Point Place, New York

Saturday Afternoon

3:42 p.m.

Percy Jackson's Basement

The guys were hanging out in the Jackson's basement. Nico was sitting in his usual seat facing Leo and Frank who were sitting on the edge of the couch and the lawn chair, respectively. Percy was standing behind Nico rolling up his striped shirt sleeves and Jason was leaning on the back of the couch near Leo.

"You and Calypso did not do it," Nico was saying.

Leo gestured wildly as he insisted, "No, we so did it!"

Frank leaned forward in the lawn chair, his large body contorted to fit in the small chair. "You're always saying that you did it, though."

From behind them, Jason shook his head. "Leo, I know she's been seeing you for a bit but there is no way she did it with you."

"Look at my face," Leo pointed at his face and turned to face each person individually. "This is the face that did it."

Frank and Percy leaned forward to get a closer look at Leo who jutted his chin out for everyone to get a better look. After a moment, Jason let out a low whistle and Frank gasped.

"Holy smokes, I think he did it," Frank said in awe.

The other three began to clap as they shouted, 'Leo did it!' and Leo jumped up and down on the couch enthusiastically. As he sat down the other boys settled down, as well.

"Congratulations, man," Nico said. "Plus you did it in record time."

Leo's mouth hung open as he gasped quietly. "You think?"

"No, you moron! You've been kissing her ass for years."

Leo snorted and shook his head. "Yeah, well, whatever, ese. It's hard to explain to you kids that have never had sex before, but when you're with someone something chemical happens to them. Now Calypso's totally different. She's like my love slave." Jason scoffed and Nico raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh yeah, I'm that good."

Calypso and Annabeth walked in at that moment. Annabeth was wearing overalls and a plaid shirt with her blonde hair in pigtails and Percy thought she looked like the cutest farmgirl he'd ever seen.

"Hey, guys," Annabeth greeted.

Calypso kissed the top of Leo's head. "Hey, sweetie. How are you?"

"Well," Leo pouted, "actually I'm a little bit chilly, but I left my coat in the car."

"Oh, I'll go get it for you," Calypso said with a shrug. "Miss me."

Once she walked out the door, Leo smiled at his friends. "Handy little thing, isn't she?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes as she sat down beside Leo. Jason and Percy shared a look before they both doubled over in fits of laughter. A second later, Nico told everyone to hush as he stood up to turn the television's sound up.

"Wrestling's back on," he explained.

Everyone leaned forward in their seats as Annabeth got Percy in a headlock that pushed his head into her chest. "Come on, you're not even fighting back," Annabeth said.

Leo looked at her in confusion and asked, "Why would he fight back?"

Annabeth let Percy go and he had a goofy smile on his face. Nico rolled his eyes while everyone returned their attention back to the television. The announcer was informing them that famed wrestler Heracles was coming to Albany to wrestle midgets.

"Holy shit," Percy breathed. "Heracles? Albany? Oh man, we gotta go!"

"I'm in," Nico agreed. "I love midgets, man."

From upstairs, Paul called out for Percy.

"Okay, I'll be right up," Percy said but then didn't move from his spot.

Everyone looked at him in confusion and Frank asked, "You're not going up?"

"I'll go up when I'm ready," Percy explained.

His friends looked to each other and back at him in disbelief. "Your funeral, man," Nico said.

(***)

In the Jackson's kitchen, Calypso was trying to explain why she was suddenly home from college while Sally folded laundry and Paul sat at the kitchen table holding his newspaper. Sally untied her apron as she prepared to finish the dirty laundry Calypso had brought home.

"So, I said to myself, 'I don't care if all I have is dirty laundry and no money. I'm going home to see my parents because I love them very much'," Calypso was saying.

Paul started to fall for it until Sally held up a pair of boxer shorts. "Well, would you look at these?"

Calypso mentally cursed the day Leo was born before trying to recover. "Yeah, Mom, all the girls are wearing them." Percy came bounding up the stairs a second later. "Percy, where have you been?"

She went to sit down beside her father as he asked Percy, "Yeah, I called for you five minutes ago, what were you doing?"

Percy shrugged nonchalantly. "I was watching wrestling."

"Did you take those books back to the library like I asked you to?" Paul asked.

Percy's momentary panic was enough of an answer for Paul but Percy tried to lie his way out of it anyways. "Uh, yeah, I took 'em back."

Paul opened up his newspaper. "Then why did I see them in the backseat of your car?"

"I took them back to the car," Percy tried again, "which means that they're practically at the library."

Calypso looked to her father with a pout. "You know, Daddy, I feel sorry for all the good kids who wanted to read those books." She turned to smile sinisterly at Percy. "That's who I feel sorry for."

Percy rolled his eyes at his step-sister. "Look, it's five books, a nickel a book, big deal, I'm out a quarter."

Paul folded up his newspaper again. "It's not about the money, son. It's about the rules. And without rules we might as well be up in a tree flinging our crap at each other. The library closes in half an hour, so get your ass over there."

"Dad, you know all my friends are downstairs, so…" Percy hedged.

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here," Paul said, raising his hands. "You screwed yourself when you didn't return those books. Now go."

Percy stood his ground. He had no idea what he was doing or why, it really wasn't that big of a deal to just go to the library. Yet, here he was telling Paul no.

Paul stood to his full height and Percy had to use all his willpower to keep from backing down. "Did you say 'no'?" Paul asked as he neared Percy. "Are you telling me 'no'? Is that what I'm hearing?"

With an audible gulp, Percy stuttered out a yes.

They stared one another down and Percy could have sworn he heard old western music playing.

"Oh, dear," Sally said, hands shaking.

(***)

The Chase family was sitting at their kitchen table eating dessert when Marybai blurted out, "I want to start going to therapy."

"Okay, I'm gonna… Bye," Annabeth said quickly as she grabbed her dessert and rushed out the door.

Fred unfroze and quickly laughed it off. "Therapy? That's for crazies."

Marybai pursed her lips before pointing a finger at her husband. "You know, the unexamined self is an unfulfilled self."

Putting down his fork, Fred argued. "Unfulfilled? How are you unfulfilled? I put a roof over your head, I pay the bills, I take care of you."

"And what do I do?"

Fred didn't think as he quickly said, "You fill out that sweater real nice."

Marybai threw her hands up in the air and groaned. "You… oh!"

She left the room with a huff before Fred could apologize. Fred sat at the kitchen counter wondering what on earth he'd been thinking.

(***)

Paul, Sally, and Percy were sitting at the table while Calypso sat at the kitchen counter, flipping through a magazine, and eating yogurt. Sally tried one last time to insist that Calypso sit at the table and once again Calypso vehemently refused because she was on a diet.

"Well, isn't this nice?" Sally said as she put a napkin in her lap. She nudged Paul's foot under the table to try and get him to initiate some conversation. "The whole family together, mostly, having fun 'cause that's what dinner is for, right, Paul?"

Paul took another bite of his ribs before turning to Percy. It took everything in him not to start lecturing his son on why one doesn't tell their parents no. "So, Perce, what happened at school today?"

"Why? What'd you hear?' Percy said, fidgeting in his seat.

"What's wrong with you? I can't ask a simple question?" Paul sighed.

Sally scooped some mashed potatoes up and plopped them onto Paul's plate to distract him momentarily.

Taking a deep breath, Paul tried again. "Good job returning those books."

"Well, yeah, I returned the books," Percy shrugged. Then, despite his better judgment he added, "Even though it was kind of stupid."

"What?" Paul raised his voice.

Calypso helpfully repeated, "He said it was stupid, Daddy."

"Okay, okay," Sally interjected to try and break up the tension in the air. "Percy, what are you going to do this weekend?"

Percy smiled at his mother. "Oh, me and the gang are going to catch that wrestling match in Albany."

Something flashed in his mother's eyes and Percy was instantly on high alert. She was planning something, he just didn't know what it was or how to get out of it. When she mentioned that Paul used to wrestle, Percy groaned internally.

"I bet if the two of you went together, you'd really enjoy yourselves," Sally said.

Paul and Percy both tried to object until Sally slammed her fists on the table effectively ending any possible debate. Both men quietly agreed and Sally sighed with relief. She was sure to hear about it later, but her two boys needed to make amends and fast.

(***)

The gang was piling into Hazel's car and Percy's Vista Cruiser to leave for Albany when Will walked up the Jackson's driveway. Nico rolled his eyes as everyone greeted the smiling blond.

"You don't even like wrestling," Nico said. "What are you doing here?"

"Hazel invited me," Will muttered, his smile vanishing in an instant.

Nico hated how much he already missed that smile. He didn't have time for feelings or bubbly blonds who couldn't keep their hands to themselves. Muttering to himself, he climbed into the back of the Vista Cruiser.

With a sly grin, Piper grabbed a confused Leo and hauled him away from joining Nico. "Sorry, Valdez, Reyna wants you to ride in Hazel's car. Which means Will's gonna have to ride with Nico. That's okay, though, right?"

"I hate you," Nico answered with a murderous glint in his eye.

Piper wiggled her fingers at him before skipping off with Leo in tow. Will hesitantly climbed into the back of the Vista Cruiser and sat facing a very grumpy anarchist.

"Watch your legs," Paul ordered as he closed the trunk of the car.

Fred came over from his own yard. "So, taking the gang to the wrestling match, eh? I guess I'll just sit at home alone since Marybai is going to some therapy thing. I'll be alone."

Paul sighed before gesturing to the car. "Get in, Fred." When Percy walked over, he found Fred piling into the passenger seat. "Percy, hand me the keys."

"What?" Percy asked, before the words registered in his head. "Why can't I drive?"

"Because I wanna get there in one piece," Paul explained, hand out ready to receive the keys when Sally popped up behind him.

"Paul," she said.

From inside the car, a still pissed Nico called out, "Can we get a move one? If I miss that twenty midget free for all, I'm gonna be super pissed."

Paul sighed before putting his hand down. "On second thought, Perce, you should drive. After all, tonight I'm just one of the gang." As soon as Percy got in the car, Paul turned to Sally. "This isn't gonna work, we're gonna kill each other."

Sally laughed. "Well fine, kill each other. Just do it together."

(***)

A few miles down the road, everyone was wrestling in the back seats except for Paul who was shouting at Percy about his driving. "Both hands on the wheel, Percy. Ten and two, ten and two!"

Percy groaned. "Dad, if you wanna drive…"

"No, no, no, that's alright," Paul waved him off. "I'm just one of the gang… Yield! That sign says yield!"

A minute later, Paul was driving and everyone was silent as they stared straight ahead.

"Much better," Paul said.

(***)

At the wrestling match, Paul, Percy, and Annabeth were sitting together in the stands.

"This is ridiculous," Paul complained. "When we get home tonight you better tell your mother we had a damn good time."

"So far, so good," Percy lied.

Paul stood up from his seat. "Now I've gotta pay two dollars for a ten cent beer."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Gee, I'm so glad our dads came."

"At least yours is leaving you alone," Percy offered.

They glanced down the aisle where Fred was sitting with Reyna, Nico, and Leo. Down front, Jason and Piper were giggling at something while Hazel and Frank were deep in conversation. Beside those four was a very uncomfortable looking Will Solace.

Fred threw an arm around Leo and whined, "So, there I was, sitting in the kitchen, just sittin' in the kitchen when boom! She tells me she needs therapy. Marybai and I had a beautiful thing, Leo, then it all went wrong."

"Yeah, Fred," Nico said. "Women are hell. Why don't you grab us all a beer and we'll talk it over."

Fred gestured between the three underage kids and replied, "I can get you a soda 'cause I know you're underage."

"Fred, this isn't about us," Leo said. "It's about you, and you need friends, and beer."

"How stupid do you think I am?" Fred asked.

Nico replied, "Why don't we grab a beer and we'll talk it over?"

Fred chuckled to himself. "Ah… no."

"Well then, you're on your own, Fred," Nico said as he stood up and made his way to another part of the stands unaware of Reyna following close behind him.

When he sat down again, he jumped slightly when Reyna appeared behind him a second later. She crossed her arms and gestured toward the awkward blond sitting beside Hazel a few feet away.

"When you gonna stop punishing him for something he had no control over?" Reyna asked bluntly.

Nico shifted in his seat and tossed his long hair into his face as if to hide from the conversation. "He kissed someone else."

"No, someone kissed him," Reyna countered. She raised her hand before he could argue. "And yes there is a difference. Imagine if Drew came up and kissed you against your will in front of everyone at school? How would you feel?"

There was silence as Nico considered Reyna's words. He hadn't thought about it like that, he'd been so focused on how he felt about it that he never even considered Will's feelings on the matter. When he turned to answer he found Reyna walking down to where Will sat and she glanced back at him with a quirked eyebrow.

"Dammit," Nico grumbled before standing up to join her.

(***)

At the Jackson's kitchen table, Calypso sat drinking coffee with her step-mother and Marybai, who was telling them all about her therapy session.

"I'm telling you, after my therapy session I felt so loose."

Calypso smirked. "Loose is good."

"Oh, and tonight my therapist is hosting an encounter group, but I'm too shy to go alone," Marybai continued as she glanced pleadingly at Sally.

Sally smiled tightly. "Oh, well, too bad."

"Sally, please come with me," Marybai begged. There was a few minutes of begging before she added, "You know this is like when you asked me to help you host the bake sale, only it's different because I said 'yes'."

"Oh, all right," Sally relented.

Marybai clapped her hands together. "Oh great! It's a gathering of souls in progress over drinks."

Calypso put her coffee down and chimed in, "Free drinks? I'm in."

"That's nice," Sally said, looking at her step-daughter. "That's music to a mother's ears."

(***)

Paul came back with popcorn and a beer just as the wrestling match was about to start. His son pointed to a tall, dark haired man that was about to get in the ring with a couple of midgets.

"That guy getting in the ring? That's Heracles," Percy explained. "He's the best."

"The best?" Paul laughed. "They're not even fighters. I mean, it's all tricks. I could get up there, right now…" He paused as Heracles dropped a midget headfirst into the ring. "Hot damn! He dropped that guy right on his head!"

They watched as each of the midgets was effectively taken down until the next match started. In the second match, two new wrestlers stepped into the ring and one got the other in a headlock.

The crowd was on their feet, cheering loudly as the one that had the guy in a headlock proclaimed, "Yeah, that's right, I got him! He's not goin' anywhere!"

The wrestler let other one go only to clothesline him a second later. Percy turned to his dad with a huge grin on his face and found his father equally as ecstatic.

The two men continued to wrestle until one of them had the other pinned down. When the referee tried to hold up the winner's arm, the winner shouted at him to get off him.

Will was cheering along with the rest of the crowd when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned to find a sheepish looking Nico di Angelo standing behind him. For a moment, Will was confused and a little scared as to why the Italian boy was so close to him.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Nico asked hesitantly.

Not trusting his voice, Will just nodded his head and allowed Nico to lead him away from their friends. They found themselves off to the side of the stands where they both pretended to be interested in the wrestling match until Nico finally spoke.

"I'm sorry," Nico whispered.

Will's head swung around to face Nico's as he tried to determine whether or not the Ghost King had just apologized. "What?"

Nico glared at him before raising his voice, "Gods above, I said I'm sorry."

Blue eyes blinked uncomprehendingly at him for a second and Nico swore he was never apologizing to anyone again. Then, Will's mouth opened as he realized that Nico was honestly sorry.

"Wait, why're you sorry?" Will asked apprehensively.

Nico rolled his eyes. "For being a dick about what happened with Drew… I was being selfish and inconsiderate and… Look, do you accept my apology or not?"

Crossing his arms and looking away, Nico looked so much like a disgruntled toddler that Will started to laugh. He tried to cover up his laughs with a cough but, judging from the look Nico sent his way, it didn't work.

"Yeah, I accept your apology," Will chuckled.

"Good," Nico said, his arms slowly relaxing back down to his sides.

They stood awkwardly near each other for another minute before Will motioned his head towards their friends. "You wanna sit next to me?"

Nico blushed. "I will later, I gotta do something first, though."

Will shrugged as he walked back to his seat. Once there, he shot a worried glance over at Nico who was heading towards the concession stand. What exactly were they now? Were they dating again? Or were they just friends? Will mentally kicked himself for not clarifying everything when he had the chance, now he was going to have to have an awkward conversation with Nico later.

At the concession stand, Nico approached the counter. "Hey, I would like a refreshing cola, please."

Off to the side, Leo spoke up in a deep voice, "And get me a beer, son."

"Okay, Dad," Nico said looking away from the counter for a second. Looking back at the concession stand worker, he added, "And a beer for my dad…" A few seconds passed where the worker just stared at him. "You're not gonna give me that beer are you?"

Leo chose that moment to walk over and sling an arm around Nico. "What seems to be the problem, son?"

Back by the ring, a wrestler was thrown out of the ring and landed right in front of Percy and his dad. Paul and Percy looked at one another before Percy told the wrestler to get back up.

"Get up, you big moose!" Paul shouted. He pointed with his bag of popcorn at the other wrestler. "Look, he's laughing at you."

"I give and I give and I give," the wrestler said.

Paul laughed. "Boohoo. Get back in the ring!"

The wrestler gave them a threatening look until Paul and Percy sat back down in their seats. Once he thought they were sufficiently scared, the wrestler turned back and hopped into the ring.

"Hey, this is fun," Paul told Percy as the wrestling match continued.

(***)

Later, after Heracles' last match, Paul and Percy were standing with a small crowd by the locker room door. Heracles walked through and completely ignored Percy's question about an autograph.

As the crowd began to dissipate, Paul told his son, "Go in there and get your autograph."

Percy looked at his father in confusion. "Dad, the sign says wrestlers only."

"So?"

"So, that's a rule," Percy said sarcastically. "And as I remember, a great man once said to me, if we were to break the rules, the world would just be filled with tree climbing crap flingers."

With a roll of his eyes, Paul jerked the magazine Percy was holding out of his hands. "Now follow me. You want your autograph or not?"

They found Heracles in the locker room standing next to what appeared to be his manager.

"You gave that team of midgets an ass whoopin', sir," Percy said in lieu of a greeting.

"When you pile drive a little guy, the whole crowd turns on you. Then when you're standing there, wondering what they're booing about," Heracles complained as he raised his knee up onto the bench in front of him, 'you get bit on the knee caps. Look at my knees. Midget bites."

Percy looked down to find there were, in fact, bite marks scattered across both of Heracles' knees.

"I wonder if you'd mind giving my son an autograph?" Paul said conversationally.

Heracles started to reach for the magazine Paul was holding when his manager stepped forward and declined on his behalf.

The manager was a good head taller than Paul but that didn't stop Paul from sizing the guy up. Paul told the manager with a deathly serious tone, "Look, I might be the only guy in here who's actually killed a man."

"Give the kid an autograph and then, no more autographs," the manager said.

Heracles grabbed the magazine and a pen and started to write as he talked. "You know, that's really nice, bringing your kid to a wrestling match. I got a son and one day he's gonna be the most electrifying man in sports entertainment."

"Well, good luck with that. Uh, make it out to Paul Jackson," Paul said.

Percy chuckled and put a hand up. "Uh, I don't think so. It's Percy Jackson. Capital P-e-r-c-y."

(***)

Another wrestling match was starting when Fred sat down between Leo and Nico with two beers in hand. He handed each one before throwing his arms around each of them. With a sigh he started his long tale of woe.

"It all started about six months ago when Marybai got a subscription to Cosmo."

Nico and Leo listened attentively as they sipped their beers. Though, Nico kept glancing at Will out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't completely sure where they stood at this point but at least they were talking again. Nico would never admit aloud how much he'd missed the bubbly blond and his eternal optimism.

(***)

In the therapist's living room the encounter group was gathered on the floor along with Sally, Calypso, and Marybai. Sally had an uncomfortable feeling about the whole thing as the therapist gave off a creepy vibe.

"These group sessions are about testing your boundaries, losing your inhibitions, and really sharing with the group. Sally, are you ready?" the therapist said.

Sally stopped squirming in her seat to stare blankly at the therapist.

"Share a little, Mom," Calypso said with a smirk. "Tell us how folding the dish towels just right makes all our problems go away."

With a deep breath, Sally said, "You want me to share? Okay, Calypso, you're mean to your brother and you're screwing up in college. We don't even see you unless you run out of clean clothes or need cash. The fact is: you're an ungrateful spoiled brat." Sally bursted into a fit of giggles. "Well, thank you. That was nice. I love you, Cal."

Calypso's mouth fell open at her step-mother's words.

"Well, I hope we're all as excited about this journey as I am," the therapist said and Sally let her guard drop slightly as she thought maybe this wouldn't be too bad. "Let's pair off."

The man sitting next to Sally began to take his shirt off and immediately Sally was on her feet. She grabbed Calypso and Marybai's hands.

"I don't get it, Sally. What's going on?" Marybai asked.

As she dragged the two women behind her, Sally answered, "I'll tell you what's going on, he's a bad doctor, a bad doctor."

(***)

Paul and Percy came into their living room after having just gotten back from the wrestling match.

"Thanks for letting me drive," Percy said.

"Thanks for not killing me," Paul retorted.

Percy hesitated for a second before saying, "You know, I just had a lot of fun tonight with you, Dad."

"Yeah, me, too," Paul admitted.

The two of them began circling each other as if they were wrestlers. They each tried to grab the other until Percy got his dad in a full nelson. "Who's the king?" Percy shouted.

"Ow, my neck," Paul cried.

Percy immediately let go of his father and looked him over in concern. "Oh, gods, dad I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

Paul took that opportunity to tackle Percy into a full nelson. "Ha ha! Now who's the king, huh?"

Dejectedly, Percy answered, "You are."

Paul laughed as he hugged his son.