I have a lot of trouble with stories like this, with characters with such a defined personality. I love reading them but it makes it hard to write them. So please, feedback is welcome! I love Percy to pieces but damn he is hard to write.

This chapter is a little weird but I am actually basing it on my literal first day in Foster care so... you'll see what I mean.

Sally was unable to breathe, looking at the boy so clearly and nearly identical to her current husband that he could be nothing less then his son. Same black hair same brown eyes and tendency towards being heavy... however there were also a million differences that stopped her breathe more then his similarities. His hair, while matted from clearly living in streets especially when mixed with the nasty looking clothes and shifty almost terrified look in his eyes, was lush and full and curled around his head. His skin, despite being dirty, wasn't flush with booze and hate. Then there was his eyes, shifty and afraid but filled with cautious warmth that Gabe had never been capable of.

He may be Gabe's son but there was nothing of his father in his heart.

Kneeling, ignoring the ache on her knees, Sally smiled at her stepson. "Hello Aaron." She held out her hand, kindly gripping his in an attempt to convey the warmth he was clearly unaccustomed too. "My name is Sally. I guess that makes me your Stepmother."

With some hesitance the boy smiled at her. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Sally."

"Oh please, call me Mom sweetheart."

Did her heart break at the sudden loss of breathe or the desperate attempt to hide his tears? Yes, yes it did. "Sally for now, until I know you if that's okay. I don't even know if Gabe will keep me."

"Honey... why... why are you here? Not that I am not thrilled to see you, but until now I didn't know you existed."

"Well... Mom, my other mom I guess, she kicked me out two years ago." A rare anger filled her, but she managed to subdue it for long enough that the boy finished his statement. "I've been homeless since then. I knew Gabriel's name, but I couldn't find him... till I saw him on an ad for the Cadillac Linen Service. I was able to find his apartment at a Library Computer, before they kicked me out for being dirty. I hope it's okay but... I can't keep doing this." His eyes were filled with tears, he turned away sniffling, she could tell he was trying not to wipe away his snot on his sleeve."

"Oh Honey, it's alrigh-"

"Who's at the DAMN DOOR!" The voice suddenly got closer, angry and hateful until Gabe appeared, making her flinch and her stepson cringe. "Oh... Aaron, your here." Cold and dismissive, her husband looked rarely unnerved by the boy's appearance. "Why aren't you with Carol?"

"She kicked him out, if that his mother." Sally restrained the urge to smother the boy to her chest, praying to Poseidon that he'd give her the strength to protect this child from his monstrous father and the truth that came with their sharing blood. "He's been homeless for two years, can we take him in."

She didn't beg but she would have. No child should have to be without a roof over their head, food in their belly, love from someone who cared. It didn't matter if he was Gabe's kid, she loved him already.

Gabe was not a nice person, that much was pretty clear to Aaron. His father's presence clearly terrified Sally, she was actually trembling just having him next to her. The urge to tackle his father, scream blood murder at him while doing his best to protect the kind lady was pretty powerful and yet he managed to mitigate the urge somewhat. A fake smile crossed his face.

"I've always wanted to meet you, Dad." A fake notion, he wasn't stupid, this was not the sort of meeting anyone would have anticipated or wanted.

The man actually sneered, letting his eyes roam over Aaron's body. "You look like me, you always did. Did your mom want Child support, cause like I told her before I'm not giving her any."

'Could I really survive this guy for five years? Might be a better idea to get on the streets...but I might get caught by Social Services and they'd just take me here if they found out. Might as well make the most of it.'

"No, sir. I haven't seen her in two years. She wants nothing to do with either of us."

Licking his teeth, showing their yellow distorted tabbaco stains, the man turned and walked away clearly done with the conversation. "Let him in, CPS would just bring him back to me anyway."

Sally, with a sweet smile, nodded. " Of course... Gabe, I think I'll take him with Percy to the Cabin. That way you can have a few days to your self. Does that sound nice?" Gabe didn't reply which Sally took as a yes, smiling fully at Aaron. "Come in honey, your brother Percy and I are going to leave in an hour. I think Gabe has some clothes that will fit you. Your rather tall for your age."

Following the lovely lady, he walked past garbage clearly placed there by Gabe's disgusting actions. 'How could someone not take care of their home, If I had a home even one as crummy as this one I would never treat it like this.' He barely withheld his own sneer, not wanting to scare Sally by looking like his father. "What's my brother like, Sally?"

Brother, a strange word, it tasted foreign on his tongue. He never expected or wanted a sibling, but now presented with the notion there was an untold excitement about the idea. A nervous smile crossed his face.

Almost in tangent with his own, an incredibly wide and loving smile crossed Sally's. Proud and wildly devoted, it warmed him and filled him with jealousy in equal measure. "He is amazing, so kind and so noble. My little Knight. His name is Perseus but we call him Percy."

"Are you a fan of Greek Mythology?" The question slipped out as they entered her bedroom, a room devoted to more of Gabriel's crap and literally none of Sally's bar a tiny dresser stuck in a corner with only two pictures on it. One of two older people in a black and white photo, the other of Sally herself with a very handsome green eyed boy with black hair. "Is Percy?"

Sally, who had froze for a moment, nodded slowly. "Yes on both... why do you ask?"

"Oh, Perseus and Medusa. I love that Story, Medusa was my favorite character in Green Mythology." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I always related to her. She never attacked anybody, but everyone wanted to attack her simply because they could. She was a victim and her death was celebrated because it somehow proved bravery... I guess that was why Perseus had to kill her in her sleep. Even he realized how screwed up it was..."

There was a moment of silence as Sally grabbed him some clothes. "Let's get you into the shower, then I'll introduce you to Percy. He's packing his stuff right now..." She smiled at him again only this time her smile was worn down, more cautious.

She led him out of the room and down a tiny hall only for the same pretty boy from the picture. "Mom, did you find my... who's this?"

"Percy, this is Gabe's son... your step brother, Aaron." She put her hands on his shoulders, he could imagine her smile straining more then it had already. "He needs to take a shower, he will be coming with us to the Cabin."

It was clear that Percy wanted to argue, but something apparently came from Sally's eyes that Gabe could see from his position that made it clear that arguing wasn't the wisest decision. In typical teenager fashion, Percy just huffed and marched back into his room, leaving a sighing Sally to lead Aaron to the far end of the hall where he was all but shoved into the shower.

After a minute to show him how it worked, he went to town, irritated but happy.

'Crap show and possible abuse side, at least I'm getting clean.'

"But Mom-"

"Percy, I know why your unhappy but he was homeless until now. He deserves a few... uh happy days before of summer before we..." Sally almost cringed, trying to hide her fear of Gabe from her observant but oblivious son. "He deserves some compassion."

With a huff, her son nodded. "Fine."

Sheer relief filled her then, hugging her son close to her she relished in the contact. "I know it isn't what you thought would happen during your summer break, but who knows, he may become your best friend. He seems like such a sweet boy."

"That's what you said about Gabe." From his cringe, she could tell that he didn't mean to say that but the words so easily slipped from his lips, leaving her to sigh and nod against his skin.

"I know, baby. I know."

For a few minutes they sat there, just enjoying the embrace until Aaron walked into the room, and the very sight of him broke Sally's heart. Free of first, she realized his skin had the orangish purple marks around his arms and face, a sign of intense malnutrition. Massive bags hung under his eyes from lack of sleep, and his hair curled half as much as it had before, now that it was free of grease, and it was a lighter shade of black without all of the dirt.

The chubbiness even seemed different, his skin hanging from his body showing more sharp angles from a sharp decline in weight.

His story about living on the streets seemed almost impossibly true now.

"Don't you look handsome."

Dressed in a pink dress up shirt and black slacks that were too small for Gabe now that he had gained even more weight then when he had first bought them, the kid was actually handsome... well, almost handsome. To her, a mom he was handsome! Barely but still.

'I actually like this shirt, never thought I'd be a button up kind of guy. Seems a little country but hey it fits and I look nice. Pink's a good color on me.' Smiling, he approached Sally. "Thanks. Um, I appreciate the clothes and your taking me... I, I know I'm basically a stranger." He turned away, wanting to cry but trying not to. 'I picked the end of the school year on purpose, mostly to ensure that I could gain some weight back over the summer and actually get to Doctor appointments and whatever I need... but I never expected to get a summer vacation. Who would, at least this quickly... of course I never thought that my father would be the abusive type. It is kind of sad, the a women I just met would rather take me with her on a trip with her son, who she rarely sees then leave me with the man she is married too. What kind of home did I just break into... my timing blows. I am so sorry Sally.'

Sally's smile was beyond warm as she pulled him into a very, very warm hug. "You are always allowed in my home. When I married Gabe all of his family became mine and that means you, even if I didn't know it when I married him."

'That is very, very sad. You deserve a millionaire, not a jerk like him... I am so sorry to burden your further.' He wanted to march out of the house, to run away and never bother this wonderful lady and her son again. He only meant to force his father to support him, to free him of the burden of growing up on the streets. Never did he intend to take time and energy from someone like Sally, intruding on what might be the only time she got to spend on her son.

...

Packing took about half an hour, Gabe didn't even seem to argue at seeing him in his old clothes, making a remark about not wasting money. Aaron wanted to deck his father at that, but resisted knowing that he would only have endangered Sally. He hadn't noticed it before, but there were actually others in the house, other ugly and gross men playing poker with his father. Together they were munching on a large seven layered bean dip, so consumed by their game and the admittedly yummy looking food that they didn't even question the literal appearance of a stranger in the house. Not even the son of their friend magically appearing from no where could shake them. Knowing how to and enjoying how to play, he was tempted to beat his father and get Sally some money, but resisted again to make sure his father didn't take his irritation out on Sally.

The knowledge that this house was so messed up began to take it's toll on him, leaving him just a little afraid.

"Not a single scratch." The words drifted on the wind towards Aaron as he was helping Sally place everything in Gabe's nice Camaro. "Not a single scratch, Brain Boy."

Turning, he realized his father was telling and threatening Percy. His eyes squinting with a rage that Aaron could all but taste.

Impulsivity took over. "Dad, he isn't going to be driving and Sally seems to be the type to be extra careful. If we get scratched then maybe you can sue, might get an even nicer car." He shrugged, turning a little to give Sally a fun smirk that seemed to disarm her. "Might get some money too, this is a nice car after all."

When he turned back, he saw a considering look in his father's eyes. "Maybe... that seems like a good idea. Hmmm, maybe your like your old man after all. I always wondered."

'I bet you did you old pig! How can I hate somebody so much after just meeting them?' Giving a mental shrug, he gave a false smirk to his father before herding his new family into the car.

"How did you know that would get him to relax about the car?" Sally's voice was soft, impressed and happy.

Giving a real shrug, ignoring even Percy's eyes as he did something weird with his hand, he revealed a bit about himself. "Turf wars with homeless people aren't always so violent. I'm big but I hate fighting. Getting stabbed hurts, trust me." His hand moved to a spot just below his appendix. " So I learned how to talk people down. Kept me safe... and now I'm here going on a vacation, I … life is weird."

"Life is weird." Both Percy and Sally whispered his words back to him, their eyes filled with equal pity and kindness as they drove away.

Before the apartment left his few entirely, Aaron looked back and was stunned to see his father's bottom stick up at the middle part of the stairs, unmoving and hopefully dead.

'What the hell?' Was all he could think as his stepmother drove off. 'What kind of house did I come into that this is already my life. Is Sally going to end up as bad as my father or is she going to be a passive person who just watches him abuse us... is this the calm before the storm.' He didn't cry, but there was a moment of panic that set in as they drove away. 'What kind of monster is Gabe that she refuses to let me spend time with him, sacrificing a trip with her son to keep me safe... what di I get myself into?'

Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

Yes, he comes back the day Percy does and it wasn't planned. It was just dumb luck and Sally wanted to protect a child from his father. It is actually kind of sad but seems the thing Sally would do.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.