Stumbling Truth

by wearethewitches

It's better like this. Rated M for content, one-shot.

I sat on the railing, looking down at Manhattan below. It would be so easy to just jump and end my pathetic life. I didn't want this, I didn't want this fame, to be called the Demigod of Destruction. I didn't want to be feared, or called 'Lord Perseus' by the kids who didn't know that I wasn't a god. It was better if I were dead. Gods can't bring people back to life- well, they can. But the Fates hate me, and wouldn't let them. Yeah, the Fates wouldn't want me alive. It's better like this.

I edged forward, before I stood, leaning forward. My hands held onto the railing behind me as I breathed in and out, faster and faster. I slowly let my fingers loosen. It was better like this.

Mom and Paul had my new sibling coming. They wouldn't have time to deal with my troubles, no matter how much they would try.

Annabeth had a new boyfriend, a fiancée. I was nothing to her anymore.

Leo, Piper, Jason, Frank, Hazel, Nico and Clarisse were all Gods and Goddess' now. To them, I was going to die eventually anyway.

Dad…Dad had Triton, and Amphitrite, and my new little half-sister Mitsuki from Japan. Dad would get over my death.

I breathed in as my fingers finally slipped. In the back of my mind I registered the shout that followed, but I didn't register the fact that I wasn't falling until I was being slapped on the face.

My hand went up as I blinked, looking to whomever had saved me. Saved me. I didn't want to be saved. I angered, glaring at whoever it was.

"Why'd you do that!?" She whisper-shouted, sounding shocked and scared. Another firework celebrating the end of the Giant War went off, and her face was illuminated.

She was beautiful, I had to admit. She had chocolate brown hair, with the front pulled back over her head. The odd loose strand curled up in a kind of corkscrew movement, looking blonde in the light. A gold crown of sorts that I recognized from somewhere sat on top of her head. She wore a white dress with gold edgings that rippled like oil on water, and lots of gold bangles around her ankles and feet.

Her eyes were a darker brown, and her features soft but at the same time holding a sharpness. I could imagine that when she was angry, she would look formidable, like ice. Right now though, her eyes were blown wide, her whole face holding a worried tone. She looked about my age, nineteen. My anger melted.

"It's better like this." I repeated quietly, barely more than a whisper on the wind that blew softly around us, making her dress ripple even more.

"It's better like this. How can it be better if you're dead?" She whisper-shouted again. "What could drive you to commit suicide?"

I looked down, finding the smooth stone more interesting right now as I shrugged. Next thing I knew, she had taken my hand and was dragging me through the back-alleys of Olympus. I didn't bother trying to see where we were, instead focusing on the back of her head. She led me for fifteen minutes, her grip never changing.

Soon though, we came to a door and stopped. She placed her hand on the handle-less door and it glowed gold. She was a Goddess, then. There were so many not mentioned in mythology that I didn't keep count anymore, but even then I couldn't recognize her. We went inside, and I looked around, but all motifs that might have clued me into her identity were missing.

We went into a bedroom, and she let go of my hand to point at the bed.

"Sleep, Perseus. If you leave I'll know." Then she left, leaving me to stagger over to the bed, wondering just who she was.

(-*-)

I woke feeling confused as to why I wasn't on the Argo, before remembering our victory. Then I remembered my actions during the party and felt ashamed. How could I just decide to die like that? Mom would never forgive me, and I was friends with Nico di Angelo, for the sake of Chaos, the newly titled God of Shadows and Skeletons. He could visit me whenever he wanted and summon me as a spirit to get nagged at and berated at by my parents.

Shaking my head, I stood up and looked down to find myself in only my boxers. I flushed slightly, had she undressed me?

"I didn't take off your clothes by hand, I assure you."

I span around, Riptide appearing in my hand as I unclipped it from my shorts. She sat on a chaise lounge, head resting on her hand as she stared at me, bored.

"Did you hear the rumours, by the way? Apparently you're Aphrodite's new boy-toy. Ares has a new set of scars from her nails, which were coated in poisonous venom nail-polish. Who knew she was so sneaky." She chuckled.

I looked at her, bewildered. "What?"

She looked at Riptide with a frown. "Put that away, I won't have weapons in my home."

I stood still for a second, before pressing the button to turn it back into a pen.

"Where are my clothes?"

She waved her hand in answer, and I was clothed. I raised an eyebrow at the blue muscle-top, but shrugged as she had given me Hawaiian surfer-trunks and flip-flops.

"Can I go?"

She shook her head. "No." I deflated at her answer. "Not until I'm sure you're not going to commit suicide at a moment's notice."

I looked down at the ground, feeling more ashamed by the second.

"Why were you going to do it?"

I opened my mouth but no sound came out. I couldn't explain it. She saw my face and seemed to decide something.

"I'm going to teach you something known to very few people in this Universe. First off though, have you ever read Harry Potter?"

I frowned. "I've watched the movies." I wasn't about to admit my dyslexia got the better of me two chapters into the first book. At my answer she hummed.

"Do you remember when Snape used Legillimancy on Harry to teach him Occlumency? I'm going to teach you something similar to the latter."

Running a hand through my hair, I frowned deeper. "Gods have a version of Occlumency?"

She hummed. "Yes. Now, before you ask, I'm going to give you a name to call me by. I don't really trust you to know my real name. Call me Hela."

"Call me Percy." I uttered, before I went over and sat on the chair that had appeared in front of her.

She smiled at me, making my need for a chair rise as my knees weakened. She had a beautiful smile.

"I'm going to go into your mind, then pull in your consciousness. Please know, that in your mind time passes quicker than it does in real life. We'll stay in your mind three days, which in real time is only about three hours."

I swallowed. "Okay." It sounded simple enough.

What could go wrong?

(-*-)

Hela looked at my mind-palace with a smile. "It's good."

We had been in my mind for about a day now, building up the foundations for my mind palace. In reality, it looked like the Poseidon Cabin at Camp Half-Blood. Hela had taught me how to store my memories, and categorize each of my emotions. My memories were hidden in the brick of the cabin itself, while my emotions could be accessed by touching a specific item inside. For instance, all my battle instincts were in the trident hanging on the wall, and my more horny emotions were in my bed-sheets.

"Now we have to build up defences." She said, before conjuring a sphinx. "You can create mind-constructs, like your mind-palace. If I wanted, I could order this sphinx to attack it." A second later, the sphinx growled and padded up to the building. I swiped my hand and a golden net appeared, catching the sphinx and tightening around it until it gave way under the pressure.

Hela shivered. "Good. A rule for non-living constructs, once you create it you cannot change it. Your net, for example; what were you thinking about when you conjured it?"

I licked my lips. "I wanted it to capture it, and do what it did."

Hela hummed. "Let's do it again. But this time, try stopping the net from destroying it once it appears." The sphinx appeared again, and prowled forward. I conjured the net again, but as it started to squeeze the captured sphinx again, I ordered it to stop. It didn't follow my thoughts though, and continued until the sphinx was dust, disappearing.

"You said the rule was for non-living constructs, what about living?"

Hela's eyes sparkled. "You're catching on. What's the difference between the minds of living and non-living constructs?"

I frowned. "Non-living constructs don't have minds though. How can there be a difference?"

She nodded. "But that is the difference. Living constructs have a mind, albeit one tailored to your favour. You can order them to do things, and they'll do it until you order them to stop. Non-living constructs are made for specific purposes, and cannot be altered because they don't have a mind to alter themselves with. Do you understand?"

I nodded. "Non-living constructs don't have a brain, living constructs do. Got it."

Hela nodded again, and was about to speak when a presence appeared in my mind. Immediately we went into battle-positions, conjuring weapons. Hela went a bit further and conjured an army of living constructs. The cloaked figure chuckled before pulling their hood back. We were greeted with an androgynous figure, looking neither decidedly male nor female.

"Perseus…Hela." He nodded his head. "I apologise for the intrusion, but you might want to depart from this plane of existence. You have less than a minute before Zeus comes looking for you both. The results will not be pretty if you are seen like this."

Hela's eyes were wide before she looked to me. "I'm going to leave my constructs here, alright? They'll protect your mind from intruders." She turned back to the figure, but they were already gone.

Then we were back in the bedroom. Hela got up and grabbed me.

"Close your eyes."

I closed them just in time before she turned gold, and the doors to the room banged open. We reappeared but barely a second later had we disappeared to reappear again in a city. It went on for a little while longer before we finally stopped in my room in my mom's apartment. She slumped against me, breathing heavily. In an instance I noticed her clothing change. Instead of her dress and jewellery, she wore light blue ripped skinny-jeans, a thin white blouse, and a pair of pumps. Her hair, once so elegantly styled was in a loose bun, her crown gone and small diamond earrings where there had been none.

"'m tired, Percy." She said, yawning. I took pity on her and quickly picked her up, cradle-style. She quickly fell asleep in my arms, obviously tired beyond belief. I could remember one time Hermes had flashed me, he looked tired. She must have been pretty damn powerful to do so many flashes.

Walking over to my door – and trying not to trip on the way – I used my foot to open the door and popped out to see mom and Paul on the sofa staring at me, the TV blaring a documentary about glaciers.

"Percy?"

I blinked. "Hi." I said, before motioning to Hela. "This is, um…well, actually, I don't know. She said her name was Hela, but it wasn't her real one. She's a goddess, Greek."

Mom was staring at her. "That's her most natural form to mortal eyes, Percy." I forgot mom was clear-sighted, but really, what?

I repeated my mental question aloud.

"That's her most natural form she can be in without killing us. Most times, a god or goddess is in a form they are like, usually whatever age their mentality is. Hela, the figure in mythology, is the Norse God Loki's daughter, Queen of Niflheim and Lady of Helheim. Your father said that the Norse Gods faded centuries ago, so she's safe using her name. What happened?"

I gave a quick explanation of why we were here, though I skipped out the part where she stopped me committing suicide. But the look on mom's face said she knew I wasn't telling something. She'd probably slap me too.

"Well, she bothered to change her clothes. Poseidon said that gods didn't flash too many times because the effort to hide their true form would be too much. Either she's stupid, or too powerful for her own good. I am inclined to believe the latter." Mom said, before grimacing. "She'll be asleep until she can regain enough energy. I bet she's annoyed about that."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Because the minds of gods are never asleep, no matter about their bodies."

I nodded wordlessly. "I'll…put her to bed, then."

Paul smirked. "Don't molest her in her sleep."

I spluttered, before shaking my head and going back inside my room, shutting the door. I put her down on the bed, and hesitated before lying beside her. Licking my lips, I focused inwards, shutting my eyes before entering my mind. To my surprise, I found Hela already in it, frustrated and taking her anger out on a series of constructs.

"Aren't you just going to tire yourself out further if you make constructs?" I asked out of the blue, making her jump and throw a fireball at me. In an instant I had a water-wall, which made the fireball fizzle out of existence.

"Mom said a few things."

Hela nodded, fidgeting. "I know, I watched." She motioned behind me to a black wall. "When your eyes are open, whatever you're seeing appears on there."

I nodded, ignoring the slight sensation of anger that she could see through my eyes, and that she was in my mind at all.

"So what now?"

Hela sighed, relaxing tiredly. "Well, my body has to wait five hours in real time, so-"

"Five days?" I asked, shocked. "But that's like, forever-"

Hela laughed. "You aren't that patient, are you? We got up at seven this morning, and came out of your head at around eight. So by the time my body wakes, it'll be one o'clock at the earliest. It's still five days for me, but whatever."

We were silent for a few awkward seconds, not knowing what to say. I finally got up the courage to speak.

"Who are you, really?"

She shook her head. "I'm not telling, you don't need to know yet. Why don't we get your defensive constructs up?"

I wanted to protest, but I nodded and she started to teach me once more.

(-*-)

Poseidon frowned as he saw 'Hela'. Sally had called him, asking him to be discrete.

"I know who she is." He murmered.

Paul nodded. "Who is she, then?"

Poseidon felt a smile tugging at his face. "I never thought I'd see her this young again. The last time I saw her like this, we were still inside father."

Sally gasped. "No…"

Poseidon's eyes glinted. "I wonder what Zeus would say if I told him his missing wife is sleeping with my son?"

(-*-)

"You want to what?"

Hela raised an eyebrow. "I want to link my mind with yours. I've grown attached to you."

I gaped at her. "I've known you less than a week."

She shrugged before falling back onto the chaise lounge that had appeared. "I'm a goddess, I don't have many people I can call 'friend'." She muttered something to herself, sounding a little sarcastic, but I couldn't hear the words.

"What would…linking your mind, do to mine?"

She looked at me, for once looking a bit nervous. "Well, we'd see each other's pasts, no exceptions; we'd be able to talk to each other in our minds; and I would be able to come to wherever you are at the time. It's more than the link you and Poseidon share, at the very least."

I wanted to refuse, but the temptation was too much. Nodding, I watched as she closed her eyes and disappeared. I was alone for a few seconds, before a golden light came from off in the distance and engulfed me.

Being born, and looked at with love by Rhea, her mother. Being named Hera before being ripped from her mother's arms. Then she was eaten.

Crying and being comforted by her older siblings, Hestia, Hades, Demeter, and Poseidon. The prophecy that Kronos would be overthrown by one of his children.

Being thrown up and subsequently fighting her father side-by-side with her siblings, before succumbing to the burning in her muscles. Zeus landing the killing blow with a knife in the back, before watching as he and her older brothers draw blades of glass. It wasn't right, that Zeus became King of the Heavens. It should have been Hades, not Zeus; and if not Hades, then Poseidon or Hestia.

Becoming the Goddess of Marriage, Home and the Family, and then taking her oath of virginity.

Zeus falling in lust with her – because it wasn't love, it was lust. Refusing his advances before being tricked as he turned into a bird and took her precious virginity without consent, binding her to him. Becoming Queen of the Heavens, but not having the power to change anything as punishment from Styx for breaking her oath.

It continued on, and I was continually angered and amazed. Her life had been so hard, so unfair. It was worse than mine. Her whole life was an act, to keep people away. She didn't trust anyone, and she regretted many of the things she had done over the centuries – apart from when it involved Zeus' children. The majority of them followed in their fathers footsteps, and I couldn't really blame her anymore even if I were a little angry it was Hera.

But then I came to the last memory before she saved me from suicide.

Zeus came over to her, grinning drunkenly.

"Come here, wife."

Hera glared at him. "Go away Zeus, you're drunk." She pushed his wandering hand away violently as he squeezed her breast. The people around them gasped in shock, not expecting such behaviour from the King of Olympus. But obviously even a drunk Zeus had sense, because he waved his hand, removing their memory of the event and sending them on their way before grabbing her arm in a bruising grip, teleporting them to his bed.

He ripped her clothes off, pinning her down before forcing himself on her. She cried, but he took her. When he was done, he left with a sneer, having gotten over his drunkness hours before. She was left on the bed, crying, defiled and naked. It took a while before she pulled herself together, teleporting away as she cleaned herself up, shrinking down to her most comfortable form. She walked Olympus, in a haze. It had happened before, but not that recently what with Zeus' many lovers.

Then she saw Percy Jackson, letting go of the railing keeping him on Olympus.

"PERCY!"

I shivered as I went over the memories of the last few days in my mind, before I pushed forward into her mind, completing the bond. She saw my own life, living with Smelly Gabe. How he would beat and scare me. She saw my mother, the most amazing woman in the entire world. She saw my life as a half-blood.

She saw my growing attraction for her.

When the bond finished, Hera didn't speak for a minute, but when she did I blushed.

"You're such a boy." She said fondly. She appeared in my mind again, watching as I quickly made defensive constructs to give myself some time to think.

"I'm in your mind, and we have a bond now." She said blandly. "I know what you're thinking."

I looked to her slowly, finishing my construct. She still looked nineteen, and she still wore the jeans and blouse her form in the real world did. Still looked beautiful.

A blush appeared on Hera's cheeks. "Thank-you, Percy." She muttered, before coming over slowly. "I'm sorry."

I pursed my lips, knowing she meant all her wrongs against me. I knew she had regretted them, but it was more real to hear an apology.

"I'm sorry too." I said, before wrapping her in a hug. She froze momentarily, before slowly relaxing. She didn't return the hug, but I didn't mind. What she had gone through was something she dealt with herself, and she didn't want help - and frankly, she didn't need it either.

"Let's go to the real world, yeah?"

She nodded mutely before I opened my eyes. Getting up, I held out a hand as she awoke. That was when I saw dad at my desk.

"Dad?"

He grinned at me, before looking to Hera. "You're a naughty girl, Hera, seducing my son."

Her face heated up. "I'm not seducing him!"

I nodded vehemently. "Yeah, if anything it's the other way around." She hit me over the head, glaring at me. Shut up, Perseus. I glared at her in return.

Mom then spoke from the kitchen, raising her voice to be heard. "Are you two awake?"

"Yes mom!"

Dad grinned wider, standing. "I've been waiting here since nine. Zeus has been looking for you, little sister."

I fought to keep myself calm as Hera's face blanked.

"I don't want to see him right now."

Poseidon nodded, adopting a knowing expression. "Yes, you're having an affair with my son, I know."

I rolled my eyes. "We're not having an affair."

Mom came up to the door. "Then why are you holding hands?"

We blinked before looking down to our clasped hands, but didn't move them.

"We're…friends." Hera said hesitantly. Dad pouted.

"Really? Then is what Aphrodite said about your glowing heart-string wrong?"

Now we were both confused. "What?"

He repeated himself. "Aphrodite said Hera's heart-string was glowing. Don't ask me what it means, I don't have a clue. Maybe Hephaestus knows." He said thoughtfully.

Mom though, had a funny expression on her face. I narrowed my eyes.

"Mom?"

She smiled mysteriously. "I think I'll let you ponder this matter." Her smile dropped. "But in any case, I've already had to deal with a hellhound at the door. Too much godly power in one building, I'd say." She looked to Poseidon. "And if little Mitsuki's needs somewhere to stay if something happens, she's welcome here."

Poseidon nodded, but a small smile appeared on his face. "Amphitrite has already said she's welcome to stay in Atlantis. I've not had many daughters across the centuries compared to my sons. Thank-you though, for your offer."

Mom smiled at him before coming inside, coming over to me to give me a small hug before going out, shutting the door behind her. I looked to Hera, who looked like a guilty child under Poseidon's gaze.

"We should go…maybe I should drop you, Percy, off to Camp Half-Blood while Hera returns to Olympus?"

We nodded mutely before dropping hands, I going over to Dad. I gave Hera one last look before shutting my eyes as they started to glow gold.

When I opened my eyes, I was in Cabin 3.

(-*-)

Five Years Later

"Hold it like this." I said, adjusting the son of Athena's grip on his sword. His blonde curls blew around his face in a wild but adorable mess, apparently due to him being a legacy of Aphrodite. He was barely six years old – apparently meaning he'd only lived four and a half years, as brain-children appeared before their fathers at around a year and a half.

He nodded at my words, his corkscrew curls bobbing around as if there were a gale.

"Yes Mr Percy."

I had become a training instructor at Camp after I came back, not being able to live outside the barrier due to my strong demigod scent. Not to say I hadn't tried, but really? A manticore, a sphinx, and a python all in one day?

Stepping back, I moved onto the last kid in the line, a daughter of Aphrodite. She was five, and a little odd for an Aphrodite kid. Her hair was red – and I don't mean a weird shade of blonde or brown, I mean red, like, Artemis-red, whose hair was the colour of a fire-truck. Her eyes – like her mother's – were a kaleidoscope, but they settled on a shade of sky-blue most of the time. Other than that she was stereotypical, with a small love for archery.

"This is really good, Krasota." Apparently is was Russian for 'beautiful', another stereotypical name for an Aphrodite-kid.

Krasota smiled at me, blindingly white teeth on show. "Thank-you Mr Percy!"

Stepping back, I watched them hold their swords the way I said. Taking out Riptide, I did a few fancy twirls before speaking.

"Okay, we're going to work on stance today. Can anybody tell me what 'stance' is?"

A little blonde girl with grey eyes put up her arm.

"Yes Sophie?"

"Stance is the way you stand."

I nodded. "Correct. Making Athena proud?"

She nodded quickly, obviously proud of her heritage. I looked to the twenty assorted demigods.

"Okay, first I want you to put your least dominant foot forward-"

"What's dominant?" A six-year old interrupted.

"Dominant means the best. So if you're right-handed, and hold your sword in that hand, then put your left foot forward. Opposite for lefties."

They all quickly put their feet forward, some a little too far and some a little too close. I quickly went through them all again, correcting their stances.

"Now, if you all put your sword up so it's just below your waist, and your sword a little upwards…" They followed my instructions, and once again I corrected them all somehow, whether it was raising the tip of their swords or lowering it.

"This stance here will be your base stance, the one you automatically revert to after striking or defending. Everyone got that?"

Nods.

I grinned evilly. "Now all of you have to stay in that position for the rest of the lesson, which means you have to stay like that for…" I looked to my watch and pouted. "Just five minutes! I was going to make you stay like that for an hour!" I said, shaking my head in mock-disappointment. "Ah well, five minutes is better than nothing."

As the five minutes went by, Hera asked me why I was making them do this.

"They'll get used to it, and their stamina will improve. Holding a sword gets tiring. When they're older – say, nine – I'll add weights. And haven't I told you this before?"

She chuckled in my head. "Yes, but I don't have anything to speak about. I'm utterly bored up here on Olympus."

"Then go to someone's wedding."

She snorted. "My copies are at them all, which is to say, a lot. I'm on my throne right now, and bored as Hades is when he hasn't got Persephone to talk to."

I mentally winced before looking to my watch. "Okay guys, times up." Some dropped to the ground, moaning in pain. Some of the girls and younger boys had tears in their eyes. One little child of Morpheus was crying, holding his arm.

"Hey, are you alright?"

He sniffled, holding up his hand as he yawned. On it was a deep sword-cut. I frowned and looked to the stands around the training area. Clarisse, surprisingly enough, was sitting at her old spot.

"Hey, Clarisse! Can you do me a favour?"

She snorted and came over. "Want me to heal the sleepy midget?" I didn't have to say anything more though as she crouched down and took his hand gently, healing the cut with a small gold light. "Be more careful about your sword, Morphy-boy. I ain't gonna be here every time you get hurt."

He sniffled but nodded, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. She blinked in surprise, before smiling and ruffling his hair, looking around to catch the eye of the only Ares-kid in the group.

"Don't be a sniffle-monster, bro. Ares-kids don't cry, 'specially in front of others."

The boy nodded, rubbing his eyes dry. "Yes ma'am."

She nodded before looking to me. "Aphrodite wants to see you, come with me." She looked to the kids. "Shut your eyes, unless you want to be disintegrated." She said bluntly, before grabbing my arm and glowing gold, transporting us to Olympus. Still the same old Clarisse La Rue.

We appeared in front of Aphrodite's palace, a horrible Barbie-house replica. Clarisse put on a disgusted face.

"I can't believe my Dad would even step a foot in the direction of that monstrosity."

I chuckled before smiling at her. "Thanks Clarisse."

She shrugged before wandering off into the crowd, leaving me to walk up the perfect path to the cookie-cutter house. When I came to the door, it opened automatically.

Walking through the house, I ignored the magical perfume that made my eyes water and my nose wrinkle at its strength. Coming to another door, it swung open to reveal Aphrodite staring at a wall full of strings.

"Hello Perseus." She said, turning to look into my eyes. In an instant they turned brown, her looks changing to match Hera's. Both mine and Aphrodite's lips pursed.

"I really thought you and Annabeth would last, y'know. I didn't influence your relationship. I may have made more than a few of your peers fancy you to give me some entertainment, but I shipped Percabeth, I really did." She honestly looked sad before her looks changed back to the busty blonde she seemed to prefer.

"Why did you call me here?" I asked, annoyed. Hera was listening in, and had ignored Aphrodite's change on principle. It was a kind of system we had worked out, ignoring anything that referred to our shared…appreciation, of each other. It was hard to fancy someone, knowing they fancied you back when you both knew it obviously wouldn't work out well. For us, with Zeus existing it didn't work.

Aphrodite turned back to the strings, and pulled out a sea-green string that gave me the tingles as I remembered the Fates showing me my String. It was the same colour.

"This is your heart-string, Percy, and it's pulsing." She showed me the string, and I saw it minutely rippling. "The kind of love your string shows…it's something I hate dealing with. Usually, I would just leave it, but the thing is…" Then she pulled, making it come out fully only for a different coloured string to follow it, a deep golden one.

"Hera, Goddess of Marriage, Family and the Home, Queen of Olympus. Tut-tut, Percy." If she hadn't said it, sounding tired, I would call it teasing. She conjured two chairs, and motioned me to sit down.

"Percy, I need you to understand. People think that being the Goddess of Love makes me shallow, I'm not. Love can be deep and true, it's limitless." She whispered. "I understand it, and people don't see me for who I truly am. Beauty…as I said to Piper; beauty is about finding the right fit, the most natural fit. To be perfect, you have to feel perfect about yourself — avoid trying to be something you're not. For a goddess, that's especially hard. We can change so easily. But Percy, true love is different. It's something to look forward to, something you can drown in and always be safe. But always sad."

She swallowed. "And I'm the Goddess of it. Can you imagine how that feels? To feel the love of everyone around you? The love of friends? The love of men and woman? Hades, the love of men and men and woman and woman. But can you imagine how that love feels? Love is never alone. Behind closed doors, there is always sadness and misery. The fear that it'll end in a blink of an eye…what you and Hera have is something I both dread and am overwhelmed by. If there was nothing holding you back, your love would be infinite."

I shut my eyes at the emotion in her voice. The words affected me, it affected Hera. She appeared beside me, sitting on a chair she conjured.

"If only."

I opened my eyes to see Aphrodite staring at Hera.

"What are you so scared of?" She asked her. "To be blunt, Zeus cheats on you all the time. If Percy never becomes immortal…well, Zeus can't begrudge you love when he gives you none. Take a chance while you still have one."

Hera and I looked at her, saw her once for what she was. A girl, with so much responsibility on her shoulders, and so much depth, floundering in her own domain.

"Aphrodite…we just can't."

The Goddess though, shook her head. "Three words, eight letters…just say it and you can have a happy ending. She can grant you godhood."

Hera stood, holding out her hand to me. I stood and took it, managing to speak before we disappeared.

"Maybe it's not about the happy ending. Maybe it's about the story."

(-*-)

"Would you like to go out for dinner with me?" I blurted out.

Hera looked up at me from her book.

"Dinner?"

I nodded hesitantly. "Yeah…dinner, at a restaurant."

She shut her book, and I didn't need to look at her thoughts as to know she had agreed.

(-*-)

After the dinner, things escalated. We went on more dinners, and after Hephaestus finished the 'demigod scent blocker' for me, I was able to take her out on trips. She had never been to a theme park – she hadn't actually spent a lot of time in the mortal world other than when her clones went to weddings and suchlike, and that wasn't her in any case.

When I got my new flat, she stayed with me during the nights. We never did anything more than the occasional flirt, or quiet cuddling, but it was enough for the both of us. But I was getting older, and as I approached thirty it started to show.

Laugh lines appeared on my face, as did frown-lines. I had worked hard to get my qualifications to be a marine biologist, and I eventually started working at the New York Aquarium. I helped at Camp on the weekends.

The mystery surrounding Krasota – the weird child of Aphrodite – was solved too, when I was twenty-nine. Apparently Artemis had an accident around the time when I was born and the energy emitted got trapped inside an unborn child. So subsequently, the kid was her kid too. She didn't know, not until his own daughter – Krasota – first went to Olympus when she was nine.

A sadder matter was Mitsuki's family. Her mother and step-father were killed in an airplane crash when Zeus had a temper tantrum. Mitsuki came to live in Atlantis, living with my Mom, Paul and my little step-brother Lucas during school-time. She was a cute little midget, as was Lucas. Lucas was clear-sighted, like my mom, and had been allowed into Camp Half-Blood when he was a baby with mom.

It was one of the days where I was off work, and Hera found time to come spend time with me during the day did something happen. The window crashed open, a loud growl echoing through the apartment. I got up, Hera behind me as a hoard of monsters came into the apartment. Getting out Riptide, I glared at them all as hell-hounds circled us. I nearly shouted when Dr Thorn climbed in calmly. The demigod scent blocker must be broken or something.

"Perseus Jackson, how nice to see you again. We've been waiting here a few days, trying to see if it really was you. Had to kill a few of our own numbers when they got too impatient." He shook his head. "You would think with the chance to kill Percy Jackson that they'd calm down. In any case though, we couldn't figure out who your companion was…" He trailed off as Hera changed into her battle-armour in the blink of an eye. "A goddess? The standards certainly seem to have gone down on Olympus."

Hera bared her teeth. "I always wondered why Zeus thought to ever deal with you, archetype, but it seems he had the right idea. Clever." She sounded disgusted.

I swiped my sword as an impatient hellhound lunged, dusting it. Thorn growled, before moving his hand swiftly. In a second, the monsters pounced.

I and Hera were demons, fighting even after injury. None held back, not even Hera. The only thing she didn't do was show her true form, which would have killed me.

When the fighting was over, I collapsed to my knees, breathing hard. There was a large gash across my chest, and I knew it had nicked my heart. Hera dropped beside me.

"Percy, no! Don't go." She pleaded. "No, don't, no-"

"Shh…" I said, putting a hand to her cheek, my thumb caressing her lips. The pain was blinding. "Shh, its my time. Don't cry." I said as a silvery drop fell from her eyes.

"But Percy-"

I shook my head. "No Hera, I know what you're thinking. I-" A cough interrupted my words, as blood came up my throat. I fell forward, onto the gold-dusted carpet. Hera moved, pulling my head onto her lap.

"No, Percy, I can't let you go. I'll bring you to Olympus, I'll grant you Godhood."

I grimaced, before shaking my head. "Don't you dare, don't you dare Hera."

She sobbed, wrapping her arms around me as she kissed my forehead again and again, moving downwards.

"I don't want to let you go." She whispered.

I smiled, tears escaping from my eyes. "Sometimes it isn't about the happy ending, sometimes it's just about the story."

Hera sobbed harder, kissing the side of my lips before she finally kissed my lips. Her touch was soft, yet bruising. It defied the laws of nature, being both so beautiful and so sad.

"I love you." She whispered, before my vision started to tunnel.

"I love you too, my Hera. You'll see me again in another life, and I'll love you even more. Trust me." I stroked her cheek before my hand dropped, my vision disappearing.

The last thing I saw before the darkness took me was her face, and her beautiful brown eyes...