AN - One of my favourite chapters that has now been properly edited, and I very much enjoyed it :) hope you do too. I don't own any of the material but I wish I did :)


Poseidon and Zeus stood on the bank of the lake, watching with interest as the couple relaxed in peace and quiet. The childish way they interacted by the lake, play fight and pulling pranks on each other lightened the Gods hearts. The memory of the hurt after the end of the last war, when so many people had been lost, the pain that they had been subjected to at too young an age. It still troubled the two Gods. Immortal and all powerful they may be, but they weren't heartless. The pain their children had gone through had distressed the Gods greatly and their hearts were eased at the open display of happiness between the two of them. The obvious happiness that their children had found in each other.

"It is good, is it not brother?" Zeus broke the silence as he glanced at the sleeping little girl in his arms, "To see our children so happy."

Poseidon was surprised, it had been a long time since his younger brother had been so happy with his existence. Not since he was first in love with Hera and that had been a very long time ago. Poseidon smiled at the change in his brother.

"Yes, it is." Poseidon shifted slightly, adjusting the slumbering boy from his rapidly deadening arm, to his other, "It is a joy to see them so calm and content. They truly have built themselves another life."

Zeus could hear the hint of pain laced in his brother's voice. He shifted the young girl into the nook of neck and turned directly to Poseidon, placing his now free hand on his shoulder in comfort as he began to reassure him.

"He knows now. The truth is important and if there were any differences between you that could not be rectified then do you think he would have come to camp?" Poseidon gave a snort of amusement before biting out

"You forget brother it was not a request but a summons, he had no choice." The bitter anger and pain was obvious now. Through the bitterness of his brothers voice Zeus could not help but chuckle at the rare idiocy Poseidon was currently displaying.

"Oh, and you think that in a camp of friends and brothers in arms, he would leave his beloved children in the arms of the very God you believe he despises!" Zeus shook his head in disbelieve, "that surely is a 'seaweed brain' move as the daughter of Athena would say."

Poseidon drew himself up suddenly, a grin slowly creeping its way onto his face. The realisation that for once his brother had made a valid point lifted a weight that Poseidon didn't know he was carrying, form his shoulders. He shifted slightly as the young boy squirmed in his arms, before settling down once again into the crook of the Gods neck.

"I believe that you may have a valid point there brother. Though it is rare and unusual to hear such sage advice from you. I don't recall that happening since the time before Athena was a youngling." He grinned wickedly, glancing at Zeus to ensure he was listening, "Yes, a good 2 millennia I would say. That would make you how old?"

Zeus snorted in outrage, before smirking and turning his head to Poseidon saying, "Oh but dear older brother that would make you how old, seeing as you are the eldest. I can't quite be sure. Is it 4 or 5 zeros?" Poseidon stiffened, grunting in frustration at how easily he had mistakenly set that up for Zeus.

"I would not know of what you speak, brother." Poseidon said curtly, plainly signalling to Zeus that the conversation was unwelcome. Never bothered Zeus before though. He laughed and drew breath to continue before halting as a startled shriek caught his attention, both brothers turned to observe what had happened. There eyebrows becoming lost in the scene that was shown before them.

There on the beach lay a shirtless Percy and an underwear clad Thalia, locked in a passionate kiss by the shore. A rare blush crept up the necks of both Gods, muttering incoherently.

"Best to get the babes to bed, I think." Poseidon finally managed to say, looking directly at his brother, in an attempt to block the scene unfolding on the shore from his view.

"Yes, brother. We should be off, give them privacy and all that." Before both Gods turned sharply and made their way up the beach at a hurried pace, to place the children in their cots within the safety of the cabin.