I Am Sam ( A Percy Jackson Fanfic)

Chapter 71

Beth Crowley - Close the Door

Chapter 71

Sam glanced toward Rachel as she pulled on her jacket, her knife strapped to her side. The sun hadn't even risen outside, so the entire camp was still asleep as she made her way toward the Poseidon cabin. She knocked on the door and after several minutes of waiting she knocked again, harder this time. There was a loud thud and then it opened to reveal a very tired son of the sea god.

" Sam? What are you doing?" Percy questioned, through a yawn.

" I need your help." She told him and he frowned, before nodding and closing the door. When he came out, she led him toward the Hermes Cabin where Nico had been sleeping until their cabin was done. Once Nico was up, Sam led them to the top of Half-blood hill, where they discovered Philip waiting with a car. " Sam-" Percy started to say but was cut off.

" I'll explain in the car." Sam promised and he shared a look with Nico, who shrugged before following Sam down the hill. Once they were in the car, Philip started the engine and Percy turned to Sam. " I'm sorry for waking you up so early, but I didn't know who else to ask, and I wanted to keep this between people who know."

" Know? Know what?"

" Luke told me to make things right. We're going to see my mom." Sam said and Percy seemed stunned. " Are you sure that-"

" I have to." Sam said.

" Where exactly are we going?" Nico asked.

" My mom was placed in a psych ward in California after she found her way out of the Labyrinth. I haven't been to see her, or even talked to her because even though I accept the fact that she didn't want me, and that she abandoned me, I'm still angry."

" Why are we here?" Percy asked.

" I couldn't do this alone and there really isn't anyone else that I've told. Philip can't go in with me because I'm not sure what the mortals will see when they look at him."

" Well then, " Nico said. " Did you at least bring breakfast?" He asked before the car suddenly came to a halt. A moment later, the window separating them from Philip rolled down and he passed them a bag. " Pancakes? Omelets? What are you hungry for?" Sam asked passing them several take out containers from several different restaurants, and Percy grinned at her. Of course she had brought breakfast.

It was Sam.

**********

" Name?" The lady behind the desk asked

" Samantha De Morte. I'm here to see Oliva De Morte," Sam responded. " I'm her daughter."

" Your clear." She said. " She's in her usual place, next to the piano. I wouldn't look for her to say much, the poor dear is lost to the world." The lady said, motioning to the corner and Sam looked in the direction she pointed. Percy and Nico followed her, but stopped a few feet away to give her some space. The women didn't turn as Sam approached, and Sam didn't expect her to. " Excuse me?" Sam called out, but received no response. Sam let out a breath before asking. " Are you Olivia De Morte?"

" I....I think I am." The women responded. She had a thick Italian accent, and the sound of her voice nearly had Sam running for the hills. She hadn't heard her voice since she was little, and even now at the age of 16, it terrified Sam. " I was, at least, once, long ago. My name used to be spoken from Goriano Sicoli to Venice."

" I hear you were pretty good."

" Good? I was great, the gods themselves praised me. Sadly, it was not my talent that destroyed me, but my love for the spotlight and my selfish desire to keep it. My selfishness, lost me the only good thing I ever truly had, my daughter." Olivia said and Sam's eyes widened. " I hurt her, left her to fend for herself in this cruel world, and by the time I realized what I had done, it was to late. I tried to return to her, but I got lost. Oh mia povera Samantha, se solo potessi dirti quanto mi dispiace/Oh my poor Samantha, if only I could have told you how sorry I am." Olivia sobbed.

" I'm sure she would forgive you." Sam said holding back her own tears. She wanted to tell her that she was here, that she had heard her, but she decided that it was better to let her mother live in the peace of her own mind. Sam looked toward the lady behind the desk, to make sure that she wasn't about to kick the three of them out for upsetting one of their patients. Not wanting to see her mother cry, Sam reached over and pressed down on the keys of the piano, causing Olivia to stiffen. Her mother's eyes closed as she listened to Sam play, and after a moment, she reached forward and joined in. It was a song she had once heard her mother play, a song she had tried to learn just to make her happy, but had never gotten the chance until now.

As final note was struck, Olivia smiled and finally turned to face Sam. " Who taught you to play so well?" She asked and Sam returned her smile. " My mother taught me."

" She should be proud, your very skilled...." Olivia trailed off. " I don't believe I asked your name."

" Samira, my friends call me Sam."

" Sam. I always liked that name. It was my mother's name." She said thoughtfully. Sam left her to her thoughts, and rejoined Percy and Nico.

" Why didn't you tell her?" Percy asked. Sam looked back at her mother, who had returned to staring off into space. " Dad told me that she thinks that she's only been gone a week, in her mind I'm still the little girl she left behind. If I told her the truth, it would destroy what is left of her mind. She said she was proud of me, and that she was sorry, that's good enough for me." Sam said before she turned her back on the past, and took the next step toward her future.