Note, I'm skipping a lot of flavor text and background info, I figure if you're reading a fan fiction about a book, then chances are you've read the book and know, at least in part, that information.

I own none of the characters, not even the OC I made as she is part of the PJaO books and anyone is free to duplicate her for their own stories. Writing a story using characters from published books, I certainly can't complain if someone likes my idea enough to run it in a different direction, but please, no slash.

Rick Riordan and Patricia Briggs own all characters.

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The gun on the cover image is what I based Terry's on. It's a real weapon that fires real shells, shotgun in the case of the gun in the picture. Terry's has more decoration, including an engraving of the Drakkon she killed on the handle (made of Drakkon Ivory) and Greek lettering spelling out "End of Infinity" along the barrel. It's also a lot more powerful, but then, most of the weapons used by demi-gods are.

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basically plot filler

Percy

"Hestia! What are you doing here?" Gaa, that's all I could think to say, what are you doing here, really, sheesh, the events of the day are seriously screwing with my head. I'm exhausted, stressed and have been in fight or flight mode all day. Then, out of frigging nowhere, Hestia shows up. I really hope this is a good thing.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you all. I thought I'd never see anyone from our old world again. It's so wonderful!" She continues like this for a while. After more than a little prompting, Annabeth manages to prod her into giving her story.

"It's been about a year, I was traveling between fires, when there was a surge of fire magic from somewhere in Africa that was powerful in the extreme, next thing you know, I'm out between universes, just like it seems you guys were. I ended up here, and probably several other places as well, duplications can be interesting, but I'm the only version of me that ended up here, unlike you guys." She grins at us now, "How'd you like being remerged?"

"It wasn't that bad." Annabeth says; "I get the feeling it could have been much worse. I do wonder however, exactly what it means?"

Hestia looks at her, then at me; "I means you've been promoted. It's how the council rewards half-bloods who've earned themselves a path to the big pound. You're not anywhere near as powerful as your parents mind you, but you're at about the same level as your father's wives. It's how my brother managed to get free from our father and get the power to free us in the first place, and doing it intentionally with the help of Nico's father was how we managed to defeat them the first time, back before we had half-bloods to help us." She was looking at Nico and me when she said that, so I'm pretty sure she just said we're minor gods about the same as Amphitrite and Persephone.

"Percy and Nico already were almost that powerful, to some extent, but now, now it's official. If you ever manage to go back to our old world, be ready for a fight, my brother, your uncle, doesn't like it when you guys get jumped up in power like that without his permission."

Great, just great! What little hope I had of getting home to see mom and maybe live something vaguely resembling a normal life just went out with the tide.

"Anyway, it's so great to see you, and Nico, I'm so glad you decided to give up your quest for revenge against Percy. So, did you defeat the Titans, or is the war still ongoing?"

I guess it's up to me to answer, as everyone is looking at me; "It ended a few months ago in New York. The city was almost destroyed, but we managed to save it, and banish the Titans again. Not that it matters, according to Rachel, they, and our parents don't exist here. We were just discussing Rachel's latest prophecy when you showed up. By the way, who's your friend?" I just now noticed the big dude standing there. I'm kind of slow today.

"That's Julius; he saved my live when I showed up here. I can't consume anything not freely given, as you know, and I managed to get on the bad side of a group of vampires when I tried to save a family. They managed to kill the family, and would have conquered me I think, if Julius had not shown up and permanently destroyed them. It was fantastic. Anyway, he's a half-fae descendent of another half-blood that ended up in this world about a hundred years ago." I look at Julius; he's a large black man, about seven feet tall, and built like a weight lifter. Not those body builders who go for looks, weight lifters, like you see in the Olympics, the mortals who do the dead lifts of half a ton. And he's not a mortal. Not sure what a half fae is, but he's clearly powerful.

It's around this point that I realize we've been speaking in Greek, so I decide it's time to introduce everyone, and it dawns on me, this version of Hestia wouldn't know Rachel.

Mercy

The night keeps getting weirder and weirder. This little girl and rather large fae just appear out of thin air, and the girl just starts jumping around hugging the kids and jabbering away in Greek. Once again, Ben is called upon to translate until Percy seems to realize we're not all speaking the same language and introduces everyone to our new quests.

The young girl, Hestia, knew the four, but not Rachel; she seems to have arrived here before Rachel started to hang around their camp. The big man, Julius, is the great grandson of another half-blood that arrived here a century ago, and the son of a minor fae animal kin. We also learn the girl's curse; she can only eat what someone freely gives her. She can't even eat what a waitress brings her unless the waitress is just giving it to her without expectation of the food being paid for, as that's not freely given. The owner of the food (or a representative) most literally hand the food to her.

Like the other kids (or just kids, something tells me, Hestia is older than she seems), she reeks of magic. She smells like flames and food, of incense and cleaning materials, and of homes and families well-tended. I'd say she smelled like a good guy, but she also smelled of power. Power on a major level, well beyond the kids' level, beyond anything I've scented before, except maybe the River-Devil, not sure on that one. Julius, he smells like lions and glamour, and I'm pretty sure we're not seeing his true form, he doesn't speak much and gives us no information on who he is.

We manage to get back to discussing the prophecy, and if it is about Christy or not. No one is sure, they just know that there is a volcano who's trying to retrieve a runaway bride that they need to stop, and they need to help 'Dogs' while doing so. The dogs comment would seem to indicate that yes, it is Christy.

With that in mind, Adam invites the kids to stay, and Sam, much to my surprise, invites Julius and Hestia to stay at his home. Arrangements are made to get Jesse home and Adam calls Auriele to make arrangements for child welfare to come out the next morning and get the kids set for school and what not. We also realize that we need to come up with a cover story for them. Molly decides to help out, and suggests that we claim the kids were friends of Jesse from her mother's home town who found themselves in a bad situation, and appealed to her and her father for help. Auriele also says she knows a couple of half fae in child welfare, so that'll go a little easier.

We set the kids up in the two guest rooms on the second floor, one for the boys, one for the girls. Tad bids farewell, and lets me know we're going to be having a talk the next day at work. Great!

Annabeth pulls out enough supplies, pajamas and clothes for the kids for several days out of her purse, and we bid them goodnight with the sincere hope we'll get through the next day without major changes to our lives. It's OK to dream isn't it?