Season one, episode three
Part four: half smiles

Luna just wanted to leave, a pretty common feeling over the past few days.

Percy went on about how he trusted Medusa and how the group could trust her causing him to follow her.

Luna finds out very quickly that Percy doesn't think things out that well.

It wasn't the fact that Luna didn't trust her, it was that she didn't trust any of the gods. The gods she had encountered over the quests always got on her nerves.

From her mother abandoning her to the revenge Hades wishes to have her with, Luna wasn't a fan of the gods. Also, the fact that all of them abandon their kids, why have children if you're just going to hate them in the end?

If Luna had to meet another god who hated their children for wanting their love she would stick an arrow in their eye in a second, no hesitation.

Luna stood there with a tight grip on her pen, knuckles turning white. The second Grover looked between Annabeth and herself and followed Percy, Luna followed.

She would tell anybody that it was for safety and that the boys couldn't be trusted by themselves.

But on a deeper level, it was Grover.

The secret would never leave her lips, secrets entombed within her that would never escape.

༺☆༻

Grover struggled to keep the wooden door open for Luna, juggling a box in one hand and holding the door open with the other.

Luna's mouth twitched up into a half smile, a rare sight. Grover instantly noticed, the box slipping out of his hand and onto the cement floor with a thump.

The look on her face, god she made him nervous.

The two turned to stone looking between the box and each other. Luna raised her eyebrows, silently picked the box up holding it out to the boy.

God, she knew her half-smile would freak him out.

Placing the box in his hand Luna bit on the inside of her cheek, Grover's wide eyes and flushed cheeks made her feel weird.

A good weird.

Walking past him, Grover stayed out for a moment unsure of what to do. Completely frozen the now core memory of Luna walking up to the boy with a half smile.

Now he just needed one more half to the sight of his life.

Down the middle of the room lays a long dinner table filled with copious amounts of food, candle sticks lit up.

Luna had to admit, in her mind, that the place was nice. An old building in the middle of a forest was her type of place.

"You must be hungry," Medusa calls out causing the three to freeze. "I left snacks on the table while I get something proper going"

The snacks led Luna to believe she knew they were coming.

Leaning against the edge of the table Luna glanced over it carefully, no tricks could get past her. Grover walked behind the girl, Luna turned her head to look at him.

Grover stood between Luna and Percy, both the boys dropping over the food in front of them.

Percy lent over to the two, "You think it's safe to eat?" He whispered, eyes stuck to the snacks.

Grover paused, Luna looking between the drooling boys with a sigh. She wanted to laugh at how desperate they were showing. Luna was hungry too but being vegan most things she couldn't eat.

"Percy, I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm really hungry, and I'm ready to take that chance," Grover admitted.

Luna nodded, "It isn't poisoned, she could've let us with the Furie but she didn't. Eat." The girl encouraged

Facing the boys with her hip on the table, crossing her arms carefully. They just stared at her, she widened her eyes, "You have free will." She mutters.

Her head snapped to the door when the bell chimed through the room. Annabeth entered her face set to stone.

"Thanks for coming." Percy thanked Annabeth who didn't look impressed.

"This isn't the same for me as it is for you." She shakes her head, then it clicks for Luna.

The tale of Athena and Medusa.

Medusa's heels click as she returns, and the kids face away to avoid getting turned into a stone statue.

Luna pointed her gaze to the floor, she wished she could turn invisible. In fear, which Grover felt a lot, he carefully stepped to the side and used a soft hand to turn Luna towards him.

His hand dropping once she was concealed from Medusa, Luna frowned her gaze burning the floor. She never lets people move her around, but she could not help but submit to Grover.

Letting him protect her, even if something did happen she would fight for him. In some ways, Luna Fawn was the goat boys' protector.

"You're concerned I would hold a grudge against you simply because you are a daughter of Athena?" She says matter of factly.

Medusa walks around filling the five cups up with a drink, "You should've been. We're not our parents after all." Her voice soft almost made Luna believe it even if she wasn't talking to her.

All Luna wants to be told is that she's nothing like her mother.

"Please, sit and eat." The woman encouraged.

Luna rolled her eyes at the order.

Percy and Grover kept their heads low and followed her orders, Luna a thoughtful look at Annabeth's hardened face before sitting down slowly next to Grover.

They all sat in awkward silence broken by a few scrapes of chairs, until Percy opened his mouth.

"So you're not a monster, what are you then?" He asked shoveling food onto his plate.

Luna frowned, looking up from her plate to Percy, too many times so many words had been spoken that Luna almost spoke up because she related to it too much.

"A survivor." Her explanation made Luna feel bad for her.

Which didn't happen a lot without explanation.

"You must be a little more than that. There's a fury out there that seems more terrified of you than I am of Luna. That's saying something." He sassed flinching at the cutlery banging from Luna's fists and her sharp gaze.

As Percy and Medusa talk Luna spaces out, she can hear everything but just can't be bothered to be active in the conversation.

"You're not that terrifying to me," Grover whispers meekly to the archer holding out a small truffle.

Luna's eyes widen, nodding muttering a quiet thank you. Her eyes wandered over the food, Grover insisted he had smelt it and it was vegan so she took it.

He smiled at Luna then continued to stuff his face. After noticing Luna wasn't eating much so far he knew it was his job as a.. protector to help her.

One of Grover's superpowers was his smell could catch anything, he mostly used it to help Luna with food.

Medusa's words pull Luna back into reality.

"You are loyal to your mother," she states gazing above Luna's head at Annabeth.

Medusa's words were for Annabeth, but they cut deep. Luna wasn't loyal to her... creator.

"Yes," Annabeth replies Luna couldn't relate.

"You stand by her?"

Annabeth was getting a bit annoyed with the questions, "Always."

"You love her."

"Of course, I do." Annabeth's sure reply made Luna feel too different.

Sometimes Luna thinks she wants a healthy relationship with her mother, but then she reminds herself it's not possible. Demigod or not, pact or not, Luna would never measure up to the Artemis hunters her mother adored.

"And so did I." Medusa softly replied, "so did I." She repeated. Her soft motherly tone had comfort, is this what a mother sounded like?

Luna would never be able to tell.

"Do you know the story of how I came to be?" She asked rhetorically to Annabeth.

"I do," Grover speaks up while stuffing his face, Luna sighs.

Medusa's head snaps at the site, and Luna's grip on her pen tightens, "do you?" She pressed a soft bell tolling in the background.

The poor boy stops eating observing his quest mates, "do I?" He asked himself.

When Grover cast another confused glance to Luna she nodded, her features softening to confirm he does know the tale.

The boy was clueless.

As Medusa told the tale Luna became more understanding. Posiden played with people's feelings and yet Athena hates Medusa, people will do anything but blame the man.

It disgusted Luna.

Luna doesn't know a lot about love, granted she is the daughter of Artemis. But in some form she could sympathise with Medusa, loving somebody only to be told it's not right.

"That isn't what happened." Annabeth snapped, Luna turned, "My mother is just, always." Annabeth trusted her mother so securely Luna frowned at her blindness to the tale.

"The gods want you to believe, that they are infallible." Medusa sighed and Luna tried to look back at the woman.

"But they only want what all bullies want. They want us to blame ourselves for their shortcomings."

Luna couldn't help but nod along with what she was saying.

"What is not what happened? And you are a liar." Annabeth snapped causing Medusa to switch, Luna caught it.

Luna turned to her friend, "Annabeth," Luna shook her head, voice firm. Whatever Luna felt about the change in Medusa wasn't good.

Annabeth grumbled looking away from the archer.

"Something's burning." Medusa excuses herself, "Would you give me a hand in the kitchen? I think lunch is ready?" She asks Percy.

Luna stood in sync with Medusa, their eyes meeting for a moment. Keeping her gaze sharp. Nobody would be left alone.

Grover tried to speak in protest to the two leaving, luna placed a discrete hand on Grover's shoulder before slipping to follow Percy and Medusa.

It calmed him down quicker than he'd admit.

༺☆༻

Luna just stood there leaning against the entryway to the horrible-smelling kitchen, watching Medusa tend to the burgers.

She couldn't leave Percy alone, there was a giant change in his small brain upsetting the woman and getting turned into stone.

Zoning down Luna didn't hear the majority of the conversation. She did that a lot, focusing on small moments so she could attack at the quickest pace.

All conversation flew over her head unless she was mentioned.

"I didn't know you friend Luna did quests anymore, after the last one's outcome," Medusa said matter of factly.

Luna's pen gripped harder snapping out her her trance, Percy looked at the girl confused. "What as the outcome-" Percy got cut off.

"We're not friends," Luna grumbled, this wasn't a conversation she wanted to have.

Medusa asked, "Hades has been looking for you, Luna." Her voice is sly.

Percy looked at Luna again his eyes widening, Luna shook her head motioning to get back with the others.

With the previous conversation, Luna blocked out and this one they needed to leave.

Percy snuck up to Luna, "Tell Hades to face me himself instead of sending furies after us." She spat through gritted teeth.

The pair was already down in the main room by the time she responded, "Oh I will." She sighs.

Luna shivered as her ears picked up on that.

The two snuck down into the basement, Percy led, and Lunas followed her eyes still searching if Medusa was following. The other two were already moving towards the basement ushering them over.

They lead down the basement and start into the dark off-putting room, why would they go down there? Luna knew they must be stupid. But then they can go outside or the furie.

Luna stood in front of Grover looking up at the stars and hearing Earth focusing on the noise, with one blink her eyes adjusted to the dark dusty basement a sliver of glow to her eyes.

With slow breaths, the four listened and watched the stairs.

The whole vibe of where they were made Luna shiver, possibly being stuck in a room underground made her disgustingly claustrophobic.

Slow synced steps boom as they descend,
God this was too creepy even for Luna. A long faded door creek sends jolts through Grover his hand attaching to Lunas.

The girl freezes, eyes widening as she doesn't hate the feeling.

Fire rolls down the sides of the stairs, lighting a path to the group. Luna's ear picks up the fire lighting behind them, and the group turns.

Percy gasps as he is faced with a frozen stone statue.

Beyond them is a very vast basement with tall stone ceilings lined with so many statues it could fill the camp. Every so often it's filled with light from a small fire.

The door closes from behind, and everyone's head snap towards the sound. She was coming.

"Move." Luna ushered motherly pulling Grover in front of her, glancing back to the stairs as they moved.

The four ran deeper into the basement weaving through the statues.

Grover spoke in a hushed voice, "There four of us and only one of her." He started, and the group eventually came to a stop, "if we split up, she can't be watching us all at once." He theorised.

"I don't think it'd be that simple." Annabeth shot it down.

"It could be." He encouraged Luna to cross her arms. "Here's the plan. I'll get in the air, I'll draw her attention-" he explained.

Luna shook her head, "No. I can shoot her with my eyes closed, I'll get close and do it" Her plan was cut short when Grover was lifted into the air.

"Oh, boy! Okay! Um.." the goat boy whimpers as he struggles in the wait being drifted off.

Luna looked between Percy and Annabeth with her mouth agape. At least Grover will be maybe safe and out of the way.

"Off down!" He screams eventually fading out.

Luna uncrossed her arms nervously staring into the black void Grover disappeared into. She wasn't going on edge, was she?

"So, let's work on Luna's plan." Annabeth sighed. Luna nodded while Percy looked at the girls.

Medusa's incoming voice echoed, "We are not our parents until we choose to be." Shivers rolled down Luna's sides.

She took off deeper into the basement, Annabeth and Percy hurriedly following the girl.

"You three have chosen." Her voice echoed around all sides.

Luna couldn't help but wonder where Grover was. She found herself thinking of him in life-threatening situations too often.

Getting into her position Luna hid lying down on the top of a high dark box watching Medusa carefully, nobody could see her or her silver bow.

She slid into the shadows perched with the bow tense. Watching Medusa teach them as she spots Percy's spot, Luna smiles.

She didn't know who she was messing with.

Her snake hisses as Percy stands up with his eyes squeezed shut, his sword gripped hard.

Medusa eyed him up and down, Luna let go of the arrow hitting her shoulders. She clutched her shoulder in pain hissing to where it came from.

Luna squeezed her eyes shut when Medusa turned to her.

"Missed." Medusa taunts.

"Did I?" Luna tilts her head to the side, a sly smile appearing on her face.

Grover appeared crashing down into a nearby box and screaming, annabeth swiftly took her hat off placing it on Medusa's head turning her invisible.

"Now!" Annabeth signalled.

Luna opened her eyes watching as Percy swung his sword with a grunt chopping Medusa's head off.

It rolled on the floor with a squelch, Luna watched the two look up to her. She swung her legs down jumping down onto the concert and rolling before doing a Spiderman-like pose.

Luna shivered and stood back up, "poser." She muttered to herself.

Grabbing her arrow from Medusa's still warm body Luna checked on Grover. Felting him up with one hand.

"Are you okay?" Luna held back a laugh, biting her cheek.

Grover stared at the girl puzzled, "Did you say something?" He asked, voice croaky from screaming.

Luna helped him up dusting him off. Standing close enough to see his eyes sparkle he admires her closeness.

Her hand wiping some wood dust off of his hair the boy stilled. It wasn't every day Luna was this close when she wasn't yelling at you.

Grover made eye contact with the girl smiling gently, Luna sighed quietly giving another half smile before taking a step away.

The loss of warmth made her shiver while the boy sucked a breath in from another half smile.

Annabeth came up to the two with a knowing glance, she signals to go to Percy.

Percy knelt to the ground picking up an invisible Medusa head. "Aw, man," Percy exclaims softly.

"You found it?" Annabeth asked as Percy stood up.

Luna looked in between Percy's hands, he was holding an invisible head. Gross.

"Hope so." He grimaced.

While Percy and Annabeth took the head back upstairs to kill the fury Luna stayed with Grover.

Sitting on a nearby desk she watched him stare sadly into the eyes of a statue. Standing up Luna walked to the boy.

"Are you okay?" Luna placed a comforting hand on his shoulder looking back at the statue.

It broke her to watch Grover silently deal with his emotions, was she a hypocrite? Maybe.

Grover gulps and nods glimpsing at the girl's saddest expression. "I think." He breathed.

༺☆༻

They soon return, "What is it?" Annabeth asked the pair.

"Uncle Ferdinand." Grover relied sucking a sad breath in.

Luna's eyes widened, on the trail before Grover explained how his uncle took that very oath. God, it made her sick, to know that he didn't make it far.

The three apologise and give their condolences to Grover. Luna rubbed his shoulder soothingly as he leaned into her hand.

"This is as far as he got in his quest. We aren't even to Trenton. But look at him." Grover chuckled softly, tears brimming his eyes.

"He's not like the others, he..." he looks around at the other states, Luna's eyes kept on the boy. "He doesn't look afraid."

"You're brave like him," Luna whispered squeezing his shoulder.

A long beat of silence followed, eventually Grover cleared his throat, "You used the, um, you used the head to get rid of Alecto?"

Luna's hand returned to her side.

"Yeah." Percy agreed to what he did previously.

"Good." The room is silent, none of the kids knew how to have an emotionally vulnerable conversation, "that was the right move."

Luna's heart officially broke then, Grover wiped a tear from his eye, "Uh, we probably should get going. It'll be dark soon." He changed the touchy subject.

The three nodded along silently all their eyes on the boy. Agreeing to change the subject.

"But what are we going to do with the head?" Percy exclaimed, "I just took down a fury with it, and I wasn't even trying. We can't just leave it for someone to find." His point was clear.

Luna nods, "we could squish the thing into liquid?" her dark suggestion makes the three look in disgust. "Or not.." she drawled out, crossing her arms.

"Or we could leave the hat on and bury it in the basement!" Percy says on edge from Luna's comment moving to the side. "That ought to keep it safe. And our eyes not traumatised." He sends a look to Luna.

The girl rolled her eyes, her suggestion was perfectly fine.

The pair look to Annabeth, she thinks for a moment.

"Sure..." she agrees, the tone Luna recognises as a sign of more to come. "Now, can we talk about the bigger issue here?" Annabeth's voice picks up.

"What bigger issue?" Percy pulls a confused face.

Luna watched eyes moving between the pair, occasionally go Grover to check up on him.

Percy and Annabeth trail off into a mini argument about Percy's mother and what Medusa said. Luna watched the pair then to Grover he was struggling.

"Guys, just please stop." Grover attempted to calm to two down, but they ignored him and kept on going.

Luna stepped forwards pissed, crossing her arms. "Enough!" Her voice boomed silencing the pair.

"Grover is going through something are you both arguing? Do you have no sense of time and place!" The girl snapped.

Annabeth's eyes widened while Percy's mouth fell agape.

"The hat was a gift from Annabeth's mother." Luna pointed to the girl staring at Percy.

Grover stepped up beside the fuming girl getting convinced after she defended him. "It's the only thing she's ever possessed that connects them." He raises his voice.

"That oughta matter to you." Luna spat shaking her head to the boy.

Percy looks between the pair fighting a slight smile. One reaction would be to be upset but then, Grover and Luna were putting the two in place like parents.

Ha. Luna and Grover as partners, they were so different. But Percy knew it's what made them so good together.

"Okay," he coughed, "but how are we gonna make sure this thing is safe?" Percy looked awkward.

The braided brunette loved it.

"I'm not up to that yet." Grover interrupted, the girl gazed at him eyes wide.

Grover should stood up for himself more, Luna thought it was about time.

He turned to Annabeth, "And you his mom's alive. Can you imagine how confusing that must be for him?" He strongly informed, grabbing Luna's hand.

As if he was pulling the anger from her, and Luna just let him. He needed it. So she squeezed his hand three times.

"Feeling like me may have to choose between the fate of the world and the fate of the only person who's ever cared about him?" His voice was on the edge of cracking.

Luna looked at him proud he was standing up to the pair.

"Why are you talking like this?" Annabeth asks in disbelief.

"Because all day I've been trying to keep this quest on track without upsetting any of you," Grover yells breathing heavily.

Everybody hung their head in shame, Luna hung hers down to the floor. Grover simply squeezed his hand, he wasn't used to yelling at her hand was magically calming him down.

"But maybe things need to get a little upsetting before they move forward." Grover began again.

Maybe the archer didn't like Grover yelling as much, she liked how calm her was and it was unsettling to see him mad. She was supposed to be the mad one.

"She asked you a question back in the woods, and you never really answered. What are you so afraid of?" Grover pressed to the blond seaweed-brained boy.

Percy furrowed his eyebrows, "what are you talking about?"

"You heard me"

"I don't know" Percy surveyed the women, Annabeth looked shocked and he was sure Luna wasn't even listening.

"I think you do." Grover persisted to get the truth, "You've been fighting with Annabeth, with Luna and fighting with me."

Percy snapped, "Because the oracle said one of you would betray me. Okay?" He blurted.

Luna's eyes widen.

He sighed, "You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, and you shall fail to save what matters most in the end." He repeated what the oracle said.

Did Percy think she would betray him? They are so not friends.

Percy shrugged, "the rest of what she said to me." He looked at Annabeth. "I chose her because I couldn't imagine we'd ever be friends"

Annabeth looked to the boy shocked, and then Percy turned to Luna.

"And I didn't even choose Luna, Chiron said she needed to face her fear because of her last quest which she hasn't said what happened!" Percy shot daggers to the girl.

Her mouth agape she crosses her arms, sighing and looking anywhere but Percy and Grover's eyes on her head.

"And I chose you because I thought if I could count on anyone to be by my side, no matter what, it was you. And now, I'm feeling so alone." Percy rambled and confessed.

"What happened on that damn quest! It's all I've heard about, even Medusa knew." Percy pointed to the quiet archer.

Everybody's eyes move to her, shuffling Luna scratched the back of her head. "We don't have to talk about that." She dismissed.

"No, we do, we have to clear everything up now." Grover nodded.

Luna glued her eyes to the floor, her worst nightmare talking about what happened.

"I, um, I went on a quest with a son of Hades and a daughter of Apollo. They died, it was my fault and now Hades hates me." The girl confessed balling her hands up.

"Why didn't you say?" Grover looked betrayed Luna didn't tell him.

Luna looked back up biting her cheek, "I was ashamed, I was grieving. And I don't want to talk about it." The eye contact didn't last long with her eyes searching the room.

"Luna..." Grover started softly.

She shook her head hard, "can we not." She whispered blinking the tears back in, feeling Percy and Annabeth's sad gazes on her.

"Okay," Grover muttered, Percy nor Annabeth dared to speak up.

Luna not once ever nearly cried in front of them, not even Grover.

Luna looks back to Percy.

The four looked around at each other silently, a dysfunctional group of kids. What could go wrong?

Percy nodded to her and left behind the large table nearby, Luna was thankful Percy continued with something else.

Maybe she and Percy could be friends.

The three stood on the opposite end of the table. Grover guided the girl with his hand on her lower back, stroking up and down to soothe her aching.

She could feel her pain.

Annabeth sent Luna a short smile, it said it was much more.

Percy flipped through an old book, "Hermes' Express, she ships these things all over. Some of it goes to Olympus." He hinted.

Luna groaned, "Are you thinking what I am?"

"Yes..." Percy said uncertainly.

"Percy, you can't send medusas head to Olympus." Annabeth shot his idea down, Luna hated that she didn't mind it.

Percy narrowed his eyes, "why not?"

"The gods won't like it."

"At all," Grover speaks up.

They all look at Luna, sighing as the girl pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe I'm saying this but, I agree with Percy"

He tried not to be offended when the girl flinched admitting it.

"Thanks?... anyways, that's what you do with dangerous stuff. Like batteries, you just send 'em back where they came from." He said in a duh tone.

"Omay. Look, this is a bad idea." Annabeth looks around at her quest mates. "They will see this an impertinent."

"I am impertinent." Percy shot back.

Annabeth sighed, "Yes, but we're not." She motioned over to Luna and Grover.

"Very not." Grover pressed.

Luna shrugged, "Gods hate me, half don't know I exist." She bit on her tongue.

"You're not helping," Grover whispered in the girl's ear.

Luna turned her head to him, he was close. "Not trying to." She teased looking back at Percy.

Grover nodded awkwardly, "okay then..." he whispered.

Percy set a heavy box down, "look. Medusa tried to derail our quest. She got serious beef with your mom. When you look at it that way, it seems kinda like a tribute or something, doesn't it?"

Luna was questioning her position more and more.

"And besides." He stocked his hand into the box pulling Annabeth's hat out and keeping the head in. "...this way, a part of your moms is still with us." He hands the cap back.

"Thank you." Annabeth kinda smiles at the boy.

Percy then closes the box taping it up.

"So this isn't exactly what I meant. By choosing each other." The boy nervously rambled as Percy taped the box loudly. "There are dangers involved here that cannot be..."

He was cut off by Luna's second-worst nightmare.

The consensus song.

Percy clapped, and Luna wanted to scream.

"You're gonna sing the song, aren't you?" Grover asked sighing, Percy clapped faster.

"Okay."

Percy started signing, "Oh, golly the roads getting bumpy." He sang visibly enjoying Grover and Luna's discomfort.

"Whatever." Grover waved him off.

Sighing Luna rolled her eyes, "Percy I will shoot you." She hissed scrunching her face up in disgust.

"You keep on saying that and you never do it." Percy sassed.

Luna pulled her bow out making him flinch, the archer cackled turning her bow back into its pen form.

Ella speaks!!!!

I love Luna so much she has a lot of mommy issues, her favourite movie would be Lady Bird.

This is the longest chapter by far!!! Any tips or criticisms are welcome!

Luna love avoiding serous conversations about family, feelings and the old quest.