PJatO || Lukercy || PJatO || Lukercy || Puppetmaster's Puppet || Lukercy || PJatO || Lukercy || PJatO

Title: Puppetmaster's Puppet – Past's Influence

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians; about two months past "Last Olympian"

PJatO Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, of course. They are all copyright by the old Greeks. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, shoujo-ai, minor, dub-con, child abuse (past)

Main Pairing: Luke/Percy

Side Pairings: Luke/Thalia, Chris/Clarisse, Luke/Silena (one-sided, mentioned), Luke/Annabeth (one-sided)

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Luke Castellan, Annabeth Chase, Thalia Grace, Clarisse la Rue, Chris Rodriguez, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll

Summary: My point of view on Luke's and Percy's relationship. Okay, so I have to say, my point of view did change a bit since reading the "Diary of Luke Castellan". But essentially seen, it's still kind of the same. How Kronos forces Luke into developing a relationship of some sorts with Percy and how that turns out way different than intended.

Okay, so yeah. Wouldn't have thought I'd get that done at all. But here it is - place number 4 of my Percy Pairing Poll! Lukercy.
I don't remember ever fighting with a story as hard as I did with this. And it still turned out to be completely different that what I intended for it. It was supposed to be all dark and rape-y and crap. Now it's all fluffy and stuff. I blame "The Demigod Diaries". Totally.

Puppetmaster's Puppet

Past's Influence

Percy stood on the hill overlooking camp, the wind was rustling his clothes and hair, his beads clicked in the wind, as if trying to make a melody of their own. As if trying to cheer him up.

"You know, you shouldn't look that sad", hummed a voice next to him.

He blinked confused and lifted his gaze, facing the two nearly identical brunettes. One was holding something behind his back, the other was grinning mischievously down at him.

"It's been two months now", murmured the son of Poseidon darkly.

He turned back to grumpily staring down at camp. What he saw made him even more sad. Thalia and Annabeth were slowly walking up to Thalia's tree, holding hands, obviously talking in hushed voices. He had been thinking about joining them, but somehow he felt as if he didn't belong there. Thalia and Annabeth shared something with Luke... they shared pain and past.

"Yeah well, two months", nodded Connor. "Time to move on for you. I mean, you have only known Luke for what? Three days? Yeah, three days before he betrayed you first."

"You're saying that", chuckled Percy unamused. "Of all of the people here, you as his brothers, say it. Why are you saying that to me? Why don't you just leave me alone?!"

He glared at the sons of Hermes angered. Travis patted his head with a half-grin.

"Because you hurt. And you're our friend. So we don't want to see you hurt", hummed Travis.

"And we're saying that because... it was his decision. It was Luke's decision. Everything was."

Everything. Was it that simple? Putting everything together by saying 'everything'? Wasn't Luke's story a bit more complicated than that? Than everything? Percy frowned.

"Travis! Connor! Did you give it to him yet?", called another voice.

The son of Poseidon turned slightly. There were two other people walking up to them. Chris Rodriguez and his girlfriend. Clarisse frowned disapprovingly at the two older pranksters.

"Give me what?", asked the Sea Prince confused.

"Something those three morons found while cleaning their cabin", grunted Clarisse.

The daughter of Ares came to stand in front of Percy, looking down at him with something akin to worry in her eyes. Not that she would ever admit it. Travis shrugged and fished for an old leather book, handing it over to Percy. The son of Poseidon frowned confused.

"What's that?", wanted the green-eyed demi-god to know.

"It's the diary of Luke Castellan", replied the brunette girl in an unusual soft voice. "I thought you should take a look at it first. Give it back to Chris once you're finished and then it'll go to Grace and Chase where it probably belongs. But seeing you all depressed is seriously making the whole camp depressed so take it and read it and understand it."

"Understand what?", asked the son of Poseidon now even more confused.

"Understand the choices Luke made that turned everything into this mess we're now in", said Chris.

"We'll join Annabeth and Thalia at the tree. See you later", hummed the daughter of Ares.

She linked hands with her boyfriend and the two casually walked down the hill, closely followed by the two older sons of Hermes. The four demi-gods were heading over to the girls at the tree. It was a mourning, to remember the losses of the war. Other half-bloods were slowly gathering too. Sea-green eyes were lowered to look at the tattered leather of the book.

"Diary", whispered Percy softly, his fingers lingering on the old cover.

He bit his lips in curiosity, gripping the edge of the book to open it. Getting a bit more comfortable, he laid the diary into his lap, going through it at random. Most of the entries were made by someone named Halcyon. But at one point, the writing changed. That was the entry he started to read. A wild tale of how Thalia and Luke first met Annabeth. It made his eyes water, the things that were written there. The way Luke talked about Thalia. It made his heart ache.

He was so absorbed in the story, he didn't even notice how time fleeted by and how the light of the sun was being replaced by the brightest moon. He turned page for page for page, reading how Luke turned bitter with hatred for the gods. How his resentment turned into pure, raw hatred.

He had lost Thalia, lost her to become a tree. All because of Zeus.

He had received his scar and humiliation. Because of Hermes.

And Annabeth, sweet, little Annabeth, all that had been left for him now. How she turned into the lapdog of Chiron and Dionysus, the perfect, little girl, the figurehead of Camp Half-Blood.

It was the gods. It was all about the gods. They had, one by one, stripped Luke off everything he cared about, taking everything from him. It had started with his mother and ended with his life...

"Percy? Are you still here?", whispered a voice in the dark.

The son of Poseidon looked up, his eyes squinted tightly as he tried to read in the dark. He tilted his head curiously, staring at the daughter of Ares confused. Clarisse shook her head.

"Is it over already?", asked the black-haired boy surprised.

"It's the freaking middle of the night", grunted the female annoyed. "You should go back to your cabin too, before the harpies find you. Is that book really so interesting?"

Percy just shrugged in answer and stood, walking side by side with Clarisse back to the cabins. Once they reached Cabin Three, they parted ways, Clarisse's worried eyes lingering on him. But the Sea Prince didn't notice. He just sat down on his bed, cuddling beneath the covers and opening the book again. His fingers traced the lines to find where he had left of. But a gust of wind caught the pages and turned them. A single word caught his interest and he suddenly felt like skipping most entries to get to the final one. The entrance starting with a very interesting sentence...

/diary|entry\

So yeah, there is that new kid at camp, his name is Percy Jackson. He's a good kid, I guess. Only at camp because he's worried for his mother. I'm not sure what to think of him, but he is cute. Adorable even. And I think I really like him, I haven't felt that way since Thalia got turned into a tree. I want to protect him, but I'm not sure how. But I should start at the beginning...

Okay, it all started when Grover brought that kid to us. Or the kid brought Grover, however you want to put it. Both were knocked out when Trav, Con and me found them at the borders.

"That's Grover, isn't is?", asked Connor curiously, poking the unconscious satyr.

"Enchilada", bleated the protector.

"That is Grover. But who is that?" I glared down at the pretty beat-up boy at my feet.

The unconscious boy groaned in pain and I got into my knees to take a closer look. He had longish black hair and looked very ruffed up. I frowned and pushed his hair out of his face. He had a cute nose and rosy lips, groaning slightly his eyes fluttered open for a second. The sea-green of them was the most unique color I've ever seen. My heart clenched at them. It must be him. That was the second I knew that this was the son of Poseidon.

"You two bring Grover to the Big House. I'll bring this one."

I cradled the boy in my arms, holding him close to my heart as I carried him to the Big House. Annabeth awaited me with a frown on her face and I sighed. We used to be close, like a family. But this camp, it drove us apart. Suddenly she's with her cabin full of other brainiacs. Though losing Thalia hadn't really helped our relationship any either...

"What's happened? Travis and Connor just brought Grover", grunted the blonde girl irritated.

"Found him at the borders. Must be a demi-god. Take care of him."

I dumped the son of Poseidon in her care and fled. I can't stand being close to her any longer. Things between us had changed so horrible. Perhaps because she blames me for Thalia's death. Or state of being a plant. Or perhaps because I blame myself. Whatever it was, I had to leave.

I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to leave the son of Poseidon in Annabeth's care. Lord Kronos had said to me that the boy could be of great value for us. And with Annabeth's annoying loyalty towards camp and the oh so wonderful gods...

Not that I had much saying in the matter. Mister D and Chiron had decided for Annabeth to take care of the kid anyway. Why, I have no idea. I would have send a son of Apollo to do that, like Michael or his younger brother Lee. They're older and have more experience and are children of the god of healing and stuff. No, let a twelve-years old girl do their job for them. God logic.

But this was good, somehow. I didn't have to worry about the kid for now. Not personally, at least. I had time to think, to ponder what I was supposed to do. Lord Kronos told me to get him onto our side. I'm not sure about that. I don't really know how. I mean, I did it before. With kids from my cabin. The ones that are not my siblings. The ones whose parents care so little that they don't even claim them. Or even worse. The ones about whose parents the Olympians care so little that the demi-gods don't even get an own cabin or any recognition at all. Like Ethan, or Alabaster and Chris. And I kind of have Silena wrapped around my finger. Not sure how I did that, but somehow they always fall for me. Amusing. I never got Thalia to do that. Falling for me, that is. Perhaps with more time... But I'm loosing track of my thoughts here.

So yeah, the kid. Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. He woke up and moved in with us. I'm the counselor so I had to get involved. This was perfect to get a first link to the kid. So the first night the kid moved in with us, trying to find a spot to lay in on the floor, I decided to take him aside.

"Hey, Percy. How about we take a walk?"

He looked up at me like a deer caught in the headlights. With those gigantic, innocent sea-green eyes. I wondered if it would even physically be possible to disagree with those eyes.

"Uh... Sure, Luke", nodded the boy reluctantly and stood, taking my hand.

The cabin was crowded, so full of people. All strangers to the boy. The only ones he really had met so far were me, Annabeth and Grover. And knowing Annabeth, she probably hadn't been the most welcoming towards the kid. I smiled at him encouragingly, squeezing his hand reassuringly. He actually blushed. It was adorable. Once outside beneath the stars, I took a closer look at the kid. He really was surprisingly cute. I think I've never seen someone as cute as him before. Sure, Annabeth was cute, but more in that little girl kind of way. Thalia had never been cute. She was... Thalia. But Percy Jackson was cute in a way I have never encountered before.

We walked over to the shore. He may not know he was the son of the sea, but I know. And as we reached the water, the kid relaxed a bit, taking a deep breath of the salty air in.

"So... First day. How did it go?"

He jumped slightly in surprised, so absorbed by his element. Another blush graced his cheeks. I sat down, pulling him along with me. Yelping again, the kid crashed into me. He wanted to bolt off again right away, but I just laid an arm around his waist casually to keep him close and relaxed. The blush darkened more, but he slowly relaxed against my side.

"I don't know", shrugged the son of Poseidon slowly. "I mean... There was this rude brunette who kept pushing me and glaring at me... And that blonde, Annabeth... I think she doesn't really like me either... And I... I miss my mom... I wouldn't have thought I'd ever say that, but I want to go home."

"Why wouldn't you think you'd ever say that?"

I watched him closely, frowning at that. The boy looked sad, turning his gaze towards the sea. There was something. Something about the boy that was beneath the surface. I curled my fingers around his hip, caressing it with my thumb, silently comforting him.

"I don't like home", muttered Percy, biting his lips. "Mom wanted to go to Montauk with me. Just her and me, only us... But now I wish we wouldn't have gone, even if we would have had to stay with him... As long as mom would be there..."

The kid sobbed slightly and I pulled him closer. He wrapped his arms around my neck and buried his face in my neck. I felt my heart ache. No demi-god had a good home.

"Who are you talking about, Percy?"

"I don't want to talk about it", murmured the son of Poseidon softly.

"Look, we're all demi-gods. We all have an awful home. We all have something left at home that we would rather like to forget. But the good thing about camp is that we're all the same."

And that was true. Probably the only true and good thing I had to say about camp. It is a place to gather us where we are with others who understand. Percy turned and looked at me questioningly, as if he tried to determine if he should tell me. In the end, loneliness won out.

"My mom is married to that horrible man", whispered the boy. "He always calls me a freak and sometimes he hits me when mommy is at work..."

I frowned wide-eyed down at Percy. It was like Thalia and Annabeth all over again. I knew I wanted to protect him. I know I want to protect him. He's not just that kid Lord Kronos wants me to recruit. He's that innocent cute kid that needs someone to protect him.

"Stick with me and he'll never hurt you again", I heard myself promising.

"Why would you say that?", huffed the son of Poseidon defensively.

I'm not sure why I did it, but I didn't know what to say. So I just leaned down and kissed him. Not in a gross tongue-battle way. He's twelve! But soft, you know. Like 'I'm there for you'. Though I guess if he would be a bit older... Anyway, he blushed that cute red again and stared at me all shocked.

"I like you. So I'll take care of you now."

He smiled at me broadly, gratefully. As if no one had ever said that to him before. I ruffled his hair.

So here I am now, hoping he'll join so I can keep my promise. Because he's really cute.

/break\

The two girls standing in front of the bed smiled fondly at the sleeping boy. The blonde leaned forward and picked the tattered leather book up that laid next to him, ruffling his hair.

"Must have fallen asleep while reading Luke's diary. But... he looks happy, don't you think, Thalia?"

"He does", smiled the black-haired girl, a knowing sadness gleaming in her blue eyes.

~*~ The End ~*~