Ξ Hazel's P.O.V Ξ

I was worried about Nico, but I wasn't the only one. Percy's mom walked over to Nico as soon as she entered the dinning hall and pulled Nico in for a hug. I was surprised to see that he didn't automatically stiffen at the contact, he'd never been one for hugs.

"Sorry," Sally said stepping back. "I know you don't like-" Nico cut her off.

"It's okay, thank you, Mrs. Blofis." He said to her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him in such a mothering way that it made my heart ache for a time I barely remembered with my own mother.

"I'm okay" He told her.

Sally, she insisted we call her Sally, but Nico apparently always stuck to formalities. Not for the first time I wondered if it was more about distancing himself than it was about being polite. I hoped I was wrong. Sally searched Nico's eyes, I wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she seemed satisfied and nodded.

She gave Nico a smile, before taking her husband's hand and making her way over to take a seat with Percy and Annabeth.

"Is she always like that?" I asked my brother quietly, I'd only met Sally through this reading, like most of the seven.

"Yeah, she kind of adopted me a couple of years back." He told me. "She'll do the same for you."

"Oh she doesn't have t-"

"She knows that" he assured me, "it won't stop her, she adopts us all. She's great that way." There was an admiration in his voice I'd not heard before. Like he was happy that he'd been adopted by Sally. I found myself wanting to be liked by Sally, wanting to be included in the family she had made. And as I looked at the faces of the other members of the seven, I found I wasn't the only one who wanted that.

Ξ Hades' P.O.V Ξ

I wasn't really sure what I could do to help Nico. Athena and Poseidon had pulled this whole thing together to help their children, so that meant I could help mine too. I just wasn't sure how. It had been so long since I had interacted with my children and my interactions with Nico had not always been the best.

I was reminded of that when I heard my daughter's name amongst the list that Athena's daughter felt guilty about. My grief for my daughter, I had let it cloud my interactions with my son. I'd made him feel like I had felt when I had not been allowed on Olympus for more than one day of the year. Even though I had made him feel that way, and I was sure that I had, he had proved himself in the battle of Manhattan, he had made me proud.

His friendship with Poseidon's boy, although I'm not fond of it, had gained me respect in Olympus once more. My children were finally welcomed and accepted at camp, at both camps. I wanted to help. I'd find a way to help.

Ξ Percy's P.O.V Ξ

After a brief lunch and checking to make sure Nico was okay, which he assured us he was, we made our way back to the throne room. I was dreading what was to come. The sacrifice our friends had made for us, but then they would be honoured by everyone, their stories would live on. Just as Annabeth had promised. And that thought made it all a little more bearable.

Once we'd retaken our places, Lady Hestia continued reading.

Chapter 30 – Percy

Oh good, we're back to my thoughts.

Percy wasn't dead yet, but he was already tired of being a corpse…

…His arms looked like bleached leather pulled over sticks…

I cringed at my own thoughts about how weak and brittle my body looked in the death mist. I sent an apologetic look to my mother who was looking at me with so much concern my heart ached. I realised that maybe I didn't look that much better, than I had described, when I had come home to her. Maybe I still didn't I thought looking at my arms. Annabeth squeezed my hand bringing me out of my thoughts.

…He'd learned to move normally…

…but the magical shroud still made him feel like he was wrapped in a coat of helium…

…He didn't want to spend the rest of his life looking like an extra from The Walking Dead…

'I still don't' I thought and vowed, to myself at least, that I would make more of an effort at meal times and I would work to regain the muscle mass that I had lost. I looked at Annabeth and silently we agreed, we would do this together, we wouldn't look like that for the rest of our lives.

… Ahead of them was the most depressing view of all…

"Wow. Way to focus on something else." Leo said.

…an army of monsters…

…Thousands of badies, maybe tens of thousands…

""You said her forces were overwhelming…." Hazel whispered looking at Nico who nodded. He seemed to be controlling his attack well. I suspected it had something to do with Will, but I'd wait for Nico to confirm my suspicion.

…Bob led them towards the edge of the army…

… Bob turned to face Percy. "Stay quiet and stay behind me."…

…"They will not notice you."

"We hope"…

There was a tension in the throne room that was so fraught I didn't know how to ease it. I instinctively pulled Annabeth closer to me. She squeezed my hand three times. I did the same in return.

… "Bob if we're invisible… how can you see us? I mean, you're technically,"…

"Does that mean it doesn't work?" Thalia asked and I could hear fear in her voice.

Ξ Annabeth's P.O.V Ξ

"It works" I responded to Thalia.

"Then how?" Jason asked.

"Bob explained it to us." Percy said and everyone was silent again waiting for Bob's explanation.

… "We're friends"…

"But Nyx and her children saw you…" Rachel said but Bob had explained that too.

… "That was in Nyx's realm. That is different."…

"Because that makes so much sense." Rachel grumbled and I had to admit I had had a similar thought when we were down there.

… "at least we won't have to worry about bumping into any other friends."…

… "Yes that is good news! Now let's go. Death is Close."

"That's exactly what would get me to march on." Leo said with heavy sarcasm.

"Leo!" Piper chided in that big sister way she had adopted only for Leo.

"I'm just saying" Leo replied sounding every bit the part of the little brother Piper had adopted him to be.

… "The Doors of Death are close"…

… "Let's watch the phrasing."…

"That's what I'm saying" Leo said, and I had to suppress a smile. I noticed I wasn't the only one either.

…Percy trembled…

…He'd seen large groups of monsters before…

…But this was different…

All thoughts of that smile from a few seconds before vanished as I squeezed Percy's hand. He wasn't the only one who had trembled at the sight of that army.

"More than the battle of Manhattan?" Paul asked and we both nodded. Paul visibly gulped and nodded before taking Sally's hand to offer her comfort. I hoped we weren't stressing her and the baby out too much.

'Lady Artemis,' I prayed 'Is there something you can do to prevent Sally from being too stressed for the baby?'

'The baby, is fine, nothing will happen to it here on Olympus.' Lady Artemis replied.

'Thank you' I prayed again looking at Lady Artemis and she gave me a slight nod to acknowledge that she'd heard me.

One of the things Percy and I would have to add to our 'new routine' was an offering for Artemis at meal times, for his mom and his baby sibling.

…Here, Percy was the invader…

"Did you have to put it like that?" Malcolm asked Percy.

"Sorry, it was a lot to process" Percy said, understatement of the year. I knew he wasn't just apologising to Malcolm. I saw that when I glanced at Sally. She knew too.

…a group of Empousai tore into the carcass of a Gryphon…

…A six-armed Earthborn and Laistrygonion giant pummelled each other with rocks…

.. an Eidolon- seeped into a Cyclops…

"Gods," Jason whispered as the tenson became paramount.

Ξ Piper's P.O.V Ξ

I couldn't help but think back to the moment in Kanas when Jason and Percy had almost killed each other and that I'd almost let it happen. Guilt flooded me, thankfully Jason seemed to notice what I was thinking about because he grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together. I really appreciated that.

… "Percy, look"…

…a guy in a cowboy outfit was cracking a whip at fire-breathing horses…

…his upper body was split into three…

I tried to remember the mythology I had read with my dad before he did his film. But I couldn't recall a monster with three chests.

"Geryon" Nico growled.

Had I have needed more proof that I didn't want to tangle with this guy, which I didn't, the looks on Percy's, Annabeth's and, surprisingly, Will's face would also have been enough to convince me.

…How many other old enemies were in this crowd…

Just from our time together on the Argo II I knew Percy had a lot of enemies. I also knew there was a reason Percy was so famous at camp, I hoped there weren't that many enemies they recognised down there.

…every battle he'd ever won had only been a temporary victory…

I felt like I'd just been slapped around the face. I dared to look at my friends and they too looked like someone had slapped them hard around the face. It was a horrible thought, but it was true.

…Percy would eventually fail…

…He would get too old, too weak or too slow. He would die…

…these monsters… they lasted forever…

I tried to keep my lunch down as the sick feeling churned in my stomach. I wasn't the only one looking like they were struggling to hold on to their lunch. Most of the room, a few Gods included, had paled dramatically.

…Percy felt hopeless…

I was at a loss for words, which for someone who was supposed to be so good with words, wasn't good. I could see Annabeth and Percy having a silent conversation, in the midst of us all not knowing what to say.

…someday, Percy's sons or daughters might have to face them all over again…

The silence in the throne room was deafening. But I saw hope, Percy was thinking of the future, of his children, if he could do that then he still had hope. I glanced at Annabeth and Percy both of whose faces where a bright crimson at the implication.

… That thought jarred him…

…He glanced at Annabeth…

Like he did right now.

…he imagined her true appearance… as beautiful as ever…

"Did he just…" Leo started.

"Raise the bar… yeah" Jason finished.

This stupid bar, it shouldn't be a contest as to who could be the best boyfriend, every relationship was different.

…maybe monsters kept coming back…

…But so did demigods…

Hera grumbled something that sounded like 'Unfortunately.' I felt an emotion from her, that was so brief I almost thought I had imagined it, jealously. I had a memory of Jason telling me about a conversation or a dream conversation that he'd had with Hera or Juno. Whichever she had been at the time, about her not being about to relate to us because she had no demigod children because it was not in her to be unfaithful being the goddess of marriage.

…There was still hope. He and Annabeth had come this far…

…Sons and daughters. A ridiculous thought. An awesome thought…

…Percy grinned…

I looked over at Annabeth and Percy and I wasn't the only one. They were completely oblivious to us all, though, as they had a silent conversation which consisted of a series of facial movements. Leo started to say something, probably about that stupid bar again, but Annabeth held up her hand silencing him. Okay so maybe not totally oblivious to us. The silent conversation ended in Annabeth pulling Percy in for a kiss. I didn't need to be a daughter of Aphrodite to know how in love those two where.

Ξ Percy's P.O.V Ξ

I'll admit I was a little afraid, when my thoughts about sons and daughters came up, that Athena might blast me. I was finally starting to win her over and here my thoughts are about having kids. Annabeth looked at me with raised eyebrows and our silent conversation went a little like this.

'Sons and daughters, more than one of each, really?'

'Too many?'

'Maybe we should see how we cope with one, before committing to at least four.'

'I'd be happy with just one kid as long as it was our kid.'

Obviously, I'd communicated, well enough, what I'd wanted to say because she pulled me in for a kiss.

I took a peak at my mom, and saw that she was smiling, I think that was maybe more embarrassing than admitting to the girl I loved that I wanted to have a kid with her one day. I didn't dare look at my dad, Athena, or Mr. Chase.

… "What's wrong?"…

… "Nothing"…

"You did look like you were grimacing at least now I understand why." Annabeth whispered to me.

"I can see how that would be confusing." Piper said and Annabeth nodded. I hadn't gotten the chance to explain down there, but I was glad she at least knew now.

… Somewhere in front of them, a deep voice bellowed: 'IAPETUS!'.

And just like that, as quickly as the tension had dissipated at the subject of mine and Annabeth's kids, it had returned just as quickly. I tried my best not to glance at Jason as the Titan who had called out for Bob, appeared in my mind.

Ξ

~ Author's Note ~

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