Author's note : I'm so sorry, but updates on Unfriendly Encounters will have to be sporadic while I'm working on my two other stories. I love this story, and have no intention to abandon it, but it is so much easier to put off, as each little segment has its own nice wrapped up conclusion, whereas my other two stories leave cliffhangers after nearly every chapter. Also, my beta reader (aka my sister) told me I should specify when my stories take place. I don't need to do this with my Hardy Boys stories, as they can nestle into the universe practically anywhere in the original hardbound series. Anyway, for clarification, all of my Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus stories take place as if Trials of Apollo doesn't happen. So Leo and Calypso came back at some (at this point unspecified) time and they're around, but not heavily prominent in most chapters. (I'm going to use the excuse of Leo trying to explain the modern world to Calypso as a scapegoat sometimes...) Also this chapter is really long and the next is average because I debated about making the twins' memories a separate chapter, but then I'd have to split this set into three and that's not how I want to format this fic. So yeah. Onward!

"Hey Jackson!"

"Hey Jackson!"

"Hey Jacksons!"

'Hey Jackson' seemed like such a common phrase to be heard around Camp Half Blood as of late.

"Hey Jackson, could you do this?"

"Hey Jackson, can you get that?"

Over and over it seemed recently neither of the Jackson twins could catch a break. It had been three days since either of them had slept and they were running low on stamina. Despite that, they were still up. (Water does wonders to keep a child of Poseidon running. Shocker there.) Everybody needed something done and the Jacksons seemed to be the only ones who could provide for some reason. Finally, they had a moment to themselves.

"I feel sick to my stomach." Seventeen year old Percy mumbled into his pillow. He lay facedown on his bunk in the Poseidon cabin, dog tired.

"I know exactly what you mean." His twins sister mumbled, collapsing on her bunk as well.

Before another word was spoken, the two had passed out, only to be awoken a few hours later by a knock on the door and the call they'd heard so often...

"Hey Jacksons!"

Percy was up first, prying himself off the bed, walking over, and opening the door to reveal short, elf like Leo Valdez.

"What do you want, Leo?" Percy asked, stifling a yawn.

"We were wondering if you two wanted to come hang out in the Zeus cabin with us. No working on everything, just chill for a bit. We thought you could use it."

"Who's we?" Melody asked, finally having extracted herself from the covers she'd gotten tangled in as she slept.

"Me, Jason, Pipes, and Cali."

"Sure." Percy agreed. "Why not. We need to unwind."

"Give me a minute to find my right shoe, Valdez." Melody told him, searching the room for the offending garment.

"Uh… Mergirl?"

"What?"

"You're wearing both shoes."

"Huh?"

Melody looked down. Sure enough, she had shoes on both feet. Although they were mismatched, and so were her socks.

"I'm looking for the corresponding one to my left." She answered, face flushing red.

"Okay… Coming Aquaman?"

"Yeah." Percy replied, "Meet us there sis?"

"Uh-huh. Just need to find that shoe."

"And maybe a matching sock?" Percy suggested.

"Sure."

The door of cabin three closed behind the boys as they left, heading for cabin one. It took a few minutes, but soon enough Melody showed up (with matching shoes and socks) and they settled down to play some games.

"So Leo just said, 'Let's hang'. What does that consist of?" Percy asked.

"We were just going to play some card games." Piper informed him and his sister.

"Okay. What game?" Melody asked.

"How about poker?" Piper suggested, "My dad taught me how to play."

The twins gulped.

"Poker?" Melody asked timidly.

"Sounds good." Jason agreed.

"What is poker?" Calypso asked.

"You never saw poker when you looked back in time?" Leo asked, grinning.

"No. Is it common?" Calypso asked.

"In some places," said Melody, "But not here particularly. Maybe we could play a different game. One easier for Calypso to understand."

"She'll pick up on it fast enough." Leo assured her.

"Really," said Percy, "Maybe we should just play old maid or something else."

"Anything else." Melody thought.

"C'mon Aquatwins!" Leo joked, "Scared to lose to a girl that's never played?"

"No." Percy retaliated, getting slightly defensive, "We just don't particularly like poker."

"C'mon," Leo conjoled, "We'll make you like it!"

Dark spots floated in and out of Percy's vison. Melody grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. His head whipped towards her, concerned. He could tell she was just as nervous as he was.

"I said no, Valdez." Percy said, more forcefully.

"Woah, woah, woah…" said Jason, "Chill, guys it's fine. We can play something else. Geez."

"We're just going to go back to our cabin and sleep." Percy snapped shortly.

"What's wrong with you?" Leo asked angrily, "We didn't mean to tick you off. Chill."

"Easy, Valdez," Piper cajoled, her voice laced in charmspeak, "You're smoking."

"Thank you, Beauty Queen."

"She means you are actually flaming, Leo." Calypso corrected.

"Oh." Leo snuffed out his flames.

Percy stood abruptly and pulled Melody up beside him. Her eyes were hazy and glazed. His own vison was slowly becoming overrun with dark spots. He knew what that meant. He knew they had to get out of there before they got lost in a panic attack or a bad memory.

"Bye." He mumbled quickly and urgently, turning and walking away, his sister holding tightly to his hand like the small child she had once been.

"What's wrong with you?" Leo called after them, no longer angry, but concerned, "Hey Jacksons! Wait up!"

Their friends tried to follow them, but the two started running. Their vision tunneled. They hit cabin three and threw open the door, it slamming shut behind them, adding to the twins' oncoming fear. Percy collapsed, not quite making it to his bed, his breathing rapid and short, the memory gaining traction and over taking his mind. Melody didn't make it far inside the cabin at all, tense and fearful, she was already deep into a memory she'd never wanted to relive.

Melody's Memory

She hated how vividly she remembered this. She had desperately hoped never to have to think of it again. Percy had been lucky. He'd stayed the night with one of Sally's friends for that horrible night. Gabe had called and said Melody and Sally were having a girl's night and asked if the woman would watch Percy. The woman had agreed and told them to have fun. If only the woman had known that Sally was out of town and the type of 'fun' Gabe and his friends intended to have with her friend's daughter was inappropriate and vile. They had passed Melody around for hours. Her young body could barely take it. Her throat grew sore from crying from the pain. All these sick men using a young girl… Thinking back, she was ashamed she hadn't told her mother, or even her brother about it so they could protect her, but she was too scared of what they'd do. These cruel men had put the notion in her seven year old mind that she was being punished because she was a bad girl, and she deserved to be used, because bad people didn't matter. If only her brother knew that was why she hated compliments. If only he knew that was what she thought of herself. As a young child, she couldn't see that she was being lied to. And by the time she'd figured it out, it was too late. She believed it.

Percy's Memory

Percy cursed his brain for holding on to this particular memory in such detail. The one memory he would never be rid of, even if he managed to let his mind forget, because his body would always remember. Of course, he'd never forget either. He was ten years old. His mother and sister had been out getting groceries. He had gotten home from school later than expected because of detention. Gabe had just lost three consecutive poker games and Percy had come home in the middle of the fourth, where it seemed the walrus was losing again. Gabe had refused to pay and sent the other men home in a flying rage. He had stormed into the kitchen and brought out a knife. Percy hated his mind for forcing him to relive the searing pain of the cold knife digging into his skin. Having him remember how he had cried out. How he had screamed. How his salty tears had streamed down his face, the only thing making it all bearable being the thought of his mother. The thought of how strong his mother was and that because he was her son, he could be brave. He would never get rid of that scar. It would never fully fade. Forever he would have to know that word, that name, would be embedded on his skin. GABE. In capital letters, that bastard had marked him. And it would follow him for the rest of his life.