"Hold on, is it possible to take a break?" Leo asked everybody awkwardly. Hephaestus raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"I uh I was working on some designs yesterday night so I didn't sleep that well and did, like, a rush job on breakfast so I'm really hungry." Leo answered sheepishly.

"Sure." Hephaestus chuckled, knowing just how many times he had done that as well.

"Yeah, why not, mate? Even I was busy last night so I'm hungry too." Travis grinned and Connor nodded in agreement with Chris and Hermes' eyes glinting with happiness and mischief.

"What were you doing?" Artemis asked, not sure if she wanted to know

"Planning." Hermes grinned mischievously with a wink.

"Well, welcome to doomsday." Dionysus snorted.

"Lets eat, doomsday can wait." Thalia said and stretched as she got up.

"Wise words." Percy nodded sagely.

"I am not hungry and you guys are ridiculous." Nico stated.

"There are some things you shall never understand." Percy said theatrically. Nico rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well I'm not hungry either but I'll wait for you guys but I'm going to borrow Thalia once she's done." Jason announced. Thalia shrugged. Percy gave him a knowing look.

They all walked towards the dining hall and either made coffee or took some food. Percy picked up Annabeth and carried her like a sack on one shoulder with her laughing and Percy grinning and sat her down at their table.

"Your shoulder is injured, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth chided and everybody else sitting on the table watched in amusement.

"Now now, Wise girl, my left shoulder is injured not my right." Percy chuckled. Annabeth gave him a fond smile.

"Do you know what's on today's menu? It's Me 'n' U." Percy told her with a smile he reserved just for Annabeth. Thalia choked on food at that and water came from Nico's nose because of him snorting.

"How's 7:30?" Percy asked Annabeth who slightly blushed and grinned at him.

"You bet, Seaweed Brain." She told him.

"She said yes!" Thalia screamed and stood up and started clapping.

"Oh shut up." Percy told her and pulled her down. Everybody else groaned.

"Oh come on!" Percy protested. Thalia smirked at him playfully.

"I hate you." Percy said, pointing a chip at her.

"Are you done?" Jason asked Thalia once she finished her coffee and she nodded.

"Where are we going?" Thalia asked

"Sis-bro hangout." Came the reply.

Jason took Thalia to Rhea's quarters where Hera was also staying.

"Jase-" Thalia started but sighed when Jason looked at her. She had agreed to this. And she was going to go through with it.

"Percy briefed us lightly and now its upto us." Jason told her.

"I'll try to stay quiet if I get angry then." Thalia told her. Jason chuckled lightly and rang the bell. Rhea opened the door but didn't look surprised to see them and gave them a small smile. She let them in and Hera was sitting on the couch, drinking coffee. Jason and Thalia didn't say a word as they sat across her. Hera didn't say anything either and waited for the two younger gods to speak up. Thalia controlled her scowl and Jason sighed.

"We aren't here to apologize if that's what you're thinking." Jason told Hera whose jaw tightened but she didn't stop him.

"Whatever you said to anybody was out of bounds but you still need to come back. Not because we're missing you-" Thalia said, gesturing to her and Jason "-but dad is and its hurting him that you're not with him." She said

"So you're here for him?" Hera asked them with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." Thalia said

"He made his choice." Hera replied before turning away.

"That was no choice and you know it. Just because he defended his and your brothers for that matter does not make him the villain. He's in deep pain just because of you and you can't see it so maybe you should think about how you're the one who chose to make him go through that just because he told you that you were wrong when you were and to think about all your words about love and marriage and how a couple should correct the other when they're wrong. Was that all a bluff? Think. What do you want to do? What are you doing? None of this was his fault. Its all yours and now its your choice whether to fix the mess you caused or not." Jason said, not stuttering even once and looking Hera dead in the eye.

Thalia just stared at Hera. She wished that she could read her mind but at the same time she felt like she didn't want to. Though Thalia didn't like her very much at the moment or well…at most of the moments, she knew that Zeus needed Hera and that he wouldn't be able to go too long now without her.

"We're resuming reading in 5 minutes. I guess that you have a choice to make now." Thalia deadpanned and got up.

Rhea was nodding at what the younger gods were saying from where she was standing and opened the door once Jason and Thalia turned to leave, leaving Hera looking deep in thought on the sofa.

The two younger gods returned and joined everybody else on the table.

"Quick hangout." Poseidon commented.

"Less time." Thalia shrugged.

"Fair."

Once everybody was done eating, they all headed back to the hall and got comfortable. This time Rachel picked up the book and just started reading before silence rang in the room as Hera walked into the hall. Nico jumped to his feet and shot her a death glare.

Hera went and sat down next to Zeus whose eyes widened and he swallowed. Percy nodded at Thalia and Jason, glad that they had managed to convince her and yet he felt angry when he looked at her but at the moment there were bigger things to worry about such as Nico baring his teeth at Hera.

"Nico, please sit down." Jason said weakly. Nico ignored him as he glared viciously at Hera and the room darkened.

"Sit down, Nico." Hera told him.

"Don't tell me what to do." Nico told her in a deathly voice. Even Hera stood up this time.

"I knew this was a bad idea." She said to Jason who sighed tiredly and ran a hand across his face.

Persephone stood up and marched up to Hera till they were almost nose to nose.

"You say what you did to my husband again and you'll know just why they call me the iron queen." She whispered in Hera's ear, making the goddess pale slightly but she did not back down. Persephone went back and sat back, making her comfortable. Hades looked at her for a while, having an inkling as to what she said and gave her a kiss, making her blush to the roots of her hair.

"Percy?" Jason asked weakly, seeing Hera's reaction. Percy swallowed, closed his eyes and stood up.

"He's mad at me for something that saying things that should have been cle-" Hera started.

"Don't finish that sentence or I'm not even going to try and stop Nico." Percy told her coolly. Hera stopped and looked at him.

"Now, let me make something very clear. You say anything similar to what you said about the last 4 times we saw you, then I will not be stopping Nico but helping him and trust me when I say that that is not something you want to see-" Percy said in the coolest tone ever and yet those who knew Poseidon, knew that there was anger written below Percy's tone.

"Perce-" Jason started.

"Don't, Jason. It needs to be said." Percy told him. He turned back to look at Hera once Jason sighed and kept quiet.

"Do I make myself absolutely clear?" Percy asked in a voice that told everybody that there was no answer but 'yes' to that question. "Then you may sit down. If not, then I will clear any doubts on the matter." He said and that just clarified everybody's suspicion. Hera swallowed and clenched her jaw as she sat down. "Good." Percy said.

He then turned to Nico and his gaze slightly softened and he looked at Will.

"Nick, please sit down." Will said. Nico looked at him and his anger faltered and he sighed.

"But-" Nico started, trying to grasp the words.

"We cannot change what has happened, Nico. Please sit down. But if it happens again…then, well, I think I've made it very clear as to what would happen." Percy told him. Nico sighed and sat down. Hades squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and gave him a small smile.

Poseidon stared at Percy and realized just how similar they actually were. Not just in terms of looks but in terms of their characteristics and temper as well. He slung his arm around Percy's shoulder when the younger god sat back down and Rachel started reading nervously.

AIRPLANES OR CANNIBALS…slapping them around.

Everybody turned to look at Zeus who shrugged.

"Probably." He said.

"So proud of that." Percy pouted.

"Obviously."

He tried to focus as…Too weird for words

"Welcome to Ancient Greece." Connor said as if he was giving a tour.

"We hope you enjoy your stay." Travis continued.

Frank refused to explain…to be related to you."

"Thanks, man. It meant a lot. It still does." Frank smiled at Percy.

"I hope you're happy about being related to me too." Percy said with a small smile.

"Nobody can describe just how much I am. Not even me." Frank told him with a warm smile.

Frank's ears turned red…her any better as Juno

"How's that shoulder doing?" Hera asked sweetly with a bitter look.

"Brilliant. Thanks for the concern." Percy said to her, matching her extra sweet and dangerous grin.

"That reminds me, Percy, you can have your stitches removed today itself, I believe." Apollo told him and he grinned at Apollo.

"Thanks, 'Pollo." He said

Hazel tucked her feet…scared of airplane turbulence.

"I was terrified." Hazel admitted. "And you can't really compare fears. I mean its like your birth fear to be scared of airplanes." She added.

"Yeah but still. I should be scared of the giant but I'm scared of airplane turbulence." Percy shrugged "But I guess that that was just at the moment. But you really were the glue." He said and gave her a warm smile at the end, making Hazel blush under the praise and grin at her cousin.

"You're a son of…old friends at Camp Half-Blood.

All the old Greeks turned to look at Percy in mixed reactions…of confusion and hurt.

"You just met them…" Clarisse said, hurt ringing in her voice as well. Percy winced. He'd said that in the moment but whenever he thought about it, he'd always felt much closer to those at Camp Half Blood when compared to those aboard the Argo II. Yeah, he felt closer to Nico and Thalia than to Hazel and Jason but that didn't meant that he didn't feel close to them.

"I feel close to them. Really close. But even that can't change how close I felt to you guys and it can't compare." Percy said. He shot an apologetic look to Frank and Hazel who gave him an understanding look. They knew that Percy had the right to feel closer to those from his home as compared to people he just met and was on a quest with.

"You guys will always be first. That's something that I can promise." Percy told the old Greeks. "But that doesn't mean that I won't always be there for you guys as well." He added to Frank and Hazel who smiled and nodded.

Poseidon gave Percy a side hug, knowing that that was hard for his son. He knew that Percy didn't like declaring such things too much but at the same time, he was aware that Percy was glad that he got this cleared with everybody and that he would always choose the ones at CHB over the ones aboard the Argo II if it came to it no matter how hard it would be. It would break him but that's what he would do because the ones at CHB felt more like home as compared to the Argo II.

But with the other demigods… "Do I get a kiss?"

Everybody laughed.

"You'll get a different kind." Piper chuckled, making Frank and Hazel blush till the roots of their air.

"This reminds me of Percy asking Annabeth for a kiss as well." Grover snorted.

Hazel laughed…Time was slipping away

"Well, you can control that now." Leo commented. Percy sighed. A few people, namely the elder six gods slightly grimaced.

"I can but I'm not sure that I would." Is all that Percy said and did not elaborate even with the questioning glances thrown at him.

They were almost…were the bright spots.

Frank and Hazel smiled warmly at Percy who returned it.

"I'm glad that you guys were there." Percy told them. Even Poseidon nodded a 'thank you' to Frank and Hazel who gave him small smiles.

He stretched out…eye was red from crying.

Percy gave Tyson a side hug.

"I missed you, brother." Tyson told Percy who sighed.

"I missed you too, big guy." Percy told him as he squeezed Tyson's shoulder. "I'm sorry that I left." He sighed.

"It wasn't your fault, brother." Tyson told Percy and glared at Hera but sighed and stopped.

"Close!" he moaned…We must find a harpy!"

Everybody chuckled.

"He's launching a manhunt. Woman hunt in this case." Hermes chuckled.

"WOOF!"… I miss you!"

"I missed you too." Percy told Tyson who gave him a toothy grin.

"I miss you, too…his trident in the ground

"What a fucking asshole." Triton shook his head. Amphitrite raised her eyebrows at her son.

"I get what you're saying. Dude is the bane of somebody whose literal main weapon is a trident-" Percy said "-Like." Percy added and imitated a mind blown reaction.

"That's called having no logic." Poseidon snorted but hating the thought of the giant carrying a Trident just as much as he children.

"Blow your little horns…on sale this week—"

A few jaws hit the ground and a few stared, open mouthed at the book.

"And she's supposed to be terrifying?" Chris asked dryly.

"That's what she going for." Travis shrugged.

"No but like- I don't even know what to say." Thalia shook her head.

"Bah! Never mind…take over the oceans

The sea gang looked at each other.

"Nahhh." They said in unison.

"That will not happen, son of a-" Tyson started. Everybody's eyes widened and eyebrows shot up to their hairline at hearing Tyson almost swear before Percy clasped his hand over his mouth.

"You said that you could express your hate for some people like that. For people that you really hate. Bad people." Tyson told Percy and everybody turned to look at him and Poseidon raised an eyebrow at Percy who laughed nervously.

"Not in front of our parents, Ty." Percy told him. Poseidon snorted.

"Or in private." Amphitrite chided. Nico and Thalia snickered at Percy getting a chiding about swearing and teaching Tyson to swear.

"Now now, my love, that is quite ironic and hypocritical seeing as you have a wild mouth." Poseidon chuckled at her.

"I have a wild mouth in many things, my lord." Amphitrite winked at him, turning him red and made him smirk after that. Percy coughed awkwardly and Nico snickered at him, knowing just how that felt.

"We were talking about how I shouldn't be teaching Tyson to swear." He reminded them. He found it better to come back to the chiding rather than seeing what whatever that conversation was turning into something else.

"Okay. So no saying that in front of Amphitrite." Tyson nodded and he and Percy held back their snickers while the others had no restrictions and burst out laughing.

"Enjoy." Nico winked at Percy who groaned and chucked a cushion at Nico who ducked. Thalia threw a cushion at him then which caught him square in the nose.

"I got you, bro." Thalia grinned at Percy who grinned back.

We will renegotiate the…and wake the Earth Mother!

"That's not happening." Poseidon said with a growl, the hints of the playful smirk gone from his face and a string of curses followed which loosely translated into something that made 'son of a bitch' sound like the tamest thing ever.

"Yeah, don't worry, dad. It won't happen." Percy said with a smile, touched by the concern but at the same time, he didn't want his dad to get too angry about something he would never let happen.

What word from the…the help of the gods."

"Brilliant." Hades and Poseidon muttered. Ares sighed.

"Les goo!" Travis and Connor cheered dryly.

"Fun." Clarisse snorted.

"Chapter's done." Rachel said.

"I'll read next." Katie declared.