Chapter 34: The Things That Come up After Healing

Sammy walked in the next morning waking me with yet another kiss, "Hey there beautiful," she said with a smirk as I smiled back

"I'm not the only beautiful person here," I said with a smile as I pushed myself up in the bed so she could sit down and I could look to see who was around the bed. "Hey there Dad," I said as I saw Percy on the right side of my bed in between Annabeth, who had slept in the infirmary to surprise everyone, and I.

"It's good to see you awake and alive Zoë," he said with a smiled, "I wish I could say the same for your mother," he added nodding his head behind him as I looked to see Thalia Grace standing at the foot of my bed along with Nico and Leo

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Seaweed Brain," Annabeth's voice said as Sammy made eye contact with me and arched an eyebrow. Thalia's eyes darted to Annabeth, then at me then back at Annabeth before she ran to give a hug to her best friend. "Hey Thals," Annabeth said with a chuckle

"What did you do," Nico asked looking at me with the same burning glare as Sammy

I shrugged, "After Sammy left last night I was thinking, I tried to bring a mist-form of Annabeth so I could talk to her face to face but as it turns out I brought her back," I explained. "I wasn't trying to bring her back because I promised Sammy that I'd try when I was fully healed. It wasn't on purpose and if anything happens to her, I will take any responsibility for it," I added as Sammy's gaze softened

"She's not in danger of anything with this," Nico said, "I was just glaring at you because you didn't discuss this with us, I don't know about Sammy."

"I was glaring at her because I thought she purposefully tried it," she explained to Nico, "I didn't want her to drain her power since she's already weak from the attack."

Nico nodded, "Good reason," he said as we heard a chuckle off to my left

"It's good to see you awake and alive Annabeth," Percy said as I looked over to see him sitting on her bed as she clung to her knees.

"Yeah," Sammy began, "get some rest and get fully restored soon because I can't be the only one judo-flipping people."

Annabeth chuckled as she made it so she was sitting on the bed, "Oh, I'm fully capable of judo-flipping people now," she said with a smirk. "You underestimate me, Sammy," she added as I chuckled

"Just because she's been in a coma for my whole life doesn't mean she isn't ready to judo-flip Percy if his nickname shows," I said with a smirk just as two people bolted through the door. "About time you two came," I said to Cass and Maria, "Bianca, Thalia may I introduce you to Thalia Grace, lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. Thals, these are my sisters Bianca Di Angelo Jackson and Thalia Grace Jackson. I suggest that you either go by Maria or one of Sammy and I's nicknames for you," I said as Thalia arched and eyebrow

"What nicknames do you have," she asked with a glare

"I only call her T," I began, "that began because Sammy calls me Z so I'm calling her T and Bianca B. Sammy I think you should answer Thalia," I said as I watched my girlfriend paling at the lieutenant's glare

"I call her Thaly," Sammy began, "but I will respect you and call you either Thals or Thalia," she said as Thalia chuckled

"You guys have weak nicknames," she said as Percy busted out laughing, "wait until you meet Clarisse or Mr. D then you'll have multiple nicknames along with several different renditions of your name."

I sighed as I looked at Annabeth who only shrugged, "She's not wrong," she said as I shrugged once more

Suddenly I remembered something, "Hey mom," I began, "is there a way that I could look at every book there is on gods and goddesses without being yelled at by an Apollo camper?"

"Yeah," she began, "I could bring the books in why," she asked me as I turned to look at her

"I do have to do some research about my second coma," I explained, "if I'm bedridden here I might as well read up on some of the Greek deities."

Annabeth smirked, "You got it Zo," she said before getting up and rushing out of the infirmary

"I love my Smart Guppy," Sammy said as I raised an eyebrow, "what, I usually get creative with my nicknames when I know the person long enough."

"Yeah, but you got guppy from Apollo so that doesn't work," I shot at her as she chuckled. "Give me some time and I'll give you a nickname soon enough," I added with a grumble as Leo smiled

"I got one for her," he said as she looked at him, "and I also have something for you to do. Come on Little Ember, I want to give you something," he said as I smiled

"Sadly, most of the nicknames from you are geared toward her being your child and I can't exactly use them," I said as Leo started leaving

"It's not like he copywrote everything," Sammy said before kissing me, "see you later Smart Guppy."

I watched them walk out of the room then I looked at the others, "What are you looking at," I asked them as they chuckled

"Your relationship with that Valdez is unnervingly similar to Percy's and Annabeth's," Nico said as Percy and Thalia busted out in laughter

"How has your gut not burst from all this laughter dad," I asked him as he lay on his side on Annabeth's bed

"I have no clue," he said as his face lit up, "you ready for that test Thaly, B?"

Maria sighed as Cass smiled, "You bet," she said

"What test," I asked just as Percy snapped his fingers and suddenly, I was underwater. "Percy," I yelled as I spun around to see no one in the water with me

Heal yourself, My Lady, your father will be here shortly, the surrounding fish said as I felt the bracelets appear on my wrist

Grumbling, I rotated my wrist to bring my dagger and began to cut at the cast on my arm. Once that was free of its wrap, I willed the water to surround it as gasped as I felt the bones in my arm mend. Once I didn't feel the pain anymore, I rotated that wrist and flexed it to see how it worked. After a successful test, I worked on cutting the wraps off of my leg as I sank to the floor or the lake. Once free I willed the water to engulf my leg and almost fell when I felt those bones mend. As the pain went away, I saw three figures swimming toward me, by the time they got to me I had already flexed my leg and tested it by balancing on it.

"She didn't drown and she healed herself before we got here," Cass said with a smirk once they approached me

"Did Nico know about this," I asked as Percy shook his head, "why did you do this," I asked glaring at him

"I wanted you to heal," he began with a gulp, "was this already talked about," he asked as I nodded, "with who?"

My gaze turned to Cass, "Bianca, Nico, Sammy, and Stephan were present along with Apollo when I said that I didn't want to try healing myself until I could walk because I didn't know how much power it would take."

"And with that, I'm going to leave," she said as she began to swim away

"I think not Bianca," I said as I willed the current to go against her

"Why are you holding me back," she asked with a sneer

"Percy didn't just bring us down here together for me to heal," I said look at my father who grinned. "You want to take us to grandfather don't you," I asked as his grin widened

"You are just like your mother," he said with a nod, "Tyson has something for you three as well as Poseidon."

I smiled then looked down, "Could you have teleported me with clothes on at least," I asked him as I looked at the hospital gown

Percy blushed, "Sorry," he said before snapping and clothes appeared on my body. The hospital gown was replaced with a Camp Half-Blood tank-top and black leggings that had pockets where my pens sat. "There, better," he asked as I nodded, "it's weird seeing you with a buzz cut now."

I looked at them as the three nodded, "I wouldn't know for sure because I haven't looked in a mirror recently," I said as the three smiled.

"I'll take you to one once we make it to the palace," Percy said before he started swimming away from us. "Come on Wise Wave, we have to get done before your mother gets back with the books."

Zoë, Annabeth's voice called out in my head in urgency, where the Hades are you?

I sighed, "Too late dad," I said, "she just spoke in my head asking me where I was."

"Tell her that Poseidon wanted to see his granddaughters while Tyson has something for you three," he said with a sigh. "We'll be back soon," he added as we continued swimming

After I relayed the message to mom, I heard her sigh, This must be some sort of empathy link if we're still talking to each other like this.

Maybe but I'll make sure we get back as soon as we're done so we can figure everything out, could you please make sure Sammy doesn't freak out, I asked her as she chuckled

You got it Little One, she said after the laugh

Soon enough the four of us made it to the palace, "Woah," Cass said as it came into view. "This is it," she asked looking at me and I nodded with a smile

"Yep," I said as Percy looked at me and winked

"Hey Zoë," he began, "swim up to the gates with me, Bianca, Thalia, you two take the rear."

The two nodded as I swam up next to Percy, "What's up," I asked him as he smirked

"You remember that conversation that your grandfather and I had with Amphitrite about his time coming," he asked as I nodded. "I think it's going to come in your lifetime, even Athena has mentioned it to me and her and Poseidon would like to talk about it with you and me."

"Why couldn't Annabeth come," I asked him as we swam closer

"Two reasons," he began as he nodded to the guards, "the first being that they don't know that she's back and the second is that my father's power is fading so she wouldn't be able to swim here."

I nodded, "Any idea when this could be," I asked as Percy shook his head

"For all, I know it could be with this upcoming war," he began, "I asked Malcolm about it but he couldn't find anything about the Olympians losing their power and fading. It might be a new generation of Olympians but I fear for that," he added as I nodded

"If you and mom are a part of this, they're probably going to ask you to be King and Queen," I said. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, I remember reading that you declined godhood twice."

He looked at me, "At this point do I have a choice," he asked me, "I'm the only son of Poseidon while Annabeth's probably one of Athena's star children. We were the leaders for both wars and she found the Athena Parthenos before falling into Tartarus with me," he sighed. "I believe everyone's going to vote us two to be King and Queen respectively."

"And if that's so and I ever get married to Sammy that would mean that we'd be the heirs," I said, remembering the book that my biological mother wrote.

He nodded once more before stopping at the doors and sighing, "I'm sorry you got tossed from one tough life to another," he began. "I wish it could've been easier for you," he added as I smiled

"You can't wish for everything dad," I said just as the doors opened

"Finally," Athena began, "you've arrived we need to talk to you two about something."

Percy and I looked at each other before looking at Athena and following her into a different room.

Sammy's P.O.V

"What's up dad," I asked as I caught up to Leo in the woods, "something's bothering you, you're not as hyper as you usually are."

Leo shook his head as we made it to a stone wall, "Put your hands in the handprints and light them on fire," he ordered as I nodded doing what he told me to. "First I want to take you to Bunker 9 so you know where it is in case anything happens," he began with a sigh as I did what he was told me to. "I also want to give you some things for when you go on your adventures as well as talk to you about something."

After I set my hands on fire, I looked at him, "What is it," I asked as the door opened, "you're too serious for it to be a joke.���

Leo chuckled, "You've known me for not even a month and you already know how bad something can be if I'm serious."

"I also have Cal in my head so don't forget that," I said as he nodded before leading me into the bunker. "Is this about what my grandfather said at the theater," I asked as Leo spun around

"Depends on what he was telling you," he said as the doors closed behind me

"He said something about losing power," I began, "not just him but all of the Olympians are. He figures Zeus is too but he's too stuck up to admit it," I said and thunder rumbled. "His words, not mine," I said lifting my hands, "but he said that he used some of what was left of his power to bless Zoë so I didn't burn her by accident," I continued. "I have a feeling he was telling me this because you might take his throne and either I or Stephan would be heirs to that throne."

"Why would it be either-or," he asked as he approached a workbench and I sat on a crate

"Who do you think the King and Queen of New Olympus would be," I asked as he froze. "Also, what if Zoë and I end up getting married after it all happens," I added as he turned to me. "Zoë's the eldest out of Annabeth's and Percy's children unless they want to pull some fuckery about the male being King I'm pretty sure Zoë and I would be heirs to the King and Queen's throne respectively."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," a voice said from behind me, I jumped up lighting my hand on fire. "That wouldn't work granddaughter," the voice said with a chuckle as I smiled extinguishing the fire. "I'm glad that you brought that up to your father and not Annabeth or Percy even though I am sure that Percy knows right now and just took his children down to Atlantis."

I sighed as I saw Hephaestus step into the light, "So much for letting her rest," I grumbled as the god chuckled. "So, you wanted to talk to us about that," I asked as he nodded, "what is there to add?"

"The Big Three are losing their power quicker than everyone else," the god of forges began. "Your assumption about Percy and Annabeth being voted as the King and Queen's throne is true. I think this may come sooner than we hoped," he said

"How sooner," Leo asked as he handed me a hammer

"Maybe within the next century or even this next war," he began, "or even the next. As you already know the Fates aren't telling us much about when or where this is going to happen along with who's going to take our places. I just wanted to see how you two are going to be prepared," he finished as he leaned against a wall

"I don't know how much preparation we could be with something like that grandfather," I began. "What you're saying is that some of the demigods in this camp and Camp Jupiter are going to be forced to become Olympians without warning. You can't just prepare yourself to become a god or a goddess respectively just to watch all the people that you love die."

Hephaestus chuckled, "You're not wrong there," he said with a smirk, "catch," he said tossing something in my direction

I caught it, it was heavy. I almost dropped the hammer on my foot, "What is it," I asked as I looked at it. It was glowing steel even in the light of the bunker it glowed as bright as Zoë's description of Riptide

"That's celestial bronze," my grandfather began, "the same metal that Riptide is made of as well as Annabeth's dagger."

I looked up at him, "Why give it to me," I asked as he smirked

"Whenever a legacy of mine steps foot into a bunker I order them to make a weapon or two. It's mostly whatever they see in the metal I give them," he began, "sometimes it's a ring, other's are a metallic bow and arrow while most times it's swords and daggers. You can make whatever you want with it and I can enchant it with whatever you want it to be enchanted with."

I looked at Leo who only shrugged, "I don't know why you're looking at me but you should get to work," he said as I smiled

"I think I have an idea what I want to make out of this," I began as I looked it over. "Along with the enchantment," I added, "is the enchantment for weapons to help a weapon find its partner? Like if I make this a set of daggers could you enchant them to make it so the wielders can find each other?"

The god of fire smiled, "Yeah," he began, "I'd need Hecate's help but we could do it," he said as I felt my hands heat up

"Sweet," I said before heading to the work table and starting to work on hammering out the metal.