Chapter 25: Christmas Surprises
On Christmas day, Hades and Zeus woke up earlier than anyone in the house.
"You're up early" Hades noted as Zeus walked down the stairs.
"Didn't sleep so well." Zeus said trying o rub the sleep off his eyes
"Well, its Christmas day" Hades said "you want to do something fun?"
"What have you got in mind?" Hades smirked and told his brother his plan. The two gods woke their sisters up. In a rather rude fashion at that.
"Wake up!" Hestia jumped while Hera only groaned. Demeter however was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Demie?" Zeus asked
"Probably awake already what are you two doing here!"
"Waking you up" Hades replied with a cheeky grin.
"It's six in the morning" Hera said angry and groggy "go back to sleep"
"But its Christmas," Zeus said "and you wanted us to have 'family bonding' so here let's go!"
"Alright, alright" Hestia said finally getting off bed
"Where's Poseidon?"
"Probably downstairs already" Zeus said "Come on let's go down for breakfast!"
They went down and found something that shocked them. A giant wrapped box sat in the middle of the room.
"What the heck is that?" Hera said suddenly
"My best guess" Hades said "a gigantic box with something inside wrapped in wrapping paper"
"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Hera snapped at Hades. The giant box suddenly moved
"Help!" it said muffled Hestia suddenly started to rip open the giant box. Inside was none other than Poseidon
"Who the heck put me in a gift box?" Poseidon said "I couldn't breathe in there"
"Weren't there any holes?" Hades asked
"No!"
Hades looked at Zeus "I thought I told you to put holes"
"I did"
"Where?"
"In the box"
"Under the wrapping paper?"
"I think"
"You two put me in there!" Poseidon exclaimed "why the heck would you put me in there!"
"We didn't do anything" Hades said
"Yeah" Zeus agreed "We didn't do anything. Especially not put you in a box with no holes"
"You two put your brother inside a gift box?!" Demeter exclaimed being inside the room as soon as they had started to open the box where Poseidon was shortly imprisoned.
"Uh no"
"Maybe?"
Poseidon looked at his two brothers
"Run" the three gods ran to the kitchen with smiles in their faces.
"We did nothing!"
The goddesses couldn't help but laugh at the childish antics of the three gods. Even if it was for humor's sake.
Back in the apartment of Annabeth and Thalia they were both laughing and smiling before Thalia had to go with the hunters and Annabeth to California for the rest of the Winter Break. There was a doorbell.
Annabeth opened the door where Nico and Percy stood
"Hey Annie!" Percy said "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Seaweed Brain"
"Merry Christmas, Annabeth, Thalia"
"You too, Death Breath"
"What time's your flight?" Percy asked
"Around two in the afternoon"
"I also have to leave by then" Thalia said "I am meeting with the hunters at Lady Artemis' house in Olympus."
"They have houses?"
"Of course they do Seaweed Brain" Annabeth said "Where else are they supposed to stay?"
"Olympus?"
"The houses are in Olympus, Perce"
"Oh" Percy said "right"
"Oh Thalia I have something of yours" Nico said stripping off his backpack and handing her a wrapped blue box.
"What's that for?" She said suddenly "You know I'm not suppose to accept anything from boys"
"First off, I am not only a boy, I am your cousin so I highly doubt that counts" Nico said "Secondly, this is not from me. There were three found on Percy's window earlier today. This one is addressed to you" True enough there was a tag that said Thalia. But it didn't say from whom.
"What are you playing at?"
"Nothing" Nico said "I got the same package"
He took out another box from his backpack it was pitch black
"It's true" Percy said "I have one too"
"Whose if from?"
"Maybe it's from the gods?" Annabeth said "my mom usually sends her children drachmas this time of year. So it would be fair to everyone in the cabin. Your fathers never gave you anything before?"
"Not usually" Percy said "I got a sand dollar from my dad on my fifteenth birthday"
"Dad, knows I'm not materialistic" Nico said
"Mine doesn't give a damn" Thalia said like it was the most usual thing in the world.
"Well open it up see what's inside"
The three demigods opened their respective gifts. Inside were three nearly identical gold chains with different charms.
Both boys got a strong looking chain, in the middle of Percy's was a green glittering trident, while Nico's has a glyph of Hades. Thalia's necklace was more feminine the chain more delicate looking but as strong as gold. Hers had the small imitation of Zeus' master bolt.
Thalia had felt indifferent with the gift. Why would Zeus suddenly give a gift for no reason? This she will have to find out.
Thalia was outside of Hestia's house in Olympus. According to Artemis, Zeus was at Hestia's house. and she wanted to find out what was going on. She knocked on the door.
Hestia opened the door and was shocked to see the daughter of Zeus in the door step.
"Thalia" she said "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Artemis?"
"Yeah, well I need to see father" Thalia said "Lady Artemis said that he was here"
"Yes he is." Hestia said trying to figure out a way to stall the daughter of Zeus. "but he's still asleep."
"Hestia! Where are you?" Zeus voice called from the other room "We're in the middle of the game. Poseidon is trampling every…."
"Mike?"
Zeus was still in his mortal form, not knowing who was at the door. He got out of the room. Thalia had seen him.
"Alright what is going on?"
In panic, Hestia waved her hand and Thalia was out cold.
"Thalia!" Zeus managed to catch his daughter before her head hit the floor. "What did you do?"
"Uh…I panicked"
"What's going on out here" Hera said coming out of the kitchen then she spotted Thalia "And what is she doing here?"
"She came by, wanting something from Zeus" Hestia said "Why?"
"I don't know" Zeus said "she can't find out of the whole 'stuck as mortal' thing"
"Damn pride" Hestia muttered "Fine. For now. Twenty minutes. Brief chat tell her what you want to tell her." she waved her hand and Zeus was back in his middle aged form with some of his powers back.
"Thanks" He said then brings Thalia up the stairs.
Thalia wakes up a few minutes later, she was lying on Zeus' bed in his room. She was as confused as ever when she saw her dad in the room with her. He wasn't in his usual attire of a pinstriped suit, rather he was wearing a blue shirt and loose denim shorts.
"Thalia"
"Father" she said sitting up right "What happened?"
"You slipped on your way into the house." Zeus said plainly "it seems that your uncle forgot to remove the last of the wrapping paper scattered around"
"I heard that!" Poseidon said from downstairs. With a wave of his hand, Zeus closed the door.
"Mike" Thalia suddenly remembered "Mike was here. What is he doing here?"
"Who?"
"Michael Olympia" Thalia said "he was here. I know he was don't tell me otherwise"
Zeus sighed. He couldn't think of anything else to say. "He was here"
"Why" Thalia said "Why would he be here in Olympus, he was even talking about a game with Poseidon"
"The Three Olympia brothers" Zeus said "They are… adopted by Hestia"
"Adopted?"
"Uh… yeah." Zeus said "Every few centuries my sisters would find some mortals without a family. they would somewhat raise them. Almost like a charity case. Hera couldn't bear children being the goddess of marriage. Hestia is a maiden goddess. They both wanted to raise children. So they would sometimes somewhat adopt them."
"But Hera hates heroes"
"She hates heroes" Zeus agreed "Not children. Not mortals. She just plainly hates heroes. I have to return down there soon. What did you need to tell me?"
"What is with this?" Thalia raised the necklace from inside her pocket "You ignore me for twelve years and all of the sudden you just give me a gift for no reason."
"Call it a make-up present" Zeus said "A belated Happy Birthday and Christmas gift"
"You don't celebrate Christmas"
"Yeah" Zeus said "well my sisters wanted to for this year. So me and my brothers got you three something. For not being there for nearly twelve years of your life."
"Alright…" Thalia said
"I am really sorry" Zeus said "I would love to spend more time with you but I have an important meeting in a few minutes."
"Yeah" Thalia said "Lady Artemis would be wondering on my whereabouts. Thank you"
Zeus and Thalia shared a very awkward hug. Then with a wave of his hand Zeus flashed Thalia back to Artemis.
"So Charity case, huh?" Zeus turned and saw both his brothers still in their teenaged form leaning on both sides of the door. Zeus soon shrunk back into his teenaged form as well.
"I had to tell her something" Zeus said "She saw me come into the room."
"Right" Hades said "So, little bro. Finally learning the value of family I see"
"Like you ever valued family"
"I do" Hades said "I send Poseidon gifts everytime his birthday comes. I even send you some"
"You send me a gift on different days." Zeus said "The first year was on January 1st then the second year was on January 2nd . you actually completed the whole calendar."
Hades shrugged "I didn't know when your birthday was so I send you one on each day of different years so I know that at least once I had actually given it on time"
"I tried sending an electric eel" Poseidon said "but he won't stay in the box long enough"
"Why would you send me an electric eel?"
"For fun" Poseidon said with a smile "you need to laugh every now and then. If you frown too much you'll get these wrinkles that make you look very unattractive"
"Where do you get this from?" Hades asked making a face
"Triton" Poseidon said "The young lad is more of a chick boy than I ever was"
"Come on guys" Zeus said "I want to finish the holiday with hopefully no more surprises"
YEY Chapter done. :D its my bro's bday so I decided to dedicate this to him. My cousin actually came here with a cake for him. He didn't know how old my brother is so the candle was a "?". It was fun. :D
I actually came back from Singapore just yesterday. (My brother was soo happy I got back before his birthday) and I was soo happy that I got 15 reviews when I got back. Thank you guys :D
The Deadly Wizard Returns now has an epilogue, Hero's Justice chapter 3 is almost done, and Half Blood Snape will be up and running in a few days :D
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW
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