A/N: I do not own any of the characters used in this story sadly :(..they belong to the wonderful Mr. Rick Riodan, Hyperion Books, and Disney. Also this is my first time writing a fanfic and I am looking for a beta to help me become a better writer. Please leave reviews and constructive criticism…flames will not be read!

(Talking is italicized)

Sometimes it's not easy to see

No parent is perfect; they can only hope that they raise their children in accordance to their own beliefs and to the best of their ability. Now I am sure some of you are wondering where I'm going and the relevance, well it's quite simple. The Gods like the Titans before them were never great parents, they still are not great parents, despite how much they claim to care. Some would say it's because they're selfish, narcissistic, and blind to everything that doesn't directly affect them, perhaps it's more complicated than that.

Love is something that is passed down and taught, not something inherently given, so how can we be expected to love accordingly. As Gods we are worshiped feared and through that worship we are expected to give favor and answers prayer, we were never expected to love. If one wants to be even more thorough, my father the omnipotent Zeus, well you couldn't say he was the best parental figure. He stays long enough to ensure our creation and soon begins to scout out his next conquest. If I ever looked for lessons of family, love, and faithfulness from my father, well I'm sure they're skewed. Maybe that's why I cannot love my son or my other children the way they deserve, most importantly my precious baby boy.

I watched over him from the day he was born, looking up at me with those crystal blue orbs. He exemplified innocence, everything about him screamed for me to protect him and so badly, oh so badly, I wished..prayed I was able. I knew that in years to come the precious smile upon his face would become a frown at the sight or mere mention of me. My boy, my angel would come to think I abandoned him, and maybe in some ways I have. I could hear his tiny voice praying to me, so scared and hidden away in a closet asking me to save him. He pleaded for years for me to appear and stop the torment, wailed until he could no longer call out, and yet I gave no answer.

When he finally decided to run away, I guided him from afar. I convinced myself, like many other Gods that distance was a far better choice than making my presence known. I watched from the sky as he gained companions and battled his way through terrifying monsters to the sanctuary of Camp Half-Blood. I rejoiced with him in his victories and cringed at him pain, how I wished to comfort him; to dry his tears away. I had the chance to tell him, to let him know I cared and all I could say to him was "You shouldn't have come back". My voice was harsher than I had intended it to be, I knew from the tears welling in his eyes. As quickly as the flow of tears came, it was erased by anger and hatred and I knew, my son no longer considered me his father. It only worsened when he lost a dear friend to a monster and I was no help in her survival.

Year passed and I dared to hope that maybe, somewhere deep down he still loved me. I hoped in my dreams that we could pretend to be normal as if I had always been by his side, but I am a God and it could never be. That's why when I raced back to Olympus, I already knew..my precious boy was gone. Suddenly I understood why mortals value life so much; spend so much of their time looking for memories and happiness because in the end all that's left is the memories. I slowly walk over to my sons limp body, covered by my shroud and I kneel next to him. I shed no tears as look down upon him; I haven't full accepted that he's gone. To me he will never be gone. He was my favorite son, my eldest son, and the one who taught me what it meant to love. I know that he will never be able to hear me express my admiration and love for him, but I will ensure his siblings never suffer the way he did. They will know I love them all and that I loved Luke as well.