other day... Whatever happened is- is because me..."

"No it's not," Annabeth denied. "Whether you two argued or not isn't important. What is? Is finding Percy. Let's focus on that right now."

Grover nodded slowly and Juniper pulled him in a hug as they all got back to work in finding their friend.

But they wouldn't find him.

They would have no sign of him whatsoever for over two years. But even then things were too confusing to figure out.