A/N This is a one-shot, a random thought that I came up with however long ago, and I had to get it out of my head because it was bugging me. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

The first time Percy bowed to Zeus, it was out of fear. It was his first meeting with the Olympians. Grover and Annabeth were with him, and he had come to deliver the master bolt to Zeus. He wasn't necessarily afraid of Zeus, but he also didn't fancy the idea of being blasted to ashes. When Zeus' eyes had first landed on him, Percy had seen the anger clearly visible there. No matter the fact that Zeus had also broken the oath. Zeus' daughter was already punished, almost killed and made into a tree. No, it was this child of Poseidon that was the problem. He had to be punished too.

What Percy hadn't noticed was the panic in Zeus' eyes. Was this kid sent by Kronos? Was he going to kill him just like he killed his father? No, that wouldn't happen. The kid would die first.

And so the first time Percy met Zeus, he bowed. Never mind the fact that he was almost killed despite that.

The second time Percy bowed to Zeus, it was out of pity. You couldn't blame him. The head counselors and Chiron had just been called to Olympus for an emergency meeting. You would think that the demigods would get at least one day of rest, just one. But no, Kronos had other plans. He was constantly changing the game, taking away their cards, and adding his own. His newest addition was the most game changing though. It included one daughter of Zeus.

When Percy stepped forward, he saw something that no one else seemed to see. Relief and love were flowing out of Zeus, both of them pointing towards his daughter. How no one noticed was a complete mystery to Percy. Maybe they were just too used to seeing the Zeus they knew that they ignored any changes. Maybe, but that didn't change the fact that they were oblivious to the truth.

Percy knew what that felt like though when you lost a loved one like that. You knew that they were alive, but you were helpless to do anything about it. All you could do was hope and pray that maybe they were okay, maybe they didn't blame you, and maybe, just maybe, you could save them. And finally, when they were safe again, all you wanted to do was hold them tight and cry and never let go again, but you couldn't do that because you had a role to play and a strong facade to keep up. Yes, Percy may not have lost a daughter, but a mother was close enough.

And so the second time Percy met Zeus, he bowed. Never mind the fact that he was the only one who noticed.

The third time Percy bowed to Zeus, it was out of respect. Oh no, it wasn't out of respect for Zeus. The god had done nothing to help him. No, it was out of respect for Artemis, a woman who had decided to trust him, even if only for a little bit and even though he was a male. Yes, he respected how she took the weight of the sky for Annabeth, he respected how she fought Atlas, and he definitely respected how she cared for her former huntress. And Percy had made a promise to greet Zoe's constellation and thank the moon, Artemis, every night before he went to bed.

Percy would never admit it at the time, but he respected Zeus a little. It was not alot of respect in the slightest. It wasn't even great enough to be noticed. No, the only reason Percy respected Zeus at all was the fact that he had to such a wonderful daughter. Yes, she had her faults just like anyone and was often biased, but she was still good despite all the bad influences she was raised around. Percy was also glad that Zeus had had Thalia. She was a brave girl, a wonderful fighter, and a great ally. Later, when Thalia joined Artemis' hunters, he missed her, but secretly, he was glad that the sisters got along.

And so the third time Percy met Zeus, he bowed. Never mind the fact that it wasn't actually for Zeus.

The fourth time Percy bowed to Zeus, it was out of defeat. You had to hand it to Percy. He actually had the strength to bow. Most people had already collapsed from wounds or exhaustion. Yes, the battle at the Labyrinth hadn't been the real battle, but it was the biggest one that they had had so far. Percy was tired like the rest of them, but he wasn't allowed to take a break yet. No, he had to go to Olympus with Annabeth and retell all of the things that had happened in the Labyrinth and the battle that had followed afterward at camp.

It was a depressing tale: fights, deaths, and Daedalus' sacrifice of his life for them. Percy couldn't help but feel defeated. Sure they had won this battle, but what about the next? Would he even survive to complete the coming the prophecy? And even if he did survive, how many people would be lost in the final battle that was to come?

And so the fourth time Percy met Zeus, he bowed. Never mind the fact that he was too sad and burdened to do anything else.

The fifth time Percy bowed to Zeus, it was out of understanding. When Percy walked into the throne room after the final battle with Kronos and looked into Zeus' eye, he finally and truly understood.

Zeus was alot like him. No, he wasn't loyal (all the cheating sure proved that), and yes, he was often selfish, but he was more than he appeared. You couldn't tell that from the first glance though, it took time. At first glance, Zeus was hot tempered, arrogant, and self-centered. If you looked closely though, you might see more than that.

If you looked closely, you could see that Zeus loved and cared. He loved his daughters, he loved his sons, and he even loved his wife. He loved his family and cared for them. Yes, he cheated, and yes, he had a hard time showing his love, but deep down inside, he cared for them more than his own life and wouldn't want anything to happen to them.

If you looked closely, you could see that Zeus didn't want power. Oh yes, at first glance, you might see a power-hungry monster, and in a way, he was a bit of that. That didn't make up his sole existence though. See, it wasn't that he wanted power. No, far from it in fact. He didn't want power, he needed it. Power meant that Zeus was in control. It meant that no one could hurt him (because otherwise they would get punished), and it meant that no one could betray him (like he betrayed his father). Zeus needed power because it made him feel safe and loved, even if he knew that they hated him for it.

If you looked closely, you could see that Zeus was lonely. He needed power so that he wouldn't get hurt, but it truth, it just hurt him more. His thirst and need for power had made others see the bad in him or make up bad that wasn't there. It had made them hate him. And even though Zeus acted independent and said he didn't need them, in reality, he was lonely without them. And even though Zeus acted like nothing they did could hurt him, in reality, it hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

If you looked closely, you could see that deep, deep down, Zeus was alot like Percy. They loved their family and friends, both of them did. (And even though one of them showed it way more than the other, deep down inside, they both loved others way, way more than anyone realized.) They both had power. (Just because they had it didn't mean they wanted it. No, neither of them did. One of them needed it just because they felt insecure and vulnerable without it. The other one had to have it because they were the only one capable of using that power for good.)

No, neither of them wanted power, but they had it anyway, so they kept up their facades. No one had to know the truth. It's not like it mattered anyway.

And so the fifth time Percy met Zeus, he bowed. He bowed, not because he had to and not because he wanted to, but because he needed to, for the sake of a lonely soul.