"Let go of the past but never forget."

-Jones

If Deaton didn't have years of experience being surprised, he didn't think he would be able to stop staring at the man in front of him. It wasn't physical attraction but the fact that, as he had thought before, he had seen him in one of his books; a picture of him with a girl and a boy. He was younger in it, possibly twelve, but there was no denying the resemblance. The only difference Deaton could see was that there was no childlike innocence in the man now. He was war-hardened, always tense and ready for anything, and his smiles looked fake, unlike his genuine one in the photograph.

Percy was looking around the veterinarian's office, smiling at some of the leashes when he saw ridiculous designs and colors, and Stiles gave him a look that seemed to say 'don't even think about it' when he eyed the bright pink one. He tilted his head when he heard barking and walked towards a door, noticing the small picture of a K-9 on it. He opened it, vaguely aware of Scott and Stiles following him, and took in the sight of the animals wagging their tails at him.

Deaton watched as the nineteen year-old smiled at the dogs. He didn't miss how he blinked at the animals like he was confused at what to do but witnessed as he relaxed marginally and crouched down in front of one of the cages.

Percy was idly petting a small poodle when something at the back of the room caught his eye. It was a black lab, probably three months old, and it was watching him warily. What really caught his attention, besides the horrible burns along the dog's flank or the bandages around it's legs, was it's silver-gray eyes shining in the low light. He got up, walking towards it, and went to pet it when it growled at him, baring sharp teeth.

"That's Angel," Scott spoke up, standing next to him. "We just got her in last week but he doesn't seem to like anyone. He won't even let Deaton go near him and Deaton's the best."

Percy hummed in acknowledgement and tilted his head when the dog walked forward curiously at the sound. He did it again and the dog yipped, tongue rolling out of his mouth. He knelt in front of the cage and held his hand out and Angel walked forward, tentatively licking it. Percy broke out in a wide grin and that seemed to make the dog happy as she barked, running a lap in her cage.

"Impressive," Deaton spoke up, watching them. "You should take her in."

"I would, you know, but I'm currently staying with Stiles," He patted the dog on her head, smiling when she whined as he pulled back. "But I'm sure my cousin, Nico, would like to have her."

"Wait, you mean Isaac has more cousins?" Stiles gaped, flailing his arms, "How many?"

"Um," Percy tilted his head, thinking it over. "Let's see… There's me, Nico, Jason, Hazel; who's Nico's sister, and Thalia; who's Jason's sister. I would love for Isaac to meet them but I kind of don't know where some of them are and they don't even have time to visit. I usually have to go to them," He shrugged in a 'what can you do?' manner before he looked thoughtful. "Although, I do show up announced a lot…"

"Wow, we have to tell Isaac!" Scott grinned, happy for his pack mate.

"Yeah, of course," Percy nodded, agreeing. "But tomorrow. I actually want to talk to Deaton real quick, if you guys don't mind."

"Yeah, we'll be here," Stiles said, waving to the puppies just asking for his attention.

Deaton led Percy to the back room, feeling a little at awe to have someone like him near him, let alone about to have a discussion with him. It was a bit like a child meeting their celebrity crush, if he had to put it into words. Yes, it was like that. He opened the door, locking it behind them, and marveled at the fact that the nineteen year-old didn't so much as tense. Though, if Deaton really thought about it, Percy fought endlessly for more than five years so he felt at ease. And, the vet knew that, no matter how powerful he was, this man in front of him could possibly destroy him if he wanted to. He should be lucky he didn't want to at the moment.

"I know you recognize me," Percy started as he scanned the room, idly running his hand lightly on a table absentmindedly. "You've made that clear with your actions."

"Yes," Deaton nodded, knowing better than to deny it. He brought out a book, opening it to the photograph he kept thinking about, and showed it to the man.

Percy's breath hitched as he reached out for it, taking it in shaky hands, "This… Chiron gave you a copy?"

Deaton gave an affirmative, watching as the green-eyed man traced his finger lightly over the girl's face, "The children at your camp think of you as a hero, a myth, and legend."

"Absolutely ridiculous," Percy whispered, tearing his eyes from the photo and giving the vet a haunted look. "I'm no hero."

Deaton felt a shiver run down his spine but smiled gently at the man in front of him, "A lot would beg to differ. You've saved a lot of lives, Perseus, but you can relax now. There are more demigods than just you and you seem to have people here that enjoy having you around. You don't have to cling to the past."

"Yeah, you're right," Percy took one last look at the photograph before handing it back, much to the vet's surprise, and gave a small, yet genuine, smile. "But that doesn't mean I won't ever forget. Come on, I think we've talked long enough and I want to head back to the house before dark."

"Of course," Deaton nodded, closing the book and setting it on the table. He walked Percy to the door, giving everyone his farewells, and watched as Percy spoke with the children, offering to put Scott's bike in the back of his Lamborghini and give him a ride home, and Scott's excited and thankful response.