I was planning on writing something for Mother’s Day but instead decided, why not update the crazy Rachel fic?
Annabeth is right. She's always right. It really shouldn't be a surprise to him anymore. He has to talk to Rachel. It's not like he hasn't talked to her about it before, but this time he's not going to back down. He's not going to let her walk all over him. Things need to be said, and something needs to be done about the way she treats him.
He's nervous. He's not a huge fan of confrontation. He has a thirty minute drive from Starbucks to Rache's house... Percy rolled his eyes. It should say something since he doesn't even call it home. He's been living there for almost a year and it doesn't even feel like home.
He's figured out that it never will feel like home.
The whole ride to Rachel's was spent planning out what he was going to say to her. He had even tried to plan out what her reactions and what she will say may be, but Rachel is unpredictable. One second she'll be fine and the next she's not. She's just... Crazy. He loves her, but she's crazy.
He parked in his usual spot at the Dare house and made his way inside. As usual, the house was silent. No one was in the living room or kitchen, and he decided it was perfect.
Rachel's parents aren't home, so if a fight happens they'll never know.. or they will later. They just won't have to hear it. That makes him feel a little better. Percy hates it when her parents can overhear and give him this look like he's done something horribly wrong.
He climbed the stairs to Rachel's room(he can't even call it their room), running over what he's going to say one more time. Why did Rachel end up like this? Sure, she's always been a little... Off, but you'd think being a mom would chill someone out.
“Rach?”
“In here!”
Percy turned at the sound of her voice. Her art studio? She hasn't been in there since before Courtney was born. A part of him hopes that the old Rachel was coming back. That would just be too good to be true, wouldn't it?
“Can I come in?”
He heard a sigh and then the door was pulled open. There stood Rachel in one of his t-shirts and some shorts. Her red hair was tied up into a tight bun. She raised an eyebrow at him, “What?”
He frowned at her when she snapped. She's already in a bad mood. Great. “Are you painting in my shirt?”
“I wasn't painting.”
“Then what were you doing?”
Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. “I just wanted to be alone for a few minutes.”
Percy stepped backwards before turning and rushing towards Courtney's room. He can't remember the last time he had felt this.. Angry? It almost felt irrational to feel mad at her over it, but who in their right mind leaves their nine month old alone?
“Have you lost your mind, Rachel?” He stepped into his daughters room, frowning at the sight of Courtney sitting in the floor with some of her toys. Percy took a deep breath, turning back towards the redhead. “You're absolutely insane! You can't just leave her unsupervised in the floor!”
Rachel gestured over to Courtney on the floor with a roll of her eyes, “She's fine. You're overreacting, Percy.”
Percy shook his head, “We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Us. Courtney.”
Rachel bit her lip nervously. She shifted her weight between her feet, staring past Percy and at Courtney “Okay...”
“I think... I think we should take a break.”
“What?”
“Please. Don't pretend that you actually think everything is okay between us.”
“Everything is okay!”
Percy raised an eyebrow at her. He had to think again that Annabeth and his mom are right. She's crazy. By the look on her face, she honestly thinks that nothing is wrong between them. That everything is fine. He wishes he was living in whatever fantasy world she was in. “Rachel, we aren't okay. The way you act and things you say aren't okay.”
Rachel looked on the verge of tears and he almost felt bad. Almost. Annabeth is going to be proud. “Do you really think we should take a break? Breaks do nothing. We have a daughter.”
“A daughter that you won't let me do anything with.”
Rachel scowled, “And you call me crazy? I let you -”
“No. No, you don't. You let your friends watch her. Your parents. I'm not even allowed to take her anywhere!”
Rachel rolled her eyes, “I do let you take her. And, I'm sorry, but I don't trust your friends.”
Percy was frowning. He felt like he was going to snap any second. “You don't trust Jason, but you trust all of your friends?” Rachel nodded and shrugged, “What about Annabeth? You don't trust her? Or my mom?”
Rachel dragged a hand down her face and started messing with a strand of hair that had fallen out of the bun, “They're... Fine. That's not the point here, Perce.”
“That's completely the point, Rachel.” Percy felt like he was going crazy. He wanted to rip his hair out. “Name one time that I was able to take Courtney anywhere.”
“When we -”
“Without you.”
Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and look at him through her eyelashes. The look she was giving him would usually make him breakdown and apologize and comfort her. It was something about her looking so... vulnerable that made him break.
Not this time.
“You can't name a time because there hasn't been one. A break... A break could do us some good.”
Rachel brought a hand up to wipe a tear away. She looked at Courtney again when she spoke, “You're breaking up with me because I won't let you take Courtney anywhere?”
Percy ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Has she not listened to anything in the past arguments they've had? Rachel stepped towards him and he took a step back. He looked away from her when she gave him a look full of rejection. “I... I need a break. Not from Courtney, but from...” he waved his hand between them before letting it drop at his side.
“From me? Because of something so stupid?”
Percy wouldn't be able to explain why it made him so angry. Rachel always seemed to think that all his opinions and feelings are stupid. He's done with it. He's sick of being treated like he's not good enough.
“It's not stupid to me, Rachel. I want my parents to be able to watch her. I want Annabeth to babysit so I can take you on an actual date. I want her to meet Grover. I want to be able to take my daughter places without you there all the time.”
Rachel looked more mad than upset now. She stepped closer, bringing up a finger and poking him in the chest. “So this is all about what you want? You don't care about what I want?”
Percy gently pushed her hand away. “It's always about what you want. I have some shitty job that I hate to support you. I moved out of my parents place to live with you because you wanted it that way. I gave up going to school to stay here with you and Courtney. But it's all about what I want, right?”
“Percy...”
Percy let his hands drop from his face. “I just can't do this anymore, Rach.”
Rachel reached out for him before deciding against it. She sighed before shaking her head and standing taller. “What about Courtney? You're just going to abandon your kid like your...”
Percy stiffened. He knew exactly what she was going to say. “You're just going to abandon your kid like your dad did.”. Rachel knew his dad was a sensitive subject, and she knew it would get to him. When she got mad, she would say things she didn't mean. But what she was going to say was low, even for her.
Percy turned on his heel, picking up Courtney before facing Rachel again. “I'm nothing like him. I'm not going to abandon her because she's coming with me.”
Rachel's eyes widened in panic, “What? You can't do that!”
“She's my daughter, too, and I'm going to take her wherever I please.”
Rachel crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. “You don't know a single thing about being a parent.”
Percy raised an eyebrow, “And you do?”
Rachel looked like she was about to explode, and Percy took that as his cue to leave. He didn't bother with getting her diaper bag, he can always buy her another. He just had to get out of there and get Courtney as far away from Rachel as he could. He was grateful that he still has that extra car seat in his car.
He walked out of the house, stopping on the porch to catch his breath. It was then that he realized how badly he was shaking. Annabeth is going to be so proud. He's proud of himself. He looked at Courtney, “Looks like it's just you and me now, Court.”
