LEO KEPT LOOKING BACK…"You did awesome."

Everybody nodded.

The dragon shuddered…Something he could fix.

Leo looked worried. Hephaestus sighed and looked at him with a sad smile.

I'll give you a tune-up next…metal dragons had limits.

Beckendorf nodded.

"Leo." Piper patted his…him against his best friend.

Jason nodded.

And those feelings hadn't come…even if he wasn't proud of it

Jason swallowed.

"We do need you Leo. We need your mechanical skills. Even if you remove your special abilities, we need you. We need your humor. We need you." Jason said to him.

"Yeah. Commander Tool Belt." Piper grinned

"And I have to taste the tofu sandwiches." Percy grinned.

"Yep but aren't you non vegetarian?" Piper asked

"I'm a non-vegetarian not a cannibal! Glad I don't get that from my paternal side." Percy said with raised eyebrows. There were a few chuckles.

"Yeah, that's a relief." Poseidon nodded.

"Yeah and if you give me some awesome vegetarian then who knows." Percy shrugged.

Grover and Piper grinned at each other.

What bothered him more…Mom's death was still his fault.

"No it wasn't your fault. You didn't choose to be one of the seven, Leo." Beckendorf said gently.

"Yeah. I get that now. Time here's helped." Leo said with a small sad smile.

When they had left Medea…didn't make him proud, either.

"That's not cruel thinking or anything. Just natural for you to wish for her to be in punishment for what she did to you, your friends and mother." Nico said

"Yeah, it doesn't make you a bad person to have that thought." Hazel said

And if souls were coming back…That was Frankenstein thinking

"That's one way to put it." Hades said with a raised eyebrow.

"Frankenstein thinking. I've never heard that being described that way." Persephone said, giving a light chuckle. Leo gave a sheepish smile.

It wasn't natural…way would just drive Leo nuts.

Hades nodded.

Still, the thought kept poking…echo of Medea's voice.

"That itch might be there for some time but it will go on." Nico said, giving a small smile to Leo who nodded.

"I just hope she's happy in the Underworld." Leo sighed "That's all I can wish for now." He said

"You could visit her some day." Nico offered. Hades and Persephone nodded. Leo grinned widely at them.

"Thank you so much." He said

"Of course." Persephone smiled

"What's your mother's name again?" Hades asked

"Esperanza Valdez." Leo said.

"She's in a happy place." Hades said with a small smile. Leo smiled softly. All the demigods smiled and so did Hephaestus.

"We're going to have to put…lured into some kind of trap."

Piper let out a shaky breath.

Piper let out a shaky breath…so I figured you saw it."

"They won't be able to see it. Only children of Zeus/Jupiter can see it." Zeus told Jason who nodded.

Leo shook his head…"Or it's another trap," Piper said

"No I highly doubt that. It is most likely made by Aeolus. You've been on the right path till now." Zeus said, shaking his head.

Her tone worried Leo… like it was her fault.

"It is." Piper said miserably

"No it is not." Jason said sternly. "If you would've wanted us hurt or anything of that sort, we'd be dead. You saved us, Piper. We couldn't have done it without you. We'll help you out. Even the book readings are going to tell us how to go about it." Jason said.

Aphrodite smiled at Jason and Piper gave him a grateful look.

"Pipes, you all right?"…"Don't call me that."

Leo grimaced.

"Sorry about that, Piper. Wrong name to call you at that time. I didn't know." He said

"It's all right, Leo." Piper told him with a small smile

"Okay, fine… Leo couldn't wait.

A few chuckles.

He had way too much…His head started to nod.

Hephaestus felt tired and sleepy.

"Catch a few Z's,"…with a bad connection before.

"I don't think anybody has." Percy said

"That's odd. Like the dream." Annabeth said

Hephaestus smiled, having an idea as to who and what that was.

He seemed to be in a workshop…"Holy mother!" he yelped.

Hephaestus snorted.

"Holy father, boy." He said "You should know the difference by now." He added in amusement.

Leo grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry dad." He said. Hephaestus chuckled.

Leo was glad that his dad was visiting him. Though, he was breaking the rules, Leo was glad that his book self would know that his dad cared though he didn't know how the conversation would start, seeing as his book self hadn't met his dad before.

The face backed away…think you'd know the difference."

Hephaestus laughed.

"Hephaestus." Zeus grumbled

"Closing Olympus is ridiculous. I'm sure that the book Hephaestus has something important to say to Leo." Hephaestus said. Zeus gave him a glare.

Leo blinked. "Hephaestus?"…awestruck or something.

"Yeah, that's not how it is." Thalia chuckled.

"Everybody expects to feel that way huh?" Jason smiled.

Zeus sighed.

But after what he'd been…your ugly nose into my dreams?"

The gods' eyebrows shot up to their hairline. The Greek demigods burst out laughing.

"Never ever let Percy and Leo talk to the gods together." Annabeth chuckled. Percy and Leo grinned at each other.

"That would be catastrophic." Grover chuckled good naturedly.

Poseidon chuckled and Hephaestus laughed good naturedly at his son. Leo grinned sheepishly at Hephaestus and Percy grinned sheepishly at his Poseidon.

The god raised an eyebrow…rattled on the workbenches.

Leo grinned at his father who was laughing even now. Beckendorf shook his head fondly at Leo.

"You sound just like your…Leo did when he was nervous.

The Hephaestus gang exchanged smiles.

"I'm not good with children,"…any organic life forms, really.

"Agreed." Nico said, nodding. Hephaestus chuckled.

"Ah cousin, you're getting better." Thalia smirked at him. Nico rolled his eyes playfully.

I thought about speaking to you…Very impressive."

"Wait no way. You saw that?" Leo asked in surprise.

"Of course I did." Hephaestus smiled.

"And Beckendorf made a robot which could transform into a ship and a car and a bike, if I'm not wrong." Hephaestus said, looking at Beckendorf whose eyes widened and he nodded. Hephaestus smiled at both his kids.

The demigods grinned at them.

"You saw that?"… looking at me having a dream?"

"That's confusing but yes." Annabeth said.

Hephaestus scratched his beard…talking to you is, um ... different."

Everybody chuckled.

"First time interactions are hard, all right." Poseidon said. Percy shook his head. Triton chuckled.

"You're scared," Leo said

"No!" Hephaestus said

"You're nervous." Hades grinned at his nephew.

"Fine." Hephaestus admitted "But not anymore, of course." He said.

"Yeah, first time interactions. Confusing and makes you nervous." Poseidon said

"Felt all that, dad?" Percy asked. Poseidon gave a small smile to his son.

"Well the other conversations after the first time were lot better to have." Percy grinned.

"Though it's the best now." Poseidon smiled. Everybody nodded.

"Grommets and gears!"…But Leo's anger seeped away.

The anger that Hephaestus had felt at the start, went away.

He'd spent years thinking… his stupid science experiments.

Hephaestus gave him a smile.

Maybe Hephaestus was still…deal with organic life forms

Hephaestus sighed.

"So," Leo grumbled…I don't want to know."

"Exactly!" Piper grinned but her voice was good natured. Aphrodite chuckled. The demigods snickered.

"Yeah, no, I don't want to know." Leo said, shaking his head.

Hephaestus might've blushed…So, yes . . . lots of children

'Right so lot of dates too." Katie smirked. The demigods laughed. The gods turned a little red but chuckled too.

Add to that our different aspects…froze on his engine project.

"Hephaestus." Zeus said angrily.

"They already know now and I don't think I would've continued talking about the two aspects." Hephaestus said. Zeus was still not looking that pleased.

"Er, that is to say, being…to and from Olympus.

"This has to be bad. Everybody's agreeing that it's strange for even him." Demeter said.

"It is pretty strange and weird." Poseidon admitted.

Zeus scowled. He was not liking that some part of him was agreeing with them. Well okay, most of him.

Hermes is sitting around bored…he can't deliver the mail.

"Can't deliver the mail." Hermes groaned "I'm going to be so busy. It's going to be so much work." He said, looking pained.

"Well, Olympus shouldn't be closed this time around." Poseidon said, glaring at Zeus "We've all got domains to run and work to do." He said. Zeus glared a little back but sighed and nodded. Everybody looked surprised but quickly changed their expressions to neutral when Zeus glared at them.

Fortunately, I kept my old pirate…Those were the days.

Hephaestus nodded.

I keep it around for pay-for-view…"Viral brain videos?"

"I don't think we want to know." Beckendorf said to Leo who shrugged.

But now it's come in hand…He excels at that, boy."

Zeus glared at Hephaestus and Leo.

"Well the actions of yours in the book… they're not wrong." Poseidon said. Zeus glared at him.

"I said in the book." Poseidon rolled his eyes.

Hephaestus called him boy…fear he might need it someday.

Leo and Hephaestus winced.

"It's not like that." Hephaestus said to Leo.

"I know, dad. Maybe without this reading, it would've been that way but it isn't now." Leo said

Not exactly heartwarming…awkward ugly guy "Dad."

"Yeah, sorry about that dad.' Leo said. Hephaestus smiled at him. Beckendorf chuckled.

Hephaestus got tired of his engine…into a recycling bin

"Nicee." Beckendorf grinned.

"It was the second Titan…any other way to say it."

"Oh gods." Percy sighed.

"So you wanted help and when we did help, you felt embarrassed. Weird." Katie said

"I think it might be because you rejected immortality and asked to claim our kids." Poseidon said to his son and sighed. Sometimes, his younger brother could be ridiculous.

"Riight. Well now it's all good." Percy said

"Are you all fine with being gods? Answer honestly." Poseidon asked in worry. The demigods nodded.

"Yeah, we are. The fates have a reason and it's a good one. Also, it's finally feeling like family." Nico said.

"Yeah." Thalia nodded. Zeus internally smiled at that. All the demigods nodded. The gods sighed in relief.

"But you won…young upstart, Percy Jackson —"

"So all this circled back to me. Why not?" Percy sighed and put his hands on his face and shook his head.

"The guy who's missing."…better attention to our children.

"He wasn't wrong." Athena said. It looked like it pained her to say that. Percy looked surprised and Poseidon snickered at his reaction. Triton nodded at Athena.

"Yeah, I mean that was kind of the reason for the whole war. Not claiming kids." Travis pointed out. The gods grimaced and sighed.

Er, no offense."…go on ignoring me."

Everybody chuckled or laughed at that. Hephaestus raised his eyebrow at Leo and then shook his head fondly. Leo grinned.

"Mighty understanding of you "…don't have sarcasm, usually.

Hephaestus nodded.

"They're more direct." He said

But as I was saying…held in awe and admiration."

"If it makes you feel better then you were the ones who fought Typhon." Pollux said

"How is that supposed to make us feel better? Fighting Typhon is not fun." Hermes said with a smile

"No like, you did succeed in defeating him." Castor provided.

Poseidon raised an eyebrow at Percy in amusement who controlled his chuckles so that the attention doesn't come on to him.

"Even if you're wrong?" "Especially then!

The demigods raised their eyebrows at their parents who just looked sheepish.

And to have Jackson refuse…be seen and not visited.

The demigods face palmed or groaned.

"Didn't you swear on the River Styx though?" Reyna asked

"Well. Freaking loopholes! I made them swear to claim their kids." Percy groaned

"All right nephew, I'm going to have to teach you to make deals airtight." Hades said. Percy nodded. Zeus glared at his brother who smirked at him.

Olympus was closed…comes next is even worse."

Everybody shuddered.

"The giants," Leo said…them sound like racehorses."

"Dogs, actually." Frank said as he thought.

Hephaestus nodded.

"Ha!" the god said…they came awfully close."

The gods shuddered. Ares paled a little and so did Hera.

Hephaestus's beard began…you demigods have to unite.

Hera looked at Hephaestus. She didn't exactly glare at him but just looked at him, a little sadly.

That's the only way to open…He hoped it wasn't hereditary.

The gods chuckled.

"Nah. It's not. Don't worry." Hermes grinned at Leo who mock exhaled in relief.

"Why me?" he asked…The timing had to be right.

Hephaestus sighed sadly.

"At least I'll be more involved now." He said. The gods nodded in agreement.

Leo's dream went fuzzy…including the airwaves

Hephaestus sighed. Zeus didn't even look smug. Poseidon and Hades raised their eyebrows at each other.

Just listen, boy: you…blessing to just anyone.

Jason and Leo smiled at each other and Leo smiled at his dad. Beckendorf patted Leo on the back and grinned.

They'll never defeat the giants…I'm pretty sure I told you.

"You could have given a direct answer." Leo chuckled.

"Ah but where's the fun in that." Hephaestus chuckled. There were a few laughs.

Just be warned…And everything can be reused."

Hephaestus nodded.

"Important to remember." He said

"Lose friends?" Jason asked worriedly

"I think he means machines and inventions." Beckendorf said.

"Festus?" Leo asked, looking a little panicked and worried. Hephaestus sighed and looked at him sadly.

"What do you mean?...the audience said, "Awwww!"

Hephaestus shot Zeus a glare for cutting off the dream just before he warned Leo.

Then Leo snapped…Jason and Piper screaming.

"Not again." Aphrodite sighed.

"Just in time with the warning. Thanks dad for that." Leo smiled sadly at Hephaestus who gave a small smile. He knew that it would be hard for Leo to go through the loss of Festus. It always is when you lose something you were dedicated to repairing or taking care of.

"Chapter's done." Demeter said

"I'll read." Hades said. Demeter threw the book at him which he caught before it hit him in the nose and smirked at Demeter who playfully rolled her eyes at him. Persephone chuckled at the two of them.