Blue Cookies

PERCY

We were laughing and joking around, just like old times, when I froze. Annabeth noticed my stricken expression, and looked concerned.

"Annabeth," I said tensely, "What about my mom?"

Annabeth turned ashen.

"Oh my gods. We have to go see Sally, right now. I can't believe I forgot about her."

"Who's Sally?" Leo asked, and I smiled softly.

"My mom. Want to go pay her a visit?"

...

The taxi ride over there was chaotic. The Grey Sisters did not disappoint, however, and we arrived at my mom's apartment in a matter of minutes and with smoke pouring off the tires. Jason, Piper, Leo, Annabeth, and I all stumbled out of the back. I think Leo threw up. I didn't blame him.

We walked in, and I waved at the receptionist, the same one that's been there since we lived in this apartment. She looked surprised to see me, considering she hadn't seen me in years.

Annabeth and I eyed the elevator as Jason, Piper, and Leo piled in.

"It's ok guys, we'll take the stairs. Meet you up on the third floor?" I said, and Annabeth shot me a grateful look.

"You guys are crazy, but okay. Bet we can beat you there!" Leo challenged, and slammed on the button.

"Cmon!" I pulled Annabeth to the stairwell. We went up a single flight and she was already wheezing, so I picked her up bridal-style and continued carrying her.

"Percy! I- can- walk- on- my- own-" Annabeth said in between pants.

"I know you can, but I want to beat Leo. So deal with it," I laughed, and Annabeth just wrapped her arms around me and pulled herself close to my chest. I think she was still in denial of having me back.

We actually ended up beating all three of them up to the third floor, much to Leo's dismay.

"But- but- you carried Annabeth, so it doesn't count!" Leo sputtered, and Jason laughed.

"He totally beat you, Leo. Come on, we've gotta go see Percy's mom," Piper scolded him, and Leo crossed his arms in annoyance.

My feet took me in front of the familar door, and I shushed my friends. I took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

...

SALLY

My apartment was squeaky clean, not a single thing out of place. Paul was at work, Estelle at school, and here I sat, looking at old pictures of Percy. Him as a baby at our cabin in Montauk, a picture of 12 year old him and Grover, him and Annabeth eating some of my blue cookies. Crumbs still on his face.

I haven't made any blue food since Percy died a year ago.

I heard some kids laughing outside my door, and I started to cry. Percy would never get to grow up, to get married, to have kids of his own. It was all my fault.

If I hadn't fallen for Poseidon, then Percy wouldn't have to have been a demigod. He wouldn't have had to fear for his life every single day. He would still be alive.

I shoved his pictures into the closet and closed the door, wiping my tears. Then I started making cookies for Estelle for when she came home from school. I hesitated at the blue food coloring that had sat untouched in the cabinet for years. I sighed and tossed it out.

I heard more laughing and then shushing from outside the door. I few tears leaked out of my eyes, but I wiped them away. I heard knocking.

I ignored it, thinking that some kids were probably playing a prank on me. Ding-dong ditching, as they called it.

They knocked more insistently now, two short, one short, one long, two short, three long, three short, one long, one short, and then two short and one long. (A/N this is morse code btw ;)

I sighed and went to the door. The same sequence of knocks sounded again.

I opened the door to a grinning skinny, elfish boy. He looked about 16 or 17.

"See, I told you!" he called over his shoulder.

"Shush, Leo," said a blonde kid with a scar on his upper lip.

Then the kid called Leo stepped out of the way, and my breath hitched.

There stood Percy. My baby boy.

Tears streamed down my face, a sob escaped my lips, and I held a hand to my mouth.

Percy smiled a little, and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Hey, Mom," he said.

I flung my arms around my son and sobbed into his shirt. He hugged me back just as hard. I could feel my shoulder getting wet as he cried too. Finally, I pulled away, wiping away my tears and smiling.

Then my eyes landed on Annabeth, who threw her arms around me next. I hugged her back, and when she pulled away, we were both crying again.

"It's really him?" I asked her, looking into her eyes.

Annabeth nodded vigorously, laughing and crying at the same time.

I wiped my eyes for the second time, and then my eyes widened. All of the kids were still standing in the doorway.

"Oh, where are your manners! Percy, dear, please invite your friends inside."

"Sorry! Come in, guys," Percy waved them in, but he stayed out with me.

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I came here as fast as I could-"

"Perseus Jackson, is that a tattoo?" I exclaimed, pointing at his arm, which said the words "SPQR" and featured a trident.

"Oh. Yeah. I got it when I became the praetor of Rome. And-"

I hugged him again. "I missed you so much, honey," I whispered.

"I missed you too, Mom."

...

JASON

Piper, Annabeth, Leo and I all walked inside the Jackson apartment. It was perfectly clean, except for cookie-making ingredients on the counter. Percy talked with his mom outside for a few moments, and then both of them hurried inside. Ms. Jackson was still crying, but a small smile graced her lips. Percy looked so infectiously happy, that I started smiling too.

"So, dears, what are your names?" Ms. Jackson asked.

"I'm Jason," I offered.

"I'm Piper, Ms. Jackson."

"Oh, please call me Sally."

"My name's-" I'm sure Leo was going to say something completely stupid, but Percy sent him a glare that could've rivalled Medusa's. Leo gulped.

"My name's Leo."

Sally smiled warmly, then gestured to the couch.

"It's so nice to meet you! Please, sit."

We sat.

"Let me just put the cookies in, and I'll be right out!"

Sally bustled into the kitchen.

"Woah, dude, you're mom's awesome," Leo whispered.

"I know," Percy grinned, but then turned serious.

"She's going to ask what happened. You are not going to tell her the full details. She freaks out if she realizes I did something extremely dangerous. Just, like, add mild danger," Percy warned, and sat down. Annabeth sat next to him, and clung to his arm.

"I'm not going to leave, Wise Girl. I promise," Percy whispered into her ear.

"I can never be too sure. This way, if you disappear again, I'm coming with," Annabeth whispered back, her voice wobbly with emotion. Piper and I exchanged sad glances.

Just then, Sally came back. Her smile was so infectious, all of us smiled too. I noticed Annabeth's grip loosen considerably on Percy's arm, but she still gripped it nonetheless.

"So, you must tell me how this all happened," Sally said, and Percy started his story.

He told us about how he woke up in a field with no memory and a piece of paper in his pocket. Then he met Annabeth, then us, and then met a nymph who tried to drown him and finally meeting Kymopoleia for the first and sort of second time.

I was surprised when he told us about that part. He explained how "Kym" as he called her, taught him how to control his powers before he even knew who he was. He said her name with such affection, it surprised me. She didn't seem like the motherly type when Percy and I met her back during the giant war. I also noticed him twisting an intricate seashell bracelet every time he said her name.

Then he talked about when Thoon gave him back his memories. He shivered involuntarily when he talked about it, so I knew it must have been extremely painful.

"I have a question," Annabeth interrupted, "Why would he even give you back your memories anyways? It just doesn't seem very smart, in my opinion."

Percy just shrugged, and said, "I guess they thought that I'd be too weak to fight back and they could just take and kill me again."

Sally gasped at that, and Percy flinched. He obviously didn't want his mom worrying about him.

He finished his story with talking to Nico and Will, and then saying goodbye to Kym, and then finding us.

All of us took it in. Annabeth held his arm a little tighter.

Sally was crying again.

"I'm just glad to have you back, honey. It's been really hard."

Sally kissed his forehead. Most teenage boys would probably pull away and say, "gross, mom!" Not Percy. he just closed his eyes and sighed happily.

Piper grabbed my hand and squeezed it, and I knew everything was going to be okay.

"Hate to interrupt the happy reunion," Leo said, "but where's the bathroom?"