Chapter 62

Percy

Annabeth had correctly predicted that Piper would take over the selection of dresses and tuxes, with Annabeth having final approval. We were totally okay with it as she understood such things better than either of us and we knew she would have the wedding party looking great. Our first decision was to make her our wedding director as well as maid of honor. Our biggest challenge over the last couple weeks, after the message from Luke and Bianca, was deciding to go ahead and wait until we were married, since we decided it would be soon enough, and making sure the right invitations went to the right people. Mortal friends of our mortal parents got one version and some of the folks at the Ministry and Hogwarts got one version, half bloods and the inner circle of the Hogwarts crowd got another, and the gods got a third. It was this one that mentioned our godly parents. We couldn't have that one printed out and floating around the mortal world. As a result, after we designed the invitations on the Daedelous laptop, we printed them magically. Even that took researching a fairly obscure spell.

As soon as we decided we contacted Chiron first, it only seemed right given that he had pretty much raised us as much, or in Annabeth's case, more than our parents had. He approved and offered advice on the ceremony, even agreeing to conduct it. Then we knew we had to contact Annabeth's mortal parents and mine, telling them simply to be available in a few minutes to talk of something important. We knew they would wait and all would probably know what we were calling about. The problem was Poseidon and Athena, who knew if they would even take our call?

Fortunately they both did, and Annabeth asked if we could bring the mortal parents in for one mist. Athena looked a bit askew at this, but my father was okay with it. Another two drachmas through the mist and we were all facing each other over my bath.

"So, we have killed the Dark Lord, and most of his followers. We had one guy lose an ear, and one guy died as expected but was returned to life. The other side lost about 500. Annabeth and I took out 75 to a hundred of those as a guess." I said.

"Dear lord!" Annabeths' step mother said, and Paul seemed pretty shocked too. Mom and Professor Chase didn't care they wanted to get on to what we really called about, I don't think it actually hit them that their son and step daughter just killed a regiment of bad guys, and Athena and Poseidon looked at us like "So what? That's all? Why didn't you kill the rest of them yourselves?"

"We decided, as you all know, to put our relationship on the back burner until the battle was won. Although we are going to be here training the Hogwarts kids the rest of the year so far as we know, we've decided to move ahead with us now. We deserve it and we feel like we're ready, heck we weren't even supposed to live this long. So, next month, on the Vernal Equinox, we are going to get married." Annabeth said.

"Oh I knew it! I knew it!" Mom said, with Annabeth's father grinning ear to ear and saying "That's so wonderful!"

"I am very happy for you and glad to bless your union my son" Poseidon said, also smiling and this time not scaring everyone to death."

We looked at Athena for her reaction, worried she might kill me and disown Annabeth, but she too was elated, well, for a goddess she was.

"Annabeth, you are the greatest of my children for many generations. You have chosen wisely. I too bless this union. May I ask where you planned to wed?"

"We thought about Olympus, but none of our mortal friends would be able to attend"

"No Zeus would never allow that," Athena agreed.

"So, well, I figure we should get married near the bride's home in San Francisco?" I said.

"Oh, I'm not sure our little church could hold everyone." Annabeth's step mother said.

"No, we, well, we literally meant 'near'" Annabeth said. "Lord Poseidon, could we use the Argo III, docked in the harbor?"

"It is on its way, even as we speak" he smiled. "but Annabeth, are you sure you want someone named 'Earth Shaker' to be at your wedding in San Francisco?" he laughed.

"We wouldn't have it any other way."

Poseidon agreed to take care of the rehearsal dinner, and Athena the reception if all would help plan it. Both agreed to meet us in a couple weeks in New York along with all the mortal parents. They probably would have gone to San Francisco but we didn't want to push it. We would just use the Leodis doors so they would not have to fly and have mom and Paul pick us up at camp. We talked like normal people planning a wedding for a half hour or so, then agreed to talk every day as plans developed. Before we got off the Iris message we asked Athena and Poseidon if they knew when we could leave Hogwarts but were only told that a reckoning was to happen and that it was good we had chosen the equinox as a day to gather everyone. I asked if I might make a couple of requests, to which both Athena and dad seemed shocked.

"What? You must understand there is a lot going on you will soon learn of." Athena asked.

"Two things, both small in the scheme of things. I wanted to see if we could get a guys father released from Ogygia, and the other is if we could name Damasen as the warden there. We would not have won the last war without him and now that Iapetus is freed, it only seems right. Please consider it anyway."

"Both will be considered. No promises though. My brother was quite pleased that Ogygia was used as a prison for the dark artisans though, he may wish to have a warden there."

And with that the gods departed. We talked to our mortal folks a bit, well, mainly they told us how happy they were for us and my mother and Annabeth's father retold that neither of us were expected to live to age 16, and that demi gods tended to have short lives. We told her about how things were at New Rome at that heros went on to lead normal lives there, oh, and that I was a former Praetor so we had an in with them, and that we would both be starting at what they knew to be Stanford in the fall. Mom knew about the Praetor thing, but it was new to Annabeth's folks. All were happy about Stanford but wondered when we had applied and were accepted.

"Its one of the hardest schools in America to get into" Professor Grace said.

"Not if Hecate processes your application."

"Oh"

Mrs Grace regaled mom with stories about Annabeth growing up, but of course she didn't know many.

"Annabeth, did you ever get over your fear of spiders?"

"Uh, its not so much a fear.. you see, spiders hate the children of Athena because several thousand years ago she beat their goddess in a weaving contest. Thats why they used to attack me when I was little."

"Oh." She said, clearly flabbergasted. "Do.. do they still attack you?"

"Not so much, I killed their goddess last spring in Rome. So, we need to do menus for the reception and rehearsal dinner, we've got dresses and tuxes under control we think, we have to meet with everyone here but we're thinking that Piper and Jennifer will want to handle that. Oh wait. Dad, I may need to borrow you one, well afternoon I guess to you. Piper and Jennifer will need your measurements for your tux, you are going to walk me down the aisle and give me away aren't you?"

"Oh, I'm going to walk you down the aisle, but you aren't mine to give. If you were, well, I couldn't." He smiled. "What kind of ceremony? Something from Greek mythology?"

"No, we're going with Greek Orthodox, but modernized. We have a minister already. I know, none of us are Greek Orthodox, but it just seems right. Ya know?"

"I suppose that makes sense, but won't it offend... uh, your other parents and their family?" Professor Chase asked.

"No, most understand that all have a belief in the One Christian God. They aren't so much a religious group as a set of ideals and virtues now. No one has worshiped them in centuries and they exist because the ideals they represent exist. No, from what Chiron tells us, none will be offended. And he should know, he's conducting the service." Annabeth said. We talked a while longer and set a time to talk again the next day.

Before we came up with the invitation list, which was pretty much everyone at Olympus, Camp Half Blood, a bunch from Hogwarts and the few we knew at Camp Jupiter, we had to decide on the wedding party. We really wanted everyone but couldn't make it fit, and we knew given Nico's aversion to being front and center he wouldn't really be happy anyway. Besides, we have another job in mind for he and Will that they would be perfect for, along with Rachel and Hazel.

Annabeth couldn't decide between Rachel and Piper as Maid of Honor, she loved them both. In the end I suggested we just make everyone a Maid of Honor and all the guys be Best Men. It took a few minutes but she adapted to it and was elated about coming up with the idea herself within a half hour.

We decided to use Luna as the flower girl as neither of us knew anyone with a young daughter, and we couldn't leave her out.

We worked on the invitations and guest lists all week and traveled to New York for a sit down with our godly and mortal parents at a Chinese restaurant near the Empire State building that started out stressful but ended up being really fun. Once Athena got used to the idea of me being around for the rest of Annabeth's life and vice versa she was actually very welcoming to me. Dad just loved Annabeth since he had first met her years ago, so that was easier. We easily developed menus for both the rehearsal dinner and reception and of course the whole thing had a nautical theme, although for the reception Athena suggested some Greek delicacies that dad was certain the aerials could prepare.

Finally, Monday afternoon all was ready for the announcement, but we wanted to talk with Nico, Will, Hazel and Rachel first. Unfortunately, Hazel was off at Camp Jupiter raising hell at the Fifth Cohort, and Rachel was in class of all places so we couldn't meet with her until just before dinner. We didn't tell them about the wedding, or really about much else beyond the minimum they needed to know, which shocked Rachel, but she assumed we were just speaking hypothetically at that point.

After the meeting as the girls went to the study room to work on dresses and tuxs, Hazel lingered back where the guys were still congratulating us. The guys were all about an evening run to Hogsmeade, rules be damned, but I really just wanted to relax by the pond. Hazel had other ideas though.

"Annabeth, Percy, may I speak with you privately?" She asked with a grin that could make a cat disappear.

"Sure, we need to talk to you too." Annabeth smiled.

"Okay guys, we have kids coming in to be trained tonight, because of what you said, and Annabeth, I know you and I need to work with Piper and the girls, so Percy, I need you to run training tonight. Second thing" she said, still grinning, "What did I volunteer for?"

"Oh. Well, did you hear about Harry's vision while he was, uh, dead?"

"Only that he was visited by Annabeth's old instructor and another friend of Percy's." Harry and those he had told were careful to not leak the whole story and Hazel didn't know the rest of the details.

"Well, they were more than that. Luke was like a big brother to me, he kept me alive until we got to camp originally and before that we spent quite some time on the road with Thalia not knowing who or what we were until Grover brought us in. Bianca, well, we brought her in and she immediately went on a quest with the Hunters and Percy. She died on her first quest, and, well, she was your sister, she was Nico's immediate sister, same mother and everything. Anyway, one of the things they told Harry, was, well, that they are awaiting rebirth and Percy and I are apparently going to be their parents. And we want you, Rachel, Nico and Will to be their God Parents. We're going to start trying as soon as we're married." Annabeth said.

"I... I would be honored, but why, uh, shouldn't you spend some time, you know, being newlyweds?"

"Yeah, but they are half bloods like us, who need a hand, by us. We have to help and obviously there was nothing random about you and Nico being chosen. Oh, and the newlywed stuff? We've already traveled and seen the world. We will make plenty of time and room for us, but, well, I, we, think we're ready. Its not how we wanted to, we planned to have kids after college, or at least during it, but, well, you're a Roman, you know about duty, and its not like we won't have friends and family to help us, and thanks to your father's generosity money will probably never be a problem in our lives. So, we talked and we decided. Its what works for us. Its time for us to retire and go to school. Have kids, live lives." I replied.

She thought for a moment as tears welled up in both her and Annabeth's eyes, then said "Percy, you will help me with the Fifth Cohort won't you? Please? as she fell into Annabeth's arms laughing.

"Of course! We'll get them in shape, but Hazel, one thing you need to remember" I said.

"What's that?"

"I suck at being a Roman."

When the rest of the Hogwarts students reported for training we announced our wedding to them and told them that was why training would be screwed up for the next week or so. Never the less their attitudes were good and we worked on archery with Will as Hazel had asked, but I put DA2 on sword and basic tactics with them, and DA1 on integrating spells and sword play. Neville and Harry were brilliant at this, as were Ginny, Hermione and Ron. Those five could teach an advanced class by themselves and sometimes I would just watch Neville and realize how much his style reminded me of Jason, Annabeth and myself, and his spells as powerful as any of ours. He was now, along with America House, among the most dangerous people I knew.

Class was almost over when the dolphin patronus arrived asking that I come to the study room to review tuxes. This turned out to be a pretext for getting me there before World War III broke out between Piper, Aphrodite and Athena, but by the time I arrived I was not needed. Although terrified of the possibilities, the two goddesses were getting along with the mortals, and each other, much better than expected. It seems that by allowing Piper to have free reign over the attire, we might as well asked Aphrodite to as well, and of course Athena wasn't about to let that whore run her daughter's wedding, so she showed up too. Aphrodite knew her place though and allowed Piper to run the show, with Athena's help and Annabeth making all the decisions. By the time I arrived it had devolved into the world's most powerful hen party and there was no need for me to be there, except to give my input on the tuxes, which looked black with white shirts to me. It was weird, gods and goddesses are known for being crappy parents but here were two hanging around with their daughters, sipping tea and doing normal, mortal things. At moments it seemed as though they were enjoying themselves. It was almost as though they were trying to be good parents who gave a crap about their kids. Like I said, weird.

The week brought our first set of Slytherin trainees, including, at my and Harry's insistence, Draco. It helped take his mind off his father, although I assured him the gods would look at some form of parole for him, and it gave Ron and Hermione an opportunity to return years of transgressions either actual or perceived to him. All week long in basic blades they took turns using him to demonstrate techniques which left him black and blue but he and the rest of his group learned quickly. It would be a while before they would be competitive with DA1, but when they were I was certain Draco would leave his marks on Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Half Blood was running just fine as the counselors took in new demigods almost every day and training was a full time job. Many that were coming in had been loners and with no where else to go stayed at camp full time. No more big three children had arrived so there was nothing for me to do, but I helped out Chiron where and when I could.

Hazel was right about the Fifth Cohort. It had so many new recruits it was almost one hundred strong, but over half of those were probatio and had been in less than a year, most of them since last fall when we left for Europe. Dakota had trained them as best he could, but Hazel was a full blown terror on them. I think she felt responsible for the Cohort's short comings as she had been gone since early last fall. In fact training was slow across the Legion and the Fifth was in no worse shape than the rest. There were simply too many new recruits for the number of people who knew enough to train them. And Fifth cohort had always been short on good people. Hazel was trying to correct the course of a huge, slow ship by turning it hard, and the ship was resisting turning.

"Fifth cohort, give your attention to Centurion LeVesque" Dakota announced to the groans of the Legionnaires who thought they knew what was coming. For the last few weeks, since our Christmas break began at Hogwarts, Hazel and Dakota had been drilling them non stop on the training fields and they were very slowly getting better. I had, perhaps stupidly, agreed to do what I could to help. Well, I owed Hazel a lot and if working with her crew a day or two helped out, I would be glad to do it. After watching her with them for a day though I thought I might offer something else other than training. They were working on the Roman combat system and I knew little to nothing about it, except as we integrated it with the Greek techniques the previous summer. Dakota and Hazel were more than enough to teach that, and their demands for perfection and precision were reasonable given that a delay in movement by one or more Legionnaires could open a gap that led to the destruction of the Cohort.

But what I saw was a bunch of newbies with no confidence. That I maybe could assist with.

With the Cohorts groans still in our ears Hazel began "Okay calm down. You've worked hard so you get a break of sorts today. I've asked a true hero of the Legion, a member of this cohort, and former Praetor, to talk to you guys today. He is a dear friend to Rome, and especially Praetors Zhang and Ramírez-Arellano, Pontificus Maximus Grace, and, I say this with great pride, myself. Give your attention to Praetor Ex Officio Jackson."

"Everybody circle in and grab a seat" I said and once all were seated around myself, Hazel and Dakota I began. "Everybody relax. Take your helmets off, loosen your armor, make sure you have something to drink or I'll get it for you" And with that I cast a charm that put a liter bottle of Dakota's favorite sports drink in everyone's had that Leo had programmed for me.

"You know that class in school where there is no final, no tests, no grades, you just cruise through it because its an overview? You know you don't have to stress about it at all and nothing that is said will ever be held against you if you don't remember it? Like when I was at Andover Academy and they made us take a six week course about the famous graduates, but it wasn't part of the scored curriculum? Yeah, well this is that class. So just relax, you're under no pressure from me this morning."

"So the last few weeks have been some tough training. My boss Hazel, that's right, she's my boss in Europe and my friend everywhere else, has been working hard to get you guys in shape and make you the pride of the legion. She's also probably been working hard at pissing all of you off and making you hate being required to follow her orders. Well, get over it. Training is hard. We train hard so we don't die soft. You don't have to reinvent the Roman fighting style, it works just fine. Don't over think it. Don't resent be a cog in the machine because it is a glorious machine and it needs all its cogs. But I'm not hear today to grind your ass, you've worked hard and its starting to show. I'm hear to tell you not to lose hope and don't give up. When it feels you can't draw formation one more time, keep going, do it until its perfect. Do it until you don't have to think about it."

"Is it true you're one of the seven?" a female voice from the middle of the crowd asked.

"Yeah, okay, lets talk about that, sure. You folks that are new have probably only heard of the Seven. Maybe heard some stories about three that returned the Legion's honor from Alaska, then joined in a running fight across two continents and an ocean destroying the Giants and closing the doors of death, before turning and engaging Gaea, the combined Roman and Greek armies as well as a host of monsters to bring peace, lasting peace, between the Roman and Greek demi gods. I don't know what they teach you about all that, or if you just hear it by rumor and scuttlebutt. But its true. All of it. Yes, I was one of the Seven, as was Praetor Zhang, Pontifix Maximus Grace, and your own Centurion LeVesque. So when Hazel drills you repeatedly in the hot sun its not out of anger, or spite, or cruelty, its out of her genuine love for each of you and because she's been there. She's been in the eye of the storm. She's been the tip of the spear and the edge of the blade. And you may have heard that since we've been in Europe we've all learned magic. Not so. Hecate, or Trivia as you know her, chose Hazel to teach magic to before we finished our last mission. She used it to kill a giant and close the Doors of Death. Yeah, your Centurion did that. Like I said, she's stared down the tiger."

"No one loves you more than Hazel, she runs a quest in Europe right now that is a full time job for anyone, then comes here to help you attain perfection, and you will need that perfection for the next war. War isn't over folks, Mars hasn't retired. He's not in Boca sipping fruity drinks with umbrellas. We don't know when or where, but as sure as the sun rises heros are going to be in fights. Learn the skills Hazel teaches you. I don't want her to cry over your graves. And if you need help, well, I'm never very far away, you'll see me here a lot more in the future, I promise."

"Now, onto more happy news. Annabeth, who some of you met briefly before she helped start and stop the last war between the Greeks and the Romans, and who you will get to know better as we begin cross training between the Greeks, Romans and Brits, well, she and I are getting married, in that harbor, right over there." I pointed out to the harbor by Oakland. "You are all invited as my family from the Fighting Fifth. So see? I got you another day off!" When I said this there was a smattering of applause and cheers.

"Hazel will get you the info on that, you have a couple weeks to find appropriate street clothes. Finally, changes are coming. Last summer a team was put together to attempt to combine the fighting styles of the Greeks and Romans. It may interest you to know that the Greeks tend to fight as individuals or in small groups. We are very good at it. One on one a Greek with a couple years training will beat a Centurion fighting by themselves. Thing is, I never could get the Romans to face me one on one, you guys always show up with a whole cohort! That is the strength of the Roman style, your order and organization. I have seen the destruction the Roman system brings and it is the thing of nightmares. As I mentioned earlier, Annabeth and I, as well as Neville Longbottom from Hogwarts, will begin teaching both magic and the integrated style of combat to Camp Jupiter. I'm sure Neville will have some help but I don't know who yet. We're going to start with the Fifth Cohort. Because we're the best. We're the Fighting Fifth, the unit chosen by Mars himself to go to the land beyond the gods and restore the Legion's pride. Take pride in yourself and your cohort, no other has done anything like what we have done in the last year. And guys, we're just getting started. So tighten up when Hazel tells you to. If she seems picky, that means you're getting close."

"Any questions?"

"You're... you're the one that brought back the Legion's eagle from Alaska."

"No. Not exactly. I rode in a chariot that it and a bunch of armor and weapons were in, along with our quest leader, Praetor Zhang. We both did our part recovering it, but the chariot was being pulled by a horse ridden by Centurion Levesque. Oh, and that horse she was riding? He's a god, Arion, the child of Neptune and Cerces. Next time someone from another cohort starts fronting, just remind them that your Centurion rides into battle on the back of a god swinging a saber that was made by Hephaestus, or Vulcan as you know him, and was originally carried into battle by William Tecumseh Sherman. Think about that for a minute next time she thinks you're holding your spears too low or your ranks are too loose. You're not being trained to be a bad ass, you're being trained to be the bad asses. You should carry yourselves with more swagger than any other cohort. They say they are filled with lightning? Yeah because the Fifth stole it back, killed the guys that took it, and returned it to the Legion. That's the Fighting Fifth's lightning they're talking about, so lets drop these negative attitudes and get the damn job done, okay? We've got a lot more training once you master the Roman methods. So, lets take a few more questions if you have any, then run that last drill again."

Mostly they wanted to talk about the events of the last year. Those that had been there got some clarity to what they saw. "No, no one killed Octavious, he launched himself. No, no one made him. No, not all children of Apollo are jerks, just that one. In fact Will is a child of Apollo and I would be dead now with out him. Yes, Reyna is a hero to the Greeks and with Nico, Leo and a Satyr named Coach Gleeson brought lasting peace between the two tribes of heros. Yes, when Hazel, Frank and I showed up at camp none of us could do any of the stuff we do now, we had to learn it. Many of you will have special talents from the gods, and you will have to learn them as well."

"Who are you most scared of?"

"What do you mean? Of the Gods, Titans, Giants or some monster?" I asked. "There was this thing we called shrimpzilla in the Atlantic that..."

"No, of the demi gods."

"Oh. I see. Hmmm, well I should say Annabeth, but thats not true, ask me again after we are married." I grinned and a few laughed. I thought for a moment.

"Good question, you deserve a real answer. Of all the demi gods and heros I know, Greek, Roman, and Brit, well. I'm not scared of any of them."

There was a long silence, finally broken when the same guy asked "So you think you're better than all that you know?"

"No, I said I'm not scared of them. Praetor Zhang and Leo Valdez can cause more damage as individuals than anyone I know. Praetor Reyna is an outstanding blade fighter, I would have a hard time beating her, if I could, and like Zhang has about 500 legionnaires backing her up. Annabeth is the same, on a good day take your pick as to who wins. As much as anyone, she taught me. Neville Longbottom is the most powerful spell caster in the world and as good with a blade as anyone. Piper can alter her enemies will, your Centurion, Hazel, well, she can alter reality, perform magic better than anyone and with more power than anyone except maybe Neville, and like I said, she rides into battle on the back of a god. Jason Grace is as good with a sword as I, and can call forth the wind and lightning to do his bidding. Nico De Angelo controls the dead and with his sword has added many to their ranks. He's as strong as they get. The rest of what we call DA1 are all as lethal as anyone I just mentioned, and Harry Potter was chosen by the gods to destroy the greatest evil since Gaea. But no, I'm not afraid of any one of them."

It got quiet again and I heard Hazel whispering my name to get my attention. I turned to find that Frank and Reyna were standing behind the Cohort with Neville and had heard all I said. That was okay by me. Every word was the truth.

"So, you think you can hold your own against them?" The same guy asked.

"Probably, on a good day, or even most days. I'm pretty good at what I do." I smiled

"Actually Praetor Ex Officio Jackson is being modest. He's the best I've ever seen or imagined." Reyna said.

"Aww, thanks Praetor, but guys, that's not the reason. I've worked hard and so have they. Yes, we're at the top of the game now but we.. well sooner or later someone better will come along, maybe one of you guys. No, I'm not afraid of any of them because they are my brothers and sisters. I have no fear of them because I know if I wasn't around for some reason and some monster, or whatever, attacked Annabeth, or Frank, or Jason, or Hazel, or any one of us, or any member of my beloved Fifth Cohort, the full force, fury and rage of all my brothers and sisters would come down upon them. They have my back, I have theirs, why would I be afraid of them? That is the relationship you need to develop with the people seated around you right now. Do that, and you can't be defeated. Do that, and you won't be afraid of anything either."