"Hello, is this the Chase family?" a brown-haired woman with sparkling blue eyes said. She was holding a Tupperware container full of chocolate chip cookies in one hand. In her other was a young, raven-haired boy with sea-green eyes, about six years old.

Standing at the doorway was an athletic, middle-aged man with sandy hair and brown eyes. "Oh yes," he responded. "I see you've moved next door?"

The woman warmly smiled, holding out her hand for the man to shake. "I'm Sally Jackson, and this is my son, Percy. We heard that you have a daughter around Percy's age and I wanted him to make a new friend."

He took it, shaking her hand. "Oh yes of course! I'm sure Annabeth would love to have a new friend, Annabeth!" he said, turning around to call out his daughter's name.

A little blonde girl with curly blonde hair and stormy gray eyes ran down the hallway, standing halfway behind her father. He smiled at her, moving her in front.

The two six-year-olds studied each other, Percy breaking the stare first, holding out a small hand to her. "I'm Percy! You look like a princess!"

Annabeth tipped her head to the side, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a princess, Seaweed Brain, that's just silly!"

Percy pouted, sea-green eyes widening. "Well if I'm Seaweed Brain then you're Wise Girl!" he declared proudly.

The two parents shared a glance, covering their mouths to muffle their laughter.

Annabeth sat on the front porch, idly swinging her legs back and forth. Percy, upon seeing her, ran out the door upon permission from his Mom up to her.

"I want to run away," Annabeth said, upon him sitting down next to her. She was breathing shallowly and her heart was racing.

"Why?" he only asked.

Tears filled her eyes. "The s-spiders. They keep coming again and again, every night. They bite and leave their webs all over me and when I scream my stepmom comes in and they vanish. All they leave behind are spiderwebs and she doesn't believe me and Dad is always gone when it happens!"

Percy took the hand that was closest to him. "But running away?" he asked. "What's the point of that?"

"Maybe if I leave, the spiders will leave me alone," she cried out in frustration, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Would you leave me behind then?"

"You can come with me!"

"What about Mom, Beth."

"I-" she was at a loss for words.

"Sleepover tonight? Then maybe the spiders won't come?" Percy asked her, pleading.

Annabeth wavered. "Alright…"

"Her mother was Athena, wasn't she?" Sally asked, holding a cookie in one of her hands. The two parents were sitting on a bench, watching the two seven-year-olds play. Helen was watching them by the water, helping the twins toddle on the water. "That's why the spiders are there."

"How do you-" Frederick sputtered, shock and surprise in his gaze.

"I met Percy's father here," Sally said, facing the sea. Her eyes reflected the ocean waves. "He was… tall, handsome, powerful… yet also gentle. There was always an air of strictness about him but he cared deeply for both me, and Percy."

"He sta-" Frederick started incredulously.

"-No, he didn't. He left not soon before Percy was born. He left with the ocean breeze and returned to the sea. His sense of duty finally outweighed his love," Sally smiled sadly.

"Do you know which one he was then?" he asked, curiosity in his eyes.

"I have a vague idea. He never confirmed anything though," she replied. "But you know that their lives have never been easy." Her wistfulness vanished as she grew stern. "Did you know Annabeth was about to run away? She would have if Percy hadn't been there."

"I-"

"Percy told me that Helen doesn't believe Annabeth when she screams about the spiders. But I think we both know she's not lying. The immortals hold grudges, and if the stories are true, well I think we both know how spiteful Arachne is said to have been."

A guilty silence filled the air as Frederick thought over her words.

"I'll speak to Helen," he said.

"Percy? Are you awake?" A woman called through a closed door. No response. A sigh. "Alright then, I'm coming i- Oh!"

She opened the door to find a man with windswept black hair and sea-green eyes so similar to her son's. He stood in front of her son's dresser, gazing at a picture in front of him, of a laughing Percy and Annabeth splashing and playing in the ocean. In his hands was a framed photo of Sally holding a toothily grinning Percy, a photo that had been taken just days prior.

"I- Neptune…" she trailed off blue eyes wide in shock, unsure of what to say.

"Hello Sally," he rumbled, breaking his gaze on the photo of the two children, still holding the other photo, turning toward her.

She glanced around the room, as if Percy were to pop out of the closet, shouting "Surprise!" at her. She searched for something to say.

"Where's Percy?" she finally said, settling on that. "It's his tenth birthday today, you know?" she nervously continued.

"I have sent Perseus to Lupa, where he will be trained and prepared for the Legion and New Rome," Neptune responded, the steel in his eyes unwavering as Sally's expression crumpled.

"You just took him? I-" anger filled her. "He's ten!" she shouted, voice rising, a rare occurrence for her. "You didn't even let me say goodbye?"

"He is my son. If I had left him here any longer, then they would have found him," Neptune resolutely responded. "I gave you two as much time as I could."

"You didn't even let him say goodbye to Annabeth…"

"The daughter of Minerva?" he asked, eyes clouding over in anger. "You should be glad I didn't drown her for stepping foot in my domain."

"She's a child," Sally incredulously responded. "And she's his best friend."

"She's still a daughter of that goddess. And besides, they are of two different worlds. Perseus is Roman, she is-" his image distorted for a second, into a less stern man wearing a loud Hawaiian T-shirt and a fishing hat. He returned to his Roman form. "A graecus. Their friendship will only bring disaster."

"Neptune-"

"Enough!" he snapped. "I could have taken him with no word or explanation to you. You will not see Perseus again, he is to be raised for New Rome."

"And you expect me to be just happy about it?" Sally spat back.

"No, I do not. But I do expect for you to understand that he needs to fufill his duty to Rome, and to the gods."

"He's my son. New Rome is-"

"And he is mine, too," Neptune said, turning toward the window. "And that is why I know he will thrive in the legion." There was an air of finality in his tone.

"I have spent enough time here. I must leave before Jupiter suspects something."

Sally's eyes widened. "Wait Neptune-!"

"Goodbye, Sally," he murmured, as he dissolved into a sea breeze.

She fell to her knees after that, sobs filling the room. Her son was gone.

The doorbell rang. And rang. And rang. Again, and again, and again.

"Ms. Jackson?" Annabeth's voice sounded through the door. "Percy?"

Slow footsteps approached the door as it finally opened.

"Hi Ms. Jackson! Is Percy- Ms. Jackson? Are you alright?"

The woman in question went down to her knees, hugging Annabeth tightly.

"Ms. Jackson? Where's… where's Percy?"

"Gone," Sally whispered, sobs shaking her entire body. "My son is gone. His father took him."

"Percy's… gone? Gone where?"

She never got that question answered.

"Annabeth's gone," Frederick said, sitting down next to Sally where she had been perched on her front porch, staring out into the distance. "A satyr came for her, accompanied by two other children. She decided to leave. Said there was nothing left for her here. I felt that I had no right to stop her. She would've just run anyways."