Updated: 12/4/2020

Happy Easter. Have a Happy and Safe One.

Chapter 4: Favourite Cousin Who? Photos?

After Thalia had chased Percy around the Throne Room. Causing laughter at their actions with Nico laughing at his cousins antics. But getting involved when Percy dumped another lot of water on him. By accident that time. Not that Nico believed it. Lighting up the gloomy atmosphere with their actions. Just how Percy wanted to happen. Didn't mean it didn't get hurt when Thalia zapped him with lightning and Nico tripping him up with shadows before Annabeth told them to knock it off.

"Who's turn to read?" Clarisse asks after everyone finally settles down.
"I'll do it", Piper says taking the book and starting.

Chapter 3: Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Trousers.

"What kind of chapter title is that?" Clarisse asks snickering

Grover blushes.

Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.

"You gave me a heart attack there Perce", Grover reveals

Percy shrugs, "Can you blame me for ditching you?"

"Not really", Grover replies with a sigh, "But what happened next scared me too death"

"What happened?" Poseidon asks worriedly

Percy and Grover share a look. This was going to go down so well.

I know, I know. It was rude. But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man, muttering, "Why does this always happen?" and, "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"

Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom. Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.

"East One Hundred and Fourth and First Avenue", I told the driver.

"Percy you shouldn't have done that to poor Grover", Annabeth scolds

"In my defence he was freaking me out", Percy tells them

"Big baby", Thalia mutters snickering with Nico snicking too beside her.

Percy rolls his eyes.

"Like you were any better Corpse Breath", Percy tells his baby Cousin.

Nico blushes, "Shut up. Don't say a word"

"We will eventually find out", Travis points out

"These books seem to go through all your adventures", Conner adds

Nico groans maybe he would kill Apollo. He begged whoever was listening this didn't tell his obsession with the Mythomagic Cards.

A word about my mother, before you meet her.

Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck.

"What do you mean by that?" Poseidon asks worriedly

He truly cared about Sally. She is one of a kind. A Queen among women.

"Lets just say Dad a lot has happened", Percy says vaguely

Piper coughs and continues.

Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an Uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent High School working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing programme. Then her Uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school in her senior year to take care of him. After he died she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.

"Jeez Sally has bad luck. Worse than mine", Meg says, "She is such a nice person too"

"She has a Heart of Gold", Thalia says

"Took me and Thals in like we were her own", Nico says smiling

Zeus and Hades wanted to know how their daughter and son got basically taken in by their brothers lover. Did she have an alternative motive or did she truly just care about their children?

But both were jealous at how much love that their kids had for Sally Jackson. Not that they would admit it out load.

The only good break she ever got was meeting my Dad.

I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile. My Mum doesn't talk about him because it makes her sad. She had no pictures.

Poseidon looks sad. He never meant to cause Sally pain.

"I am sorry Percy I never meant to cause Sally pain", Poseidon says apologizing

"I know Dad. But back then…well I didn't like seeing my Mum hurt", Percy replies, "She was hurt enough back then"

Poseidon frowns and wonders what that meant.

See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day. He set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and never came back.

Lost at sea, my Mum told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.

"Well kind of true", Clarisse says

"Not really at the time. Remember Clarisse I didn't now nothing then", Percy starts

"But what is your excuse later?" Nico asks smirking

"What do you mean cousin?" Percy asks

"I heard you couldn't even guess who your father was. It was only in Capture the Flag when HE claimed you did you find out", Nico replies smirking

"Oh I heard about that! Kelp Head Annie knew who was your parent basically on your first day!" Thalia says laughing.

"I think everyone knew after what he did to Clarisse", Katie says smirking

"What did he do?" Hazel asks curiously

"Don't any off you dare Prissy!" Clarisse growls

Ares chuckles at the Spawn of Seas nickname. He hoped Clarisse showed the Spawn just how good children of Ares were.

Percy was about to tell because Clarisse called him Prissy when...

Piper coughed to get their attention back on her. No one bothering to tell Clarisse that what Percy did was likely to be in this book.

Nobody. Well except Travis and Conner. Wanted to point it out to Clarisse. Chris was trying to distract his girlfriend. He didn't need her spear coming out and attacking Percy. Again. Did they?

She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her High School diploma, and raised me on her own, She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.

Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his true colours as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nicknamed him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like mouldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.

Between the two of us, we made my Mum's life pretty hard. The way Smell Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along…well, when I came home is a good example.

"Percy…did this Gabe abuse you or your Mum?" Poseidon asks carefully

"No", Percy lies

"Lying", Apollo states

Percy hisses at him, "Shut up cousin or when I get back I'll do something to you"

"I am going to kill that bastard", Poseidon growls causing a earthquake through the throne room.

"Dad I'm fine and he gets what he deserves in the end", Percy says calmly

"What happened?" Artemis asks curiously

She always hated abusive males.

"That will probably be in the books my Lady", Percy replies respectfully, "The events leading up to Gabe's punishment need to be told to get it"

To the Olympians that sounded interesting. What did Percy do to Gabe?

"I hope you gave him what he deserved", Hazel says darkly.

"Oh he got what he deserved all right", Percy says making them even more curious.

Piper starts to read again.

I walked into our little apartment, hoping my Mum would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television was blaring. Crisps and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.

Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home"

"Where's my Mum?"

"Working", he said, "You got any cash"

"The nerve of him", Annabeth mutters.

That was it. No. Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?

Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in a thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something.

"Ewww", Aphrodite states turning up her nose at the description.

"Your lucky your never had the pleasure of meeting him my Lady then you would be truly disgusted", Percy states

He shuddered at the memory of Gabe. Boy he hated that guy.

He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept collecting pay cheques, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer. Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our 'guy secret'. Meaning, if I told my Mum, he would punch my lights out.

Poseidon, Thalia and Nico growl at that.

Everyone was surprised at how protective Thalia and Nico were off their Cousin. It seemed the Percy was just as protective off them. Poseidon, Hades and Zeus wondered how on earth their children put aside their differences and rivalries to become so close. Because Chaos knows they couldn't get on with each other.

"You lot might what to take lessons", Hera thinks to them mildly

"What!?" they yell thinking

"If your sons and daughter can get only so can you lot!" Hestia thinks to her brothers

"Your dreaming sister. They would never do that", Demeter thinks

"They are so unwise if they don't", Athena butts in.

"Hey!" they exclaim.

They stop as Piper starts to read again.

"I don't have any cash", I told him

He raised a greasy eyebrow.

Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.

"You took a taxi from the bus station", he said, "Probably paid twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"

Eddie, the superintendent of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe", he said, "The kid just got here"

"Am I right?" Gabe repeated

Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.

"Gross", many comment

"Why did that have to be there Apollo?" Thalia scowls

"Hey it is not THIS awesome me who did this!" Apollo protests, "And blame you favourite cousins thoughts"

"Hey I'm her favourite cousin!" Nico exclaims

"No that would be me Corpse Breath", Percy states.

Annabeth groans this old argument again. These three always did this.
"Piper read quickly", Annabeth orders

"Fine", I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you lose"

"Your report card came, brain boy!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"

I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During school months, it was Gabe's 'study'. He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.

I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.

"That is no home Perseus", Hestia says softly

"It was for a time Lady Hestia", Percy states

"Call me Hestia", Hestia insists

Percy smiles, "I believe you will have this conversation with me again in a few years. I still go by what I said then"

"And what was that?" Hestia asks

Everyone was curious about that too.

"You're the Goddess that deserves the most respect. You are the Eldest Daughter of Kronos. But Hope survives best at the Hearth. You keep your family together. So I bow to you out off respect", Percy explains as best he could.

Everyone was surprised at that.

"You don't bow to anyone else?" Zeus ask scowling

"I bow to Dad and Lady Artemis. And you too Uncle", Percy replies rolling his eyes.

"Why me Perseus?" Artemis asks curiously

"Our of respect I have for you and Zoe Nightshade", Percy replies softly remembering the Huntresses who he had become friends with.

The same Huntress that knew she would die on the quest to save her Lady. But still went anyway. Her death he felt guilty about. She shouldn't have needed to die if he had been a little faster on freeing Artemis.

The Gods were shocked that Percy Jackson. A male. Had so much respect for a Hunter of Artemis. And not just any. But Artemis's loyal Lieutenant. Who absolutely hated men.

"Lets continue on. Zoe's story will come soon enough. I am sure. If not I'll tell it out of respect for her", Percy states

Artemis was shocked. Why did this son of her Uncle respect her Lieutenant so much? She could hear the respect and was that guilt in his voice. What was the story of Zoe Nightshade and Percy Jackson?

The other Gods nod but where going to remember this. Piper starts reading again.

Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs Dodds, or the sound of the fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.

But soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic – how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone – something – was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.

Everyone frowns. Why on earth was Percy feeling like that? What the hell was going on? Sure he was the Son of Poseidon but this wasn't normal. Even for children of the Big Three.

Then I heard my Mum's voice. "Percy?"

She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.

My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room. Her eyes sparkled and changed colour in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few grey streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad. I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.

"She sounds like a great woman", Persephone starts

"She is", most of the demigods say

Poseidon wonders when all these demigods had meet Sally.

"Oh, Percy", she hugged me tight. "I can't believe it, You've grown since Christmas!"

Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy stop in Grand Central. She bought me a huge bag of 'free samples', the way she always did when I came home.

We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in letters. She didn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing all right?

I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her.

From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally – how about some bean dip, huh?"

I gritted my teeth.

Poseidon growls. He would kill this man after all this was over and set Sally and young Perseus up somewhere nice.

Artemis growls at this pig of a man. She wanted to turn him into a Jackolope and Hunt him down.

My Mum is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not some jerk like Gabe.

For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin, And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the Headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really had. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself. I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr Brunner. Even Nancy Bobofitt suddenly didn't seem so bad.

"Really you would miss Nancy?" Grover asks a little bit amused.

"Lapse of thinking", Percy states, "I was under a lot off stress"

"When aren't you", many mutter.

That had the Gods worried. Did everything always fall on the Son of Poseidon?

Until that trip to the museum…

"What?" my Mum asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"

"No, Mum"

I felt bad lying. I wanted to tell her about Mrs Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid.

She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.

"I have a surprise for you", she said. "We're going to the beach"

"That is bound to cheer Percy up", Thalia replies smiling

"I can't remember a time Percy wasn't smiling on the beach", Nico states

"That's because he HAS always smiled on the beach", Annabeth replies fondly kissing Percy.

"It feels like home", Percy explains after he finishes his kiss with Annabeth.

My eyes widened. "Montauk?"

"Three nights – same cabin"

"When?"

She smiled. "As soon as I get changed"

I couldn't believe it. My Mum and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two Summers, because Gabe there wasn't enough money.

Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"

I wanted to punch him, but I met my Mum's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.

"I was on my way, honey", she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip"

Gabe's eyes got small, "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"

"I knew it", I muttered, "He won't let us go"

"Of course he will", my Mum said evenly, "Your stepfather is just worried about money. That's all. Besides", she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend, Guacamole. Sour cream. The works"

Gabe softened a bit, "So this money for your trip . . . it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"

"That bastard", many mutter.

"Yes, honey", my Mother said.

"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back"

"We'll be very careful"

"Sure", many mutter.

Gabe scratched his double chin, "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip . . . And maybe if the kid apologies for interrupting my poker game"

Maybe if I kick your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.

But my Mum's eyes warned me not to make him mad.

Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?

"I'm sorry", I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now"

"Note the sarcasm there", Leo states smirking.

Calypso rolls her eyes fondly at her boyfriend.

Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement.

"Yeah, whatever", he decided

He went back to his game.

"Thank you, Percy", my Mum said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about . . . whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"

For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes – the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride – as if my Mum too felt an odd chill in the air.

But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-laver dip.

An hour later we were ready to leave.

Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my Mum's bags to the car. He kept gripping and groaning about losing her cooking – and more important, his '78 Camaro – for the whole weekend.

"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy", he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch"

Like I'd be the one driving. I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.

Watching him lumber back towards the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement towards Gabe.

The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the staircase as if he'd been shot from a cannon.

"Percy did you just use your powers?" Poseidon asks

"Umm I might have? I didn't even know!" Percy tries to explain

"He is definably your son. Kelp-For-Brains", Athena states

"What does that mean Owl Head?" Poseidon asks glaring at her

Piper coughs and continues.

Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.

I got in the Camaro and told my Mum to step on it.

"That car is going to get totalled right?" Thalia asks smirking

Piper sighs they were never going to finish this chapter.

"Why would you say that?" Percy asks

"It is you Kelp Head", Nico states like it meant everything.

All the demigods laugh. They knew it DID mean everything.

"What does that mean?" Percy asks

"Well you blow up the St Louis Arch", Nico states

"That was…"

"You smashed your way out of the Lotus Casino", Nico states

"That was…"

"You destroyed Circe's Island", Nico states

The other demigods were trying not to laugh at Percy's face. Not noticing the Gods stunned looks.

"That was…"

"You blow up Mount St Helen's", Nico states

"You DID WHAT!" Hephaestus, Poseidon and Zeus yell

Many off the other Gods were downright stunned. Just how powerful was Percy Jackson?

"I hate you", Percy says to Nico as the rest of the demigods laugh.

"No you don't I'm your favourite cousin", Nico replies smirking

"No that would be me!" Thalia states glaring at Nico

"No it is definably me", Nico says

"There is only one way to settle this", Thalia says

Percy wanted to groan. He knew what was going to happen next.
"Perce dear cousin who do you like best? Corpse Breath…", Thalia starts giving him puppy-dog eyes.

"Or Pinecone Face?" Nico finishes smirking

"Piper start reading", Percy demands not wanting to get into this argument again.

The others were snicker.

Percy was wondering if it was pick on Percy day, or week, or month, or year.

Piper coughs and quickly starts readying again.

"Nice save", Annabeth mutters to Percy

Percy nods it was.

Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets, and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.

I loved the place.

"Because you're the Son of the Sea God", Frank mutters

Percy glares at Frank.

"I hate spiders. Did it have to be spiders", Annabeth asks shuttering remembering going up against Arachne.

Percy places an arm around her in comfort. Knowing what she was thinking.

We'd been going here since I was a baby. My Mum had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she met my Dad.

Poseidon smiles fondly remembering his meeting with Sally Jackson. It was truly a time he was going to remember.

As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the colour of the sea.

We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my Mum had bought back from work.

I guess I should explain the blue food.

"Please do", Calypso says confused at all the blue food.

"It is his favourite", Thalia, Nico and Annabeth say together.

See, Gabe had once told my Mum there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my Mun went out of her way to eat blue, She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This – along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs Ugliano – was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.

When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mum told me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told me about boos she wanted to write someday when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.

Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came to Montauk – my Father. Mum's eyes went misty. I figured she would tell me the same things she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.

"He was kind Percy", she said, "Tall, handsome and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes"

Poseidon was shocked by how kind she was talking about him. Considering her situation. She was still so kind about him. Making sure Percy didn't blame him.

He owed Sally more then he could ever repay her in this life time.

Mum finished a blue jelly bean out of the candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud"

I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me. A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years.

"I AM proud off you my son", Poseidon says giving Percy a hug, "I am sorry you didn't know that"

"I have know it after this situation. But yes at the time I didn't think you would be proud off me", Percy reveals

"I will ALWAYS be proud off you", Poseidon vows.

"Enough lets keep going", Zeus orders

Poseidon rolls his eyes and sits back on his throne.

"How old was I?" I asked, "I mean . . . when he left?"

She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach, This cabin"

"But . . . he knew me as a baby"

"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born"

I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember . . . something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.

Poseidon wondered how his son remembered that.

"You remembered that?" Poseidon asks needing confirmation.
"Yes. I take it, it wasn't a false memory or hallucination?" Percy asks him.

"No it wasn't. I needed to see you in person just once", Poseidon admits

Zeus was grumbling in his throne. Something about 'Ancient Laws' and 'No respect'.

I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My Mum had never said it outright, but still. I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me . . .

I felt angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on the ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry my Mum. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.

"I deserve that", Poseidon says knowing what he did was wrong.

Stupid law.

Many off the other Gods and Goddesses thought the same thing.

"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"

She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.

"I don't know, honey", her voice was heavy, "I think . . . I think we'll have to do something"

"Because you don't want me around?" I regretted the words as soon as they were out.

My Mum's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight, "Oh, Percy, no. I – I have to honey. For your own good. I have to send you away"

Her words reminded me of what Mr Brunner had said – that it was best for me to leave Yancy.

"Because I'm not normal", I said

"You have never been normal Kelp Head", Thalia comments

"And you ask me to call you my favourite Cousin", Percy comments back.

"Well I am aren't I?" Thalia asks

"No that belongs to me!" Nico states.

Annabeth groans. She wishes they would get this go. Annabeth motioned for Piper to quickly start reading before the Trio of Cousins started again.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe"

"Safe from what?"

She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me – all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to mem some of which I'd tried to forget.

During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.

Before that – a really early memory. I was in Pre school and a teacher accidently put me down fir a nap in a cot that had a snake had slithered into. My Mum screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strange to death with my meaty toddler hands.

Poseidon swears. His son wasn't even safe as a toddler. He should have fought for Sally and Percy to come to Atlantis. So that way he could protect his most vulnerable son.

In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.

I knew I should tell my Mum about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucinations that I half sliced my maths teacher into dust with a sword. But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that.

"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could", my Mum said. "They told me that was a mistake, But there's only one other option, Percy – the place your father wanted to send you, And I just . . . I just can't stand to do it"

"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"

"Not a school", she said softly. "A Summer camp"

My head was spinning. Why would my Dad – who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born – talk to my Mum about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?

"I'm sorry, Percy", she said. Seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I – I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean goodbye to you for good"

"For good? But if its only a summer camp…"

She turned towards the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry.

"Poor Sally", Meg says feeling sorry to the kind woman who took her in with no questions asked.

That night I had a vivid dream.

It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf. The eagle swooped down and slashed the horses muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they fought the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.

"What the Hades are you two fighting about?" Athena asks, nothing was piecing together.

"Stop using my name as a curse word!" Hades growls exasperated.

He was sick, SICK of people using his name as a curse word.

"You should be used to it by now", Demeter mutters

"What was the Demeter?" Hades asks glaring at his Sister/Mother-in-Law.

Persephone gives her Mother a look. She really didn't want a fight between her Mother and Husband at the moment.

I ran towards them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in slow motion. I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horses wide eyes, and I screamed, No!

"You were going to get in between us?" Zeus asks stunned.

"Well I didn't know the truth then", Percy replies with a helpless shrug.

"My favourite cousin is an idiot", Nico groans

"What do you mean he is your favourite?"

"Oh for crying out loud! Piper please continue and finish this", Reyna begs, she was getting sick of the Trio of Cousins together real quick.

How did Annabeth and the others survive it?

I woke with a start.

Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and five-metre-high waves pounding the dunes like artillery.

With the next thunderclap, mu Mum woke. She sat up eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane"

I knew that was crazy. Long Island never saw hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten. Over the roar of the wind, I head a distant bellowing, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.

"What are you fighting about?" most Gods mutter looking at Zeus to Poseidon and back again.

Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice – someone yelling, pounding in out cabin door.

My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.

Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't exactly Grover.

"Searching all night", he gasped. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't exactly thinking was I?" Percy says sarcastically, "How was I supposed to know I had been up against a fury and then the fates?"

My Mother looked at me in terror – not scarred of Grover, but of why he'd come.

"Percy", she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"

I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.

"O Zeu kai alloi theoi", he yelled, "It's right behind me! Didn't you tell her?"

I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had got here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his trousers on – and where his legs should be . . . where his legs should be . . .

"Look Grover you broke poor Percy", Thalia jokes laughing

"Come on. What was I meant to think?" Percy asks glaring at his Cousins and the others that were laughing, "This is your fault Grover", he points at his satyr best friend.
"Me?" Grover asks innocently

"Yes you! I will get my revenge for this", Percy states

"What are you going to do?" Grover asks nervously

"Two words again plus another word to go with it. Wedding. Dress. Photos", Percy says smirking at Grover's pale face.

"You have photos!" Grover yelps making Annabeth and Clarisse laugh.

"Oh yes. And don't try to destroy them", Percy says laughing

"Because we have copies", Clarisse replies laughing.

"Damn it. Please Perce, Clarisse, Annabeth don't show them", Grover begs, "I'll do anything"

"What is with this 'Wedding Dress' business? It sounds like a funny story", Apollo asks smirking.

"Oh it is. Involves a blind cyclopes wanting goat for dinner, ladies clothes, a wedding dress, a near wedding ceremony and the plan of a wedding nig…", Percy starts put was tackled by Grover.

Laughter was going around the room. Oh they couldn't wait to hear the whole story behind that. Even the few stern Romans were cracking smiles.

"Oh I can't wait to hear that", Hermes says laughing hard.

Grover grumbles as he sits down after being pulled off Percy by a laughing Nico and Thalia. He prayed to the Fates that everyone wouldn't hear the whole story. It was a low point in his life. Truly.

Damn how come he didn't know that Percy and Clarisse had evidence of his humiliation? Oh bugger he hoped they didn't show them to Jupiter or the Council he would never, ever live that down.

Damn he would HAVE to find those photos.

My Mum looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: "Percy. Tell me now!"

I stammered something about old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs Dodds, and my Mum stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.

She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. Go!"

Grover ran fir the Camaro – but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about muscultar disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.

Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves…
"That is the end of the chapter", Piper announces

"Thank Goodness. That seemed to go on forever", Katie states

"That is because of the arguments about favourite Cousins", Travis starts

"Don't!" many demigods try and stop him.

"Percy I'm you favourite cousin right?"

"It has to be me! I saved his ass in the Underworld"

"I made sure he wasn't eaten by monsters!"

Percy was getting a headache. And so was everyone else. But he had a question of his own.

"Hey I'm your favourite cousin right Thalia? Or you Nico?"

That just started a new argument between the close Cousins. None wanting to admit they were all favourited by the others. And they were all equal. Their pride was on the line and all…

Author's Note: What do you think? Please Review:)