Chapter 37: It's Complicated

[Percy's POV:]Love? I love her? But I barely know her! Did I love her before? But wasn't I dating that Annabeth girl? Well, it's not like I've been exactly loyal with my feelings for almost all my travelling companions..."... Did.. Did we date?" Ok not my most subtle of moments, but I'm done with beating around the bush. Mostly because I hate bushes, especially ivy ones. they're loud, painful, and not great for hiding in, but only an idiot would attempt to do that. I suddenly feel offended."What?" She asked, understandably shook by the sudden question."Well... umm, crap, how do I save this..?" I just had to ask a man hating Goddess if we dated.. Reyna I leave saving the wronged to you! Please remember me for my witty humour and brilliant fur.What I was honestly expecting was a rage, an arrow to the knee to kickstart my guarding career or an arrow somewhere else.. but what I didn't expect was for her to break out in a fit of laughter nor that I'd find it so entrancingly beautiful. Heck I would've been less surprised by a yes compared to this. A few moments later she recomposed herself enough to respond."Percy, you lovable idiot.. Always so unpredictable.." she sighed and gave in "It was.. is complicated, before you stupidly gave yourself amnesia like the dog brain you are we had all... confessed our feelings to you. Something that you had accepted but couldn't return since you were. Are? Were? With Annabeth" wow, I knew my old life was complicated but this complicated?? What next? I have a fairy godmother?[Fate pov:]"How do you think we feel!?! We have to knit that complex life of yours dumb mutt" spoke the first of the three sisters."Oh hush, you make it sound as if you didn't just beg to do it 3 minutes ago" spoke the other two simultaneously."What do you think he'll do when he realises he does have a goddess mother.. Though not very fairy-like" spoke the first once more."Hey don't confuse 'Them' any more than this story has!" spoke the middle sister.[Percy POV:]"So wait.. You had- have feelings for me?" I could feel her weight shift around uncomfortably. Her hesitation hurt a little which had surprised me. Do I really want her to have such feelings for me? Hadn't I just confessed to two monsters and a praetor? Am I a playpup?!? After a moment she replied."Love is something I once thought I had experienced. Your half brother had captivated my attention with his skills, he could fire an arrow at the eye of a deer from over a mile away. It was breath-taking for a demigod to achieve such feats.. At that time I truly thought what I felt was love for him and he is the reason I came to once again close my heart to it when I finally found out the truth. But meeting you? It was like a whole new sensation filled my being.. One born of similar yet vastly different curiosity, while you were clearly strong I found I did not care about your strengths but who you were despite of that" she took a moment to compose her next words before continuing, I listened in silence only the crunch of the snow below my feet, it felt like she needed to say this more than I needed to hear it."You know, you once held the sky for me.. It was the true start of my curiosity in you. A man that wanted to save others rather than glory, you taught me many men such as your step-father can be like that, but none came close to you. After that I'd find myself questioning your every action.. Trying so hard to fault you for it, to twist it into something evil or perverse, but I just couldn't and eventually I didn't want to either. You started dating Annabeth and I.. didn't like it, I often tried to rationalise it as if you were like other men lusting for women even though it was obviously not the case, I could see just how loved she felt and I so badly wanted that.I even considered offering her a place in the hunt again but realised how obsessed I was sounding. These thoughts about you only grew with each feat you amassed, hearing you had kept faithful even with your memories wiped, and yes it's happened before.. We all thought you had died, and I cried, I had never cried over a male before. I had to accept I was starting to more than care for you even starting to develop a crush and trust me it was not easy to accept. At all. I nearly hunted the forest clean in denial.. But there was no denying when I found out you was alive, i felt soo.. Thankful and angry! Then I met you as a wolf.."She continued to tell me all about my time with her in the hunt. How she became confused and scared even when she started truly developing feelings for me before she knew I was Percy and how much that strengthened their affection and eventual love for me when they learned the truth. It was great to finally hear more about my past in detail, each story unlocked an accompanying memory.I could see the faces of my daughters as she described them... That flowing shoulder length brown hair splashed with the colours of the rainbow splashed in streaks throughout making a beautiful mess that Thalia hated combing through (another perk of paws! No hair styling). I remember her eyes, a kaleidoscope that held the curiosity of the world in them and put even the daughter of Aphrodite to shame in beauty. Aria.Next I saw my younger yet easily bigger daughter. She was nearly 5 years younger with short pixie cut brown hair that mirrored my own in my human form, a rugged matt. A child so in tune with nature that I would've thought her a child of pan instead of my own.. Finally her one eye, sure not the best for judging distance (it never stopped her from jumping trees like Tarzan & Jane) but I could see why I had named her after the way I did just by picturing it. Coral.And like that, memories connected to them started to flood my mind, from dragging my wolfy ass across Artemis' camp after a lost bet of many to teaching my daughters how to navigate the trees above with deadly silence."Wow.. I- just wow.." I was still overwhelmed by it all, they were my memories, but they felt like movies, like I hadn't directly experienced them despite the emotions that came along with them. It was enough to stop me in my tracks."Damian? Are you doing ok?" Artemis asked in concern, I hadn't even had the chance to process her words fully after the onslaught of memories."I- yes.. Thank you for telling me that.. I jus- nothing... let's just get back first" It would be better to tell everyone this together. I just hope Artemis doesn't take this the wrong way.. Is there even a wrong or right way with all that's happened?[Lupa POV:]"Lady lupa? Erm.. lad-lady lupa?" Oh, what now?? Can't a wolf get some time for self-care around here? I paused my grooming, stood up and stretched my unaged old bones before I left my room for the kitchen where the boy had called from. Open door policy has its downsides, learned that one too late."Yes boy, I am here. What is it?" The messenger kid looked like he had been through hell and back. Had he come all the way from camp?"Umm I- umm right the acting praetor Mary has requested your presence to assist in translating the words of Lady Artemis Wolves." They want me. Basically the goddess of wolves. To be a TRANSLATOR?!?"And pray tell, where is their mistress? I am a guardian and trainer. I am no translator, boy" I could see him attempt to swallow down the anxiety he had built up and a shimmer of guilt surfaced itself."I- I don't know, I just follow o-orders" This boy is not suited to be a messenger, maybe a scribe?"Oh hush now boy, sit down and I'll grab you a drink. Coffee, milk, or tea?" Once a mama wolf, Always a mama wolf. Mary can wait a few minutes."..... Milk please" Knew it, haha. I headed back to the kitchen I had grown used to over the years, found a suitable sized mug and placed it under a milk tap on a tray with a large handle for me to bite. A useful addition for when utilising my human form was too bothersome, I had one of Vulcan's children install it. Out came nice, cold milk—comforting, but not too comforting. I brought it back to the living area and placed it down on the table. The boy took to it like he hadn't drank anything in days."So tell me, why is Mary filling in as acting praetor? What happened to Reyna? Has she finally decided to resign and live her life?" the poor girl doesn't care for leadership, I think all she wants is a good life companion."Oh no no, she left with Damian on a mission I cannot disclose without express permission from Mary, Reyna or Damian" Ah, that's why he was picked—a timid boy, but one with sealed lips. It seems my Pup has climbed the ranks rather fast."Oh Damian has gone with her?" He sipped his drink as if it were some fancy brew straight from the king of England's palace and not a cup of milk."Ah, I see you weren't notified yet, Damian challenged Reyna after winning his duels with all the legions. It ended in tie and was offered the secondary praetor position which he accepted"... That boy never ceases to amaze."I see, any other news I haven't been made aware of?" He thought for a moment before responding. Camp changes so fast these days."Hmm well, Mary has made progress on her harbour project, Damian adopted a talking bird as a pet & now Artemis' wolves are sniffing around his room and Artemis is nowhere to be found.. So erm please?" wow he has been busy, but what are Artemis' wolves doing in Percy's room?"Very well, finish your drink and let us be on our way" he nodded with a smile and finished up. So save time I let the boy ride upon my back.[Piper's POV:]The flight had actually been really enjoyable, first class was well classy and the snacks definitely took the edge off of our nerves. We had spoken a lot and honestly really bonded, guess I could thank Jason for our introduction."So where to now? I could go for some sweet squid" Percy would be devastated if he knew about this girl's pregnancy cravings for sweet (and I mean sickly sweet) seafood. It was odd, to say the least. Better than prunes or peanut butter pickles at least."I honestly have no idea where I would even find that. But this is San Francisco, surely there's a few places that sell your weird concoctions" We started walking roughly in the direction of Camp Jupiter, keeping an eye out for any seafood places."Oh oh right here I can smell it!" She has too good a nose for this.The store was called 'Seafood Eatfood'..." I looked at Chloe before laughing at the lame pun attempt before we walked on inside. It was structured like a typical cheap restaurant, a few tables, sea paintings and fish mounts everywhere. At least I wouldn't leave with too bad food poisoning as it looked relatively clean."Lets sit by the window. I don't be near that bin" Chloe stated beelining it for the table in question. I followed close behind, thankful not to be stuck near that horror show of a bin."You'll get no complaints from me sister" I hadn't even realised I had said it before Chloe head had whipped around."Sister? You think of me as a sister?" The expectation and vulnerability plastered in her eyes. No matter my answer here she would be in tears.. Might as well make them happy tears."Well, we have gotten really close over the last few days. It slipped out sorry if I make you feel awkward" I know I hadn't, but she didn't need to know that. As expected her eyes filled with hormone induced happy sad tears as she dragged me into a wet tear-filled hug that I returned."NO! No, I like it. I just didn't think you liked me all that much." I felt guilty, I felt guilty, had I really been that much of a bitch? Either way that wasn't the case anymore."I- at first my emotions were complicated ok. It took all of a day to convince myself that it was Jason's fault, not yours. Even then it was difficult" she went to speak again but I stopped her unnecessary apology before it could start."Let me pause you there, no I don't blame you, no it was not your fault, that belongs to Jason. As I was saying it was difficult, but the more we spoke the less complicated it became, the more I saw the reality for what it is and just how precious you are. You have a positivity that for the life of me I can't understand how you keep up. It's contagious and something I love and want to protect. Without you I don't know what I'd have done to deal with this." she looked up at me as best she could from within my cleavage and just smiled.A few moments later we realised once more where we were and sat down to order her abomination of a meal. I settled for some fish and chips. Might as well enjoy seafood before I meet Percy and lose that freedom.