As the reception goes on and guest start to mingle, Thalia grabs Jason and gives him a big hug. "I've missed you little brother," she tells him holding him tightly.
"I've missed you too, Thals," he says then kisses her cheek, "We don't get to see you often enough."
Thalia then gives Piper a hug and says, "Artemis gave me until Monday afternoon to rejoin the hunt, so we could spend some time together if you two are going to be around."
"We were planning to return to California tomorrow morning, but we can delay that can't we, Jason?" Piper asks.
"For my big sister, we sure can," he agrees then puts an arm around each of his ladies.
"How are things on the hunt?" he asks.
"Things have been going well. Most monsters have been staying hidden, but as soon as we pick up a scent, we take care of it. We have some amazing trackers and Artemis is, well she's just unbelievable," Thalia tells them.
"Well her lieutenant is pretty damn good too," Jason says then kisses his sister again.
"So the two of you have decided to live at Camp Jupiter?" Thalia asks.
"We haven't decided about permanently, but they need some leadership right now, and since Percy and Annabeth are going to be staying at Camp Half-Blood for now, we thought we should be there. We might split our time. After all, Piper is still the counselor of the Aphrodite cabin," he tells her.
"It makes sense not to let Drew get that back," Thalia says with a chuckle.
"So the Roman's are OK with you being at camp?" she continues looking at Piper.
"They seem to be," Piper tells her, "I think that since everyone here accepts Frank and Hazel like family, they don't want to look like the ones with the attitude. Of course being there with Jason makes it easier."
"So, when you're there, do you live in his house?" Thalia asks with a smile.
"Not so loud," Jason says motioning for his sister to keep it down, "Yeah, when we're in California she lives in my house with me, but we haven't had sex yet."
"What, why not?" his sister asks, "You're not afraid are you?"
"Afraid, no," he says defensively.
"I bet," she says with a laugh.
"You have no room to talk. You ran off to become a hunter so you would have an excuse to never do it," he says giving her a hard time.
"That's not why I became a hunter," Thalia says now being defensive herself.
"Now, now we don't want an explosion," Piper says trying to calm them both down, "We just don't want to set a bad example for the kids."
"I'm sure they all think you're doing it if you live together," Thalia says in a more even tone.
"We told them we're not. They trust us," her brother tells her.
"Boy Chiron sure wouldn't trust you like that," she says with a chuckle.
"That's a difference between Romans and Greeks," Jason says.
"Well that and not having any adults in charge," Thalia says thinking that is the real explanation.
"Clarisse, dear," Aphrodite says sweetly then adjusts Clarisse's hair without thinking, "Your father says hello."
"I bet," Clarisse says knowing better.
"Well, OK, he didn't, but he is proud of you," the goddess tells her.
"You don't have to say nice things to me about my dad," Clarisse tells her, "I know he's too busy to care about any of his kids."
"That's not true," Aphrodite tells her even though she knows it's partly true.
"Dad only cares about the kids he had with you, and their bullies," Clarisse says not caring if she hurts her feelings or not.
"Our children are bullies, I admit that," Aphrodite says sadly.
"Look you can go talk with Piper or someone else. You've done your duty in saying hello," Clarisse says trying to get her to leave.
"Clarisse, I had planned to speak with you today if you were here," Aphrodite now tells her. "I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you and how you saved Chris."
Chris who has been sitting with Clarisse the entire time squeezes his girlfriend's hand. He knows neither of them likes to think back on the time when he almost went insane.
"I didn't help him just to make you or anybody else proud," Clarisse says hotly.
"I know exactly why you did what you did," Aphrodite tells her, "Because you love him. You're father would never have been so tender."
"You're saying my dad isn't tender, even to you? I thought you two were in love," Clarisse says.
"Your father does love me, and when we are together the sex is amazing, but he doesn't know how to be loving and tender even with me," Aphrodite admits.
"Whoa, TMI," Chris says thinking he really didn't need the mental image of Aphrodite and Ares getting it on. Aphrodite smiles at the thought of embarrassing the boy.
"Just don't be so hard on your father. When he tells you that you could do better, he's really trying to telling you that he is proud of what you've done. If he completely ignored you, then he wouldn't care. I just want you to remember something. When the two of you are together, sexually I mean, take the time to be tender," the goddess tell them.
"What makes you think we've had sex?" Clarisse asks defensively.
"I'm the goddess of love Sweetheart. I can always tell," Aphrodite says with a playful laugh.
Clarisse just looks at her while Chris blushes.
"Please don't let her come over here," Frank mumbles.
"Who? What are you talking about?" Hazel asks.
"Aphrodite," he explains, "She's over there talking with Clarisse and Chris."
"Oh, why don't you want her to come over here? Are you afraid of the Goddess of Love," Hazel says with a chuckle.
"It's not that, besides, I already found love. I don't need her help," he says then kisses Hazel's nose.
"Then what?" she continues.
"She's Dad's girlfriend," he explains.
"Oh yeah, I forgot, but maybe since this is a Greek wedding and she's Aphrodite today and not Venus, she won't recognize you," Hazel says.
"Maybe," Frank says kissing her again.
"Oh Frank," a voice now calls to them, "You who, Frank."
"Shit," he says then looks up toward the voice, "My Lady."
"I've been looking all over for you," Aphrodite says, "I have so much to talk with you about."
"Great," Frank says.
"Hazel sweetie, aren't you so cute today," Aphrodite continues.
"Thank you, My Lady," Hazel says politely.
"The two of you make such a cute couple. I'm so glad it worked it," the goddess says.
"What worked out?" Frank asks.
"Why, you two, of course. You know I wasn't sure at first, but I said what the heck," she explains.
"You mean you put us together?" Hazel asks is disbelief.
"Sweetie, I put every good couple together. I am the goddess of love," Aphrodite says, "Anyway, Frank I wanted to talk with you about your father."
"I'll give you two a little privacy and go talk with my brother," Hazel says with a wicked smile toward Frank. His smile back screams please don't leave me with this woman, but she kisses his cheek and heads toward her brother.
"Hi little brother," Hazel says when she reaches Nico.
"I think you have that backwards little sister," Nico corrects her.
"I still think I was born before you," she insists.
"You don't get to count the years you were dead," he chuckles, "and for all our years in the real world, I have more."
"Fine," she says sticking her tongue out at her brother. She takes a seat right next to him then puts her head against his shoulder. "I miss you, Nico," she tells him.
"Well then you're in luck. Percy talked me into staying at camp this summer," he tells her with a smile.
"Are you for real," she asks excitedly, "You wouldn't kid me about this would you?"
"I swear I'm for real," he tells her. She now squeals and puts her arms around his neck.
"This is going to be the best summer ever," she says then kisses his cheek.
"You might want to hold off on that judgment until you've lived with me a while," he says with a laugh. "I mean, you'll have to share the cabin."
"I can't wait. I don't like being there all alone. That's one thing I miss from Camp Jupiter. It's not so bad during the day because I can be with Frank and the other campers, but at night I don't like it," she tells him.
"Does the cabin bother you?" he asks since he got to design it himself.
"No the cabin is awesome. It's just lonely with no one else but me in it," she assures him.
"So what torture is Aphrodite putting your boyfriend through?" Nico asks since Frank is looking at them and the expression on his face is please get over here and rescue me for gods sake.
"She wanted to talk to him about Mars," Hazel tells him, "but maybe I should head back over and save him," she says with a chuckle.
"I'll talk to you tonight," he says then kisses her cheek.
As it turns out, Frank doesn't need to be saved. Someone starts yelling from the beach and gets the goddess' attention.
"Dite!" Ares yells in a booming voice that everyone can here.
"You came," she says in surprise as she runs toward him.
"I told you that you could come. I didn't say you could stay all day. Come on let's go," he calls to her.
"Sweetheart, I couldn't just marry them and leave," she says trying to calm him, "Since you're here, you should at least wish the happy couple well."
"There's no way in Hades I'm wishing Jackson any such thing," he says hotly, literally. The flames behind his Ray-Bans are flickering out the sides.
"Well you should at least say hello to your own children," she insists.
"You're telling me some of my kids are here," he grumbles showing he's not a bit happy about that.
"Clarisse is here," she tells him.
"Is that girl trying to piss me off," he barks.
"Sweetheart, she's been through a lot with Percy and Annabeth. She's here out of respect," Aphrodite tells him trying to calm him down. Ares just shakes his head in disgust.
"Frank Zhang is here too," she now tells him.
"Frank?" he says like he doesn't remember then it hits him, "Mars' kid."
"Yes," she agrees.
"Well I should say hello to Frank," he agrees.
"Don't you dare say hello to Frank but not Clarisse," she scolds.
"Fine, I'll say hello to both of them, but that's it. I'm not talking to Percy Jackson," he sneers.
"He's got a lot of nerve showing his ugly face here," Percy says when he sees Ares talking to Aphrodite.
"You heard him. He just came to get her. Just let them leave and then we'll finish enjoying our wedding," Annabeth says trying to calm her groom.
"He's such a jerk for even showing up here," Percy says just not able to let it go. "I should just go over there and tell him to leave."
"Please Percy, please just leave it alone," Annabeth begs then puts her arms around him. "If you'll ignore him, I promise I'll make it up to you tonight," she says sweetly.
Percy now just looks at his bride and says with a smile, "It's our wedding night, don't I get that anyway?" Instead of answering him, she just starts kissing him so he's distracted.
Jason is playing around kissing Piper's neck when he is stopped by his father's voice.
"Son, really," Zeus says so sternly that Jason realizes that he's in Jupiter mode.
"Um, hi Dad," Jason says a little embarrassed.
"I would expect a son of Rome to display more decorum than this," Jupiter continues.
"It's a wedding Dad, we're just enjoying ourselves," Jason defends.
"Aren't there any Roman girls you can enjoy yourself with?" his father asks.
"Excuse me, but since when do you have a problem with my being with Piper?" Jason asks since this is hitting him out of the blue.
"Maybe I should let the two of you talk in private," Piper now says standing to leave.
"No, you need to stay," Jason says grabbing her wrist and pulling her back down next to him. "Anything Father has to say, he can say in front of you."
"I have no problem with Miss McLean. I just believe that a praetor of Rome should set an example," Jupiter says.
"I am setting an example Dad. I'm showing everyone that this idiotic notion that Greeks and Romans can't get along is ridiculous," Jason says not even trying to hide how pissed he is with his father's attitude.
"Do not think that just because you are my son that I won't…" Jupiter starts to say when Juno walks up to the three of them.
"Excuse me my love, but I do not believe you are going to do anything to my Jason," she tells her husband.
"He is my son," Jupiter tells her not the least bit happy with his wife showing him up in front of his kid.
"But you gave him to me, so now he is mine, and I approve of his relationship with Miss McLean. That foolishness between camps is over. I believe I have already shown you how disastrous keeping our best demigods apart can be. Now please, my husband, let these two love birds get back to whatever they were doing. Maybe you could take my hand and we could walk along the beach," Juno says softly then reaches for her husband's hand.
"Fine," Jupiter says gruffly.
"You two have a beautiful evening," Juno tells Jason and Piper then leads her husband away from them.
"What was that?" Piper asks once the gods are gone.
"I have no idea, but Piper, please don't be upset by what my dad said. I'm not giving you up for another girl, not Roman, Greek, or anything else," he says then kisses her lips.
"I love you Jason," she says softly, when the kiss is over.
"I love you too," he says.