New name in honor of Caesar!

"So..." Luke began, as Octavian was not in the talking mood and Caesar was a newbie. Of course Octavian would be quiet, the scene back at those freaks' house had been brutal to him. Caesar was still smiling.

"You always happy huh?"

"Happy's hardly the word." Caesar began.

"Hard to be happy when people are beating you. Do they beat you? Do you have bruises?" Octavian asked, his teeth gritted, obviously furious.

"They did. I did. I'm fortunate. I have an advanced knack for healing, as a legacy of Apollo. So the bruises... They'd fade quickly." Octavian's fists clenched.

"I can't believe I let them ruin someone else's life."

"You didn't let them ruin anyone's life. You didn't know."

"I should have!"

"Yeah! But you didn't. You just saved me. You're a hero... Thank you." His voice cracks, maybe sentiment, maybe puberty. There's not a smile on his face. He's near to crying. Octavian pulls him into a hug and the brothers share a moment of unrestricted brokenness. Luke watched, feeling left out but not necessarily the worse for it. His childhood had been gritty enough. What those two had gone through? Only they could understand. Luke let them share whatever comfort they could share between them before gently clearing his throat.

"Right, we should be going." Octavian muttered.

"Yeah, totally. Farther the better."

"Your talent will be really helpful, I have to warn you, we don't lead the safest of lives." Luke explained to Caesar about how it all worked. How both had died, and how neither's morality could be fairly determined at death. So they'd been given second chances, found each other, and became a family. Octavian looked mortified, ashamed his little brother had to hear about the terror he'd been before. Caesar wasn't judging though, and when they stopped with stolen money for lunch he went.

"It's okay Octavian, it's all okay. They made you like that. It's hard not to become a beast when people are treating you like one. I stumbled too." Luke smiled at the newcomer. Caesar would fit in just fine with their little family. That's all he could see as Luke watched his new brothers protectively. But Octavian saw something entirely different.

Octavian saw pain and hurt beyond compare. Octavian saw a connection between the three, a legitimate genetic connection as well as the connection of three separate hard lives forced to be endured alone. He saw discomfort and remorse and the struggle to remain..

Well the remaining bit was different for each. Caesar tried to remain positive, since their father punished negativity. Luke tried to remain the protector, since he'd failed family before. Octavian had always tried to remain likable, since only his little Ohana ever seemed to like him.

But something was different now too. Now Octavian was an older brother. Which meant that he had someone to fret over the way Luke fretted over him. And unlike he and Luke, Caesar wasn't an outlaw, merely a scarred boy born into the wrong family.

They sat and ate and joked, but Octavian's heart was weighed down.

"Caesar, it's way, way too dangerous with us." He began as they finished. Luke and Caesar looked up.

"Yeah I know bro, but I can help with that-"

"No you don't understand, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again. You can't travel with us much longer. We have to take you to Camp Half Blood." He was nearly yelling, freaked out and protective. Caesar didn't hear any of that though.

Caesar heard:

"Yeah our parents are bad but we don't want you either. You don't actually belong, you never had family. We'll just dump you in New York." He trembled and stood, running from the restaurant. And none of them remained what they tried so hard to be.