Chapter Eleven: Earning Hate and Guilt After a LONG ASS break.

!WARNING! Disappointing author, and also sweet gay love. Haters can kick my ass if they like, but just for tHess couple upcoming chapters, while I redeem myself.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"I'm getting really sick of this, Laelaps." Percy found himself pouting. "Having to sleep in a room with thirty other campers...not getting to show off my parentage proudly." The two-headed greyhound whined softly in agreement and sat lied his heads down on Percy's lap. The two sat together on an uprising of rock not too far from shore, and in Percy's opinion, it was one of the best days since arriving. The sun was blue sky was absolutely gorgeous, and the sea was cool and smelling of home.

Having already called his respective mothers and fathers, and now sitting with Laelaps, enjoying the mix of cool and warm...it was really relaxing.

He'd snuck away from dinner about an hour ago, and as far as he knew, he didn't have anything required to do for the rest of the day. For the past week since he'd been there, he hadn't really done much, in his opinion. He had a schedule that worked for him and also for his strengths. Since he'd grown up with archery and swordsplay, and also with potion making and first-aid, those classes had pretty much been taken care of. But, he took them all the same, in hopes of improving his skills, and also in hopes he didn't appear to have any special abilities.

He found he rather liked the Stoll brothers and their trickster ways, as well as the master swordsmith and mechanic, Charles Beckendorf, the Head of Cabin 9. Being a son Hephaestus, he could pretty much create anything with his hands and a few scraps of metal, which impressed and fascinated Percy to no end. Annabeth, the younger girl from Athena, also continued to surprise him with knowledge unusual for a girl of her age, not that Percy would ever admit this. He had no doubt that her and her architect slash strategic ways could design monuments and inventions to last a thousand years.

"Woof." Laelaps barked to gain his attention in that echo-y way of his and Percy smiled, nuzzling the dogs heads affectionately.

"Wanna play water frisbee now?" Percy asked. "I'm not sure how much longer I have until someone comes looking, not to flatter myself." Laelaps barked something that might've been a laugh and eagerly hopped off his master, diving into the surrounding water. Percy grabbed the frisbee he'd brought along from a the rock next to him and dove in also, using his power over the sea to propell himself upward into the air, tossing the frisbee straight over Laelaps' heads.

The greyhound quickly used his speedy abilities to gain on the flying disk and snatch it out of the air before it could even make contact with the awaiting water below. With a victorious growl, the dog swung its body around, powerfully sending the disk flying a good ten feet over Percy's outstretched hands.

The game went on like this for a good fifteen minutes, with each of them trying to out-swim and outdo the other's tosses. The waves had even started to pick up the further they went out. It was only when Laelaps and his animal instincts sensed someone approaching from the shore that the disk stopped flying.

"Good game, boy." Percy said breathlessly, beginning to swim towards the beach. "I'm probably gonna have to go back now." He scowled but laughed when his friend came over to lick his face. "Love you too."

With that, the greyhound dived under the water, out of sight, but Percy could feel him move through the vast water, and felt it when his friend shadow-traveled away. Percy reached hearing distance just as Luke, the Head of the Hermes Cabin began to call him back to shore. That feeling he got every time he seen Luke Castallen Once again settled somewhere in his stomach. He'd yet to decide exactly what it was yet. Guilt? He HAD seen one of the boys's most personal and tragic moments in his life. Though it was many years ago, Percy could still see his dream clearly, could still picture the shaken looks on the teens' faces...

He shook himself away from the bad memory, instead focusing on how very healthy and happy Luke seemed to be in that moment. It worked. The uneasiness in his gut lessened a little.

"Hey." Percy greeted, smiling sheepishly as he reached the shore.

"Hey." Luke smiled. "What are you doing out there, Jackson?"

"Am I in trouble?" Percy grinned sheepishly. "I didn't think I had anything else to do today. I just lost track of time."

"Remember Wednesday? I thought we were gonna hit the arena for a while." Luke plopped down on the sand next to Percy with a sly grin. "I was going to make an example of you."

"Shut up, Castellan." Percy smiled, looking out into the sea. "I could take you any day."

"Speaking of which, are you ever going to stop chickening out and actually pick up a sword?" Luke laughed. "You have me on the edge of my seat wondering about your skills, or if you even have any." He teased and found himself eyeing the younger teen as he pulled a towel from a backpack and began rubbing down his hair. "You sure make it seem like you do. Hey, where do you come from anyway?"

"California." Percy lied quickly, earning a raised brow. "What? You guys get people from Cali, don't you?" Percy cracked open a can of Coke from his bag and offered a second to his friend.

"Well, just a couple so far...thanks." Luke seemed to study him for a few seconds, accepting the can without a second thought. "You don't look like you're from Cali."

"Then where do I look like I'm from?" Percy asked, smiling slightly.

"I don't know...Alaska, maybe?" Luke chuckled and It was Percy's turn to give a questioning look. "Dude, Cali's like a sunny state, right? I'm way more tan than you are."

"Contrary to popular belief, it's no really sunnier than any other state." Percy shrugged. "I was born and raised there." True enough.

"I see." Luke had a thoughtful look about his face before he asked yet another question. Well, it wasn't like they'd had time to just talk. All week, both of them had had a pretty busy schedule, and it wasn't like they were best friends or anything. Percy actually found Luke very easy to be around. "What's your story, Percy? Half-bloods just don't show up here on their own, especially not at the age of fifteen. Most would've been killed by monsters without the protection of camp or proper training. How is it you're still ALIVE?"

"Well..." Percy refused to make eye contact. "My mom died when I was six. I had an alcoholic and really abusive stepdad..and he beat her to death. After that I ran away and never looked back. My mom never told me who my dad was." Well this was the truth...

"I'm so sorry Percy." Luke suddenly looked very uncomfortable, after a moment of silence, and kind of sick. "That's horrible...and disgusting. What ever happened to him?"

"Oh..." Percy gave a very uncomfortable smile, taking a long drink of his soda. "I never found out. I assume he went to prison or something, but I don't know for sure."

"What about after that? You still haven't told me where you've been. Did you ever find out about your dad?"

"Well...mom never got a chance to tell me about my real dad." Percy struggled to reply, finding a smooth stone in the sand he was absently running his fingers through. "And I'm not sure I'm comfortable telling you about that yet, Luke. I'm not sure I'm ready to tell anyone yet." He offered a small smile. "But when I am, I'll make a note to tell you first, kay?"

"Okay." Luke clapped a hand in his shoulder, though he had a clearly puzzled look on his face. "Sorry to make you think about it." He gave something that was probably supposed to be a smile, but came out more as a grimace.

"It's alright. I've never been good at avoiding things...and what's the point in avoiding, right?" Percy asked, taking another long drink. "It doesn't bother me to talk about all that much. It's just that I'm supposed to keep low until the time is right..."

"Right for what?"

"You'll see when that time comes." Percy smiled, finishing his can of Coke.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"I can't believe we're not allowed to have cellphone's." Percy grumbled. "Not that I would use it anyway.." He was pretty sure 'Verizon Wireless' didn't cover the Underworld.

"Monsters would be all over you, that's why." Asher's grin was bright in the fading light. "Besides, you have much cooler means of communication." Percy ran his fingers absently over the small silver mirror.

"I know, but really, I can't exactly whip out my enchanted mirror and start talking to my reflection in the mortal public." Percy grinned. "Something tells me people would notice."

"Enchanted mirror? What is this, Snow White? I have no problem imagining you doing that." The familiar masculine laugh was comforting after days of not hearing it. "Hey, speaking of fairy tales, maybe after I finish my London runs, I can come see you."

"Maybe, I hope so." The son of Hades found himself pouting. "I'll have to clear it with Chiron and Dionysus first. They monitor, like, everything. Especially if it concerns the magical barriers." He grimaced. "I know it's necessary, but it still sucks."

"Barriers? To keep the monsters out?" Ash wondered. "I wonder if I'm allowed in?"

"You're not a monster." Percy rolled his eyes and then smiled. "More like an angel."

"I'm blushing over here, Perce." The other chuckled. "I'm still not human...or, half human. I don't know...what am I again?" Percy laughed.

"An angel."

"I wish." Ash smiled sweetly. "Then I could have my own wings. You would ever get rid of me. I'd follow you anywhere."

"Good, because I wouldn't let you GO anywhere." Percy missed him so much. "I miss you." He said, voicing his thoughts. "I wish you could just use those wings all the time."

"Me too baby." Ash's head turned abruptly. "Future couple spotted." He made a show of raising his white bow and plucking a peculiar arrow from his quiver. "I gotta go, sweetheart, before I mess this up. I'll call you later, yeah?"

"Okay." Percy agreed. "Love you Ash."

"Love you too, death prince." Ash grinned and blew a kiss before the tiny 'screen' went blank, and Percy slipped it into his pants pocket.

"Dude!" Percy exclaimed suddenly to no one in particular, making a face and picking up a filthy soda can.

"I thought pollution was illegal here." Scowling, he shoved the can in his backpack -which he always carried around- and groaned at the thought of having to clean the bag out later. He sighed and began roaming further into the forest behind his cabin to look for more trash.

Not surprisingly so, he didn't find much more garbage. Only a few papers and wrappers here and there, and the tree nymphs showed their gratitude by peeking out of their respective trees and giving him stray kisses on the cheeks.

Percy couldn't help but blush, but he also felt really good at that moment, but also kind of scared too. The whole scene of everything reminded him of the days when the tree nymphs were the only beings that had cared for him. Now, fifteen and fairly grown up and less defenseless, he doubted they would care as much. After all, those tree spirits had been in California..

All in all, he was feeling very sentimental. Laelaps had dropped by earlier. He'd just gotten off the 'phone' with Ash. His surroundings brought him back to nine years ago. He missed his mom...all of his 'mom's. He missed his dad, and offhandedly wondered what the god of death was up to at that moment.

Leaning against a tree, Percy glanced over at the sunset, just barely visible through the undergrowth. His eye caught something that looked suspiciously like a rope woven from vegetation, and out of curiosity, he tugged on it. Not shockingly, the rope came loose, and Percy found very quickly it was more significant than it originally appeared to be...when a satyr fell from somewhere above him, hooves flailing.

"Ahhhh!" The half-human, half-goat crashed to the ground next to Percy, but also managed to knock him over in the process. Percy fell backwards -thankfully, into a patch of tall, soft grass- and huffed as he hit the ground. He heard another groan echo his and sat up, shaking a few stray leaves from his hair.

"Sorry." Percy apologized, immediately, as he caught his first sight at the nature sprite. The boy, who looked to be about his age, with shaggy dark curls, and eyes to match looked up at him as well, though he still lied on the ground. His skin was fair, even with the case of acne and excess hair, and he looked up at Percy with sort of a miffed look. He found this odd, that the boy looked like any other teen he passed in the streets...but what had he expected?

This was the first satyr he'd actually seen in person.

"S'okay." His voice fit his look, surprisingly. Not too deep or light, with a meekness to him. "I shouldn't have been sleeping up there."

"Oh." Percy came to a realization, as he glanced up that he'd actually pulled down the guy's makeshift bed for the night. "Oh." He said sheepishly. "Sorry about that, really...can I do anything to fix it?" He asked, picking up a rope, but feeling guilt heavy in his chest as it fell apart at his touch.

"It's okay, really." The boy repeated. "I wasn't sleeping very well anyway. That was the third time I fell off tonight." His smile was half-hearted.

"Oh..." Not knowing what else to say, Percy picked up the plastic bottle and papers he'd dropped and then held out a hand. "I'm Percy."

"Percy." The satyrs mouth lifted in what might've been a smile, and he grasped Percy's hand, but wrinkled up his nose as he shook it, as though he smelled something bad. "Uh, hi. I'm Grover."

"Cool." Percy smiled, suppressing an odd look, and shoved the garbage into his backpack.

"What's that?" Grover asked, brushing some dirt off his shoulder.

"Oh, just the garbage I've been picking up." Percy rolled his eyes. "Apparently it's too much to ask of the campers to clean up after themselves." He didn't miss the appraising look from the other teen, and blushed. He must've sounded like a dork. "It just gets me, you know? I mean, I wouldn't want anyone throwing their trash on ME or MY home." The satyr smiled.

"I think we're going to get along just fine."

XOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXO

After getting acquainted with his new friend, and heading back to the Hermes cabin, Percy was surprised to find a note inside his sleeping bag, attached to the fabric with an odd looking tool. It was an inky black, and appeared to be made of glass, with one endowing smooth and the other end sharp as a pin. The note was standard yellow with red lines, and a small paragraph in the center.

Percy,

Zeus has called a meeting tomorrow and requested that we be there. It must be something either very important or very bed...I'm assuming both since he actually called us in. Feel free to dress down. I'll send someone to pick you up tomorrow around noon, and it's already covered with the wine god. Goodnight.

-H.

AN: OMG guys, your gonna seriously hate me. I know, I know, it's been too long, but you'll be happy to know I am continuing this...even though the plot is seriously messed up now. Also, sorry for any mistakes.

Why did I even start this? I mean, I love it and all, but MAN this chapter sucked to write. It went so slow...I bet it's only like two-thousand words or something, if I even made it that far, damnit. But don't worry, the next chapter will be better, and hopefully won't take nearly two years to get posted.

Don't I at least deserve a review? (No)