Chapter 1:

"I can hardly believe it. Twins, Poseidon, twins!" Sally rambled on from the window, a smile beaming from her face. Spinning around with the papers from the doctor falling through her fingers, a joy-filled laugh escaped her, seeming to brighten the whole apartment. "Would you believe that I've never sired a pair of twins?" Poseidon's gaze became misty as he looked out onto the bustling street outside. "I can hardly believe it, but at the same time I can hardly wait to hold them." His expression gradually became dark as thoughts raced across his mind. This was hardly the first time he had gotten a mortal with child, but under these circumstances…precautions would need to be taken. 'Twin demigods in one location? The scent would surely be overwhelming to any monster around. Not to mention should my brothers find out.'

Sally was oblivious to his current train of thought however, and noticed his prolonged silence. Noting his darkened expression, she reached for his arm. "What worries you so? No other immortal knows of us, do they?" As optimistic as she had tried to be, Sally had heard stories of what happened to mistresses in Greek mythology. Poseidon snapped out of his concentration at the sudden contact, and clasped a hand over Sally's. "Our children will be protected, I promise, but I worry nonetheless about having two demigods of high caliber under the same roof. If I was to ward this place, someone would surely notice it, being this close to Olympus." He paused and stepped over to the door, outlines of a plan of action forming in his mind. "Still, we have 4 months to prepare. For now, the seas call, and I must answer." He embraced Sally from behind, wrapping his arms around her protruding midsection. "Be safe, Sally." With that, he faded into a sea breeze and was gone.

Miles away on the beaches of Montauk, Poseidon stood up to mid-calf in the surf. With a gentle crackle of flames behind him signaling the arrival of his elder sister, he turned back to shore. "It is good to see you, dear sister." Regardless of Zeus's disregard for his siblings, Poseidon had maintained relationships with some of his siblings, namely Hestia and Hades. Though as relations with his eldest brother were strained at the moment, he had no one to turn to outside of Hestia. "As good as it is to see you as well, brother, I assume this is not a social call," Hestia stated, eyes falling onto her brother, taking note of his worried expression. "You are correct as usual, Hestia." As the distance between them decreased, Hestia noted the dark bags under his eyes. 'His eyes show stress as well. This doesn't bode well at all.' Letting loose an exasperated breath, she quipped, "Surely you haven't been kicked out of Amphitrite's bed again, have you dear brother?" Her attempt at humor failed to elicit a reaction from the god, his expression darkening if anything.

"I'm in a bind, Hestia. I'm expecting a child." Hestia's smug expression dropped instantly. 'Please to Aether don't let it be…'was all she could think. "I'm sure Amphitrite will be happy to have another child." At that, his head dropped. "Amphitrite isn't the mother." Poseidon raised his head to look her in the eye, his face serious, "Her name is Sally, and she's going to have…twins." Hestia's expression was disappointment, as she shook her head. "Brother, again? Have you no restraint? It hasn't even been three score years since the oath was taken by you three." She sighed as he hung his head in shame. "Regardless of any mistakes on your part, what of the children? What are your plans? Surely you've realized that should they become common knowledge, Zeus and Hades will do all they can to kill them?"

At that statement, Poseidon raised his head slightly. "I mean to come clean with Hades. I broke the oath, and I will admit as much to him. He was wronged by Zeus when he blasted the mortal woman oh so many years ago, but I had no hand in it. I will apologize to him in person, and I plan to do it before the children are born." Shock ran through Hestia at this admission, not having expected such a statement. 'Has Zeus set such a bad precedent in the past for the hunting of newborns to be the natural reaction? Still, with the Great prophecy awaiting a half-blood of the big three, a hostile reaction was only natural from someone as paranoid as Zeus.' She paused, momentarily."I will accompany you to speak with Hades, if you wish, but Amphitrite will be your problem, you know." In response, Poseidon winced. "I will also inform her, it is only right she knows. I am more worried about Zeus though. He seems to be more paranoid than usual. My children would be dead before they even came into this world should he find out."

"I fear you are right in that regard. Nevertheless, time is of the essence. What is your plan for informing our elder brother?" Poseidon strode out of the surf with a determined expression on his face, a resolve taking root in his eyes. "I plan to inform Amphitrite before the moon wanes again, and once that is done, I will talk with Hades." Before he was finished talking, he had already begun to dissolve into mist. 'Hades will be furious after the incident with his most recent kids, but I WILL make sure my children will be subject to no wrath from him.' Looking to Hestia, he gave a parting smile, "Wish me luck, sister." As the mist drifted out to sea and vanished, Hestia too left the scene, thoughts racing through her head. "Luck indeed brother. Your children will need it."

Poseidon was slightly nervous as they descended into the underworld. As expected, Amphitrite had been irate when he told her of his children, furious even. Their marriage was one of politics, and she had also had her slip-ups along the way, but he knew that was no excuse for what had happened. "While considerably less than pleased, I cannot fault the children. I too have had demigod children. It is no secret." She made it quite clear they wouldn't be welcome in Atlantis for the foreseeable future, but had promised she had no ill-will for them. "They didn't have a choice, but you did, and I will have my satisfaction." Poseidon shivered at the thought of a verbal lashing he would not soon forget. Hestia saw the shiver, and laughed lightly, "I take it Amphitrite was irate? To be expected." She turned her gaze back to the looming palace they were approaching, taking note of the opened gates not a hundred feet away. "At least you accomplished your main objective," she stated, careful to avoid mentioning anything of the children before they had a secure audience with their brother. As they made their way to the throne room, she gazed upon the black stone masonry all around, interspaced with skeletal soldiers of all sorts. 'At least he let us teleport right outside the gates of his palace, it would have been a long walk through asphodel.' Upon reaching the doors of the throne room, the giant marble slabs swung open to reveal a great hall with two thrones at the far end, only one of which was occupied.

Their footsteps were loud upon the stone floor, and the atmosphere was tense as they approached. Poseidon took the initiative, "Brother." Hades' expression never changed, but he responded in kind. "Brother, Sister. I am quite curious as to the nature of what warranted a direct visit to my domain and could not be sent with a messenger." With a solemn expression, Hestia motioned to the room around them, "Perhaps we could move to a more secure room, brother. What Poseidon has to say is not for any ears besides yours." She eyed the furies perched on the back of his throne as she said it, not trusting the kindly ones at all. Hades eyed them both with a severe eye, but relented. "Very well, come with me." He stood gracefully, and strode to a door behind his throne. Poseidon and Hestia followed a few steps behind as they went deeper into the palace, until they reached what looked like a study with an ancient looking desk and chairs in front of it next to a large fireplace.

Taking a seat behind the desk, Hades pulled a bottle from within, filling up three glasses and replacing the stopper. "From your expressions, I won't like what you have to say, so you might as well drink." Poseidon's was quickly downed, with Hestia taking a small sip, and letting her glass rest on the arm of her chair. Casting a look at Poseidon, she lightly nodded. 'Now's as good a time as any, we can only hope at this point.' Poseidon visibly steeled himself and looked his elder brother dead in the eye. "Brother, I…I have broken our oath. I have sired a pair of demigods, which will be born two months' time from now. I came to inform you myself of this, but most importantly, to make sure they would be safe from your wrath for being born." As he trailed off, his grip on his trident tightened in accordance of the darkening of the room as the shadows grew in size and depth.

Hades stood slowly and walked to the fireplace, his gaze never leaving the fire blazing in the hearth. When he finally spoke, his voice was ice cold. "And pray tell, exactly why should I not send the depths of hell after them? Did my own children not suffer the same fate when Zeus learned of them? DID THEY NOT?!" Ichor dropped onto the rug covering the floor, landing on the crystal shards of the tumbler he had crushed in his hand. Yet still, his gaze never left the fire. Hestia and Poseidon both flinched at the exclamation, Hestia adopting a sad expression, while Poseidon rose to his feet. "Brother, I had no part in what Zeus did to them, I swear it on the Styx. I was still grieving the loss of my children from that horrible war. I had little time at all for hatred then. Your hate is just, but I was not responsible for it." Hades turned to retort, and locked eyes with Poseidon. He held his trident firmly, but his eyes held no anger. A steel gaze, yes, but not a harsh one. Hades' rage had calmed somewhat, but was still present. "I knew you had little if anything to do with it. It was Zeus through and through." His gaze at his brother softened marginally. "But that still does not excuse your breaking of the oath. We three made it together to avoid tragedies like that damnable war. It nearly tore apart Olympus. We CANNOT stand another war between us. It will surely be the end of us." Hades paused, looking down at his golden colored hand, before walking back to the desk and retrieving a flask of nectar.

"I have a proposal for you, brother." Poseidon and Hestia were both curious at the sudden change of pace, with Poseidon eagerly responding, "What sort of proposal are we talking of?" Hades took one last look at the mantle, a picture of two black eyed children and a beautiful Italian woman being the focus of his gaze. After a length of time, he responded, with a voice no louder than a whisper. "My Children are alive." Shock flooded the other occupants of the room at the admission, with Poseidon's mind racing at the thought of them surviving a blast from the master bolt. "I pushed out my aura when I sensed Zeus's bolt charging, but I could only cover the children. Maria was on the second floor when the impact came. I had not been fast enough to save her. My rage was unparalleled, at the loss of my lover. But the children had survived, and I know they needed to be hidden. With the Great prophecy at hand, I sought a solution, and found one. But before I go any further, are we in agreement on no hostility towards either of our children?" Poseidon strode to the desk, clasping his arm to that of his brother, choosing to protect his children rather than hold a grudge. 'This is a chance for a better future for us both, and I won't ignore that. To Tartarus with this pointless hate.' "I'm ready to turn over a new leaf if it means my children will be a little bit safer. I'm with you, brother."

Hades' mind was in shock at how fast Poseidon had accepted the tentative alliance, if it could be called such. 'Would it always have been this easy to make peace with him? He was never as proud as Zeus, but to know this is all that was required. Best to seize the bull by the horns as they say.' "If you're willing, I want to make an alliance. Between the two of us, I-," Hestia rose at that moment, "Ahem? The three of us, if you so please. While I have no children of my own, I would be more than willing to help protect your children and to see this alliance blossom into something good." Her smile vanished however, and the flames in the hearth roared along with her though when she scolded both gods. "However, this is NOT an excuse to go around impregnating mortals. Am. I. Clear?" Her gaze burned through the gods, making both cower to the firstborn child of the children of Kronos. "Yep." "Absolutely."

The quick responses could not have been more sincere. Hestia's cheerful expression returned, as did the lighting of the room. "Wonderful! Now, let's begin this alliance on the right foot. What of your children, Hades?" Said god's expression darkened at the mention of the kids. "They were placed in the home of the lotus eaters. Time moves different there, and they are 11 and 12 years old. I had thought of pulling them out to train them for the prophecy, but I am still unsure." Poseidon looked thoughtful at the mention of the lotus eaters. "A good hiding place, a demigod's scent could easily be lost in a place infested with monsters all around." Hades nodded along with the assessment. "What of your children, Poseidon? Forgive me, but I would think something is abnormal this time to warrant such an action to protect them." Poseidon's gaze darkened at that, and he sank into the armchair, the bags under his eyes becoming more prominent.

"Twins, brother. My first pair, godling, nymph, demigod, or otherwise. They have no precedent." He glanced over at his brother, who was deep in thought at the revelation. Looking at Hestia first, he replied. "My first demigod twins were incredible. They are very prone to exceptions though. Arden and Ariel had corresponding abilities that made them more powerful than normal. Arden could become a 'ghost' in which he could not be harmed, walk through walls, and the like. Ariel could telekinetically control precious metals and gems, and they could both open a gate to Tartartus, but opening a gate left them drained of energy to the point that it took years off their life." Hades took a long sip from the nectar before replacing it in his desk and filling a new tumbler with liquor. "But those were my first pair of twins. Apollo and Artemis had their own quirks, but due to their godhood, they were less pronounced. They can tell where each other are with a mere thought though, as long as they aren't being hidden by an outside source. I can only imagine what is in store for yours. If it is the same as most gods, they will have an exponentially stronger connection to your domains. But if so, it wouldn't surprise me if what one was strong in, the other would be lacking in, comparatively. Alas, that is only a theory, and I suspect only time will tell the truth on this matter." Poseidon nodded, having his suspicions confirmed by his brother. The conversation was steered away from children by Hestia after a long silence, and all three siblings agreed to meet regularly to discuss any news or anything of note. With that, they went their separate ways.

2 Months Later

"Everything will be alright Poseidon, Hades has the harpies patrolling the skies around the hospital, and cyclopses are guarding every entrance into the hospital. Go to Sally." Hurriedly, said god ran down the hall to the room where Sally had been for the past 8 hours. Hestia strolled in the same direction, but at a leisurely pace. 'I still have a bad feeling. So did Hades. He mentioned as much at the meeting last week. It can't be helped though. This much protection will still warrant attention from any monster or immortal around. It's a good thing Artemis owed me a favor.' Looking out the window at the moon, she frowned at the moon tracing a path through the night sky. 'I'm glad she's disillusioned with her father, but her loyalty is too strong. It's a shame she couldn't have helped Sally.'

Hestia stayed at the window for next hour, checking in with Hades about his servants and patrolling the halls around Sally's room herself before a chime sounded over the speaker, signaling that the sole occupant of the pregnancy ward had delivered the first of the twins. With a warm smile, she made her way quickly to the room to see Sally still struggling to birth the second of the two. Meanwhile, she spotted a blue bundle being held by a nurse nearby, and which Hestia quickly relieved her of. Jet black hair, sticking every which way was the first thing she saw, but as tiny eyelids peeled back, Hestia was shocked at the intensity of the vivid green eyes that met hers. She took note of the silver flecks in the iris, bringing a rainstorm to mind. When she finally tore her gaze away from the mesmerizing orbs, she examined the tag on the blanket. 'Perseus Ajax Jackson.' "A fitting name for you, little one." As she smiled at Perseus, she noted his cheery smile back at her, while his little hands reaching out of the blanket trying to reach her nose.

She was pulled out of her concentration when a cry erupted from Sally, followed by a high-pitched cry from the newborn in the doctor's arms. Sally sagged in relief, a teary Poseidon hugging her from the bedside. Words were shared with a nurse out of her earshot, before they took down a name and took Perseus from her to deliver them to the nursery. Smiling warmly, Hestia made her way over to Sally, giving her a burst of warmth to soothe the aching mother. "You did wonderfully, Sally. Two beautiful, healthy children." Sally was exhausted, but still blushed at the praise from a goddess. "Thank you lady Hestia, they ARE beautiful." She teared up again at the thought of her babies, bringing Hestia to the point of tears as well, but they were held back. "Please, Sally, just Hestia," she replied, making the mother stutter, and Poseidon laugh. "How long until they bring back Percy and Theo? I want to hold my children more than anything." Poseidon's gaze softened even further, if possible as he addressed Sally, "Not too long, the doctor said that they'd have to give them the basic shots and such, but that they'd return them within the hour." Sally was less than pleased, but resigned to wait.

Perhaps twenty minutes had passed before Poseidon suddenly snapped his head around in the direction of the nursery and summoned his trident in one smooth motion. Sally had fallen asleep, as 10 hours of labor had taken its toll upon her, but still stirred at the sudden action. "A number of cyclopses aren't reporting in," was all the warning Hestia got before Poseidon ran out the doors trident in hand. Hurriedly following in his wake, she cast her thoughts to Hades, poking a tendril at his mind. 'Something is troubling Poseidon, apparently some cyclopses went quiet. That was all I got before he rushed out of Sally's room.' Hades' response came shortly, 'His mind is too focused for me to get his attention. I imagine Poseidon is already there, but check on the children first. They are the priority.' Giving the equivalent of a mental nod, Hestia turned in the direction of the nursery, her thoughts reaching for that of the children. It was never good to touch the minds of newborns or any young children for that matter, but time was of the essence.

With the doors to the nursery in sight, her heart dropped. One of the demigod nurses was on his back, a pool of blood stemming from a gash across his throat. Frantically, she stepped over his body and into the nursery to a nightmare. Poseidon's aura radiated out as he had a man covered in dark clothing impaled on his trident and pinned to the wall. Two other bodies were scattered across the room, not necessarily whole. The man on the wall was barely clinging to life, but with his face mask removed Hestia saw a solemn expression, no emotions present on his face. "WHERE IS HE?!" Poseidon roared, pushing the trident further into the wall. As the wall gave way, taking the mysterious man to the floor, Hestia moved to the main area of the nursery, looking for the twins. A cry rang out from her left, and she ran to the noise. A head of brown hair and dark blue eyes streaked with emerald green greeted her, reminding her of young Perseus. She quickly checked the name on the tag, 'Theseus Orion Jackson.' 'That's one. But where is Perseus?' Frantically looking around with heightening fear, she soon found all other babies in the nursery not to be her quarry.

Turning her gaze to her brother, she strode over to him as he continued to interrogate the man on his trident. She was shocked to find the man long since dead, a pool of blood staining the debris of the once baby blue wall a thick crimson. Poseidon had fallen to his knees, but shakily stood and made his way to Theseus. Trident still embedded in the mysterious man's body, he cradled his son to his chest and turned to gaze a burning gaze to Hestia. His voice was no louder than a whisper when he spoke, "Take him to Sally, and hide her with Hades for now, I will follow shortly." With that, he reluctantly handed the babe off to Hestia, and returning to his now stained symbol of power. Removing it from the chest of the man, Poseidon grabbed the body by the neck and flashed out, likely headed to Atlantis. Cradling the babe to her, she raced back to Sally, mentally reaching out to Hades at the same time. 'Perseus, the elder twin, is missing. Poseidon killed three and took one away to Atlantis. The younger one is safe, I'm going to take Sally and head to your palace right away.' She received an affirmation from Hades, and mentally cursed the prohibition on flashing they had made as not to draw attention to their presence in the hospital.

When she arrived, she found a pair of cyclops with crossed spears across the doorway. Upon seeing her, they made an opening, but immediately resumed guard when she passed through the doorway. Sally was wide-awake and distressed, but was being comforted by a woman with flowers braided through her black hair. She turned her head and multi-colored eyes met orange, understanding passing through Hestia. "Persephone, can you take her back to the palace? I'll take young Theseus with me." The springtime goddess nodded, and vanished with the young mother in a soft light. Hestia took a look around, grabbing any personal effects left in the room. With a last check, she clutched Theseus to her chest. "Hold on, little one." Orange flames, and she was gone.