Okay, so this is some stupid thing I wrote a year or two ago that I thought I might as well post. Yeet.

Everybody knew that Percy had had a rough childhood. It was obvious. Whenever we would bring up the subject of how free we felt as a child, Percy would tense up and crack a joke about how he was born with a sword in his hand, knowing everybody would get off the subject and onto proving it was impossible.

This time, I refused to let him get away with it.

"Hey guys, what was the funniest thing that happened when you were a kid?" Leo smiled his impish grin and looked to his left to an uncomfortable Percy.

"You guys know, when I was born with a sword in hand and tried to lob off the doctor's head." He gave his characteristic, carefree grin as Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Percy, you realise that you couldn't be born with a sword in hand, your mom would've died."

"Well, my mom couldn't be hurt since it was Celestial Bronze!"

"Yeah, ri-"

"Percy, tell us a different story, maybe when you were four." He gave me a dark look.

"Why? My childhood was boring, I'd rather hear about your childhood with Sammy."

I turned to Piper on my left and gave her a wink, which she smirked and Percy rolled his eyes.

"Percy," Piper's voice was sickly sweet, threaded with charmspeak. "Tell us about a story of your childhood."

His dark hair shook as he said no, being the only person in history to ever be able to resist her charmspeak..

"Why not bro, we can tell you ours first, then you can go. No need to be embarrassed." Jason smiled and put a hand on Percy's shoulder, but he shook his head again.

"I will be leaving now, excuse me." He pushed past everybody and walked off towards the beach as the sun set, lighting up the strawberry patch where we were sitting.

"Gods, I feel bad. What happened to Percy in his childhood that he doesn't want to share?" Piper asked quietly, letting the silence envelope the six of us.

"I don't know, but it must've been bad. I've never, and I mean never, seen him like that." I said, and Annabeth nodded.

"I've seen him like that, only when he loses someone close to him will he close off. Before you ask, I'm as clueless as you. All I know of is his old stepdad, Smelly Gabe, who reeked so bad he covered his demigod scent." Everyone couldn't help but giggle at her description of this Smelly Gabe guy.

"Man, gods help us." Jason said softly.

Leo screamed as light surrounded the six of us.

...

I opened my eyes after the light died down, and I saw that I was sitting cross-legged on the ground, but the ground was no longer rich soil and dead leaves. It was a cream marble with golden decorative lines like a mandala through the circular, well, you couldn't just call it a room.

There were twelve thrones of all the assorted gods and goddesses of the Olympians, and a hearth towards the end of the circle. The room was almost deserted, aside from the girl who sat there, tending the flames with what seemed to be a wooden staff, colored gold with intricate designs that radiated love and hope. Hestia.

Her hair was an almost caramel color, the color shifting from gold to orange to a light yellow as though flames danced along it. Her eyes were pure fire- not like Ares, radiating the hatred, but more of a warmth, like sipping cocoa on a snowy day by the hearth. Her face was young and fierce, though warm and loving. This girl could obviously hold her own, but wasn't as strong and fearing as Artemis or even Aphrodite.

This was the goddess I admire most.

"Lady Hestia," I started as we bowed. "What an honor."

"No need for that, I am not an Olympian. I need no formalities. No bowing, no lady. I am Hestia to you." Hestia smiled as we stood up. "Good, now, I know you are hoping to meddle with your friend, Perseus Jackson's, life. Are you sure you still want to?"

Frank cleared his throat. "Yes, La- Hestia, we still would like to."

"Alright then. Now, I am not mean, I respect Percy. I will not allow you directly into his past. Instead, I will bring his past to you." Her smile was genuine, but her words seemed too sweet, as though she was hiding something.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Annabeth asked, panic laced in her question.

Hestia smiled gently as a baby's cries were heard, and the flames in the hearth parted to reveal a small, swaddled baby with a mop of black hair and wide, sea green eyes.

"I-is that.." Hazel faltered as he cried louder, Hestia finally picking him up and hushing the baby gently.

"Yes, Percy will relive his childhood with you."