"Are you sure Dad isn't going to get us for this?" Tate asks his brother.

"I already told you, he's the one that gave me the go ahead to prank away," Connor insists.

"But he didn't mean our brother," Tate says still not sure they should really do this especially since the brother in question is a god.

"Look we have to do this," Connor pleads. "It's not like he's going to show up in camp every day. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get the guy."

"Yeah, but a god," Tate says still wanting to back out. "I don't know about you but I'd still like to have a kid some day. What if he takes revenge?"

"Come on, he has to have a sense of humor. How else do you think he's survived all this time like that," Connor says. "Don't punk out on me now. I need you man."

"Fine, but if this goes bad, I'm telling Dad it was all your idea," Tate says and follows Connor.


"What's Mom doing here again?" Lacy asks her sister Piper.

"I didn't know she was here," her sister says. "I thought she was taking Adonia to meet Dad on the res out in Oklahoma."

"I swear I just saw her walking past the strawberry fields. A couple of the satyrs were making all over her, so I know it has to be here," Lacy insists.

"Well I guess if she is here, we'll find out why. Maybe she came back to check on Drew," Piper suggests.

"What's wrong with Drew anyway? Demigods never get sick we just take a little nectar and go on," her little sister asks.

"It's not my place to say, but don't worry it's nothing serious. Drew will be fine," her sister says.

"Look, over there she is. I told you it's Mom," Lacy says pointing.

"I admit that looks like Mom," Piper agrees then raises her hand toward their mother. It takes a couple of seconds but eventually Aphrodite raises her hand in reply.

"That's weird she doesn't look like she's headed toward the cabin. At least not our cabin," Lacy says just watching their mom as she keeps going.


Percy and Annabeth are a little nervous as they wait for their visitor. They took Sophia over to play with the Underwood kids for the afternoon, so Juniper could watch her while they have their appointment. As the time gets closer, Percy is wondering if this is such a good idea. He knows what to expect, but that doesn't mean he won't feel weird when Hermes' son gets there.

"Everything will be fine," Annabeth says taking his hand and weaving their fingers together.

He kisses her then says, "I know. No matter what he says, everything will be fine." He knows Annabeth has been worried about being informed something is actually wrong. She's so unfazed by most things these days like even noticing Hermaphroditos' gender let alone being bothered by it. When the knock eventually comes on the door, they both jump a little. Percy goes to answer it.

"You must be Hermaphroditos," Percy says offering his hand.

"And you Percy," Hermes' son says clasping Percy's hand. "I've heard a lot about you and Annabeth. It means a lot that you asked for me with this."

"Well we knew you had the specialty we were looking for and we wanted help from someone who would do what we wanted," Percy explains. "There are some godly people we don't trust with this and others, like your mom, that would do what they wanted. Don't get me wrong, Aphrodite is great but she meddles too much."

"You don't have to tell me that. I love my mother, but she's been meddling in my life for thousands of years," Hermaphroditos says with a chuckle.

"Come on and meet Annabeth," Percy says leading the god inside.

"Hi," Annabeth says standing nervously. "You're taller than I expected," she says shaking the god's hand.

"I might look just like Mother, but I am a little taller, like Dad," he explains as she offers him a seat.

"So you must have some amazing stories to tell about your parents," Percy says making small talk.

"Yes, but most of them deal with only one or the other at a time thankfully. Except for when this…" he says motioning with his hands indicating his body, "happened to me and I needed both of their help, they haven't really done anything together at least not when it comes to me."

"I can't imagine being assaulted like that at fifteen and then being reminded of it for eternity," Annabeth says. "If I were sexually assaulted, I would want to forget it."

"Be thankful that you never have been because it's not something that you can ever truly forget," Hermaphroditos tells her. The sadness on his face tells Annabeth that he's speaking the truth about it.

"Well enough about depressing stuff," Percy says trying to change the subject. "I have a question that I've always been dying to ask somebody and you might know the answer."

"Guys have it better," the god says with a smile.

"What? Oh, no that wasn't my question," Percy says with a blush. "I always figured that anyway," he continues prompting his wife to roll her eyes. "No what I wanted to know is what's the deal with your mom getting will all the male gods?"

"She hasn't been with all of them, has she?" Aphrodite's son says with a chuckle.

"I think she's been with most of them," Annabeth agrees.

"Well the story I was told is that when she refused to sleep with her husband then he caught her with Ares, he said, 'Why don't you sleep with all of my brothers you whore,' and she said, 'I think I will and your uncles too.'" He explains.

"Did she?" Percy asks, "I mean get with all of them?"

"No, but I don't think it was for lack of trying. She has kids with Uncle Ares of course and Uncle Dionysus. I'm proof that she was with Dad. I had a half-sister that was Uncle Poseidon's," he explains.

"What happened with Apollo?" Percy asks, "I mean he's never shied away from a beautiful woman."

"You'd have to ask him," Hemaphroditos says. "At least I can understand her staying away from Uncle Hades."

"Uncle Hades isn't so bad when you get him out of the Underworld," Annabeth says, which prompts a strange look from her husband. "I'm just saying," she replies with a smile.

"Can I tell both of you something," Hermes son now says.

"Sure," Percy says.

"You guys are great. I wasn't sure what to expect. Most normal people," he says using air quotes, "act like they're freaked out around me, but the two of your aren't like that at all."

"Compared to what we've seen in our lives," Annabeth starts.

"You are normal," Percy finishes with a grin.

"Well I appreciate it. Maybe we should talk about why I'm here," their guest now says.

"We're probably being paranoid," Annabeth says, "but it usually doesn't take two demigods long to conceive a child even when they are trying not to."

"We realize that a lot of time, that's because one of their parents is meddling in their lives, like we talked about before," Percy continues.

"That's not always the case," Hermaphroditos explains. "Demigods are better at most things, including that. I don't know that you're being paranoid, but we can check and see. Can I have both of you stand?" Percy looks at his wife then stands and takes her hand. "It's painless, promise," Hermes' son says then gently puts a hand on each of their lower abdomens and closes his eyes. In about a minute, he opens his eyes and removes his hands then motions for them to sit back down.

"Good news is there is nothing physically wrong with either of your reproductive systems," he now says.

Annabeth lets out a sigh of relief.

"That sounds like there might be bad news," Percy says reading the god's face.

"It's nothing that can't be overcome," he says. "You're both scared."

"Scared?" Annabeth says not understanding.

"Your bodies are frightened, frightened of bringing a child into the world that might someday have to experience some of the horrors both of your have faced," Hermaphroditos says.

Percy looks at his wife and can tell by the look on her face that what the god is saying is true. Even though they have both agreed they want a baby together, deep down inside, the fear of what this child might have to face someday scares them to death. When he looks back at Hermaphroditos, he tries to put his thoughts into words.

"I am scared," he admits. "Today everything seems fine, normal even by human standards, but there is no guarantee it will stay this way. After we fought the Titans, we thought we'd have peace then Gaea came along. Who's to say fifteen years from now…"

"You're right," the god says, "No one can say, and the child of a son of Poseidon and a daughter of Athena, two individually powerful demigods who have proven that together they are more powerful than gods, Titans, giants, and any moster, would not be the one to fight what comes along, but what if it doesn't happen?"

"I tell myself that," Annabeth says, "We can't live our lives based on what if, but our child…" tears come to her eyes and she fights them back.

"I'll fight anything I have to," Percy says adamantly, "but I won't allow my son or daughter to do the god's bidding. I've, we've, been used too many times. My kids won't be used that way. I won't even allow Sophia to face that."

"The two of you were twelve," Hermaphroditos starts, "You were both far too young to face your first quest alone, but you both knew you had no choice. Yes you knew you were being used. Yes you hated it, but you still had to do it. You wanted to do it. You know your children will make those same decisions if they have to. There is no way to protect a demigod forever. Even as a god, my parents could not protect me."

"Did they try," Annabeth says, "They left you with naiads to be raised."

"That was customary in the day," the god says defending his parents. "Even if they wanted too…Look I'll be the first to admit that staying with one of my parents probably would have prevented this from happening to me. Salmacis couldn't have…but don't you see it doesn't matter. None of us can control fate. We all have a role to play. Even now I serve a purpose. My transformation, what I represent, it has helped many people accept things that are out of their control. Hopefully your children will never have to face the trials that sometimes befall a demigod, but if they do, it will have been destine. The Oracle, she is a friend of yours, she could explain better that all our lives were set before we were even conceived. Your own prophecies were so much older than either of you. Don't miss out on the joy you deserve just to prevent what may never happen."

"It's not that simple," Percy says, "Is it?"

"I don't know everything you've been through," Hermaphroditos says, "I can't say it only takes this one talk to overcome your concerns, but if you don't, the joy of creating your own child won't happen. Your systems will remain locked, for lack of a better term."

"So what do we do now?" Annabeth asks.

"Talk. Talk to your friends, your parents, anyone who can tell you what it's like to have a child that you know may have to save the world someday or die trying," the god says.

"It's the die trying part," Percy says but doesn't finish.

"Percy, your mother may be the best person to talk to about this. She knew who your father was?" Hermaphroditos asks.

"Yeah," Percy confirms.

"She knew that someday, being the son of Poseidon, you might be called upon as you were," the god continues.

"Yeah," Percy agrees again.

"She chose to have you. She chose the joy of a son. I'm sure she protected you as long as she could, but in the end she let you go. She let you meet your responsibilities."

"She didn't really have a choice," Percy tells him.

"I'm sure she nearly died from worry more than once," the god continues.

"Definitely," Annabeth answers for her husband.

"Ask her if she would do it again," Hermaphroditos says. "Ask her if she would trade one second of her time with her little boy to avoid the pain."

"I already know the answer to that," Percy says.

"So do I," Annabeth agrees.

"And your dad would too, even though he was pissed when Athena sprang you on him," Percy says looking into her eyes. Annabeth nods her head.

"I wish there was more I could do. I don't have a magic wand to wave and make this go away. I'm a fertility god not a psychologist," Hermes' son says. "Actually Dad would be more help now than me."

"You've helped more than you know," Annabeth says standing.

"At least we know that if we get our minds right that our bodies will cooperate," Percy says taking the god's hand.

"Then I guess my work here is done. I'd kind of like to get out of here before anyone else knows I'm around. I spotted some of my sisters earlier. I know they thought I was Mom. It's better I leave it like that," Aphrodite's son says.

"Aw, come on, you've got tons of brothers and sisters here," Percy says.

"On both sides," Annabeth chuckles.

"I'm sure they'd love to meet you," Percy continues.

"Make fun of me more likely," Hermaphroditos says.

"Not all of them," Annabeth says thinking about her good friend Piper.

"Well enough of them," the god says. "If there is any other way I can help, Iris can reach me."

"Thank you," Annabeth says then gives the god a hug.

"One thing I do know for sure, the two of you will be wonderful parents," he tells her.

"Thank you," Percy says then shows him to the door.


"I think the door is opening," Tate whispers to his brother from the bushes.

"I'm ready," Connor whispers back from the roof of cabin 3. "Tell me when you see him."

"Yeah, yeah it's her, I mean him," Tate says excitedly.

"Go," Connor yells then dumps a bucket of water with red dye over his brother's head. As Hermaphroditos takes a step back and looks up to see who got him, another blast of red water hits the front of him. His gown, a white version like his mother is known for, is now soaked and mostly red, which, much like a wet t-shirt, leaves nothing to the imagination.

"Ah, you must be my brothers," Hermes' son says looking at Tate and Connor.

"His idea," Tate says pointing at Connor.

"Did you see everything you wanted to see?" their brother asks as his blonde curls fall into his face.

"It's true," Connor says in shock.

"What, you thought thousands of years of history were wrong?" Hermaphroditos says. "Yes, I've got a female body with male sex organs."

"No, I mean you look just like Aphrodite," Connor says, "You're beautiful."

"At least I was a few minutes ago," his brother says.

"Look, we don't have to tell Dad about this do we?" Tate asks.

"What did you do to Mom!" Lacy screams as she comes running toward the guys.

"Crap," Connor says.

"It's not…" Tate says starting to tell Lacy it's not her mom, but by the look on her face, she's already figured that out.

"You're not Mom! Who are you?" Lacy asks a little freaked out.

"Hermaphroditos," he says, "I'm your brother."

"Hermaphroditos, does that name mean you're they're brother too?" she asks pointing at Connor and Tate.

"Unfortunately," the god says looking at the boys.

Suddenly a look of understanding comes over her face. "Hey I know who you are. You're the guy that has both…You're a god and my brother. That's so cool. Come with me, I'll find you some dry clothes," Lacy says grabbing her brother's hand and dragging him toward their mom's cabin.

"You two are so dead," Percy now says from his front door where he witnessed the entire event.

"It was his idea," Tate says again.