"Hey, Perce, what's up?" Travis greeted, opening the door wide for the godling and his wolf to enter the Hermes cabin.

Percy gave him a tight smile,"Hello, Travis, I'm afraid on here on urgent business." He paused, realizing he was out of character, and quickly relaxed his tense body and loosened his smile,"Got some shit I need to find out, figured you could help me." He said, sitting down on the nearest bed, leaning back against the pillows and making himself at home.

Percy may be playing the role of a brute but he wasn't a complete animal. He left his feet off the bed and looked at Travis closely. Shadow sat at his feet, alert as always, and staring at the son of Hermes with such an intensity that it made the boy uncomfortable.

"I'll help if I can," Travis said before grinning,"wait, is this for a prank on the children of Demeter? Katie has been getting on my damn nerves-" Percy tuned him out, becoming lost in his own thoughts.

Percy had two clues that could lead him to the truth of his parentage. One clue being that Hermes had exhibited an extremely protective nature over him; the other clue being Luke and their encounter nearly a year ago. But he didn't want to start making baseless accusations despite his suspicions, lest he made an even bigger fool of himself than he already had.

He thought back to when he had spoken with the son of Hermes,"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to be who you needed me to be." Luke had said, the regret in his voice nearly palpable, and the anguish in his eyes had nearly knocked the wind out of him.

There was also the fact that Luke had sought him out, he had said that he only wanted to speak with him. The son of Hermes had spoken so fondly when he addressed Percy, as though he were speaking to an old friend.

Then there was the night Percy was plagued with nightmares. He saw people screaming, blood running through the streets, swords clashing, children sobbing, and Luke's blue eyes closing. He had been ripped from his dream due to a stabbing pain under his left arm, he would have to ask about that as well, maybe that's where the fatal blow had been delivered to the man.

It could have been a crazy dream. But he knew it wasn't.

Percy and the blonde were connected somehow, he just knew it, ever since he first met him it was as though a piece of him had been found; a piece he hadn't even known he had been missing. He had opened himself up to Luke in a way that startled him. He had admitted to being a bullshitter and had revealed that he thought Luke to be stronger than him due to his honesty.

The godling had consoled him, they spoke as though they had been friends for years, and there was something about the man that oozed familiarity. Percy felt like he had known Luke his entire life.

The godling knew of Luke's treachery, if one could even call it that. He empathized with the son of Hermes, for he knew the pain of being forsaken by a parent all too well. Gabe had chosen the bottle over him, and now he finds out his own mother lied about his birth father, who also abandoned him. In the end, Luke had been killed by loyalty, the loyalty he had had for his friends at Camp Halflblood.

Percy wondered if Luke knew, when they had spoken in New York, that he was going to betray Kronos.

"I need you to tell me about Luke." Percy cut in, stopping the boy's rambling and causing him to shift uncomfortably.

"W-Why are you interested in Luke?" Travis asked, looking wary.

"I just am. What do you know about him and his family? Does he have any personal items I can look through?" Percy knew he was lacking tact, asking to dig around the boy's deceased brothers' things, but he was playing as a child of Ares and he would not beat around the bush.

Travis frowned, crossing his arms over his chest,"Dude, that's none of your business-"

"Oh, it's very much my business. I met him when he was the host for Kronos." Percy sat up, feet planted firmly on the floor and resting his head in the palm of his hand,"We didn't get to speak very long, he didn't have enough time," Travis stiffened as Percy continued,"so I need to look through his shit. I'm not a son of Hermes so I'm not prone to having sticky fingers." He held up his fingers, wiggling them and grinning.

Travis looked conflicted now, brow furrowing and fingers toying with the hem of his shirt,"Uh, I don't know, Perce-" He froze when Shadow bared her teeth, orange eyes fixated on him, and Percy chuckled before giving her head a soft pat.

"I'm afraid I wasn't asking, Travis." Shadow snapped her jaws at the boy, hackles raising,"I understand he was your half brother, but I really need some information on him. Or you can point me in the direction of someone who has what I want, and I'll be out of your hair."

Travis was scowling now, hand falling to his blade tucked in its sheathe,"Are you fucking threatening me?" Percy didn't care if he had to cut ties with Travis, he just wanted answers. The boy was of no use to him aside from knowing Luke. Sure, his pranks could be amusing, but he just another demigod that would outlive his usefulness.

Percy didn't even bother standing, instead, he rested his back against the pillows of the bed,"Do I look like I'm threatening you?" He asked innocently, putting his hands behind his head,"It's Shadow that's grown aggressive, you can't truly domesticate a wild animal, you know." Percy further relaxed into the pillows, closing his eyes,"Enough of your bravado, Travis, you'll find I'm not impressed." This bed is comfortable.

"Go fuck yourself."

"You clearly have no information on your half brother," Percy sighed, growing bored with the conversation, he peeked an eyelid open,"Shadow, he's being quite unhelpful." The wolf lunged forward before the boy could draw his blade. She took them both to the ground, a clawed paw on his throat and elongated teeth revealing themselves further. Her silence was all the more intimidating.

"Get this thing off me!" Travis yelped, too fearful to move in case the wolf saw it as a threat.

"Just tell me who I need to speak with about Luke and stop wasting my time." Percy drawled, growing impatient.

"Annabeth! Go talk to her! I think she even has some of Luke's old things. If not her then Thalia." The boy squeaked,"Now please get her off." Annabeth. Of course.

Percy smiled as he stood up from the bed,"That's all I needed, thank you." He walked away from the son of Hermes, Shadow instantly calmed and stepped away from the boy, following her godling out of the cabin,"No hard feelings." He called over his shoulder, uncaring if the boy forgave him or not. He had gotten what he came for.

He decided to seek out Annabeth first. The girl had been in love with Luke, surely she knew everything there was to know about him. He had only visited the Hermes cabin first because he believed he would find Luke's personal items. But it turned out it was Annabeth that held onto them, her love ran deep.

The godling found her in her cabin speaking with Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang.

"Hey, I have a couple of questions." Percy said as he entered the cabin,"You're smart so I figured you'd know the answers."

Annabeth was intrigued now,"What is it?"

Before he could ask for privacy Yang spoke up,"You ass, don't ignore your favorite sister."

"Hey, sis." He said, genuinely happy to see her.

"What up, Perce." She smiled, giving him a small wave, her head in Blake's lap. The daughter of Athena was reading and didn't acknowledge him, not that he cared. He then greeted the bubbly Ruby with the same smile he had given Yang, she was a good kid.

Then Percy's gaze fell upon the heiress he had scowled, just as she had.

"Brute."

"Bitch."

"Gods, here we go." Yang muttered, standing up to prepare to drag one of them away from the impending argument.

Weiss stood to her feet, glowering at him as she approached him,"Why you-" She stopped when Shadow stepped out from behind him, teeth bared and ready to attack,"How did you get Dionysus to allow that beast to stay with you?" She asked, blue eyes looking at the wolf with more curiosity than fear.

Percy was taken back by her question, expecting her to jump away or curse at him,"She's my emotional support wolf." He replied cheekily, causing the girl to roll her eyes.

Blake's eyes snapped away from her book, growing wide at the sight of shadow,"Dog!" She yelped, throwing her book aside and showing more emotion than Percy had ever seen from her. Like a cat, she lept from her seated position and into Yang's arms. The brawler looked stunned for a moment before a loud laugh escaped her.

Percy chuckled at her fear,"Wolf, actually, but she's very sweet. She's a good girl." He assured her, and as he said this Shadow relaxed. Her teeth were no longer visible and she allowed her tongue to hang out of her mouth so she looked less intimidating. She sat patiently at her godling's side.

"I'm afraid my little kitten here is afraid of all dogs and wolves, whether they're sweet or not." Yang said, grinning as Blake's amber eyes glared at her.

"You're unbearable." Percy swore he saw the black bow upon her head twitch, but he made no comment. He had more important questions that needed answers, he had no time for weird girls with weird cat ears.

"Ooh! She's so cute! I wish we could have Zwei here!" Ruby gushed, zipping forward and pampering his wolf with affectionate scratches behind her ears. Blake started muttering about 'demon dogs' and 'wicked wolves' while Yang snickered at her friend's reaction.

"Ruby!" Weiss admonished,"You can't just pet peoples'...wolves without asking! It's rude." She scolded, putting her hands on her hips and evoking a laugh from Yang who was still cradling Blake.

"Gods, Weiss, who shoved the stick up your ass and how do we get it out?" The dual eyed girl teased, making Weiss huff in annoyance.

"Language, Yang!" She reprimanded, pinching the bridge of her nose,"Excuse me for having manners," She then looked at Percy,"I swear it's like a babysit these rowdy siblings."

Percy nodded along,"They sound like a fucking handful."

Weiss became cross, stomping her foot and shoving past him,"This is why we can't have a decent conversation, Percy Morgan! You're insufferable!" She yelled as she stalked off, leaving a laughing Yang and Percy behind.

Annabeth sighed at the children of Ares,"You two should really be nicer-"

"Like she's nice." Yang snorted,"Anyway, I should get Blake out of here. We'll go find Weiss or whatever." She shrugged and walked out the door, Blake's fearful eyes glued to Shadow the entire time.

Ruby gave Shadow's nose a kiss before jumping up to her feet,"Bye guys! Team RWBY will be back!" She declared, running after her sister and the still quivering Blake.

Percy raised an eyebrow as the girls disappeared,"Team Ruby? Well, someone's conceited."

Annabeth chuckled,"I thought so too."

While they had been amusing Percy couldn't help but be glad they were gone. He needed to get Annabeth alone if she was going to open up about anything. As he had done in the Hermes cabin he walked over to a bed and plopped down on it. He looked at Shadow and patted the spot beside him. The she wolf jumped onto the bedspread and rested her head on her paws.

Annabeth sighed,"Go ahead, make yourself at home." She grumbled, sitting in the bed opposite to him,"So, what did you want to know?" Grey eyes were trying to decipher him but she wouldn't get very far, Percy wore his masks like a second skin.

"I want information on Luke," He paused, leaning forward,"but if the subject is too uncomfortable I can always ask Thalia..." He trailed off, hoping to bait the prideful daughter of Athena.

Her eyes widened slightly,"No need to go to Thalia," She assured him,"what do you want to know?"

Percy smiled, gotcha,"I just have a couple questions about his family, and I was told you have some of his personal items so I'd like to see those as well." He knew he'd have to be gentle with Annabeth, just like the last time they spoke of the son of Hermes.

She had loved Luke and now he was dead. Percy would treat the girl as he treated his mother when she lost Gabe. It was one thing to pressure Travis, the boy obviously hadn't been that close to Luke, but Annabeth had been.

Percy remembered how cagey he had been when everyone learned of Gabe's death. He was bombarded with questions, empty promises, and hollow apologies. We were so sorry to hear about Gabe. If you need anything just let us know. We're just a phone call away.

People he hadn't spoken to in years contacted him, maybe some were genuine, but he was certain most of them just wanted to pat themselves on the back for being a decent person. Look at me, I apologized to the fatherless boy.

They didn't really care, they were just doing what was expected of them. Percy couldn't fault them for that, but it didn't make it any less annoying. He'd prefer if they had said nothing at all.

Some assholes would make the whole situation about them. They would weep as they hugged him, saying how sorry they were for his loss, and then go into a long story about how they knew Gabe. Most of the people that did this were the ones that weren't even close friends with the man. They had been acquaintances in college or high school, and they had the audacity to blubber all over him.

The one that had angered him the most was when a woman came up to his mom during the wake and said,"It takes a real man to raise another man's son." He had wanted to slap her, especially when she stopped in front of him and proceeded to tell him some stupid fucking story about how she met Gabe in college.

Gabe, despite his addiction, had always treated Percy as though he were his own, so her words had nearly made him flinch. She had made it sound like he had been a burden just because he was someone else's child.

He hadn't even shed a tear at Gabe's wake, too agitated by the people around him. His mother had just lost her husband but there they were, seeking comfort from them, and he hated it. Percy had been and still was very conflicted about Gabe's death. So, when it came time for the man's funeral, he had surprised himself when tears assaulted his own eyes.

Percy, his mother, and Gabes' parents and other close family members had entered the room in which they were holding the service; and when he saw all those people sitting there, dressed in black, clutching tissues in their hands, and sniffling - he had nearly crumbled. Oh, he had thought, he's actually gone.

He had fought back tears, keeping his head bowed as he was led to the front row, and had white knuckled a kleenex to the point where his hands had trembled. But he refused to cry, not when his mother needed him to be strong. He had thought about all the pain Gabe had caused them, but in turn, he thought of all the joy he brought to the Jackson family as well.

Sometimes he felt sad about it, other times indifferent, and on occasion, he felt betrayed. He chose alcohol over me...over mom. And that truth hurt more than anything, so he did what he could to avoid those thoughts, but he couldn't always keep them away.

So, he told himself he hadn't cared that Gabe died, but that was just so he could quiet his raging mind and finally get some sleep.

He wondered how Annabeth grieved for Luke. Did she cry? Scream to the heavens? Lock herself in her room? Or had she mumbled a soft,"Oh," feeling as numb as he had when he found out about Gabe? The godling thought of asking her but decided against it. They weren't friends so there was no need to divulge in something so personal, and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her.

Annabeth was more compliant than Travis but just as suspicious,"I'll tell you whatever you want to know...but why does it matter to you?" She asked,"I know you two met once, but that doesn't explain your interest in him, especially now of all times." Percy repressed a scowl, he should have gone to Thalia, at least she wouldn't have asked so many damn questions.

But he was a fox and foxes were clever,"What if I give you information in return?" He bargained, watching as suspicion morphed into curiosity.

"What information?"

"That depends on what you can tell me, but I promise it'll be worth your while."

"And if it's not?"

He smirked,"It will be." He knew her thirst for knowledge would outweigh logical reasoning,"Last time we spoke you told me about his crazy adoptive mother and his poor relationship with Hermes but did he have any other family? Did he know his real mother?"

Annabeth looked contemplative,"Well, years ago, we went to his house to patch Thalia up after a monster attack. Hermes was there and he spoke with Luke. I didn't hear what they said but Luke was rattled, depressed even."

Thin fingers rapped against her thigh and she bit her lip, brow furrowing,"Actually, if I'm remembering correctly, he came back with two pictures. He wouldn't show us the photos no matter how much we asked." She swiped a piece of blonde hair behind her ear before continuing,"But...he said he had a brother, a twin."

Percy was at full attention now, eyes widening, a twin?

"Do you have those photos?"

"If I did, what makes you think I'd show them to you?" She challenged,"I haven't looked through Luke's things out of respect for him. So why should you, someone who barely knew him, get to dig through his things?" It was a fair question, but Percy was growing impatient.

Shadow began to bare her teeth but Percy raised a hand, stopping his wolf, and she laid her head back on her paws before releasing a heavy sigh. Annabeth wasn't nearly as stupid as Travis, he could threaten her with Shadow all he wanted, but she would call his bluff. He wouldn't harm her, and they both knew it.

"I can't explain it...but he and I are connected." She watched with wide eyes as he lifted up his left arm, and pointed to the precise spot Luke had been stabbed,"Luke stabbed himself here, didn't he." It wasn't a question because they both knew he was correct.

"H-How did you know that?" She stammered, she had told him that Luke had stabbed himself in his Achilles heel, but not where it had been located.

Percy lowered his arm,"I dreamt of Luke's death, saw glimpses of the Titan War." He said,"I was woken up by a sharp pain in that very spot, right as I saw Luke's eyes close. I need to know how we're connected, Annabeth, please." He was nearly begging now, he was so close to getting the answers he needed.

She was still hesitant,"I...I don't know."

"Annabeth," He said gently,"Luke is dead-"

"You think I don't know that!" She snarled, jumping her feet and towering over him, Shadow began to stir but Percy placed a hand on her head to keep her calm,"I know he's dead, I watched him die!" Tears pooled in broken grey eyes,"I held him and watched his last breath leave him, I know he's dead, Percy! I'm aware of that fact every day." Her voice broke and she was fighting back tears at this point, refusing to look at him as she tried to collect herself.

Percy winced, quickly trying to mend his mistake,"I'm sorry," He said quietly,"I truly am. I should have known better. But you have to understand, I need to know who he is to me, surely you're curious too." Annabeth released a shuttered breath, tears no longer swimming in her eyes.

She nodded slowly,"Okay...I'm sorry for-"

"Don't be." He understood.

Annabeth went to her bunk, reaching under it and pulling out a medium sized box. She opened the box and the two began to shift the contents around. A golden dagger, a necklace, a bracelet, a journal, and two photos. He snatched the photos up quickly, holding them out so an inquisitive Annabeth could see them as well.

The images made his heart stop.


"Fraternal twins." Hermes laughed, holding the blonde haired bundle in one arm,"And look at this one," He said proudly, sitting in the chair next to Sally Jackson,"he's got my eyes and hair and your nose." Blue eyes looked around the room, unable to focus, and Hermes reached out to his son with his free hand. The god grinned when the newborn gripped his finger with his tiny hand.

He wasn't supposed to be here, and he knew that his father would be displeased that he was. But he was smart, he could talk circles around Zeus with no problem whatsoever, so he didn't worry in the slightest.

Besides, his sons were infants, and there was no chance they'd remember him. A loophole, one that would undoubtedly cause the other gods to throw fits, but only because they hadn't thought of it first.

Sally was exhausted. She was drenched in sweat, hair frizzy and unkempt, panting heavily due to the strain of birthing, a trembling hand rested on her swollen belly, and eyes brightened as the nurse came to her with her other son. She had let Hermes be the first to hold their first child, only because she soon went into labor again and was in no condition to hold her son.

When the blonde baby had been birthed he entered the world screeching, flailing madly, and trying to get back to his mother. It was only exhaustion that kept him from continuing to cry out, but his unfocused blue eyes were staring in his mother's direction.

However, when his younger brother was born he hadn't made a sound, there was no screeching was he was brought into the world. He was a bit smaller than his older brother, he looked frail and sickly. He was all gangly limbs, pasty white skin, and unsettling silence. Hermes had heard the doctor joking about his weak grip.

Meanwhile, the blonde baby had a protruding stomach with meaty arms and legs and a strong grip to match.

Hermes smiled at her as she cradled their other son,"My baby boy," She whispered in awe,"my special boy." Hermes couldn't see much of the younger son due to the bundle he was wrapped in, but he could make out a tuft of black hair sitting upon his head.

"What do you want to name them?" The god asked, leaning forward to look at his other son's face. He had his mother's green eyes as well.

Sally hadn't looked up from the newborn in her arms,"This one is Perseus, Percy for short." She briefly glanced at the baby in his arms,"You should name him, he looks just like you." Not that she had seen him very clearly apart from his full head of blonde hair.

Hermes pressed a kiss to her sweaty forehead, grinning all the while. He was beyond touched that she would let him name their child, especially since he wouldn't be there to help raise him.

Hermes looked at his son for a moment, watching as he reached his stubby arms out for his younger twin,"Luke." He decided, smiling as his lover offered him Percy, and he cradled his younger son in his other arm. Luke grunted, still trying to reach Percy, and Percy watched his older brother as though he were the most amazing invention the gods had ever made.

Sally sighed,"Hermes-"

"You said I could name him!"

"Not after your favorite Star Wars character." She muttered, a touch of amusement in her tone mixed with a tired fondness.

Hermes grinned,"I thought you liked Star Wars."

A mischevious smile played on her lips and she reached out to squeeze his knee,"I only said that to get in your pants."

The god played somber, eyes downcast, and a heavy sigh escaped him,"I knew you only loved me for my body."

"Obviously." He laughed loudly at this, enjoying their banter.

"Whatever, I think Luke is a great name." He turned his attention to the blonde baby,"The name has luck, you know, maybe our precious Luke will be the chosen one-"

"And save the world from you? His evil father?" Sally snorted,"Just like in the movies?"

"If I have to be evil so our son can succeed...then so be it." He said dramatically, causing the mortal to chuckle,"You're lucky you didn't let me name Percy," He grinned,"boy or girl I would have named him Leia." This turned a chuckle into a loud laugh, and Hermes felt his heart melt.

This was so domestic; two parents holding their twins and exchanging playful banter. He had never physically been there when any of his demigod children had been born, so he had never realized how much he yearned for a family of his own until now.

He wanted the house, the stupid minivan, the pitter patter of tiny feet running down the hallway, a king-sized bed that could hold himself and the children and his lover, lazy Sunday mornings interrupted by the giggling twins catapulting themselves at him, and long nights curled up with Sally Jackson.

The very thought brought an ache to his chest, he longed for a life like that with Sally and his sons, but he knew he could never have it. Not with them.

"Does the happy couple want a picture?" Thankfully, a cheery nurse interpreted his agonizing thoughts.

He perked,"Yes! In my messenger bag there's a polaroid camera, use that. We'll need two pictures, one for her and one for me." He instructed. Sally was grinning now, scooting over in her hospital bed and patting the spot beside her. Hermes handed her Percy and climbed into the bed with Luke in his arms.

The nurse retrieved the polaroid, looking at it in surprise,"Wow, I've never used one of these before, talk about ancient." She joked, holding the camera up,"Say cheese!" Hermes grinned, laughter stuck in his throat, and tears pricking his eyes - completely overwhelmed with joy. He knew Sally felt it too as she leaned into him, a soft laugh escaping her.

The god had never held his children when they were babies and he was overjoyed to finally have the chance to do so. We made them, he thought giddily, we made two beautiful boys. He wasn't sure if he could recall a time he had felt so fulfilled being a father.

The nurse snapped the two photos, shaking them when they were printed out, and handing them to Hermes.

The god's grin, if possible, only grew,"Wow." He showed Sally and she seemed just as enraptured by the photo as he was. It came out in black and white but that didn't detract from its beauty. The beauty being the genuine joy that was conveyed by their smiles, both eyes glimmering with tears.

The picture showed Sally leaning into Hermes, the sides of their heads touching. Her hair was frizzy and her face glistened with sweat but she didn't look any less beautiful. Sally's eyes were filled with warmth and a love only a mother could feel for the children she brought into the world. Hermes' eyes were filled with such pride and happiness that it almost took him back. And the twins had been captured looking at each other, stubby arms reaching out for gangly ones.

It was perfect, the ideal family. But they were the exact opposite. Soon Hermes would have to leave and Sally would become a single mother.

No stupid minivan, no bed that could bear the whole family, no giggling Luke and Percy to throw themselves at him, and no long nights curled up with his Sally - collapsing into bed and trying to one up each other on who had the most difficult day with the twins.

Don't think about it, not when your family is right here.

"We'll give you two a moment as we continue preparations for your children." The nurse smiled before she and the other faculty members left the room.

Hermes turned to Sally, a brilliant smile on his face,"Do you want to hold Luke?"

Sally quieted at this question, not meeting his gaze when she said,"That's alright, you hold him." She held Percy tighter to her chest, purposefully avoiding looking at Luke. She hadn't gotten a good look at their eldest yet, and Hermes grew concerned with her forced indifference.

"Sally-"

"I can't...look at him, Hermes, not when I have to send him away." Tears flowed down her cheeks, bottom lip quivering, and green eyes dulling as she kept her gaze on their youngest boy.

Hermes looked at her in disbelief,"Send him away? Why would you do that?" His voice grew louder, angrier,"Luke is our son, your son, look at him!" He demanded, holding out the blonde baby over her lap. Luke took this opportunity and finally grabbed his brother's arm, squealing as he did so. But Sally kept her eyes firmly locked on Percy, who squealed back at his older twin brother.

Sally's voice shook as she spoke,"I can't afford to keep them both, Hermes." More tears fell,"I need you to take him, give him to someone you trust," She finally looked up at her lover,"Percy is so frail, so small, he needs me."

"Luke needs you!" Hermes argued,"I...I know I can't help financially, but you have welfare-"

"That's no way to live!" She snarled, leaning away from him as though he now repulsed her,"With Percy, yes he'll be expensive, but I can put back some money so we'll no longer be on welfare. But I can't do that if I raise both boys, and at least this way," A sob escaped her,"Luke can have a chance to live a better life than he would have if he stayed with me."

Hermes swallowed thickly, guilt overwhelming him, but he didn't know what to say about her decision. Ultimately, it was a good plan. Both boys would have a better chance at living better lives, Luke with someone in a better financial position, and with only Percy, it would be easier for Sally to save money and dig them out of poverty. But the family would become fractured, more than it already was, and that thought alone made Hermes's heart shatter.

"If I hold him," She continued, fighting back another sob,"I'll never let him go."


"I have nothing to say to you." Percy said, keeping his voice level as he tried to move around his birth father. The two were alone in the woods, Percy had come out here to think and instead was confronted by the last person he wanted to talk to.

He wanted to be mad at Pan, his own brother, for hiding the truth from him. However, he knew it was unfair when Hermes had undoubtedly ordered the god to remain silent. Not to mention Pan was kind to him and treated him well, even when Percy grew frustrated with him it was near impossible to stay angry.

Truthfully, he wasn't upset with the other gods or Calypso anymore. He had taken some time to calm down and could recognize the fault laid with Hermes and Sally. The godling wouldn't have wanted to hear the truth from the lips of anyone but his birth father and mother.

"Son-"

"You don't get to call me that!" Hermes looked as though he were taken back in time, blue eyes looking distant, whatever Percy had said had evoked an unpleasant memory. Luke probably said the same thing.

The god clenched his jaw, shaking his head,"No, no I don't." He agreed,"But I can provide you with answers-"

"I don't want them from you." Percy sneered, but he was rooted to the spot,"I want the truth from her. I want her to look me in the eyes and tell me what she's done." Green eyes were swirling with anger, with confusion, all he knew was that he needed to know why she had kept Luke from him. His twin brother. Gods, it didn't seem real, it felt like some sick dream.

Hermes squeezed his eyes shut, releasing a shaky breath,"Percy, please, just listen to me."

"Why should I? This whole time you've been lying to me about your identity, all while trying to get closer to me. How stupid do you have to be?" He snapped,"What, you wanted to bond with me and then tell me the truth? As if it would soften the blow when, really, it would hurt even more? I would have given way less of a shit if you had told me the truth when we first met."

That's what really sucked about all this. Hermes had been growing on him, ever since his protective nature flared up after Artemis's attack. Percy had also been learning to enjoy his and Apollo's antics.

The godling had thought Hermes had truly cared for him, and maybe he did in his own way, but it seemed to him that the god only wanted to absolve his guilt for not being there for him as a child. It was upsetting, someone he had grown comfortable with had been lying to his face the entire time.

Percy paused then, looking at the god, anger melting away in the face of gaining answers to sate his curiosity,"I suppose I do have one question." He allowed, relaxing his posture and giving Hermes a hard look.

"Ask and I will answer." Hermes said, desperation lacing his words. He ran a hand through short, black curls, a nervous tick, and looked at his son almost earnestly. Percy couldn't help but regard him with animosity. You and mother will not escape my wrath so easily.

"Luke...is he in Elysium?" He saved the fucking world, being placed anywhere else would be unacceptable.

Hermes smiled then, relaxing slightly,"He is, I made sure of that."

Percy nodded, vexed with the implication that Luke wouldn't have made it had it not been for their birth father,"Good. Now, you can make yourself useful and take me to my mother."

The god frowned at him, hesitant,"Percy, you know the rules. And...I would like if we could talk-"

"We will speak when I wish to speak to you." Percy interrupted,"You will take me to my mother, I know you will because you are so desperate to make things right." He snorted, rolling his eyes at Hermes's glare,"Spare me the fake outrage, you know I'm right. I won't harm her, I only want to talk to her and get some answers. You can even wait for me outside." He said flippantly, and they both knew Hermes would not deny his right to the truth.

The god looked at his son, his face pained and his eyes dimmed,"I'm sorry," He finally says, hesitantly taking a step closer towards the godling,"I'm sorry I didn't love you enough." Percy stills and looks into the pleading eyes of his birth father, silently begging for his understanding. Tears spring to his eyes and he looks away, gritting his teeth and attempting to calm himself.

"Just...take me to my mother."


Percy had been four at the time, too young to remember the encounter with great detail. When he grew older and was asked about it he would say that he briefly remembered an encounter with a nice, blonde man. His mother never corrected him, deciding ambiguity was best.

Sally was smiling as she carried her giggling boy on her shoulders. Small, clammy hands pressed against her forehead to keep himself balanced as his mother walked through the park. It was a nice day and the park was full of squealing children and laughing parents.

Sally hummed a little tune as she walked away from the park, she had a little bounce in her step, and Percy's giggling increased in volume. He hadn't had a haircut in a few months, his black hair had started to curl and made him look so much like his father that she decided to leave his hair uncut.

Since she had first held him in her arms he had become her world, and she would always put his needs above her own. That's what a good mother does, she thought as she turned her head to drop a kiss on his leg, she gives her child the world no matter the cost.

"What a handsome young man you have there, the father must have been a hunk." A familiar voice startled her and she whipped her head to the side to see a grinning man. His short, sandy blonde curls framed his face perfectly and complimented his blue eyes that glittered with mischief.

He was just as lovely as she remembered. Broad shoulders, lean physique, prominent dimples, and brilliant white teeth. The only difference was that he now bore blonde hair rather than black. He wore jeans and a slightly baggy, teal colored hoodie along with jarringly bright red sneakers.

Around his neck was a black strap that carried a polaroid camera, the same one that he had used at the hospital four years ago.

Sally felt her heart warm at the sight of him and smiled back just widely,"His father looked alright, I suppose," She hummed,"truthfully I was out of his league. It's the only reason my son looks as handsome as he does."

The god laughed heartily, looking at his lover affectionately,"It'll be a miracle if the boy doesn't inherit your ego."

Sally merely smiled,"Well, why should he pretend to be modest?" She asked rhetorically before looking at Hermes in confusion,"Why are you here? Surely this visitation won't go unnoticed by your father."

Hermes waved her off,"He has bigger things to worry about. There are whisperings about the rise of my grandfather, so that'll be the main focus of his attention."

Before Sally could question him further, alarmed at the prospect of Kronos's resurrection, Percy spoke up,"Who are you?" He asked, green eyes staring at him with curiosity.

The god grinned at his son,"I'm friends with your mother. My name is Hershal." Percy seemed to be studying him, looking him up and down from his perch on his mothers' shoulders. His bottom lip jutted out, eyes squinted, and he hummed as he stared the god down.

Finally, as though deeming him worthy, he reached his arms out to him,"Up." He demanded,"You're tall."

Hermes lit up, grinning brilliantly at his son and lover,"Of course. We should also get a picture!" He exclaimed, slipping the black strap off the polaroid and easily charming a man in order to get their picture taken.

With no delay, he plucked Percy off Sallys' shoulders and placed the boy on his own. Percy laughed and wrapped his short arms around the god's forehead.

After two photos were taken the man grinned and told them that they were a lovely family. He handed Sally the camera and photos, she looked at them, smiling broadly as she showed them to Percy and Hermes. They did look like a lovely family.

The photo showed Sally leaning against Hermes, left arm around his torso and right hand on his chest. Her head rested against Percy's leg and Hermes's shoulder and she had smiled softly at the camera, conveying that she felt more content then she had in a long time.

Hermes looked about as happy as he had when he was in the hospital with them. Eyes gleaming with mirth as he held Sally close. He had slipped his right arm around her waist and used his left arm to gently hold Percy's leg so he remained steady. Unlike the soft smile of Sally, his lips bore an unrestrained grin.

Percy had rested his cheek on blonde curls and had pudgy arms wrapped around his father's forehead. His grin made him look like the spitting image of his father. The short, curly black hair, the mischevious twinkle in his eyes, and he looked just as ecstatic as Hermes had in the photo. While he took very much after her, she could not deny that in this picture he looked just like Hermes.

"I'm tall!" Percy cheered, looking down at the pictures in his mothers' hands,"Mommy, see how tall I am?" He boasted, throwing his hands up into the air.

Hermes laughed as Sally beamed at her son,"You're very tall! Soon you'll be taller than me." She reached up and Percy grabbed one of her hands, her heart melted as he held it for a moment and grinned down at her.

"Then you can be on my shoulders!" He enthused, squealing as Hermes reached up and tickled his stomach.

"What about me? Will you let me ride on your shoulders too?"

Percy frowned, resting his chin on Hermes's head,"You're heavy...but I'll try." His parents laughed at this and they continued their walk, going no particular direction, just enjoying each other. Hermes held Percy's leg with one hand and Sally's hand with his free one. He talked to Percy about his favorite superheroes, tv shows, movies, colors, books, and friends at school.

When he asked about friends Percy had perked up,"Mister Gabe is my friend!" He declared, causing Sally to smile at Percy's fondness for the man.

Hermes looked at Sally curiously,"Mister Gabe?" Gabe was a strapping man with thick brown hair and broad shoulders. He was a defense attorney and a rather successful one at that. He couldn't help out at the preschool as much as he wanted, he had told her, but he did what he could.

Sally was twenty six, a bit young compared to the other mothers, and Gabe was two years older than her. It was no surprise that he was taken by her. He was wealthy, handsome, and nice. She wouldn't lie and say she hadn't entertained the idea of dating him.

She wasn't extremely interested in him, no one compared to Hermes, but she knew that a man in Percy's life would be good for him. Also, she couldn't cling to Hermes forever, he was a god and she was just a mortal. He had probably already moved on and she knew she should too.

She liked Gabe, he was nice and good to her son, but she became annoyed whenever he pointed out Percy's flaws. Why should she care if he wouldn't share the legos? He had the blood of a god, he was the most powerful child in that school and it wasn't like he was hurting anyone.

Percy was a special child, Sally had been informed that his speed was unparalleled, he was difficult for even the teachers to catch during tag. He struggled with reading and math but excelled socially compared to his peers. He will grow to do great things, she thought as she watched her son closely, and I can't wait to see what he becomes.

She finally turned her attention back to Hermes,"He's a volunteer teacher at Percy's preschool." She said,"He's a very nice man and Percy adores him."

"He plays tag with me and gives me shoulder rides." Percy informed the god,"He likes Ironman too. Hersh..." Percy frowns, struggling with the name.

"Hershal." Hermes says slowly before smiling slightly,"But you can call me Hersh."

"Hersh." Percy says with a smile of his own,"Do you like Ironman?"

Hermes shrugged his shoulders, causing Percy to giggle as he moved up and down as well,"He's alright...do you like Star Wars?" Sally groaned as her lover shot her a smirk.

Percy gasped and, despite Hermes not being able to see him, nodded vigorously,"Yeah! Luke is so cool!" Sally became somber, unable to think of the movie but rather her other son.

Luke. The one she gave away in hopes of providing both her children with a better life. She didn't like to dwell on it, Luke was surely happier now, but she was just making assumptions due to the fact that she couldn't bear to ask about him.

If she did ask Hermes about Luke she knew she'd start crying, and that wouldn't do anyone any good. Sometimes she felt like a horrible mother, unable to overcome adversity in the face of her children's' livelihoods. But other times she believed she had truly done the right thing. She was no good to either boy if she couldn't provide for them properly.

Percy had been the sickly looking one, the weak one, the one that needed her the most. He was strong now, just as Luke undoubtedly was, and that was because of his parentage. I'm a good mother, she thought to herself as she watched Hermes and Percy interact with one another. When I get enough money Percy will want for nothing.

"Luke is the best." Hermes agreed, giving Sally a meaningful look as he continued to speak to his son,"I knew you'd love him."


"Percy," His mother breathed, tears blurring her vision as her son stepped into her study,"you're back!" His mother, though still beautiful, looked exhausted and somewhat sickly. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked gaunt, as though she hadn't eaten properly in months, and tan skin had become extremely pale.

Percy would have felt guilty about his absence had he not been lied to for years.

Percy watched numbly as his mother jumped out of her chair and pulled him into a hug. His arms remained limply at his sides and he didn't move when he felt hot tears soak into the collar of his shirt.

Sally pulled away, not even noticing her son's emotionless mask, and quickly ran her hands over his face and shoulders,"Where have you been? Are you hurt? You've gotten muscular...did you dye your hair? Where did you get those scars?" She gently touched his neck, and he let her, thoughts jumbled and feelings indecisive. The godling had missed his mother, but that was before he found out that what she had kept from him. Who she had kept from him.

The woman he once took comfort in was now a stranger to him. How often had she lied to him? He wondered. Lips pulled into a thin line as she continued to fuss over him. Was it out of a more vindictive nature? Perhaps to spare his feelings? Maybe to absolve herself of the guilt that led her to abandon Luke?

For once he didn't know what to say, so he said what came to mind,"Luke's dead." His mother froze, looking as though she saw a ghost as she backed away from him. She looked like she wanted to run, green eyes wide with disbelief that her lies had caught up to her. You weren't fast enough.

She didn't speak so he did,"He died protecting the people he loved," Percy sat in the seat across the desk, gesturing his mother to sit behind her desk, and she did,"I'd never do that, but I suppose that's why he was the one that hosted Kronos instead of me."

"Percy-"

"His poor, adoptive mother was crazy," He continued, voice remaining monotoned,"she was cursed by the Oracle or something," He shrugged, leaning back in his chair,"I don't particularly care what happened to her. But I do care that my brother, my twin, was left in her care." His voice had an edge to it now, eyes narrowing,"She was unfit to mother him. You gave him away and Hermes did nothing."

Upon finding out that Luke was his twin he had been beyond livid. That was why the blonde had been so familiar, why he felt the connection the instant he saw him, and perhaps that was why he had visions of his twin's death. Luke was his blood, his brother, and he had missed out on years that could have been spent with him. He had been so kind to him when they met, so understanding and proud of who he was, despite knowing that Percy was a constant bullshitter.

Luke hadn't judged him, no, he had kissed his forehead and apologized for not being there.

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to be who you needed me to be."

Luke had blamed himself for being absent from Percy's life,"It's not your fault," Percy wanted to tell him,"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." Granted, Luke had found out about his existence way earlier in his life, but still, to know that Luke had suffered alone for so long caused his heart to ache. Percy had grown up with a loving mother in a nice mansion. He had had a stepdad that, despite his alcoholism, had been good to the Jacksons for the most part.

His brother had been trapped with some crazy woman in a run down house. He had been on the streets before finding Camp Halfblood, burdened with the abandonment of the gods, and joining Kronos in hopes of making a better world for demigods. He was led astray, used to host Kronos, and then took his own life to save those he loved. Now that, that was a Greek tragedy. The treacherous hero. The man killed by loyalty.

Joey James had been fake, a character created of a man his mother thought he would respect and love through her exaggerated stories. But Luke Castellan, Luke Jackson had been real. He was a true war hero that died not for his country, but for the world. Percy had met him, seen his greatness for himself, and had grown to love him through the stories the campers had told him.

Luke taught Annabeth how to use a knife. Luke saved Thalia's life on more than one occasion. Luke took in all the children of minor gods and treated them like kin. Luke protected the weak. Luke once ate eleven waffles without vomiting. Luke would laugh so hard he would start snorting. Luke had secretly watched children movies, he would deny it if anyone asked, but he was a sucker for happy endings.

Luke had been real and he died before Percy could ever get the chance to know him. That hurt. It really did. Percy often found himself wondering about what could have been. If their places had been swapped, would Percy be dead and Luke alive? If Luke had grown up with him, would he have still hosted Kronos? If Luke was raised by Sally, would he have been the man everyone came to love? Would he love me, despite everything I am?

"Percy," He jerked his attention back to his mother, her tears were falling but he didn't care,"I never wanted-"

"It doesn't matter what you wanted," He interrupted sharply, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the two photos,"I don't care about intentions, I care about actions." The godling tossed the pictures on the desk for his mother to see,"So, before I listen to a word you say I want to know what else you've lied about. If I find out later that you've hidden something from me I swear I will never return." He promised, and he meant every word.

She looked conflicted, eyes darting to her hands nervously, and she began to gnaw on her lip,"Gabe," She finally said, wet eyes meeting his,"he wasn't murdered."

Percy masked his surprise,"Then what happened to him." His mother looked just as she did the night the police came knocking on their door. Fearful, hurt, vulnerable, grief-stricken. Red rimmed eyes coupled with dark circles beneath, lips pulled into a thin line in order to prevent herself from sobbing, jittery hands, wobbly knees, and seafoam colored eyes darkened and lost their spark.

She stood before him, no longer Oscar winning actress Sally Jackson, no longer an intelligent woman he had looked up to, and no longer the brave mother that had chased away his nightmares when he was a boy. Percy stood in the presence of a stranger, someone he had hoped to never see again; a broken woman, a walking corpse, an imposter wearing his mother's skin.

What have you done?

Sally finally met his gaze, though it wavered at the sight of his intensity,"He committed suicide...shot himself in the head. He left a note." Percy was silent. If looks could kill his mother would be dead. He sat forward in his chair, hands gripping the wooden armrests so tightly they snapped off. Suicide.

That made Gabe's death infinitely worse. It made everything infinitely worse. He had been thinking about his stepfather's death for years, blaming Gabe for being stupid enough to be drinking in such a dangerous neighborhood, believing it was karma that had finally come for his stepfather, and telling himself it was good that the muggers had killed him.

It's good they did that, Percy would tell himself, he could have hurt us, he was a dick, he was too out of control. And those thoughts would quiet his loud mind during the long nights.

But he wasn't murdered. It made Percy sick to think that, for all the nasty thoughts he had about Gabe, Gabe had had of himself. But Gabes' thoughts had been worse, to the point where he had taken his own life.

And he left a note, what the contents could be Percy wasn't sure, but his mother had kept it from him. What if it was an apology? An explanation? The closure he had yearned for since he was fifteen?

Sally had kept Gabe's suicide from him for seven years and had shielded him from all the other hard truths for far longer. She had looked him straight in the eye and lied. And for what?

"Suicide." He repeated, dropping the armrests onto the ground and standing to his feet, his voice was eerily calm,"Why would you keep that from me? Why would you keep Luke and Hermes from me?" His eyes flashed with a tamed rage, his unfurled hands remained at his side, still as stone,"What could you have possibly gained from keeping me in the dark?"

She at least had the decency to look ashamed, but her guilt soon melted into a self-righteousness,"It was to keep you safe," She stood to her feet, and had the nerve to get angry,"I lied to you to protect you from the cruelty of the world. Everything I did was to keep you from being in pain-"

"But I am in pain!" He roared, slamming his hand onto the cherrywood desk,"I'm in pain all the fucking time, and it's because of you!" Tears threatened to fall but he refused to let them, he was tired of crying,"You protected me so much that, when I did finally feel pain it hurt so much more than you can even fathom." His voice cracked, but he refused to break.

Sally looked stunned and she reached out to him,"Percy-" He jerked away, jaw clenching and eyes darkening as kept his gaze steady with hers.

"Give me Gabe's letter." He commanded,"Then, and only then, will I permit you to speak." Sally looked torn, as though she wanted to argue with him but thought better of it. Shakily she reached into the drawer of her desk, rummaging around until she found the letter. She handed it to him, it was placed in a blank envelope, and Percy crammed it into his jacket pocket.

Sally then released a sigh, smoothing down her unwrinkled shirt before speaking,"I tried to protect you for so long, I never wanted to be the one to hurt you." Tears continued to flow, her dull green eyes were gazing down at her fluttering hands that she had yet to calm,"You don't understand and you won't, not until you have a child of your own."

She took a hesitant step closer to him,"A parent never wants to see their child in pain, whether it be physical or mental, and I couldn't bear to see your sorrow when you learned the truth. I wanted to protect you from all the evils of the world, and so I did, I did it because I love you. Too much emotional pain is bad for a child, I didn't want to lose you like I did Gabe." She wiped away tears, clearing her throat, and keeping her eyes downcast.

Percy gripped her chin, not gently but not roughly either, and forced her to look up at him,"Oh, dearest mother," He sneered, releasing her when she kept her green eyes locked on his,"you were the one that taught me the art of manipulation. Don't think me so stupid as to not see what you're doing. I didn't know when I was younger, I could ignore it when I was ignorant of your lies, but you will not make a fool of me. Not again."

Sally dropped her act, balling her hands into fists, and scowling at her son,"Perseus Jackson-"

"Lie to me again; stretch the truth, omit facts or anything of the sort and you will lose your last son." His eyes narrowed,"Your last boy." She stiffened, eyes widening at hearing him quote her from years ago,"Why did you abandon Luke?" He figured his mother's lie about Gabe was just to protect him, and it would no longer matter when he read the man's letter. But he wanted to know what led her to discard his brother.

Sally looked away from him for a moment, eyes once again welling with tears,"I...I wasn't lying-"

"Be that as it may, you were still trying to manipulate me, I'm very familiar with how you work."

Her jaw clenched,"Perhaps I wanted your sympathy, what of it?"

Percy grew impatient,"I won't get into this with you, mother. Answer my fucking question."

The woman sighed, losing the glare,"I couldn't afford to keep you both." She allowed, voice laden with sadness,"Luke had been born healthy and strong, but you were so scrawny and sickly looking. I knew you needed me more than he did, I knew I had to protect you, so I sent Luke with Hermes and that's how he ended up with May."

Percy's lips pulled into a thin line,"He was your son just as much as I-"

That evoked a rage in his mother he had seldom seen,"I know!" She roared, standing to her feet and glaring up at her child,"I loved him just as much as I love you, and don't you dare question that." She warned, eyes lighting up with rage, she looked more alive than he had seen her since he had arrived,"I gave him up to protect you!"

"Don't try to pin this on me!" Percy snarled, towering over his mother,"I'm not the one that spread their legs for some mediocre god." He mocked. Verbally, he wanted to hurt her, he wanted to inflict the same amount of pain as she had on him,"The least you could have done was whore yourself out to a stronger god. You're pretty enough, I'm sure Poseidon would have enjoyed you-" He was cut off with a hard slap, but he's endured worse, and it didn't hurt or cause him to recoil.

He grinned at her, all teeth,"A flea bite."

His mother looked shocked that she had even laid a hand on him,"Percy," She whispered, bringing her hand up to cup his cheek,"I'm sorry-" He caught her wrist and sneered at her.

"Don't apologize!" He yelled, releasing her wrist and stepping more into her personal space,"Get angry! I called you a whore! Gods damn you, woman!" He cursed at her, the imagery of lifeless black eyes and a crushed skull prevented his hands from trembling with rage,"If you had truly cared about me you would have struck me more often when I was a boy."

Sally took a step back, looking at him as though he had grown a second head,"You're my son, I-I shouldn't have hit you." She stuttered,"I don't know why you wish for a childhood full of harsh punishments. I could have never been the cause of your pain."

"Sometimes, I think you're hard at hearing." Percy said, no heat behind his words,"I've already told you how much pain you've caused me due to your overprotectiveness. First, it was physical pain. You never let me wrestle or do sports because it was too dangerous. So when I finally got punched in the face I couldn't handle it. I cried like a child and I didn't know how to fight back or defend myself. Then it was mental pain."

Percy paused, swallowing thickly before he continued,"My emotions are elevated, which wouldn't be a problem, but my tantrums have gone unpunished my entire life..." He trailed off, a shaky breath escaped him,"I got so angry that I killed a man. Afterward, I realized that I had no idea how to cope with what I had done. I have no coping mechanisms, no way to deal with guilt or sadness." Tears threatened to spill but he held them back,"I just wanted you to make all the hurt go away, to cradle me in your arms and handle everything like you always have." He looked down at his hands,"I had to snap his neck...and then carry his corpse to a spot so I could bury it. I still have nightmares of him-"

"Percy." His mother was fully sobbing now, face scrunched up and flushed. Her crying caused her body to shake, and she leaned heavily against her desk in order to keep herself standing. He couldn't bear to look at her or allow her to touch him, if he did, he would lose it. The agony in her voice was palpable, and he wasn't sure if she was weeping due to his confession or his distress. Maybe both.

He continued to stare down at his hands, a sad smile playing on his lips,"All my life you've built me up, shielding me of all critique, and telling me how special I am. So imagine the humiliation I felt when I discovered how mediocre I was at just about everything. You've made me weak, dependent on you so that I wouldn't leave...so that you could still feel needed and useful." He finally looked up at her,"You are my mother and I love you. But for what you've done to me, for what you've hidden from me, I will never forget that."

He said what needed to be said, and without waiting for a reply he turned and left the room. To his surprise and relief, his mother hadn't tried to stop him, but she hadn't tried to stifle her sobs either. The godling stopped by his room on his way out of the house, reaching beneath his bed to get the ring Gabe had given him when he married his mother.

"A promise ring, so you know I'll never leave you."

The letter in his pocket felt heavy,"Lying fuck." He muttered, taking the silver ring off its chain since his fingers were now big enough for him to wear it. Percy slipped it onto the middle finger of his left hand, it was a little loose but it wouldn't slip off.

When walking out of his room he caught sight of his reflection and Lupa's words came to mind, resonating with him in a way they hadn't when they were first spoken.

"Pain has smiled upon you today, she has granted you knowledge and with knowledge comes strength, so that when pain smiles upon you again, you will have the strength to smile back."

So he smiled at his reflection. It was smile filled with grief and exhaustion, but a smile nonetheless.

He left his home, no, he left his mother's home. Sighing he approached Hermes, hands crammed in his pockets and looking at his son anxiously. The god opened his mouth to speak, to ask how everything went but thought better of it.

Percy was relieved he wasn't stupid enough to try to have a heart to heart, he was tired of heavy conversations and the taste of salt on his tongue, he just wanted to be left alone.

The godling gave his birth father a sardonic smile,"I'm sad." He said bluntly,"So, father," He practically spat the word out, causing Hermes to wince,"you can buy me some rum and leave me alone for a while. It's no good wallow in self pity when there's someone there trying to cheer you up."

Hermes was ready to protest,"Percy-"

Green eyes rolled in annoyance,"Gods, calm down. I'm not like Gabe, I'm not going blow my brains out. I'm very vain, you know, a hole in the head would make for a closed casket funeral," He smiled blithely,"and I'd hate for anyone to miss seeing my lovely face for the last time."

His birth father looked angry now, a scowl marring his face,"Watch your tongue!" He warned, and Percy studied him, eyes widening slightly in realization.

"Ah, so you knew." Emerald colored eyes flickered with amusement as Hermes's scowl deepened,"There's a story there...but I'm afraid I don't have time to listen, not yet." He hummed,"I'm going to get drunk to forget this night ever happened, then I'm going to regret everything in the morning. You can punish me tomorrow, I don't care, I just really need a drink."

Hermes looked startled at his son's uncaring attitude, his eyes widening as he spoke,"After everything that happened with Gabe-"

"I'm not an alcoholic, Hermes." Percy snapped, clenching his hands into fists before releasing a calming breath, tense shoulders loosened and his uncaring smile returned,"My twin brother is dead, my stepfather killed himself, my mother is a liar, and my father is you." He looked up at the night sky, a deep sigh escaped him, his chest ached with something he would later recognize as longing,"That's a lot of shit to deal with...the universe would have to be truly cruel to deny me one night to forget."


When they came back for him he was in an alley, downing a bottle of rum and talking to himself. He was swaying side to side, back facing them, and head looking up at the night sky. The stars were obscured by the nearby street lights that illuminated the trash covered alleyway. Broken bottles, wrappers, the occasional shoe, and other objects that were unidentifiable in the dark of night.

Hermes looked stricken by the sight of the intoxicated godling, about to rush forward to his son, when Calypso put a hand on his arm,"Seeing you will make him angry." She said quietly, not wanting to draw attention to their arrival,"Let me speak with him."

The god frowned,"He was upset with you too, what makes you think he'll want anything to do with you?"

Calypso released his arm,"He will." I'm his mate,"Wait for us back at camp." She walked forward, stepping with care so as not to alert the godling. When she was finally within arm's length of him she reached out and gently wrapped her arms around his torso, placing her cheek on his shoulder blade, and holding him close.

Surprisingly, he didn't startle at her appearance,"Calypso." He whispered, allowing her to continue embracing him, and took another swig from his bottle.

"I caught you." She murmured, and couldn't hold back her soft smile as he turned around in her arms. He still held his rum, but his other arm wrapped around her waist, and he gave her a dopey smile. The proximity made her heart race.

"You did." He was still swaying slightly, and it made them look like they were dancing,"I'm not super drunk yet," He frowned, eyes lidded due to the alcohol relaxing him,"I'm definitely tipsy and touchy, and I'll definitely be saying things I"ll regret tomorrow." He sighed wistfully, now staring at his rum,"A shame, I wanted to get hammered."

Calypso shook her head, she couldn't even try to look disappointed, she liked when Percy spoke freely with her,"Sorry to ruin your fun, but we need to get back. We have to go to camp bright and early tomorrow." She made a move to step away but his grip on her waist tightened slightly.

He held out the rum to her,"Drink with me."

She frowned,"I can't-"

"Just lighten up for one night." He all but begged,"Let me spend the night getting hammered with my friend. I'm tired of heavy conversations, I want to relax," He sobered for a moment,"I've missed you." It was genuine, she knew it was, and that's what made her cave.

Percy hadn't spoken to her in days, but she understood. He was angry and rightfully so, his mother had been lying to him his entire life, and his birth father had been under his nose the entire time. She knew she couldn't have told him the truth, not when that right went to Hermes, but she could understand why Percy felt betrayed. He had called her his friend and she had kept a rather large secret from him.

She had missed his company, missed his stupid hunts, reckless smiles, and their petty squabbles. Despite him being mad at her she would still find his gaze lingering on her, not filled with anger but longing.

It was no doubt the pull he felt from having accidentally chosen her to be his mate. It was his fox that had chosen her. Their separation had undoubtedly been harder on him. But now they were together again, and Percy was relaxed in a way she hadn't seen him in a long time.

Slim fingers wrapped around the bottle,"I've missed you too." She admitted, smiling at the grin that lit up Percy's face,"However, I'm afraid we don't have enough rum to get hammered." He watched her as she drank some of the rum, though it burned her throat she was surprised to find she didn't hate the taste.

"I have another one," He gestured to the wall of the alley where, sure enough, another bottle sat,"and besides, you're a lightweight. You won't need much." The godling was smirking when he put the bottle to his lips, undoubtedly enjoying her annoyed look. Neither immortal took notice of Percy's arm still wrapped firmly around Calypso's waist, or if they did they didn't care.

"I'm not a lightweight." She grumbled, watching as Percy guzzled down more alcohol. This was a bad idea, she knew that, but for a moment she wanted to be reckless. She was always the rational one, the one that kept the peace and dutifully reported to Pan and any other god that needed her.

Calypso had never had the chance to be a teenager, so going to camp and getting to act like one was exciting. Almost as exciting as the prospect of getting drunk with Percy, knowing that they'd both get in trouble but not caring about the outcome. Percy needed a distraction, and she was willing to be that for him, just like she was willing to be his prey when his fox was desperate to hunt.

"Pan told me you were my mate." He said abruptly, startling her,"I always feel so...nice around you. And sometimes," His voice lowered, a poor imitation of a whisper, as though he didn't want the nonexistent people to hear,"I want to kiss you. Isn't that crazy?" He giggled like it was some big secret, looking almost childish,"But don't worry, I won't. I don't want to make you mad."

You wouldn't make me mad,"I know. Aphrodite told me your fox form chose me to be your mate." She confirmed, speaking carefully, not at all as affected by the alcohol like Percy was since he had had a head start,"Does that upset you?" She drank more of the spiced rum, feeling her cheeks flush.

Percy shook his head vigorously,"No, you're beautiful and nice." He gazed upon her with such reverence that she had to look away,"But I'm scared and horny, it's super annoying." Calypso burst out laughing, leaning her forehead against his collarbone, and Percy let out a whine,"Don't laugh at me! I'm being honest with you."

Her laughter subsided, and a warm smile spread across her face as she looked up at him,"I'm sorry. I'm glad you're honest with me." His admission was not an unwelcome one, for she found her feelings for him growing in a way she had never expected. He had told her that, had he been playing a role around her, she would have found him charming.

But she did find him charming. His somewhat grouchy nature, the furrow in his brow, the pout on his lips, his hybrid and fox form, his untamed smile, and his warm laughter. She didn't know when feelings for him had developed.

Maybe when it was when she became his personal healer, and she got to see first hand how his petulance slowly turned into acceptance at having been defeated in battle. Perhaps it was when he started hunting her, putting her on edge and somehow making her look forward to each time he pounced, hoping to catch him off guard just once.

It could have been when he asked her all sorts of questions about her life. The island, her family, her life as a sorceress, her likes and dislikes, and when he'd ask her opinion on a random business idea.

The ideas were always strange, but her answers always seemed to entertain him. Or it could have been when he began revealing small pieces of himself to her. His relationship with his stepfather, his mother, his business, his childhood.

Or maybe it was when he began to protect her. He made it known he disliked Zoe due to how she treated her, stood his ground for her when it came to Artemis, damned the gods, and promised to put her under his protection when he became a god. It could have been a combination of all these things that had nurtured her affection for the godling.

What she was certain of was that she felt strongly for Percy. What she was uncertain of was whether or not to act on those feelings. But that was a problem for another day, regardless of her decision, Percy was in no condition to be in a relationship. He needed a friend and she would be that for him.

They spent a few minutes in silence, just passing the bottle back and forth, and soon enough, Calypso began to sway with Percy. Warmth seeped into her chest and she felt light headed. She felt good, relaxed, and completely content being wrapped in Percy's left arm as he used his right hand to tilt the bottle to his lips. The moment was so nice, the alcohol so enjoyable, that she forgot they stood in a disgusting alley.

Percy was humming a song and Calypso tilted her head back, looking up at him with a big smile,"What song is that?"

A hiccup escaped him and he looked at her, smiling just as widely,"I wanna come near and give you," He sang, his voice was offkey and rough from the alcohol, but Calypso was still enraptured,"every part of me. But there's blood on my hands," Another hiccup escaped him and he laughed,"and my lips...my lips are unclean." He slurred, continuing to sway to the imaginary beat.

Her smile faded, the lyrics began to resonate with her,"You, Percy you, Percy you're a very affectionate drunk." She stumbled over her words, blinking up lazily at the godling that held her close.

A throaty chuckle escaped him, eyes never leaving hers,"I am." He agreed,"Last time I was drunk I..." He frowned, trying to find the words that escaped him,"I slapped Keanu Reeves on the ass and I...I...thanked him for Cyberpunk 2077." Percy was grinning now,"He laughed at that but I swear I was, Calypso, I was, you don't understand, I was the envy of every woman at that party."

Calypso looked up at him in confusion,"Huh? Who's Keanu Reeses?"

Percy looked startled,"Reeses? Wait, do you know what Reeses are?"

"No, that's why I asked." She muttered, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

Percy pressed a sloppy kiss on her forehead, her heart hammered in her chest,"Oh my gods, you're so fucking, listen to me, you're so fucking-Calypso, you're so fucking stupid." At the very least Calypso was tipsy and already completely irrational.

"Your, hey...listen!" She huffed, pleased when he looked down at her,"Your mom." She grinned wickedly at him, as though she had said the greatest comeback in the world.

Percy paused, nodding slowly,"Yeah, she is. She's a big, fat liar. Calypso, hey, sweet pea," Percy handed her the bottle,"my mom lied about Luke and G-Gabe. Luke was my, my twin. Gabe killed himself, blasted his fucking br-brains out." He slurred, watching as Calypso guzzled down the rum, they were on their second bottle.

She stopped, handed him the bottle, and blinked at him in surprise,"Percy...I'm a sorceress. I can...curse her or something."

Percy made her breath hitch when he pressed his lips to her cheek before pulling back and grinning,"You're so sweet, gods." His eyes, though lidded, burned with a warmth he harbored just for her,"You are my best friend an-and my mate." He said proudly, pausing to drink, swaying even more so when he finished,"My best mate."

Laughter spilled from her lips as she leaned against Percy, head resting on his chest, and one hand fisting the back of his shirt,"I adore you." She murmured, a comfortable warmth blooming in her chest, enveloping her heart like it belonged there. Later she would blame it on the alcohol.

He rested his chin on top of her hair, the swaying stopped, and the two leaned against the brick wall. The godling handed her the bottle so we could wrap his other arm around her waist, and held her closer to him. He began humming that song again, it was a low hum, one that made his chest vibrate.

The titaness nestled deeper into his arms and closed her eyes, feeling at peace for the first time in weeks.


"Quit your shouting, gods damn you." Percy groused, pressing a hand to his aching head and scowling as the children of Ares laughed at him. They sat in the mess hall for breakfast, unsurprisingly his siblings had all stacked their plates various meats such as bacon and sausage, whereas he prodded his waffles and fruit salad with his fork, appetite nonexistent.

He glanced around the room, eyes falling on Annabeth and quickly looking away,"You...I don't know how, but you're Luke's twin, aren't you?" Too smart for her own damn good. Piper already knew his secret, the last thing he needed was to reveal himself to yet another camper. So he promised Annabeth he would tell her later and, true to his word, gave her information.

"Leo Valdez and Connor Stoll are romantically interested in you. Good luck." He had told her before leaving a stunned daughter of Athena behind. Aphrodite, though he had repeatedly insisted that he didn't care, always kept him notified about the latest breakups and makeups and crushes that were developing around camp.

His gaze fell on Apollo and Artemis at the Apollo table. The blondes looked to be squabbling up until Apollo saw Percy looking at him, he grinned and waved erratically at the godling which drew Artemis's attention. She gave Percy a nod and Percy smiled at both of them briefly before his eyes flickered towards Calypso.

She had told him she suffered a minor headache, not nearly as bad as what Percy felt, and he envied her. His head felt like it was about to explode and it didn't help that everyone around them sounded like they were talking through megaphones.

The titaness caught him staring and she blushed before quickly looking away. He frowned at this, she's embarrassed? I'm the one that started singing River to her like some lovesick jackass. Maybe last night had been too intimate for her, maybe he shouldn't have mentioned the mate thing. Sure she had already known but now she knew that he knew and he knew that she knew-

Holy shit stop thinking. He suppressed a groan as his head throbbed.

"Even if we weren't shouting, everyone else is, so quit your bitching." Clarisse snorted before eyeing his plate,"Maybe you'd be less whiney if weren't a stupid vegetarian."

Arthur nodded in agreement,"Yeah, Perce, how are you supposed to bulk up if you eat plants all the time?"

Percy glowered at the boy across from him,"Don't see why I need to bulk up when I can kick your meaty skull in any time I wanted." He then looked around his table,"I may be a mediocre fighter, but last I checked I'm stronger than you miserable shits. Maybe you should start eating some plants." He grunted, making a show of cramming a large spoonful of fruit salad into his mouth.

Arthur reached over, plucking a strawberry from Percy's plate and plopping it into his mouth,"Now I'm ready to kick your ass." This did get a chuckle from the godling before he went back to caressing his pulsing forehead.

Another son of Ares, Robert, grinned at him through a mouth full of bacon,"What's the matter? Venus dump your ass already?"

"You wish," Percy snapped, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing his temples,"I'm hungover, you idiot. Even if she did dump me, there's no way she'd go after an absolute boar like you."

Robert sneered at him,"A boar is our father's animal, it's an honor to be called that-"

"Damn you and your honor, I'm no pig and I'll never be one." Percy said, rolling his eyes as Robert flipped him the bird,"Pout all you want. If I'm to be a beast I would take no pride in being a boar."

"Then what beast would you take pride in being?" Robert challenged, causing the children of Ares to all turn their attention to Percy.

The godling met his fiery gaze with a cool look of his own,"A fox."

"A fox?" Robert snorted, grinning now,"You must be crazy. I'd prefer to be a stag over a weak fox."

Percy shrugged,"They're weak but fast and smart. I'd take cunning over strength any day." He gestured to Yang and Clarisse,"I'm stronger than both of them, but they're smarter than me which is why they win when we fight."

Robert gave him a funny look,"Cunning over strength? You sound like a child of Athena." He meant it as a slight, and Percy narrowed his eyes at him.

Yang cut in before he could reply,"Robert, Blake kicked your ass yesterday. Shut the fuck up."

"And I kicked your ass today," Percy chimed in, headache temporarily forgotten,"if you didn't fight like a boar, charging like a moron, you probably wouldn't suck."

Clarisse sighed, not used to being the peacemaker as she interjected,"Enough. We're family," She looked at Robert pointedly,"and we respect Athenas' children.

Robert laughed, the tension at the table dissipated as he put his hands up in surrender,"Fine, fine. I didn't mean to insult Yang's girlfriend, I was just trying to piss off our smallest but strongest brother." He zeroed in on Percy, eyes sparkling with excitement,"I wanted to see if he would throw me at the Aphrodite table-"

Yang smacked the back of his head, causing him to yelp but he never lost his grin,"Blake is not my girlfriend," Her cheeks were flushed,"and don't be a perve. Now be quiet and eat your food." She instructed, sounding like a disappointed mother, and eyes narrowing as Percy hid a laugh behind his hand,"What? You want some of this?" She threatened, lips curling into the smallest smirk as Percy smirked back.

"No, but I'm sure Blake does."

Robert laughed as Percy dodged the fist aimed for his shoulder,"Little shit! Stay still!" Percy fended her off as best he could, picking up his fork and threatening to stab her if she kept swinging at him. The children of Ares playfully egged their siblings on, yelling for Yang to go for the throat and Percy to go for the eyes. Percy felt better, headache forgotten as he roughhoused with the other children of Ares.

Clarisse then looked past Percy,"Incoming." Without missing a beat he leaned back in his chair, not even blinking when a giggling Aphrodite plopped down in his lap. He wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned his head against her chest, relaxing as slim fingers carded through his hair.

He felt eyes boring into the side of his head and he didn't need to look to know it was Piper. Gods, he'd have to talk to her about her feelings for him at some point. It would never work between them and he could never belong to her. Maybe Aphrodite will talk to her for me. He thought, hoping he wouldn't have to confront his young friend and engage in a painfully awkward conversation.

"Baby," Aphrodite cooed, dropping a kiss on his forehead,"looks like we're against each other in capture the flag next week." She informed him, evoking a groan from the Ares table.

Percy looked at them in confusion while Clarisse shook her head in annoyance,"You will definitely be staying back to guard the flag. I don't want you anywhere near Venus, loverboy."

The godling scowled as his 'siblings' snickered,"Well, genius, what if she comes for me?"

"Like that ever happens." Robert whispered loudly to Yang who burst out laughing along with their other siblings. Percy threw a grape at him, huffing when Robert merely grinned and caught it in his mouth.

Aphrodite giggled before planting a kiss on Percy's temple,"Don't listen to him, baby." She purred, causing Percy to blush and shift uncomfortably,"We both know you treat me well."

With red cheeks, he chose to ignore the goddess, and instead turned his attention to Robert,"Get fucked."

The boy speared his waffle with his fork and sighed,"I'm trying!" He then leaned forward,"Say, think you can talk to Cally and put in a good word for me? She's pretty hot." His beast didn't feel threatened, not by Robert Baratheon.

A handsome young man with dark hair, black stubble, strong arms, and a thunderous laugh. He loved fighting and was damn good with his war hammer when he wasn't acting like a boar and charging at everyone. Robert was eighteen and a lover of many women, he was not one to settle down, and Percy knew that Calypso valued commitment.

Percy gave him a lazy smile, not bothering to get riled up by the young man's desire,"She is," He agreed,"but she's already with someone."

Robert sighed dejectedly, resting his cheek on the palm of his hand,"Who?"

"No one important, just some son of Hermes." Percy then shot the boy a confused look,"Don't you have a girl waiting for you back home?"

Robert grinned, nodding as he scratched at his stubble,"Oh yeah, what was her name?" He paused before saying,"That's right, Becca, with the great big tits you could bury your face in." If there was one thing Robert loved almost as much as war it was women. Either he'd speak of his conquests in battle or his conquests in bed, a true son of Ares indeed.

Clarisse frowned at her brother,"Bessie." She corrected him, earning a snicker from Arthur as Robert's eyes lit up in recognition. Aphrodite watched on in quiet amusement as Percy rolled his eyes, though he couldn't keep the small smile off his lips.

"Ah, that's right." He smiled at his sister appreciatively,"Don't know where I'd be without you and Ned."

"Probably dead."

Robert let out a thunderous laugh and nodded,"No doubt." He then raised his mug, grinning all the while, and his temporary infatuation with Calypso forgotten,"Bessie! Thank the gods for Bessie, and her tits!"

"And her tits!" The other children of Ares cheered, laughing wildly as the mess hall quieted and the other demigods looked at them. Percy slapped a hand over his mouth to try to quell his laughter as a red faced Chiron made way towards their table.

They were put on kitchen duty for a week.


Percy looked at his half brother with rapt attention as Pan drew a very detailed cardinal with his pen on a notepad. The god hummed an unfamiliar tune as he drew, hooves dangling over the cliff the two sat on, and a content smile stayed on his lips as he spoke to his pupil.

"How did the conversation with your mother go?" Pan asked, pausing his work to look at the now stiff godling,"We do not have to talk about it if that's what you wish, however," He looked back down at his drawing and decided to add more detail to the feathers,"I am curious to know what revelations you've uncovered."

Percy sighed before shrugging,"Found out she lied about Gabe's death. Called it murder when it was really suicide..." He bit his lip, shifting uncomfortably as Pan turned his full attention on him,"He left a note but I haven't read it." He had left it with Hermes, instructing the god to hold onto it until he was ready.

His brother gave him an understanding look,"I see, and I'm very sorry to hear that. I won't press that issue, too fresh," He mused, turning back to his black-inked cardinal,"what else have you learned?"

"She wasn't a good mother." He confessed, hugging his knees to his chest, looking down at the cliff's edge at the rushing river below,"She lied about Luke and Hermes and kept me away from anything that could cause me potential pain. She was too overprotective."

The god nodded slowly, adding more to the cardinal's tail in swift strokes,"Was her overprotectiveness intended to cause you more harm?"

The godling frowned,"Of course not...if anything she only wanted me to be happy."

"So you believe she only wanted you to be happy." Pan repeated, not looking up from his drawing as he spoke,"Do you believe we should factor in good intent despite the less than desirable outcome? Does intent matter at all in this situation?" He had told his mother that he hadn't cared about intent, he had cared about actions.

Percy suppressed a sigh, no one told me the price of wisdom was to endure mental gymnastics,"It would be one thing if she was trying to sabotage me, but she wasn't. She pushed me to succeed in everything I did, so she was good in that aspect, but she often manipulated me to the point where I don't like experiencing new things..."

"She suffocated you, and in doing so provided you no room to grow." Pan provided, pausing his drawing to look at Percy,"But she did so out of love, so does this constitute a bad mother?"

The godling grew a touch defensive, lifting his chin from his knee so he could better look at his mentor,"I never called her a bad mother...I just said she wasn't a good one." He may have been upset with his mom but he did still love her.

"Fair enough, but what does a good mother consist of? And who gets to decide what is good and what is bad?"

Percy blinked, confused,"Are you defending her? I thought you didn't like her parenting methods."

Pan smiled gently at his younger brother, stroking his white beard as he spoke,"I disapproved of her methods, yes, because that type of parenting was damaging to you. However, I want you to think of her motives for hiding the truth from you. I want you to put yourself in her position, really think about it." He instructed and Percy frowned but nodded slowly. Pan had yet to lead him astray.

His mother had said she had given Luke up in order to protect him. She couldn't afford to keep them both, and Percy had looked the weakest of her boys so she chose him. Sally Jackson loved him, and Percy did not doubt that she loved Luke as well, so the decision couldn't have been easy for her.

Percy's problem with his mother was that she had lied to him. Had he known the truth then maybe he could have found him earlier? But then what? He thought bitterly, his brother would probably convince him to join the titans, and Luke would have still died.

His mother had only wanted good things for him, but her judgment had been clouded by her need to keep him safe. She had already lost one son because she couldn't financially provide for them, it was understandable that she couldn't bear to lose another. But she had smothered him, shielded him from consequences and adversity, and made him look like a fool in the face of pain.

When pain had arrived he had turned away, ran, too fearful to face it head on - too fearful to face it at all. Pain had smiled at him and he could never muster a smile back, he could only cower as the foreign feeling enveloped his body and his psyche. His mother had made him physically and mentally defenseless due to her own fears. But could he truly be mad at her when her intentions lacked true malevolence?

Yeah, I fucking can. Her parenting had constantly made him look weak and only increased whatever pain he felt. She lied about Luke and Gabe in order to protect him, but she did the opposite, she had only worsened the heartache by keeping the truth hidden.

"She coddled me," Percy finally said, looking at Pan,"and because of her I am weak."

Pan gave Percy a strange look as he tapped his pencil against his sketchpad,"Hmm...and when will you take accountability for your own actions? For your own weakness?"

Percy bristled at this and couldn't believe his ears,"It was my mother that raised me like this!"

"As you've informed me several times, you are a grown man. Surely you're competent enough to make your own decisions. How long will you hide from your own responsibility?"

"My own responsibility?"

Pan shrugged his broad shoulders, shaking his horned head,"You know what you are, Percy, you know how you can improve yourself. You've told Calypso and I numerous times about who you are. But here you sit, a grown man, placing all the blame on his mother for how you turned out. When will you realize that you've contributed to your own weakness? You're old enough to be responsible for your own character growth."

Percy grew frustrated with the god, of course, he didn't understand,"You don't get it!" He snapped, flopping his legs over the edge of the cliff and throwing his arms up in exasperation,"She tried to keep me safe and lied to me about everything! About Hermes, Luke, Gabe-"

"And that led you to drink. Don't look surprised, the wilds are my domain, did you really think I wouldn't notice you and Calypso intoxicated and stomping about in my forest?" Pan asked with an edge in his voice that startled his pupil,"That was incredibly foolish. Calypso drank on her own volition, and I will speak with both her later, but it's you I'm the most disappointed in."

Percy scowled, looking away from the piercing blue eyes of his brother,"It was one time. I-"

"I don't care." Pan interrupted, causing Percy to whip his head around and look at him in shock,"You're smarter than that, Percy. How do you think demigods are mostly conceived? You and Luke were a special case, but many were born of intoxication and poor decisions."

"I will father no bastards!" Percy said hotly, gritting his teeth but refusing to look away from the god.

He wouldn't have sons or daughters he couldn't care for, not after his discovery of Luke. The godling didn't want to leave behind a string of mortal women with his demigod children, the thought irked him, and he didn't want them growing up without a father.

He didn't want their mothers filling their minds with fabrications of what he was like, why he was no longer in the picture or changing his identity entirely. Reality had hit him like a truck, and the last thing he wanted was for more children to turn out like him - to turn out like Luke.

Pan's posture relaxed and his gaze softened. A warm, callused hand gripped Percy's shoulder firmly, causing the man to become rigid. But he didn't brush the hand away. There was a comforting presence he felt when he was around Pan. The god was warm and kind and gentle, traits that hadn't initially impressed Percy, but they did now. How Pan was able to put up with his attitude at all was beyond him.

The god sighed, giving his brother a sad smile,"Father said the same thing once. He was a bastard and, despite his cleverness and charm, was despised by Hera. But being clever does not equate to being wise. Even then, the cleverest and wisest men are susceptible to temptation."

Percy bit his lip, hesitant to ask but dying to know,"What about you?"

Pan nodded slowly, eyes flickering to Percy before he began to draw a bluejay next to the cardinal,"I will not lie to you, in my youth I was regrettably lecherous. But, I don't regret having my children." He smiled slightly, momentarily taking his eyes off the bluejay,"Three beautiful daughters and three beautiful sons."

"Tell me about them."

The god smiled and stopped drawing, finished with his birds,"My son Acis was a handsome shepherd in Sicily and by far my gentlest son. He was in love with Galatea who in turn loved him." His eyes dimmed slightly and a heavy sigh escaped him,"The cyclopes, Polyphemus, also loved Galatea. When he found out my son loved her and the feeling was mutual...he crushed Acis with a boulder."

Unbidden thoughts of the poacher's crushed skull came to Percy, and he felt sick to his stomach. He hoped no one would ever find out about the poacher, especially any friends or family. The godling couldn't imagine what that was like, seeing and knowing the brutal fate that befell someone you were close to, someone you loved.

Gabe's death along with Luke's had been rather swift thank the gods, but the poacher's had been drawn out and he had suffered before Percy snapped his neck. The godling wondered if Acis died in a similar way as the poacher; clawing at his neck, blood spilling from his lips, face caved in, eyes crazed and searching for any form of mercy and relief from the pain.

Percy opened his mouth to offer his condolences but quickly closed it when he saw Pan was continuing to speak,"Then there was Crenaeus, my bravest son." Pan said, though not proudly,"He was a defender of Thebes, a very skilled warrior, but challenged Hippomedion to single combat and was killed. His mother and I mourned his death but it was war," He smiled at his brother sadly,"I knew his pride would be his downfall."

The godling was no stranger to pride and thought back to his fight with Artemis. While it was a mixture of elevated emotions and feeling the need to protect Calypso he had still been cocky enough to attack her. It was no surprise when she had easily wiped the floor with him, she could have killed him. He had felt invincible before he attacked her, surging with power and adrenaline. He wondered if Crenaeus felt the same way when he challenged Hippomedion.

Had Crenaeus realized his mistake too late, as Percy had? Charging brashly at his opponent and being surprised when it was himself who drew his last breath. Did he realize his foolishness early on or when Hippomedion moved to make the killing blow? Did Crenaeus cry? Call out for his mother like Percy had wanted to when Artemis' teeth had sunk into his throat?

"My last son has a much happier tale. Crotus was loved by many. He was a skilled hunter and devoted to the Muses. When he died of old age the Muses implored Zeus to put him amongst the stars." Pan was smiling warmly now,"He is now the Sagittarius constellation. His constellation has the lower body of a horse for his skills as a horse rider; arrows for his excellent archery abilities; and a satyr's tail because he was as delightful to the Muses as the satyrs were to Dionysus."

Percy gave the god a small smile,"Well, I'm glad one of your sons had a happy ending." And he meant it.

Pan gave Percy's shoulder a soft squeeze and returned his smile,"Thank you, I am too."

"What of your daughters?" The godling asked, hoping to get happier stories from the god. He hadn't meant to evoke sadness from him and he felt like a complete ass for doing so.

Rather than looking sad Pan seemed touched by the fact that Percy had wanted to know more,"My daughter, Inyx, acted just like our father, far too mischievous for her own good. She was a nymph and had cast a spell on Zeus that caused him to fall in love with a mortal named Io. Hera turned Inyx into a bird to punish her. I knew nothing good would come of her foolishness, but I was still saddened to hear of what became of her."

"Iambe is a sad tale. She was a very funny woman, so much so that when Demeter arrived in Attica, distraught by the kidnapping of Persephone, Iambe cheered her up and made her laugh." Pan quieted, eyes filling with tears,"She later hung herself. She indulged in too many self-deprecating jokes, and listened to too many jokes made at her expense."

Pan paused, swallowing thickly, and hands clutching his notepad as he tried to calm himself. Percy clenched his jaw and reached out, placing a hand on Pan's, and giving it a gentle squeeze. He understood, not in the way a father lost a daughter, but Gabe had also claimed his own life. Despite their problems, Percy couldn't deny that he had cared for his stepfather.

The god gave Percy watery smile, clearing his throat before continuing,"I think at some point...she started to believe the terrible things others said about her." Pan gave his brother a broken look,"She started to believe the terrible things she said about herself. It's difficult to know that your child, your beloved daughter, hated herself so much she took her own life. She couldn't see my adoration for her, couldn't see her mother's love, and it got to the point where she couldn't even hear the joy she evoked from others."

Percy felt a lump set in his throat as he looked away from the god's face, but he kept his hand on Pan's. What had Gabe thought of himself? What terrible things had he heard others say about him? What terrible things had he said about himself?

A couple tears slipped down the gods' cheeks,"Iambe filled my world with laughter...and when she left she took my laughter with her." Pan sounded guilty, as though it had been him that had caused her death.

The godling looked at his mentor imploringly,"She was sick-"

"I was her father." Pan breathed, eyes filling with anguish as he wiped his tears away,"I loved her but never showed her how much. I was always busy, too busy, and didn't notice when my daughter needed me." A ragged breath escaped him and he stifled a sob,"My girl, my sweet girl...I loved her but I didn't love her enough."

Percy blinked in surprise at having heard Pan repeat Hermes' words. It seemed to be a common theme among the gods, not being able to provide their mortal children with the amount of love they needed. This only solidified his refusal to ever sire bastards, especially demigods, because he'd never be able to give them enough.

"I'm sorry, Pan. I mean it...I bet you're a great father." Percy bit his lip as Pan turned to him with a look of surprise,"Actually, you're the ideal dad. Patient and kind and encouraging and firm. You want everyone to be their best selves, even when they're pieces of shit, and that's pretty admirable." A smile placed itself on his lips, and it wasn't forced, it came as easy as breathing,"Those kids were damn lucky to have someone like you."

Pan looked at him for a moment before gracing him with a radiant smile,"You have a bigger heart than you care to admit, thank you for listening, Percy." Pan patted the godling's hand with a soft smile,"Despite the tragedy that befell many of my children, one remains. My daughter Bona Dea, by far my kindest child. She's a minor Roman goddess of chastity, fertility, and healing. Maybe one day you'll meet her."

Percy nodded, wearing a genuine smile,"I'd like that." He then gestured at Pan's bluejay and cardinal drawings,"Now, how do I bring them to life?"

Pan perked, shifting closer to his brother, and holding his hand over the drawing,"You draw from your power and imagine the creature you see in vivid detail. You visualize them coming off the paper and living in their habitat." Pan closed his eyes and plucked the drawn bluejay off the page.

Slowly its ink drawn lines became held together by flesh and sinew. Blue, black, and white bled onto the once colorless bird. The god slowly turned his hand so the bluejay now rested upon his palm.

The bird ruffled his feathers and gave both the god and godling a respectful bow. Percy watched in amazement as a warm breeze swept over the land and the bird chirped out an enthusiastic 'thank you' before taking to the skies.

Pan held the notebook out to Percy. The godling placed a hand on the page and closed his eyes. He pictured brownish red feathers and the hint of orange upon the bird's breast. He felt a twist in his gut as he pinched what felt like the delicate leg of a bird. Stifling his excitement he continued to draw from his power, pulling the drawn bird even further off the page.

A warm, summer breeze ruffled his hair, just as it had when Pan breathed life into the bluejay. Percy's heart was hammering in his chest with glee, I'm doing it! The twist in his gut ceased and he stopped pulling.

"Milord, thank you!" Percy's eyes snapped open to see he held a female cardinal by her leg between his thumb and index finger. She hung upside down and Percy was quick to gently place her on the palm of his free hand.

It was hard to believe that, just a couple weeks ago, he had snapped a man's neck and robbed him of his life; yet here he sat with a beautiful bird in his hand, he had brought it to life and that filled him with wonder and joy.

He couldn't suppress his grin as he looked at Pan,"I did it!" He created life, just as his mentor had shown him, and it was beautiful. Warmth bloomed in his chest as he used his index finger to pet the top of the cardinal's head. She rubbed her head against his finger before he held his palm up, watching in awe as she flew into the sky.

A muscular arm wrapped around his shoulders and he was met with the face of a beaming Pan,"That was amazing, Percy. We'll keep practicing with smaller animals and work our way up. How do you feel?"

Percy looked at his hands, smiling softly. He no longer saw bloodstained hands nor felt the vibrations of bone snapping within his strong grip. He saw hands that had created life and felt the velvety feel of feathers gliding upon his fingertips. They weren't the same hands that crushed a man's skull, rather they had pulled a cardinal into existence and cradled the fragile creature until it flew away.

When he had held that cardinal everything else melted away. There was no Sally, no Luke, no Hermes, and no Gabe. It was just him and that small bird he had made created. He watched the reddish brown speck disappear into the horizon, hands shaking slightly from disbelief and overwhelming happiness. I did that, I made her.

The godling looked at the god, same soft smile on his lips as he finally said,"Light."

Thank the gods for Bessie, and her tits!

This chapter is dedicated to my dog, Onyx, who passed away Monday. I loved that damn mutt. I'll see you later, bastard, take good care of dad for me.

You fuckers have no idea how hard it is for me to not throw in some cute ass Bumbleby or Freezerburn, but ya'll RWBY fans are nuts with your shipping so I'm not trying to touch that. ALSO CAPTURE THE FLAG IS NEXT CHAPTER LETS GOOOOOOOO!

Pluto's Daughter 11: Hey bitch, it's me, it's you, just letting you know you're amazing. Also, just figured I'd motivate you, get your shit together. You're almost finished with this damn chapter so get cracking. Love you, boo, stay hydrated and STOP getting fried chicken from Hyvee cuz you know it's dry as fuck and not worth the calories.

Thanks, bitch, but LMAO you were healthy Ty when you wrote this and I'm hungry Ty, I'm getting that chicken right after I post this chapter. Anyway, self-love is important, make sure you all take care of yourselves :)

CHAOS AND TRANQUILIT: I enjoy your quirky post update notes. I'm imagining someone scintillating everything around them. )

I don't think I've ever been associated with the word quirky and now I gotta reevaluate my life. Not gonna lie, had to look the long ass s word up and now that I know what it means: thanks boo! I love you and your big ass words :)

AllAboutThoseMyths: You just became my favorite fucking author. First time anyone actually replied to my review.
Dude. I know you're not a dude, but DUDE.
I absolutely loved the line "so when pain smiles upon you again, you will have the strength to smile back" that line was amazing

Dude, you just became one of my favorite fucking reviewers :D I'm glad you liked that quote! I was agonizing over it for like fifteen minutes. I'm sure it's been said before or said similarly but oh well.

PraetorFable:I'm absolutely loving this story so far! Keep up the amazing work and I can't wait to see what comes next. I love the GoT and RWBY references. Especially after the shit show that was season 8. Once again, can't wait for more!

I almost became a damn alcoholic after season 8. I'm glad you like the stories and the references :) just for you I threw in some Bobby B!

Mike Coxlong: hell yeah sister keep these chapters coming yee yee

Hell yeah brother! YEE YEE!

Guest: Story's not bad but Percy is sort of frustrating. Like he isn't put through much real conflict and as a result his lame personality hasn't changed much.

There's only been SIX chapters up until now, only SIX! Change isn't instantaneous and slow character arcs are kinda my thing :) And I love my shitty Percy so you leave him alone! :(

fireflame789: You fucking did it. I can't believe it- you put Yang in a PJO fanfic. Along with Blake. The mad lady's done it again- very bold move invading into my territory.
In all seriousness, I'm enjoying this story more than I thought. I was a bit worried about the summary for the story and the Calypso-Percy interactions at first, but it works.
Now, about the "gem" of a crossover...

LMAO I'm not invading anything! :/ I just hate writing oc characters most of the time so I was like,"Hey, some people recognize these people and I know these people so this is nice." And yeah, summaries are not my thing so my bad. Perlypso for lyfe. And what is this about a gem crossover? We talking Crystal Gems or...?

Thank you all for the many reviews! Reading them and responding are so fun and I wish I could get to more but I procrastinated homework (I'm in summer school) so I could write this chapter. I have an essay I haven't started due tomorrow and two tests I haven't studied for on Monday and Tuesday. So...review you lovely people! I'm sacrificing my future for all of you :D