Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Warning(s):Genderbent Percy. Genderbent Thalia. Good!Luke. Bad!Annabeth. AU. Possible OOCness.

The Fleece Works Too Well

The afternoon after we got back from our quest in the Sea of Monsters was turning out to be one of the best I'd had so far at Camp Half-blood, which I guess is a testament to how you never know when your world's about to be rocked to pieces.

Turns out we arrived back in Long island shortly after Clarisse did with the Fleece. I hitched a ride on Chiron's back, but we didn't really talk much, especially not about Kronos. I knew it had been a touchy thing for Chiron to admit to, being his son and all. And I didn't want to push him with more questions. I mean, I've met my fair share of embarrassing parents, but Kronos, the evil titan lord hellbent on destroying western civilization? Not exactly the kind of dad you invite to career day at school.

When we first got to camp the centaurs were all really stoked to meet with Dionysus-"That dude throws some wild parties man!" One of them had said to me-sadly the wine god was in no mood to celebrate. Upon our return the whole camp gathered at the top of Half-blood hill, where Thaddeus' tree was located.

When I was sure no one was looking, I took a few cautionary steps towards the withering tree; it's usually lustrous, fresh green looking pine branches were now drooping and a sickly yellow. The shape of a person melded into the bottom which I could only assume was Thaddeus himself. I could recall standing in this exact same spot just last summer, when I was being sent out on my first ever quest.

I reached forward resting my hand against the trunk. I was no child of Demeter, still on the days when I felt extremely tired this was my ideal place of rest. "We're home, Thaddeus."

I could tell the camp had been through a hard two weeks without the barriers protection. The arts and crafts cabin had apparently been burned to the ground from an attack from something called a Draco Aionius (I visualized an overgrown lizard of some kind with some really powerful breath attacks capable of knocking stuff down, somehow doubting I was super far-off target). The Big House's rooms were all overflowing with wounded. The kids of the Apollo cabin, who were the best healers in camp, had all been working overtime performing various acts like first-aid and the mending of broken limbs.

Everybody looked weary and battered as we all crowded around Thaddeus' tree.

The moment Clarisse draped the Fleece over the lowest branch, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from a dull gray into a bright liquid silver. A cool, refreshing breeze rippled through the decaying branches and cut through the grass all the way into the valley even. Everything seemed to come into focus-the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the scent of the strawberry fields, even the sound of the waves from the beach.

Gradually the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green. The ones that had fallen to the ground beginning to float back up, reattaching themselves and flourishing with renewed life.

Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there was no doubt-the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new life and expelling the poison.

Soon after Chiron ordered a twenty-four/seven hour guard patrol on the hill, at least until he could find the appropriate monster for the job to protect the Fleece. He said he would place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.

Meanwhile, Clarisse was carried down to the amphitheater on her cabin mates shoulders, their cheers making my ears ring, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot more celebration around the campfire that night.

Nobody gave Luke or me a second glance, which I was fine with. It was as though we never even left. Really though, that was probably the best thank-you anyone could give, otherwise if they admitted we snuck out of camp to go on the quest we would have been expelled or worse, harpy food. Besides, I could do without anymore attention for once.

It felt nice, just to be one of the campers at a celebration.

Later on that night while I was busy roasting my third s'more and half-listening to the Stoll brothers telling a ghost story to the other campers about an evil king who was apparently eaten alive by demonic breakfast pastries-seriously, where do they come up with this stuff?-something shoved me causing me to drop my stick. "Hey-"

I spun around, blinking when I saw it was none other than Clarisse. "Stow it Jackson, just because you were cool this one time, don't think you're off the hook with Ares yet." I gave a flippant snort, rolling my eyes when she leaned in close trying to be threatening. "I'm still waiting for the right opportunity to pulverize you."

I gave her a begrudging smile. Somehow touched by her words, and the fact she didn't actually punch me when she had the chance.

"What?" She demanded, the small little quirk of her own lips melting in an instant.

"Nothing." I said with a shrug. "It's just good to be back home."

She didn't say anything after that, turning to head back towards the festivities while I stared up towards Half-blood hill with a smile on my face, seeing the glittering light of the Golden Fleece in the distance.

~/~

The next morning shortly after the party ponies left to go back to Florida-I'll admit I was a little sad to see them go-Chiron made a surprise announcement; The chariot races would go ahead as scheduled. Everyone guessed they were pretty much history now that Tantalus was gone and all, but completing them did somehow feel like the right thing to do, especially now that Chiron had returned and camp was safe again.

Tyson however wasn't too keen on the idea of getting back in a chariot after our first experience, can't really say I blame him, but he was more than happy to let me team up with Luke. I would drive, Luke would be on defense, and Tyson would be our pit crew. While I worked with the horses, Tyson was nice enough to fix up the Hermes chariot with a bunch of special modifications, along with some special input from the Stoll brothers.

The next two days were spent training like crazy! Luke and I agreed that if we won, which I informed him I had every intention of doing, the prize of no chores for a month would be split between the two cabins. Since Hermes was loaded with way more campers, their cabin also having the unclaimed or even those simply without a cabin, would get most of the time off.

Like I said, the prize was nice and all, but I really just wanted to win.

The night before the race was to happen, I was staying up late at the stables. I was talking to the horses, giving them one final brushing and my own version of a pep talk, when someone spoke up from behind me. "Fine animals, horses. Makes me wish I'd thought of them."

I turned to see a middle-aged guy wearing a postal carrier outfit leaning against the stable door. He was slim looking, with black curly hair peeking out from under his white pitch helmet and a mailbag slung over his shoulder. I almost didn't recognize him.

"Lord...Hermes?" I said, a bit uncertain. When he didn't show up looking like Luke it was sometimes hard to tell.

"Hello Panthea." He said sounding more chipper than usual for some reason or another. "I'll bet you didn't recognize me without my jogging clothes, eh?" He said, amused.

"Uh...sure." I mumbled. With the way he looked, I wasn't sure whether to kneel or offer to buy stamps from him, but I figured the first option would be less offensive.

"No need for that right now." He said, waving a dismissive hand.

"Um, I can go see if I can find Luke if that's what you want?" I offered, furrowing my brows.

He shook his head. Maybe it was just me, but his smile seemed a bit sad at the mention of his son. Maybe he missed him?

I was about to ask him if he was sure when the conch horn sounded in the distance, cutting me off signaling curfew for everyone.

"You should be getting to bed," Hermes said. "I think I've helped you and that wayward son of mine get into enough trouble this summer. I really only came to make this delivery, two in fact."

"A delivery? For me?"

"I am the messenger of gods after all." I blushed a bit at the reminder watching him take out an electronic pad from his mailbag, handing them to me. "Now sign here please."

I picked up the stylus about to sign when I noticed a pair of tiny entwined green snakes looking back at me. "Whoa!" I yelped, dropping the stylus immediately.

"Hey, watch it!" George scolded when I managed to catch it right before it hit the ground.

"Really now, Panthea. You almost dropped us, and in a horse stable no less!"Martha added, displeased.

"Uh sorry, I'm not used to holding...snakes." I said, was it more offensive to call them a pen right now?

"So, did you bring me a rat?" George said after another moment.

"Uh no, sorry. Couldn't find one."

"What about a guinea pig?"

When I snorted, they both looked at me strange. "You know what? I think Luke may have seen one of those..." I commented, recalling Circe's little 'makeover' which he made me swear not to tell anyone about, which technically I wasn't.

"Really?" George's eyes sparkled in delight.

"George!"Martha chided. "Stop pestering the girl."

After signing my name I handed Hermes back his pad, a bit nervous and excited to see who would deliver something to me.

In exchange I got one blue-sea envelope-gee, wonder who this is from?- and a box. I blinked, my fingers trembling before opening them, I could tell at the very least who sent me the envelope, Poseidon. I could feel my dad's power through the little slip of blue paper, almost like it was folded from an actual wave of the ocean.

The box? I had no idea. And when I looked at Hermes, he only shrugged leading me to think maybe he didn't have much of a clue either.

"Is this from someone on Olympus?" I asked, more curious than anything else, staring at the small neatly wrapped box-it's paper was a pure white offering no hints as to the senders identity. Hermes shook his head."This isn't like, going to blast me to smithereens when I open it, is it?"

"Now, why would someone go through all the trouble of sending a package just for that?" Hermes asked.

I couldn't tell truthfully if he meant as a sarcastic statement or what, and it frightened me a little.

"Well, good luck tomorrow Panthea. That is, assuming you survive the rest of the night," Hermes said. "It's a fine team of horses you have there, and know that I'm rooting for you-well, the Hermes cabin actually."

"Try not to be too discouraged when you read it, dear." Martha piped up, looking towards the blue envelope clutched in my hand. "He really does have your interests at heart."

"Huh, what do you mean?" I asked.

"Don't mind her." George cut in. "And next time, remember, snakes work for tips."

"Enough you two," Hermes said with a sigh. "Goodbye, Panthea. For now."

I saw small little white wings spout out from his pith helmet. His body began to glow, and I knew right then and there to avert my eyes before he revealed his true divine form. There was a brilliant flash, then he was gone and then I was left all alone with the horses.

'Well first things first.' I thought staring down at the small white box in my hands. I just hoped I hadn't done something to upset another immortal, since Clarisse was kind enough to remind me, having one peeved off immortal was more than enough thank you very much. I peeled back the plain white paper to reveal a simple wooden box, a carving of something on the front surrounded by a wheel of some kind-I think it had three heads, so Cerberus maybe?-popping it open.

I frowned reaching inside and removing the single shimmering object inside, seeing it was some kind of wristband; intricate little designs woven along the surface that could have been either battles or maybe meant to symbolize something else entirely. Not all of them looked to be of mortals, and I noticed the small slip of paper that had been sitting underneath. On it was a single line written in elegant greek scrawl; Ας πετύχουμε τον πύργο.

I didn't understand. Pushing away the ill-feeling I got I moved onto the blue envelope; my father's envelope.

I stared at the piece of blue parchment in my hands. It was addressed in strong yet elegant handwriting like the one before it, similar to the package I'd received last summer.

Panthea Jackson

c/o Camp Half-blood

Farm Road 3.141

Long Island, New York 11954

I still couldn't believe it, an actual letter from my father. Maybe he would tell me what a good job I did in getting the Fleece. And he'd explain about Tyson, or even apologize for not reaching out to me sooner? There were so many things I wanted this letter to say, more than I think could have fit on the paper to be quite honest.

Slowly, I opened the letter and unfolded the paper inside.

Two simple words were all that was printed on the page, and I felt my heart sink a little;

'Brace Yourself.'

Luke and I won the chariot races. Only the victory didn't taste as sweet as I thought it would, or maybe, it just couldn't diminish the feeling of disappoint after reading my dad's letter. It was quite frustration in all honesty.

I mean, who goes through the trouble of writing a letter, having it mailed and everything just to say two little words? What a waste of postage.

I know Martha said not to feel so disappointed and all. Part of me liked to think he had some kind of reason for being so vague, after all most gods did right? Maybe he didn't even know what he was warning me about really, just that he knew something big was on its way-something that could totally blindside me and knock me right off my feet. It was hard, but I knew the best thing to do was to just try and get my mind off of it.

The other package I received was no better. The only difference was that I still had no idea who it was from, so there was no one for me to even mentally be mad at.

I found myself staring down at the new wristwatch I had on, a gift from Tyson just before the chariot races. By pressing the little side button it turned into a shield, which was awesome! It was thanks to his inventions we won, and after we crossed the finish line I made sure to let everyone know even though it made him blush like crazy when I called him my baby brother aloud.

I'd already spoken to my mom after Chiron informed me he'd cleared up the whole nasty business with Meriwether Prep, and though I wasn't being allowed back there, I was glad to hear there would be no more legal trouble.

"It was a relief to you mother as well, speaking of…."

He unclipped the cellphone attached to his quiver, handing it to me with an expectant look. "It's high time you call her…."

The beginning was definitely the worst of it- the whole 'Panthea-Jackson-what were-you-thinking-how-dare-you-run-off-like-that-without-telling-me-I-was-scared half-to-death' part. I may have started to drift after a few moments, my ADHD acting up.

Finally when she seemed to run of breath, she said "Oh I'm just so relieved you're safe!"

"I'm sorry for worrying you mom." I said sincerely. One of the awesome things about her? She could never stay mad for very long.

I offered to come home for a while, figuring maybe my physical presence would soothe her more than a phone call. But she insisted I stay, going on to ask whether I was coming home for another year of school.

"If there's still one that'll take me." I said with a snort.

"Don't worry honey, we'll find some place. Maybe somewhere they just don't know us yet."

~/~

Later that day Tyson told me how he got a dream message from dad-I tried not to feel bitter about it-offering for him to go and work in the cyclopes forges. He got a dream message AND the chance to visit Poseidon's domain, making my little letter form him all the more insignificant. Still, I knew deep down he really wanted to go.

"When would you go?" I asked while we were sitting on the beach together, watching the waves.

"Now."

"Now. Like….as in now now?"

"Now."

I stared out at the waves in the Long Island Sound. The water was glistening red in the sunset.

"Well I'm happy for you, big guy," I managed. "Seriously."

"Hard to leave my new sister," he said with a tremble in his voice. "But I want to make things. Weapons for camp. You will need them."

Unfortunately I knew he made a good point. The Fleece hadn't solved all the camps problems. Annabeth was still out there, gathering an army aboard the Princess Andromeda. Kronos was still re-forming in his golden coffin. Eventually we would have to fight them.

For some reason the words from the mysterious package I received replayed in my mind, echoing like the tolling of bells or an ominous message: "Ας πετύχουμε τον πύργο."

Could it have been a threat? Or a warning, like with Poseidon?

"You'll make the best weapons ever," I told Tyson. I held up the watch he had given me proudly. "I bet they'll tell good time too."

Tyson sniffled." Brothers and sisters help one another."

"Yeah, you're my brother," I said smiling. "No doubt about it."

He then patted me on the back so hard he almost knocked me down the sand dune. Then after wiping a tear form his one big eye, he stood up, ready to go. "Use the shield well."

"I will."

"Save lives someday."

The way he said, so matter-of-fact, like he could see into the future with his one Cyclopes eye.

I watched him walk down to the beach and whistle. Rainbow, the hippocampus, came bursting out of the waves. I stared after the two as they rode off together disappearing into the realm of Poseidon.

Once they were gone my gaze fell to my new wristwatch. Pressing the button I watched as the shield spiraled out into full size, and I could tell Tyson really put his heart into making it for me. Hammered into the bronze were pictures in Ancient Greek style, all of them scenes form our adventure this summer. There was Luke slaying one of the Laistrygonian dodgeball players, me fighting the bronze bulls on Half-blood hill, Tyson riding Rainbow towards the Princess Andromeda, the CSS blasting away at Charbydis.

I ran my hand along the picture of Tyson, battling the Hydra as he held aloft a box of Monster Donuts, a laugh spilling out from my lips.

I couldn't help feeling sad, even though I knew he was going to have an awesome time under the ocean. Still, I would miss him-his fascination with horses, his ability to fix chariots or crumple metal with his bare hands, or even tie bad guys into knots. I would even miss his snore, loud and obnoxious as it was, from the next bunk.

"Hey Thea."

I turned.

Luke and Grover were both standing at the top of the sand dune. And I guess I must have had sand or something fly into my eye, because I started blinking a lot and rubbing at them.

"Tyson..."I started to say. "He um, had to..."

"Yeah we know," Luke cut in softly being the first to walk over. "Chiron already told us."

"The Cyclopes forges." Grover said with a shudder. "Heard the food down there is terrible. No enchiladas at all!"

Luke punched the satyrs arm playfully, shaking his head and swinging an arm around my shoulders starting to pull me along. "Come on my little Damselfish, what say we go and get some real grub?"

With a watery laugh I let my two friends lead me back towards the dining pavilion. It was nice, just the three of us, like old times.

~/~

A storm raged that night, but it parted around Camp Half-blood like storms usually did.

Lightning flashed across the horizon and waves pounded the shores, but not a drop fell in our valley. We were protected again, thanks to the Fleece and Thaddeus' Tree, safely sealed inside our magical borders.

Even so, my dreams were still restless that night. I could hear Kronos taunting me from the depths of Tartarus, his voice cold and sharp like steel grating on stone: "Polyphemus sits blindly in his cave, young hero, believing he has won a great victory. Are you any less deluded?" The titan's cold laughter filled the darkness.

Then the dream shifted and changed. Suddenly I was following Tyson to the bottom of the sea, into Poseidon's court. It was more than I could ever imagine, a radiant hall filled to the brim with blue light, the floor cobbled with pearls. And there, sitting on a throne of coral, sat my father, dressed like just a plain old fisherman in a pair of khaki shorts and sun bleached white T-shirt. Slowly I looked up into his tan weathered face, our deep sea-green eyes meeting, when he spoke just two words:

"Brace Yourself."

I woke with a start.

There was a loud banging on my cabin door.. A second later Grover flew inside without waiting for permission. "Thea!" He stammered uncontrollably, his face looking haunted. "Luke….on the hill….he…."

The look in his eyes told me that something was very terribly wrong. Luke had been on guard duty that night, tasked with protecting the Fleece. If something had happened-I threw off the covers, my blood like ice in my veins. I didn't bother with clothes barely paying attention while Grover struggled to form a coherent sentence, but he was just too stunned, too out of breath only managing broken bits of dialogue. "He's lying there...just lying there..."

I didn't bother asking who he was talking about, assuming it was Luke.

I just ran outside and raced across the central yard leaving the still stuttering Grover to catch up, trailing right behind me. Dawn was just breaking overhead, but the whole camp was already stirring. Word was spreading fast. Something huge had happened. I saw a few of the campers already making their way towards the hill, satyrs and nymphs and heroes all in a weird assortment of pajamas and armor.

I barely registered the clopping of hooves as Chiron came galloping up from behind us, face grim.

"Is it true?" He asked Grover.

Grover could only manage a nod, still too dazed for much else.

I tried to ask what was going on, but Chiron grabbed me by the arm effortlessly lifting me onto his back. Together we thundered up the hill where a large crowd had already started to gather.

I expected to see the Fleece missing from it's place on the pine tree, only it wasn't, it was still hanging there, glittering in the first light of dawn. The storm had broken and the sky was now a blood red.

"Curse the titan lord," Chiron said. "He's tricked us again, given himself another chance to control the prophecy."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Whatever I was expecting, that wasn't it.

"The Fleece," he said. "The Fleece did it's work too well."

We galloped forward, everyone clearing out of our way. That's when I saw it; There at the base of the tree, a boy was lying unconscious. Another boy in Greek armor was kneeling next to him.

Blood roared in my ears. I couldn't think straight. Luke had been attacked? But then, why was the Fleece still here?

The tree itself looked perfectly fine too, still whole and healthy, infused with the essence of the Golden Fleece.

"It healed the tree," Chiron said, his voice ragged. "And poison was not the only thing that it purged."

'What else was there?' I thought, still so confused.

That's when I realized Luke wasn't the one lying on the ground. He was the one in armor, kneeling down next to the unconscious boy. When Luke saw us, he immediately ran to Chiron. "It….he…..just suddenly there…."

His eyes were streaming with tears, but Luke didn't cry. Not ever! I still didn't understand what everyone was going on about, and I was too freaked out to try and make sense of it all right now. I slid off of Chirons back and felt something pulling me towards the unconscious boy a short distance away. Chiron yelling after me, "Panthea, wait!"

I knelt by his side, feeling the invisible force get a little stronger looking him over with wide eyes for a moment, he was beautiful-er, handsome-perfection in dark and light hues; Grecian features and a splash of freckles on tanned skin, hair black like a raven's feathers, short, spiked and unkempt. His build that of a long distance runner and fighter in one, lithe and strong, with his clothes somewhere between punk and Goth-a black T-shirt that hung in just the right way to show off the taut muscles hidden beneath, black tattered jeans, and a black leather jacket with buttons from a bunch of bands I wasn't familiar with.

He wasn't a camper. I didn't recognize him from any of the cabins. And yet I couldn't shake the feeling that I had seen him somewhere before…

"It's really true," Grover said, panting from his mad dash up the hill and reminding me that I was not alone. "I can't believe..."

Nobody else came close to the boy.

I put my hand on his forehead, my fingers just barely brushing a few of those lovely black strands of hair he had. His skin was cold like ice, but my fingers tingled like they had just been burned.

"He-he needs nectar and ambrosia," I called out. He was clearly a half-blood, whether he was a camper or not could wait. I could sense it just from one touch. I didn't understand why everyone was acting so scared.

Fighting the urge to blush I took him by his shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position beside me, resting his head against my shoulder. I felt a rush of something along with what sounded like a girlish giggle from the back of my mind. I chose to ignore both.

"Come on!" I yelled to the others, trying to get them to move. "What's wrong with you all? We need to get him to the Big House."

No one moved still, not even Chiron. All of them were too stunned, too shocked.

Then the boy took a shaky breath. He coughed and opened his eyes.

His irises were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, blue-electric blue. Only it wasn't the color that was so breathtaking, as it was what was inside them. Smeared dark lines and heavy eyelids. And bright. Oh, how bright they were, shining with the tears that had yet to fall in trickling lines, streaking through the caked dirt on his face. The blue-gray of stormy skies that drowned you in the rain to come.

The boy stared at me in bewilderment, shivering and wild-eyed. "Who-"

"I'm Panthea," I barely managed to say without gawking. "You're safe now."

"Strangest dream..."

"It's okay."

"Dying." He looked so tortured.

"No," I wanted to assure him. Running my hand through his raven-black hair and down along the side of his face like my mother did for me after I had a really bad nightmare. "You're okay. Can you tell me your name?"

That's when I knew. Even before he said it.

The boy's blue eyes stared into mine, and right then I understood what the Golden Fleece quest had been all about. The poisoning of Thaddeus' tree. Everything. Kronos had done it all so that he could bring another chess piece into play-another chance to control the prophecy, just like Chiron said.

Even Chiron, Luke and Grover, who all should have been celebrating this moment, were too shocked, thinking about what it might mean for the future. And I was holding someone who was destined to be my closest friend, or my greatest enemy.

"I am Thaddeus," the boy said. "Son of Zeus."

'Brace yourself, indeed.'

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