HAZEL WAS WALKING HOME ALONE…kissed her on the cheek.

Aphrodite chuckled.

"Ah, so that's where I get it from." Leo grinned.

The day had been full of ups and downs…a witch and a lot of other names

"Those sons of bitches." Nico growled. Hades, himself was angry but couldn't help but look at his son in surprise with both raised eyebrows. Hazel kept a hand on Nico's shoulders.

"Oh sorry." Nico said once he realized what he said.

"There's no need to apologize." Hazel with a twinkle in her eyes which made Nico chuckle.

That had been going on for a…name that hadn't changed in a hundred years

"That is a horrible name." Piper shook her head

Just like its name, the place masked…she tried to approach them on the playground.

Everybody growled deeply at that.

"How can they do that? Throw rocks?" Frank asked angrily

"Those kind are the worse. I wonder what their parents fed to them." Leo shook his head disgustedly.

"Rocks can be lethal." Nico hissed.

"I wish I was there to control the water, you know?" Percy said making a gesture that he would have made them wish they would never go near the water fountain ever again.

"But if I saw something like that happen, they'd be dead." Hades stated. "Wish I could've killed them then. Didn't do it. Would do it now." He said

Hazel gave them all a small smile of gratitude.

Despite how horrible they were…crazy smile and he made Hazel laugh.

Leo smiled.

"Well, I'm here to look after my sister just the way my great grandfather did." He said

"Welcome to the club, mate." Percy grinned. Leo winked at him. Hazel smiled at Leo.

"And I'm going to look after you too." She declared.

"She's going to be your Demeter minus the cereal." Nico told Leo.

"Why am I being brought into this?" Demeter asked with a single raised eyebrow.

"Do you need to ask?" Nico asked with a cheeky grin. Demeter shook his head.

"I have two Hades to deal with now." She said.

"You know you love us." Nico and Hades said in unison and looked at each other with matching grins.

That afternoon he'd taken her to the stables…"I'm not that ugly, am I?"

"I think I should feel a little offended." Leo said with a faux thoughtful expression and rubbed his chin. Everybody snickered.

"I mean yeah, you do look like your great grandad so…" Piper teased.

"I agree with Piper." Jason shrugged with a small grin.

"Shut up beauty queen and lightning boy." Leo grumbled. Jason and Piper laughed while Aphrodite and Zeus raised their eyebrows seeing as the same terms also applied to them.

"Nah, Leo. Jason is superman." Percy nodded

"How could I forget?" Leo groaned. Everybody laughed.

It was too cold for a picnic…Queen Marie, she liked to be called

"She called herself queen." Persephone all but growled. Hades squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"That's some ego." Annabeth stated "No offense." She added to Hazel who shook her head.

"Its quite all right. She's no mother of mine and I'm no child of hers. I'm just Hazel." She said. Thalia and Jason nodded, understanding what that was like. The ones who had renounced their past just felt so relieved that they did.

Lived in an old apartment above a jazz club…Queen Marie settled her tab with a ruby.

Hades winced.

Folks started whispering about Hazel…She gave Hazel resentful looks.

Everybody shook their heads.

"She was a child." Artemis sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Hazel." Hades grimaced.

"Its all right, dad. Like I said, that's not my past." Hazel said with a small smile.

Hazel climbed the stairs as quietly…"It was your blasted father,"

Nico and Persephone gritted their teeth.

Queen Marie would grumble in her darker…It's his fault you turned out this way."

"You probably asked him for something impossible or crazy. He wouldn't bring that upon Hazel or you willingly." Poseidon scowled. Hades looked at his brother in pleasant surprise. Poseidon just simply raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

"I'm just stating facts. I think I know my brother enough to say that he wouldn't do something like that." He said. Hades looked even more surprised at that but nodded gratefully nonetheless with a small smile. Percy and Nico smiled at each other as well.

She would never explain what she mean…like a hypnotist giving orders.

Everybody shuddered.

"She is awful." Percy shook his head. "And so are the giants and the Antaeus dude." He shuddered

"Had the displeasure of meeting him, eh." Triton said to Percy who shook his head again.

"Dad, I just have to say this, please excuse it but I must say it. You have horrible taste. Except for mom and Amphitrite." Percy swallowed. Poseidon turned a little red but sighed.

"Bad choices." He said

"That clears it." Percy nodded. Poseidon couldn't help but give a light chuckle at the thought that he would responded exactly like Percy.

Queen Marie tensed…He gave you a poisoned child!

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Nico, Leo and Frank yelled at the same time which made everybody jump. Clarisse looked at Frank in a little surprise but nodded.

"I swear, she has no filter. Hazel is far from being a poisoned child. And I swear if Marie utters that again-" Percy left the threat hanging.

"We'll help. We'll go together." Jason and Thalia said.

"She's dead." Chris said.

"We know." They said in unison.

"Guys, that is not my past. I already told you." Hazel said.

"Even if it isn't, that woman does not deserve to – I don't know – be a mother. Just like Beryl Grace didn't." Thalia said.

But we can use her gift for good…her shoulders with strong, cold fingers

"Oh hey, Pluto." Nico grinned at Hades who chuckled.

"Easy, child," the man said…the silver skull ring on his finger

Nico and Hades high fived.

Then the strange fabric of his suit…to escape from the folds of his clothes

"Okay, you know what. This has to be settled. Do you have souls trying to escape from all of your clothes?" Percy asked, holding up his hands. Everybody turned to look at Hades who groaned.

"Nephew, I-" he sighed and groaned again.

"No. Okay? I do not." He said with mostly mock frustration. Percy grinned at him.

"That sorts it out." He said.

His tie was black with platinum stripes…been Hitler's twin—or his father.

"Not the most flattering description." Hades chuckled at Hazel who gave him a sheepish smile.

"That was the form you took on then. The current one is much better." She said.

"I agree." Persephone nodded. Hades grinned.

"Da-ad." Nico said, looking at Hades. "Tell me I am not related to Hitler. Please." Nico swallowed.

"You are not related to Hitler." Hades said amusedly.

"But-" Annabeth started

"Many people think that I am the father of Hitler. And many think what Hazel thought as well. But being the god of the dead, sometimes I just take on similar looks like what some dangerous historic people would've looked like. I don't do that much anymore but rarely when I'm in the mood. The world war was between my kids and Zeus and Poseidon's kids but Hitler was not mine. He was just a mortal man driven by, well, his thoughts." Hades explained.

"Oh. Thank gods." Nico sighed in relief.

"Yeah, you should thank your dad." Percy said with a smirk.

"Shut up, Jackson." Nico replied and then he groaned.

"Why would you put that image in my head? Gonna have enough of those already due to the function of the fates." He said. Percy smirked at his cousin.

Hazel tried to pull away…"You've grown."

"I can imagine you saying that in a kind of grim and ominous voice." Nico said to his father who gave him and Hazel a sheepish look.

Hazel started to tremble…I imagine you hate me."

"Not anymore, no." Hazel smiled at Hades who wrapped a hand around her and Nico's shoulders.

Hazel didn't understand…You left us alone?"

Hades winced again.

Her eyes stung with tears…Much easier to blame me."

"Always easier to blame somebody rather than yourself." Piper sighed.

"Hey, you okay?" Jason asked her gently. Piper smiled at him.

"I'm all right." She said

"How's your dad?" he asked.

"Dealing." Piper smiled. Jason smiled at that as well.

"What do you mean?"… "These are for your art.

"Do you have crayons and all now?" Hades asked Hazel suddenly. "No, I'm pretty sure you don't." he said.

"We're going to art shopping in the break." He said to Hazel.

"You don't have to do that." Hazel said quickly to Hades.

"I know. I want to, though." Hades smiled.

"And, you're going to be with me." Persephone said to Nico. Nico raised his eyebrows.

"I-Are you sure?" he asked in surprise.

"100%." Persephone said with a smile.

"Ah. A step mother and kid bonding day. They're really fun." Percy nodded at Nico.

"Really?" Nico asked.

"You bet." Percy grinned.

"You want to go on a brother bonding day?" Triton asked Percy and Tyson who nodded with grins.

"I was planning on asking first but go ahead." Amphitrite chuckled.

"When are you guys going to plan?" Dakota asked "For the function." He added.

"You seem excited." Pollux teased. Dakota grinned sheepishly.

"In the evening." Nico said simply.

As for the horse…" His eyes gleamed…wanted to charge after Pluto and kick him

"Ouch." Hades said jokingly. Internally he grimaced. The curse was making him feel all of Hazel's emotions but he looked at Hazel who was grinning at him and he chuckled. She said she'd forgiven him and that was enough for him. They'd now have eternity…all of them to be a family.

She wanted to run away, find Sammy…while Pluto tried to reason with her

"She needs to calm down." Jason said

"Ah. She was the throwing things kind of people." Thalia shook her head and sighed.

"Marie, it's insanity," he said.

"Agreed." The Dionysus gang said.

"You'll be far beyond my power…whoever's turning you against me—"

"Just listen to him." Will and Rachel groaned.

"You turned me against you!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night but just listen. Nobody especially not somebody who cares about you would want to have you killed." Frank snapped. Hades gave Frank a small smile.

"Now that. That, she should've thought about. Probably wasn't easy but she should have." Lee said.

She picked up a porcelain vase and threw it at him.

Persephone gritted her teeth again. This woman was agitating her in more ways than one. Well, the Marie woman was agitating everybody in more ways than one. Even Hera was looking a little annoyed.

It shattered on the floor… "You're going to make yourself useful.

"Stop being a fool and first make yourself useful rather than forcing burdens upon people who are already trying to live and have a life unlike you." Nico said through clenched teeth.

"I have to say. That was sassy af." Travis said.

"Thank you, Travis." Nico said

We're going to start a new life."… "S-sorry," she murmured.

"Don't be." Nico said.

Don't be," Nico said.

There were a few chuckles at that.

"Where were you?"… good person to have at your side."

"The best." The demi youngers chorused. Percy blushed.

Hazel remembered what Pluto…the ghosts call him the Greek?"

"Because I'm Greek." Percy bowed.

Before Nico could respond…war games are going to be interesting."

"That's because Perce is there." Beckendorf grinned. Nico nodded.

"Did you mean in the chaotic way?" Thalia asked

"Not really, no. Percy is, well, next level with the sword of his and his brain during combat and of course, he's powerful. That's why." Nico said

"Chapter's done." Piper said

"I'll read." Jason said