As the ladies enter cabin number one, Thalia crashes on her bed while the others find comfy places around the room. Persephone stretches out on the bed Artemis has been sleeping in, while Athena and Enyo share another. Thalia offers part of her bed to Hebe.
"Gods that's the most horrible thing I've ever seen," Enyo says looking up at their father's statue.
"What kid wants to sleep with Dad looking down on them?" Hebe agrees.
"I couldn't when I lived here," Thalia says. "I slept on the floor over there," she continues pointing out her little niche. "Actually Jason slept over there too when Hera first sent him here."
"I know I don't have a cabin here," Enyo says, "But I would never put my kids through the terror."
"Why don't you have a cabin here?" Artemis asks.
"No demis," she says.
"You too good to hook up with a mortal?" her sister Hebe asks.
"No, just no time," she says.
"Why don't you just get out of the Middle East?" Thalia asks, "Leave the haters to their own devices."
"If only it were that easy," the goddess tells her wishfully.
"Ares sure doesn't have a problem finding time to knock up mortal women," Persephone says of their brother.
"Maybe I should find some time, but it would still be a while before they would come to camp."
Persephone looks over at Athena and says, "How many little ones do you have out in the world?"
"Well, I have a six year old boy, who is a couple of years from camp. I have twin two-year-old girls, boy was their daddy surprised," she says with a chuckle. "I also have a six-week-old. His dad is still pissed at me right now."
"I can't see how they aren't all pissed at you. Here they get stuck with kids and didn't get any action," her sister Hebe says with a chuckle.
"They got something even better," Athena insists, "They get a little piece of my mind."
"Hebe, what about you," Thalia asks.
"I actually have one on the way now," she says patting her belly. "He's the first since my little Ami."
"Do tell," Persephone says wanting details about Hebe's latest guy.
"He's a plastic surgeon," she says with a smile.
"How'd you meet a plastic surgeon?" Athena asks.
"We met in a china store. I was there looking for something new to serve Mom and Dad's nectar and ambrosia with. He was there looking for a wedding gift for a friend," she tells her sisters.
"So was it a one-night-stand or did you see him a while?" Enyo asks curiously.
"Well we made out that same day, but I went back and dated him for a few weeks. He was a lot of fun," she explains.
"Persephone, are you ever going to cheat on that husband of yours like he does you?" Athena asks her sister.
"No, I love Hades, and besides he doesn't cheat on me anywhere near as much of the others," Persephone says of her husband.
"All I can say is Uncle Hades must be awesome in bed for you to save yourself for only him for thousands of years," Thalia says with a grin.
"He is simply amazing. When he first kidnapped me, he was as sweet as he could be. He was giving me everything he could think of. I have some of the most beautiful jewelry ever created…"
"Well when you're boyfriend owns every rock ever formed, I guess you would get a lot of nice things," Artemis says.
"Can I ask something I've always wanted to know?" Hebe asks her sister.
"Sure, tonight I guess we're sharing," Persephone says.
"Did Hades have his way with you right away after he took you?"
"No, he was trying to give me time to fall in love with him and want to be with him and not force me. He's not a rapist after all," Persephone says.
"So when did you finally have sex with him?" Thalia asks.
"He doted on me. For about two weeks, after everything else failed, he spent every minute with me. He told me stories from when he was little, and when he and mom and the others were inside Grandpa Kronos. He said he used to take care of his sisters when Uncle Poseidon would try to have his way with them…"
"Hades was older than Poseidon. You don't think he was just as horny as his brother?" Artemis asks in disbelief.
"He said he wasn't," Persephone insists.
"Well gods know Uncle Poseidon is a dog that can't control himself around a woman," Athena says spitefully.
"Here we go again with the Medusa bullshit," Enyo says rolling her eyes.
"I'm just saying," Athena says.
"Anyway," Persephone says getting back to her story, "I realized that he was sweet and I got to wondering what he would be like without his clothes. I mean all those tortured souls were a little scary to a fourteen year old. When I asked him to take them off, he did. As he stood there in front of me, naked and vulnerable, I realized that I was ready to be with him. I invited him into my bed."
"What was it like, I mean that first time?" Enyo asks since she's now fully enthralled by the story.
"He was tender. He took his time. His kisses all over my body were so…Well they were really nice," she tells them. "By the time we finished, I wanted to spend eternity with him doing those things. Don't get me wrong, I missed my flowers, the warmth of the sun on my face, rain hitting my skin, but I still wanted to be with Hades. About a week after that was when Dad told Hades that he was sending Hermes to get me so Mom wouldn't kill off the human race through starvation. I cried and cried at the thought of never getting to be with my love again."
"So whose idea was it to eat the pomegranate?" Hebe asks her sister.
"Well Hades told me that if I ate something I wouldn't have to leave. I picked pomegranate because I like them," she explains.
"Were you thinking just eat a few so you could go back and forth?" Athena asks her.
"No, Hades had told me that once we were married, he would allow me to visit the above world whenever I wanted, as long as I always came back. It wasn't until Hermes showed up and found out that I had eaten something that Dad decided on the compromise. Mom was pissed, but Daddy told her to shut up and take what she got," Persephone says with a smile on her face thinking of someone telling Demeter to shut up and it actually working, since it usually doesn't.
"It's a shame they just wouldn't ask you what you wanted," Thalia says thinking isn't that just the way Dad always is.
"So Athena, when did you decide you never wanted to have sex," Enyo asks turning the attention to the goddess of wisdom.
"I was always leaning that way. I mean Dad ate my mom after he had sex with her. I didn't ever want that to happen to me. My mind was made, though, when that damn Hephaestus almost raped me," she tells them.
"That's a story I want to hear," Thalia says.
"That man, and I use the term loosely, was so homely he couldn't get laid by anyone willingly. He kept telling me, you don't know what you're missing, have sex with me and I'll make you want it forever, blah, blah, blah…"
"Yeeeeeew that makes me want to puke," Artemis says leaning over the edge of the bed to fake vomiting.
"Right," Athena says with a chuckle then continues, "Anyway, he ripped my clothes off and was over me. I thought for sure it was going to happen, but the moron was so horny that my fighting him off caused him to start before he even put it in me. I started laughing at him. He got pissed off and went to hit me and that's when I got away."
"Why did you want the baby?" Hebe asks.
"I didn't at first. I went to Dad and told him what Hephaestus had done. I wanted him to punish him but he wouldn't," Athena says.
"Why the Hades not?" Enyo asks which causes Persephone to shoot her a look saying, please don't use my husband's name like that.
"He said that if he punished Hephaestus, that Hera would cut him off for a month. I told him a month was nothing compared to what her son tried to do to his daughter, but you know Dad. I don't think he can go till lunch without sex," she tells them.
"Isn't that the truth," Artemis says.
"That was when Great Grandmother told him that she was pregnant by Hephaestus' seed that dripped on her, and since it was meant for me, I should be responsible for the child. I was pissed. Nobody would punish him but now I was getting stuck with the kid. When I saw it though, it was so cute, unlike its daddy, I decided to raise him. I had to hide him for the longest time, so Hera would leave us alone, but I was determined to raise the most noble man to be king of Athens one day. When he was little and I discovered that his feet were crippled, I cursed his idiot father for making him defective, but he turned it into a gift and I was even more proud of him," she finishes.
"So you raised a child?" Enyo says curiously.
"Yes, and I loved it. I would raise all my children if Dad would allow it," Athena says.
"I liked being a mom to Alex and Ance," Hebe now says, "At least when they were little."
"Aren't they still little," Persephone asks.
"I mean for real little, before that idiot husband of mine made them egomaniacs like him," she says.
"Oh come on," Thalia says, "They can't be that bad."
"Yes they can," Athena says, "Those two still look like they're about ten, but they keep running around flexing their muscles. Alex, every time he sees me, yells, 'Hey Auntie Athena, you want a piece of this,' then drops his pants."
"Oh my gods," Thalia says laughing so hard she can hardly catch her breath.
"I swear that Anicetus tries to grab my butt every time I see him," Artemis says, "That's why I won't take you girls to Olympus."
"At least your demigod children are sweet," Thalia tells her sister.
"Yes, I wish I got to spend more time with them. Christina, Justin, and Ami are the joys of my life. I look forward to seeing them all tomorrow," Hebe agrees.
"Can I ask why you even married Heracles?" Enyo asks her little sister.
"Besides being young and stupid, I guess I was swept off my feet with his sweet talk," she tells her.
"So it wasn't the fact that he has a huge penis?" Persephone asks with a laugh.
"Well," Hebe says with a smile. "No really, since I was the goddess of forgiveness, which is something Heracles searched for his entire life after Mom caused him to kill his first family, he sought me out. I think that he thought if I would marry him, then he would have finally reached atonement for his past. Daddy of course was all for us being married. After all, it was Dad that made him a god after he accidently killed himself. Mom was dead set against it. There was no way in Had…" she says then gives her sister Persephone a quick glance and says, "Hell (Persephone smiles) she was going to let her baby marry the one demigod she hated more than any ever born, but Daddy told her to shut up and deal with it."
"Wait, so telling Hera to shut up didn't get him cut off from sex?" Thalia asks.
"As mad as she was, it probably did," Hebe says.
"That sucks," Athena says thinking their dad wouldn't sacrifice that for her.
"Sis, by that time he was so used to going to Earth and getting him some, I don't think he cared," Hebe tells Athena.
"But come on, he is Heracles. What was it like?" Enyo asks anxious to hear the answer.
"Well I was a virgin the first time and I was a little scared. He really is huge, but some of my mortal lovers have been way more enjoyable. It's like he didn't care what I wanted. As long as he got off that was enough," Hebe tells her.
"You know what they say, it's not the size of the boat but the motion of the ocean," Persephone says with a laugh.
"Please don't make any sex reference that reminds me of Poseidon," Athena begs.
"Sorry," Persephone says with a giggle.
"All I know is I've never been happier since I cut that man off," Hebe continues.
"Exactly how'd you manage that? I would think that he's the kind that would force you if he got horny enough," Athena asks.
"I told him he could do whatever he wanted with that penis of his, but if he ever came near me with that thing again, I would cut it off," Hebe tells them proudly.
"And he took that seriously?" Enyo says.
"Well I am the daughter of Zeus. I know how to use a knife," she says with a smile.
"I believe that sister," Artemis says leaning across the aisle between the two beds and giving her little sister a fist bump.
"Enyo, don't you hate always being in Jackass' shadow?" Artemis asks her sister.
"Look who's talking," Enyo replies with a grin.
"I don't follow my idiot brother around like you do," Artemis tells her.
"Really, I thought you went behind him every night," her sister replies.
"I don't call that following him around. Maybe he follows me around did you ever think of that?" Artemis says smartly.
"Do we have to separate the two of you?" Persephone asks.
"No," they both say in unison.
"I know you are way smarter than your twin just like I'm way smarter than mine," Artemis says trying to soothe things over.
"If it were just Ares out there, I don't think any war would ever be over. People would get pissed and fight each other, but if neither side lost everything over the fighting, they would keep at it forever," Enyo tells her sisters.
"Amen," Athena says.
"Enyo can I ask you something?" Thalia says respectfully.
"Sure little sis," Enyo tells her.
"How did you get to be the god and goddess of war? I mean I get Athena with wisdom since she came from Dad's head. I even get things like Artemis and childbirth since she had to deliver her twin brother, but war?" Thalia asks.
"Mom and Dad were having one major blowout of a fight but apparently stopped for a little sex in the middle of screaming and throwing things," Enyo explains.
"That must have been one ugly fight," Persephone says with a chuckle.
"And what are you trying to say dear sister?" Enyo asks.
"I was just thinking how mean and ugly Ares turned out," the queen of the Underworld says.
"Since we're being honest tonight," Artemis says looking at her sister Enyo, "Is there anything to that Enyalius story?"
"Are you kidding me? That is the most disgusting story I think I've ever heard. Me have sex with Ares? That's just never gonna happen," Enyo insists. "I mean would you have sex with Apollo?"
"No, but I wouldn't have sex with anyone," Artie says with a chuckle.
"So Artie," Persephone says sweetly to her sister, "Tell us about the guy that almost ended your maidenhood."
"I don't know what you mean," Artemis says looking innocent.
"I believe she's talking about Orion," her sister Athena tells her.
"He was just a dear friend," Artemis tells them, "It was never anything more than that."
"Really?" Persephone asks, "Because he says…"
"You've talked to him, but how? Daddy made him a constellation so he wouldn't go to the Underworld," Artemis asks cutting her sister off in mid sentence.
"Dead is still dead," Persephone says with a grin.
"What did he say?" Enyo asks anxious to hear this.
"Well it doesn't matter what he says. We were never lovers," Artemis says with a bit of a pout.
"He didn't say that you were, but he wanted to be. He thought you were close to giving in to him. That's why he thinks Apollo is the one who killed him," Persephone explains.
"It wasn't Apollo," Artemis says with a touch of sadness in her voice. "It was GG Gaea," she continues. "I begged him to take it back. I would have never let him kill all of the animal, but she wouldn't listen."
"It was probably just an excuse to hurt you sis," Thalia says to her softly. "We all know how evil she can be. Besides her precious Kronos, she has never loved any Titan, god, or demigod. She thinks we're all just her play toys."
"Thalia's right," Athena says, as Persephone puts her arms around Artemis to comfort her.
"What hurt as much as losing him are all those stories that I was the one who killed him. I would never have hurt him, never," the goddess says while sobbing into Persephone's chest.
"She's asleep again, that's all that matters for now. She can't hurt any of us," Enyo says lending her words to comfort her sister.
Athena looks over at Thalia then says, "Thalia sweetie, you don't know how lucky you are to have been born a demigod."
"You don't think I've been hurt just as badly?" Thalia asks a little hotly.
"I didn't mean…"
"I've had my heart broken. I've lost people I loved because I'm Dad's daughter. Maybe I haven't been around as long as you guys, but I've been hurt just as badly," Thalia tells her.
"Sweetie, please don't be upset," Hebe says putting her arm around her young sister. "Why don't you tell us about Luke?"
"Luke wasn't the first love of my life that I lost. Jason was," she tells them. "I was so happy when Dad came back because Mom was acting like a normal person. When Jason came along, I thought he was wonderful. I loved him more than anything. When Dad left us again, and Mom started drinking again, I took care of Jason. I was the only mommy he had. I was devastated when we lost him. I always blamed my mom for that. It wasn't fair that Juno took him from me. I would have gone with him."
"She couldn't take you don't you see? You're Greek and he's Roman. There was no way the two of you could stay together," Athena tells her.
"I would have never hurt him, and he would never hurt me. His birth could have been the catalyst for ending the battle between the two groups, but she never gave us the chance. She just took him from me," Thalia says, as tears built up from years of anger over losing her baby brother break through.
"You have him back now," Hebe tells her. "Cherish that."
"I do," Thalia says. "That's something I'll never have with Luke. Sometimes I still can't believe he turned like he did. Hermes wasn't any worse than the rest of them when it comes to being a father. I just don't know how his hatred grew so strong."
"It was his weakness that cost him everything. Weakness is what allowed Kronos to get a hook in him. Once that happened, Kronos was controlling his emotions. From the time he took the step of stealing Dad's bolt and Uncle Hades helm, Luke was never really in control of what he was thinking or doing," Artemis tells her lieutenant.
"Sometimes I wish we had never been brought here. If we could have been left alone, we could have been happy together. Luke was so brave when we first met, and even though he was just a kid, he was strong. I felt safe when we were together. I thought we could conquer anything as long as we had each other. As much as I love Annabeth, I think we could have made it if it had remained just the two of us. Don't get me wrong, once we found her, there was never a question of bringing her with us and taking care of her, but the attacks got worse."
"A daughter of Zeus, son of Hermes and daughter of Athena together was more than any monster could resist," Enyo tells her.
"If I could have just held them off, Alecto and her hounds, if somehow I could have survived, I could have kept Luke from turning. I know he loved me. He would have stayed with me."
"It wasn't meant to be sweetheart," Persephone tells her, "But I am sorry that my Hades cost you that. He was just so angry. They had made a sacred oath."
"I understand why Uncle Hades was mad. I don't understand taking your anger out on little kids, but I also know Dad did the same thing to Nico and Bianca, and that both Dad and Uncle Hades tried to kill Percy. We were all innocent," Thalia tells them.
"We make really bad decisions sometimes. We hurt each other then retaliate against the one thing we think will hurt the other the most, our children. We've all been guilty of doing it, and yet no matter how sad we feel when one of our beloved children is lost, we don't learn," Athena says. Thalia thinks she can actually hear a wish for change in her sister's voice.
"I sometimes wonder if it was harder for Luke to have to see me, my tree, every single day. I wonder if that is what drove him over the edge. Maybe Dad should have let me go," Thalia says softly.
"Don't say that," Artemis tells her sternly. "We wouldn't have you today, if Dad had let you go."
"But Kronos…"
"Kronos would have gotten someone else to do is bidding, and we wouldn't have had you to help stop him. You can't blame yourself for any of that," Persephone tells her.
"I guess," Thalia says.
"I'm really glad we did this," Hebe tells her sisters.
"I feel closer to all of you now," Thalia agrees.
"So do any of you have any mortal boyfriends with a hot brother?" Enyo asks with a laugh.
"Yes," Athena and Hebe both answer in unison causing all of the ladies to laugh.