Disclaimer: (No author's notes, I'm just as anxious as you to get on with the story. No one ever reads these after a while, anyway.) I do not own PJO. (I only own Paulo, though he is technically Apollo.)

Thalia opened her eyes and found she was staring around in awe. She was in a beautiful garden, and standing not a foot away was an enormous, majestic fountain, spouting clear, shimmering water.

"Wow." Percy whispered, and Thalia had to agree.

She turned around to ask Apollo what was going on, and where they were, when she suddenly realized that they were totally alone. Apollo had left them, and she didn't have a clue where they were.

"Oh, Hades." She mumbled.

Suddenly, she sensed that something was about to happen. She gripped Nico tighter just as he began shaking. She snatched up Percy from the stroller and hurried the two of them away from the unsettling air around the fountain.

She was lucky that she had, because just as she managed to place them both smoothly on the ground, the fountain burst.

The loud explosion echoed in her ears, and Thalia threw herself over the kids to protect them from any debris that might come flying their way, although none did.

When it was at last silent, Thalia gradually lifted herself up and looked at the fountain, to see-

"Mom?"

"Thalia." The ghostly hiss was like a dagger, digging into her heart.

"W-what are y-you doing here?" She steadied her words.

"You. You left me to die, and now you don't even want your own mother to speak with you!" The once-beautiful woman frowned, and tears began pooling in her eyes. Thalia at once felt guilty.

"No! That's not what I meant!" Thalia blurted out.

"Then what could you have possibly meant?"

"I mean, well, you're kind of, you know, dead. Why are you here?"

"I'm here for you. There's a chance for you to save me, for me to come back to life, and live with you, as a mother properly should. I've learnt my lesson, and if you will save me, I will be the mother I never was to you."

"I-I would." She had to stop and take a breath. "I would love that. What do I need to do?"

"Just leave Percy and Nico, and come to me." Her mother's eyes shined with cruel delight, but Thalia didn't notice.

Thalia took another deep breath and bent down to get eye level with Percy and Nico.

"Okay, guys, I want you to listen to me. That lady over there is my mother. I'm going to go over to her for a moment. I'll be right back. Just stay here, look after each other, and try not to make anyone mad or break anything until I come back and you have an escape route again, okay?"

Nico clung to her. "NO! Mama, no! Scary lady not nice!"

"Nico, it'll be okay." Thalia tried to reassure him.

"No, Mama! That scary lady is going to kill me and Nico." Percy clarified for Nico, looking just as terrified.

Logic told Thalia that both of them were just overreacting, being kids. But this was Greek mythology come to life. There was no logic.

Thalia stood up and faced her mother. "If I come to you and agree to leave them, what will happen to them? Tell me, and swear on the River Styx that your answer is truthful."

Thalia's mother sagged a little bit. "I swear on the River Styx that those two boys will be killed if you accept my offer. However, you will be much taken care of, and have a well and caring family, once again. In fact, let's even throw in Jason into the mix."

"Jason?" Thalia was shocked, remembering the little boy whom she'd loved so much. The first boy she'd ever loved.

"Yes, Jason. I bet you're wondering whatever happened to him. Well, if you come here, I can take you to him, and we three can be the family you've always prayed for. Maybe we might even find a caring, loving father to bring into the batter." Her mother was really playing with fire, here.

"No!" Thalia shook her head. "I have a family. And I don't need you. You were never much of a mom, and you never will be. Jason is dead, and so are you. There's nothing I can do to change that. But that doesn't matter anyhow. I'm not leaving Percy and Nico for anyone. They're my family, and I love them, no matter how annoying they can get."

Thalia raised her face to the sky and slipped her hands into Percy and Nico's. "Do you hear that? I LOVE MY COUSINS! SO JUST LEAVE US ALONE! QUIT TRYING TO TEST HOW WELL WE WORK TOGETHER! I LOVE THEM!"

And then she lost it. She sank onto her leaves and pulled Nico and Percy into a tight embrace, tears racing down her cheeks.

"I love you guys, and I will never let go of you. I promise." She whispered softly.

Percy hugged her and Nico back, just as tightly. He understood a little bit of what was going on.

Nico poked his Mama in the face and then, as only a three-year-old child of Hades named Nico can do, said, "Mama, I'm hungrwy."

This chapter's inspiration came from emmalunajackson33. I hope you liked it!