Title: Family Feud

Author: Janine

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Pairing: Annabeth/Clarisse, Athena, Ares

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Summary: Athena and Annabeth come across Ares and Clarisse on their way to look at the newest building to go up on Olympus.

Note: This story picks up right after "An Afternoon with Athena".

xxx

Annabeth's mood calmed as she walked through the gleaming streets of Olympus with her mother. The Goddess of Wisdom had teased Annabeth for a brief spell after they left her chambers, but Athena soon brought the conversation back to the reconstruction and Annabeth was able to focus her mind on something besides the soul-crushing embarrassment that had been plaguing her since the real reason for her invitation to Olympus had been revealed to her.

As they neared the square that lay in front of the new building, Annabeth was able to make out the sound of swords clashing and she turned to Athena with a curious look on her face, but the Goddess of Wisdom simply smiled blandly at her in response and murmured, "You'll see."

Her mother's response was uncharacteristically elusive and Annabeth thought about questioning her further, but as she looked at Athena she saw a slight gleam in her eye and realized that the goddess was being vague on purpose. Athena knew exactly what the noise was, but she wasn't going to tell Annabeth. It seemed that Annabeth was in for another surprise, so all she could do was hope that this one wasn't as overpoweringly embarrassing as the conversation she'd just had with her mother.

When the square came into view, Annabeth understood her mother's cryptic response and amused gaze. Clarisse and Ares were in the center of the square sparring in front of the large fountain that decorated the area and Annabeth abruptly came to a stop at the sight of them. Annabeth could feel her mother's gaze on her as her grey eyes roamed over Clarisse's form, taking in her tanned skin and rippling muscles, but she couldn't force herself to take her eyes off of her girlfriend's captivating form. Whenever she saw Clarisse her body tingled and her heartbeat quickened, and not even her mother's eyes on her could stop Annabeth from reacting to the sight of her girlfriend.

"She fights well," Athena murmured as Annabeth breathed in sharply through her nostrils and shifted restlessly on her feet. "You chose an impressive mate."

"Thank you," Annabeth breathed out, cursing the roughness that had come into her voice, knowing that her mother's keen brain would recognize it for what it was. "I'm quite fond of her."

"Yes," Athena sighed, "I am aware," she continued making Annabeth's skin flush red. "Come," Athena continued, ignoring the blush covering her daughter's pale cheeks, "let us greet her. I find it wise to try and avoid Ares whenever possible. He brings out a very unpleasant side of me. But I must admit that I am quite curious to meet your Clarisse."

Annabeth's lips parted to say to her mother that Clarisse was not 'hers', but she closed her mouth before speaking a word. Despite the fact that she suspected she shouldn't, she liked the way 'your Clarisse' sounded, she liked the idea of Clarisse being hers – and conversely her being Clarisse's. It touched something primal inside of her, something base, ancient and powerful. The thought made her skin tingle and her heart clench, and so she could not force a denial of her mother's words past her lips.

Athena's hand landing on her shoulder drew Annabeth out of contemplation however, and when Athena gently urged her forward, Annabeth began to walk.

xxx

Clarisse grinned as she dodged a swipe from her father's sword and dropped into a crouch, ready to defend against another attack. She was happy to be moving, to be sweating, and to have her heart pounding as she jabbed and blocked and deflected the blows Ares aimed at her. Words were not her strong suit, nor were they her father's (though he talked a lot) and the conversation Ares had summoned her to Olympus for had frayed Clarisse's nerves badly.

Although it wasn't encouraged for the Olympians to pick favourites amongst their children, Ares had a reputation for favouring certain individuals from Cabin Five over others and Clarisse was one of the ones he paid special attention to. She'd had to opportunity to speak privately with her father in the past, and since the defeat of the Titans she had been to Olympus on a few occasions to visit her father, so she had not found it strange when he suddenly sent for her. She still wasn't quite used to the wall of television screens in the room that constantly showed a wide variety of war news coverage, UFC matches, boxing matches, the entire SPIKE TV schedule and other violent media, but she wasn't overwhelmed by it either like she had been the first time she had been to Ares chambers.

What had confused her upon her arrival at her father's dwelling was Ares stiffly offering her a seat on the couch next to him instead of tossing her an Xbox controller and telling her to gear up. But that was just the start of her anxiety. What had happened after that was one of the most surreal events of Clarisse's young life and she hoped to never go through anything so mentally and emotionally distressing again.

Despite the fact that she had suddenly really wanted to be back at camp, Clarisse had taken a seat as her father instructed, joining him on the couch. Ares had then turned to her and observed her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding his head up and down, and declaring, "So you're giving it to Annabeth, huh? She wouldn't have been my first choice for you, but for one of that frigid bitch's kids, she sure can get down to business," he continued sounding impressed as he lifted his hand up for a high five.

In a state of shock, Clarisse had weakly lifted her hand and limply pressed her sweaty palm against his. That hadn't been the last thing she ever expected him to say, but it was pretty low down on the list, just above "A monkey stole my pants last night," and "Did you know that my favourite scent is lavender?"

"With that amount of enthusiasm you'd think she was one of 'Dite's!" Ares continued, encouraged by Clarisse's lacklustre high five or simply wanting to hear more of the sound of his own voice. "Am I right?" he asked grinning at her. "Those wise-punks are all about the environment though. A-pain-in-my-ass-a is always going on about why do weapons of war need to be so environmentally destructive, like it isn't obvious that it's because fire is awesome and I don't care. I guess Annabeth took it one step further though."

For the first time since Clarisse was six, she was tempted to cry, but she controlled the impulse and simply looked over at Ares with slightly watery eyes.

Mistaking the shimmering misery in her eyes for interest, Ares exclaimed, "Save a horse, ride a warrior!" to explain his previous comment, before adding, "In all seriousness though, Athena would be a lot more fun at parties if she took after her daughter a bit more. As good as she looks in that armour, she'd look better out of it. Still, if I had to breach one of the chastity belts around here, I'd probably give it to Aunt Hestia."

The next hour was one of the most exhausting Clarisse had ever suffered through even though she never left the couch. After telling her how Annabeth had been summoning the gods with her ecstatic pleas for more of what Clarisse was giving her, Ares had then gone on to tell her that her sex skills were way better than those of most of her brothers and that she should really give them some advice to help them out, especially in the "licky-licky" department. After saying many more completely awful and inappropriate things to her, he concluded that later on that day they should visit Apollo and Clarisse should learn how to write haikus from him because 'bitches love poems' and if she wrote one for Annabeth she could probably get some backdoor action from her.

"I..." Clarisse managed to choke out with misty-eyes as she gaped at him in horror.

"I know, right! Exciting," Ares had declared. "Trust me, she'll love it. After all, she didn't say no to spanking."

Clarisse paled upon hearing that, realizing just how much her father knew about their love life, but before she could will herself to disappear, Ares stood up and moved to the side of the room, picking up a couple swords and shields and then moved back over to Clarisse. He then tossed her a shield and handed her a sword, and said, "Now, let's go outside and try to stab each other," and numbly Clarisse had nodded and followed him out of the room.

xxx

Clarisse was the first to notice Athena and Annabeth's approach. Annabeth's sudden appearance momentarily distracted Clarisse, and she just managed to avoid getting whacked in the head with the flat of Ares blade as her father pressed on with his attack. Clarisse's lack of focus soon registered with him however, and when he saw that her gaze kept flickering behind him, he turned to find Athena glowering at him while Annabeth stared at Clarisse with a small smile tugging at her lips. The look on Annabeth's face was both sweet and hungry, and not for the first time Ares found himself wondering how such an alluring creature could really be Athena's.

Turning his head to the side, Ares observed Clarisse for a moment as she stared at Annabeth bashfully, and just barely suppressed the urge to sigh deeply at the naked affection for Annabeth visible on his daughters face. Clarisse was a warrior. She was a daughter of the Dragon. She was not supposed to blush like a wee little human schoolgirl because some pretty little thing smiled at her.

"Don't be shy girl," Ares said loudly, nudging Clarisse with his elbow. "You've already conquered that territory. No need to stand around blushing like a virgin. Go say hello," he ordered, his lips twitching slightly as he tried to control the grin that Annabeth's blush and Athena's glowering threatened to bring to his lips.

Clarisse did not move after he spoke and Ares looked to her again, this time giving in to the urge to sigh with disappointment when he saw that Clarisse's skin was flushed with embarrassment as she shyly looked down at the ground.

"Clarisse!" Ares growled, frowning at her cowed form with displeasure. "Stand up straight!" Ares barked as Clarisse tentatively turned her head in his direction.

Clarisse straightened her back.

"Now, Zeus knows I don't usually encourage my bitches to speak, but Athena will lose her shit if you don't greet that girl properly, so get to it."

Clarisse eyed her father wearily for a moment longer, but then she turned towards Annabeth and began to walk to her. As she made her way to Annabeth, her eyes cut to the blonde's left to look at her mother, The Goddess of Wisdom, but Athena's eyes were stormy and dark as the goddess stared at her father, and Clarisse quickly returned her gaze to Annabeth and kept it there.

"I do not 'lose my shit'," Athena declared coldly, her grey gaze focused on Ares as Clarisse walked.

Ares smirked at that and snapped his fingers, disappearing from sight only to materialize a second later beside Athena. Annabeth turned to watch as Ares winked at her mother, and then she looked over and met Clarisse's eyes worriedly. They shared a mutual look of concern, and then both turned their attention towards their parents with fascination and trepidation.

"Come on," Ares said impatiently, motioning for Clarisse to come closer. "You're mortals. She's not getting any younger waiting for you to get over here."

Clarisse flushed again, but quickened her step until she finally came to a stop just in front of Annabeth. She glanced over at Athena very briefly, and then she leaned forward and brushed her lips chastely against Annabeth's cheek before murmuring, "Hey," softly.

Annabeth's lips twitched, and then an embarrassed but happy smile touched her lips as she whispered, "Hey," back to Clarisse.

Athena watched the girls closely as they awkwardly greeted each other, a gentle smile touching her lips as she observed the sweet interaction. However, before she could do much more than register the girls reunion, Athena felt Ares hand come to rest solidly on her bottom. The touch was a shock to her and she released a gasp of surprise before turning her rage filled eyes in his direction so that she could blast him across the square.

"Don't lose your shit, huh?" Ares said smugly, dusting himself off once he materialized in front of the women once more.

"That was a perfectly reasonable and justified response to molestation," Athena responded primly.

"It was just a love pat," Ares declared looking over at Athena.

Athena met his eyes for a moment and then her features contorted into an expression of contempt and disdain.

"Save it for Aphrodite," Athena muttered darkly.

"There's enough love for everyone," Ares responded comfortingly, smiling sweetly in Athena's direction because he knew that it would infuriate her.

"You'll keep your hands to yourself Ares. If you don't you'll have to beg Hephaestus to build you a metal cock in order to keep your cabin populated because I'm going to sever yours from your body the next time you touch me."

Annabeth's eyes widened in surprise and she stared at the Goddess of Wisdom disbelievingly. She had never heard her mother use such base language before and her brain was having trouble processing it. She wasn't sure if she was disturbed or amused by the fact that Athena could, on occasion, have a potty mouth, but she was momentarily enthralled by it.

"That fug bastard wouldn't build me shit," Ares complained.

"Then I suggest you keep your gestures of brotherly love to yourself," Athena said primly. "And if I may be so bold, allow me to suggest that if you ceased to dip your battle axe into Aphrodite's golden fields every chance you got, our dear brother might feel more kindly towards you."

Ares glared at Athena wrathfully for a moment, seething impotently, but then a look of speculation came into his eyes and he turned to Clarisse and smiled.

"You're lucky that one takes after her aunt 'Dite," he said to Clarisse as he jerked his thumb in Annabeth's direction. "She'd probably freeze your titties off when you two do it if she'd taken after her mother."

Clarisse gaped at him in shock and Ares felt quite proud of himself.

"Ares, you are a brute of the highest order!" Athena declared, saving Clarisse from having to try and formulate a response to her father's comment. "You are an absolute horror," Athena continued in a huff. "Don't you have anything better to do than terrorize my child ... and your own?"

"Not really," Ares replied happily. "But since you're the one who had nothing better to do than show up here and harass me with your existence, might I suggest that you go see Capt. Handsome down in the forge and find out if he can't build a contraption to pull that giant pole out of your ass."

Without pause, Athena blasted him across the yard again.

"Stop that," Ares snapped at her.

"You stop!" Athena declared.

"I didn't do anything!" Ares yelled.

"You were being obnoxious."

"You were being stuck up!"

"I am not stuck up. I am dignified."

"Pretentious."

"Sensible."

"Know-it-All."

"I am the goddess of wisdom!"

"More like the Goddess of giving people two cents they didn't ask for! And for the record, no one cares that you can read Titan! There's a reason it's a dead language!"

A look of great offence came onto Athena's face and her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Perhaps we should take this to father for mediation," Athena suggested smugly a few seconds later.

Ares looked livid and soon flames began to flicker in his eyes.

"Is there a problem?" Athena asked sweetly.

Ares glared at her. Of course there was a problem! Athena was Zeus's favourite. Out of all of his children he favoured Athena the most, probably because he hadn't needed to interact with Hera in order to make her. Athena's wishes often became Zeus's commands, but Zeus could barely stand Ares. Whenever Ares was forced to interact with his father, Zeus looked like he was just barely controlling the urge to throw Ares over the side of Olympus. If they went to Zeus with their disagreement there was no way that Zeus would side with him over Athena.

"Yeah there's a problem ... your face!" Ares responded a moment later, the flames in his eyes flaring as he stared at Athena. "Come on, Clarisse. Let's leave these losers to read their books, and talk about fractions and human rights and other boring fancy twat topics of conversation."

Clarisse's lips parted, but no sound came out as she looked over at her father and then over at Annabeth, oscillating her gaze between them over and over again, completely torn.

"Oh, fine. Stay," Ares said throwing his hands up as he realized that Clarisse was worried about Annabeth getting mad at her if she went off with him after calling the blonde and her mother fancy twats.

He had seen Annabeth in the sack and figured that it would be mean to make Clarisse risk getting frozen out of Annabeth's honey pot just so that the two of them could make an exit. Ares understood the power of pussy, and he could not fault Clarisse for wanting to lock Annabeth's down.

"Don't say I've never done anything for you," Ares continued a few seconds later. "And remember what I told you. She'll like it," Ares went on to Clarisse though his gaze was focused on Annabeth. "The nerdy ones are always the freakiest."

"That is enough!" Athena declared, not liking Ares topic of conversation in the slightest. That was her daughter he was taking about after all. Yes, she had seen Annabeth enthusiastically engage in adventurous intimacies, but it was beyond impolite of Ares to bring it up.

"Ha! That one never gets enough," Ares replied, jabbing his finger in Annabeth's direction before smirking at her.

Athena's eyes turned darker and darker until the grey appeared almost black and the air around her crackled with energy. She released a blast of energy in Ares direction, but Ares was prepared for the attack and deflected the blast of light before sticking his middle finger up at Athena.

"Sit on it," he growled.

Athena's mouth pressed into a thin, unhappy line and she extended her hand in Clarisse's direction, making the sword Clarisse was holding begin to vibrate. Clarisse loosened her hold on the handle of the sword, and almost as soon as she did it flew out of her hand and into Athena's.

"We shall settle this disagreement with bronze," Athena declared taking up a fighting stance.

"Bring it punk," Ares countered lifting his own sword.

The two gods then charged each other under their children's watchful gazes and began to fight.

"What was he talking about before?" Annabeth whispered, turning to look at Clarisse.

"Nothing," she murmured awkwardly, blushing deeply as her father's voice sounded in her mind, repeating his earlier words.

Annabeth continued to look at Clarisse knowing that it had definitely been something from the extremity of Clarisse's reaction.

"He told me to ..." Clarisse began, shifting uncomfortably under Annabeth's gaze, but before she could finish the sentence, embarrassment seized her again and she tailed off.

Annabeth reached over and took Clarisse's hand, squeezing it gently in support. "It's okay, you can tell me," she breathed out, glancing quickly over at their parents to make sure they were still busy before she continued. "You can tell me anything. You know that."

Clarisse looked over at Annabeth, studying her for a moment and found nothing but sincerity in her gaze – as she knew would be the case. There was no reason for her to be hesitant to speak to Annabeth. They had shared so much together, intimacies and intimate secrets that Clarisse never could have imagined sharing with another person, and not once had anything she had said or done made Annabeth turn from her or look at her with anything but love and affection.

Clarisse took a deep, fortifying breath and then pressed forward.

"He said that I should ... that you'd like it if I put my fingers ... behind. You know ... in your bum," she related as she stared down at her shoes, unable to meet Annabeth's eyes as she related Ares' suggestion to her.

Annabeth's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment her cheeks burned red with embarrassment as she thought about the fact that Ares was giving Clarisse suggestions about how to spice up their already flavourful sex life, but as her mind turned Clarisse's words over, she couldn't stop the thoughtful expression that came to her face.

"Do you ..." Clarisse began tentatively as she saw a look of speculation come into Annabeth's eyes. "I mean, would you want to ..." Clarisse continued, a little bit of interest and excitement showing in her tone now that Annabeth hadn't reacted negatively.

Annabeth shrugged nonchalantly, but the smile tugging at the corner of her lips gave away her interest.

"It might be ... fun," she whispered, looking over at Clarisse coquettishly through her eyelashes. "Actually," she continued blushing again, "I've kind of wondered what ..."

The sound of Ares voice interrupted Annabeth's response and drew both girls attention over to him.

"We'll finish this later, sis," Ares said as he and Athena continued to circle each other slowly. "There's a situation brewing in Colombia that requires my attention if the violence is to reach its full potential."

"Stay and fight like a god," Athena taunted. "The humans need no aid when it comes to giving into their baser instincts."

"I don't go out of necessity, I go for fun," Ares said, enjoying the look of disgust that came over Athena's features. She looked like something had crawled into her mouth and died, and her scorn fed him almost as well as violence and bloodshed did. "And I go now," he declared before disappearing into a bright flash of light.

Athena straightened out her dress once Ares disappeared and ran a hand through her hair before turning to face the girls.

"Truly girls, I apologize for the display you just witnessed," Athena breathed out, her own flawlessly pale skin flushing a little with embarrassment. "Your father and I ... well," Athena sighed looking over at Clarisse, "I'm sure you understand."

"Yes Ma'am," Clarisse replied respectfully. "There are a few of my siblings I'd blast into next century if I could," she related, her gaze darkening a little as her mind focused on her brother Nestor and how much she really, really, really wanted to kick his ass into the underworld.

Athena smiled and placed her hand lightly on Clarisse's shoulder for a moment.

"I am gladdened you do not take offence," she told the young brunette before drawing her hand away from Clarisse. "Annabeth and I were on our way to look at the new building that has gone up. It is one of my favourites from Annabeth's designs and the new construction is quite a wonder. Would you care to join us?"

"I'd love to. Thank you," Clarisse responded respectfully before looking over at Annabeth and sharing a gentle smile with her as Annabeth squeezed her hand excitedly.

Athena noted the exchange between them and smiled to herself but did not comment out loud about how precious she found it because she knew that it would embarrass them.

"So," Athena began as she started to lead the girls in the direction of the new building. "What were you two whispering about back there? Were you planning a romantic date?" she inquired turning her head to the side so that she could see the two of them.

Annabeth looked away from her the moment their eyes met and a deep blush touched her cheeks, and Clarisse looked down at the ground and focused on it with great intent as her skin reddened as well.

Athena sighed resignedly knowing that the girls had been talking about something carnal and shook her head. Artemis never had to deal with such problems with her Huntress's and the Goddess of Wisdom wondered if forming her own band of young virgin warrior princesses who would never be tempted by the base desires of adolescence might not be a better idea than breeding.

The End