Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hestia sadly watched her family argue.

It was more and more difficult to keep her hearth warm, yet Hestia always tried to do so, to keep the hope burning and alive among her family, in their hearts.

It wasn't always easy.

Those who were once caring and close siblings had now turned into enemies, each of them ready to attack and threaten the other, regardless of how they hurt their family.

Hestia shook her head as Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus began a new fight, when the three Fates appeared in the middle of the room.

Silence fell, no one willing to argue in the face of fate.

"Father, we come with a warning," Clotho said.

Lachesis continued. "the future is difficult and dangerous, for your children and for you gods."

And, Atropos concluded, "We give you the opportunity to be better. You will read your children's stories."

And, together, they said. "Learn from your mistakes."

And then they disappeared from sight, revealing first a pile of books, and then a group of demigods, who fell with a thud and groans.

"Fuck, Thalia you're crushing my lungs!"

"Shut up, Percy, I'm not that heavy!"

"I beg to differ, I think your imprint will forever be imprinted on my belly."

"Stop it, both of you." A male voice said.

"Thalia?"

The two girls stopped arguing from the floor, and Thalia, one of the two, looked at the blond boy who had talked.

"Jason?"

Then, without warning, she used the girl beneath her as a trampoline, causing her to exclaim a "HEY!" and ran to hug the blond.

"You're alive! She told me you were dead, that you were gone forever... Oh, Jason!"

Hestia felt her heart warm at the sight of the two embracing.

The girl still on the ground was saying. "Sure, just hug him, don't worry about me, I'm just great."

The blond next to her, with a sigh, helped her get up, blushing slightly when the girl thanked him with a kiss on the cheek.

Knowing they had work to do, and preventing her brother from intervening first, Hestia said. "Demigods?"

All the newcomers turned towards her, and the black-haired girl was the first to acknowledge her presence, bowing. "Lady Hestia."

This bow drew approval from the goddess's brothers, and warmed Hestia's heart, that then skipped a beat when she was able to see the girl's features.

She looked like their mother.

“Introduce yourselves, demigods, so we can begin reading these books.” Hestia said, pointing to the pile. "The Fates believe that the future is dangerous, and that we must act to change it for the better."

The girl who looked like Rhea and the blond who had helped her up exchanged a look, full of meaning. Clearly, Hestia reflected, they knew what the Fates were talking about.

The girl then gave a nervous look at the big three. "What year is it?"

"Excuse me?" Zeus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What year is it?" The girl repeated. "I need to know what your reaction will be."

"1993." Apollo replied, casting a curious look at the girl, his golden eyes observing her arms. “We just moved to America.”

"Really?" The girl blinked, before looking at the blond and saying. "Okay, don't kill me. I'm Percy Jackson, daughter of Poseidon."

Zeus and Hades narrowed their eyes at her, but before they could strike, Thalia said. "Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus and lieutenant of Artemis."

Poseidon smirked at his brother.

Two boys came forward, saying. "Nico di Angelo and Bianca di Angelo, children of Hades."

As Zeus glared at Hades, Nico said. "We were born before the oath."

"Indeed, Uncle Hades is the only one who kept his oath." Percy nodded, making Hades raise an eyebrow at being called uncle.

One by one, all the demigods introduced themselves.

"Anthony Chase, son of Athena."

"Tyson, son of Poseidon."

Hestia raised an eyebrow when she saw Percy protecting Tyson from the gazes of the group of demigods further away, her eyes stormy as if daring them to do something against her little brother.

"Michael Yew, son of Apollo."

"Will Solace, son of Apollo."

"Drew Tanaka, daughter of Aphrodite."

"Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite."

"Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus."

"Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus."

"Travis and Connor Stoll, sons of Hermes."

"Chris Rodriguez, son of Hermes."

"Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares."

"Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite."

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare, I am a mortal."

"And what is a mortal doing here?" Hera demanded to know.

"She can see through the Mist," Percy was quick to respond, even though she glared at the goddess with her sea-green eyes in the meantime. "And she was very useful to us on our last quest."

Anthony, next to her, didn't look very happy, but didn't comment.

"Grover Underwood, satyr."

"Octavian, legacy of Apollo and augur."

"Augur?" Percy glanced at the cadaverous blonde. "The Greeks have an oracle, not an augur."

"We're not Greek," Jason said, glancing at Thalia. "but Romans. My name is Jason Grace, son of Jupiter."

The gods gave each other a worried look. Why had the Greeks and Romans been dragged into the same room? Wasn't that extremely dangerous?

Athena was glaring at them with hatred. Hestia only hoped that she would remember that they were here with the blessing of the Fates, who would not accept a curse or evil action towards them.

The others continued their introductions.

"Hazel Levasque, daughter of Pluto."

“Frank Zhang, I don't know who my father is.” Frank glanced hopefully at Apollo, but it was Ares who grunted and snapped his fingers, causing a boar to appear above the boy's head.

"Gwendolyn Slip, daughter of Venus."

"Dakota Johnson, son of Bacchus."

"Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, Daughter of Bellona." Reyna bowed politely to the gods, while Percy watched her with narrowed eyes.

"Good," Hestia smiled, bowing towards Chiron who had smiled at the goddess, having also arrived along with the demigods. "Now we can start reading. But first, please, take a seat."

Hestia waved a hand, and the entire Hall changed, replacing the thrones with comfortable armchairs and making sofas appear.

Zeus gave his sister an annoyed look but, out of love and respect for her, he said nothing.

The demigods began to take their places at their parents' feet, except Grover, Anthony, and Rachel, who joined Percy and Tyson at Poseidon's throne, making Athena growl, Clarisse who followed Chris near Hermes' throne, and Reyna who joined Jason near Thalia at Artemis' throne.

Chiron took the first book. "I'll start reading. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief."

Percy groaned as Anthony and Grover chuckled next to her.

Chapter Text

Chiron started reading, once he was sure to have all the demigods' attention.

" Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood ."

"Yeah, me neither," Thalia smiled at her cousin.

"Yeah, but no one asked you, Thals." Percy answered.

"Hey! What I think is very important!" Thalia said, feigning angry glare towards Percy.

"Sorry, does the title say Thalia Grace or Percy Jackson?" Percy pretended to think, making the demigods chuckled in the meantime.

"If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now."

"Okay, the reading is over." Travis said, standing up.

"It was a pleasure," Connor continued, making the demigods laugh.

Chiron sighed. "Kids, I read two sentences."

"Sorry, Chiron." Percy, Thalia, Travis and Connor said.

" Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.

Being a half-blood is dangerous. It’s scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways."

"That's right." Clarisse muttered, hugging Chris close to her in the meantime.

Chiron glanced sadly at her, but didn't comment.

"If you’re a normal kid, ... none of this ever happened."

"Yes, that's true." Anthony nodded.

Since Chiron didn't say anything, Percy pointed at him. "Chiron, come on! You can't always scold me and Thalia, and say nothing to Anthony!"

"I'm going to protest." Thalia nodded.

Nico chuckled, while Anthony rolled his eyes. "Girls, behave."

"What am I, a dog?" Percy answered, raising an eyebrow in Anthony's direction.

Chiron kept reading.

" But if you recognize ...Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

"You didn't warn me!" All the demigods said.

Percy rolled her eyes. "To be fair, I warned Bianca, Nico and Drew."

"That's right, she did." Drew nodded.

Chiron looked at her. "And what did you say?"

"Only the truth." Percy promised.

Bianca sighed. "She told us to use sarcasm on gods cause they are stupid and don't recognise it."

Percy smiled, looking very proud of herself. "Like I said, only the truth."

Poseidon chuckled.

" My name is Percy Jackson....Am I a troubled kid ?"

"YES!" Was the answer from all the Greek demigods.

"Feel the love, guys." Percy rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, Perce, but... you are." Grover smiled.

" Yeah. You could say that ."

"See, you also know it." Thalia nodded.

"Shut up, Grace." Percy snorted, looking at her cousin with a mock glare.

"I could start at any point in my short miserable life"

"Miserable?" Poseidon repeated, looking with concern at his daughter.

"It's okay, dad." Percy answered. "I wasn't all right at that time, but now I am fine."

At her side, Anthony and Grover sighed at the last three words, making Poseidon's concern only grow.

"to prove it, ...ancient Greek and Roman stuff."

"That seems interesting." Anthony raised his eyes, picturing that Museum in front of him.

"I know – it sounds like torture ."

Anthony tried to hit Percy's head, but the girl stopped his arm with a mischievous smile.

" Most Yancy ..., so I had hopes ."

Grover chuckled, and Chiron seemed satisfied.

" Mr Brunner was...which always smelled like coffee."

All the demigods looked at Chiron, who, on his side, kept reading without allowing any other interruption.

" You wouldn’t ....At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn’t get in trouble ."

"Yeah, sure, keep lying to yourself, Perce." Thalia laughed.

"I am not that bad." Percy protested.

"Yes, you are." Anthony stated.

Grover nodded, "That and so much more."

"Sometimes it is impossible to help her." Silena sighed.

Percy rolled her eyes. "You’re all mean."

" Boy, was I wrong ."

"See?" Thalia said, and Percy looked at her. "Say another word..."

"Girls!" Anthony repeated. "Stop fighting!"

"Or?" The two of them asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

" See, bad things happen to me on field trips. ... I had this accident with a Revolutionary War cannon ."

"How can you have an accident with a cannon?" Clarisse asked, looking at Percy.

"When you don't know how you did what you did?" Percy offered.

"Sounds right."

"I wasn’t aiming for the school bus, but of course I got expelled anyway ."

"I am scared to ask, but,..." Dakota started, looking at Percy. "what were you aiming for?"

"Honestly, nothing. I was just looking to see if it worked, and the most crazy thing is that, yes, it worked. Who thinks that was a good idea?" Percy answered.

Anthony sighed. "You shouldn't touch the cannons."

"Why not?"

"Because it is dangerous!" Anthony replied, looking at his friend.

"And?"

The demigods chuckled at that answer. Even some gods did, Apollo and Hermes interested in the school's adventures of Percy.

" And before that, ...our class took an unplanned swim . "

"Wait, that was on the sharks!" Percy was fast to say before anyone could say anything to her. "They told me to hit the wrong lever."

"A shark told you?" Athena asked.

"Yeah. You talk to owls, I talk to sharks. What is you problem?" 

Most of the gods were surprised by the amount of disdain in Percy's voice.

" And the time before that... Well, you get the idea. "

"I want to hear more!" Travis protested.

Connor nodded. "You can't keep this kind of secret from us, Percy!"

Chris sighed. "It's like we aren't even friends."

"Okay, guys, lower the drama," Percy rolled her eyes. "I am going to tell you more later."

"YES!"

" This trip, I was determined to be good.... with chunks of peanut butter-and-ketchup sandwich ."

Percy growled, looking at the book with angry eyes.

Grover smiled at her. Usually, being a protector was a lonely job. The demigods didn't interact with the satyrs. Or because they were other targets for rich guys, and didn't want to make things worse for themselves or because the Demigods themselves were the one that made the bullies.

But Percy? She was the first friend Grover made. And it was perfect.

" Grover was an easy target. ... He walked funny, like every step hurt him , "

Grover stopped smiling, looking offended at his friend. "Percy, come on!"

"Sorry, but that's what it looked like!" Percy apologized, though her smile made her apology hollow.

"That wasn't very nice." Silena scolded her, but Percy replied. "Maybe, and just maybe, he shouldn't have lied to me."

Grover looked at her sadly. "You know I was following orders, Perce."

"I know, Grover." Percy smiled at him. "I don't blame you, nor have I ever."

" but don’t let that fool you. You should’ve seen him run when it was enchilada day in the cafeteria ."

Thalia laughed. “Did you really blow your cover on enchiladas?”

"I didn't blow anything up!" Grover protested, looking offended at the accusation. "Percy never suspected me."

"Strangely," Percy mused. "the thought that my best friend was actually a satyr never crossed my mind."

"Weird, considering how crazy you are." Thalia teased, sticking her tongue out at her.

“Rich, coming from you.” Percy replied, making Nico chuckle.

Bianca sighed. "Could you avoid arguing all the time? Grover hasn't revealed his identity to Percy. Can we move on?"

“Only because you ask so nicely.” Percy teased, laughing when Bianca glared at her.

" Anyway, ...The headmaster had threatened me with death "

"He did what?" Poseidon growled.

The gods moved uncomfortably on their seats. Poseidon wasn't a fun god when one of his children was in danger.

"Relax, dad, it was nothing." Percy replied.

"- by-in-school-suspension if anything bad, embarrassing, or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip ."

Poseidon relaxed a little, still unsatisfied with that headmaster.

"I think something bad, or embarrassing, or entertaining is going to happen." Thalia mused.

Percy chuckled. "Excuse me, who do you think I am?"

Thalia looked at her, and Percy smiled. "All of them are going to happen."

"My mistake, sorry." Thalia answered, laughing.

" ‘I’m going to kill her,’ I mumbled.

Grover tried to calm me down. ‘It’s okay. I like peanut butter.’ "

"In your hair?" Piper asked.

Grover sighed. "You don't want to see Percy getting overprotective."

"I like when Percy is protective." Nico shrugged, and Percy smiled at him.

Hades was looking at them with a shocked expression.

" He dodged another piece of Nancy’s lunch... ‘You know who’ll get blamed if anything happens. ’"

"Like always." Percy said, with a pout on her face.

"Stop pouting, Percy." Anthony said. "You know we got your back."

"That's the exact reason why I am pouting." Percy pointed out to him, making all the demigods and some of the gods laugh again.

" Looking back on it, I wish I’d decked Nancy Bobofit right then and there. In-school suspension would’ve been nothing compared to the mess I was about to get myself into ."

"You have no idea." Percy sighed.

Then, a light appeared in the middle of the room, and two adults were standing there.

"Mom? Paul?" Percy asked, standing up to hug the two.

"Percy!" The woman hugged Percy back, before looking around and focusing her gaze on Poseidon. "What year is it?"

Athena answered. "1993. Are you Percy's mother?"

"Yes, I am. Sally Jackson. This is Paul Blofis."

"Mom's fiance." Percy introduced.

"Blowfish?" Poseidon asked, making Percy laugh.

"No, Blofis." Paul sighed. "Percy made the same mistake, and I am still sure it was to tease me."

"I would never!" Percy promised, before leading them towards the couch where she, Anthony, Grover and Tyson were.

Paul greeted them. "It's good to see you."

Anthony smiled. "I'm happy to see you again, Mr. Blofis."

“So, what’s happening?” Sally asked, glancing at her daughter as she explained. "The Fates have dragged us into the past to read books about the future."

"And what are they talking about?" Paul asked.

"Our quests. The first is, you know..." Percy looked at her mother. "When I discovered..."

"I understand." Sally nodded, before smiling at Chiron and saying. "Hello, Chiron."

"Sally."

" Mr Brunner led the museum tour....It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years ."

"It is very amazing." Anthony nodded.

" He gathered us around a four-metre-tall ...Mrs Dodds, would give me the evil eye ."

Nico and Bianca smiled at Percy, while Sally looked concerned, as she knew that teacher was a monster.

Hades frowned. That name seemed familiar for some reason.

" Mrs Dodds was this little maths teacher from ... when our last maths teacher had a nervous

breakdown ."

"A monster, then." Reyna nodded.

"I mean, she was, but why do you think it is obvious?" Percy asked.

"The previous teacher disappeared." Jason answered.

"She really had a nervous breakdown." Percy blinked. "No Mist involved in this. They just changed the other one with Dodds."

"Of course, I mean, she was Percy's teacher." Thalia laughed.

Percy looked at her, with a straight face.

"Oh my gods, seriously?"

"Sorry, being sassy is part of my personality and no one is safe from it." Percy answered, making again the demigods and some of the gods laugh.

" From her first day, Mrs Dodds loved Nancy Bobofit and figured I was devil spawn."

"Nah, they are." Thalia said, pointing at Nico and Bianca.

"You'd think she would know that, right?" Percy asked, tilting her head.

Grover shook his head, exchanging a look with Anthony.

" She ... I knew I was going to get after-school detention for a month ."

"That sucks." Leo muttered.

Percy nodded, looking at him with a strange expression. "Sorry, but you aren't at the Camp right now, are you? I don't think I have ever seen you at the Camp."

"No, I am from the future." Leo said.

"Yes, we are too." Percy replied, making him laugh.

From where he, Piper and Jason came from, Percy Jackson was like a legend. Everyone knew about her and her quests. About her power. Now, Leo was discovering that they weren't that different. They had the same humor. And Percy was kind and funny, other than brave and smart.

" One time, ... He looked at me real serious and said, ‘You’re absolutely right.’ "

"Grover!" Most of the demigods scolded the satyr.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes on him. If he put his precious daughter in danger with his inadequacy... Poseidon would make him pay.

" Mr Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art.... ‘Will you shut up?’ "

"Go, Percy!" Thalia cheered up.

Anthony sighed, with a smile on his lips. "You'd think that you wouldn't make any noise on a trip where you are already under strict control."

"Sorry, I don't let anyone tell me what I should do." Percy shrugged.

Sally raised her eyebrow towards her. "Percy, you shouldn't have yelled that way to one of your companions."

"But, mom, she asked for it!" Percy defended herself, pouting at the same time.

Sally sighed, looking away to hide her smile from Percy's gaze.

"It came out louder than I meant it to ."

"No surprise there." Clarisse joked.

Most of the Roman demigods and the gods were starting to understand that Percy Jackson had the worst luck ever.

" The whole group laughed. Mr Brunner stopped his story.

‘Miss Jackson,’ he said, ‘did you have a comment? ’"

"I think she just made one." Rachel laughed.

Percy pushed her with a joking laugh.

"Why are you calling her? Nancy talked as well and you said nothing to her." Piper pointed out, looking at Chiron.

The centaur sighed, while Sally and Poseidon looked at him with an angry face.

"I think he was just trying to ask me Greek related questions to see if I knew the answer or not." Percy shrugged.

Chiron smiled slightly at her. It was what he had done. And Percy was ready, from that point of view.

" My face was totally red. I said, ‘No, sir.’...and felt a flush of relief, because I actually recognized it. ‘That’s Kronos eating his kids, right?’"

"Why, Chiron?" Demeter asked, her face in a disgusted expression.

"She needed to know her family's story." Chiron answered.

Percy whispered at Anthony. "You think it was some kind of Prophecy?"

Anthony frowned. "It can be," he whispered back, "I have always thought that you had some relationship with the prophecy domain, Percy."

"But it isn't possible. It isn't part of my father's domain."

"It was before Apollo appeared and took it for himself." Anthony corrected her. "But we can always ask Apollo. Since we appeared here, he hasn't taken his eyes from you. He is watching your arms, in particular."

Percy looked at the sun god and yes, he was looking at her arms, and not in a flirty way.

" ‘Yes,’ Mr Brunner said, obviously not satisfied. ‘And he did this because... ’"

"He was a bastard." Percy and Thalia answered together, making the gods chuckle.

" ‘Well...’ I racked my brain to remember. ‘Kronos was the king of the titans, and, because his father promised him that he would be dethroned by his children, just like Uranus was, so he didn't trust his kids, who were gods. So, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife Rhea hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead. And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters, with a mixture of mustard and wine. They had just lived and grown up completely undigested in the Titan.

‘Eeew!’ said one of the girls behind me . "

"Tried to live it, mortal." Hera muttered, looking disgusted.

Percy couldn't really blame her. It was disgusting.

" '- The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his

remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans,’ I continued, ‘and the gods won .’ "

"And the gods won?" Thalia repeated. "That is how you summarize a long war?"

"Yeah." Percy nodded.

Sally laughed beside her, giving her a kiss on her head.

" Some snickers from the group ."

"Why?" Hestia asked. "You answered correctly."

"Some mortals are just like that, Lady Hestia." Percy shrugged. "There is nothing we can do about it."

Grover snorted. "That isn't what you thought back there, if I remember correctly."

"Shut up." Percy answered.

" Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend, ‘Like we’re going to use this in real life. Like it’s going to say on our job applications, “Please explain why Kronos ate his kids”.’ "

"Because he was a bastard." Percy and Thalia repeated.

Clarisse chuckled. "Why don't you say that to him?"

"And how could she?" Hades asked. "Kronos is in the depth of the Tartarus."

"Uh... yes, he is." Percy nodded. "Totally there."

Thalia looked at her. "Cut it off, Jackson."

"Make me, Grace."

" ‘And why, Miss Jackson,’ Brunner said, ‘to paraphrase Miss Bobofit’s excellent question, does this matter in real life? ’"

"Busted!" Thalia cheered.

" ‘Busted,’ Grover muttered ."

Grover and Thalia high five from their places.

" ‘Shut up,’ Nancy hissed, her face even brighter red than her hair...He had radar ears."

"More like a horse's ears."

"How? The horse part isn't the head." Percy pointed out.

Connor shrugged. "He just has them."

"But it doesn't make sense!" Percy answered. "And another thing: since Chiron has six legs, does it make him an insect?"

"Percy, why?"

"I don't know, it just crossed my mind and I thought to share it with you." Percy smiled at Dakota. "You are welcome."

"No one was thanking you." Thalia muttered, one hand on her face.

"You were all thinking it." Percy answered, smiling at her cousin.

"I thought about his question, and shrugged. ‘I don’t know, sir.’

‘I see.’ Mr Brunner looked disappointed. ‘Well, well done, Miss Jackson. On this happy note, it’s time for lunch. Mrs Dodds, would you lead us back outside? ’"

"What is the happy note?" Thalia asked. "Percy's answer?"

"The fact that Hera got eaten by Kronos?" Percy suggested, making Hades and Poseidon chuckled. Hera's stepchildren laughed too.

She wasn't very much loved by her stepkids.

" The class drifted off, the girls holding their stomachs, the guys pushing each other around and acting like doofuses ."

"Jee, thank you, Percy." Leo rolled his eyes.

"It's not my fault if all men are stupid." Percy answered.

After a moment of silence, all the men exclaimed. "HEY!"

"Did you just figure out that I was insulting you?" Percy asked, blinking in disbelief and looking at them. "Like, seriously?"

" Grover and I were about to follow when Mr Brunner said, ‘Miss Jackson.’

I knew that was coming ."

"A classic." Thalia nodded.

"Like a waterfall with protruding, sharp rocks." Percy nodded.

Then, in front of the confused glances she got, she sighed. "Film's reference."

"Oh."

"I told Grover to keep going. Then I turned towards Mr Brunner. ‘Sir?’... I wanted to get angry, this guy pushed me so hard."

"For your own good." Sally whispered in her daughter's ear.

"I know now, mom. But back there I had no idea, and..."

"I know that the main problem was that you didn't want to disappoint him, and I am very proud of you. But the adults in your life are there to help you overcome your hard times, Percy." Sally explained to her daughter, who nodded.

Chiron, seeing that the two women had ended their whispered conversation, kept reading.

"I mean, sure, ... and what god they worshipped."

"That is so cool!" Leo exclaimed.

Travis nodded. "Damn, you were that lucky to have Chiron as professor!"

"That seemed wonderful!" Piper smiled, trying to hide her excitement in the meantime.

Most of the demigods agreed on that: they all wanted Chiron as professor.

Seeing the jealous glances Percy received, Thalia talked. "She also had a monster as a professor. You still want to trade?"

Most of the demigods and gods now agreed on something else: Percy had the worst luck ever.

" But Mr Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, ...like he’d been at this girl’s funeral ."

Chiron nodded sadly. He had been at the poor girl's funeral.

" He told me to go outside and eat my lunch... with clouds blacker than I’d ever seen over the city ."

"Why are you two fighting now?" Demeter asked, looking at Poseidon and Zeus.

Zeus shrugged, while Poseidon was thinking about the title of the book. His daughter had to engage a quest related to his brother's power symbol. And she was twelve back there.

He, had least, hoped that his brother wouldn't kill an innocent child over paranoia.

" I figured maybe ....Nancy Bobofit was trying to pickpocket something from a lady’s bag,"

Hermes sighed at the looks he got. "Not all the thieves are mine. Besides, my children wouldn't be caught." He added, proudly.

Chris groaned. "I don't know, Percy is very careful. She would totally catch us."

"Yes, I would." Percy smiled proudly. "But I also would never denounce you, so..."

"And that's why you are our favorite." Connor cheered.

" and, of course, ...‘Detention?’ Grover asked ."

"Why?" Piper asked. "She did nothing wrong."

"Percy was always in detention." Grover sighed.

"Percy is always in detention." Percy corrected, looking at Grover with an insulted look.

" ‘Nah,’ I said. ‘Not from Brunner. I just wish he’d lay off me sometimes. I mean – I’m not a genius. ’"

"You are very smart, Percy." Anthony corrected, looking at his friend. "Street smart, also. You know how to survive and your instincts are the best there are."

"Thank you, Anthony." Percy smiled, blushing at her friend's words.

"Not a date, uh?" Sally muttered in her ear.

"Mom..."

" Grover didn’t say anything for a while. ... ‘Can I have your apple ?’"

Thalia, Percy, Rachel, Nico, Anthony and Bianca laughed a little, while Grover blushed.

"I didn’t have much of an appetite, so I let him take it."

And then they all shot worried glances at the girl, who was known for her sassiness and for her never ending appetite.

"I watched the ...jump in a taxi and head home. "

"Oh, honey, I missed you too." Sally smiled. "I miss you every time we aren't together, but..."

"I get it now why you did what you did, mom." Percy reassured her mother. "And you raised me into the person I am now. Thank you for not giving up."

"Never on you, Percy." Sally replied.

" She’d hug me and be glad to see me, but she’d be disappointed, too ."

"I would never be disappointed in you, Percy." Sally reassured Percy, while she was thinking that, for a twelve years old girl, worrying about disappointing her mother and her teacher was too much. She didn't think any other kid had the same worries.

She felt guilty. Was it selfish keeping Percy close to her?

" She’d send me right back to Yancy,... I was probably going to be kicked out again ."

"Six schools in six years?" Leo asked, impressed. He never got to that number.

"I am that special." Percy shrugged.

Paul said. "Well, you didn't get expelled from my school and you didn't destroy it, so I think that it is an improvement."

"Thanks, Paul. I really appreciate your words." Percy replied, smiling at the man.

Behind her, Poseidon narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the fact that his daughter relied on another father for her worries and her easy jokes.

Was it wrong to want a close relationship with his own daughter?

"I wouldn’t be able to stand that sad look she’d give me ."

Anthony blushed, looking at Percy. Even if they didn't have the same eyes, Anthony knew very well what kind of look Percy was thinking and talking about.

Percy had the same look in her eyes, Anthony was incapable of denying her anything.

" Mr Brunner parked his ...motorized café table ."

Leo and Charles looked interested from the idea.

Percy, even if she had no talent in the forge, always had brilliant ideas.

" Grover and I took our sandwiches from our bags, while Grover was trying to cheer me up for Nancy's hard and offensive comments towards me.

'There are all sorts of schools of thought about what drives that kind of bullying,' Groves said, while unwrapping his sandwich, 'Childhood trauma, feelings of inadequacy... '"

"That was kind of you, Grover." Sally smiled at Grover, glad that her daughter was able to find at least one true friend. She needed those.

"I opened my sandwich in the meantime, stating, 'Look, I get that Nancy has issues-' I said, reaching over to take the burger from Grover's sandwich and giving him space to take the cheese from mine. "

"Aww!" Silena, Drew and Aphrodite said, looking at them.

Aphrodite, being the Goddess of Love, loved all kinds of love. And platonic love, between a male and a female, was one of her favorite tropes.

" 'I'm just getting tired of her taking them out on me.' "

"That's completely understandable." Artemis nodded. "You did nothing wrong, and still you had to bear her continued insults."

Percy smiled at the goddess. She really hoped that Artemis wouldn't try to make another offer to join her Hunt. Anthony didn't know about it, and she would really like to keep it that way. She could only hope that the books didn't mention any of that.

" While I was closing again the sandwich, I said. 'I feel like... maybe it's time to do something about it.' "

"Well, talking about an issue is always the best way to deal with it." Silena approved.

Grover sighed. "That is what I told her."

Thalia chuckled. "By the look in your face, I'll guess and say that it wasn't what she was referring to, right?"

"Of course not!" Grover answered.

" Grover seemed delighted. 'You could make an appointment to see Mr. Kane'. Grover nodded, explaining, 'He is really good at talking-'

I interrupted him, 'I was thinking more like shoving Nancy in the nearest dumpster .' "

"Percy!" Sally called her, but her voice was covered by the laughs of the others.

Paul shook his head, whispering to Sally. "Leave her, Sally. She's been through a lot and Nancy didn't make it easier for her. It's a high school's affairs. Percy needed to stand up for herself."

Sally nodded at Paul, while Percy was sending a high five to Thalia, who looked extremely proud.

Well, since Percy didn't actually hit Nancy, Sally mused, there was no reason to punish her for a thought expressed to her friend.

" While Grover looked at me surprised, I smiled at him innocently.

'Oh, no. No, no, no, no,' He tried to persuade me. 'No. If there's one thing I know about bullies, it is that you never, ever, stand up to them.' "

"Grover, that is the worst thing you could say to a demigod!" Thalia scolded him.

"You weren't there, Thalia!" Grover answered. "The monster was very powerful and I didn't want Percy to focus too much on her anger. Most demigods' powers come from anger."

"He's right. I fight better when I am upset." Percy nodded.

Poseidon sighed relieved. Most of the demigods fight worse when they were upset, angry or hurt. If his daughter fought better, then he was less worried for her. During a quest, it would be useful to her.

" I raised my eyebrow. 'That doesn't sound right.' "

"Because it isn't." Sally stated.

"'Look,-' Grover told me, looking into my eyes with the most serious expression I ever saw on him. 'I know this place is hard for people like us. But we're not gonna be here forever. There are better places out there.' "

Now, all of them smiled.

Grover and Percy were amazing friends.

" I smiled at him, impressed by his hope for a better future.

Of course, in that exact moment , Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly

friends – I guess she’d gotten tired of stealing from the tourists – and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover’s lap ."

"Okay, just kill her." Thalia said.

"I wanted to." Percy promised.

" ‘Oops.’ ...A wave roared in my ears ."

"Are you about to use your powers?" Triton asked, looking at Percy, trying not to think about how much she looked like Rhea.

"Yep!" Percy smiled.

"I don’t remember touching her, ... ‘Percy pushed me!’"

"And no one understoond who her father was?" Clarisse asked, confused.

"You know what happened later," Percy pointed out, looking at her, "and you still didn't know how to answer that question."

"You were a forbidden child! I didn't want to think about what that meant for all of us."

"And they didn't want to either." Percy shrugged.

" Mrs Dodds materialized next to us....‘– like it grabbed her –’"

"Why isn't the Mist working properly?" Zeus asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Probably because Hecate hates me, as it never does." Percy muttered.

"Sometimes it works." Anthony ponted out to her, hiding a smile.

"Right, and I get in trouble when it does." Percy answered.

"You're right. Hecate must really hate you." Anthony nodded.

"I didn’t know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again. "

"I like the “again” there." Thalia laughed.

Nico sighed. "Thalia, Mrs Dodds is going to pull her aside to discuss her behavior."

"Oh, shit." Thalia paled.

Percy winked at her cousin, who chuckled, proud of having interrupted Thalia's laughter.

" As soon as Mrs Dodds ... I grumbled. ‘A month erasing textbooks .’"

"Never guess your punishment!" All the Hermes' kids said.

" That wasn’t the right thing to say.

‘Come with me,’ Mrs Dodds said.

‘Wait!’ Grover yelped. ‘It was me. I pushed her.’ "

"You are very brave." Hades said, looking at Grover.

He didn't know what kind of monster it was, but he knew it was dangerous. The fact that Grover was ready to save Percy from it was very brave and surprising.

"I stared at him, stunned. I couldn’t believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs Dodds scared Grover to death."

"Of course she did!" Grover said, looking at Percy. "You know who she was."

"Yeah, I got it now. Thank you, by the way. It was very brave of you, uncle Hades is right."

Again, the uncle Hades . Hades was trying to understand what kind of relationship he had with his brother's daughter.

" She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled...‘Honey,’ Mrs Dodds barked at me. ‘Now .’"

"This isn't scary at all." Piper muttered.

Leo whispered to her. "Is it her first monster?"

"Apparently." Jason nodded, whispering.

"Nancy Bobofit smirked.

I gave her my deluxe I’ll-kill-you-later stare."

All the Greek demigods shivered.

Percy rolled her eyes at their antics.

" I then turned to face Mrs Dodds, but she wasn’t there....How’d she get there so fast?"

"Probably, Percy, it is because she is a monster." Thalia answered.

"Jee, thank you, Thalia. I really needed the answer now and not, you know, four years ago ." Percy replied, shaking her head.

"I have moments like that a lot, ...I wasn’t so sur e."

"You have very strong instincts." Apollo noticed, talking for the first time.

Percy smiled at him. She had them and she was proud of them.

"I went after Mrs Dodds....but Mr Brunner was absorbed in his novel ."

"Chiron..." Poseidon warned the centaur, but Chiron smiled. "I was very aware of what was going on, Lord Poseidon."

"He really was, father." Percy muttered to her father, who nodded.

A part of the god was hurt by the father his daughter used to address him. He just wanted to be close to her. Or, maybe, he thought with a shiver, in the future he did something unforgivable to her?

"I looked back up. Mrs Dodds had disappeared again. ...But apparently that wasn’t the plan."

"Of course not, she had to try to kill me." Percy whispered under her breath, looking nervously at her mother and father. They won't be happy at all once they realize what kind of monster Dodds was.

"I followed her deeper into the museum. ...Something about the way she looked at the frieze, as if she wanted to pulverize it... "

"Trying." Percy whispered again. Anthony hugged her. He knew everything about Mrs Dodds, and he didn't want to make Percy feel alone.

Poseidon's gaze fell on Anthony's arm around his daughter's shoulders. He didn't know what kind of reaction he would have in the future for their relationship, but right now he isn't going to allow that. His daughter deserved much better than an Athena's son.

" ‘You’ve been giving us problems, honey,’ she said.

I did the safe thing. I said, ‘Yes, ma’am .’"

"Oh my gods!" Thalia looked at Percy, "Do you even know what the safe thing is?"

"Of course I do!" Percy replied, insulted. "Have you met me?"

"That's why I asked!" Thalia said.

" She tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket....It’s not like she’s going to hurt me ."

"All the teachers want to hurt you. Monsters or not monsters." Leo said, his voice firm.

"Dam, you right." Percy said, making Thalia and Grover chuckled.

Charles sighed. "Are we going to find out this little inside joke?"

"Eventually." Percy answered.

"Have some dam patience!" Thalia exclaimed, making Percy and Grover laugh again.

"I said, ‘I’ll – I’ll try harder, ma’am.’... Confess, and you will suffer less pai n.’"

"Their promises never cease to amaze me. " Percy said.

"I know, right? They promised a fast death, and they were surprised when we turned them down." Thalia nodded.

" I didn’t know what she was talking about....the illegal stash of candy I’d been selling out of my dorm room ."

Sally raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "You were doing what?"

“It was a good deed, Mom!” Percy insisted. “Really, I was doing humanity a favor.”

“Trading candy?” Thalia asked, amused.

"Exactly!"

" Or maybe ...Or worse, they were going to make me read the book ."

Anthony shook his head in amusement. "Percy..."

The girl didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed.

" ‘Well?’ she demanded...She was a shrivelled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she was about to slice me to ribbons ."

"A Fury!" Poseidon shouted, looking at Hades. "Did you send a Fury against my daughter?"

Hades pursed his lips. "Poseidon, I..."

“Should my daughter be hurt by your petty actions, you will suffer all the consequences.”

" Then things got even stranger....My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the sword ."

"Pathetic." Athena hissed.

She was silenced by all the dark looks she received from the gods and demigods.

" She snarled, ‘Die, honey!’...I did the only thing that came naturally: I swung the sword."

"That was your natural response? Swing a sword?" Thalia asked.

"It seemed the right thing to do." Percy shrugged.

Artemis smiled. "With that kind of reflexes, I will be happy to welcome you in my Hunt."

Anthony tensed next to Percy.

"I am sorry, Lady Artemis, but I wish to fall in love in my life." Percy answered.

Anthony relaxed.

" The metal blade hit her shoulder and passed clean through her body as if she were made of water....as if those two glowing red eyes were still watching m e."

"You killed a Fury with one single hit?" Jason blinked.

He was starting to understand that most of the stories around Percy Jackson weren't made up. Percy Jackson was really that powerful and amazing, things only proved by how she dealt with her first monster

" I was alone....Had I imagined the whole thing ?"

"Future notes." Percy muttered. "Don't make a demigod believe he or she is going crazy. Thank you very much."

"I went back outside.... ‘I hope Mrs Kerr whipped your butt .’"

"Who?" Leo asked.

" I said, ‘Who? ’"

Leo and Percy smiled at each other.

" ‘Our teacher. Duh!’...But he paused first, and he wouldn’t look at me, so I thought he was messing with me ."

"And it wasn't funny at all." Percy said, looking with a serious look at Chiron. "I understood that something was wrong. All this did was make me feel unsafe."

"I am sorry. I should have made a different choice." Chiron apologized.

" ‘Not funny, man,’ I told him. ...As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling all right?’ "

"Now, this is how we lie!" Travis said proudly.

"Percy thought she was going crazy." Connor pointed out to his brother.

"I know, and it wasn't right." Travis answered, looking at Percy to be sure that she knew that. "I am just proud that Chiron is good at lying."

"Very good." Percy shook her head.

Chiron lowered the book. "The chapter is done. Who wants to read?"

"I will." Thalia said, taking the book from the old centaur. 

Chapter Text

Thalia started reading, her eyes focused on the pages. She never felt that sad and powerless. Percy knew something was wrong, but couldn't understand what was wrong. And there wasn't anything she could do about it now.

" I was used to.. hallucination was more than I could handle ."

Chiron and Grover looked guilty, but that didn't change the fact that they were responsible for what Percy suffered. Grover had an excuse, Thalia reasoned, he didn't want to see another of the demigods he was supposed to protect dying. But Chiron? What he was doing was extremely dangerous.

" For the rest of the school year, ... had been our maths teacher since Christmas ."

"The Mist created an entirely new person?" Leo asked, looking amazed.

"Oh, no, she was a daughter of Athena." Chiron explained.

Percy blinked. "That was a demigod?"

Chiron nodded, confused.

"An adult demigod?" Percy repeated, still shocked.

"Not all of us die so young." Thalia shrugged.

"Yeah, but the ones that didn't die young, suffered a lot!" Percy said. "That was a teacher. She had children and a husband! She looked happy!"

"She was lucky, we can say." Chiron sighed, looking towards Percy with pity in his eyes.

Thalia felt guilty for a moment. She ran away from the Prophecy, and now it was on Percy. She was still unsure why she didn't accept a place in the Hunt like Bianca did.

" Every so ... they would stare at me like I was psycho ."

"Well, you are." Anthony laughed.

"I am not." Percy pouted. "Grover, Anthony is being mean!"

"Anthony, don't insult Percy."

"Yeah, Anthony," Percy nodded. "Don't insult Percy, thank you very much!"

" It got so I almost believed them – Mrs Dodds had never existed.

Almost."

"Grover gave it away, didn't he?" Anthony sighed.

"I consider myself lucky that he did." Percy considered. "If I actually believed that Dodds never existed, then it would have been too strange to believe that I was a demigoddess."

" But Grover couldn’t fool me. ...Something had happened at the museum ."

"No shit, Sherlock." Clarisse shook her head.

"So, you know Sherlock Holmes, but can't understand a Disney's film reference?" Percy raised an eyebrow towards her.

"Who?"

"Sherlock Holmes. You just made a reference about him!" Percy looked at Clarisse, shocked. "You know that you just made a reference about Sherlock Holmes, right?"

"Not really. It's just something I heard said."

"Wow." Percy muttered.

"I didn’t have much time to think about it during the days,... would wake me up in a cold sweat ."

They all grimaced in sympathy for the girl, while Sally held her close.

Poseidon was one step away from joining them, wanting only to be able to console his daughter. For now, however, it seemed that the comfort her mother offered was enough to ease their daughter's tense shoulders.

Amphitrite placed a hand on her husband's arm, comforting him. Although she did not like her husband's adventures, she also did not want to see the children suffer.

" The freak weather continued, which didn’t help my mood.... I called him an old sot. I wasn’t even sure what it meant, but it sounded good ."

“You seem to be very in tune with your father's emotions.” Apollo murmured, his gaze once again fixed on the girl's arms, where the red threads of destiny made their appearance.

Percy Jackson seemed to be the Fates' favorite for that century. Apollo felt compassion for what the three goddesses had in store for the young girl, not yet even of age but already with war in her stormy eyes.

“I never really paid attention to it, but I think so.” Percy shrugged.

Anthony sighed. "Yes, she's attuned to her father's emotions. And not just him, but also the nymphs, naiads, and nereids we meet. We thought she was just extremely empathetic."

"No, it is the sea that binds all sea creatures." Triton announced. “She should be able to track my emotions too.”

“I have never met you, in the future… well, in the past… In my past and your future?” Percy said. "I never met you. The only brothers I met were Tyson and... well, two others. But I was angry too, so I might have felt my anger. Not theirs."

“Or theirs and yours could have fed each other in a vicious cycle.” Anthony considered. "It would explain a lot."

" I was homesick.... put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties."

Everyone looked at Paul.

"Doesn't it bother you how she's talking about you?" Jason asked, looking warily at him.

"It isn't Paul." Percy said quickly, avoiding his mother's gaze. "He's not like that at all."

"So who is he?" Thalia asked, narrowing her eyes.

"My first stepfather." Percy replied laconically. "And it's not important now."

" Studying become almost impossible, culminating one evening, when I got so frustrated... I took a deep breath. I picked up the mythology book ."

"Good, don't give up." Jason smiled, knowing the feeling. His dyslexia was just like that. He knew there were demigods with less problems reading. Dyslexia and ADHD were proportional to a demigod's power.

No wonder that Percy had the worst dyslexia and ADHD among them. Or that Leo was the same. 

" I’d never asked a teacher for help before... . I didn’t want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn’t tried ."

"I knew you tried, Percy." Chiron smiled. "I never doubted you."

Percy smiled towards him, before sighing when she remembered what she heard that night.

" I walked downstairs to the faculty offices... A voice that was definitely Grover’s said, ‘... worried about Percy, sir.’

I froze ."

“Do you listen to them?” Ares was thrilled.

"Sorry, but who do you think I am?" Percy looked at him.

Ares slumped in his seat, but Percy added, grinning mischievously. "Of course I eavesdropped on them!"

A few laughs erupted around the room, while Chiron and Grover paled, remembering clearly what they had discussed.

" I’m not usually an eavesdropper, but I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend talking about you to an adult."

"Yeah, that's normal." Clarisse nodded.

Piper agreed. "We all do that."

"Who wouldn't?" Leo asked.

" I inched closer... Mr Brunner said. ‘We need the girl to mature more .’"

Percy curled in on herself.

Mature more. She was too childish to handle the truth about herself.

Her mother squeezed her, glaring angrily at Chiron.

Bianca spoke. "Percy had remarkable knowledge of the Greek world and incredible kindness thanks to her mother and herself. What more did you want from her?"

"And, above all, how could she have acted differently if she had no reason to?" Nico added.

Anthony nodded. "When she discovered she was a demigoddess, Percy never made a childish choice, even though she is still a child, technically speaking."

"Thank you, guys." Percy smiled at the two cousins and her friend.

" ‘But she may not have time. The summer solstice deadline –’

‘Will have to be resolved without her, Grover. Let her enjoy her ignorance while she still can.’ "

“This wasn't a bad thing…” Jason muttered. "We don't have that luxury anymore after we find out the truth."

“Some never had that luxury.” Percy murmured, making Leo nod in agreement.

" ‘Sir, she saw her...’

‘Her imagination,’ Mr Brunner insisted. ‘The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince her of that. ’"

“That was extremely dangerous!” Thalia interrupted her reading to yell at Chiron, ignoring their age difference and the respect she usually felt towards the centaur. "Not only would she never have believed you if it had actually worked, but she might have thought she was crazy if it hadn't! You literally played with Percy's life! What gave you permission to judge her on her maturity and right to know the truth about herself?"

Chiron looked down. "I was hoping to spare her unnecessary pain so soon."

"I hope for your sake that nothing else too bad happens in this chapter, or I'll kill you, damn it!"

Percy glanced at Grover. If Thalia was serious, he would have better start running to avoid the girl.

" ‘Sir, I... I can’t fail in my duties again.’ Grover’s voice was choked with emotion. ‘You know what that would mean .’"

"Wow, that's very nice of you, Grover." Clarisse looked at the satyr, wondering why Percy was so close to him when it was clear that Grover lied all the time.

Sure, it was for Percy's safety. But there had to be other ways.

" ‘You haven’t failed, Grover,’ Mr Brunner said kindly. ‘I should have seen her for what she was. Now, you know what you have to do, right?' "

"What does he have to do?" Anthony asked, looking between the three of them. "Persuade Percy to go to the Camp?"

Percy grimaced. "In some kind of sense."

" Grover's voice was weak when he said. 'I had to?'

'She is in danger, Grover. And we need to keep her safe until everything's going to be clear for her. The headmaster will call you both for a complaint made from Miss Bobofit. You know what to do. ' "

“What do you mean you know what to do ?” Jason asked, giving Percy a worried look. "Surely anything Camp-related doesn't have to involve the headmaster, right?"

"Indeed." Piper nodded. "We were taken to the Camp, and no headmaster was involved."

“Unless your headmaster was part of the Greek world?” Leo suggested, looking hopefully at Percy as he said so.

Anthony shook his head. "Chiron was there for that. No one else was needed. A satyr and our trainer were more than enough."

"Especially considering no one knew Percy was Poseidon's daughter." Bianca pointed out, giving the centaur a wary look.

"Kinda like no one knew you two were children of Hades?" Clarisse offered, giving them an annoyed look.

"I decided to keep it a secret." Percy interrupted, fixing her with a warning look. "Thalia agreed to protect Bianca, while I was taking care of Nico."

"The Prophecy could be about Nico." Chris pointed out, trying to reason with the girl.

"No." Percy denied, shaking his head. "It's going to be about me."

“She claimed it.” Anthony explained, making Hades sigh in relief and worry Poseidon.

" 'I will.' Grover said, his voice defeated. It was so distant from the hopeful boy of the Museum that I wondered if I ruined the only real friendship I ever had. "

Grover sighed, feeling extremely guilty. It was his fault if Percy was so scared during their first quest. He was supposed to be by her side no matter what, but Percy sacrificed a lot for him, without asking anything else in return.

" Chiron talked again. ' Now let’s just worry about keeping Percy alive until next autumn –’

The mythology book dropped out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud ."

"Now they know you are there." Jason gasped.

"No, they didn't know." Percy replied. "Believe me, I would know if they knew I was there."

"So they didn't know that you knew what they knew." Nico nodded.

"What?" Anthony blinked, while Percy nodded. "Precisely."

"I've heard too many knew to have understood anything."

" Mr Brunner went silent.... , holding something that looked suspiciously like an archer’s bow ."

"Really, Chiron?" Dionysus asked amused.

Chiron sighed. "It was quite inconvenient to maintain hiding for so long. Furthermore, I wanted to be more agile in case of a further attack."

“Of course, because I stayed there so long after that, right?” Percy muttered under her breath, making Anthony frown.

Having not known Percy early on, Anthony didn't know everything that had happened to her. He thought maybe Luke knew more details, and it made him nervous.

Sure, Luke had been close to her, but he had tried to kill Percy a couple of times.

The more rational part of Anthony, completely ignored by the boy, realized that it was more or less the same when it came to the boy and his betrayal.

" I opened the nearest door and slipped inside ."

"Well done." Hermes nodded, making Percy smile.

" A few seconds later I heard a slow clop-clop-clop,... ‘Go back to the dorm,’ Mr Brunner told him. ‘You’ve got a long day tomorrow .’"

"I'm still asking myself why." Charles muttered.

Leo was looking between Grover and Percy. The girl seemed defeated, while the satyr looked extremely guilty.

Leo knew that Percy's fatal flaw was loyalty. It wasn't a secret at the Camp. He was sure that every Gods, Naiads, Nereids and Nymphs knew. He could only hope that nothing that Grover did was that bad to break that trust.

Some things couldn't be fixed.

" The lights went out in Mr Brunner’s office... Grover was lying on his bed, studying his Latin exam notes like he’d been there all night ."

"You two were in the same dorm?" Reyna asked, raising her eyebrow. "Why?"

"Grover was the only one that accepted being in my same dorm." Percy answered, sighing when she acknowledged all the pity looks she received.

" ‘Hey,’ he said, bleary-eyed. ‘Where were you?’"

"Spying on you and your professor and getting more confused." Leo answered, making Percy snort.

"I didn’t answer.

‘You look awful.’ He frowned. ‘Is everything okay?’ "

"Well, you know how to talk with a girl." Percy rolled her eyes, making Anthony laugh in the meantime.

Grover blushed. "Sorry."

" ‘Just... tired.’

I turned so he couldn’t read my expression, and started getting ready for bed.

I didn’t understand what I’d heard downstairs. I wanted to believe I’d imagined the whole thing.

But one thing was clear: Grover and Mr Brunner were talking about me behind my back. They thought I was in some kind of danger. And Grover was going to do something terrible against me."

"It wasn't terrible, just..." Grover looked at Percy, who was sighing again.

"It really was that terrible, wasn't it?" He asked, beaten.

"You really hurt me." Percy answered, lowering her eyes in the meantime.

" The headmaster called me and Grover in his office.

'The truth can be very hard to be determined...' his eyes focused on me. He never liked me. I was the troublemaker, the outsider, the loser and the no one's daughter. 'but in this case, the truth seems very hard to deny.'

He sighed, talking to me. 'Miss Jackson, a number of your classmates saw you and Mr. Underwood arguing with Miss Bobofit, yet you have offered no explanation for how she ended up in that fountain, other than, uh...' He snorted, like I was some kind of crazy stupid idiot. I used to think myself that way, when no one believed me when I saw a winged horse in my school's roof. Or when I saw a giant golden bull. Maybe I wasn't normal, but I wasn't a liar neither. ' "I didn't touch Nancy".'

The headmaster closed his notes, looking at me with a relieved gaze. 'Now, isn't there anything else you'd like to say for yourself?'

Trying to making him understand that I was telling the truth, I repeated. 'I didn't touch Nancy'. "

“It must have been extremely horrible.” Piper murmured. “Knowing you didn't do something, but no one believed you.”

Percy grimaced. That was the summary of her life. Before, and after, finding out she was a demigoddess.

"But at least Grover and Chiron know the truth, right?" Silena said, looking encouragingly at Percy. “Could they help her with this situation and then explain more about the monsters and everything?”

“It was something Sally had to do.” Chiron murmured, casting a worried glance towards the daughter of Zeus, who was staring at him with narrowed eyes filled with anger.

"Mom explained it to me well." Percy admitted. “She handled everything pretty well.”

"Not that you believed me." Sally giggled, shaking her head in amusement.

"It was just a little surprising. But not because I didn't believe you, just because I believed you would comfort me in every way you could think of."

" His look turned into pity. He had pity for me.

'Okay.' Then, he turned to Grover. 'Mr Underwood? Do you have anything to add?'

Grover hesitated. And then, he said. 'Yes.' "

"Grover, what the fuck?" Anthony asked, looking at his friend with astonished eyes.

"I had to... it was..." Grover looked down. "I had to."

"What did you have to do?" Thalia hissed, before she kept reading with anger.

" I looked at him, feeling odd.

'Go on'.

Grover took a breath, his eyes on the headmaster. 'Percy had told me earlier that day that she wanted to get back at Nancy for all she'd done to us.'   "

"Oh, no." Silena said, looking at Percy. "Is he going to make... them expel you?"

Percy sighed, before nodding.

Thalia was extremely mad now.

" 'Grover?' I whispered, the odd sensation had turned into betrayal. The headmaster didn't hear me, and probably neither had Mr Brunner.

Grover kept talking. 'And she isn't being truthful about what happened at the fountain.'

I blinked at him. What he was saying? He saw that I didn't do anything. He knew that I would never do anything.  "

Grover fell back on himself. He hadn't wanted to hurt Percy, but a part of him had preferred knowing she was alive but angry at him, rather than knowing he had killed his best friend and almost sister.

Percy reached out to take his hand. She no longer blamed him. Grover knew why she had chosen him for her quest. He knew what value he had for her.

" 'Are you saying that you saw Miss Jackson assault Miss Bobofit?'

Grover finally turned at me, before answering. 'Yes, I did.' "

Thalia paused from reading, incredibly enraged.

Percy called, her voice soft. "Thalia?"

"It's not right." The Hunter replied.

"I know." Percy nodded. "But I'm fine now. And Grover has done more than enough to make up for that."

"For the betrayal, you mean." Leo corrected her. "You didn't know what you had done. To say that you had pushed Nancy was basically saying that you were either a liar or that you were crazy and imagining things."

Percy shrugged. "It wasn't Grover's fault."

Her sentence made the centaur sigh. He thought he understood who Percy was blaming for the choice Grover had to make. After all, she had overheard their conversation the night before.

The same conclusion had come to Thalia, who had glared at the centaur. They would talk. Right after the chapter, they would discuss.

" The headmaster then had everything he needed. He send a letter, already written, that I would not be invited back next year to Yancy Academy.

Then he sent me packing my things and leaving the school at that exact instant.

I nodded, saying simply. 'Goodbye, Headmaster. Mr. Brunner.', and then I left the room. "

“I mean, he deserves it, but… damn, this is cold.” Piper shivered.

“Try living it.” Bianca answered her by narrowing her eyes.

" I heard fast steps in the halls, and I started running.

Then, I closed myself in our room - now, Grover's room - and started packing my things.

The door opened. Grover talked. 'Percy, let me explain, I...'

'Lied! You lied!' I said, putting all my clothes in my bag. 'Don't worry, you'll have the room all for yourself, now.' "

Thalia gave Grover an angry look, deciding to talk to him next too. Never mind that Chiron hadn't given him much of a choice. He should have done like Percy, sent anyone who tried to control him to hell and saved his friend anyway.

" 'Percy, let me just...'

'No!' I turned, looking at him. 'I don't want to hear anything from you. I thought we were friends.' Then, shaking my head, I snorted. 'Thank you for proving me wrong .' "

Thalia then looked at Percy. She had to admit that, when she wanted, the girl could hurt in the worst ways, without offending and without lying. Which were the two things that made her words extremely hurtful.

Knowing that he had hurt Percy enough to make her renounce any friendship between them might have been a punishment bad enough for Grover, the girl decided, smiling slightly at Grover when the satyr finally decided to look her in the eyes.

The satyr relaxed. Maybe he should thank Percy, all things considered. She had just saved him from becoming a vegetable that soon in his life.

From the empathic bond, a thread of amusement reached him, making him look towards Percy. Judging by her look, the girl knew exactly where Grover's thoughts had taken.

" Then, I picked up my bag and left the room.

I was waiting for the bus, when I heard Mr Brunner's wheelchair approaching me.

‘Percy,’ he said. ‘Don’t be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It’s... it’s for the best.’ "

"Okay, that's enough. I'm not waiting until the end of the chapter for this." Thalia shook her head, putting the book down and standing with her arms crossed in front of the centaur. “What the hell were you thinking, exactly?”

"Thalia, I…" Chiron started to say, but Thalia raised a hand, silencing him.

From her seat, Percy was smiling in amusement. Thalia could be extremely protective when she wanted to. And possessive as well, Percy remembered with a smile when she thought about some of the reactions the girl had since Bianca and Nico had arrived in their lives.

Of course, she was the same with Nico, but she could control her possessiveness. (but not overprotection, obviously. Nico was untouchable and that was it.)

"First of all, you leave her at the mercy of a Fury, who I'm sure you recognized for what she was, and even if you didn't, you knew full well that she was a monster. You also knew that Percy was a very powerful demigoddess. After that, you threw the Mist on everyone else, you called another demigod, who I'll have a chat with when I find her, making Percy think she's completely crazy. Then, to top it all off, you forced Grover, using his sense of guilt for what had happened to me, even though it wasn't his fault at all, to make him betray his only friend, who for her part, had only had one friend in her entire life and that was Grover. And now go to tell her that leaving Yancy was the best thing that could have happened to her? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Chiron looked down. "I can only apologize. I have nothing else to say in my defense other than that I was trying to protect Percy as best I could."

Thalia didn't seem appeased, but, having finished the insults so far, she decided to sit back down and continue reading.

" His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me... . After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out. "

"That wasn't what I meant, Percy..." Chiron murmured.

"Then tell her!" Thalia yelled, looking at the centaur with fire in her eyes.

Poseidon looked intrigued at his brother's daughter. Even if their natures put them at odds with each other, they were still very protective of one another. And with their cousins. That was something he never thought he would have been able to see.

His and his brothers' children supported and protected each other. It seemed like a miracle.

Hades and Zeus were stuck in the same kind of thoughts. Hades was more relieved than his brothers.

" ‘Right,’ I said, trembling.

... 

‘Percy –’

'This is my ride. I'm going home'   "

"Yeah, I really cannot blame you." Gwen said, smiling towards Percy. "It must have been very hard for you."

"It wasn't pleasant." Percy nodded, smiling gratefully at the roman demigoddess.

" During the whole bus ride, I kept glancing nervously around, Mrs Dodds transformation still clear in front of my eyes.

Then, when no danger was around, I sighed. How could Grover do such a thing?  "

"That's what I am wondering as well." Anthony muttered. When Grover told him all the things that had happened before bringing Percy to the Camp, he forgot to mention this episode. He only said that she couldn't return to the Yancy anymore, but, listening to all the memories before, Anthony thought that Percy wasn't too upset for that.

" All year long, I’d gotten in fights keeping bullies away from him. I’d lost sleep worrying that he’d get beaten up next year without me.   "

"I didn't know." Grover said, looking at Percy with guilt all over his face. "I didn't know you fought for me."

"You are my friend." Percy replied. "Of course I did. And I'd do it all over again." Then, she grimaced. "If you get me expelled another time, I'll totally punch you in the face. Twice."

"That's alright." Grover nodded. "Thank you."

" Only for him being the reason for that. "

Grover sighed. He imagined that Percy's thoughts would improve only when she learned the truth about herself and what role Grover had to play in her life, to protect her from something worse.

" There was a huge grinding noise under my feet... knitting the biggest pair of socks I’d ever seen. "

Percy gasped, shooting a worried look towards Thalia. She wouldn't like what she saw. And what it implied.

" I mean these socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks... basket of electric-blue yarn ."

"They seem... no, it isn't possible." Apollo shook his head, scared to be proven right. If Percy saw the Fates and didn't die at that exact moment, that could only mean that the Fates found someone to name their champion. Someone that could bring some changes that the Fates desire. But the heroes' fate was never good. Percy would have suffered a lot.

" All three women looked ancient,... The weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right at me."

"No... they are... Oh no." Poseidon looked at his daughter. She saw the Fates. Their time together was doomed to end that soon?

" I wondered if those socks would have fit me. "

"It isn't the time, Percy." Connor said, extremely pale. "Not the time."

"I didn't know who they were." Percy shrugged. "Besides, if I had to die, why is it important to see that death? Everyone is going to die, sooner or later."

The gods looked impressed by her acceptance. They couldn't name any other mortal that would accept their death with that easy spirit.

From her side, Sally gasped. She could only think about one reason that would make Percy accept her fate so easily. Her daughter wanted to die. And that filled Sally with absolute terror.

" The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors – gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. 

They were still watching me. The middle one cut the yarn, "

"Oh." Poseidon whispered, accepting his wife's comfort.

The Greek demigods exchanged looks. Percy knew she had to die, and that didn't stop her. Never did. She was extremely brave.

" and I swear... leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for – Sasquatch or Godzilla . "

Leo snorted. Percy had a great sense of humor, something he really looked forward to having on the Argo II. He could only hope that someone, anyone, at the Camp explained to them that Percy was someone that kind, smart and funny. Otherwise, only knowing the quests she managed to do, Leo would just think she was completely different from him.

" At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment.... Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I’d caught the flu . "

Poseidon couldn't handle this anymore. He reached for his daughter and hugged her, making Athena's son move to leave room for the god.

Percy smiled a little. It was good to be hugged by her father, even if it was just because he was scared of losing her.

" I started remembering my mother's tales and stories.

Could they be something more than just three crazy old ladies? "

"YES!" Was everyone's answer to that.

Percy just rolled her eyes and made herself more comfortable in her father's arms.

" Was I seeing things like I always did? "

"You never saw things, Percy." Sally said to her daughter, looking at her with kind eyes. "You just saw the truth."

"Thanks, mom." Percy replied.

" Was I crazy? "

"I mean, you are." Thalia said. "But not because of this."

"Jeez, thank you, Thals." Percy laughed a little.

" Did the snipping of the yarn mean that somebody is going to die? "

"You know, you know a lot for being only twelve years old and with no Camp education." Reyna murmured. "I don't think anyone else can boast such an education. At least, those who grew up in the mortal world."

"My bedtime stories were Greek myths. Some Roman stories." Percy shrugged. "I can recite them as well as some can recite Cinderella, Snow White or the Little Mermaid."

"You love The Little Mermaid." Sally sighed. "I had to pull you out of the water a lot of times, when you were younger. You were so sure that your place was under there."

"Right, I was so sure you were Ariel." Percy laughed, remembering her long speeches to her mother. "Well, in my defense, you really loved sea creatures, refused to eat anything that had fish in it, and you dragged me every year to the sea. I just thought that you married Eric, and that your dad stole him out of revenge." Percy shrugged. "I still think it was a reasonable thought."

Poseidon was amused. "Really?"

"Hey, I was kinda right!" Percy replied, hitting her father on his stomach. "I just had the wrong father-daughter relationship and which of the two had the father as the king of Atlantis."

“That's right, Ariel was my literary daughter.” Poseidon nodded.

"Uh, she's technically Triton's daughter." Percy corrected him. "Triton is the king of Atlantis, in that story. And I think his wife is Athena? But she dies, so it's all fine. And she's a mermaid, too."

"And you're giving away a lot of spoilers." Rachel pointed out.

"Can we see it at the first evening break? The Disney film?" Percy proposed, then hearing the enthusiasm of her demigod friends.

Zeus smiled. "I suppose we can. Only to see Poseidon lose his own kingdom to his son."

Percy made an amused noise. She couldn't wait to show the gods Hercules. At least, in The Little Mermaid, her brother was a still merman. And he had the right color. In Hercules, the gods were ridiculous, completely strange and even light bulbs. And Hera would really hate to see that she had been portrayed as Hercules' mother.

“Well, who wants to read next?” Thalia asked.

Jason shrugged. "If it's okay with Percy, I can read. Although I'm afraid that my dyslexia might be a problem."

"No, it's not a problem." Thalia reassured him. "It's not bothering me at all."

Percy smiled. "Of course, my Roman cousin. Go ahead."

Jason sighed. "I don't like that nickname."

"Okay, Lightning McQueen."

"I prefer Roman cousin."

"You can't have everything in life."

Chapter Text

Jason opened the book at the right page, and then he started reading. 

"As soon as the bus stopped, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.

‘East One Hundred and Fourth and First Avenue,’ I told the driver. " 

"We don't live there anymore." Percy said, looking with a smile towards Travis, Connor and Chris, who pouted. 

" A word about my mother, before you meet her. " 

"Let me guess, are you going to praise her?" Clarisse asked, rolling her eyes. 

"I don't think there's a single person who doesn't know how much Percy loves her mother, blue food, and Montauk." Chris sighed. "In this exact order."

Sally smiled at her daughter, hugging her and giving her a kiss on the temple.

Poseidon, on her other side, looked at the two women with a bittersweet smile.

"Her name is Sally Jackson, and she’s the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck." 

"I have you, Percy." Sally said. "This isn't rotten luck ."

Percy smiled, but she said. "I know I wasn't easy, mom. I'm just glad that I have you as a mother."

Poseidon smiled, observing the two women. He had his doubts, but Sally Jackson was something so special and unique that he couldn't help himself. He wasn't able to stay away from her. Amphitrite smiled. She never liked when her husband cheated on her and their bond, but she always loved children and couldn't hate them. 

The women that tried to steal her place in the king's heart met an awful fate, but her husband usually had good taste in women. Or in men. They never tried to take more than Poseidon was able to give them.

"Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn’t care much about her." 

Zeus sighed while the Gods looked at him. "Not all plane crashes are my fault."

"I don't think it was something you did on purpose, Lord Zeus." Sally said. "There was already a storm going on."

"So probably, you were just pissed for something else, and my grandparents got in the way. I'm kinda pissed about that." Percy muttered. "Since they are the only ones I really wanted to meet."

"Rhea is a wonderful goddess." Hera perked in. "You should meet her, Percy." 

Percy looked at her confused, like if she couldn't explain the goddess's behavior, before nodding and agreeing with her words. It wasn't like she was going to meet the Queen of Titans any time soon, so.. 

"She wanted to be a novelist, ... she was left with no money, no family and no diploma."

Anthony scoffed. "I'm starting to see where Percy got her luck."

"Like I said, I have Percy as my daughter. I think to be extremely lucky."

Grover nodded. "Yeah, but Percy's luck works both ways. If you haven't gone through all that, you wouldn't have Percy. So, bad luck and then good luck."

Sally smiled. "Well, I surely couldn't let Poseidon get all the credit for Percy's character, now could I?" 

The demigods and the gods laughed.

Hades gave his younger brother an amused look. "I must say that you too deserve to face the consequences for once, the sea doesn't like to be restrained ."

"I'm sure that whatever my daughter has done or will do, it will be incredible. And that I will be very proud of her either way."

Percy shrugged at the questioning looks she received. "I guess, I'm quite okay with my dad so far."

Anthony gave her a dubious look. "What I saw wasn't quite okay ."

"Yes, okay, we understand each other." Percy sighed, motioning for Jason to continue reading.

For his part, Jason was thinking about the way Percy viewed her mother. He knew for a fact that the girl had fought to protect the gods. The Greeks did not have an empire, but for someone with loyalty as a fatal flaw, defending the empire and therefore the other demigods would not be difficult. And, sure enough, she honored her mother. The three cardinal principles of the Roman demigods were respected.

Maybe, Jason thought hopefully, the girl would survive Camp Jupiter.

"The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad." 

Sally giggled. "Actually, I'll let you know that the first time I saw him, I tried to steal his trident."

Percy's eyes widened. “You did what ?”

Poseidon chuckled. “You seemed rather displeased when I informed you that I would not allow you to rob me of my personal weapon.”

"I thought it was something fake." Sally shrugged. “How was I supposed to know it was a celestial bronze trident?”

“It's not only celestial bronze.” Poseidon sighed.

"You already explained it to me, and if you don't remember, I already told you that I wasn't particularly interested in that explanation."

Percy chuckled, watching the pout that was growing on the face of her father next to her. For a very old, immortal being, her father could be very dramatic.

"I don’t have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile." 

Sally looked at Poseidon. "Did you come to visit her?"

"I knew I wouldn't get much of a chance. Not when she could remember. But..." Poseidon trailed off.

Many demigods cast jealous glances at Percy, surprised when they saw her hiding tears and guilt. Why would she cry, knowing that her father cared enough about her to break the rules?

Zeus was also watching the girl, before moving his gaze to the demigods and realizing that many of them were jealous for a simple visit to a child that would never remember. He took note of it. He would think about the matter later, alone and away from the gaze of the other gods.

"My mom doesn’t like to talk about him because it makes her sad. ... Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea."

"Very clever!" Hermes smiled charmingly at Sally, who snorted in amusement.

Paul coughed. "I married her. I'm afraid that she's no longer available to you gods."

"Not to mention the fact that I would kill you if any more of you tried to get my mother pregnant." Percy glanced at his father. "That goes for you too, dad."

Poseidon chuckled, feeling happy for the 'dad' Percy had just used in her threat. "Duly noted, Percy."

"She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own.... showed his true colors as a world-class jerk."

Sally gasped. She hoped that with that sentence, Percy only meant Gabe's habit of gambling and drinking. Or had she protected her daughter from mythological monsters by calling one of another kind right to their house?

"When I was young, I nicknamed him Smelly Gabe. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. The guy reeked like mouldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts." 

Many chuckled.

Athena glanced at the mortal woman, who nodded as she noticed the goddess' gaze. Athena felt a flash of approval towards the woman. She had definitely been smart, finding a way to hide her forbidden kid by the gods. A small part of the goddess wondered what kind of person this Gabe had to be, to be able to confuse the senses of gods and monsters. Another part, intrigued, wondered what had led the woman to understand this. Was her sight really that powerful?

" Between the two of us, we made my mom’s life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along... well, when I came home is a good example." 

Thalia glanced at her cousin. “No. First of all, I'm sure Sally never scolded you for anything that wasn't your fault. She knew you were a demigoddess. She imagined how hard it would be for you. It's not your fault. It's all those professors' and adults' fault, who have not dedicated their time to a girl with attention problems and dyslexia. There is support for children with these disorders in the mortal world. The fact that they have decided not to devote the usual care for you is their demerit. Not yours. Second, your return home in this case wasn't your fault. You used your powers without knowing how to control them. And, moreover, you were kicked out because of Chiron and Grover. Not you. Do you understand?"

Percy nodded, saying. "Sorry, but now you think you can still sell the story that you don't give a damn about me? It doesn't hold up anymore, you know?"

Thalia didn't dignify her with an answer, making her cousins giggle.

"I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. ... ‘Working,’ he said. ‘You got any cash?’"

"He asked you for money?" Sally asked, suddenly looking at her terrified daughter.

"Mom, it's okay. Yes, he wanted me to give him money to keep playing. It's okay."

"No, that's not right, Percy." Sally shook her head. "Why didn't you ever tell me? I could have done something..."

"You were already going through so much, mom." Percy shrugged, hoping the rest of her thoughts wouldn't be exposed. Caught up in her reflections, she didn't notice the looks of pity and compassion she received from the remaining demigods. They all wondered why they never knew about it. Why had Percy never corrected all their opinions about her life before the Camp?

"That was it. ... He called that our ‘father-daughter secret’. "

There were several growls coming from different corners of the throne room. Artemis and Apollo, the protectors of the young women and men, both seemed one step away from trying to leave the room and find that man.

"Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out." 

Sally gasped. "Has he ever hit you?"

"Mom, it's okay, he..."

"Percy."

The mother's voice reminded Percy of that time when they had argued about Percy's new school, the one that the girl had absolutely not wanted. The mother's voice was so firm that it demanded a response.

Percy sighed, before nodding slowly.

"How many times?" Sally asked, her voice a lethal whisper.

"A bit."

"Why didn't you ever tell me anything, Perce? I would have helped you, you know that, right?" Sally asked, shooting a warning look at Chiron when he motioned to speak.

"He said if I opened my mouth, he would beat you." Percy whispered. "If I let him, he promised he'd leave you alone. I...I didn't know he was lying, mom."

Sally narrowed her eyes. Damn Gabe. “We'll talk about it later, honey, okay?”

Percy nodded slightly.

"‘I don’t have any cash,’ I told him. .... ‘Come on, Gabe,’ he said. ‘The kid just got here.’"

Sally sighed. She had just realized what Eddie had meant all the times he had tried to warn her about Gabe and Percy. She had thought about Percy's sarcasm and Gabe's drinking. Not any physical violence. Of course, the woman thought, the emotional and psychological ones could have been just as dangerous. If not more.

"‘Am I right?’ Gabe repeated.
Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony." 

“That is just disgusting.” Drew murmured, glancing at the girl. She knew that Percy had helped a lot of her own sisters who had come out of an abusive home. She never realized it wasn't just strong empathy. Drew had never realized that Percy knew what to say and what to do because she had been there herself. Why had she never asked her anything?

Aphrodite had a disgusted look on her face. Perhaps she should have cursed the mortal. He was still alive at this time, and not married to Sally Jackson. The woman truly loved her daughter and had been willing to endure ongoing abuse towards herself to keep her safe. She just didn't know that Percy was suffering a personal abuse of her own.

Once Zeus admitted that his Laws were absurd and senseless, then Aphrodite could revel in the possibility of cursing the man without hurting Percy in the process.

Unbeknownst to Aphrodite, similar thoughts were crossing the minds of the other gods, each of them personally offended by the disrespect towards their personal domains.

Athena, for her part, was starting to understand how this Gabe would be able to hide the scent of a child of the Big Three like he clearly did. If he had been even a little more evil, Tartarus would probably have claimed him.

"‘Fine,’ I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. ‘I hope you lose.’
‘Your report card came, brain girl!’ he shouted after me. ‘I wouldn’t act so snooty!’" 

Anthony gasped. "Percy, I..."

"Your nickname doesn't insult me anymore, Anthony. It was bad at first, sure, and it reminded me a lot of Gabe. You proved very early on that you're completely different from him, so don't worry."

"I'll find a different nickname for you anyway." Anthony promised.

Thalia nodded. "Me too. I don't want to remind you of that every time we talk."

Percy shrugged. “Your Highness is good enough for me.”

The demigods chuckled, while Thalia sighed. "Don't count on it too much."

"Don't count on it too much, your highness . Or your majesty . Whatever is more uncomfortable for you."

Everyone chuckled while the cousins bickered with an air of good-natured teasing.

Once again, thoughts about their own relationship crossed the minds of Zeus and Poseidon who, this time, met each other's gaze. Perhaps...

"I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn’t my room. ... She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted."

Sally smiled sweetly at her daughter, grateful to be able to do at least that. It wasn't nearly enough, but at least she was able to reassure her daughter.

"My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room. ... When she looks at me, it’s like she’s seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad."

Sally hugged her. "I love you, Percy."

"I love you too, mom. Thank you for being here for me. Thank you for not leaving me."

"Hold fast, brave the storm that was meant to break us, for we are unbreakable as long as we have each other." Sally whispered, in response to her daughter's whispering, thanks.

"I’ve never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe." 

“Wow, truly a saint.” Hermes murmured, nodding at Sally.

If more mortal mothers had been like Sally, perhaps fewer demigods would have felt unloved and unwanted. It was painful to see them doubt their love.

Perhaps, Hermes thought, watching his father thoughtfully, this time he could save Luke from his fate. He had noticed that he had not joined the demigods from the future. So, either he was dead, or his destiny had already begun. Hermes was unsure of which was more painful. 

" ‘Oh, Percy.’ She hugged me tight. ‘I can’t believe it. You’ve grown since Christmas!’" 

"Which I didn't do." Percy rolled her eyes.

Connor nodded. "Adults don't see you for ten seconds and suddenly you've grown up in their opinion. It's frankly annoying."

Many demigods nodded. How many relatives had said repeatedly that they had grown up even when it wasn't true?

"Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: .... and demanded to know everything I hadn’t put in my letters.

'I am very sorry, mom. I tried this time.' I muttered, not being able to look at her while I explained much I disappointed her. 'You know how hard I've been trying, but this time, it really wasn't my fault.' With a whisper, I repeated. 'It really wasn't my fault.' "

Many cast sad glances at the girl.

Grover opened his mouth to apologize, and Percy raised a pillow threateningly at him. "Apologize again, and I'll hit you with this. It's not a hairbrush, but I won't miss."

Rachel, Anthony, and Nico giggled at Percy's threat.

Poseidon frowned. "Do I want to know?"

"Uh, I honestly don't know. It's both a yes and a no, I think." Percy muttered, looking down as she thought.

“How is a hairbrush a dangerous weapon?” Reyna asked.

“First of all, this question makes me realize that you have never tried to play a prank on the children of Aphrodite. Ask Travis to answer this question. Second, in the right hands, it can. But only in the hands of those who are worthy."

"Mjöllnir." Leo nodded.

"Jonathan, according to Ant-Man." Percy chuckled, happy when she recognized the twinkle in Leo's eyes. Finally, another Marvel fan.

" My mom hugged me, 'I'm very happy to see you, Percy.' My mom released me. 'I found Gabe on the phone with the headmaster, he told me what he thinks happened with Nancy Bobofit.' I looked down, but I should have learned not to doubt my mom. 'I told him I believe my kid. It was a real short call.' "

" Thank you, mom." Percy smiled at her mother. 

" I smiled.

'Hey, all that matters is that you're here, okay?' My mom waited for my nod before adding. 'And that I had enough time to pick up your welcome home gift'

She showed me a huge bag of ‘free samples’, the way she always did when I came home. " 

Many demigods felt their eyes glow.

Hestia laughed at their enthusiasm. "I'm sure in a chapter or two we can take a little break so you can have some cakes and cookies."

The demigods celebrated.

"Thank you, aunt." Percy thanked, bowing her head towards the goddess, who smiled sweetly at the girl.

" I smiled, and my mom added, 'Mr Brunner called me too. He told me about Grover.' I fought against my tears. I didn't want to cry and worry my mom even more. 'You want to talk about it?'

I shook my head.

'Is there something else you wanna talk about?' " 

Thalia coughed. "Other than a Fury trying to kill her and the Fates, no, I don't think there's anything to discuss."

Leo intervened. "Are we forgetting the discussion she overheard saying she's in danger?"

"Right, there's that too."

"I wanted to tell her about Mrs Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid." 

"That wouldn't have been stupid at all, Percy." Sally murmured. "Even if you hadn't been a demigoddess and that had been nothing more than a bad dream, I could have helped you. Or just been there for you."

"You were already there for me, mom. Even when I had no idea what was happening, you were there for me."

" 'Something is happening to me, mom.' I said instead. 'More than just my mind wandering and it got worse and...' I looked at her with the tears in my eyes. 'and I am scared.' "

Many looked at Percy in surprise.

She always behaved like a hero, and performed such extraordinary feats that it was strange to imagine her scared. Just as it was strange to think that she had had a bad childhood. That wasn't what Percy was to them. None of them could conceive of even the thought of Percy being hurt or scared. It made them uncomfortable.

"‘I have a surprise for you,’ she said. ‘We’re going to the beach.’
My eyes widened. ‘Montauk?’" 

"Are you still going there?" Poseidon asked, looking shocked at the woman.

“Every year, or whenever we could get enough time to do it.” Sally confirmed. "Percy loved the place."

Percy smiled. "And I had to find Sebastian."

"I thought I told you Sebastian didn't exist." Sally teased, her eyes shining.

"And I thought I told you I didn't believe you."

"‘Three nights – same cabin.’
‘When?’
She smiled. ‘As soon as I get changed.’
I couldn’t believe it. My mom and I hadn’t been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn’t enough money.

'Gabe would never agree, mom.' I sighed. 

She smiled at me. 'Gabe!' "

Percy murmured. Gabe had let her mother control him in front of her. Her mother had always been able to control him, or manipulate him in some way. Was Gabe trying to deceive them both? Did it show Percy that Sally was controlling him, and show Sally that Percy's sarcastic comments weren't being punished?

"Gabe appeared in the doorway and said. 'I don't expect how you expect me to work if you keep interrupting me.' " 

"He wasn't working! He was just playing poker with his stupid friends!" Thalia growled. She wanted to get into the Underworld and torture herself that thing. He deserved that for what he did to her little cousin and the only adult that really cared about her. 

" ' Percy and I are going to Montauk. I'll have the car back by Sunday morning.'

Gabe’s eyes got small. ‘The trip? You mean you were serious about that?’
‘I knew it,’ I muttered. ‘He won’t let us go.’" 

"Did he stop you from going?" Poseidon asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. 

"No, we went."

"‘Of course he will,’... Guacamole. Sour cream. The works.’"

"Oh, corruption. I like it!" Hermes smiled at Sally, who simply giggled.

Percy narrowed her eyes at the god, who raised his hands in surrender.

"Gabe softened a bit. ‘So this money for your trip... it comes out of your clothes budget, right?’" 

"What? A clothing budget?" Aphrodite shrieked.

Sally blinked. “Honestly, I'm much more worried about him hitting my daughter than I am about a budget on clothes.”

Aphrodite looked shocked. "But that's barbaric! To impose a clothing limit."

Artemis snorted. "Sally is right. He hurt a woman and a maiden. This is unforgivable."

"‘Yes, honey,’ my mother said.
‘And you won’t take my car anywhere but there and back.’
‘We’ll be very careful.’" 

Percy coughed, amused. " Very careful . Not even a scratch on the car."

Sally sighed. "It wasn't really our fault, that one."

"You will find, mom, that this phrase will be repeated many times in the course of the quest."

"Gabe scratched his double chin. ‘Can you make it right now, please?'

'Not if you're going to ask that way.'

'I said, please.' Gabe answered. 'Please, make the seven-layer dip.'

My mom nodded. 'You got it.' She left for the kitchen, and Gabe pointed his little finger at me. 'Take your shoes off before getting in my car!'

I simply raised my eyebrow at him.

He sighed, before turning and leaving. "

Many were confused. The man was clearly violent towards both women, yet in front of the two of them he seemed tame. As if...

Thalia gasped. "He was manipulating you, wasn't he? He was showing you both that he was honoring his agreement with you. He wasn't hurting Sally in front of Percy and Percy in front of Sally, just to keep it a secret."

Everyone's gaze became murderous. Even Octavian, although he hated the Greeks, hated those who abused children much more. Percy was a little girl. She didn't deserve all that hate. Octavian would never hurt a child, and especially not one under his care.

Sally glanced at her daughter, who was nodding. "I was thinking about that too. I think so. He was doing it to keep tabs on us."

"An hour later we were ready to leave....  he’d find a way to blame me."

"Yes, the seagull wasn't really a problem in this case." Percy murmured with a smile. Of everything that had happened that night, the thought of Gabe's Camaro was one consolation. That and having her mother alive and well by her side, and not dead or taken by some god.

"Watching him lumbar back towards the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can’t explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made something I couldn't really explain, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement towards Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard, it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the staircase as if he’d been shot from a cannon."

"How did you do that?" Athena asked. "That's not possible. You shouldn't be able to use natural magic."

Percy shrugged. "I don't really know how to explain it. I just felt like I had to."

"Only satyrs should be able to use it. Pan's people." Dionysus murmured.

Hermes narrowed his eyes on the girl. Has Pan blessed her in some way?

"Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn’t stay long enough to find out. I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it." 

Ares smiled crazily. “Only way to drive.”

Hephaestus and Apollo rolled their eyes. It was also how Ares' motorbike kept ending up in the workshop of Hephaestus and the god himself in the infirmary of Apollo.

"Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island....  and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in."

“Wow, that looks really amazing.” Piper muttered wryly.

"I loved the place."

Many laughed.

"We’d been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she’d met my dad." 

Poseidon smiled at Sally. He was glad that she had a nice memory of him. Not many people thought good of him. Especially his lovers. 

"As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea." 

Poseidon smiled. His blessing for the care the woman had shown for the sea creatures still lived on. He was grateful. It would protect Sally in the future.

"We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin’s windows, ... I guess I should explain the blue food."

"Yes, do it!" The Greek demigods all screamed.

Even Leo, Piper and Jason, who had never met Percy, knew that the girl loved blue food.

"See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. ... . She did have a rebellious streak, like me."

"You have an obedience streak, Perce." Thalia rolled her eyes. Percy only smiled at her. 

"When it got dark, we made a fire. ... Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. ‘I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud.’"

"And I am." Poseidon promised. "Very proud of you." 

"You don't even know what I did, dad." Percy protested. 

Poseidon shook his head. "I don't need to."

"I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive girl with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years."

"That would only make me more proud, you know?" Poseidon smiled. 

Leo looked impressed. "Six schools in six years? Girl, that's really something!" 

"Thank you!" 

"‘How old was I?’ I asked. ‘I mean... when he left?’ ...He’d left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe."

Poseidon looked guilty. 

"Dad, I get it now. And believe me, you did more than enough for me." Percy whispered to him. "I am proud to be a daughter of the sea."

Poseidon beamed at her. 

" I looked at her. 'Mom, there is something I need to tell you.' My mom looked at me, and I started talking. 'I am used to feeling weird. And I'm used to the world feeling peculiar to me. Like a puzzle with half of the pieces wrong. I try to pay attention, I really try, but,'

My mom nodded.

'Then I'm daydreaming. I can't help it. But lately...' I saw my mom looking concerned while I talked, so I continued. 'it hasn't felt like daydreaming. It's felt.. real.' "

Thalia nodded. “You're finally saying something.”

"I always tell my mom everything." Percy protested.

"But not right away." Grover pointed out.

"Neither do you, but I didn't make any fuss about it."

“And you should have done it.” Anthony told her. "From now on, always do it. Don't let us hurt you just so we don't make ourselves uncomfortable. I guarantee, knowing that we hurt you makes us feel very uncomfortable."

" I looked away from my mom, unable to hold her gaze.

'And then we were at the museum and...'

'You saw something.' My mom said.

I nodded, and my mom said. 'Something that felt real to you, but no one else was able to see?' " 

Thalia sighed in relief. "At least now you'll get an explanation."

"Yeah, I think it went pretty well, all things considered." Percy tilted her head, making her mother laugh.

" I nodded again, and then I felt my mom's hand on my back, reassuring and always there to support me when I was about to fall or fail.

'What did she say to you?'

I looked at her. 'She? How did you know it was a she?' " 

"And now I am confused again." Percy laughed, looking at her mother with a smile. 

"I was thinking of the best way to tell my daughter that her father is a Greek God." 

"You handled it pretty well." Percy reassured her. 

" My mom avoided my eyes, and looked at the ceiling with a tired and maybe hurt face. 'You know why we came here every year?'

'Because this is the place when you met my father.' I answered, asking again. 'Mom, how did you know it was a she?' " 

"Yes, it's not easy to change the argument with Percy." Anthony sighed.

Grover nodded. "Tell me about it."

Percy shrugged. "If it's about me, I have every right to know."

“What if it's not about you?” Thalia asked her, raising an eyebrow.

“If it's about you, I'm in it for the drama.”

" My mom looked at me with defeated eyes.

'A long time ago, I,' she took a deep breathe. 'met a man, here on the beach. Your father.'

I kept my eyes on her while she kept talking.

'From the moment I saw him, I knew that... I had never meet a men like him before.' My mom sighed. 'Actually, he wasn't a men at all, he was a god.' "

Thalia nodded. “Yeah, not a bad way to put it.”

Jason agreed. “There's no easy way to say this, so, yeah, I think you did a good job.”

" 'You fell in love with God? Like... like Jesus?' I asked, blinking and feeling extremely confused. "

Everyone burst out laughing, while the gods looked somewhere between amused and exasperated

" 'Not God, a god.' My mom took my hands. 'Percy, the stories that I had told you about Greek gods, heroes and monsters, they are real. They are true.' My mom sighed. 'Also the one where gods and mortals have children together, that are half-bloods. You are a half-blood.'

'I am not an half-blood, mom. I am a loser, a geek, a failure. Now you're trying to sell me the fantasy that I am the daughter of a god? Really?' "

"You're none of those things, Percy." Thalia told her. "You are extraordinary, incredible, unique, loyal, fiercely protective, intelligent, and powerful. But none of those things."

Percy smiled at her. "Thank you. I mean, I kinda needed to hear this four years ago , but still..."

Grover rolled his eyes. "You were so happy that time."

"Of course I was happy." Percy replied. 

Thalia sighed. "I wasn't there."

"This is why I was so happy." Percy said, making the Greek demigods chuckled.

Reyna asked. "Why weren't you there?"

"Spoiler!" Percy said, pointing her finger at the Preator. "We don't make spoilers here."

"You made a spoiler about the film." Rachel pointed out.

"Yeah. But I am the only one that can make spoilers."

"Why?"

"Again, whose name is on the books? Mine or yours?" No one answered. "That's what I thought."

" 'Percy, when demigods reach a certain age, the monsters look for them, they prove their mettle to others and themselves. This is what you are feeling right now, Percy. You aren't a loser, or a geek, or a failure. You are my daughter. And the truth is... the world isn't a safe place for you.'

I shook my head.

Then, she met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me ...  the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head."

"You sent someone to check on her?" Demeter asked, looking in disbelief at her brother.

Zeus growled. "The Ancient Laws..."

"I wasn't there. Only one of my children. If they did check on their younger sister, it isn't my fault, Zeus." Poseidon replied, making Percy laugh in the meantime.

"Before that – a really early memory. ... I’d somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands."

"Like Herakles." Piper said, looking amazed.

"Please, don't put me and that thing in the same sentence. I am not like Herakles." Percy replied.

Zeus frowned. "It is an honor to be like my son."

"No, it isn't. And you will find out the reason very soon, Lord Zeus. He made great things, maybe, but he wasn't a good person. Not like Perseus." Percy said, making Zeus nod.

"In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move."

Sally sighed. It had been very hard to find new schools for Percy. And none of them were really safe. 

" But before I could say anything, we heard a knock at the door.

'Were you expecting someone?' I asked, looking at my mom as she pales. 'He is early. This is too early.'

She opened the door, and I saw Grover. "

Thalia snorted. She could totally imagine Percy's reaction to him.

" 'What is he doing here?'

My mom didn't answer me, instead she told to Grover. 'I asked to have the night, you said that we could all leave in the morning.'

'Sorry, I'm early,' Grover entered the home, 'but I didn't have any choice. Things are changing, very fast.' "

"Someone is chasing you, right?" Anthony asked.

Grover nodded.

" My mom sighed. 'You should have asked me before...'

I interrupted them. 'Whatever you're going to say, I don't wanna hear it... Grover?' I said, looking at his legs. "

Thalia laughed. "He didn't cover his legs, did he?"

Percy shook her head. "He didn't."

" 'Percy' He answered me, 'Okay, so something's coming,-' he said, looking at my mom.

'Grover.' I called him again. "

"Will he ignore you forever?" Thalia asked, quite annoyed.

Percy sighed. "Get used to it. Basically, no one is going to give me a straight answer."

“‘-and I know it sounds real bad,-'

'Grover?'

'-but the important thing is not to panic.' "

"Let me guess, you were panicking." Rachel told Grover, who nodded.

Anthony looked at Percy. "And you?"

"Just confused about my best friend's legs." Percy replied.

" 'I'm not panicking.' My mom said.

'Grover!'

'Great! I'm also definitely not panicking. I feel very good about how we're doing so far..'

'Grover!?'

Finally, he turned towards me. 'What?' "

Everyone chuckled.

" 'Grover, why is there half a goat in your pants?' I asked, still looking at his legs. "

The chuckle now was a laugh. 

"This is simply amazing." Thalia chuckled. "Half a goat in your pants."

Percy smiled. "It wasn't my fault! No one told me anything!"

“‘ Oh, boy, she didn't tell you about...' He looked confused, before turning at my mom and asking. 'You didn't tell her about me?'

'You're early.' My mom repeated. "

"I feel bad for Sally here." Thalia muttered.

Bianca said. "And Percy. Also, Percy."

" Grover looked again at me, while I was still staring at his goat legs.

'So, the important thing is not to panic.' "

"Now, I was still confused." Percy nodded.

"I am panicking." Nico confessed, making Thalia and Percy laugh.

"She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, ‘Get to the car. Both of you. Go!’

I looked at Grover, who smiled hesitantly at me.

My best friend was a half goat. "

"Or donkey." Percy said. "Donkey is good."

"No, it isn't." Grover frowned, looking at her with a pout.

" I was definitely crazy. "

"Yes, you are." Thalia nodded.

Jason gave the book to Piper, who smiled at Percy before turning it to the right page and starting reading.

Chapter Text

Piper started reading. 

" We tore through the night along dark country roads..... but she kept her foot on the gas. " 

"I couldn't see much." Sally admitted. “I just knew that staying there would be much more dangerous.”

"All I could think to say was, ‘So, you and my mum... know each other?’" 

Leo nodded. "They're just allies in gossiping behind your back."

Thalia muttered something under her breath, while Percy laughed. "Thanks, Leo!"

"Grover’s eyes flitted to the rearview mirror,...  But she knew I was watching you.’" 

Travis murmured. "Basically a stalker."

"Percy had her own stalker!" Connor applauded.

Grover blushed. "I was a protector, not a stalker!"

“Protector, stalker, same difference.”

"‘Watching me?’
‘Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn’t faking being your friend,’ he added hastily. ‘I am your friend.’" 

"I'm sure Percy still thinks of you as a great friend." Rachel rolled her eyes.

Grover blushed.

Percy shrugged. “Accepting that I was a demigoddess led me to forgive him for the expulsion.” The girl added. "He had no bad intentions."

“But it had bad results.” Thalia pointed out.

"It would have been bad anyway. You know what it's like to be a forbidden child."

Thalia nodded.

"‘Um... what are you, exactly?’
‘That doesn’t matter right now.’
‘It doesn’t matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a donkey–’" 

Many demigods laughed.

"Grover let out a sharp, throaty ‘Blaa-ha-ha!' .... ‘I’m a goat from the waist down.’" 

Leo rolled his eyes. "You just said it didn't matter."

"‘You just said it didn’t matter.’"

Leo and Percy grinned at each other. 

"‘Blaa-ha-ha! There are satyrs who would trample you under hoof for such an insult!’" 

"Gleeson would totally." Clarisse said amused. 

Percy nodded. She met Gleeson, and she was also sure that he would totally trample her under hoof for calling him a half donkey.

"‘Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like... Mr Brunner’s myths?’
‘Was Mrs Dodds a myth?’" 

"What Mrs. Dodds?" Percy hit Grover with a pillow. "The one you pretended never existed?" 

"Ow, sorry, I'm sorry!" 

Percy smiled, sitting again between her parents. 

"‘So you admit there was a Mrs Dodds!’
‘Of course.’" 

"Of course, he said." Percy muttered. 

"‘Then why did you lie?’
‘The less you knew, the fewer monsters you’d attract,’... You started to realize who you are.’"

"A crazy girl." Thalia nodded. 

"Not as crazy as you are!" Percy replied, making the demigods laugh. 

"The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. ... ‘Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions.’"

" Hades !" Poseidon yelled, his burning gaze falling on his brother. "I never hunted one of your children. Why are you chasing my daughter?" 

"Dad?" Percy talked, placing a hand on her father's arm and calming him down. "It wasn't Uncle Hades doing it. However, he had a pretty good reason for sending Mrs Dodds after me."

"She still hates that you call her Mrs Dodds." Nico said.

"That's not my problem." Percy shrugged, making everyone chuckle at her nonchalance. 

" ‘Grover!’

‘Sorry, Mrs Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?’"

"If she went any faster, she risked destroying that car." Leo muttered under his breath.

Percy smiled. "And we never wanted that car to be destroyed."

"Percy." Grover groaned, while Sally sighed and shook her head.

"I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn’t do it. I knew this wasn’t a dream. I had no imagination. I could never dream up something this weird."

"I wouldn't say so, your plans seem like indicators of someone with a wild imagination." Thalia commented.

“No, they are just indications of someone with a big brain and a brilliant mind.”

"And who would that be?" Thalia replied, eyes sparkling.

"For sure, not you." Percy answered her, sticking her tongue out in the process.

"My mom made a hard left... ‘Where are we going?’ I asked."

"Do they answer you?" Thalia asked, glaring at Grover.

"No." Percy grumbled. "I don't know where I am even now."

Thalia growled, before blinking and looking at Percy. “I defend your honor, and you make fun of me?”

"Precisely." Percy smiled. "Calm down and relax. You'll have time to get angry later!"

“I don't like the way you say that.” Silena murmured.

Charles nodded

Chris watched Percy worriedly. Soon they would read about the time she had spent alone with him and Luke. She would relive how she was quickly becoming a great friend to Luke. If he hadn't joined the Titans, Luke would have been her best friend, and not Anthony.

" Grover said. 'My job has been to guide you to this moment. It's always an emotional rollercoaster for a young demigod, so providing a support system-'

'What are you?'

'I’m Grover. A satyr. Your best friend.’ He made a pause. ‘And you're Protector.'

'Oh,' I asked, looking at him. 'You're my Protector?'

'If I hadn't got you kicked out of school, you’ve never survived the night. And what's chasing us now, would've found you there easily. ' "

"You're not very reassuring." Nico murmured, shivering slightly. "I'm so happy Percy took care of my tour."

Percy smiled sweetly at her cousin, making Poseidon and Hades frown. Seeing a daughter of the sea so protective of the son of one of her father's brothers was very rare and quite odd.

" 'That's what you were talking to Mr Brunner!' I exclaimed. 'What is a Kindly One ?' "

"Oh, look," Thalia commented sarcastically. "Percy's already starting to give people heart attacks."

"I don't give people heart attacks." Percy snorted in offense.

Anthony snorted in amusement. "And what do you call that?"

“I call it, don't talk behind my back and don't expect me to know what you're talking about.” Percy smiled, smirking at her friend over her father's arm.

Anthony snorted in amusement, and Poseidon narrowed his eyes.

" He jumped. 'A... how much you heard?'

'Not so much. What is the solstice deadline?'"

“So, basically, everything?” Leo asked amused.

Percy shrugged, "Nothing, everything. Same thing."

" He looked for a moment at my mom, before turning again towards me. 'Something powerful is going on here. The sooner we get you to the Camp, the better...'

I looked confused at him, and he turned to my mom. 'You told her about the Camp , right?' "

“I think you came too early for Sally to have mentioned it.” Thalia snorted in amusement.

“We really didn't have too much time.” Grover muttered sheepishly.

" 'Not yet, no'.

'Camp is a sanctuary for half-bloods. A safe place where you can learn who you are and what the world is like on the other side of the Mist.'

I blinked. 'It has something to do with the old ladies that cut a strand of yarn?'"

Everyone gasped. Many cast sad looks towards Percy, knowing that the girl would soon die.

For their part, Jason, Piper and Leo were wondering how much time the Fates were giving her. She had survived the war against the Titans, they were sure of that. Maybe she would die after it, and was that why no one heard from her anymore? Had she never ended up at Camp Jupiter?

" Both Grover and my mom jumped. 'What did you say?'

'The old ladies at the side of the road. I saw them cutting a strand of yarn, I thought... You were talking about these things!' I looked at Grover, who was very very pale.

'You saw the old ladies cut some yarn.' Grover shook his head. 'We are almost there, Mrs Jackson. In the Camp, she will be safe.'"

"Of course, if I had stayed there, I would have been safe." Percy grumbled, before grimacing and saying. "Correction, I wouldn't have been safe."

Thalia looked at her confused. "I was safe."

"You were a tree , that doesn't count as being safe ." Percy rolled her eyes, before saying. “But I mean, due to extenuating circumstances, I wouldn't have been safe.”

"Oh." Thalia nodded. "The quest."

"Yup."

" 'But what does it mean if some old and creepy ladies cut yarn?' I asked, feeling tired of not getting a straight answer.

‘Those weren’t old ladies,’ Grover said. ‘Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means – the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you’re about to... when someone’s about to die.’"

"You just said you." Thalia pointed out.

"Meaning someone." Grover answered.

"Meaning, me." Percy retorted.

" ‘Whoa. You said “you”.’ ... ‘I meant you, like “someone”. Not you, you.’"

"Not you, you." Leo laughed.

Thalia glanced towards Sally. Did the woman know that her daughter would die soon? How had she let her go on missions summer after summer, knowing that she had seen the Fates cut her thread?

"‘Boys!’ my mom said.

'I am actually 24.' Grover muttered. "

"Not important now." Many demigods exclaimed.

Even knowing that Percy had arrived safely at Camp, and seeing Sally and Grover on either side of her, perfectly unharmed, did not reassure the demigods.

Clarisse was also starting to feel guilty about how she had treated Percy after she arrived at the Camp. She had known for some time that the girl had not lied about the Minotaur. Why would she? Percy didn't give a damn about glory. She just wanted her mother back. Or her best friend. Clarisse swallowed, making the decision to apologize at the first pause, before they got to read about their encounter at Camp and her behavior.

"She pulled the wheel hard to the right, ... ‘Another mile. Please. Please. Please.’"

Poseidon glanced at the woman. Was she praying to him ? And if she was praying to him, then had Poseidon given her the impression that he would answer her? Had he been able to help the woman with the burden of raising his child, especially at a time when no child of his should have existed?

"I didn’t know where there was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, wanting us to arrive... and our car exploded."

Many gasped, and Piper's voice broke. Maybe she should review many of her thoughts about Percy Jackson.

These books would help her get to know her traveling companion to Greece better, hopefully.

"I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried and hosed down all at the same time..... Lightning. "

" Zeus !" Poseidon screamed, glaring at his brother.

Seeing that Percy did not defend him as she had defended Hades, told Poseidon everything he needed to know about it.

Zeus was the culprit. Hades probably had a misunderstanding with Percy, while Zeus had caused serious harm to his daughter.

Zeus had to pray that this wasn't the case. Otherwise, nothing would have stopped Poseidon from seeking revenge on him.

"Brother, please." Hestia spoke, a soothing tone of voice. "Let's wait to hear what happened before we start another discussion. Please."

Poseidon nodded. He would have listened to her sister, only for the respect and esteem he felt for her and that he had seen her daughter show her.

"That was the only explanation. ... No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you’re my best friend and I don’t want you to die!"

Grover smiled slightly at Percy.

"Then he groaned, ‘Food,’ and I knew there was hope."

"Well, now it is clear why you're best friends." Anthony rolled his eyes. “You both have this passion for food.”

“You need food to live.” Percy pointed out.

"Not the way you eat it." Silena grimaced in disgust. "Satyrs eat less than you."

"Hey!" Percy complained. "Haven't you ever seen Grover with food? Try to take his enchiladas?"

Grover rolled his eyes.

Thalia snorted in amusement.

Will pointed out. "Burgers are bad for your health."

"No, being a demigod is bad for my health. Hamburgers are a consolation and a cure." Percy corrected him, causing the demigods to laugh and Thalia to nod in agreement.

“Cheers to that, cousin!”

"‘Percy,’ my mother said, ‘we have to...’ ... I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas-tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill."

"Here I am!" Thalia celebrated.

Percy nodded. “The only time you were helpful!”

Thalia threw a pillow at her, making her laugh in amusement as it hit her.

"‘That’s the property line,’ ... ‘Mom, you’re coming, too.’"

Athena looked thoughtfully at Percy. If she was the girl from the Prophecy, as the goddess imagined, she hoped that didn't mean anything too fatal.

"Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.
‘No!’ I shouted. ‘You are coming with me. Help me carry Grover.’"

"Personal loyalty." Athena murmured, looking at Percy who nodded.

"What?" Apollo asked, looking at Athena.

"My fatal flaw. It's loyalty." Percy explained to the god, who blinked.

"It's a very rare fatal flaw. I can't recall many demigods having it." Hermes murmured.

Athena shook her head. "No demigod has ever had loyalty as a fatal flaw. Perseus is the one with a fairly similar fatal flaw, perseverance. But loyalty is not a fatal flaw we want in the hero of the Prophecy."

Zeus shot a distrustful look at Percy, who, for her part, snorted. "I was wondering when you would propose to kill me. However, oh great owl, I am loyal to my father. What does this suggest to your bird mind?"

Poseidon snorted in amusement, before glancing first at his brother and then at his niece. "You had better remember that Percy, as well as the other demigods, are here as guests of the Fates themselves. I hope you do not wish to challenge their authority."

"‘Food!’ Grover moaned, a little louder..... I got mad,"

"Hide! Percy's mad!" Connor screamed.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Shut up, I'm not that scary."

"You are." Grover replied.

Rachel nodded. “But you're also good, so none of us are really afraid of you.”

"Speak for yourself." Travis pouted. "She has scarred me for life."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Percy isn't scary."

All the Greek demigods gave him shocked looks.

"then – mad at my mother, ... ‘Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover.’"

"And I never will." Percy whispered, and Sally pulled her close.

"I didn’t wait for her answer..... ‘Names have power.’"

"Yeah, don't say their names." Anthony rolled his eyes. “They have power.”

“I almost never say their names!” Percy protested, making the demigods snicker at the offense her response contained.

"Sure." Anthony snorted.

Sally cast a worried look at her daughter, who smiled innocently.

"The pine tree was still way too far ... ‘He goes by smell. But he’ll figure out where we are soon enough.’"

“You seem very knowledgeable.” Amphitrite couldn't help but notice.

Sally nodded. "I knew my daughter would be in danger. I have always appreciated Greek mythology, and when I found out my daughter would be a part of it, I reread the myths trying to find the best way to prepare her."

“Like I said, they were my bedtime story.” Percy smiled at her mother.

"As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. .... Not a scratch, I remembered Gabe saying."

"Oops." Leo smiled.

"Oops."

Leo and Percy exchanged smiles.

"‘Percy,’ my mom said. ... ‘I’ve been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me.’"

"No, you weren't." Percy told her. "I preferred to grow up with you, with your way of seeing things, than with theirs."

Sally smiled, before taking a deep breath. "I'm happy to have raised you."

"‘Keeping me near you? But –’ ... He reeked like rotten meat."

Silena grimaced in disgust. “Do you have to be so thorough in your descriptions?”

"I don't see why I can't." Percy shrugged. "Maybe you should smell it too and then tell me if I was precise enough."

Thalia snorted in amusement.

"He lowered his head and charged, ...  So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side."

Artemis cast a displeased look towards Percy. Another perfect chance that was lost in favor of childish love. She had seen the way Percy looked at Anthony, Athena's son. She didn't want to join the Hunt because she was already in love with a boy.

It was always a shame to see such talented people go to waste. Whatever feat Percy would accomplish, she would take a backseat, in favor of praising Athena's son.

"The bull-man stormed past like a freight train, .... We’d never make it."

"You could have done it." Sally murmured to her daughter, running a hand through her untameable hair.

"Not without you." Percy whispered back, holding back tears with difficulty. Even having her mother by her side didn't make the memory of losing her any less painful.

"The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. ... She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: ‘Go!’"

Percy began to sob, and Sally hugged her, pulling her away from Poseidon's side and holding her close.

"It's okay, love."

"It wasn't." Percy whispered, her voice cracking with sobs.

“But thanks to you, it is.”

"Anthony and Grover helped me." Percy whispered back.

"Because they loved you, love." Sally told her. "And you help the people you love. Like you did with me."

"Or you and dad with me." Percy whispered.

Even though his daughter was in tears, Poseidon had to fight against a smile. Dad. He had helped his daughter, and she was sure of his love. He hadn't received better news.

Of course, if he hadn't known that Sally was alive, the god's reaction would have been very different. But there was no point in getting desperate and worried at that moment. He was sure that, when it happened, his reaction had been much less understanding and calm.

"Then, with an angry roar,.... A blinding flash, and she was simply... gone."

Many of the gods frowned. That wasn't death.

Hades specifically recognized this as his abduction. Why would he kidnap someone's mother? It wasn't something he would normally do. He left to his siblings, Zeus and Hera, the pleasure of ruining the lives of the demigods' mothers.

"‘No!’
Anger replaced my fear."

"Good, now he better run." Connor smiled enthusiastically.

Travis applauded. “Oh, the Minotaur is so fucked.”

"Language." Silena said, looking at him.

"Percy will show him." Nico smiled, excited about the idea.

Chris nodded. “Oh, he messed up with the wrong girl.”

"Sorry," Percy interjected, drawing the demigods' attention to himself. "But will no one comment on the fact that Silena just said language?"

"I know." Silena grimaced, blushing slightly. "It slipped out."

"Newfound strength burned in my limbs .... I couldn’t allow that."

"Oh, no one touches Percy's friends and then goes around bragging." Charles shook his head, looking softly at the girl.

"I do not know what you're talking about." Percy sniffed disdainfully. “Whoever fell into the lake, he fell on his own.”

“Wait, that was you?!” Clarisse glanced at Percy, who smiled. "Tell them to leave Mitchell alone."

“Oh, no one can mess with the little kids.” Drew smiled. "There's a reason everyone loves you, Percy."

"Oh?" Aphrodite looked at Percy. "Do you protect my children, Percy?"

"I protect anyone who needs to be protected." Percy replied, bowing her head towards the goddess. "Also, I've decided I'm going to follow a motto. You make them, I keep them."

Thalia burst out laughing. "i’ll be damed if you don’t. There's a reason you're the Camp mom."

“And the reason is delicious cookies.” Percy pointed out, making her moan. "I miss your cookies."

"I'll make some for movie night." Percy promised, making all the Greek demigods cheer.

"I stripped off my red rain jacket.
‘HEY!’ I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. ‘Hey, stupid! Ground beef!’"

“Is that an insult?” Clarisse snorted.

"Not all of us can spend all our time thinking about new insults. Some have to make themselves useful, you see." Percy replied, then gave her a wink.

"‘Raaaarrrrr!’ ... But it didn’t happen like that."

“None of your ideas go the way you think they do.” Thalia told her.

"To the ships, my plan worked right away." Percy pointed out to her.

“Was that your plan?” Thalia blinked.

"Yup."

"Dude, you're in bad shape."

"I know. But so are you, so we have company."

"The bull-man charged too fast,.... I couldn’t jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creature’s head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair and landing on his neck."

"How did you do that?!" Anthony asked.

"No idea, man." Percy shrugged. "Just happened."

"Are you sure you don't wish to join my Hunt, Percy?" Artemis couldn't help herself to ask again.

"I am sure, lady Artemis. I am honored, but I have a duty towards myself."

"No one will remember a female hero. Men will always take the glory." Artemis made her argument.

"I am not interested in glory, but only to keep my friends safe. If I join the Hunt, the prophecy will be Nico's. I can't allow him to go through that." Percy smiled. "And I won't allow anyone to forget my name, lady Artemis."

"That would be kinda hard." Anthony muttered.

Grover nodded. "You are already known by everyone. God, nymph, satyr, demigod... They all know who you are."

Percy shrugged. "I am amazing."

"How did I do that? I didn’t have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster’s head slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out."

Thalia jumped.

"Did you feel it?" Percy asked, confused.

"No, but it was just rude." Thalia pouted.

"Sorry." Percy smiled at her, and Thalia shrugged. "You made him pay."

"The bull-man staggered around, trying to shake me.... forward."

Ares nodded. That was good. The girl had good instincts. She could have the ability to guide the other demigods into the war.

"Meanwhile, Grover started groaning in the grass. ... I got both hands around one horn and I pulled backwards with all my might."

"It will not work." Athena snorted disdainfully

"The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then – snap!....My head smacked against a rock."

Apollo flinched, knowing that the blow would result in physical harm. A concussion, perhaps. Impossible to fight against the Minotaur in such conditions.

"When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a ragged bone weapon the size of a knife."

"Apparently, it worked." Chris smiled, ignoring the way Athena tensed, feeling insulted by the demigods’ words.

Percy despised the goddess, and none of the demigods respected her. Percy must have had a very good reason to hate her.

She didn't like Hera either, let alone Ares, but she respected them much more than she did Athena.

" The monster charged.... I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under his furry rib cage."

Apollo looked impressed at Percy. She had actually killed the Minotaur, without training and with a concussion.

Artemis was complaining about not being able to persuade Percy to join the Hunt.

Clarisse felt very guilty at that moment. She had needlessly made life hell for a girl who had just lost her mother, suffered a betrayal from her best, and only, friend, and who had then just found a second friend, Luke.

She didn't want to think about the fact that she had lost Luke too.

"The bull-man roared in agony..... The monster was gone."

The demigods cheered, wondering exactly how Sally could be there.

Had Percy succeeded where Orpheus and many others had failed? Had she brought someone back to life?

"The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance."

“Were you causing it?” Triton asked, staring curiously at his sister. That the storm ended the moment the fight ended was too odd to not be connected.

Percy frowned. "I've never created a storm, and I think I would have known if it had been my doing."

Poseidon murmured. "It's not a sure fact, this. My children usually get explanations from their older siblings, but you have no other demigods to ask about your powers and boundaries. I'm not sure. It depends on how strong you are. If you're powerful enough, that storm could have been your doing. A reflection of your stormy state of mind."

Percy snorted at the poor pun her father made.

"I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. ... I wasn’t going to let him go."

Sally hugged Percy tightly, while Grover gave his friend a sweet and emotional look.

Dionysus and Hermes appreciated the care the demigoddess had for one of Pan's protected people. They admired anyone who made an effort to safeguard what was left of their friend and son.

"The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a boy, with his blonde curly hair . They both looked down at me, a nd the boy said, ‘She’s the one. She must be.’ "

"Oh, she is the one!" Connor laughed.

Travis nodded. "The only one."

"Shut up." Anthony looked at them, blushing. "I meant in another way."

"And, by the way, he was right. I am the one." Percy smiled.

"‘Silence, Anthony , ’ the man said. ‘She’s still conscious. Bring her inside.’"

"I think this is a good time to take a little break." Hestia smiled. "And, after lunch, we could continue with another four or five chapters."

Agreeing with Hestia, all of the demigods stood up and left the throne room, looking for some food to eat or something to do.

Chapter Text

As the demigods sat down to eat, Clarisse took a deep breath and, supported by a smile from her boyfriend, stood up and walked towards Percy, knowing that she was a few years late in apologizing to her.

She walked over to the couch where Percy, Thalia, Bianca and Nico were talking to Jason and Hazel, trying to get to know them and find out what had happened, in Thalia's case, since they were separated.

"Percy, can we talk for a moment?"

Thalia tensed, and Clarisse knew that if Percy showed any signs of annoyance, the hunter would destroy her.

"Of course, Clarisse. Lightning, I await more information on this Camp upon my return!"

"Can't you really go back to Roman demigod? I prefer that!"

Percy ignored Jason's complaint, making Clarisse snort in amusement.

“So, what happens?” Percy asked after her, looking at her in obvious anticipation.

"I... I know I didn't have the best behavior at first." Clarisse hesitated.

“You were a big bitch.” Percy said, making her sigh and nod.

"I was. I was so jealous of what you could do that I couldn't stand it. A girl with no training had done something I couldn't do. And my father would notice and I couldn't..."

"I understand." Percy grimaced. "I... I kind of overheard you by accident. On the ship, before the Sea of Monsters. It was an accident, but I get it."

Clarisse nodded. If anyone else had known, it would have infuriated her, but Percy apparently knew and had never said anything. "That's why you didn't ask questions. When you helped me with my brothers."

Percy nodded. "Yes. And, Clarisse, it's okay. We were both little girls. You could have handled it better, but you've grown up a lot since then."

“I still owe you.” Clarisse said. "You needed help, not a bully. Not after what you'd been through."

"Well, then I have to confess that I heard you and Chris too. Before Mr D treated him." Percy grimaced. "Partly I was scared for Anthony and partly... I recognized Chris's voice and..."

"I know." Clarisse nodded. "You were friends."

"Yes." Percy murmured.

“I know he wants to talk to you too.” Clarisse told her. "Shall I call him?"

"Tell him to bring some food, because I have a feeling that many will want to talk to me." Percy rolled her eyes, making Clarisse laugh, and she disappeared out the door, leaving Percy alone.

The girl sat down, knowing full well what Chris wanted to talk about.

Luke.

Damn, she missed him so much.

Chris walked in with some sandwiches, before placing them on the table and sitting down in front of her, a hesitant smile on his face.

“I never apologized for using you, did I?” Chris asked.

"Not that I remember, no." Percy snorted. "Not that it matters. You've been used as much as I was. Maybe less, maybe more. Who cares?"

"Were you ever tempted to follow him?" Chris asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"A little. If he had asked me before the quest, maybe I would have even said yes." Percy muttered, thinking seriously. "I'd like to think I would have told him no, and certainly if he had mentioned Kronos it would have been a firm no. But... without Kronos, just me and him? I would have said yes. I thought my father didn't give a damn about me, and I knew that Chiron had ordered Grover to throw me out of school. My mother was dead, and I only had Luke. I would have followed him, if I hadn't known he was working with Kronos. Even if he had wanted to destroy the gods, maybe. I would have wanted to avenge my mother." Percy sighed. "I do not know."

"I don't think you would have destroyed the gods." Chris told her. "You have always been very good. You forgave me even though I betrayed you."

"No offense, Chris, but it hurt me a lot more Luke's betrayal than yours. You were my friend, sure, but... Luke had been there for me and helped me before and after I was claimed. You weren't always there."

"I know." Chris nodded. "And I'm not insulted. I expected it. If it's any consolation, Luke had grown fond of you as well."

"I know." Percy sighed. "I... Chris, you'll find out something soon and... don't think less of me, please."

"I could never think less of you. You're a good person, but we make mistakes too. Then you work to fix them. I'm sure that, whatever it was, you had a good reason."

"Thank you." Percy smiled, giving the boy a grateful look.

"Anyway, this brings me to my next question...are you ready? To read about us, about Luke?"

"I miss Luke, I miss his friendship." Percy admitted. "And part of me hopes to save him, but... I don't know if that will be possible anymore. Not after what he's become."

Chris gave her a side squeeze, before moving closer to her and hugging her.

"I'm sure you'll find a solution. And, now, we're in the past. You can have your friendship with him, if things change."

***

As she walked through the halls of Olympus, away from Thalia's questioning gazes and Bianca and Nico's curious ones, Percy heard someone following her.

Sighing, she turned, preparing to face her overprotective cousins, and was surprised when she saw her father's face.

"Dad?" Percy called out to him, surprised and also confused. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to talk to you." Poseidon said. "And I didn't want to put you on the spot in front of your followers."

"Friends." Percy corrected him. "Demigods are my friends, not my followers."

Poseidon raised an eyebrow. "I have seen the way they listen to you and the respect they have for you, my daughter. You are an example for them."

"Okay, Dad, you don't want to talk about demigods and how they see me, do you?" Percy sighed.

"No, that's not what I wanted to discuss with you." Poseidon narrowed his eyes, deciding to return to the topic after discovering the reason for the demigods' esteem for his daughter. It couldn't just be him. The Romans were more fixated on family and inheritance. The Greeks respected courage and glory.

“I wanted to discuss Gabe.”

Percy eyed him warily. Suddenly, she had lost her carefree air, and was completely withdrawn.

Poseidon sighed.

“I…I just…you know what he did was wrong, right?” Poseidon asked.

Percy nodded.

"And not just because he hurt your mother." Poseidon was keen to clarify. Percy had seemed shocked when she learned that the man hadn't kept his word. But not the abuse she had suffered personally.

"And then why?" Percy asked, demonstrating Poseidon's previous thoughts.

"Because he hurt you too." Poseidon told her. "He hurt you and he will pay for it. Even if you never interact with him in this life, he will pay for what he could have done to you."

Percy, despite the god's expectations, smiled, as if his threat reassured her.

“Have I made similar threats before in your time?” Poseidon couldn't help but ask.

"Some kind." Percy smiled. "When you saved my life. We will definitely read it." She promised her father.

Poseidon nodded, before asking. "You hate me?"

"No." Percy shook her head. "I was mad at you, because I thought you were ignoring mom. But hating you? No." Then, she grimaced. "Even though I wasn't very affectionate when I thought about you. I thought you hated me and that you had abandoned me and mom. It takes me a while to realize I was wrong, dad."

Poseidon sighed. "I won't be hurt by the negative feelings you had towards me. I think I deserve them for putting your mother and you through that. Neither of us deserved it."

Percy smiled.

"Now, I must speak to Hades and Zeus about the interference they have already made towards you." Poseidon said. "Then we will begin reading again. Enjoy a moment's break, my daughter."

As his father walked away, Percy sighed. “I would love to, if people would stop interrupting me with conversations.”

****

Zeus and Hades watched Poseidon warily, while he frowned at them.

They had attacked his precious daughter. Not only had they almost hurt one of his children, something already unforgivable. But a demigoddess? That was sacrilege.

"You heard what Percy said, Poseidon." Hades said.

"She excused your behavior, brother." Poseidon said. "But she didn't say anything about yours, Zeus."

Zeus swallowed.

"Need I remind you that I have never attacked or chased Thalia, brother?" Poseidon said, glaring at his younger brother. “Why on earth would you go after my daughter and her mother?”

“Probably for the same reason he almost killed my kids.” Hades answered for his brother, also glaring at Zeus. "Fear and paranoia."

“If these books give me a good reason, brother, there will be changes.”

"I'm the king." Zeus protested.

"You were allowed to be king. It's not the same." Poseidon said. "I have no desire to rule your children yet, but there are other viable options. Our sister Hestia, for example. She would protect our family, that's for sure."

"I don't know what made me hunt your daughter. It doesn't seem like I want her dead because of the Prophecy. Maybe I have other reasons. Like the Fury that Hades sent after her."

"Yet my daughter defended Hades and not you. She claims him as an uncle and does not do so with you." Poseidon noted.

Zeus sighed. "I don't know why. I've never seen a demigoddess, your daughter especially, claim Hades as part of the family."

Hades snorted. "Or our children protecting each other? Thalia seemed ready to fight to defend a wrong that happened to Percy years ago, and they both claimed a child of mine to protect. Thalia claimed Bianca's protection, while Percy claimed Nico's. This isn't usual. Our children don't cooperate, they fight among themselves and destroy everything in the process."

Poseidon and Zeus nodded.

"It's uncertain what happened." Poseidon finally stated. “I'm sure the readings will offer more information on this.”

Zeus and Hades nodded, grateful to have gotten away with only a verbal reprimand.

***

Sally was looking for her daughter, knowing that a conversation about Gabe was needed.

But someone stopped her from continuing her search.

"Sally Jackson."

Sally gulped at the queen before her. Amphitrite had never tried to kill her or her daughter, but still she didn't have to appreciate her existence.

"Lady Amphitrite." Sally said, bowing in deference. "I apologize for the affair I had with Poseidon, I..."

Amphitrite laughed, her laugh soft and light, which relaxed Sally's shoulders. "Fear not, Sally Jackson. I bear you no ill will. I am too accustomed to my husband having affairs with mortals. I, too, have affairs outside of marriage, and living demigods. Not at the moment, of course, but I have had them in the past. We are of the sea, we are not meant to be tied down."

Sally nodded, unsure of how to react to the information that they were both accustomed and aware of cheating and being cheated on by their partner.

"No, I wanted to talk about Gabe." Amphitrite looked at Sally with narrowed eyes. "How did you know that he would protect Percy from the Greek monsters?"

"His aura. I've gotten good at understanding monsters, gods, and even mortals by their aura. I saw a fireman have a very pure aura. And Gabe had an aura that...would hide Percy."

"But didn't you ever think that that aura would also put her in danger?"

Sally sighed, looking away. "Poseidon offered to stop the waves and build a palace on the bottom of the ocean, for me and Percy." The mortal shook her head. "I refused. I wouldn't let a god run my life. And I didn't want to lose my daughter."

“Those are two extremely honorable reasons.” Amphitrite smiled. "And that's why I hold no ill will towards you. Some past lovers and children have tried to take more than they were allowed, but not you and your daughter."

Sally smiled slightly, before losing the smile in favor of a frown. "If I had known what Gabe was doing to Percy, I would have accepted his offer. I just wanted to keep her safe. I wouldn't have put my personal pride above her life."

Amphitrite smiled. "That makes you even better, in my eyes. A strong desire to protect your own. Just like the sea."

Sally bowed her head at Amphitrite and was surprised when the queen returned her gesture.

"We're going now." Amphitrite said. "I'm sure it's over for lunch break. We'll talk more while tonight's movie plays."

Sally laughed. "I expect to hear Percy repeat the songs by heart."

Amphitrite giggled. "I hope she sings better than Triton. He really doesn't have a nice voice."

***

After everyone had taken their seats, Leo hurried to get the book. "Can I? Can I read, Percy?"

"Of course, man from the future!" Percy smiled at him.

Jason pouted. "Why is he man from the future and I'm Lightning?"

"You didn't like Roman cousin. Stop complaining."

Chapter Text

Leo read the chapter title, and Poseidon frowned. “Would I risk your safety like this?”

"And in what sense kinda?" Thalia chimed in, looking at Percy. "Either you meet him or you don't."

"It's a kinda..." Percy shrugged. “But my safety hasn't been compromised, dad, don't worry.”

Grover grimaced. Mr D was not going to end well after Poseidon found out about his attempt.

"I had weird dreams full of barnyard animals. Most of them wanted to kill me. The rest wanted food."

"Those animals are smart." Thalia nodded.

Percy answered seriously. "I don't trust animals that don't ask for food."

"You two are idiots." Anthony rolled his eyes.

"I must’ve woken up several times, ...  ‘What will happen at the summer solstice?’"

"No 'Are you okay?', nor 'Do you feel any pain'?" Percy shook her head. "You really should learn some good manners, Anthony."

"Yeah, I mean, she was lying on the bed cause she was almost killed." Travis said.

Connor nodded. "We get that she is the one and all that stuff, but... really? That is not the way you get the girl, man."

Chris smirked. "We could give you some advice, dude."

"Or steal the girl." Connor said, winked at Percy, who rolled her eyes. "Sorry, you are basically a child to me."

"Hey!" Connor pouted, while all the Greek demigods laughed.

"I managed to croak, ‘What?’....  and the boy quickly filled my mouth with pudding."

"Not nice, but a safe bet to shut her mouth." Clarisse laughed.

"You could have knocked her out." Thalia muttered. "That is also a good way to shut her mouth."

Percy chuckled. "Please, you would totally kill him if he ever tried to knock me out."

"True." Thalia nodded. "But it is a good way to shut your mouth."

"I can't argue that." Percy shrugged.

"The next time I woke up, the boy was gone.... He had blue eyes – at least a dozen of them – on his cheeks, his forehead, the backs of his hands."

Hera smiled. "Argus."

The demigods smiled fondly. Argus was one of their family, now. And they cared about him, just as much as he cared about them.

"When I finally came around for good, ... All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest."

"How could you even know the feeling of that?" Thalia asked, before shooting a worried glance to Sally. "Tell me no scorpion ever used Percy's mouth to nest."

"Not that I am aware of!" Sally looked at her daughter, who raised her hands in surrender. "Hold on, you overprotective people! It was a metaphor!"

"Meaning?" Thalia asked, looking at her cousin with narrowed eyes. 

"Meaning, no scorpion ever rested in my mouth, but it was dry and it hurt a lot. So that was the first thing that came to my mind."

"How?" Jason asked. "I mean... a scorpion?"

Percy shrugged. "It felt right."

Apollo muttered, before saying. "I mean, it is impossible, but probably the feeling could be like that."

"How many people have you met that had a scorpion in their mouth?" Artemis asked, looking at her brother.

"Not so many, but the feeling could be that one." Apollo shrugged. "Not that impossible. Maybe in the future, we can use this as a curse. Or as a punishment in the Underworld." He added, looking at Hades who smiled. "It's not a bad idea, Apollo. I will consider this."

Thalia looked at Percy. "Look what you have done!"

"How is it my fault?" Percy protested. "Apollo is the one that proposed it to Hades, and he agreed! I did nothing!"

Thalia replied. "It is still your fault!"

Leo kept reading.

"My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth hurt."

Percy muttered. "Oh, look, that is exactly what I just said!"

"On the table next to me was a tall drink. ... and we’d stopped here at this big house for some reason. I wasn't even mad at his presence. And..."

Sad glances were shot in Percy's direction, and Sally hugged her tightly. It must be very hard for Percy to live it.

And the woman was mad at the Fates for putting her daughter through all that.

"‘You saved my life,’ .... ‘The Minotaur,’ said."

"You were already warned to not using their names." Athena said, looking at Percy with contempt. "Are you that stupid or arrogant to ignore our rules?" 

"Mother, Percy is neither stupid nor arrogant!" Anthony intervened, looking at his mother. "She is the smartest in the Camp, and she can't be more humble than she is."

"She is the best strategist at the Camp." Clarisse added. "And our best fighter."

"She is the kindest person I ever met." Silena said. 

"She takes care of all of us." Travis added. Connor nodded. "She makes us feel like we belong."

"She is our family." Chris said. "And she loves with all her heart."

Charles added. "Most of the new Campers wouldn't be at the Camp if it wasn't for Percy. She is the one that finds them, saves them and makes them feel welcomed."

"Like we weren't able to do it the first time." Clarisse muttered. 

Drew smiled. "She is the reason I am at the Camp."

Kate added. "She doesn't treat us as if being your children is the most important thing about us. She respects all of us."

"She protected me." Nico said. "And she gave me a home when I needed it."

"She did the same with me!" Tyson smiled. "The best sister I could have asked for!"

"She risked a lot for us." Thalia said. "All of us."

Grover smiled. "She is the bravest of us and she doesn't give up."

Rachel nodded. "She has a good heart."

Percy blushed. Hearing all those compliments made her feel extremely light.

Poseidon smiled, full of pride. His daughter was a true leader. She was loved by all her fellow demigods. They looked up to her. Even the ones that shouldn't, like Thalia and Nico.

"‘Um, Percy, it isn’t a good idea –’.... Even that looked beautiful in the sunlight."

"Even that?" Thalia repeated, looking insulted at Percy.

Percy's cheeks were still red. "I think you'll survive." She rolled her eyes.

"My mother was gone. The whole world should be black and cold. Nothing should look beautiful."

Thalia nodded. She couldn't argue with that. Not to mention that Percy would have destroyed Zeus on her own if he managed to kill her mother.

"‘I’m sorry,’ ....  I would have to live with... Smelly Gabe?"

"No." Poseidon growled.

Percy sighed. "I didn't get back to Gabe, dad."

"I don't like that you even considered that." Poseidon muttered. "We talked about this, Percy."

"Yes, we did." Percy nodded. "And you're right."

"Am I?" Poseidon asked, looking at her. "Do you really think so?"

"Yes. I know you are right." Percy nodded. "I didn't realize how much I needed to hear those words, but..."

Poseidon smiled. That was a step in the right direction. Maybe he should have asked Dionysus or Apollo to help Percy figure out what else she might need.

"No. That would never happen. I would live on the streets first. I would pretend I was seventeen and join the army. I’d do something."

Clarisse laughed. "Sorry, Pretty, but you wouldn't pass for seventeen."

"I can be very persuasive, when I want." Percy replied. "I would have managed to persuade them."

"I don't doubt it." Travis nodded.

Michael said. "I think you are too pretty for the army, though."

"Oh, really?" Percy laughed.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes towards Apollo's kid. Athena's spaw wasn't enough for his princess, but neither that one was good enough.

No one was good enough for his little daughter.

"Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid – poor goat, satyr, whatever – looked as if he expected to be hit."

"It was my fault." Grover pointed out.

"No, it wasn't." Percy denied. "You were still young. You did everything you could have. There was nothing else you could have done."

"Yes, Percy is right." Sally smiled. "You did everything in the right way."

"But..."

Percy stopped Grover. "My mom asked you for the entire day. Okay? You gave us the time we needed. You did as we asked you."

"Yes." Sally nodded. "If anyone, the fault is mine."

"No, mom, it isn't yours either!" Percy protested. "I wouldn't have believed anyone but you."

"Yes, she can be stubborn." Anthony muttered.

Thalia smiled. "It is a good thing."

"It is an excellent thing." Nico corrected her.

Hades smiled. Seeing his son behaving like that was... a cute thing. Persephone, next to him, took his hand. She knew how much her husband suffered for his children, alone and despised by the other demigods. These ones weren't. And it seemed like the reason was Poseidon's daughter.

"I said, ‘It wasn’t your fault.’"

"And I still think so." Percy countered, glaring at Grover.

Grover smiled. "Thank you."

"‘Yes, it was. I was supposed to protect you.’

‘But why...’ I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.

‘Don’t strain yourself,’ Grover said. ‘Here.’"

"That should be the phrase we always say to Percy." Thalia murmured.

"Hey, I'm not that bad." Percy pouted.

"You are." Silena said.

Several demigods nodded.

Percy looked hopefully at Will and Michael, but the two boys shook their heads.

"You spend a lot of time in the infirmary, and you should spend a lot more." Michael told her. "I'm sorry, Percy, but this is that bad. "

"He helped me hold my glass and put the straw to my lips..... and told me everything was going to be okay."

Sally smiled at Percy, while Poseidon tried to ignore the flash of jealousy that overtook him.

Sally had raised Percy. It was natural that the girl felt safe with her. And judging by her reluctance to accept being the daughter of a god, she had never seen Poseidon. It was natural that he didn't make her feel safe.

That said, Poseidon was jealous of that. Maybe he should spend more time with his daughter.

Ares snorted. "Mama's girl."

"Yes, absolutely." Percy smiled, making the god of war blink in confusion, as he wasn't expecting such a reaction.

The Greek demigods chuckled. That Percy loved her mother was no secret at Camp.

According to many, it was from her that she got her absolute and infinite kindness.

"Before I knew it, I’d drained the glass. .... ‘I should’ve let you taste.’"

Hermes and Dionysus smiled. That was a peculiar demigod. Not all of them were like this. And most of them never respected satyrs.

"His eyes got wide. .... ‘Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred metres.’"

"We should talk about your violent tendencies?" Sally asked, raising her eyebrow towards Percy.

"No, mom. And, technically speaking, I didn't show violent tendencies. I simply used a metaphor to describe my health state."

Thalia snickered. 

Sally rolled her eyes, while Percy smiled innocently towards her.

"Okay, let's keep reading."

"‘That’s good,’ he said. ‘That’s good. I don’t think you should risk drinking any more of that stuff.’

‘What do you mean?’"

"Oh, look, I don't get an answer again!" Percy cheered, making Nico and Bianca chuckle.

Thalia narrowed her eyes. That explained so much of Percy's reactions around her in the first moments. Thalia got all the answers, Chiron trained her personally, and she got respect from the other demigods without making any effort.

From the sound of Percy's experiences, no one really gave her a straight answer, she probably was ignored the first moments and, judging by Anthony's and Grover's looks, they weren't any better.

Thalia really hoped that at least someone was there for Percy, especially after she lost her mother.

"He took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table.....  I wasn’t going to let it go."

Ares nodded. War's spoils were important. 

Most of the demigods felt guilty. They talked about how she didn't actually kill the Minotaur, or that she was just mocking them with her trophy.

She was just honoring her mother's death. And they made things worse.

"As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath.... Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings."

"You already saw a pegasus, Percy." Sally stated, looking confused at her daughter.

"Yes, but I didn't know he was real." Percy smiled at the thought of BlackJack. He was the only black pegasus she ever met, and it was only Fate that brought them together again.

"Down at the end of the porch, one man sat at a card table.
Ha was facing me and he was sleeping. He had curly hair so black it was almost purple.
He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would’ve fitted right in at one of Gabe’s poker parties, except I got the feeling this guy could’ve out-gambled even my stepfather."

Dionysus nodded. He would totally beat that useless mortal.

" He had sunglasses on.

'Excuse me? I'm Percy Jackson, I'm new here.'

The man yelled. 'Prissa Johnson is here!'

''Kay... that isn't... really my name. I guess I'm looking for the office? Or whoever's in charge...?' "

Thalia laughed. "Look at her, already upsetting the gods!"

Percy raised her hands. "I had no idea he was a god! Come on, it's not like he had a warning sign around his neck!"

The demigods and some of the gods laughed.

Hermes smiled towards Dionysus. "We can provide you one, D. For the new demigods, you see."

"Try it, and you'll regret it." Dionysus answered, narrowing his eyes towards Hermes, and then looking at Apollo as well.

" 'Wait, wait, wait.' Grover muttered, before talking to the man. 'Percy, Mr D, Camp Director.' Then he introduced me. 'Mr D, this is Percy Jackson.'

'Yeah, Grover, I heard her the first time.'

'Yeah, but did you?' "

More giggles.

Thalia shook her head. “Can you not annoy him for ten seconds ?”

“My record is three.” Percy retorted. “That would be the times I don't talk, usually.”

"Only three seconds?" Piper asked, raising an eyebrow.

“My voice is beautiful, why should I deprive others of hearing it?” Percy asked, a smile on her face.

Piper felt herself blush slightly. She knew her siblings were beautiful, but Percy Jackson was more beautiful.

Her blush caught Jason's amused gaze, to which she shook her head slightly.

Okay, Percy was attractive. But so was Jason. And Piper could find other people attractive.

Besides, she didn't even know if Percy was attracted to girls. In the future she was Anthony Chase's girlfriend and the boy didn't let anyone forget it. (Not that Piper blamed him, Percy was missing and Anthony needed friends to support him.)

" 'Okay,' Grover pulled me aside. 'Percy, you really don't want to start with this guy.'

'He's starting with me!'"

Thalia glanced at Percy, who sighed.

"He could at least remember my name, I’m just saying it."

Nico chuckled. "I love when Percy talks to Mr D!"

"No, we don't love when Percy talks to any god ." Thalia replied.

"What do you mean? I was very polite and respectful to Uncle H." Percy protested.

Hades, Persephone, Poseidon, and Zeus raised an eyebrow.

Hera asked. “Did you talk to Hades ?”

"Yes." Percy nodded. “My favorite god during this quest.”

Then, she tilted her head and muttered something, before saying. "Okay, no, right. Dad is a god too, so second favorite god during this quest."

Poseidon smiled, while Thalia rolled her eyes. "Don't you remember that your father is a god?"

"I think of him as my dad , rather than as a god." Percy shrugged. “Sue me.”

"It doesn't offend me at all." Poseidon smiled. "On the contrary. I'm very happy about it."

Thalia snorted. Her father would have killed her if she had thought of him as a father before she thought of him as a god.

" 'Percy, the D is for Dionysus.'

I look at the man. 'What do you mean Dionysus? Like, the god Dionysus?'

'Yes.'

'No way.' I looked again at the man, who took off his glasses.

'Yes!' Grover insisted. "

"And here starts Grover's job to protect Percy from the gods." Thalia commented.

"It's a 24/7 job. No breaks, no payments." Anthony added.

Percy rolled her eyes. "I am not that bad."

"I disagree." Grover replied.

" I bit my lower lip, before turning to Dionysus and tilting my head slightly. 'Excuse me, Lord Dionysus?' "

"See? I can be respectful and polite." Percy pointed at the book, smiling as she just proved a point.

Thalia sighed. "I was there , Percy, and that time you weren't polite at all."

"Okay, but at that time , I was mourning a friend. And he didn't kill him, and I apologized for that. So we can all move on."

"No, we can't."

" I started, seeing how Grover visibly relaxed. 'I think that maybe my dad might be around here, somewhere.' I lowered my eyes, before keep talking. 'I don't know how to ask him. I don't even know his name. But I... really need to know who he is.' I finished, looking then at the god in front of me. 'Can you help me?'

Dionysus smiled, before leaning forward, his a rms on the table. 'Actually, I think I can... daughter.'"

Poseidon stared at Dionysus. "Did you just try to claim my daughter , nephew? As your own?"

"I…" Dionysus swallowed, glancing at Percy for help. "I'm sure I didn't mean to claim her, uncle."

"He hasn't officially claimed me." Percy nodded.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes. "So he was just teasing you? That doesn't make it any better, at all."

Dionysus swallowed.

Percy placed a hand on his father's arm. "Dad, don't worry. We can talk about it later."

Poseidon nodded, after a moment of him glaring at his nephew. Percy motioned for Leo to continue reading.

Leo did so, still a little shocked that Percy was already capable of controlling a god. He had heard stories of how the girl had screamed at the gods, and she had gotten away with it. Knowing that she could control her father even without actually knowing him was something absolutely incredible and brilliant.

" What? I blinked, before asking, my voice hesitant. 'Dad?'

'Yes, Patricia.'

'It's Percy.' "

Many of the demigods laughed, even if they felt sorry for Percy.

Chris sighed. He already knew about it. And it was Luke the reason why Percy let it go.

" 'Exactly.' Dionysus nodded, behaving like he said my name and not some random one that started with the same letter. 'Now, before we get to know each other, there is something very important I want you to do for me, okay?'

I nodded, looking confused at him.

'In the galley, there is a bottle of 1985 Chateau Haut-Brion.' He told me. 'Would you go get it for me?'

I swallowed. Would my real father also use me to supply himself with his alcohol? Was I just something to use for everyone but my mom? "

Dionysus jumped. He looked at Percy, feeling sorry. "Percy, I... I am sorry for this."

The demigods stared at him. Mr D never apologized. He never felt sorry for them. They were his punishment, after all.

Percy smiled. "It's not a problem, cousin."

"He used you to get wine." Zeus stated, narrowing his eyes. "That is something repulsive."

"What's wrong is that he can't access his own domain." Percy retorted. "You'd like to be kept away from the sky, lord Zeus?"

"Of course not."

"And you punished your own son to watch his children and relatives die, because that is all demigods' fates, a fate that Mr D avoided thanks to his ascension. He already lost his mortal friend, and now you are making him know the demigods, knowing that they would all die, sooner or later. And, in addition to this cruelty , you are keeping him away from his domain ."

"What are you saying?" Zeus raised an eyebrow.

"All I am saying is that the nymph you wanted liked Mr D. He didn't take advantage of her. You only stated she was untouchable because she didn't want you ." Percy said. "And it's unfair that Mr D was the one that had to pay for this."

Dionysus looked grateful at the girl.

Zeus nodded. "I will think about it." He said. "Maybe Dionysus could leave the Camp..."

" NO !" Most of the demigods exclaimed.

Dionysus raised his eyebrow.

"Maybe just give him the access to his domain, brother, for now?" Poseidon said.

He didn't particularly care how Zeus punished his children. He only helped Apollo when it happened because he was the one that got most of the punishments. But his daughter cared about this, and Poseidon had her back. 

" 'That's really all you have to say to me?'

Grover intervened. 'Ah, Mr D... even if Percy was...'

'Ah ah.' Dionysus stopped him. I refused to call him dad, just like I did with Gabe when he insisted. My life would have been easier if I just agreed with his will. But I was not like this. 'Grover, quiet, please. This is a nice moment, don't ruin it.'

Then, the god looked at me. 'The galley is right there.' He pointed to the direction, I supposed, the galley was. 'Grab the bottle and I'll talk you about everything you want, okay?'

I looked at Grover, but he just looked down. 

I can take the bottle, I thought, and then ask him why he let mom be killed. That could be a good starter for a conversation. "

"Okay, I need to ask." Thalia looked at Percy, "You asked Poseidon that same question?"

"No, I kinda already had my answer of what happened to mom, and also the answer about what he felt towards me." Percy shrugged. "And I'll let you know, he had very good timing, there." She nodded.

"What do you mean, good timing ?" Poseidon asked.

"Let's just say that you were awesome, dad." Percy replied, hugging him. " Very awesome ."

Poseidon smiled. He could accept that for the moment.

" I headed towards this galley, when someone attracted my attention. I recognized the tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard. The only problem was that, instead of a wheelchair, that torso was on a huge white stallion. "

Dionysus pouted. "Chiron, you could have at least made her try..."

"It wouldn't be right." Chiron answered.

"Oh, but let her think she was going crazy or let her be expelled was right ?" Thalia retorted, narrowing her eyes.

"Thalia, let it go, please." Percy sighed.

"No."

" My ex professor walked (trotted?) in front of me, stopping there and looking at me.

I wouldn't be able to tell you all if he was concerned for my mom, worried for my mental health, relieved to see me alive, tired to have to deal with the worst student he ever had. No, I was kinda too busy looking at the stallion body my professor had. And wondering if there were magic mushroom in that lunch, after all. ”

After a moment of confusion, Leo began to laugh. "Oh my gods, you just made a self reference! That's amazing!"

Thalia blinked, before nodding. "Right, the magic mushrooms she mentioned after being attacked by the Kindly One."

"Why are they called Kindly Ones ? They aren't kind at all." Percy muttered.

"'Percy.' He said.

'Mr Brunner?' I asked."

"Donkey!" Thalia exclaimed, making Percy laugh.

"What?" Jason asked, confused.

"Shrek's reference." Percy replied. "We will watch it just after The Little Mermaid."

"Okay." Jason nodded.

" Grover stepped forward, speaking excitedly. 'Mr Brunner's real name is Chiron. Camp activity directors, immortal trainer of heroes, he is...' "

"I didn't know you were paid for making introductions, Grover." Travis commented.

Clarisse nodded. "Yes, you did a very good job there, man."

Grover blushed.

Reyna asked. "All the satyrs looked for demigods?"

"Most of us, yes." Grover nodded.

Reyna murmured. Maybe she could talk with Jason about the fauns' role in their Camp.

" 'Grover, thank you.' Chiron said, interrupting the enthusiastic introduction. 'I'll take it from here.' "

"That wasn't very nice." Percy said.

Thalia nodded. "Yes, he was just introducing you to Percy. Like, the real you."

"And you just stopped him like that." Percy continued. "Not very nice, that's it."

Chiron sighed. "I am sorry, Grover. I made a lot of mistakes here."

"It's not a problem, Chiron. You had a lot to explain to Percy." Grover answered, blushing.

" Chiron then looked at me. I was half focused on the fact that my friend was half a goat and my favorite professor an half horse, but the other half part of me was still mad at the knoweldge that I would have to provide alcohol to Dionysus just to have a damn conversation. "

"A dam conversation?" Thalia laughed.

"Not yet, unfortunately." Percy answered, smiling.

Grover laughed. "We have to wait for the dam part."

The three started laughing.

"We will get this dam joke you have?" Silena asked.

"Eventually." Percy nodded.

" 'Percy, you have a lot to process.' 

Duh, I thought. 'Oh no,  everything is fine.' I said, unable to hold back the sarcasm when faced with such an absurd question. "

"You are unable to hold back the sarcasm. In every situation." Thalia said.

"I mean, most of the situations are absurd, so..." Percy explained.

"I hate to say it, but she is right." Clarisse nodded.

Gwen said, looking unsure if she could talk. "Yes, even what happened to her was absurd."

Percy beamed at her. "Thank you, Gwen! I really appreciated your words."

Gwen blushed.

Thalia, in the meantime, blinked, "I am defending your honor, and you thank her ?"

"Well, she is cuter than you are." Percy said.

"And?" Piper asked, amused by their antics.

"No, that's it." Percy said. "That was my only point."

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "I am going to kill you."

"If you managed to turn off your overprotectivity for a minute, of course."

" 'I mean, you're a horse.' I pointed at the legs of my professor, then I looked over Dionysus. 'My father won't talk to me, unless I give him a drink.'

Chiron interrupted my list. 'Oh, no. Mr D is not your father.'

I looked at the god, only to see him looking at Chiron with an innocent expression. 'I could be'.

'Yes, but are you?'

'Why must you ruin everything?' Dionysus asked the centaur, an irritated and disappointed expression on his face. "

Many demigods laughed at that.

" 'Mr D knows that Zeus has forbidden him from consuming alcohol.' Chiron explained to me, before casting a severe glance towards Mr D. 'and that demigods are able to do things for gods that gods are forbidden to do for themselves. Mr D was taking advantage of that.'

I turned to look at him, and Mr D shrugged, as if to say ''what are you going to do about it?''

I had an answer in mind, "

"Please, don't make her talk." Thalia muttered.

" but Chiron caught my attention again. 'Percy.' "

"Thank gods." Thalia sighed in relief.

"Most likely, thank Chiron." Percy corrected her.

"You're right." Thalia nodded. "Thank you, Chiron."

Chiron smiled.

" I turned to look at him.

'Walk with me. And we'll start again.' "

"That's a good idea." Thalia nodded. "Hoping that you gave her straight answers, of course."

Chiron grimanced.

" I nodded, walking outside the porch, hearing Chiron asking Grover to leave us alone.

Before either of us had the chance to walk away, a tall blonde boy approached us.

'Ah, Anthony, good.' Chiron smiled. ‘This young boy nursed you back to health, Percy. Anthony, my dear, why don’t you go check on Percy’s bunk? We’ll be putting her in cabin eleven for now.’"

"Not like you had that much of choice, but..." Percy muttered. Maybe, if there weren't unclaimed children, Luke wouldn't follow Kronos. That made her feel angry.

She lost her friend also because of the gods.

"Anthony said, ‘Sure, Chiron.’.... as if he were analyzing the best way to take me down in a fight."

"He better shouldn't." Artemis said, her eyes glowing.

"I mean, Lady Artemis, I don't think Anthony should treat me differently from Travis or Connor. I am a girl, but I can fight. And I am good at it." Percy said. "Being treated differently in a fight because I am a girl is offensive."

Artemis nodded. Percy had a point. In a fight, girls and boys deserved the same respect. It was that the boys didn't reciprocate the girls with anywhere near the same respect. This Anthony could be different, but she would keep an eye on him. Just her lieutenant's love towards Percy made her important in Artemis' eyes.

"And it's Anthony. He finds everyone's weak points. It's his ability." Thalia shrugged.

"He glanced at the Minotaur horn in my hands, then back at me. I imagined he was going to say, You killed a Minotaur! or Wow, you’re so awesome! or something like that.

Instead he said, ‘You drool when you sleep.’ Then he sprinted off down the lawn."

"It's true." Travis nodded.

"Hey!" Percy said.

"‘So,’ I said, anxious to change the subject. ‘ You talked with my mom about this Camp, right? She knew... all of this, right ?’

‘Yes. I approached her. I must say, Percy,’ ....  I convinced the other Latin teacher to... ah, take a leave of absence.’"

"Wait, you just told her that... I mean, wasted your time meaning that she would have died?" Thalia said.

Chiron nodded. "I am sorry, Percy. I didn't express that in the best way, what I was thinking was different from what came out."

"That's not a problem." Percy shrugged. "I got that you were happy to see me alive, and not just for wasted time."

"I tried to remember the beginning of the school year. .... ‘You came to Yancy just to teach me?’ I asked."

"Someone feels important." Clarisse laughed.

"There is my name on that book." Percy replied. "Someone is important."

"Chiron nodded. ‘Honestly, I wasn’t sure about you at first. We contacted your mother, let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that’s always the first test.’"

"Percy is amazing!" Thalia said. "You could have taken her to Camp when she was five, and she would have already been the best!"

"Thanks, Thals." Percy smiled.

"‘Please,’ I said, ‘what is this place? What am I doing here? Chiron – why would you go to Yancy Academy just to teach me?’

Chiron smiled at me sympathetically, the way he used to in Latin class, as if to let me know that no matter what my average was, I was his star student. He expected me to have the right answer.

‘Percy,’ he said. ‘Did your mother tell you nothing?’

‘She said that she met my dad, and knew he wasn't like other men. And then found out he was a god . ...’ I remembered her sad eyes, looking out over the sea. ‘She told me she was afraid to send me here, even though my father had wanted her to. She said that once I was here, I probably couldn’t leave. She wanted to keep me close to her.’"

"You didn't mention your reaction..." Thalia muttered.

"What was the point?" Percy asked. "And I felt safe with my mom. I knew I could have trusted her." She shrugged. "Chiron lied to me, so I didn't feel safe with him."

" Did you have anyone there?" Thalia asked.

Percy smiled slightly. "I had someone."

Anthony frowned. He knew it wasn't Grover, nor himself. Who was Percy referring? He didn't actually take note of her first friends at the Camp.

"‘I’m afraid there’s too much to tell,’ Chiron said. ‘I’m afraid our usual orientation film won’t be sufficient.’

‘Orientation film?’ I asked."

"Percy didn't see the orientation film?" Anthony asked.

"Nope." Percy shrugged. "I didn't get a straight answer, see?"

"I am so sorry, Percy, I really thought you saw it."

"So, what? You thought that I was mocking you?" Percy asked. "You thought what all the others thought? That I made up the Minotaur?"

"I thought it at the beginning, yes..." 

Percy looked away from the boy.

Poseidon, understanding his daughter's needs, looked at Anthony till he switched seats with Grover, who was now the one at Poseidon's side.

"‘No,’ Chiron decided. ‘Well, Percy. You know your friend Grover is a satyr. You know –’ he pointed to the horn in the shoebox – ‘that you have killed a Minotaur. No small feat, either, girl. What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods – the forces you call the Greek gods – are very much alive.’

I stared at him, waiting for him to yell something like Got you! or You should see you face! But all I got was his serious and deep gaze focused on me. "

Some laughs.

"‘Wait,’ I told Chiron. ‘You’re telling me there’s such a thing as God.’

‘Well, now,’ Chiron said. ‘God – capital G, God. That’s a different matter altogether. We shan’t deal with the metaphysical.’

‘Metaphysical? But you were just talking about –’

‘Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavours: the immortal gods of Olympus. That’s a smaller matter.’

‘Smaller!’

‘Yes, quite. The gods we discussed in Latin class.’

‘Zeus,’ I said. ‘Hera. Apollo. You mean them.’"

Apollo beamed. "Ah! She named me!"

Hermes rolled his eyes. "She also named Zeus and Hera, but clearly she doesn't like them."

"She already said that her favorite is my husband ." Persephone said.

Percy frowned. There was something odd in Persephone's voice. "Did you just underline that he is your husband because of me ?"

Persephone narrowed her eyes. "Are you attracted to my husband?"

"He is my uncle ." Percy said.

"He is also my uncle." Persephone replied.

"Right, Greek mythology..." Percy muttered. "I am not attracted to your husband. And, yes, I am co-parenting Nico just because I can't adopt him. Otherwise , I would have adopted him."

Persephone laughed. "Okay, that's alright."

Hades smiled, before kissing his wife on her cheeks. "I love only you, Persephone."

"And there it was again – distant thunder on a cloudless day.

‘I think your mother already told you this, Percy’ said Chiron. ‘But you shouldn't mention those names. Names have power.'

‘But they’re stories,’ I said. ‘They’re – myths, to explain lightning and the seasons and stuff. They’re what people believed before there was science.’"

"I am not the one that will tell you that science is bullshit." Thalia shook her head.

"I tried to use that excuse with my mom for science tests." Percy pouted, looking at her mom. " It isn't real, mom. Science is a fairytale. "

Sally shook her head.

Paul frowned. "What?"

"Instead of having myths to explain stuffs before science, science is the fake explanation to cover that the myths are in fact very real." Percy explained.

"You explained that very well." Michale nodded.

"Yes, you did an amazing job." Silena smiled. "That is the reason you welcome most of the new kids."

"I thought it was because she wanted to adopt them." Clarisse muttered.

"I'll let you know, I only adopted two kids. Tyson, who is actually my brother, and Nico, who is my cousin."

Sally sighed. " I adopted Tyson, darling."

"Yes. And he is my adoptive and biological brother." Percy nodded. 

Poseidon smiled. Maybe Percy didn't notice who Tyson was, but Sally did. And she still opened her house to a cyclop, just to make their daughter happy. He fell a little more in love with her.

Amphitrite and Triton smiled over at Sally. She deserved some respect for that.

"‘Percy,’ Chiron said, ‘you may choose to believe or not, but the fact is that immortal means immortal. Can you imagine that, for a moment, never dying? Never fading? Existing, just as you are, for all time?’

I was about to answer, off the top of my head, that it sounded like a pretty good deal, but the tone of Chiron’s voice made me hesitate.

‘You mean, whether people believed in you or not,’ I said."

"See? She is very smart." Anthony smiled, looking at Percy, who ignored him.

"Give her time." Grover muttered. "She had only one person, at this point, who truly believed her from the very beginning. It isn't easy for her."

Anthony replied. "But it's not fair! How could I have known that she was telling the truth?"

"You couldn't. But the fact that she felt safe with him... can you imagine what would have happened if there was no quest, if things kept going as they were and she never met her father? Which side do you think she would have picked?"

Anthony shook his head. "Not Kronos'."

"‘Exactly,’ Chiron agreed. ‘If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth, an old story to explain lightning? What if I told you, Perseus Jackson, that someday people would call you a myth, just created to explain how little boys can get over losing their mothers?’"

Thalia growled. " CHIRON !"

Sally looked at the centaur. "I brought my daughter there to be safe . Not to be mocked by the only adult there."

Mr D raised his hand. "I was there too."

"And you protected my daughter?"

"He tried to stop me from going on a quest." Percy said. "I mean, he failed, but just because I ignored his help."

Mr D sighed. "Thank you, Priscilla."

"You're welcome, Dionigi." Percy replied, making everyone startle into full body laughs at her quick wit. 

"My heart pounded. He was trying to make me angry for some reason, but I wasn’t going to let him. I said, ‘I wouldn’t like it. But I don’t believe in gods.’

Chiron sighed. 'Many don't at the beginning . Especially the ones that follow another religion before heading to Camp. It's unfortunate, maybe even a bit unfair, but they are real. Beings that never cease to exist.'

‘Will Grover be okay?’ I asked Chiron, changing the subject. Grover seemed uneasy when he was left behind. And something was wrong in his behavior. Also, he seemed to be thinking that our arrival there was his mistake."

"You still cared for me?" Grover asked.

"Like I said, once I believed that I was a demigod and in danger, I knew that you did everything you could to protect me." Percy shrugged. "And I already told you. I knew you would always have my back, no matter what."

Grover smiled. "Thank you."

"Chiron nodded, though he looked a bit troubled. ‘Old Dionysus isn’t really mad. He just hates his job. He’s been... ah, grounded, I guess you would say, and he can’t stand waiting another century before he’s allowed to go back to Olympus.’

‘Mount Olympus,’ I said. ‘You’re telling me there really is a palace there?’"

"Yes, there is." Hera smiled.

Hestia was also smiling. She missed their home.

"‘Well now, there’s Mount Olympus in Greece. And then there’s the home of the gods, the convergence point of their powers, which did indeed used to be on Mount Olympus. It’s still called Mount Olympus, out of respect to the old ways, but the palace moves, Percy, just as the gods do.’

‘You mean the Greek gods are here? Like... in America?’"

"Why were you surprised?" Reyna asked.

"What were Greek Gods doing in America?" Percy asked. "The Greek is in the name!"

The demigods laughed.

"‘Well, certainly. The gods move with the heart of the West.’

‘The what?’"

"I love how this conversation is basically Percy questioning everything she ever knew."

"How did it go for you?" Percy asked Clarisse.

"Gleeson took care of me." She answered.

Percy shivered. That was a satyr that really scared her.

"‘Come now, Percy. What you call “Western civilization”. Do you think it’s just an abstract concept? No, it’s a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it. You might even say they are the source of it, or at least, they are tied so tightly to it that they couldn’t possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilization were obliterated. The fire started in Greece. Then, as you well know – or as I hope you know, since you passed my course – the heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods. Oh, different names, perhaps – Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and so on – but the same forces, the same gods.’

‘And then they died.’"

"Yes. That's it. That's the story." Thalia nodded. "Congrats, Percy, you got everything figured out."

"Oh, shut up!" Percy replied. "I am sure that the orientation video explains it very well."

"I do!" Apollo smiled.

"You are the orientation video?" Percy asked.

"No, I made it!" Apollo beamed.

"Curios, is it a poetry?"

"Yes." Most of the demigods pouted.

"Suddenly, I am very grateful that I didn't see it." Percy said, making the demigods laugh.

"‘Died? No. Did the West die? ...... . And we are here.’

It was all too much, especially the fact that I seemed to be included in Chiron’s we, as if I were part of some club.

‘Who are you, Chiron? Who... who am I?’

Chiron smiled. ‘Who are you,’ he mused. ‘Well, that’s the question we all want answered, isn’t it? But for now, we should get you a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet. And plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be toasted marshmallows at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore them.’

He looked at me with a smile. ' Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let’s meet the other campers.’"

Leo put the book down.

It was an intense chapter, and by Percy's look, she wasn't absolutely ready to keep reading.

"Percy?" Chris asked.

"Just... give me a moment." She stood up, "Thals, would you...?" She gestured towards the other room, and Thalia followed her.

"What's up?"

"I told you I had someone." Percy said. "Thals, I had Luke."

"What?" Thalia asked.

"Luke was the one I spent most of my time with." Percy said. "He will probably be a good part of the following parts."

"Okay." Thalia nodded. It felt right and wrong hearing this. Luke was there for Thalia, and she was glad that he was there for her cousin as well. But force Percy to hear those moments all over again? It wasn't right at all.

"Do you feel like you could bear reading it?" Thalia asked.

"I can." Percy nodded. "I didn't want you to be caught off of guard. Especially cause Luke is the one that... explained to me what happened to you."

Thalia nodded. "Okay. I... Thank you for letting me know."

Percy looked down. "There is something else. Luke... he tried to make me understand that the gods weren't completely right and fair with us. And I kinda agreed with him."

"I will just say to them that in the end, you made the right decision." Thalia nodded. "But I don't think I'll need to remind the gods. They already got it. Maybe the other demigods will need to hear it again."

"Maybe." Percy nodded. "Let's just go back..."

"Okay." Thalia hugged Percy, and the two went back to the reading room.

Demeter took the book. "I am going to read next."

Chapter Text

Demeter started reading. A part of her was curious to understand why the girl respected her brother so much.

Hades wasn't one of her favorite relatives. He kidnapped her precious daughter. He didn't deserve any respect.

"We passed the volleyball pit. Several of the campers nudged each other. One pointed to the Minotaur horn I was carrying. Another said, ‘That’s her.’"

"How to make an entrance." Dakota commented.

Percy nodded. "That's me. And I definitely know how to make a nice one."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You know how to make a dramatic one. That's not the same thing."

"Dramatic, nice. Same thing to me." Percy retorted, winking at her cousin.

"Most of the campers were older than me."

"And also taller." Clarisse laughed.

"They trained more than me, since I hadn't started yet." Percy shrugged. "And, to be honest, I just arrived, but I still kicked your ass, La Rue."

Thalia snickered.

Maybe these readings were helping Percy. Clearly, she didn't get over most of the things that happened to her. This allowed her to receive the needed apologies.

"Their satyr friends were bigger than Grover.... I felt like they were expecting me to do a cartwheel or something."

"Can you do one?" Leo asked, his eyes shining.

Percy shrugged. "Kinda. Wanna see?"

" YES !" Most of the Campers exclaimed, but Hera talked. "At the first break. Not during the reading."

Then, she raised her eyebrow when she realized that the demigods looked at Percy to get the confirming nod before looking at her sister to listen. 

Who the hell was that girl?

"I looked back at the farmhouse. .... and I got the distinct impression I was being watched."

"It moved!" Apollo cheered. "My Oracle did move when she saw you!"

Percy grimaced. "How lucky am I?"

She did remember when the Oracle took a walk and everyone basically left the job of taking her back to the attic to her and Grover. And that wasn't nice at all. Mr D could have just waved and teletransported her to the attic once again.

"‘What’s up there?’ I asked Chiron.....  But I was also sure something had moved that curtain."

Chiron jumped. Percy was quite observant, and he never really saw this. Her humor made her seem quite childish sometimes, and Chiron frequently underestimated her.

He would never make the same mistake ever again.

"‘Come along, Percy,’ .... It worked best with wine grapes, but Mr D was restricted from growing those, so they grew strawberries instead."

Percy looked at Zeus, who sighed. "I already told you that his restrictions on his own domain were lifted."

Hera smiled. "I like your daughter, Poseidon. Maybe she should come to our Councils."

"That's a brilliant idea!" Hades nodded. "It would be good seeing someone put Zeus in his place."

Percy grimaced. She really hoped that her first interaction with a god would just change their minds. 

Sally hugged her. She had her doubts, mostly scared of what would have happened if she let her stay in New York. But now, seeing the young woman she was becoming, Sally was grateful that Poseidon persuaded her not to send Percy to the Camp that early.

"I watched the satyr playing his pipe. His music was causing lines of bugs to leave the strawberry patch in every direction, like refugees fleeing a fire. I wondered if Grover could work that kind of magic with music. I wondered if he was still inside the farmhouse, being lectured by Mr D.

‘Grover won’t get in too much trouble, will he?’ I asked Chiron. ‘I mean... he was a good protector. Really.’ I was still mad at him. That didn't mean I wanted him to get in trouble. He was still my friend, and, seeing the danger I was and my mom's fate, I felt grateful that he put my life over our friendship. That was a sacrifice for my well-being. Not everyone would be able to do that. "

Grover gulped. Not everyone would see and understand that part of this job. 

But Percy did. She always saw everything and understood everyone. She was special.

Hermes smiled at the girl. She was kind and compassionate. Pan would have loved her.

Maybe this was the reason behind why she was able to use part of his magic.

"Chiron sighed. He shed his tweed jacket and draped it over his horse’s back like a saddle. ‘Grover has big dreams, Percy. Perhaps bigger than are reasonable. To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing him safely to Half-Blood Hill.’

‘But he did that!’"

"He was knocked out." Piper pointed out. 

"Because a lightning hit us!" Percy protested. "Otherwise, he would have made it!"

"Like I said, I agreed with you." Chiron sighed. "And Mr D gave him his chance, you know this too."

"No, Percy was the one that gave me my chance. She had no reason to choose me, but she did the same." Grover said. "Mr D only stated that I had to complete a quest with a demigod. And, furthermore, he couldn't force Percy into choosing me."

Percy smiled. "Like I said, I made the right choice. You were the only one I knew I could have trusted."

Chris smiled slightly. He knew Percy trusted Luke. She would have chosen him, if she hadn’t known his hate towards the gods. She wanted to respect his personal opinion and for that she didn't ask him to go with her. 

"‘I might agree with you,’ .... Chiron looked away quickly. ‘Let’s move along, shall we?’"

"Really?" Thalia narrowed her eyes. "Will someone answer you?"

"Yes." Percy nodded. "Only him ."

Thalia sighed. That was so unfair.

"But I wasn’t quite ready to let the subject drop. ..... ‘Come, Percy. Let’s see the woods.’"

"No straight answer again." Thalia muttered.

Nico nodded. "I am so glad that Percy covered it for me."

"Why do you think she took the job?" Clarisse asked. "To make sure that no one would get her same experience."

Percy smiled. Clarisse was one of the few that really got her. Probably, she mused, it was because Clarisse was like her. A warrior and a survivor.

"As we got closer, I realized how huge the forest was. ....  ‘I don’t suppose you do. I think a size five will do. I’ll visit the armoury later.’"

Thalia looked at the centaur, but said nothing more. She already made her point.

Piper was shocked. When they showed her the Camp, no one was like that.

Was it really thanks to Percy that Piper didn't have to endure the same experience? Piper should thank the other girl? What other things changed just because of Percy Jackson?

"I wanted to ask what kind of summer camp had an armoury, .... ‘Sword and spear fights?’ I asked."

No one said anything, but they all felt bad for Percy. She deserved better.

"‘Cabin challenges and all that,’ he explained. ‘Not lethal. Usually. Oh, yes, and there’s the mess hall.’"

"Usually?" Apollo asked.

"Sometimes accidents happen." Chiron murmured.

Sally gasped. The only safe place for her daughter wasn't even safe at all? Could an accident have taken her away like that?

"Chiron pointed to an outdoor pavilion framed in white Grecian columns on a hill overlooking the sea. There were a dozen stone picnic tables. No roof. No walls.

‘What do you do when it rains?’ I asked."

Frank nodded. "What do you do?"

Percy gave him a smile as she said. "The Camp's protections also cover the weather. It doesn't rain unless it's wanted."

Frank smiled. "Thank you."

He wasn't used to people answering his questions without a frown. But Percy wasn't bothered by his question.

"Chiron looked at me as if I’d gone a little weird. ‘We still have to eat, don’t we?’ I decided to drop the subject."

"Percy's answer was better." Hazel muttered.

Travis looked at her. "How old are you?"

Hazel raised an eyebrow, but she said. "Thirteen. Why?"

"And your father is Pluto, right?" Connor asked.

"And?" Hazel replied.

"No, okay. It's just..." They looked over Percy. "You met her, and you haven't adopted her yet?"

" Hey !" Percy protested. "I don't adopt people like that !"

Thalia coughed. "You adopted Nico the exact moment you saw him."

"Because he is adorable, and I love him!" Percy answered. "Have you seen him ? With his glowing eyes and wide smile? How could I not love him?"

Nico smiled, his eyes glowing and a wide smile on his face.

"Yeah," Thalia nodded. "By the way, Travis, Percy has already adopted Hazel. Hazel hasn't been warned yet." 

Hazel blushed, but Percy muttered. "I wasn't planning to adopt her yet. I first wanted to see if in the future..."

"Oh." Connor nodded. "You wanted to see if in the future you will adopt her."

"That explains everything." Chris nodded.

Percy rolled her eyes. "Can we just go back to reading?"

"Of course." The three sons of Hermes' smiled. 

Hazel looked at Percy. "Have you already adopted me?"

"Yes." Percy nodded. "Mom will soon be tired of me bringing home demigods."

"You only have taken Tyson, Nico, Drew and Jake, by now." Sally sighed. "I am used to seeing children enter our home. Usually, you return them to their parents."

"No, they made them, and I will keep them." Percy shook her head. "That's the Camp's motto."

"She's right." Charles nodded. "She is the Camp's mom for a reason."

"Her cookies and her personality." Thalia nodded. "Mostly the cookies."

"Finally, he showed me the cabins. ...  Number nine had smokestacks like a tiny factory."

Hephaestus smiled, like Leo and Charles did.

"Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass."

Demeter smiled.

"Seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at."

Apollo beamed at the description of his cabin, while Will and Michael smiled at Percy.

"They all faced a commons area about the size of a soccer field,....  A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick."

Hestia looked up, her eyes warming. " You saw me ." She stated. 

Only the ones with the purest heart would be able to see her. And Percy did see her.

"I did." Percy bowed her head. "I am sorry that I didn't stop to talk with you, Lady Aunt."

"Seeing me is already enough." Hestia reassured the girl. "Seeing the family is enough."

Percy's smile became sad. "Not always." She said, thinking about Luke.

"The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, looked like his-and-hers mausoleums, big white marble boxes with heavy columns in front. Cabin one was the biggest and bulkiest of the twelve."

Zeus stood proudly, but Hades snorted. "Just like his ego."

Most of the gods snickered. Hera, Poseidon and Demeter were the ones that laughed without trying to hide their amusement.

"Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a holograph, so that from different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them."

Thalia inclined her head. "You did a great job describing it."

Anthony nodded. "Percy can be very observant."

"And I can also be a liar, right?"

"You're not a liar!" Anthony told her. "Percy, I didn't know you . Okay? I didn't know what you were like."

"My mom just died, and you thought that my main interest would have been glory?" Percy replied. "I don't care if you didn't know me! You should have known that losing a mother is the worst thing someone could feel!"

"I didn't lose a mother. And I ran away from my father." Anthony said. "You know that I trust you now ."

"Sure." Percy answered, her voice cold as ice. "Thank you so much for this ."

"Cabin two was more graceful somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks."

Hera smiled.

"‘Zeus and Hera?’ I guessed.

‘Correct,’ Chiron said.

‘Their cabins look empty.’"

"As they should be." Hera said. "I won't go around and sleep with mortals. And Zeus is married."

"Cause being married is such a good reason for a god to be faithful, right?" Percy rolled her eyes. "I mean, if you wanted a faithful husband, maybe Hermes and Apollo would be the ones you should have proposed."

Anthony blinked. "What?"

"What, what?" Percy asked.

Thalia laughed. "When you decided who would be a good husband between the gods?"

"I read the myths. When they had a lover, they had that lover. And that's it." Percy shrugged. "Maybe Ares can be a good husband, but he is technically married to Aphrodite, so..."

Aphrodite smiled. "I am very willing to share him with you."

"I am a minor." Percy said. "Mom would kill me if I had a relationship with a god."

"No, honey." Sally smiled. "I'd kill the god, not you."

Poseidon gritted his teeth. If a god ever tried to take his daughter, he would have to marry her and be always faithful. Or Poseidon would destroy him.

"‘Several of the cabins are. That’s true. No one ever stays in one or two.’

Okay. So each cabin had a different god, like a mascot. Twelve cabins for the twelve Olympians."

"A mascot?" Poseidon repeated.

"Yes. That was the most appropriate comparison I was able to make."

"Okay." Poseidon sighed. "I suppose you were still new to this world, so..."

"No, it is still the best comparison I can think of." Percy shook her head.

"Okay. We just become mascots." Poseidon sighed.

"But why would some be empty?

I stopped in front of the first cabin on the left, cabin three."

Poseidon smiled. That was the sea that called Percy. 

"It wasn’t high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were of rough grey stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor."

Reyna grimaced. That cabin was better than the temple for Neptune they had at their Camp. She should mention something to Percy, before it appeared in the books, and angered the sea god towards the Roman Camp. Reyna had seen how Percy had been able to reassure her father and calm him down.

"I peeked inside the open doorway and Chiron said, ‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that!’"

Poseidon raised an eyebrow towards Chiron. "I would never harm a child that was just curious to see my cabin, Chiron. Why should you stop her from looking at it?"

Nico nodded. At the Camp, he slept in cabin three with Percy. And Poseidon never tried to kill him because of that.

Chiron sighed. "Those were hard times, Lord Poseidon. I just wanted to keep Percy safe."

Poseidon grimaced. He didn't like that explanation.

If Chiron thought that Percy was in danger, he should have taken her straight to the Camp, to protect her. 

He agreed with Percy. The satyr didn't fail. It was Chiron's fault.

"Before he could pull me back, I caught the salty scent of the interior, like the wind on the shore at Montauk. ... A stuffed wild boar’s head hung over the  doorway, and its eyes seemed to follow me."

Ares smiled. Clarisse laughed. "Yes, it is something it does."

"Oh my god, I thought it was just me!" Leo exclaimed. "I thought I was going crazy!"

"No, it does, right?" Percy looked at Leo, her eyes focused on the other demigod. "It freaks me out every single time!"

"I began to take the opposite direction just to avoid its eyes !" Leo replied.

" Oh my gods , I totally get that!" Percy nodded. 

"It is absolutely the worst thing they could have put there." Leo shook his head. "How are we supposed to have stuffed animals after that thing?"

" Right ?!?" Percy nodded.

Thalia sighed. "Are you guys done?" 

Leo and Percy blushed.

"Inside I could see a bunch of mean-looking kids, both girls and boys, arm wrestling and arguing with each other while rock music blared. The loudest was a girl maybe thirteen or fourteen."

Clarisse smiled when Chris kissed her cheek.

"She wore a size XXXLCamp Half-Blood T-shirt under a camouflage jacket.... and brown  instead of red."

Percy looked at Clarisse. "I take that back. You are better than that one."

"I better be." Clarisse muttered. Except that she wasn't. She bullied Percy, called her a liar and she wasn't a good demigoddess. Percy was new, young. Clarisse should have protected her, as an older female demigoddess.

She failed her.

"I kept walking, trying to stay clear of Chiron’s hooves. ‘We haven’t seen any other centaurs,’ I observed.

‘No,’ said Chiron sadly. ‘My kinsmen are a wild and barbaric folk, I’m afraid. You might encounter them in the wilderness, or at major sporting events. But you won’t see any here.’"

"The Party Ponies are amazing." Percy smiled.

Anthony nodded. "They really are."

Grover nodded.

They all remembered how they saved their lives just a year after this quest. 

"‘You said your name was Chiron. Are you really...’"

"Grover said that." Connor said.

"Yeah, when he was selling the new product, Chiron deluxe." Travis nodded.

The demigods all laughed. Even the Roman ones were laughing.

Chiron sighed. 

"He smiled down at me. ‘The Chiron from the stories? Trainer of Hercules and all that? Yes, Percy, I am.’

‘But, shouldn’t you be dead?’"

"Oh my gods, Percy!" Thalia shook her head. "You can't just go and ask people if they should be dead!"

"I am sorry!" Percy answered. "I was just curious, that's it."

"Chiron paused, as if the question intrigued him. ... I thought about being a teacher for three thousand years."

Leo muttered. "Not in my Top Ten Things to Wish For list."

"It wouldn’t have made my Top Ten Things to Wish For list."

Percy and Leo smiled at each other.

Travis muttered. "Great, Percy just adopted Hazel and Leo."

Connor shrugged. "I am pretty sure she also adopted Frank and Jason."

"Oh, yes." Travis nodded. "I mean, she kinda tried to adopt Hephaestus, so..."

" What ?" Poseidon asked.

"I didn't adopt him!" Percy shook her head. "I was baking, he came to ask me to do a quest, and I offered him some cookies! If that is adopting, then I also adopted Hermes, Apollo, Aphrodite and Persephone. And I didn't." She added once she noticed her father's eyes. 

"Good." Poseidon nodded. "I will talk with them about appearing at your house."

"'Kay." Percy shrugged. "But they were just asking for quests. So... you know... they just got some cookies and cakes in the meantime."

Apollo, Hermes, Persephone and Aphrodite smiled at Percy.

"‘Doesn’t it ever get boring?’... ‘Oh, look,’ he said. ‘Anthony is waiting for us.’"

Thalia shrugged. "I think that the reason is that we die a lot, and very young."

Percy gulped. "Yeah. I kinda get it."

"The blonde boy I’d met at the Big House was reading a book in front of the last cabin on the left, number eleven.
When we reached him, he looked me over critically, like he was still thinking about how much I drooled."

Some giggles.

"I tried to see what he was reading, but I couldn’t make out the title. ...  ‘Make yourself at home.’"

"Thank you so much ." Percy rolled her eyes. "Maybe next time, wait till you see if I managed to enter the cabin."

Chiron looked at Anthony. "I thought you'd make her enter right away."

"I wanted to make her do a tour before leaving her in the cabin." Anthony blushed. 

"Probably he wanted to check if I was a liar." Percy replied.

" I was about to enter the cabin, but Anthony shook his head. 'Come on, I'll give you a tour.'

'Sure, except, Chiron kinda already gave me one, so...' "

Thalia laughed. "I love your sassiness."

"He grabbed my wrist and dragged me away."

Artemis looked at Anthony. "You will never touch a girl like that ever again."

"The problem isn't that I am a girl and he isn't. If I was the boy and Anthony the girl, what? He could just grab me and drag me where he wanted?" Percy asked.

Artemis muttered. "Of course not. That would be wrong as well."

"But he will learn to respect you." Apollo said. "He had no right to treat you like that."

Percy smiled at Apollo. "Thank you, lord Apollo."

"Just Apollo is fine."

"Okay, Just Apollo ." Percy said, making the gods and demigods laugh, while Apollo rolled his eyes.

" When we were a few metres away, Anthony said, ‘I just wanted to make sure you knew. Jackson, don't make a fool of yourself.’"

Chris snorted. Luke was the one that protected Percy the most, and he was working against the gods.

Really, Anthony would never be Percy's best friend if Luke was still there.

"‘What?’

He rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath, ‘I can’t believe I thought you were the one.’"

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "What the hell? Anthony, this is not the way you welcome a new kid at the Camp!"

"I know! I am so sorry." Anthony muttered. "I am so sorry. Percy. Please, believe this at least."

"Of course." Percy rolled her eyes. "Cause you aren't a liar."

"‘What’s your problem?’ I was getting angry now. ‘All I know is, I kill some bull guy –’

‘Don’t talk like that!’ Anthony told me. ‘You know how many kids at this camp wish they’d had your chance?’"

"You didn't believe me!" Percy shouted. "How dare you say something like this? What chance? To lose their only parent? The only person that always cared for them and was by their side? That chance?"

"I didn't know the full story." Anthony muttered. "Percy. I couldn't have known all of it."

"You saw me !" Percy said. "You are the one that saw me. Of course you knew everything!"

"Maybe he was just jealous that a girl managed to do something he couldn't do." Gwen proposed. "I know it's something common in our Camp."

"Probably." Percy muttered.

"‘To get killed?’

‘To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?’"

"To survive ?" Charles said.

"Yes, I mean, that's glorious. Killing the Minotaur is a big feat, but... we don't try to fight monsters on purpose." Will said. "We train so that, if we ever ran into a monster, we would be able to survive him."

"I shook my head. ‘Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories...’.... ‘Monsters don’t die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don’t die.’"

"Very clear." Hermes laughed.

"‘Oh, thanks. That clears it up.’"

Hermes and Percy smiled.

"‘They don’t have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole  lifetime if you’re lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they re form.’.... ‘You talk in your sleep.’"

"Maybe we will need to talk about privacy." Sally said, looking at Anthony with narrowed eyes.

Percy never told her how Anthony was with her. She should have. Sally would have talked with the boy.

Will chimed in. "Drew noticed that she talked in her sleep and Mr D put some protection on her bed when she was in the infirmary to recover without having other demigods mind her business."

Poseidon and Sally nodded towards Dionysus, while Paul said. "Thank you, Lord Dionysus."

"‘You almost called her something. A Fury? They’re Hades’ torturers, right?’... ‘My mom is Sally Jackson,’ I said. ‘She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to.’"

"I think he meant the immortal and godly one." Piper laughed.

Percy nodded. "Yes, I thought the same thing."

Sally smiled, leaning to kiss Percy's cheek.

Poseidon simply sighed.

"‘I’m sorry about your mom, Percy. But that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about your other parent. Your dad.’

‘I never knew him. He could be dead. ’"

"No, he can't." Thalia told Percy, seriously.

"Good to know. Thank you for the news ." Percy nodded at her cousin, same serious expression.

"Anthony sighed. Clearly, he’d had this conversation before with other kids. ‘Your father’s not dead, Percy.’

‘How can you say that? You know him?’

‘No, of course not.’"

"Technically, you did." Thalia shrugged.

Anthony rolled his eyes.

"‘Then how can you say –’

‘Because I know you. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t one of us.’"

"But she isn't one of us." Travis shook his head. 

"She is the one ." Connor added.

Chris muttered. "You'd think that you'd known the difference, Anthony."

"‘You don’t know anything about me.’......' [..] They don’t  want you seeing them for what they are.’"

"That wasn't nice." Piper said. "Yes, you knew this stuff about Percy, but saying them like that... it wasn't nice at all."

Anthony blushed.

Thalia looked at Percy. She seemed okay, so she didn't say anything. But she'll talk with Anthony during the first break, before the movie night.

"‘You sound like... you went through the same thing?’.... ..... ‘Errete es korakas,’ Anthony said, which I somehow understood was Greek for “Go to the  crows”, though I had a feeling it was a worse curse than it sounded. ‘You don’t stand a chance.’"

"It's like, go to Hell." Thalia laughed.

"Maybe we should wash his mouth with soap." Percy muttered, a little too amused to Anthony's opinion.

He knew he messed up, but...

"‘We’ll pulverize you,’ ... ‘It explains the bad smell.’"

"Great!" Thalia sighed. "Percy, could you not?"

"What?" Percy asked.

"Just, no ." Thalia sighed again.

Nico looked at her. "You are sighing a lot."

"Maybe we should start counting them!" Percy smiled.

Thalia sighed again.

"Three!" Nico and Percy exclaimed.

"Clarisse growled. ‘We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy.’...  I had to earn my own rep."

"Your rep wasn't that good." Clarisse told her.

"I am the new kid that kicked the Ares cabin's asses." Percy shrugged. "I think my rep was amazing."

"Your ego is showing." Thalia said.

"I handed Anthony my Minotaur horn and got ready to fight, but before I knew it, Clarisse had me by the neck and was dragging me towards a cinder-block.... Clarisse bent me over on my knees and started pushing my head towards the toilet bowl. It reeked  like rusted pipes and, well, like what goes into toilets. I strained to keep my head up. I was looking at the scummy water thinking, I will not go into that. I won’t.

'Just admit you made it up, Prissy.' She whispered to my ear. 'You made it up to being able to defeat the Minotaur. Admit it and I'll let you go.' "

Everyone looked at Clarisse.

"What the hell?" Jason said. "Did anyone believe Percy?"

"Yes. Luke did." Percy sighed. "I don't know if Chris...?"

Chris nodded. "I believed you. You didn't seem the type that make up those kinds of stories."

"Thank you." Percy smiled.

"Okay, but..." Leo looked at Percy. "That isn't good behavior. You were a new demigoddess. She should have helped you! Not harassed you!"

"We talked about this. And I forgave her." Percy shrugged. "It's between me and Clarisse, and we sorted everything out. End of discussion."

Everyone nodded.

Clarisse then said. "I know I messed up. Percy deserved better. I said it before, and I am going to say it again. I am sorry. I should have behaved differently."

"She changed her way to welcome the new kids after the second summer." Silena said. "She said that she was wrong about Percy and, after what Percy did for her, she deserved some help."

Percy smiled towards Clarisse. "That is something I didn't know and that I will use against you in the future."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

" I felt angry. My mom gave her life so that I could be safe from the Minotaur, and this girl was asking me to split over her memory, braveness, and love? "

Sally kissed her daughter's forehead. She was the best daughter Sally could have asked for.

"Then something happened. I felt a tug in the pit of my stomach. I heard the plumbing rumble, the pipes shudder. Clarisse’s.... I didn’t have one drop of water on my clothes. Nothing."

"Guess who her father is!" Leo shouted. "Three guesses, the first two don't count."

Percy laughed.

Thalia raised her eyebrow. "Really? You didn't know after that? The only more obvious thing that could have happened is that she got a neon warning on her head!"

"That's kinda what happens, so.." Percy shrugged. "They really didn't want to have a forbidden kid at the Camp."

"Why?" Leo asked.

"Apparently, we are too powerful and we cause problems." Percy shrugged. "Nonsense. I cause problems, and not because I am powerful."

Leo began to laugh.

Thalia sighed.

"Four!" Bianca smiled.

"Bianca!" Thalia scolded her, but she shrugged. "Percy makes Nico do funny things. I want to change my adoptive parent."

"I can adopt you as well, Bianca." Percy smiled. "Don't worry. We can share your custody."

Leo pouted. "Can I be adopted as well?"

"You already are." Percy shrugged. "You talked the first time and I adopted you. Yes, this is how it works."

"Yeah!" Leo smiled.

"I stood up, my legs shaky....‘You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth.’"

"Yes, you should have let it go." Thalia muttered. "But you never actually do it."

"Why should I?" Percy smiled. "This way is more fun!"

"Her friends had to hold her back. .... ‘I’m thinking,’ he said, ‘that I want you on my team for capture the flag.’"

Demeter finished the chapter. Persephone smiled. "I'd like to read, if it's okay for you."

Percy smiled. "Of course, Persephone!"

Then, she looked over the Romans. "I won't be mad if you comment, you know?" She smiled. "I might adopt you, but this is a different thing."

Gwen laughed. "Thank you."

"I think she adopted you." Silena said. 

"There are worse things than being adopted by Percy." Drew smiled. "She adopted me the first time she saw me."

"Yeah, you were so cute and adorable." Percy smiled.

"Uh, didn't she break someone's head?" Travis asked.

"I said cute and adorable, not harmless." Percy rolled her eyes.

Drew smiled, and Persephone started reading.

Chapter Text

Persephone opened the book at the right page.

"Word of the bathroom incident spread immediately.... Or maybe they were just staring at Anthony, who was still pretty much dripping wet."

"We were staring at you both." Travis said.

"It wasn't something we heard every day." Connor nodded.

Chris smiled. "It was hilarious."

"He showed me a few more places: .... I had become one with the plumbing."

There were giggles at this sentence.

“Not something you hear every day.” Gwen giggled.

“Everything that has been said so far is not something you hear every day.” Dakota said in response.

“I'm pretty sure this will apply to all the books, to be honest.” Thalia sighed. "Especially if they're from Percy's point of view."

"Ehy!" Percy exclaimed.

"‘You need to talk to the Oracle,’ Anthony said.
‘Who?’
‘Not who. What. The Oracle. I’ll ask Chiron.’"

"My Oracle is a who." Apollo said, looking at the demigod. "It doesn't matter her actual situation. She is a person."

"I am sorry, Lord Apollo." Anthony spoke, lowering his eyes.

"I stared into the lake, wishing somebody would give me a straight answer for once.....  They smiled and waved as if I were a long-lost friend."

"For them, you are." Amphitrite smiled. "They are from the sea, just like you are." 

"Yeah, they explained." Percy smiled fondly. She loved spending time with them. Naiads were gossip, but they were part of Percy's family. And they treated her like family.

"Percy spends a lot of time with them." Chris explained at the questioning looks Percy received. "She likes to be under the water. And she talks a lot with them."

Silena giggled. "This is how she got the latest gossip, by the way. Naiads know everything!"

"Not just them. Also dryads and nymphs know a lot. And Pegasi, they do too." Percy said.

"She talks with all of them." Drew said. "I think she is their favorite."

"Percy is everyone's favorite." Will replied.

"I didn’t know what else to do. I waved back."

Poseidon, Amphitrite and Triton smiled at that.

"‘Don’t encourage them,’ Anthony warned. ‘Naiads are terrible flirts.’"

"Watch your tone, son of Athena." Amphitrite told him, losing her fond smile. "They are my family."

"I am sorry." Anthony blushed. "I didn't know any better, back then."

"He became better, with them." Percy said. 

"Good." Amphitrite nodded.

"‘Naiads,’ I repeated, feeling completely overwhelmed. ‘That’s it. I want to go home now.’"

"Beautiful girls is what you cannot stand?" Drew asked, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, that was too much." Percy nodded.

"Anthony frowned. ‘Don’t you get it, Percy? You are home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us.’"

"Home?" Thalia snorted. "Why would she think of that place as her home? No one treated her as family!"

Jason nodded. "I am grateful that Percy changed that. No one should go through everything she endured. It isn't right."

Reyna sighed. "This isn't what I expected. This is the only safe place for Greek demigods, and yet you treat them like that? If I was Percy, I'd have left that Camp right away."

"I thought about it." Percy admitted.

"Why didn't you leave, then?" Dakota asked. "Because you didn't leave, right?"

"I made a good friend there, and I didn't want to lose him." Percy replied.

Chris jumped. Luke. She was referring to Luke.

Now he got why Percy thought that she would join Luke, before her first quest.

Personal loyalty . Luke was the only one she was loyal to.

Anyway, Chris was sure that Percy would never help Kronos. She would have helped Luke. That's for sure.

But not by bringing Kronos back.

"‘You mean, mentally disturbed kids?’"

"Yes." Leo nodded. "That's the definition of demigods, anyway."

Percy laughed.

"‘I mean not human. Not totally human, anyway. Half-human.’...... ‘That’s... crazy.’"

"Dam, it is." Percy nodded.

Thalia and Grover chuckled for the dam joke.

"Okay, you seem to take it surprisingly well." Piper noticed. "Why?"

"I was attacked by a Minotaur, my math professor was a Fury, and my mom told me that my dad was a god." Percy shrugged. "Apparently, my best friend was a half goat and my other professor a half horse."

"She kinda has a lot of suggestions." Thalia nodded.

"Hard to lose them." Bianca laughed.

"‘Is it? What’s the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they’ve changed their habits in the last few  millennia?’..... ‘Then who’s your dad?’"

"That's sexist." Travis rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yes, Percy, how dare you show this lack of respect towards women?" Chris said.

"I just thought they would have more common sense." Percy replied. "And I was kinda right. Anyway, brain babies aren't something we hear during the Talk, so..."

Sally sighed. "You made it impossible, you know?"

"Mom, I live in the Greek world. I need a very special kind of the Talk. Not just the mortal one." Percy rolled her eyes.

"I suggested that Sally should let Poseidon deal with that." Paul smiled. "Percy disagreed."

"Dad wouldn't have given me the Talk." Percy sighed. "Just kidnap me till I don't change my mind about it."

Poseidon nodded. That was a good idea. It would also keep very distant the ones that would love to take her as their lover.

"His hands tightened around the pier railing. I got the feeling I’d just trespassed on a sensitive subject..... ‘What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?’
‘Who’s your mom, then?’ I rolled my eyes. Sure, tell the girl she is sexist just because she thinks that your father is the immortal parent. Artemis, Hera and Athena are vergins. Hera is the goddess of marriage, she wouldn't go around messing with mortals. I couldn't remember a single demigod from Aphrodite and Demeter in myth. But, sure, I was just sexist.”

Everyone laughed.

"‘Cabin six.’..... ‘My dad would have. He loved her.’"

Percy shot an apologetic look to Amphitrite. "I mean, for a mortal."

"You're right." Amphitrite smiled. "And I can certainly get why. Your mother is a very special mortal." She smiled towards Sally.

"Anthony gave me a cautious look. ...... ‘So I’m stuck here,’ I said. ‘That’s it? For the rest of my life?’"

"You know, you should be." Thalia rolled her eyes. "You are too powerful to live in the mortal world alone."

"Why?" Dakota asked.

"I am Poseidon's daughter." Percy said. "That attracts monsters. They look for me and challenge me. More powerful a demigod is, the more monsters will follow him or her."

"Okay." Gwen nodded. "But it sounds like you don't stay all year at the Camp."

"My mom isn't at the Camp." Percy shrugged. "And the monsters could try to find me."

Rachel laughed. "They tried a lot."

"I mean, of course they did." Percy smiled. "But I want to stay with my mom and I won't let some monsters ruin our lives."

"Okay." Jason nodded. "I got that. You're right. They already ruin a lot of our lives."

"The main question is: did you have to take in another kid of the Big Three?" Thalia pointed at Nico.

Percy smiled. "I found him and decided he was mine."

Hades sighed. "You kidnap my son?"

" Yep ." Percy nodded. "I totally did. He didn't know he was coming with me till he saw the car, so..."

"Percy." Sally sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't kidnap anyone, please."

"I won't, mom. Sorry."

"‘It depends,’......... ‘Practice fights. Practical jokes.’"

"Jokes?" Hermes asked.

"‘Practical jokes?’...... His voice trailed off. I could tell from his tone that the last time hadn’t gone well."

"What happened the last time ?" Leo asked.

Percy looked down.

Leo, seeing her expression, shrugged. "You know? I don't really care. Let's keep reading!"

Percy smiled at him.

"‘Back in the sick room,’ I said, ‘when you were feeding me that stuff –’ .... ‘Oh, sure.’ As far as I knew, there were only a hundred and two floors in the Empire State Building, but I decided not to point that out."

"He would just assume that you were mocking him." Thalia sighed.

Anthony blushed. "I thought she saw the orientation video."

"Anyway, that wasn't a proper way to introduce someone at the Camp." Reyna said. "Things aren't like this, at Camp Jupiter."

Octavian nodded. That was just another reason why the Romans were better than the Greeks.

"‘Right after we visited,’ ..... ‘I’m not too young. If they would just tell me  the problem...’"

"That seems like your fatal flaw is the one talking." Thalia muttered.

"What is a fatal flaw?" Leo asked.

"You don't know?" Anthony asked, confused.

"We are still new to this stuff." Leo shrugged.

"It's a trait of the personality that is taken to an excessive point. Like, Achilles’ rage. Or Odysseus' pride. It is something that, in small portion is a good thing, but becomes fatal when it is your main trait." Percy explained. "Thalia wished for power. It's okay to want some power, cause that is the reason why you fight. To hold your power. When it becomes too much, it can be dangerous. Or my fatal fault is loyalty. I am loyal, and it's a good thing. The bad part came when I had to choose between myself or one of my friends. Or the world and one of my friends. What will my choice be? Who am I most loyal to?" Percy finished her explanation.

Leo frowned. "How do I know my fatal flaw?"

"Some demigods never learnt it." Thalia shrugged. "It can be a good thing or a bad thing."

"Good thing because you don't try to master it. Bad thing because it can control you and you wouldn't even know." Nico said.

Leo nodded. "Thank you."

"I could smell barbecue smoke coming from somewhere nearby. Anthony must’ve heard my stomach growl. He told me to go on, he’d catch me later. I left him on the pier, tracing his finger across the rail as if drawing a battle plan.

Out of all the cabins, eleven looked the most like a regular old summer camp cabin, with the emphasis on old. The threshold was worn down, the brown paint peeling. Over the doorway was one of those doctor’s symbols, a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. What did they call it...? "

"Caduceus." Hermes smiled.

" A caduceus. "

He smiled again, his eyes glowing.

" Inside, it was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number of bunk beds. Sleeping bags were spread all over on the floor. It looked like a gym where the Red Cross had set up an evacuation center .

For the first time, I noticed that a lot of the campers had similar features: sharp noses, upturned eyebrows, mischievous smiles. They were the kind of kids that teachers would peg as troublemakers. Thankfully, nobody paid much attention to me as I walked over to my spot on the floor and plopped down with my Minotaur horn.

I saw that, in that spot, there was my bag. Grover must have took it again from the car. He was the only one to know it was there. I smiled when I opened it, finding the blue candies my mom gave me back in New York, just after finding out I was been expelled again. I swallowed, holding my tears back. "

Sally hugged her.

"Thank you, Grover." Sally smiled at her daughter's friend.

Percy nodded. "Yes, thank you. That meant a lot."

Grover smiled. "Anytime."

" It was my fault. I just had to tell her everything right away, and maybe she could be there with me. "

"No, it wasn't your fault." Sally whispered. "You did nothing wrong, Percy."

"Thank you, mom."

"A guy approached me. He was about nineteen, and he looked pretty cool. ... The only thing unsettling about his appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash."

Hermes raised his eyebrow. That was Luke ? 

"Were you checking him out?" Jason asked.

"No, I was merely describing him." Percy scoffed, shaking her head. "Why is it when a girl describes a boy, she has to have a crush on him?"

"Sexist." Travis shook his head.

"Such a shame." Connor sighed.

" I rose, looking at him tired. I already went through the process of being the new kid in the fancy school. But I definitely wasn't in the mood at the moment.

'Look, if you want give me an hard time, just, do it tomorrow.' I sighed. 'I can't take it anymore today.' "

Sad glances were shot towards Percy.

She did really have a bad day.

" 'I heard what happened on the hill,' he said, looking at me with something like emphaty. 'and I just... I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry.' "

Persephone looked over Percy. She had a sad smile on her face. She really felt better when she heard those words. She had needed them.

" A weight I had felt all day lifted from my shoulders.

Finally someone in there seemed sad and sympathetic to my mom's fate. Someone gave her and me the slightest attention for what we had been through.

Someone didn't ignore our pain just for the sake of the outcome. Being alive. Having killed a monster.

What did it matter if all I could think about was my mother turning to golden dust and disappearing? "

Anthony and Chiron looked down.

Thalia smiled. "I'm glad he was there for you."

"Me too." Percy nodded. "I'm glad he was there, too."

She didn't add that she only hoped he had stayed.

“‘ I know what you are going through, believe me.' He kept talking, his voice calm and reassuring, calming me down and making me feel safe. Only my mom had being able to do something like that. "

Thalia looked at Percy, tilting her head.

"This is..."

Many Greek demigods looked horrified.

They knew Percy had spent time with Luke, but they had no idea how close they were.

Percy's loyalty had immediately gone towards the blond boy.

" He held out his hand, smiling at me. 'I'm Luke.'

With a smile, I shook his hand. 'I'm Percy.'

‘And here, I stole you some toiletries from the camp store.’

I couldn’t tell if he was kidding about the stealing part."

"No, he wasn't." Chris shook his head.

"Yeah, I kinda get it." Percy smiled.

"I said, ‘Thanks.’... I wondered if the story had anything to do with how he got his scar."

Hermes looked horrified. "I would never..."

"I am sorry." Percy said, looking at him. "You're right. You would never."

Hermes looked at her. Percy meant what she was saying. She truly believed him. "Thank you, Percy."

"Luke looked up and managed a smile......... ‘I hate prophecies.’"

Apollo pouted, but Percy nodded. "Yeah."

The sun god looked at her sad, but Thalia sighed. "Maybe, and it's just a suggestion , you could let someone else be part of the Prophecy just for once."

"If someone else here would be able to do the job, gladly." Percy nodded.

"‘What do you mean?’...... Somehow, I knew it was a conch shell, even though I’d never heard one before."

"The sea is calling for you." Poseidon smiled.

"I am Moana!" Percy replied.

"Oh, so that's the third movie we are going to see, I suppose." Rachel mused.

" Yes !" Percy nodded.

"Luke yelled, ‘Eleven, fall in!’.... I had to squeeze on to the edge of a bench with half my butt hanging off.

Luke was at my side, and with him another demigod. 'This is Chris.' Luke introduced him, smiling when we shook hands. 'He is also in our cabin.' "

Everyone looked at Chris, who had a sad smile on his face.

"Luke and Chris were your friends?" Leo asked. He knew that Luke became Kronos' host and he heard some stories about Chris being a traitor for some time. And they were Percy's friends?

"Yes, they were." Percy nodded, looking at Leo, knowing he knew what they did.

"How long...?" Leo began to ask.

"The end of the summer." Percy sighed. "At the end of this summer."

"Oh." Leo looked down. That sucked.

" I liked how he said our. Like that was a place also for me. 

'Pleasure to meet you.' I said, smiling at Chris, who smiled back. 'Likewise. So, I heard that you showered Clarisse with toilet's water?'

I smiled, that same mischievousness accompanying  a troublemakers smile that got me in trouble so many times before. 'She kinda asked for it.'

Chris snickered. 'Yeah, I got what you mean, Luke. She could totally being one of the Hermes' kids.' "

"Thank you, kind lord." Percy winked, looking at Chris.

Poseidon grimaced. "But you are my daughter."

"And no one is trying to steal her." Amphitrite rolled her eyes. "Stop being jealous over nothing , Poseidon."

" I tilted my head, looking confused at Luke. 'Haven't you met Travis and Connor?'

'I met Mr D, who pretended to be my dad just to get alcohol.' Luke and Chris sighed, used to hearing that sentence. 'Chiron, who was my latin professor, Grover, who was my classmate, Anthony and Clarisse. And you two.' "

"I love how you introduced everyone." Dakote chuckled.

"She has a talent for introductions." Clarisse rolled her eyes.

"And names." Grover added. "Let's not forget Bessie."

"Shut up!" Percy blushed. "That was an accident!"

"Really?" Grover asked, amused.

"I thought he was a girl!" Percy exclaimed.

"Who is Bessie?" Poseidon asked.

Grover, Anthony and Thalia laughed.

"That's not funny!" Percy blushed. "I honestly thought he was a girl, so I thought that Bessie was a good name!"

"Who is he?" Triton insisted.

"Someone Percy will name." Grover replied. "Spoiler, sorry."

Triton nodded.

" 'Well, they are two pureblood brothers. Same mother, both Hermes' sons.' Luke said. 'My brothers, also. And they are some troublemakers.' He pointed at the couple of brothers and, looking at them, they seemed almost twins. 'So we had our Fred and George.' I commented, making Chris and Luke laugh. "

Travis and Connor cheered.

" I smiled. It was nice, I decided. Being with people that got me, that liked me ."

Chris gulped. Damn, he asked Percy if she was ready, but Chris wasn't ready to hear all the ways they tricked her. She didn't deserve that.

" 'We have our Fred and George.' Chris agreed. 'Wait to tell them. They are going to love the comparison.'

I snickered, before glancing at the dining pavilion to see the other demigods present.

I saw Grover sitting at table twelve with Mr D, a few satyrs and a couple of plump blond boys who looked just like Mr D. ..... Then I had an idea. ‘Blue Cherry Coke.’"

Sally kissed her daughter's head.

"The soda turned a violent shade of cobalt.... She’s in the Underworld. And if that’s a real place, then some day..."

Hades moaned. "Stay out of my domain, niece."