A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner but I had been experiencing headaches, stomach aches and my legs have been hurting a lot.


IV. Hate those dreams

Fine, Hercules could admit that sometimes he may be a bit to confident with his ego and immense strength. And there might have been times when he was warned about those…, but he kind of didn't listen and that thing with Thanatos and before that Zoe…uhm…That girl was definitely giving him the creeps and it would not surprise him if Echidna herself would flee from her glare.

Grover Unexpectedly Loses his Pants

"Oh gods," Travis exclaimed in shock, both hands on his face.

"Grover, how can you be so indecent." Connor continued while covering his face with his hands.

"Oh, grow up you two." Katie said while rolling her eyes before turning to her son and niece.

"Sorry, they will retain this personality even in our time." Lance replied while his mother groaned and Demeter started muttering about something under her breath which on the other hand made both Hades and Persephone roll they eyes.

"Look at the bright side aunt Katie, you will have at least more options how to get him to behave for at least a short time." Misty piped in grinning while the younger versions of her aunt and uncle went red as they realized what she was talking about. Well, everyone said that she got her cheek from both of her parents.

"I didn't need to imagine that Misty." groaned Lance, his face green. No kid wants to imagine they parents getting intimate; he already flees the scene when they start kissing. Well not that he minded kissing, but not seeing his parents doing it.

At the same time by the gods had Aphrodite tipped her head slightly to the side, now this was something interesting and there were even more. She certainly will try having fun with this new knowledge, as long as no one plays party popper for her, but it didn't matter, she loved challenges.

Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.

At this many groans could be heard in and out of the throne room.

"Percy, you are in danger so why did you leave your protector?" Poseidon asked not paying attention to his wife who slowly nodded again to her decision that this demigod was her perfect revenge without even doing anything.

"Reckless like his father I see." Zeus said with a smug grin on his lips.

"Says the unofficial God of Theatre." commented Hades while rolling his eyes.

"Why are all of you bringing up this nonsense every time I say something?" Zeus demanded, thunder sounding over they heads.

"Because Zeus, it is the truth and unfortunately it seems that you have passed this fleer for dramatics in different degrees over to your children." threw in Hera to stop an argument from breaking out.

"Cool, I love theatre mostly if they display how awesome I am." commented Apollo grinning while striking a pose not noticing his son and grandson blushing while his granddaughter put her hand on her face mumbling something along the lines of 'still have two not embarrassing godly grandfathers'

"No way Apollo, you know that I'm the greater." Hermes said while his sons shook they head in amusement at they dad, the other demigods and legacies were either shaking they heads or were looking slightly bewildered, the later were mostly the Romans who have never known the gods to act like this.

"I think you are both great." come it from Perses at which both gods grinned at the little boy while the other council members let out sighs of relief that they could finally continue and Hercules was only all to agreeable seeing that now the distraction was over and the dark princess was slowly turning back into his direction.

I know, I know. It was rude.

"Well at least he knows it was rude" Hestia stated.

But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man, muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"

"Grover." groaned the Greek campers.

"That satyr needs to work a bit on his confidence issues; they tend to babble if getting to nervous." Dionysus said from his throne, he was busy trying to concentrate more on the story and on the fact that he had one of his future children here, anstead on the annoying demigod that had hurt his lovely Ariadne, it was good that she didn't know her ex was here.

"He will learn in the future, well a bit." Sally said.

"In my option fauns quak." Octavian immediately covered his mouth in embarrassment as the others started laughing.

"Octavian, I think…it might really be be…better to think over before commenting." Dakota said laughing as he leaned closer to the blonde which made Aphrodite whipe her head in the direction of the Roman demigods.

If things continue like this will she need to make a list, she was getting material here to last for a long time so she failed to notice her husband's gaze on her just like the look he shared with Ares.

Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom.

There was a wave of laughter going around, well except a few people who were still worried about Percy.

Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.

"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.

A word about my mother, before you meet her.

At this most demigods looked curiously at the book, most demigods had not the strongest bond to they mortal parent, while both Poseidon and Amphitrite leaned further forward in they thrones to hear about the mortal woman.

"Grandma is the best." Luke and Sally stated proudly.

"She makes brilliant sweets." Lance said.

"She doesn't mind listening to people talking about they plans." Michael said remembering how Mrs. Jackson would always listen to his and his dad's rants about new inventions.

"She sees the best in everyone and is really encouraging." Henry said smiling, both his parents really liked her.

"She never judges others before learning to know them." En said, her uncle's mum had practically adopted her father as hers and never judged him for who his father was. She had even told Enysswe once that she had talked a bit with her grandfather before he sent her back into the world of the living. She had said that he was a nice man who had went through much bitterness that forced him to hide behind a mask to protect himself from more hurt, this had made her smile that she had noticed this.

"She is pretty brave and respectable." Ace added in hearing the story about her taking part in the Titan War II. to help her son and even managing to learn how to use a gun right on the spot.

"She is a selfless and generous woman." come it from Nathan.

"She has kind of adopted all demigods, both Greek and Roman, who she has met, they children included." Misty said fondly.

"You all seem to really like her." Gwen said smiling at the nine teens who all nodded.

"Yes, also you all have meet her and most of you tend to drop by on visits to her apartment." at Nathan's comment all camper's eyes widened, sure they knew that Annabeth as her daughter-in-law would surely be often there, but that they all?

"Grandmum Sally has also started a type of helping group for the mortal parents of demigods and they new partners." at this looked everyone at Sally with wide eyes who after adapting her Legacy of Athena mode started explaining. "The group is divided in two main groups one is for the clear sighted mortal parents and those who were cleared up that the parent of they child is a Greek God/Goddess while the other is the rest. By the later group are the sessions made up so that it seems to be a regular self-help group for parents with children who have both dyslexia, ADHD and thus tend to cause much trouble and the likes. As for the other group the sessions go deeper into the Greek myths, the parents are made to understand what they demigod child goes through, what sort of monsters they might need to face, how to help them and understand them, be they support." everyone was listening to the explanation, it would have been great if such a group already existed, it would make most demigod kids lives more better to know that they could count on they mortal parent and stepparent. Annabeth found herself agreeing with the idea wholeheartedly and feeling a type of fondness for her future mother-in-law for being so insightful and trying to help them. "Also through allowance of the Olympian Council was it decided that every year on a certain day the first group may visit Camp Half-Blood for the duration of a weeks time." at this many gasped.

"They can visit camp?" Katie asked in a stunned tone, she had kind of always wanted to show her dad how her cabin looked; he was a botanist and would have probably liked to see it. Sadly you were not allowed to show photos to mortals about camp.

"Yup, and it is the same week when we have the Tournament Week." Henry said grinning as many looked confused.

"Tournament Week?" Reyna asked curiously.

"Yes, it means that we decorate up camp or better start decorating till Camp Jupiter arrives after the formal greeting and usual ritual." Michael started.

"What ritual?" Malcolm asked curiously at which both Lance and Misty stood up facing each other hugging, they eyes closed.

"Chiron, are my Venus pups holding up flags again?" Misty asked in her imitation of Lupa.

"Does the Aphrodite cabin have the banners out again?" Lance asked while imitation Chiron.

"Cut it out children, we are only colleagues!" the cousins shouted together before letting go of each other and bowing to they clapping friends while the others, mostly the gods broke out laughing.

"Seems as if my children are really into they task." Aphrodite said smiling with pride at the determination of her children to create a romance.

"That is an understatement, so usually after getting scolded the Hecate/Trivia kids free us from the formal outfits and we finish up the decoration and take up the bets before the gods flash in and grandaunt Sally arrives with her group." Michael continued when he was interrupted again.

"What do you mean by bets?" Annabeth asked in confusion.

"Nothing, just the usual about which god/goddess will be on which day on a roll to blast our dad from existence" Poseidon, Theseus and Orion let out a groan at this while Annabeth facepalmed at the word 'usual' and the casual tone her son used about the possibility of a divinity wishing to kill his father "or where Lord Apollo will be hiding next, the most popular ones are in the stalls, attic and Ares cabin." finished Luke while everyone just stared at him before they slowly turned to a perplexed looking Apollo.

"Huh… why would I be hiding?" he asked in confusion.

"Well, lets just say that we are about to have this year's Tournament Week soon and you will be busy hiding form the twenty five women you have a kid with and are still pretty much interested to spend alone time with you, my grandmother not included and with some of them having they new husbands with them..." Enysswe said trailing of as she saw her grandfather pale while beside him Hermes had trouble staying on his throne while laughing, Artemis only rolled her eyes while mouthing 'serves you right'.

"Ugh…at least is mom over it." Will mumbled as he looked at his father pityingly, while all around him others started failing to hide they laughter.

It took them ten minutes to calm down so that the children could continue with they explaining.

"So after everything is set and the guests are there the children do a tour for they mortal parents and show them around the camp, there are also show fights or skill demonstrations from the campers. On that week we have also a friendly game of Capture the Flag and War Games with the two camps against each other, chariot races also if some parent feels brave they can be shown how to ride pegasi." Misty explained to the groups, they parents and other demigod relatives looked like as if they really like the idea of this.

"You have pegasi at your camp?" Gwen asked, she liked Reyna's pegasus, but it would be great if there would be more in camp.

"Of course, riding classes on the pegasi is one of our main activities at camp and one of the most liked." Katie explained, she the loved riding classes.

"That sounds great." Jason said while looking at Reyna who nodded.

"Yep it is, so these are the main activities during that week with also some theatre plays by the Apollo cabin, the nightly sing-alongs with marshmallows and stories, then on the last day there is a huge firework, there was last year even a sing fight of genders which was hilarious." finished Lance grinning.

"Why was it hilarious?" Poseidon asked curiously.

"Well you see to that also the goddesses and the Hunters included themselves and they found a song with which they had not only won, but also gave a nice entertainment show with all the gods gapping like fish out of the water, some trying to cover they eyes in panic like Ares, Dionysus, Hermes and Poseidon." at this looked said male gods questioningly at each other. "Zeus had problems to decide which to do from those two options while Hades was busy hunting down Apollo who tried to sabotage the whole performance." explained Michael as he remembered how the blonde god tried to let the curtains down before the Lord of the Underworld grabbed him, threw him over his shoulder and walked back to they seats while the younger still tried and failed to grab the rope for the curtains. Also said god was currently blushing again, he only really got the words 'Hades', 'hunting' and his own name after that his brain made a 10 points jump into the gutter.

"Why would my brother try to sabotage the performance?" Artemis asked ready to scold her twin for being disrespectful to the women taking part in the contest.

"Well, the ones on stage doing the main singing were kind of you, stepgrandmother Hera and grandmother Athena and your outfits were kind of interesting, erm…Misty?" Luke said while turning to his cousin for some little help while the not long ago mentioned male gods could now imagine why they tried to not see the performance…well that is till Misty used her magic to let a mannequin appear with the outfit on it. THEY WILL DEFINIATELY NOT WANT TO SEE THIS ON EITHRE OF THE THREE WOMEN!

There on the mannequin were black net stockings, a legless jumpsuit in the same colour, a while blouse with matching gloves with frilly ends, black jacket, an umbrella and high heeled boots. Let's just say that the performing trio looked with shocked eyes at the outfit, but the demigods were the most panicked. Annabeth was blushing furiously, Malcolm looked mortified at the thought of his mother walking up on the stage in that thing, they other boys tried to remind themselves that they will be blasted from Olymphos if they comment, while the girls were hoping that they had not worn such things.

"Uh…I need to check up on my sacred cows." Apollo said suddenly as he jumped up from his throne and flashed out right in the direction of his private bath, he was in desperate need for a cold bath now, well the others did not exactly care that he left, they were still to busy staring at the outfit.

"Well, they were provided by Aphrodite." Misty said as all three goddesses glared at the fourth one.

"You will make me go out in such a degrading thing!" Artemis growled.

"Well, you kind of liked the song so, you told her that you will let her live." Enysswe said, getting the goddess's attention.

"What is this song?" she asked, her expression still angered.

"En, sing it, you are a Legacy of Apollo plus a girl so it will go over better then if we get your mother or cousin to sing and your granddad has deserted the scene." Misty whispered to the black haired girl.

"Shouldn't we continue reading, there are others outside waiting for that." she whispered back

"They went to take a break so it is fine." was the reply she got.

"Ugh…alright." Enysswe said groaning before her eyes become blue, waving her hand music filled the air.

"Is that some type of jazz music?" Will asked curiously when he spotted his daughter now having blue eyes, this little fact made it frighteningly clearer that she was his, he did not know why, but she kind of looked now a bit more like him.

"Yes it is and I'm now forced to sing it so no interruptions, we still have a book to finish and it will be soon time for lunch." she said before starting to sing.

Te Baby! Te Baby! Te Baby! Jár nekünk a boldogság!

Hey Baby! Hey Baby! Hey Baby! We are allowed to be happy!
Oh annana...

Oh annana…
Baby! Te Baby! Te Baby! (Hát) rúzsozd ki a szád!

Hey Baby! Hey Baby! So put your lipstick on!

Mit ér egy nő, mondd?!

Tell me what is a woman worth?!
Áldozat a léte.

Her existence is sacrifice.
Miért a férfi

Why is the man
kényszeríti térdre?

forcing her on knees?

Artemis sent a glare at the assembled men who didn't dare saying even a word till she turned back to her grandniece; she also ignored Aphrodite who was now furiously scribbling on a parchment in her hand.

S mit ér egy férfi,

And what is a man worth
(ha) nélkülünk senki?

if he is nothing without us?
Elég volt, Baby

It is enough Baby
az elnyomásból ennyi!

the repression is over!

There was a little smile on the Huntress's lips, she was starting to get why she had chosen to sing this song even thought she would need to wear that degrading outfit. The men meanwhile got a bit uneasy when looking at her.

Kevés vagy, Ádám!

You are not enough Adam!
Nálam van az alma.

I have the apple.
Mit ér a kígyód,

What is your snake worth
(ha) nulla a hatalma?!

if it has no might?!
Ma éjjel végre

Tonight finally
győzni fog a nőnem.

the womanhood will triumph.
Beléphet bárki

Everyone may join
a party-ra csak ők nem.

the party except them.

RÉG EZT A KÖNNYED ÉRZÉST VÁROD!

SINCE A LONG TIMEDID YOU WAIT FOR THIS LIGHT FEELING!
TUDOM, HOGY VISSZATART A

I KNOW THAT YOU ARE RESTRAINED BY THE
FÉK, HOGY ELHAGY A PÁROD.

BREAK, THAT YOUR LOVER LEAVES YOU.

Theseus was again squirming in his seat when he felt the God of Wine glare at him again, why did this song need to have a line about a 'lover leaving the girl behind 'in it? Well his father and uncle were not doing better, they were trying to get they wives to look at them, but they refused, leaving the two brothers confused.

"I wonder when they will get it." Hades wondered while Persephone looked over at her father and uncle.

"I would say it might take a bit." she said not wanting to admit that she was also kind of scared that there might come a day when Hades leaves her, even thought they are still together so far in the future.

"True, also "she felt him take her hand into his and gently kissing it "you know that you are the one I wish to have at my side till all eternity as my wife and queen." he said calmly, his dark eyes never leaving her eyes even for a second.

"Yes." she replied smiling, happy that even though it was not needed from his part, he still tried reassuring her, it was sweet.

"Hey Will, your daughter is pretty good with this, though the song kind of makes me want to crawl under a rock." Travis whispered to the blonde who nodded uneasily, he could certainly see why the female team had won the contest.

TUDOM, HOGY,

I KNOW THAT
TUDOM, HOGY VISSZAFOG A

I KNOW THAT YOU ARE HOLD BACK BY…

LUBADUBA-LABADABA

LUBADUBA-LABADABA
JAJ ISTENEM SOK A RIZSA!

OH GOD SO MUCH BABLING!

Bárhol élsz, ott te csak egy nő vagy.

No matter where you live, you are only a woman.

At this most of the girls huffed and the boys were by both demigod groups slowly edging away from Clarisse and Reyna.

Bármit kérsz,

Whatever you ask for
az ára az túl nagy.

the price is to high.
Okosnak, szépnek,

Smart, beautiful,
szajhának kell lenni.

a whore you must be.

Aphrodite stopped in her writing and let out a growl which made both her husband and lover pull they thrones farther from hers, just to be safe.

Elég volt, Baby

It is enough Baby
az elnyomásból ennyi!

the repression is over!

Kevés vagy, Ádám!

You are not enough Adam!
Nálam van az alma.

I have the apple.
Mit ér a kígyód,

What is your snake worth
(ha) nulla a hatalma?!

if it has no might?!
Ma éjjel végre

Tonight finally
győzni fog a nőnem.

the womanhood will triumph.
Beléphet bárki

Everyone may join
a party-ra csak ők nem.

the party except them.

RÉG

SINCE A LONG TIME
EZT A KÖNNYED ÉRZÉST VÁROD!

DID YOU WAIT FOR THIS LIGHT FEELING!
TUDOM, HOGY VISSZATART A

I KNOW THAT YOU ARE RESTRAINED BY THE
FÉK,

BREAK
HOGY ELHAGY A PÁROD.

THAT YOUR LOVER LEAVES YOU.
TUDOM, HOGY,

I KNOW THAT
TUDOM, HOGY VISSZAFOG A...

I KNOW THAT YOU ARE HOLD BACK BY…

Tudom, hogy visszafog a társadalmi morál.

I know that you are held back by the social bill.
Elég, egy görbe est, a város máris subi-dumál.

It is enough to have a little night fling and the whole city is already chatting.
Nekik meg bármit szabad, kis etye-petye.

And they can do anything a little fun there and here.
Viszont egy rendes nőnek otthon van a helye!

But the place of a good woman is at home!

"Correction, they got it." Hades said while watching both his younger brothers flinch and look guiltily at the ground, it was also around this time that Apollo returned a bit more relaxed, but Hermes saw the he was lightly shivering and…were his lips blue?

"What happened by your cows?" he whispered to his brother who sighed inwardly it was a good idea that he went on a short check-up to them, sometimes he hated being also the God of Truth.

"They are fine and grazing around." he whispered back, trying to not imagine his twin singing this song in that outfit, he will murder everyone who dares drooling after her.

"Where? In Siberia?" Hermes asked incredulously, but Apollo had already turned away from him, he will need to find out what was wrong with his brother since they got the books.

Vokál: Szééép!

Vocal: Beeeauutifull!
Nekik meg bármit szabad, bulik meg etye-petye.

And they can do anything, parties and a little fun there and here.
Viszont egy rendes nőnek otthon van a helye!

But the place of a good woman is at home!
Nekik meg bármit szabad, bulik meg etye-petye.

And they can do anything, parties and a little fun there and here.
Viszont egy rendes nőnek otthon van a helye!

But the place of a good woman is at home!

RÉG

SINCE A LONG TIME
EZT A KÖNNYED ÉRZÉST VÁROD!

DID YOU WAIT FOR THIS LIGHT FEELING!
TUDOM, HOGY VISSZATART A

I KNOW THAT YOU ARE RESTRAINED BY THE
FÉK,

BREAK
HOGY ELHAGY A PÁROD.

THAT YOUR LOVER LEAVES YOU.
TUDOM, HOGY,

I KNOW THAT
TUDOM, HOGY VISSZAFOG A…

I KNOW THAT YOU ARE HOLD BACK BY…

Élj csak így,

Live just like this,
ha neked ez jó!

if this is good for you!
Viszont az én szerelmem

But my love
nem eladó!

is not for sale!

All females nodded in agreement.

A Nő az Nő,

A Woman is a Woman,
és így az egál,

and it is right like this,
ami egy hímnek,

what for a male,
az nekem is jár.

I have the same right to it.

Hát táncolj, tombolj

So dance, let your hair down
ruhát kigombolj!

button out your dress!

"ONLY OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Apollo yelled, no man will ever see his sister undressed while Poseidon, Zeus and later god's male children hoped that all buttons had stayed shut by that performance.

"Apollo, sit down." Artemis hissed as she pulled him back to his throne, but still missed the glare sent at Orion who tried to imagine the scene, but stopped immediately and hid behind his brother when noticing the glare.

Táncolj,

Dance,
ameddig úgy jó!

as long as you like it!

Táncolj, tombolj!

Dance, let your hair down!
Magadra gondolj!

Think about yourself!
Táncolj!

Dance!
Egy nő nem eladó!

A woman is not for sale!

Again all the females' nodded while the guys squirmed in they seats, hoping that the song will be soon over.

RÉG

SINCE A LONG TIME
EZT A KÖNNYED ÉRZÉST VÁROD!

DID YOU WAIT FOR THIS LIGHT FEELING!
TUDOM, HOGY VISSZATART A

I KNOW THAT YOU ARE RESTRAINED BY THE
FÉK,

BREAK
HOGY ELHAGY A PÁROD.

THAT YOUR LOVER LEAVES YOU.
TUDOM, HOGY,

I KNOW THAT
TUDOM, HOGY VISSZAFOG A

I KNOW THAT YOU ARE HOLD BACK BY…

Tudom, hogy visszafog a társadalmi morál.

I know that you are held back by the social bill.
Elég, egy görbe est, a város máris subi-dumál.

It is enough to have a little night fling and the whole city is already chatting.
Nekik meg bármit szabad, kis etye-petye.

And they can do anything a little fun there and here.
Viszont egy rendes nőnek otthon van a helye!

But the place of a good woman is at home!

Vokál: Szééép!

Vocal: Beeeauutifull!
Nekik meg bármit szabad, bulik meg etye-petye.

And they can do anything, parties and a little fun there and here.
Viszont egy rendes nőnek otthon van a helye!

But the place of a good woman is at home!

"Finally it is done." Enysswe said sighing, her eye colour becoming again a mix of black-blue-gold before glaring at Misty who hid behind Henry.

"I think we should now return to reading, as En said it is soon time for lunch." said Henry helpfully as everyone nodded they heads in agreement, Misty had tapped him on the shoulder to notify him that they audience was also back in they place.

"Continue Hercules." Zeus said to his son while he hoped that Hera would look at him again, till now no such luck.

Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world,

"Told you that I was named after my grandmum." Sally said when everyone turned into his direction before waving her hand so that the reading could continue while Misty remembered the mannequin and made it dissapear.

which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck.

"So true, dad is one of the best people out there and he has the worst luck from all demigods combined." Luke said remembering that shopping trip with his family when his dad needed to stop the car when they were on the road on they way home to new Greece, groaned while saying "Not you again, couldn't you have waited at least for next month?" climbed out of the car with Riptide and destroyed the minotaur again.

"Being kind is often the hardest burden and carries much pain with it." Hestia said agreeing as she sadly remembered her kind brother and all the hurts that had been committed against him for something he could not be held responsible.

At the same time was everyone watching how four of the oldest gods in the room started looking uncomfortable at her words, but no one said anything and Hercules continued to reed to try lifting the heavy atmosphere.

Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five,

Cue scowling and dark looks towards a squirming Zeus.

"WHAT!" most of the legacies beside the Jackson siblings and the Underworld cousins yelled, they knew that grandaunt Sally had lost her parents when she was five, but they didn't know how she had lost them!

"So new people to be added to the list of your innocent victims." Nathan growled when there was one thing then it was killing innocent people who had only made the mistake to trust that they plain would take them to they destination.

Seeing the situation his father was in, mostly when his two brothers also joined in with the glaring hurried Hercules to read, but he clearly heard a female voice grumble "Now one can take a guess who had inherited the most from the King of Gods's personality.", but he didn't dare looking up to see who had said it.

and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her.

"He was her family, he should have cared about her." Hera growled, a five years old child who had lost they parents needs emotional support.

"I agree with you." Artemis growled, it is a wonder that the girl will grow up to that woman her grandchildren and they friends/cousins were praising so much.

She wanted to be a novelist,

"That is a person who writes stories, mortals in our time would call these books the works of a novelist or writer." explained Will to the gods who nodded, but still looked a bit confused.

"In the time we come from as you could hear in the chapters before this is it a norm for people to be taught in schools how to read, write and different other things. In one school there are many teachers and if one falls ill another takes they place temporary, education for all is even written down in the law and also stands under the personal rights of every human being that they have a right for education no matter they age, gender, social status or race." Annabeth explained at which Athena nodded pleased that there is a chance to give more people her blessing.

so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.

"Poor lady." Perses said sadly as he snuggled up to his mother who hugged him.

Everyone looked saddened at this, Sally Jackson really had a hard life, but never gave up and just when it looked as if she could full fill her dreams a new tragedy struck her leaving her in the end with nothing. Even Amphitrite needed to admit that she was starting to feel respect for this woman, she had went through so much and most people would have ether given up or would have turned cold towards others using them for they own gain, but she somehow managed to retain her warmth and not only did she raise a demigod child with love and care, but also reached out to all of her son's kind and tried helping them and they families to understand each other better. Yes, she was really beginning to respect his woman unlike her husband's other mortal affairs, mostly that she seems to be happily married now to a mortal named Paul, she doubted that her stepgrandchildren would call him they grandfather if they would hate him. Wait since when did she start thinking 'her stepgrandchildren'?

The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.

"It is not easy to say this, and I really can't believe it, but good." Amphitrite said making everyone except the legacies were staring at her with open mouths. "Oh, close your mouths before you catch a fly in them, she clearly needed at least something uplifting in her life to give her strength to pull through her hardship." she said while gesturing for Hercules to read, but she could still feel both her husband's and son's gaze on her, but she ignored them still musing about her warming up to this woman who will not be born for a couple of thousand years.

I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile.

All the demigods looked a bit jealous at the thought that Poseidon had visited his son when he had been a baby while the past heroes tried to find a memory of they godly parent visiting them at a really young age, but could find none except maybe the feeling of another divinity being present who wished them harm.

My mom doesn't like to talk about him because it makes her sad. She has no pictures. See, they weren't married.

"Check."

She told me he was rich

"Check."

and important,

"Understandable check."

and their relationship was a secret.

"Double check."

Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.

"Check on all accounts, congratulations you got a God as your dad!" yelled the Stolls brothers in an attempt to lighten the mood and it seemed to work because some were laughing or at least smiling.

Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.

"Wow, she is really good she told him the truth, but still hid it in one sentence." Apollo said in a stunned tone while Athena looked startled, how could Poseidon have charmed an intelligent woman?

"She is really good, better then what our mom told us, nee Travis?" Connor asked his brother who nodded.

"What did your mother say where I was?" Hermes asked his sons curiously.

"She told us that you were 'Doing time.'." Travis answered.

"This means that you are in jail for some type of crime you have committed." Malcolm explained upon seeing the confused look on the god's face.

"Well, I'm the God of Thieves also, but really." Hermes said with a raised eyebrow.

"I think most of your kids get told that, my mother said the same." Chris added in at which his father continued frowning while some of his relatives mainly Apollo and Ares started sniggering.

She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.

"She is a remarkable woman." all the goddesses said at the same time before Athena looked at her daughter who looked back at her, both were certain that Sally Jackson would make a good mother-in-law.

"No demigod child is easy to deal with." Reyna said as she remembered how her father had ignored them along with they stepmother, the night her older sister Hylla had come into her room and told her to pack as fast as she can so that they can leave before they parents return home. She had not understood what was wrong, but her sister looked worried, her strong sister looked never like that so she did as told and they had run away. Hylla had never told her the ground and she never asked.

Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano,

The nine legacies started growling in anger and it was as if the room had gotten slightly darker and colder.

"Who goes by the name Ugliano?" asked a confused looking Travis as he held back a snigger.

"Someone whose soul is just as ugly as they body." Henry hissed, that man was a disgrace to society and luckily was society finally free from him.

who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nick named him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.

"Eugh…" all the demigods exclaimed indicating for everyone that it is not a smell one would like.

"Compare the smell to a month old boar cadaver left out on the sun in summer covered in cheese." Clarisse said as all from the past wrinkled they noses and looked green in the faces.

"That is disgusting!" Aphrodite yelled while covering her nose as if she could smell it.

"How did you come to that comparison?" Annabeth asked curiously, she had tried to find a way to explain the smell to the gods and past heroes since the paragraph had been read.

"One of our neighbours was somewhat funny in the head, he had somehow gotten his hand on a young boar, but it died after being feed only cheese and the guy didn't notice. My mum held me in the home when they come to get him into an asylum, I was around six then. Believe me, it reeked to high heavens." Clarisse explained reluctantly at which Annabeth nodded.

"Your mom just gave me a frightening and disgusting mental image Ace." Lance whispered to the other who shrugged it of.

Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her,

Many people narrowed they eyes at this while the growls got louder.

"You say that he is already my guest and had even the 'privilege' for a private experience?" Hades asked his grandchildren who nodded. "Good, I hope he is well served for his stay." he said with a manical glint in his eyes which made some people shudder.

"Oh, he sure does makes even Sisyphus a few times glad to have his boulder anstead of what he has." En said with the same glint in her eyes while she spat out the name of that mortal who dared to imprison her grandfather's twin.

"Hopefully will this make him be a bit more quiet, he is to loud in his complaining." Persephone said in distaste before flashing a look at her mother that she will return to the Underworld in fall no matter what she says.

the way he and I got along ... well, when I came home is a good example.

"I don't like where this is heading" said Katie and many nodded with her in agreement.

I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.

"Even the Ares cabin is cleaner then that place!" exclaimed Annabeth in shock making everyone glare at the book, even Clarisse was directing her glare at it because she needed to agree with the book worm.

"The same goes for the Hermes cabin." Katie said in sock which only hardened the glares which made Hercules squirm slightly in his seat because he saw that this will get worse.

Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."

"Where's my mom?"

"Working," he said. "You got any cash?"

Before any of the past people could ask what that was broke all Hades out by those who had come from the future.

"HE DARED TO ASK HIS STEPSON FOR MONEY!" yelled a furious Annabeth not believing that someone could be such a scum, she had been blamed by her mortal family for anything that went wrong, but they never asked her to give them her money.

"That good for nothing…" Artemis growled as Poseidon and his family glared at the book with new intensity.

"He has no right for our brother's money." Orion hissed, his fist clenched.

That was it. No Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?

"What would your dad had done if he would have asked one of those?" Katie asked while looking at the Jackson siblings.

"Probably gone to meet granduncle Hades in his realm." Luke replied.

Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tusk less walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something.

"Ewww…not even I and my children put together could make that thing look handsome." gagged Aphrodite.

"Or look like a human." Gwen added in earning a smile from her mom which made her blush while her friends laughed.

"And you always say that you can't be a moral booster." Dakota said smiling to the girl which only made her blush deepen while Octavian looked at them scowling not noticing Aphrodite who took out her list again and started scribbling on it.

"You got that right, he is ugly on both the outside and the inside." Misty said in a disgusted tone, this was the first time that she got a physical description about grandaunt Sally's first husband. If she wouldn't respect her already then after this she would only a truly brave woman would hold out living with such a thing in one apartment.

He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting paychecks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer.

Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our "guy secret." Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out.


"This book did just not imply that this mortal hurt a child because he didn't give him his money?" Iris asked in a horrified tone, the Goddess of Rainbow hated, no she despised violence.

"I think it just did." hissed Deimos in disgust while sharing a look with his twin brother Phobos who nodded.

"Such a despicable weakling, only true cowards hurt children." growled Enyo before turning to Tyche. "Why do you hate this woman and her demigod son in the future?" she demanded from her good friend who looked unsure how to answer that.

"Leave it Enyo, you know that neither of us knows what we will do in the future we need to listen and see." Nemesis said while sitting beside her sister Eris, she was still wondering why her sisters the Fates were allowing them to change the future.

"Still, we hope that he will be ours and not Thanatos's to get." come it form the three Keres in union.

"I agree with our sister Nem." Eris said to her sister who nodded.

"Something tells me that he will surely face a divine punishment, but now we should all quiet down and listen." come it from Sophrosyne who finally managed to get Soteria to stop muttering curses under her breath so that she only pulled out a parchment and made a note for herself to bless both mother and child with safety and deliverance from harm.

The others followed the words of the personification of self-control which made Hecate smile that she was not the only one keeping everyone here calm when also the last growls and curses died down, but then Nesoi the Goddess of Islands groaned, leaning against Kratos who tensed together with Kalokagathia.

"What is it?" Nike asked the three in worry.

"Let's just say that there are some here who have two brothers needing to do overtime today." Kratos groaned while wrapping his arms around Nesoi to hold her back as she struggled to get up.

"Let me go Kratos" she hissed in anger "I will only go in there and tell Lord Poseidon my option."

"And that would be a bad idea." he told her sternly and tightened his hold while some of the other minor deities also tensed at the sudden feeling washing over them.

"Let me guess, Lord Poseidon's anger just sunk an island?" asked Dike while shaking her head, both her father Zeus and her uncle could be irresponsible with they powers when angry.

"Yes, so much about Atlantis" Kratos answered sighing "they had a nice future in front of them if they would have had the chance to develop more."

"Hopefully will they not destroy the world by the next chapter." Phobos commented as they all turned back to the palace.

It had taken everyone a good hour to stop yelling threats and insults at Gabe who if he would have been alive at this time around would have had a large number of angry divinities and they children thirsting after his blood.

"I don't have any cash," I told him.

He raised a greasy eyebrow.

The females shuddered in disgust.

Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.

"His smell!" exclaimed Athena, Annabeth and Malcolm in shock.

"Yes, his disgusting stench was strong enough to hide the scent of a demigod child of the Big Three." Nathan said in a tight tone, no one hurt a praetor of Camp Jupiter and got away with it.

Everyone looked grimly at this when they realized what that meant.

"She is a good mother." Hera said as she looked over at Amphitrite who nodded.

"You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"

No one noticed the smirk on Enysswe's and Henry's lips as they remembered just how useful Eddie will become in the future.

Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."

"At least one of them has a little sense in them." growled Demeter, she was so angry that she didn't even start saying anything about cereals.

"Am I right?" Gabe repeated.

Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels.

This time Hades noticed the smirks on the lips of his two grandchildren and wondered what type of punishment he had given this sorry excuse of a mortal.

The other two guys passed gas in harmony.

There were many sounds of disgust.

"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you lose."

"I may have a chat with Tyche and between the two of us will he never win a cent in his entire miserable life again." Dionysus growled out at which Dakota beamed at his dad who returned the smile with a smirk.

"Count me in D, he will be spending a good deal of time escaping from thieves in the future." Hermes threatened much to the delight of his children while Hera glared at Zeus, challenging him to say something about Gods not being allowed to interfere with the affairs of mortals or they demigod children, they are doing it anyway him included.

"Your report card came, brain boy!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"

"Oh, please I bet that he only barely scrapped the line which allowed him to pass through his grades or his parents bribed him through." snapped Annabeth in the defence of her future husband.

"Should we tell her that she is talking to a book?" Connor asked his brothers.

"If you wish to be gutted then be my guest." Chris answered while Connor looked over at Annabeth and shuddered.

"Nah, I want to live for a while." he answered.

I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During school months, it was Gabe's "study." He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.

More angered voices filled the air in both the throne room and outside, Gabe will be in the future wishing to have never been born with all the divinities who had decided to make him they target.

I dropped my suitcase on the bed.

"Home sweet home." Triton spat sarcastically when he noticed Hercules looking at him. "What?"

"You certainly share your sarcasm Lord Triton." Hercules said before continuing.

Home sweet home.

There was a new round of laughter going through the room while Triton blushed a darker shade of green at having made the same sarcastic reply as his half-brother.

"Ahh you gotta love sarcasm." Jason said while whipping a tear from the corner of this eyes.

Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds

"Alecto will take that as an insult." Hades stated before grinning which made everyone beside his wife back away from him, Persephone herself was also not better then her husband because she had broken out laughing as if hearing a great joke.

"Hades! What have you done to my daughter!" Demeter demanded while glaring at her brother and looking worried at her daughter.

"He had done nothing against me mother" she finally replied after calming down a bit "I was laughing about the fact that when Alecto hears that this man is worse then her and he is already in Punishment then she will go in her every free minute to show him how frightening she can be compared to a mortal." at her explanation was everyone grinning evilly, Gabe would surely get it.

or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.

"My grandaunts found this funny." Enysswe said to the groups.

But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak.

I remembered Grover's look of panic—how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone—something—was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.

Then I heard my mom's voice. "Percy?"

"Grandmum." said the Jackson siblings happily while others had little smiles of relief on the faces.

She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.

My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room.

"Awww…" coed the females while Jason looked down, he would have liked to know what type of person his mother had been.

Reyna saw the sad look on her co-praetor's face and gently placed her hand on his, giving it a light squeeze to show that she was there for him. Jason smiled at her in gratitude wile Nathan smirked at his parents who seemed to slip into a private little world of they own.

Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad.

There were many warm smiles at this both in and outside of the palace, they could certainly imagine her in front of them.


"She sounds like mom." Eris said as she leaned against her sister, a soft smile on her lips. She might be the Goddess of Strife, but she truly loved her mother and would give anything for her.

"That is true." Nemesis replied while those of they siblings who were also present nodded in agreement, they mother loved and cared for them no matter what they represented, she protected them from the wrath of the other gods because as they mother was it her duty to punish them if they had done something wrong and her punishments were just.


I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.

"That woman has certainly patience." Ares commented before spotting the two praetors. "Could someone get them out of they lovey-dovey state please?" he asked making everyone notice that Reyna and Jason were still staring at each other.

"Leave them Ares, this is sooo adorable." chided Aphrodite as she beamed at the pair who finally seemed to have realized that everyone was staring at them and immediately turned away from each other blushing crimson.

"Thank you, now continue punk." Ares said while leaning back in his throne.

"Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!"

Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.

"He is soo lucky." whined the Stoll siblings at the thought of free candy while the other boys nodded they heads eagerly, except a still embarrassed Jason that is.

"I'm getting hungry." whined both Apollo and Hermes.

"We will be eating soon." replied Hera while rolling her eyes at the duo.

We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She didn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing all right?

"Sounds like a great mother." Hephaestus whispered to Ares who nodded solemnly, he would not mind Hera being more like this while most of the demigods looked envious, but then remembered what they children had told them that she had in a way adopted all of them, this made them smile.

I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her.

From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?"

I gritted my teeth.

Everyone else in and outside of the throne room did the same thing wishing the worst for that sorry excuse of a human.

"How dare he interrupt a moment between a mother and her child." Hera looked murderous at this and even Hestia and Andromeda glared with hatred.

My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to some jerk like Gabe.

"She had now a teacher as her husband and is perfectly happy." Sally said while gritting her teeth, the others nodded in satisfaction.

For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself.

I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner. Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad.

Until that trip to the museum ...

"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"

"No, Mom."

I felt bad lying. I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid..

"Not to her, she can see through the Mist and knows about our world because of this." Michael said.

"The Mist is really strong, but there are a few mortals who can see through it, those people are called 'Clear sighted'." Will added in to the explaining, his mom was one of those people.

"Yes, grandmum Anita can also see through the mist similar to my other two biological grandmothers." Enysswe said while looking at her mother's younger version who turned in her direction when hearing his mother's name.

She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.

"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."

My eyes widened. "Montauk?"

"Three nights—same cabin."

"We love that beach." Luke said, his dad brought them there since he and his sister were babies, his dad had always a smirk on his lips and told them that they cabin was rally special to him, they mom and grandmum, but never elaborated if asked.

"As uncle P's kid you would." Apollo said.

"When?"

She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."

I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.

"Yeah because he spent it all on beer and gambling." Artemis spat in a dark voice, that man better hope that he will never met her or any of her hunters.

Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"

By all the glares the book got was it a surprise that it hadn't already gone up in flames.

I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.

I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."

Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"

More growls, muttered threats and dark looks.

"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."

"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your step father is just worried about money. That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."

"Bribery." come it from Hermes, his kids and grandkids, they eyes gleaming.

"She should not need bribery to go on a vacation with her son." hissed Amphitrite.

Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip ... it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"

Both Hephaestus and Ares jumped out of they thrones, covering they ears like everyone else when the sentence fell.

"THAT BASTARD SET A LIMIT ON HER BUDGET FOR CLOTHES AND EXPECTS HER TO SPLIT IT BECAUSE HE WILL NOT GIVE HER ANY TO GO ON A VACATION WITH HER SON! THAT NERVE OF THAT VILE, DISGUSTING, SLIMY ABORMATION OF EVERYTHNIG THAT IS DISGUSTING!" Aphrodite screamed almost hysterical so she didn't notice Enysswe walking up to her, eyes golden, till she had fallen into a slumber. As the goddess fell asleep in her throne was Henry already on his cousin's side and lead her back to where they were sitting, but everyone could see that she was leaning heavily on his and was looking pale.

"Enysswe, are you alright?" Persephone asked worried as she stood up from her throne ready to walk over to her stepgranddaughter.

"She is fine, it only took much energy out of her to calm Aphrodite enough down so that she could put her to sleep." Henry explained as he pulled the pale girl in his lap and held her close, it was as if she had also fallen asleep. "En is probably one of the most powerful under us who belong to the new generation and well you could say that she is kind of a mortal goddess with slightly similar aspects as the huntresses." at this stared everyone wide eyes at the still pale looking girl.

"What do you mean?" Zeus demanded while looking over the other members of the council, a mortal goddess could be either a large help or a great danger, but he didn't voice that for he knew that both his brother and son would immediately attack him and he would also have to deal with the Fates and they mother. He shuddered at the thought of an angered Lady Nyx standing again in front of him.

"Because of how she had been created and being in that state exposed to her parents inherited powers, also the soil she had been made from was given to her great-grandmother by her own father Chaos himself while the water…" at this Henry stopped for a bit ready for the yelling which was about to come" was water from the river Acheron."

"What!" come the screams of shock, if she was truly made out of the soil given by Chaos who had given existence to the beginning of everything and one of the rivers of the Underworld then this certainly would strengthen her inherited powers and set them higher then a demigods.

"Yes, those two were used, but to awaken her…" Henry stopped again hoping that his grandfather would help him out in explaining" was the combination of hellfire and sunlight used." with that he looked over at his grandfather whose eyes showed understanding.

"I see now what you meant by referring to her as a mortal goddess, I think we don't need to elaborate on the properties of sunlight, but not many of you are familiar with hellfire." Hades said while looking over that the group. "Hellfire has the property that it never goes out and burs for all eternity." everyone was listening with wide eyes to the explanation.

"In this contest could it be said that En is immortal and according to her grandaunts will stop aging when she reaches twenty five, beside that has she also the shape shifting ability of her grandfather Hypnos so she can look the age she wishes to be." Misty added in to the explanation while looking worried at her friend signalling to everyone that they are not done and there was still the comment about her being in a slight way similar to Artemis's huntresses who were immortal, but could be killed in battle.

"The only drawback is that the hellfire was never thought to exist in a living thing and it is bound to her powers, the more she exhausts herself while using her powers the more the flames and light which had given her life will dimish. If she exhausts herself to much will she need rest, but if she used her powers to a high extent then she usually needs to be in close bodily contact to one of her relatives who are bound to the property which had given her life." Henry finished explaining as everyone understood the ground why he was holding her, but then Hades stepped in front of his grandson.

"Then is it better if you give her to me, in my presence should she be better sooner." he told him and Henry nodded, with him would it take longer for En to recover then if she would be held by either of her two godly grandfathers.

After receiving his granddaughter Hades slowly made his way back to his throne with the sleeping girl in his arms, when passing the demigods could he feel the gaze of Apollo's son on him, he could feel his worry for the girl he will help give life to. Sitting back on the throne he noticed Hestia who was smiling kindly at him, he returned her smile, his sister was the only one of his siblings who didn't act as if he would carry a type of disease.

"I think we should continue reading." Athena said after ten minutes of silence as she watched her brothers returning to they thrones beside the peacefully slumbering goddess, she also noted the worried look Apollo had on his face. She held back a soft smile at how much he cared already for his granddaughter, but there was also the fact which made her frown. Lord Chaos and also Lady Nyx who was his lieutenant rarely took part in anything so why would they help creating such a being like that girl?

"Lady Athena is right, we should continue." Andromeda said and everyone nodded while Perseus gestured for his brother to continue which he did.

"Yes, honey," my mother said.

"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."

"We'll be very careful."

Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip ... And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."

"Interrupting it? Percy funded his stupid poker game!" Frank said angrily.

Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.

"Do it." encouraged everyone.

But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad.

Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?

"Because he is the ground why they didn't come sooner for you." Athena said sighing sadly, she never thought that she would feel sorry for one of Poseidon's spawns who was not Triton.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."

Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement.

"Yeah, whatever," he decided.

"What an idiot, that sentence was pure sarcasm." Clarisse spat while Athena and her children looked disgusted that someone could be this dumb.

He went back to his game.

"Thank you, Percy," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about... whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"

For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes—the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride—as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air.

It was this sentence that made it clear for the readers that she really knew what was going.

But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.

An hour later we were ready to leave.

Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the car.

"Would it have killed him to help them?" asked Gwen angrily.

"It is already a wonder that he rolled his fat out of the apartment." Ace said while some sniggered.

"I think we can see now that you are related to us." Travis said while throwing a glance at Chris who blushed and didn't care looking in Clarisse's direction, Ares was also back to glaring.

He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking—and more important, his '78 Camaro—for the whole weekend.

Cue hissing, growling and dark looks.

"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch."

"Like he'd be driving he's twelve" Annabeth huffed in annoyance when spotting Hercules giving her an amused look before her turned back to the book.

Like I'd be the one driving. I was twelve.

Annabeth blushed at this while the others around her broke out laughing about her saying the same thing her future husband thought.

"Wow mom, you don't eve know him, but are already channelling him." Sally said giggling, it was cute how her parents seemed to always know what the other was thinking.

"I don't…I mean…Hercules continue please." she said finally, her blush still present, but she was not sure if it was because of her having said the same thing as Percy or because she was called 'mom' by a girl four years older then her.

But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.

"I will make sure that the seagulls will use that thing as a restroom." Poseidon growled, his sons agreeing whole heartedly with they father.

Watching him lumber back toward the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the stair case as if he'd been shot from a cannon.

"That certainly proves it that he was evil or it would have never worked on a mortal." Persephone said as she looked over at her stepgranddaughter who had turned around slightly so that she was now resting her head against her grandfather's chest. It looked as if her husband did the right thing with taking her over from her cousin, the colour was slowly starting to return to her face and her breathing had evened out.

Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.

I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it.

At this broke everyone out laughing from the visitors from the future.

"This means that they should get out of there." Octavian told the confused gods while he tried not looking in the direction of his cousin, he still had problems to sort out how he felt about everything here.

Our rental cabin

"Now completely family property." Luke added in grinning, his dad had brought the cabin three years before Luke had been born.

was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets,

Athena and her children shuddered at this while Luke and Sally only flinched slightly happy that they arachnophobia was pretty light.

"Don't worry, dad never lets mom enter as long he hasn't discharged any spider in there." Sally said at which Annabeth smiled, that was good to hear that he was considerate about her fears to which her mother grudgily agreed.

and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.

I loved the place.

"Of course he would." Dakota said, what son of Neptune would not like a beach.

We'd been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer.

"It is a kind of family tradition." Sally added in.

She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my dad.

At hearing this exchanged Luke and Sally gazes with each other, now they knew why they dad was always smiling like that when they went to the cabin, it was in a way nice to know.

As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea.

"It seems as though her life force is the sea." stated Amphitrite, this would explain why her husband had been drawn to this woman.

"It would seem so." Poseidon replied with a small smile on his lips while taking his wife's hand into his which startled her, but brought also a little smile to her lips.

We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.

"What's with the blue food?" Zeus demanded while pointing at his brother. "That is my colour, his is green."

"Father, it is explained here." Hercules said at which Zeus blushed while others started sniggering at him.

I guess I should explain the blue food.

Everyone nodded while still grinning at a pouting Zeus.

See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This—along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano—was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.

"Not exactly uncle Percy, the streak you have is an obedience streak, your rebellious side is more of a river if anything." Nathan said in amusement which made Poseidon groan.

When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told me about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.

Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came to Montauk—my father. Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she would tell me the same things she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.

"He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."

All eyes went over to the siblings who easily guessed the question on they minds.

"Our dad and granddad could easily go through as twins, I mean even grandaunt Demeter once called dad Poseidon by accident." Sally explained at which everyone looked wide eyed at Poseidon having now a good clue how his son must look while both Theseus and Orion exchanged a glance. They looked similar to they father, but there were also little differences like the shape of they eyes, bodily building and such.

"Well, at least now you know that you marry a hot looking guy." Katie whispered to a blushing Annabeth who finally looked away from the Sea God.

Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."

"Oh, that he certainly is, but would have preferred fever heart attacks for that feeling." stated Luke and his grandfather paled as he remembered what some of the bets during Tournament Week were about.

I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years.

"Do you want the short, long or fine printed list uncle Percy?" Lance asked.

"Or we could tell this sentence to both camps and your friends will be gladly standing in line to smack you over the head for being an idiot or as they like to put is kelp head." Ace said in a serious tone.

"Is that his nickname?" asked Annabeth.

"Not exactly only one of the most used, though my mom refers to him as Prissy and you call him Seaweed Brain." Ace elaborated.

"Oh great." was her only reply.

"I like the nickname I gave him." Clarisse said grinning.

"You would." Chris muttered carefully so that she doesn't hear him, he still tried to figure out how they ended up together, he had never exactly looked at Clarisse like a girl.

"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean ... when he left?"

She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."

"But... he knew me as a baby."

"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."

"I think you visited him brother when his mother was not at home." Hestia said softly at which Poseidon nodded.

I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember ... something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.

"He would not be able to remember this if it didn't happen." Hestia said again.

I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me...

I felt angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.

"He understands things better now and really loves you grandfather." Sally said when she noticed the sad look on her grandfather's face.

"I'm glad to hear that." Poseidon replied to his granddaughter with a small smile while Amphitrite leaned against him, something she rarely did in the past decades, but it was more then welcome.

"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"

She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.

"I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think ... I think we'll have to do something."

"Because you don't want me around?"

Hercules hurried on with reading before Hera could open her mouth.

I regretted the words as soon as they were out.

My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I—I have to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."

Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said—that it was best for me to leave Yancy.

"Because I'm not normal," I said.

"Well, your dad's a Greek God so that is a given." Jason said, finally over his embarrassment though the look on both Dakota's and Frank's faces told him that they would never let him live down this little episode with Reyna, he didn't even dare looking in Octavian's direction.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe."

"Safe from what?"

"Monsters and on a number of occasions from your relatives." Theseus said but covered when meeting Dionysus's eyes.

She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me—all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.

During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.

Malcolm grabbed his sister's hand when he saw her flinch, Annabeth smiled at him gratefully.

"He was sent by granddad Poseidon to make sure that dad was fine, because on that day was a group of emposai spotted near that district." Luke explained at which his grandfather nodded, so it had been one of his sons sent by him and not a rough one.

Suddenly Hercules started blinking as he re-read the paragraph in his mind, he could not believe what he saw there, but the letters didn't change.

"Hercules continue." Zeus told his son who nodded reluctantly.

Before that—a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands.

Everyone who didn't know the story stared gapping at the book.

"Is that not the same what you did Herc?" asked Orion while looking at his cousin who nodded slowly.

"He certainly is a powerful demigod." Perseus said before nudging his brother to continue.

In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.

I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword. But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that.

"I think your safety is a bit more important then a trip on a beach." Annabeth said, feeling worried that something would happen, even if demigods attracted monsters was this a remarkable thing that he was still alive.

"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy—the place your father wanted to send you. And I just... I just can't stand to do it."

"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"

"Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."

"Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter are the only majorly safe places for demigods, well beside they additions New Rome and New Greece." Nathan said when everyone turned to him. "After you guys started getting along had the Romans suggested to build a city not far from camp just like they had made New Rome. They are basically cities populated by demigods, they families and legacies."

"You know it is kind of interesting how in the future there will be enough heroes that they could have they own city." Theseus whispered to his brother and cousin all of them curious to finally hear about the camps.

"New Greece looks great, mum did a good job in designing it." Sally said at which Annabeth turned around in a way which nearly made her brother, who was still holding her hand, fall over.

"I designed it?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

"Of course, who else would they have asked to do the job?" Sally asked as if she would have joked, but Annabeth was to busy smiling to think about it, she will be getting her dram and design a whole city for her family and friends to live in.

"I'm really proud of you Annabeth." Athena said to the girl who nodded eagerly.

My head was spinning. Why would my dad—who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born— talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?

"I'm sorry, Percy," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I—I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."

"For good? But if it's only a summer camp ..."

She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry.

"Some choose to stay at camp for the whole year." Will said to the gods who nodded in understanding.

That night I had a vivid dream.

All demigods and legacies flinched, they dreams were rarely pleasant.

"And to make maters more fun has uncle Percy the most weirdest, worst and highly prophetic drams from all." Misty said as everyone flinched again.

It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf.

"This sounds bad if they fight reflects itself out in the dreams of a demigod." Triton said while both his mother and aunt grabbed they husband's hands, he hated even thinking it, but he feared that his half-brother was not far from the mark with the last part of his sentence.

The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings.

Both brothers flinched as they looked at each other, they had never fought this viciously with each other.

As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.

Everyone slowly turned into Hades's direction who hoped that it was not him, sure he most of the time was angry at his brothers, but he never intended they death.

"Nugh…not granddad…mu…much darker…" Enysswe mumbled from her grandfather's lap as she shifted again into a more comfortable position and continued sleeping, the colour had already returned to her face.

"Read further and you will have a guess what she meant." Henry said in a tight voice, it was already starting that people thought that it was his grandfather who wanted war.

"Henry calm down please." Misty whispered into his hear and he nodded, trying to calm himself with the thought that En would be soon fine, that seemed to help him.

I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in slow motion.

All the gods tensed at these words, no it couldn't be, but didn't the Fates in they letter say that the world was two times plunged into great despair? Most of them looked fearfully at they future children knowing that the letter meant that they who are here had taken a large part in the upcoming two wars, it did not help much that they knew that they had survived because war always leaves behind scars which never heal. They did not know that outside the atmosphere had turned chilly as the minor divinities and nature spirits talked in hushed and frightened voices about what the future would bring.

I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed, No!

There was a long silence before Hercules continued reading, the tense atmosphere staying around them.

I woke with a start.

Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.

With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."

"She is certainly tied to the sea." Amphitrite mumbled to herself, still scared because what that dream had implied.

I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten. Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.

"That doesn't sound good" the tension rose again.

Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice—someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.

My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.

Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't... he wasn't exactly Grover.

Annabeth smiled nervously, Grover had found them, now they only needed to hurry to camp and everything would be fine.

"Ah, the first time you get faces with a satyr." Chris said knowingly, he had nearly jumped out of the window in fright when his keeper had revealed himself to him, looking back at it was the situation quiet funny.

"Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?"

My mother looked at me in terror—not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.

"Percy," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"

I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.

"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you tell her?"

"Grover, she would not be on the beach with him if she knew." Annabeth told her friend, worried for all three of them, which was strange seeing that she only knew Grover personally.

"I think Chiron will need to tell Grover to make sure that he keeps an eye on Percy so that they can get to camp sooner." Katie said, her hands clenching her skirt.

I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly.

I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on—

and where his legs should be ... where his legs should be ...

My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: "Percy. Tell me now!"

I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.

"Of course she would be in panic because of that." Will said while rolling his eyes, but one could see that he was trying to not show how worried he was, they all were having read Percy's thoughts even if it were only three chapters with this felt most of them as if they would already personally know him.

She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. Go!"

Grover ran for the Camaro—but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.

Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.

"And this is the end of the chapter." Hercules said while handing the book over to Orion.

"After this chapter will we be having lunch." Hera told the group which nodded before turning back to Orion who flipped the book to the next page.

To be continued…