Chapter 32: A Daughter's Conflict

[Thalia's POV:]

"Thalia, I think we should go in and talk to them," Said Annie with a knowing look. Peeking back through the window I could see my mother was worse than I remembered. The mother I knew loved even If she was no good at showing it. Now I doubted even that much, the alcohol abuse was ever present; bottles littering every surface that could support it. The house looked like a minotaur had come for tea. Broken glass, year old food growing moulds I never knew existed and is that growing mushrooms?

"There's no more beer left mom" mom? She had another son? I have a brother? No time for this, If I know my mother right this won't end well. First the deadly silence, then she'll stand up. And go check herself, if there's even a drop left… I started my break-in attempt signalling my fellow hunters to remain outside and watch. All the doors were bolted shut, an easy kick down but I wanted the element of surprise to attempt to de-escalate it. She is my mother after all.

"ATTICUS, GET IN HERE NOW!" she shouted. Crap she found some. Previous plan out the window, I smashed the window glass and rushed in ignoring the sharp sting of glass that had sliced through my skin.

"Mother stop!" I pleaded aloud as I saw her holding my supposed little brother up by the arm. Failing to realise I just called her mother, something I told Myself I never would do again.

"Thalia? Wh-what are you doing here? No no you're not here you're at that monsters camp! With the rest of them!" I could see her mind trying to save her from shame, telling her false truths. I bet she doesn't even know where she is or the state of the place.

"Mother, I am here, can we talk? I err Missed you! Oh Atticus is it? Could you make us a drink while we catch up?" I hoped to hades this would work. As much as I hate to say it, she did love us in her own twisted way.

"Oh why didn't you say so! Atticus! Go make your big sister a cup of hot chocolate! Thalia, come come and sit down by the fireplace you must be freezing!" her change in attitude unsettled me, she was truly broken.

"So what brings you this way hun?" I took a few seconds to ensure no emotions showed on my face, wiping the few tears that had rebelliously escaped.

"I'm on a hunt for a monster of sorts" not entirely a lie, have you seen the size of him?

"Oh right, still doing errands for those damned Gods. They don't care, you know. They never did!" Zeus and Jupiter's actions had scarred their mother. Though I can't say I don't share the feeling, he did imprison me in a tree for years. I mean seriously? A tree? Cmon. Others got turned into Gods, animals hell even a weapon would've been better. Though being camp's protector was kinda cool, can't lie.

"Believe me, I know. But some are better than others" I could feel Artemis stare in my back as I spoke. "Like Artemis! Best Goddess there is other than Hestia" what I have to live an eternity with that lady.

"I see.." was all she replied as she became fidgety.

"So.. Atticus.. What's his story?" I asked simply. Often better to rip the Band-Aid off quickly with mother than beat around the bush.

"Atticus? Oh Atticus. Right, my son. Your brother, Another demigod like you and Jason.. Poor Jason.." heh if she only knew she'd slap him herself. Wait a demigod? Like me? Zeus really went there?

"A son of Zeus?" I asked gently, hoping it to be a lie. She looked down at the ground as if thoughts hurt her. In the kitchen I could hear the kettle boiling, while mother was distracted I signalled a hunter to bring him out for now at least. Better to have my brother out of danger while I focus on my broken mother.

"No, Poseidon" Oh sea shit. "He came one day, comforted me, Saying all the words I needed.. Wanted to hear. Not even two weeks later I was pregnant with him and never saw the God again, 'the sea cannot be restrained to one' is what he told me as he left" I'm gonna kill a God, sorry Percy, but it has to be done. It was weird though. I loved Percy like many others do and so Monogamy was out the window, they were so alike yet dramatically different. He had all the girls he could want, and probably some he didn't, yet his respect and care was like no other. He'd never cheat knowingly.

"What an asshole… why are you here in Alaska then?" I was certain I knew the answer, but I wanted her to go through the thoughts to make sense of the situation.

"Well, We came to Alaska a year ago in fear Hera would take him from me like Jason.. But he isn't Jason!" I wanted to hug and slap her at the same time.

"No he isn't. But from what I saw. He seems better in every way" I'd say I felt sorry for my brother, but I don't. Cheaters get what they brew.

"He is? How?" her tone caught me off guard. It was curious, desperately clinging for a reason to favour her present son over the one that she lost. I swallowed dryly at the situation. I pitied her broken state and resented it. I wanted to lash out like I normally could, zap her like I would Percy when he'd act an idiot on purpose. But I didn't want to hurt her, I find myself thinking 'but she's my mother' each time a thought of anger flashes by.

"Speaking of him. ATTICUS?! WHERE ARE OUR DRINKS BOI!" she shouted, crap she didn't forget about him. Luckily the ensuing silence meant the kid was probably safe with others.

"Err well he is here now and not a brick loving cheater!" I am still pissed at him for that. 8 years of loyalty and devotion from a daughter of Aphrodite and He is the one to cheat. I mean no offence to her half siblings.. But they are sluts for the most part literally! Not that I can talk with my 'Percy time' count.

"Cheater? He is dating someone? Are they treating him well?" classic mother, always favoured Jason even when he was in the wrong.

"Was dating, and Yes. too well in fact and in my opinion he didn't deserve an ounce of it!" luckily I had steered the conversation away from my half sea brother. This will be weird to explain to Percy later..

"Please help" she said out of nowhere, the look on her face showed me all I needed to know.

"I- How can I help?" This was getting too emotional for my liking.

"I know I'm a bad mother, I know I wronged you all. I know that damned drink is killing my heart in love and health, but it hurts! Reality hurts.. I still Remember the cold grit of the tarmac. The taste of burning rubber and the last breath I struggled to take. Why am I even still alive?!?" I hugged her for the first time in decades. For a while we simply sat like that, entrapped I'm each other's embrace, fearing the consequences of ending the hug.

"Thalia, I.. have a request, please take your half brother away from here. I'm not fit to care for him like this, I don't want to hurt my sweet little boy! Take him and leave me here to rot" I unwound myself from my mother to ponder. Could I just leave her here alone like that? I can't do that? No, I lost her once to loneliness and I can't bare it a second time.

"No. Not this time mom, this time you owe it to be a mother your child needs. So pack up, come with us and get some dam help already" I left no space for debate. Truthfully I felt conflicted, She was the cause of most of my issues in life but she was-is my mother and I know Percy would berate me for not at least trying.

"I can't jus- you really are that same damned rebellious child I raised. Fine but not now, I need time to pack. I can't exactly drop everything and move. Finish your hunt, tend to those wounds you've been hiding and let your friends in from the cold. I might be old and broken, but I did have you as a daughter" she always did see right through me, well other than the time we escaped.

"Alright" with that I called in the hunters who filled in after Artemis.

"Right, as much as I'd love to rest, I don't want to lose track of Percy. I'll take any of the hunters that're ok to hunt, those that can raise your arm" Artemis spoke, Immediately my hand rose and just as fast she shot me down. I had been in the front seat after all, my injuries spoke for themselves when I wouldn't.

"No Thalia, you stay here and heal up with the rest. I'll take Phoebe and go it alone. Leaving you a trail to track us. Miss Grace? Would you happen to have any winter spare winter clothes?" It seemed like no matter what I said, Artemis wouldn't let me join them. I guess I'll just have to sneak off later myself.

"Lucy Watch her, make sure she doesn't sneak off. She needs to heal up for the night. The WHOLE night. And Thalia, while you're here I want you to find out more about how your mother is alive" Dammit, curse her for knowing me so dam well. With that she left with Phoebe in tow after having dressed up in various snow gear.

[Artemis POV:]

Why did it have to be Alaska? Why not Tahiti? Or the Bahamas? New York? Hell I'd even take Florida at this point. I'm cold, weak and relying on a deranged mother of an abused boy to look after my injured hunters.. I hope Percy has a good explanation for all this.

"The shockwave emanated from that direction" Spoke Phoebe while pointing northwest? I was unsure as my sense of anything just didn't work in these lands.

"Then we'll hug the treeline, even if that was Percy, we should be on guard for whatever caused him to do so, I can still remember the last being that had him angry enough to level a forest and I don't wish to face that again". She nodded in shook agreement.

It was after he'd been found out as Percy. Not long after actually if I remember correctly. We were hunting some small game for a feast to celebrate it, unfortunately we instead found ourselves face to face with a hoard of monsters threatening to Rape every maiden I have. Percy was livid and began eradicating them in a gruesome massacre I admired. But that wasn't it nono. It was when a Fury had snuck around our frontline and began stripping one of the younger hunters. Percy was the first to notice, just before he could defile the poor child he had practically exploded commanding all the water in a 5 mile radius to swarm and crush him to a pulp faster than he could even turn to dust, in his rage the vast amount of water was redirected to the hoard drowning and crushing them. He soon after passed out protectively around the child. To this day he is the only male she can so much as look at with out going into a meltdown.

Having finished my trip down memory lane, and reaffirmed what the DemiWolfGod can accomplish. We set off in the hopeful direction of our Furry love.

[Percy's POV:]

"You remind me of the Nemean lion" oh no she didn't just compare me to an overgrown CAT.

"HEY! I am nothing like that cat! The only similarities are that we're both big, mostly impervious and 4 legged! Ok I admit that's a lot but I'm still offended." I am not being compared to a cat by a half snake that eats babies. Lamia shrugged her shoulders and went back to watching the forest pass us as I walked. She was still shackled but after having her first none-child meal that didn't immediately get puked up, she had calmed down.. Mostly.

We had finished our conversation and realised that sitting around wouldn't offer us any answers we couldn't solve while travelling. We still had a mission after all and so packed up, lifted the snoozing kids onto my back and set off in the direction Acanthis had set off. None of us were ready to sleep after what had occurred

"Just be thankful that we can't use Iris messaging in Alaska else I'd have ratted your arse out to Annabeth" Annabeth, supposedly my girlfriend I had when I was Percy. Though I have been missing for 6 years, is that even valid still? Plus I don't know what Percy er I did for all those years before this.

"Annabeth… What is she like?" I asked curiously. I mean Of course I'd be curious about the Girl I used to or still kinda date? The longer I live the more confused I become.

"Smart, as much as it pains me to admit. She did trick me into weaving my own trap" chimed in Arae, my new nickname for Arachne.

"Cunning like her cursed sisters and mother" added Med, It was having the women who I had decapitated once in the past knowingly sitting on my back. When she had returned after cooling off. She had given me a lecture about weaponizing people's heads. Now remembering both makes me giggle and shudder.

"I didn't really know her all that well, but If I were to summarise I'd say her favourite thing was teasing you and you loved doing it back. She prided herself on being the smartest daughter of Athena. And most importantly she was utterly obsessed with you once you two became a thing" I just realised I have a lot to return to after this memory debacle is sorted.

"Anyway, Are you sure Acanthis will be able to find us?" asked Rayna, I took a deep breath, it was finally happening. I was finally able to explain something to her and I was gonna make sure to enjoy every second of it.

"Well! As you may know. Acanthis is a shapeshifting, talking albeit Lazy bird. As such she can become any bird there is. Including those that can hunt and track. As such she will be able to latch on to my scent and find me with pinpoint accuracy. My large size will surely aid in that. I really thought you'd know something so obvious…" the whole way through I had done my best to turn my gravely wolf voice into the most obnoxious know it all voice I could imagine solely to enjoy her silent annoyance.

"I hate you sometimes, I hope you know that." I revel in this fact.

We settled into a comfortable silence and just enjoyed the sound of the soft crunch of the snow under my giant paws until I was left as the only one awake. Just me and the late evening moon.

"Percy? Is that you?"