Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He never thought it would be like this.

He never thought it would end this way.

He felt numb, sitting in his chair, his sister on his lap. Even she realised it was a somber day, her usual chatter quietened.

She didn’t understand.

She would. Later.

Percy was somewhere a few feet floating above his body. He felt like he was choking in the tie and suit he had on.

There were no more tears. He had cried already.

When he got the call, he dropped the phone. It felt like a sick joke. It couldn’t have happened.

Now, looking at the polished wood, the coffin, it still didn’t feel real.

Someone nudged him in the side, and he turned to look automatically.

Grover.

His best friend was dressed smartly too, bow tie and suit, pants over his furry legs. There were no bites in the fabric though.

“It’s your turn to speak, Perce,” he said. Percy blinked once. His turn already? He passed Estelle to Paul and stood almost robotically.

Shuffling to the front, it felt surreal how many people were there. Hundreds, maybe thousands, all gathered for her death.

Maybe he should’ve been scared, talking to so many people.

But how could he?

All he could feel was a grief, a mourning that cut away a piece of his soul. He didn’t really care about anything else.

Did most of them even know his mom?

“Hi.” His voice sounded loud in the quiet space. He looked at the crowd gathered. There were plenty of tear stained cheeks, people crying and dabbing and their eyes with handkerchiefs. He didn’t know most of them. In fact, most of their sniffles sounded fake.

“My name is Percy Jackson. I, uh — I’m gonna keep this short.

“I’m not gonna talk about her death. Because it isn’t important how she died. What’s important is how she lived.

“She was easily the most important person in my life. She was my life. I loved her, she loved me and that was it. We had each other. Then my family expanded even more — “ here he looked at his family and his friends, “and suddenly, we were surrounded by people we loved.

“She didn’t deserve to die,” Percy stated softly. “She deserved more. So much more. I…honestly, there aren’t words to describe how good and kind and loving she was.

“Even now, even though I’m hurting, I know one thing. She’s want me to live like the world’s on fire and love harder than I loved her. She’s want me to find the moments of joy in my life, to laugh so hard I get stitches. To never look back and drown in guilt but to move forward and accept it.

“I will never forget her, and I hope all of you don’t either. I don’t know most of you,” he confessed honestly, “but if you’re here, then…then she knew you. And if she knew you, then you knew her, and you would know that she deserves to be remembered, her legacy set in stone. Thank you.”

He ignored the claps and retook his seat. Grover squeezed his arm.

Once the crowds left, it was just him and his family.

Percy looked at the blue gravestone, where flowers grew. It was harsh conditions, but still they grew. Strong. Determined to survive no matter what.

Percy’s ears picked up a car rolling up the gravel, then coming to a stop. The person inside came up behind him.

He didn’t say anything, instead sitting on the grass.

Nico, Paul and Estelle on his right, Annabeth, Grover and Thalia on his left.

Thalia opened the box she brought with her.

Percy cut the cake and doled it out for everyone. Blue icing was smeared on the plate, blue cake and blue filling.

He ate his cake.

It was a serene moment. They didn’t talk. It wasn’t the time for it. But they found solace in each other, peace, love.

They finished. They threw away the rubbish. Percy picked up Estelle and smiled softly for the first time in a few days.

He squatted down at the headstone. “Remember her, Estelle, okay? She loved you more than anyone in the world.” His sister nodded sagely, eyes shining bright.

Percy tan a hand on the rough stone. His mom wouldn’t have had liked marble. Too smooth, she would’ve said. She liked things that somehow found a way to survived. With grit.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to spend more time with her,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Estelle’s forehead.

He handed his sister to Paul and sank to his knees in front of the grave. “And here I thought I would always be the one to die first. Ironic, isn’t it?”

“Sally Jackson-Blofis
Wife • Mother • Author
‘A family isn’t defined by blood.’”

He thought about the way his mom hugged him when he came home from his quests, from the wars. How she made cookies, how she broke down when she saw him for the first time. How she obsessed over his tattoo, how she comforted him late nights, how she dyed each and every thing blue.

How she tried her best to protect him, failed, yet still didn’t give up.

How she loved each and every demigod who met her, how she loved them even if they’d never met. How she practically forced Nico to join the family, gave Will the shovel talk and how everyone just fit. Messily and chaotically, but they fit. How she held him when Jason died, how she greeted the Seven, how she led Connor and Travis and Clarisse in when they needed help.

I love you, mom, he thought. Then he stood up and walked away, not looking back.

Chapter Text

Estelle was bored. School as a whole was boring, actually. Too boring. Why couldn’t she just stay at home?

As soon as the bell rung, she had already packed and was practically running out the door. At the school gate was a tall, lean man who cut an imposing figure. He wore a faded tee and jeans, twirling a pen in his hands. He had messy hair, but there was a vicious glint in his eye that made people back away.

To Estelle, he was her brother.

“Percy!” she squealed. Dad always told her not to shout loud, but she couldn’t help it. Her brother wasn’t always around, always busy.

He turned to face her, and she sprinted towards him, jumping at the last moment. Percy caught her easily, then threw her in the air again for good measure. She giggled.

“You’re getting heavier, Stella. It won’t be long ‘till I can’t do that anymore,” he laughed. Estelle simply grinned toothily. “Look! My front teeth fell out!”

Percy mock-gasped. “Did it hurt?”

“Nope! The den — dente — ” she tried.

“Dentist?” Percy supplied.

“Dentist was super nice! It didn’t hurt at all. And I got a lollipop too!”

“I’m glad,” Percy smiled. Estelle loved seeing his brother smile. It lit his face up. “Let’s go home.”

***

“Percy?”

“Mmm?”

“Why don’t I have a mom?”

Her brother’s body tensed immediately. They stopped walking, and Percy knelt down to her level. “Why do you ask that?”

“All the other children have a mom. I don’t have one. Why?”

Percy paused. “Change of plans. Let’s go somewhere else instead.”

***

“Percy? Why’re we here?” Estelle was confused. She’s never been here before. Something was vaguely familiar, but she didn’t remember it. Her brother had a faraway gaze on his face, a look of nostalgia in his eyes.

“You had a mom, Stell,” he finally said. “She was the best mom ever.”

“Then why did she leave?”

“She didn’t choose to leave,” he said softly, looking at his sister’s angered face. Her cheeks were puffed out. “She never…she would’ve never left us by choice. She loved you more than anything, you know. She did everything she could to protect you. And then…she had to go.”

“But why?” Estelle demanded. “Why can’t she come back?”

“She can’t,” her brother murmured. Wistfully. Mournfully. “She did everything she could…but she can’t come back. One day, when you’re older, I’ll tell you everything, okay?”

Estelle didn’t like it, but the gaze on his face made her reluctantly agree. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Percy repeated. “Some day…we’ll see her again. You were too young to remember it, but we said goodbye to her here.

“She loved you, Estelle. Like me and Paul do. With all our hearts. Family is forever. Don’t forget that, yeah?”

And she nodded mutely, staring at the oddly carved blue thing.

***

‘“She loved you, Estelle. Like me and Paul do. With all our hearts. Family is forever. Don’t forget that, yeah?”’

She wasn’t sure why she was thinking of that moment. Maybe because it was the day that she asked what happened to her mom, and Percy had been so unwilling to tell her the concept of death. Maybe because this moment, this moment right here reminded her of that blue speck. Or maybe it was because as she was burying someone else, she remembered that she loved them with all her heart too.

Percy squeezed her hand. Side by side were two headstones.

Paul and Sally.

Her parents.

He had to leave. Like mom. They all had to, at some point.

But like Percy said, they would see her again. And Dad. They would all reunite.

It felt like there was someone behind her. Placing a hand on her shoulder. Wiping her tears away.

She squeezed Percy’s hand back. “Family is forever,”
she echoed. And the breeze that rustled through her hair told her that it agreed.

Chapter Text

The world comes alive with spring.

The flowers are in bloom, their tiny buds dotting the long grass like a game of hide-and-seek. Their petals are slowly opening, curling towards the sun. Butterflies flit between the blades, resting for a short moment before taking off. Chirping fills the air in rhythmic patterns, painting songs across the sky.

A man in jeans and a shirt walks towards two rounded slabs of stone.

His hair is slightly longer in the back, trimmed in the front to prevent it falling into his eyes. A bouquet of flowers are gripped tightly in his right hand and the leather necklace has at least fifteen beads and a seashell threaded onto it. Not much has changed. His eyes are still soft and sparkling with warmth and his hands are still calloused from long hours of sword practice. His scars are still prominent, thin, white lines splayed across his forearms and a welt from a stinger. A crooked smile, well-practiced and used, though slightly sad, rests on his face.

The only new thing are the creases caused by worry and happiness, and the silver-blue band on his fourth finger.

He lays the flowers down on the two graves, dividing them before cupping a handful of silver flowers. He uses his nails to dig up the space between the two graves, dirt under his nails, and places the moonlace in the gap. Then he covers it up and pats it down.

He sits there for awhile, knowing that more people would come. A finger reaches to twist his wedding ring, the custom engravement miniscule.

"Happy Mother's Day, Mom," he says softly.