It had been around two and a half years since I had fought with Kronos. For once, I couldn't wait to get away from my place at Olympus. The second that I was not busy, I went away from Mount Olympus to see my … friends. I still couldn't get over the fact that I actually had real friends that probably missed me. I teleported near the Maenads' base and got ready to see my son again. Teleportation, how I've missed you, old friend. "Hey, kid," I greeted awkwardly, not quite sure how to tell him the truth.
"Dad? Where have you been?" Pollux gasped, pulling me into a hug. I stammered some half-hearted excuses as I tried to squirm out of his vine-like grip. Maybe one day I'll tell him. Not today, but one day.
"Dealing with madness. Can't get away from it with the other Olympians. If it wasn't for Ariadne, I would go crazy there!" I joked weakly. Pollux laughed and pulled away drifting back towards the base. I just smiled sadly as I watched my little boy growing up so quickly. He had already been gone for several minutes when I finally got the courage to leave.
I hid in the shadows for an entire hour before I approached Percy. I made sure to appear as Parker. It would be easier to talk to him like that anyways. "Parker!" Percy greeted happily pulling me into the second hug I had received in over two years. "I thought you were dead! Where have you been? How did you glow? Why are you still glowing? I've got so many questions!"
"I'm sorry," I sobbed. "I don't want to break my promise to you, but I can't. You'll hate me!" Once I had scoffed at the very idea of friends, but despite the fact that we only were friends for a short period of time, Percy has been one of the few true friends I had ever had. I pulled away from him, unable to take this any longer.
"I swear o-," Percy started to say, but I quickly cut him off.
"Don't make promises that you can't keep!" I barked angrily. I quickly apologized for snapping at him and teleported away before I could dig my own grave any further. That probably let Percy know what exactly was going on. He was not an idiot, despite what most seemed to think. He hated me now, I knew it.
I even shocked myself when I volunteered to work at Camp Half-Blood only a week later. The place just didn't seem nearly as bad as it used to be. When I arrived to see nearly every camper outside with a large banner that proclaimed: "Welcome Back Park!", I finally felt like I was home.
Author's Note: Thank you for all your support! This would not be the story that it is without it! I hope this is as good of an ending as you all hoped!