Time skip - 1 month

NO POV

The bells of the camp were ringing before most of the campers were even awake. A small army of about 100 or so monsters was in view of the camp and the campers on duty had been a little late in ringing the bells. The attack was lead by three laistrygonian that wanted revenge and to munch on a few campers. They were not very bright but they had gathered the support of a few other of their kin, hell-hounds, dracaena and empousa.

"The camp is under attack!" Shouted some campers. Others shouted to prepare the battle-lines. The Ares cabin had been the few battle ready as they basically slept near their armor and weapons.

"Clarisse, stay with the campers a bit and then see if you can come help me with the Joe Bob and his brothers," shouted Percy to the love of his life. "Annabeth, don't let them enter the camp whatever the cost. We have too many young campers and can't afford the destruction, if they destroy the cabins we won't be able to build New Athens at all." Annabeth nodded and commanded the cabins to assume the best defensive formation of Ares children leading the front with Athena children behind them and Apollo children providing support from the back-line. Everyone else around the sides helping as much as they could and ensuring no monsters got to the young ones or inside the camp.

Clarisse and her friends rushed to the front-lines. Miranda, Allie, Jamie and Annabeth used their respective weapons, ready while Katie just raised plants to bind the nearest enemy monsters. They quickly took down two hell-hounds and an empousa after she got her wing pieced by one of Allie's arrows.

Clarisse had told Percy she was indeed pregnant after she missed her period two weeks ago. She immediately offered Aphrodite food to confirm this and she had agreed. Percy was so happy that he spoiled her non-stop for the first week until Clarisse told him she was still perfectly normal and could still do everything just the same. That day Percy showed her a wonderful night but they were discreet as they did not want another embarrassing morning.

Clarisse and her new friends bonded so closely they called themselves sisters and spent a large part of the day together but Percy did not mind much. He loved Clarisse the same if not more than ever as their time together was limited.

"Percy Jackson," a voice boomed, it was Joe Bob. "We are here for revenge and hero flesh," said the cannibal. His brothers and the rest of his kin cheered in approval and all got out their rocks. Percy glared at the giant and took out Riptide.

"Over my dead body Joe Bob." Percy rushed at the giant and dodged the fury of rocks that passed by him. Percy was much faster than when he first fought the brothers and had no difficulty dodging their attacks. He slashed Marrow Sucker through the chest in a powerful swing and the giant turned into a pile dust.

"You will pay for that Perseus," Joe Bob started to launch rocks at a faster pace but in close quarter combat rock hurling was not very effective. Percy landed a fast strike on his left arm and the giant took out an iron club and started swinging it with surprising speed at Percy.

"I will avenge my brother and we will feast on your flesh," shouted Bob. Soon Skull Eater and two other giants joined in with their own iron clubs. Percy pushed his limits and dug Riptide through an unnamed giant's chest and soon it turned to dust as well. He had a hard time trying to dodge three opponents swings and hoped Clarisse could lend him a hand soon.

Another giant took down his guard for a bit and Percy capitalized on the opportunity. He dug Riptide through his skull but was knocked aside by an iron club before he could regain his weapon. Percy looked up to see Bob, Skull Eater and an unnamed laistrygonian giant grinning happily at his defeat. Bob swung his iron club but it was intercepted by an Electric spear. Percy reached for his pocked and pulled out Riptide and stood up.

"What took you so long?" asked a grinning Percy. Clarisse counterattacked a stunned Bob and when the giant turned to dust she smiled back at Percy and gave him a small kiss on the lips.

"I had to make sure the girls could do without me." Said Clarisse.

"Plus I thought you could handle it, being a big boy you are," Clarisse gave him a suggestive wink, Percy chuckled at his love's bawdy comment and rushed at Skull Eater. The giants were still shocked at the recent developments and were quickly turned to dust by a celestial bronze sword and an electric spear.

"Clarisse!" Yelled a feminine voice at a distance. One of the empousa had seen the downfall of her sister by Allie and commanded a few hell-hounds to rush Clarisse's group of friends. Katie was too busy and tired from binding enemy monsters for the campers so far that she could not help Allie, while Annabeth and Miranda had their hands full with a trio of hell-hounds. Their daggers' short range and lack of lethality had let them very injured and tired from ineffective slashes and stabs. Olive was busy trying to protect Allie from another three but her battle hammer was heavy and she could not keep up with the speed of the hell-hounds. Clarisse rushed to her sisters and protected Allie as much as she could. The daughter of Apollo was not good with melee weapons and was severely injured, resorting to using a small dagger.

Percy had been fighting the rest of the giants and finished them off as they attacked in the controversial one at the time strategy. He was about to go help Clarisse and her sisters but was stopped when he heard the voice of a certain god of war.

"Perseus Jackson, It has been a while don't you think sea scum." Percy glared at the war god and noticed that Ares was wearing light armor as opposed to his usual heavy one. He was wielding a thin sword and had contempt in his eyes.

Percy readied Riptide and answered, "Can't we do this some other time Ares? Clarisse has her hands full trying to protect the campers and needs my help right now."

Ares scoffed, "My daughter is a true warrior and can defend herself just fine. She does not need you to hold her hand punk. Now come and fight me like a man and I'll make your death not as painful as I originally planned." Percy narrowed his eyes at the war god but decided to ignore him as Clarisse was more important. He knew that gods could not hurt demigods unless the demigods challenged them or striked them first.

Ares noticed but already had a backup plan in case Percy reacted this way. "If you don't fight me your mother might find herself with a pack of hell-hounds next time she exits her apartment." Percy was shocked that Ares tell him something like that. His mother was innocent and had nothing to do with the Greek world. "Look you stupid sea brat, I advise you to stop running like a coward and face me now or there will be consequences. I swore on the Styx that your happiness with my daughter shall be short lived no matter what it takes. You die here Jackson." Ares was bluffing about Percy's mom but he knew that he pushed the right keys when Percy rushed towards him with fiery eyes and Riptide on his hands.

Ares was moving faster than ever without his heavy armor and weighted wristbands. He had Percy pushed back and was grinning evilly the entire time. Percy could barely hold his own against the war god who seemingly got stronger and faster since the last time they fought.

"You got a lot faster and stronger Ares." Percy told the god of war.

"Yes, I guess I could tell you my secret since you are about to die. It's a little old school way of training in which one wears weighted clothing to increase their speed and strength. Last time we fought I had weighted wristbands and still knocked you to the ground. Now you don't have that luxury." Ares rushed at Percy and in a demonstration of power slammed his sword with so much strength that when Percy tried to block it Riptide broke in half. Percy was shocked and pulled away from the grinning god of war.

"Why are you doing this Ares? I love your daughter, she loves me and she is bearing my child. I love them both, I promised I would protect them both but instead I'm here fighting and losing a rather pointless battle with you." Said Percy in a defeated tone. Ares roared in anger and rose to his godly height and gathered the attention of most of the monsters and campers.

"Why? You damaged my pride when you beat me all those years ago! You made me the laughing stock of my brethren! You turned my daughter against me! You deflowered her and turned her from a warrior to a love-struck girl! You injected your poisonous seed in her and now she bears your child! You took what was most valuable to me and made my life miserable ever since that damned day and you have the nerve to ask why!?" Percy was shocked at everything that Ares had just said. He never imagined Ares would feel that strongly about him. He felt guilty that he never considered how the god of war felt about all of this so he looked down in shame. He looked at the remains of Riptide and dropped his now short sword to the ground to accept him fate.

Ares facial expressions quickly changed from anger to scorn as he looked at the defeated hero. All his training was finally paying off and Clarisse was too busy defending the campers to interfere. Sure he would lose her but It would be worth it, she will forgive him at some point and he will have regained his pride. He turned to look at his favorite daughter and noticed she was looking at him eyes full of hatred. Clarisse had heard and seen everything and pointed her spear towards her father.

In less than second a hell-hound rushed towards a distracted Clarisse and bit the daughter of Ares on the shoulder. As Clarisse fell to the ground another hell-hound joined the first one and in one swift motion clenched his teeth on her belly and used the claws on his paw to swipe at her face. Ares roared in anger and unleashed his true form disintegrating all of the monsters on the spot. Breaking the ancient laws drained him of most of his power but he walked towards his dying daughter, Percy slowly followed behind him

"Per… Percy." Clarisse was struggling to speak and was shedding tears as she looked at the love of her rest of the campers were around the fallen hero and had sadness in their eyes, some were crying outright.

"I love you Percy… you made me very, very happy… you and all my friends… the campers..." Percy held Clarisse's head on his lap and leaned closer to her . Ares had watery eyes at the sight of his dying daughter but remained strong. The campers were looking at Percy on his knees caressing Clarisse's cheek.

"I love you too Clarisse, more than anything in the world." Percy said softly. Clarisse nodded, glanced at her brothers and finally set her eyes on her father.

"Father … brothers… pro… promise me.." Clarisse took a breath as much as she could. "One thing be...before I go" Ares looked at his daughter and nodded sadly.

"Anything my daughter." If it had not been for his burst of rage Clarisse would have never been distracted and she would have never gotten hurt. This is my fault, thought the god of war.

"Get a...along with Percy. I .. I love you dad… but I love him too." Clarisse gasped for air once more and looked at her father. Ares finally had tears in his eyes, he had never cried in his entire immortal life but this was his favorite daughter and she died because of him, he thought. He slowly nodded at his daughter's dying wish and leaned closer to put his hand on her head

"I love you too Clarisse. You are more important than anything else in the world and I'll do anything for you." Ares had trouble accepting this but Clarisse was more important than anything else, even his pride. He forgot about his quarrel with Percy, he could care less about him as he saw his dying daughter.

"I'm sorry I was not there for you Clarisse, because of me you-" Percy was stopped by the daughter of Ares.

"No Per… Percy. It's not yo...your fault." Clarisse took one last breath and looked into Percy's green eyes and said, "I love you."

Percy grabbed the lifeless body of Clarisse and held her rightly to his chest. "I failed her, I promised I would always be there for her and my child. I broke my promise and now she's gone." Percy could only feel anger, anger at Ares, anger at the monsters, anger at the fates but mostly anger at himself. It should have been him that died today, not Clarisse. Because of him he not only lost Clarisse but also his child. He never got to see him before he was taken away, it was a cruel world and he hated that he could not even get himself to grieve them.

Ares was no better, before his very eyes had died his favorite daughter. As her last wish she had asked for Percy and him to get along, that she loved them both. She said she loved him even when he was about to kill the love of her life, she forgave him and asked just one thing in return. He caused this by distracting her, it was only fair he should swallow his pride and honor the wish of the best daughter he could ever ask for.

Only Clarisse had died that day. Some campers were injured but none were damaged too badly. The whole camp gathered around to burn her shroud and Ares himself led the ceremony. He prayed to his uncle so his daughter would go to Isles of the Blessed without having to be reborn as she deserved it and he felt responsible. Hades had complied as he knew that Ares cared much for his daughter and had even cried for her.

Ares stood next to Percy but never looked him in the eye. They both watched Clarisse's shroud burn and Ares looking sad but Percy being expressionless the entire time.

"Two heroes died this day Ares," Percy took out his pen and uncapped it. A broken celestial bronze blade sprung to life."This will always be a reminder that I had failed her and my child. Before Zoe died she told me she was honored I carried her sword, if only she could see us now." Percy capped the broken blade and put the pen back in his pocked.

"You kept your promise Ares. My happiness with your daughter was short lived just like you said." Percy looked directly at the teary eyed god of war.

Percy looked at him with so much hate Ares could not meet his gaze. "I broke my promise and you kept yours. Was it worth it?" Percy walked away and Ares looked down in shame as he remembered his oath. He swore on the Styx Percy's happiness with his daughter would be short lived no matter the cost. He just had no idea what the price was going to be this high. He lost his daughter, the greatest one he could ever ask for and his legacy. One that was destined for greatness and could only bring honor to him and his uncle by being born out of the greatest demigods in history.

The ceremony finished and Ares flashed in to his palace to reflect on everything that had happened that ungrateful day. Percy remained in his cabin and spend a lot of time looking at the mark on his wrist. Himeros had promised him he would never suffer from love in his life and apparently that included grieving the love of his life. In this instance Percy hated the cursed flower of Himeros. It had once brought him great joy but now it made him inhuman, a heartless monster that could not cry even after witnessing the death of Clarisse and their child. Percy laid in his bed for hours trying to cry for his lost love but could not get himself to do it. As Percy lied there, he realized he would rather die of grief than not feel anything at all.

Dammit, why did I have to make Clarisse so likeable? :'(