A/N: Hey! I'm back! Merry Christmas! And here's my gift for you, a brand new chapter!

So, this is part two of the Ball on Olympus, so it happens just after she hears the conversation in the first part.

At some point, I'll put you the name of a song I was listening to when I wrote that part, because it'll help you be more in the story. Just listen to that (if you want to) until the next line break!

Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer! I don't own PJO or HoO, unfortunately. I own the plot and the original characters.

Chapter 4, part 2 : The Ball on Olympus

It was Hermes.

It was Hermes.

Hermes.

Hermes.

"I have been spying on her."

All those thoughts were swirling in my mind, clouding it for what seemed like hours, but was probably just a couple of minutes.

"I gained her trust."

When I had seen his face, I had run away. The man I was talking to had tried stopping me, but had abandoned when I had pushed him away violently.

"What kind of god of travelers would I be if I lost all my campers after only an hour?" he had joked.

All the memories of him were coming back, and this time they were different. All those kind things he had done for me, all those words he had spoken, the fuzzy feeling I had experienced each time I had thought of him, his smile, his eyes, his laugh, the safety I felt around him. Nothing was the same. I could see in his game. Wasn't he the god of liars? Was he the god of tricksters? But he was also the one I had trusted so easily. I couldn't believe I had been so stupid. How could I... I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream all that was in my heart, and in my mind. I wanted to hit everything, as if I was hitting Hermes, or maybe myself. I wanted to...

My breathing was wrecked, and slowly, sobs started breaking the peaceful silence of the park.

"I have been spying on her."

For some reason, he had gained the way to my heart so easily. Maybe because he had been the one who had saved me, no only from Clarisse, but of me being lost. He had reassured me when I needed to be reassured. He had protected me when I had needed to be protected. But he wasn't here to comfort me when I needed to be comforted, because he was the reason I was crying.

It's ridiculous how easily I had become attached to him. Sometimes, there are those persons who you like so easily and so quickly, and most importantly so much. Especially when you're lost. If you have ever felt alone and lost before, you will understand me. Any help, anybody that seems to want to come to you, it all seems so genuine, so important. And, unfortunately, sometimes, when you're out of that state, when you start feeling better, you realize that person wasn't so genuine, even if you're still grateful to that person.

And it was my case. I felt so betrayed.

Some may say the state I was in was ridiculous. That something like that can't affect you that much. That you can't get attached to someone like that, even if I had the impression I had.

That's true. I had to be strong, as hard as it may be. I had to forget that assh**e, and don't let it affect me.

That's why I stood up from the bench I was sitting on, dried my tears, smiled and went back to the place where the Ball was taking place.

Trying to forget that I felt so alone now.

I went back to the room where the ball was taking place and met with the Stolls. They were talking to Will and the boy I had fought against during Capture the Flag. They seemed pretty close. I sat down next to them and half listened to their conversation. They were talking about a war.

"... we were pretty lucky that Octavian died, no?" was saying Travis.

"I wouldn't say lucky. Nobody's ever lucky of someone else's death, don't say that." argued Will.

"Unless it's our enemy's death. Do you think we could have won if Octavian hadn't died? This guy was crazy beyond reason. He would have never accepted defeat. The only thing possible for him was death." insisted Travis.

"We could have captured him. He thought he had power, that's why he acted like that. If he understood he didn't he-"

"My brother's right." interrupted Connor. "He wouldn't have either accepted not to have power. Once they had told him he had, it was too late."

"I'm not sure, but then I didn't know him. What do you think Nico?" answered Will.

Oh, so his name was Nico?

"My father told me his death couldn't be stopped. He had to die, I'm sorry Will but Travis is right. That's why I didn't stop him, he had to die." said Nico in a low voice. He seemed to be remembering bad memories, which I could understand: he was talking about a guy's death and how he had decided not to stop it.

Nico was... it was hard to describe. He seemed a bit out, as if he thought he didn't totally belong with his friends, and was still struggling to be accepted. He smiled a bit, but it seemed that it was weird for him. He had this "hurt" face, probably because of what he was talking about.

I don't know why, but I suddenly wanted to hug him, or at least comfort him, help him. I smiled lightly at him, trying to tell him it wasn't his fault. And smiling helped me too, to get out of my shock state after what I had learned.

I had to lighten up. I couldn't stay sad. Or at least, it didn't have to show. So I tried entering the conversation.

"Your father? Who is he?" I interrupted. I was rather curious. After all, I had seen him in a car with a zombie driver. Maybe his father was an underworld god. Plus, apparently his father had told him about some guy called Octavian's death. "Is he like the god of death or something like that?"

"My father is Hades, the god of the Underworld. Death is Thanatos, the one that got captured, but he doesn't have any children. At least not that I know of. Why do you ask?" he snapped. Hasn't he forgiven me for the Capture the Flag? What am I saying, I did nothing wrong!

"Oh... Okay. Just to know, sorry." He seemed to realize you were frightened by his reaction and smiled a bit, apologetic.

The conversation went on, going from the war to another guy who died, to love interests, don't ask me how.

I saw Nico blush when Travis asked about him, and glance discreetly in Will's direction. Then, Apollo's son asked Travis about him and it was his turn to blush, Will smirking and Connor laughing. Oh yeah, I remembered Connor telling me something about a certain Katie when we had- I froze. We apparently hadn't talked. So how did I know? If it had been a dream, I couldn't know that. What was happening? First Connor, then...

I decided to clear things up, one at a time. I couldn't do anything about that Hermes things, or about The Mother or whatever, but what you could do was try and understand what was going on with the son of Hermes.

Excusing myself, I started looking for Percy Jackson. I could remember talking to him with Connor by my side. I found him with Annabeth and a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt. I waited a moment for him to finish his conversation but, unfortunately, someone came to talk to me before. Someone me really wanted to see...

Hermes.

"Hey, Ally!" he greeted me with a smile. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a white shirt that he kept a bit open and no tie. A glass of champagne in his hand, he was making his way to me. He had a happy smile and seemed radiant. Nobody could have guessed I had seen him earlier in the park. So I decided to pretend I hadn't.

"Hermes, you little piece of sh*t, it's such a pleasure to see you I want to strangle you and pop your eyes out of their socket, you lying bastard. I hate you so much I'm gonna push you of a cliff, I'm gonna remove that annoying as hell smile of yours off your face. You're just a liar, how could you do this do me? You think you can play with me? You think I'm that dumb to let you trick me? Well, guess what as***le, you failed!"

I wanted so bad to say that and more, but the only thing I said was, "Lord Hermes, what a pleasure to see you!" He smiled even more, laughing a bit. He had such a beautiful laugh. Such a nice smile.

"I didn't get to talk to you today, I'm sorry. I had some... family matters to take care of. With my father." He was openly lying to me. Family matters? That was bull**it!

I decided to play a bit with him, to see how he reacted and if he'd continue to lie so openly.

"Family matters? Nothing too serious I hope?" I started.

He jumped a bit and seemed like he didn't know what to answer. "N-No, it's n-nothing, don't worry!" he laughed a bit for good measure. What a hypocrite. "It was nothing"?

"Oh... If you want to tell me, you can, I'll be glad to listen!" I continued.

"It's really nothing, really!" he insisted, slightly panicked. I looked around smirking. I had to trick him, some way or another.

Wanting to change the subject, he suddenly asked. "Would you dance with me?" That took me aback. He wanted to...dance?

[Music: In a sentimental mood, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. It's jazz. If you don't want to listen to that, listen to any romantic kind of music. Listen to it until the next line break.]

"I-I don't know how to..." I started.

"Don't worry, I'll lead you!"

"But, we'll look ridiculous!"

"Please, Aleetheia! Trust me!"

I nearly choked on my drink, a coke, when I heard that. He wanted me to trust him? I nearly lost it when he said that. What a -

"So?" he insisted. Not letting me answer, he took my glass off my hand, put it next to his on a nearby table and pulled me over to the dance foor. He took one of my hands in his, put the other one on his shoulder, then put his on my waist, pulling me close. He then started moving slowly, and I followed his moves, his steps. The more we danced, the closer he was pulling me to him. He was taller than me, so my face was close to his chest. His face was atop my head. He had been right, I just needed to follow.

We danced like that for a while. I had almost forgotten who I was dancing with, I was just focusing on the music, letting it carry me. I almost found myself closing my eyes at some point.

"You see, you can trust me." he whispered against my ear, his breath tickling my neck. "And I think we're the best dancers right now." I could almost hear him smirking. That brought me back to reality. I felt anger starting to boil up again inside me.

Without me noticing, I muttered "Bastard" under my breath.

"Whoa, bastard? Do you hate that much dancing? Or is it because you were wrong?"

He had heard me! I blushed deeply. "I'm- That's not what I-" I looked up at him. He was smirking again.

"Well, at least, a sexy bastard, I hope?" he continued. I blushed even deeper. What was wrong with him? Did he drink too much? Or was it just a way to spy on me better?

Then a little voice in my head answered: "He's a god. They flirt, it's in their nature. How do you think he got all those kids?"

Kids? What? I'm minor!

"That's not what I meant! What I meant is that it's normal for him to flirt!"

With me? Why me?

"I don't know! I'm you, remember? Maybe he thinks you're pretty?"

Kids?

"Stop focusing on that! It was just an example! You know what, let's just say he's drunk and-"

Can gods get drunk?

"Stop interrupting me, damn girl! Then he's spying on you, I don't know!"

By flirting?

"Raaaahhh!"

"Kids?"

I didn't notice I said that last thing out loud. Hermes looked at me, taken aback. "Are you alright? You seemed rather conflicted... And what did you say?"

I didn't notice I had been in that mental conversation with the little voice in my head (that happens! I'm not schizophrenic!) so long. I blushed, again.

Excusing myself, again, I left him on the dance floor and rushed in the garden again, like if the clock was going to ring midnight in seconds, barely hearing Hermes calling me.

Once again, I was hit by the fresh air. I walked a bit, calming myself. Why had I reacted like that? Yet another question I couldn't answer. Maybe because I was dancing with a god. Maybe because of what I had learned earlier.

Or maybe just embarrassment.

I started laughing a bit. Then a lot. At some point I was almost crying.

"Do you often start laughing for nothing?" I heard a voice behind me. A feminine voice.

I turned around quickly. At first I didn't see her, she was hidden in the shadows. As she advanced, I could start distinguishing her. She was wearing a very dark dress, which didn't help. She was tall, maybe even 1.80 meters, and slim. Long straight black hair flowed down her back, not styled in any way. She was Asiatic, with eyeliner defining her eyes and dark lipstick on her small mouth. I noticed something on her collarbone, it was a tattoo. She had also others on her left arm, but they was mostly hidden by the sleeve of her dress.

She was pretty. Maybe not beautiful but pretty. She had harmonious features, but an overall dark look. You know how some people seem to glow because they're happy? Well, with her, it was almost the contrary.

She came to sit next to me, not saying anything else. She was looking around, as if waiting for something; maybe for me to talk?

"Hello." I started. "I'm Ally."

She looked at me. There weren't any emotions on her features. "Seiko. Nice to meet you." she answered in a low voice. She had a hoarse kind of voice, like a smoker's. She spoke slowly, almost drawling, and had a very slight accent. Who was she? I hadn't ever seen her at Camp. Was she a goddess? But she didn't have that "aura" around her.

"I saw you walking, so I thought I could come talk to you. I arrived at Camp this morning, haven't been claimed yet, just like you. I saw you when you've talked to the gods at the Council. I understand how it feels like." she continued. "The gods are... as much as they like to pretend it, I don't think they care for us mortals, half-bloods. If they did, I think they would have claimed you."

Wow, that girl seemed to bear grudges! But was she that wrong?

"When I was small, I lived in the streets. Nobody was there to help me. Do you know what it is? How hard it is? Well, my godly parent didn't help me. I had to do it all by myself." She pulled up the sleeve of her dress, so that I could see her tattoos. But it wasn't that that surprised me, it was what was under them: they were covering scars! I saw on her collarbone that is was the same. How could she have gotten so many?

"Monsters." she answered the silent question. "Don't you think my parent should have done something?" I was taken aback, shocked.

"But-" I started "They have changed. They have made a promise after the war that-"

"Do you think that a simple promise asked by a demigod can change thousands of years of behavior? Then, that's your point of view, and I'm not here to judge it."

I didn't know what to answer. Her reasoning was wrong, no? All the gods weren't like that. But the more I remembered the discussion between Hermes and his father and how they were proclaiming that I should apparently be dead, the more I was questioning myself.

"I've been in the parks for a while. Not very fond of parties." she started again. "I saw you, you were crying. Why?"

I didn't know whether I should answer or not, but all the emotions were coming back and I needed to speak, so I spilled my guts. I said how lost I had felt when I had arrived and how Hermes had helped me. When I had talked to Connor but that he said we hadn't. How I had started liking the god of thieves. When I had heard him talking in the park, and when we had danced. I omitted talking about the letter I had received and the man I had met.

By the end, I was in tears again. To my surprise she smiled a bit, reassuringly. Then, she thought for a while before saying.

"You said the guy called Connor apparently wasn't there the day you talked, right? Do you know where he was?" she asked.

"Yes, he was on a quest for his father." I answered immediately.

"His father who is apparently spying on you. Do you see where I'm going?"

I didn't understand first, but then it hit me like an obvious fact. Not wanting to believe it at first, I asked.

"I don't see where you're going..."

"Yes, you do. Don't deny it."

"I-"

"Ally, don't lie to yourself. You know what it means."

It was hard to say. I didn't want to, and I hoped she would tell me I was wrong.

"Was- Was it Hermes?" I was on the verge of tears. That was too much.

"Darling, I'm sorry. What are you gonna do?"

What I was going to do? What a good question. I didn't know. What should I do?

I had to breathe deeply for a moment to calm myself down. The sadness was now overpowered with anger. So much anger.

"Have you talked to him? Does he know that you know?" Seiko started again, after having waited for a while that I'd calm down.

"No, not yet."

"Why not?" she seemed annoyed. "Don't you think he should know? Do you think you can just let it go, like it's normal? Or do you want him to continue taking you for an idiot?"

"No, but-"

"Then, are you scared of confronting him?"

"I'm not scared!" I was starting to boil up with anger. Who was she to come and think she knew it all better than me?

"Then you are weak." she was continuing, provoking me.

"I AM NOT WEAK!" I burst out, practically shouting.

"Then why don't you go face him, uh? Why do you go dance with him, when you know why he dances with you? Do you really think he danced with you because he wanted to? Do you even THINK he ever TALKED to because he wanted to? Don't be STUPID!" It was her turn to scream.

I froze. She was right. From the beginning, he had only come to me because his father had asked him to. All he had done was just to try getting closer to me, to gain some information. Why was he even spying?

"Listen. I am sorry I screamed, but you needed to face it." Seiko said, calming. She put her arm on my shoulder, and, not knowing what I was doing, I turned around and buried my face in her shoulder, crying, for the umpteenth time of the day.

A/N: There you go! I hope you liked it! What did you think? Did you like Seiko? It was a hard chapter to write because I had to put the emotions that Ally felt and write as if I were in her mind, so it's not the same when she's angry than when she's mad.

I really had a lot of fun writing the part where she dances with Hermes. Did you like it?

Please don't forget to REVIEW because I didn't get many for last chapter!

Next update shouldnt last, so you can FOLLOW not to miss it (and it also motivates me, just like FAVORITE! ;-P )

Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope you had a lot of fun! And for those who don't celebrate it, I hope you're having fun either way!

Question: What present did you get for Christmas (or the religious event you had in december, there are so many :-D)?

Review answers:

Nicole-Witch-Poseidon'sLilGirl: Thanks! And it's only getting worse! Grrrr, mean Hermes XD I hope you feel the same about this chapter, that's really nice what you said!

YokoLucas: I'm doing my best, and don't hesitate to tell me precisely in PM so I can change it ;-) I'm glad you liked it and hope you like this one even better. It's only getting more complicated for our poor Ally!

See you soon,

Constance