The day was going badly for Percy.

The seven had dragged him out to the pool for a group get together after Gaea, and he had grudgingly obliged. Though, he supposed, that was mostly due to Annabeth.

It wasn't that he didn't want to see his friends. In fact, he was ecstatic to see them again. There was just one thing.

The pool.

Percy loved water, of course he did. He was the son of Poseidon after all. No, it wasn't the water. Duh. It was the fact that he would have to take something off to get into the water. Namely his shirt.

Percy knew he had scars. All demigods had scars. Such was the life. However, no scars looked like his did. Scars from monsters weren't supposed to look like this.

Not that they weren't from a monster.

No, he did not want to get in the water.

He and Annabeth arrived at Rachel's house last, taking their sweet time. Rachel and Annabeth were finally friends, just as he knew they would be. They just needed not to fight over something. Namely him.

There were something like twelve people going to this pool: Them, Rachel, Grover, Nico, Jason, Frank, Leo, Calypso, Piper, and Hazel. In no order whatsoever.

They walked into the pool with greeting from all their friends.

"What took you guys so long?" Leo smirked. "Caught up?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes at the connotation of his comment and sat down next to Piper. Leo grinned and lied back down on his lounge.

"How are you guys?" Jason asked, always the worrier.

"We're all good. Nothing's blown up in close to a week and no monster attacks in at least three days." Percy said, grinning. He loved to tease Jason, mainly because the guy didn't know how to handle it.

"Always good news," Piper replied," But I think he meant how are classes."

Annabeth smiled broadly before launching into a blow by blow account of her day. Everyone sighed, knowing it would take a while.

After something like twenty minutes, Rachel cut Annabeth off. "Fascinating, Annabeth, but we should all go into the pool. And you know what that means."

Rachel shot an evil grin at the boys, knowing that they would not like what she and the other girls had concocted. "Shirts off."

Nico groaned, knowing that they would make fun of his pasty skin, and Grover gave an irritated bleat. "I can't go into the pool without being wet for three days! And the chlorine will never leave my fur…" He sniffed, obviously not getting into the pool.

"Alright," Piper laughed," but everyone else better get their shirts off before we force it off!"

Percy visibly paled, but nobody noticed. Jason and Frank automatically stripped, getting wolf whistles from the girls and an appreciative look from Nico. Nico was the next, and Grover, grumbling stripped his. Leo gladly ripped his off, showing off his invisible pecs.

"Team Leo!" he yelled, and Calypso giggled behind her hand.

Percy still hadn't taken his shirt off, and Hazel looked at him. "Why haven't you taken off your shirt yet? Afraid you won't live up to Jason and Frank's standards?" she said, giggling.

Percy paled even more, giving out a nervous laugh. "I-I just don't feel like taking off my shirt. Way to c-cold," he stuttered, shrinking back into his chair.

Then Rachel, Hazel and Piper smiled evilly at each other before attacking him. He tried to curl in on himself, but his shirt started to rip. Well, he only had so many. He loosened himself reflexively and soon found himself without a shirt. He tried to cover himself with his arms, attempting to cover his scars.

He failed. The vertical white lines ran all over his body, covering his torso in a crisscross of scars. A deep red one stretched from his right collarbone to his left hip, and there was a burn that covered the majority of his upper chest. There wasn't a single inch not covered in scar tissue. It would give the most hardened fighter nightmares.

"W-what are those?" Frank got out, his eyes growing wide.

Percy gave a cautious laugh before replying," Everyone has scars."

"Not like that." Nico shot back.

Percy looked around, his eyes growing wide. He stumbled backwards before full out sprinting across the yard.

"Percy!" Annabeth cried, trying to get him to come back. She turned to glare at them.

"I hope you're happy." she spat at them, venom evident in her voice. "He never wanted anyone to know. Even my finding out was an accident." At those last words she looked sad, as though she didn't quite agree with his reasoning.

"Well," Leo started," We don't exactly know what we know, so…"

Calypso, surprisingly, pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know if he wants us to share the details."

Piper's jaw dropped, gaping at this newbie. "You knew? You haven't even known him more than a month! Why, -"

"I have know Percy Jackson since he was thirteen," Calypso cut off cooly. " He crashed on my island and I cared for him after he collapsed Mt. St. Helens. I saw them then."

Frank, who had been quiet until now, spoke," Why would he do that to himself?"

Annabeth scoffed, not believing his obliviousness. "He didn't do it to himself. Do all of you believe that?"

Everyone shifted nervously, eyes never meeting Annabeth's. "Unbelievable," she said, a look of disgust crossing her face. "None of you knew what happened to Percy before he knew you. Who thought he had the perfect life?"

No one looked at her. She sighed, burying her head in her hands. "Look," she said quietly," Percy has had a hard life. I'm sure some of you can understand."

"Percy's step-father hasn't always been Paul. Originally, he had a step-father that he accurately called Smelly Gabe. Gabe married his mother when he was three, after Percy had started to attract monsters. This man's stench covered the smell of demigod. Even Percy's. But his personality…" she trailed off, unsure on where to pick up.

Hazel looked up at Annabeth, curiosity clear in her eyes. "What was wrong with him? Just sounds like a gross guy.. or is there something more?"

Annabeth sighed before continuing," Gabe was abusive." There was a pause before the chaos began.

"What do you mean he-"

"What the fu-"

"You mean h-he abused-"

"Holy shi-"

"SHUT UP," Hazel shouted, earning a look of complete and utter surprise. Hazel didn't yell. "Listen to Annabeth." she stated calmly, glaring at the people around her.

Annabeth took a deep breath, gathering her nerves. "As I said, Gabe was abusive. H-he seemingly used a belt and a knife, as well as h-his fists. Percy d-didn't know about his powers yet, s-so he still has the scars." Tears were now freely streaming down her face. "How could he do that? He was so little…"

"When did he start?" Jason questioned, wide eyed.

Calypso, seeing that Annabeth couldn't answer, stepped up," Since he was three."

Chaos again erupted.

"Who is that messed up-"

"Why would you-"

"What the fu-"

"He was a kid!"

Calypso raised a hand, effectively quieting them. "I know," she whispered. "I know. I don't know all the details. You'll have to ask him."

Silence enveloped the group. Everyone seemed to be contemplating this new information about their friend. It was horrifying.

Hazel raised her head, tears in her eyes. "Why didn't he tell us?" she whispered, pain evident.

Annabeth looked at her. "Because it would have made it real."

LINE BREAK

Percy looked up as he heard his friends approaching. He groaned, knowing that he would have to do some explaining. Gross.

The group sat down next to me in a circle. He still didn't look up. He didn't want to see the looks of pity, or sympathy, or charity on their faces. He didn't want them to see him as he was. Broken.

"Percy," Annabeth said," Please look at me."

He raised my eyes, and hers widened. In fact, he may have heard a few gasps of horror from the circle. He didn't care. All he wanted was some peace. All he wanted was to forget. But he couldn't. He never could.

A hand reached up and slapped him. He reeled back slightly, shocked. Annabeth stood there, silently defying him to protest. He just stared at her. Then he sighed.

"Fine, I'll tell you."

His friends leaned forward in anticipation and horror, wanting to hear the story.

Percy took a deep breath. "It started when I was three. I'm sure they've already told you that. He was alright for about the first thirty seconds that we met him." he started. " There was a reason I called him Smelly Gabe. I found out later that he covered my aura from monsters. Not that it helped, mind you. I still got attacked left and right."

Percy looked down at his knees. "Yeah, he started young. I was about five when he knocked me out the first time. He didn't do it when my mom was around, and he started with just a punch here, a kick there. No biggie. I didn't tell my mom. He said he would hurt her if I did. I found out later that he told her the same thing."

He laughed bitterly. "I was six when he pulled out the knife and lighter. It was generally in places my mom wouldn't see. My chest, my back, the like. After a while, he got bored with those particular weapons of torture." Percy spat. "He pulled out the belt. Mom saw those. But she couldn't change it, she just… couldn't. I was being protected from far worse things, as far as she knew."

"How long did it go on," Piper said quietly.

Percy shrugged before saying," Until he died. I mean, I left for Camp a few months before he died. But otherwise, yeah." He shifted, looking uncomfortable. "Any other questions?"

Nico, who had been silent until now, looked up. Tears were freely streaming down his face, and he asked," What was the worst time?"

Percy gave a short bark and replied," I think the worst time was when I passed out for a day. I got him the wrong type of beer and he threw it at my head. It hit me straight in the face. Knocked me out for a day. Though," he said with a look," I guess the day he slashed me with his butcher knife wasn't fun either."

Nico looked shocked, probably hoping for some sign that he was joking. He wasn't.

"Percy," Jason said tentatively," I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," Frank said sheepishly. "I was under the impression that your life was perfect."

"Me too," Hazel intercepted, placing her hand on Frank's shoulder. Percy blushed, not wanting the attention.

"I-It's fine guys. It's o-over." Percy stammered. "He's not around anymore."

Grover looked completely and utterly ashamed. "Percy, I should have known. I-I would have gotten you out of there sooner…"

Percy walked over to Grover and hugged him, much to his surprise. "There is absolutely nothing you could have done, Grover. Chill. I'm fine. I have had years to get over it. Don't worry."

Percy's friends reached a simultaneous agreement. They surrounded Percy and enveloped him into their arms. There they stayed until the day turned into night and they fell asleep in each other's arms on Rachel's lawn. And that was where her parents found them in the morning, all cuddled next to each other with Percy in the middle.