Aby sat at breakfast alone this morning- Percy was out visiting his- their-mother. He had offered to take her along, to meet her estranged mother, but Abyss had declined as politely as she could. Sure, she knew she had been adopted, but the truth was that she had never really had that much interest in meeting the family that hadn't wanted her. If they didn't want to know her, she didn't want to know them.
"Don't tell her about me," she had requested quietly before he left for the week. "No matter how I feel about this, there's no need in causing her pain." Percy had nodded, but he was in impulsive creature, or so she was told, and she knew she could not be certain he wouldn't let something slip.

Now, as she sat at the Poseidon table, picking lightly at her eggs, Aby thought about the same thing that had been on her mind in the last two months she had been at camp. When she got here, pretty much the first thing anyone had told her was that her birth was a breach in a powerful pact made by her father and her uncles, Zeus and Hades. The thought that she was a demigod (daughter of a Greek god! This stuff only happens in books) was still mind-blowing to her, and sometimes when she woke she had to pinch her arm to convince herself that this was not a dream.

Though that pact was gone now, thanks to her heroic and famous brother who had saved Olympus and the world, etcetera etcetera, Aby still wasn't sure if she would be as accepted as Percy was. One breach by her father was enough- and now another child had surfaced, as far as she could tell, a few gods were angry.

"They'll get over it," Grover had told her a week after she came, when the camp was almost in lockdown for a huge storm that had passed over. "They accepted Percy, and Thalia, and they'll accept you, eventually." A large crack of thunder had sounded then, and Aby remained unconvinced.

What if they want me gone? she thought now, leaving the table and heading towards her cabin. What if they think I'm too troublesome, or maybe that my power will become too strong? What if the other kids don't warm up to me? - Gods know that only one or two have even tried to befriend me in these two months

But her mind suddenly flashed to her first encounter with a god- her visit from Apollo weeks ago; that she was not yet sure wasn't a dream. He seemed friendly enough, if not a bit odd. She knew better than to trust first impressions, but the sun god hadn't struck her down where she had stood, so maybe that was a good sign.

"Aby!" Grover called from outside the cabin, and she smiled despite herself- at least he was her friend, be it from Percy's influence of not. "Come on, or you'll be late for archery again!"

When Percy came back from his week with Sally, he did his best not to mention her too often. He seemed to notice the uncomfortable look on his sister's face when she was mentioned, and was surprisingly tactful. Their own reunion had been awkward and full of uncertainty, but the two found they got on quite well. They had to, Aby thought, if they were to live in together until one left the camp. Percy was here has the instructor for sword-fighting, and to spend time with his girlfriend Annabeth, who was staying year-long this year, being the architect for Olympus and who was supervising the building of the cabins for the minor gods and Hades. Abyss was ridiculously far behind in her demigod training (the fact that a twelve year old had pinned her to the ground in capture the flag had been a sore wound to her ego, though she did find she had the same aptitude for the sword has her brother did) and would be staying year-long for at least a few years to catch up on that. That meant that they had a while to catch up on the sixteen years lost of their twin-ship, and Aby was sure she could only handle one angsty reunion at a time. She could meet her mother any time- what she needed was time to settle into this new, crazy life of hers. She did, however, accept a blue cookie made by Sally Jackson upon Percy's uncertain and somewhat reluctant offering.

They had sat down together one night in silence. Though they got on well, there was some uncertainty in what they should talk about, especially at meals, and many nights they kept quiet. Tonight, however, Aby found the silence at their table, in vast contrast to that of other tables, and at last asked the first thing that came to her mind.

"Tell me about your adventures, Percy." she said as the nymphs served them. Percy looked at her in surprise, his eyes widening somewhat. His sister continued. "I want to know the stories about you, from your own mouth. Not overheard gossip of the younger kids."

Percy still looked shocked, but that slowly transformed from his face into a grin. "What do you want to know?" he asked, taking a sip from his Coke. Aby smiled.

"Start from the beginning, hero."

Percy had started off hesitant when he told of his first experiences of being a demigod, but as he went on he got more and more animated, eventually enlisting the help of Annabeth and Grover, as well as Nico, and an hour later the five were laughing at Percy's recollection of his adventures and the other's occasional input, and stayed at the Poseidon table well past dinner.

Aby laughed with the others, dearly wishing she's been there for some of it, and felt that she was finally getting comfortable with her long-lost brother.