So I am updating because I have a lil bit of free time waiting for my parents to come up today so we can all go in and visit my grandmothers- we're thinking a matter of days at this stage. So again, don't expect an Update too quick, and I appreciate all of the well wishers they mean a lot to me. And I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Percy had not expected Godly visits from Artemis and Apollo to become a frequent occurrence. But they did. Every Thursday Artemis, Zoe and Apollo started to visit them at Brooklyn House. At first they had done it because Percy had pointed out that there were multiple Shrek movies and it would be a travesty if they didn't see the others. But it had turned into a general movie night thing. A hang out for the group.

It was a little weird but in a good way. And the movie nights continued even when school reopened, they just happened a little earlier in the day, to take into account Nico and Tyson's bedtimes.

In any case it was safe to say that visits from Greek Gods were not considered a big deal in the usual circumstances.

Percy honestly had started considering Apollo a friend too, even if he was ridiculously dramatic and tried to flirt with her at all times.
Of course she should have expected that eventually they'd get some different god showing up at their door. But Percy hadn't expected it to be Hermes.

She almost slammed the door on him after opening it. Almost. She was still annoyed about how things had gone down when they were face to face the last time. Though she knew he probably hadn't meant for it to spiral as it had.

It was his expression that made her stop. A hesitant nervous expression.

That and the two letters grasped firmly in his hands. "Your highness." The politeness was a little shocking too. "I have some letters.
One for you and one for my son. And I wanted to-" he paused, clearly unused to this, "To apologise. For my actions on Olympus. I was- I was desperate to see Luke and I let myself get too caught up. I shouldn't have tried to force it."

Percy stepped outside quickly at that, pulling the door partially closed behind her.

"Damn right you shouldn't have," she hissed the words. "It was the most stupid selfish thing you could have done-"

"I know-" and Hermes looked genuinely sorry. "Believe me I know my shortcomings." He held out the letter. "One is for you from your father I believe. The other is for Luke."

"Hmph." Percy crossed her arms over her chest. "Well that's something." She said slowly. "A letter is a better way to deal with it. It gives him the space to consider without being backed into a corner."

"I know." Hermes shifted uncomfortably. "I know my son hates me. I understand."

"He hasn't talked about it much."

"I made mistakes." Hermes looked away, "I thought- I tried to- I was so afraid of what he could become-"

"You talk like you knew he was going to betray the gods-" Percy started to scoff before realising that Hermes had flinched at that, which made her eyes wide. "You knew?" she hissed the words, "What the- what the fuck how?"

"I-" Hermes looked wounded. "I-"

"Tell me." Percy glared, "Tell me right now. You want me to help your son? You tell me. Give me the information I need to fucking help him! To work through his issues with him."

"His mother-" Hermes' voice was halting. "She was clear sighted- very clear sighted. She had dreams- visions. She- she believed that she would become the next Oracle."

"Wait- Oracle like Apollo's Oracle? The mummy one?"

"Yes, yes she thought she could take the place of the Oracle. The power was always passed from chosen mortal to chosen mortal until… until something happened to it. Some kind of curse. Apollo's never been able to figure out who was behind it. The spirit of Delphi is trapped in the corpse. No one's been able to take the spirit since the last prophecy. Apollo thinks that a God- a powerful one is responsible but he's never been able to find out exactly what happened to her. Who cursed her."

"Huh." That was something Percy would look into. And then, "His- what happened to her?"

"It drove her insane." Hermes looked almost broken as he said that. "Visions of the future. Of Luke." His voice was meaningful and Percy winced.

"Oh."

"I wanted to help but the laws-" Hermes shook his head, closing his eyes, "I didn't know what to do. How to try and save him. I couldn't interfere, couldn't save May- I tried to warn her I did." He opened his eyes again. "He resented me for not being there. Blamed me for his mothers fate. I never told him the full story. What good would it have done? He hated me for it. For the fact that I wasn't there when she had her fits of madness. I don't blame him for his anger and grief."

"The laws are stupid."

"And yet if we break them our children pay." Hermes shook his head. "I tried. I tried to keep watch over him. But- I was so worried. I didn't know how to shield him from what she saw. I couldn't tell him his fate when he asked. I tried to give him a quest that he'd be able to do to help him become a hero but it went wrong and he saw it as a blow to his pride. I didn't- I didn't know how to protect him. How to try and avoid that fate for him. Whatever I did, prophecies, Fate, the more you try to avoid them…"

And Percy found herself moved by the grief in his eyes.

He'd made mistakes. He hadn't been a good father but it was very clear that he did love Luke.

"The more likely they are to come true in the worst way." Percy finished before pausing. "When you tried cornering him on Olympus?"
"I wanted to talk I wanted- I wanted to try and explain. I don't- I would have tried. No matter what I'd have tried to reach him but I know it would never work. Not from me."

"His anger and pain is justified." Percy pointed out quietly. "Explaining doesn't undo the damage that was done to him as a child. You didn't do anything on purpose but damage was done. I think it's done to all demigods but Luke… if he grew up with a mother insane from those sort of visions-"

"It was- May was bad." Hermes' voice was strained. "I understand why he was so angry I do. And I know I tried to push too hard. I know he hates me and blames me for good reason I just-"

"For the first time in years you had hope that he could be saved."

"Yes." Hermes said simply. "I appreciate all that you've done for him. I don't know how you did it. How you pulled him away from that fate but I owe you more than I will ever be able to repay."

"Yeah well, he's my friend. I'm looking after him now. I didn't do it so I'd be owed anything. Gods above why does everything have to be so transactional with you guys? Why can't it just be about what's right?" Percy held out her hand, accepting the two letters. "I'll give him your letter. See if I can convince him to write back."

"That would be enough." Hermes nodded. "It's more than I deserve."

"We'll have to see about that." Percy huffed the words, "Maybe I'll see you around, maybe not. I'll do what I can for Luke's sake."

"Thank you." The god gave a small nod before he took off, vanishing in a flash of light.

Percy watched him go, pressing her lips together tightly.

Well. That was… interesting. Very heavy. Not fun but they could be very good to know. She'd have to try and talk to Luke about everything later.

And Hermes didn't seem so bad now. At first she'd been so angry at him but now… it seemed like his failures towards his son had been ones of genuine mistakes and ignorance not malicious at all.

Percy could work with that. With the genuine love and regret even if it would take a long time to repair that rift between father and son. He should have been there should have done more but she could understand why he hadn't been even if it was for stupid reasons.

She let out a breath, turning and pulling the door open to go inside- and she froze when her eyes focused on the person stood just next to the door, who had clearly been listening in on her conversation.

Her heart dropped into her stomach as her gaze focused on Luke, on the stunned broken look on his face.

"All those things she said." His voice was slow, as if he was half asleep or something, his expression distant. "All those fits. I never- I didn't understand… she saw- it was me?"

"Oh Luke." Percy felt her heart breaking. "Luke-"

"She saw me- what I- how bad was I supposed to become?" he looked heartbroken. "How twisted would I have become to make her- to drive her to-"

"Luke-" Percy stepped forward quickly, inside, pulling the door shut behind her as she did. "Luke Castellan you listen to me right now. What happened to your mother wasn't your fault, I don't know what she was like or how bad it was but it was not your fault-"

"It was my fate." Luke whispered the words, "Then how-" he blinked, "How am I… how did it change?" he sounded lost. Like a frightened little boy.

A twenty one year old man turned into a nine year old in an instant. Percy felt the odd urge to pull him close and hum softly like she always did with Estelle and Alex.

She pushed it down, though she did press her hand to his cheek, brushing her thumb under his eye, wiping away a tear that had just slipped out.

"I don't know." Her voice was gentle. "I don't know Luke. We'll look into it."

"He- he never told me why mom was like that. I thought it was something he did."

"I know. That's understandable Luke. He didn't exactly give you much reason to believe that it wasn't. You've made lots of mistake but that one was understandable Luke."

"Why-" Luke's expression suddenly shifted, and while she could see grief in his eyes she could see something else as well.
Anger. "She became like that because she tried to become the Oracle- because someone cursed the Oracle." And yeah, yeah that anger was growing. And Percy could understand it, she really, really could.

But as much as she could understand it she couldn't afford to let him bottle it up. That would lead to more problems in the long run.
Luke needed to vent and let out his emotions in a healthy way.

"Okay. Okay right." Percy grabbed his arm, dragging him along before he could stop her.

"What the- Percy where are you dragging me off too."

"Shush and do as you're told."

"Kane I am not in the mood-"

"Oh I can tell you're not." Percy shot back. "Which is why I'm doing this."

She dragged him up to the second floor, flinging the door open- and ahah. Luck was on her side. "Zia, I know you're in the middle of a lesson but I need the training room."

"Oh?" Zia looked startled for a moment before she focused on Percy's expression. "Very well." She clapped her hands together, "Children, we will step outside."

Percy dragged Luke in, so that they weren't blocking the doors, and when Zia and the anklebiters were gone Percy used a spell to lock the doors before she turned to Luke.

"What are we doing in here Percy?" Luke was gritting his teeth. "I don't want to be in here I want-"

"What do you want?"

"I- I want- I-"

"You don't know." Percy answered for him. "You're angry. You can feel it in your chest, tight and painful. And it's so so fierce and it is burning and I get it. Someone cursed the Oracle. Someone is responsible for what happened to her. Responsible for… for whatever your childhood was like. And I am so sorry for that and you have every right to feel that anger but look what happened before. You locked that anger away and it festered and it turned to poison."

"What the fuck am I supposed to do?!" The words burst out of Luke, "What the fuck else am I supposed to do?"

"Let it out."

"How? How do I let it out Percy how the fuck-"

"You need to be angry, you want to lash out, to be mean-" Percy spread her arms wide, taking a few steps back towards the centre of the room. "Be mean to me. Let it out on me. Because you need someone to help you let it out. You need to feel the anger and work through it. I know you're not used to being looked after. But I am here for you. And I will do what I have to."

"What?" Luke looked stunned, the anger disappearing in his shock. "You- what the- what the fuck do you mean?"

"You heard me Luke. If anyone can take your anger it's me. So aim it at me. Scream, shout. Attack me, I won't hit back. I might defend myself, block the blows but you need to work this out so work it out. But Luke don't let this destroy you like Kronos almost did. I am here. I want to help you get what you need so if you need to be mean be mean to me. Let it out Luke."

And when, almost an hour later Luke's legs gave out and he sunk to his knees, tears pouring down his cheeks Percy was there, arms gently wrapping around him as she soothed him.

And somehow she knew he'd taken an important step.