"Please come in," Hebe says sweetly when she opens the door for Piper and Jason.

"Lady Hebe," Piper says politely giving her a bow. "It is an honor."

"Oh please, none of this Lady Hebe business. I'm just Hebe," the goddess says closing the door behind them. "Jason you certainly look like one of the family," she continues with a smile.

Jason assumes that is a compliment, but given this family, he's not entirely sure. "So is your husband here?" he asks cautiously.

His sister smiles and says, "Yes, and there is no reason to be afraid of him. His bark is so much worse than his bite."

"Could have fooled us," Piper says as the goddess leads them into another room.

"Sweetheart," Hebe says when they enter the room where Hercules is waiting. "Our guests are here."

"They're not guests," her husband grumbles barely looking up from the television in front of him. "Aeolus has that granddaughter of his doing the weather again," he says. "He should give her the job full time. She's much better looking." Hebe picks up the remote control and turns off the television.

"Our guests are not here to watch the Olympian Weather Channel, and I have asked you to keep your feet off my glass table," the goddess says giving his feet a tender tap.

"Yes dear," the god says putting his sandaled feet on the floor.

Hebe smiles then motions at the loveseat. "Please have a seat," she says as she takes one next to her husband.

"So," Hercules grumbles. "You are here to say you're sorry."

"Not so fast," Jason says. "We were told you had some apologizing to do yourself."

"Me apologize," the god says with a raised eyebrow. "I am not the one who went back on our deal."

Piper leans forward and says, "That deal never should have been required. You had no business putting us through that just because Hera sent us on the quest. It was an ancient prophecy. You should have been helping us not trying to get us killed."

Hercules smiles and says, "If I wanted you killed, I would have done it myself. I was just making sure you were worthy as I said at the time. I knew you would succeed."

"You also knew you didn't deserve that horn," Jason tells his half-brother.

"What I know is that stupid old bull had no need of that horn and neither did you. Deianira chose me. He could never accept that," the god says drawing a flush of red to Hebe's cheeks as her body stiffens. Piper wonders if the goddess is hurt by her husband's unwillingness to let go of his life, especially his wives.

"Why don't you both just apologize, and let us move on," the goddess says trying to regain her once calm composure.

Jason and Piper in unison say, "Him first" at the same instant Hercules says, "Them first," causing Hebe to shake her head in frustration.

"I can understand them wanting you to go first sweetheart," she now says as she caresses his face with the tips of her fingers. "As a god, you might not say it after they have made the effort."

"And you can see why I want them to say it first," he says closing in hand gently around her fingers, so she can't persuade him with her feminine wiles. "They have already double-crossed me once."

"I promise we will apologize, after you," Piper says.

The god looks at her for several seconds like he might be considering it, then his face turns dark and angry. He lets go of his wife's fingers and says, "Not going to happen. I lost Megara and the boys. Hera and her pawn Eurystheus tortured me for years. Then, when I thought I might finally have some true happiness with Deianira, she was fooled by that evil Nessus, and I was killed. No matter what you have been through in your short miserable lives, my life was far worse, and nothing will ever make up for that." At this, Hebe turns from her husband and flees the room.

"You are an insensitive, egotistical, no count PIG," Piper shouts at Hercules then goes after the goddess who is now crying in the next room.

Hercules looks at Jason dumbstruck and asks, "What did I say?"

"Seriously," Jason replies with a raised eyebrow. "Nothing will ever make up for that? What about your marriage to that beautiful goddess who just ran out of here? Isn't she worth anything? Don't the two of you have sons? You spent what, a few decades in misery as a hero, but how long has Hebe been right by your side seeing to your every need? Thousands of years. You're an idiot, brother."

"I didn't mean it like that," Hercules says standing as if to go after his wife.

Jason puts his hand on his brother's arm and says, "Maybe you should think about what you're going to say before you go in there and make things worse."

"What can I say," the god replies. "I must go to her and fall on my knees begging for forgiveness."

"But deep inside, she knows how you really feel. She knows that despite all the love she has given you, it hasn't been enough for you to get over Megara and Deianira," his brother tells him. The god pulls free of Jason's hand and goes to the other room.

"I have tried so hard," Hebe sobs as Piper gently holds her in her arms.

"I know you have," the daughter of Aphrodite says softly. "All of your love, two glorious sons, a beautiful home. He's just too much of a man to see it."

"Hebe," her husband says going to her. "I never meant…"

"Yes you did or you would not have said it. I have never been enough," she cries and buries her face into Piper's chest.

"I love you Hebe. You know that. I just get angry sometimes, and it makes me do dumb stuff, like forcing these two to battle Achelous. It was wrong. It's just your stupid mother…" Hebe wails in pain as her husband calls her mother stupid. "Zeus almighty, I never say the right thing." The god gets down on one knee and tries to pull his wife to him, but she resists staying in Piper's arms. "You and the boys are the best things that has ever happen to me. My life was nothing compared to what I have with you."

"If that…" she sobs, "if that were true, you would not continue to be so angry. You would forget all about your past life and your wives. You would stay here on Olympus with me and the boys. Instead, you stay over there with your stupid pillars hurt, lonely and angry pining away for the life you lost."

"You know I would rather be here with you. Father sends me over there," he claims.

Hebe finally looks at him with red puffy eyes. "Only because you are so miserable to be around," she says. "Because you are so miserable here with me."

Hercules slams his fist down on the floor causing the entire palace to shake. "I swear it is not true," he shouts.

"Prove it," she says still looking down at him.

"Anything," he says.

"Apologize to Piper and Jason," she orders.

"What?" he asks like he couldn't have heard her correctly.

"If your mortal life means nothing to you now, tell them you are sorry for asking them to complete such a ridiculous task just to earn your favor," she continues. "If that horn and your feud with Achelous mean nothing to you, it should be easy."

"Anything else," he says.

She turns her head.

"Fine," he blurts out. "I apologize. The horn meant nothing to me."

Hebe looks up at Piper as if waiting for her to keep her word as well.

"We apologize too. I couldn't give you the horn, but I shouldn't have made you look bad by burying you in food," she tells the god.

"We never intended to insult you or make you look bad," Jason now adds. "We just wanted your approval to enter the Mare Nostrum."

"And they did save all of us by completing their quest. Gaea never would have let us live had she won. We would have been destroyed along with my parents," his wife tells him as she wipes the tears from her face.

Hercules tries to pull her over to him again. This time she lets him. "I am happy with you and the boys. I could never want for more," he tells her as he buries his face in her breast.

"While you are here, talk to Father. Tell him you want to stay with me. Show him that you can be happy with us," his wife asks.

He mumbles something about having to be nice to her mother.

"Would it kill you?" she asks lifting his chin up so she can see his face. "After all, she did agree to let us be married."

Hercules looks at her like he's trying to decide. "I'll try to be civil," he promises then pulls her face to his and kisses her.

"Maybe we should leave the two of you alone," Piper now suggests as she steps around the god and goddess and takes Jason's hand.

"We should do lunch," Jason suggests then leads his girl out of the room as quickly as possible. They don't slow down until they have seen themselves back out the front door. "Do you think that was an act on Hebe's part?"

Piper shakes her head. "She was really upset. For a minute, I was afraid that we might have destroyed their marriage."

As they walk hand in hand down the sidewalk, he asks, "Do you think he can really give up the past and be happy?"

"I hope so," she says. "He really does deserve to be happy and so does she. I really like your sister."

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

"Grandpa stop," Crystal laughs as she wipes the tears from her cheeks. "That never could have happened."

"100% true story," Aeolus says with a snicker.

Andy, who is just coming into the studio, says, "Don't believe a thing the old man says." His father turns to give him a look that says, Don't try to turn my girl against me young man.

Crystal jumps up excitedly and runs to her father, "Daddy you're back." She throws her arms around Andy's neck as her father sweeps her up off of her feet.

"I've missed you baby," he says giving her a big kiss.

"Have you talked to Mom?" she then asks wondering if he knows she is now living at camp.

He gives her another kiss as he puts her back on her feet then says, "I just left your mother. She told me about taking you to camp and that you really like it there."

"I don't like it Daddy," she says. "I love it there. Everybody is like me, and they accept me for who I am. I don't have to hide my wings. I have a brother and a sister. Percy is teaching me how to sword fight. Artemis taught me how to shoot an arrow. Apollo is teaching me how to sing. Calyps…"

"Okay, I get it," her dad laughs. "You love it there, and you are learning a lot, but I'm back now. We can go home."

"Daddy please," she starts to beg when her grandfather cuts in on the conversation.

"Son, the girl needs to train," Aeolus tells Andy.

"Stay out of this," his son says giving his father a dirty look.

"Demigods need to train. Crystal needs to train. You are trying to protect her, but you are going about it the wrong way. You won't be around forever. She has to be able to take care of herself," the ruler of the wind gods says. "I sent you there to train."

"You sent me there to get rid of me," Andy says. "I'm not looking to get rid of my daughter."

"Daddy, it's not like that, and Mom said you used to love it at Camp Half-Blood."

"I did love my time at camp. Chiron is a wonderful teacher. The other kids can be the best friends you will ever have especially Butch and Jade, but I'm not ready to give you up," her father says caressing her head.

"Then come with me Daddy. You're still a half-blood. You would still be welcome," Crystal pleads.

"Baby, I can't live at camp. Your mother…Iris lives there now, and she is with Chiron. It's hard for me to see her a couple of times a year when we trade you back and forth. I couldn't bear to see her every day. Not with someone else," her dad tells her.

Crystal takes her father's hand and says, "You're still in love with her, with Mom."

Andy kisses his daughter's fingers then says, "Your mother is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, except for you sweetheart. If she would have let me, I would still be with her today. She is the one who left."

"Because of Zephyr," Crystal says angrily then looks at her grandfather. "You control the winds. Why didn't you order Zephyrus to stay away from Mom and Dad? Why didn't you force him to leave them alone so we could be a family?"

Aeolus takes a seat on the edge of his weather desk and says, "Controlling the winds has never been that easy. When it comes to telling them which way to blow, they listen. When it comes to telling them who they can and cannot love, well I've never been able to do that."

"I don't want you to be alone Daddy," Crystal finally says sadly looking at her father. "I'll go home with you."

"No, your mother and Dad are right. You need to train. Camp Half-Blood is where you need to be," Andy says taking her face in his hands. "Besides, I'm sure your grandfather still has a long list of assignments for me."

"Oh, well actually, I need a new assistant. My last one quit about…how long ago would you say it was?" Aeolus says looking at his granddaughter.

"Twenty minutes," she says with a chuckle.

"Disappointing," the god says. "She was good."

"The real question Dad is not how long she's been gone, but how long was she with you?" his son asks.

Crystal laughs again and says, "Fifteen minutes."