AN: Thank you to everyone who followed and already favorited the story. I recognize some names from the first story whether from reviews or other notifications. Either way, it means a lot that you're excited to read the sequel and I'll do my best to provide a story worthy of your enthusiasm.

As always I own nothing you recognize from officially published/licensed works, only my imagination.

Chapter 2: Questions Questions Questions

"Again. Again. Again."

The sound of bronze striking straw sounded dully through the arena. Four demigods stood facing targets and were drilling a sequence set for them by Percy. He watched and stood perfectly still save for his eyes and jaw which aside from calling which sequence or to instruct them to repeat also did not move. Sweat was pouring off of them all as much a result of their exertion as the heat of the sun beating down upon them. They needed to be able to reproduce all of these moves instinctively amid a fight. He knew that many demigods failed to see the point in the endless drilling he put them through but it had been how he had first learned as well. It was only after he had mastered the basics that he had moved on to sparring. Despite Luke's first lesson Percy had spent a great deal of time the rest of that summer after his quest doing these exact drills.

After another dozen sequences, he called a stop to their drilling. Swords dropped into the sand from exhausted fingers and one of the demigods fell to a knee. Percy smiled grimly and he unfolded his arms from across his chest. Moving in front of the four demigods he looked each of them in the eyes. They were young, so young that Percy marveled at their dedication. They had only arrived at camp the week before so he had been putting them through hell to get them caught up to their peers. At this rate, they could join the rest of the beginners with Clarisse. Percy still wasn't sure why Chiron had requested he get these four up to speed but he figured the old horse had his reasons. He supposed it might be because they were now so close to the end of the summer session that he wanted to ensure they had a good base if they decided to leave for the winter.

Twin sons of Ares, a daughter of Hephaestus, and a son of Aphrodite. All of them were the same age as when he had arrived at camp though he could have mistaken the twins as far older. He studied all of them and hid a smile as Penny the daughter of Hephaestus helped Adam the son of Aphrodite to his feet. The twins had already begun to examine their weapons and armor for any damage which he was surprised by. He normally had to all but beat that habit into Ares' children but these two seemed slightly more focused than their siblings. As soon as the thought struck him he grinned to himself and shook his head, how had he taken this long to figure it out? Especially with names like theirs, though the thought sent the smallest of pangs through Percy's heart. Jason and Leon were likely children of Mars, he would have to consult Chiron to be sure.

"Good work, all of you. I'll see you at the same time on Monday. Jason, Leon, hang back a minute."

The two boys glanced at each other but sheathed their swords and walked over with only a bit of hesitation. The other two made their way out of the arena and Percy turned to face the brothers. Percy began to focus on Rome, and a part of himself he rarely acknowledged. He didn't have a Roman form like the other gods but that didn't mean the division did not affect him. He discovered that after a few years, he had developed a sort of 'Roman' side of himself. It was the closest he figured he would get to a Roman form as when he focused on it Latin got easier and he chafed at the more restrictive Roman hierarchy slightly less. Facing the brothers he spoke in Latin instead of Greek to gauge their reaction.

"Do you feel like you belong?"

The brothers both hesitated but Percy saw the comprehension in their eyes. He smiled and let himself relax to his normal state then switched back to English.

"Come on, let's go talk to Chiron."

Six years ago

Sweat beaded his brow and his ribs ached from where a particularly heavy blow had smote his armor. The final blow of the match landed and like a veil had been lifted from the world the sound of the crowd seemed to come rushing back in. Today was the final day of competition and Percy was doing well, better than well if he was honest with himself. Even without his godly powers, Percy was able to match every contender he faced so far. His form and technique weren't perfect but it would be a lie to suggest he was not an exceptional swordsman, more than exceptional if he were honest. His most recent opponent had been his biggest challenge yet. Percy had been surprised given the demigod's Roman heritage to find that he excelled in a very unroman fighting style.

While not as fluid and chaotic as Percy, the son of Vulkan was incredibly proficient with his blade. He had marked Percy on four separate occasions, the first of his opponents to land more than one, in their first bout alone. However, his stamina was not quite at a level with Percy's and it was his undoing. His guard had begun to sag as they entered the fifth and final bout and Percy had ruthlessly punished him for it. He had been able to recover for long enough to land the heavy blow on Percy's ribs but Percy had paid him back in kind. The ringing blow against his opponent's helm had knocked him out cold.

"And the winner is Peter Johnson, Son of Hermes! That is the final semifinal match of this Olympic Gladiatorial Tournament! The final match will take place right here at eight pm tonight. Let's hear it for all our contestants!"

The crowd roared with applause and many of the other fighters waved to the crowds. Percy ignored them all and walked back to the Hypogeum to clean and repair his armor. He settled into the remote corner he had claimed for himself and placed his armor on the stand he had gotten from Hephaestus a few days prior. There were rules against enchantments that could interfere with scoring during a match but nothing in the rules prevented him from reactivating dormant repair enchantments between matches. He laid his palm on the breastplate and let his power flow into the armor. As he watched dents smoothed, scratches vanished, and torn leather became whole again. The whole process took only a handful of seconds but he was still amazed every time.

"You know if you're not more subtle you're bound to get caught."

Percy jumped so hard he knocked the stool he had been sitting on over and he found himself on his feet. Turning he found Hephaestus in his usual coveralls and embers smoldering in his beard.

"I suppose only I can see you, Lord Hephaestus?"

"How many times do I have to say it lad, it's just Hephaestus. So far as I can see the only difference between you and me is our parents and our ages. Neither of which warrant that formal crap."

Percy couldn't argue with that so he chose to remain silent. They lapsed into a silence that was more comfortable than awkward.

"You're certainly more patient than you used to be."

Percy looked up at Hephaestus having zoned out slightly thinking about his last match before responding.

"What?"

"When you met me during your quest in the Labyrinth. You were all sorts of impatient. I suppose I couldn't really blame you, and still wouldn't. When something needs doing it's best if the doing gets done."

Percy looked around at Hephaestus with no small amount of incredulity on his face.

"That's rich. I seem to remember you sending me to Mt. St. Helens on that particular expedition."

"True but then again lad. Where would you be now if I hadn't?"

Percy had no response to that question. Hephaestus clapped him on the back and pushed himself away from the wall. The metal that supported his body creaked slightly and he tightened a knob without so much as looking. The squeak went silent immediately and he was facing Percy now.

"Just do me a favor and win the final match. I've got... a vested interest in the outcome."

Before Percy could respond the lord of the forge had disappeared in a swirl of embers that swirled across the floor like a shower of miniature shooting stars falling from above. Percy returned to his stool and found himself running his hands over the sword he had created just for this tournament. He was stuck on the simple question Hephaestus had asked him. Where would he be if Hephaestus hadn't sent him to his forge? First and foremost the scythe would have been completed far sooner. However more importantly to Percy, he would have never met Calypso. The idea sent a shiver through him and he fervently thanked the fates and Hephaestus for landing him on her island.

He was lost in thought for a long time, so long that one of the organizers had to go looking for him. Percy shook himself from his stupor when the man shook his shoulder. The man informed him of the time and Percy shot to his feet excitement already beginning to enter his veins. He donned his armor and ran to the arena where he found the largest crowd he had seen already bellowing their approval. His opponent was already in the center of the arena, stalking back and forth like a hungry wildcat. Just then the announcer's voice sounded above the crowd but Percy whipped around. The announcer's voice was different, and unfortunately, Percy recognized the voice. Trition, Crown Prince of Atlantis was in the announcer's booth and Percy knew his jig was up.

"Good evening Ladies and Gentleman. I am Lord Triton, and I want to welcome all of you to the final match of the Gladiatorial Tournament of this year's Olympiad. There has been a slight alteration to the schedule for the tournament with the addition of an exhibition match between myself and whoever takes the laurels."

An excited buzz soon filled the stands as a discussion of the announcement broke out. Percy paid little attention to anything after that however because the match was about to begin. He stepped forward and made ready to fight just as his opponent did. Percy was reminded of the first time he had ever faced Clarisse in a one-on-one sparring match. The young but incredibly skillful son of Ares named Patrick that faced him was just as beefy as his much older sister and he was taller. The similarities to past fights didn't end there however, he also wielded a sword that Percy half recognized. Its sheer size reminded Percy of the sword that Ares had wielded in the duel on the beach outside Los Angeles when he was twelve years old. Percy wondered just how many of the Olympians knew he was in this tournament but he couldn't consider for long.

His opponent exploded toward him with a single massive stride. Percy quickly brought his sword up and swept the blow to the side. Another opponent may have been thrown off balance by the sudden lack of resistance but not this opponent. He allowed the massive blade to continue swinging and used the momentum to his advantage. The blade was in constant motion tracing massive circles around his body that left only the tiniest of openings. Percy had never fought someone with this style of fighting though he felt as though he recognized it from somewhere. It was hard to tell sometimes because part of his weapons domain meant that when he came into contact with a new weapon he also understood how it was designed to be used. However, something told Percy that the style he was witnessing was not originally used with any weapons he was familiar with. Percy knew that he needed to avoid allowing even a glancing blow from the monstrous sword but he also needed to get in close.

Just like he had learned from Luke so many years ago when you have the shorter sword you need to take away your opponent's reach. He threw a few cursory blows that were more an attempt to learn something than to win the duel. After exchanging a handful of blows Percy disengaged then almost immediately reengaged. His smaller weapon was light and Percy was stronger, but despite that, his opponent was able to match him. However, for the first time, Percy felt the barest hint of a shiver in his opponent's wrists. It was so small that Percy doubted if even the other gods in the stands would have seen it. The only reason he noticed was that their swords had been in contact when the flutter in his opponent's muscles occurred. Percy began to press forward swaying to dodge the massive blade as often as deflecting it.

The rounds dragged on with Percy leading two to one going into the fourth bout. Sweat ran down his back and soaked his hair as his heart pounded with a combination of the exertion and the adrenaline-fueled excitement that filled Percy. The gong sounded signaling the beginning of the round and Percy strode forward purposefully. He kept watching for any sign of his opponent's intentions but he saw none. Circling the younger fighter Percy kept his sword in motion even as his opponent's blade was resting on his right shoulder, the massive blade pointed skyward. Percy knew exactly how quickly the blade could be whirring into action so he did not immediately take the bait. While his opponent was skilled, Percy was not going to be denied. He had learned to fight on battlefields of more than one war and it in many ways was still all he knew. This new generation of demigods had potential but if Percy had his way they would never need to reach it. Pressing his opponent even harder now Percy began to pound his opponent's guard from as many angles as possible. Percy's wrist was like iron and he knew that many of his earlier opponents would have been disarmed by even a single one of his blows. As his blows rained down and he started to feel the practiced precision of even this opponent beginning to fail he knew he had won. However, even as he thought it his opponent surprised him. He grabbed the blade of his sword above the hilt and began to use the massive blade-like one might wield a staff.

The change in pace threw Percy off for a handful of blows. To his chagrin, Percy realized that almost a foot and a half, maybe closer to two feet, of the blade was unsharpened likely exactly for this purpose. He loved the ingenuity and flexibility his opponent was displaying despite the added confusion. Especially as the god of weaponry he loved watching, learning, and using any form of fighting with any of the weapons he had at his disposal. His favorite would always be the one he knew best and that he had learned with Riptide in his hand.

The crowd was still roaring, the cheering, shouting, clapping, and cacophony of other noises would have been deafening normally. To Percy it may as well have been silent; to Percy, all there was in the world was his opponent and his blade. After he adjusted to the new style Percy recognized it for what it was, a desperate final play when all other options had been exhausted. Stepping inside the reach of the massive sword, Percy locked the hilt with Riptide and tore it out of his opponent's grip. As soon as his hand touched the weapon he felt his power flare before he could suppress it and the blade glimmered with a faintly blue-green light.

"Lord Perseus..."

The softness of the words surprised Percy for a moment before he realized it was the Son of Ares he had just defeated that had spoken.

"Shuuuush... I don't want anyone to know it was me, Patrick."

The young man looked surprised that Percy remembered his name but a grin couldn't help but grow on his face.

"Also before anyone says anything else you are an amazing fighter. I didn't use any of my powers and you pushed me harder than many have in a long time. I wanna talk about where you learned to fight like that. I certainly didn't teach you."

Patrick looked as though he was about to respond when reality came crashing back in when a wave of sound struck them. For a moment they had forgotten where they were until Triton had landed in the arena. Patrick backed off immediately and scrambled to safety behind the half wall that ran the perimeter of the arena.

"Hello, brother..."

Triton's voice dripped with derision as though naming Percy as his brother was painful to him. Percy flung the sword he had been fighting with into the sand and pulled a familiar pen out of his armor. Percy had loved the ring but he had also missed the incredulity that pulling a pen out of his pocket often created. Hephaestus had grumbled somewhat but had altered the enchantment so that Riptide could take whatever form Percy wished. As he uncapped it he let his power burn the mist and magic that had been hiding his appearance away. The crowd had been cheering even louder during the aftermath of the match but now it felt like the whole arena was holding its breath. The crowd was silent as the grave as Percy and Triton circled each other.

"So when did you figure it out? I thought the disguise was pretty good."

Percy refused to let Triton get in his head. His elder half-brother had been cold to him at best for as long as Percy could remember. Percy guessed that Triton's animosity had more than a little to do with the less-than-welcoming feeling he got from many of the older families in Atlantis. Triton didn't respond to his question as they circled, he remained silent and without so much as a twitch for warning, exploded into action. Tritions trident hummed in a deadly arc toward Percy's ribs on his left side. Had he not possessed godly strength the blow would have easily knocked him sprawling across the arena floor. Even with it, he skidded a few feet, his heels digging into the floor leaving furrows behind him.

The next two minutes were a blur of action that all but the Olympians who were watching were hardly able to keep up with due to the sheer speed of their blows. Now that the fight had begun in earnest the crowd had once more found their voice. They filled the arena with shouts of encouragement for one or the other of the combatants, chanting, and cheering. Trion was an almost peerless fighter with the trident and he had thousands of years of experience on Percy. As he blocked blow after blow and had his counterattacks blocked in turn he couldn't help but smile. The fight grew longer and then Percy felt a shift in the arena. Water thundered down and once more filled the center of the arena. Even with his powers and strength, the weight of the deluge almost hammered him to the ground.

"Now on my terms..."

Triton's words cut through the water and Percy barely managed to get his sword around in time. As strong as the water made him, Percy knew that Triton now definitely had the upper hand. Both gods began to glow with power as they fought, Percy's deep blue-green against Triton's pale turquoise. Their blows grew heavier and the speed of their attacks changed. The water allowed them to move even faster and did not hinder them like it would if they were not born to the sea but it did change subtler things. Percy began to make mistakes, and as his mistakes began to compound on each other Triton gained ground. Soon Percy found his back to the edge of the arena, only the length of Riptide behind him he would be in the air again but out of bounds.

Percy felt a tug in his gut as his frustration mounted. Triton was using every bit of power that he had available so Percy decided he was going to as well. Weapons began to appear in the water around them and Percy kicked Triton back during one of the incredibly rare openings he left. He dropped Riptide and grabbed a spear from his right and heaved it at Triton. Percy saw Triton's lips twist into the same grin that Percy had on his lips and as the fight continued they found themselves laughing. Percy was changing between weapons with such speed that Triton was hard-pressed to keep up with the changing styles. Triton continued to press Percy so that to keep up he was expending huge reserves of power on the weapons he was summoning.

Finally, Triton proved to be too much to keep up with for Percy. As his fingers closed around the grips of a pair of twin swords, Triton lunged at him faster than he expected. He had to cross his blades to stop the trident from skewering him but that was his final mistake. Triton twisted the swords from his fingers and in the same motion slammed the blunt end of the trident into Percy's side. He flew backward out of the water and against the retaining wall so hard there was a plume of water that drenched an entire section of the spectators. Percy groaned and lay on his back staring at the water far above where it was held off of the spectators. A hand entered his field of view and Percy was surprised to see Triton was the one offering to help him up.

"It was a good fight brother, perhaps you are not such a disgrace to our house as I thought."

Percy took his hand and let Triton help him to his feet.

"Oh yeah? Because it was my prowess in combat that made you dislike me before?"

Percy knew not everyone was going to like him, he accepted that. He completely understood Triton's animosity toward him, he could feel the intense loyalty Triton held toward his mother, a feeling Percy very much understood. What Percy didn't get was Triton seeming to try and move past the insult to his mother that Percy's existence represented.

"A fair point Perseus. My mother has requested I try to see things her way. While I do not understand why she tolerates you, I suppose I can make an effort for her sake. So long as you comport yourself with honor and respect I will do my best to reciprocate that."

To say that he was surprised would be an understatement. Percy felt a smile growing on his face and he extended his hand again to shake Triton's hand properly. The prince of the sea hesitated for a moment then grasped Percy's forearm.

"Deal. I do have one request though Triton."

Triton's brows lifted and not for the first time, Percy noted the striking resemblance to Amphitrite he bore.

"Teach me to fight with a Trident?"

That drew a genuine laugh from Triton who shook his head good-naturedly before responding.

"You have a deal, Perseus Jackson. Perhaps there is truly hope for you yet."

Present Day

"No Apollo."

"Oh come on Perse. Why not?"

"Because it's ten in the morning?"

Apollo rolled his eyes and Percy half-heartedly glared at him. They were walking toward the throne room because it was time for yet another meeting. Percy knew that most of the gods would already be there but he didn't care. Most of the time these meetings were anything but enjoyable, especially since he joined the council. During their last semi-exciting full council meeting, the winter solstice, he had almost fallen asleep. He would have had Hermes not addressed a question to him regarding some of his children. Besides, Percy got called on often enough by the other gods outside these meetings. Due to his relative freedom from the ancient laws he was all too often asked to do things from delivering a message to slaying groups of monsters. He had asked the first half dozen or more times if Hermes or Artemis and her hunt weren't already capable of dealing with the requests, but he never got a satisfactory response. His least favorite of these sorts of jobs were those that Zeus or Hera asked of him. It seemed as though they thought of him as some sort of enforcer who simply did whatever he was ordered. The oddest part of these requests is that they almost always involved working alongside the hunt and Artemis.

At first, he was content to slay the monster or track down whoever had escaped their incarceration, but after a while, he started to understand that Zeus had some sort of game. He knew Zeus had his motives for not opposing his appointment to the council, Poseidon had made sure of that. He would have figured it out eventually, he'd known there was no such thing as a free lunch for a long time. The truly puzzling part of the situation was Hera, he didn't know what to make of her. The queen of the gods had never been his greatest fan, though he knew Zeus' godly children were even lower on her list. However, she had seemed at worst indifferent toward him most of the time that he saw her on Olympus. It still seemed odd to him, even now almost a decade later, that she would simply leave him alone. She had torn him from his life and put him in the Roman camp, she had had him carry her to camp, and she had hated Annabeth. He wasn't sure what to make of her but as he entered the throne room and saw her, he knew he couldn't trust her.

Percy sat heavily on his throne and as he looked around was surprised to see Hades, Artemis, and Hephaestus had yet to arrive. Zeus struck the arm of his throne and a boom rolled through the room that he knew would be heard anywhere by those who had yet to arrive. With the crackling of flames and a shower of sparks, Hephaestus appeared on his throne still engaged with whatever project he had brought with him. Percy felt Artemis arrive and looked around to see her walking into the room from one of the side doors, her form growing as she walked to her throne. Zeus glowered at the graven black marble of Hades' throne and Percy had to suppress a grin. He enjoyed watching Zeus struggling to control his temper in these situations, the king of the gods rarely treated him disrespectfully during council meetings. That didn't mean it never happened but Percy knew he had too many friends on the council for open disrespect toward him to go unopposed.

He did his best to remain neutral and respectful as well though his mask slipped more often than Zeus' did. It was especially challenging when his domains would begin to roar in his ears. His connection to oaths had begun to grow further over the years as his connection to his domains deepened, and it was this aspect of his power that had numerous times almost caused him to lose control. Whether it be while discussing Dionysus' punishment, or any number of other gods, his domain began to howl in protest of Zeus' hypocrisy. It was often all he could do to keep his power in check so that none of the gods would be able to feel it. However, despite his best efforts, he had more than once received questioning looks from Hestia, Aphrodite, the Twins, and even Hermes. Hestia because she understood his feelings and had done her best to give him someone else to confide in. Aphrodite often knew before anyone else due to her connection to emotions and the other three simply knew because like Hestia they had been there for him when he needed them.

Today it seemed would be another test as Zeus' temper flared, filling the room with ozone. He struck the arm of his throne again, three times in quick succession. With a swirl of shadow and a bored expression Hades appeared upon his throne though Percy could see that despite his facial expression, frustration was etched into every line of the god's body.

"This council is now in session."

Percy caught Hermes' eye and made a face that he knew the other god would read as 'Here we go again.' Hermes did his best to hide a smirk as he turned away from Percy to face his father who, as always, had decided to open the meeting with a speech.

"Why did I agree to this again?"

"Because you're awesome like that Perse, and because that was the worst council meeting in years. Besides it's after three right? What are you complaining about?"

"Apollo it's barely thirty seconds past three. Though you're right about that meeting."

Zeus had surpassed all expectations and droned on for over an hour lecturing those who had arrived late, including Percy, because according to him if they didn't arrive before he did they were already late. After that, the usual discussions of any growing issues that had been noted by any of them were discussed and then summarily dismissed by Zeus. Percy had felt as though he should be telling the council something but he didn't know what exactly. He didn't want to say anything without a firmer grasp of what was bothering him. The feeling had passed when they moved on to other subjects, but something remained in the back of Percy's mind. He shook the thought off and looked over at his companions on this trip into the mortal world. Hermes and Apollo were, though he would never admit it out loud, probably his best friends. Percy couldn't help but grin as he watched Hermes spiking Apollo's drink with some of Dionysus' best liquor. He still had no idea how Hermes had managed it but Apollo was convinced that mortal alcohol was far more potent than the other gods gave it credit.

Percy shook his head and leaned against the bar eyes scanning the room as he always did. Being in the mortal world like this was interesting for Percy. He had grown up surrounded by the modern world and all the gadgets, gizmos, and other technology that came with it. Over roughly the past decade and a half, he had spent almost all his time on Olympus, in one of the demigod camps, in Atlantis, or deep in the wilderness. He felt oddly disconnected from the world he had grown up in even though he still knew what everything was. Watching the mortals was another activity that had taken on new meaning for Percy. He had always been a bit of an outcast growing up for reasons he never fully understood until that day at Montauk.

Here he sat in an upscale bar in Manhattan alongside Apollo and Hermes, ancient Greek gods. He snorted to himself at the thought, it almost sounded like the beginning of a joke. 'Three Greek gods walk into a bar...'

"Hey, stranger. Don't think I've seen you here before."

Percy started slightly and looked around for whoever had spoken. He realized that a woman was sitting on his right opposite Apollo and Hermes. Both seemed woefully preoccupied so he resigned himself to once again having the same conversation.

"My apologies miss. I'm spoken for. My companions however are not."

He fought the urge to roll his eyes at the words, Apollo and Hermes were good guys, mostly. He had gotten used to the occasional interested party on these outings with Apollo and Hermes. but he didn't think he would ever get himself to not blush. Luckily the mist would hide the fact that his cheeks were a subtle golden color rather than the normal pink it would be if he were human. She smiled half-heartedly before standing back up.

"Well guess she was right. Oh well. Anyway, my mom would like to talk to you."

Percy groaned and dropped his forehead onto the bar.

"And where is Lady Aphrodite this afternoon?"

Even as he said it he felt her enter the room and move toward the three of them at the bar. He kicked Hermes to get his attention after sitting up and doing his best to mask his annoyance.

"What the... Percy?"

"Company."

He saw Hermes' eyes scan the room and settle on Aphrodite approaching them.

"Ugh. It was just getting fun too."

Percy felt Hermes' power flare for the tiniest fraction of a second as he willed the mortal alcohol to burn off. It was another trick Percy didn't think he would ever master, mostly because he didn't care to. Hermes had figured out how to suppress his godly nature just enough to allow mortal alcohol to affect him, but he only had to relax and his nature would take over and purge his system.

"Good afternoon Lady Aphrodite."

"No need to be so formal, or glum Percy. It's not like I'm Hera or someone else."

"How may I be of assistance Lady Aphrodite?"

Percy carefully schooled his features, he knew it wouldn't matter as she could sense his feelings either way but he still did it out of habit. Over the past nine years, he had become all too familiar with Aphrodite and her daughters. Aphrodite because she delighted in asking questions and trying to get him to spill how things were with Calypso if they'd been on any dates recently, and whatever else she could think of. Her daughters seemed to find him wherever he was and badger him on their mother's behalf or maybe just for their own curiosity. Aphrodite pouted slightly at his insistence on formality but she also shrugged and sat down next to him.

"So when are you going to ask?"

Percy froze immediately, his drink halfway to his mouth. He glanced at her and felt his cheeks growing warm while he opened and closed his mouth several times. Aphrodite smiled even wider at the oddly fish-out-of-water expression on Percy's face.

"I uhh I'm not sure what you're talking about."

Aphrodite rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. The small ring box that had been in his pocket appeared on her outstretched fingers immediately. She looked at him drolly with a knowing smirk as she opened the box to look at the ring inside.

"Oh, I don't know Percy. What could I be talking about you asking?"

Percy snatched the ring box back from her hand before snapping it closed and shoving it into his pocket. He became aware that Hermes was staring at him expectantly as well and Percy refused to look at either of them. He downed the rest of his drink then pushed himself away from the bar and onto his feet. Hermes dragged Apollo along with them and Aphrodite positively bounced after them. When they were out of sight of the mortals Percy flashed himself to his house on the beach near Camp Half-Blood. He was unsurprised when an instant later two more flashes revealed Apollo, Hermes, and Aphrodite. He knew that Calypso wasn't in this residence as she preferred his home on Olympus or even his home below the waves so they wouldn't be interrupted by the one person he wanted to make sure did not overhear them.

"I...I just can't... Every time I think it's the moment I get cold feet. I just..."

His sentence was cut off by a heavy thud. Apollo had collapsed flat on his back dead unconscious and Hermes seemed to be struggling to contain his giggles. Percy started laughing and that seemed to break the dam for the other two. They only started laughing harder when Apollo's eyes cracked open and he looked around blearily at the three of them.

"Wazz happning?"

Percy took pity on him and reached over offering his hand. Apollo took it and Percy charged Apollo with his power to dispel the godly intoxicants in his system. Apollo swayed slightly for a moment before regaining his balance.

"Whooaaa... Oh hey, Perce. What's going on?"

Before Percy could answer Aphrodite cut in and brought the topic back to what she wanted to talk about.

"I was just asking Percy when he planned on asking Calypso to marry him."

Percy blushed golden as Apollo turned to look at him, mirroring the expectant expression that adorned the others' faces as well.

"I don't know okay. It's just every time I think it's the right moment something just seems wrong or goes wrong. Does that make any sense?"

The Twins glanced at one another, and in a rare moment of unity between the two, shook their heads.

"No. It does not make sense. How can something seem wrong when as you said it also feels like the right moment?"

"Percy. It's not like she is going to say no. What is bothering you?"

To the three others' dismay, Percy's posture seemed to crumple inward and he sat down on the stairs up to his cabin's porch. Apollo and Hermes exchanged a look before nodding to one another. Apollo gestured for Aphrodite to follow him and Hermes made his way to sit next to Percy. Percy wasn't crying but Hermes could see the hollow look that had so often filled his eyes in the past. He had been doing so much better of late and though Percy would never be able to completely forget Hermes had hoped he was beyond the crippling sense of responsibility.

"Percy. You know what I'm going to say. You know what they would say."

Percy nodded his gaze still fixed on something that only he could see. He heaved a heavy sigh and turned to look at Hermes.

"Thanks, Hermes. You didn't have to get rid of Aphrodite."

"I know. Didn't hurt though. You shouldn't feel rushed because of what the rest of existence thinks Percy, but she loves you. Besides if you don't get married half the immortal just going to keep on hoping. Makes things more difficult for me and Apollo."

Percy couldn't help but snort before his lips stretched into a soft smile.

"True. You both certainly struggle enough on your own. Though I'm not so sure about half the immortal world."

Percy almost missed the eye-roll that Hermes gave in response to his statement.

"Oh never change Percy, never change. I'm going to go track down Apollo. It's still early so we'll probably..."

The familiar sound of his Caduceus in cellphone form filled the air around them. Hermes dug it out, audibly groaned, then looked back at Percy and shrugged resignedly.

"Or not. I'll see you around Percy. Matter of fact I might see you later."

Before Percy could ask what Hermes meant he vanished with a sound like wings. Percy rubbed his face with both hands before getting tiredly to his feet. He took the small box back out of his pocket and stared down at the ring inside remembering the tiny shop in Atlantis that Calypso had dragged him past. He had found this ring there and the owner had promised not to say anything about who he was. Even if he wasn't the god of loyalty he would have trusted her not to. She had reminded him so strongly of his mom it had taken him a week to go back to the shop after his initial visit. Even so, he knew that this was the ring, it was perfect. He smiled sadly to himself thinking again about all the people who wouldn't get to be there for the next part of his life.

"You would've loved her mom."

Percy shook himself and disappeared in an instant. He found himself standing in his palace on Mt. Olympus looking out the back door where Calypso was sitting. She must have heard something because she glanced back and saw him. He felt his heart lighten when her eyes met his and he saw her smile growing. He realized that he wanted to keep seeing that smile until the end of time, he was done waiting. Percy walked forward without letting them break eye contact even once until he was by her side. He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet before leaning down to kiss her gently. As their lips met he pulled the small box out of his pocket and held it tight. She broke away and rested her forehead against his.

"Are you okay Percy?"

"I will be. I need to ask you something."

He pulled away slightly and she started to look slightly concerned, the smile fading from her lips. That is until his right knee hit the wood below them. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth and he saw the barest hint of tears gathering in her eyes. He wasn't worried anymore he could also see the smile in her eyes as he raised the tiny box upward opening it as he did.

"Calypso I would spend a single lifetime with you if that was all we had. Will you spend our many with me?"

Percy was knocked flat on his back as Calypso all but tackled him to the floor. Her lips met his and her fiery passion almost took his breath away for a moment, or was that falling on his back? After a handful of moments, she broke contact and rested her forehead against his even as he lay on top of him.

"Yes. A thousand times yes Percy. I love you."

Despite his confidence of only moments ago a knot of worry and fear he hadn't realized he was carrying seemed to come undone in his heart. He felt lighter and he pulled his right arm out from between them where it had been sandwiched. The ring resized itself to fit perfectly as soon as he slid it onto her hand and he found that it looked even better than he thought it would. Calypso however hadn't taken her eyes off of his face, even to look at her ring. He realized that tears had definitely gathered in her eyes now and were running silently down her face. The next moment she had buried her face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Calypso? What's wrong? Are you...?"

She drew away and he realized that she still wore a smile, watery as it was. He reached up and brushed the tears away with his thumbs.

"I'm sorry Percy I'm not upset not really. The last few years with you have almost not felt real. I've just been waiting to wake up, find myself still on my island, and realize that everything had been a dream. I used to dream of a day when some hero would land on my island and stay. Accept my offer of eternity and stay with me, but that couldn't have happened. Only those whose purpose called them home ever landed on my island. Then you came and once more I had promised myself I would not tell you, I would not offer, and I would not fall. Then you were more than any hero before you. You were as brave as the others, more so really, but more importantly, you put others before you. Even your reason for leaving was the people you would leave behind by staying more than the responsibility you carried. Then Artemis arrived and told me I was leaving..."

She trailed off and Percy didn't need her to continue, he knew the story from there. He wrapped his arms around her once more and lay back looking up at the darkening sky above them where he could barely make out the first glimmers of stars.

"Bob says hello. I wish he and Dameson were here. I wish that so many people were here."

It was Percy's turn to grow misty as the memories of his friends and family once more filled him. However it was the pain of an old wound, and though he wished more than anything his mom would get to meet the love of his life, he knew he had to keep moving.

"I wish I could have met them, Percy. I know I can't replace them but I will always be here for you. Just like I know you'll always be here for me."

Percy felt a swell of affection for her and he got to his feet carrying her with him. She laughed as he stood with her feet dangling an inch or so above the ground, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Put me down!"

He couldn't help but laugh as she said it, despite her insistent tone he could feel her laughing against his chest. Relenting he lowered her to her feet and released her. She smacked his shoulder and to his surprise took off running toward the front door.

"Where are you going?"

He shouted after her, his own slightly incredulous laugh audible in his voice.

"I need to tell Artemis!"

If Percy hadn't become as close to the Huntress as he had he might have been worried. As it was he laughed and said nothing more. He froze after another moment though, if she told Artemis it wouldn't be long before Apollo knew. Once Apollo knew he knew he had less than a few hours before all of Olympus knew. At one time the thought would have bothered him but he realized that the only thing he was not looking forward to would be dealing with Hera and the possibility of dealing with Atlas.

"Oh boy. What did I get myself into?"

The thought of Atlas was an interesting one. He really thought about the titan since the day he had helped Artemis drop the sky onto his back where it belonged. He was Calypso's father and despite everything that Atlas had done Percy was unsure how he felt toward his daughters. All he knew was that Calypso was getting nowhere near Orthrys without him accompanying her because the last daughter of Atlas he had accompanied to Othrys hadn't walked away. He didn't think she would want to see him but also knew no one had seen her mother in hundreds of years. Aside from her sisters, Percy didn't know how much family Calypso had in the world which bothered him. He realized that in many ways she was in the same boat as him when it came to family. The least he could do for her was track down Tethys if she hadn't faded long ago.

AN: That's a wrap on chapter two of 'A New Life'. I don't have a ton to say as of yet other than yes I know it's only chapter two and they're already engaged. I will promise you one thing, I won't pull a Naruto with the wedding. If you haven't seen the show I'm sorry you won't get the reference.